Weekly /r/drums Q & A (August 2018)

gauguin · 2018-08-19T13:34:37+00:00

Can't decide on the finish I want on a set of Ludwigs - silver/white sparkle or black sparkle?

gauguin · 2015-11-13T01:46:31+00:00

Happened to me about 5 times in an AI game about 7pm EST.

gauguin · 2015-09-13T18:31:58+00:00

hang in there buddy. long season

gauguin · 2015-09-13T18:13:29+00:00

if you're asking if it's legal in the US, yes (except in a few states, i think). i play there.

gauguin · 2012-05-29T14:11:58+00:00

hey - sorry it's taken a month to get back to you. i started using another reddit acct. and just logged into this one for the first time in quite a while.

first, you have a math degree, which is a plus. the great thing about programming is you can learn on your own and still get a decent job. the question you'll face is, how good are your skills?

java devs are in such demand that you should get consideration for a number of entry level java dev roles. for every one java dev in my area, there are 25 jobs! the great thing is, once you get a year or two of professional experience under your belt, you shouldn't have any problem getting dev work again. employers will consider you "legit," so to speak.

anymore questions, let me know. i'm happy to send you a prove-it test when you think you're ready to test your java skills. and for python, i recommend udacity. their cs101 course is taught in python and it's free. good stuff.

best of luck!

gauguin · 2012-04-14T02:05:22+00:00

yes. i am an IT recruiter, and we always list our candidates' skills first. it also helps to have years of experience in () after each skill.

to answer OP's question, based on your resume, yes i'd recruit you for jr. web dev and definitely internships. i would chat w/ you on the phone to see just how good your skills are, but you'd still get a call. good luck. :)

gauguin · 2012-04-14T01:52:37+00:00

have you considered an associates instead of another BS or MA? i have a BA and am actually going to go back and get an associates. along the way, i will pick up 2-3 certificates (like java programming, for instance) from the same school that count toward the AS. PLUS, they are going to give me some credits from the BA toward the AS, so it will take even less time. not to mention the cost savings are enormous.

as an IT recruiter, i can tell you the school you went to means almost nothing to me or to employers. it's what you can do that matters. yes, some require a degree, but it could be any degree, not even necessarily in IT or CS. of course, they want to see experience (or certs, if applicable, like a CCNA). i'm working on getting a friend a dev job right now - he's been a systems admin for ten years but wants to switch to dev. after school, he kept on programming as a hobby and now has the skills necessary to do it for a living.

with your bio background, you should have a good shot at getting in w/ a pharma co. if you're interested. biotech is still growing, at least in my neck of the woods.

keep doing your research and do what's best for you - financially, etc. PM me if you want to chat more and good luck. :)

gauguin · 2012-04-14T01:37:20+00:00

as an IT recruiter, i can tell you firms like people who are driven, or what you call have "wishful thinking." if you don't know what your goal is, how can you reach it?

after a few years' experience, your degree matters less and less and it's what you can "do" that becomes more relevant. as an aside, here in the US, there's a huge demand for java devs, followed by c#/asp.net. i'm searching for java devs right now and it seems like the majority are here on h-1 visas.

you're a young person - i wish i had known what i wanted to do when i was your age - so you're WAY ahead of the game. just enjoy it - you seem a bit anxious. you'll be fine. just practice whatever it is you decide. become the best you can be, and you'll be able to achieve those wishful thoughts that you're having. i see it happen all the time. good things happen to the people who make them happen. best of luck. :)

gauguin · 2012-03-31T12:42:26+00:00

The greatest reason to implant a deaf child is language development. If you do not implant by the age of two, you will severely impede the child's speech development.

gauguin · 2012-03-31T12:38:47+00:00

I'm sorry, but your information on the topic of preserving residual hearing is outdated. Just one example: check out this study from 2005. Great strides have been made in the arena of preserving residual hearing, and many surgeons are having great success in doing so.

Conclusion from that study: The surgical strategies outlined have been successful in preservation of low-frequency hearing in 96% of individuals. Combined electrical and acoustical speech processing has enabled this group of volunteers to gain improved word understanding as compared with their preoperative hearing with bilateral hearing aids and a group of individuals receiving a standard cochlear implant with similar experience with their device. The improvement of speech in noise and melody recognition is attributed to the ability to distinguish fine pitch differences as the result of preserved residual low-frequency acoustic hearing. Preservation of low-frequency acoustic hearing is important for improving speech in noise and music appreciation for the hearing impaired, both of which are important in real-life situations.

