Santo Cielo!

Yes, This Is Italian
I judged it appropriate, as we shall be focussing on Italians, whom I have not yet come up with a gently-mocking name for.  Don't worry, I'll get round to it eventually.
     "Santo Cielo!" is the Italian equivalent of "Goodness Gracious!" in English, because we don't swear here at BOOJUM! except for the official blog exclamation of "Dog buns".

Japanese Self-Defence Force Anti-Giant Lizard Guns.
Maybe

     Anyway, aren't you the slightest bit curious about why - don't shake your head, you're going to get the explanation anyway!  Ingrates.
     In the meantime -

It will make sense on Facebook, honestly

     Okay, we all know that Conrad has a fascination with the war in North Africa during the Second Unpleasantness - I have to add that in as other pedants have pointed out that there have been many conflicts along the shoreline of North Africa - and that you merely have to nudge him awake for him to begin boring about - "The British 3.7" anti-aircraft gun used in a ground role" or any one of a thousand other topics.  What I like to focus on is the period between June 1940 and February 1941 when the only contestants were the British and the Italians.

A couple of Bersaglieri on a dusty joy-ride

     Here an aside.  "British" is a convenient shorthand, as even "British and Commonwealth" is inaccurate.  Yes, there were Australian and New Zealand troops present, and Indian, and South African, and Palestinian, and Maltese, yet there were also Free French, Polish, Czech, Greek, Yugoslav and German refugees fighting there; not to mention non-combatant volunteers from America who manned Forward Aid Detachments*.

Watching for the beer ration arriving

     So it is a matter of some concern for Conrad that there is almost nothing on North African from the Italian perspective in English.  I have one work, which deals with Italian uniforms, and that's pretty much it.
     Now, there is a seminal work by Paolo Caccia-Dominioni, which has been translated into English as "Alamein 1933 -1962: An Italian Story".  The thing is, there's been no recent edition and the cheapest one of the very few on Abebooks was going for £40, which is a bit beyond what your chiseling weasel of an author is willing to pay.  

Looks like a Sixties edition

Back To Beda Fomm
In case you don't remember me banging on about this, it was a battle fought on the coast road of Libya in January 1941, where a British battle-group entitled "Combeforce" blocked the road just ahead of the retreating Italian 10th Army.
     Conrad is thus minded of both Crecy and Agincourt; there on each occasion an outnumbered English force faced down the French and gave them a right shoeing.  The French, over-eager to get to battle, didn't bother to organise properly and simply sailed into the attack as they turned up, to eventual catastrophe.

"Italian tanks left flank at 500 yards!  Engage!"

     As with the Italians at Beda Fomm.  Although they outnumbered and outgunned the British, they never got organised properly until it was too late and the rest of the 7th Armoured Division turned up.  End of 10th Army; cue arrival of Rommel ...

"Archers, nock your arrows!"

Conrad Is Perturbed
More than a little.  Samurai Jack is back; they filmed a Thomas Pynchon novel, and Mystery Science Theatre 3000 is coming back in April.  

Result

     You may not be familiar with MST3K - IN WHICH CASE SHAME ON YOU! - so I shall detail it a little.  Initially it featured Joel Hodgson as a janitor trapped on the Satellite of Love, forced to watch awful B movies by a bunch of mad scientists, who wish to study his reactions.  Hey, everyone's got to have a hobby!  To help keep his sanity, Joel gimmicked up a collection of robot companions - Crow T. Robot, Tom Servo and Gypsy.  This helped to spread the load of watching the terrible films he got subjected to.  Later on Mike Nelson replaced Joel as the hapless vision-victim.
     Art?

Crow, Joel, Mike and Tom

     The series ran from 1988 for 11 years, going from local stations to - well, not quite global superstardom, but on the way - the Sci-Fi Channel.  As a series it cost pennies to make, since the real expense came in acquiring permission to show the target movies.
     It was very, very influential and won rafts of awards, and considering it ended 17 years ago, I never thought it would ever see the light of day again.
     A solemn warning:  many of the films that MST3K skits are nearly unwatchable without their running commentary.  Don't believe me?  Then try "Manos: The Hands Of Fate". 

Only giant flying cannibal turtles can save us now**!

Finally
Here's Leo Szilard, who is one of the people who warned about the planet-busting properties of salted nuclear weapons - which we mentioned yesterday.  Say hello Leo!

"Jo nap," replied Leo (he was Hungarian)

*  I did warn you; a thousand topics.
**  This is "Gamera vs. Barugon", nothing to do with MYHOF.