A combination of bookmarks and a blog. Just for me. Feel free to browse.
Contact me: rich(one of those at symbol thingys)foshy.co.uk
Tags (by frequency):36 Views of the BT Tower - 14.01.2026
"36 Views of the BT Tower" is a series of artworks by Edward Luper inspired by Hokusai's "36 Views of Mount Fuji".
It's such a clever idea, perfectly executed. I might go out with my camera and make "36 views of the AA building".
The Speed of Light - 09.01.2026
Richard Feynman was the only physicist I know who sounded like he could fit in seamlessly with the cast of the Sopranos. In this short chat he makes the relationship between the speed of light and time sound almost simple - for at least a few minutes in my case.
Two Tired - 06.01.2026
Spotted this bicycle in Winchester yesterday. I liked the shadow and the setting. A tiny bit of sepia is always welcome (for me).
Nobody mention Terry Waite...
Strip Jack Naked - 05.01.2026
Or Beggar-thy-neighbour has always held an odd fascination for me. This Wikipedia article is useful if you haven't come across the game.
I wanted to find out if it was possible for a game to go on ad infinitum. Or at least, to see how long a game could last. If an infinite game was possible, it would be amusing to setup the initial hands and then challenge someone to play. Wikipedia says the there are 653,534,134,886,878,245,000 initial states for the game, so perhaps one of those might cause a game to last forever.
Nine years ago I coded a simulation of the game and set it to play games and note the longest and shortest. It took about two or three hours to play 50,000 games - a reasonable sample size. The longest was a game of 2989 turns, and the shortest 38.
Believe it or not, I wasn't the only one thinking odd thoughts. In 2024 Brayden Casella used a lot of brain power and modern computing methods and found 30 distinct starting hands which are non terminating. These games a...
Headlines Quiz - 03.01.2026
Updated news quiz for 2026!
This took me far longer than I care to admit. I blame brain fog from a cold or some other persistent infection. Getting it working is a great relief.
Have a go at the quiz yourself.
Autumn Again - 21.10.2025
Urbanity - 01.08.2025
Funny what catches the eye when strolling about:
Fresh From the Garden - 23.07.2025
Paul Lutus - 23.07.2025
I've just been re-reading an account of a sailing circumnavigation of the globe written by Paul Lutus. You should read it too - it's enthralling (i.m.h.o.). Links below.
Paul Lutus has had the sort of full and varied life which would be hard to make up. He has piloted light aircraft, written software for Apple, sailed around the world, designed spacecraft components for the NASA Space Shuttle and developed a world view that is hard not to agree with.
Links
- Confessions of a Long-Distance sailor
- Paul Lutus's website home page
- His biography
- Reddit AMA with fascinating references to Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs
Infinite Monkeys - 28.05.2025
It's rare than a political cartoon actually makes me laugh out loud. Enjoy.
— Breastfeeding (@breastfeeding.bsky.social) 28 May 2025 at 00:13
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