E.S.P.

No!  Not "Extra Sensory Perception"
Although that would actually be relevant, as I've just been listening to a "Mission Log - Gene Roddenberry Podcast" on "Plato's Stepchildren", whilst yesterday it was "And The Children Shall Lead".  These shows go on for 45 minutes and are proof that some people have entirely too much time on their hands ...^
     No, Vulnavia, the latter episode is nothing to do with pipes or roofing, it's pronounced "Leed" not "Ledd", which would be a very dull episode indeed, yet still probably better than the one they actually made.  It is legendarily bad, and having listened to the podcast Conrad has no need to ever watch it, which saves him time and sanity*.  It concerns Gorgun and his merry mob of mind-controlling moppets, Gorgun being played by a celebrity lawyer who resembles Superman-era Marlon Brando, except two of him, wearing a purple shower curtain.

Also, mercifully, see-through

     "Plato's Stepchildren" concerns a colony of humanoids blessed with psycho-kinetic powers, which have turned them into bumwarts.  I know that's harsh, but it's true and accurate.  They spend their enormously long lives thinking of new ways to be nasty, except when they're going mad, when they revert to the old ways.  Warning to Hom. Sap. - people going off their chump with the ability to destroy a building with mind power alone are dangerous.

The thoroughly rotten Parmen.  Knowing him, it's probably a slow handclap ...

      Where was I?
     I do apologise, I've explained what ESP isn't yet not what it is.  Okay -
     "Extra Solar Planets" thank you very much.  Kepler - the telescope not the person - has discovered another 1,400 extra-solar planets, including analogues of Earth.
     All the more remarkable is that, just 20 years ago, Earth and indeed the Solar System was possibly unique, as far as we knew.  Now - not so much, in a good way.  When the James Bell space telescope gets orbital, we'll be able to target individual worlds to check if they have a water-bearing atmosphere - signature sign of life.

Ringing that James Bell -

     Hom. Sap., eh?  As that reconstructive drama-mentary "Doctor Who" is fond of saying: "Human beings!  Quite my favourite species!"**

"Gerund"
I know this sounds like a Swear in German.  You can just picture a Ron Smith strip in "The Victor", with a jackbooted Prussian snarling "Ach!  Hoch tep, Tommy!  Gerund!  GERUND!" except a Gerund is actually a noun created from a verb, like turning "read" into "reading" by adding "-ing".  Which is extraordinarily dull.  Art?

Art!  You'll have Chancellor Merkel on us!

     Hastily changing the subject, Conrad wonders if he can pep up the dull and lifeless Gerund.  How about -

Gerunds - the VAMPIRE VERBS OF <thinks> VENEZUALA!!!

     Yeah, that works.

Dear Facebook
I know I have manfully refrained from criticising the Twits and the Foobs, yet last night they really tried my patience.  I readily confess to being Evil Made Solid, but this does not automatically mean I thirst for the intimate company of female Pagan Singles.  I really do wonder at how these "Suggested Posts" get generated, so if you know, write it on a postcard, set fire to it and bury the ashes at the bottom of the garden.

Paganini.  Close enough

Well Well Bog Asphodel
I hope that rhymes.  It also has nothing whatsoever to do with what follows.  
     Okay, Conrad has a social life.  Who knew!  He will be going out directly from work tomorrow to the Black Dog Ballroom in order to celebrate Simon's move from Service Delivery to HR Technology, a.k.a. "The Dark Side".  Conrad has been there before and remembers it to be horrendously loud, which will be a good thing, as it gets me acclimatised to the gig I'm going to later over in Salford.  The Kites are playing.

From The Kites Of San Quentin

     Sphelm will also be playing, and I remember these wizard-fingered guitarists from Kosmonaut last year.  Conrad bordering on trendy!
     The gig is being held at the unpromisingly named "The Bunker".  Liam - this Liam, not that one - has been before and declared it sparse.  A little Google-fu is called for -

Sparse indeed!

     What this leading to is an explanation that there won't be any fresh content posted tomorrow, and you'll be lucky to get a repost of stuff from 2014 and 2015.  If you're extra-specially good I may make the effort ...


^  Said without a trace of irony
*  A debatable point.
**  Mine too - lovely and crunchy!