Hooray for New Math! - 25 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 562

Micah 6:8
Genesis 15:5-6
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

I posted recently about the raging insanity at our southern border. Looking at the calendar, I wondered if perhaps the president biden mightn't have gotten confused by some of today's celebrations. Today is Fish Amnesty Day as well as National Food Service Employees Day. Since he seems to think that the waves of immigrants are coming here to take jobs in the food service industry, and since fish amnesty is simply catch and release, perhaps a conflation of these led to the president's "decisions" in this matter. Perhaps not.
Of course, today is also National Psychotherapy Day, so maybe he's just crazy. I'm not a doctor, so I'm not going to make a diagnosis.

While I'm not a doctor, I am a mathematician, and today is also Math Storytelling Day. To observe this important holiday, I thought I'd share a brief story of my mathematical journey.

It's important to note that I'm a pure mathematician, not an applied one. After the first couple of semesters, I seldom saw numbers in my textbooks other than to designate pages and chapters. Even my number theory class was curiously devoid of most numerals.
At any rate, I was talking with my Dad (an engineer) about my impending graduation (having changed my major from Physics to Pure Mathematics in my sophomore year) and he asked me "What are you going to do with that degree, open a theorem store?" Ah, would that I had!

Still, to prove there is actual use for mathematics in popular culture, I invite you to view this wonderful video. I would also encourage you to look for a recording of the fabulous Disney video, Donald Duck in Mathemagic Land.




Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.

Time for Pie! - 23 September 2021 - Plague Journal Day 560

Micah 6:8
1 Kings 17:11-16
Yes, your life matters.

Some of you are still sheltering in place, but fear not: I'm here to keep you sane and entertained.
One could hardly ask for much more than that, now could one?

Today is National Great American Pot Pie Day! How exciting is that? Clearly the way to celebrate this spectacular holiday is by partaking of a pot pie. Homemade pies are great - Heidi has an excellent way around a chicken pot pie - but the cheap frozen ones from Banquet are great too. I've tried some of the "fancy" frozen pies, and I think they just try too hard. The crust isn't right, the gravy is too thick, there aren't enough peas, and many other niggling complaints could be laid here. Suffice it to say that I'm happier with the cheap ones when we don't make our own.
So - go make a pot pie for dinner today, whether from scratch or purchased. (I know, sometimes one runs out of scratch, and that makes it hard to have either kind of pie.)

Today is also the 95th birthday of that musical genius, John Coltrane. The man simply redefined jazz sax playing, and his stuff is still adventurous all these years later. Grab a disc and play some Coltrane while you eat your pot pie. It will be good for you.

On a less positive note, what the hell is going on in these United States? Somehow, someone has transported thousands of refugees from Haiti to the Mexican border. (I can't believe they all swam from Haiti to Mexico - you tell me how they got there.) Then the biden administration announces it will deport all those Haitians - to no crazed media outcry at the blatant racism of that planned action - only to do their standard capture and release, asking only that they promise to show up at a processing facility at a later date. Are these people insane, or do they just hate these United States and their citizens? I'm truly puzzled, mystified, befuddled, and getting ever angrier.

Keep Calm and Don't Stay Away.
I'll be back tomorrow.
The mental health issues related to our lockdown and the pandemic are especially hard for people with depression. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has a 24 hour helpline: 800-950-6264.