The Explorers Club
No. LXVIII - Finland Imperiled, Part II of III: The Continuation War (1941-44).





It is vitally important to note that while Finland did both coordinate and cooperate with the Nazi Wehrmacht and Finnish planes bore a blue swastika as their principal insignia, Finnish planes had been emblazoned with the ancient symbol of the swastika since Finland's civil war near the end of the Great War, long before the adoption and perversion of the swastika by National Socialism.

Project OSPREY
Sunday, 9 March
Purdue 72-58 Michigan - A couple weeks back, when the valiant Wolverines had won four of five Big Ten games, I looked at the last three contests and picked Penn State and Northwestern as possible victories and Purdue as a near sure defeat. So then we went out and lost to P.S.U. and N.U. Drat. I never expected us to be even competitive with Purdue; so, this loss, which came after we lead at halftime and played the vastly superior Boilermakers even for three fourths of the game, hurt far in excess of my preparedness. Cursed false hope!

Go Blue!

Saturday, 8 March
North Carolina 76-68 Duke - Those who live by perimeter shooting die by perimeter shooting, and Duke made some very dubious shooting choices. When I fill out my bracket next week, I'm going to pick North Carolina to persevere through the N.C.A.A. Tournament at least until the Final Four, which of course means they'll probably be the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed. Of at least, here's hoping.

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Fountains of Wayne, "No Better Place" from Welcome Interstate Managers (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Though "No Better Place" could not possibly be mistaken as a song properly about alcohol, it does contain perhaps the greatest line ever written about the intersection of Man and booze, "And it may be the whiskey talking, but the whiskey says I miss you every day."

Sonntag, 9 März
Bob & Doug McKenzie, "The Beerhunter" from Great White North (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Not a song per se, but no alcohol-fueled frenzy would be complete without the participation of the titular stars of my very favorite cinematic interpretation of Hamlet, The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew. Take off, you hosers!

Samstag, 8 März
Less Than Jake, "Liquor Store" from Pezcore (T.L.A.M.)

The Endurance
This is foreshadowing. I leave it to better men than I to judge whether 'tis cryptic or no.