Yes, I Made Up Another Word
No, no, no need to thank me, just part of the service that BOOJUM! provides. I can tell what you're thinking: there is no possible way on this Earth that numbers can be fun. If we were discussing algebra or calculus or logarithms then you'd be perfectly correct. We, however, are looking at the words behind various numbers. Art!
<Heavy sigh>
Art! Pack it in!
SOLO: "A musical composition for one performer with or without accompaniment". Yes yes yes there is also flying solo, but an aircraft is not a musical instrument, is it? The term is, inevitably, derived from the Latin "Solus" which means "Alone". Art!
DUO: "A pair of musical performers". Derived from Italian which in turn derives from the Latin for "Two". Art?
TRIO: "A group of three singers or instrumentalists or a piece of music composed for such a group". And once again it's derived from Italian, which in turn derives from the Latin for "Three", that being "Tres". Art!
QUARTET: "A group of four singers or instrumentalists or a piece composed for such a group". Note how there's no vowel ending at this point. Obviously from the Italian "Quartetto" which is a diminutive of "Quarto", the Italian for "Four". Which makes sound sense when you stop to look at it. Art!
QUINTET: "A group of five singers or instrumentalists blah blah as before". And - are you getting bored of this yet? - it comes from the Italian for "Five" which is "Quinto", diminutised to "Quintetto". Art!
SESTET: I'm cheating a bit here, as this is an alternate name for a Sextet WASH OUT YOUR FILTHY MINDS , a group of six singers or musicians and derived <narrows eyes in challenging manner with finger poised over the Remote Nuclear Detonator> the Italian "Sesto" for "Six" which in turn comes from the Latin for six, which is "Sex". Art!
 |
| An anonymous nonet*. |
By amazing coincidence - thanks heavens for my Coincidence Hydra-proof armoured underpants! - Leslie Feist of the collective above had a big hit with the single "1234" - Art!
Which is where we came in.
When The Hood Is Not Good
Back to that list of the eight worst places in South Canada, as compiled by Geography King. His list is compiled partly in stunned awe that parts of the country can be so utterly wretched and poverty-stricken, and he's visited these places. The third area he covered in relation to urban ghettos is New Orleans, which he compared to third-world levels of poverty. Art!
The only saving grace is that it's nowhere near as large as the urban sprawls in Chicago and Detroit. When Hurrican Katrina hit New Orleans it did the residents a favour by flattening some of the worst slum areas below sea level. Grim stuff indeed, and a corrective to outsider's Hollywoodised view of South Canada.
When The Hood Is Good
Perhaps a touch bleak, yet undeniably picturesque. For lo! we are back on about films that used Scotland as a backdrop, from the book "Set In Scotland" and no, they're not paying me a penny. Art!
The Old Man Of Storr
As seen in "Prometheus". Art!
This is where they locate the star map that is actually a trap, or so Conrad contends. The alien Engineers have calculated that, if you can find them thanks to these maps, then you are a potential threat. So, if you turn up to say hello, they will exterminate you. Lovely people.
Okay, that's an example of the landscape being utilised. Here's one for the architecture. Art!
This is from "The Fast And The Furious 9" which makes Conrad VERY CROSS INDEED because enough of you out there are going to see these films, which is why they keep making them. This piffle was filmed in Edinburgh, a fact I will have to take on trust as I don't intend to abuse my eyeballs by ever watching it. Art!
I mean, how much tension can you get from CARS GOING REALLY FAST for the NINTH time?
Edinburgh looks pretty good, though.
"The Sea Of Sand"
The Doctor and his fellow fugitive, the bio-vore Sorbusa, have managed to escape captivity and reach the shoreline.
"Oh - hello there," he blithely began. Sorbusa turned slightly to discover a group of reticent bio-vores regarding himself and the alien with interest. "You must be the local peasant population. How d'you do - I'm the Doctor and this is Sorbusa."
The Time Lord looked at the timid bio-vores very intently. A group of three, they seemed disposed to run away instead of attacking or arresting the two fugitives.
"We are not hostile," explained Sorbusa.
"We are, however, escaping from Lord Excellency Sur," added the Doctor, to Sorbusa's silent dismay. "We don't like him very much. We don't like the Warriors, either." He threw a jelly-baby to one of the watchers, underhand, allowing the alien to catch it easily, snatching it from mid-air with his proboscis. "In fact you could tell your fellow peasants that the time of the Warriors is coming to an end."
Without saying anything, the three farmers withdrew, keeping watchful eyes on both fugitives, moving away into deeper waters, taking up creels and nets and poles.
"That went well," beamed the Doctor to the air and his companion. Sorbusa slowed to look sideways at his companion, slopping up a small crest of green water.
" 'Well'? You told them who we are and what we are doing!"
Once again the Doctor tapped the side of his nose, grinning.
Mark my words, this is the beginning of a major problem for the aristocrats on Homeworld. One thing the Doctor is an expert at is brewing up mischief.
Doctor S And His Spaceship Sift
As I have explained, the good doctor (an astrophysicist by trade) is looking at a list of spacecraft from films that his followers on Twitter suggested. Next up is the "Nostromo" from "Alien". Art!
What you're seeing here is the Nostromo, that small ship at the front, and the automated refinery that it's towing. As Dr. S. points out, the whole thing runs with minimal crew because everything is automated. Art!
Like the scientist and hair-splitter he is, the doctor again critiques the franchise for not specifying details about speed or voyage time. We can guess that these voyages take a long time, because people go into hibernation for them, which is simply insufficient in terms of SCIENCE.
Summarised as Not Great, Not Terrible. Middling praise!
Same classification for the "Battlestar Galactica" from both series. Nothing especially outstanding about the design, which does seem to be an efficiently-laid out hull and interior, as one would expect for a military vessel which needs a certain amount of functionality. Dr. S. also not happy about the Faster-Than-Light capabilities a lot of the fleet ships have, and - artificial gravity. Yes, but that last means no need to muck around with wires or greenscreens. Art!
And with that we are done.
* Broken Social Scene, actually
No comments:
Post a Comment