After all, if it comes free, just exactly what kind of quality can you expect from it? Look no further than The Metro, that Tabloid-Tat Tree-killer; every other page covered in adverts, lots of BIG FONTS, photographs to fill the gaps and lead stories about single-name celebritutes splitting a nail. I only get it for the Cryptic Crossword, and even that's not original - checking up on clues I discovered that The Scotsman* had the same crossword - back in 2004.
You have to pay for this, but it's worth it |
Free! And worth every penny you paid |
Again, it follows the Metro model - every other page an advert. Utterly indistinguishable from that copy of the "NME" I read earlier this year. Er - for "read" interpret this as "moved my bored eyes across the pages in a rhythmical pattern."
Then we have free beer.
Yes, I thought that would make your ears prick up. Given away at my Still Annoyingly Unidentified Employer. However - Art?
Left = free Right = Conrad jolly well paid for that one. |
"Ah, but!" I can hear your squeaky protesting whine. "What -'
Yes yes yes, Conrad is well aware that BOOJUM! comes free. He frankly doubts whether traffic would get beyond single figures per week if you were forced to pay to view these words of wonder. Which is why today's blog title is couched as a question, rather than a statement, since "You Get What You Pay For" would imply your humble scribe's best efforts were barely above the Plimsoll Line of Quality.
Alright, we appear to have gotten this far without mishap. Time to wheel out the phaeton of phantasy, since it survived yesterday without mishap. Wagons Ho!
<sigh> Art off his game again |
If you lack Conrad's morbid fascination with things that go BANG then feel free to move onto the next title, but don't think I won't discover this and take merciless retribution yeah unto the seventh generation -
If I were to mention armed conflict to you, and then "cannon" in the same sentence, doubtless you would conjure up an image of Mons Meg
Mons Meg |
Awesome pirate-pulling power - never without a bird |
Pierre Closterman (French pilot in the RAF) observed that you could pepper an enemy aircraft from end to end with bullets and not down it; hit it with two or three cannon rounds and you would turn that same enemy aircraft into airborne confetti.
About to make life miserable for some hapless Teuton |
A Warrior: most important bit of kit - the Boiling Vessel (for making brews) |
Of course the South Canadians have to go one better. Their Bushmaster cannon is only (!) 25mm calibre, which is not tremendously large. Thanks to computer-controlled gun laying, though, it can put one round into the hole that the previous one made, which implies a high degree of suckitude for anyone at the target.
If you think that's scary, I leave you with the Vulcan Gun. Aptly named. Having one of these open up on you is indeed akin to swimming laps in a lake of lava; very very bad for your health. It's a 30mm weapon with 6 barrels which rotate, so no individual barrel overheats. Each round is the size of a milk-bottle. Now, count to 3: you have just been hit by 100 rounds from a Vulcan Gun. The cemetery is that way!
Gun and ammo drum, and a Beetle, for scale |
DAMN YOUR EYES MARK KERMODE!
As you should already know by now, Mark gets an automatic Keep This Human Alive card when my invasion force arrives, due to his promotion of The Comsat Angels***. He is also a film critic of some renown (and a muso on the side), and thus Conrad eagerly read his critique of the bottom 5 worst films of the year over on Twitter. They are:
10) Batman Versus Superman - disappointing, except for Jesse Eisenberg, who was very very annoying.
9) Prince of Cups - A Malick misfire, wonderfully well-shot - to no end.
8) Mothers Day - the most hideous of experiences, an unfunny comedy
7) Rock the Kasbah - Just. A. Mess.
6) The Green Inferno - a boring slasher film, if you can credit it.
The DAMN YOUR EYES! bit comes because now your modest artisan wants to see them and see if they really are as bad as MK has then down as. Yes, that's perverse, but then again so am I.
No, Mark! Not the kind of "axe" a musician wields! |
Finally -
A Phaeton! See, Art, you can do it when you're not busy scoffing coal |
A Counterpoint To "How To Speak Cat"
"I'm your loyal affectionate attentive happy hound always up for a lark with - what's that? No treats or biscuits?
Bye."
* A real newspaper.
** To be pronounced with a distinct sneer. Ta.
*** One of the top 5 bands the UK has ever produced. This is not a statement, it is FACT!
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