Thursday 26 November 2009

911 Pager Stories

Anyone checked out the 9/11 Pager data on Wikileaks yet?

I must admit, I'm curious, so I downloaded the 27mb text file and did a quick grep on it for "WTC".

I then found an interesting personal message, so decided to grep for that and found the following piece of dialogue, if you can call it a dialogue. I've redacted some parts to protect identities, but the whole messages are available at Wikileaks.

2001-09-11 XX:XX:XX XXXX [XXXXXX] C  ALPHA  (14)GMA.  Xxxxxxx's father works in the WTC.  I may drive her home.  I'll keep you posted.  This is really f'd up.
2001-09-11 XX:XX:XX XXXX [XXXXXX] C  ALPHA  (15)So that you know Xxxxxxx heard from her dad.
2001-09-11 XX:XX:XX XXXX [XXXXXX] C  ALPHA  (16)80-CALL XXXXXX WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE AT XXX-XXX-XXXX.
2001-09-11 XX:XX:XX XXXX [XXXXXX] C  ALPHA  (17)How are you doing? Did Xxxxxx hear from his Dad? Tom 884-2168
2001-09-11 XX:XX:XX XXXX [XXXXXX] C  ALPHA  (18)81-I AM HOME SAFE. CALL ME LATER. -XXXXX.
2001-09-11 XX:XX:XX XXXX [XXXXXX] C  ALPHA  (19)82-I GOT IN TOUCH W/ XXXXXXX, FINALLY. SHE'S OKAY. SHE WAS ON THE TRAIN AT THE WALL ST STOP WHEN THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED. XXXXXX.

A small personal story in the midst of a great tragedy, overlooked by the eyes of the world.

I'm sure there's more to dialogue missing from this one, but it's just a taster of what is to come I'm sure when they've finished data-mining and crunching it.

It would be interesting if someone stumbled across messages regarding WTC7, which was pulled collapsed at 5:21pm EST. ;)

Saturday 21 November 2009

GCRK67: Bridge 148 - Old Fishery Lane - Grand Union Series

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Alibags
Size: Small (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1)
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCRK67

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Nice camo job!

[b]Mr Ben[/b] had already laid his hand on this cache before I even knew what was happening. I've seen one hidden like this before-- actually I think it was another one of your hides!

Saw [i]Oh England My Lionheart TB[/i], it is with Mr Ben now. Last cacher needs to log out the other TB!

TFTC![font=Verdana]

GCRK6B: Boxmoor - Grand Union Series

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Alibags
Size: Small (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1)
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCRK6B

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Too easy!

As [b]Mr Ben[/b] read out the cache description I pointed and said, "try that", there it was!

This was the last dry cache we did before it started to pour. I took a picture from the bridge. Saw Romin Ruari, Mr Ben has him now.[font=Verdana]

GCRZBH: Magic Roundabout Mayhem Mk 2 (Herts)

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: NickPick
Size: Micro (Difficulty: 1 / Terrain: 1)
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCRZBH

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Ha ha [b]Mr Ben[/b] was convinced I had the wrong spot but after a bit of fumbling around I laid my fingers on the cache.

I've seen a funny German joke about this roundabout(s), I can't paste it here, too big, and to translate it doesn't quite do it justice but the punchline is basically something like "Der spinnen Englisch".

In German, "spinnen" naturally translates as spinning (as in spinning around a roundabout?) but it's also used as slang for crazy/mad. [:I][font=Verdana]

GCTKN3: Motorway Mayhem M25 J19

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Alibags
Size: Small (Difficulty: 1 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCTKN3

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Found easily enough with Mr Ben.

Nice midsize container, shame that the swag seems to be plundered from here, and shame about the memorial too. Quite slippy round here this time of year, glad I didn't fall in.

TFTC![font=Verdana]

GC1J594: Hemel Hempstead Plan B

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Alibags
Size: Micro (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC1J594

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Yep. Still pouring with rain.

[b]Mr Ben[/b] found very easily, extracting the log was a little bit trickier. At least in the rain, even if the roamers do take an interest in what you're doing they don't care to stick around and watch.[font=Verdana]

GC211PH: Gade Race

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: philipnros
Size: Micro (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC211PH

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Last one of the day with [b]Mr Ben[/b].

A pleasant time discussing past caching adventures, significant others, careers, careers that could have been, politics, football...

Thoroughly enjoyable day of caching, blame me that we didn't do the nearby multi as well, just too wet, getting too dark and I was now too tired![font=Verdana]

GCRK5Y: Bridge 150 - Grand Union Series

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Alibags
Size: Small (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCRK5Y

[font=Trebuchet Ms][b]Mr Ben[/b] was just too quick to dive into the nearest tree and so I got to this one just as he caught up! [:D]

Some nice swag in here, if small. I traded a spinning top for a NSD Powerball keyring - alas it doesn't do anything but it is loose inside so you can kind of rattle it and it makes a tiny noise like the larger real powerballs make. I don't really know because I've never tried one but maybe I'll look out for them now, so hey corporate freebies do work!

