Speedy Math 1 – Addition of Series of Numbers

A lot of girls find math difficult. The more they think so, the less they want to work on it. Fortunately, there are many regulations and “tricks” in math. As soon as they learn the tricks, the math becomes much easier and more enjoyable. For some problems, it’s almost impossible to solve in a short time period without knowing the tricks. Addition of a regular series of numbers is a classic example.

For example, what is the sum of all the numbers from 1 to 20?
It may take a while to add the numbers from 1 to 20 one by one. But it is much easier if the following steps are followed:
Step 1: Find the number of numbers in the series = (last number – first number + 1) =(20 - 1 + 1)= 20
Step 2: Calculate the average of the first and the last number of the series = (20 + 1)/2 = 21/2 = 10.5
Step 4: Calculate the final result = average x number = 10.5 x 20 = 210

This trick can be extrapolated to much more complicated problems. In the exam situations, it’s is practically impossible to solve the problem without knowing the above trick.

For example, what is the sum of all the numbers from 131 to 1997?
Knowing above trick, the problem can be quickly solved as:
(1997 - 131 + 1) = 1867
(131 + 1991)/2 = 1064
Final answer = 1064 x 1867 = 1986488

After some time, you may forget the exact steps described above. In that case, just try the simplest series: 1 + 2 + 3
(3 - 1 + 1) = 3
(3 + 1)/2 = 2
2 x 3 = 6

Why It’s Great To Be A Girl?

Jacqueline Shannon, a San Diego–based journalist and author, wrote a book a few years ago titled Why It’s Great To Be A Girl – 50 Awesome Reasons why We Rule!

I list 18 of them here with some “elaborations”. What do you think?

1. Girls sing better than guys do (happier?)
2. Girls are better with language and nonverbal communication (that’s why we are not good at keeping secrets?)
3. Girls hear better than boys (don’t badmouth behind us)
4. Women smell better than men (is this why mosquitoes like us too?)
5. Females have a better sense of taste (that doesn’t mean we have to cook most of the time at home)
6. Women don’t have to shave their faces (so we can spend the time to put on makeup)
7. Women rarely go bald (it does pay to keep longer hire)
8. Girls have superior fine motor skills and manual dexterity (as long as we are not pregnant)
9. Only women can give birth (that’s why you are here)
10. Females aren’t as sensitive to cold weather and stay cooler in the summer (Energy Star certified)
11. Except for muscles, the female body is stronger than the male body in every way (that’s why we do most of the house work?)
12. Girls get fewer viral and bacterial illnesses than boys do (guys, clean is the key!)
13. Doctors agree that females bear physical pain far better than males do (that does not mean that we enjoy it – so no waterboarding, please)
14. Women are especially well suited to be doctors (that’s why people cry for mommy whey they are very sick?)
15. Overall, women are safer drive than men (if we don’t share the same road with men, our insurance premium should be much lower)
16. Girls and women commit far fewer crimes than boys and men (we don’t want to be victims either)
17. The friendships between girls and women are richer, deeper, stronger, more intimate, and more affectionate than those between guys (don’t be jealous, because friend starts with a F not a M)
18. Women actually behave much better than men when it comes to truly frightening situations (surprise, tough guy)

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, born in a "dirt poor" family with twelve children, as she described it, is certainly one of the most-honored female country performers of all time. She is a singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist. She is an American icon and the 'The Queen of Country Music’ with the great ability to tell stories through song.

In the past four-and-a-half decades, she remains one of the most-successful female artists in the history of the country music with 25 number-one singles, and a record 41 top-10 country albums. She has received

- 7 Grammy Awards and a total of 45 nominations
- 3 American Music awards with18 nominations
- 10 Country Music Association awards and 42 nominations
- 7 Academy of Country Music awards and 39 nominations.


Dolly was awarded the Living Legend Medal by the U.S. Library of Congress in 2004 for her contributions to the cultural heritage of the United States. In 2005, she was awarded with the National Medal of Arts, the highest honor given by the U.S. government for excellence in the arts and is presented by the U.S. President.

