Haletoon Chetoreh?

Which, As Any Fule Kno -
Is "How are you?" in Farsi, at least phonetically, and thus I have discharged my responsibilities toward Roxy's order to learn a new phrase in Farsi daily.  To which I might add "Sobh Be Kheyr!", which is "Good Morning!" in Farsi.
     Although the morning was not good - yes, it was cold, but it was also damp.  The worst of combinations.  Then in work everyone else was ill, as they were claiming how cold it was when in fact it was a perfectly balmy 12 Degrees.

Although 3 Degrees would have been better ...

Oooh, Another Doctor Who Monster!
Yes, this morning behind Door Number 9 was one of those skeletal head chaps who have the superpower of amnesia, as I recall, but <ahem!> Conrad cannot remember what they're called and the rules of BOOJUM! don't allow one to look them up.

Ah, what the heck -

      Apparently they're called "The Silence".  Yes I did cheat and look it up*.
     Er - I have to confess in my giant-sausage-fingered eagerness to rip open Door Number 9 I accidentally ripped off Door Number 15, so - But my lips are sealed.  I cannot tell**.

First Bust
In the sense of "Broken", that is, not as in "Classical statuary depiction of the human head" nor yet "Lady's chest".
     Yes, Conrad got a weekly bus pass this morning, which the driver put together*** - I know, I know, this barely counts as news and it would be hypocritical in view of what comes later, just go with me on this one - and whilst he peeled and placed, Conrad got a good view of the electronic data screen behind the wheel.
     "Check configuration of braking system at next stop", it instructed, and if it had a voice-delivered version you know it would sound like a Dalek^.
     Fortunately, keeping the journey to only an hour, the driver didn't bother to follow the orders of his electronic overlord - score one for the human race!

A Drugs Bust.  Similar to First Bust - expensive, bad for you and completely free of morals

I did have a post title about a tabloid on the newspaperstand at work, about one-name "celebrities" but to be honest I can't be bothered writing about either it or them.  Besides, it might have been Current Affairs.

On The Other Hand ...
Tomorrow's bonfire-fodder^^ had a front-page splash photograph that is staggeringly unworthy of being called news, of being associated with news and, frankly, of being in the same country as news.
  I give you - 

Kate and her coat

     I know The Metro has to fill column inches, but really!  And who exactly is this "Kate", sinisterly clad all in black?  A Ninja assassin, no doubt.
     Take this to it's logical limit^^^

"Yes, yes, never mind all that nonsense -
- TELL ME OF COATS!  I must know of COATS!"

Bombardier Beetle
Sadly for BOOJUM!, this species doesn't begin with a "W".  It is a species of beetle with a quite bizarre defence mechanism, as seen below:

What's that song - "Beetlebum"?  Here it is in real life.

     This little critter can put off predators by combining two hypergolic compounds that react to - well, one might stretch good taste by saying "Bumbard" anything trying to eat it.  The gasses and liquid that emerge are close to boiling point and will - er - poach any other insect or small animal trying to dine on bombardier.




* Whose blog is it?
** Until the fifteenth.
*** Fortunately for Conrad, again with those giant-sausage-fingers he tends to make a mess of this process.
^ See?  See?  Everything links together!
^^ The Metro.  Do keep up!
^^^ A line stolen from Echo and the Bunnymen