The Middle Kingdom
Fifteen years have passed since the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland handed over control of Hong Kong, Kowloon, & the New Territories (for our purposes, it's all "Hong Kong") to the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), creating the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (S.A.R.). Under the "one country, two systems" model, the denizens of Hong Kong enjoy a greater level of political & economic freedom than any other citizens of the P.R.C. (except possibly those of the neighboring Macau Special Administrative Region, which also functions under "one country, two systems"). Nevertheless, Hong Kong is less free than it was under British colonial rule, & it appears that some in H.K. are none too pleased about Beijing's bullying & cronyism: Hong Kong-link. Ever suspicious of Red China, I've been surprised that the P.R.C. hasn't been more heavy-handed in its treatment of the S.A.R., both Hong Kong & Macau. The people there lead a precarious existence, never sure when Beijing might assert itself more forcefully, but for all that it's better to be in a S.A.R. than anywhere on the mainland, where there is nothing special about the way the regions are administered, just a dreadful mix of unfettered state-capitalist corruption & harsh socialist political control. Godspeed, H.K.
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Charlie King, et al., "Abdul Abulbul Amir" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary:
"The Sons of the Prophet are noble and bold,
And quite unaccustomed to fear,
But the bravest by far in the ranks of the shah
Was Abdul Abulbul Amir."
Friday, June 29, 2012
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Vampire Weekend, "Campus" from Vampire Weekend (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I ran into one of my professors this afternoon at the grocer's. We chatted for a bit, including gossiping about mutual acquaintances. As we parted the thought struck me that I'd like to have an affair with her, & I wondered as to how I might go about arranging such a thing. She's in her mid-forties, blonde with her hair sun-bleached nearly to white, perilously thin, & married to another professor twenty years her senior. Even were it within my power to initiate such an affair I would not do so, for I respect the bonds of matrimony; Dan Rydell put it well on Sports Night, "I will not interfere with another man's marriage." But now I am curious, purely as an intellectual exercise: Were I not possessed of any scruples, how would I go about seducing her? By what means would I tempt her into such a fraught indiscretion? "Campus" seemed the perfect accompaniment to such rakish ruminations.
"Then I see you, you're walking 'cross the campus,
Full professor studying romances,
How am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?
How am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?"
Vampire Weekend, "Campus" from Vampire Weekend (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I ran into one of my professors this afternoon at the grocer's. We chatted for a bit, including gossiping about mutual acquaintances. As we parted the thought struck me that I'd like to have an affair with her, & I wondered as to how I might go about arranging such a thing. She's in her mid-forties, blonde with her hair sun-bleached nearly to white, perilously thin, & married to another professor twenty years her senior. Even were it within my power to initiate such an affair I would not do so, for I respect the bonds of matrimony; Dan Rydell put it well on Sports Night, "I will not interfere with another man's marriage." But now I am curious, purely as an intellectual exercise: Were I not possessed of any scruples, how would I go about seducing her? By what means would I tempt her into such a fraught indiscretion? "Campus" seemed the perfect accompaniment to such rakish ruminations.
"Then I see you, you're walking 'cross the campus,
Full professor studying romances,
How am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?
How am I supposed to pretend I never want to see you again?"
Science!
No explanation is given as to why these bone-eaters are called "zombie worms;" so, I'll chalk that up to the idiots who like the pop-culture monster called the "zombie" (which has naught in common with the zombie of folklore). That said, we appear to have discovered how the bone-eaters eat bones: acid-link.
Science!
No explanation is given as to why these bone-eaters are called "zombie worms;" so, I'll chalk that up to the idiots who like the pop-culture monster called the "zombie" (which has naught in common with the zombie of folklore). That said, we appear to have discovered how the bone-eaters eat bones: acid-link.
Science!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The Explorers' Club
№ CCXCII - Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930), Part I: Pioneering Arctic explorer & oceanographer.
Vote for Kodos
While the ruling from the Nine Tyrants (I'm test-driving a new nickname for the Supreme Court of the United States) was disappointing, I retain the optimistic assessment I posted to the FaceSpace: "No worries, we'll just get rid of Obamacare the old-fashioned way: through the ballot box." More to follow.
The Queue
My only complaint is that The Warlord of Mars seemed a little rushed. I'm not talking about the breakneck pace of the action, because both A Princess of Mars & The Gods of Mars are rip-roaring tales that don't let up for a single page. The new Martian race & culture to which the reader is introduced simply isn't as well-explained or -explored as the races & cultures encountered in the earlier books; as a result, the threat seems somewhat less menacing. The Warlord of Mars is a direct sequel to The Gods of Mars, & I heartily recommend reading the Barsoom series in order. I also most heartily recommend reading the Barsoom series.
Recently
Richard Price, Lush Life
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Warlord of Mars
Currently
Barry Wynne, The Man who Refused to Die: Teehu Makimare's 2,000 Mile Drift in an Open Boat Across the South Seas
Presently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Thuvia, Maid of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Chessmen of Mars
Jim Clark, Jim Clark at the Wheel
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Master Mind of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Fighting Man of Mars
Richard Price, Clockers
Coming Attractions
Updated from 11 June.
{a}"This Week in Motorsport"—lots of catching up to do (two F1 grands prix & the Indy 500, et al.), plus the build-up to Le Mans
{b}"Project PANDORA"—how things are faring with The Interpreter
{c} "Project MERCATOR"—pub quiz in Flint
{d} "Kith & Kin"—visiting Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake
{e}"The Explorers'Club"—behind schedule, again!, curse my bones
{f}"Project GLOWWORM"—my "hipster" moustache
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Elvis Costello & The Attractions, "No Action" from This Year's Model (T.L.A.M.)
№ CCXCII - Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930), Part I: Pioneering Arctic explorer & oceanographer.
Vote for Kodos
While the ruling from the Nine Tyrants (I'm test-driving a new nickname for the Supreme Court of the United States) was disappointing, I retain the optimistic assessment I posted to the FaceSpace: "No worries, we'll just get rid of Obamacare the old-fashioned way: through the ballot box." More to follow.
The Queue
My only complaint is that The Warlord of Mars seemed a little rushed. I'm not talking about the breakneck pace of the action, because both A Princess of Mars & The Gods of Mars are rip-roaring tales that don't let up for a single page. The new Martian race & culture to which the reader is introduced simply isn't as well-explained or -explored as the races & cultures encountered in the earlier books; as a result, the threat seems somewhat less menacing. The Warlord of Mars is a direct sequel to The Gods of Mars, & I heartily recommend reading the Barsoom series in order. I also most heartily recommend reading the Barsoom series.
Recently
Richard Price, Lush Life
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Warlord of Mars
Currently
Barry Wynne, The Man who Refused to Die: Teehu Makimare's 2,000 Mile Drift in an Open Boat Across the South Seas
Presently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Thuvia, Maid of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Chessmen of Mars
Jim Clark, Jim Clark at the Wheel
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Master Mind of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Fighting Man of Mars
Richard Price, Clockers
Coming Attractions
Updated from 11 June.
{a}
{b}
{c} "Project MERCATOR"—pub quiz in Flint
{d} "Kith & Kin"—visiting Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake
{e}
{f}
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Elvis Costello & The Attractions, "No Action" from This Year's Model (T.L.A.M.)
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
This Week in Motorsport
By Endurance We Conquer
World Endurance Championship
Round 3
24 Heures du Mans
Saturday-Sunday, 16-17 June
Staying up for the entire twenty-four hours of Le Mans was undoubtedly the right call. I drifted off to slumber momentarily on four occasions, but each time snapped back awake when my head drooped. For next year, I shall refine my endurance technique & make it through with flying colors. I took a four-hour nap on Sunday afternoon, which rejuvenated me to a great degree, & was able to fall asleep Sunday night without any difficulty, sleeping for ten hours like a log before awaking refreshed & restored to normal functionality on Monday morning. Not missing a moment of Le Mans is worth the punishment of powering through the night.
For more on the race itself, please see the numerous "24 Heures du Mans" posts from 16-17 June.
Rally Monkey
World Rally Championship
Round 7
Rally New Zealand
Friday-Sunday, 22-24 June
Even though I despise the Realm of New Zealand & wish to see every edifice on both the North Island & the South Island razed, & the land salted, I nevertheless watched the Rally New Zealand. Sweet fancy Moses, I love the madness of the W.R.C.! The Citroën factory (or "works") team scored their third consecutive one-two finish after miscalculations by the Ford factory squad. I admire the dogged determination of Ford's two drivers, '03 World Champion Petter Solberg (Norway) & Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland), but I just so enjoy any time the blue oval loses. It doesn't matter to whom they lose (& I've no particular affinity for Citroën), any Ford defeat brings a smile to my face.
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Elvis Costello, "Miss Macbeth" from Spike (T.L.A.M.)
By Endurance We Conquer
World Endurance Championship
Round 3
24 Heures du Mans
Saturday-Sunday, 16-17 June
Staying up for the entire twenty-four hours of Le Mans was undoubtedly the right call. I drifted off to slumber momentarily on four occasions, but each time snapped back awake when my head drooped. For next year, I shall refine my endurance technique & make it through with flying colors. I took a four-hour nap on Sunday afternoon, which rejuvenated me to a great degree, & was able to fall asleep Sunday night without any difficulty, sleeping for ten hours like a log before awaking refreshed & restored to normal functionality on Monday morning. Not missing a moment of Le Mans is worth the punishment of powering through the night.
For more on the race itself, please see the numerous "24 Heures du Mans" posts from 16-17 June.
