Rather A Sad Intro Today
Yes, instead of lambasting scoundrels and gleefully tweaking my moustache ends at their hideous fall from grace, today I commemorate the passing of two actors; Angela Lansbury and Robbie Coltrane. We here at the blog don't often bother to do these obituaries, so you can be certain that both are held in high esteem at BOOJUM!
First, Angela. Art!
NO! No, Art, you bafune BROOMSTICKS not BOOMSTICKS!
This is a still from the horribly successful "Bedknobs And Broomsticks" Disney film that she
"The Manchurian Candidate (1962"
She played the mother of hapless victim Lawrence Harvey, with a distinctly Oedipal feel about their relationship, though done subtly - this was only 1962 and films had to sport a certain amount of decorum.
The role that she is principally remembered for, with good reason, is that of investigative author Jessica Fletcher, the central character in "Murder She Wrote", of which Your Humble Scribe has watched countless episodes. It's in the genes; when you get into middle-age your Murder Mystery genes activate and you start watching "Columbo" and reading Dorothy Sayers. Art!
This was a global success and ran for twelve seasons, a longevity unheard of in television series. Being very canny, she was also involved as an executive producer and so got plenty of lolly that the studio would have otherwise held in it's hot sweaty palms.
What few people will take away from this is that Ange was British, having come to South Canada as an evacuee, aged 15, whilst the Blitz was raging. Art!
O no. I recognise those symptoms. I think Art might have a replacement pash for Mara Corday. Quickly - Robbie! Art, move it.
Robbie being serious
Rob did a lot of work in comedy roles on television - although "Tutti Frutti" had a fair bit of harrowing content, too - and came to national attention in the very hard-hitting "Cracker", where he played a criminal psychologist aiding the police in Manchester/Gomorrah-on-the-Irwell. He really showed his acting chops on that one. Art!
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| No, Art, that's "The Young Ones" |
O no. He's been thrown by a young Angela Lansbury. ART!
"Cracker" because he cracked cases
And the role that made him internationally famous - Hagrid of the "Harry Potter" films. Can I trust you to get this one right, Art?
I think he had platform boots for this role, but they weren't that high: he was a big bloke.
Okay, time to raise a cup of loose-leaf Darjeeling to both of them. Chin chin!
More Pictures On The Theme Of "Wet"
Technically, "Underwater Photography". I defy you to be underwater and not be wet, so my title still stands. Art!
Coiurtesy Nicolas Remy
This is a group of sand tiger sharks, off the coast of New South Wales, Australia. The photographer said these sharks are on the critically endangered list, so it was a privilege to be able to swim with them.
I know what you're thinking - and, no, he wasn't in any danger. Sand tiger sharks, despite the name and the teeth, are not aggressive and will happily leave human beings alone as long as the favour is returned.
"The Sea Of Sand"
The Doctor and his fellow captives have been brought to what appears to be a castle in the hinterlands of "Wasteworld".
Sorbusa merely looked puzzled. One of his detachment leaned closer.
"The guards say it is the residency of Lord Excellency Sur, head of the Warrior caste in this region."
Quick to pick up parataxic patterns in the alien leader's face, the Doctor detected more puzzlement.
"A new title to you, eh?"
"Blast you, alien!" snorted Sorbusa, "I don't know how you discover these things -"
"Well," drawled the Doctor with feigned nonchalance, "A chap like myself, well-travelled, been around a bit, seen a few things, gets to know how the locals act and react. And you've never heard the title of "Excellency" before."
"No," muttered Sorbusa. True enough. When he left Homeworld there had been no such rank or title. "A one-syllable name, however, denotes high rank."
Off to the west another team of bio-vores were dragging a huge cylinder across the sands. The end facing the team of towers was covered with a series of grilles, structured in layers. Their progress was slow and spasmodic, tokens of a hard job and long hours.
"Interesting," commented the Doctor. "Some variety of sieve or dredge, I take it?"
"May the Devil's wind take you, alien!" snapped Sorbusa, before looking himself and making a muted sound of surprise. "Yes it is! An Element Sieve. At least that much remains from my time."
No flies on the Doctor, hmmm?
In Furioso Veritas
Or, if you like, "In rage there is truth". This is a perversion of the old saw "In vino veritas", meaning when drunk you are liable to blurt out the unexpurgated facts, and this is true of frothing maniacs.
This tale comes from a Malicious Compliace Reddit on Youtube, where the Original Poster worked for a major British internet and phone provider, but ONLY for domestic users - they were emphatically NOT dealing with businesses. Art!
He worked in Customer Service and took a call from an angry customer about how excessively high his phone bill was. His domestic phone line had been set to divert calls to his business line MAJOR NO-NO RIGHT THERE, which meant he'd still been charged by the minute.
OP explains this use as a business line is a breach of contract and he's not going to get a refund.
Angry Customer becomes apoplectic with rage at this point, threatening to sue for emotional distress, loss of earnings, loss of customers, loss of temper, etcetera. OP, curious about the large cost of these phone calls, prods AC a little more.
AC reveals - remember, in rage there is truth - that he's running a 36 phone call centre off the single domestic line EVEN BIGGER NO-NO. Art!
The AC gets served notice that he's being cut off in 31 days. Plus, he has to pay for the rest of the contract time - fifteen months, which doubles the amount of money he owes. And because he broke the Ts & Cs, he gets £0 in refunds.
OP said he wouldn't have bothered referring to Fraud & Compliance if the Angry Customer hadn't been so excessively rude and angry.
More Of That Dog Buns! Crossword
With this one, I might have gotten the solution if I'd spent half an hour on it, which I didn't feel like doing and don't regret one bit. Here's the so-called 'clue': "Caesar, the living dead salute thee here; Facing for thy delight tooth, claw and spear".
Don't be red-herringed by that phrase 'The living dead', this is nothing to do with zombies.
The answer: "ARENA" That crack about 'the living dead' is because gladiators would chorus to the Emperor, "Those about to die, salute you." Art!
O go on then
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