# Happy and sad cubing moments of the week.



## fanwuq (Jul 7, 2008)

Random update.

This post is both happy and sad, but not very happy or sad. 
I went to New York so that my grandparents can see some landmarks. I actually wanted to stay home so that I can finish my summer homework and work on BLD edges.
But I took the opportunity to set some records in the category of cubing at landmarks.
http://speedcubing.com/records/recs_fun_landmarks.html
The first day, we went to wall street. I didn't do a speed solve there. I did a 2x2 BLD. I was memorizing while walking. I had to delay the solve for a few minutes. The solve was on video. It was a success! 
I only got one nice solve. 17.47 at the statue of liberty. (I beat Chris and Shelley!) I had 4 attempts. First 3 sucked. I got the first solve on video, but not this nice solve. It was timed with my cell phone. The button was small. Could be sub-17 with a nice timer.
Then, at night I went to the top of the Empire state building. The solve was on video. I didn't estimate the time yet. It was alright, but amazing or bad.
The next night, I had 2 horrible solves at central park. I couldn't see a thing. My dad told me it was something like 31 for one and 26 for the other. They are on video.
The day after that, I when to the Rockefeller plaza. There was a sign that says it is a landmark, so I got a video of me solving there. I couldn't focus at all that day, so that solve sucked a lot. Didn't estimate the time, but it could be as bad as 33. 
I also cubed a lot on the subway. I had a couple of 2x2 BLDs that I was sure that they broke my PB, but I couldn't time them. One felt like a 5 second memo and a 15 second execution. It was amazing. But I don't know the times for certain. From a few timed solves, I see that I now do average sub-20 memo. I still need to work on my execution. 3-5 seconds per corner is kind of bad.

Here is a sad part. This morning, we returned. My SAT subject test scores arrived. I got 770 on both math and physics. My father was so mad that he smashed my pyraminx, and my friend's crappy 4x4.(there goes my chance of doing a simulated 2x2 multibld 4/4 or some other sort of relays). (Won't break that pyraminx NR; that's for sure.) 770 on physics is a little disappointing. I did a few practice tests before the real one, and I did get some problems wrong, but it was enough to get 800. 770, I suppose, is in the range for a bad day.
For math, it's a joke. The problems were so easy. I could have gotten 800 when I was in 6th grade BLD. I have no clue how it could be. I checked my answers plenty of times too. (I've tried the practice tests years before and recently and I got every question right most of the time. Even when I do my a silly mistake, it's less than 2 mistakes. 770 is probably like the score for getting 5 wrong, which is extremely unlikely. I asked my friend too, and he also only got a 740. ( It was really easy for him too, and he is a bit more careless than me, but it shouldn't be that low.) 
This probably means no cubing for a while. Maybe just a few FMC on gabbasoft.


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## Mike Hughey (Jul 7, 2008)

I think it is ridiculous that you can have a test where the highest possible score is 800 (ranging from 200 to 800), the scores are reported in increments of 10, and a 770 is considered bad enough to have a bad day. Why do they score like that? It makes no sense. All of the best people are bunched up right at 800, and there's no way to tell them apart. It makes it too easy for someone to have a bad day and look much worse than they really are at the subject.

I never took the subject tests when I was in high school, so I really never knew what they were like.


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## ExoCorsair (Jul 7, 2008)

I can somewhat understand about physics; the curve is ridiculously generous (I think there was one test two years ago that allowed you to miss 16 questions and still get an 800).

I think your father doesn't understand that college look at SAT scores with a grain of salt; if you're above a certain threshold, you're looked upon the same as anyone else who broke whatever that threshold may be.


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## masterofthebass (Jul 7, 2008)

All you high school kids should know that after you graduate, no one could care less about what your SAT score is. It's an absolutely pointless test, that doesn't measure anything.


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## pcharles93 (Jul 7, 2008)

masterofthebass said:


> All you high school kids should know that after you graduate, no one could care less about what your SAT score is. It's an absolutely pointless test, that doesn't measure anything.



Looks like someone got a sub-standard score.


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## masterofthebass (Jul 7, 2008)

No... I didn't give a crap about SATs. I did get a 780 on math because I missed 1 free response question... Raw score of 34/35 = not 800 wtf.. Either way, I took the test once, got my grade, and was fine with that. Others take 5 tries and get to pick and choose their best individual section scores and say they are smart because of it. SATs are worthless... period. (BTW, I'm a music major, so SATs really didn't matter  )


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## brunson (Jul 7, 2008)

I think your dad has anger issues. Maybe he should see a counselor.


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## Hadley4000 (Jul 7, 2008)

He smashed your pyraminx? Dude, that's a holy puzzle!

A 770 is really really good. Well, compared to how I did.


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## pjk (Jul 7, 2008)

Don't worry about it. Like Dan said, after you graduate, they are worthless. Get into college, then forget about them. Don't stress yourself over these things after they are done.


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## Ethan Rosen (Jul 8, 2008)

If I'd gotten a 770 on the SAT2 I took, I would've been pretty happy. 
Either way, I think it was my guidance counselor who said that nothing really matters other than increments of 50, so a 770 looks about the same as 800.


