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About
Stu Savory ;-) School report for Stu Savory
Eunoia, who is a grumpy, overeducated, facetious, multilingual ex-pat Scot, blatantly opinionated, old (1944-vintage), amateur cryptologist, computer consultant, atheist, flying instructor, bulldog-lover, Beetle-driver, textbook-writer, long-distance biker, geocacher and blogger living in the foothills south of the northern German plains. Not too shy to reveal his true name or even whereabouts, he blogs his opinions, and humour and rants irregularly. Stubbornly he clings to his beliefs, e.g. that Faith does not give answers, it only prevents you doing any goddamn questioning. You are as atheist as he is. When you understand why you don't believe in all the other gods, you will know why he does not believe in yours.

Oh, and after the death of his old dog, Kosmo, he also has a new bulldog puppy, Clara, since September 2018 :-)


Some of my bikes


My Crypto Pages


My Maths Pages



Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Americans abroad giving feedback

Regular blogreader Ed (USA) objected to last month's piece of sarcasm entitled Anti-American chat ;-) wherein I ridiculed Trumpanzee spelling. He said that to be fair, I should report what Americans say about Yurp! So here it is.

Now we are told that 80% of Americans do not have a passport and so have no first hand experience of life abroad, just what they see on (Fox) TV. But 20% do, and so I found this slide-show on YouTube reporting their WTF culture shock moments :-

Comments (1)
Billions of Versions... wrote " It would be nice if servers in the US were paid a living wage and there was no tipping." Mike, I doubt if we'll ever see that change.


Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Mooney Meet @ EDLP

This last weekend saw a fly-in of 29 Mooneys to our local airport, Paderborn-Lippstadt (EDLP), where I was flying instructor for a couple of decades. Welcome, Mooners! The young lady sporting the Crew T-shirt in the photo below taken on the apron in front of the Quax hanger is their press-officer.

Mooneys are particulary sleek single engine touring aircraft built in Kerrville Texas mostly for private owners. Mooney M20 are piston-powered, four-seat, propeller-driven, general aviation aircraft, all featuring low wings and retractable tricycle gear, manufactured by the Mooney International Corporation. Photo below shows the M20J version. Powered by a Continental IO-550 6-cylinder boxer engine delivering 280 bhp, it can deliver a cruise speed of 242 knots (278 mph, 448 km/h) (TAS), stalls at 53 kn (61 mph, 98 km/h), has a range of 1,100 nautical miles (1,300 mi, 2,000 km) (standard tanks) and can reach a service ceiling of 25,000 ft (7,600 m) although unpressurised. So yes, it is sleek and fast. With the 242 knot cruise, you have to bear in mind that over here the speed limit for VFR flight below 10,000 feet is just 250 knots. So it is quite a bit faster than a Piper or a Cessna of similar power. I have about 30-40 hours on a Mooney. Mooneys are easily recognised by the vertical leading edge of their tailfin.

But I have a sad anecdote about a Mooney crash at our airfield about 30 years ago. A local pilot had purchased an M20C and a ferry pilot had flown it from Kerryville (USA) over here for him. Then said ferry pilot had put the new owner in the left seat and was showing him how to fly it. The new owner touched down in a light crosswind, downwind wheel first (bad), and the landing gear collapsed! Prop-strike, about 20,000 € damage :-(

Owner must have wept. His first landing in his new plane, too! But the investigation showed up that it was a fabrication fault; there were no locking pins in the retractable undercarriage! The professional ferry-pilot had always landed on both main wheels at once. I was the duty flying instructor that day, and saw it all from about 200 yards away, so grabbed the first aid kit and ran over to the site; gladly nobody was injured, just shocked.


Saturday, June 12, 2021

G7 meet in Cornwall, UK

This is the official publicity photo from the G7 meeting in Cornwall, UK.

So why are there nine people in it? A couple of unelected Eurocraps snuck their way in!

Comments (1)
Doug (Canada) wrote " For those like you wondering why there are 9 people in the photo for the G7 leaders the two extra are Charles Michel, president of the European Council (beside Trudeau) and Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission (behind Merkel).". What I said.


Thursday, June 10, 2021

Trump pants

When I first saw the headline "Trump pants" yesterday, I thought it was evidence being given by e.g. Stormy Daniels ;-)

However, the story was about a recent appearance by the Former Guy for his supporters and was illustrated by the photo reproduced here. Three explanations were offered : 1) FG was wearing an oversize front diaper (is FG incontinent? Is the continent America?) 2) FG had put his diaper down the front of his baggy pants instead of the rear or 3) FG had put his pants on backwards! The latter theory is based on the fact that there does not appear to be a fly on those pants.

