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Mathematics Consultant & Author View all posts by Kow-Cheong Yan →

Mathematic’s books

December 10, 2024Humor, Math Publishing, Mathematical Humor, Recreational Math, Singapore MathChinglish, confusion, English language, French language, grammar, grammatical blunders, it’s, language, les mathématiques, linguistics, math publishing, mathematic, mathematics, SinglishKow-Cheong Yan

In recent years, I found more instances of “its” being (wrongly?) substituted for “it’s” in otherwise grammatically correct sentences, making me wonder whether or not the two are now socially interchangeable. It’s is short for it is or it has. Its means belonging to it, as in “It’s hurt its foot while fleeing a prey.”

This reminds me of other oft-confused differences like “everyday and every day” and “that and which.”

The misuse of apostrophes isn’t limited to folks from non-English-speaking countries like China, South Korea, and Vietnam. Even in the “fine” city of Singapore, on social media, it’s not uncommon to witness (senior) math editors, (seasoned) teachers, and (savvy) politicians commit these grammatical faux pas.

Using the apostrophe correctly needn’t be difficult once you know the rule, albeit there are some tricky exceptions, which you may be forgiven if you do commit these grammar sins.

Test Yourself

Below is a simple but not simplistic exercise to test whether you’re (still) an “apostrophe novice” or not.

In each pair below, which is the correct one?
A: You’re not wrong.
B: You aren’t wrong.

C: two man’s hours
D: two men’s hours

E: Who’s not coming?
F: Who isn’t coming?

G: McDonald’s drinks
H: McDonalds’ drinks

I: … it’s missing parts.
J: … its missing parts.

K: My child scored four As for her PSLE exam.
L: My child scored four A’s for her PSLE exam.

M: mathematics’s beloved constant
N: mathematics’ beloved constant

O: Buy Bitcoin’s on FTX
P: Buy Bitcoins’ on FTX

Q: Under 18’s only
R: Under 18s only

S: the player’s trophies during the 2000s
T: the players’ trophies during the 2000’s

U: Jesus’ parables and miracles
V: Jesus’s parables and miracles

W: Trump and Xi’s goals
X: Trump’s and Xi’s goals

Y: I would’ve left him if not for his money.
Z: I’d have left him if not for his money.

How many of these pairs have both options correct?

Is Mathematics Plural or Singular?

Recently, while working on a math project, I was tickled when I came across something that reads like “Maths are like comic books. They help us deal with things in real life. …”

In French, it’s common usage to use les mathématiques—in plural form vis-à-vis the singular la mathématique. I thought it’s amusing that someone had creatively treated “maths” as plural. I was clueless if that’s because mathematic is singular and mathematics is plural.

Indeed, talking about the lighter side of math or math education, math writing (or editing) in the hands or mind of a nonmath writer (or editor) can be achingly funny. Any of those nontrivial blunders we occasionally (or frequently?) make often turns out to be little mathematical moments that spark joy in someone’s day.

Gram’tically y’rs

Never Lose Faith in Zeros!

November 23, 2024Humor, Mathematical Humor, Recreational Math0000, 4D, Blockchain, bonds, chances, crypto, Cryptocurrency, ETF, gambling, Lady Luck, lottery, luck, math meme, NFT, odds, probability, punting, retirement, Singapore Pools, speculating, stocks, superstition, TOTO, zeroKow-Cheong Yan

0000 won 2nd prize for 2nd time in over 10 years.

If you’re thinking of an early retirement and considering playing lottery or indulging in crypto speculation in achieving your financial goal, you can’t merely hope or pray for the best.

Even Lady Luck favors those who diligently put their mathematical or probabilistic knowledge into practice. You can’t be a passive pray-er!

As a “math person,” there are certain “smart” steps you’d take to increase the chances of winning the lottery or outperforming the market. For instance, if you longed to be one of the few (or the only one) rather than one of the many winners in a 4D or TOTO draw, it’s wiser to choose the oft-dreaded 0000 (or deadly 4444) instead of the boring 1234 or auspicious (or superstitious?) 8888.

