A Comedy Yesternight

At Least It's Funny For Some

As you must surely know, unless your current domicile is a submarine dwelling-dome under the waters of the Mediterranean, yesteryon marked the anniversary of Peter The Average's invasion of Ukraine.  The Ruffian population FINALLY seem to be comprehending, however dimly, that the 'Special Military Operation' is not very special, has expended most of the military, would be a double testiclectomy were it an operation, nor is it all going according to plan, as the Kremlin's talking heads would have you believe.  Art!

Go on, debate it with him, I dare you

     I know, I know, nothing to do with Bloaty Gas Tout.  Sue me.

     ANYWAY there was a concert thrown in Moscow, at the Luzhniki Stadium, with free food and tea, and musicians performing to celebrate Defending The Fatherland Day.  These events are usually attended by government employees and students, because if they don't attend, their ineligibility to be mobilised might suddenly lapse.  This no longer seems to be working.  Art!

Courtesy Jake Broe and Chris0_wiki

     When Putin turned up, he got close to people and nearly mingled, leading to strong suspicions that 'Putin' was one of his three body doubles, because the real Puny Petroleum Pimp keeps people at a thirty-yard limit.  His anniversary address lasted all of three-and-a-half minutes before he beetled off.  Art!

Courtesy Jake and Anton Geraschenko

     What's wrong with this picture?  You can't tell because you can't hear, but the concert is still going on in the background, and yet people by the hundred are leaving before the musicians stop.  How come?  Well, as the lady who made this clip explains, the free food and tea ran out, plus it was cold, so people went home.  What else is missing?  Ruffian flags.  Nobody bothered to take any of the thousands of flags that were placed at every seat.  They all look pretty drab - no orange and black banners or stickers or chevrons, no 'Z' proudly emblazoned on their clothes; the narrative that 'It's All Going According To Plan' seems to have gone awry in their eyes.  Art!

How very symbolic

     I doubt it will have been broadcast live, given the sparsity of attendance, which will need to be edited out of recordings, or the cameras were placed in order to have full seats in the background.  Or maybe they'll just CGI in a crowd of adoring citizens?  You never know, the next big orchestrated public event to glorify Putin On The Fritz might have the whole crowd CGI'd, rather than depend on apathetic humans.  Art!

This bloke, lest ye be unaware, is a parody

     I can also claim that this Intro has not been about Politics but rather mockery of the Tiny Toxic Terror Toad, who is now the wrong side of 70.  Apparently he no longer feels safe travelling by plane and so, instead, now has a specially-armoured train.  Fair enough, Ruffian aircraft are becoming dangerous to fly - another topic for a different kitchen.

     Motley!  Let's throw flags at each other.  We will need to get the PPE out first, mind.

"Daffodil"

You know Conrad, with an ever-wondering and wandering mind, which is why he wondered where this name came from.  This is where having a Collins Concise Dictionary bears fruit.  Latin taxonomy is 'Narcissus pseudonarcissus' for no reason I can see.  The name itself is derived from Medieval Latin "Affodillus', which was a variant in turn of 'Asphodelus' which you and I know as 'Asphodel'.  Art!

"War With Russia" By Richard Shirref

Art!

     Conrad saw the title in the bookshop, was intrigued by the back-cover blurb and bought it, forgetting who the author was immediately afterwards.  Well, guess whom I've seen several time on Times Radio's Youtube* vlogs?  NO!  Not Lord Lucan - Sir Richard Shirref, that's who, delivering sound analysis of what's going on in Ukraine.

     I shall have to dig it out again and re-read in light of what we now know about the Ruffian military.  Heck, I might even make notes and report back to you.  Art!

"1917"

One hundred years before the above, when the Ruffians were our allies.  I'm about halfway through this film, which doesn't give a date but I suspect it's about the time the Teutons withdrew to the Hinderberg Line, leaving a wasteland behind them.  The scene when our two protagonists encounter a cherry orchard, all the trees therein being deliberately chopped down, rings very true.

     Rather less true is our two protagonists happily chattering away on their journey, because in real life this would give them away.  An hour of complete silence, mind you, would be verrrrrry dull indeed.  Plus, actors like to act.  Art!

Blimey, this is a bit doomy and gloomy, isn't it?  Let's have something light and frothy that involves gin.

Conrad's Ginfusion

I posted a picture of a Ginfusion set that Wonder Wifey got earlier in the week.  On Wednesday I did the weekly shop and purchased a bottle of gin, then Googled a few recipes and this is the result.  Art!

Orange and cardamom

     The thing is it doesn't pour very well and you have to use a wide-mouthed glass to collect the gin.  The cardies flavouring is too subtle for my palate to detect but the oranges give it a nice citrus tang.

"The Sea Of Sand"

Sarah and the Doctor are discussing how to ensure that history follows the correct path, meaning that the bio-vores do not get to interfere any further with history than they already have.

Sarah tutted and folded her arms.

          ‘The Afrika Corps are presumably armed to the teeth?  Surely they’ll manage to cope with our large friends.’

          Her companion shook his head violently.

          ‘No!  That is not what must happen!  The Germans and their allies need to take this depot with no trouble.  Not only that, Sarah, there’s also the matter of our transport.  I don’t know for certain, not yet, but I strongly suspect that Sur has the TARDIS.  An exploitative parasite like him, along with his ruling culture, cannot be allowed access to temporal travel.  Cannot and will not!’

          Those last four word came back to haunt Sarah very quickly indeed.  When she moved back to the heart of the depot, seeking any loose or spare tins of food that might be used to create a giant stew, Davey swiftly moved in alongside her.

          ‘Get you to the Lieutenant,’ growled the Scot, emphasising his order with a bayonet affixed to the end of his rifle.

          Sarah discovered the Doctor at the end of a bayonet, Corporal Mickleborough’s, in attendance on Lieutenant Llewellyn, who cradled a tommy-gun.

          ‘What’s going on!’ she asked, with a plaintive tone that made both Tam and Davey look accusingly at their officer.  Roger looked at Sarah with an unpleasant intensity.

     This is what's called an 'Ooops!' moment.

More London Shenanigans 

Yesteryon we covered the shocking vandalism/hilarious practical joke/political point-scoring <delete where necessary> of activists painting a London road in the Ukrainian colours.  Right outside the Ruffian embassy.  Well, we Brits have not stopped kicking the Ruffians whilst they are down.  Art!

     A typical low-key way of This Sceptred Isle making a rude gesture at Peter The Average.

     Right, I'm going to take a comfort break and then go walkies with Edna whilst it is still not raining.

     I'm back and it's Dog Buns! freezing outside.  I also forgot to put my gloves on and consequently cannot feel my fingers.

Finally -

That's all, now to listen to a couple of Youtube vlogs and pick up my place in "A Very Stable Genius'.

*  It doesn't make sense to me, either.