Pi Day

This afternoon I came across an interesting item on the BBC Web Site from which I learned that today is Pi Day, a celebration of the mathematical ratio (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7296224.stm).

Of course this only works by taking the 3.14 approximation of Pi in the American dating style sense, that is the English style reversed, of course; 3/14 working better than 14/3, or 14/03, from the Pi Day point of view. Clearly the residents of that great expanse of rock and mud west of the Pond has more uses than playing football with their hands and needing to wear crash helmets to do so, turning Rounders into a national sport and having an English dictionary written by some who cannot spell.

Mind you the thought of a reversed dating style, belatedly, seemed even stranger; more like “boomps a daisy” than anything intimate.

Anyway, less of the frivolity; back to Pi and its fascinations. As a Professional Engineer, plus an interest in science before that, Pi has been part of my life for over half a century. Even so, I came across a couple of interesting points in the BBC piece that I do not think I recall having seen before.

Pi Day, 14^th March, is also the birthday of Albert Einstein.

Another gem was the ratio off the lengths of a river. Apparently, if you divide the length of a river from source to mouth, across a gently sloping plain, by its direct length, “as the crow flies”, the answer is Pi.

I was aware of the Great Pyramid of Giza having Pi related ratios and, of course, very familiar with Pi in waves, though, rather than the ocean waves mentioned in the article, those in electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical vibrations, stress waves, etc.

There are other enigmatic constants as well, of course, such as “e”, the base of natural logarithms, though Pi is the most readily recognisable in the general sense.

However, as Daniel Blatner, author of the BBC article and the book “The Joy of Pi” points out, Pi is an ever present, sometime grating reminder that there are puzzles that can be solved and there are mysteries that, perhaps, cannot.

Of course my background and experiences are such that I am only too well aware of the limitations of science, at its present level. What is beyond is both beautiful and fascinating, far more so than even the science and mathematics.

Heroes, zeroes and the rest of us

I was somewhat surprised to come across a news story about Airmen from RAF Wittering being told not to wear uniforms in the City of Peterborough in order to avoid being verbally abused by civilians. Apparently, people who oppose U.K. involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq had been taunting service personnel from the base. However, on later reflection I wondered how much it had to do with the ethnic mix in Britain nowadays.

I have been totally opposed to the illegal and immoral wars in which corrupt, cowardly politicians have involve my Country, since the possibility of such conflicts arose. Except for very rare and pressing exceptions I do not believe wars are justified except in self defence and any actions that might result in loss of life should only be undertaken as a last resort. Note that none of the politicians who sent others into those conflicts have ever had the courage to serve in the Armed Forces themselves, other than one who joined a “home defence force” apparently to avoid serving abroad.

However, I have had nothing but admiration for those who have been asked to serve this Country, risk and, unfortunately, give their lives in the process. I seriously doubt if their abusers would get anywhere near their level of courage, more likely turn and run at the lightest threat to their safety.

My late parents met while serving in the Royal Air Force during World War Two. I was born was my father was on a posting in India and owe my life to a surgeon at the Royal Air Force Hospital, Ely; I was belatedly diagnosed with intussusception and operated on with only about half an hour to go. If it had not been for my father effectively overruling the Base Medical Officer, I would not even have made it to hospital. We also used to live in Cambridgeshire, at Upwood R.A.F. Base, not far from Wittering, as well as in my mother’s home town of March, which arises in te early Chapters of my book “Remembering Lorelei” (www.rememberinglorelei.com), hopefully available from May 2008, onwards.

Partly because of my parent’s involvement with the Air Force, though for many other reasons besides, I have considerable respect for the Armed Services. If it was not for them this Country would not have enjoyed the freedom it has, though, regrettably, that is now being taken away by stealth by the very politicians who make use of brave people for the aforementioned immoral, illegal ends.

In the few days following the report of the incidents in Peterborough I have been delighted to read that there has been a huge up swell of goodwill and support for Service personnel from by far the greater majority of people in this Country; that includes the suggestion of an Armed Services Day being incorporated in the calendar.

