I have a degree in math. And I promise no algebra is needed. In fact, no numbers even! And yes, you could build a single bed larger than the two beds. Just imagine, if you could, pushing the two rectangular beds next to one another, so that they share one side. Since you haven't changed the beds at all, they will still have the same area. Now, you see that you have two walls which are inside the bed, which are not needed, If you removed this wood, couldn't you use them to enlarge the beds? (yes, I know this might be an "l" shaped bed, but that is not important right now. It happens that the largest bed that you can make for a given amount of wood is a square bed. However, since your wood is already of different lengths, and you have a certain space in your yard that you are working with, you probably will want to build a rectangle in the easiest way. Just build the "fattest" rectangle you can using the wood you have. But you already knew all of this, right? It just takes a certain way of looking at things. And it is this way of thinking that is the essence of math. Yes, math allows us to calculate areas and draw graphs, and do algebra. But it is the way we THINK about things that is the essence of math, not merely the equations. So don't let memories of algebra class scare you off. Besides, one of my university math professors often said that he tried to figure out how to build a door for his barn using calculus, and it didn't work! (Well, of course, the math wasn't wrong, but somewhere he made a mistake, by making it too complicated.) But if you really want to know how much bigger you can make your beds then you may find this helpful: The perimeter is the total amount of wood you will use and is equal to the length of all four sides added together (or sum the width and length, then double the sum.) The area is the width times the length. And remember that one square foot is (12 inches by 12 inches), or 144 square inches. So to avoid confusion, stick with either inches or feet in your calulations. And WHY might you want to do this? Because a pencil is a lot easier to push around than a raised bed! And if you want to post back here, I would be glad to check any calculations. Good luck!

I read the article and felt saddened. We have owned Dell computers exclusively since the beginning. We still have 3 desktops and two laptops. Never had a problem all these years except for one desktop which is an Optiplex. This computer was purchased for our office and always had small problems since day one, 4 yrs ago. Others have criticized Dell service, but we have always found their service efficient and quick. We never sent a computer back, they would send a technician to the house to do any major repairs. We own two business machines, the Optiplex and a Vostro laptop. Both came with extended warranties. The laptop has always run well despite my husbands rough handling (dropped it twice from the desk and has knocked it out of the car a few times. Never got damaged...amazed! The Optiplex has had multiple service calls and it still doesn't work right. The USB drives keep quitting and require restarts to get things working. They have replaced the card readers and finally the motherboard. Same problems continue and I've learned to live with it. I do intend to contact them again after reading the article. I always liked the fact that their computers could be ordered with exactly what you wanted installed. You could configure the machine and not have to deal with all the junk usually installed on a store-bought computer. They do offer excellent service on their office machines. Very quick phone response, and always techs in the US. We are considering purchasing another desktop to replace my husbands 8 yr old computer and now am not sure if we'd go with another Dell. I tend to think of Dell like Ford. Ford seems to be finding its way back to America, maybe Dell will do the same. Jane

Funkyart writes: "I think it is a sad reflection on our educational system and what we value when liberal arts classes are considered fluff or not of value. The arts and humanities are essential to a balanced education and essential to becoming a well rounded individual. Your son has chosen an artistic and creative path for his future-- clearly he has interest and talent in this direction. Any college or university that frowns on developing that part of his education will not, IMO, value his chosen path or offer him an environment where he will thrive. " But, generally in the US educational system one's *university* education is the venue in which an individual chooses what direction of study s/he wants to take, be it science, liberal arts, business, pre-professional etc. At the college level students concentrate on a particular major, focusing on one in which they have (hopefully) interest and academic ability. High school curricula by definition aren't intended to concentrate on any particular area; coursework is intended to adequately prepare all those who plan to go to college in a well rounded fashion. Therefore I wouldn't say liberal arts is denigrated in HS. I would say a good college preparatory program in HS includes required coursework in all the topics that make a well rounded scholar. Students who wish to excel and/or be recognized by competitive universities choose to take far more than the required academics. Then too, universities also expect some breadth of study. Even the most focused academic majors, like engineering, require some liberal arts credits. There may not be many but they are a requirement. And conversely liberal arts students have to take some math/science. As for the particular situation being discussed here, from the OP this is what the student in question wants to take senior year: "Apparently his courseload looks too "light" because he is taking 2 English classes, 1 History, Video Production II (he wants to go to film school so this is essential), and Art History (didn't get his first choice here, which was Photography)." There is not a single math or science course selected! Frankly for this student it seems that the quantitative side of his education is being sorely neglected, at least in his plan for the year :). So in this particular case a university will not be dismissing the fact that this student chose to take a heavier load of liberal arts coursework. But any competitive university will definitely take notice of the fact he avoided all math/science in his last academic year. And in most cases, for a student who didn't do well beforehand in them (as was also discussed) to be ignoring those subjects in the last year is not going to be a great package to send off to college admission committees. Ann

Lovely words today! I'd never heard slumgullion, ever! And there are recipes for it posted on the 'net! One that I love but isn't really common enough for general speech is obfusc. Even the dictionaries are unclear [teehee] on the word, though obfuscation is in general use. (Obfusc has a general meaning of murkily dark, though it has some kind of special meaning in music) Then there's subfusc, which means dully dark or dusky. Drab (in its coloration meaning) :) It is also what they call the academic dress at Oxford and other universities that have robes and uniforms. Arcane is particularly useful if your audience knows it, but it's not easily discerned from context. And an appropriate description of these words. :) Remonstrate Macerate Masticate Gesticulate Pseudobulb Syllabub Shortfall Windfall Deluge Disarticulate Disgorge