[time-nuts] Am I the only Time Nut who doesn't wear a watch?

Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R caf at omen.com
Sun Jul 10 01:59:46 UTC 2011


In the late 60s I had an inexpensive wristwatch with a
cheap leather or plastic wristband.  I did not want the
enhanced conductivity if a metal band when working
with vacuum tube circuits.

Where I worked the only clock visible had been rigged
to go backwards.  But it did keep good time, which is
more than I could say for my wristwatch.  So I would
check my watch, then get a vernier reading off the wall
clock.

Naturally I bought an Intel Microma when it became
readily affordable.  I learned about time from that.....

I was riding on a bus to the airport, realizing I should have
been on a previous bus.  The only activity possible at the
time was estimating the probability of making my flight.
At that point I had a revelation - the bit about the big hand
and the little hand and visualizing subtended angles.  So
I had to do the math.  No big deal, I didn't have anything
better to do sitting in that bus.

Over the years I've developed mental short cuts so I don't
mess the hands.  One learns how to do it much as one
learns bicycle riding, skiing, or Morse code.

I have one of those bass ackwards clocks on the wall of my
home office, complete with Tektronix IDD logo.  For completeness,
the numbers are labeled in binary.

Some years ago the dyslexic daughter of a neighbor happened
upon that clock and called out the time instantly.  Most folks
have to think about it for a while before they can read the time
on that clock.

-- 
Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX N2469R     caf at omen.com   www.omen.com
Developer of Industrial ZMODEM(Tm) for Embedded Applications
   Omen Technology Inc      "The High Reliability Software"
10255 NW Old Cornelius Pass Portland OR 97231   503-614-0430




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