It's Hikaru Sulu - Second In Queue!

Nope, Nothing To Do With "Q"
Nor John De Lancie.  Not today, anyway.  Tomorrow - who knows, as Conrad is as fickle as feline faithfulness or the British weather.
     Actually I'm referring to the actor George Takei, who played the part of Ensign Sulu in that obscure Sixties cult television programme.  Here we see him in the foreground of the Space Shuttle -

How very - Enterprising!  Do you see what I - O you do

     That looks to be a rather freaky shirt James Doohan is wearing; I guess we're lucky this shot is in black and white, or your eyes might cross.
     Anyway, I am adopting the convention of Left Is First Here, so this queue starts with Leonard Nimoy.  Who is not eating poi.
     Rather worryingly, this photograph is from 1976.  

"Poirot - The Mysterious Affair At Styles"
Oh boy I bet these people are so glad I was not watching at the time this was broadcast or they'd have got a sizzling letter of criticism from Conrad.
     Firstly, in the caption to the film being shown to Lieutenant Hastings, the date is wrong.  The Ypres offensive of 1917 began - on the ground - on 31st July, NOT June.  Bad research staff!  No biscuit for you!  Interestingly enough, Hastings is said to have been from the Royal Fusiliers, perhaps even the 22nd Battalion of same whom I have been reading about in "The Kensington Battalion".  
     Note that this programme is set in 1917, not 1935 as the series, so once again a challenge to provide period-accurate vehicles and props.  A horse-drawn ambulance was a nice touch - remember that the production has to get an appropriate ambulance, and period costume for the nurses driving it, not to mention hiring someone actually able to manage a horse-ambulance.  It's only in shot for maybe ten seconds, but they did a proper job on it.  All helps with the verisimilitude*.

Something rather like this, but with horses

     Now, I did like the use of the word "Calumnies!" which is a way of saying "lies", ususally paired with the word "Wicked"; one for all you apprentice English vocabularists.
     Then there was the rather coincidental scene where the residents at Styles are trying to rouse their mother, hammering on her door and shouting "Mother!"  This permeates into Lieutenant Hasting's dreams, which feature tanks.

The Tank known as "Mother"

     The director may have known the connection, but it's unlikely.  Today's small coincidence.
     There's also a wonderful short sequence of Hugh Fraser** displaying a "Was that a compliment or a criticism?"  face when somewhat condescended by Poirot.  It only lasts a few seconds but it's priceless.

Hugh.

     Now, a couple of what Conrad might call GAPING PLOT HOLES.  Poirot and Hastings discover a fake beard in a box in the attic at Styles, giving away a valuable plot point.  Conrad asks - why didn't the killer simply burn it or chuck it into the rubbish bin?  Tut tut, Agatha.
     Then, the revelation of whom the villain of the piece is rests on a letter they were trying to steal from Lady Davenish's room.  They resort to elaborate trickery to conceal the letter in the room, hiding in plain sight.
     Why not just carry it away?  Agatha!  You could drive a horse-ambulance through that plot hole!

S.L.B.M.
Normally this would refer to a "Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile", although since this is BOOJUM! you can bet it has several other different meanings, the NSFW ones excluded.
No, today it refers to this:

A Solero Mojito

     "Sunday Lolly Breakfast Man".
     There's also two different flavours of ice cream there: Eton Mess, the red-and-white one, and Avocado and Coconut, which Conrad made yesterday - forgetting to add in double cream.  Still jolly nice, though.

Another Small Coincidence
Yes, this relates to Thomas Pynchon again.  I noted it down and forgot to add it.  One of the characters in "Vineland" is named "Jinx".  Going from "Magic Words" to "Words For Pictures", I read about Brian Bendis's wife remarking on the business organisation she'd established to cope with his artistic output.  It's called - Jinx.
     I can't put a picture here as all that comes out from Google is some barely-clad girl running around with guns.

Have a Hubble photo of the Butterfly Nebula instead

Good news!  We now only have 26 eggs left.  Conrad bought 15 on Friday when we still had 14 left, so yesterday it was scrambled eggs for breakfast, today it was poached eggs for breakfast, and I'll probably take a couple of hard-boiled ones to work for lunch tomorrow***.

You What?
<sigh>  The Twits are still at it, with their inane suggestions about what Conrad might be interested in.  Take this one, for example:

"Ready for a crash course in Virtualisation?"

     Please note I use the correct English spelling of "Virtualisation", because spelling it with a "Z" is wrong.
     Anyway, am I ready for this course? NO!  NO I AM NOT!  I have no idea what Virtualisation is, nor am I inclined to find out.  Life is too short to bother about woeful promoted drivel like this.  GO AWAY^! 
     Thank you for listening.

We have now reached 800 words so it's time to post and depart.  Toodle pip!



* "Accuracy" - translation from pretentious courtesy Mister Hand.
** The actor playing Lieutenant Hastings.  Do keep up!
*** This is a bit too thin a post to merit a picture.
^ Very far away.