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| | My first week in Scotland was quite idyllic, with beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And then Storm Arwen hit, took out my power, and hence my heating and cooking facilities and hot water as well. I was basically living in a dark fridge for 102 hours. But... as I said to my estate agent, if I can tough that one out, I can probably cope with most Scottish winters! | | My first week in Scotland was quite idyllic, with beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And then Storm Arwen hit, took out my power, and hence my heating and cooking facilities and hot water as well. I was basically living in a dark fridge for 102 hours. But... as I said to my estate agent, if I can tough that one out, I can probably cope with most Scottish winters! |
| − |
| |
| − | One thing's for sure: once I've done my first hash in Scotland, it's going to be a complete fiddly nightmare updating all my charts and graphs...
| |
| | | | |
| | = Journal = | | = Journal = |
Revision as of 15:23, 11 June 2022
Announcement: Relocation
BIG NEWS - I have now moved from Southampton to Aberdeen,_United_Kingdom and become an "English Scot" :) I'm looking forward to exploring new territory, and getting a bit fitter in the mountains too. It's a huge step for me, since I've never lived north of London before, but, well... the far Cairngorms are pullin' me away! And when you're called, you have to go.
My first week in Scotland was quite idyllic, with beautiful sunrises and sunsets. And then Storm Arwen hit, took out my power, and hence my heating and cooking facilities and hot water as well. I was basically living in a dark fridge for 102 hours. But... as I said to my estate agent, if I can tough that one out, I can probably cope with most Scottish winters!
Journal
Current journal entries
Old journal entries archived here
Stats
| Real name
|
Mike
|
| Based in
|
Aberdeen, United Kingdom (near Turriff)
|
| Education
|
Southampton Uni Maths grad, 1986
|
| Vocation
|
Software developer
|
| Avocations
|
Composer, Musician, Writer, Time lapse and Landscape Photographer, Anagrammatist, Cruciverbalist, General Butterfly-Minded Mr Toad.
|
| xkcd history
|
Fan since the first mention on BoingBoing in 2005
|
| Home turf
|
Approximately here (since November 2021)
|
| Trivia
|
- I can close my nose without touching it, which makes me fart-proof.
- I eat at least a hundred times my own body weight every century.
- I'm a full-time sceptic, part-time father, one-time rock star and all-time champion awful punster.
- I and a few dozen others once rode a rollercoaster naked, and I have a Guinness World Records certificate on my wall to commemorate it.
- According to the Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, 10^7500 copies of me were created in the five seconds it took you to read this sentence. So be thankful each copy of you will only ever have one (or zero) copy of me to deal with, unless matter-copying tech arrives before one of us dies.
|
| We should:
|
- Change the "12" to a "0" on standard analogue clock faces – because why would the number reset a whole hour after "a.m." becomes "p.m."?
- Rename the octave "the heptive". C to C is seven steps, not eight, and besides, including the word "hep" would make music more groovy.
- Abolish DST. I stand firm on this, despite living near the Greenwich Meridian where DST-based Time-traveller_achievements are easier.
- Ban the use of illogical signs – for example, the "it's forbidden to prevent people entering" sign.
|
Geohashing Song
Mike has also written a song about Geohashing, and had it played on his local radio station. Click this image for the official video
|
My Hashscot
This is Chuck, my hashscot. Being one of the greatest adventuring scientists who ever lived, rather exhausted after his voyage on the Beagle, family tragedy and the years and years of work on his well-known book, this 200-year-old explorer decided to take it easy, and now travels to random locations with me.
He enjoys looking at the countryside on our travels, and gets rather animated when by chance we spy a finch or lowly earthworm. I often have to remind him to calm down before he punctuates his equilibrium. I am looking forward to the day when my bicycle chain breaks so I can ask him, in jocular fashion, to go and find the missing link.
Planned Hashes
None at present
Hash Log
Standard Hashes
Coverage
- Background colours on first grid are actual black body radiation colours ranging from 1000K to 40000K (source)
- Background colours on second grid are based on those for the first one, but are slightly lighter.
- Gold cells on Minesweeper grid indicate ribbons present on this user page. It was too fiddly to track every grat that was eligible for a level, so instead I just always have one for my home grat, plus one for the highest level (if higher than the home grat). Once I achieve an 8, that latter rule will probably disappear and I'll just have the home grat, plus any that are at level 8.
