The State Of Art

Specifically -
 - this year's graduants at Manchester Metropolitan University's 3D Design course.  This is where the family were on Friday evening, prior to our trip to Nandos, a day before the event is open to you, the public.
     We were briefly diverted by a commotion in Cavendish Gardens, which is located next to the exhibition venue.  This, it appeared, was the rendezvous and start point for Manchester's Naked Bike Ride.  Art?

It wasn't easy finding a SFW image for this lot.

     You may recall a startled Conrad encountering this lot last year, entirely out of the blue.  So to speak.  Almost performance art.
     Anyway, onto the exhibition, which was absolutely heaving.  Art?

     Floors and floors of proud students with parents in attendance; no doubt the free wine didn't hurt, either.  And so we come to Darling Daughter's presentation, which see -

All her own work

     Now, because I know you're simply dying to know what's on that note - 

     Sadly the Dad-crafted hand-written notes didn't make it here, although I'm not bitter or jealous at all.  If you want to see what's in the box (and you're not a proper Hom. Sap. if you don't) then this is Darling Daughter's Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/sallyscuriosities/

     She will work for money.  If you like the creepy and/or old, then you couldn't be in better hands.
     One of the more interesting exhibits was a display of concrete furniture, made with added polystyrene foam.  Art?

     Conrad did not dare touch so I've no idea how heavy this stuff is.  At left is what I mistook for a completely separate art display.  Here it is -

With a video loop of it in action

     It is actually a dismounted washing-machine drum, into which the concrete and foam were added and then spun round before being allowed to cure, although it could have stood as a bit of abstract art in it's own right.
     I have more photos and will doubtless drag this article out over several posts, so that's enough art for one post.  Next!

Lindybeige
Ol' Lindy has a Youtube channel that Conrad subscribes to, as he has a lot of interesting stuff, mostly military in nature, and the most recent video he posted is all about the Panzer Mk. III tank.  I thought this would be a good article to link to, as that ruddy default Facebook description has led people to imagine Conrad is going to post a work akin to Von Mellenthin every day*.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAOITDzehLo

     Lindy takes you an a whistle-stop tour of a later model Mk. III Ausf. J's exterior.  Art?

The very same tank at Bovington Tank Museum

     He points out the additional spaced armour on the hull front, and the third iteration of main gun, a long-barrelled 50 mm version.  He also gently mocks the German's wonderful welding, "designed to last" - unfortunately designed to last far longer than the Second Unpleasantness itself and so a waste of time and effort.
     There you go, I'm not going to go on at length about this, have a look at the video if you're curious**.

Triffids - Yes, Again
Oh gosh, if MI5 check out my browser history again then we'll be having another long conversation in a closed room.  I say this because your modest artisan is already going through a long list of horribly toxic and explosive compounds, and yesterday I was Googling intently for fast-acting poisons.
     All completely theoretical, officer, honestly!
     Where is Darling Daughter's boyfriend Tom when you need him?  I ask because he's a biology graduate and my mind was running along the lines of "Triffid poison - what can it be?"  Just to refresh your memory -

A quartet of Triffids

     In all iterations of TDOTT, Triffid poison kills instantly - no chance for anyone to ham up and do a bit of carpet-chewing by rolling around in their death-throes.  Is there any naturally-occurring poison that kills that quickly?
     No.  After doing quite a bit of digging and poking around, possibly tripping a few internet alarm bells to boot, I can say that there is no such poison in nature, and also that being killed instantly by any biological process is impossible.
     The consensus is that one of the most powerful toxins in nature is Tetrodotoxin, found in the Puffer Fish and the Blue Octopus, but even this will take at least 30 seconds to render you un-living; the stuff has to get into the bloodstream and stop the heart, you see.

Biggest ever fan of The Blue Man Group?

     So, not only did John Wyndham invent a plant that fights back, he equipped it with a toxin beyond human comprehension.  Creative chap!

*  "Panzer Battles" if you must know.
**  If you're not then you aren't a proper Hom. Sap.