Well, I just finished my twenty-eighth consecutive day of writing mathematics problems for the teacher’s resource appendix of a high-school mathematics textbook. I don’t have an assignment for tomorrow yet, so it looks like I may have my first day off of work tomorrow in four weeks.

On another note, Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum has been going on the last two days. I’ve tried to keep this blog non-political, but as the presidential elections approach, that may get a little more difficult. From what I’ve seen and heard from the LIVESTRONG Presidential Cancer Forum so far, the candidate who’s made the greatest impression on me is from a political party I wouldn’t normally support.

Click here to watch Mike Huckabee talk about a national indoor smoking ban, and click here to watch him talk about how nutrition and exercise relate to cancer. I think he’s dead on on both of these topics. It was really exciting for me to hear him talk about both of these topics —this is exactly what I wanted to hear. Is it enough to make me change my political stripes? I don’t think so, but I couldn’t agree more with Mike Huckabee on these topics.

Tags: Math, Mathematics, Lance Armstrong, Mike Huckabee

I just finished my twenty-third consecutive day of writing mathematics problems for a high-school mathematics textbook’s teacher’s resource appendix. I’m now working on a chapter about sequences and series. Today I completed one of the more challenging lessons that I’ve done so far, which involved sequences that are not arithmetic or geometric sequences. An example of an arithmetic sequence is 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, …, where 2 is being added to each successive term in the sequence. An example of a geometric sequence is 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, …, where 2 is being multiplied to each successive term in the sequence. But what about a sequence like 1, 5, 13, 29, 61, …? How do you define this sequence? That’s what I wrote about today.

Tags: Math, Mathematics

Well, I was able to keep my consecutive-days streak for writing mathematics problems alive. I’m now at seventeen straight days, and today I found out that I’ll have enough work to keep me busy for the next ten days, so my streak should reach at least twenty-seven days before it is done. I’m still working on a high-school mathematics textbook’s teacher’s resource appendix. After finishing with a chapter on sinusoidal functions, I worked briefly on a chapter on quadratic functions, and now I’m working on another chapter on sinusoidal functions. After the current chapter, I’ll begin work on a chapter on sequences and series. Who knows what might be after that?

Tags: Math, Mathematics

I just finished writing some more diagnostic tests, chapter tests, and extra practice problems for a high-school mathematics textbook's teacher's resource appendix. For this chapter I was again working on the familiar topic of sinusoidal functions. Today marks the thirteenth day in a row that I’ve been working on the teacher’s resource appendix. Now, I haven’t been working all day everyday for the last thirteen days, but I’ve worked at least a couple hours (if not more) everyday for the last thirteen days. I’m not sure what my record is for consecutive days writing mathematics problems, but I must be approaching it. As of right now, I don’t have any assignment for tomorrow, but that could still change. I’d like to keep the streak alive.

Tags: Math, Mathematics

I recently sent in my hotel reservation form for the 2008 Boston Marathon. Even though I haven’t officially committed to running it yet, I thought it would be a good idea to make my hotel reservations now. It’s normally a good idea to make hotel reservations well in advance, but this time it’s even more important, since the day before the 2008 Boston Marathon are the 2008 Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston. I’ve sort of become a fan of Deena Kastor, who won a bronze medal in 2004, so I may want to go watch the 2008 trials in Boston as a fan, even if I’m not running the Boston Marathon. (Deena Kastor will be there participating.) However, I’d much rather go to Boston next year as a runner than as a fan.

Tags: marathon, marathons, Boston Marathon, Deena Kastor, running

I’m now writing diagnostic tests, chapter tests, and extra practice problems for a high-school mathematics textbook’s teacher’s resource appendix. The sections I’m writing for include The Characteristic of a Function, Comparing Rates of Change in Linear and Quadratic Functions, Working with Function Notation, Exploring Transformations of Quadratic Functions, Graphing Quadratic Functions by Using Transformations, Using Multiple Transformations to Graph Quadratic Functions, and The Domain and Range of a Quadratic Function.

Tags: Math, Mathematics