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## Dene (Jul 8, 2008)

High school tests ftl.


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## MistArts (Jul 8, 2008)

Don't do BLD in public! People will steal stuff from you!


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## fanwuq (Jul 8, 2008)

MistArts said:


> Don't do BLD in public! People will steal stuff from you!



Yeah, Everyone would want to steal a DIY white Type A cube and a ES 2x2. 



masterofthebass said:


> No... I didn't give a crap about SATs. I did get a 780 on math because I missed 1 free response question... Raw score of 34/35 = not 800 wtf.. Either way, I took the test once, got my grade, and was fine with that. Others take 5 tries and get to pick and choose their best individual section scores and say they are smart because of it. SATs are worthless... period. (BTW, I'm a music major, so SATs really didn't matter  )



Thanks, man.



ExoCorsair said:


> I think your father doesn't understand that college look at SAT scores with a grain of salt; if you're above a certain threshold, you're looked upon the same as anyone else who broke whatever that threshold may be.



I can never persuade my parents. They only think 800 is good. They think anything lower means I'll become a beggar on the streets.
They would say, "You will be like one of them beggars who play guitars and stuff on the street. Except you will solve cubes blindfolded. And while you are doing that, another beggar would come and steal your money."
I would admit that I could have been more careful on some problems and avoided DNFing them, but I don't think 770= failing.


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## Kian (Jul 8, 2008)

yeah, don't worry about the score. you'll get into a great school with scores like that and it doesn't matter at all afterwards. sorta like how after when you're finished college nobody gives a damn what your gpa was (except grad schools). no worries about this, here in the real world its about what you do, not what a few meaningless tests say. i hope your father backs off a bit on that.


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## ExoCorsair (Jul 8, 2008)

masterofthebass said:


> All you high school kids should know that after you graduate, no one could care less about what your SAT score is. It's an absolutely pointless test, that doesn't measure anything.



Actually, it measures how well you take the SAT. Silly, but true. 

But yeah, everyone else here who's posted is pretty much right on. Although, I think that anyone who brags about his/her SAT score is extremely narcissist.


fanwuq said:


> I can never persuade my parents. They only think 800 is good. They think anything lower means I'll become a beggar on the streets.
> They would say, "You will be like one of them beggars who play guitars and stuff on the street. Except you will solve cubes blindfolded. And while you are doing that, another beggar would come and steal your money."
> I would admit that I could have been more careful on some problems and avoided DNFing them, but I don't think 770= failing.



All I can say to that is just get into a reasonable college and enjoy your independence then.


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## Ethan Rosen (Jul 8, 2008)

I was holding off on saying this so you wouldn't feel bad about it, but I simply can't resist.

Exactly how do you smash a pyraminx?


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## fanwuq (Jul 8, 2008)

Ethan Rosen said:


> I was holding off on saying this so you wouldn't feel bad about it, but I simply can't resist.
> 
> Exactly how do you smash a pyraminx?



Take hammer, smash, BAM! Broken pieces everywhere.


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## MistArts (Jul 8, 2008)

fanwuq said:


> Ethan Rosen said:
> 
> 
> > I was holding off on saying this so you wouldn't feel bad about it, but I simply can't resist.
> ...



Can I have it now?


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## fanwuq (Jul 8, 2008)

MistArts said:


> fanwuq said:
> 
> 
> > Ethan Rosen said:
> ...



There's no way to fix it. The core is twisted and pieces broke into fragments.


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## AvGalen (Jul 8, 2008)

MistArts said:


> Don't do BLD in public! People will steal stuff from you!


I disagree. Start doing a bld when you are alone in a terminal. Open your eyes and see > 50 people around you applauding. Then get in the plane and teach some girls how to solve some puzzles and the flight is over before you want it to be.

And smashing a pyraminx with a hammer is a very bad thing. If that is how your father solves "problems" I don't think he got a perfect score.


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## MistArts (Jul 8, 2008)

fanwuq said:


> MistArts said:
> 
> 
> > fanwuq said:
> ...



There's actually a way. Melt the plastic and then re-form it.


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## Jai (Jul 8, 2008)

Tell Frank Morris, he'll smash your dad into pieces.


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## AvGalen (Jul 8, 2008)

Jai said:


> Tell Frank Morris, he'll smash your dad into pieces.


and he will use those pieces and the pieces from your original pyraminx to build a 7-layered pyramid


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## MTGjumper (Jul 8, 2008)

For someone who has heard of the American testing system of SATs but not fully understood it, can someone explain how the questions work? From what I'm hearing, it seems an 800 score is both the highest score, but one that many people are close to.

I've looked at Wikipedia, and it mentions three 800 point tests, but not much about the actual questions.

The British educations system seems much simpler  - SATs, SATs (again...), GCSEs, As Levels, A Levels. Meh, it's only because I'm used to such a system.

Edit: I like how in the first post, you refer to doing a test blindfolded as BLD. Cubing acronyms are falling into your everyday language


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## Crzyazn (Jul 8, 2008)

770......you missed 2 questions....

