What's an Engine Break???

[Pullstart 62,787]

On 2/2/2019 at 2:18 PM, ztnoo said:

Welcome to the convoluted state of the English language in the USA thanks largely to text lingo abbreviations with smart phone usage, and the widespread abandonment of cursive writing in our elementary schools.

Often the most common of words are misspelled, or synonyms are used in the wrong context, i.e.:  their; there; they're, OR, break; brake.

The same devolution of math usage can be witnessed daily, for instance if the electric/electronic cash register is down or without power and the clerk can't make change for a transaction because the digital readout isn't working, and they don't know how to count change back to the customer. Many have no concept of how to begin to do math by long hand. If they can't punch a button or key and get an answer, they are S.O.L.

Technology would have us believe we are all becoming smarter, when we are actually undercutting the basics of higher learning at an alarming rate.

 

I'll step down from my soapbox on those matters ......... for now.

 

Not too long ago, we were cashing out at a restaurant in Somewhere, USA.  I don’ recall the location, but I believe that is irrelevant.  The total was less than $20 and I handed her a $20 bill.  She did something with the register, then entered my payment again, and again.  Then the manager entered it again.  Finally, the register spit out that she owed me over $80 change.  She started pulling bills out, then paused unsure of what to do.  To prevent any further headache or stress, I verbally did the math from the beginning and explained what my change should be.  She without any hesitation gave me what I asked for.  I could have told her about anything and gotten away with it.  It was great that my girls were with me, that I could explain the importance of math and being able to calculate on the fly.

[Digger 66 3,478]

On 2/4/2019 at 10:20 PM, ztnoo said:

Yamaha TZ 750 4 cylinder two-stroke with expansion chambers, WFO through town,

           

                       

[953 nut 55,071]

While working in South Florida where Spanish is the dominant language and English is barely spoken I discovered that math skills were sorely lacking too. Even with the aid of electronic cash registers to do the math, if your change was $ .78 you would receive seven dimes and eight pennies! Seems it never occurred to them that quarters were in the change drawer too.