News Blackouts, Princes and Kings

The story of Prince Harry serving in Afghanistan under a news blackout has, naturally, generated a great deal of discussion. It has a personal interest connection in that something I was involved in, as well as myself, to a very large extent, has also been the subject of a news blackout. The difference was that, unlike Prince Harry. I was not party to it, or involved in any way. In fact I would have preferred everything to be in the open. The other difference is that there is nothing illegal in Prince Harry’s situation, while there is everything illegal about the situation connected with me, though nothing to do with any of my actions, mine were totally above board.

As Jon Williams, BBC World News Editor, put it, in his Blog of 29^th February 2008 (News black-out):
“ At its simplest, journalism is about telling people things they don't know. So when the Ministry of Defence approached the BBC - along with other parts of the UK media - to ask us not to tell our audiences about a possible deployment of Prince Harry to Afghanistan, it was something we thought long and hard about.”

He goes on to write that:
“ A news black-out is unusual, but not unique. An agreement exists between the police and the media over the reporting of kidnaps - the police have the right to request that media organisations don't report an abduction while negotiations are under way, in case it makes the release of the hostage more difficult; in return, they accept the responsibility to update the media regularly and reveal the full story, on camera, once the situation has been resolved. When lives are at risk, it's not always helpful to have things played out in the glare of publicity.”

The local situation had nothing whatever to do with kidnaps, or anything remotely similar. It had everything to do with major fraud perpetrated by local public officials.

The actual offence was misappropriation of European Funds by false accounting, deception and fraud. The money had to be paid back to avoid prosecution. Government Bodies do not, usually, bother to prosecute unless the money is not paid back, or the sums involved are several, many millions of Pounds; as confirmed by a friend who is Financial Director of a major company. Even so, the sums involved were in the hundreds of thousands of Pounds, quite possibly a million Pounds, or more, at 2008 values. To pay the monies back the local residents and taxpayers were defrauded and have been kept in the dark about it ever since.

A reporter said I should let them know when I wanted to go public. When I expanded on what was involved in terms of work and time for the reporter the encouraging response was, “As long as it takes”.

Soon afterwards the reporter was moved to another office. The responses from a main office reporter and a local replacement was completely different to the original, positive, helpful, expected, professional approach. A reporter at the main office who I contacted after he wrote and published a short, very incomplete report was,
“ You will say one thing and the Council will say another, and our readers will not be interested.”
I would have thought they would have been extremely interested at the time, let alone the alter information I received to confirm that it was fraud and on a scale far greater than even I knew about.
When, also just after the original events, I had a conversation with yet another reporter, adding that there was an additional matter of professional qualifications that claimed by a public employee who was heavily involved being false, the response was,
“ I’m sure you must be disappointed … ” and took it no further.

Some months later I ‘phoned the main office in relation to a completely unconnected matter and found myself talking to the original reporter; we recognised each others voices. Without me even asking about the major fraud investigation on which that reporter was prepared to embark, it was quickly brought up anyway,
“ On the other matter; there was a high level meeting and it was decided we could not help you.”

It seemed odd from the start. My non-physical side with its unique connection would normally be worth a story in its own right, even if only to take, or attempt to take, the proverbial. Major public sector fraud is normally a front page story; even, possibly, a national one, at least on that scale, particularly with the connections involved. Even though I was a victim of the fraud rather than the perpetrator, one person was involved in both stories, yet even the combination was not enough. No wonder other media professionals thought it odd. Quite apart from me being worthy of “a high level meeting at which the decision was made, or conveyed after already having been made.

A radio presenter, who was a former reporter, whom I spoke to on a radio ‘phone in reacted to the non-reporting story I told him, in general terms, by saying,
“Very strange.”
Not long afterwards, in a conversation with a regional BBC reporter my story elicited the same exactly the same response,
“Very strange.”

