Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Need a geek watch

[Jonathan King <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Mon, 09 Aug 2004 11:06:09 -0500, Stephen Montgomery-Smith
<EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> Jonathan King wrote:
> >
> > OK, so my latest Timex Expedition (with indiglo!) has finally bought
> > the farm.  (One knob is missing, my manly sweat has corroded the base
> > metal bevel, and the broken band can't be replaced because one of the
> > "prong" thingies is twisted.)
> 
> You could do what I do - I don't wear a watch.  

OK, so I concede your point.  But there's a Biiiig difference here. 
You work in the Math department.  I'm guessing most of the classes you
teach are to people who, being *interested* in subjects like (say)
complex analysis, might even enjoy getting an extra five minutes in if
the proof under consideration is especially riveting.  I teach in
Psych, which means that the one subject most of my students are *not*
very interested in is Psychology.  The few times I've tried to teach
without a watch, the results have been...well, I couldn't do this:

> When I am teaching, I am constantly asking my students if the class is over.  They 
> rarely add more than five minutes to the actual time.  It definitely adds to my
> image.

Well, it adds to *my* image of you. :-)

> My geekiness/nerdiness is confirmed by my clothes that don't
> match and a hairstyle that Einstein would be proud of.

Well, I've seen both of us.  And I'm sure neither of us have problems
with over-crowded tables in cafeterias.  I also think it's a wash as
to which of us would look geekier to the man on the street.  But
that's why I need a watch with 31337 LEDs on it: as a negative fashion
statement that will give me a small lead over the kind of thing you
expect to see among math professors.  Since Jeff (Rouder) is in Europe
next year, I will have *no* competition within my own department,
that's for sure. :-)

jking
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