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Welcome to the world of the Vincent D'Onofrio obsessed - and a bit of real life thrown in.


Saturday, April 17, 2010

Rivers and Volcanoes

Just a swift update.

When I went to the shops this morning, the swan was missing from the river! I was panic-stricken. Had someone taken it home for a feast? Had it just flown or swum away insearch of other swans?

Sadly, the ducklings had already been reduced to 3.

Sorry to disappoint those who think our female ducks are not in evidence because they are sitting on eggs. There have only been two all winter long, and the new mum is one. The other will probably be back with her brood soon. But last year's babies nearly all moulted into male plumage. Don't forget that I walk past the stretch of river several times a week, so I've been noticing the lack of females for some time. Hence the idea that humans may well be interfering in some way with our pollution of just about anything you care to mention - water, air, can't get more basic than that. What does surprise me, however, is that female hormones peed out by women on the pill are supposed to be present in abundance in our water systems, so why aren't all the ducks female instead of male?

On the way home, the swan was back, so I heaved a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, with the cloud of volcanic ash still clipping everyone's wings, National Geographic has shown the episode of Air Crash Investigation that dealt with the plane that in 1982 flew through just such a cloud - invisible on the weather radar which is programmed to pick up moisture, not dry ash. One by one the four engines failed, after flying through what looked like St Elmo's Fire. Only after they had descended dangerously close to the mountains they would have to cross to get to the airport did the engines start back up, only to start shutting down again as they rose to fly over the mountains.

The windscreen of the plane was severely scoured, so that they could not see out of it, and the paintwork of the plane looked as if it had been sandblasted. When the engines were taken apart, they were full of volcanic debris. Thanks to the calmness and skills of the flight crew, everyone went home safely.

Obviously this is just a mock-up of how the plane would have looked to an observer.
It was the best picture I could find on Google.

Front and Back

I thought I'd go back to One today and see what I fancied posting.

It didn't take long to chose.




Friday, April 16, 2010

Short stay

Well, Mandy the Mandarin duck was not around today. However, there were four brand new, tiny mallard ducklings, like little bumble bees.

Most of the mallards on the river are male, and this appears to be the case all over the place. Can't help thinking we are doing something to the environment to cause this imbalance.

Post 2501

Missed 2500.

To finish my set of caps and videos for the new DVDs of Season 4, here is my usual combination for episodes 16-23.

The song says, "Don't Let Me Down", and we know that Bobby will never let anyone down. Nor will we let Vincent down.

Together forever.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Anyone Speak Chinese?

As usual, when I walked to and from the shops today, I stopped off to feed the swan and the ducks. I was chatting to a woman as I threw the food into the river, when suddenly we both did a double-take. This little feller wandered out of the undergrowth to join the mallards:




He's a male Mandarin duck. His rusty-coloured wings look like little sails. He's not a native, oddly enough, and may have escaped from a private garden.
I hope he stays a bit longer than the white Jemima Puddleduck who wandered through a few weeks ago.

The Sound of Silence

Can you hear that?

That's the sound of NO PLANES!

I'm sure most people around the world will have heard the news. This:


(or something very like it) has sent a volcanic ash cloud from Iceland high across the heavens towards northern Europe. Because of the potential damage to jet engines (fans of Air Crash Investigation will have seen this for themselves) planes have been progressively grounded across the UK and our northernmost neighbours. Our air space is closed. And will be till at least tomorrow morning, maybe for as much as a week!

So the airports are empty.

For those of us under flight paths, it's been a very quiet day.

Goodbye Goren and Eames

I found a song that was pretty fitting for how we are all feeling since our favourite duo was unceremoniously ditched by the idiots at USA Channel.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Noisy Hungry Kitties

This was over on Daily Squee (dailysquee.com) which is part of the Cheezburger site.

If you don't laugh at this, you are clinically dead!

False-Hearted Judges

Everything took so long tonight, I forgot to watermark my pictures. I hope that when I redo the album the links will not be lost.
Bobby puckers up to give his favourite fan a kiss.


He spots her (me...) in the distance.





Look at that little tum tum stretching his shirt buttons apart.


Bobby discovers he does not need a magnifying glass to make Val's boobs look enormous.


The length of that middle finger!


Bobby has to fight off the fans.


Linen creases so easily.
This colour green is not attractive.
But just look at the shoulders inside it.
From the back.


And the front.


Let's not forget the arms.


He's playing with his fingers again.





"See if you can identify where this has been by smell."









We all know what to do with this

I received a newsletter today from USA to remind me about the new episode of a programme called Law and Order Criminal Intent. As the show by that name that I used to watch ended last week, I hit the link at the bottom to unsubscribe. No doubt along with many thousands of other fans of the real show. I thought I'd post this just in case anyone had forgotten, and wants to send a message to USA that we are abandoning their sinking ship in, well, shiploads.