Rally Monkey
World Rally Championship
Round 7
Rally New Zealand
Friday-Sunday, 22-24 June
Even though I despise the Realm of New Zealand & wish to see every edifice on both the North Island & the South Island razed, & the land salted, I nevertheless watched the Rally New Zealand. Sweet fancy Moses, I love the madness of the W.R.C.! The Citroën factory (or "works") team scored their third consecutive one-two finish after miscalculations by the Ford factory squad. I admire the dogged determination of Ford's two drivers, '03 World Champion Petter Solberg (Norway) & Jari-Matti Latvala (Finland), but I just so enjoy any time the blue oval loses. It doesn't matter to whom they lose (& I've no particular affinity for Citroën), any Ford defeat brings a smile to my face.
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Elvis Costello, "Miss Macbeth" from Spike (T.L.A.M.)
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Kith & Kin
The repairs to—reinforcement of—the staircase to the uppermost floor continue, slowed somewhat by my father's case of the dreadful sick (confirmed today not to be the pneumonia) but slowed principally by repeated interruptions for sundry odds & ends. I was inside a Home Despot thrice today, twice to the nearest vast warehouse—& no joy on either occasion—& once to the next nearest vast warehouse, which is a good twenty/twenty-five minutes away from Wilson Field. I love motoring in the Lumi the Snow Queen, but I prefer to motor to a purpose, not in wild goose chases for hardware. Still, we are making progress, & the actual repair work is quite interesting.
I ran into Daddy Dylweed's father on the first of the day's three sojourns inside a Home Despot. He looked to be in good shape given all he's endured in recent months. Good on him.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Emma Roberts, "Mexican Wrestler" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Montag, 25 Juni
TJ Mac, "The Man Ain't Dangerous" courtesy The Watergirl (The Watergirl)
Commentary: Nominations for the R.B.D.S.O.T.D. are always welcome, dear readers!
The repairs to—reinforcement of—the staircase to the uppermost floor continue, slowed somewhat by my father's case of the dreadful sick (confirmed today not to be the pneumonia) but slowed principally by repeated interruptions for sundry odds & ends. I was inside a Home Despot thrice today, twice to the nearest vast warehouse—& no joy on either occasion—& once to the next nearest vast warehouse, which is a good twenty/twenty-five minutes away from Wilson Field. I love motoring in the Lumi the Snow Queen, but I prefer to motor to a purpose, not in wild goose chases for hardware. Still, we are making progress, & the actual repair work is quite interesting.
I ran into Daddy Dylweed's father on the first of the day's three sojourns inside a Home Despot. He looked to be in good shape given all he's endured in recent months. Good on him.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Emma Roberts, "Mexican Wrestler" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Montag, 25 Juni
TJ Mac, "The Man Ain't Dangerous" courtesy The Watergirl (The Watergirl)
Commentary: Nominations for the R.B.D.S.O.T.D. are always welcome, dear readers!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
The Explorers' Club
№ CCXCI - Sven Hedin (1865-1952), Part II: Pragmatic humanitarian or naïve reactionary? Both a friend & a foe of the Nazis.
This Week in Motorsport
Formula Fun!
Formula One World Championship
Round 6
Grand Prix de Monaco
Sunday, 27 May
O Monaco! What superlatives are superlative enough for the grandeur, the glamour, the splendor of "the jewel in the crown" of Formula One? Monaco is the most atypical of all F1 circuits, & yet the most essential to the sport. Only the World Championship is a prize more coveted than victory on the streets of the principality. O Monaco! This year's honor was claimed by Mark Webber of Red Bull (Renault), his second victory around the Circuit de Monaco in the last three seasons, & Red Bull's third in a row. Webber became the sixth different driver to win one of this year's six grands prix, & Red Bull became the first constructor with a second victory.
Round 7
Grand Prix du Canada
Sunday, 10 June
The race round the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal saw '08 World Champion Lewis Hamilton of McLaren (Mercedes) become the seventh different victor in 2012's seven grands prix, & McLaren the second repeat victor amongst constructors. Bizarre one-stop strategy calls undid the races of both defending '10 & '11 World Champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull & '05 & '06 World Champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari; late in the race with their tires thoroughly toasted both Vettel & Alonso were easy prey for Romain Grosjean of Lotus (Renault) & Sergio Pérez of Sauber (Ferrari), both of whom made a one-stop strategy work. (For reference, Hamilton made two pit stops.) Vettel made a late pit stop & on fresh tires charged through the field to salvage a fourth-place finish.
Round 8
Grand Prix of Europe
Sunday, 24 June
Vettel secured his thirty-third pole position ahead of today's grand prix in Valencia—Spain's second of the year, hence the "European Grand Prix" name—moving him into a three-way tie for third position on the all-time pole list. From the start of the race Vettel looked as he did through his second world-championship campaign in 2011, outpacing the field & disappearing into the distance. Vettel had build up a twenty-second lead over the second-place runner before a safety car period bunched up the field; back to green-flag racing & Vettel again disappeared into the distance… until his car suffered a still-mysterious mechanical failure & stopped on track. Grosjean, making a strong run for second, also retired with mechanical failure, while Hamilton had a shunt on the last lap that cost him a third- or four-place finish. The Spaniard Alonso slashed through the field before his home crowd, winning the race after starting eleventh. 'Twas a graybeard podium, Alonso flanked by '07 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, returned to F1 after two year's retirement, & '94, '95, '00, '01, '02, '03, & '04 World Champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes, his first podium finish since returning from three year's retirement for the '10 season.
Despite the chaos of today's grand prix, F1 is settling down a bit after a wild & unpredictable start to the season. Seven different winners from the year's first seven grands prix is an all-time record, & a very different scenario from 2011 when Vettel won six of the first eight grands prix. Alonso's repeat victory might not seem all that significant itself, but it is the third consecutive win for a repeat constructor. Five different constructors won the first five grands prix, including Mercedes's first win since their return in '10 & Williams's first win in eight seasons, but the last three wins have been by teams that had not only already won in '12, but finished 1-2-3 in '11's World Constructors' Championship. Belatedly, the cream seems to be rising to the top. As a Red Bull partisan, I am bitterly disappointed by Vettel's mechanical woes, which robbed him of a likely win, but I am buoyed somewhat by his qualifying & race pace, which seem to indicate something of a return to his imperious form from '10 & '11.
Indy Rock
Izod IndyCar Series
Round 5
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race
Sunday, 27 May
Round 6
Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
Sunday, 3 June
On the same day as the Grand Prix de Monaco, I also watched the second challenge of the "Triple Crown of Motorsport," the far-famed Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. This was the third time I'd watched the Indy 500 & the third time I failed to see the appeal. I've followed the IndyCar Series more closely this year than ever before; I knew the teams & the standings & the championship implications of the Indy 500, & I still didn't care. Oval track racing remains as opaque to me as all of motorsport used to be. In the word of Jar Jar Binks, "My give up." I shan't watch the Indy 500 again until something changes to make me think I might like it better. After Indianapolis, three of the next four races were on ovals, & I skipped all those. I tried to watch the only road-course race in that sequence, Indycar's return to Detroit the Sunday after the 500, but I was at my parish festival with the Knights of Columbus all day on Sunday, & a long mid-race delay on Belle Isle meant that my timed recording of the race broadcast was mistimed. C'est la vie. I'll resume following IndyCar in July, when they return to road courses or street circuits for five of the final six races.
Grand Damn
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Round 5
Detroit 200
Saturday, 2 June
Round 6
EMCO Gears Classic
Saturday, 9 June
I watched the Grand-Am version of endurance racing at Belle Isle (in support of the IndyCar Series) & at Mid-Ohio & I just didn't like what I saw. I don't like the artificiality of racing in Grand-Am, where cars that win too often are given extra weight to carry in an attempt to slow them down. I don't like all the bumping & ramming that happens between competitors, much of it intentional. (I come from the F1/Le Mans school of thought, where if you ram a competitor hard enough to do him race-compromising damage you're more than likely going to end your own race, too, as well an incur the wrath of the stewards.) I don't like the lack of innovation, the fact that teams running Daytona Prototypes can buy a car only from a few series-approved constructors, & then only the chassis constructor is allowed to do any development work on the car (aerodynamic improvements & the like). I know that the eight penalties & the lack of car development are meant to improve the show, meant to prevent any one team from becoming dominant, & every series does this to some extent (if they didn't, they wouldn't have weight or power rules, only a few basic safety requirements & may the best car win), but there is something gauche in the Rolex Series's approach. I'm no longer convinced that the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is better than nothing.
The Queue
If pressed, I would say that The Gods of Mars isn't quite as good as A Princess of Mars, the first book in the John Carter of Mars series, but that's very much like saying Return of the Jedi isn't quite as good as The Empire Strikes Back; 'tis hardly a complaint. Burroughs is a master, & my mind enjoys flying through the black vastness of space to the Barsoom of his astonishing imagination.
Recently
Nicolas Sarkozy, translated from the French by Philip H. Gordon, Testimony: France, Europe, and the World in the Twenty-first Century
Richard Price, Lush Life
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars
Currently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Warlord of Mars
Presently
Barry Wynne, The Man who Refused to Die
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Thuvia, Maid of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Chessmen of Mars
Richard Price, Clockers
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Michael Jackson, "Smooth Criminal" from Bad (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I woke up this morning with "Smooth Criminal" stuck in my head. I know not why.
Samstag, 23 Juni
Jacqueline Schwab, "Flag of Columbia" from The Civil War: Original Soundtrack Recording (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: At the invitation of one of my History Club chums who is also an historical reenactor, yesterday I sojourned to the Michigan Historical Michigan in Lansing, sacred Michigan's capital, & there viewed half a dozen battle flags under which several Michigan regiments has fought during the Civil War (1861-1865). 'Twas humbling & powerfully moving to behold those literally bloodstained banners, under which loyal Michiganders had fought & died for our perpetual Union one hundred fifty years ago.
