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How my genius roommate changed my perspective

farhadg.com

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Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#131

Post by bryanrasmussen »

ethbr0 wrote: post #111
bryanrasmussen wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

somebody is wrong on the internet and IT'S YOU!!! In Asterix in Britain https://asterix.fandom.com/wiki/Asterix_in_Britain the Romans attack during the time the British are having their hot water - with maybe a little bit of milk in it. Before the final battle when all seems to be lost because the barrel of magic potion was sunk in the river Asterix announces that they have the makings of the magic potion (pulling so…

Wait, there's an ongoing alternate history French comic that's been published since 1959 about warriors from Gaul fighting the Roman Republic under Caesar? I admit, retconning your arch-foe's national non-alcoholic drink of choice is fairly grand, but I feel like you buried the lede there. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asterix

I mean the top poster was aware of Asterix

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#135

Post by jacquesm »

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #84
jacquesm wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's all true, but given that both parties were evenly matched before picking winter to do battle required something to tip the advantage to the attacker who picked that time because they had a solution to the problem of dealing with chapped hands, which in the age of manual combat may well have been of such importance that the outcome was all but certain. Asterix joke: "The Romans, upon learning that the English r…

somebody is wrong on the internet and IT'S YOU!!! In Asterix in Britain https://asterix.fandom.com/wiki/Asterix_in_Britain the Romans attack during the time the British are having their hot water - with maybe a little bit of milk in it. Before the final battle when all seems to be lost because the barrel of magic potion was sunk in the river Asterix announces that they have the makings of the magic potion (pulling so…

Ah yes, of course! The tea was revealed on the last page only. My memory isn't entirely bit-rot proof and it's been a good 47 years since I last read that particular story.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#137

Post by FarhadG »

nobrains wrote: post #43

This is amazing. My dad is like this, very resourceful with very less and creative with the limited resources he has as hand, and has lived/survived through life like this. But there is a problem now. As a family, thanks to the incomes of the kids, have enough to survive (and thrive), but he continues with his efficiency-only approach, instead of the just-buy-it approach. - So, we see plastic bottle based plant pots…

(Author here) While it can be frustrating, I think there is something about encouraging someone to lean in on their creative skillsets. You never know what's to follow when a creative person is backing with inspiration, support, and a little guidance :)

Thank you for sharing. He sounds like a very interesting indiviual.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#138

Post by FarhadG »

hirako2000 wrote: post #21

Am I the only one thinking of a hoseless washing machine and a wide open wardrobe that will be rather complicated to sell?

(Author here) I should make this point more clear in my article. Once you realize how much extra materials are sold (e.g. hose length) to ensure it meets a wide range of customers, you realize you can do much to tailor the final result to your needs.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#139

Post by FarhadG »

icu wrote: post #32

This reminds me of an 80s tv show called MacGyver which impressed on me as a kid that you can use what you got to get out of tricky situations. I've done loads of different things as a result of this attitude. The only time I stopped to think about the show's wider influence was when I was at University (some time ago) in the Engineering building with my best friend (an Engineering student) and a phone went off with…

(Author here) Thank you for the reminder. I've heard of this show in so many different contexts and I've yet to come watch any of the episodes.

If you start a channel, I'd follow along, btw.

Re: How my genius roommate changed my perspective

#140

Post by FarhadG »

geocrasher wrote: post #4

s/genius/resourceful and creative/g That's not a slight. But being resourceful (and creative, of course) is what was displayed. There was no evidence of genius. Being resourceful and creative means using what you have on hand to achieve a goal. For example, I wanted to make a gift for a friend who loves dinosaurs. I used old bicycle parts and various bits of metal I had left over from other projects and made her a 3…

(Author here) Thank you for the thoughtful post and rigor. I've really taken time to reflect on this term and what it means. I still come back to `genius` being associated with attitude/approach/decision-making that may yield certain results. In this case, `resourcefulness` applies to his approach while sharp/smart/genius applies to his attitude and approach.

In another way, I find it difficult to deem someone a genius by the results of their actions (i.e. resulting). It's much more about their mindset and decision making process.

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