November 25, 2003
CHISENBOP
Chisenbop: A method of doing basic arithmetic using your fingers. It is attributed to the Korean tradition, but it is probably extrememly old, as the soroban and abacus use very similar methods. Probably these other devices were derived from finger counting.
Do you remember this? I sure do. I remember being in college, and sitting on the couch, doing my 14th bong hit of the day, watching Another World, wondering what they were doing in class, and watching Fred MacMurray hawking a video teaching this finger counting method. For your kids who were too fucking stupid to count. Video? Did they have those back then? Surely it wasn't 8mm film. And a cassette wouldn't teach you shit, would it? Must've been videotape.
MacMurray, Christ, what are you doing, man? You were a God, dude. Double Indemnity, The Caine Mutiny, The Absent-Minded Professor, hell, we gave you a free ride on My Three Sons.
But Chisenbop? The Russkies are winning the Cold War. It's Armageddon. Better fire up that last bud and call home.
I remember this! It wasn't a video (at least when I had it) it was actually an audio cassette tape that you listened to while looking at b/w photos in a book.
Posted by: kay at November 30, 2007 6:13 PM