Banging On

You Just Wait And See About What
First, let us examine a couple of foodie photos, because it's my blog and I insist.  No, no, don't get up, allow Art to do the heavy lifting.  Art?

     As you can see, this is a Polish dish, and I got it because it was going cheap, and I was curious.  Technically it's 'barley groats', better known in Eastern Europe as 'Kasha'.  The spelling may vary, the pronunciation's the same.  Interesting texture, if rather bland on it's own; my Polish colleague Ania says it goes well in soups, where it probably helps to thicken them up, and I believe 'Kashcha' is a buckwheat porridge in the land of the Ruffians.  
     Then we have a dish from my Anthony Worrall-Thompson 'Diabetic Cookbook', namely Chicken with Chick Peas and Black Pudding.  Art?

     I fear I over-reached myself with a recipe that caters for 4, or 2 if you're a greedy hound like Conrad.  What's left is in a tub waiting for tomorrow, or next week's lunch if I feel lazy during the week.
     There you go, an instructive and educational Intro.  Now to put the motley through an industrial hulling mill!*

Is It Canon?
No!  Not the camera.  I refer to the conceptual term, especially as it applies to 'Doctor Who', where the legions of afficionadoes will argue endlessly about whether the Paul McGann iteration is still a viable part of the whole pantheon, or whether it's a standalone, or whether one ought never to talk about it ever again.  Art?

Doctor which, if you will

    You see, if it does fit in, then it's deemed to be 'canon' or an accepted part of the Whoniverse.  If not, then it is doomed to spend eternity crying on the outside looking in.  Or, if you want to take a look at a fictional example, "Mad Max: Fury Road".  Is this a sequel to the original films, or a re-boot, or something of another caste entirely?  Art!

Who cares, as long as we get to see a FLAMETHROWING GUITAR!

     The word itself originates from the Greek 'Kanon', meaning 'Rule', so if something is canon then it is playing by the rules of whatever circumstance we examine.  Thus Donald Duck and Pooh Bear's Disney iteration are canon, as they adhere to the Cartoon Pervert Rule - never wear any clothing below the waist.

Donald, power-chording.
(The inspiration for the song "Donal' Where's Yer Troosers"?)

Hmmm.  We appear to have gone a little off-track.  Let us get back on it, or at least the verges.

Canons
Just to clear this up, there is an ecclesiastical rank of 'Canon', such being a Catholic  priest who lived in a clergy house with other men of the cloth.  No!  Other priests, not tailors.  THey had to abide by a set of rules - always pass the sherry to the left, don't get married, zap the Devil whenever possible, that sort of thing - which, referring back to Greek, made them Kanon.  Although the Greeks have the Orthodox Church, which is not the same as Catholic - do you see why we steer clear of religion on BOOJUM!

Art!

Cannons
Technically, artillery, and more specifically, anti-tank guns.  Which would not have worked as a title.  Today I want to talk about the British six-pounder anti-tank gun, which I have mentioned in passing whilst banging on about the Battle of Medenine.  Art?

Thus

     I have also recently mentioned the rather frightening Mosquito fighter armed with a specially-modified six pounder, which had a 21-round magazine and which could fire at the rate of one round per second.  Intended for use against U-boats, such aircraft shot down at least one Teuton aircraft by completely destroying the port engine with a single shot.  Art?

Molins not mounted

     Conrad wondered why these were not put on vehicles and used in the desert war.  After all, one of these could turn anything the Axis had into a colander with a single shot, so how much better would be a gun that fired horribly quickly! Well, the answer is that they were only invented long after the Eighth Army had left the desert.  Not only that, anti-tank guns were deployed in batteries of six, so a single battery of Conrad's Notional Molins Maulers would go through a ton of ammunition in a single minute.

"The Molins guns had experienced a busy five minutes."

     Well, it was an interesting idea whilst it lasted.  Perhaps some wargamer out there, reading this, will be inspired to try a bit of bespoke modelling ...

*  I made this up.  Such things may not exist.  Though the motley doesn't know that.