Occulomency

Metasequoia

This photograph whilst appearing to date from 1883, in fact dates from 1983.

Now rumoured to be practising 'Spiritual Healing' in Exeter.

Seek and ye shall find.

Occulomency has for some time harboured a secret desire to telephone Mr. Redwood and ask him, as a leading light in the society, whether he could get me a copy of Delius' How To Cook, but I think that if I did, it would serve no purpose other than to confirm that all his worst feelings about me were true.

 

Twis the night before Christmas....

A very happy Christmas to all of you antipodeans. If it all works out as planned, I'll be over there with work sometime around July, fingers crossed.

So what shall we talk about today? Well Top Gear last night was excellent, probably the best episode of the series, and a contender for one of the best ever I think. It was preceded by James May's Sister's Top Toys, which was good, but the Richard Hammond Evel Keneval thing was superb. All three are worth a bit-torrent.

39th anniversary of man reaching the moon in Apollo 8 today. The Earth looked like this in 1968.

A good question would be 'who took the picture?' But as all three Astronauts claim the credit, who took it is in doubt, but NASA credits it to William Alison Anders, an astronaut with a GIRLS MIDDLE NAME!.

Sorry, a bit disrespectful to a man whose acheivments include the rank of Major General,         USAF         Reserve, Ret.; Bachelor of science from U.S. Naval Academy, 1955 and         master of science in Nuclear Engineering from Air Force Institute of         Technology, Wright Patterson,         AFB, Ohio, 1962;         completed Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program, 1979;         resigned from         NASA         on 01.09.1969; 1976 - 1977 US-ambassador in Norway; then Senior         Executive Vice President of Operations, Textron Inc.; 1989 Chairman and         CEO-designate of the General Dynamics Corporation; in 1994 he left         General Dynamics; hobbies: fishing, flying, camping, skiing.

Yeah, but look at the way he's holding the rocket. Girl.

So, in the festive spirit that surrounds me at this time of year, I will leave my final Christmas words to Tom Lehrer.

So, let the raucous sleigh bells jingle,
Hail our dear old friend Kris Kringle,
Driving his reindeer across the sky.
Don't stand underneath when they fly by.

Operation - Hide the cats

Tomorrow the house gets inspected, so the cats have to be hidden. Oh yes. Much hovering of floors and scrubbing of baths has ensued. Puts the F U in fun!

Oh yes.

So who else is leaving?

Plugging through Assassin's Creed at the moment. Never really been a sneaker fanboy, but this game is quite diverting, if a little repetitive. But it is  pretty. On my 1080p 42 inch LCD panel (oooh I just love saying that), it looks bloody wonderful. The four cities in the game are huge and highly detailed. I'm having fun.

Met up with Andrew, Maria & Fergus on Thursday down Saaaarf, had a really very pleasant evening indeed. Hope to cath up again soon. Sadly Friday didn't go as well as the planned meet up with Alison & Ian didn't happen due to me being delayed in Southampton. Bad day on the roads Friday. Pity though, the poker would have been more fun than sitting in a traffic queue at Newport Pagnall.

Watched Razor last night. Razor (for you none BSG idiots) is the opening episode in the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica.

It was just slightly better than fan-bleeding-tastic.

Tonight is BBC sports personality of the year. It is 15 minutes before the whole thing kicks off on BBC 1. I trust Hamilton will win it, if he doesn't, there is no justice.

At least Marmite-chinned workshy peasent can't enter.

See you later.

By the way X-15 number 3 I believe.

Nice.

Nigerian Spam

HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL 

FROM: GEORGE WALKER BUSH 
DEAR SIR / MADAM, 

I AM GEORGE WALKER BUSH, SON OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA GEORGE HERBERT WALKER BUSH, AND CURRENTLY SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS LETTER MIGHT SURPRISE YOU BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT
MET NEITHER IN PERSON NOR BY CORRESPONDENCE. I CAME TO KNOW OF YOU IN MY SEARCH
FOR A RELIABLE AND REPUTABLE PERSON TO HANDLE A VERY CONFIDENTIAL BUSINESS
TRANSACTION, WHICH INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF A HUGE SUM OF MONEY TO AN ACCOUNT
REQUIRING MAXIMUM CONFIDENCE. 

I AM WRITING YOU IN ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE PRIMARILY TO SEEK YOUR ASSISTANCE IN
ACQUIRING OIL FUNDS THAT ARE PRESENTLY TRAPPED IN THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ. MY
PARTNERS AND I SOLICIT YOUR ASSISTANCE IN COMPLETING A TRANSACTION BEGUN BY MY
FATHER, WHO HAS LONG BEEN ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE EXTRACTION OF PETROLEUM IN
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND BRAVELY SERVED HIS COUNTRY AS DIRECTOR OF THE
UNITED STATES CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. 

