Chatterbox Friday

In searching for stuff related to the cover I had to find ways to search for images and information which didn't get return a million condom adverts and worse.

Speaking of which, I believe that the remarkable Stridsvagn 103 was reputed to have a budget for condoms, as they were supposed to be much more effective at keeping moisture out of the gun barrel. This in the often damp and icy climate seems credible, but I do wonder* - whatever, it's notorious as tank porn**.


* although even Tuffers would feel inadequate by comparison.

** amipal will doubtless drool over it (and don't use those as search terms).

Speaking of font selection,

I googled tank porn.

The library history where crank works today is going to need to be deleted and then burnt by the end of the day. What happened to the new British vehicles that are too loud to use? You don’t get that problem welding a machine gun to a Toyota.

The unreleased free Willy film; tilikum and friends, tilikum’s revenge and tilikum strikes back.

Don't touch that knob, it will explode.
Enter my loaders hatch.
Check out the turret ring on that.
Etc etc.

This is why we can't have nice things.

AJAX? A classic victim of the MoD’s procurement process. We should have gone with the CV90.

Damn your eyes, sir. Damn your eyes!

It’s Swedish.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_Vehicle_90

There was a lengthy queue.

Still doing my bit to bring the government down. Every little helps (I filled up at Tesco).

Good day,

I've been a bit quiet recently. Damned work and travelling into the big city. I need a (winning) lottery ticket

Ganes: Stuck on the two kings in Demons at the moment. Those two are right shitters, though one is optional. I think I do now have a plan for Old King Allant. Don't know why Biorr buggers off after the dragon. Could've done with a hand.

OTTM: About 12 episodes into Twin Peaks the Return. It's a salve for the soul. So, so good

The two French cars I'd've happily had in my garage are these


Citroën DS21 "The styling was like nothing else in the 1950s, being highly futuristic with attention being paid to its aerodynamic properties. Its party trick was the ability to raise and lower the ride height from the driver's seat, thanks to its hydropneumatic self-levelling suspension."  But with few adaptations it would still look cool and given flooding it's party trick would come in useful - I hurt too much to look it up in Kanepedia, but I am pretty sure that the DS was the first production car to have lights to adjust to point where you were steering. 

Citroën 11CV Langenthal Convertible "The Citroën Traction Avant is an automobile which was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1934 to 1957. About 760,000 units were produced. The Traction Avant, French for "front wheel drive", was designed by André Lefèbvre and Flaminio Bertoni in late 1933 / early 1934. While not the first production front wheel drive car – Alvis built the 1928 FWD in the UK, Cord produced the L29 from 1929 to 1932 in the United States and DKW the F1 in 1931 in Germany – it was the world's first front-wheel drive steel monocoque production car. Along with DKWs 1930s models, the Traction successfully pioneered front-wheel drive on the European mass car market." And it's still a beautiful design and, if you're as old as I, you can't see one without remembering Rupert Davies in one of these as Maigret

You would need a fortune to keep these running ...

And for amipal 's benefit "The photo shows a British-registered Series 1 DS (single headlamp model) negotiating the paved road, its roof rack well loaded with luggage. Note the windmills in the background. The registration 630 KPP dates the car to post- November 1959, and being a UK car was probably assembled at Citroen's plant in Slough."