Hello Old Chap

No!  I'm Not Talking To Myself
Although that's perfectly fine, and you may indulge yourself in this fashion if you wish.  Personally, I find that talking to myself makes more sense than talking to a lot of other people, as I know what I'm talking about*.  The trick is to not do it aloud in front of witnesses.  Especially on the bus.  That can cause trouble.
     Okay, now that we've got that established, let us actually stay on-topic for once.  Normally at BOOJUM! we skip from one idea to another with all the speed and verve of a gambolling lamb on Vim and steroids, but today, just to mix it up, we remain focussed.
     "Er - what is he on about now?" I hear you enquire.  "Pensioners?"
     Well, no.  Grandaddy, that's who, or rather what, I mean.  
     "Do you -" STOP right there!  No I am not referring to an aged relative.  The South Canadian indie band from Modesto, California, that's whom I refer to.

Here they are, the rascals, messing about

     The core of the band is actually Jason Lytle, who used to compose all the songs himself in various lo-tec venues, and who assembled a band to play live or tour.  I've been listening to their three albums that I have.  Here you get my opinion, whether you like it or not.
     "The Sophtware Slump": a cogent view of a dystopian near-future, with an underlying seam of humour.  "He's Simple, He's Dumb, He's The Pilot" is my favourite track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IURAKQV7q_o

     And there's a link to it.  Beware ye of short attention span, it's over 8 minutes long.
     "Sumday": With the annoyingly catchy "Now It's On", "The Go For It" and above all "Stray Dog And The Chocolate Shake".  Damn that last!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYNovmwZA3o

     There's a link to it, but be warned it will run around your head for the rest of the day until or unless you can listen to another song more catchy.

Warning:  do not try this at home, it's not physically possible

       "Under The Western Freeway":  Their debut album and possessor of another irritatingly catchy tune "AM 180", with the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6GNmZOJd2A

     Now, the last album they made was in 2006, after which they split up to do solo stuff, but they reformed in 2016 and a new album is due in March 2017, which is genuinely a thing to look forward to.
     Hence the "Old Chap" of the title.
     Now, hopefully having both thrown you off-track and informed, with the Intro over, let us proceed!

Totally rocking the "Clockwork Orange" look.

You May Hear More Of This
Conrad is giving up alcohol for the month of January, which is not really news along the lines of Brexit or the death of Steve Dillon, yet it does mean - well, going without alcohol for January.  In this case, all 31 days rather than what has previously been up till six o'clock on Saturday, which has tended to be 28 days.

Your humble scribe, 28 Days Later

     Your humble (and sober) scribe has felt absolutely no difference in terms of health in prior sober months.  His wallet, though, is a different matter.  No more "Oh I'll just get a bottle or two of this" when buying a packet of ham, and no more "Oh I'll just get a load of ham" when purchasing a bottle**.
     So, to keep my spirits up, you may indeed hear more of this.

"Orchard Pig"
This sounds like one of those oddly-titled Operations of the British Army, possibly an exercise for emergency reinforcement of Ascencion Island in case of a threat from <thinks> Brazil?
     Well, it's not.  Surprise surprise.  It is, in fact, a brand of drink.  Art?

Hmmmm.

     Or, perhaps it's actually "Deeply Rooted"?  A tad confusing, you have to admit.  Conrad unsure about who decided on either of these titles, as the image of a pig grubbing around the loamy depths to create a drink - well, frankly, it's not getting there.
     Although it does have a pleasantly unusual taste.  And it's non-alcoholic, which - O we've already been there.

Adrian Carton De Wiart
Back to that bloke of boundless Britishness!  Even if he was suspected of being the illegitimate offspring of the King of Belgium.  Enough of that, Conrad is firmly claiming him in the British corner, you'll have to fight to get a different nationality out of him.
     Only a minor social mention today, over a lady who might well have an entry in the Guiness Book Of Records for Longest Female Name.  Namely, " Countess Friederike Maria Karoline Henriette Rosa Sabina Franziska Fugger von Babenhausen" and as you can tell, I cut and pasted that because I don't have time to type it in.
     "Yes, by Jove, most diverting!" I can hear you reply.  "So what?"
     Well, he married her.  So - I speculate here - her married name could have been " Countess Friederike Maria Karoline Henriette Rosa Sabina Franziska Fugger von Babenhausen de Wiart"  which must surely get her an entry in the GBOR.

