Over
brekkie I did some more of my cryptography course. So far it is concentrating
on the theory; the maths used to demonstrate the theories is rather complicated
stuff. I can’t help but wonder how those without a degree in the subject are
managing.
There
is an internet forum for the course. I *could*
go on there and ask, but I’ve decided not to. It would be one big argument.
Just like the argument on Facebook I read just after I’d stopped cyphering for
today.
A
couple of months ago there was a *lot*
of upset in the local Tupperware-hunting community about how some people are
dropping everything to run out to claim First to Find on all local geocaches (and thus denying the fun to everyone else).
The bad feeling has not abated at all, and the squabbles that started yesterday
were continuing here and there on-line and in various messages.
The
specifics of the arguments are immaterial, and realistically probably rather
trivial. I prepared a bitter diatribe on the matter, and just as I was about to
post it I stopped myself…
Hunting
under rocks for sandwich boxes is *supposed*
to be fun.
I’ve
met some really good friends through the silly game. I’ve had some great times.
I’ve got a long weekend in France organized through this game…There’s only a
vanishingly small minority who are boiling my piss. I really should ignore
them.
Why
is it that *every single* hobby I
take up (kite-flying, astronomy,
oil-painting, snake-keeping, beer-making, scouting, sci-fi fandom to name but a
few) has an active minority who want to do nothing but suck the fun out of
what is going on?
Mind you, all this squabbling about
geocaching might come to nothing after Brexit. As I drove to work the pundits
on the radio were talking about how the European Union is talking about denying
the UK access to the
Galileo satellite navigation system.
The E.U.'s chief negotiator has denied
the rumours, as you'd expect him to. I wonder what will come of it. Given the
worst-case scenario our sat-navs will pack up and stop working. We will have to
rummage under rocks using map and compass (as
God intended), or I will just have to find yet another hobby
which will immediately dissolve into petty bickering.
The radio's thought for the day bit then
came on. It started off with an interesting discussion about the current month
of Ramadan. It was interesting and thought-provoking and... suddenly as these
religious arguments do it all turned to stark nonsense. The argument that was
presented stated that simply because lots of people go to church, mosque,
synagogue, temple etc and think their religion (and all its associated theories, teachings, traditions, theologies and
crackpottery) is true, it must therefore ipso facto *be* true.
After all, can so many people *all*
be wrong? (!)
This so-called logic seemed to totally
ignore that it had just proven that several mutually contradictory stances were
all correct. Presumably this was the reasoning why the world was flat for
many years (until this was discovered not
to be the case)
I got to work and discovered someone had
a geocaching travel bug on their car. Someone else who works where I do hunts
Tupperware in the woods. I wonder who that is.? And I laughed out loud when I
thought about blogging that I wondered if they would like to join in the squabbles.
With
work done I got home at the same time as "er indoors TM" and we took
the hounds round the park where I thought I might use my new
app to register any mammals we might encounter. Unfortunately other than dogs,
humans and the odd squirrel, Viccie Park is pretty much devoid of mammalian
content. But bearing in mind that idiot enthusiasm usually trumps common sense
I thought I would have a go anyway.
Having
drawn a blank in the park, Treacle chased a squirrel up a tree in the co-op
field. I’ve logged it. (The squirrel that
is; not Treacle or the tree).
I
might see if I can find another mammal tomorrow before work… I wonder how long
it will be before I find myself embroiled in petty arguments about spotting
squirrels?
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