iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 01/05/2025

That's a first-generation Mainz-pattern gladius from Albion. IIRC it was discontinued because grinding the bone grip involved too many health risks, but IMO the main health risk about this is being on the wrong end of it. "XIII! XIII! XIII!"

Close-up photo of the octagonal bone grip of a discontinued "Mainz-pattern" (leaf-bladed) Roman gladius short-sword.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 25/04/2025

Here are a couple of rock crystal sword pommels, also AFAIK German. The first is in private hands, the second is in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 09/04/2025

There's a gruesome painting from 2013 by John Brosio (johnbrosio.com/figures/) which fits the bill.

The painting is called "Dinosaurs Eating CEO" and shows the non-frenzied feeding pattern of dromaeosurid dinosaurs, possibly Deinonychus or Velociraptor mongoliensis. Two dinosaurs have hunted down and killed a grey-haired man in a business suit, presumably the CEO of the title. He has been eviscerated and his entrails are on the road beside him, upon which the dinosaurs are starting to feed. In the background two more dinosaurs pursue a second business-suited man, while the house lights of an unconcerned rural community glitter on the distant horizon.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 03/04/2025

A vertical mouth would fit with old-style ribbed hydrants in a Dark Manhattan where the feral cabs are - you told me once - Checkers. But I always saw that horizontal mouth as where cap met trunk, like a trapdoor spider lair. Prey approaches, lid pops up, tongue shoots out and Gotcha!.

Old-style US fire hydrant with ribbed body and cap, peeling paint and a general air of having seen better days.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 25/03/2025

Last year DD said “decant it into smaller bottles so The Scent Doesn’t Fade,” so I did. They were screw-top bottles. Oops. Big mistake. The R&G push stopper and the old wicker wrapping may have been a safety feature as much as a design trademark. In case of BANG. (4/6)

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 25/03/2025

Two Christmases back I bought @diane.duane a bottle of R&G Jean Farina, her favourite, and because I was a bit flush I made up for being more skint at prior Christmases with a 1 litre bottle. Divvied into sprays etc. I thought, that should last a while. (3/6)

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 12/03/2025

When @diane.dianeduane.com mentions "idiotic pauldrons", I'm pretty sure I know the ones she has in mind. You'd be hard put to find more idiotic pauldrons than these. And then you start to notice other details...

DAZ or something "armour" featuring the most ridiculous pauldrons (shoulder guards) I've ever seen. Let's not even mention the look-down-suddenly-and-spike-your-own-face breastplate.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 16/02/2025

I still have some of that old tech - camera body & flash - but the 28-210 Tamron zoom which took the photo met with an accident and was replaced by two Sigmas. The camera has deep sentimental value, being my Dad's last birthday present to me before his death.

A 1980-vintage Nikon FE 35mm analogue SLR camera with a Philips dual flashgun (its filters and bounce screen are beside the camera) and two Sigma zoom lenses, 28-70mm and 70-210mm.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 10/02/2025

Photographic evidence - the illustrated transformation took almost 35 minutes (13:56 - 14:29).

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 09/02/2025

An official bullion bar as in "Goldfinger" would weigh 400 troy ounces, that's 12.4 kg / 27.4 lb. The "Kelly's Heroes" bars were a product of unofficial wartime casting so probably weighed less, but would still need a bit of effort to hold - so Act Some Effort, Guys!

Movie still from "Goldfinger" showing Sean Connery throwng a gold bar shot-putt style (good) after lifting it far too easily (bad). The next scene shows Oddjob shrugging off getting hit in the chest by it (worse). Of course he's a Superstrong Henchman who can crush golf-balls in one hand so OK, acceptable. Ish...

Movie still from "Kelly's Heroes" showing Clint Eastwood and Don Rickles failing to act as if the gold bar they're holding weighs what it really should.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 08/02/2025

The terminology, function and shape of tools changes with time, but I'm pretty sure that picture shows what's now called a pruning knife (couteau-serpette). A billhook(serpe) was / is a much bigger, cleaver-like implement..

A modern (folding) pruning knife by French cutler Opinel.

19th-early 20th century French regional billhooks (region unknown).

French toolmaker's catalogue showing varieties of billhook in different regional styles and for different purposes.

Illustration of billhooks from the preceding image list.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 07/02/2025

Splendid story, splendidly told. A cat playing the role of Simon, though uncredited) appears briefly in "Yangtse Incident" (1957, starring Richard Todd as Lt Cmdr Kerans. More here (where I found the stills) - cinemacats.com/the-yangtse-...

