Limbo

The Word Just Popped Into My Head At Lunchtime Today

You know, the way words tend to do so.  I have also decided to use a cunning bit of click-baitiness <tweaks moustache ends>, which, if Art will put down his plate of coal -

     They feature in a kind of limbo, doncha know.  Where are they?  Dunno.  When are they?  Dunno either.  Are they still alive?  Good question, dunno the answer.

     ANYWAY I have just discovered a rather aged computer game that calls itself "Limbo of the Lost", whose plot revolves around Captain Briggs - you know, captain of the 'Mary Celeste' exploring Limbo.  Art!

     Typically we interpret Limbo today as being in an unwanted intermediate position without the ability to progress either forward or backward.  However, for some people it has a real theological meaning, as they describe Limbo as being the land where unbaptised babies go when they die, and whose principal population are the morally sound people who died before Jesus appeared.  The word, of course - obviously! - has a Latin root, that being 'Limbus' meaning 'Edge' as in the land being at the edge of Hell.

     Perhaps the most infamous (manufactured) Limbo is the Bermuda Triangle, and O what do we have here?  Art!

Utter twaddle

     Larry Kusche debunked the Triangle myths a good 45 years ago, but of course there's no money in deflating a piece of fiction that puts food on the table for those authors with low enough morals to put pen to paper.  A few of these people, anxious to include as many ships in 'Limbo' as possible, increase the Triangle until it becomes a parallelogram (not a word you expected to see today) that occupies most of the North Atlantic.  That, chaps, is cheating.

     "But why is it not a Limbo, Conrad?  Tell us!  WE MUST KNOW!"

     First of all, the statistics for sinkings and vanishings are no higher than any similar stretch of well-used ocean, for these waters are busy busy busy.  Marine insurance does not suddenly increase for ships travelling in the Triangle, which is significant because the South Canadians like squeezing money out of people.

     Second, there are frequent tropical storms and hurricanes.  These can sink ships.  Who knew!  Art!

Bermuda, meet Gonzalo

     Third, many of the ships that vanished or sank before the advent of radio-telegraphy could have sunk anywhere en route, without being able to give a position fix.  

     Fourth, some of the alleged marine victims are completely fictional.  

     Gosh, it's enough to dent your faith in human nature.

     Talking of fiction, '2000AD' and it's sister publication 'Starlord' occasionally featured the Bermuda Triangle as a limbo of sorts.  Art!

     This was in the early days when stories could be exceedingly silly.  I forget how this one gets resolved, but don't worry, John Probe a.k.a. MACH 1, will have seen to the miscreants.  Art!

     I think the background to this one is that a plane full of passengers crash-lands through a one-way portal in the Bermuda Triangle, ending up on the titular POTD.  Said Planet is inhabited by hostile monsters and other hapless humans who have also stumbled through the portal.  Basically everything there wants to kill you or eat you or kill and then eat you.  Art!

     There, we ended up in a proper limbo, didn't we?

     No!  The ridiculously contortive dance is derived from the word 'Limber', because that's what you jolly well have to be in order to manage it.  Art!

    I have no idea what it is or what it means, just that it's good to finish on a rhyme.

Another Touch Of Sophis

Hmmm and once again we see a difference in how Korean is translated.  We've already encountered 'J' instead of 'CH' and 'K' instead of 'G' and now - my Korean history book describes this site as 'Pulguk Temple'.  What does teh interwebz have to say?  Why, the term 'Bulguk'.  Art!

PULGUK Temple, ta very much

     This is part of the temple complex, which was built in the mid-eighth century and is regarded as one of the prime examples of Buddhist architecture of the Silla period.  Okay, that's enough sophis.

More Of Lord P's Crossword

I've got no idea about this one, so let's just get it over and done with.  The 'clue' is: "Add it among the hidden things, A fishy tale to light it brings (3)."

     You'll never get it because I didn't.  The answer is "TOB"

     Is it an acronym?  because we've already had those, which is frankly cheating on Dot's part.  Hang on, let us Google. Art!

     Still none the wiser.

"The Sea Of Sand"

A brace of the bio-vore peasant class known as 'Farmers' but whom act as general dogsbodies are having a conversation about current affairs, off on their home planet informally known as 'Wasteworld', which isn't quite a limbo, not yet.

‘Sur is in trouble himself, anyway.  I hear that the other aristos along the coast are thinking of a prosecution,’ said the younger bio-vore.

          ‘Because that alien escaped?’

          ‘The heretic, too.  Do you know, they escaped using a bone prosthesis.  Made out of metal.’

          ‘Well, that’s those from five thousand years ago for you.  More metal around for working with.’

          ‘And, just think, those detention cells were sat underneath Sur’s castle.  Not off in the Wastes.’

          Imgelissa stopped, suddenly taken aback.  Nurbonissa carried on towing for a second, until drag stoped him, too.

          ‘What?  What is it?’ he asked, looking around in alarm.

          Imgelissa took up the traces again.

          ‘Just think about what we just said.  How come we know so much about high politics and the inner workings of an aristocrats castle?’

          The younger bio-vore wondered silently, then gave up.

          ‘Leaks.  Rumours.  Information passed along.  The Overseers aren’t able to stop rumours starting any longer.  Farmers actually saw and talked to the alien escapee – me being one of them.’

          A steep incline loomed and conversation stopped whilst they hauled the heavy sled.

          ‘What did this mysterious alien say?’

          ‘He warned that the time of the Warriors is nearly over, that the aristocrats are going to fall, and a time of freedom from fear is at hand.’

     Typical Doctor, hmmm?  Stirring up trouble wherever he goes.

"The War Illustrated"

I think we're nearly at the end of the curated photographs I've taken from the latest edition, so lets bring up a news item not often covered by the press, because it's not that common.  Art!

     These are ex-prisoners-of-war, who have been released from captivity in Italy as the Allies invaded and moved north.  The official recommendation had been for these men to stay in camp until liberated, which allowed the Teutons to take them into their un-gentle clutches.  Quite a few ignored this advice and escaped into the Italian countryside, where they joined partisan groups fighting both the Teutons and the rump Fascist state.

     Whilst the chaps here are immensely pleased to be home, the hale and hearty amongst them can look forward to being returned to the parent units and back into battle again.

Finally -

Did I explain that Sunday wasn't my last day temping at Footasylum?  Luckily I checked before heading home that it was, indeed, my last day.

     Not so, I am there until COB on Wednesday, which deflated me a little as I'd been looking forward to a Monday morning lie-in, and a  pot of tea whilst putting another load of scrivel together.  O well, more money - or at least it will be if I get my timesheet in.