I've heard about asian parents being strict, but your case is a little extreme. I applaud you for not becoming an angry introvert. Your parents are walking down the dark path of emotional abuse


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## fanwuq (Jul 8, 2008)

LOL. Thanks everyone. Really? 770 means missing 2? Not too bad, my accuracy is always horrible. I had a really long DNF streak at the beginning. Hopefully multiBLD will improve my accuracy on tests!  Anyone experimented on that?



> There's actually a way. Melt the plastic and then re-form it.


There's also a twisted piece of metal.



> Edit: I like how in the first post, you refer to doing a test blindfolded as BLD. Cubing acronyms are falling into your everyday language



Yeah, I DNFed a few of the problem.



> and he will use those pieces and the pieces from your original pyraminx to build a 7-layered pyramid



Why would it be 7 layered? (Arnaud and Jai: what kind of drugs are you guys on? Are you smoking cubes?)


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## pcharles93 (Jul 9, 2008)

fanwuq said:


> LOL. Thanks everyone. Really? 770 means missing 2? Not too bad, my accuracy is always horrible. I had a really long DNF streak at the beginning. Hopefully multiBLD will improve my accuracy on tests!  Anyone experimented on that?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Also known as a screw?


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## fanwuq (Jul 9, 2008)

> Also known as a screw?



It looked weird, didn't seem like a screw.


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## Brett (Jul 9, 2008)

How does one smash a pointy puzzle?

Solving in public places can be annoying. Though, sounds like you had fun.


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## AvGalen (Jul 9, 2008)

fanwuq said:


> Why would it be 7 layered? (Arnaud and Jai: what kind of drugs are you guys on? Are you smoking cubes?)


It would be 7 layered because a normal pyraminx is small compared to your father so combining pieces from the small pyraminx and your larger father would result in a pretty big pyraminx. (and V-Cubes only makes 7 layered cubes so far, why would Frank bother with >7 layers already)

And I don't smoke cube, nor anything else. This is just how my mind works (you should try finding the Frank Morris posts if you don't know them)


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## Harris Chan (Jul 13, 2008)

*Sigh* There should be a law against this, it's property rights  It's not like you're not going to get into college, so as others said your father has totally overreacted. 

Good thing there's not such standardize tests in Canada (well unless you're one of those guys that want to go to the States then they'll still take the SAT anyway). There is a literacy tests but it's either pass or fail, no mark really. 

I still remember getting the first question on the multiple choice of math standardize test wrong because I didn't see the phrase "5 laps" in it so my answer was ridiculously huge (got distracted by the diagram of a runner on a circle so i just thought the 400pi was the circumference xD). I need to learn to read instead of just looking at the pictures haha.


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## DavidWoner (Jul 13, 2008)

that completely ridiculous. no college is going to accept or reject you based on 30 points difference in SAT subject tests. and only 2 of 7 colleges I applied to even required the subject tests(upenn and berkeley)! tests scores in general dont even make that big of a difference. what really matters is your extra-currics, the difficulty of your senior year classes, and your ESSAYS. essays are the make or break point of any application. they need to be flawless grammatically, and they need to reflect who you are. some specific advice: if there is an essay about "an intellectual experience" or even just a "personal statement" essay, make it about cubing. specifically, write about how its a never ending journey of learning, and how there is always something new that you didnt know before etc etc. colleges eat that stuff up, plus it shows who you are.


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## pcharles93 (Jul 13, 2008)

Harris Chan said:


> *Sigh* There should be a law against this, it's property rights  It's not like you're not going to get into college, so as others said your father has totally overreacted.
> 
> Good thing there's not such standardize tests in Canada (well unless you're one of those guys that want to go to the States then they'll still take the SAT anyway). There is a literacy tests but it's either pass or fail, no mark really.
> 
> I still remember getting the first question on the multiple choice of math standardize test wrong because I didn't see the phrase "5 laps" in it so my answer was ridiculously huge (got distracted by the diagram of a runner on a circle so i just thought the 400pi was the circumference xD). I need to learn to read instead of just looking at the pictures haha.



Harris, most 8 year olds know how to do it. You're a contender for world champion cuber and you make a mistake like that? Someone needs to organize their prorities.


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## genwin (Jul 13, 2008)

AvGalen said:


> Jai said:
> 
> 
> > Tell Frank Morris, he'll smash your dad into pieces.
> ...



i just came across lucas garrons site that have a frank morris facts... i just know he was one of the first to solve a 7x7x7(from v-cubes site)... was he a "legend" among cubers or something??


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## pcharles93 (Jul 13, 2008)

He's actually still is a legend. He was one of the first to receive the v-cubes. And plus, Morris rhymes with Norris as in Chuck Norris.


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## edd5190 (Jul 17, 2008)

That's just crazy. Haha, show your parents this thread. 30 points lost on a test won't make you a beggar. If they're gonna treat you like that for such a tiny matter then they don't deserve to have children  It's normal, no.. inevitable for kids to make mistake. And did they really say that beggar thing? How bad can parents be? Did your dad even apologize? It's just sad what we've come to where a test always means everything and, well, this becomes a reality.


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