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misunderstruck at 10:21pm on 01/12/2006
misunderstruck at 10:21pm on 01/12/20061. Democracy
When I got home from work today, there were notices in our mailbox confirming that the address (and, as a result, election district) had been changed for Martha and I. I never actually filled out a change of address notification with the election board people. Originally, I thought I had done this at the same time I changed my address with the DMV (they do provide the option to register to vote when you apply for a drivers license in the first place), but when I went to vote last month, it turned out they did not have my name in the lists in my current district. As a result, I voted by paper ballot and had to fill out all my new address information. Today, they confirmed my new address, which means the paper ballot got read. This also means my vote got counted, which makes me happy in a "hey, I'm a participating member of a democratic society" sort of way.
2. Number Games
I used a number trick suggested by one of my education professors in order to introduce slope and the slope-intercept form of linear functions in my geometry classes today. Basically, it goes like this:
"Pick a number between one and eight. Double it. Add three to the result. Double again."
At that point, I started calling on people and asking what they had. For example, someone said "38" and I said "So you started with 8." It was great fun -- they started saying things like "How did you know that?" (Easy, I subtracted six and divided by four....plus there were only eight possibilities to deal with, and I sorted them out ahead of time.) From there, we made a list of the numbers people picked and the results they got, and used that to discuss things like the slop of the line. It was great fun. It was also nice to be able to use things from my master's classes.
3. Booze
We are currently drinking Manhattans, in honor of the mightiness of rye. Martha suggested that we declare either vermouth or bitters the next stylish alcohol item. I vote for drinkable Italian bitters (such as Fernet Branca, Campari, Meletti, etc.). Opinions?
4. Time-Delayed Posting
This post took over an hour-and-a-half to complete, because I had to stop to watch BSG.
When I got home from work today, there were notices in our mailbox confirming that the address (and, as a result, election district) had been changed for Martha and I. I never actually filled out a change of address notification with the election board people. Originally, I thought I had done this at the same time I changed my address with the DMV (they do provide the option to register to vote when you apply for a drivers license in the first place), but when I went to vote last month, it turned out they did not have my name in the lists in my current district. As a result, I voted by paper ballot and had to fill out all my new address information. Today, they confirmed my new address, which means the paper ballot got read. This also means my vote got counted, which makes me happy in a "hey, I'm a participating member of a democratic society" sort of way.
2. Number Games
I used a number trick suggested by one of my education professors in order to introduce slope and the slope-intercept form of linear functions in my geometry classes today. Basically, it goes like this:
"Pick a number between one and eight. Double it. Add three to the result. Double again."
At that point, I started calling on people and asking what they had. For example, someone said "38" and I said "So you started with 8." It was great fun -- they started saying things like "How did you know that?" (Easy, I subtracted six and divided by four....plus there were only eight possibilities to deal with, and I sorted them out ahead of time.) From there, we made a list of the numbers people picked and the results they got, and used that to discuss things like the slop of the line. It was great fun. It was also nice to be able to use things from my master's classes.
3. Booze
We are currently drinking Manhattans, in honor of the mightiness of rye. Martha suggested that we declare either vermouth or bitters the next stylish alcohol item. I vote for drinkable Italian bitters (such as Fernet Branca, Campari, Meletti, etc.). Opinions?
4. Time-Delayed Posting
This post took over an hour-and-a-half to complete, because I had to stop to watch BSG.
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