Ranked as one of the wealthiest country-music stars, Dolly is also a successful business woman as co-owners of a theme park and a film-and television-production company. She has supported many charitable efforts, including Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which distributes more than 2.5 million free books to children annually.

Behind her flamboyant dress and voluptuous appearance is her natural talent, perseverance and hardworking. She is well known for her candid comments, including joking about her own physical image, which are always full of wit and wisdom.

“I hope people realize that there is a brain underneath the hair and a heart underneath the boobs.”

“What people do behind closed doors is certainly not my concern unless I’m behind these with them.”

“After Mama gave birth to 12 of us kids, we put her up on a pedestal. It was mostly to keep Daddy away from her.”

“I am more apt to count my blessings than my money.”

In May 2009, Dolly received an honorary doctorate degree in Humane and Musical Letters from the University of Tennessee for "her career not just as a musician and entertainer, but for her role as a cultural ambassador, philanthropist and lifelong advocate for education.” She also gave the Graduating Commencement Address which was about her life lessons, and she encouraged the graduates to dream and care more.

“Do not confuse dreams with wishes. There is a difference. Dreams are where you visualize yourself being successful at what's important to you to accomplish. Now dreams build convictions. Because you work hard to pay the price to make sure that they come true. Wishes are hoping good things will happen to you. But there is no fire in your gut to put everything forth to over come all the obstacles. So you have to dream more. And never ever ever blame somebody else if it doesn't happen. That is in your department.”

“Did you ever notice that there are a whole lot of people that do things just well enough to get by? But, caring is about striving for perfection. It's about how you look. It's about how you prepare. And how you keep your commitments.” “And in my business I truly love and respect everybody in my audience. I've always been so proud of my relationship with my fans. And of course it would just kill me to disappoint them for any reason, because they pay my bills. I always think, these fans are spending their hard earned money on me. So it would just embarrass me, and hurt my feelings as well as theirs, for me to do a mediocre job. So I do my best at all times.”

It may be more proper to end with another quote from Dolly’s speech:

“If you truly care for people, you won't judge them. And then you will learn to appreciate the uniqueness in every single soul.”

Thank you, Dolly!

From FEAR to Reese Witherspoon

In the past weekend, I came across the 1996 thriller film, Fear when watching the TV. It was directed by James Foley, starring Reese Witherspoon (Nicole Walker), Mark Wahlberg (David McCall, boy friend), and William Petersen (Steven, father).

Nicole Walker, a fairly innocent, and to some extent rebellious, teenager, lives with her father, stepmother, and stepbrother. Her life totally changed after she met and fell in love with David. What happened next becomes every parent’s nightmare. Her seemingly polite and handsome boyfriend turns out to be a violent psychopath. At the end, her family has to fight for their lives.

The movie raised an interesting question. At some point of a girl’s life, she may be in a dilemma to choose between her “sweet” boyfriend and seemingly “overprotective” parent. In all these situations, the girl is in the driver seat and should have a clear mind. This is not always easy as saying goes that people in love are blind. There have been many real life tragedies due to angry and obsessed suitors. Before making any emotional decisions, a girl should always remember that her parent always love her with ultimate intention to protect her. She should never expose herself and her family to a dangerous situation like in this movie.


This was one of the early movies by Reese Witherspoon. Later on, she was well known for her leading roles in Legally Blonde (2001) and Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003). She received worldwide attention and praise for her portrayal of June Carter Cash in Walk the Line (2005), which earned her an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

As one of the most beautiful, the most likable, and also the highest-paid actresses, Witherspoon is also actively involved in children's and women's charitable organizations. She is a long-time supporter of Save the Children, an organization that helps children around the world through education, health care, and emergency aid. She also serves on the board of the Children's Defense Fund, a child advocacy and research group. She once said, "As a woman and a mother I care deeply about the well being of other women and children throughout the world and through the years, I have always looked for opportunities to make a difference."