Movie still from "Yangtse Incident" (1957). Able Seacat Simon comforts a wounded sailor aboard HMS Amethyst.

Movie still from "Yangtse Incident" (1957). Able Seacat Simon snoozes in a hammock aboard HMS Amethyst.

Movie still from "Yangtse Incident" (1957). Able Seacat Simon (played by another cat) supervises food preparation. It's just cabbage, so there's minimal risk of regrettable behaviour.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 02/02/2025

Colin Watson commented on kitchen knife misuse as long ago as 1971, in "Snobbery With Violence - English Crime Stories and their Audience".

A paragraph from "Snobbery With Violence - English Crime Stories and their Audience" (1971), indicating that the kitchen knife as murder weapon is not a new phenomenon. In this specific instance, Watson cites the Sheffield carving knife such as might be part of a knife-fork-steel set given as a wedding present and brought out once a year to deal with the Christmas turkey.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 28/01/2025

It's the same principal as supermarkets not needing to put a lid on something like this.

A supermarket frozen food section made as one enormous "drawer" of cold air with no need for a lid.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 25/01/2025

Daube of salmon for @diane.dianeduane.com, "meat feast" pizza for me, bottle of Pinot Grigio, trickle charge electricity for everything else.

Daube of Irish salmon, chips, parsley sauce, wedge of lemon, Before.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 21/01/2025

We've got these, which are great. They go into the oven as usual but, on the stovetop, water goes into that cavity on the lids. It causes re-condensation & self-basting inside, only evaporates off very, very slowly, and we've never had an instance of inside or outside "boiling dry".

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 20/01/2025

The muffin-baking yesterday evening was a great success so I'm having a couple, toasted, for my supper. The pics are Mind Palate "glamour shots", and though mine look rather less photogenic, they do have rather more butter. Also some raspberry jam. Yum.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 20/01/2025

I don't think our Interlibrary Loan system has a long enough reach...

Interlibrary loan page showing that the nearest library with the book we want is +5000km away.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 24/12/2024

The chorizo was an excellent addition, so final verdict on the soup is...

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 21/12/2024

And then there's the shark-hat-hat, seen here at Worldcon 2005,where the fore-to-aft bash in the crown of a fedora turned out to be Just The Right Shape...

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 13/12/2024

Hang on, *I* didn't set your bangs on fire. You managed to do that quite nicely all by yourself... Full story on Tumblr. www.dianeduane.com/outofambit/2...

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 04/12/2024

These have also been made with (1) mature cheddar, not Parmesan and (2) the smallest cookie cutter, not a press. We've also simply cut them into squares with a knife. The recipe (modified from Mrs De Salis) has worked every time.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 27/11/2024

@fritscartoons.bsky.social ID'd the car already - Hanomag 2 / 10 PS (2 seat, 10 HP AKA "Kommisbrot" because it was the shape of a military-ration loaf. It was used as all sorts of things, including a tiny taxi, and occasionally had a lightweight wickerwork body which made it even more breadlike.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 31/10/2024

I filled the bird-feeders earlier this afternoon and got an unexpected visitor. The Great Spotted Woodpecker, once considered extinct in Ireland, is making a comeback. However, they must still be quite rare, since the last time I saw one was just after Christmas 2021.

(Photo 1) A Great Spotted Woodpecker takes peanuts from a back-garden bird feeder. The woodpecker's plumage is dramatic black-and-white with a red rump, while the spots which give the bird its name are visible on its folded wings.

(Photo 2) A Great Spotted Woodpecker takes peanuts from a back-garden bird feeder. The woodpecker's plumage is dramatic black-and-white with a red rump, while the spots which give the bird its name are visible on its folded wings.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 20/10/2024

This is, more or less, my birthday cake - a curd tart made with Philly cheese, tvarog - think drained cottage cheese - and chopped crystallised ginger. The "cream" is more Philly, whisked smooth and dusted with allspice. YUM.