Remember: Not all 4Ds are treated the same—some are luckier than others!

In case you think that only semi-educated, semi-innumarates, or blue-collar folks (or MAGA patriots or Jan. 6 “hostages”) play lottery or visit casinos, you couldn’t be more wrong.

A decent (or probably obscene?) number of mathematicians and math educators worldwide frequently (or discreetly) try their luck in all kinds of gambling activities, legal or illegal.

It looks like they “know” something that the majority of “educated” folks tend to dismiss as a recreational or get-rich-quick activity for the “uneducated” or “mathematically challenged.”

PHOTO: Stomp. Since 1986, 0000 got *lucky* a total of 14 times, excluding the latest result.

Who are laughing all their way to the bank? Who are we to judge these street-smart folks, who’re now financially independent while their geeky friends are barely surviving to pay the bills or mortgages?

There are more than one way to be cash-rich (but often time- or health-poor), and 4D lottery is one such arguably sinful avenue or option to fulfilling that dream.

How are they (morally) different: Young Singaporeans speculating in crypto hoping to retire early, and their parents or/and grandparents playing 4D and TOTO every week also praying to retire prematurely?

Luckily & wealthily (and generously) yours

References

Number 0000 wins second prize in 4D draw for second time after over 10 years tinyurl.com/mv9pfk4m

Number 0000 wins second prize in 4D draw tinyurl.com/m3kchuvw

Are You a Square?

October 6, 2024Humor, Mathematical Humor, Recreational MathAI, bigotry, billionaire, Bitcoin, block, Blockchain, ChatGPT, coding, crypto, Cryptocurrency, employment, geek, jobs, looks, MAGA, MAGA math, math power, mathepreneur, metaverse, millionaire, money, nerd, NFT, programming, smart aleck, square, Trumpism, wealth, xenophobiaKow-Cheong Yan

Math geeks or nerds are frequently labeled a “square.” Nonmath or non-symbol-minded folks also nickname them a “block” or “bore”!

Indeed, it hurts if you’re dubbed one! There is no shortage of negative or unflattering labels to describe those who’re apparently born or blessed with the “math gene.”

Fortunately, these days, with so many math geeks using their talent or gifting to help produce all kinds of technological marvels, or helping the world solve a number of wicked problems, respect or awe for the socially awkward or romantically inept seems to be at an all-time high.

Getting Rich from Math

Think of those tens of thousands of millionaires and billionaires worldwide, who’ve made their fortune thanks to the oft-invisible power or applications of math and science.

Their “square” looks or dating habits might make you avoid them like the plague, but you can be sure that a good percentage of these “bores” or “non-blockheads” are laughing all the way to the bank.

Many of those “squares” or “blocks” are being paid handsomely because of their sought-after mathematical or coding skills.

And many of these (oft-foreign-born) guys Trump & gang think they can do without them because they’re “stealing” white-collar jobs or “spying” on Americans—the MAGA cult want to deport (or even demonize) them to protect local high-tech jobs from skilled aliens.

Yes, some of these geeky guys and gals are arguably unhandsome or plain-looking. Who cares when math is their god, which has allowed them to retire prematurely or to attain financial independence, when their non-STEM peers are struggling to pay the bill?

Love + Math = Success

And if you’re a hundredaire or thousandaire, it’s not too late to befriend or even date some of them. There is exponential power or benefit when love meets math. When you discover in no time that the square-looking geek is often an (imperfect) circle inside.

Remember: The geeks shalt inherit the earth!

Squarely & securely yours

Statistics & Salvation

September 6, 2024Humor, Recreational Math, Theomaticsage, bills, cartoon, Christ, deliverance, free, freedom, healing, health, humor, illness, pie chart, pills, salvation, sickness, statisticsKow-Cheong Yan

Where would your bills go to as your days become numbered? What are the chances that for most folks their pills would fill up a large part of their bill?

