The Explorers Club
No. LXIX – Finland Imperiled, Part III of III: The Lapland War (1944-45).





The Winter War (1939-40) - Finland alone against Soviet Russia.
The Continuation War (1941-44) - Finland in alliance with Nazi Germany against Soviet Russia.
The Lapland War (1944-45) - Finland in alliance with Soviet Russia against Nazi Germany.

Peril almost beyond comprehension.





Project OSPREY
At the eleventh hour, I have completed my N.C.A.A. Tournament bracket in indelible black ink. The actual results of play shall be duly recorded on the same sheet in blue ink. Neither fudging nor reconsideration will be tolerated. The die is cast.

My methods are intensely unscientific. Sport appeals to the heart at least as much if not more than the mind and 'twould be a base offense to ignore the heart's counsel. I have Temple triumphing over Michigan State in the first round for two reasons: a) Schadenfreude. I hate M.S.U. (or M.S.C. if you look at the smokestack near Spartan Stadium) and I truly desire to see them fail. b) Bog only knows which squad of dastardly Spartans are going to show up. The dastardly Spartans who scored over one hundred points against Indiana or the dastardly Spartans who blew a ten-point lead over Wisconsin? My wager is on the latter, and I believe they shall be overthrown by the Owls (who I then have promptly losing in the second round to Pitt).

Also, I opened an A.I.M. chat with Skeeter with this query, "Which dark horse should I put in my Final Four?" She replied, "dunno... villanova?" Good enough for me. Go 'Nova! Yeah, that's right, I have fully one half of the No. 5 seeds falling to their twelfth seeded opponents. The Last Angry Bracket is not for the faint of heart. Tourney time!

The Last Angry Bracket
Final Four:
West - Duke
East - Tennessee
South - Pitt
Midwest - Villanova

Championship Game:
Pitt
Tennessee

2008 National Champions:
Tennessee

And this should not be misconstrued as what I want to happen, merely what I consider most likely to occur. Lousy Volunteers.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
MxPx, "Andrea" from Life in General (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: "Meeting you was just so unexpected. / I guess I was there to be rejected."