maths

I love Maths. How far was I from this stunning bird ? Calculate knowing the following numbers, Distance from Pole less than 30 feet, height of standard telephone hmmm ...........Scientific Wild Ass Guess (or SWAG as "we in the know call it)Pretty close to 30 feet. Then the camera was about 6ft off the ground, then you have to take out the little bitty triangle behind me ,and apply Monty Pythogerouses theory to it. And the computer said compensate for optical curvature of the compound lenses, another 3 hours. Any way I was close enough for this pic. Lovely bird.
When I worked at palomar I had the pleasure of working with the consumate brit, waistcote, tweed hat and matching suit. Rumple of the Observatory. Hell bent on learning me the maths of Optics. "Roger I will send you a book, you must read it and study it" IT arrives " OPTIKS by BEER" I am in, probably had a few before he mis spelled the title. Problem? Yes written in German. Decided to loan me "The theory of knots". No chance, Tonto.
This idiot who runs around finding secret societies in the shape of Duh Vincis drawings and scratch marks on the tombs of the Knights who say "NI" and strange messages in the shapes of shrubbery, needs to look into the scrawlings of mathematicians, got be a code in there somewhere. I'm starting to think that the Brownies are a secret cult !!LOOK out the paranoids are after us !
Years ago, again on palomar, some silly people were sat around my house debating the heat of the core of the 345/rigel/ sector 14/Beam me up scotty Nebula core. Again Brits, this time it was Bocksenbergs Flying Circus (True story), the one who looked exactly like Michael Palin, said "It has to be 40000000 billion degrees, if it has such a red shift" At which point the red haired impetuous one said "Centigrade or Kelvin?' "Oh kelvin" "Oh ok" That clarification still causes me to laugh 20 years later.
Enjoy the day
rh
ps Hope that book comes out soon !