The Explorers Club
№ CCXLII - The Argonauts, heroes all, & the good ship Argo.







Argonauts who have themselves been subjects of episodes of "The Explorers Club," in alphabetical order rather than chronological: Atalanta, Bellerophon, Heracles, & Theseus.

Project GLOWWORM
I wore shorts & sandals to Mass today. The sandals were quite appropriate, since sandals are mentioned in Scripture far more often than a wingtips. I wore the shorts on purely utilitarian grounds, fearing that today would be as hot & humid as yesterday. I paired my "dressiest" shorts with my habitual-for-Mass polo shirt; they were not strictly necessary, but I was certainly more comfortable than I would have been in slacks & socks. While I felt an explanation was in order, I apologize for nothing.

Urbi et Orbi
Father Steve regularly gives blessings at the end o' Mass to those who are to celebrate a birthday or a wedding anniversary in the week to come. I thought this odd when he first took over the parish, but there's nothing wrong with it & over the past year I've gotten used to the ritual. I've gotten used to it, yet there remains a part that makes me squirm ever so slightly. Father Steve invites to assembled parish to extend a hand toward those being blessed while he recites the few lines of the blessing. Mayhap I'm being oversensitive, but I'll never be comfortable with the sight of several hundred people, the majority of them white, raising there right arms in what looks for all the world like a Roman salute.

This Week in Motorsport
Porsche have announced their intention to challenge for the overall race win at Le Mans with an L.M.P.1 program to enter competition in 2014. There is every reason genuinely to believe that Porsche will be able to threaten the dominance of Audi & Peugeot, as Porsche's last prototype, the L.M.P.2-spec. R.S. Spyder was highly successful in both American & European competition. The R.S. Spyder might still be competing for honors in L.M.P.2 had not the A.C.O. placed cost-constraints on the class that priced the Porsche out of contention.

This is grand news, but the one thought that gives me pause is a fear over what Porsche's entrance will mean for Audi. I do not mean as far as competition; I favor Audi over Peugeot principally because Peugeot continues to employ the loathsome Anthony Davidson as a driver. If Porsche can beat Audi, more power to them. But will Porsche's entrance into L.M.P.1 prompt Audi's departure? Both Audi & Porsche are part of the colossal Volkswagen Group; will the corporate parent allow the siblings (step-siblings, rather, by merger & acquisition not by corporate birth) to compete against each other? When Bentley, also owned by Volkswagen, won the 24 Heures du Mans in 2003, it was with the support of Team Joest, a German racing organization that had before & has since formed the basis of the Audi factory team; in addition, several of the Bentley pilots had been victorious Audi drivers in 2000, '01, & '02. There were Audi R8s in that '03 Le Mans, but run by privateers, not the factory. Will the Volkswagen Group allow Audi & Porsche to compete genuinely, or will one marque step aside for the other?

But that paranoia-cum-pessimism might well be misplaced. These are heady days of endurance racing, a sport on the grow. The Intercontinental Le Mans Cups, now in its second year, has been such a runaway success that the F.I.A. has partnered with the A.C.O. to re-brand it as the World Endurance Championship starting next year. I prefer the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup as a name, but the money & media savvy of the F.I.A. will be quite a boost. Audi v. Peugeot v. Porsche! Woo hoo!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "America the Beautiful" from A Saturday Tradition (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: From the seldom-sung second verse:

"Confirm they soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law."