№ CCXCI - Sven Hedin (1865-1952), Part II: Pragmatic humanitarian or naïve reactionary? Both a friend & a foe of the Nazis.
This Week in Motorsport
Formula Fun!
Formula One World Championship
Round 6
Grand Prix de Monaco
Sunday, 27 May
O Monaco! What superlatives are superlative enough for the grandeur, the glamour, the splendor of "the jewel in the crown" of Formula One? Monaco is the most atypical of all F1 circuits, & yet the most essential to the sport. Only the World Championship is a prize more coveted than victory on the streets of the principality. O Monaco! This year's honor was claimed by Mark Webber of Red Bull (Renault), his second victory around the Circuit de Monaco in the last three seasons, & Red Bull's third in a row. Webber became the sixth different driver to win one of this year's six grands prix, & Red Bull became the first constructor with a second victory.
Round 7
Grand Prix du Canada
Sunday, 10 June
The race round the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal saw '08 World Champion Lewis Hamilton of McLaren (Mercedes) become the seventh different victor in 2012's seven grands prix, & McLaren the second repeat victor amongst constructors. Bizarre one-stop strategy calls undid the races of both defending '10 & '11 World Champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull & '05 & '06 World Champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari; late in the race with their tires thoroughly toasted both Vettel & Alonso were easy prey for Romain Grosjean of Lotus (Renault) & Sergio Pérez of Sauber (Ferrari), both of whom made a one-stop strategy work. (For reference, Hamilton made two pit stops.) Vettel made a late pit stop & on fresh tires charged through the field to salvage a fourth-place finish.
Round 8
Grand Prix of Europe
Sunday, 24 June
Vettel secured his thirty-third pole position ahead of today's grand prix in Valencia—Spain's second of the year, hence the "European Grand Prix" name—moving him into a three-way tie for third position on the all-time pole list. From the start of the race Vettel looked as he did through his second world-championship campaign in 2011, outpacing the field & disappearing into the distance. Vettel had build up a twenty-second lead over the second-place runner before a safety car period bunched up the field; back to green-flag racing & Vettel again disappeared into the distance… until his car suffered a still-mysterious mechanical failure & stopped on track. Grosjean, making a strong run for second, also retired with mechanical failure, while Hamilton had a shunt on the last lap that cost him a third- or four-place finish. The Spaniard Alonso slashed through the field before his home crowd, winning the race after starting eleventh. 'Twas a graybeard podium, Alonso flanked by '07 World Champion Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, returned to F1 after two year's retirement, & '94, '95, '00, '01, '02, '03, & '04 World Champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes, his first podium finish since returning from three year's retirement for the '10 season.
Despite the chaos of today's grand prix, F1 is settling down a bit after a wild & unpredictable start to the season. Seven different winners from the year's first seven grands prix is an all-time record, & a very different scenario from 2011 when Vettel won six of the first eight grands prix. Alonso's repeat victory might not seem all that significant itself, but it is the third consecutive win for a repeat constructor. Five different constructors won the first five grands prix, including Mercedes's first win since their return in '10 & Williams's first win in eight seasons, but the last three wins have been by teams that had not only already won in '12, but finished 1-2-3 in '11's World Constructors' Championship. Belatedly, the cream seems to be rising to the top. As a Red Bull partisan, I am bitterly disappointed by Vettel's mechanical woes, which robbed him of a likely win, but I am buoyed somewhat by his qualifying & race pace, which seem to indicate something of a return to his imperious form from '10 & '11.
Indy Rock
Izod IndyCar Series
Round 5
Indianapolis 500 Mile Race
Sunday, 27 May
Round 6
Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix
Sunday, 3 June
On the same day as the Grand Prix de Monaco, I also watched the second challenge of the "Triple Crown of Motorsport," the far-famed Indianapolis 500 Mile Race. This was the third time I'd watched the Indy 500 & the third time I failed to see the appeal. I've followed the IndyCar Series more closely this year than ever before; I knew the teams & the standings & the championship implications of the Indy 500, & I still didn't care. Oval track racing remains as opaque to me as all of motorsport used to be. In the word of Jar Jar Binks, "My give up." I shan't watch the Indy 500 again until something changes to make me think I might like it better. After Indianapolis, three of the next four races were on ovals, & I skipped all those. I tried to watch the only road-course race in that sequence, Indycar's return to Detroit the Sunday after the 500, but I was at my parish festival with the Knights of Columbus all day on Sunday, & a long mid-race delay on Belle Isle meant that my timed recording of the race broadcast was mistimed. C'est la vie. I'll resume following IndyCar in July, when they return to road courses or street circuits for five of the final six races.
Grand Damn
Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Round 5
Detroit 200
Saturday, 2 June
Round 6
EMCO Gears Classic
Saturday, 9 June
I watched the Grand-Am version of endurance racing at Belle Isle (in support of the IndyCar Series) & at Mid-Ohio & I just didn't like what I saw. I don't like the artificiality of racing in Grand-Am, where cars that win too often are given extra weight to carry in an attempt to slow them down. I don't like all the bumping & ramming that happens between competitors, much of it intentional. (I come from the F1/Le Mans school of thought, where if you ram a competitor hard enough to do him race-compromising damage you're more than likely going to end your own race, too, as well an incur the wrath of the stewards.) I don't like the lack of innovation, the fact that teams running Daytona Prototypes can buy a car only from a few series-approved constructors, & then only the chassis constructor is allowed to do any development work on the car (aerodynamic improvements & the like). I know that the eight penalties & the lack of car development are meant to improve the show, meant to prevent any one team from becoming dominant, & every series does this to some extent (if they didn't, they wouldn't have weight or power rules, only a few basic safety requirements & may the best car win), but there is something gauche in the Rolex Series's approach. I'm no longer convinced that the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is better than nothing.
The Queue
If pressed, I would say that The Gods of Mars isn't quite as good as A Princess of Mars, the first book in the John Carter of Mars series, but that's very much like saying Return of the Jedi isn't quite as good as The Empire Strikes Back; 'tis hardly a complaint. Burroughs is a master, & my mind enjoys flying through the black vastness of space to the Barsoom of his astonishing imagination.
Recently
Nicolas Sarkozy, translated from the French by Philip H. Gordon, Testimony: France, Europe, and the World in the Twenty-first Century
Richard Price, Lush Life
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars
Currently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Warlord of Mars
Presently
Barry Wynne, The Man who Refused to Die
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Thuvia, Maid of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Chessmen of Mars
Richard Price, Clockers
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Michael Jackson, "Smooth Criminal" from Bad (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I woke up this morning with "Smooth Criminal" stuck in my head. I know not why.
Samstag, 23 Juni
Jacqueline Schwab, "Flag of Columbia" from The Civil War: Original Soundtrack Recording (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: At the invitation of one of my History Club chums who is also an historical reenactor, yesterday I sojourned to the Michigan Historical Michigan in Lansing, sacred Michigan's capital, & there viewed half a dozen battle flags under which several Michigan regiments has fought during the Civil War (1861-1865). 'Twas humbling & powerfully moving to behold those literally bloodstained banners, under which loyal Michiganders had fought & died for our perpetual Union one hundred fifty years ago.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Kith & Kin
Well, now I know a little something about the removal of drywall, & soon I'll be far more knowledgeable about the repair & reinforcement of wooden staircases. In the immortal words of The Aquabats!, "There's so much to learn!" Home improvement is both a pain & a hoot.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Paul Simon, "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: As a child, I found it irksome that even though the song it titled "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," and the lyrics mention repeatedly that figure, the song describes only five ways to leave your lover, along with sundry exhortations against discussion & for making yourself free. As an adult, I find that my younger self had a worthy point & was right to be irked.
"And then she kissed me,
And I realized she probably was right,
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover,
Fifty ways to leave your lover.
"You just slip out the back, Jack,
Make a new plan, Stan,
You don't need to be coy, Roy,
Just get yourself free.
Or you hop on the bus, Gus,
You don't need to discuss much!
Just drop off the key, Lee,
And get yourself free."
Donnerstag, 21 Juni
Paul Simon, "Kodachrome" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I fear for a future in which film has gone the way of the dodo & all we are left with is lifeless digital photography.
Well, now I know a little something about the removal of drywall, & soon I'll be far more knowledgeable about the repair & reinforcement of wooden staircases. In the immortal words of The Aquabats!, "There's so much to learn!" Home improvement is both a pain & a hoot.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Paul Simon, "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: As a child, I found it irksome that even though the song it titled "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," and the lyrics mention repeatedly that figure, the song describes only five ways to leave your lover, along with sundry exhortations against discussion & for making yourself free. As an adult, I find that my younger self had a worthy point & was right to be irked.
"And then she kissed me,
And I realized she probably was right,
There must be fifty ways to leave your lover,
Fifty ways to leave your lover.
"You just slip out the back, Jack,
Make a new plan, Stan,
You don't need to be coy, Roy,
Just get yourself free.
Or you hop on the bus, Gus,
You don't need to discuss much!
Just drop off the key, Lee,
And get yourself free."
