Independent Studies

So I'm taking a break form school, right?  Right.  My brain is still going 100 mph all the time.  I realized how much better my brain functions in terms of finding and recognizing important information last night, compared to my dad, when I was skimming tech documents for my dad while we were trying to troubleshoot his elaborate makeshift home network and new linux install.  But now might be the time to try to downshift and work on some new skills which, even though pretty sharp by this point, coul easily be improved on in just a few days.

I've downloaded several books of math puzzles.  Each puzzle represents a neat little shortcut in math, and I've noticed (even after solving 3 and a half of them... this one is a bitch for some reason... even though it has the easiest rating) that each one programs a new path in my brain for solving all kinds of other math problems in my head.  These will no doubt be very important skills if I decide to switch over to Mathematics when I return to school.

Mental math was something I was always interested in.  I competed in number sense several years in grade school and mathematics in high school.  I mean, you get a more intuitive notion of how math works when you kick away the systematic pencil and paper approach and start crunching them in your head. 

I stumbled on this link today... pretty cool.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swami_Bharati_Krishna_Tirtha%27s_Vedic_mathematics
Math tricks based on the the old Hindu Vedic texts (The Vedas, another one of my pet interests!)  Most of the tricks I use or have used in the past and never knew their origin. 

I guess the inspiration behind all this was the few scenes in the movie Pi where Maximillian computes some somewhat impressive arithmetic in his head for his seemingly bright little Asian neighbor.  I was curious as to how he could come to repeating decimals so quickly, there must have been a trick.  And there is.  There are many.

On a different note.  My dog is having a dream right now.  Probably of chasing cats at the farm or following me around endlessly all day while I do strange monkey things.  He's wimpering like he's been locked in a cage for days.  Maybe he's having flashbacks of the animal shelter.  I've never been much of an animal activist.  Nature is cruel you know.  But I love this little creature.

On a similar note.  I have found a another very interesting little creature to love.  Even more so.  It's always been in the back of my mind.  She's beautiful.  I guess you have to turn on a few times to realize what's back there, eh Chris?

Well back to the obsessive grind.  It feels like a personality disorder.  But it feels good.