The number 2 has several unique and fascinating qualities:

• Prime Number: It’s the only even prime number. All other even numbers can be divided by 2, making them non-prime.
• Binary System: In computing, the binary system (base-2) uses only two digits: 0 and 2. This system is the foundation of all modern computer architecture.
• Duality: The concept of duality appears frequently in philosophy, spirituality, and science, representing pairs such as good and evil, light and dark, yin and yang.
• Symmetry: It’s the smallest natural number that is not a palindrome but symmetrical in its form. The symmetry concept is crucial in mathematics and geometry.
• Human Perception: Humans tend to think in pairs or opposites, like day and night, left and right, etc.
• Mathematics: Multiplication by 2 is equivalent to adding a number to itself. It’s the basis for the concept of doubling.

It’s incredible how such a simple number holds so much significance across various fields!

So why is this post brought to you by the number 2?

Well, today I had an email from LiveJournal (Yes apparently they it is still a thing!) 

“Blog’s Birthday – We’re together for 20 years now! Thank you!”

Looks like my LJ account is 20 years old today. I wonder how long ago my last post was? to be honest I did not know the place was still live, I really should go post something on it just for old times sake. So 20 years old, and in 2 0. I know there is nothing odd in that, we are all getting old now. Hell I remember the time we had a work experience kid turn up in the office and I realised I had websites older than him.

This would be nothing, but the number 2 had popped up a few more times recently, like I visited 2 lodges in 2 different Masonic Halls, on 2 consecutive days.  (you want more?)

Both those Lodges ended up doing Second Degrees. 

I do not know what the world is trying to tell me, but it has something to do with the number 2.

Wasn’t there a film once called 2, or 22, or something about the fact a number keep showing itself to main character?

Today is Friday 13Th.

Don’t Panic.

It is just a stupid superstition right? In this modern technological world we have no need for ancient superstitions right? Or in this impersonal online world are we more in need of reminders of things beyond our comprehension?

And just how bad is Friday the 13th anyway? Fridays are good, they herald in the weekend, and we all like the weekend don’t we?

OK, SO it is supposed to be unlucky, So it is the day when Murphy’s Law is in full swing, and if anything bad can happen, it will happen in triplicate! So what if people stay off the roads, and refuse to fly and other such things. It’s only superstition.

isn’t it?

DON’T PANIC!!

BUT wait! Tonight there is a Full Moon! You know a full moon, The time of Werewolves, and Witches Covens, of Lunatics, and increased madness!

So to recap.

1. The Unluckiest day of the year
2. The Day of the month most likely to cause Insanity, Shape-shifting, & evil magic.
3. AT THE SAME TIME

FRAK IT, PANIC!!!

Today is Friday 13Th.

Don’t Panic.

It is just a stupid superstition right? In this modern technological world we have no need for ancient superstitions right? Or in this impersonal online world are we more in need of reminders of things beyond our comprehension?

Did you also realise we are in the 13th year of this century? SO that makes :-

Today is Friday 13th 2013.

DON’T PANIC!!

Here is a fun fact for you. Did you know that this 13th year of this century will have two Friday 13th’s in it? and that they will be 13 weeks apart?

FRAK IT, PANIC!!!

Today is Friday 13Th.

Don’t Panic.

It is just a stupid superstition right? In this modern technological world we have no need for ancient superstitions right? Or in this impersonal online world are we more in need of reminders of things beyond our comprehension?

Did you also realise we are in the 13th year of this century? SO that makes :-

Today is Friday 13th 2013.

DON’T PANIC!!

Here is a fun fact for you. Did you know that this 13th year of this century will have two Friday 13th’s in it? and that they will be 13 weeks apart?

FRAK IT, PANIC!!!

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told.

OK, So we are all aware of the Magpie fortune telling poem. “What do you mean you have no idea what I am on about?” Right for a primer go read this “Greetings Mr Magpie. One for Sorrow…” I will wait here for you while you do.

***Time Passes***

OK, So we are NOW all aware of the Magpie fortune telling poem, But I have some Questions relating to it.

1) How do you count the Magpies?

