Archive for the ‘Bagatelle’ Category

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Why, is this not Hell? And are we not already in it?

Monday, November 29th, 2021

British fans of an Oasis tribute band spent the weekend confined to a remote Yorkshire pub with the group when a mountain of snow trapped them all in the bar.

…

Local authorities said it was not safe to travel, so 61 stranded pub-goers and employees hunkered down and spent the night, the paper said.
The conditions did not improve, so the shut-ins also slept in the pub on Saturday and were preparing to sleep over again on Sunday amid howling winds and swirling snow, according to the report.
Off-roaders and a mountain rescue group were able to transport several people out of the bar to attend to medical and family situations, but most patrons didn’t look back in anger and made the best of the situation with cold beer, a warm fire and plenty of “Wonderwall” singalongs, the article said.

Posted in Bagatelle, Music | Comments Closed

Programming note.

Monday, November 22nd, 2021

KXAN has thoughtfully informed us that “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” will be airing tonight on CBS at 7 PM Central (8 PM Eastern).

That soft wet sound you heard is the sound of Gregg Easterbrook’s head exploding, as, once again, “Rudolph” airs before Thanksgiving.

In case you were wondering, “Frosty the Snowman” will be on Friday night at 7 Central (8 Eastern) immediately followed by “Frosty Returns”, also on CBS.

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” will supposedly be on PBS Sunday, December 19th, at 6:30 Central (7:30 Eastern).

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (the real one) will be on NBC Friday night at 7 Central (8 Eastern).

“Annie Live!” will be on NBC Thursday, December 2nd, at 7 Central (8 Eastern). Unfortunately, I have other plans that evening that involve stabbing myself in the thigh repeatedly with a titanium spork.

And, finally, “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be on December 4th at 7 Central (8 Eastern) and will repeat Christmas Eve at 7 Central (8 Eastern).

Here’s what purports to be a complete list of holiday films on broadcast, streaming, and cable. No, don’t thank me: I run a full service blog here.

Posted in Bagatelle, Christmas, TMQ watch, TV | 1 Comment »

I shot an arrow into the air…

Friday, November 19th, 2021

…how far did it go?

This is something I hadn’t really thought about until this Smithsonian article came across Hacker News: how far can you shoot an arrow? The current record is apparently 2,028 yards.

“The Quest to Shoot an Arrow Farther Than Anyone Has Before“.

Case’s footbow is not only the hardest to shoot, but also the most unpredictable and dangerous. It requires an archer to place his feet in stirrups and push outward with his legs while straining to pull back on the bowstring with his hands, creating a draw weight of up to 325 pounds. That’s a tremendous amount of brute force to launch an arrow that weighs little more than a couple of pencils at up to 800 feet per second, roughly the same speed as a .45-caliber bullet.

Posted in Bagatelle, Geek | Comments Closed

Stephen Hunter, call your office, please.

Thursday, November 18th, 2021

Spotted at a grocery store in Tulsa:

“…the man who holds the complete works of Aristotle in one hand, and a delicious sandwich in the other”. Well, who doesn’t love a delicious sandwich? But I think the Swagger I’m familiar with is more likely to have a .38 Super in the other hand.

(Swagger explained, for those who are unfamiliar with the works of Stephen Hunter. Those people should fix that soon: I’m personally fond of Pale Horse Coming, for reasons.)

Also spotted: Old Spice Krakengard. Which actually makes sense to me: if I can get a body wash that protects me from kraken, I am there, man.

Posted in Bagatelle, Books | Comments Closed

Bagatelle (#44)

Wednesday, August 11th, 2021

I did not give a flying flip at a rolling doughnut about the Olympics. As a matter of fact, I believe they should have been cancelled this year, they should remain cancelled for all time, and cities should use the money to provide free guitar picks for the poor.

So I missed this story last week, but you know it is the kind of thing I can’t pass up, and I don’t think it got a lot of attention.

The coach of the German modern pentathlon team was disqualified on Saturday.

As it happens, “modern pentathlon” is one of the few Olympic sports I care much about: how can you not like a combination of swimming, fencing, running, horses, and shooting? (Plus: Patton. Minus: they are apparently using laser guns these days, instead of real pistols.)

But that’s not why the story is interesting. She was disqualified because…

…she punched a horse.

The footage “showed Ms Raisner appearing to strike the horse Saint Boy, ridden by Annika Schleu (GER), with her fist,” the group said in a statement. That violated UIPM competition rules, they said.

I believe we have video of the event.

Okay, I’m sorry, that was a cheap joke, but it never gets old. Here is the actual footage:

Posted in Bagatelle, Horses, Sports | Comments Closed

Quick followup.

Wednesday, July 21st, 2021

The Drive has an article on that spectacular jumping car I posted the other day.

Their coverage adds quite a bit, including a diagram of what appears to have happened and a link to (low quality) security cam video from another angle.