So, either that is a very well tailored suit with a well covered fly over his tiny junk (Stormy Daniels evidence again) or he has indeed put his pants on backwards. The wrinkles on both pant legs suggest the latter ;-)

In the interest of science (and ridicule) I tried to put some of my own pants on backwards. Most had either a buttoned fly or a zip. You cannot put these on backwards yourself without noticing! So maybe a third party put his pants on him for him? Unlikely?? However, I have three other pants without a fly. A jogging suit and two pairs of pyjamas, both kinds with just an elasticated waistband. These, I could indeed put on backwards :-)

However, I doubt that FG would have a suit tailored without a fly in the pants. Or maybe the fly had been transplanted onto his VP's head? So I conclude it was a front diaper, catching any front leaks. After all, ever since FG lost the election (yes,shock,horror) he has been pissing himself ;-)

Comments (1)
Billions of Versions... wrote " I saw ‘one’ news story that explained the picture. It’s a low res picture. They showed the original picture and the fly is there along with 3 times as many wrinkles in the legs. I think it was a Reuters picture." Don't try to ruin humour with facts, Mike ;-)


Tuesday, June 8, 2021

77 today

At 8:21 GMT this morning I completed my 77th orbit around the sun; now I'm just starting my 78th. Dates like this always have one wondering how many more one will make. Less stamina and tired more often of course as the body weakens. This is what it looks like now.

The Corona wave has receded here (Germany) and SWMBO and I have each had both inoculations and so now count as immune. Restaurants are reopening for the immune, so SWMBO is inviting me to the best local steakhouse tonight. Looking forward to that. Stay safe too, folks!

Comments (12)
David (IL) notes "Pobody is nerfect!" Thankyou ;-)
Doug (canada) answered David "Nobody is safe from Muphry's law". Nice one!
Schorsch (D) sent this cartoon :-


Hackwhackers wrote " A very happy birthday and prosit from the U.S" Thanks :-)
Doug (Canada) wrote "Hope you are having a great one today with SWSNBN" SWSNBN? Sounds like Mrs.Voldemort; I'll stick with SWMBO :-)
John (USA) wrote "Hope your steak is tender and cooked to your taste. Happy Birthday!" 350 gr. medium RibEye. Excellent, thanks, John :-)
And thanks to the 18 people who wrote via Signal, since I no longer use WhatsApp :-)
Finding life hard? wrote " Happy birthday! Penblwydd hapus!" Thankyou, Liz.
Ike and Lothar (D) wrote "Noch einmal: Herzlichen Glückwunsch für Stu! Die Rede hat ihre Bedeutung behalten!" Danke, ihr beiden.
Jenny (Ibiza) asks "So what age are you aiming for? Life expectancy?" Depends who you ask. My wife had a dream in which she saw me at 81; but then she is really scared that I go first. The actuarial tables of my life insurance company expect me to reach 84. Myself, it depends on my pain levels. When my back is playing up something savage, I think Enough, already!, but on the good days I hope to make it into my 80s :-) But with my luck, I'll be reincarnated as me again :-(
Billions of Versions... wrote " My 401K retirement fund spend down is calculated on me living to 96. I’m going to try and spend all of it." Good for you!
Kate (UK) wrote " Hi Stu, so sorry you birthday passed me by. A belated birthday wish now comes your way. How are you feeling now you are getting old? 77 eh well done! Do hope you , Cornelia and the dogs are all well. We are fine here apart from getting old aches and pains. My knees and Noel’s hip!" At 73 that's to be expected.
Derek (Canada) wrote "Catching up with me eh!.......I reach 79 this Wednesday (23rd) .....at least its a Prime!" One cannot walk to infinity on the real line if one uses steps of bounded length and steps on the prime numbers; so there is no immortality ;-)


Friday, June 4, 2021

Attic analogs

The previous blogpost sent me up into the attic to see if I could find my old analog film cameras. I found two, an SLR and a pocket zoom. Tip: Corona facemasks are excellent against the dust in the attic :-)

The SLR (single lens reflex) is an Olympus OM-2 body, which, in this photo has a 50mm focal length, f=1.8 large aperture lens mounted, ideal for low light situations. I bought that body in 1975 as a replacement for the 1972 Olympus OM-1n which fell off a sea wall when the self-timer went off :-( That's a winder below and on the side which doubles as a grip.

Most of the time, I used a zoom lens though. It is a Soligor zoom/macro, aperture 3.5 to 5.3, zoom focal length from 28 out to 200mm, which covered all my non-low-light needs. I also have a long 500mm lens, which was hardly ever used. Oh, and I have an adapter for my astronomical telescopes.

As the saying goes, the best camera is the one you always have with you. In this case it was a simple Canon point-and-shoot, model Prima Zoom 85n. which could zoom from 38mm out to 85mm focal length. Same era?

And, surprise surprise, it still has a film roll in it! I shall be getting this roll developed to see of there any photos which survived from the past 30-40+ years :-) I'll show you the results (if any) when this is done :-)

Comments (1)
Billions of Versions... wrote " I don’t think I’ve ever thrown a camera away. Even the cheap ones. I have a couple a drawers full of them." I thought so too, Mike, but I couldn't find my first SLR, nor the Polaroid.