For some folks, their will might allocate more fund in anticipation of their loved ones’ soaring bills due to their consuming more dearer or designer pills.

Whatever the case, pills are seldom a positive sign in someone’s health regardless of their age.

Healing Is Free

A zero-pills lifestyle is (only) achievable by the Great Healer, who numbers our days, and whose death and resurrection on the cross had made it possible for any (willing) soul to live a quasi-pills-free way of life.

Isn’t it true that the best things in life are free? Yet, why would millions of people rather spend their savings on their poor health, when a touch from Him could graciously or freely heal them (completely)?

It’s not too late to apply what we know is oft-unspokenly true, yet out of pride or disinformation or falsehoods from other faiths, we’re too afraid to seek healing and deliverance from Him, who freely frees those who’re sick of being sick of all kinds of emotional and physical illnesses or sicknesses, age-related or not.

Healthily & wisely yours

Drink to Derive

June 2, 2024Humor, Mathematical Humor, Problem Solving, Recreational Mathaddiction, aha!, alcohol, algebra, beer, booze, Calculus, creativity, deriving, drinking, Fibonacci numbers, golden ratio, mathematical quickie, phi, productivity, proof, relaxation, Russia, smoking, tobacco, zeroKow-Cheong Yan

Anecdotally or statistically, an unhealthy number of mathematicians and math educators around the globe are chain-smokers. Out of habit or addiction, they need to puff out before any proof.

Likewise, it wouldn’t be surprising that a (smaller) percentage of them would also need to drink before they derive any mathematical result, or prove or disprove any conjecture, which is worth gracing the pages of a reputable journal or periodical.

Strong Zero

On a visit to a local supermarket two years ago, I spotted Strong Zero, which led me to tweet about it:

Strong Zero: Something to reward yourself with at the end of a long fruitful day indulging in mathematical proof to destress yourself with fellow boozers.

Then, I had in mind to “derive, then drink,” rather than the other way around. The choice is yours! Know your limits!

So, a little boozing and smoking (in moderation) might debatably be an unspoken (inexpensive?) boost or catalyst to experiencing an aha! When the product of two negatives produces a positive!

A Quickie from Russia

Since we’re on the topic of drinking alcoholic beverages or liquor to boost mathematical productivity, let’s end with a mathematical quickie from Putinland, which was pre-Xed (or tweeted) slightly less than a dozen years ago:

A man and his wife drink a keg of kvas in 10 days. He alone can drink it in 14 days. How long will his wife take to drink a keg?

Challenge: Try solving the above proportion problem in a nontraditional way (with or without a drink)! Better still, use a bar model to do it.

Creatively & productively yours

Adult Math Goes Poetic

May 20, 2024Humor, Mathematical Humor, Recreational Math, Singapore Math2016 election, adultery, affair, business records, cheats, college calculus, crime, Delta, denial, epsilon, epsilon-delta, fake math, falsification, function, haiku, hush money, infidelity, lawsuit, liars, lies, MAGA math, math meme, mathematical verse, payment, poetry, prison, prosecution witness, pseudonym, real analysis, trial, US politicsKow-Cheong Yan

Ex-president Trump’s criminal hush-money trial in New York provides much fodder for comedians and political pundits, not to say, math educators and poets, to poke fun at the lasagna of lies exposed by the prosecution and defense teams.

Below is a math meme that was X-ed, when the ex-Commander in Cheat’s defense lawyer was cross-examining his “ex-fixer” in the court case.

Political Math: When two serial liars failed to convince a jury of recreational math educators from the “fine” city of Singapore that they’d be exempted from a mock high school test paper.

5G Dishonesty

Thanks to Mr. Pinocchio and his once-most-loyal lawyer, who said he’d take a bullet for his ex-client, even math teachers and writers (and pseudo-poets) around the globe couldn’t resist from indulging in some poetic licence.