Years later “The Well-Wisher”, who had seen it all from the inside, described the relationship as “neighbours and very close friends”, in addition to having already confirmed that the fraud was very real, was a major one and indicating that the repayment money had been taken from local resources. I was also told that I was why I was being slandered behind my back, which I had heard about anyway, to dissuade officers and others from responding to me, to discriminate against me. The jigsaw was close to completion.

“The Well-Wisher” also thought my computer problems of late 2006 might have been due to an attack, as there are very good computer people within the organisation working against me, though I am not sure. However, should my Web Sites and Blogs disappear, or anything else untoward happen, I would not be surprised. There are not many people who are anxious to have a free “holiday” courtesy of Prince Harry’s Grandmother, let alone a group of them.

As the BBC’s Jon William’s said, “journalism is about telling people things they don’t know”. Clearly, some journalists are prepared to help others prevent people knowing what they wish to keep from them.

Unfortunately, I only outrank Prince Harry in name, otherwise matters would have been different.

Thanks to me being read about, around the world, in Barbara Ford-Hammond’s book “Past Life Tourism - Gateway to Bridging Your Past and Future”), a change is at least beginning to happen. Quite apart from my Web Sites and Blogs, as well as other Internet contributions, people around the World are getting to know more about Havant, Hampshire, U.K.

Unexpected Visitors

On Saturday (10 November) Emma and Fred brought Anna, our new granddaughter, to stay with Jo and I for the day while they had a break in Poole. Fred wanted to indulge in some surfing and Emma had Open University studies to catch up on. Between feeding Anna Jo and I walked into Havant with her, had lunch on our return and a relatively quiet afternoon.

In the early evening our son, Tim, rang. He and his Jo were at Bognor Regis, visiting Jo’s relatives and wanted to come to our house to see Anna. The result was all of us together for the evening.

What was, in a sense, the most significant part came later, after we had a meal, followed by an hour or two of Anna receiving a great deal of attention. By then Anna was tired, so, after yet another bottle of milk Jo put her in her pram and rocked her to sleep.

By then it was a about 9.00 p.m. a little after that, ten past nine, or thereabouts, I was looking over my left shoulder towards the pram with Anna in it, plus Jo, Tim and his Jo, Emma and Fred, wondering what my mother and father would think about the group, particularly Anna, when my higher senses suddenly became more open. My late parents were behind me, by the lounge door, together; they were happy and delighted. They were standing with their backs to the door, a foot or two from it, my father nearest to me with my mother a little further away, on his left, their arms around each other. It was a shame they were not in the physical to see and be with their great granddaughter in that way but, in the greater reality sense they were with us anyway, as we are all always together. They were both very happy and pleased with what they saw. The left side of my head was “fizzing” as it tended to, at times, when my senses were that attuned and it stayed that way for at least fifteen to twenty minutes, only starting to fade when Emma, Fred, Anna, Tim and his Jo were leaving.

A very enjoyable day had ended unexpectedly busy, plus the added extra of my late parents arriving, a pleasant surprise which I told Jo about the next day. Fortunately, Jo is open enough to be able to accept that with ease; while my mother was terminally ill in 2004 events reached a stage where Jo sensed and said, to me, that my mother was not really there; her physical world representation was but not the real, actual, person, something I had largely concluded some time before that (www.richardspsychicrealm.com/RPR_PreDEMM.htm).

An interesting Conference and a strange amateur video

While September ended busily and October began much the same, it soon turned strange as well.

On 6^th October, a Saturday, I travelled to London for the “Healing and Spirituality in the 21^st Century” Conference at the Friends Meeting House in Euston, conveniently directly across the road from the Underground and Railway Station. The Conference was organised by the National Federation of Spiritual Healers and the London Branch of the Doctor Healer Network

An odd Sunday when several small things went wrong during some DIY around the house was followed by an even stranger Monday. Everything was normal as I stopped off in Havant on the way back from a meeting with a client. I walked through the Meridian Centre on my way to collect a copy of the local newspaper, The News, from the Newspaper Office in East Street, our Saturday copy not having been delivered.

