Getting Pieces Of The Action

For Lo! We Are Going To Update You On The Jigsaw

Not straightaway, mind, because we like to create an atmosphere of tension and suspense.  

     First of all, in what is a double pun at no extra cost to you, gentle reader, we're going to have a look at giant lego sculptures, since we've not had one for weeks if not months, and people are always coming up with new and impressive ones.  There was an exhibition of these works in New York/Gotham (the lines are a bit blurry at times) back in 2018 that I've not come across before, so let's take a look.  Art?

If I were you, matey, I'd be running, not laughing.

     This is pretty obviously a velociraptor, as rendered infamous by those Jurassy films.  Some idea of scale is provided by the puny human.  Dubbed "Delta", it consists of 30,000 bricks and required 350 hours of assembly.  Or, if we assume a single person working an 8 hour day, 7 weeks (!).  Conrad is wincing inside, too, because there IS NO BARRIER and you cannot underestimate the stupidity or malice of Hom. Sap.

     Next!

Luke Skywally and friend

     That's Chris, the designer, with a model of our favourite Jedi.  No need for a nickname here.  The Jedi is six feet tall, contains 20,000 pieces and took 200 hours to build.  Or, again solo (see what I did there?) it would take three and a half weeks.  Next!

Sorry, no puny humans for scale.  Life-sized, however.

     This one's a bit of a monster, not so much in number of pieces, rather in construction time.  There are 100,000 pieces present, it's ten feet long and six feet wide, and it took 1,500 hours (!) to build.  Or, solo - six months.

     Okay, I think that's enough Lego porn for one day.  Art?

     You can see why I put "Pieces" plural, there now being probably 25% of the total on there.  I still haven't found that edge piece, so either it was missing in the first place or I have managed to magically move it into a pocket universe where land-mobile sharks and intelligent weasels hold reign -

     If it never turns up in the box I shall have to institute a thorough search of the Sekrit Layr, which is never a fun job, and certainly not when you're looking for a tiny piece of cardboard that is inevitably card side up, hence blending in wonderfully with the carpet.

     Well, that's the state of play with the jigsaw puzzle.  Your thirst for knowledge is now slaked.  Motley!  Get out the duelling cutlasses ...

The Die Is Cast

Conrad is never quite sure what kind of die this refers to - is it the singular of "Dice" as most people know it, meaning that once you've hurled the little plastic cube from you hand, the outcome is inevitable, or does it refer to the foundry process where the metal has been formed into a cast and is thus irretrievably formed?  Perhaps the answer lies in my Brewer's.

     Anyway, back to my wargame.  I played another turn last night, at the expense of the jigsaw, because good old Polemos simply eats up the hours.  Art?

     As you can see, there's cavalry action on the flanks, and the Royalist infantry continues to plod forward slowly.  This is Turn 7 and the next one promises to have a certain amount of bloodshed as the cavalries collide.  It's all been manoeuvre up to now, which reflects real life since the infantry and cavalry frequently fought separate battles (the battle of Edgehill, which we covered recently, is a prime example).

"The White Company" By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

It is odd what random stuff pops up in my mind, isn't it?  Your Humble Scribe must have read this work once, in <thinks> 1977?  It's about the titular company, a mercenary English force recruited to fight on the Continent in the mid-fourteenth century.  The only bit I remember is that Sir Nigel is blind in one eye, because a peasant woman threw quicklime in his face, and he felt it below his station to defend himself from her.  His ferocious wife, Mary, makes it clear if she had been present, she'd have run the peasant woman through with a spike.  Several times.  Mary not a woman to mess with.

     SACD felt it was one of his best works, certainly above those concerning the great consulting detective.  It's available on Abebooks for but a mere pittance, so ...

£3 or less

     O my - lunchtime nearly over <sad face>.  And because I've not finished my vittles, a certain Small Domesticated Wolf is lurking hopefully.  Lurk all you like, Edna, this is MY lunch!

"Lovecraft Country"

Wonder Wifey recommended this program, which Conrad has seen mentioned in 'Empire' as being well worth a watch.  I cannot recall what it's about so a quick Google is in order.  Of course - obviously! - including "Lovecraft" in the title does kind of hint at it's nature.  There is not going to be an abundance of fluffy bunnies or rainbows.

     <A quick Google later>

     I see it also features the excellent Courtney Vance, he of the velvet voice, whom you will also recognise as the medic in "Hamburger Hill".  And from the look on that young lady's face, they've already found something pretty eldritch and squamous*.

Finally -

<rubs hands with glee and chuckles maliciously> Conrad happened to catch a glimpse of a bus stop poster as he rode home in triumph from Semi-Sodom (Royton if we're being formal), clutching a bag of remaindered food, ha ha!

     O yes, the poster.  It was for the second season of "The Boys", one that Conrad is frankly surprised got as far as a first season, as the comics it is based on are chock-full of sex, violence, drugs and sweary bad language.  Art?

Billy Butcher.  He swears a lot.  And he kills people.

          It starts on Friday.  Conrad unsure how he will get to see it, as it's on Amazon not Netflix - but Your Humble Scribe is both cunning and clever, and a way will be found.

     And with that, we are O so well and truly done!

*  Two of HPL's favourite words