Of Mirrors

Why Yes The Blue Oyster Cult Album Actually
Actually I'm lying, although it is kind of under-appreciated as part of their repertoire; as I'm sure I've told you already, the band can play any kind of music, but heavy metal is what people pay to hear. Art?

Clever Art

     Okay, having laid out a dish of rubeum allec* for you, I shall proceed further.  You may not recall it now, but when the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, it has a serious defect in one of it's cameras, a distorted mirror I believe.  This made it a splendid target for comedians everywhere, and I wouldn't be surprised if a few Russian astronomers rubbed their hands in silent glee ...
     Your favouritest space telescope is now back in the news so WHO'S LAUGHING NOW! because it reveals an alarming increase in the Universe's rate of expansion, which (cue Sinister Oboe Chords) Science Cannot Explain.  Sorry, that ought to be SCIENCE CANNOT EXPLAIN!
     Of course this won't prevent you from putting salt on your chips or oiling the door-hinges, and is unlikely to rock your world in any way, but you know Conrad - always looking to educate the world one reader at a time.  Art?

Hubble

     Surprisingly unglamourous-looking, in fact rather resembling the offspring of a baked beans tin and a roll of foil.

Trimmed And Slimmed
You might consider the following photographs as virtual-mirror images, stretching the ""Mirror" theme a little further.  Conrad pre-hedge trimming:

Lax and oily

     And then after a session at the hairdressers:

Now just oily

     Why is this important?  Because my work colleagues have to look at that grinning maw all day long; I only need to bother when shaving or combing those steely locks - which Peppi announced are no longer as thick as they used to be.

"Jim'll Paint It"
My decision not to link the website bears fruit, as I can now pad out the blog with more of Jim's artwork.  Also some of you might run screaming from the art there; it's the suggestions for pictures that are the most worrying thing, as those doing the suggestions cannot be told apart from the obvious ranting loonies out there.  Art?

Go on, guess!

     Since this might require knowledge of olden times I shall reveal that this is "Medieval Kneivel".  And it's very tame compared to some stuff.  Art?

I'm not going to describe this one, just decide amongst yourselves

Magic Mirror
You know, from "Snow White".  Picture the scene: the Wicked (but hot!) Queen is consulting her Magic Mirror -

Wicked Queen:  Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?
Magic Mirror: Oh, that's easy.  Miriam Buchstader.
WQ:  Who?  Not me?  Or that heifer Snow White?
MM: Miriam.
WQ: Why her!  Tell me, you insufferable minion!
MM:  She's a blonde albino.  Can't get fairer than that.
WQ:  She's a - what are you ranting about?
MM:  Oooh, get you.  Let me guess, you were being sloppy with language.  You said "fairest" when you actually meant "most beautiful".  Am I right?
WQ:  Of course I did, you witless wart.  Well?
MM:  Okay, it's you.
WQ:  Ah, finally.
MM:  You really are shockingly shallow, you know.
WQ:  So what?  I am the fair - the most beautiful.
MM:  Ah.  Yes.  About that -
WQ:  What?  What!
MM:  Only temporary, as Snow White has a spot on her nose.  She's using witch-hazel on it, should be gone in a couple of days.
WQ:  Witch-hazel - I'll give her witches -
MM:  Next time, be clearer what you're asking for.
WQ:  Indeed I will.
MM:  Oh.  Is that a hammer you're holding?  Er -

     And we shall move swiftly on from there.

"Perplex"
Yes, one of our occasional looks at words that pop up into Conrad's mind for no discernible reason.  Normally I credit these to Oscar, my subconscious, but whilst re-reading some old posts yesterday I came across Steve, who is apparently my memory - and who is bad at his job since I didn't recall his name.  No biscuit for Steve!
     Anyway, back to "Perplex", meaning to "confuse or puzzle".  It's Latin in origin, of course, and comes from "Plexus", meaning "Interwoven", which then became "Perplexus" meaning "Entangled" before slimming down to "Perplex".  Or, in Albanian, "Nderlikoj".  Though not in Armenian.  Armenians are apparently never perplexed.

Close enough

     Right, that takes us up to count, or close enough as not to matter.  I'm also going to finish as I have a litre pot of Darjeeling brewing downstairs and, much as I love you, I love my tea even more.

Pip pip!


*  Red Herring