A Tale of Two Liars

One lied n times, but repented at the (n+1)th time.
The other keeps lying for the nⁿth time.

Once, they’re lying buddies.
Now, they’re lying enemies.

The seasoned liar served his time.
The serial liar will serve his soon.

Below is a haiku that was hatched in the aftermath of the revelation that pseudonyms were contractually used in the hush money payment.

The Fart of the Deal

Dennison denied
having fun with Peterson.
Even Satan laughed.

X-Rated Calculus

Another “adult math” meme that was tweeted to irreverently expose the ex-president’s constant denial of his affair with a former porn star is the following:

Political Calculus: The Real Analysis of the Trump-Daniels Affair. Meme posted by Shivam Kr (Jan. 28, 2022) to the “Mathematical Mathematics Memes” page.

More MAGA Haikus

Let’s end with four haikus based on the duo’s decades-long manifold lies.

The Hush-Money Case

Your lies tickle us.
“Election interference”?
It’s not—it’s jail time.

L___I___A___R___S

The bigly liar
and his ex-“fixer,” who’s jailed,
but he’s still free.

They praised each other,
but they each deserve jail time
for their lies and crimes.

Among loyalists,
he pardoned some jailed buddies,
not his loyal “friend.”

The Joy of Swiftematics

March 3, 2024Humor, Mathematical Humor, Problem Solving, Recreational Math, Singapore Math, Theomaticsbusiness, conspiracy, demonology, devil, entertainment, ERAS Tour, godlessness, grant, idol worship, idolatry, MAGA, music, New Age, pop star, problem posing, problem solving, Satan, Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board, sorcery, Swiftematics, Swiftonomics, Taylor Swift, theomatics, Trumpism, US politics, witchcraftKow-Cheong Yan

Last July, millions across Asia competed for just 300,000 tickets to see Taylor Swift in the “fine” city of Singapore, which will host the only stop in Southeast Asia for the singer’s Eras Tour. Organizers said 22-plus million people registered for pre-sale tickets while online registrations passed the one million mark.

And last night, even pop singer Swift, who kicked off her six sold-out shows at the 55,000-seat National Stadium, couldn’t avoid creating some light-hearted political rift or jealousy among some ASEAN members.

*Time* magazine’s Person of the Year in 2023

Last month, after Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin “complained” that Singapore had brokered a deal to “pay the pop star up to US$3 million for each of her six concerts—in exchange for keeping the shows exclusive to Singapore in Southeast Asia,” the Singapore Tourism Board admitted it “supported the event through a grant,” sans revealing its size or any conditions attached to it. Guesstimate the amount of grant that was given to stage these coveted events.

Even one unhappy politician from the Philippines said “this isn’t what good neighbors do” and called for his country to register its opposition with Singapore’s embassy. Go ahead, Mr. Joey Salceda.

Cartoon by Shannon Wheeler. #NewYorkerCartoons

Political instability, radical ideology that threatens violence to Western values, and poor infrastructure are oft-unspoken key factors for concert promoters to convince the pop superstar to give regional hubs like Bangkok, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta a miss as part of her “Eras Tour.”

Math in Pop Culture

With so much excitement (and concern from conservative or puritan parents) about Swift’s six-show tour in Singapore, how could math educators seize the opportunity to excite otherwise mathematically indifferent or apathetic students with some Swift-related math questions or activities?

For instance, what about coining some math or dismal science terms like Swiftematics and Swiftonomics to promote some creative problem posing?

A Singapore Math Definition of *Swiftematics*

Could the Boyfriend Make It on Time?

Posing real-life Swift-related math questions is only limited by our imagination. Below is a nontrivial question that was posted on Facebook, whose solution is anything but straightforward.