Thanks for this part of the Union Canal series, it was here, soggy and wet, that we trailed off for some caches up Leighton Buzzard road.[font=Verdana]

GCRK65: The Fishery - Grand Union Series

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Alibags
Size: Micro (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCRK65

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Another nice looking pub you brought us too! Too bad we got some cachin' to get done.

Had fun with this one, I went to search one area and [b]Mr Ben[/b] searched the other. I then walked over to where Mr Ben had been standing for some time conducting his search and spotted it immediately, he was standing right in front of it! [:D]

TFTC![font=Verdana]

GC11M4M: bones 22 (hunton)

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: bones1
Size: Micro (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 2)
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC11M4M

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Tricky hide this one - despite being fairly visible when standing in the right location.

Teamed up with Mr Ben to do a few caches and decided to hit this one on the way to Hemel. Spotted after thrashing about in the bush for a good while. Log was damp.

TFTC![font=Verdana]

GC1H523: Pig Lyd's Birthday Cache '08

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Pig Lyd & Reverend Mark
Size: Regular (Difficulty: 1 / Terrain: 1)
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC1H523

[font=Trebuchet Ms][b]Mr Ben[/b] and I were now thorough drenched as we approached this one this afternoon.

"Must be in the church graveyard" I posited as we approached from the West. Mr Ben had printed out all the caches onto paper before we left so he was pretty much designated cache pilot for today.

As our GPSrs led us nearer to the church door, I hesitated, "is this a multi? It's leading us right to the church..." Mr Ben checked his papers and then confirmed that indeed it was a tradition and after a few moments he had it in his hand!

TFTC! took catamara TB, didn't see GC.[font=Verdana]

GC1J587: Hemel Hempstead Water Gardens

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Alibags
Size: Micro (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1)
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC1J587

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Found easily by [b]Mr Ben[/b] whilst I was still puzzling over the reference.

Lovely gardens, too bad it was in the pouring rain, but our spirits weren't quite dampened yet.

Yep those Canada Geese are very eager![font=Verdana]

GCD659: HM4 - A gate to nowhere (Herts)

Found on 2009-11-21 at 20:00:00
Placed by: The Hornet - adopted by vw_keychain
Size: Micro (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1)
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCD659

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Found with Mr Ben at the start of a day of caching.

Driven past this one a couple of times but didn't realise how easy it was going to be. Coords a little off.

TFTC![font=Verdana]

Wednesday 18 November 2009

GC214A2: Stonegrove Park

Found on 2009-11-18 at 20:00:00
Placed by: johnab7
Size: Regular (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC214A2

[font=Trebuchet Ms][:D][:)][:D] FTF [:)][:D][:)]

Was sitting at my PC when this one popped up 5.3 miles from home so I turned to the wife and proclaimed "Let's go get a FTF!"

10 minutes later I was headed to the car, with a very sulky wife in tow. Mrs Fitz was very unhappy, partly because she hadn't finished her meal but I was adamant I was doing this and she didn't want me to go out alone in the dark so...

20 minutes later we were parking in Mill Ridge just round the corner.

So now, at this point I realise not only did I forget a pen, I also only brought my bicycle lights, one white LED which was fine, and one red which was a little more difficult for hunting. But eventually after searching all over I laid eyes on the camo and retrieved it.

Good camo, nice size container, and hurray for a pencil! There was a conciliation prize after all for Mrs Fitz in the form of the Silver Jubilee Horse Brass which seemed to cheer her up a bit after scratching her hand on the gate, so we traded for a mini deck of cards.

Took FTF pin badge and the camo duck TB but this is not activated....hmm?

I got assurances in the car on the way home that Mrs Fitz still loves me, but doesn't like me very much....

"See, it was worth coming in the end!" Said I as she fondled the horse brass in her hand.
"No." Was her reply.

TFTC! [;)]

Dipping the trusty Rav4.[font=Verdana]

[This entry was edited by _TeamFitz_ on Monday, November 30, 2009 at 1:43:35 PM.]

Saturday 14 November 2009

Twitpic from the Command Line in Linux

I've just put together a short script for automatically taking a webcam pic then uploading it to Twitter.

Yes, I know what you're thinking, no I don't know why either. I had help from other places that I found through googling. Here it is in case you want to try it out:

#!/bin/bash

# Script to automate posting of webcam images to twitpic

IMGDIR="/location_to_save_webcam_pics"
STAMP=`date +%m%d%Y_%s`
IMG="$IMGDIR/"webcam_""$STAMP".jpeg"
USERNAME="twitter_username"
PASSWORD="twitter_password" # Don't forget to escape special chars with "\"
MESSAGE="Webcam snapshot, `date`"

# Take picture from webcam
TAKE=`streamer -o $IMG`
echo "$TAKE"

# Upload to twitpic using curl
curl -F "username=$USERNAME" -F "password=$PASSWORD" -F "message=$MESSAGE" -F media=@"$IMG" http://twitpic.com/api/uploadAndPost

I really need to find a way to post code on blogger. The next step is that this script can be added to a cron job and made to feed random pics at intervals.

