Those of you challenged by simple math skills will appreciate this story (perhaps none of you is so challenged). One frequent reader of Contratimes is this writer's former junior high school math teacher. That he would like to be publicly recognized as associated with me is doubtful, so I shall guard his name. It was hard enough to have me as a student.
Yesterday I was notified by said teacher of an arithmetical mistake in my post regarding U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) and his $850,000 lottery winnings. In my somewhat lighthearted rant, I mentioned the percentage return of the Powerball jackpot winner from Oregon. I claimed that his investment of one dollar and the payout of $340,000,000 represented a 340,000,000 percent return. But I was wrong by a factor of 100. The return is actually a 34,000,000,000 percent gain.
But I was also right: It was a 340,000,000 percent gain – and then some. But I didn't say that. The smart aleck in the back of the classroom said that (Hobson or Lebel, no doubt).
Indeed, it appears I need a little after-school tutoring – 32 years after school. In all candor, of course, I am grateful for the gentleness with which I was reminded of my oversight. Great teachers never stop being teachers, nor do they cease being great.
As for the rest of you, I will see you in detention hall (actually, it is much more likely that I will see you from detention hall).
I promise from now on to give 110 percent instead of the 100 percent I've been giving 50 percent of the time.
Contratimes
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