Mike

I'm a math tutor (and occasionally a substitute teacher). As I'm sure many of you also grumble about from time to time - I keep seeing high school students making elementary errors (elementary school errors) in their mathematics. In particular, I find I need to spend at least 1/2 my time re-viewing concepts that should have been learned years earlier.

Negative numbers - an almost certainty of a mistake to come.

Manipulating fractions - 'simple' errors - that give bizarre results.

Exponents - for some these are a real bug-a-boo.

I'm trying to put together a 'Top Twenty' or 'Top 50' error-sheet - to give to the parents of my students - and to guide me toward making a 'pre-tutoring' test sheet - to see what simple mistakes they tend to make.

What are the most common, or most irritating mistakes that you see from high school students in pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and calculus?

I'm a math tutor (and occasionally a substitute teacher). As I'm sure many of you also grumble about from time to time - I keep seeing high school students making elementary errors (elementary school errors) in their mathematics. In particular, I find I need to spend at least 1/2 my time re-viewing concepts that should have been learned years earlier.

Negative numbers - an almost certainty of a mistake to come.

Manipulating fractions - 'simple' errors - that give bizarre results.

Exponents - for some these are a real bug-a-boo.

I'm trying to put together a 'Top Twenty' or 'Top 50' error-sheet - to give to the parents of my students - and to guide me toward making a 'pre-tutoring' test sheet - to see what simple mistakes they tend to make.

What are the most common, or most irritating mistakes that you see from high school students in pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, and calculus?

Opinions please.

In your opinion, who would you nominate as worst boss to work for, that you have seen on ''reality-television'' shows? (Don't include the cartoon or sit-com bosses... )

Sons of Guns - Will Haydn?

Pawn Stars - Rick Harris?

American Chopper - Paul Sr? Paul Jr?

or....?

Opinions please. In your opinion, who would you nominate as worst boss to work for, that you have seen on ''reality-television'' shows? (Don't include the cartoon or sit-com bosses... )

Sons of Guns - Will Haydn?

Pawn Stars - Rick Harris?

American Chopper - Paul Sr? Paul Jr?

or....?

I've been hammock-camping for almost 5 years now. (Hennessy Hammocks). My main gripe has been that the tree-savers provided are often too short to get a full wrap around a tree. A couple times I have scrounged an extra pair out of another hammock so I can get one full wrap around a large tree.

To remedy this, I decided to create a pair fo tree savers for myself - out of car seat-belts. A quick trip to a local junkyard, a few minutes work and a couple of 12 ft long, 2 inch wide webs are mine.

Originally, I intended to sew the ends back, to give myself end-loops. Some careful, tight, point-contact sewing (6 points per end) and a quick test - and it held. For about 5 minutes. Until I shifted about in a way similar to how I would move changing clothes in the hammock.

Catastrophic structural failure at the sewing. Sounded like a 30-06 rifle shot. Dumped me on my butt - hard. Perhaps I might re-consider...

Now - my question. Anyone with experience with this? If you sewed the end-loops, what thread did you use and what method of sewing did you use?

I have determined that I can create a loop by making a slightly modified ''figure-8-on-a-bight'' knot in the webbing.It appears to give me a very-nearly flat knot, that seems to be essentially slip-proof. Again - knots in webbing isn't exactly my area of expertise... but I haven't seen much on-line to draw from. (the ''web-bend'' that I did find is certainly not what I am looking for - as I hope to have something that remains secure, but can be released after holding regular-anticipated loads - - and if possible, looks reasonably aesthetic). Any suggestions on *this* ?

I'm tutoring a calculus student, and the current problem I'm helping her with is the area between the curves of

y = sin3x and y = cos2x (from x = 0 to x = 1)

The integral isn't really a problem - - except I need to determine where

the intersection is (ie: sin3x = cos2x where 0 < x < 1)

I tried using the double angle identities with the sin (A + B) identity, but either I went the wrong direction, or this is the wrong method to use.

Any help?? (Just need the proper method - a little guidance wouldn't hurt, though)

The loading platform screw for my Remington 580 .22 is missing. It looks like it may be at the very small end of the standard machine screw sizes - perhaps a #1-72 or even #0-80. Just not quite sure what the size is. (Fine or coarse thread?) I'm assuming I should look for stainless steel for best results. Any gun repair knowledgeable folks? Or anyone else run across this?

The screw is available (on-line) for a bit over $10, but since I can access a machine shop, I should be able to run this down without having to wait 2 weeks or more.

Appreciate any help.

I've had a friend that says it happened in one of the James Bond movies. I thought it happened in 2001 A Space Odyssey. Are we both wrong? We both recall a scene where the astronaut's jetpack goes 'on' and he can't turn it off and he flies off into space...

Are any of you amateur astronomers planning to ''trick or treat'' by setting up a scope this year? I'm planning to show Jupiter to the costumed urchins and their parents (much as I've done for the past couple years). Any suggestions for other 'targets' to show off?

Was observing Jupiter last night, being so close and all...

Happened to catch a very nice shadow transit that started perhaps 10:15, and I observed till it reached roughly midpoint (11:05 or so). Got me to thinking about it - potentially during an opposition shadow-transit (much as I was observing), the Galilean moon might occlude its shadow seen on Jupiter's clouds (to a greater or lesser extent) as seen by a Terran observer. Or have I missed something vital in the equation? Any records that such has ever been observed?

from Starhawke anymore - now that he has run through Mercury through Pluto?

Glee? Sadness? Relief? Never even noticed him to be a matter for attention?