OFF TOPIC Reading

When I was a civil servant here in the UK (1973-2003) I had to fill out a new set of security forms every year. I used to carefully answer every single question including the fact that I was fined seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) for failing to stop my bicycle at a halt sign when I was aged 11. On the first yearly review I forget to include this heinous offence and was severely chastised by the interviewing officer. However, he assured me the best way to complete the form was to put "no change" in answer to the questions; and that's what I did for the next 30 years. In fact the only thing that every changed was my address, and that was only about once every 6 or 7 years.

Well, here the first time you do it is rather arduous. But, normally, the annual update is really just in my old job doing a statement of financial interests. As in preventing any conflicts - my former spouse worked for a contracctor that had a big contract with my then lab. At one point I had to DQ from a source selection board. But, the security thing would just be updated every 3 years or so - and you still had to fill it all out - best thing was keeping a copy. Now they've changed how it's done, and my last update was over 4 years ago. So, there's a secured interactive web site which involves having an access request to get in, your special set of forms, several personally keyed questions and responses, etc. Just time-consuming - even going back 10 years - it's the tracking down of people from other places, etc. I was surprised that this ended up being 42 pages.

However, when I went to my first job right from grad school, it was something I sat and did at work - the old fashioned way. This is just one of those things that no one really likes to do, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

The funniest, stupid thing I ever knew someone to do was essentially write a

ellice

One word - CALCULATORS!!!!!!

Kids are now be>

But this isn't new. At least not in California.

Sometime in the 1980s, I was at the grocery with a couple of common items that I bought often enough to know what they cost, when the lights went out.

The cashier believed me that this was $1.99, that was 59c, etc. But had no idea how to add up the prices without the cash register. So I grabbed a paper bag and did the addition for her. She wasn't sure how to double-check if my total was correct. And we're only talking a couple items, not a long column of numbers.

Thank God I was able to pay with exact change, or she would probably still be standing there trying to figure out how much to give me back.

Yup. I'm "here" and DS1 is on track to finish multi-variable calculus by the time he's out of high school. DS2 (in 4th grade) is quite adept with long division, including with decimals and multi-digit divisors and dividends.

Not all kids are on that track, but short of remedial math, I would expect nearly all 4th graders to have had plenty of exposure to long division here.

Best wishes, Ericka

Not just California either. In an English supermarket not all that long ago there was a power failure. The girl on the checkout was unable to work out the cost of ten items at 1.55 each without writing 1.55 ten times and adding them up. Terrifying! My wife has a terror of mathematics but was still capable of working in a large shop before decimalisation of our currency (20 shillings to a pound, 12 pence to a shilling etc) and working out the total cost of a purchase then providing the customer with the correct change for whatever amount they proffered.

Don't hate me. I got.

You paid attention during 100% of high school!

Yup. I went to a private school. Go, Exies!

Donna in Virginia