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About
Stu Savory ;-) School report for Stu Savory
Eunoia, who is a grumpy, overeducated, facetious, multilingual naturalised German, blatantly opinionated, old (1944-vintage), amateur cryptologist, computer consultant, atheist, flying instructor, bulldog-lover, Porsche-driver, textbook-writer and blogger living in the foothills south of the northern German plains. Not too shy to reveal his true name or even whereabouts, he blogs his opinions, and humour and rants irregularly. Stubbornly he clings to his beliefs, e.g. that Faith does not give answers, it only prevents you doing any goddamn questioning. You are as atheist as he is. When you understand why you don't believe in all the other gods, you will know why he does not believe in yours.

Oh, and after the death of his old bulldog, Kosmo, he also has a new bulldog, Clara, since September 2018 :-)


Some of my bikes


My Crypto Pages




Saturday, September 30

Bodden lagoon tour

We spent a day on the Bodden ferry, touring the lagoon. Well 5 hours round trip actually. The ferries are a family business, ours was operated by two brothers, one the captain and the other running the passengers' mess and doing all the docking work. Some of the ships were like a Missisippi steamboat, a la Tom Sawyer.

The Bodden is very shallow, only 4 inches in some places; even in the shipping lane it averages only one fathom. So having a paddlewheel is a way of keeping a propeller screw out of the sea-grass. A very soothing swishing noise too.

The coasts of the lagoon are bordered by acres and acres of reeds. Come november these are harvested and sold to the roofers and thatchers of the area, so that they can dry the reeds and make traditional thatched roofs for the local houses and cottages. A thatched roof can last 30 years but the peak line needs maintenance about every 4 or 5 years, we were told.

Some of the farmers had no european cattle but had imported asian water buffaloes, who can manage in the marshy waterlogged fields better. I tried a buffalo burger. Taste like beef too.

The ferryboat does two laps of the lagoon per day, mornings and afternoons. In the evenings there is a 2 hour tour to see the cranes which feed by daylight in the marshes but return to sleep on the water, thus avoiding any land predators such as foxes etc.

It so happened that the previous week the sun had emitted large sunstorm ejecta which hit the Earth a week later when we were there, giving us great auroras after sunset.

Comments(1)
Billions of Versions... wrote " I'm too far south to see any arouras. Bummer." We spell it "auroras".

Copyright © Ole Phat Stu on September 30, 2023 permalink Comments Email


Thursday, September 28

Fishermen's Church in Born

When we in Born, as mentioned in the previous blog entry, I wanted to see the traditional old wooden fishermen's church in the village, despite me being an Atheist. There were no other visitors; so here are my three photos.

This is an outside view, taken from the graveyard wall. The writing painted above the main door translates as "What men sow, so shall they reap". Tiny windows, but lightning rods added on the roof as a precaution later. Only the side door was open for us tourists. The tiny bell tower adds about 5 or 6 feet to the height of the church. The trees are higher now.

Inside, there is a planked lower roof made too of wood, a model fishing boat from the 19th century, suspended from a metal rod above the pews, and a porthole letting light in above the pulpit. Centrally a chandelier with modern electric light now instead of candles, otherwise typical protestant simplicity without any decorations.

Over on the left, a simple organ , 1 manual, 1 pedals. All the few pipes made of wood. Keyboard locked so I could not see what registers there were, can't have been many. Only 2 stops visible. The wood looked very fresh and new, so the organ is a recent addition.

I left a donation at the side door to help with the upkeep :-)

Comments(1)
Finding life hard? wrote " What a delightful holiday cottage. And such a simple and beautiful church." We thought so too. Lagoon and forest photos to follow.

Copyright © Ole Phat Stu on September 28, 2023 permalink Comments Email


Tuesday, September 26

Holiday House

We have just spent a pleasant week on vacation in Born, which is an old village on the Bodden lagoon aka the Fischland-Darss-Zingst peninsula on the Baltic coast of Germany, so I'll be showing you some photos over the next few blog entries.

This was our holiday home, an old fisherman's house, a couple of hundred years old, thatched roof, beautifully restored, traditional ornate door, large garden for our dog to explore, the only thing I disliked was the steep and narrow staircase. It belongs to a couple from Hamburg who let it out in summer to tourists like us. Thankyou!

