'Twas a busy blogging weekend.

The Explorers Club
No. LXI - The fearsome A6M Zero.






The Victors
"Ready? One, two, three, four, FIVE! We want... moooooooooorrre GOALS! Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! Sieve! It's all your fault! It's all your fault! It's all you fault! It's all your fault!"

As I watched last night's college hockey game, Michigan 5-1 Notre Dame, I wracked my brain trying to remember if the vile Fighting Irish had worn those rather cool looking gold helmets back when I was a season ticket holder at Yost Ice Arena, and though I was leaning toward the negative, I could not summon a remembered image of any other Notre Dame hockey helmet and so had to admit that I was simply unsure. But then the helpful broadcast analysts chimed in that the golden helmets, modeled after those of the vile Fighting Irish football team had been introduced by the current head coach, who is only in his second season. Loathe though I am to credit Notre Dame in any circumstances, I have to applaud their choice of helmet designs. The vast majority of hockey teams treat their helmet design as an afterthought, if it is thought of at all. Kudos to the vile Fighting Irish for bucking that trend.

Michigan's ice hockey helmets are modeled after the famous and fabulous winged football helmet and have been for the past twenty-odd years.

Go Blue!

Honolulu Blue Nevermore
This has been a very odd N.F.L. season for me, as I haven't had a team of my own for whom I could root. I hope to adopt a new team before next season, but trying to do so this year, both mid-season and while I was still mourning my former love for the Detroit Lions, seemed fraught and ill-omened. That said, in today's games I hope to see the Green Bay Packers triumph over the New York football Giants and the New England Patriots prevail over the San Diego Chargers.

I want to see the Patriots reach perfection, 19-0, to add yet another feather to the cap of Michigan man Tom Brady, the golden boy, but at the same time I would not mind seeing Brett Favre, the old warhorse, capture another Vince Lombardi Trophy. Even at this late date there is still much to like about the No Fun League.

Vive la France
We must never forget the sorrow of the Great War, especially since there are so few living reminders left: au revoir et merci.

Lest we forget.