The Explorers' Club
№ CCLXXIV - Gaping Gill, the (second) deepest hole in England.







There's much more to the cave complex than the waterfall shown above, the highest in England, but the unparalleled plunge is certainly Gaping Gill's marquee feature.

Hollywoodland
Yesterday morning, as I prepared to depart for As Wednesday Mass, my mother sat watching Good Morning America (which really should be titled Good Morning, America), as is her regrettable wont. The segment I saw briefly as I filled up my water bottles was title "Before They Were Stars," featuring a clip of the then-unknown Bérénice Bejo, late of The Artist fame, portraying the lady-in-waiting in 2001's A Knight's Tale. A Knight's Tale brought to mind Shannyn Sossamon, who brought to mind 40 days and 40 Nights, which is really not the movie of which one wishes to be reminded at the very beginning of Lent.

For those who've seen The Artist & have a jones to see another film directed by Michel Hazanavicius & starring Jean Dujardin & the aforementioned Bérénice Bejo, I would recommend the spy comedy O.S.S. 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (original French title: O.S.S. 117: Le Caire nid d'Espions). It's in color, has dialogue, & uses a modern aspect ratio, but the dialogue is in French so you do get to revisit your The Artist reading experience via the English subtitles. Oui! Oui!

The Queue
Jumpin' Jack Pratt, King Solomon's Mines was incredible! I cannot wait to read more of Haggard. I'm tempted to jump The Gods of Mars, the second volume of Burroughs's Barsoom novels, to the top o' the queue, but Body of Lies & City of Gold have been roughly shoved aside too many times already. I dare not read another proper book before tackling them both. Still, I eagerly await more Burroughs, as well as Allan Quatermain & She, & quite probably more beyond, from Haggard. Adventure today!

Recently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes
Eric Powell, The Goon: Rough Stuff
Hergé, The Adventures of Tintin: The Blue Lotus
H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines

Currently
Eric Powell, The Goon: Nothin' But Misery & My Murderous Childhood (and Other Grievous Yarns)

Presently
Hergé, The Adventures of Tintin: Red Rackham's Treasure
David Ignatius, Body of Lies
Len Deighton, City of Gold
Steve Martin, Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Nil Lara, "Fighting for My Love" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: A song of which I would be lamentably ignorant were it not for Scrubs.