Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Decimal system is digital, fractions are analog

One of the things I love best about bicycling is that I have all of that time to myself, time to think about this and that, time to think about pretty much nothing at all if that is what I prefer.

The mindset is gradually transferring over to my winter time exercise option. I walk three miles just about every day, just about always outside. It was cold yesterday, today was cloudy, both days were good.

So today I was walking along thinking about nothing in particular and fell to calculating the percentage of the walk that I had finished as I passed the end of each block. Not surprisingly, at least not to me, I discovered that probably like most people of my vintage I calculate better in fractions than I do when I do long division in my head for the decimal system. Each block is 1/24 of the total distance and piling up the pieces of pie proved to be easier than tracking the decimal point when doing straight percentages. Each block is 4 and 1/6 percent of the total distance. See how easy that is? On the other hand spend a little time dividing 17 by 24 in your head and see if it comes as easily. It doesn't for me. Now try 19.

I think the reason for this is that I am old school. The modern trendy kids all had calculators and never learned fractions as well as I did. My conclusion is that the decimal system is digital, fractions are analog.

That's my theory, I made it up myself, and I am sticking to it.

Another thing I really love about bicycling is the gear. I am starting to acquire winter walking gear. Here is a look at the basics.

Cell phone, of course.

Those sunglasses are Specialized bicycling glasses but convert best of all the sunglasses I own to winter time use because of the good coverage (important against the wind) and the fact that the lenses adjust to the light. I know there is a name for that but I have had superior vision for most of my life and I am just a little bit short on eyeglass nomenclature. These particular sunglasses have that attribute which means that I can still wear them even on overcast, grey days, the lenses lighten up to allow in more light.The other deal there is my very first walking specific piece of gear, an Xmas gift from Wireless. It is a pedometer. What gear loving exercise walker would be without a pedometer?

As you can see, I finished just a slight measurement error over three miles by 2pm today.

2 comments:

Retired Professor said...

Apache helicopter windshield sunglasses. I like them, too. (Transition lenses, I think they're called.)

Nice gear post.f

jilrubia said...

Have you been AWOL on this blog because you are embarassed to write about mall walking? It's about all a person can do in this crazy weather. Just wondering.