Jilli, every time you post something about your father he sounds better and better.

And Fred Pete, glad to hear about Teddy. May he have many more happy years with you.

Jars, I just found out from my mom that one of my cousins is studying for her masters degree in archeology in England right now!

Be sure and let us know if she finds a dinosaur!

I just had a long and protracted argument with my co-workers about simple math. No, really.

This textbook we're publishing is going to have an initial press run of 1,000 books. Printing the cover in 4-color is going to cost a total of $400.

I said, "Well, 40 cents per book isn't bad."

One co-worker pulled up his calculator program on his computer and divided 400 INTO 1,000 and said "No! It's $2.50 per book! That's excessive!"

I tried, very patiently, to explain that with 1,000 books, an extra charge of (to make it easy) ONE GODDAMN DOLLAR per book would equal $1,000. So therefore $2.50 per book would be $2,500. NOT $400.

Which makes the per-book cost 40 cents. Which co-worker still flatly refutes. I even asked him how he can disagree with MATH. It's not my *opinion* that 400/1,000 = 0.40.

He told me he *doesn't* disagree with *math*; he just thinks that I was doing my calculation wrong.

400 books for $1000 =! 1000 books for $400.

Playboy called again. I need to find someplace to go so I can chat for 20 minutes, since I can't exactly do that in my office.

Sheesh, Teppy.

I once had that problem about 10 years ago in a bank trying to convert dollars to pounds--the banker was using the exchange rate backwards. If I'd let him do it, I would've been much richer--as in, something like 1800 quid instead of 500. I was so angry after half an hour of trying to explain exchange rates and the relative value of the pound and dollar that I just stalked out and went to a different branch. I was really, really tempted to take the extra money. By the end it wasn't my conscience that kept me honest, just the hunch that SOMEONE higher on the totem pole would find the error and expect the money back eventually, and I didn't want that hassle.

and they last for ~3 years.

The plastic bottles, or the fountain itself?

and they last for ~3 years.

The plastic bottles, or the fountain itself?

The plastic bottles. After 3 years, the pressure of being carbonated could make them go kerplooey. The fountain had better last indefinitely.

The fountain had better last indefinitely.

Yeah, I was gonna say.

I'd be happier with glass or stainless steel bottles (some of the glass bottles my seltzer is currently delivered in are probably older than me and in perfect working order), but still - seltzer on demand is a very good thing.

Which makes the per-book cost 40 cents. Which co-worker still flatly refutes.

Maybe your co-worker should audit a math class. A 2nd grade math class.