January 11 2010

Monday, January 11, 2010

January 11 2010

Random Fact of the Day: Today's Date is the number 30 in Binary, and is also a palindrome. 011110. It goes to follow that 010110 is the number 22 and 011010 is the number 26, and that 012210 is a palindrome. It would be most awesome if the word palindrome was also a palindrome, but it is not.

Teaching Link of the Day: Bowling Math
Thought of the Day: Letters to the Editor

The billboard says: “Cherish Life: Born and Unborn.” Among the “born,” of course, we must include children who are abused or neglected, right? And probably those who do the abusing or neglecting, too, as well as snotty-nosed, loud-mouthed kids running around being annoying or disruptive and sullen teenagers, naturally. Plus folks with tattoos, too much make-up, or sloppy attire. Or people who are as big as a barn or as thin as a wisp. And alcoholics and addicts.

Other lives to be cherished would be the poor, those without health insurance, and highly paid corporate folks who raid our paltry savings to give themselves obscene bonuses. Without a doubt it includes socialists, Republicans, Democrats, people of faith (all faiths, Christian and non-Christian), and the agnostics and atheists, too. Can’t forget soldiers, journalists, law-enforcement personnel, auto mechanics, fire and disaster workers, bankers, supermodels, medical workers, peace demonstrators, teachers, grocery clerks and librarians.

Respecting and cherishing life also ought to include the elderly (even if they drive too slow or smell funny), bicycle riders (ditto), SUV drivers, those with physical or mental disabilities, the wise and the foolish, people we love, homosexuals, all politicians (even if we disagree with them) and even non-human life — like our dogs and cats. Also among the born are Oprah, Rush and Jay Cutler. Keep on cherishing!

I’m sure you get my drift and I hope you all have lots of categories to add to this very incomplete list. However, if you want to omit anyone, then I don’t think you can truly claim to “cherish life.”

NANCY TIERNAN

Grand Junction