It's A Blast

I Know, I Know - Current Affairs
(cue chorus of boos and hisses) but this concerns 'Star Wars' (spontaneous outbreak of applause).  Specifically, Han Solo's blaster, which the Beeb insist on enclosing in quotation marks.  What, you think some confused people might think that it really is a charged-particle hand-held energy weapon?  Art?

Love the reverential white gloves

     "Made mostly from wood" they state.  If you include parts and labour, it probably cost about £50, and it sold for - waitforitwaitforit - £415,000, which, at a mark up of 8,300%, is quite impressive.  It might even be the most expensive hand gun ever made.
     Here an aside.  The generic term for a hand weapon in sci-fi films and the old pulps was a "blaster"; you didn't need to be any more specific than that, so my rather arch description is a stab in the dark (oh the irony!).  Whatever those weapons are that Luke et al tote around in SW, they are certainly not lasers; you can't dodge something coming towards you at 100,000,000 feet per second.  Art?

"Forward!   Let us showcase our utter ruthlessness and rubbish aiming skills!"

     You might well be aware that many of the firearms used in the original SW fillum were in fact derived from C2o weapons.  Those Imperial Stormtroopers are carrying a tarted-up  version of the venerable Sterling SMG.  Art?


     There you go.  Also, that blaster of Han Solo's is also modelled on a real gun.  Art?

Compare and contrast.

     This is a C96 'Broomhandle' Mauser self-loading pistol, available for considerably less than £415,000.
     Okay, I think we've explored the world of weapons enough for a morning, time to strap the motley to the front of a dodgem and set the cars a-racing!

Fusilli.  Don't worry, it'll all make sense on Facebook
(I hope)

Even More About Transylvania
Don't be surprised, it has a long history.  It has also long been disputed territory between Hungary and Romania, periodically getting occupied by one or the other as international power politics exert their sway.*  Several treaties that enforced borders after the First Unpleasantness meant that Transylvania got assigned to Romania, much to the displeasure of Hungary, as there were well over a million Hungarians living there.
     Having got this tranche of land, the Romanians weren't about to give it up.  O no.  Art?

Romanian statement of intent

     This is one of a series of fortifications put up to prevent the Magyars from sneaking back into Transylvania whilst Romanian backs were turned.
     However!  Since the Hungarian dictator Admiral Horthy** got into bed with his bestest chums Mussolini and Hitler, Germany and Italy "negotiated" what was called a "settlement", which means they bullied Romania into giving up Northern Transylvania.  Art?

"Heh heh!" said the Admiral
(Probably)

     This is a great ability, giving away what's not yours to keep your mates sweet, isn't it?  And no wonder the Hungarians kept most of their army at home during the Second Unpleasantness - gotta keep an eye on them pesky Romanians.
     There you go, a bit of politics to savour your current affairs with.

"The Rockford Files"
Just in case any of you out there reading this are suffering from the same sad hollow empty ignorance that Darling Daughter and Quiet Tom manifested, and have no knowledge of this sublime television series.  Art?

"This is Jim Rockford.  At the tone leave your name and number and I'll get back to you"

     That above is how it started; an answering machine that usually had some caustic comment directed at Jim, generally nothing to do with the rest of the episode.  Which is fine by me.
     What made JR different from other private eyes was that he wasn't hip or cool, disliked guns and violence, and would try to lie, smarm or charm his way out of a tight spot.  Not only that, he frequently ended up getting stiffed by his clients, either due to his long-suffering good nature, or because he was dealing with the most squirelly of people.  Art?

Arrr, Jim lad -

     The series also benefited from consistently excellent writing and casting.  So, there you go - the 'tec with a rather battered but still golden heart.

Finally - 
This will only make sense once I post it over on Facebook, so here goes - take it away Art -


     This is Clapham Beck, in Yorkshire (dangerous foreign territory!), and most picturesque it is too.  Hopefully there are no KILLER EELS! concealed beneath those swirling waters.

*  Their evil sway.
**  Yes, an Admiral in a country with no access to the sea.  No, I don't follow it, either.