Beatles

Conrad Is Doing His Homework
Well, part of his homework, the stuff about taking over the world can wait until later this evening.  What I refer to has nothing to do with the Liverpudlian pop/rock band, and everything to do with cheesy Fifties sci-fi monster movies.

I don't think this is covered in the British Army's Queen's Regulations, exactly.

     "But - what is this?  And how can it be?" I hear you mutter, as well as "He's really stretching with that title."
    Not really.  You are, by now, familiar with that sci-fi classic "Them"?  This was the first (and undisputed best) of a flurry of films that were subsequently released, all to do with Giant Critters.  The insect world - and I use the term 'insect' loosely - was somewhat over-represented: there was "Tarantula" which today would scream loudly about featuring a young Clint Eastwood; "The Black Scorpion" and you can guess what that featured*; "Beginning of the End" with some very dodgy superimposed grasshoppers.  Plus one film I haven't yet seen: "The Deadly Mantis" (1957), so my homework is to watch this with a critical eye.  The other eye's  busy elsewhere.

Making the world a safer place.  Thank you, weasels!
(I realise this is nothing to do with beatles, it just appealed to me)

     So, I used the term "beatles" because these things aren't insects in the accepted sense of the word, though they seem to have been used because of the inherent squick factor felt by humans about horrid little crawling things.  
     Incidentally, I noticed that the titular beast in "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms" was so mindlessly aggressive that it attacked and demolished a lighthouse simply because it was there.  Apparently even in a giant dinosaur, there's not a lot going on upstairs; what hope do we have for a praying mantis of equal size?
     Okay, time to paint the motley all over in day-glo pink, then send it off into the woods!**

No, I can't Let It Be - I hope they both kill each other!

There will now be a short break as your humble, and hungry, scribe goes off to fill up with stew.  Back shortly.

Meanwhile, Across The Universe -
Another shot at satisfying that pesky default Facebook notification about "astronomy".  Earlier today we had an item about the 8 exoplanets in the Kepler 90 system, a mere 2,500 light years away.  This time we venture rather further out, to a distance of 7,500 light years, and part of the Carina Nebula.  Art?

The Mystic Mountains

     This photograph illustrates part of the nebula about 3 light years across, and what you're looking at are clouds of dust in interstellar space.  The stars within the dust clouds were formed from that same dust, and are now dispersing it thanks to solar winds.

What?  You claim that there's an album by a band called The Beatles which features a track called "Across the Universe"?  This is pure nonsense, it doesn't prove a thing.  So what, I say - it's a common enough term.***

Proof That Some People Have Entirely TOO Much Time On Their Hands
(Yes, coming from me that really is the written definition of Howling Irony).  Once again I refer you to Jim'll Paint It, the blog run by Jim, who will indeed paint it, if you send it in as a suggestion.  I always put up a link to his website, in case he gets to hear about BOOJUM! making mockery, and here it is:

http://jimllpaintit.tumblr.com/

     And what do we have this time, Jim?  In typical deadpan drollery, "Ravers of the Lost Ark".  Art?

Extra-large because I don't think there's anything NSFW in it.

     Very amusing, Jim!  Now, when are you going to get a real job?

Behentrimonium Chloride
You know Conrad, he's the kind of person who simply cannot help looking at the ingredients list on bottles of cosmetics or foodstuffs, which is either thorough or sad.  Perhaps a bit of both.  It means I know that the borderline-disgusting Sacla Pesto made with kale, was 40% kale, easily 39% too much.
     It also means I picked up on the above chemical as an ingredient for some hair product belonging to Wonder Wifey.  
     "What's this1!"  I pondered.  Aloud, there was nobody else around to frighten.  "It sounds dangerous!"

Alas, no

     Sadly disappointed, I read that it's only an anti-static and disinfectant agent as used in lots of cosmetics, and is thus not dangerous at all <sad face>.


*  Mexicans!
**  You bet it's dangerous - there are hunters prowling in the timber. With guns.
***  But I could be lying