IN THE DECADE OF THE NINETEEN-EIGHTIES, MY FATHER, THEN VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, SOUGHT TO WORK WITH THE GOOD OFFICES OF THE PRESIDENT
OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ TO REGAIN LOST OIL REVENUE SOURCES IN THE NEIGHBORING
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN. THIS UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURE WAS SOON FOLLOWED BY A
FALLING OUT WITH HIS IRAQI PARTNER, WHO SOUGHT TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL OIL
REVENUE SOURCES IN THE NEIGHBORING EMIRATE OF KUWAIT, A WHOLLY-OWNED
U.S.-BRITISH SUBSIDIARY. 

MY FATHER RE-SECURED THE PETROLEUM ASSETS OF KUWAIT IN 1991 AT A COST OF
SIXTY-ONE BILLION U.S. DOLLARS ($61,000,000,000). OUT OF THAT COST, 
THIRTY-SIX BILLION DOLLARS ($36,000,000,000) WERE SUPPLIED BY HIS PARTNERS IN
THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA AND OTHER PERSIAN GULF MONARCHIES, AND SIXTEEN
BILLION DOLLARS ($16,000,000,000) BY GERMAN AND JAPANESE PARTNERS. 

BUT MY FATHER'S FORMER IRAQI BUSINESS PARTNER REMAINED IN CONTROL OF THE
REPUBLIC OF IRAQ AND ITS PETROLEUM RESERVES. 

MY FAMILY IS CALLING FOR YOUR URGENT ASSISTANCE IN FUNDING THE REMOVAL OF THE
PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ AND ACQUIRING THE PETROLEUM ASSETS OF HIS
COUNTRY, AS COMPENSATION FOR THE COSTS OF REMOVING HIM FROM POWER. 

UNFORTUNATELY, OUR PARTNERS FROM 1991 ARE NOT WILLING TO SHOULDER THE BURDEN OF
THIS NEW VENTURE, WHICH IN ITS UPCOMING PHASE MAY COST THE SUM OF 100 BILLION
TO 200 BILLION DOLLARS ($100,000,000,000 - $200,000,000,000), BOTH IN THE
INITIAL ACQUISITION AND IN LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT. 

WITHOUT THE FUNDS FROM OUR 1991 PARTNERS, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE
OIL REVENUE TRAPPED WITHIN IRAQ. THAT IS WHY MY FAMILY AND OUR COLLEAGUES ARE
URGENTLY SEEKING YOUR GRACIOUS ASSISTANCE. OUR DISTINGUISHED COLLEAGUES IN THIS
BUSINESS TRANSACTION INCLUDE THE SITTING VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA, RICHARD CHENEY, WHO IS AN ORIGINAL PARTNER IN THE IRAQ VENTURE AND
FORMER HEAD OF THE ALLIBURTON OIL COMPANY, AND CONDOLEEZA RICE, WHOSE
PROFESSIONAL DEDICATION TO THE VENTURE WAS DEMONSTRATED IN THE NAMING OF A
CHEVRON OIL TANKER AFTER HER. 

I WOULD BESEECH YOU TO TRANSFER A SUM EQUALING TEN TO TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT
(10-25 %) OF YOUR YEARLY INCOME TO OUR ACCOUNT TO AID IN THIS IMPORTANT
VENTURE. THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL
FUNCTION AS OUR TRUSTED INTERMEDIARY. I PROPOSE THAT YOU MAKE THIS TRANSFER
BEFORE THE FIFTEENTH (15TH) OF THE MONTH OF APRIL. 

 
I KNOW THAT A TRANSACTION OF THIS MAGNITUDE WOULD MAKE ANYONE APPREHENSIVE AND
WORRIED. BUT I AM ASSURING YOU THAT ALL WILL BE WELL AT THE END OF THE DAY. A
BOLD STEP TAKEN SHALL NOT BE REGRETTED, I ASSURE YOU. PLEASE DO BE INFORMED
THAT THIS BUSINESS TRANSACTION IS 100% LEGAL. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO CO-OPERATE
IN THIS TRANSACTION, PLEASE CONTACT OUR INTERMEDIARY REPRESENTATIVES TO FURTHER
DISCUSS THE MATTER. 

I PRAY THAT YOU UNDERSTAND OUR PLIGHT. MY FAMILY AND OUR COLLEAGUES WILL BE
FOREVER GRATEFUL. PLEASE REPLY IN STRICT CONFIDENCE TO THE CONTACT NUMBERS
BELOW. 

SINCERELY WITH WARM REGARDS, 
GEORGE WALKER BUSH 

Cat Chipping

The cats have been chipped. They now develop almost 20% more horsepower, but will sadly have the same emissions.

