Colin is doing a "Sprint Triathlon" - a maths test

Here are two maths and one psychology question. Colin Hawker and Jim Gollan are going to do a Sprint Triathlon on 18 April 2010.

www.wallisellertriathlon.ch

This consists of swimming 600 metres (in an indoor pool), 15 km cycling and 4 km run. Colin is weak on the cycling, so will be coached by Jim.

Question 1 - If Colin can jog at 9 kph hour and Jim thinks that in training he will be cycling 15 - 20 kph faster, how fast does Jim think Colin will be cycling?

Question 2 - If Colin can only cycle at 16 kph (then only in good weather, on good roads, having pumped his tyres up and no wind), how much slower will Colin be from Jim's expectations?

A Psychology Question - How much patience will Jim need when cycling with Colin? None / A Bit / Quaite a Lot / A Huge Amount?

Reading Technical books in German

You would think that speaking, listening or reading German generally means that you express yourself less clearly and understand and learn less. And generally, you would be correct. However, I have discovered that when reading technical books or books where I should pay attention, I retain more. When I read "Plan your Retirement Properly" in German, reading slowly, the key points stuck. This may have more to do with the poor quality of my reading and retention in English. Also, the subject had more personal relevance than (for example) the dates of the Kings and Queens of England.

If you want to complemplate Psalm 119, then you can do worse that to do it in German. Don't you agree that "Your promises give me new courage. They comfort me in all my troubles" is so much richer when written as "Dein Versprochen schenkt mir neuen Lebensmut. Er tröstet mich in allem Kummer".

Perhaps we'll stick to English except for the techncial books, after all.

Prime Numbers get a Raw Deal

A local Zurich free newspaper used to have a slot on "What happened on this date". As a member of the Anti-Prime Number discrimination society, I noticed that for a whole month, no prime number year was ever mentioned. Nothing of note ever happened on (19)17, (19)43 or (19)23 (Sorry Dad).

We don't like prime numbers. 79 is a horrible number. Prime numbers are hard and have rough edges. 66 is such a smooth round number and anyway England won the world cup in 1966. I bet you know that water freezes at 32 degrees(2*2*2*2*2). Telephone numbers with prime numbers in the sequence are so hard to remember.

So sponsor a prime number today. Give them a fair chance. Remember that the Mini (car, not the skirt) was first launched in (19)59. When you see a mini, you think "There goes 59".

In case you were wondering, there are 25 prime numbers between 2 and 99, so there should have been 5 dates in the months newspapers. But prime numbers have friends. The local free newspaper went out of business.

[With Thanks to Martin Mosse for proof reading the Mathematics

I only have two wise men

One of the problems of having an apartment in the mountains (go on say it "You're lucky to have a place in the mountains") is that you need to keep two set of most household things. Including Christmas decorations. So we are here in Zurich, with our decorations in Laax in the mountains. This is serious. We hunt though our cellar, hoping to find usual bits and pieces from previous years. Yes - we have enough to get by, except no baubles for the tree (now bought from the Coop) and only two wise men.

I am always curious about the wise men in the Christmas story. How did they know? (Not so much where, as they had a star; but what or who was it they were going to see?) If they saw the hand of God in the star, then they are to be admired. Most of us wouldn't see the Hand of God if it hit us in the back of the head (well, you wouldn't because it would be behind you).

Anyway, I have only two of them. The scene is incomplete. Who ever heard of two wise men? So I have a shepherd of about the same size, and from more than three feet, he blends in perfectly. One of the wise men could have been a part-time shepherd. Who knows.

Comments are now allowed

I have discussed this long and hard with many people (actually only two people). I have reached the conclusion that I only want comments that agree with my opinions and this is a good enough reason for not allowing comments. On the other hand, in the interests of internet openness, social networking, and the facebook and twittering era, I shall allow this. Of course, I shall ignore all comments that are vaguely critical as being ignorant, prejudiced, racist, probably sexist, and almost certainly in breach of health and safety regulations.

Guidelines for comments are: "What a clever / insightful / forward thinking / etc / person you are." "How ever did you come up with that masterpiece". Anything that detracts from my own self esteem will be automatically sent to junk.

