The new season of Psych and the final season of Monk premiere tomorrow. It's time for murder to be funny again.

The Explorers Club
No. CXXXVI - The first flight from England to Australia, by Sir Ross Smith (1892-1922), Sir Keith Smith (1890-1955), J. M. Bennett (1894-1922), and W. H. Shiers (1889-1968), 12 November-10 December 1919.








The flying Vimy is, alas, a replica.

Obamboozled
The United States of America's new anti-terror policy: surrender at every turn, defeat at any cost. "Soft power"-link. I would love to hear President Obama explain his advisor's remarks; what exactly are al-Qaeda's "legitimate grievances" with the United States? Or how about one of you who voted for Mr. Obama, what do you think al-Qaeda's legitimate grievances with this country are? This should be fascinating.

I would be enjoying the parade of horrors so much more if President Obama's recklessness wasn't going to get so very many innocents killed and maimed by legitimately aggrieved butchers.

Science!
A pair of items concerning Mars: the Mystery of the Martian Methane and Red China & the Red Planet.

Turning now from astronomy to archaeology, the unearthing of a treasure trove that won't interest Skeeter, who maintains that Mongolia is as mythical a land as Shangri-La: buried Buddhalink.

Science!

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, "Isn't She Lovely" from Take a Break (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Not lyrics from "Isn't She Lovely," originally by Stevie Wonder, but a wee mantra of my own device:

"A short skirt,
A Gimmes shirt,
A Jones Soda,
Ain't life grand?"

Mittwoch, 5 August
The Wombats, "Moving to New York" from A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation (T.L.A.M.)