As a nerd growing up the one class that I really did think was the most useful out of all the classes I ever took was "Number Sense" in Jr. High. It really was an after school class, but it had to be the most useful. It was there where I learned many tricks in calculating numbers. It showed me that the lazy way is almost always the fastest way. Why do the math in figuring a 15% tip when you can just take 10% and add half of that to get 15%. Or better yet, just multiply the sales tax by 2 since sales tax is usually 8%. One of my other favorites was multiplication tricks like trying to figure out how many packages of bologna makes 300 sandwiches. If there are 12 slices per package then divide both numbers by 2 to begin with: 150/6 then again: 75/3 which easily equals 25 packages without having to think. That's my goal in life, to think without thinking. Ah, the zen of Bass.

Thought of the Day
MR. TURKENTINE: That's ten percent half over again, which
makes fifteen percent. Charlie Bucket, how many did you
open?
CHARLIE: Two.
MR. TURKENTINE: That's easy. Two hundred is twice one
hundred . . .
CHARLIE: Not two hundred. Just two.
MR. TURKENTINE: Two? What do you mean you only opened two?
CHARLIE: I don't care very much for chocolate.
MR. TURKENTINE: Well I can't figure out just two, so let's
pretend you opened two hundred. Now, if you opened two
hundred Wonka Bars, apart from being dreadfully sick, you'd
have used up twenty percent of one thousand, which is
fifteen percent half over again, ten percent--

Willy Wonka