Vegas & The Aftermath - Diary

[The Camel]

Did anyone see the TV programme this week about the World Memory Championships?

It was stunning.

One of the tests was to memorise binary numbers - thousands of them. There were 20 lines per A4 page of binary numbers, & they had 30 minutes to memorize them all in the correct sequence.  Many contestants scored 95% or more, & one chap got the chuffing lot.

This chap's not bad, either:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/timur-gareyev-world-record-blindfold-attempt

To give you an idea of the ratings of the opponents:

1200 and below: beginner level
1200-1400: novice
1400-1600: local club player
1600-1800: fairly decent club player who plays some county chess
1800-2000: strong county player
2000-2200: top county player
2200 and over: master level.

He's playing a fair mix of abilities. 48 games in his head at the same time.

The great Alexander Alekhine set the record in Paris in 1926 at 28:



http://www.blindfoldchess.net/

I was friendly with an International Master standard player at University.

We played a correspondance game after we both graduated (I'm so old, I graduated before the internet was a thing), with him giving me a rook start.

I met up with him 5 years later, and he remembered every move of that game without any prompting.

Very impressive!

He ended up being a high flyer for a Wall St bank, while I ended up becoming the bum I am today.

[shipitgood]

Enjoy the last show tomorrow tonight!

I'll be sure to tune in after Celtic beat Man City.

[MANTIS01]

Is it worth wearing the burgundy coach driver's jacket on the last show? Would be symbolic I think.

[arbboy]

Is it worth wearing the burgundy coach driver's jacket on the last show? Would be symbolic I think.

This.  Love that jacket. 

[horseplayer]

Is it worth wearing the burgundy coach driver's jacket on the last show? Would be symbolic I think.

This.  Love that jacket. 

Plus three

Must surely be a must

[tonytats]

Tikay - as you live in London I wondered if you have heard of this scheme ?

http://londonist.com/2016/02/video-london-power-tunnels

I hadn't and today we found one !
We drilled into the top of one and struck a278 kva cable
Sparks flew believe me !
We have an inquest on site tomorrow
Thankfully nobody was hurt as it happened 15.7 m below ground level !
And these high voltage cables insta trip out

[Karabiner]

Is it worth wearing the burgundy coach driver's jacket on the last show? Would be symbolic I think.

This.  Love that jacket. 

Plus three

Must surely be a must

+4 but I like to think of it as plum

[tikay]

Did anyone see the TV programme this week about the World Memory Championships?

It was stunning.

One of the tests was to memorise binary numbers - thousands of them. There were 20 lines per A4 page of binary numbers, & they had 30 minutes to memorize them all in the correct sequence.  Many contestants scored 95% or more, & one chap got the chuffing lot.

This chap's not bad, either:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/timur-gareyev-world-record-blindfold-attempt

To give you an idea of the ratings of the opponents:

1200 and below: beginner level
1200-1400: novice
1400-1600: local club player
1600-1800: fairly decent club player who plays some county chess
1800-2000: strong county player
2000-2200: top county player
2200 and over: master level.

He's playing a fair mix of abilities. 48 games in his head at the same time.

The great Alexander Alekhine set the record in Paris in 1926 at 28:



http://www.blindfoldchess.net/

Stunning.

[tikay]

Did anyone see the TV programme this week about the World Memory Championships?

It was stunning.

One of the tests was to memorise binary numbers - thousands of them. There were 20 lines per A4 page of binary numbers, & they had 30 minutes to memorize them all in the correct sequence.  Many contestants scored 95% or more, & one chap got the chuffing lot.

This chap's not bad, either:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/timur-gareyev-world-record-blindfold-attempt

To give you an idea of the ratings of the opponents:

1200 and below: beginner level
1200-1400: novice
1400-1600: local club player
1600-1800: fairly decent club player who plays some county chess
1800-2000: strong county player
2000-2200: top county player
2200 and over: master level.

He's playing a fair mix of abilities. 48 games in his head at the same time.

The great Alexander Alekhine set the record in Paris in 1926 at 28:



http://www.blindfoldchess.net/

I was friendly with an International Master standard player at University.

We played a correspondance game after we both graduated (I'm so old, I graduated before the internet was a thing), with him giving me a rook start.

I met up with him 5 years later, and he remembered every move of that game without any prompting.

Very impressive!

He ended up being a high flyer for a Wall St bank, while I ended up becoming the bum I am today.

That's pretty impressive, too, tough it almost suggests you were a very stern test for him.

Whilst I have your attention Keith, I'm sure you have a view on the hottest question in sport right now - who will replace Nico at Mercedes? That last race was spell binding to watch, bet you could not take your eyes off the screen.

[Tal]

Did anyone see the TV programme this week about the World Memory Championships?

It was stunning.