You see a magpie by itself and you go “ONE”, Then you see another one and go “TWO” but? Is it two or is it two single Magpies?

2) Is there a set area in which to count the Magpies?

If there are two or more Magpies standing next to each other then the counting is obvious. But what if there are say two Magpies together and a third three foot away, does it count?

3) Do you count based on the Photograph affect?

If when you saw the first Magpie and in your mind took a photograph do you count all the Magpie’s you can see at that minute. So if a second or two later you see another Magpie does that count to the total score or do you start recounting.

4) Do you count based on a time frame?

So after the first Magpie is spotted does a timer start, and you count every Magpie you see in the follow few seconds? Does it go by blinking?

Hopefully its blinking, because I can go a long time between blinks. This would allow me to cheat and not blink until I hit a score that is beneficial to me.

5) How does multiples count?

OK. so you have your counting rules fixed in your mind. And you see a Magpie (ONE) then a short while again you see another Magpie (ONE) now, which of the three options does this count as?

a) Fortune is confirming that you are in for Sorrow

b) You are going to have two lots of sorrow

c) Your sorrow is now going to be twice as bad

This may seem a bit of an odd thing to contemplate, but its for a very very good reason. “Three for a Girl” If we can get the rules agreed on (go for blinking) I could fix it so I always get to count Magpies as being three, then if I can get two lots of three Then according to (5b) I would get a threesome, more than two lots of three and we are in for an orgy!

After months and months of constant rain the country is about as water logged as it can be, for a while now it has only taken a couple of hours light rain to cause flooding all over the place. So with the ground already to capacity, there has been a kind of Nationwide concern over what would happen when the several feet of snow finally melted.

In fact, the Nationwide worry was so “worrying” that the Government environmental agency issued advice on how to prepare and even help prevent flooding. That amazing, scientific, flood defence advice was………….

…………..Wait for it……………

To build Snowmen!

Yes, the cunning plan was that if everyone went out and built a snowman then flooding would be prevented. The logic being, Snowmen take longer to melt than normal snow, so by converting a lot of normal snow into Snowmen, the melting is staggered and flooding prevented.

Now my first thought on hearing this advice, was the same one you are probably having right now. That somehow “The Great Intelligence Institute” had infiltrated the environmental agency, and was planning on taking over the Earth with its army of Snowmen. (I’d seen something similar on a Documentary screened Christmas time)

I did try to investigate this further by checking with the person who answers to the name “The Doctor”, which was not as easy as it sounds. Knowing that with an army of Snowmen were being built, he would be around somewhere I kept an eye out for an old blue police box. I did not find the Police Box because he had the chameleon circuit working an the Box was now in the guise of a old Red Telephone Box. Unfortunately the Doctors recent regeneration seems to have caused problems with the language centre of his brain. The conversation went something like this :-

WO: “Doc, Can I call you Doc?“

Doc: “What? Can I help you?“

WO: “I think the Great Intelligence is trying to take over the earth again with an army of Snowmen“

Doc: “What? what are you going on about? Who are you?“

WO: “The government’s plan to build an army of snowmen“

Doc: *picks up the phone* “Police. I need help“

I decided then that my work was done, The Doctor was obviously contacting the Police/UNIT in an attempt to help. And help he did.

We had a weekend of rain, all the snow melted but there was no flooding this morning, and suspiciously no Snowmen. I can only assume the Doctor did what he did and fixed it all as we slept… So I’d like to say.

Thanks Doc..

Well December 21st 2012 has past and we are all still here. We survived, the world did not end in a blaze of fire, long forgotten unhallowed graves did not spew forth their masses of undead zombies (I am a slightly upset about that one)

So Congratulations to us. WE RULE. so lets put all these doomsday worries behind us, and move on with our lives…….

UNLESSS

This post is set to auto publish. SO technically we could all be dead. the world could be totally destroyed and this post is going out to no one. In which case I would just like to say.

Fornit some Fornus, and Good bye and thanks for all the fish.

So we all know* the “One for Sorrow” Poem in one of its many versions.

*Well I am assuming we all know. If not, Where have you been people!!!!

