Fifty Years of Math in the USA

1. Teaching Math In 1950s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price. What is his profit?

2. Teaching Math In 1960s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is 4/5 of the price, or $80. What is his profit?

3. Teaching Math In 1970s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80. Did he make a profit?

4. Teaching Math In 1980s
A logger sells a truckload of lumber for $100. His cost of production is $80 and his profit is $20. Your assignment: Underline the number 20.

5. Teaching Math In 1990s
A logger cuts down a beautiful forest because he is selfish and inconsiderate and cares nothing for the habitat of animals or the preservation of our woodlands. He does this so he can make a profit of $20. What do you think of this way of making a living? Topic for class participation after answering the question: How did the birds and squirrels feel as the logger cut down their homes? (There are no wrong answers, and if you feel like crying, it is ok.)

6. Teaching Math In 2009
Un hachero vende una carretada de maderapara $100. El costo de la producciones es $80. Cuanto dinero ha hecho?

Rules of Life

The original life rules were provided by Joe Crocker, HSBM canoe leader at Camp Kaleo:
1. Always be Thinking,
2. Books are our Friends,
3. Never send a little girl to do a big man's job, &
4. Never, ever play chicken with someone who has less to lose than you do.

An additional one was added by Rush circa 1995:
5. Fat women will love ya.

Added 2016: 
6. Always read the plaque.
7. There are no shortcuts.

evolution is a farce

So, I found myself having to balance counter-intuitively most of today. As a result, I landed on most of the major (and some minor) parts of my body.
One fall that I will carry with me for at least a week helped remind me of two central truths.
Here I am falling, aiming my accelerating body towards 'groomed' ice, with mr. glutimus maximus and its relative softness to cushion the fall. But do lefty and righty do their jobs as designed? Do they stay in the same spot they've been positioned in the previous 13 millions years? No. They scatter: lefty one way and righty the other, leaving mr. tailbone (who had been taking a nap up until this point, minding his own business) open for impact. He's pretty mad at them at the moment. They've got one job (cushion), but they proved cowards.
And they proved that God has a sense of humor: 'If you're going to slide down a mountain on a butter knife, you are on your own.'