Donnerstag, 21 Juni
Paul Simon, "Kodachrome" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I fear for a future in which film has gone the way of the dodo & all we are left with is lifeless digital photography.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Operation AXIOM
'Tis the summer solstice, the so-called longest day of the year. This is the zenith of the Accursed Sun's dominion over the Earth, for from this day forward every day's sunlight hours will grow shorter & shorter 'til the Accursed Sun's nadir on the winter solstice. The Earth chars & burns under the Accursed Sun's death rays, yet take heart, dear readers, for the atomic furnace that would have killed us all long ago were it not for the geomagnetic field & the protective blanket of ozone in our pleasant orb's upper atmosphere is now in retreat, & will be outlasted by the hours of protective darkness after the autumnal equinox. The summer solstice is not the day of the Accursed Sun's victory, 'tis the day our victory begins.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Jeff Daniels, "Michigan, My Michigan" (live) via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I heard the tail end of an interview with Mr. Daniels on today's Fresh Air; the program concluded with the playing of this recording of the haunting, beautiful "Michigan, My Michigan."
Dienstag, 19 Juni
Vampire Weekend, "M79" from Vampire Weekend (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I spent much of Tuesday morning in a company of a pair of chaps who spoke a great deal of Oxford shirts & all things Brooks Brothers. I thus sought for the "preppiest" music in my library, & settled on Vampire Weekend.
'Tis the summer solstice, the so-called longest day of the year. This is the zenith of the Accursed Sun's dominion over the Earth, for from this day forward every day's sunlight hours will grow shorter & shorter 'til the Accursed Sun's nadir on the winter solstice. The Earth chars & burns under the Accursed Sun's death rays, yet take heart, dear readers, for the atomic furnace that would have killed us all long ago were it not for the geomagnetic field & the protective blanket of ozone in our pleasant orb's upper atmosphere is now in retreat, & will be outlasted by the hours of protective darkness after the autumnal equinox. The summer solstice is not the day of the Accursed Sun's victory, 'tis the day our victory begins.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Jeff Daniels, "Michigan, My Michigan" (live) via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I heard the tail end of an interview with Mr. Daniels on today's Fresh Air; the program concluded with the playing of this recording of the haunting, beautiful "Michigan, My Michigan."
Dienstag, 19 Juni
Vampire Weekend, "M79" from Vampire Weekend (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: I spent much of Tuesday morning in a company of a pair of chaps who spoke a great deal of Oxford shirts & all things Brooks Brothers. I thus sought for the "preppiest" music in my library, & settled on Vampire Weekend.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Autobahn
I was in an automobile collision today, riding in the passenger seat as my dad drove; we were on our way to the Home Despot to fetch some home improvement materials. It was a very low-speed collision here in our own neighborhood. We were coming around a bend in the road when a barmy crone was rounding the same bend heading in the other direction. She was heading in the other direction, but more or less in our lane. Dad honked the horn & threw the steering wheel to the right trying to avoid her, but instead of taking evasive action she actually increased her turn into us; she make the exact wrong move, & smashed into us. Worst of all, the witch couldn't offer any explanation of why she'd rammed us, she said that she couldn't understand why she'd done what she'd done. A woman is more than the sum of the worst thing she's ever done, but I am having a really hard time not wishing horrors & tragedies upon that irresponsible jerk. I take no small degree of satisfaction from the fact that the damage to her S.U.V. was much greater than the purely cosmetic damage to Dad's station wagon. She didn't look too elderly to be on the roads, but I'd still think it a good idea to strip her of her operator's license; she's clearly too incompetent to operate safely a motorcar & this poses a danger to herself &, more significantly, since no one would care if she dropped dead tonight, to others.
He's Dead, Jim
The swelling above my right eye has all but disappeared. The contact sensitivity has gone away, leaving behind ever-diminishing visual evidence of the odd occurrence. This is not the first time this has happened to me; I've not noted a pattern for these episodes of swelling, except that I think they only afflict the right eye. (Good thing, too, since I am left-eye dominant.) A minor medical mystery that will be all but forgotten unless & until the condition recurs.
I went to bed at 10:00 P.M. last night & was able to fall asleep without difficulty. I slept 'til 8:00 A.M. this morning & awoke feeling like myself again, the fog of fatigue from Le Mans having lifted. That fatigue is a small price to pay for the grandeur that is the 24 Hours, but it's nice to be back on track.
Vote for Kodos
Governor Romney is holding a rally tomorrow in Frankenmuth, & I've been recruited as a volunteer. What will be my task? Unknown. I'm waking up extraordinarily early so as to fulfill a "personal favor" to a chap I might have to murder. I'm going to bed directly after publishing this post, but fear I'll have difficulty falling asleep. Just when I restored my sleep cycle, I'm about to throw it out of whack again.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
The Proclaimers, "Wages of Sin" from Notes & Rhymes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary:
"So I hope, and I pray,
That the wages of sin aren't paid today."
Sonntag, 17 Juni
Edvard Grieg, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
I was in an automobile collision today, riding in the passenger seat as my dad drove; we were on our way to the Home Despot to fetch some home improvement materials. It was a very low-speed collision here in our own neighborhood. We were coming around a bend in the road when a barmy crone was rounding the same bend heading in the other direction. She was heading in the other direction, but more or less in our lane. Dad honked the horn & threw the steering wheel to the right trying to avoid her, but instead of taking evasive action she actually increased her turn into us; she make the exact wrong move, & smashed into us. Worst of all, the witch couldn't offer any explanation of why she'd rammed us, she said that she couldn't understand why she'd done what she'd done. A woman is more than the sum of the worst thing she's ever done, but I am having a really hard time not wishing horrors & tragedies upon that irresponsible jerk. I take no small degree of satisfaction from the fact that the damage to her S.U.V. was much greater than the purely cosmetic damage to Dad's station wagon. She didn't look too elderly to be on the roads, but I'd still think it a good idea to strip her of her operator's license; she's clearly too incompetent to operate safely a motorcar & this poses a danger to herself &, more significantly, since no one would care if she dropped dead tonight, to others.
He's Dead, Jim
The swelling above my right eye has all but disappeared. The contact sensitivity has gone away, leaving behind ever-diminishing visual evidence of the odd occurrence. This is not the first time this has happened to me; I've not noted a pattern for these episodes of swelling, except that I think they only afflict the right eye. (Good thing, too, since I am left-eye dominant.) A minor medical mystery that will be all but forgotten unless & until the condition recurs.
I went to bed at 10:00 P.M. last night & was able to fall asleep without difficulty. I slept 'til 8:00 A.M. this morning & awoke feeling like myself again, the fog of fatigue from Le Mans having lifted. That fatigue is a small price to pay for the grandeur that is the 24 Hours, but it's nice to be back on track.
Vote for Kodos
Governor Romney is holding a rally tomorrow in Frankenmuth, & I've been recruited as a volunteer. What will be my task? Unknown. I'm waking up extraordinarily early so as to fulfill a "personal favor" to a chap I might have to murder. I'm going to bed directly after publishing this post, but fear I'll have difficulty falling asleep. Just when I restored my sleep cycle, I'm about to throw it out of whack again.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
The Proclaimers, "Wages of Sin" from Notes & Rhymes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary:
"So I hope, and I pray,
That the wages of sin aren't paid today."
Sonntag, 17 Juni
Edvard Grieg, "In the Hall of the Mountain King" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
24 Heures du Mans | +23:57:00
According to the brain trust at Audi Sport Team Joest, winners of eleven of the last thirteen 24 Heures du Mans (& winners of eleven of the fourteen Le Mans in which they've campaigned, 1999 being an experimental year, though Audis still finished third & fourth), in order to be successful at Le Mans the preparations for next year's 24 Hours have to begin today, the day after their 1-2-3 sweep of the podium at the 80th running of the "Grand Prix of Endurance." Congratulations to this year's finishers, because to finish such a grueling test is an achievement in which to take pride; condolences to those who had to retire; & bonne chance to all in next year's 24 Heures du Mans!
An appreciation for a correspondent of the B.B.C.: twice around the clock-link.
According to the brain trust at Audi Sport Team Joest, winners of eleven of the last thirteen 24 Heures du Mans (& winners of eleven of the fourteen Le Mans in which they've campaigned, 1999 being an experimental year, though Audis still finished third & fourth), in order to be successful at Le Mans the preparations for next year's 24 Hours have to begin today, the day after their 1-2-3 sweep of the podium at the 80th running of the "Grand Prix of Endurance." Congratulations to this year's finishers, because to finish such a grueling test is an achievement in which to take pride; condolences to those who had to retire; & bonne chance to all in next year's 24 Heures du Mans!
An appreciation for a correspondent of the B.B.C.: twice around the clock-link.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
24 Heures du Mans | +7:09:00
The trouble-plagued № 74 Corvette was still running at 0:00:00, but hadn't covered the necessary 70% of the race-winning car's distance & so was not classified as a finisher (D.N.F.). The № 73 Corvette, which was itself plagued by mechanical woes in the early hours of the race, as the № 74 lead the G.T.E. Pro category, finished in fifth place. 'Twas a tough day for Corvette Racing, the 74's troubles all starting with a mechanic's error; for want of a nail the kingdom was lost, for want of a wheel nut the class-victory was lost. I was proud to wear my Corvette Racing T-shirt, proud that the boys continued to rebuild the car, continued to pound out laps, even after all hope of victory was lost & closing the door of the garage—the traditional signal of withdrawal—would have been entirely understandable.
Something of the day was salvaged in G.T.E. Am, where the privateer Corvette of French team Larbre Compétition won the category for the second consecutive year. The main difference 'twixt G.T.E. Pro & G.T.E. Am is the drivers' qualifications (the "pro" or "am" of the class names), though Am cars also need to be at least one year old; this year's winning Larbre Corvette is the actual car with which Corvette Racing won G.T.E. Pro in 2011.
He's Dead, Jim
I am somewhat rejuvenated by my three-plus hour nap, though it was interrupted twice by the natural consequence of my wildly successful hydration regime during the night & early morning. (I had to pee frequently.) The swelling above my right eye is slightly less painful than it was thirty-six hours ago, when it was first noted, though there is slightly more discoloration now. Fun! Fun! Fun!