Tuesday, June 1, 2021

My first camera

A couple of months ago, in an email exchange with Cop Car, the idea cropped up to compare the various cameras I have owned (and still do) and also compare the quality of photos taken by them. I also wanted to see the difference between analogue cameras and multiple digital ones as they evolved. Coincidentally, she has just posted an old black and white photo of a daughter today. Excellent quality too!

So this is the first such blogpost, others will follow over the coming weeks/months as I try out the old cameras. Attic, here I come.

My first camera was a 1937 Voigtlander like this one. I could no longer find it in the attic, so I'm showing you a photo from the web. It was small enough to fit in a dufflecoat pocket / outside pocket of a motorcycle touring jacket. It opened up for use via bellows, had 3 or 4 shutter speeds, adjustable apertures and bellows focus. It used a type 120 paper film roll, taking (12?) B&W pictures in 6*6 and/or 6*9 cms size. It also had an interesting history.

During WW 2 my father had a UK tank which they drove south down the length of Norway, pushing the German forces back into Germany via Denmark, he told me. Somewhere along the way they captured some German soldiers who had this camera and confiscated the camera from the POW. At the end of the war, he "forgot" to turn it in, regarding it as "war booty" ; so basically he stole it from the POW.

In my childhood we lived out in the country, meaning we were 20 miles or so from the nearest photo shop to buy film rolls and had no car, so the camera was barely used. However, I do have one B&W family photo, taken, developed and printed about 70 years ago.

Back row : father and mother, Middle row : Mother's mother, Father's mother, who lived with us as they were both war widows, Bottom row : Yours truly, holding Smokey the cat, and my sister. I guess I was about 7 at the time and my sister 3. Photo taken by a neighbour using that camera.

The photo is fuzzy, but used to be better, it seems to have deteriorated over the last 70 years. When I turned 18 my father gave me the camera, I took it to the Isle of Man 2 years later to the TT races, so should have some B&W photos of the TT racing back then, but can't find them :-(

You can still buy 120 B&W film rolls here in Germany, so if I ever find the camera again I'll take some photos with it and belatedly post them here :-)

At university we had a class in technical photography, including developing films & plates and printing positives from them. Nothing as artistic as e.g. friend Doug Alder always produces. We also learned how to mill and turn and how to design and make our own printed circuits so that we were able to make our own experimental equipment. There I used this camera to photograph my home-built microwave waveguide impedance tranformer; the photo quality was adequate for my thesis in 1965; scan of 1965 photo below.

Comments (2)
Cop Car wrote " While I made the dress that Dudette is wearing in the photo to which you were kind enough to link, I did not take the photo. It was taken by a professional studio. OTOH: At Cop Car's Beat: April 2021 (typepad.com) is a photo, taken three years later, of our younger daughter Bogie, which Hunky Husband took and printed when we lived in the Seattle, Washington, area. I believe he used a Pentax H-3V #5-36-U Camera, purchased (used) in 1964. The deterioration of your family photo is too bad. It’s a great memento." Thanks for the feedback, but see Jenny's suggestion, below.
Jenny (Ibiza) suggests " I suggest the deterioration is due to you scanning a framed photo (through glass). Try taking a photo of that same framed photo from a distance. Wear a black T-shirt to reduce any reflexions. See if that helps." If it does I'll post the result below :-)

Jenny your suggestion was excellent. This version is only slightly worse than the original. Thankyou for educating me :-)


Link to the previous month's blog.
Recent Writings
Americans abroad
Mooney Fly-In
G7 meet in Cornwall, UK
Trump pants
77 today
Attic analogs
My first camera
Anti-American chat ;-)
2nd Jab :-)
Cornering faster
Career plans ruined :-(
Sophie Scholl @ 100
Wolf in our woods :-(
Another old friend gone
Nice Curves!
RAF Museum Duxford
Yuri Gagarin anniversary
The Number of the Beast
Easter Eggs
Misheard Lyrics @Easter
Toad mating season
Famous female scientists
Mike the Bike
RIP Sabine Schmitz
On St. Patrick's Day
Roadkill
To the barber at last
Earth is flat ;-)

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Infidel753
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Observing Hermann
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Starts with a Bang
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ENGLISH : I am not responsible for the contents or form of any external page to which this website links. I specifically do not adopt their content, nor do I make it mine.
DEUTSCH : Für alle Seiten, die auf dieser Website verlinkt sind, möchte ich betonen, dass ich keinerlei Einfluss auf deren Gestaltung und Inhalte habe. Deshalb distanziere ich mich ausdrücklich von allen Inhalten aller gelinkten Seiten und mache mir ihren Inhalt nicht zu eigen.

This Blog's Status is
Blog Dewey Decimal Classification : 153
FWIW, 153 is a triangular number, meaning that you can arrange 153 items into an equilateral triangle (with 17 items on a side). It is also one of the six known truncated triangular numbers, because 1 and 15 are triangular numbers as well. It is a hexagonal number, meaning that you can distribute 153 points evenly at the corners and along the sides of a hexagon. It is the smallest 3-narcissistic number. This means it?s the sum of the cubes of its digits. It is the sum of the first five positive factorials. Yup, this is a 153-type blog. QED ;-)
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