Posted by Judy Smith Hallett on “Maths Jokes Daily”

Swift’s Carbon Footprint

In 2022, Swift topped the list of celebrities with the highest private jet CO₂ emissions. If her jet pollution were about x times more than the average person’s total annual emissions, estimate x.

The next item is a Swift- or math-friendly question posted by news anchor Peter Busch.

The Numerology of Taylor Swift

Last month, after reading about Swift’s serial infatuation with her “lucky” number 13, I made an attempt to define Swiftie Math, which is based on the numerology (or pseudoscience) of Taylor Swift.

Since I’ve yet to receive any approval or rejection of the term—whether the editors see it fit for publication—I’d skip posting it online for now.

The Swift-Biden Conspiracy

Theomatically, MAGA evangelicals (or MAGA Xtians, where X ≠ Christ)—a subset of Christian nationalists—in red-pilled states haven’t failed to warn netizens about the “satanic” influences of Taylor Swift’s songs, but have hypocritically or selectively remained silent about the fraudulent, criminal, and sexual activities of their “political savior.”

Does Taylor Swift CAST SPELLS On Her Listeners?!

Conspiracies about the singer’s alleged support for President Biden have been rife in political and religious circles to paint Ms. Swift as an “ambassador of Satan,” who’s shown zero sign in supporting Trump and his cult.

Puritan Trumpublicans are hell-bent to warn millions of Swifties from unknowingly becoming witches lest they and their idol lose their souls, but, interestingly, hardly anything from these patriots calling for a nationwide corporate prayer for the soul of their beloved un-Christian ex-president.

Musically & mathematically yours

References

Taylor Swift named Time’s ‘Person of the Year’ https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/06/media/taylor-swift-time-person-of-the-year?cid=ios_app

‘Cruel Summer’ for Taylor Swift fans in Asia as Singapore shows sell out https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/14/business/taylor-swift-tour-singapore-asia-popularity-intl-hnk-dst

Taylor Swift’s journey from country icon to pop superstar https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/21/entertainment/gallery/taylor-swift/index.html

Does Taylor Swift CAST SPELLS On Her Listeners?! https://youtu.be/SDmzNDrj2NI?si=-gWMOb7CwsswytYV

Thai Math

February 11, 2024Humor, Mathematical Humor, Recreational Math, Singapore Mathaddiction, aha!, cannabis, cannamath, cure, decriminalization, drugs, health, LBGT, legalization, marijuana, math anxiety, mathematical disorders, mathophobia, morality, narcotics, neuroscience, politics, stress, Thailand, tourismKow-Cheong Yan

Common sense has returned to Thailand, when the present government admitted before the Year of the Dragon ushered in that the recreational use of cannabis or marijuana is wrong, which was decriminalized in the kingdom in 2022.

Mr. Chonlanan Srikaew, Thai health minister, said that the government will soon be moving a new bill that will allow the drug to be used only for health and medicinal purposes.

Indeed, a big blow to hundreds of marijuana dispensary owners, and to millions of tourists who’re planning to visit the “Land of a Thousand Smiles” to get a kick out of marijuana.

And to a small extent, the ban will also affect recreational math educators who’ve started working on new and fertile questions that incorporate the legalized use of marijuana recreationally.

Should “Thailand math” questions be allowed in recreational math classrooms?

Marijuana Math

In an earlier post on “Marijuana Math” under “Math Word of the Day,” on LinkedIn, I poked fun that in tourism the “fine” city of Singapore would likely be losing out against Thailand. I mentioned tongue-in-cheek a few positives of Thailand being a “marijuana mecca” for adventurous or uninhibited tourists, especially those who come from conservative countries that criminalize the use of the drug recreationally.

With the new cannabis law in the pipeline, the number of tourists bypassing budget-unfriendly, family-friendly Singapore for wallet-friendly, pro-same-sex unions Thailand should be expected to be far lower than initially feared.