Witherspoon certainly inherited a lot of intelligence from her parent. Her father is an otolaryngologist (physician specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of ear, nose, throat, and head and neck disorders) who previously served as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army reserves. Her mother has a Ph.D. in pediatric nursing and works as a professor of nursing at Vanderbilt University.

Father's Day

Today is the Father's Day Centennial Celebration. Father's Day was originated through the efforts of Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington. When Sonora was 16 years old, her mother died in childbirth with her sixth child.  Her father was a Civil War veteran and was left alone to raise the family of six children. Sonora was the only daughter and shared with her father in the raising of her five younger brothers. After listening to a church sermon in 1909 about the newly recognized Mother's Day, Dodd felt strongly that fatherhood needed recognition as well. She wanted a celebration that honored fathers like her own father. The first observance of Father's Day is believed to have been held on June 19, 1910.

Officially reorganization of Father’s day went through a difficult route for decades. Until 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers, designating the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Six years later, it was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. It is also celebrated in more than 55 countries.

Sonora Smart Dodd died in 1978 at the age of 96. She was buried in Greenwood Memorial Terrace, Spokane Washington, USA.

A father has a special relationship with his daughter as he wants to protect her by instinct as soon as she comes to this world, while she will judge all men by his standard.

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, step-fathers, fathers-in-laws, godfathers and everyone who plays the role of a father.

Netherlands, Holland, and Dutch. What Are They?

Americans are well known for lack of world geographic knowledge. Besides our Canada and Mexico neighbors, the only other countries we are more familiar with are probably through war, from Korea and Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. The other opportunities that we get exposure to a unfamilar foreign country name are through international events, especially sports. Recent FIFA World Cup caught my interest in Netherlands, as Holland and Dutch are also used almost interchangeably on the TV. So I have to do some research to find out what's really behind the names.

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located in North-West Europe. In the 15th century, the name Nederlanden came in use which literally means 'Low countries' or 'Lowlands'.

The Netherlands is often referred to as Holland, although it is only the central-western region of the country comprising two of its twelve provinces, North and South Holland. Historically Holland was the most powerful region in the current Netherlands. Today it remains politically, economically and demographically dominant, including the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam – and 37% of the Dutch population. The name 'Holland' for the Netherlands is used colloquially by the Dutch themselves, especially in relation to football, where the national team is sometimes cheered on with the cry 'Holland!' The name is used in international promotion, too, because 'Holland' is the best known worldwide.

Finally, 'Dutch' refers to the people of the Netherlands and their language, and is used as an adjective meaning 'coming from or belonging to the Netherlands'.

Good luck with the World Cup, Holland.

Or should we say "Go Dutch!"?

Beautiful Math

Math can be difficult, but it can be fun and beautiful too. Here are some examples:

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321


3 x 37 = 111
6 x 37 = 222
9 x 37 = 333
12 x 37 = 444
15 x 37 = 555
18 x 37 = 666
21 x 37 = 777
24 x 37 = 888
27 x 37 = 999


0x 9 + 1 = 1
1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9+10 = 1111111111


1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321


0x 9 + 8 = 8
9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888
987654321 x 9 - 1 = 8888888888
9876543210 x 9 - 2 = 88888888888

Top Ten List A Girl Needs to Know About 2010 FIFA World Cup

As a girl, you may hear the talkings about the World Cup recently by your male classmates, your brothers, or your father. In order not to hurt their feelings by your ignorance, here are the Top Ten List that you may want to know:

1. It's a soccer game - and some country called "football"

2. It happens every four years - like summer olympic games

3. It lasts a month - 11 June to 11 July

4. This year's host country is South Africa - of cause it's in Africa

5. There are 32 teams for the tornament - from 6 confederations

6. This is the 19th FIFA World Cup - in fact FIFA is French "Federation Internationale de Football Association"

7. FIFA has 208 men's national teams and 129 women's national teams - more member states than the United Nations

8. A match is played by two teams, each consisting eleven players, one of them is the goalkeeper

9. A match lasts two equal periods of 45 minutes each

10. You should forget all above after July 11