One of my panel of two made the observation that to think more highly of yourself that you really are is an important factor in pyschological wellbeing. Therefore, think of your comments as an opportunity to improve my well being and comment accordingly.

Some things just never get finished

Do you have some things that just never get done? You really must get round to this or that. "I'll make a list and do them....whenever". Of course, in the business world, it is the job of the project managers to keep these lists and get this stuff done. So how was it possible that when I was travelling last month to London City airport on the Docklands Light Railway, that I heard an announcement that was 4 years out of date?

"Change here at Canning Town for the Docklands Airport bus". AAAGGGG, I thought (or something like that). The DLR has broken down and now we have to take a bus. A quick check on the time - Yes - plenty of time left. Then the moment of realisation that this was the old announcement before the completion of the DLR to the airport four years ago.

As an ex-project management, my heart felt for the poor man (or woman) whose job it was to get this done. Perhaps the job of changing the announcement on this particular train was never put on the list. Perhaps someone said that it had been done, but actually went and played golf instead. Anyway, I don't suppose that the project manager minds anymore. He has his next project now and the passengers do not take any notice, except perhaps the poor airport travellers, whose heartbeats go up by 20 beats.

The snow has arrived

The snow has arrived, so it is time to put the ski boots on and get above the clouds. He is a picture taken at 8,000 feet, with the mountains in the background. When I get tired of these and the lakes, then it is time to come back to England.

Christmas Decorations

We have started to put up our Christmas decorations. In Laax, we have a steam train, with flashing coloured lights, which the neighbours appreciate. In Thalwil, we have a 2 foot reindeer also with lights, which is on the Balcony, which I hope is enjoyed by people passing by.

Perhaps the enjoyment that we all have from each others decorations is probably good enough. But in all that, there is not much about the original Christmas story. I have put up the Crib in Laax, which counts and I have decided that the shining stars in our front window must represent something, as well as looking very pretty. If the three wise men could recognise the significance of a star from the East and then follow it, to where Jesus was lying, then I think that their wisdom has a great deal going for it. So I will think of the wise men and their gifts, when I am looking out of window, while I am doing my morning stretching exercises and 12 press ups.

We are putting up our Christmas treet next weekend. I think that we have a fairy for the top. So I can think about God speaking to the Shepherds. I feel better now. That's two things for me to think about.

Clicking in a Railway Waiting Room

I was sitting in a railway waiting room in Gatwick airport station last month. A young professional lady is on her Blackberry, probably sending an email. Each key stroke delivers a sound, a click. Question: Is she

a) oblivious of the sound that it is making
b) knows the blackberry makes a sound, but assumes that no one minds
c) knows that the sound might be distracting for others, but is indifferent
d) knows that the sound is distracting and is looking forward to some verbal encounter with a fellow passenger.

Here is your follow up question.

A fellow passenger (not me, you will be surprised to know) says to her "That clicking noise is very irritating". Does she respond by saying:

a) Thank you. I am sorry. I did not realise. I will work out how to change it
b) O.K. I will change it some time. I'll just finish this
c) Get a life.
d) Simply ignore him

No prizes for guessing this one.

Planning the U.S.Tour

I have come to the conclusion that most of the fun comes from planning. Down to the detail of the post June 2010 world, what exactly are we going to do. September and October are now booked out for our U.S. tour. Mid-point of this tour is part of the Superior Walk, courtesy of friends in Minnesota.

Next, make a list of all the places that we have heard about and the places that other people have visited. Then, make a list of all the people that we have been meaning to see and stay in contact with. So, we have lists. I am good with lists.

Now the tricky part. Putting it together. But we have plenty of time for that. More later.

I've done it - Retirement here we come

I have decided to retire in June 2010, next year. It feels like makng one of those great life decisions and now everyone knows (and the formal letters have been written and posted), there is no going back. It is quite a milestone.

Having done the important planning, it's time to think in detail about what to do with those first few months. Do nothing for the first two (difficult), and then visit the U.S.A for September and October.

Project ideas include old farts Friday (my idea; not my name), for taking part in some hiking, cycling, golfing or other strenuous and not too extreme activity. Participants need to come up with the ideas.