Math on a High

Let’s indulge in some recreational Thai Math questions, while there is some time to be on a high. The window of opportunity to enjoy these soon-to-be-banned word problems is closing in fast, unless the power-hungry military stages another coup to put in place a new pro-cannabis government.

1. A MAGA patriot, who recently visited Thailand, was caught with 24 cannabis candies and chewing gums in his locker at Mar-a-Lago. The fine is $80 for each candy, and $90 for each chewing gum. If the judge sentenced the culprit for a total of $2,010, how many candles and how many chewing gums were seized?

2. Which has the higher chance of occurring in the next quarter century: Singapore qualifying for the World Cup, or Singapore allowing tourists (but not locals and permanent residents) to use marijuana recreationally?

3. If the medicinal use of marijuana debatably proved to be a quasi-effective cure in treating math anxiety, mathophobia, or other mathematical disorders in a-not-too-distant future, would the “fine” city condone its use among its oft-self-professed semi-innumerate citizens?

Like the days of the legalization of recreational cannabis in Thailand, the days of the recreational use of Thai Math questions, too, look numbered.

Recreationally or restrictively yours

References

Thai government plans to ban recreational cannabis use http://tinyurl.com/mt6fhs2m

Number of young children who accidentally ate cannabis edibles jumped 1,375% in five years, study finds http://tinyurl.com/2mwb55d9

Mathematical BS

December 31, 2023Humor, Mathematical Humor, Recreational Math, Singapore Math, Theomaticsbullshit, bullshitter, cliché, communication, confusion, ethics, jargon, language, MAGA, math education, misinterpretation, misunderstanding, PC talk, truth context, US politicsKow-Cheong Yan

A math definition that has miraculously survived the attack of digital green terrorists.

Are you guilty of speaking (even mild) mathematical bullshit with your fellow math educators? How often do you use these BS phrases consciously or unconsciously to sound more educated or “mathematically civilized”?

If your math HOD talks about squaring the circle, thinking outside (or inside) the box (or cube), or going the extra (second) mile, do you really understand what the heck they’re talking about? Or are they just trying to impress or persuade their teachers to “walk their talk” (yes, another BS term); or worse, to cover up their shortcomings or confuse the new novice teachers?

What are the chances that they may to some degree be farting around some annoying and tiresome jargon to sound like a mathematical bore?

Of course, mathematical BS goes beyond language. Think of those sadistic statistics, data graphics, or infographics, which are often intended to mislead or confuse the audience. Misinformation, disinformation, and the Trump lies—you’re lured by them, because most are often music to the ear, especially if you love indulging in conspiracies, hoaxes, and white supremacist talks.

Context Matters

If a math teacher or educator talks about pushing the envelope, the chances that they may be legitimate are pretty high. If Pinocchios like Donald J. Trump, Boris Johnson, Vladimir V. Putin, and Kim Jong-un do, then it’s probably not—the odds are quasi-zero.

How to Be a Mathematical Bullshitter

How many of these phrases mostly convey empty words trying to sound smart?

always in beta
think outside the box
zero sum game
square the circle
make a 180° turn
the common denominator
360° appraisal
walk the talk
walk the walk
big picture
big ideas
blue sky thinking
pie in the sky
go the extra (second) mile
24/7 or 24/7/365
9 out of 10 agree
journal writing
push the envelope
back to square one
learning experiences
growth mindset
problem-based learning (PBL)
the new (new) normal
miss the forest for the trees
moral calculus

To Bull or Not to Bull?

Is spewing out mathematical BS a form of ineffective communication? A linguistic malpractice you’d try avoiding to reduce any chances of being misinterpreted?

Or do you like them because they make the speaker sound intelligent or educated, albeit their meanings or interpretations are often vague or even dangerous in some extreme cases or contexts?

In most cases, they arguably add spice to the conversation or impress the listeners, because most people who use them aren’t necessarily dishonest or evil-minded, unlike Trump and his gang of morally corrupt advisers and lawyers.

