The Explorers Club
No. CXXXIV - The first non-stop Transatlantic flight, by Sir John Alcock (1892-1919) and Sir Arthur Brown (1886-1948), 14-15 June 1919.











Note that The Daily Mirror's map features Blériot's air route and a photo of the famous aviator, a lovely example of the idea to which James Burke first opened my eyes: all the world is connected.

The Loot
Intangible gestures of familial love and devotion are all fine and good, but every schoolkid knows that true affection is best expressed through material possessions. As I exhort my kin every birthday and Christmas (and you kith are more than welcome to join in), "Give early and give often."

{Literature}
Francie Lin, The Foreigner* (Mom & Dad)
Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 5: Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe (Teddy's mom & pop)

{Motion Pictures & Television Series}
Burn Notice Season 2 (The L.A.W. & Brother-in-L.A.W.)
Quantum of Solace (Mom & Dad)

{Music & Sundry Audio}
Green Day, 21st Century Breakdown (Teddy's mom & pop)
This American Life: Stories of Hope & Fear (Mom & Dad)

{Miscellany}
admission to Star Trek: The Exhibition at the Detroit Science Center (Teddy's mom & pop)
souvenir photograph of Teddy's pop & myself at Star Trek: The Exhibition (Teddy's mom & pop)
two collared shirts: one dress & one short-sleeved casual, both by Arrow† (Mom & Dad)
one CoolMax© Action Shirt: not just a collared shirt, an Action Shirt! (Mom & Dad)
three pairs pants: one khaki, one brown, one blue (Mom & Dad)

The only slight pall cast over the proceedings was that I did not receive the requested gift of this: Z.

It's astonishing how, at eight weeks old, my nephew Teddy appears simultaneously gigantic and minuscule; he's so much larger than he was just a month hence, so much plumper and longer, and yet he's still a tiny wisp of a thing. Perhaps this marks me as dimwitted, but there are certain ideas that I can wrap my mind around, but which my heart never quite accepts. I stare at aeroplanes as they pass overhead; I understand the principles of lift, drag, and thrust, and have trusted my life to the Wright bros. invention on multiple occasions, but I am still staggered by the reality of flight. By the same token, I have difficulty accepting that anything as small and fragile as a baby (and this continues well into childhood) is an entire human being. I've interacted with human beings almost every day of my life, and human being are much larger than that wriggling little thing. It's adorable, but it can't be human, there just isn't enough of it. "This is the whole being?" I wonder. "Part of it wasn't left behind someone for convenience's sake?" Wow, this is the whole Teddy. This, for the nonce, is all there is, and yet later there will be substantially more. Forget for a moment our collective genetic predisposition to love and protect every baby we encounter, babies are a wild, implausible idea. If you had never seen a baby and someone explained the idea to you, would you believe it? I think not. It's too strange to be true. And yet when I see Teddy my rational mind gets kicked to the curb and I am overcome by a sustained desire to hold him, to kiss gently the top of his head, to emit nonsensical cooing vocalizations. Babies, ladies and gents, babies are wild.

Star Trek: The Exhibition was great fun, though not nearly large enough (I was ruined for The Exhibition by the similar but more extensive Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas). My ticket was one of my birthday gifts, and my benefactor and I marveled at the splendor all around us. We had our photograph taken on a scaled-down replica of the bridge of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, him at Sulu's station and me at Chekov's. Replica or no, my friends, 'tis a powerful sensation to sit in Captain Kirk's chair, a heady, intoxicating brew, equal parts triumph and euphoria.

In addition, I received numerous birthday well-wishes through the Facebook and here in The Secret Base's commenting feature. Special recognition for originality is owed to Dr. Hee Haw for authoring and transmitting the only birthday email; well done, sir, I salute you. For the second year running, The Sardine was first to wish me a happy birthday, placing a call to my deactivated mobile at 12:01 A.M. and leaving a congratulatory voice message. My compliments to all involved for their good taste; 'tis your good fortune to know me for I am, indeed, quite a fellow.

*Not available through any library to which I have access, acquisition was thus the only option. Hooray for the largess of others.
†Despite this, I shan't soon be mistaken for the Arrow Collar Man, below.





This Week in Motorsport
Return of the Red Baron: Schumacherlink. Even before I became a fan of Formula One, I knew the name and I knew something of the achievements of Michael Schumacher. Upon his retirement several years ago, I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to see him race. I rue the accident that so nearly took the life of Felipe Massa and I wish for his speedy and full recovery, but Schumacher's return is certainly something of a silver lining to that dark cloud.

Mark your calendars, gang, the European Grand Prix on 23 August will be the perfect time to sample F1 and see if it strikes your fancy.

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Gorillaz, "Clint Eastwood" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Dienstag, 28 Juli
Barenaked Ladies, "For You" from Everything to Everyone (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Such a beautiful song, and so hard to reconcile with "One Week." Hooray for eclecticism.

"I have set aside everything I loved,
I have saved everything else for you."