Posted on April 19, 2014 under Storytelling with no comments yet

Stunned as me arse, if you ask me. Not me. The new math.

 

“He say one and one and one is three”

Come Together – The Beatles

There’s no getting away from it.  Life forty years ago was so much simpler.  You went to school.  You learned how to read, write and do basic mathematics.  You did what you were told.  You left the house after high school and either got a trade or went to university.  And then you went to work.  Jobs were plentiful.  You dated someone, got engaged, got married, rented a cheap apartment and started having babies … more or less in that order.

Today, pretty well everything has changed.  After bouncing back a few times your adult children have finally left the nest.  They buy houses, have babies, get engaged and find work.  The order of these activities is irrelevant.  They will likely have several careers.

Thankfully, one thing hasn’t changed.  Two and two is still four.  At least I think it is.

How one arrives at that answer is a different matter altogether.  Welcome to the zany world of new math.

Quick.  What is 8×7?  If you have gray hair, you don’t even need to think about this.  It is hard wired into your brain.  We learned our “times tables” early and often.  Any number up to 12 was fair game.  We knew that 12×12 = 144.  Another word for 144 is “gross”.  How could we ever forget that?  Like spelling bees, we stood in rows and faced off against fellow classmates until spitting out the product of any combination of factors was as natural as chewing gum and walking at the same time.

And then something happened.  Someone didn’t get the memo that said “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  The first rumblings of new math surfaced in the late 60’s and early 70’s.  Now I was a pretty average math student so I was lucky that most of the carnage in the field of arithmetic happened long after I was out of school.  When my own children started bringing home math homework I was incapable of helping them.

Life is complicated enough for our children and our grandchildren.  They are exposed to a dizzying array of technology.  Why can’t they be afforded the chance to learn to read (with an actual book), write a sentence in cursive writing and do basic addition and subtraction?  How will they figure out some of the basic things in life, like calculating a tip or figuring out a percentage, if their technology fails for a few moments?

I am not suggesting that young people aren’t being taught critical thinking.  Or practical methods and tools that have stood the test of time.   It just appears that way.

You’ve heard the expression “Everything old is new again.”  I say we bring back the .37 cent movie, a case of beer for $3.14 and a gallon of gas for .50 cents.

And while we’re at it, let’s get back to the 3 Rs.  Rock and Roll and Rithmetic.

 

Posted on April 18, 2014 under News & Updates with no comments yet

This is one of those special weekends of family gatherings where there will be lots of food, drinks and laughter… and chocolate.

Not everyone will be this lucky. There are many people in our community who have neither the usual comforts of food nor family.

Most of you are aware of the fundraiser next Thursday the 24th. with all of the proceeds going to the Hot Meal program offered by St.James United Church. I know those of you who can’t be there would like to support this cause.

And you can.

We are accepting monetary donations which will be added to the proceeds of the show. St. James will issue you a receipt for tax purposes. The cheque should be made out to “St.James United Church” and indicate on the cheque “Hot Meal”. You can send it to me. I have been assured that Catholics writing a cheque to the United Church need not fear that their hand will fall off!

And if you are super generous, you can go to the show and make a donation. The folks from St.James will be at the fundraiser and will cheerfully accept your donation.

Thank you for your consideration.

Happy Easter and thank you for your support.

 

Posted on April 17, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with one comment

Boston 2011

 

 

Three years ago, I stood at the start line of the Boston Marathon. I was excited, frightened and relieved to be at this historic place. Of the three, relief was probably the strongest emotion. There is an incredible amount of time and effort that goes into preparing for this race. And when race day looms, it is hard to concentrate at work and sleep becomes difficult as you try to imagine the task in front of you. When you finally cross the start line, all of the pent up anxiety leaves your body as you leave the historic town of Hopkinton heading for downtown Boston.

I want to salute three friends who are making the journey this weekend: Cathy Langille, Lisa MacGrath and my long suffering (former! ) running partner, Charlene Druhan. Please join me in wishing them all the best.

I have a couple of brand new stories that I will debut at the Week45 Express fundraising show next Thursday ( 24^th. ). Got your tickets yet?  Ticket sales are coming along nicely and the program is being printed. All of the participants are keen and I’m sure will deliver a first class show.

There are still a lot of people travelling south. No wonder. It’s still winter. I hope spring wasn’t this past Tuesday. I have been talking with lots of people who’ve already made the trek somewhere warm. There are some common themes. At some of the resorts in the Carribean, some forms of nudity are acceptable. From all indicators, the people who are naked or partially naked should be fully clothed. And how about the dudes ( usually men well past their prime ) who think it’s still sexy to parade around the pool deck or the beach,  in their leopard skin Speedos. God. No wonder they let you drink as much as you want any time of the day or night.

This is a big week for Catholics and if you are unlucky enough to sing in the choir, you get to go to every church service. All joking aside, the church music at Easter is magnificent. Over the centuries, many of the great composers performed their works in the great cathedrals of Europe.

So, let’s see. I’ve covered the Boston Marathon, nudity at all inclusive resorts and Easter liturgical music. Sounds like randomness personified.

Have a great Easter weekend. I will be publishing a new story on Saturday.

Week45 never rests.