God Jul Og Godt Nytt Ar!

Also, "Lykke Til!"
Which is Norwegian, as you may have guessed, as we do have a soft spot for the Norks* here at BOOJUM! and we've been going on about 'em of late.

Oslo.
(Capital of Norway)

     If I feel generous later on I may translate for you.  Or not.  I'm horrid that way.
     Anyway, let us focus tonight on some Norks who made certain that the Teutons wouldn't manage to create an atomic bomb this side of 1950.  Remember, also, that the Second Unpleasantness ended in 1945.
     I did mention that the Norks were, mostly, exceedingly annoyed at the Teuton invasion and occupation of their country - Vidkun Quisling aside.  Those who escaped to Perfidious Albion were frequently trained as saboteurs and went gleefully back to Norway in order to make living conditions for the occupiers as miserable as possible.  Art?

Santa's Norwegian home-from-home
The electric plant at Vermork

     It worked.  I believe by the war's end there were 300,000 Teuton troops garrisoning Norway, busy looking under beds and inside cupboards, instead of helping fight the Allies in Europe.
     Okay, about that atomic bomb.  To create the fissile material needed, the Teutons needed a nuclear reactor.  To moderate the fission process in said reactor, they needed heavy water.
     Where was the only place in the world that made heavy water?  Why, the Hydrogen Production Plant in Norway, at Vermork.
     Enter Perfidious Albion.  Being, you know, perfidious and all.  They already had an agent inside the plant who sent them detailed plans and architectural information.  Art?

The exceedingly tall King Hakon inspects Nork troops.

     Their Special Operations Executive were quite aware of how important that heavy water was, so they sent in a ten-man team of Nork saboteur soldiers, who cunningly sneaked into the plant, unseen.  Well, except for the Nork janitor, who was delighted to be able to help them.
     Some time later BANG! and not only is the heavy water destroyed, but also the plant to make more of it.  Plus all the saboteurs get away undetected.  Herr Hitler makes a sad face.
     In early 1944 the Teutons decide to ship out what heavy water remains, to get it to safety in Germany, except the Nork resistance sinks the ferry the drums of heavy water are in, and - irony of ironies - the water ends up at the bottom of a lake.

This lake: Lake Tinn

     There you go, proof, were it needed, that Perfidious Albion in combination with some determined Norks is a dangerous opponent.
     Now, time to find out what happens if you throw a marshmallow into the motley's face!  (whilst it is accelerating at 10G on a rocket sled).

Traditionally, I should be boring you rigid with details of what presents I got, which to your humble scribe rates as about on a par with posting pictures of what you had for lunch.  Instead, let us - oh, I dunno - speculate on the future of LITHIUM WAFER BATTE - actually no, I think not.  PEDIGREE PIG BREEDING!  Except no.  I know nothing about pigs.  Films?

BOOJUM! Reviews Films
As we do.  Which means Conrad looks at a title, then makes wildly inaccurate generalisations, throws in a few gratuitous insults and departs before the lawyers with their injunctions arrive.  Hey, if you want a nuanced and perceptive critique, there's always Mark Kermode!**
"Aquaman": Hmmmm.  Conrad not impressed.  I do admit, Jason Momoa is a pretty imposing guy, and I'd not care to get into a fist-fight with him, but I cannot help thinking that this will merely be ringing the changes on a live-action "Spongebob Squarepants".  And who, pray tell, will play the role of Gary?

                    Grim and brooding                                               Happy as Larry
                                              Which is better? Only you can tell!
"Stan And Ollie":  This one might have a bit of trouble selling itself, as your modest artisan is not entirely sure the young people of today know who Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy were.  Lest you be unaware, they were comic actors from the silent era who went on to have an unprecedentedly successful career in the talkies, because their voices so utterly matched their appearance.  Art?

CAUTION!  That moustache is false.

     Interestingly enough, I see that Ollie is being played by John C Reilly, a fine South Canadian character actor, whilst Stan is being played by Steve Coogan, an actor from the Pond of Eden, which is fitting indeed, as Stan himself hailed from Cumbria.***

Egad!  Is this the real thing?  Or is it just fantasy?

"Bumblebee": I have a feeling that Mark Kermode will not like this film.  After all, how good can a film be, when it starts with the word "Bum"?  Quite aside from that, it seems to be an offshoot of the tediously successful 'Transformers' franchise, which last I heard were mucking about with King Arthur and the Holey Rusted Metal Plate, or some such shizzle.  Still, if you idiots keep going out and paying to see this stuff, they'll keep making it.

One of Rimsky-Korsakov's finer moments

     That there is "Flight of the Bumblebee".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYAJopwEYv8

     And there's a link to a Youtube performance of same.  Classical music and Ruffians - you've got to admit, they go together rather well!

Finally -
To end with something short and sweet, as I would like to hit the Big Ton (1,000 words) - hang on, there's a lot of activity over on Facebook and I think it behoves me to go and check it out, as there were a lot of photos taken today, not all of which I approved of - 

Hmmm.  I think Fatty needs a haircut.

     This is actually quite a photographic achievement, since a photo of Conrad smiling usually reduces small children to tears and makes older ones blench and recoil.
     Right, we are over the Big Ton, time to sort out lunch for tomorrow, as I am <shudder> working!


*  Not to be confused with the other Norks, those pantomime villains from North Korea.
**  Who is also a big fan of The Comsat Angels.
***  A north-eastern bit of the Pond of Eden.  Picturesque if a bit undeveloped.