Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson for September 20, 2014
September 19, 2014
September 21, 2014
Transcript:
Dad: "Ok Calvin, let's check over your math homework" Calvin: "Let's not, and say we did" Dad: "Your teacher says you need to spend more time on it. Have a seat" Calvin: "More time?! I already spent ten whole minutes on it! Ten minutes shot! Wasted! Down the drain!" Dad: "You've written here 8+4=7. Now you know that's not right" Calvin: "So I was off a little bit. Sue me" Dad: "You can't ADD things and come out with LESS than you started with!" Calvin: "I can do that! It's a free country! I've got my rights!"
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I too was/am mathematically challenged by the four basic operations of so-called Simple Arithmetic. I can just about manage to balance a checkbook. To this day I don’t knowhow to solve the problem of cars starting at different timesand speeds, nor of tanks filling at the top and emptying atthe bottom. I didn’t care, and it was not taught in a way thatengaged any interest. Nor was Plane Geometry. Algebra lost me completely; looking at equations made my head spin,and being told that one of the basic rules was that a negativemultiplied or divided by a negative equalled positive struckme as complete insanity. As I understood it, algebra hadbeen invented by some crazy wog, who had been out in thesun too long, and who had nothing better to do than inventintellectual games for which I had no interest or aptitude…If math CAN be made interesting, it certainly WASN’T. Iknow just where Calvin is coming from.
This was many years ago. From what I hear of New Math,[via Tom Lehrer], I’m glad I missed it. Shudder to think howtraumatic that would have been. Old Math is confusingenough!