Inside it has been restored with great love to about 1900 AD status (but with electricity, modern kitchen, WLAN etc) , lots of old photos and paintings. Here is the hallway.

In Born village itself is the workshop of what may be the last professional maker of ship-in-a-bottle souvenirs. There were some magnificent ones, e.g. of the Gorch Fock, too expensive for me though, So I just bought this simple one in a Dimple bottle for €45.

To be continued . . .

Comments(2)
Jenny (Ibiza) wrote "In English spell it Lagoon, you used German." So I did, sorry. Now corrected above.
Schorsch (D) asks "Do you have an address for the bottlemaker?" Not even a name. But I do have his phone number : (0)-38234-264.

Copyright © Ole Phat Stu on September 26, 2023 permalink Comments Email


Friday, September 15

Friends in high places

Although I had to give up motorcycling due to an instable left knee (scared of falling off when stopping at traffic lights should that knee fold) my biker friends keep me motivated by sending me photos of themselves on high mountain passes. Here are some of their photos. Firstly, the core of active riders seen here on 8th june for my birthday this year. (Photo by SWMBO).

The first photo I got was from Wolfgang (red jacket), who bought my last bike from me, shown here at just over 9000 feet up in the french alps. He tells us the air is so clear that you believe you could just reach out and grab those mountains.

Next, a photo from Dirk, fourth from the left, taken in the Col d'Izoard area. While they were at the peak of the pass a car pulled up with a racing bicycle on the roofrack. The driver got out wearing full Tour de France spantex and poured a bottle of water over his head and chest, looking like he was covered in sweat. His GF then got out of the car and photographed him at the pass-peak notice-boards in a victory pose. Then he rode down the pass and she followed in the car. Instagram cheat!

Third photo was from Scotland where Rudiger (4th from the right) had followed a tip of mine and had ridden the renowned Bealach na Baa, Scotland's highest pass, a single-track pass (video here), even lunching on fish and chips at the famous Applecross Inn. I had a venison chops and neeps when I was there.

Best friend Frank didn`t send a photo from the Dolomites, but stopped for a late lunch at the SpeckAlm (Ham farm) I had once showed him up in the Sudelfeld hills and sent me a delicious pork ham and some venison sausages. You can buy their hams online here. Website in German. Probably illegal to import hams to the USA?

Friends in high places, all of them, indeed.

Copyright © Ole Phat Stu on September 15, 2023 permalink Comments Email


Tuesday, September 12

Not nine eleven

Doubtless there will have been several american blogs yesterday about remembering nine-eleven. Three buildings damaged, is that right? 22 years ago, America was attacked by zero Iraqis, zero Iranians & zero Afghans. Which is why Bush started attacking their countries.

So for a change of subject and for my UK blogreaders, here is another anniversary, the 355th anniversary of the Great Fire of London, on 2nd of september. 13,200 buildings burnt down, only 60% of which were rebuilt. 80,000 people made homeless. Just a comparison.

Copyright © Ole Phat Stu on September 12, 2023 permalink Comments Email


Tuesday, September 5

Falling down in Germany

Whereas the USA has a laugh every couple of months because Joe Biden (80) stumbles and perhaps falls, he never seems to injure himself seriously. Here in Germany it is a rare occasion that our Bundeskanzler (head of government) stumbles and injures himself. But this weekend Olaf Scholz (aged 65) went jogging and fell flat on his face before his bodyguards could catch him. So now he has cuts and bruises in his face and is wearing an eye patch for 2 or 3 weeks until his eye injury heals. Doesn't he look dashing now though?

Of course he'll get political jokes about being blind to the right though ;-)

Two weeks ago I (aged 79) myself fell over at home, bruising my ribs and losing a lower front tooth, but maybe this is just a consequence of getting older. The ribs are still black and blue and hurt horribly although the X-ray shows no breakage, my doc says.

So watch how you go folks, and stay healthy.

