Today is supposed to be a day for giving thanks, so let’s talk about one man who’s currently famous for refusing to do so. I recently watched the entire twenty two minutes and change of Chris Cuomo trying to figure out why LaVar Ball won’t say “thank you” to Donald Trump for his role in…
Month: November 2017
Venomous Snakes and Turd-Filled Candy
Muhammad Ali once explained why the idea that there were some decent white people wasn’t a useful argument for him. Suppose there were ten thousand snakes, most of which were venomous, in the next room. Should he hope that the non-venomous snakes would protect him, or should he close the door? Last year, Donald Trump Jr….
Awakening of the Nerd
When I was a younger man, I loved the movie “Revenge of the Nerds.” I was a disenfranchised nerd, so its message of the underdogs overcoming the beautiful people resonated with me. I was a white, male, straight American, so its casual racism, sexism, and homophobia flitted past me. They bothered me in the way…
Halloween Candy and Socialism
I remember the first time I saw it happen, years ago. I was handing out Halloween candy. In those days, there were still enough houses in the neighborhood giving out candy that it made it worthwhile for the kids to walk from door to door down the block. So it was unusual to see a…
Converting Between Bases
I was working through the November problems for NCTM’s Mathematics Teacher. There’s a problem on converting between bases, which led to me developing a new-to-me method. What I was taught I started by using the method I’d been taught by my computer programming teachers: Identify the value of each place Divide by the highest value,…
Lucy’s Football ‘Joke’ and the Problem of Bullying
Perhaps the most enduring gag from the Peanuts cartoon strip involves Charlie Brown, Lucy van Pelt, and a football. Year after year, Lucy would offer to hold the ball while Charlie kicks it; year after year, Charlie would convince himself that this time would be different; year after year, Charlie would wind up on his…