inspiration

spurred on by the recent astroshack discussion about optical illusions, i've just ordered a book from amazon which looks absolutely fascinating, and potentially useful. it's called 'mind hacks', and contains 'hacks' you can performs to better understand how the brain perceives the Universe, and... it claims, use this information to your advantage. check out http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mindhks/toc.html for a description. here are a few titles of hacks from the ToC which caught my eye:

• Release Eye Fixations for Faster Reactions
  

• Fool Yourself into Seeing 3D

• See Movement When All Is Still

• Make Things Invisible Simply by Concentrating (on Something Else)

• Improve Visual Attention Through Video Games

• Use Your Right Brain-and Your Left, Too

• Detect Cheaters

• See a Person in Moving Lights

• Have an Out-of-Body Experience

• Spread a Bad Mood Around

i'm looking forward to the arrival of this book. fellow astronomers are, of course, welcome to borrow it when i'm done. just pop into the 311 library.

what trickery is this?

after following the link on craig's blog, me and john have been seriously freaked out by the 'illusion', or some sort of witch-craft to be found at the end of this link: http://www.michaelbach.de/ot/col_lilacChaser/index.html

tea room blues

a word of advice: avoid drinking tea with those tradecraft ginger cookies. i think they have boosted the strength of the ginger chunks in the biscuit (although the overall size is smaller now i think), such that when you bite a bit of ginger it actually burns your mouth. this unpleasant sensation, coupled with the tea makes for a very dissapointing coffee break.

marketing... gone mad

john and me just took a trip over to the library to pick up some food. one sandwich which caught our eye was the vegetarian BLT! what a brilliant marketing ploy! surely in reality this is simply an LT?

call it a vegetarian BLT and you can bump up the price.

finally, the recognition i crave!

my reputation preceeds me (abridged), and i seem to have finished my PhD early:

DEAR DR. GEACH,

It is my pleasure to inform you that you are being considered for inclusion in the upcoming 2007 (24th) Edition of Who's Who in the World(R), which is scheduled for publication in November 2006.

Distributed globally, Marquis' Who's Who in the World is relied upon by business leaders, journalists, academics, and other professionals for its accuracy and currency of information. Additionally, it is found in the collections of many of the world's leading libraries and corporations.

As the Marquis Who's Who editors begin assembling the 24th Edition of this historic publication, the original Who's Who in the World continues to be recognized internationally as the premier biographical data source of notable living individuals from every significant field of endeavor.

To be considered for inclusion as a biographee in this prestigious publication, you need only provide the requested information by completing the Biographical Data Form by 5/18/06. Through this link you will also find more information about the edition of Who's Who in the World currently in print.

P.S. Inclusion of your biography in Who's Who in the World, of course, carries neither cost nor obligation to you of any kind. Our goal with each new edition is to have full representation of noteworthy and accomplished men and women across all fields and industries.

jims 2cents: thoughts on SpiderWasp

this could be one of nature's greatest predators, perhaps replacing Jaws as mankind's greatest fear in the animal kingdom. my thoughts of the nature of SpiderWasp:

• stinging tail
• ability to fly
• ability to scuttle
• ability to build webs
• taste for sugary soft drinks
• taste for meat
  
• ability to build nests containing thousands of SpiderWasps
• venemous fangs?
• can't flush it down the plughole, because it can fly
• flying+scuttling = difficult to catch
• this creature probably gets irritated easily, and wouldn't hesitate at retaliation

eek.

invasion of wing-ed beasts

pulled up the blind just a minute ago, and three flying critters fell down. two of them were bumble-bees (i hear they have been troubling nic ross too -- perhaps they heard about his sign, and decided to push their avionic advantage by using the window instead of the door?). the other was a large (queen?) wasp.

john tells me that the 311 fauna has started encroaching on his dreams (i'm sure he will elaborate, but think spider--wasp hybrid). i don't mind them coming in, but i wish they'd just settle down, instead of trying to fly back out through the glass.

i do not believe it

i just can't believe it! the system works.

there is now a lovely mirror in the toilet on the corridor outside 311. john can now see whether he has crumbs on his face!

incredible. truly incredible

jim(2) has just brough to my attention this brilliant website: http://www.pimpmysnack.com/. simply put, it is popular confectionary taken to the edge, and then pushed over. i'll not give the game away, but here are some clues as to its content:

• Monster Ferrero Rocher
• Battenberg GTi Turbo
• Jaffzilla
• Jammie Wagon Wheel SXi

i sense some cooking projects coming on.

odd

sorry about the multiple strong-bow post... some sort of rapid fire blogger cock-up

strongbow

it's incredible how many people are searching for the strongbow ringtone. i think strongbow are missing a trick here -- i guess people want to download the crazy-frog-esque tone in the recent advert (we commented on the brilliance of this advert before).

to test this, i suggest people leave a comment below saying whether they want strongbow to release the tone. perhaps if there are enough people then they will?

i, for one, welcome our giant wasp overlords

just at work -- it's a really nice sunny day. i've got the window open and there is a cooling breeze coming through. very pleasant. meanwhile, some sort of freakishly large wasp has taken up resisdence in the window jamb. it's not doing anything - just seems to be taking it easy (i don't blame him). bit early for wasps isn't it? 'fraid i haven't got a camera so i can't show you... but i've measured him to be ~2cm long (i think that's quite big for a wasp). note that the bumblebee we have blogged before has made two return trips to 311. once on friday, and once today. his favourite spot is just outside the window, or on the blind.

great tv

yes! there is some great tv coming up -- may i say it is all on itv?

first, tonight there is sharpe's challenge -- a definite swashbuckle-fest!

then i think next friday there is a feature length version of ross kemp's Ultimate Force (CO: i'm sorry you lost your men KEMP: with all due respect sir, we didn't lose them - they're dead.)

then itv are showing the matrix trilogy over three consecutive nights.