Chisembob?

[.Shane.]

ok, when I was a young kids (70s) I'm sure there were these ads for something called "Chisembob" (who knows if I'm spelling it right). The tagline was something like "Chisembob, the Oriental counting method" and then the ad would show these kids doing some kind of counting on their fingers.

There'd be a guy and he'd say "ok, Billy, what's 29 times 37?" and the then the kid would spastically wiggle his fingers and after about 2 seconds spout out the answer.

If anyone can validate this, I'd be grateful so as to A. know I'm not imagining it and B. maybe I can find this online somewhere, I just thought it was so hilarious, even as a kid.

 

[Dr. Yoshi]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisenbop

 

[.Shane.]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chisenbop

/falls to the ground in worship!

I knew it had to be a typo! for the life of me I couldn't remember the exact name!

Thank you, Dr. Yoshi!

/talks to himself "chisenbop... chisenbop"

 

[Dr. Yoshi]

No need to bow, Shane. Rise, my son. And giveth me instead, $2.25 with which to buy some Cheetos.

 

[sysyphus]

I remember it. I can still use it for integer math with numbers below 100!

 

[Urederra]

There'd be a guy and he'd say "ok, Billy, what's 29 times 37?" and the then the kid would spastically wiggle his fingers and after about 2 seconds spout out the answer.

OK, How do you multiply 29 by 37 by using this system? I have read the wiki article and one link from wiki, but they don't say anything about multiplying two two ciphers numbers.

I remember it. I can still use it for integer math with numbers below 100!

You can use you toes and reach 10000 (That doesn't invalidate my previous question

 

[Kyriakos]

It should work as an abacus only, ie it can only calculate addition or subtraction
You cannot multiply with such notation. Ofcourse one could actually work a system of finger notation that allows for multiplying, but in doing so he would have spent more time in developing it and learning it than it would take to just do the multiplications without the use of the finger notation

 

[spankey]

I only learned how to add and use the fingers up to a count of 100. Never learned to multiply. But I remember it clearly. My wife finds it hilarious as she had never heard of it.

 

[.Shane.]

OK, How do you multiply 29 by 37 by using this system? I have read the wiki article and one link from wiki, but they don't say anything about multiplying two two ciphers numbers.

Well, maybe I'm misremembering. Remember, this was 30 years ago.