Numbers

Numbers have not really featured much in my life.  From an early age I did not enjoy them.  I could not understand them at school.  I had a bit of a fear of them.  I think from an early age I remember being dragged in front of the class and told how stupid I was for getting some measurements wrong.  I can still see the worksheet now with big red crosses on it with all my answers wrong.  I got so upset my Mum had to go into the school and complain to the teacher.  I had to measure lengths with a ruler and could not get my head around the fact when measuring with a ruler you started at the zero. This was because when you count you start 1, 2, 3 etc.  Not with a zero!  I have had a fear ever since.

I realised while doing my exams at aged 16 there was so many rules and things to remember it was all very complicated.  I think this is because at school they try to teach you such a broad spectrum it is difficult to learn any depth.  I still struggle with my times tables! Recently when looking at figures for my job and listening to people talk about large numbers I struggle to picture them. I prefer a bar chart or a pie chart and can understand them better. Also in English we had to read Shakespeare and they had old numbers (or Roman Numerals), for their chapters that were like letters. This also confused me greatly.

In the last few years I have become more interested in them. I gained a job working in a supermarket and had to work out five percent off when customers bought six bottles of wine. I worked out a way to move the decimal point to the left and half that figure. Then minus that figure from that original figure. I thought that was simple enough and grew to like figures a bit more. In another job I volunteered to announce the monthly figures at a team meeting. I used this opportunity to draw pictures and charts to explain then a bit better for people. This helped me and probably a number of other people to understand them easier. They all clapped when I finished so I think it went well (or there were just relieved that I had stopped talking)!

I do not regularly play the lottery and if I did I would get obsessed, because if I had set number I played, then I would have to play them every time there was a draw just in case the numbers came up and I did not play! If I do play it is always lucky dip!

Bingo is difficult for me. I went to a bingo club once and they read the numbers so fast I could not concentrate! I do like it if it is slower and done in a fun way for example: Two little ducks – twenty two, two fat ladies eighty eight. I do not know if they have this fun in other countries?

I look at figures in a positive way now and like to play with them a bit and sometimes like to think if they are a good or a bad number! I like to add numbers up in my mind and try to think if they feel good or not. I remember spending one morning trying to add up all the house numbers I have ever lived at! This was after I had added up all the numbers of the buses I had to take back and from work! When I occasionally call for a taxi they give you a reference number. I think if it is a good or a bad number and therefore it will be a good or a bad taxi journey! I read a lot into telephone numbers as well. Sometimes I think I would like to do more courses in mathematics but that might be crazy!

Below shows some interesting things I know about a couple of numbers … three is my favourite number but eight is equally good but that is just the look of it and I enjoy writing it!!!

The number eleven: This is seriously spooky especially if you get to the bottom and try out the last bit!!!

1) New York City has 11 letters
2) Afghanistan has 11 letters.
3) Ramsin Yuseb (The terrorist who threatened to destroy the Twin Towers in 1993) has 11 letterss
4) George W Bush has 11 letters.

This could be a mere coincidence, but this gets more interesting:
1) New York is the 11th state.
2) The first plane crashing against the Twin Towers was flight 11.
3) Flight 11 was carrying 92 passengers. 9 + 2 = 11
4) Flight 77 which also hit Twin Towers, was carrying 65 passengers. 6 +5= 11
5) The tragedy was on September 11, or 9/11 as it is now known. 9 + 1 + 1=11
6) The date is equal to the US emergency services telephone number 911. 9+ 1 + 1 = 11.

Sheer coincidence..?! Read on and make up your own mind:
1) The total number of victims inside all the hi-jacked planes was 254. 2+ 5 + 4 = 11.
2) September 11 is day number 254 of the calendar year. Again 2 + 5+ 4=11
3) The Madrid bombing took place on 3/11/2004. 3 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 4 =11.
4) The tragedy of Madrid happened 911 days after the Twin Towers incident.

Now this is where things get totally eerie:
The most recognised symbol for the US, after the Stars & Stripes, is the Eagle. The following verse is taken from the Koran/Quran, the Islamic holy book:
"For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome eagle. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced: “For the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah and there was peace."
That verse is number 9.11 of the Quran.

Still unconvinced about all of this..?! Try this and see how you feel afterwards, it made my hair stand on end:

Open Microsoft Word and do the following:
1. Type in capitals Q33 NY. This is the flight number of the first plane to hit one of the Twin Towers.
2. Highlight the Q33 NY.
3. Change the font size to 48.
4. Change the actual font to WINGDINGS

What do you think now???

The joy of three:

Three is the “Magic Number” – De La Soul
Three Steps to Heaven – Eddie Cochran
Three times a lady – The Commodores
Three Kings
Three Wise Men – Melchior, Caspar & Balthazar
Three amigos
Three seats in the back of an average car
Three Little Pigs
Three Musketeers
Three Tiers on a wedding cake
Three medals in the Olympics – Gold, Silver & Bronze
Three sides on a triangle and that is much better than a square!
Three degrees
Three bird roast – Turkey, Chicken & Duck
Three men and a baby – Film
Count to down from three to start a race 3 … 2 … 1!
Three peaks challenge
Three stooges
If you total all the numbers in a long number and it is a multiple of 3 then it is in the 3 times table.
Three is a crowd however threesome may be good? Modesty and general self-preservation stops me from saying if I have experience!

That is all for now!