The one I grew up with is most common one :-

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret never to be told.

Now. Growing up I was ignorant of the side rule of what to do if you see a single Magpie. I was only illuminated on the subject when I finally asked my sister why she kept saluting magpies.** And she informed me that a single Magpie (Which equals bad luck) can be countered by saluting it.

**For the first fifteen years of my life I just assumed my sister was insane,

Sounds fishy right?

Well Over the years I have looked it up, and It seems to be be a valid superstition. In fact there seems to be many ways of dealing with the evil of a lone magpie. Some of them are :-

• “Hello Mr Magpie” “How is your wife/where is your wife?”, “Good Morning/Evening Sir” This apparently both counters the bad luck and adds an imaginary magpie to the count making it “Two for Joy”
• Say the phrase “I defy thee” seven times.
• Spit three times to avert ill luck.
• Pinch the person you are walking with. If alone pinch yourself
• Salute the Magpie

Well, What I want to know is. What happens if you respond to the single Magpie by hitting it with your car. While its flying (That should give bonus points right??)

Calm down dear its just a blog post!!

The Magpie was not hurt. It was eating on the road when I was driving at it. It took off in one direction, changed its mind and headed towards me, then changed mind again meaning it had not gained height or distance and its tail-feathers slapped against my cars windscreen.

so if a salute changes bad luck to good luck. does hitting a bird flying in the sky change it from bad luck to AWESOME LUCK

ERRR. just asking for a friend.

So the press is reporting on “Frankenburger” The worlds first test-tube burger. And how it could revolutionise the food industry, bring an end to world famines (Although how many third world citizens can afford the $200,000 per burger cost I don’t know) and even be eatable by animal lovers. Others are saying that no one would want to eat a bit of flesh created in a lab, Personally my views are “If it looks like Bacon, and tastes like Bacon.. I’m eating it!“.  But in all fairness I am a meat eater, and happily admit that I would be the first to eat the dead in an emergency (You have to eat them fast before they go off, so eat the dead first, then emergency rations which last longer)

Hang on, I went off topic there. Oh Animal Lovers.

Its the fact they are claiming Animal lovers will eat it, and that “so called” Animal Lovers interviewed on the news stated it would be better for animals. “Err really?” I think these “Animal lovers” must love animals as much as Vegetarians (Especially the preachy ones). Lets look at the facts.

Fact. Meat for food would be grown in a lab. So Farmers would not make money selling animals for food, so they would not pay for feeding them, or vets bills. Also since the farmer is now not making money they will need to use their land to grow crops or something. So what will happen to all those animals? killed? made extinct?

What use is a pig if you cant eat it? None dairy cattle? and so on. If we stop eating them, then they loose all value. Yes its not nice eating a poor animal, but we eat it after its had a nice lazy life. SO if the preachy Vegetarians had their way and we all stopped eating meat, think of the mass slaughter of animals that would take place. I’m telling you, vegetarians are anti-animals. They are pure evil!!!

+10 Geek Points for getting the Title reference.

I recently had a mini holiday in Pwllheli, I’d gone to visit some old friends who were holidaying there at the time (*EDIT: Oddly all the friends there can probably be found in The Pleasuredome rest home for the mentally unstable.) This Mini-Holiday led to several thoughts, events, Stories that will make it onto this Blog. This one is titled :-

“USA – Secret Summit”

I took a rather random and scenic route from my part of North Wales, to Pwllheli, for several reasons like :-

1. Diversions/Road Closures
2. A SatNav that refuse to talk to any Satellites
3. The Avoidance of a road where I had a really nasty crash the last time I drove to Pwllheli to meet a Dome Spod.
4. & The fact I was not really paying that much attention to where I was going since I knew the basic route.

So there I was happily driving along a small mountain road with little or no traffic when I noticed a large hall in the trees that was oddly flying several American flags. “That’s Odd” I thought. And I decided it was a lot odder when I got closer to the building to find a large car-park full of large cars, all sporting those American bonnet flags you see on embassy/presidential cars.

So what I would like to know from the American readers is. What secret official summit were you guys having in a hall hidden away up in the Welsh mountains?