Why Learn Math? I have a Calculator. It says 250

This is my 250th blog posting, in exactly one calendar year. The first post was dated August 7, 2009. It was entitled:

Why Learn Math? I have a calculator

On that day I started to write about using math in daily activities of life. Easy math. The kind of math we learn(ed) in elementary school. Math we teach with our Excel Math curriculum. I want to demonstrate how to think mathematically, which a calculator will not do for you.

In that time, we've had nearly 10 thousand visitors, from at least 126 countries around the globe.

Note: if you are an English-speaker outside the USA, substitute the term "maths" where appropriate.

I've written lots of words and posted 1000 images, most of which I have created here at my desk, or taken with my very own cameras. The volume of words is harder to count, but I can tell you the total bits and bytes -  21,067,290 bytes for 1,116 items.

The blog has been here rain or shine, with just a few days off for short vacations and weekends. We've made it through brush fires and "the coldest summer in nearly 100 years" (which in San Diego is no big deal) and a half-dozen Internet outages.

We have had 2 rattlesnakes inside the office during the last 12 months!

Being near Miramar Air Base, we have been strafed by Blue Angels and stealth bombers

We have not "monetized" the blog, nor have we attempted to cover outrageous topics to provoke emotional outbursts from readers. I have received only one complaint (from a professor that I used his picture without permission; though I did credit him and link back to his site).

Why do we do it?

• We want people to visit our website, buy Excel Math curriculum, and teach math to kids
• We want to de-mystify math - it's not rocket science (usually) and it's not hard (frequently)
• We like learning new things and understanding how and why the world works as it does
• We hope to present a investigative but charitable and humorous look at life, not the contentious, argumentative and cynical viewpoint so prevalent today

In conclusion, I present this Speed Bump cartoon, which Dave Coverly graciously gave us permission to use. Last year I had hoped to use as part of a promotional campaign for our math books. We had to take it off the website because a few people complained that they couldn't calculate curriculum purchase prices ... sigh ... they should have worked harder when they were in school to cultivate a sense of humor!

I hope you enjoy it.