Wednesday 22 January 2020

Statistics and Grammar

I find it irritating how we tend to glorify ignorance on TV. Frequently, on British TV, we see so called comedians pretending, or possibly not, that they do not know maths, or even their native English grammar. And everybody laughs.

What example is that setting the younger generation who believe that education is not important, especially maths. Or expressing themselves in text speak on modern gadgets.

Mathematics is important to life. Especially statistics.

How else are people to know how many "friends" they have on social media and what percentage of these friends are personally known to them compared to those who have just clicked the friends icon on the website?

I like statistics. I use them to check how many readers I have on this blog and my other website. And how many readers are new or returning loyal readers like you just now. Thank you, by the way. I am very grateful.

Statistics can teach us a lot in life.

Did you know for example that 9 out of 5 people cannot do fractions?

And that one out of seven dwarfs is Grumpy?

Or that six out of seven dwarfs are not Happy?

Or that 50% of people do not understand percentages - that's almost half.

Or there is a 90% probability my wife would get angry if I put a red item in the washing machine - that's a 50/50 chance I guess, so let's try it and see!

You see ... statistics is or are important.

And so is grammar.

I remember when one day my English teacher said to me "Your grammar stinks!"

I was upset since my grandma always smelled of lavender.

I told my father what the teacher had said and he asked "Which grand-mother?"

He wrote a letter of complaint.

My teacher replied that she had never commented on, nor would she ever presume to comment on, my family's body odour!

On reading her letter my father gave me a clip round the ears and then wrote again to the teacher apologising for the misunderstanding.

On reading my father's letter the teacher gave me detention after school.

On the Saturday I went to Confession. Our church had an old fashioned confessional which was a wooden booth where the priest sat and the penitents would kneel on either side and confess through a small window.

I told the priest all that had happened. He said "Don't speak so loud I can smell your grandmother kneeling on my other side!" Although he did not specify which grandma he could smell.

Then he gave me an extra penance for speaking loudly and for drawing attention to old peoples' body odour. Which technically I had not done because it was not me who started all this; it was my English teacher who said "Your grammar stinks!"

I think the church got this whole question of confession and absolution wrong somehow. I got a penance for my teacher's sin!

Moral: So did Jesus.

 

22 comments:

  1. We don't need no education.....
    Perhaps not the right song for this occasion.
    I did get the math problem right... are you proud?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well done Ryan. I did NOT get it right. I needed help. I am told it's an exam question for 16 years old. What does that say about me?

      God bless.

      Delete
  2. I know the 50/50/90 rule. When you have to make a choice where only one of two decisions is correct, you will be wrong 90 percent of the time.

    I got the puzzle but am still didn't know what they all weighed. Could you do it again in pounds?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi JoeH,

      No, I did not know the 50/50/90 rule.

      And I did not get the puzzle either. I am told it does not matter whether it is in pounds or kilos.

      This is how it was solved for me. I hope it makes sense to you ... not me, sadly!

      R+C = 10
      D+C = 24
      D+R = 20
      (20-R)+(10-R) = 24
      30-2R = 24
      -2R = -6
      1R = 3
      1C = 7
      1 D = 17

      God bless

      Delete
    2. I got it, just can't convert it to lbs. Kgms mean nothing to me. The only change to metrics anyone in this country can understand is liter. For some reason our soda is sold is sold in liters so that we get.

      Delete
    3. Ok, I read your math. I know it makes sense. But still. Ack. That was hard!

      Delete
    4. JoeH, in the UK we now have kilos, metres and litres. Although in a pub we buy beer in pints, and in shops soda and milk are in litres.

      God bless.

      Delete
    5. Sandi, you must be better than me. Took me ages to understand how the calculations work.

      God bless.

      Delete
  3. Sorry. Math has never been my strong suit. I get by with adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Please don't ever ask me to do fractions...it just isn't going to happen.

    Have a great day Victor.
    God Bless 💮

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. According to the Bible God told us to go forth and multiply. He said nothing about fractions, percentages, and all the other difficult stuff.

      God bless, Jan.

      Delete
  4. Love the moral to your story, Victor!!!! Perfect ending to the story!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Diane. So glad you liked the grammar story.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  5. I like simple math where 1+1=2. Never liked liked the other more complicated problems.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't even understand the complicated stuff.

      God bless, Bill.

      Delete
  6. Given my ineptitude for math, I'm reluctant to point fingers. Well, except for what passes as grammar these days. After an hour spent on social media, I feel what remains of my brain cells slip-sliding-away.
    Great closing line, BTW!

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    Replies
    1. I know what you mean about modern grammar - or lack of. So glad you liked the ending, Mevely.

      God bless you.

      Delete
  7. Terrific moral to your story, Victor! And my grammar doesn't stink, but my abilities in math do. Always been a struggle.
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Martha. I was a little better at grammar than maths at school. I'm pleased you liked this post.

      God bless.

      Delete
  8. When I hear faulty grammar on tv news, we both roll our eyes. The math, oh my. Husband has graduate degrees in math and physics.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have a clever husband, Susan. I bet he could solve the puzzle at the top of the page straight away.

      God bless.

      Delete
  9. Yes, i get the math, it's simple algebra. And if you simply put LB instead of KG, the numbers work exactly the same.

    It's because of lack of education that our nations are having the troubles they have, i think. With good education, people would see through the lies politicians tell and cut through media foolishness to get to the heart of the matter and possibly set it right.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The thing is, Mimi, today's generation don't want education. They think they know it all already.

      God bless.

      Delete

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