Math…So, really, besides calculating a tip or a good deal, who needs it? I was thinking about this the other day. I was always decent at math, but I have to be honest, it’s not my “thing.” The idea of working with numbers all day long is…I’ll just leave it as..."unappealing." It's like the time I found myself with go-go boots and love beads in the Engineering Building at LSU, and a friend from one of my English classes (Jesse) asked in a hushed voice, "What are YOU doing here?" Yeah...I just needed to print something, but I felt like a total freak in that building.

OKAY, I get the need to 1. Add, 2. Subtract, 3. Multiply, and at times, 4. Divide, but for real, we DO have calculators. Does anyone in education realize this? I think it’s good to teach kids to do these things, but as adults, how many of us do multiplication tables with three digit numbers four layers thick? We break out the ol' calculator, but like I said, the Fab Four of numbers – I “get.”There are other aspects of math, however, that I don’t “get.” Take “F.O.I.L.” Remember this from algebra? “First, Outer, Inner, Last?” Whaaaaa? So, when does this scenario happen in real life?

Let's explore "F.O.I.L." (This is straight from a math website):"What if you have something like this: (4x + 6)(x + 2)? That's where we use the FOIL method. FOIL means first, outside, inside, last. That's not too hard to remember if you say it in your head a few times." http://www.freemathhelp.com/using-foil.htmlSOOOOO...I am just trying to imagine this "F.O.I.L." thing occurring...Hmmmmm...I know! You’re walking down the aisle in the store, and you think: “Gee, I need to use the F.O.I.L. method?” Really? I am just asking. I have never had to use F.O.I.L. besides covering up leftovers with it - chicken and what-nots.

What about “imaginary numbers.” What IS that? The last test in college, I filled in “C” because it had an imaginary thingy-ma-jig stuck in there, and I thought: “Well, “C” looks good, and I’ll be done with math forever if I fill it in.” It must have worked because I scored an “A” that semester. The mystery remains for me that with an INFINITE amount of numbers that go on FOREVER, why do we need to “imagine” more?Or “matrix” problems. Remember? What the heck?

Check this website for a view of the torture we endured in high school: http://www.sosmath.com/matrix/matrix1/matrix1.html

This is pulled from the website above:Combining this formula with the above result, we get (0.6 0.3) (0.6 0.3) = (0.6 X 0.6 + 0.3 X 0.4 0.6 X 0.3 + 0.3 X 0.7)(0.4 0.7) (0.4 0.7) (0.4 X 0.6 + 0.7 X 0.4 0.4 X 0.3 + 0.7 X 0.7)

In other words, we have
(a b) (e f) = (ae + bg af + bh)(c d) (g h) (ce + dg cf + dh)

(OH, YEAH, THAT MAKES FREAKIN’ SENSE) To me, the “Matrix” has mainly resulted in a movie with MAJOR product placement for sunglasses. Also, it reminds me of a really confusing time in my life when after seeing the “Matrix,” someone asked me when I caught on that “Neo” was the “One.” I said, “What do you mean?” He said to rearrange the letters in his name, and I thought for a minute and said “Leni?” Yeah, the symbolism was lost on me because I thought they were calling him “Neil” the whole time. What the heck kind of name is “Neo?”

So…I just thought I would bring up some old school math for everyone. Feel free to comment on when this type of advanced math comes out in real life! I would be interested to know!PS - This is totally dedicated to my big brother!!!

What Your Hair Says About You!

Have you ever gotten sappy and reminiscent one evening, and looking back over old yearbooks or pictures, realized that your quiet evening of going down memory lane turned into a nightmare – a real freak show? (Yeah, I am so glad that I was in elementary school during the 1980s). But, let’s pause in the 1980s before moving along with the more serious aspects of this post – like how your hair can impact your very life, presidential elections, etc., beyond mere fashion! Duh, dun, duuunn…

The 1980s Pause:
Take the banana clip. What the heck IS that thing? Did someone get really bored over breakfast and think –wow – this is the next big thing? I personally think that it’s a Mohawk for sissies. I mean; do you want to have a Mohawk or not? It’s just a trial run. Never understood that one…and when they malfunctioned…not a pretty sight.

Moving on to the crimper. So, if God wanted you to have a heart or star crimped in your hair, you would have been born with one – eh?

Bangs…yeah…guys don’t really get off the hook on this topic. La, la, la, we all know about the poor bridal portraits with the poof bangs (perhaps bedazzled banana clips), but, the guys…mullets, feathered & sprayed bangs? David Hasselhoff…

Oh, and a glance back tribute to the 1960s – gotta love the flip. Must have been such pressure to keep that major cowlick wave peppy all day in humid Louisiana…

Be c“hair”eful…When Your Hair Defines You:
Take Tina Turner, Elvis, Richard Simmons, Donald Trump, Conan O’Brien…their hair is almost as important as what they do. Would Richard’s jogging in place still have the same impact on camera without the rise and fall of his curls? What a branding crisis if Conan suddenly went bald?! Or, Donald Trump…oh, yeah, maybe he is already bald. That’s a great mystery. Point being, hair is a status symbol, and sometimes it takes over more than you know. So, if you have had the same haircut for over 10 years, you might fall into a category where your hair defines you - in part. No pun intended.

So, “The Part” – It’s Part in Your Life:
A hair part can decide things like presidential elections. Rumor has it that Gore should have parted his hair on the other side. Might have changed a vote or two.
http://www.truemirror.com/hp/hpttmc.asp
So, the right part is feminine, and the left part is masculine. You have got to wonder about people who change their part midstream though. They might be screaming for an intervention of some sort.

The Freak Flag:
Crosby Stills Nash & Young sing about it. You know; how hair can be a “freak flag.” It’s a type of rebellion used mainly by adolescent males, musicians of any age, or just die hard hippies. It’s a statement – for what it’s worth. So, if you are flying a freak flag and are unaware, you might want to reevaluate. For some reason, it’s the opposite with women – the ones that shave their heads like Sinéad O’Connor.

So, the next time you mousse up, squirt the gel, hot roll or tease the bangs – just think about how your hair might be saying more than you think!