The trouble-plagued № 74 Corvette was still running at 0:00:00, but hadn't covered the necessary 70% of the race-winning car's distance & so was not classified as a finisher (D.N.F.). The № 73 Corvette, which was itself plagued by mechanical woes in the early hours of the race, as the № 74 lead the G.T.E. Pro category, finished in fifth place. 'Twas a tough day for Corvette Racing, the 74's troubles all starting with a mechanic's error; for want of a nail the kingdom was lost, for want of a wheel nut the class-victory was lost. I was proud to wear my Corvette Racing T-shirt, proud that the boys continued to rebuild the car, continued to pound out laps, even after all hope of victory was lost & closing the door of the garage—the traditional signal of withdrawal—would have been entirely understandable.
Something of the day was salvaged in G.T.E. Am, where the privateer Corvette of French team Larbre Compétition won the category for the second consecutive year. The main difference 'twixt G.T.E. Pro & G.T.E. Am is the drivers' qualifications (the "pro" or "am" of the class names), though Am cars also need to be at least one year old; this year's winning Larbre Corvette is the actual car with which Corvette Racing won G.T.E. Pro in 2011.
He's Dead, Jim
I am somewhat rejuvenated by my three-plus hour nap, though it was interrupted twice by the natural consequence of my wildly successful hydration regime during the night & early morning. (I had to pee frequently.) The swelling above my right eye is slightly less painful than it was thirty-six hours ago, when it was first noted, though there is slightly more discoloration now. Fun! Fun! Fun!
24 Heures du Mans | +0:37:00
What a finish! What a race! I've been awake for twenty-nine hours on four hours' sleep; so, I'm bound for a nap, or at least the attempt. (I am much more awake now than I was at 7:00 A.M., a.k.a. "24 heures du Mans | 2:00:00.") More later on the 80th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, on one of he greatest single days of my whole year.
What a finish! What a race! I've been awake for twenty-nine hours on four hours' sleep; so, I'm bound for a nap, or at least the attempt. (I am much more awake now than I was at 7:00 A.M., a.k.a. "24 heures du Mans | 2:00:00.") More later on the 80th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, on one of he greatest single days of my whole year.
24 Heures du Mans | 4:20:00
A few minutes ago Speed commentators Bob Varsha & David Hobbs, one half of Speed's F1 commentary crew, had a humorous debate about whether there were "only" four & a half hours left, or if four & a half hours constituted a hell of a long race in its own right. I know where they're coming from. I am very tired & this race has been going on for a very long time, but at the same time I can't believe I've already been watching it for almost twenty hours. Put that way, the time has flown. Time is such a lovely contradiction.
A few minutes ago Speed commentators Bob Varsha & David Hobbs, one half of Speed's F1 commentary crew, had a humorous debate about whether there were "only" four & a half hours left, or if four & a half hours constituted a hell of a long race in its own right. I know where they're coming from. I am very tired & this race has been going on for a very long time, but at the same time I can't believe I've already been watching it for almost twenty hours. Put that way, the time has flown. Time is such a lovely contradiction.
24 Heures du Mans | 5:50:00
There is an American driver named Patrick Long, often described as "the first & only American Porsche factory driver." Long drives a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the American Le Mans Series (A.L.M.S.) for Flying Lizard Motorsports; for this year's Le Mans, Long was co-driver of the № 80 Porsche in the G.T.E. Pro category, an ill-fated car that retired only a few hours into this year's "Grand Prix of Endurance." In years past, when the massive Penske organization campaigned prototypes in the A.L.M.S. as Porsche's unofficial "works" team, Long drove the all-conquering Porsche RS Spyder (L.M.P.2). I'm not a particular fan of the Flying Lizards, but for no reason I can pinpoint it is terribly important to me that Pat Long be in the driver lineup when Porsche returns to Le Mans with a brand-new L.M.P.1 car in 2014. Why do I care so much? Search me. I don't give a tinker's damn, for example, that American B.M.W. factory driver Joey Hand was tapped this year to be the first American to race in the prestigious D.T.M. championship. But I do care, & care a ridiculously great deal, that Long drive the new Porsche challenger in two years' time.
Racing brings out strange impulses & give license to strange ideas.
There is an American driver named Patrick Long, often described as "the first & only American Porsche factory driver." Long drives a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in the American Le Mans Series (A.L.M.S.) for Flying Lizard Motorsports; for this year's Le Mans, Long was co-driver of the № 80 Porsche in the G.T.E. Pro category, an ill-fated car that retired only a few hours into this year's "Grand Prix of Endurance." In years past, when the massive Penske organization campaigned prototypes in the A.L.M.S. as Porsche's unofficial "works" team, Long drove the all-conquering Porsche RS Spyder (L.M.P.2). I'm not a particular fan of the Flying Lizards, but for no reason I can pinpoint it is terribly important to me that Pat Long be in the driver lineup when Porsche returns to Le Mans with a brand-new L.M.P.1 car in 2014. Why do I care so much? Search me. I don't give a tinker's damn, for example, that American B.M.W. factory driver Joey Hand was tapped this year to be the first American to race in the prestigious D.T.M. championship. But I do care, & care a ridiculously great deal, that Long drive the new Porsche challenger in two years' time.
Racing brings out strange impulses & give license to strange ideas.
24 Heures du Mans | 7:37:00
There are still forty-plus cars competing, but in the golden light of the post-dawn-yet-still-early morning the Circuit de la Sarthe looks empty. Things have calmed down since the carnage of the dark night, with those competitors still in it wearily facing the stark reality that though they endured the night, arguably even conquered the night, there are still hours & hours of hard racing ahead, hours & hours in which a single moment's lost concentration can render all for naught an entire year of preparation.
I am very, very tired. This is the time when my resolve has wavered in each of the previous years, when I deviated from the plan to stay awake, to endure, for the entire twenty-four hours, & instead sought the succor of a few hours' sleep, waking up barely in time for the finish. Each time, I've been disappointed by having missed so much of the action, so this time I must not waver. This time I must not yield to fatigue. What do we think, would less Beck's & more water help me stay alert?
Current leaders (by make)
L.M.P.1: Audi R18 e-tron Quattro
L.M.P.2: Honda ARX-03b
G.T.E. Pro: Ferrari 458 Italia
G.T.E. Am: Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
There are still forty-plus cars competing, but in the golden light of the post-dawn-yet-still-early morning the Circuit de la Sarthe looks empty. Things have calmed down since the carnage of the dark night, with those competitors still in it wearily facing the stark reality that though they endured the night, arguably even conquered the night, there are still hours & hours of hard racing ahead, hours & hours in which a single moment's lost concentration can render all for naught an entire year of preparation.
I am very, very tired. This is the time when my resolve has wavered in each of the previous years, when I deviated from the plan to stay awake, to endure, for the entire twenty-four hours, & instead sought the succor of a few hours' sleep, waking up barely in time for the finish. Each time, I've been disappointed by having missed so much of the action, so this time I must not waver. This time I must not yield to fatigue. What do we think, would less Beck's & more water help me stay alert?
Current leaders (by make)
L.M.P.1: Audi R18 e-tron Quattro
L.M.P.2: Honda ARX-03b
G.T.E. Pro: Ferrari 458 Italia
G.T.E. Am: Chevrolet Corvette C6 ZR1
Saturday, June 16, 2012
24 Heures du Mans | 9:53:00
A great many cars seemed to find trouble during the night, the limited visuals meaning that we rarely see trouble coming, we don't see the flow of the race, we are either shown a grainy image of a car pulled over or being dragged out of the gravel traps, or suddenly a wounded machine will show up at pit lane like a wounded man bursting through the doors of an emergency room, no one sure where he's been or what's happened to him, much less how it happened or whose fault it is. The dawn is less than an hour away, one of the odd times of the race when suddenly your spirits rise & the end seems near, only for the realization slowly to sink in that there are still hours & hours left to endure. There is an otherworldly quality to the 24 Heures du Mans at night, something not quite sinister but certainly not harmless either.
The Audis' only competition is each other, with the № 1 & № 2 R18 e-tron Quattros vying for the lead & the № 4 R18 Ultra holding a solid third. The № 12 Toyota-powered Lola of Rebellion Racing is several laps up on the troubled № 3 R18 Ultra, preventing the four Audis from occupying the top four positions in the LMP1 category.
A great many cars seemed to find trouble during the night, the limited visuals meaning that we rarely see trouble coming, we don't see the flow of the race, we are either shown a grainy image of a car pulled over or being dragged out of the gravel traps, or suddenly a wounded machine will show up at pit lane like a wounded man bursting through the doors of an emergency room, no one sure where he's been or what's happened to him, much less how it happened or whose fault it is. The dawn is less than an hour away, one of the odd times of the race when suddenly your spirits rise & the end seems near, only for the realization slowly to sink in that there are still hours & hours left to endure. There is an otherworldly quality to the 24 Heures du Mans at night, something not quite sinister but certainly not harmless either.
The Audis' only competition is each other, with the № 1 & № 2 R18 e-tron Quattros vying for the lead & the № 4 R18 Ultra holding a solid third. The № 12 Toyota-powered Lola of Rebellion Racing is several laps up on the troubled № 3 R18 Ultra, preventing the four Audis from occupying the top four positions in the LMP1 category.