COMING UP ON LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT In this week's brand new episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent... The murder of an NYPD detective brings Nichols and Stevens to a sleepy seaside town, ruled by one of Nichols' old foes - an Irish mob boss with a reputation for eluding justice.Catch "Broad Channel" tonight at 10/9C on USA Network, the only place to find all-new, original episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
WHAT'S NEW ON THE OFFICIAL SITE
Saffron Burrows & Mary Mastrantonio Interviews! - Newcomers Saffron Burrow and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio sat down with us to talk about joining the CI cast. Make sure to check out their interviews for hints on what to expect this season, as well as their insights on the show, their characters, and much more!
Homicide Hotspots Tour - Take a guided tour of the Major Case Squad's most famous crimes around the five boroughs with our Homicide Hotspots Map. We'll test your knowledge of each case's intimate details before opening the Dossier for full disclosure on the case, the history of the locale and inside info on the filming from the Production Crew.
Fan of the Week - Congratulations to Susan G., last week's LOCI Fan of the Week!Are you an encyclopedia of CI knowledge who can recall cases, criminals and quotes at the drop of a hat? Then you may have what it takes to win the honor of LOCI Fan of the Week! Tell us your favorite episode and why you'd make a great candidate for the honor. Include your name and a photo of yourself, and we may feature you on the official site!
Famous Unsolved Crimes - Peer into the case files of these famous unsolved crimes and review the evidence. If you think you can unlock the mystery behind some of the most notable cold cases in history, visit the comment section and post your theories. Let's see if you have what it takes to crack this week's unsolved crime: The Black Dahlia Case.
Guest Star Trivia - There are stars of Criminal Intent and then there are the guest stars. You've seen them dozens of times in many episodes and maybe you've even recognized a few. But you'll have to do better than a "few" if you want to triumph in the Guest Star Trivia quiz!
Watch To Win Sweepstakes - Want a shot at weekly prizes like the latest LOCI merchandise? Watch this week's new episode, go to the website and answer a question from the show for your chance to win!
You are receiving this email (sent on a weekly basis when new episodes of Law and Order: Criminal Intent are airing and periodically during the rest of the year) because you have subscribed to one of our newsletters, entered one of our sweepstakes, or opted to receive information from USA Network. If you are having trouble reading this newsletter, please visit http://www.usanetwork.com/series/criminalintent/newsletter/issue39.html.

© 2010, USA Network. All rights reserved.USANetwork.com30 Rockefeller PlazaNew York, NY 10112(212) 664-4444You are receiving this e-mail newsletter because you signed up for it when you registered with USANetwork.com. You may unsubscribe at any time by clicking here.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Back to the Wildcats

Last September I posted about a trip to see the Scottish Wildcats that one of my regular zoos, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, had recently added to its collection. The cats were hiding far back in the enclosure, and the overhead walkways that the keepers were planning to get them out into the open had not yet been built.

Today I returned to have another look.

The cats are at the furthest extreme of what is an enormous, very hilly site, and not many people make it there to see them. This has helped them to settle in in peace and quiet.

The walkways have now been built.



Not sure how much use they get, in the daytime at least. But it was a glorious, sunny day, ideal for a snooze in a sunny spot.






Later, I found one (it may have been the same one, but it was too far away to tell) doing what cats do best on a shelf at the back of the enclosure.

They now have a cheetah, which was happily tucking in to fresh rabbit, complete with fur.


The Siberian tigers can relax now that their two daughters have moved to other collections.
It's pretty easy to see that this is the male.

And now my legs are dropping off at the hips.

I was so wrong

Once I had seen Full Metal jacket, I was convinced that the lovely Vincent must be wearing a wig, or at least a toupe.

After all, there was clear evidence that his hair was receding when he was in his 20s. How could he be fully furred now? I've seen this type of baldness in young men before, and it never ends well.



Men end up shaving their heads to disguise the hair loss.



Sometimes they wear stupid, unrealistic wigs and don't think anyone will notice.



But sometimes folks discover that the natural hairline is just fine.

Yes, they may comb it forward a bit.



Mostly they don't.



Why would they need to when his hairline is the same as it was 20 years ago?



And now we often enjoy a little extra on his face, too.



Bald, hairy or anywhere in between, he's our Vincent D'Onofrio, and we love him.

But on balance I'm glad he still has hair.

Monday, April 12, 2010

My Good Name

Nasty Frank Adair. Imagine thinking he could take on our Bobby.


After an exhausting night with Val, Bobby finds he can even sleep on a stone pillow.


Rare butt shot. Quick, sell it on Ebay!








"You really think you can take me on, squirt?"


Bobby's legs are still weak after our horizontal Olympics.





I love it when he plays with his hands.
I'd love it even more if he played with me with his hands.



Bobby tries out for the Gurning Championships. *

You call that pulling a face?


Not even close.


Shoulders! Arms! Ooof!





"You really are a little squit, aren't you?"


Can I play, please?



* Pulling funny faces. It's an old country village pastime for blokes with no teeth and features made of rubber. Bobby would be NO good at it.

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