Geek +50 ans, 4D programmer, 23 500 comics, science-fiction, Diablo, mécanique quantique, mathématique,Feynman, série TV et .... abonné au gaz

lundi 27 janvier 2014



The nerd losed a game and doesn't like it


I really hate to lose.
Yesterday night was the final or the World Cup of Quiz. This Trivial Pursuit on Twitter gathers players from a lot of countries all around the world. The rule is simple. You answer to various questions and the quickest gets the point. You don't represent yourself but your country. You win league points by answering daily random questions. And there is the Cup which is game between countries.

After 4 rounds, France was yesterday in final against Wales. If we looked at the league points the two countries were not among the best countries because they ranked 5 and 6. For example India was at 400 points when France was only at 140. To get to the Final France beat Nigeria, Ireland, India and Egypt. The quarter final won against India was quite an exploit but we will come again on this point. Each country has a main player called General : usually the best player. As a provider of 75% of the french points I was the General.

Anyway, yesterday we lost 10-8 to Wales. As usual I blamed myself for an hesitation on Freud's nationality and lack of speed on the radius answer. Even if I actually brought 32-34 points over 48 of the whole tournament. And that's where it is problematic to our country.

First of all, just after the end of game, there was no more french player to congratulate the winners except me. No one to even comment the game and congratulate ourselves for a good fight. I received a lot of messages from our adversaries and organizers but nothing from the french. As General I failed to lead people to victory but at least gave all I had to try to win.

And it is there that the french culture strikes back. In France we are plagued by the quote of Courbertin (no first name I know ;-) ) that the most important is to participate. French people prefer second to first even if it is slightly changing nowadays. More if they are in an amateur activity they don't commit and don't do all to be at their best. I am for years in choir signing. Even if I have done thorough musical studies I always practice at home when other without education don't rehearsal at home and plagued the next rehearsal. "I am not a professional" is the usual answer. Beside the lack of fighting spirit it is a lack of what is called in ancient greek "arété". This is the way of trying to reach excellency in everything. Not actually reaching it but trying.

The second part of the problem is that you don't have to be proud of your achievements because it is taken as bragging. Even if I actually won single-handed the Indians by gaining all the point I can't tell it. It is coming from the french education where parents are driving their children low on real achievement and in the same time congratulate them for menial tasks. Some comments yesterday from a player was the illustration of that. That's why we prefer false modests usually with bad records if you see what I mean.

By the way I don't agree with the fact that the WCoQ gave credit to answers done by fellow players to encourage them even if they didn't answer first. When Jordan was scoring it was not one of his partners who got the credit of it just to encourage him.  OK there is someone who is getting the majority of the points but I am not omniscient and the next question can be yours. There must 4 other players around Jordan to make a team and they are also very good. I had to back up during the semi final after giving the 2 first answers to be sure to have some players on the final.

Third point is the lack of confidence of french people. "It is too hard for me" is the usual answer. "If you don't try you won't know" and once again the variety of the questions gives an opportunity for each of us to know the answers. We have the tendency to denigrate ourselves where we can be proud of our achievements.

"You take this game too seriously". At first no. It was just a brain teaser. But once you are entering into final you have to give all that you got.

I remember an episode of The Big Bang Theory (S01E13) where the characters had to compete in a Physics Quiz Contest. Leonard and his friends are pissed off because Sheldon answers all the questions. So they are in two different teams. Sheldon gathers a team of people who are not supposed to answer. The last question is to solve the above equations. The answer is given by a former physicist who is now janitor. Sheldon prefer to loose the game instead of accepting the answer of his partner. The only difference between him and me is that I would have accepted the help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmR1QRGeBV4

Ok that is what I have in mind since yesterday and I had to let it go.

Usually I write in french first and after translate in english but I felt that it was better in english than in french for this subject.
If you want to subscribe to the game it is @the_World_Quiz

dimanche 12 janvier 2014



Le nerd sonne le tocsin


Quand j'ai commencé à écrire ce blog, mon objectif était d'avoir un ton léger et de ne pas aborder des sujets trop sérieux et ne pas étaler mes états d'âme à longueur de colonnes. Mais aujourd'hui l'heure est grave et la France fait face à un péril qui peut changer la face de notre civilisation: ….

Il n'y a plus de galettes à la frangipane!!!!

Le nombre de fois que l'on arrive à la boulangerie le coeur en fête pour acheter la reine des galettes des rois et que l'on se retrouve devant des gâteaux que l'on appelle galettes car ils ont de la pâte feuilletée. Elles sont à la poire, au chocolat, à la framboise (pourquoi pas à la carotte et au brocolis pendant qu'on y est).
Il n'y a pas si longtemps, pour la galette de la chorale, j'ai dû me contenter d'un truc spongieux à la pomme au lieu de ce qui reste LA vraie galette.

D'où vient cette pénurie qui ne peut être qu'organisée pour m'empêcher de savourer celle que j'attends avec impatience pendant toute l'année? Un avis du Conseil d'Etat très actif en ce moment? Un complot du boulangisme renaissant rejetant la pâte d'amande? Une nouvelle règle néo-libérale voulant que la frangipane n'est pas assez bénéficiaire? Une décision présidentielle réservant à une actrice brune quarantenaire l'exclusivité de la galette divine? Un ukase lancé par les bonnets rouges? 

Je ne connais pas la réponse mais j'enquête. Vous aussi, ouvrez l'oeil et dites-moi si vous en voyez une ou vous pouvez les envoyer par porteurs à bras à mon domicile.

Sinon, pour les courageux qui lisent ce blog, Bonne année 2014 : Santé et prospérité.