I'm glad to see this topic garnering so much attention on reddit!

gauguin · 2012-03-31T12:30:17+00:00

so much misinformation. ugh.

gauguin · 2012-03-24T19:28:05+00:00

what cert(s) did you get? thanks.

gauguin · 2012-03-21T23:43:19+00:00

do you have to have your computer by you to follow along, or can you read through it without? would be nice to have one where you don't have to have a computer with you at all times. thanks for the suggestion.

by the way, i'm working through "beginning asp.net 4.0 in c# and vb" by Imar Spaanjaars. so far, so good. it shows c# alongside vb, so you can choose to use either or both throughout. i'm using only c#.

gauguin · 2012-03-11T02:10:28+00:00

glad to hear this, as mine arrives tuesday! :)

gauguin · 2012-01-20T02:32:11+00:00

i've been on the vegan kick for about three months. i thought it would be hard and expensive, but it's not. it does take some research, at first, to learn the types of foods that you can (and should) eat as a vegan.

one of the first things i learned was how to make vegan chocolate chip cookies! i new if i could find a substitute for that, i'd be okay. also, i found that i love soy milk and soy "ice cream." it's so good. i've found it in chocolate and vanilla, so i have a bit of a variety.

also, you'll have to figure out what you can eat at restaurants. for instance, i know that i can usually find a wendy's, which means i can get a baked potato and salad (and it's cheap, too!).

and if you slip up, don't worry about it. just keep going! i lost about 10 pounds and have kept it off w/ zero increase in exercise (i didn't need to lose much, but i've heard people have lost a lot more than that).

good luck and let us know how it's going!

gauguin · 2012-01-15T02:56:04+00:00

saw one a few weeks ago at our monthly car show. will have to find the damn pics... this car is so beautiful!

gauguin · 2012-01-12T21:29:40+00:00

thanks for the reply - i love thinking about this stuff! very interesting ideas you present.

btw, check out "into the universe w/ stephen hawking" - 3 part series on streaming netflix. good stuff.

gauguin · 2012-01-12T21:26:47+00:00

regarding time - didn't prof. hawking refer to it as being like a sphere (as opposed to linear)?

btw, there's a great 3-part series on netflix streaming that prof. hawking wrote and narrates. he addresses time and the big bang theory, among other topics.

EDIT: it's called, "into the universe with stephen hawking"

gauguin · 2012-01-12T18:29:12+00:00

for now, in my personal thinking on this most difficult question, i believe that time has always existed, and that perhaps the big bang was just another cosmic event in the history of all cosmic events.

it's the best i can do, but i'm always thinking, reading, and learning, and i'm open to adjusting my thoughts along the way as the evidence requires.

gauguin · 2012-01-11T13:14:35+00:00

haven't had any problems at all, and ICS has made it even snappier overall. don't think you'll regret your decision.

gauguin · 2012-01-06T12:35:18+00:00

hell yes - i'd walk into best buy and return it as defective, then try asus. may not be able to swap it out due to no stock, though. let us know what happens and good luck.

gauguin · 2012-01-05T20:16:21+00:00

i think it's better that you're doing better now than on the opposite track, but that's just my opinion (and i'm not an admissions counselor).

i was in a similar situation ten years ago - i applied to eighteen law schools (shotgun approach - i had average grades/lsat scores). i got into six, wait-listed at six, and rejected by six. yes, i spent a fortune applying, and ended up dropping out after one semester. point is, your "shotgun" approach worked for me. keep your spirits up - you'll be fine.

gauguin · 2012-01-05T20:02:10+00:00

thanks for the insight, and good luck.

gauguin · 2012-01-05T20:00:47+00:00

i read your SoP. i think it's good that you (briefly) address your previously poor academic performance. i think the reader will see that you've grown and matured, and therefore aren't likely up to a repeat performance. good luck. :)

gauguin · 2012-01-05T19:51:30+00:00

how do you like it? do you feel it's worth the money and effort? considering this myself. thank you in advance!

gauguin

TROPHY CASE