The Explorers Club
No. CLXXIV - The life & art of Ichiyusai Hiroshige (1797-1858).







Objective FINNLAND
Preparations are underway for Objective FINNLAND, a division of Operation ÖSTERREICH. The objective of FINNLAND? The Crim. Mrs. Skeeter, Esq., asked if I was interested in running the ten miles of the marquee event of the Crim Festival of Races alongside her; as I could not think of a decent reason to refuse, I agreed. I then jested that running the Crim would be a great way to get my first heart attack out of the way, which she took to mean that I was declining her invitation. We've sorted out the confusion and training has begun for what will probably be my swan song/death march. I've put in a lot of miles on the treadmill over the years, but to train for an outdoor event I thought it best to train out of doors. The previous fortnight was a disaster, with too much heat and humidity for any kind of physical exertion, but the cooler temperatures of this week have helped me get back on track. Suddenly, the stultifying weariness by which I've been hamstrung all week seems not so mysterious after all.

There is approximately one month remaining to me to prepare for Objective FINNLAND. Will I survive? Of greater import, will I endure? I'll let you know in approximately one month.

Project MERCATOR
I want to the Flint Institute of Arts today to see several exhibitions, shows that I'd been meaning to see for months, before they left town after the upcoming weekend. I was flying solo, but that's probably a good thing, because once I was inside I saw everything. I lingered through the Tiffany lamps and Lino Tagliapietra's mindboggling glass masterpieces, stared at length at the Japanese prints… and then decided that as long as I already had my fancy little F.I.A. badge attached to my collar, I might as well push on through all the permanent collections. How does an afternoon spent in solitude at a museum fall under Project MERCATOR's brief? Socialization & friendship have become the hallmarks of MERCATOR, but at its heart the project is about seizing all life has to offer, of fighting my instinctual hermitage, of getting off my arse. A peculiar set of historical circumstances gifted Flint with an art museum and a variety of other cultural attractions worthy of a city many times its size, and it would be inexcusable to let that historical oddity go to waste.

Wilson
Wee Where's Teddy? arrives tomorrow evening (Woot!) and all weekend the thunder will be stolen from my birthday by the need to entertain certain other self-invited guests (Drat!). My opinions are so unwelcome anywhere in their presence that I'll scarcely say anything all weekend; until certain machinations have borne fruit, it's just not worth the hassle. One day, my birthday will be my own again.

"That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain."
—Wm. Shakespeare

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg, "Still D.R.E." via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Why have I always loved "Still D.R.E.," even though I've never been a fan of rap, often actively deriding the genre and its conventions? A few simple words:

"Taking my time to perfect the beat,
And I still got love for the streets."