Szake 06/12/2013

According to Wikipedia: The hands are held in a relaxed posture on or above a table. All fingers are floating off the table to begin with. The fingers are pressed into the table to indicate value. Each finger (but not the thumb) of the right hand has a value of one. Press the index finger of the right hand onto the table to indicate "one."

A proposed notation system for representing the numbers:
. = a finger off the table
o = a finger on the table
- = a thumb off the table
@ = a thumb on the table
Values between zero and 9 are shown with the entire right hand:
-.... = 0
@oooo = 9
@ooo. = 8
@oo.. = 7
@o... = 6
@.... = 5
-oooo = 4
-ooo. = 3
-oo.. = 2
-o... = 1
Values larger than 10 are shown with both hands:
..oo- @.... = 25
....@ @.... = 55
oooo- -.... = 40

OddityArchive 06/12/2013

I take it "phonograph sound disc" is a nice way of saying "crappy plastic page with grooves that you need to weigh down (the disc that is) with several dollars worth of coins".

Shop teachers: substitute stubs when a complete finger is not available.

(Yeah, I know I'm sick---and kind of mean)

Dth1971 06/12/2013

One of Fred MacMurray's post "My Three Sons" work.

Detroit4Chicago 06/13/2013

Man... I would have difficulty learning this; I'd rather use my fingers (and my thumb) just to play piano or guitar instead!

ArmitageNLowell 06/13/2013

I preferred factor trees/grouping.
I had this when I was kid...Didn't do a damned thing except make math more confusing!
Oddity: You're right, that thing was a bitch to try and play on a halfway decent record player! Also, had to make sure that needle was clean and fresh, or it would cause the "disk" to bunch up and eventually tear...which it eventually did. :(
Fuzz: Good one! :D
Of course, when they got old enough to drink beer, they sang "Mmm hops"!
*raising rubber chicken shield*