24 Heures du Mans | 11:56:00
The halfway point. With everything that's happened—from the strong early pace of the Toyotas to their withdrawal (the horrific crash of the № 8, the gradual breakdown of the № 7); from the initial promise of the radical Delta Wing experimental demonstrator to its unfortunate demise; from the strong start of the Corvettes to the continuing meltdown of the № 74's race; from the relentless, remorseless perfection of Audi to… more of the same relentless, remorseless perfection—how can we be at only half the race distance? What's left to happen?
"By endurance we conquer."
The halfway point. With everything that's happened—from the strong early pace of the Toyotas to their withdrawal (the horrific crash of the № 8, the gradual breakdown of the № 7); from the initial promise of the radical Delta Wing experimental demonstrator to its unfortunate demise; from the strong start of the Corvettes to the continuing meltdown of the № 74's race; from the relentless, remorseless perfection of Audi to… more of the same relentless, remorseless perfection—how can we be at only half the race distance? What's left to happen?
"By endurance we conquer."
24 Heures du Mans | 13:36:00
The G.T.E. Pro class-leading № 74 Corvette was released from its pit box without a nut in place to secure the left rear tire. The tire came away in the Dunlop Chicane, one of the first sections of track after the pit lane exit, meaning the car had to drive almost the whole eight & a half mile distance back to the pits on three wheels, grinding & trailing sparks the whole way 'round. Repairs were effected with Corvette Racing's usual efficiency, but the competition in G.T.E. Pro is so close that there is virtually no chance for the № 74 to capture victory. "Misery, misery, misery…"
I'm wearing my Corvette Racing T-shirt, have been all day. It is, appropriately, predominantly black. Meant to be menacing, now a mark of mourning.
He's Dead, Jim
I woke up this morning—an hour earlier than I needed to, for reason I'll detail after this extraordinary weekend is over—with some swelling just above my right eye. There's no discoloration, it's not like a black eye, but there's an unpleasant sensation, not quite pain, but something sharper than just pressure, when I blink, moreso if I rub my eye. The leading theory: some manner of bug bite. Lovely.
The G.T.E. Pro class-leading № 74 Corvette was released from its pit box without a nut in place to secure the left rear tire. The tire came away in the Dunlop Chicane, one of the first sections of track after the pit lane exit, meaning the car had to drive almost the whole eight & a half mile distance back to the pits on three wheels, grinding & trailing sparks the whole way 'round. Repairs were effected with Corvette Racing's usual efficiency, but the competition in G.T.E. Pro is so close that there is virtually no chance for the № 74 to capture victory. "Misery, misery, misery…"
I'm wearing my Corvette Racing T-shirt, have been all day. It is, appropriately, predominantly black. Meant to be menacing, now a mark of mourning.
He's Dead, Jim
I woke up this morning—an hour earlier than I needed to, for reason I'll detail after this extraordinary weekend is over—with some swelling just above my right eye. There's no discoloration, it's not like a black eye, but there's an unpleasant sensation, not quite pain, but something sharper than just pressure, when I blink, moreso if I rub my eye. The leading theory: some manner of bug bite. Lovely.
24 Heures du Mans | 13:57:00
In the middle of the night, French television, which provides the world feed, is mostly shut down. The extravagant visuals of the daylights hours, cameramen by the dozen, angles galore, & the willingness to mount any height—such as the dizzying Ferris wheel—are no more, no properly-unionized Frenchman being willing to work in the wee small hours. There are extensive views of the pit lane (which are great & valuable)… & not much else. Speed.com has been making extensive use of on-board visuals from the Corvette Racing duo, in part because Corvette is sponsoring the website's streaming coverage (while the network is broadcasting some or other N.A.S.C.A.R. nonsense). The fine folks at Speed also always take advantage of the night to send Justin Bell, a driver & the most humorous of their platoon of pit reporters, out amongst the "village" at the Circuit de la Sarthe, to show what the 24 Hours is like for the hundreds of thousands of fans who come to Le Mans, camp on the grounds, & eat, drink, & make merry for tomorrow they all may die. These tours are one of my favorite parts of the 24 Heures du Mans. I love Le Mans!
In the middle of the night, French television, which provides the world feed, is mostly shut down. The extravagant visuals of the daylights hours, cameramen by the dozen, angles galore, & the willingness to mount any height—such as the dizzying Ferris wheel—are no more, no properly-unionized Frenchman being willing to work in the wee small hours. There are extensive views of the pit lane (which are great & valuable)… & not much else. Speed.com has been making extensive use of on-board visuals from the Corvette Racing duo, in part because Corvette is sponsoring the website's streaming coverage (while the network is broadcasting some or other N.A.S.C.A.R. nonsense). The fine folks at Speed also always take advantage of the night to send Justin Bell, a driver & the most humorous of their platoon of pit reporters, out amongst the "village" at the Circuit de la Sarthe, to show what the 24 Hours is like for the hundreds of thousands of fans who come to Le Mans, camp on the grounds, & eat, drink, & make merry for tomorrow they all may die. These tours are one of my favorite parts of the 24 Heures du Mans. I love Le Mans!
24 Heures du Mans | 16:34:00
Darkness has fallen over the Circuit de la Sarthe. The surviving № 7 Toyota TS030 has been in its pit box for an extended period, & is now more than a dozen laps down. It was mere yards behind the race-leading № 1 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro at the restart following the extended caution period prompted by the № 8 Toyota's shunt, proving that the Toyota had real pace, maybe even the ability to best Audi. More than speed, however, is need to win at Le Mans. The 24 Heures du Mans is Audi's race to lose, & if they do not screw up then the men from Ingolstadt will secure their eleventh Le Mans victory, only five behind Porsche's record sixteen overall wins, & in a far more compressed periods than Porsche's many victories. Nonetheless, Toyota have proven themselves to be a worthy & able competitor; I await the return of the unlucky № 7 to the circuit, & look forward to Toyota's return next year, when they will have a very legitimate chance at victory.
In G.T.E. Pro, the class-leading № 74 Corvette C6 ZR1 has pulled out a little bit of a lead over the second-place Ferrari 458 Italia. The sister № 73 Corvette is running in fourth place, albeit a lap down.
Dawn will break over Le Mans at approximately midnight my time. That's going to be, as ever, quite disorienting.
Darkness has fallen over the Circuit de la Sarthe. The surviving № 7 Toyota TS030 has been in its pit box for an extended period, & is now more than a dozen laps down. It was mere yards behind the race-leading № 1 Audi R18 e-tron Quattro at the restart following the extended caution period prompted by the № 8 Toyota's shunt, proving that the Toyota had real pace, maybe even the ability to best Audi. More than speed, however, is need to win at Le Mans. The 24 Heures du Mans is Audi's race to lose, & if they do not screw up then the men from Ingolstadt will secure their eleventh Le Mans victory, only five behind Porsche's record sixteen overall wins, & in a far more compressed periods than Porsche's many victories. Nonetheless, Toyota have proven themselves to be a worthy & able competitor; I await the return of the unlucky № 7 to the circuit, & look forward to Toyota's return next year, when they will have a very legitimate chance at victory.
In G.T.E. Pro, the class-leading № 74 Corvette C6 ZR1 has pulled out a little bit of a lead over the second-place Ferrari 458 Italia. The sister № 73 Corvette is running in fourth place, albeit a lap down.
Dawn will break over Le Mans at approximately midnight my time. That's going to be, as ever, quite disorienting.
24 Heures du Mans | 18:58:00
The leading Toyota TS030 had caught up to the race-leading Audi R18 e-tron Quattro, & the two cars were trading the lead back & forth, when there was a massive shunt on the Mulsanne straight. A Ferrari 458 Italia G.T.E. Am made an inexcusable move & collided with a Toyota TS030. The force of the impact was such that the Toyota went airborne, flipped over, & then slammed into the tire barrier; the Ferrari, too, left its wheels & slammed into the tire barrier before settling onto its roof. The shunt was completely avoidable, complete unnecessary, & entirely the fault of the murderous song of a bitch driving the Ferrari. The shunt was eerily, infuriatingly similar to incident last year in which a Ferrari G.T.E. Am car punted the Audi R18 of Mike "Rocky" Rockenfeller into the trees, shredding the car & damn-near killing Rocky. The race is now under a full-course caution & likely will be for some time as the crash barriers will need to be repaired every after the cars are cleared off the track.
This is patently unfair, but I care not: I hate every son of the bitch who races a Ferrari G.T.!
The dark bastard cannot help but mention that the driver of the Toyota, Anthony Davidson, used to drive for Peugeot, & in the 2010 24 Heures du Mans Davidson, behind the wheel of his Peugeot, crashed the class-leading Corvette out of the race; afterward, even when given the chance to reflect upon his culpability, Davidson was unapologetic: Wayback Machine. The dark bastard is less upset about the crash than am I, not because he disagrees that the fiendish Ferrari pilot should be shot in the back of the head & his corpse left out in the open as carrion, but because he'd remind Mr. Davidson that what goes around comes around.
The leading Toyota TS030 had caught up to the race-leading Audi R18 e-tron Quattro, & the two cars were trading the lead back & forth, when there was a massive shunt on the Mulsanne straight. A Ferrari 458 Italia G.T.E. Am made an inexcusable move & collided with a Toyota TS030. The force of the impact was such that the Toyota went airborne, flipped over, & then slammed into the tire barrier; the Ferrari, too, left its wheels & slammed into the tire barrier before settling onto its roof. The shunt was completely avoidable, complete unnecessary, & entirely the fault of the murderous song of a bitch driving the Ferrari. The shunt was eerily, infuriatingly similar to incident last year in which a Ferrari G.T.E. Am car punted the Audi R18 of Mike "Rocky" Rockenfeller into the trees, shredding the car & damn-near killing Rocky. The race is now under a full-course caution & likely will be for some time as the crash barriers will need to be repaired every after the cars are cleared off the track.
