Csembalo!

Sounds Exciting, Eh?
I can tell what you're thinking - "It's the name of a dashing South American bandit hero, or a bizarre yet deadly weapon of war hailing from Spain, or an Italian dish made of hemp, fennel and linguini."

     No.
     It's actually the Hungarian for "Harpsichord".  The musical instrument, don't you know.  Conrad was idly wondering about whether he ought to tackle another Sudoku puzzle last night and decided no, when this word popped into his head*.  'Harpsichord' not 'Csembalo', I just put that in to make it more exotic.  Go on, you can't say Hungarian is boring, can you?  "Fo Utca", that's the Hungarian for "High Street" so now you know three more words in Magyar (which is the Hungarian for Hungarian).
     Anyway, the harpsichord.  Art?

A harpsichord, not a Baroque spider.  Just so we're clear.

     I know what you're simply thirsting to know:  where does the word come from?  Well, from those rascals the Romans as it has Latin roots: "Harpa" for "Harp" and here I hope you can see the connection, and "Chorda" for "String".  Apparently the "s" was a mystery addition; I think it enhances the sound.  Of the name, not the music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71iUAFFQ8ik

     There's a link to a lady playing a harpsichord.  Only a few minutes long, so it won't take up the whole of your evening.
     Okay, hauling the motley out of the ditch it ran into last night, let us wobble our way forward**!

A Brief Flirtation With Films
Let us now praise famous men, and after indulging in mild-backslapping, criticise some other famous men.  Yes!  BOOJUM! is here to put on a Mark Kermode mask and insult the great and the good of Hollywood.  First up is -
     "Logan": They don't believe in giving you much to work with, do they?  "His time has come" reads the tagline.  Oh really.  Is he an horologist?  Or is this to do with raising cash crops for onward retail a la Loganberry?  Colour Conrad unimpressed.  The last film about a farmer that I liked was "Mister Majestyk", who raised melons, if I recall, along with a little hell en route.

Hail, mutant avenger!  No - hang on -

     "The Great Wall": Didn't Franz Kafka write a short story about same?  If so I doubt this derives from that. Where is it set?  China.  So the lead is - Matt Damon?  What, is there a shortage of Chinese actors in China, that country with the enormous population of Chinese folk?  "What did they build it against?" enquires the blurb.  I think I can answer this one; to protect China from invasion by hostile hordes of horsemen.  Plus, you can't see it from orbit.  Next!

This is a Wall, and it's great

     "50 Shades Darker": Conrad, being of a sunny temperament***, likes to look at things in a positive way***.  Thus, if you spend your day getting your head bashed against a wall - hey, I'm not one to judge*** and people need jobs after all - you can look forward to stopping when the whistle blows.
     Thus it is with these wretched "50" films.  There will, one day, be an end to them.

A nice sunset, just because

I've Not Forgotten
Any day that passes without the release of a new Thomas Pynchon novel is a sadder, darker, generally less joyful day all round in the eyes of your humble hack.  In fact I must dig out that copy of "Against The Day" and read it against the doubtless immense number of notes about it on Thomas Pynchon Wiki.
     Hmmm, I wasn't kidding.

     We are at several hundred words already and this is only about the very first page!  Wow that would be a task.
     What I meant to say is that there are still several pages of notes I made about "Bleeding Edge", picking out references to South Canadian quotidian impedimenta^ that were strange or unfamiliar to my eyes. I fully intend to get back to you on these, as there may be one or two people not native to Tom's sceptered shores who are also puzzled.  Plus it goes down great at posey parties if you can casually inform people that "Oh yes, I've found a factual error in 'Gravity's Rainbow'.  I'm going to Tweet Tom about it. We two are so close."

There Is A Factual Error In "Gravity's Rainbow"
I just can't track it down without reading the entire book again.  Tom mistakenly identifies the main gun on a Russian tank as an 85mm model, when it should be a 122mm version.
     I apologise for using those hideous metric measurements but that's how the Sinisters described their weapon calibres, and reason enough surely to be glad their regime is no more.

Look at it!  Being all sinister and everything

*  Get used to it.  This happens a lot round here.
**  One of the wheels is a bit wonky.
***  This is a lie <the truth courtesy Mister Hand?
^  American things.