The Imitation Game: Is A Great Film!

11th March, 2015.

It has to be said, I was going to open this post with the line, “I’m a sucker for a good film.”

Which — in a sense — is true.

I like watching good films.

But it struck me that opening with that line?

Was that opening with “I’m a sucker for a good film” would possibly be just a bit too glib.

Too superficial … shallow … 

Too … 

Yeah … I think you get my point.

That opener was way to shallow an opening.   Too shallow … 

Given the fact I wanted to tell you about a serious movie: one I know I’ve just been wanting to catch, ever since I heard of its making.

And release, last year.

The 2014, WW2 era drama, Morten Tyldum directed, The Imitation Game.

And wow … 

I think it’s been worth the wait.

~≈†≈~

BBC News - Alan Turing papers on code breaking released by GCHQ

BBC News - Alan Turing papers on code breaking released by GCHQ

Now THAT’s a result … 

Anyone who’s been reading me for a while knows I’ve always got time for the late Alan Turing: the Cambridge mathematician who originally came up with the idea of a programmable digital computer, and helped this country win WW2.

Well, handily, two 70 year old papers on code breaking by Turing have recently been released by their owners/holders.

GCHQ, of all people … !

Nice to know they’ve let them go.

But it probably tells you quite a bit about either them.

Or Turing, himself.

‹‹‡››

Moving rapidly on … ?

You’ll probably remember me saying— this morning — that I’d had a recent letter published in this weeks Gazette:after an article they’d published: all about the planned development in Saint James Road.

Here’s the article concerned.

And here’s what the Gazette released yesterday.

I read your article about the arson incident and have to do two things in response.

Firstly, congratulate my fellow tenant, Mr Williams, for his speedy response: He may not have saved lives: but has served as a positive example.

Secondly — as you’re probably no doubt aware — I and others have been objecting to Taylor Wimpey’s plans to further develop the area, for at least two years.

My own personal objections hinge on the one point your article puts very well.

That — with the current state of development in the area — parking has increased to the point where emergency vehicle access, as this incident shows, is hard and verging on the impossible.

Now, I’ll admit, I’m hoping a couple of things happen as a result of this.

For starters, I hope that Taylor Wimpey’s current and future plans for the area get turned down, the next time they come before Brentwood Council’s Planning committee.

What’s more, I’ve been told by several people — Taylor Wimpey’s spokespeople, included — that, due to ‘the legalities involved’, something has to be put next to Brunel House.

I really hope someone comes along to rewrite the laws that say that.

Here’s hoping it all adds to the objections to Taylor Wimpey want to put there.

Bletchley Park: Getting A Gong From The Queen …

Oh, well, now THERE’S a thing …

Seriously …

You know, you’ve probably worked out, by now, that I’m a bit of a technology fan.

Admittedly, rather a skint one who rather have more tech than he’s got, but none the less a tech fan.

And over the years … ?

One that’s taken something of an interest in the history of these things.

Now, in the UK, you can’t actually do that, without mentioning two names.

One of those, of course, is the late Alan Turing, the man whose On Computable Numbers paper defined computers, back in 1936, and who went on to build them.

The other … ?

The other name was the place honoured by the Queen, today.

Bletchley Park, in Buckinghamshire.

Now, in case you didn’t know, Bletchley Park was the site of Britain’s code breakers, during World War 2: including Alan Turing, I should add.

The code breakers based there worked on cracking the German Enigma code, along with the Lorenz ciphers, and assorted others. And are generally agreed to have shortened the war by a number of years.

So seeing the news, today, that the Queen has unveiled a statue, and paid tribute to the Bletchley Park codebreakers … ? Was something I know that I, certainly, felt was nice to see.

Now …

I wonder if that posthumous medal for Dr Turing’s on its way …

Information Pioneers: Alan Turing from Information Pioneers on Vimeo.