Plenty of Nothing

Casino Royale (1967)

Casino Royale is either the fifth Bond, or the first Austin Powers movie. The soundtrack album by Burt Bacharach is considered by some audiophiles to be the greatest recording of all time. Listen to: Casino Royale with Herb Alpert, and The Look of Love with Dusty Springfield.

The Lair of a Scoundrel

Expect this yacht to show up in some future Bond film. Source.

Live And Let Die

Forty years ago today the first Roger Moore Bond film Live And Let Die opened in theatres. It's the only blaxploitation Bond, the only one with Yaphet Kotto, the only one with a theme song by a Beatle, and still the one with the best boat race. It's also the musical apex of Linda McCartney's career. She wrote the bridge: "What does it matter to ya? When you've got a job to do, you've gotta do it well, you've gotta give the other fella hell!"

The Livingston Daylights

Hard to believe that 2012 is the 25th anniversary of Timothy Dalton's first Bond film, The Living Daylights. What was up with Greenock Morton and Livingston in 1987? Morton won the First Division that year and were promoted to the Premier Division. And Livingston, known then as Meadowbank Thistle, won the Second Division and moved up to the First. Both clubs made it to the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, Meadowbank losing to Dundee, and Morton losing to St. Mirren, who went on to win the Cup.

Today Livingston visit Cappielow to meet Greenock Morton in explosive league play action.

Ayr United beat Livingston 2 - 1 on Tuesday, making things increasingly interesting (or worrisome) for Morton. The mini-division of 4th to 7th place clubs has evolved into a pack of six stretching from 4th to 9th and separated by six points. Morton really ought to get a couple of wins under their belt right now if they mean to stay clear of the relegation zone. There are no doormats in the division this year. Man, if Morton lose today, and Raith win, Morton will be in eighth place.

Also worrisome is Morton's capacity for total collapse. This year they have lost 5 - 0 to Partick and Raith, and 6 - 0 to Motherwell.

Speaking of Ayr United, this weekend is also the quarterfinal round of the Scottish Cup. The Honest Men are the last SFL club left in the competition. Ayr host Hibernian, Hearts host St Mirren, Dundee United host Celtic, and Motherwell host Aberdeen. Ayr could take Hibs. [Or not. Hibs 2, Ayr 0.]

Why do we say "host"? In Victorian times it was customary for two sports teams to banquet after the match, especially if there was travel involved. Though possibly Celtic and Rangers did not party together.

When did the eight Scottish Cup quarterfinalists last win the Scottish Cup? Celtic 2011. Dundee United 2010. Hearts 2006. Motherwell 1991. Aberdeen 1990. St Mirren 1987. Hibs 1902. Ayr United never.

Today in Ireland UCD visit Sligo. Tomorrow in Japan Mito HollyHock host Kataller Toyama, and in South Korea Pohang visit Gwangju FC. "Kataller" is another one of those multilingual portmanteaux the Japanese like to put on their soccer teams. There must be a style sheet at J-League HQ that says to do this. [Sligo 2, UCD 1.] [Mito 1, Toyama 0.] [Gwangju 1, Pohang 1.]

I'm also reconciling myself to the official spelling of Mito HollyHock. It's HollyHock, not Hollyhock. I don't know why.

[Jings. Morton 1, Livington 3. Morton goal by MacDonald. QoS win their must-win game against Raith, so Morton remain in seventh, but only three points out of ninth place and only five points out of tenth. This is the first time this season Morton have lost three league games in a row. And they meet Ross County on Tuesday. Bad time for a tailspin!]

Tanegashima

Where does any self-respecting Bond villain put his rocket launch site?  A remote island location!  Likewise JAXA, the Japanese Space Agency, who fire H-2 heavy lifters from Tanegashima, off the southern tip of Kyūshū.