I'm now trying to think what other interesting things I can send to twitter from Ubuntu?

Tuesday 10 November 2009

GC1TK6P: Narrow Minded

Found on 2009-11-10 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Matthew-h
Size: Small (Difficulty: 1 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC1TK6P

[font=Trebuchet Ms]After having a tooth implant put in, I disobeyed the advice of Mrs Fitz and everyone at the clinic to do a spot of caching before I went home, and I'm glad I did as I got to fully appreciate this cache during daytime!

Not many lurkers about so was fairly easy to make the grab. However after taking some photo's and replacing I noticed a couple of older roamers on the opposite bank looking over with some slight interest. They headed into the museum so I assume it won't be disturbed.

Very creative indeed, and well hidden in an excellent location. Left GeoGem but did not see the other coins. TFTC![font=Verdana]

GC1YC39: Kings Cross Lighthouse - Nano

Found on 2009-11-10 at 20:00:00
Placed by: loobcom
Size: Other (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GC1YC39

[font=Trebuchet Ms]I was in Kings Cross today for a dental implant at the research clinic where Mrs Fitz works.

Ignoring the advice of Mrs Fitz and all the dentists, I decided to do a spot of caching before heading home for a rest (I lost a lot of blood but felt fine).

Got in front of the lighthouse, waited for GPSr to kick in, but it was almost useless thanks to the London effect on GPS. Can't believe there's a lighthouse here and never spotted it, I wonder how it got there - or perhaps it's been placed there for when the Thames bursts its banks? [;)]

Anyway, walking around the 'island' for a bit I started to look up and down in the usual places, trying not to attract attention of all the roamers and the herds in their cars and buses.

After stopping for a brief moment to consult the cache description again, I looked up and there it was! Waited for traffic to move and bish, bash, bosh log signed.

Looks like there's room for one more sig on the log then it will need replacing. TFTC![font=Verdana]

GCMNVM: Camley Street Gardens

Found on 2009-11-10 at 20:00:00
Placed by: jonnytuna
Size: Regular (Difficulty: 1 / Terrain: 2)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCMNVM

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Disobeying advice of Mrs Fitz and dentists at the clinic after losing a lot of blood to a tooth implant to do a few caches around Kings Cross before heading home. Perfect opportunity since I work in London but would never manage to make it here on a lunch break.

Fantastic little nature reserve hidden away where you'd never guess. Had to use the hint as my GPSr was telling me to go much further off the path than I the description stated.

Took Garmin Stonehenge Coin and another mysterious TB - rusty key and log book - that seems to have lost it's tag. Left Buldozer TB, did not see any other coins or TBs in the cache.

Thanks for bringing me to this place![font=Verdana]

Saturday 7 November 2009

GCMRZA: Can't Stan More Electronic Warfare

Found on 2009-11-07 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Jo & Andrew
Size: Regular (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCMRZA

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Beat Mrs Fitz to finding this one but it wasn't really a challenge - cache was laying out on the ground in the open in front of hidey-hole.

I noticed that other cachers have reported finding it out like this and I also noted a few bite marks on the side of lid... I used my impervious logic to put 2 and 2 together and conclude that a crafty squirrel or some other creature of the forest must be sabotaging your hide. Either that or he's wondering how this annoying big object keeps moving back into his hideout?

Took a story CD and pirate stamp, left a Guinness and other laynards. TFTC![font=Verdana]

GCMRZW: Can't Stan' More Common

Found on 2009-11-07 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Jo & Andrew
Size: Regular (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCMRZW

[font=Trebuchet Ms]Took a very long time searching for this and the hint just didn't make sense... not helped by the fact that using my Cacheberry I had read the hint for the other Can't Stan More cache! No wonder the hint didn't make any sense!

Found by Mrs Fitz again. She had spotted it then called me over to see if I could but I was a complete failure, she had to point it out to me.

Greatly impressed to see a regular sized container but sorry to report as other finders have that the cache was swimming in very dirty water. We CITO'd some of the soggy unreadable paper and plastic gloves (who keeps putting these out there?). Maybe a lock n' lock container would prove more sturdy?

TFTC![font=Verdana]

GCTZ7K: Stanmore Trail - 3

Found on 2009-11-07 at 20:00:00
Placed by: Johny English
Size: Small (Difficulty: 1.5 / Terrain: 1.5)
Location: London, United Kingdom
Geocaching.com: GCTZ7K

[font=Trebuchet Ms]We had been down by the A41 scouting an area for the Ghost Stations series and decided to stop off in this park to grab this cluster of caches. Forest floor is very mushy this time of year with all the wet leaves.

Let the wife lead with the GPSr and we did a bit of a drunken bee dance till I decided to get the Blackberry out for some clues and, as always happens just as I get Cacheberry started, Mrs Fitz called out "Found it".

Nice little cache, noted the extra coords and will have to come back for the rest of the trail.[font=Verdana]