The League of Gentlemen Adventurers

Fred Marriott and the Stanley Steamer.  Yes, the Stanley Steamer.

After five score and three years of holding the land speed record for a steam-powered vehicle, the dusty crown of the honorable Fred Marriott has been handed over to Charles Burnett III, whose vehicle tore across the California desert at 139 miles per hour. Burnett and his team spent a full decade working on “the fastest kettle in the world,” a project that was essentially designed to provide Burnett with the most awesome 30 seconds of his life.

In an interview with the BBC, Burnett described the car as “very stable.” Immediately following that claim – and without any sense of irony – he explained that the car was “fading back and forth probably two to three feet in either direction” while he was going over 150 miles and hour (the speed record is an average over a mile, the car actually goes faster than 139). Charles Burnett III, I bow to your adventuring might. Swaying back and forth two to three feet at 150 miles an hour would leave me with very, very wet pants – not to say that I wouldn’t give it a shot. According to Burnett, “the key there is not to try and drive the car, but let the car do what it wants, because once you start trying to control the car, you put yourself in danger of overcontrolling it and throwing it sideways.” I think I’m going to start applying that rule to every aspect of my life.
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Oh how I WISH I could take credit for this brilliant piece of video editing. Courtest of whoiseyevan via YouTube, this trailer shows us what might have been if Egon, Ray, Peter and Winston had started busting way back in the 1950’s. Given my love for wise-cracking adventurers,  the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby road movies, and old time tech, I would really love to have seen Ghostbusters made like this. Take a moment and take a look, it’s quite brilliant.

Our apologies faithful adventurers, recent events have caused all of us here at the LGA Manor to be unavailable for podcasts or posts. We’re terribly sorry and thank you for your patience while we adjust to the loss of our recorder, audio editor and equipment man all via Gentleman Jesse leaving to start the Los Angeles Chapter of the League of Gentleman Adventurers. Our loss is their gain. We all wish you the best Sir and look forward to your eventual return!

Wherein the gents crack open the book, “How to be a Gentleman,” by John Bridges, and discuss its contents.

On the Agenda:

1. Open Discussion
2. Advice from a Gentleman, by Mr. Lee
3. A bit of Gentlemanly history from Mr. Andy

 

 Standard Podcast [43:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (382)

Today’s gentleman’s tip is: always pull toward the thumb.  This tip will surely prove valuable in a scuffle.  But before explaining the meaning of this rather cryptic tip, I’d like to provide you with the best advice you could ever receive on the subject of fights: avoid them entirely.   The results of fighting include, but are not limited to: bruising, bleeding, broken bones, crooked noses, cauliflower ear, chipped teeth, missing teeth, missing limbs, split fingernails, lost hair, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and death.  Bear in mind that many of the items on this list greatly reduce the gentleman’s potential for adventure.   Following a bout of such violence, the great Harry Flashman once looked down in horror and “saw the most unpleasant sight I know, which is my own blood.”   We strongly recommend avoiding situations that would cause you to see that most unpleasant of sights.

Unfortunately, we also strongly recommend adventure.   Read the rest of this entry »