A historical-recipe cheesecake or "curd tart" made with Philadelphia cream cheese, tvarog (Central European cottage cheese) and chopped crystallised ginger. The top is beautifully golden, the curd is granular rather than smooth, the accompanying "cream" is more Philly whisked smooth and dusted with allspice (cinnamon would be equally good, IMO) and the cutlery is deliberately "period" for the look of things. It is, needless to say, delicious.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 23/09/2024

Just out of the oven. Per loaf: 500g flour, 7g each salt & dried yeast, 250ml warm water, 30ml oil. Make dough, rise, knock back, transfer to loaf tin, rise, 200° oven / 20 mins, 180° / 10 mins (this dark crust got 220° / 30 mins), remove, turn out, cool on rack, done. Full details link in next 1/2

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 21/09/2024

I found it in Moira Hodgson's "The Hot & Spicy Cookbook" (first cookbook I ever bought for myself) where it was originally a basting sauce for roast pork. Not at all sure about the accuracy of that title, though. 1/4

A recipe for "American Indian Barbecued Pork Roast" from Moira Hodgson's "The Hot & Spicy Cookbook", and which involves lots of basting with a molé-style sauce. Recipe not described, since the rest of the skeet thread is about - and has the recipe for - a casserole adaptation which avoids all the basting.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 18/09/2024

"Do you like the colour of the sky?" Well, this looked quite nice. Taken over our west-facing hedge this evening in Co. Wicklow, Ireland at 20:14 (8:14 PM) on 18th September 2024 with an HTC 11+ smartphone, using native photo app at default setting.

An Irish evening sky in mid-September, with a black silhouette hedge as the horizon and the sky colour above darkening upwards from skimmed-milk blue-white to a deep indigo blue.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 11/09/2024

Here we go. I've never been much of a one for sashimi (I prefer my fish cooked) so Dś sahimi bowl is at the top while I've got chicken kara-age and beef gyoza. (There was also a duck onigiri - in honour of my Mum who loved duck in all forms - which arrived later and isn't in this pic).

Clockwise, small bowl of miso soup, large bowl of mixed sashimi, tiny bowl of soy / wasabi, platter of beef gyoza with dipping sauce, great big plate of chicken kara-age with dill, lemon slice and yuzu mayonnaise. Glasses of sparkling water off to the right.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 10/09/2024

Someone either didn't watch "Return" with proper care and attention, or chose a 100% wrong word.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 09/09/2024

A final addition to the char siu pork thread by @diane.dianeduane.com. Line the roasting tin with foil or be prepared to do some serious chiselling and scraping with a metal spatula. The pork glows like urushi lacquer, but the marinade bakes on like lava. As I have discovered... :-P

A cropped image of home-made char siu pork, showing a beautiful red glaze of marinade on the meat and a blackened encrustation of marinade on the roasting tin. Wish I'd lined it with foil...

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 01/09/2024

"The Illustrated Police News" is a constant delight - plenty of 'orrible murder, obstreperous men getting thrashed, beaten, shot etc. by ladies showing as much leg and cleavage as possible, and plenty of mileage from the adjective "fair".

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 31/08/2024

@diane.dianeduane.com has had a cold for the past few days. Last night / this morning I started getting a runny nose & scratchy throat, so we got out the test kit To Be Sure. Pleased to see (and say) it really IS just a cold.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 29/08/2024

Trivia: cats' meat (usually horse) was sold in bits on wooden skewers, and is mentioned in "Dracula". Harker compares it to robber steak, a sort of kebab. Also, Louis Wain illustrated the invitation for, and was Chair of, the 1st Cats-Meat-Men New Year Supper. It must have been a respectable job.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 22/08/2024

This [XPW028655] is labelled as "General View, Lambeg, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, 1929". In fact it's Lisburn town centre with cathedral, Market Square & clock tower, even Nicholson statue. Lambeg is 1.5 miles to the north. Anyone noticed other mislabellings of other places?

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 21/08/2024

Not so sure that's a suppressed .25, unless it's named as such in the story. It looks more like a Savage M.1907, which would have been .32.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 17/08/2024

Re-created glasses based on finds from Birka use coiled iron supports, though a block of wood with a hole in it would be as effective and cheaper. Maybe something similar for this glass?

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 21/07/2024

Hon, a Chirp Wheel is one of these, apparently available in various sizes or in a set of several. You'd know best if they'd be effective, though a word in advance with the osteo' might be wise.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 12/06/2024

I responded because I recognised your name, but the Connect must have been automated. I'm hardly ever on Linkedin anyway, so ignore it.

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Peter Morwood @peter.petermorwood.com · 07/02/2024

It might, just might, be time to get some sort of storage case for my fountain pens. Also, perhaps, to have some sort of cull.

Twenty-three (23) fountain pens of various kinds: CultPens, Helix, J. Herbin, Kaweco, Lamy, Osmiroid, Parker, Pilot, Platignum and a couple of cheap-and-cheerful anonymous.

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