And, yes, the comments are full of Dukes of Hazard references…

Posted in Bagatelle, Cars, Safety | Comments Closed

Bagatelle (#39?)

Monday, July 19th, 2021

Quick throw away post of two videos by way of the NYPost.

1) I don’t think that is going to buff out…

2) I’m only posting this one so I can say, “Go forth and kill! Zardoz has spoken!”

Posted in Bagatelle | 1 Comment »

Pointless trivia (suitable for use in schools).

Friday, July 9th, 2021

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is reportedly a fan of beer cheese. It is reported that she took some home with her after a visit to Lexington.

Posted in Bagatelle, Cheese | Comments Closed

Real estate watch.

Thursday, July 8th, 2021

For those of you in the UK.

The asking price is £1,100,000 (which works out to about $1.5 million). But: five beds, three bathrooms, 2,954 square feet, a “utility room” and a cellar (that’d be great for your wine collection), plus “reception room”, “garden room”, and “dining room”.

And you can’t put a money value on the prestige of being able to say, “Yes, I live in the old Alan Turing place.”

Posted in Bagatelle, Geek, History | Comments Closed

Bagatelle (#38 (?) in a series).

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

Flashback:

So I was at my local gun shop over the weekend…and they actually had a C96 in the display case for sale. I kid you not: it was the first one I’ve ever seen in the wild.

It even came with the “holster”. Really. That’s what they said. They were very careful about not calling it a “shoulder stock”. It was a “holster”. (They were also very clear that: once you got it home, what you did with the “holster” was your own damn business.)

The previous owner had even thrown in a box of ammo and some empty brass. The whole kit looked to be in pretty good shape (though I believe the clerk said the hammer had been replaced with a later period hammer, so it wasn’t quite all matching).

They were (are?) asking a mere $1,800 for it. Which is more than I’m willing to shell out right now. But if a Broomhandle Mauser is your cup of tea for a carry gun, feel free to drop me a line privately and I’ll hook you up with the shop.

Edited to add 6/24: Fun fact, which I just had the chance to research today. While a pistol with a shoulder stock is technically considered a short barrelled rifle (SBR) and falls under the National Firearms Act of 1934 regulations, there are certain specific items – “such as original semiautomatic Mauser “Broomhandles” and Lugers” – that are considered “collectors’ items” and are not subject to the NFA.

You can find the complete lists here, if you are that curious.

Posted in Bagatelle, Guns, Holsters | Comments Closed

Missed it by THAT much…

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021

Monday was the 90th anniversary of the strange death of Hubert Chevis, also known as “…the mysterious affair of Lieutenant Chevis and the Manchurian partridge“.

So that this isn’t a total waste of your time: here’s an old episode of a BBC Radio 4 podcast, “Punt PI”, covering the Chevis case, which I am listening to as I write this. (It is about 30 minutes long.)

This is a rather short article, but it includes photos of Mr. and Mrs. Chevis, and of the “J. Hartigan” telegram.

Posted in Bagatelle, History | Comments Closed

Hey! You kids! Get off my lawn!

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021

I am an old man.

In other news, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” opened (and by “opened”, I mean official opening, as opposed to the endless stream of previews) 10 years ago Monday.

I bow to no one in my admiration for Julie Taymor as a theater artist. But when it comes to a budget, she’s never met one she didn’t blow past.

Posted in Bagatelle, Theatre | 1 Comment »

Headline of the day.

Wednesday, June 16th, 2021

This is the first time that I’ve ever found a story with a headline that I wanted to link, but I don’t even want to mention the headline here for reasons.

So I’m just going to put a link right here. I’m not going to tell you what the headline is, though I will tell you it is from the NYPost. Click at your own risk. You have been warned.

One hint: it involves a famous and controversial musician. Think “Chappelle’s Show”. Not Prince.

Posted in Bagatelle, Clippings, Music | Comments Closed

I’m sorry. I have to do this.

Thursday, June 10th, 2021

Washington Square Park looked more like Madison Square Garden recently, as unsanctioned boxers duked it out in underground fights against the backdrop of the space’s famous arch, wild videos show.

…

The park pugilists touch gloves before each fight and square off under the watchful eye of a referee, but appear to wear little in the way of protective gear and are ringed only by the dozens of hollering spectators, who at points have to back away from the fray, the videos show.

Posted in Bagatelle, Clippings | Comments Closed

Being evil.

Monday, June 7th, 2021

I came up with a horrible, awful, bad idea the other night and feel like I have to share it here.

Lawrence and I were watching “The In-Laws“, and it occurred to me that it was about time for a remake (because Hollywood is out of ideas). And then it came to me…

…why not do a gender-swapped remake?

After all, who says women can’t be dentists? Or CIA agents?

I figure Melissa McCarthy has to be one of the leads, but I’m not sure if she’s best for the Peter Falk or the Alan Arkin role. And I’m not sure who would work for the husbands, or for General Garcia.

Posted in Bagatelle, Movies | 3 Comments »

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