There's a letter to the editor in The New York Times complaining about the state's math Regents test. Apparently there's been some controversy over the failure rates.

Anyway, the letter writer is complaining about a question that asked students to "calculate to the tenth of an inch the length of a straw placed diagonally into a rectangular box." The letter writer wants to know "How many college-educated adults can solve that problem accurately? Are such skills really necessary to be a productive member of our society?"

If there are college graduates who cannot answer that question, I fear for the future of our nation.