I was most of the way through the Meridian Centre when I was passed by some youths going the in the opposite direction, one of whom stopped, came over to me and started talking, asking questions, all of which fell somewhere between incomprehensible and gibberish. The only parts that made sense included something to do with Moo, which turned out to be M.O.O., an abbreviation for something to do with video and DVD and mention of a spoof programme whereby people were set up in some situation and secretly videoed, plus, occasionally asking me if I had a word for him.

It was at that point that I realised the youth had occasionally glanced down. When I looked down as well, I saw a video camera pointing at me. At that point I asked wheat he was up to and reached for the camera. He ran as fast as he could with me after him, catching up with him outside the north side of the Meridian Centre with the camera not in sight. Remembering he had asked me if I had a word for him, I reminded him of that and said I had not one word but two, “snivelling coward”.

In due course I tracked the student back to Havant College, the authorities of which readily apologised , along with a letter from the student, though he was still not brave enough to give his full name. The full storyof the college media student is related on my Journal Web Site.

Anna and the Book

September ended busily and interestingly, fascinatingly, so this is something of a belated entry.

The most important event was the arrival, on 26^th September, of Anna, a first grandchild for Jo and I. Anna was born to our daughter, Emma and her partner Fred (Fjodor) at St Richard’s Hospital Chichester. The only downside was that Emma had a rough time which ended in an emergency Caesarean and her back was injured on the delivery table. The injury was not noted or reported but, overall, both Anna and Emma were well looked after.

The day before, on 25^th September, Barbara Ford-Hammond’s book “Past Life Tourism – Gateway to Bridging Your Past and Future” (Mirage Publishing) was published (www.richardspsychicrealm.com/RPR_Barbara_Ford-Hammond.htm).

Sylvie Lucas (www.familiarspirit.co.uk/FS_Sylvie_Lucas.htm) the editor of my book (www.rememberinglorelei.com) is also in “Past Life Tourism” (www.pastlifetourism.com).

Sylvie and Richard Lucas, Jo, Lorelei, Familiar Spirit Web Site and the Havant Healers’ Group

On Saturday 14^th July 2007, Sylvie Lucas came to my house for us to spend a few hours building a Web Site for her and Richard Lucas (www.richardspsychicrealm.com/RPR_familiar_spirit_richard_lucas.htm), Sylvie’s discarnate husband. The result is the Familiar Spirit Web Site at www.familairspirit.co.uk. Sylvie’s own page on the Web Site is www.familiarspirit.co.uk/FS_Sylvie_Lucas.htm.

I had cleared enough space in the room where I have my computer for Sylvie to be able to sit beside me as we went through the Web Site building process. Richard Lucas along with Lorelei (www.loreleilegend.com), my discarnate Soulmate were content to stand over by the door.

Sylvie had previously E-mailed me the text and some illustrations though, as it transpired, it will be best to double check copyright on some, though clearance ahs been given in principle.

Richard Lucas and Sylvie had a preference for a green background so I had made up a dark green to very light green left to right fade on the GR Sites (www.grsites.com) free facility the night before. Through experience I had found that a white background is preferable, otherwise text needs to be large, or bolder, than otherwise. Sylvie could see that when I showed her on my monitor, so I went back to GR Sites and made up a dark green to white fade. Sylvie was happy with that and so was Richard Lucas; Sylvie told me but I had already heard him and turned to him to acknowledge that.

I thought the process might take two to three hours; in the event it was more like six hours. As a result, Sylvie stayed for some light refreshments at lunch time, which we had in the garden with Jo (www.rememberinglorelei.com/RL_Jo%20my%20Wife.htm). We needed the break anyway.

Jo had met Sylvie before but not had time to get to know her very well, so made up for it while we were in the garden, particularly as Jo had recently read Sylvie’s story “I married my spirit lover” in the August Issue of “Take a Break - Fate and Fortune”.

