Superheroes and Villains

One of the advantages of a multi-author site is in the variety of posts. While we may not like all the flavourings, there’s still much to savour. We all have our areas of expertise and they should be respected as such. We have specialists on a wide range of topics. Some of them maybe not as important as others. This doesn’t matter, you never know when a useless piece of information can come in handy.

One of my strong points is my wealth of knowledge about the graphic comics world, specifically Marvel Comics, particularly the 70’s and 80’s; referred to in the industry as the Bronze Age of Comic Books. I may have lost the frisson on the reading of a Marvel nowadays but I still possess Galactusian information about the brand. You know how it is. Sometimes you can process certain data and recall it with astonishing ease depending on whether a subject interests you or not. The exciting escapades of the costumed characters captivated me through childhood. N.B. Stan Lee loved his alliteration. Continue reading “Superheroes and Villains”

The power of the people

Prime Minister David Cameron speaks during a debate on Syria in the House of Commons, central London.Just occasionally the Great British Public’s voice is heard above the political and diplomatic babble. We don’t want to fire another shot from the hip at another Arab despot whose behaviour we can’t stomach. We don’t accept the ‘findings of the security community’ as justification for intervening in somebody else’s war. We don’t do gun-boats any more or buy into the ‘judgement calls’ of an over-zealous Cabinet. We think the grand ole US of A can please its bloody self, kill some putative terrorists and regret its actions later – or not. We are separated by more than a common language from their culture, their obsession with Israel and their lack of perspective on most important issues.

PS I am reminded by WordPress that this is my 400th post popped through the Chariot letterbox. Sorry.

Third Man

It’s like a tourist visiting London and not going to Buckingham Palace.
Like going to Blackpool and avoiding the pleasure beach.
It’s like passing a discarded trampoline without having a jump on it.
It’s like seeing a ball in the street and not doing a spot of keepie-uppie with it.
It’s like espying a skip and not having a nosy in it.
So why, oh, why would you go to the moon and not have a walk on it?

On July 1969 the lunar module of Apollo 11, allegedly, landed on the moon. Continue reading “Third Man”

Lost in translation

I’ve often wondered whether signs written in foreign languages akshully say what the translation suggests. In our local town a warehouse door sports a warning in Danish to the effect that unauthorised vehicles obstructing it will be towed but tantalisingly there’s a Russian version to deter – well – Russians, I suppose. But does the Russian say the same thing?

Mis-translated bilingual road sign

And now the Beeb reports this case from Wales (where’s Christina when you need her?). The Welsh version states: “I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7702913.stm

An Answer to FEEG

‘Just finished watching the BBC coverage of the Edinburgh Tattoo. It was as entertaining as it was when Mrs FEEG and I were there in person 10 years ago. Absolutely stunning.

There is still one question that arises from it, though. When you are in Auld Reekie, the atmosphere around Festival time is great except for all the “bagpipe buskers”.

So, my question for Mr Mackie is, “Why is it that bagpipe solos sound like a particularly sadistic version of cat strangulation, whereas a massed pipe and drum band is one of the greatest sounds on Earth?” ‘

A very fair question, FEEG and one which I have often pondered of a summer evening as my homeward bus sits at the junction of Waverley Bridge and Princes Street snarled up in the interminable Embran pre-tram delays. That spot is one of the mercifully very few where licensed bagpipe playing by a succession of inept pipers clothed in many and varied versions of what they fondly believe to be ‘The Garb of Old Gaul’ as in the regimental march of Her Majesty’s Scots Guards is allowed. Continue reading “An Answer to FEEG”

Come Sailing By

P1100050

This photo was taken by me two days ago in Balintore (near Dornoch) on the Cromarty Firth, Sutherland. Scotland.  I thought it was a nice combination of chimney, roof and sails though I took a few other shots of the passenger ship alone. My host had told me that the previous day he witnessed schools of basking sharks, with  huge dorsal fins and the fish as long as 20 feet and more.

I had been in Sutherland for a week and returned from Inverness yesterday by Easy jet. (Not so easy that when we landed at Gatwick, there was no immediate place for the plane to taxi to and when we were allocated a space there was no bus to take us to the terminal. A gruff and untidy man,  two seats away from me,  sat throughout the flight with his scruffy coat draped over his head. That’s Easy Jet for you!)

I may attempt a Low Wattage style format of post of the holiday with loads of landscape pictures.