The Spectre Of The Past

That Sounds Impressive, Doesn't It?
Almost like a chapter title out of Tolkein, you know, near the beginning of 'Lord of the Rings' when Gandalf is terrifying Frodo with what his inherited ring really is, except that was "The Shadow of the Past", wasn't it?

"So - I've not to use it to sneak into ladies changing rooms?  Er - I mean, as an example."

     For what I want to refer to is nothing to do with fantasy novels, but rather the films of James Bond, although Ian Fleming (who created JB) did also invent Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which is quite the bizarre juxtaposition.  Specifically I wish to talk about "Spectre", the 2015 iteration of which I am currently watching.  Art?

Phew.  Art got it right - I wasn't sure what he'd conjure up.

     Here's a thing.  Radiohead were busy recording "A Moon Shaped Pool" at this time but were approached by the film's producers to do a signature soundtrack for the film, which they proceeded to do.  I think we can run to a link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4mIWoLg69Y

     I take it that Tom et al didn't just knock this off in a couple of hours; arranging all the strings and woodwind must have taken an age in itself.  Okay, the producers then rejected it because it was, quote "too dark".
     Excuse me?  "Too dark""Too dark"?  This is Radiohead we're talking about here.  They don't exactly ooze 'sunny', 'sexy' or 'swinging upbeat pop ballads' and never have done, so what did the producing bafoons expect to get - "Goldfinger" with guitars?  Too dark!  That's like complaining Blue Oyster Cult are too loud, or that Pink Floyd have too distracting a stage show.

Then again ...

     Bah!
     Well, now that I've gotten that rant off my chest I feel much better, and hopefully you out there aren't too burdened by the depths of human stupidity.
     Now to stuff the motley full of pickled cabbage and put it in the centrifuge at 10 Gs!

The Marvels Of Mathematics
SIT BACK DOWN!  This is interesting.*  Okay, if you read BOOJUM! with any regularity then you know your humble scribe is always banging on about Codeword, which we can provide an example of.  Art?

An easy example

     Chris, in the office, never quite got the hang of these, and wondered if you could just fill the blanks in at random.  
     Well, you could, Chris, but the odds of it being right are spectactuarly low.  This is because the probability of a random answer being correct are based on the number 26, which is how many letters we have in the English language.  If there were only two squares, your chances of guessing the correct combination are already 1 in 676; with only 5 squares the odds are nearly 12 BILLION to one.  And there are about 100 squares in an average Codeword.  A hasty calculation has it that, if you were to spend 18 hours a day completing one complete codeword every minute, it would take you 4.3 to the 89th power MILLION YEARS to get it right.

This will probably happen before Chris solves his puzzle

     Of course, I've just solved three this morning before breakfast.  But then, I am a whiz with words (or else what are you reading this for?).

A Moment Of Domestic Bliss
My usual routine of a weekend, for yes I am a creature of habit, is to inhale volumes of toast and tea whilst having a read or tackling a crossword; at some point in this process Jenny will hie herself along to try and edge closer and closer to the hot buttered toast, whilst Edna will also append herself at my feet, desperately watching every morsel of mine that ought to be hers being eaten.  Today after the food had gone the pets persisted.  Art?

"Your hand is cold!  I must lie on it to keep it warm!  I must!"

     Fortunately that's my left hand being used as a mattress and I could still do the Codeword, although "AORTA" is a bit sneaky.  Art?

"You have no food.  Therefore I spurn you."

     Well, that's probably what Edna's thinking.  Usually by this point there is competition between the two to see which one perches on my lap.  Today the sun beat me for attractiveness.

I was going to sharpen my waspish wit on a bunch of films, except we're at count and I don't want to tire your eyes with sheets of more scrivel, so we will just wrap this up with -

Finally -
Well, we did start off by mentioning a flying car, so here's a real-life one.  Art?

Now you can be dangerous in THREE dimensions!

     Made by those canny Dutch - one wonders why, they have an excellent rail system - and yours for £500,000.



*  It IS!  IS IS IS!