A Math Blog?!

Ugh, Guindo, you say - or maybe you don't say, but pretend somebody did - why would you even want to write about math! It is so tedious and boring and you never use that stuff in real life, really. Why should I care if you are writing a blog about math?

Well, imaginary naysayer, maybe if you would kindly STUFF IT for a minute, I will tell you why you should care.

Here is a list of things you can explain or represent with math:

• FUCKING EVERYTHING

Here is a list of things that are possible because mathematicians sat down and figured some shit out:

• FUCKING EVERYTHING

Without math you couldn't even be sitting there reading this post about it. Guess what computers and the internet are both made of? MATH, ASSHOLE. Yeah that's right. Forget the wires and metal and plastic and shit, IT'S PURE CONCENTRATED MATH.

"But Guindo I hate math :(!" WELL TOO FUCKING BAD BECAUSE EVERYTHING AROUND YOU IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT IT. Now go re-evaluate your life or something while I explain why people hate math.

The only subject with a worse rap than math is probably history. Or maybe chemistry. Fuck history, even if everything around you is made of that, too. And also fuck chemistry even if it is math because seriously fuck chemistry.

Anyway. Math is a subject that you cannot understand unless you understand all of the stuff that came before. Don't know how to divide? Good luck struggling through the rest of your arithmetic lessons without that. Didn't quite grasp the definition of a derivative in Calc I? Whoops you go back to that in Calc III for stuff you can't do with derivation shortcuts, GUESS YOU'RE FUCKED.

It doesn't help that most math teachers are really terrible at explaining math to people who don't already know what they're talking about. It really doesn't help that a lot of elementary school teachers - you know, the ones teaching kids the fundamentals that are vital for everyday life? - also grew up hating math, so they did the bare minimum in college and then have to turn around and TEACH IT.

So the cycle looks something like this:

• Bad math teachers make kids hate math
• Kids grow up hating math
• Young adults go to college and become teachers who hate math
• Teachers who hate math are bad math teachers
• Bad math teachers make kids hate math
• ad nauseum

Well, math is fucking awesome, and it doesn't deserve that treatment. It deserves a fair chance, and I am here to pick up the slack for your inadequate math teachers. BECAUSE I AM SO GENEROUS.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THIS BLOG:

• Math.
• NOT sounding like a fucking textbook - seriously nobody actually does math like that; textbook writers have sold their souls to demons for the complete inability to do anything like a normal person
• Explanations of why, instead of expecting rote memorization of technique
• Low level math stuff like arithmetic as well as higher level stuff - don't worry, I'll mark it, so you won't be sitting there flinching at every use of an integral sign and wondering why nothing about your life makes sense anymore
• Belligerence and probably a lot of swearing, uhhh, if you didn't notice already

Some ground rules:

• Don't be a dick
• I get to be a dick, though. DEAL WITH IT.
• If you're not clear on an explanation, ask. I'm belligerant but informative, and I'll edit posts for clarity and to answer questions.
• Feel free to suggest topics for future posts in the comments. No guarantee I'll write them but ideas are welcome.
• I probably won't respond to comments except to answer math questions so don't expect it.
• This will be on the test.

P.S. if you're British you can just pretend I said "maths" all over this post. It's okay, I'm sure you're imaginative enough to handle that.