I have been using the Python language to write various little hacks and applications for a year or so now and it has pretty much replaced every other language for me to do these tasks. It is just such a powerful and easy to use programming language.
However I would hardly put myself up there as an experienced Python programmer (still have Learning Python from O'Reilly within easy reach), so I was intriqued when I heard about a Python tutorial/puzzle website called Python Challenge. I have been working my way through the puzzles for some months now and have just this second solved Level 21.
Now I have decided to post solutions to puzzles I complete on this blog but I really really suggest you do not read these unless you are really stuck. I will be posting these solutions ROT13'ed, so you cannot 'accidently' read these solutions. I will also not be posting any source code (my Python programming is really untidy hacks). Again I recommend you post for help on the very good forums provided on the Python Challenge website before reading this, or even send private messages to other users on the forums (they are a pretty friendly and helpful bunch).
However for anybody still interested, here is the solution:

Lbh fgneg bs jvgu n svyr pnyyrq cnpxntr.cnpx. Guvf svyr unf orra pbzcerffrq ybgf naq ybgf bs gvzrf hfvat n pbzovangvba bs myvo naq om2. Lbh arrq gb qrpbzcerff guvf svyr hfvat rnpu bs gurfr yvoenevrf nf nccebcevngr (hfr bs n urk rqvgbe vf bs terng hfr urer). Xrrc n erpbeq bs ubj znal gvzrf lbh hfr gur myvo yvoenel va n ebj naq yvxrjvfr gur om2 yvoenel.
Nsgre n pregnva ahzore bs ehaf, lbh jvyy svaq gur svyr vf ab ybatre va rvgure sbezng. Guvf vf abg npghnyyl gur pnfr. Vs lbh hfr gur urk rqvgbe, lbh jvyy abgvpr gung gur svyr unf npghnyyl orra erirefrq, fb lbh jvyy arrq gb syvc vg naq vg jvyy orpbzr n myvo svyr ntnva. Abgr guvf syvc nf gur raq bs guvf frdhrapr.
Lbh jvyy unir gb ercrng gur nobir fgrcf n ynetr nzbhag bs gvzrf (cebonoyl orfg gb jevgr na nccyvpngvba gung qbrf nyy bs guvf sbe lbh nhgbzngvpnyyl) - whfg znxr fher lbh xrrc n abgr bs gurfr ahzoref bs qrpbzcerffvbaf.
Svanyyl lbh jvyy ernpu gur raq bs gur svyr, juvpu jvyy or vaqvpngrq ol gur grkg (va erirefr) 'Abj purpx lbhe ybtf'. Gur ybtf va dhrfgvba ner gurfr inyhrf lbh unir orra xrrcvat. Lbh abj arrq gb pbaireg gurfr inyhrf vagb n tencuvpny ercerfragngvba bs gur xrljbeq sbe gur arkg yriry. Abj nyy bs gur myvo qrpbzcerffvba inyhrf fgnaq sbe n ahzore bs 'Juvgr' ryrzragf naq gur om2 inyhrf sbe 'Oynpx' ryrzragf jvgu gur erirefrf vaqvpngrq gur raq bs gur yvar. V qvq guvf fgrc va n grkg rqvgbe hfvat fcnprf sbe gur 'Juvgrf' naq '#' sbe gur oynpxf. Bapr lbh unir qbar guvf, lbh fubhyq or noyr gb frr gur xrljbeq juvpu vf 'pbccre'.

Today I had a flying lesson booked. It was a rather belated Christmas present from Tracy. The delay was not her fault as she had bought me the voucher for Christmas, I had just failed to use it until now. I have been working away from home for the last four years or so and getting time to spend to do something like this has been difficult, especially when every weekend has been precious. Still the voucher was due to run out on Monday, so I had to get lesson done soon.
Unfortunately the lesson was supposed to be taking place at Compton Abbas airfield (it is Madonna's favourite place - hehe). However after a weather check with the airfield over the phone at both 9am and 10am today, the weather was deemed to be incompatible with flying. I can only hope that Virgin Experience consider this a cancellation on the flying schools part and will give me another voucher (the flying club said they would support me).

...well youngsters at any rate.

I just had an email from my wife concerning my youngest daughter Aimée, who is three. I'll leave the email to explain it:

Paul on our bed making noise like a Seal - he shouts to Aimée what am I
- she shouts back - a prat!

Ah, the cutting truth from his sister.

I'm pretty sure the first question anyone will ask when reading this blog for the first time is, 'why the cheese thing. I mean..i'm sure it is a nice cheese and all that but just what is the relevance'.

'Ah-ha', I respond (much like a 80's Scandinavian pop band with that name - but a rather less higher pitched voice).

'This is why.....'.

Well hopefully as you should be able to see from the front page of this blog, my name is Ian Vincent. As you grow up you tend to get assigned nicknames, some of which tend to then stick with you for the rest of your life. My nickname has always been Vinny.

In 1997 I started work for the company I still work for now. This involved a daily commute on my bike from a little village between Salisbury and Shaftesbury called Fovant and my place of work, which was in Weymouth. In those days the Puddletown bypass did not exist and I used to have to drive through Puddletown to get to Dorchester/Weymouth. In this town was a pub called the Blue Vinny - which kind of put a smile on my face at the time because I thought that would be a good way to describe me when looking at porn. Later on, I was to find out that this pub was named after a local cheese called Dorset Blue Vinny (see the link on the blog homepage).

Some further time later, as part of my work, I started doing a considerable amount of commuting on secondment to other sites within the company. By this time the oldest daughter had arrived and I had subsequently got my car driving license. This did mean that I now had the pleasure of a radio to listen to, so I started listening to Terry Wogan in the morning and Johnnie Walker in the evenings. Part of these shows is the frequent traffic reports, which are put together mainly by information phoned in by people on the move. Now these 'Traffic Reporters' tended to have rather clever names, so I decided to use 'Dorset Blue Vinny' which subsequently got shortened to just 'Dorset Blue', after Sally Traffic and Co never got the full name right.

Since then I have kept the Dorset Blue nickname going for some purposes, mainly as my table name when playing online poker and now as the name for this blog as well.

I think that pretty much sums it all up but suffice to say, if you get the chance, try some Dorset Blue Vinny cheese. It's really rather nice, like a creamy Stilton. It was certainly the main part of our festive cheeseboard last Christmas.