Comments(2)
Cop Car wrote " Yes, your Bundeskanzler has had much publicity over his fall. Yikes, though. A fall bad enough to cause loss of a tooth? No wonder you hurt. I am reminded that, at about your age, Hunky Husband fell while out jogging and broke his wrist. Get over all that hurting. quickly, Stu. " It is mostly the ribs that hurt; about another fortnight says my doc.
Billions of Versions... wrote " Last year the dog caught me off balance pulling on a toy and down I went. I landed on my front left side. I think I broke a rib. I never went to the doctor because all they do is tell you, yep you broke a rib." Exactly. But if it was more complex, the insurance here only pays if you had the Xrays done thus showing due diligence.

Copyright © Ole Phat Stu on September 5, 2023 permalink Comments Email


Sunday, September 3

Donkey Kong and I

About a couple of decades ago I was talking to a friend who was an avid video-game player. He asked me if I had ever worked for Nintendo on video games. I told him no, I had worked at Nixdorf Computer AG , where I managed the AI R&D team. But why did he ask? He told me they have a video game called Donkey Kong in which one of the bosses is called Savory Stu, my name or a namesake? he asked.

So I told him I do have a namesake in the UK who runs a luxury car chauffeur company for weddings, funerals, it could well be him. I asked if he had a picture, so we could see who it is. But the screenshot didn't help.

So we looked up Savory Stu in the Donkey Kong Wiki

Maybe I had pissed someone off and this was his revenge? Back in the nineties(?) one of my employees quit without giving notice, I remembered. Just wrote Sayonara in his desk diary and never came back. Maybe he thought I was a lousy boss? Who cares? Don't know if he went to Nintendo.

So that's my claim to fame, I'm a lousy boss in the Donkey Kong video game.

Comments(3)
Billions of Versions... wrote "You wrote "Maybe I had pissed someone off"? I don't think anyone can go through life without pissing off a LOT of people." IYHO?
Ed (USA) asks "What does Sayonara mean?" Japanese sayonara, “goodbye”, literally “if that's the way it is”. Not sure which one he meant.
Cop Car wrote ".... Ed continues to amaze me with the questions he asks. I guess only those of us old enough to remember WWII should be expected to know “Sayonara”. BTW: Had it not been for the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing, I should probably never have heard of Donkey Kong until reading your posting about it." Afaik, there were a couple of movies in the fifties(?) called Sayonara.

Copyright © Ole Phat Stu on September 3, 2023 permalink Comments Email


Link to the previous month's blog.
Recent Writings
Bodden lagoon tour
Fishermen's Church
Holiday House
Friends in high places
Not Nine Eleven
Falling down in Germany
Donkey Kong and I
Flight of Death
Seeing Saturn
Do photons exist?
Being Bemphites
5 stupid signs
Credit card thief :-(
Busy, busy, busy
Ticks in the garden?
Pythagorean Reciprocals
Oldtimers overpriced?
Canstein Highland Games
Visiting the falconer
No word in English
80th solar orbit begins
WW2 Warbird down :-(
Where are you?
Maltese cathedral clocks
Recommended reading
Corona tion stuff
Star Wars Day

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Earth-Bound Misfit
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Finding life hard?
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Not Always Right
Observing Hermann
Pergelator
Rants ... Rookery
Starts with a Bang
Yellow Dog Grannie

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ENGLISH : I am not responsible for the contents or form of any external page to which this website links. I specifically do not adopt their content, nor do I make it mine.
DEUTSCH : Für alle Seiten, die auf dieser Website verlinkt sind, möchte ich betonen, dass ich keinerlei Einfluss auf deren Gestaltung und Inhalte habe. Deshalb distanziere ich mich ausdrücklich von allen Inhalten aller gelinkten Seiten und mache mir ihren Inhalt nicht zu eigen.

This Blog's Status is
Blog Dewey Decimal Classification : 153
FWIW, 153 is a triangular number, meaning that you can arrange 153 items into an equilateral triangle (with 17 items on a side). It is also one of the six known truncated triangular numbers, because 1 and 15 are triangular numbers as well. It is a hexagonal number, meaning that you can distribute 153 points evenly at the corners and along the sides of a hexagon. It is the smallest 3-narcissistic number. This means it?s the sum of the cubes of its digits. It is the sum of the first five positive factorials. Yup, this is a 153-type blog. QED ;-)
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