Thursday 11 October 2012

Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park is the spiritual home of the computer and the workplace of the genius mathematician Alan Turing.   However, it is perhaps best known for the code-breakers who cracked the German Enigma cipher (amongst others, some even more complex) during the second World War, seen as a key contribution to the allied war victory.  The whole park was shrouded in secrecy for fear of secrets being exposed to opposition forces.

A number of years later, an old couple who had lived nearby all of their lives were visiting the (now revealed) site as tourists.   They were watching a bungled demonstration of the Enigma machine by a tour guide who missed a key step.   The old lady got up and said something like "that's not how you do it" before taking over the demonstration herself, showing the correct way to operate the machine.

The man, amazed, asked her if she worked at Bletchley when she was younger.  "Yes" she replied, "I worked in this hut over here".  

"Oh!" said her husband.   "I worked in that hut over there!"

They'd met on the train, travelling home from work and due to the Official Secrets Act, had never confessed their real work to each other.

Wednesday 10 October 2012

Tuesday 9 October 2012

The John Terry Affair

To tackle one thing right off the bat, I abhor racism in all its forms.  I don't like what John Terry is alleged to have said (and the intent with which he allegedly said it) and if it was true he deserves to be punished.  Behaviour like that is unacceptable.  

However, the point of this post is not to discuss whether he did or didn't use racially offensive terms - there are two bodies who have already discussed this and come to their own conclusions which are now being played out in the media.   This post is looking at the FA's role in all this.  

Saturday 6 October 2012

Conservative Minister for Health, Jeremy Hunt

It didn't take him long to impose his twisted, uninformed views.

Jeremy Hunt - a known homeopathy supporter - became the Minister for Health and has recently voiced his personal opinion about how the time limit by which a woman can choose to have an abortion.

Monday 24 September 2012

Germany's Catholic Church Tax

Reports eminating from Germany recently suggest that Catholic bishops are demanding the witholding of sacraments and religious burials if the congregation do not contribute to the church tax.