This is patently unfair, but I care not: I hate every son of the bitch who races a Ferrari G.T.!
The dark bastard cannot help but mention that the driver of the Toyota, Anthony Davidson, used to drive for Peugeot, & in the 2010 24 Heures du Mans Davidson, behind the wheel of his Peugeot, crashed the class-leading Corvette out of the race; afterward, even when given the chance to reflect upon his culpability, Davidson was unapologetic: Wayback Machine. The dark bastard is less upset about the crash than am I, not because he disagrees that the fiendish Ferrari pilot should be shot in the back of the head & his corpse left out in the open as carrion, but because he'd remind Mr. Davidson that what goes around comes around.
24 Heures du Mans | 19:11:00
I can hardly believe me eyes! The № 3 R18 Ultra, running in fourth place, crashed on the first of the two Mulsanne chicanes. The hard-to-believe bit was not the shunt, but that driver Romain Dumas, after jumping out of the cockpit & pulling away much of the damaged bodywork, was able to jump back in & limp his Le Mans Prototype over four miles around the Circuit de la Sarthe back to the pit lane. I have never seen such a heavily-mangled racecar continue, however slowly, under its own power. The right front tire was wobbling as if it would fall off at any moment, & yet somehow held on as Dumas gingerly made his way around the course. The Audi Team Joest mechanics are now frantically but methodically stripping the stricken R18 Ultra, making every effort to return their car to the race. Wow!
I can hardly believe me eyes! The № 3 R18 Ultra, running in fourth place, crashed on the first of the two Mulsanne chicanes. The hard-to-believe bit was not the shunt, but that driver Romain Dumas, after jumping out of the cockpit & pulling away much of the damaged bodywork, was able to jump back in & limp his Le Mans Prototype over four miles around the Circuit de la Sarthe back to the pit lane. I have never seen such a heavily-mangled racecar continue, however slowly, under its own power. The right front tire was wobbling as if it would fall off at any moment, & yet somehow held on as Dumas gingerly made his way around the course. The Audi Team Joest mechanics are now frantically but methodically stripping the stricken R18 Ultra, making every effort to return their car to the race. Wow!
24 Heures du Mans | 19:52:00
The first stint of Speed's television coverage covered the first four hours of the "Grand Prix of Endurance," & I now sit at my Macintosh with Le Mans streaming on another tab. Holy smoke! To this point in the 24 Hours the brand-spanking-new Toyota TS030 petrol-hybrids are running second & third, ahead of both Audi R18 Ultra turbo-diesels (the evolution of last year's race-winning R18) & one of the two Audi R18 e-tron Quattro diesel-hybrids; the № 1 R18 e-tron Quattro, driven by last year's race-winning trio, is leading, but the Toyotas are gaining. The TS030 wasn't intended to compete at the Circuit de le Sarthe 'til 2013, next year, but after last year's devastating earthquake & tsunami Toyota decided to advance the schedule as a morale-boosting & confidence-building exercise. Certainly the TS030s have not yet endured Le Mans, there are almost twenty hours to run, but I am still surprised by their pace & reliability. Audi v. Toyota isn't just environmentally-friendly hype, this race 'twixt corporate giants (Audi being a marque of the world-spanning Volkswagen Group) is for real!
In G.T.E. Pro, the leading Corvette C6 ZR1, the Aston Martin Vantage, & a rotating cast of Ferrari 458 Italias keep trading the lead, the legion of Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs being oddly out of contention. (There are no B.M.W.s this year, all of Bavaria's resources being focused on its new campaign as the third marque in the D.T.M.) Man, oh, man, how can these cars still be so close together after four hours round the French countryside? This is bananas!
O, how I love the 24 Heures du Mans!
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Michel Legrand, "Le Mans: The Race, First Laps" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: Music from Steve McQueen's amazing motion picture Le Mans.
The first stint of Speed's television coverage covered the first four hours of the "Grand Prix of Endurance," & I now sit at my Macintosh with Le Mans streaming on another tab. Holy smoke! To this point in the 24 Hours the brand-spanking-new Toyota TS030 petrol-hybrids are running second & third, ahead of both Audi R18 Ultra turbo-diesels (the evolution of last year's race-winning R18) & one of the two Audi R18 e-tron Quattro diesel-hybrids; the № 1 R18 e-tron Quattro, driven by last year's race-winning trio, is leading, but the Toyotas are gaining. The TS030 wasn't intended to compete at the Circuit de le Sarthe 'til 2013, next year, but after last year's devastating earthquake & tsunami Toyota decided to advance the schedule as a morale-boosting & confidence-building exercise. Certainly the TS030s have not yet endured Le Mans, there are almost twenty hours to run, but I am still surprised by their pace & reliability. Audi v. Toyota isn't just environmentally-friendly hype, this race 'twixt corporate giants (Audi being a marque of the world-spanning Volkswagen Group) is for real!
In G.T.E. Pro, the leading Corvette C6 ZR1, the Aston Martin Vantage, & a rotating cast of Ferrari 458 Italias keep trading the lead, the legion of Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs being oddly out of contention. (There are no B.M.W.s this year, all of Bavaria's resources being focused on its new campaign as the third marque in the D.T.M.) Man, oh, man, how can these cars still be so close together after four hours round the French countryside? This is bananas!
O, how I love the 24 Heures du Mans!
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Michel Legrand, "Le Mans: The Race, First Laps" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: Music from Steve McQueen's amazing motion picture Le Mans.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Operation AXIOM
'Tis Flag Day. We must remember in these intemperate days that the flag is the symbol of our freedom, the banner for which our forebears fought & died for two centuries. I've heard despicable libertarian chicanery of late, pap about the Americans being somehow distinct from the United States of America, as if our cherished liberty had not been won, codified, & defended by our great republic. We brook no seditious fantasies about a peaceful anarchy here at The Secret Base. We are instead proud that our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," pays tribute to our flag as the enduring symbol of our republic & our freedoms, & prouder still to recite the Pledge of Allegiance:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, & to the republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty & justice for all.
The Explorers' Club
№ CCXC - Sven Hedin (1865-1952), Part I: Celebrated explorer & best-selling author.
Objective SCHWEDEN
My legs felt leaden today. In fact, my whole body felt sluggish. I felt particularly exhausted yesterday evening upon finishing mowing the lawn, though I chose to mow yesterday precisely because of the moderate temperatures. I've no solid idea of the cause of this bothersome weariness. I felt a little better by the end of the daily constitutional, rejuvenated by the exertion. Through some mishap with the stopwatch I cannot say with any certainty whether today's pace was slower than normal or merely felt slower than normal; I'd have sworn that I hit the proper button before thrusting the watch into my pocket, but upon removal to stop the clock I found that the display read a perplexing "00:00.00." Drat!
The Queue
I shall read at least one, & probably two, of Burroughs's Barsoom books, & I have a good idea of what I'll read after that, but I am not precisely sure. More Burroughs? Certainly. If I like The Gods of Mars & The Warlord of Mars half as much as I liked A Princess of Mars then I plan to read the rest of the Barsoom series, two or three in a row, interspersed with other authors. Clockers by Richard Price, like Lush Life on loan from Mrs. Skeeter, Esq.? In the none too distant future. Possibly the next from le Carré, The Looking-Glass War, after that, though 'tis not available from the Genesee District Library, dash it all. I also have a birthday coming up next month & might jump to the top of the queue one of the books gifted me. There's no shortage of books, the question is only how to choose amongst them, a happy conundrum.
Recently
Rudyard Kipling, The Man who would be King and Other Stories
Nicolas Sarkozy, translated from the French by Philip H. Gordon, Testimony: France, Europe, and the World in the Twenty-first Century
Richard Price, Lush Life
Currently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars
Presently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Warlord of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Thuvia, Maid of Mars
?
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Cake, "The Distance" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: Chosen in honor of today's season premiere of Burn Notice, "The Distance" having been featured in recent adverts for tonight's premiere. Especially apt have been these lines, played over images of an imprisoned Fiona Glenanne:
"She's all alone (All alone!),
All alone in her time of need."
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Reel Big Fish & Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer, "Don't You Want Me?" from Duet All Night Long (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary:
"Don't, don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it
When I hear that you won't see me.
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you
When you say that you don't need me."
Reel Big Fish & Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer, "Don't You Want Me?" from Duet All Night Long (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary:
"Don't, don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it
When I hear that you won't see me.
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you
When you say that you don't need me."
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Project GLOWWORM
For the past fortnight I've been shaving my cheeks daily & so far it's worked out like gangbusters! The shaving itself is virtually painless, as opposed to the irksome tugs & pulls of the old every-second-or-third-day shave routine. Also, the too-few-to-be-useful cheek hairs now never ensnare the wayward moustache hair, improving the presentation of the flying wings, the handlebars.
Two opposing phenomena seem to be occurring. The hairs of the handlebars are getting long & wild, to the point that I've concluded I need to experiment with moustache wax for the first time since the Magnificent Moustache Malarkey back in '10. I've not yet done so, in part because I've not used my present tube of wax in two years & don't know if it's still good. At the same time, it looks like I've hit a wall in the quest to see how large a moustache I can sport; I fear that I've encountered the limit of my upper-lip whiskers, the longest they'll grow before they go rogue, bending in odd places & becoming generally unruly. I might be incapable of growing a competition-level moustache; such was never my aim, but it would be nice to have the option.
Last week, a grocery-store cashier, a mountain of a man with a curiously high voice, akin to Mike Tyson's, asked if I waxed my moustache, saying that if I did then I'd have a proper hipster moustache. We're trying to have a society here & unspeakable violence against his person would have been completely unacceptable. I'm reading a novel, Lush Life, set amidst the hipster colony of New York City's Lower East Side; I admit that I might well be a little extra sensitive at the moment.
