Hyde and Seek

Just finished listening to the Librivox production of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. David Barnes, the narrator, has an excellent voice for this part for several reasons. For one, it isn't an American accent. It is believable that this voice is directly from a character out of the 1800's. Second, he has adopted a kind of bland style for this reading, which is totally in character with the story. It isn't sensational. Sure, it can mesmerize, and requires a bit more concentration and attention to get everything.

Apparently, i never read the story before. The dozens of Jekyll & Hyde references in comics, TV, etc., manage to mislead. Has no one read this book? For example, the Marvel Comics villain Mr Hyde is huge and strong like the Hulk, and Dr. Jekyll is small and spindly. This is in sharp contrast to Stevenson's vision. I also expected that Jekyll's motivation was going to be a sort of fountain of youth, rather than an exploration of consciousness. Seeking after youth might have been more believable, even if Dr. Jekyll's motives were supposed to be unselfish and pure.

Also, i'd thought of this classic as a bigger book. At just about three hours, it's really a short story. I find it easy enough to read about three times as fast as the spoken word. So it stands that i might have devoured the text in an hour. Had i known that, i'd likely have read it much sooner. It's also packaged in chunks just under an hour each. This made it easy enough for me to consume on my hour long commute, each way, every day.

Like Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein, this science fiction work is also horror. I'm not really much into horror. Hyde is a monster. To look at him is to understand disfigurement, even though the eye does not find it. Ordinary onlookers are given a supernatural ability to sense evil.

So, i liked the book, the narrator, the audio quality, and the packaging. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a classic that should not be missed. And, as both the text and the audio are available for free, there's hardly any excuse not to enjoy it.

Har Har

Talk like a Pirate Day is coming. Now is the time to prepare with practice.

For example, har har. And, of course, Arrggg.

An odd thing

Son: I'm hungry.

Me: I suppose you want bubble gum. Or popcorn.

Son: I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwitch.

Me: I never wanted a normal child anyway.

Another Meme Lemming

Don't participate with me on this. I did not send this to friends. If you do it, try to be clever.

The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about your friends. It is fun and easy 48 questions to answer. If you're doing it, and are clever enough, then nothing will be learned by anyone. That's my goal.

01. FIRST NAME?
Stephen
02. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
The 1st Christian martyr. See Acts Ch 6. He preached the obvious to his congregation, and they stoned him. It still happens. I've been there.
03. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
A whole onion goes in my spaghetti. Best not to breath through your nose. So, don't talk.
04. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
No. It's painfully slow and barely legible. My typing is at least 8 times faster.
05. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT?
I eat alot of Bologna. I like pastrami.
06. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Sure. I have lots of interesting things to say that i'd like to hear about.
07. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL?
Several. They document what I'm thinking about, not my life.
08. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
Yes. If i'd had one more strep throat growing up, they'd have pulled them.
09. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I'd say no, but i did go up in a hot air balloon, by choice. It was fun.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Cheerios, but variety is critical.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Sometimes. Always for boots. Never for loafers.
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
For my 17 foot aluminum canoe, I'm strong. For my piano, i'm weak.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Cookie dough.
14. SHOE SIZE?
8 1/2.
15. FAVORITE COLOR?
Blue. No red! Ahhhhhgg...
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I don't listen to myself, so alot of wisdom is missed.
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Kim Dyer, the blind astronomer.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
No.
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue. No red! Ahhhhhgg...
20. LAST THING YOU ATE?
Red hot potato chips.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The computer fan. The other computer fan.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Blue. No red! Ahhhhhgg...
23. FAVORITE SMELL?
I don't get to smell nice things for more than a second. Only really foul things make an impression.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
Dawn.
25. FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO?
Something they said.
26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Sure.
27. FAVORITE DRINK?
Water.
28. FAVORITE SPORT?
Running.
29. EYE COLOR?
Blue. No red! Ahhhhhgg...
30. HAT SIZE?
Blue. No red! Ahhhhhgg...
31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Sometimes. I have them set up for super vision. Great for bird watching.
32. FAVORITE FOOD?
My spaghetti. The recipe changes most times i make it.
33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING?
While i don't like scary movies, it's the story that matters. Give me a plot.
34. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue. No red! Ahhhhhgg...
35. SUMMER OR WINTER?
Fall. Fall colors are Blue. No red! Ahhhhhgg...
36. HUGS OR KISSES?
Is that all i get? Hugs, i guess.
37. FAVORITE DESSERT?
None. Really, i don't want dessert. I like deserts.
38. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
No one.
39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
Dawn.
40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING?
The Bible. Need to start another book. It's about 40 books a year. Maybe three at a time.
41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Son's artwork.
42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV?
Star Trek TNG. Five minutes on tape.
43. FAVORITE SOUNDS?
Chickadee's calls.
44. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles.
45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME?
M51, the Whirlpool Galaxy, about 37 million light years. I'm thinking about visiting a quasar at over 3 billion light years.
46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT?
The future. But it's very not helpful or comforting.
47. AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Ohio.
48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Craig.

