Hey Freak!

Yeah, I'll admit it. I notice numbers. I work with numbers all day, and I always find patterns and relationships between the numbers, all purely coincidental.

For example. Today, I was looking at a numbered document that had a report number on it. The number of the document has absolutely nothing to do with the report number on it. But today, on document #82485, the report number listed was 28458, a perfect anagram. I thought, "Well, that's funny."

And then it hit me. Holy fuck, I'm a geek. That's not funny at all.

This other time, I was looking at this folder with two separate and distinct identifiers on it (I'm trying not to talk about even the slightest details about work. It's kinda sad that employers keep tabs on people's online habits now... or, at least more than before). Anyway, the institution number was #8585, and the personal identifier was #68. I thought this was funny right away, because my birthday? 8/5/68.

I also do stuff like... if it's a five digit number, I'll look for the poker hand. Document #34884? Two pair. Document #72772? Full house! Other times, if I have a list of numbers, I'll total them in my head. And count them. And figure the average. And... and...

And no, I can't help it. What, you think I like being like this?

Seriously though... yes. Yes, I do like being a math geek (along with a word geek, Star Wars geek, Star Trek geek, etc.). What's wrong with being a math geek? Should I be the subject of ridicule because I'm good at something that most people aren't good at? Is being good at math a bad thing?

You know... why is it that if you're good at sports or music, you're a stud or a rockstar, but if you're more intelligent than average, you're a geek or a nerd? Fuckin' cultural propaganda. Because you can't be smart and cool. Unless you're ridiculously good looking. If you're one of those rare people... Fuck You. (I keed! I keed! I'm just envious.)

So yeah. I'm a geek. I don't like the negative connotation associated with the word, but hey, it means I'm smart. But I'm only still learning to be proud of it.

And please. It's not like you're a geek, too. You're reading this, aren't you?

Update: something Jen said reminded me of this show I saw on Discovery (or Science or Nat. Geo.) about Daniel Tammet. He's a savant that "sees" numbers as distinct colors and patterns, and calculations as landscapes. He's also a word geek, and claims that he can learn any language in a week. The human brain is an amazing thing. It makes me wonder if we "normal" people have the power to do that...?

At least you get a title. I mean, you don't even have to be really good at math to be called a math geek by the average citizen. Calculate the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow in your head? That's a TRUE math geek.

It's kind of like, you don't even have to be good at fucking to be a "porn star," you just need to do it on film.

-z

(math geeks can figure out the ASV by themselves. Monty Python geeks already know. For everyone else, go here...
http://www.style.org/unladenswallow/)

I love geeks. The last guy I seriously dated teaches computer classes for a living.

I am all about the smart guys.

I never considered myself a math geek because I'm fairly mediocre at it, but I do a lot of the same things. I see patterns and the like, and totally do the poker thing too.

We used to the the poker thing with money all the time. It's called "Liars Poker". I made quite a few bucks in my time.

Its funny you say that there's a negative connotation to being called a geek. I recently discoverd a style of music called nerdcore where they rap about being proud to be nerds. Some of the songs even hate on people who are just pretending to live the nerd lifestyle. So there's a group out there that are so proud to be geeks and nerds that they are writing songs about it.

Okay, not to be creepy, but...your math prowess totally came up at dinner the other night. In a good way, meaning, we were all in awe of your ability to divide checks (and you weren't even there to back up the story!).

Kinda weird, though, huh. But I couldn't not tell you.

PS - About every third time I try to comment, the "type the word I see below" thing doesn't work, even though I'm SO TYPING IT CORRECTLY.

Math geeks are the best, because we notice patterns where everyone else just sees randomness. I love looking for patterns in my odometer (which just passed 123456 a few weeks ago), dates and times, and, yes, work documents.

And now you've gone and mentioned poker hands, so now I'll be looking for those, too.

i kinda look for patterns, too. i can remember all kinds of phone numbers. i count everything. so i guess i'm more of a numbers geek than a math geek.

the older i get, the more comfortable i am with being a geek. and i think geeks are cool and being one is fun - geeks get all the great toys. so i just seek out others that feel the same way. somebody thinks i'm not cool? that's their problem, not mine. i'm trying hard not to care so much what others think. it's a work in progress.

I am totally a numbers geek, hence my wonderful and exciting career in accounting. Something, kind of on the same note...I got busted the other day at my desk eating M&M's. Now I can't just pull them out of the package and eat 'em. I have first have to sort them by color and make sure that each color has an amount that's an even number. Then I have to line them up before I design a geoemtric shape. In the shape, all of the color must remain side by side, red can only touch red until there are no red ones left. When my design is complete I can eat the M&M's..one color at a time.
Anyway, my boss walked up behind me while I was deep in thought over my M&M mosiac and he just started laughing.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that my obsession with calculating, counting and patterms extends well beyond numbers. Oh, and it's not just M&M's...we're talking skittles, jelly beans, sweet tarts...

Being a numbers geek is cool. Finally, the world is becoming more accepting of geeks and nerds. It's even to the point that being smart can be cool. Soon we'll take over the world.

Tammy, that's not being a geek, that's just being obsessive compulsive.

well SOMEONE had to point it out!

-z

Numbers geek #1970141 checking in.

Ever since I was a kid, I have been somewhat OCD about numbers. I remember counting steps at an early age. As I got older, I can remember lying in bed, looking at my brand new digital clock (no LCD, we're talking flippy numbers on a wheel, here) and creating patterns and "number sandwiches" as I fell asleep. The number sandwiches would consist of looking for patterns in the clock in which multiples of a certain number (say, three) were "sandwiched between" more multiples of that number. Example: 6:36. There were forward-counting and backward-counting games that I made up as well. I was an only child for seven years, give me a break.

I was always good at math and very musically inclined, as well. What about you? Did/do you have a propensity for music?

In closing, fuck the ridiculously good-looking folk! Especially the ones who are also good at math!

I "play" with numbers too. I'll be sitting at a red light studying the license plate in front of me and usiing basic math, have the digits add up to one or zero. Back in the dark ages when I went to church, I would do the same with the board that identified the hymns by number. Weirdly, I found out that my mom does the same.

I seriously wish I was a math geek. I suck at math. But honestly, geeks are loved. Nothing wrong with being a geek, nerd, dork, whatever.

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