In the afternoon we returned to the computer and finished off the Web Site, the result being basic but that is all that is needed. “Flash” Sites tend to be just that, flash. Many times I have come across Web Sites that seem “too clever by half”, take a long time to load, are confusing, etc., and have given up on them almost immediately, as have many other people I know.

I took a few digital photographs of Sylvie, in our garden, to give her a selection to choose from for her page (www.familiarspirit.co.uk/FS_Sylvie_Lucas.htm) on the Familiar spirit Web Site (www.familiarspirit.co.uk).

As Sylvie left, we briefly discussed the day and she commented, in reference to Jo, that she could “see the light coming out of her”. The connection between Jo and Lorelei, Soul Sisters (www.rememberinglorelei.com/RL_Jo%20and%20Lorelei.htm), made abundant sense to Sylvie.

The four of us, Sylvie, Richard Lucas, Lorelei and I met up again on Tuesday 24^th July as the local healers’ Group, of which we are members, was due to have a picnic that evening, Napier Hall (www.horndeanpc-hants.gov.uk/hallhire.htm), Horndean (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horndean; horndean.net/churches/baptist.shtml), where it usually met on that evening, being closed for refurbishment. I had not been to the Napier Hall before, only attending the Healers’ Group on the other two Tuesdays of each month (the first and second Tuesday) at The Bear Hotel (www.thebear-hotel.com/findus.htm) in Havant.

I was the first to arrive, then Sylvie, who told me that the plans had changed and we were going out for a meal instead. Lene, Sheila, Sue, Doreen and Jan arrived soon afterwards and it was decided we would go to the Colonial Bar (formerly the Good Intent) next door to the Hall.

Sheila insisted on buying us all drinks and during the conversations that followed I said something about IPA, which I noticed on the bar. Sheila did not know wheat it was so I explained, India Pale Ale. At that point I thought I heard Richard Lucas say something about IPA not being around in 1840, when he was last incarnate, and mentioned it to Sylvie.

“Oh, no, it was just ordinary beer then,” she confirmed, though I was aware of that anyway.

Then I heard Richard Lucas say, complain, good naturedly, that, on his current level, you good not get drunk, sloshed, as he seemed to put it, on alcohol. Again I mentioned it to Sylvie.

“He’s often complaining about that,” she confirmed, it does not have the same effect over there, “He says you cannot get wet either, not properly. He used to love walking on the downs in the rain.”

Then someone indicated we would be going upstairs, to a table on a raised floor, for our meal. As I glanced up I saw a beam, past the top of the stairs, with “MIND YOUR HEAD” in gold letters.

“Good job I haven’t go my high heels on,” commented Lorelei, which I passed on to Sylvie as I thought that, though Lorelei is tall, she is also discarnate and her head would go through the beam anyway, if she did not duck, uncomfortable but not disastrous. Besides, the beam did not look quite that low.

As when we had built the Web Site, as well as other on occasions, we were in a four way conversation, two incarnate, Sylvie and I, two discarnate (Richard Lucas and Lorelei). I commented to Sylvie that we would probably end up being carted away if the relevant people overheard us.

“More than likely,” said Sylvie, grinning.

As it happens, there are those who have already been putting it about that my “marbles are loose”, for nefarious ends and purposes, as they have for several years and which was confirmed by “The Well-wisher” (www.richardsjournal.co.uk/RJ_The_Well-wisher.htm) early in 2007. Fortunately, that is contrary to the opinion of all of my colleagues, including Members and Fellows of the Royal College of Psychiatry.

In due course we went up stairs, at which point I realised that the beam was somewhat lower than it had seemed from the ground floor; Lorelei was right. As Lorelei is discarnate, her head would simply have gone through the beam, though that would not necessarily have been particularly comfortable for her.

The rest of the evening proceeded relatively normally, with Richard Lucas and Lorelei remaining, mainly, in the background, recognising that the rest of us have physical lives which we need to live.