a little crazy
October 7, 2009
Tell me if this happens to you.
You’re in the car, you’ve got American Creation on cd, and as you switch back from NPR on the radio to the cd, because of something weird that I don’t understand that makes the cd need more volume than the radio, you have to pump up the volume just a tich.
But really, that tich must happen in certain, well, let’s call them increments. For example, maybe I listen to the radio at volume 10. And when I switch to the cd, I listen at 15.
Not 11. Not 16. But rather 15. Or 10. I have to force myself to listen at anything but round numbers. Although sometimes I do. Because who wants to be stuck in a rut?
But I find myself eying the radio. I can FEEL it when it’s off.
I can totally sit in a room with a crooked picture on the wall. I don’t care if the table is centered under the kitchen light fixture. My desk has a pile of 19 post it notes, each with important information or assignments. No biggie.
The radio, on the other hand–10. Or 15. Or 20. I wish it didn’t even HAVE the other numbers on there.
dug 
October 7, 2009 at 10:48 am
No, I’m not compulsive like that. Nor do I watch the clock or odometer for patterns (12:34, 77,777 miles). Nope, I have no idea what you’re talking about.
My TV volume is set to 17 so I can set the DVR at volume 20 (which is the one I see most often). But I know that ugly, odd 17 is there. Would setting them both to 18 be more Feng shui? Will I soon be locking the door 3 times and washing my hands multiple times per day with a new bar of soap? I fear so.
Perhaps I should have been born into some 3rd-world area where I can stay focused on something like “how/when will I get my next meal?”
October 7, 2009 at 11:12 am
I find patterns in license plate numbers. Seems to kill time when I’m stuck at a red light. And while I don’t have a problem with the radio volume, God forbid the dual climate controls are set to different temperatures when I’m alone in the car.
October 7, 2009 at 11:38 am
the other numbers are there to hold up, ney, support the numbers that you use. without them the numbers you use would fall out of the radio and land in the floorboard while you’re driving and cause you to crash. it’s in the owners manual.
October 7, 2009 at 1:45 pm
that’s the best explanation i can imagine for why those other numbers are there. thanks for clearing that up for me.
October 7, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Sally Dibbs, Dibbs Sally 206-657-2944. 9 minutes until Wapner, that’s 9 minutes until Wapner. Have you become a radio dial Rainman? Run!!!
October 7, 2009 at 1:06 pm
And you give me a hard time for my box ticking tendencies?
October 7, 2009 at 1:46 pm
whatever, box ticker.
October 7, 2009 at 2:13 pm
10-4…oh, wait, sorry
October 7, 2009 at 4:43 pm
What makes 10 or 15 a rounder number than 16, 12, 4?
October 7, 2009 at 4:46 pm
scratching head.
that’s a pretty deep question. i think you’re in the wrong place.
they just are. rounder, that is.
October 7, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I’m with Steve on this one. Multiple of five doesn’t make it rounder or more appealing in any way. I can see why you would avoid 19, but not why you would avoid 16. 16 is a perfect square of a perfect square. Numbers just don’t get rounder than that.
October 7, 2009 at 5:53 pm
i’m going to humor you. and point out money denominations. and stop thinking of you as smart.
October 8, 2009 at 9:55 am
I happen to have a 16 dollar bill in my wallet. They’re so desirable that nobody ever spends them. That’s why you never see them around. It’s so desirable, in fact, that it’s worth closer to 20.
October 7, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I do the same thing, but either multiples of 5 or 2. my family thinks I’m crazy…
does yours ever try and change the volume to an odd number to see if you notice?
October 7, 2009 at 9:44 pm
I totally get being stuck on certain numbers, but you picked both an odd and even number … that would never work for me. Only even numbers here.
October 7, 2009 at 11:50 pm
Has to be multiple of three for me.. usually 9, or 12, but usually 9. Same with the TV at home.. Crazy? Who knows. Both cars have the registration plate “9”. Nuff said.
October 8, 2009 at 9:49 am
9 or 12 are NOT nearly loud enough.
40 is the number we’re looking for here, folks.
October 8, 2009 at 6:36 am
I only use 1, 3, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 21, and 23.
October 8, 2009 at 11:45 am
Troll.
October 8, 2009 at 8:08 am
That is crazy. I’ll use any volume number – odd, even, multiples of anything, prime, doesn’t matter. I like to fine tune that volume precisely to my mood. However, similar to COroadrage above, I do turn every single license plate I see into a word.
October 8, 2009 at 12:24 pm
The volume on any electronic device must be set to an even #…no questions asked, no exceptions!
October 8, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Tina Cook and I are on the same page. My TV’s volume has to be at 10 or 12. 14 if I’m watching an action film. Never 9, 11, 13, or 15. Never.
October 8, 2009 at 5:13 pm
13. What better, more round number can you get? It even has a non-mathematical name, “Baker’s dozen”. And it implies getting more for your money. No better number exists.
October 9, 2009 at 9:24 am
Wow. Not one Spinal Tap joke in all of this. Thank you.
October 10, 2009 at 7:51 am
rob, mine only goes up to 11, but for dug’s sake, i’m going to put a zero on the end, so it goes up to 110.