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Aug. 18th, 2012
Day of the Jackal: passport games
Aug. 18th, 2012 11:25 amRe-watching this old favourite (both as a book and a film with Edward Fox, Michel Auclair, and Derek Jacobi). I have to go back and check if the book had a better explanation but I think I've detected a flaw in the complicated passport game that the central character engages in.
( Cut for spoilers )
( Cut for spoilers )
The cars in 1973 in France and Italy? Hilarious. Especially the police cars.
Likewise some of the fashions--not the trendy fashions, just what regular people are wearing.
ETA: But OMG, the end of the movie is a big military parade in Paris (l'anniversaire de la libération de Paris), which was filmed during such a parade). The nusic and the scenes of the troops being assembled for the review and of the parade are AWESOME, including les chasseurs parachutistes, les chausseurs alpins, les troupes de marine, l'arme blindée cavalerie, and most awesome of all, the MOUNTED BAND of la cavalerie de la Garde Républicaine in full dress, maneuvering around l'Arc de Triomphe. So beautiful it makes me want to cry!
Also quite cool, everyone in the crowd wants a good view, of course (of la grande asperge, perhaps, but perhaps just of the spectacle), so hundreds of people have big cardboard PERISCOPES! How cool is that?
Likewise some of the fashions--not the trendy fashions, just what regular people are wearing.
ETA: But OMG, the end of the movie is a big military parade in Paris (l'anniversaire de la libération de Paris), which was filmed during such a parade). The nusic and the scenes of the troops being assembled for the review and of the parade are AWESOME, including les chasseurs parachutistes, les chausseurs alpins, les troupes de marine, l'arme blindée cavalerie, and most awesome of all, the MOUNTED BAND of la cavalerie de la Garde Républicaine in full dress, maneuvering around l'Arc de Triomphe. So beautiful it makes me want to cry!
Also quite cool, everyone in the crowd wants a good view, of course (of la grande asperge, perhaps, but perhaps just of the spectacle), so hundreds of people have big cardboard PERISCOPES! How cool is that?
la garde republicaine a cheval
Aug. 18th, 2012 01:26 pmAn example of this cool band and another
So, you can play drums? Can you do it while *riding*?
The entire Garde, coming out of barracks
Scenes from last year's 14 Juillet, including a haka by troops from Nouvelle Caledonie and a brief appearance by GRaC, surrounding the car of President Sarkozy.
And a LONG review of this year's 14 Juillet.
And, Bryan, Peter? Here's the "real" Old Guard (explanation: the US Army has part of the 3rd Infantry, nicknamed "the Old Guard", portray troops of the American Revolution on ceremonial occasions; this is a clip of the 2me Regiment Infanterie de la garde de Républicaine, portraying grenadiers of the Napoleonic Garde Imperiale). Notes: even les grognards have a hangfire; they march to the attack in open ranks, but at the charge in both ranks(!); and note the nifty way they form close column as they retire.
The same march attack, but at Vincennes, with a larger group of tambours.
And a bit more marching. Lovely open formation by files! Neat about turn by the colour party, but sloppy manual of arms.
So, you can play drums? Can you do it while *riding*?
The entire Garde, coming out of barracks
Scenes from last year's 14 Juillet, including a haka by troops from Nouvelle Caledonie and a brief appearance by GRaC, surrounding the car of President Sarkozy.
And a LONG review of this year's 14 Juillet.
And, Bryan, Peter? Here's the "real" Old Guard (explanation: the US Army has part of the 3rd Infantry, nicknamed "the Old Guard", portray troops of the American Revolution on ceremonial occasions; this is a clip of the 2me Regiment Infanterie de la garde de Républicaine, portraying grenadiers of the Napoleonic Garde Imperiale). Notes: even les grognards have a hangfire; they march to the attack in open ranks, but at the charge in both ranks(!); and note the nifty way they form close column as they retire.
The same march attack, but at Vincennes, with a larger group of tambours.
