The Daily Show and Math

I apologize for the lack of posts of late - I have had a slightly crazy, busy life of late and have not had the time or motivation. I have been working on my dissertation proposal and defense, which, I will admit is causing me much angst and frustration. I definitely understand why many folks who get to the ABD (all but dissertation) phase of a doctorate quit. It is time consuming, especially when working full time and traveling every week for work, not to mention having a family to take care of. I can't tell you how many times it crosses my mind to stop doing this. But then, I remember, I am not a quitter. I have come this far, and need to keep going and see this through till the end. What kind of role model would that be for my daughters if I quit so close to the end? So...persevere I must, even if it causes me sleepless nights, crying fits, and little free time!

But, I digress. I do feel guilty about the fact I have not posted something for over a week now, but, as I mentioned above, I have not been motivated, or maybe I should say, I haven't been inspired. Too tired! But, I do remember getting a flash of inspiration while watching The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last week. I love that show - always good for a giggle and a "I can't believe they said that" reaction. I was really pleased to see his 'math' comparison from the two political conventions. Hilarious. This is what I want to share today in my post - some humor and some math. As a math educator, it scares me to hear and see all these statistics bandied about with little fact or understanding behind them, and I hope that math educators are using these opportunities to help their students understand the use and misuse of math in the real-world.

So - enjoy. Fast forward to 2:35 to get to the section about math. As Jon says "Math. Numbers. Facts. Oh, I never thought I'd say this, but I have missed you so much math!"

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Hope and Change 2 - Bill Clinton's Math

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