If BS can get Mr. Pinocchio into the White House or remove a country from the WHO, why not you? Your politicians, bosses, and pastors do it all the time (and probably you too), whether you want to admit it or not, so shouldn’t you do it as well since everyone else is guilty of it?

Until we meet again, know that my job isn’t to cure you from any honest or dishonest mathspeak. Why?* You can’t count on me to free you from a life of mathematical BS.

BS-freely yours

* The writer is currently undergoing weekly counselling sessions for excessively using BS or PC words in his formal and informal writing; he hopes (and also prays) that he’d find freedom from linguistic obfuscation in using only simple language that even his pets at home could understand him.

The Million Mistake Club

October 24, 2023Humor, Mathematical Humor, Problem Solving, Recreational Math, Theomaticsanger, betrayal, bitterness, blunder, delays, deliverance, destiny, detours, disappointments, doubts, failure, faux pas, fears, forgiveness, freedom, future, God, grace, hurts, insecurities, math, Million Dollar Club, Million Mile Club, Million Mistake Club, millionaire, mistake, past, prison, purpose, regrets, success, wealthKow-Cheong Yan

If we’ve been an employee rather than an entrepreneur or businessperson for most parts of our working life, most of us would probably not be eligible to join the Million Dollar Club.

Even for those of you who’re frequent flyers, the chances that you’d qualify for a Million Mile Club are probably not that high, too.

On the other hand, for an obscene number of us who’ve made at least a million mistakes, we’re likely to meet the criteria of becoming a member of the “Million Mistake Club.”

If you’re the lucky ones who’d never qualify for this notorious club, congratulations to you for living a life defined by manifold successes and few failures, either because you’re blessed with an Einstein brain (or born with a silver spoon in the mouth), or you’re simply averse to taking any risks (which would help reduce your failure rate).

An Age Problem

On average, guesstimate how young or old someone in most parts of the world would be by the time they make their millionth mistake. In their late 20s or early 30s? Go ahead and figure this out—it’s good for your left brain!

In TrumpLand (plagued by an unrighteous party and ruled by a self-righteous party), PutinLand (misruled by self-glory and orthodox church history), or XiLand (ruled by capitalist dictatorship and hostage diplomacy), what percentage of their politicians and prisoners (or even prosperity pastors) might have already joined the “Billion Mistake Club,” or are about to do so if they’d live beyond the three- or four-scores-and-ten lifespan?

A nation of aged oft-morally corrupt politicians and presidents

The Positives of a Million Mistake Club Member

Do you qualify as a member of the Million Mistake Club? If you’re a life member like me, what are the chances that you’d be a lot nicer to others by then?

Wouldn’t the world be a better rather than a bitter place if we celebrated members of the Million Mistake Club (instead of canceling or condemning them)?

Think of ex-convicts who’re now a free man or woman after paying for their mistakes. Or those who’ve been pardoned or released early for good behavior.

A screen shot stolen while attending a service

Why not uninhibitedly post on social media that you’ve joined the Million Mistake Club, and as a result your friends, fans, and followers could positively expect a different you—someone who’s less critical or condemning.

A new you who’s more understanding, forgiving and gracious, and less on comparing, competing, and complaining.

Of course, it’s easier preached than practiced, but nevertheless embarking on a life of contentment and consensus is the beginning of a life journey that would bear much fruit now and in future.

Remember: Your past doesn’t define you. What counts in the end: It’s not so much how you start, but how you finish.

Freely & truly yours

Yan's One Minute Math Blog

News & Views about Singapore Math

All posts by Kow-Cheong Yan

About Kow-Cheong Yan

Mathematic’s books

Never Lose Faith in Zeros!

Are You a Square?

Statistics & Salvation

Drink to Derive

Adult Math Goes Poetic

The Joy of Swiftematics

Thai Math

Mathematical BS

The Million Mistake Club