From: danwell@IASTATE.EDU (Daniel A Ashlock)
Subject: Don't make fun of Quayl's math.
Reply-To: danwell@IASTATE.EDU (Daniel A Ashlock)
Organization: Iowa State University
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 13:14:43 GMT

In article <1992Sep13.222010.25141@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>,
jmb6g@uvacs.cs.Virginia.EDU (Jeffrey M. Bloom) writes:
> On "This Week with David Brinkley", Dan Quayle was asked why his estimate
> of the number of jobs that will be created under the NAFTA agreement
(175,000)
> differed from the estimates of the labor secratary (150,000 jobs lossed) and
> the AFL/CIO (500,000 jobs lost). Dan disregarded the AFL/CIO estamate as
> political and pointed out that the his estimate was net jobs gained and said
> that something like "My math might not be perfect, but if we gain
> 400,000 to 500,000 new jobs  under the NAFTA agreement and you subtract the
> labor secrataries estimate of 150,000 jobs which will go to Mexico, then you
> get my estimate of net jobs gained."
> 
> Exuse me Dan, but 400,000 to 500,000 minus 150,000 is 250,000 to 300,000, not
> even close to Dan's figure of 175,000. Can't you do a simple subtraction in
> your head.I doubt the Burger King in Ontario which has that part time job
> opening would hire you.   

    While I agree this is apalling I feel compelled to defend DanOe from
charges of incompetence in this area.  While such charges are utterly valid and
correct they may drive the 89% of the American public that fears and loathes
math into the arms of the Republican International Conspiracy.  Last week I was
making a nice garlic-shrimp scauce for some friends who were coming over for a
pasta dinner and I went to the local home of Cultural Elite Food in Ames, Iowa,
a fine little store called Cheese and Puppets.

   Looking at the parmesian ($13.79/pound) I requested a sixth of a pound.  The
counter employee got out the Big Cheese Knife, hefted a huge chunk of cheese on
the counter, whacked off a chunk, and put it on the Nifty Digital Scale which
said "0.40".  The counter employee then turned to me and said,

   "Is that O.K. sir?"

   "That's more than twice as much as I asked for," I replied.

The counter employee walked quickly into the back room and asked someone in a
very quiet voice,

   "How much is one sixth?"

   "One sixth what?" a voice replied.

   "Point one, six, six, six, repeating!" I yelled.

The counter employee returned with a blush in her cheeks and cut the 0.4 pound
piece into two chunks.  She put one on the Nifty Digital Scale which said
"0.26".  The counter employee, much disheartened, hefted the huge block of
cheese on the counter and reached for the Big Cheese Knife.

   "Why not weigh the other half?" I asked quickly.

   "Oh," She explained, and did.

   "0.16," said the Nifty Digital Scale.

   "Hey, it's perfect," she said.

   "No, perfect would read 0.17," I replied.

   "But you said... " she began venemously.

   "I'll take it!" I replied, with vigor.  I paid and left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Something like this happens to me about twice a month in a homogeneous, white,
small, midwestern, college town.  Imagine how many math-o-phobes Quayle could
pick up for the Republican ticket if we make too much fun of his math ability.

Dan (Asst. Prof. Math)
Danwell@IASTATE.EDU
Xref: sparky alt.fan.dan-quayle:3495 alt.politics.bush:4522 alt.politics.clinton:4601