Hey, really neat about reading Estrin's book! That guy is funny and a solid writer to boot.
You've dialed in some numbers here that are significant in your own life and also significant to the world, but are there other numbers that just seem to come up all the time for you? I've been thinking about this for a bit - I always gravitated toward the number 13 since everyone thought it was dangerous or bad or whatever, and probably same deal w/666... but I also love 4 and 8 and things that are factors of 2. I used to do math doodles with my brain when I was little, and you could divide eight by 2 three times.
I might or might not have OCD'd some things into the number 8 that didn't need to be, like the number of times I did an activity or something. Further, I can tell that that little kid is still in there somewhere.
3. Green is my favorite color 3 my favorite number. These are house rules that were established by that little kid long ago. Like your factors of 2, I went factors of 3. 9, 90, 33. I used to think about how baseball was organized around 3's - outs, strikes, distance between bases and the mound, 9 players on a team. 4 balls always miffed me.
I definitely have a little OCD/superstition in there too. When I swim there is a big clock that counts from 0 to 60 minutes hourly and I'll always try to catch 03:33 or 33:33 or 03:03. I try to find a multiple of 3 patterns. Who needs a four leaf clover, they are all lucky to me!
It's kind of refreshing and fun to point out all these little crazy things about ourselves, right?
I recently spent some time thinking about why 3 is a cool number. I ultimately like it because it's a beginning-and-end sandwich. You can represent something that is in the middle with three, but not with two. You can do that with five, too, but that's really just kind of showing off. 3 is way cooler.
Hm. I picked up the habit of repeating numbers on the microwave since 99 is way easier to punch in than 1:30, and it's close enough when you're just guessing anyway. While this became OCD, it did so in the service of a noble cause: getting me not to worry about numbers that ended in zero. This was all about not conforming.
I developed a dissonance with microwaves and I guess it would apply to digital clocks also, but I think it’s because you find yourself staring at microwave numbers entirely too long. I never really worked it out, it was more time boxed microwave musing, but I think my problem was the minutes were base 10–you could have 100 minutes—but then at some point it dropped to 60 on the seconds side. So if the microwave has a magic +1minute button, it starts at 1:00 but immediately goes to :59.
I didn't realize how extensive the search for Jim Gray was until I wrote this. Microsoft went all in including Bill Gates giving his private plane for the search, Google, Amazon, Berkeley, and the Coast Guard all searched for weeks.
If you make it through the end of the Wired article, his wife charters a boat and goes to the Farallons. There was a ton of debris—big pieces of lumber—so the most likely theory is he hit one and his boat sank fast.
Love how your mind works! The years come through in the most entertaining way. I look forward to reading more! Keep it coming!
Thank you! The years, they roll on regardless, and without a care.
I hear you. But as long as you make them count…😏
Hey, really neat about reading Estrin's book! That guy is funny and a solid writer to boot.
You've dialed in some numbers here that are significant in your own life and also significant to the world, but are there other numbers that just seem to come up all the time for you? I've been thinking about this for a bit - I always gravitated toward the number 13 since everyone thought it was dangerous or bad or whatever, and probably same deal w/666... but I also love 4 and 8 and things that are factors of 2. I used to do math doodles with my brain when I was little, and you could divide eight by 2 three times.
I might or might not have OCD'd some things into the number 8 that didn't need to be, like the number of times I did an activity or something. Further, I can tell that that little kid is still in there somewhere.
3. Green is my favorite color 3 my favorite number. These are house rules that were established by that little kid long ago. Like your factors of 2, I went factors of 3. 9, 90, 33. I used to think about how baseball was organized around 3's - outs, strikes, distance between bases and the mound, 9 players on a team. 4 balls always miffed me.
I definitely have a little OCD/superstition in there too. When I swim there is a big clock that counts from 0 to 60 minutes hourly and I'll always try to catch 03:33 or 33:33 or 03:03. I try to find a multiple of 3 patterns. Who needs a four leaf clover, they are all lucky to me!
It's kind of refreshing and fun to point out all these little crazy things about ourselves, right?
I recently spent some time thinking about why 3 is a cool number. I ultimately like it because it's a beginning-and-end sandwich. You can represent something that is in the middle with three, but not with two. You can do that with five, too, but that's really just kind of showing off. 3 is way cooler.
33 is the only thing cooler than 3. I'm not crazy I say as I wait until 33 seconds are left on the microwave to take my oatmeal out.
Maybe Oreos made me pick 3 as my favorite number.
Hm. I picked up the habit of repeating numbers on the microwave since 99 is way easier to punch in than 1:30, and it's close enough when you're just guessing anyway. While this became OCD, it did so in the service of a noble cause: getting me not to worry about numbers that ended in zero. This was all about not conforming.
No perfect 10 for you eh?
I developed a dissonance with microwaves and I guess it would apply to digital clocks also, but I think it’s because you find yourself staring at microwave numbers entirely too long. I never really worked it out, it was more time boxed microwave musing, but I think my problem was the minutes were base 10–you could have 100 minutes—but then at some point it dropped to 60 on the seconds side. So if the microwave has a magic +1minute button, it starts at 1:00 but immediately goes to :59.
I know what you mean, and this also has bothered me.
The grad picture looks familiar.
I never heard the Jim Gray disappearing story. Sounds fascinating.
I thought I found my cheese at one time. Now I feel I'm wandering in an endless maze looking for that cheese.
I think you can like all diff kinds of cheese
I didn't realize how extensive the search for Jim Gray was until I wrote this. Microsoft went all in including Bill Gates giving his private plane for the search, Google, Amazon, Berkeley, and the Coast Guard all searched for weeks.
If you make it through the end of the Wired article, his wife charters a boat and goes to the Farallons. There was a ton of debris—big pieces of lumber—so the most likely theory is he hit one and his boat sank fast.
Wow!