Comfort Math

Here is what a recent slideshow on a news website had to say about food-borne illness in the US:

"Did you know that 1 in 6 Americans gets sick every year from eating food contaminated with pathogens: Bacteria, viruses or parasites? It’s a serious health problem that sends tens of thousands of people to the hospital every year."

Camplyobacter and toxoplasma and listeria, oh my! (And don't forget the old stand-by Salmonella!)

Hmmm.

Immediately I was struck by the vast difference between "1 in 6" and "tens of thousands." Clearly not every person that gets a food-borne illness does or even needs to be hospitalized. That said it makes for a nice comparison between getting sick and getting so sick that a trip to the emergency room is warranted.

First, 1 in 6 is 0.1667 or 16.67%. For a US population of approximately 312 million this is 52 million people. That seems like a lot, and it is.

But compare that to tens of thousands. Let's go high and use 90,000 (any more than that would be hundreds of thousands, right?). That's 0.029% of the US population and a not much more significant 0.17% of those who get sick in the first place.

So 1 in 6 might seem dire, but we've all revisited a meal or two over the years and are still kicking. What it comes down to is that you're as likely to die in the car getting to the restaurant than from eating the food when you get there. See how math can actually be comforting? Sort of.

Interestingly, the article said absolutely nothing on preventing food-borne disease. So here's a handy link to the CDC page.

Is That What You Think?

Sometimes a person can betray their true feelings by what they say.

Recently Rep. Rand Paul put out a budget deal that would reduce our national debt by some $6 trillion over the next ten years. Needless to say, not everyone's pet project or program was spared. But as I understand it Social Security went untouched and Medicare would be changed to a state block-grant system.

The reaction from the left? Seniors and children will die. Seriously. By some predictions, some 80,000 people would die under Rep. Paul's budget.

Is that what the left really think? That should this (relatively) fiscally conservative budget pass that the average American would shrug and let even one person die? Shame on them.

Father Jonathon Morris said it better than I can in a recent op-ed:

"It is fallacious logic to posit that seniors will not get meals if the federal government doesn’t send those meals to them. The federal government is not the only, and certainly not the best, caretaker of people.

In an imperfect society like our own, there is certainly a need for a government safety net for people who have no other way of getting quality, basic care. But the starting point of a federal safety net should be the support of families, neighbors, church and social groups, communities, and local governments (in that order), as they take care of their own."

Fighting Sucks

But only because it gets you into trouble.

When the movie Fight Club came out oh so many years ago I was a young(er) single man with more than my share of testosterone. The idea of having an outlet for what I saw as everyday, normal man-rage was very appealing.

Now I'm no longer young, but I've noticed that the rage is still there. It's that fight itch I feel when I read a book where good fights evil, or I read a news story about the bullied putting the smack down on the bully. We live in a civilized time but some of us were just wired for a different time. I can so easily imagine myself in boiled leather and chain mail with a nice two-handed broad sword across my back. And using it.

Instead my battle is the professor in the Prius going 60 in the fast lane and my sword is my 225 horsepower versus his 12 squirrelpower. Short of running the guy off the road (don't think this isn't a temptation), I have no outlet for the frustration that builds from this day after day. Maybe I should take up karate to give me both an outlet and a way of controlling the anger. Either that or start a fight club in my basement.

You're Not Fast

I drive fast*. It's just easier that way.

That being said, I have a message for those of the human population that don't feel as strongly as I do about the sanctity of the fast lane:

70 mph in the fast lane when the speed limit is 65 is not fast.

I don't care how many semis you think you need to pass before you let me by. You're not going fast.

I know you're all worried about getting stuck behind some bozo going 69 mph, but believe me, your frustration at going 1 mph under your randomly selected cruise control setting is nothing compared to the aneurysm you're giving me from going 5 mph below my thoughtfully selected cruise control setting.

*Note that I DO NOT speed in residential areas. If you are speeding on my street and I happen to have a live grenade handy, you will need extensive repairs and possibly several months in the hospital.

Eat My Math Skills

According to a new Chevrolet commercial, they will plant trees and perform other green activities on your behalf should you be so inclined as to purchase a Chevy. The carbon dioxide savings? 8 million metric tonnes over the next several years.

So, some math:

Average US citizen annual carbon footprint: 19 metric tonnes

Current US population: ~310,000,000

Total US annual carbon footprint: 19 x 310,000,000 = 5,890,000,000 metric tonnes

Chevy savings: 8,000,000 metric tonnes

Percent of US annual carbon footprint: 8,000,000 / 5,890,000,000 = 0.14%

Or as we engineers like to say...Jack squat. Diddly. An insignificant amount. And that's assuming the savings are in one year. It's only 0.07% if it's over two years.

Oh, well. The ad probably works on the same people that buy lottery tickets and Toyota Priuses.

If That's Being Cool...

I'd rather be lame.

I started this as an open letter to the brat in the new Toyota Highlander commercials. You know, the kid who tells us that just because we're parents we don't have to be lame. Every time I hear him say that I fight the urge to put my size 12 Red Wings through the TV.



To paraphrase Charles Sykes from his book "Dumbing Down Our Kids":

Before you were born your parents weren't as lame as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you lecture them on the lameness of their car, try getting around on your own for a while.

Sheesh. And get a hair cut while you're at it.

What Makes Engineers Cry?

This is the horrific sight that greeted me as I unpacked my work stuff this morning. My beloved 15C's screen is damaged. Had it been any worse than this I swear I would have cried. I can't see a lot of the function indicators, but all the digits are visible.

I've had this calculator since college. Not only did it get me through engineering school, but it has been my trusty companion for 15 years as an engineer. Am I living in the past? I don't think so. The form and function of this calculator are far superior to the calculators available today. The continuing popularity of the 12C financial calculator is a testament to this. Heck, Google "HP 15C" and see how many websites are dedicated to it.

And I'm not the only one pining for the return of the 15C. Go to www.hp15c.org and you can sign the petition for HP to bring it back.

Until then I have my 15C iPhone app and this.