As befits a nerd forum, we got lots of feedback on Tolkien vs. Gygax. As Anon puts it:
Tolkien was famously a linguistics professor, so he must have been pretty good at talking. I assume that Gygax, being the typical nerd in all other aspects, was also the stammering umm…well…uh… type, and would thus be simply infuriating to listen to.
Anon obviously hasn’t been to many statistics seminars. They’re not infuriating at all! At least, not always.
Paul gives the counterintuitive take of Gygax as Renaissance man:
Tolken is known for one thing, writing very long winded but usually well-constructed books. Anyone who has attempted to read the Silmarillion can see that.
Gygax is instead an interdisciplinary polymath who mixed fiction, theater, and probability into a single activity that is exciting for all. Having him give a seminar allows for arguments between literature and math people with a bonus helping of historical pedantry from the history department. This would be a wide-ranging seminar that could spiral into whacky hijinks, much like a game of DnD.
We then had a ridiculous discussion on the pain management of Elves, a topic I can relate to, capped by Paul:
Should a low-hp creature/character take debuffs after receiving damage? How detailed should the simulation of stab wounds work or should it be highly abstracted? These are fun debates perfectly suited to a seminar discussion . . .
Good points, so Gary it is.
Today’s matchup
A. A. Milne entertained generations of children and parents. Shakira may have had some tax problems, but, according to wikipedia, she’s a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters. Being a chevalier could come in handy next round against Gygax, even if she doesn’t actually know how to ride a horse.
Who should advance to the third round?
I’ve read that it was hard for Tolkien’s students to understand what he was saying in his classes.
Fine, but we need feedback on Milne vs. Shakira, dammit!
We’d better have someone who has a good chance against Gygax because if Gygax continues to advance there’s a good chance everyone is killed when the ceiling collapses at the end of the talk.
I’m sorry to have to bring this up, but I have discovered this old, awkward, and marginally appropriate part of a SMS conversation with Shakira while she was ordering Korean food for an aquaintance, not me. We can’t know the truth, but looks like she had a thing with Double A to the M Ill Nah, so for me he gets the edge.
(This make more sense in a monospaced font, btw.)
Shakira
he is a
a em um
kim chi
is cool
r uhoin
aamilne
Thanks, editor!
But I realized that just makes them square. Well, pooh.
Hips don’t lie, and we all want our seminar speakers to be truthful. Besides, it’s very possible that the audience will pooh-pooh anything Milne says.
I think the seminar would be easier to arrange if we go with Shakira as I believe she will be available ‘Whenever, Wherever’.