Who's Next

Jodie Whittaker!
Oh, I'm sorry, did you mistakenly think I was referring to that classic rock album by The Who, which is definitely one of their best, especially "Baba O'Reilly"?  

Hmmm.  Not sure about that one, Art

     Nor was I pondering on the possible successor to the World Health Organisation, since - what?  Your vote is for "Won't Get Fooled Again"?  Yes, maybe, but it's not your blog.  Where was I?
     <short interlude follows as Conrad pops into the kitchen to check on the pasta>
     Oh yes. - because then the title would have been spelled W.H.O. wouldn't it - you know I'm a stickler for correct spelling and grammar.
     Instead I refer to the forthcoming Christmas special broadcast of that fascinating dramamentary "Doctor Who", all the more so since Doctor John Smith (the codename for UNIT's Special Scientific Adviser) is going to transmogrify into Doctor Joan Smith, which is one for the books.
     Here an aside.  Jodie Whittaker, portraying the real-life SSA, is a comely lass who did well in "Attack the Block", which also featured a young John Boyega.  Art?

The evidence

      I think young John has a future in acting; he was so convincing in ATB that your humble hack had to keep reminding himself that, no, he isn't really a horrid teenaged chav, that's what they call acting.
     <now, how's that pasta doing?>
     Okay, that's enough for the Intro, let us force the motley to juggle with bottles of nitroglycerine!*

Shakespoke
Ah, a little vitriol always goes down well with your humble scribe, as long as it's done with a certain panache and even elan.

Pan ache?

     Here an aside.  Conrad, who is wicked down to his very DNA, enjoys reading the Comments section over on the BBC's sports pages when Manchester City (one of those ballfoot teams) have played a game.  There is plenty of vitriol there from people who are (most definitely!) not fans of Manchester City, although it lacks that variety and class I value.  Usually it is a variation of "your team bought <insert match, league or trophy here>" or "Your team are rubbish because <insert technical ballfoot terms Conrad does not understand>" or, the final standby insult "Why cannot your team fill your stadium to capacity" which is usually said in a gloating tone rather than the spirit of honest enquiry you ought to expect.

Conrad, exhibiting his sense of fun

     It's terrific fun!
     Which, typically, has nothing whatsoever to do with Windbag William Shakespeare, whose pompous sense of self-importance is about to be severely tried.  Lay it on!
   

"To die, to sleep - to sleep, perchance to dream"

Bill, I don't think I like this theme.

Were I to lie down and become a sleeper,

I'd not want to encounter the Grim Reaper.

     It may be true that sleep has been nicknamed "The little death", but that was by the French, so it doesn't count.  I know that Raymond Chandler wrote an excellent detective novel entitled "The Big Sleep", which is also an excellent film starring Bogey and Bacall, and said title refers to death -
     Where was I?  Basically, I think Bill is taking the idea of equating the loss of consciousness when sleeping with being six feet under, which is taking it too far, in my humble opinion.  What next - votes for women?**

"Votes for wimmin?  Unthinkable!  Now, bring me a chota-peg."

Meanwhile, In War-Torn Andreivia, Dateline April 1918 -
My mate Richard created the fictional Black Sea republic of Andreivia, capital city Tcherbevan, in order to use up a lot of miscellaneous wargaming kit.  To date, he's run scenarios set in the modern era, where the Andreivian government forces have to deal with Armenian and Turkish militias, mujaheddin, NATO task-forces and Russians looking for a foothold in a nation with a blue-water port.  We might be able to dig up a photo -



     This is from last year, when I was unable to attend due to the car blowing up en route.  Ironically, I had written up the outline for the scenario: an American Keyhole spy satellite had crashed in the mountainous interior of Andreivia.  The Americans want it back; so do the Russians!  And the local Armenian and Turkish militias know that if they can lay their hands on it, they can extract a handsome ransom.
     The kicker for 2018 is that we're going back to the very start of Andreivia's independent existence, after the break-up of Romanov Russia.  Already German and Turkish troops are moving on the capital ...

High-tec in 1918!

*  Also good for angina, if taken in drops.  The only time it's safe to drop Nitroglycerine.
**  The quote is from 'Hamlet', where I believe everybody ends up dead, or mad, or both.