From Sesame St. to Wall St., common counting exercises appear all around us. Have you ever woken up seconds before your alarm clock went off? Or guessed correctly the number of paces it takes you to get home from the bus stop? We are often unaware of how much tallying is actually going on inside our heads. Even people who claim disinterest in math may suffer from arithmomania (an offshoot of  OCD that creates in the sufferer an irrepressible need to count their actions or the objects in their surroundings). Do you ever count the number of tiles on the floor or ceiling? Cracks in the sidewalk? Cars in a traffic jam? Don’t worry, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going the way of Count von Count; what it does mean is you’re one step ahead of the competition in Lenzr’s latest contest: A Counting Exercise.

Count Von Count was constantly adding things up.

Counting things is a common behavioral theme, a sort of compulsion for someone with OCD. A compulsion is a behavior that is acted out in an attempt to quiet down the obessive thoughts. As such, it is typically an anxiety reducing behavior and that is why it is repeated so frequently. I’m not sure what obsession a counting compulsion might be compensating for ?  But the general pattern is that by acting out the behavior, people feel safer/better. So in this instance, Lenzr has therapeutic applications.

Archaeologists have calculated that humans have been counting things for over 50,000 years.

It is thought that the first method of counting was done with the fingers, then, in Stone Age cultures, tallies were used in trading goods and services. These days we count modern concepts like money, mileage and calories–though we retain some of our Stone Age roots when we look in the fridge and do a quick tally of its contents in order to determine what’s for dinner. Comedian Mitch Hedberg quipped, “I like rice. Rice is great when you’re hungry and want 2,000 of something.” Counting exercises are everywhere–there are literally countless possibilities for original submissions in this contest–and we can’t wait to see what you come up with!

Show us repeating patterns in a photo like people in crowds, riot police, lines on the highway, stars in the sky, reflections in a three-way mirror–the list, like numbers, is infinite. What could make this contest even more fun is if the photographer determines the numerical value of their shot and encourages Lenzr members to guess the total.

Cunningham LLP Chartered Accountants see Beyond Your Numbers

Cunningham LLP is a veteran team of Toronto accountants, a service orientated business with a personal touch. They are committed to working for the success of their mid-market entrepreneurial business clients in various lines of work. While their services cover a full range of  accounting, tax and business assurance and advisory services, they operate as more than just an accounting firm, taking responsibility for the future financial successes of their clients. Cunningham LLP is also the home of Mark Goodfield, The Blunt Bean Counter, the most interesting ‘accounting blog’ you’ll ever read.

Cunningham LLP was established in 1971 and each of their seven partners offers their own insights and expertise in realizing solutions for their clients–Cunningham works as a team, uncovering the possibilities and using the numbers to create a realistic vision for success. Their website is enriched by Cunningham-produced blogs and videos, further enhancing the element of personal touch these Toronto accountants provide for their clients.

The prize is a Sony laptop, a modern-day abacus.

Contest Schedule,

Contest begins   June 1st 2011
Voting begins    July 15th 2011
Voting ends        July 25th 2011          Top Ten advance to Judges
Contest ends      August 1st 2011        Winner announced on Lenzr blog.

This contest is open to all Canadians age 13 yrs or older, excluding Quebec.