Map
History
| Seq#
|
ID
|
Location
|
Information
|
|
|
|
|
|
New People
|
| 043
|
2022-05-27 57 -2
|
Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire
|
 
|
|
|
96
|
|
0
|
|
| 042
|
2020-05-21 50 -1
|
Hanover Buildings, Southampton
|
|
|
|
20
|
|
0
|
|
| 041
|
2020-03-20 50 -1
|
Fritham, New Forest
|
|
|
|
125
|
|
2
|
|
| 040
|
2020-03-20 50 -0
|
Oxen Down, East Dean
|
|
|
|
57
|
|
4
|
|
| 039
|
2020-03-14 51 -0
|
Bramshott Drive, Hook
|
 
|
|
|
142
|
|
|
|
| 038
|
2020-03-13 51 1
|
Betteshanger Park, Deal, Kent
|
|
|
|
502
|
|
4
|
|
| 037
|
2020-03-11 50 -1
|
Burley, New Forest
|
 
|
|
|
90
|
|
4
|
|
| 036
|
2020-03-10 50 -0
|
Queen Elizabeth Country Park
|
|
|
|
84
|
|
4
|
|
| 035
|
2020-03-09 50 -2
|
Winfrith Newburgh
|
|
|
|
210
|
|
2
|
|
| 034
|
2020-02-29 51 -1
|
Bentley Wood, West Tytherley
|
 
|
|
|
85
|
|
3
|
|
| 033
|
2014-05-03 50 -1
|
Berry Business Village, Hedge End
|
|
|
|
6
|
|
|
|
| 032
|
2014-04-27 52 -0
|
Biggleswade Rugby Club
|
|
|
|
377
|
|
|
|
| 031
|
2014-04-23 51 -0
|
Marlow, near Reading
|
|
|
|
225
|
|
3
|
|
| 030
|
2014-04-17 50 -1
|
Fox and Hounds pub, Bursledon
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
|
| 029
|
2013-03-24 50 -1
|
Fritham, New Forest
|
|
|
|
75
|
|
4
|
|
| 028
|
2010-02-17 51 -0
|
Thame, Oxfordshire
|
|
|
|
10
|
|
|
|
| 027
|
2009-11-17 50 -1
|
Forest of Bere
|
|
|
|
24
|
|
1
|
|
| 026
|
2009-10-31 50 -2
|
Long Crichel, Blandford Forum
|
|
|
|
130
|
|
|
|
| 025
|
2009-10-24 52 -1
|
Aston-upon-Trent, near Derby
|
|
|
|
86
|
|
|
|
| 024
|
2009-10-23 51 -1
|
Hockley, Winchester
|
|
|
|
55
|
|
1
|
|
| 023
|
2009-10-18 51 -2
|
West Kington, Chippenham
|
|
|
|
241
|
|
|
|
| 022
|
2009-10-18 51 -3
|
St. Bride's-Super-Ely, Cardiff
|
|
|
|
76
|
|
1
|
|
| 021
|
2009-10-13 50 -1
|
Chandlers Ford, Southampton
|
|
|
|
28
|
|
|
|
| 020
|
2009-10-11 51 -0
|
Stedham, Midhurst
|
|
|
|
138
|
|
2
|
|
| 019
|
2009-10-02 51 -0
|
Highmoor Cross, Reading
|
|
|
|
197
|
|
4
|
thepiguy,srs0
|
| 018
|
2009-09-29 51 -1
|
Ashmansworth, Hampshire
|
|
|
|
132
|
|
|
|
| 017
|
2009-09-27 50 -1
|
Eastleigh
|
|
|
|
33
|
|
2
|
davidc,Dee,JonRead
|
| 016
|
2009-09-18 50 -0
|
South Harting
|
|
|
|
100
|
|
4
|
|
| 015
|
2009-09-13 50 -1
|
Hilsea recreation ground
|
|
|
43
|
0
|
|
3
|
Maoi-taoi
|
| 014
|
2009-09-10 51 -1
|
Litchfield
|
|
|
|
136
|
|
6
|
|
| 013
|
2009-09-06 50 -1
|
Harbridge, New Forest
|
|
|
|
63
|
46
|
2
|
|
| 012
|
2009-09-02 50 -2
|
Iwerne Minster
|
|
|
|
195
|
|
|
|
| 011
|
2009-08-30 51 -1
|
Barton Farm, Winchester
|
|
|
|
59
|
|
|
Mapaholic
|
| 010
|
2009-08-15 50 -1
|
Bierley, Isle of Wight
|
|
40
|
|
12
|
68
|
|
DavidMiller
|
| 009
|
2009-08-10 50 -1
|
New Forest, near Hythe
|
|
5
|
|
19
|
15
|
|
|
| 008
|
2009-08-08 50 -2
|
Chesil beach, Portland, Weymouth
|
|
|
233
|
0
|
16
|
1
|
|
| 007
|
2009-08-07 50 -1
|
Field near Rockbourne
|
|
|
|
0
|
9
|
|
|
| 006
|
2009-08-01 50 -2
|
Charlton Marshall, Dorset
|
|
|
|
148
|
|
1
|
04housemat,Mahahahaneapneap
|
| 005
|
2009-07-27 50 -1
|
Romsey, Hampshire
|
|
|
|
192
|
|
1
|
|
| 004
|
2009-07-27 51 -0
|
Flitwick, near Luton
|
|
|
|
248
|
|
|
|
| 003
|
2009-07-22 50 -0
|
The Road To Bognor
|
|
|
|
93
|
2
|
|
|
| 002
|
2009-07-18 50 -1
|
Hambledon Cricket pilgrimage!
