-----Original Message-----
From: Rob Whitney <rwhitney@BRIGHT.NET>
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU <PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU>
Date: Sunday, October 12, 1997 20:50
Subject: Re: another q from the stupid newbie


>
>Actually, to elaborate a bit on my initial comments as extracted above, the
>original numbering system was created by prehistoric man, prior to the
>invention of the loincloth. At that time, a base-eleven system was used.
>With the invention of the loincloth, the 11th digit was no longer easily
>visible, so was relegated to its present status as a "sign bit".
>
>Due to anatomical limitations, the female of the species never was able to
>master the base-11 system. When attempting to do so, the MSbit was always
>read as 0.
>
>I'm just grateful that the early development of shoe technology precluded
the
>introduction of a base-20 (or base 21?) numbering system.


    Hehe, very funny, were do people come up with these things!? :) TTYL