And a bit more marching. Lovely open formation by files! Neat about turn by the colour party, but sloppy manual of arms.
A Tale of Two Kitties (plus one)
Aug. 18th, 2012 01:57 pmSo, I had to take the cats out of the apartment yesterday. We won't even go into why, because I will get all angry and distracted, but suffice to say that, against my wishes, my apartment had to be vacated by all humans and animals for an indeterminate part of the middle of the day yesterday. Since I was down to work nine hours Friday and was acting PM for my team, I couldn't take the day off to handle it.
Some friends kindly allowed my guys to come stay with them for the day. I took them over first thing in the morning and came back in the evening to collect them. When I had dropped them off and asked if there was a particular room to stash them in, their hosts just said , "Oh, let them loose--they'll be fine". Nicco got out of his carrier right away and started exploring. Finn didn't get out until I persuaded him to, and then went and hid under a couch. Busby also didn't get out right away, but when one of the resident cats (a very sweet, friendly kitty named Tesla) came over to investigate the carriers and proceeded to walk into his, he seemed to feel that maybe there was really not enough space for two cats inside and squeezed out as she was squeezing in.
Well, come evening I arrive to collect my boys, hoping they have not been bad guests. No, apparently they've been so good that they've been invisible. Finn was still under the couch where he'd been when I left (being ill, rather noisily). Busby turned out to be hiding in an uncovered wall space (apparently favoured by many visiting cats), but came out when I grapsed the scruff of his neck and pulled gently. :-)
But Nicco was nowhere to be seen! We looked in the hidey holes they knew cats got into, under the furniture, in the upstairs rooms, no Nicholas. When asked if he could have gotten out, no one was quite sure, but they didn't *think* so. Calling, rattling a bowl of cat crunchies, rattling his jingly ball, nothing got him to show himself. So in the end I had to bring the other guys home and leave him there; the hosts promised to snag the deserter if he appeared and call the provost marshal (me). But it's a bit of a mystery, and when I woke up at 4 in the morning and realised he wasn't here, I confess I had some bad moments imagining how he might be feeling and what he might be doing if he *had* gotten out and was wandering around a strange neighbourhood in the dark trying to find his way home.
I miss my kitty. :-(
Some friends kindly allowed my guys to come stay with them for the day. I took them over first thing in the morning and came back in the evening to collect them. When I had dropped them off and asked if there was a particular room to stash them in, their hosts just said , "Oh, let them loose--they'll be fine". Nicco got out of his carrier right away and started exploring. Finn didn't get out until I persuaded him to, and then went and hid under a couch. Busby also didn't get out right away, but when one of the resident cats (a very sweet, friendly kitty named Tesla) came over to investigate the carriers and proceeded to walk into his, he seemed to feel that maybe there was really not enough space for two cats inside and squeezed out as she was squeezing in.
Well, come evening I arrive to collect my boys, hoping they have not been bad guests. No, apparently they've been so good that they've been invisible. Finn was still under the couch where he'd been when I left (being ill, rather noisily). Busby turned out to be hiding in an uncovered wall space (apparently favoured by many visiting cats), but came out when I grapsed the scruff of his neck and pulled gently. :-)
But Nicco was nowhere to be seen! We looked in the hidey holes they knew cats got into, under the furniture, in the upstairs rooms, no Nicholas. When asked if he could have gotten out, no one was quite sure, but they didn't *think* so. Calling, rattling a bowl of cat crunchies, rattling his jingly ball, nothing got him to show himself. So in the end I had to bring the other guys home and leave him there; the hosts promised to snag the deserter if he appeared and call the provost marshal (me). But it's a bit of a mystery, and when I woke up at 4 in the morning and realised he wasn't here, I confess I had some bad moments imagining how he might be feeling and what he might be doing if he *had* gotten out and was wandering around a strange neighbourhood in the dark trying to find his way home.
I miss my kitty. :-(
The miscreant has been located! He's gotten back into some small place that he's going to be tricky to get out of, but he's OK, which is the big thing.
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