One of the tests was to memorise binary numbers - thousands of them. There were 20 lines per A4 page of binary numbers, & they had 30 minutes to memorize them all in the correct sequence.  Many contestants scored 95% or more, & one chap got the chuffing lot.

This chap's not bad, either:

http://en.chessbase.com/post/timur-gareyev-world-record-blindfold-attempt

To give you an idea of the ratings of the opponents:

1200 and below: beginner level
1200-1400: novice
1400-1600: local club player
1600-1800: fairly decent club player who plays some county chess
1800-2000: strong county player
2000-2200: top county player
2200 and over: master level.

He's playing a fair mix of abilities. 48 games in his head at the same time.

The great Alexander Alekhine set the record in Paris in 1926 at 28:



http://www.blindfoldchess.net/

I was friendly with an International Master standard player at University.

We played a correspondance game after we both graduated (I'm so old, I graduated before the internet was a thing), with him giving me a rook start.

I met up with him 5 years later, and he remembered every move of that game without any prompting.

Very impressive!

He ended up being a high flyer for a Wall St bank, while I ended up becoming the bum I am today.

I'd love to think he tells the same story.

There are very few professional chess players, certainly in the UK. Shame but there simply isn't the money that people with these sorts of brains can earn elsewhere.

[tikay]

Enjoy the last show tomorrow tonight!

I'll be sure to tune in after Celtic beat Man City.

Thanks bud.

Can't say I'm looking forward to it one little bit.

The Show itself will be ok, business as usual, but once it ends, it will all get a bit awkward & emotional, & I don't handle those situations terribly well.

All my colleagues on the Show - some of them for 10 years - will be losing their jobs, whilst I still have mine, at least for the time being. "Awkward".

So when it ends I can imagine all the hugs, backslapping & tears. The sooner I'm back home & it's consigned to history the better now for me.

FWIW, the Production Team - Dan, Chan & Louis - are all extremely good at their job & I'm confident they'll be back in work very quickly. I would imagine, as they all have many years service, they haver been well looked after, too.

The rest of the technical team - camera operators, lighting, sound, make up, wardrobe, etc, are all provided by Sky TV (Big Sky) so it wont affect them, they'll just be allocated to other shows. 

Anna & Rich are "talent" & so are freelance. I'm not saying I don't have sympathy with them, but I'm sure they'll be fine. Anna is a very good professional photographer, & her Business will benefit from her having more time. She "only" did 1 Show per fortnight, so it was not her mainstream income. She lives very close to me, & I'm sure we'll keep in touch.

As for my old mucker Richard Orford, well I love him to bits. Whilst I would not wish this situation on him - nobody has tried harder on the Show than Richard - I actually think it will be a good thing for him in the long term. He has extraordinary talent, & has done Breakfast TV & Quiz Shows back in the day. I think he is almost a wasted talent, & if I had my say in the matter, I'd advise him to get a new Agent & go sell himself properly. I think he has sot of taken it easy in the last 10 years - marriages, kids etc - but if he puts his mind to it, he can revive his mainstream TV Career & make a very good living. He really is very talented, but he just does not sell himself much.

I wish them all well, but I'm confident they'll be ok.

[tikay]

Is it worth wearing the burgundy coach driver's jacket on the last show? Would be symbolic I think.

That jacket is banned by the Producers - but good luck them in stopping me from wearing it tonight. 1.01 in running, that.

As emergency back up, I'll have the velvet jacket in reserve - Tighty adores that one, always mentions it.

Then it will be peacefully retired. Gill, who does not easily dislike anything really, cringes when I wear it. She loathes it with a passion. I understand, of course, she's from the Midlands, so lacks class in matters of apparel.

Sky Poker must like it though - they even made me an avatar that features it. A unique accolade, I venture to suggest.

    

[tikay]

Is it worth wearing the burgundy coach driver's jacket on the last show? Would be symbolic I think.

This.  Love that jacket. 

Plus three

Must surely be a must

+4 but I like to think of it as plum

I'll accept "plum" Ralph. Very fitting in some ways.

Think most would agree that when I have the plum out they would rather look at me than Anna. No contest.

[tikay]

OK, I gotta go do some work, but I'll leave you with a question.

I chanced upon this place yesterday whilst up in London, it is in Finsbury Square, where rents & property values must be stratospheric.

And it begs several questions.

Liverpool has a University? Why, & for whom?

Why do they need premises in London?

How can they justify the cost of such grand premises in such a prestige location?  

What is the idea of a Uni having a separate base? Is there a Cambridge University in London?

[MrDickie]

Someone needs cheering up a bit me thinks. Hope all goes ok tonight.

This will be open to the public in 2017

https://vimeo.com/user55317879

"The trains have been purpose-built to carry passengers, the first to do so in the network's 100 year history. You'll be able to ride on these trains yourself as part of the Mail Rail at The Postal Museum experience when The Postal Museum opens its doors in 2017"


http://londonist.com/2014/04/video-inside-mail-rail