I think this is her sister

*  Usually.
**  Or two.

French And Russian Revolutions

Yes, I Say, Hastings Ismay!
I know, I know, normally we here at BOOJUM! avoid politics, so relax and don't worry about a hectoring screed on Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, Danton, Robspierre, Stalin and the Terror.  We'll get to this in a bit, I just want to gloast a bit about how clever I am.

Art!  You coal-chewing dullard!

     Okay, I would now like to try a volte-face of 450 degrees and change the subject to a television programme of the late Eighties and early Nineties, "Rapido".  It was shown on BBC 2 in the evenings, presented by Antoine De Caunes, who, as the name hints, was French.  Probably still is, for that matter.  Art?

Temporary stay of execution granted

    It was somewhat eclectic in approach, and the production company went on to do "Eurotrash", which tells you everything you need to know in the title alone.
     Okay, are we up to speed with that?  Time to change subjects again*.

The Party Last Night
There was quite an assemblage at Karen's party yesterday.  Karen, Guy, Rachel, young Ronnie, Ian, Older Ronnie, Doreen, Degsy, Wonder Wifey and Conrad the Artful Scribe.  You won't be seeing photos of these people as I didn't ask permission as it can be hard to explain what a personal blog is to the older generation.

Yet -

     On the other hand, here is a snap of us playing "Rapidough", which was hectic fun that your humble scribe has never encountered before.  At first I wondered if it was an offshoot of the television programme mentioned above, as they are both pronounced in the same way, which would have been <ahem> interesting given it's subject matter.
     But no!  In this game you drew cards that name an object, which you have to model in salt dough, whilst your team-mates try to guess what it is, whilst the opposition attempt to do the same.

Easy, right?  "Mushroom"

     The winner then gets to deduct a wodge of dough from their opponent's dough, meaning they have less to model with.
     Good luck if you have to model "bagpipes".
     Then we had the Treasure Hunt; paired-off, we had to find a list of items Karen had secreted about the house and I confess Conrad and Doreen did not win.

DARPA Prototype laser-cannon.

Tea Out Of Turn
You would need to be careful saying that title aloud across the other side of the Pennines, over in Yorkshire, where they talk funny.  They would assume you said "Tea out of t'urn", meaning that you were drinking the noble liquor directly from the spout, which is something gross enough to be prosecuted at the ICC.
   Anyway, here is a photo from yesteryon:

     This, I am afraid, is Conrad brewing up a pot of English Breakfast Tea.
     "So what?" I hear your puzzled riposte.  "A pot of tea's hardly a criminal offence."
     Maybe not, yet it can still offend the laws of time and grammar, though, as this photo was taken after 12:00 - SO IT WAS NO LONGER BREAKFAST!
     I realise this kind of behaviour might be overlooked in other parts of the world, but this is the Allotment of Eden.  I need to think up a suitable penance.

Oh - Hastings Ismay.  Military adviser to Churchill in the Second Unpleasantness and acquaintance of Adrian Carton De Wiart.

Now, About Those Revolutions -
Ah yes.  The revolutions in question are actually the revolutions per minute of the Klimov VK-107 engine, 3,200 r.p.m. needed to get the Yak-3 fighter it powered off the ground.  You can tell this is a Sinister plane, especially when the full name is revealed: The Yakovlev-3.
     "Yes, aged scribe, we can see the point about this being a Ruffian plane of the Sinister era.  Where do the French come in?"

France.  Just so we're clear

     Leaving aside your shockingly disrespectful cracks about my age, I shall explain further.
     The French sent a squadron of pilots, with ground staff, to fight on the Russian Front in 1943, later expanding this force to three squadrons, who wrought considerable execution amongst the opposing Luftwaffe.  So much so, in fact, that French pilots taken prisoner could expect to be put against the nearest wall and shot.  Stalin loved them and allowed them the battle honour "Niemen" to be added to the Squadron name.  Four of the pilots were given the accolade "Hero of the Soviet Union".

This Yak - will give you the hump**!

     "Does all this history have a point?" I hear you quibble.
     Well yes, you see Conrad has been fretting about how realistic the comic strip "Johnny Red" is, and here you have perhaps a grain of truth.  Mind you, it's a long way from a grain to an oak tree.

Johnny Red - made from trees

* I do this all the time.  It's why people hate me.
**  Sorry.