In four weeks time I'm having Jarvis lowered, a new exhaust fitted to him, a new induction manifold (completed with intercooler) and of course he will be nitrous injected.

We'll see if that perks up his woeful cornering.

Pimp my kitten!

By the way, this marks my 201st post on Occulomency.

Snow

Stanthorpe, A small town in southern Queensland. I was there on Thursday presenting at an x-ray operators workshop. It bloody snowed.

Watching Shaun of the Dead right now. Great film.Best Zom Rom Com ever.

Blaidd Drwg

Ah CtHulHu! Ia Ia!

I'm a bit of a Yog-Sothoth follower myself.

But for an indication of my true devotion, you should go to this website, and download this podcast. Make sure you listen to all of the back ones, it makes me laugh lots. Yes you can get it on iTunes as well.

I have an interview next week. Dr Se and Blon Fel-Fotch Pasameer-Day Slitheen will be there. Wish me luck.

Happy Birthday Mum!

So Happy Birthday old fruit. Hope you have a good time tonight (there is one of the rare gatherings of the clan at Stathern).

Looking forward to hopefully seeing everyone at Christmas.

Housekeeping. This is the 102nd post of the revamped website. I note that the old website is down, but I have the files so I'll sling it up on this url soon.

So, amazingly, I've had 1469 visitors, averaging 7.2 a day. This number is increasing for some reason, today I've already had 19, this week 82!

I have no clue as to why, but thanks.

And on that bombshell......

Forget the lion and the witch, the wardrobe is were the action is.

It's been a lovely weekend, spent much of Friday night Skypeing to Cam whilest setting up my new machine, that is just so lovely to use, everything is just so smooth.

Anyway, it ws nice to speak with him. Saturday the Prof worked in the morning, and we were doing house type stuff. In the evening, we watched a new Doctor Who and had a kick ass curry from the Indus. I had Seekh kebab and the Prof had mixed vegetable pakoras to start with, followed by my lamb nilgiri (chilli, corriander & mint) and the Prof's mixed vegetable and tofu sagwala.

Today I shopped the Prof washed and Kirsty & Dave came round and we moved the guest bed downstairs into the west wing and moved one of the lovely stripped pine wardrobes upstairs into Ali G's new bedroom. He'll have to depart the one he's in when Charlie shows up in November.

What the hell was up with the world today?

This is from the Grauniad. Makes you wonder what English Judges are like, then I remember.

By the way, I forgot to wish you a happy birthday Andrew. Sorry, having brain meltdowns.

"Dan Tench is a lawyer who writes on media issues for the Guardian. Here he describes how he became the first person to crack the secret message hidden within Mr Justice Peter Smith's judgment on the Da Vinci Code case, which pitted author Dan Brown against two writers who failed in their claim that he breached their copyright to create his bestselling novel.

Three weeks ago, while reading the judgment, I noticed something odd. Throughout the text, the occasional letter has been italicised. There was an "m" in the word claimant in the second paragraph, and an "i" and a "t" italicised in the next. I supposed it was simply a word processing fault.

The case centred on two books - one non-fiction, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, and one fiction, The Da Vinci Code - both dedicated to the subject of encryption and hidden messages, but I did not seriously consider that the judge could have implanted a hidden message in the judgment. High court judges simply do not do such things.

But it did seem ironic that a judgment in such a case should appear to have such an eccentricity running though it.

Then I received an email from Mr Justice Peter Smith. He told me to scrutinise paragraph one of the judgment more closely. This revealed that there was an italicised "s" and, reading carefully, the first 10 italicised letters spelled out "SMITHYCODE". Clearly there was a message here. The judge was laying a trail, denoting the code with his own name, in a style after The Da Vinci Code.

Reading further, the italicisation of random letters continued. This spelled a jumble: "JAEIEXTOST" and so on. We tried simply moving the letters ·forward and back a little in the alphabet, but this revealed no sensible phrase. Then the judge let on that the key to the code was based on the Fibonnaci sequence - the mathematical progression which is based on adding the two preceding numbers in the series: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 and so on. The Fibonnaci sequence was an essential part of the plot of The Da Vinci Code.

After much trial and error, we found a formula which fitted. This revealed (disregarding a few slips by the judge) the slightly perplexing script "JACKIEFISHERWHOAREYOUDREADNOUGHT", which is presumably to be rendered: "Jackie Fisher, who are you? Dreadnought". This must be taken as a doubtless riposte by the judge, who lists the study of the early 20th century admiral, Jackie Fisher, as a main interest. When asked who was Jackie Fisher, how many times must he have answered that Admiral Fisher conceived of the great battleship HMS Dreadnought?

Yesterday the judge sent a message: "Brilliant. You got it all ... You can rightly claim that you started it and got there first. I thought it had been missed until you found it."."