|
|
|
|
49
|
|
9
|
|
| 001
|
2009-06-28 50 -1
|
Hedge End Recreation Ground
|
|
|
|
5
|
|
|
Sermoa
|
Retro Hashes and Special Expeditions
Calendar - 2020 only
Note: Retro hashes not counted here, but all standard expeditions are counted, whether successful or not
| 2020
|
01
|
02
|
03
|
04
|
05
|
06
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07
|
08
|
09
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
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20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
| Jan
|
|
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| Feb
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1
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| Mar
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1
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1
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1
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1
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1
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2
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| Apr
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| May
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1
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| Jun
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| Jul
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| Aug
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| Sep
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| Oct
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| Nov
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| Dec
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Long-term Intentions
Origin Displacement Retrohashes
Earn various Displaced origin geohash achievements (some of these are rather ambitious, I'll admit!)
| Continent
|
Country
|
Hash
|
Comments
|
Optimism score 0-100
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 50 -2
|
Right on a footpath by a river in Dorchester
|
99
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 52 0
|
Marginally within somebody's front garden, but arguably public as within GPS accuracy of public land
|
85
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 54 -2
|
In the Pennines, on Alston Moor. The hash is about 0.5km east of the Pennine Way as it winds its way down from Cross Fell.
|
80
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 53 -0
|
Hull, waterside business park, I think, right next to the Humber - should be easy once there!
|
80
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 53 -1
|
Next to a canal and the M62 near Sheffield. Sounds inaccessible, but satellite imagery makes it look relatively easy.
|
80
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 51 -3
|
On a green (or the fairway?) on the Aberdare golf course near Cardiff in Wales :)
|
70
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 52 -2
|
Telford, not sure about access, looks like some houses but fairly urban
|
40
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 50 -1
|
On the Isle Of Wight: 100m from path, in a field - needs careful permission planning
|
30
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 51 -2
|
Dursley, 30m from a path but is in a field!
|
30
|
| Europe
|
UK
|
1965-05-06 52 -3
|
Dyfnant Forest, Wales: In some sort of field but it looks rugged so might be accessible but I'm dubious
|
20
|
| Europe
|
Mallorca
|
1965-05-06 39 3
|
Next to a road but not ON it. Looks like an orchard.
|
10
|
| Asia
|
Japan
|
1965-05-06 35 139
|
A normal-looking street in Tokyo! Could be done.
|
10
|
| Undefined
|
Hawai'i
|
1965-05-06 20 -156
|
On Maui - therefore expensive to get to. Thought it was a short walk into the hills... but it seems it might be restricted access
|
5
|
| Africa
|
Nigeria
|
1965-05-06 5 6
|
(I liked the pattern of 5 and 6!) Only about 50m from a road, but it’s in trees, and near a house.
|
2
|
| Asia
|
Nepal
|
1965-05-06 27 86
|
About 300m from a trail in the foothills of Mount Everest. I might try this one day if I'm feeling foolhardy.
|
1
|
Other
- Do a Buccaneer Geohash on Talk Like a Pirate Day (yyyy-09-19)
- Visit the hash point from the original comic: 2005-05-26 37 -122 - it's in the Mt. Tam state park near San Francisco.
- Do a DST-based Time-traveller achievement (there's a fair chance, as I'm not too far from the Greenwich Meridian).
- Leave a variety of unusual xkcd signs
- One made out of ants (attempted on 2009-09-27 50 -1 without success)
- One in ASCII binary (probably already been done)
- One in Morse code (ditto)
- One in Turncode (something I've invented)
- Collar someone with a boat and do a big Water geohash, probably in the Solent, or the river Itchen or Hamble.
- Buy a small boat (kayak?) and do a small Water geohash, probably in a lake or small river.
- Gain the Minesweeper Geohash ribbon because it's shiny! Probably centred on the Swindon graticule.
Completed!
- Earn the Origin geohash achievement by visiting 1965-05-06 51 0 in a field near Chelmsford
- Leave an xkcd sign in Braille
- Leave an xkcd sign that can only be seen from the right angle (like the Channel 4 logos on TV)
VERY long-term intentions
- Complete a hash expedition in all 64,800 graticules. Hey, I'm a life-extensionist and I think big, what can I say? The real question is: centuries from now, will geohashing exist? Come to that, will the Dow Jones exist? I think Gene Roddenberry would probably say "Let's hope not". So there ya go.
Achievement Ribbons
Ongoing
Completed
Template:Virgin graticule
Consolation Prizes
Gratuitous Ribbons
Micronencer Achievements
(my son, who may get his own page one day!)
2014-04-23 51 -0
59 / m / 57,-2
