Parliamental

Don't Worry - 
 - this has nothing to do with politicians, or even humans.  No, let us begin by posting a photo put up by Darling Daughter.  Art?

Owls!

     If you wish to purchase these or similar, check out her Etsy pages.  Sadly, you can't buy another shark pendant because mine was a specially-commissioned one and is the only one like it in the world.*  Anyway, young Sal - DD's real name and not one I chose at random - also added that a group of owls is called a "parliament".  I suspect a politician chose that noun, what with owls having a reputation for wisdom.
     I then took Edna - our dog, not some lady I'm courting (although make me an offer, ladies!) - for a walk, and was accompanied along the way by a squawking collection of magpies, four of them, all yarking away at each other.  Art?

Magpie!

     Surprise surprise, up pops the Coincidence Hydra to take a bit out of my behind, because the noun for a collection of magpies is also "parliament".  I suspect that this noun was coined by a member of the press or a disaffected voter, since magpies are known for being raucous, and acquisitive of bright shiny things, without being scrupulous about whom said bright shiny things belong to.

More of Sal's wares

     If you wish to commission a piece, she is willing to listen.  Tell her Conrad sent you.
     And now, time to throw the motley into the pool containing a dozen giant hungry octopii!

"Wehraboos" Part On
I had never heard this term until a couple of weeks ago, when it was used by Nick Moran, a.k.a. The Chieftain's Hatch on Youtube.  It refers to a species of military wannabes, who insist that the Teutons of the Second Unpleasantness were heroic supermen with state of the art weaponry that totally outmatched anything the Allies put up against them.  Max Hastings, the journo, approaches this mindset.  If the Wehraboos are correct then one wonders why they lost.
     Anyway, I thought a little corrective would be in order.  The standard Teuton stubble-hopper carried a Kar98 rifle, a classic Mauser design.  Art?

Left and right views

     The '98' bit is when it was introduced, so it was long in the tooth by the time the Second Unpleasantness arrived.  The South Canadians had, in contrast, the Garand M1.  Art?

Port and starboard views

     This puppy was self-loading and fired as fast as you pulled the trigger, which led the British at first to consider it nearly a machine gun; naughty South Canadian troops sometimes filed off the bit that locked the bolt after each shot, turning it into an 8-shot machine gun for real.
     So there you go, Wehraboos - you loose!

Excuse me - I had to dash off this morning and missed my morning pot of tea.  I'm going to take a short break and brew one up, because your humble scribe cannot function properly without TEA!

<a short break ensues>

Right, that's the brew sitting in the pot.  What next?

Well, Really!
As you surely know by now, Conrad likes him a cryptic crossword and also the Codeword.  I suppose an illustration of the latter would help, rather.  Art?

Every letter in the alphabet is allocated a number and you get two to start you off

      This is one of the harder ones that I've solved.  The general rule is that they don't use words that are too obscure, as you would tend to find in a cryptic crossword.  However - "Uvea"?  "Vixenish"?  "Fumigant"?  "Kulak"? - I bet only a student of Ruffian and Sinister history would ever get that one.
     Bah!

Late But Still Great
(I hope).  The reason this post goes out somewhat later than usual on a Saturday is because I have been to Gomorrah-on-the-Irwell, or 'Manchester' if you must, there to pay in a cheque, pay a visit to Fopp! and to check out the Gobe Festival in Albert Square.  
     I got acquainted with this festival thanks to a rather striking poster - Art?

     This is only the second time it's been run, but it's right up my street and I will most definitely fill you in with more details later on - there's a bit much to add in to the end of this article.

Finally -
Ha!  Take that, Wehraboos!  Art?

Bring it on!

     Clearly we should ALL have our flying cars RIGHT NOW, if they were working on this prototype back in the Forties.


*  <rubs hands and gloats>