Finger Arithmetic Part Ten

Continuing finger arithmetic from Part Nine. This one is called Part Ten. It is the eleventh part in the series. It continues subtraction with two digit subtraction.

Some two digit subtraction is easy. Consider 34 - 12. Set 34. To subtract two, remove two fingers on the right hand. To subtract ten, remove one finger from the left hand. Read the answer: 22.

Sometimes, you need to borrow from the next digit up. For example, 34 - 16.
Set 34 on your hands. Now, six is the same as five plus one. That is, it is a thumb and a finger. You can subtract a finger from your right hand. You do not have a thumb to subtract. You can get where you want to go by considering that subtracting five is the same as adding five and subtracting 10: -5 = + 5 - 10. So, add a thumb to the right hand and subtract a finger from your left hand. Now you just need to subtract the ten of 16. Subtract another finger from your left hand. Read the answer. 18.

Next up is 31 - 8. This time, the ten's compliment is used. Set 31. Recognize that there is no way to subtract any part of 8 from it. Not 8, not 3. Consider than subtracting eight is the same as adding 2 and subtracting 10. -8 = +2 - 10. So, add two fingers to the right hand, and subtract one from the left hand. Read the answer: 23.

So, how do you do three digit arithmetic on two hands? You could try using your nose. If it's just a little over two digits (one hundred and something), then consider your nose to be zero or one hundred. Consider 157 - 59. Set 57 on your hands in the usual way. Consider that your nose is set. You don't have nine to subtract, so use the ten's compliment, one. Add one and subtract ten. Well, you can add one. To subtract ten, you must add four and subtract five. Now you need to subtract 50. You don't have 50, so you must add 50 and subtract 100. Add the left thumb. Remember that 100 is on your nose. Unset your nose. Read the result: 098.

Again, you are referred to the example generator, which can provide you with an infinite number of examples. Each time you click here, you get a new page. Use your back button to get back to the lesson. This link provides two digit subtraction examples.

You might just want to go to the web site, so you can ask the generator yourself. Addition, subtraction or mixed problems, how many digits, more than just two numbers per problem? Answers on the same page or another page? Maybe you want one hundred pages to get you through vacation.

Remember to read the answers out loud. Practice every day that you eat. If you like, limit yourself to practice to those days of the week ending with 'y'. Enjoy yourself. With a little practice, two and three digit addition and subtraction can be highly reliable, fast and seemingly effortless.

DVDs in the mail

Mostly, i only get spam and bad news (bills) by mail. I should write more letters. One letter i wrote (well, filled in the form, anyway) was to get a free DVD from my cereal box company. My son (9) picked out the movie from a short list. He picked Agent Cody Banks. We watched it. It's about an hour and a half. It has much of the James Bond gadgets and banter. The gadgets are toned down to familiar cell phones, video games, and cars. In a break with tradition, the cars aren't destroyed. Since Cody is supposed to be a 15 year old, the amount of sex is limited. Even in the banter. It's rated PG, but, for example, in the big fight scene, the 'villains', who were set up as bullies, and therefore deserved what they get, are thrown into a pool. It could nearly be rated G. For example, there is no swearing. Mom's hand covers the child's mouth when he says "Holy ...". What was he going to say? We'll never know.

So, it has action to rivet the attention of a nine year old. Yet no scary dreams. No foul language to be repeated ad nauseum.

Can't beat the price. We're practically addicted to Raisin Bran anyway.

I give it two thumbs up. If you've been following this blog, you'll note that one of the thumbs is worth five, and the other is worth fifty. That's better than Siskel and Ebert.

Finger Multiplication Trick

When the student gets to multiplication, there is a problem. When learning addition, the student is tempted to count on their fingers to get the answer. For speed, the addition table should be memorized. Otherwise, they'll take quite a bit of time when it comes to 7 + 8.

For multiplication, figuring out 7 * 8 with repeated addition just doesn't work. And the third grader quickly memorizes the table.

There is a simple system for multiplication involving digits six and higher. And, it involves your fingers. Point your palms towards yourself with the finger tips of the hands pointing at each other. With the little fingers at the bottom, consider that your fingers represent the numbers six through ten. The little finger is six, the ring finger is seven, up to the thumb, which is ten.

We'll try 7 * 8 first. Seven is the ring finger of the left hand. Eight is the middle finger of the right hand. Order does not matter. Count the fingers to the bottom. That's 2 on the left hand and 3 on the right hand. 2 + 3 is 5. That's the ten's digit of 7 * 8. Examine the leftover fingers above. There are 3 on the left hand, and 2 on the right. Multiply these together. 2 * 3 = 6. That's the units digit. 7 * 8 = 56.

Consider 10 * 10. Ten fingers total below (and including) the thumbs. That's the ten's digit: 10. Zero fingers above. 0 * 0 = 0. That's the one's digit. 10 * 10 = 100.

I find myself somewhat reluctant to teach this tool. I mean, it works, yes. But does it accelerate the student, or retard progress? You decide.