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Neil Patrick Harris, "My Freeze Ray" from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: "With my freeze ray I will stop… the pain."
For the past fortnight I've been shaving my cheeks daily & so far it's worked out like gangbusters! The shaving itself is virtually painless, as opposed to the irksome tugs & pulls of the old every-second-or-third-day shave routine. Also, the too-few-to-be-useful cheek hairs now never ensnare the wayward moustache hair, improving the presentation of the flying wings, the handlebars.
Two opposing phenomena seem to be occurring. The hairs of the handlebars are getting long & wild, to the point that I've concluded I need to experiment with moustache wax for the first time since the Magnificent Moustache Malarkey back in '10. I've not yet done so, in part because I've not used my present tube of wax in two years & don't know if it's still good. At the same time, it looks like I've hit a wall in the quest to see how large a moustache I can sport; I fear that I've encountered the limit of my upper-lip whiskers, the longest they'll grow before they go rogue, bending in odd places & becoming generally unruly. I might be incapable of growing a competition-level moustache; such was never my aim, but it would be nice to have the option.
Last week, a grocery-store cashier, a mountain of a man with a curiously high voice, akin to Mike Tyson's, asked if I waxed my moustache, saying that if I did then I'd have a proper hipster moustache. We're trying to have a society here & unspeakable violence against his person would have been completely unacceptable. I'm reading a novel, Lush Life, set amidst the hipster colony of New York City's Lower East Side; I admit that I might well be a little extra sensitive at the moment.
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Neil Patrick Harris, "My Freeze Ray" from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: "With my freeze ray I will stop… the pain."
Monday, June 11, 2012
The Explorers' Club
№ CCLXXXIX - John Martin Poyer (1861-1922) & the quarantine that saved American Samoa from the "Spanish flu."
There was not a single death in America Samoa attributable to the influenza pandemic. In nearby Samoa, then administered by New Zealand as Western Samoa, 22% of the population perished in the plague.
Coming Attractions
{a}"This Week in Motorsport"—lots of catching up to do (two F1 grands prix & the Indy 500, et al.), plus the build-up to Le Mans
{b}"Project PANDORA"—how things are faring with The Interpreter
{c} "Project MERCATOR"—pub quiz in Flint
{d} "Kith & Kin"—visiting Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake
{e}"The Explorers'Club"—behind schedule, again!, curse my bones
{f}"Project GLOWWORM"—my "hipster" moustache
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Canadian Idiot" from Straight Outta Lynwood (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: Not only did I watch yesterday's F1 Grand Prix du Canada this afternoon, but this morning I also read a disturbing article about the lack of free speech in the Dominion of Canada & the police-state tactics being used to quell those who dare to speak as their consciences demands. So, that awful, awful country has been on my mind quite a bit today.
Sonntag, 10 Juni
The Lovin' Spoonful, "Summer in the City" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: On odd choice, I admit, given that I spent most of the day in the country, at the summer place that inspired the previous day's R.B.D.S.O.T.D., but it is "Summer in the City"'s description of heat & the merciless nature of the Accursed Sun that brought the tune to mind.
Samstag, 9 Juni
Fountains of Wayne, "The Summer Place" from Sky Full of Holes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: "We've got the space if you've got the time."
Freitag, 8 Juni
Ben Folds Five, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" (live) courtesy REDACTED (T.L.A.M.)
№ CCLXXXIX - John Martin Poyer (1861-1922) & the quarantine that saved American Samoa from the "Spanish flu."
There was not a single death in America Samoa attributable to the influenza pandemic. In nearby Samoa, then administered by New Zealand as Western Samoa, 22% of the population perished in the plague.
Coming Attractions
{a}
{b}
{c} "Project MERCATOR"—pub quiz in Flint
{d} "Kith & Kin"—visiting Where's Teddy? & The Cupcake
{e}
{f}
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Canadian Idiot" from Straight Outta Lynwood (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: Not only did I watch yesterday's F1 Grand Prix du Canada this afternoon, but this morning I also read a disturbing article about the lack of free speech in the Dominion of Canada & the police-state tactics being used to quell those who dare to speak as their consciences demands. So, that awful, awful country has been on my mind quite a bit today.
Sonntag, 10 Juni
The Lovin' Spoonful, "Summer in the City" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: On odd choice, I admit, given that I spent most of the day in the country, at the summer place that inspired the previous day's R.B.D.S.O.T.D., but it is "Summer in the City"'s description of heat & the merciless nature of the Accursed Sun that brought the tune to mind.
Samstag, 9 Juni
Fountains of Wayne, "The Summer Place" from Sky Full of Holes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: "We've got the space if you've got the time."
Freitag, 8 Juni
Ben Folds Five, "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" (live) courtesy REDACTED (T.L.A.M.)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Objective SCHWEDEN
The last two days I've encountered long lines of a elementary school-aged children under massed adult supervision along the course of my daily constitutional, yesterday as they prepared to cross South Saginaw Street, presumably on their way to Roll(er)haven. I veered off the sidewalk onto the grass, wanting to give the Kinder as wide a berth as possible. Today, I reached the turnaround point of the course just as a Township prowl car arrived to block-off traffic for the return journey across Saginaw, presumably coming from Roll(er)haven back to McGrath Elementary. I don't mind seeing people in the course of my daily constitutional, be they fellow exercisers or my neighbors going about their business in their yards & garages, but I'm keen not to encounter such a gaggle of children again.
I broke out into a run during today's constitutional. It was the most natural thing in the world as I made my way down the small slope, & I pushed on once the sidewalk was again level. I felt great & immediately set myself a distant endpoint at which to return to my normal pace. I flew effortlessly for longer than I'd have supposed, but the jaunt was taking a toll before much farther. I pushed myself to maintain the ill-advised pace to the designated point, even as part of my mind screamed that that endpoint was arbitrary & had been set under a foolish euphoria. I paid that voice no heed. My time for the whole course was a minute faster than my personal best, but that means nothing since the run nullified the results. I have no hard data to back up my impression, but I think I was walking more slowly after the run than I had been before, further scuppering the new personal best. Still, I don't really mind that I gave myself over to the moment, not as long as it doesn't become a pattern. I've been debating if I should focus on distance or speed, concentrating on walking my circuit twice or devoting some portion of the course to running. I don't know what finally bearing today's dash will have on the continuing program.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Sleeper Agent, "Get It Daddy" via iTunes, (free) Single of the Week (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: The title should read "Get It, Daddy" or "Get-It Daddy," either being grammatically correct in the right context.
Mittwoch, 6 Juni
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Bohemian Polka" from Alapalooza (T.L.A.M.)
The last two days I've encountered long lines of a elementary school-aged children under massed adult supervision along the course of my daily constitutional, yesterday as they prepared to cross South Saginaw Street, presumably on their way to Roll(er)haven. I veered off the sidewalk onto the grass, wanting to give the Kinder as wide a berth as possible. Today, I reached the turnaround point of the course just as a Township prowl car arrived to block-off traffic for the return journey across Saginaw, presumably coming from Roll(er)haven back to McGrath Elementary. I don't mind seeing people in the course of my daily constitutional, be they fellow exercisers or my neighbors going about their business in their yards & garages, but I'm keen not to encounter such a gaggle of children again.
I broke out into a run during today's constitutional. It was the most natural thing in the world as I made my way down the small slope, & I pushed on once the sidewalk was again level. I felt great & immediately set myself a distant endpoint at which to return to my normal pace. I flew effortlessly for longer than I'd have supposed, but the jaunt was taking a toll before much farther. I pushed myself to maintain the ill-advised pace to the designated point, even as part of my mind screamed that that endpoint was arbitrary & had been set under a foolish euphoria. I paid that voice no heed. My time for the whole course was a minute faster than my personal best, but that means nothing since the run nullified the results. I have no hard data to back up my impression, but I think I was walking more slowly after the run than I had been before, further scuppering the new personal best. Still, I don't really mind that I gave myself over to the moment, not as long as it doesn't become a pattern. I've been debating if I should focus on distance or speed, concentrating on walking my circuit twice or devoting some portion of the course to running. I don't know what finally bearing today's dash will have on the continuing program.
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Sleeper Agent, "Get It Daddy" via iTunes, (free) Single of the Week (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: The title should read "Get It, Daddy" or "Get-It Daddy," either being grammatically correct in the right context.
Mittwoch, 6 Juni
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Bohemian Polka" from Alapalooza (T.L.A.M.)
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Operation AXIOM
Twenty-three years ago to the day, 4 June 1989, the People's Liberation Army (P.L.A.), the unified armed forces of the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), perpetrated the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The "June Fourth Incident" marked the end of the Tiananmen Square protests, the Middle Kingdom's best chance for political liberalization since the founding of the P.R.C. in 1949. Hundreds or thousands of civilians were slaughtered overnight, the world will never have a definitive accounting of the slain. For all China's economic power & blockbuster growth, her political discourse is more retrograde now than it was in the late '80s, in the build-up to Tiananmen. The Chinese are grower richer, but they must also be made free. We must never forget the despicable means by which the Chinese Communist Party (C.C.P.) retains its precarious grip on Mandate of Heaven.
Never forget the "Tank Man," a hero for all Mankind.
On a more personal note, I turned ten years-old in the summer of '89. My opinions & conclusions regarding the P.R.C. are based on more sophisticated information & analysis than those available to the young Mike of that summer, but what I saw of Tiananmen Square that summer forged a visceral & enduring distrust of the P.L.A. & the sinister intentions of its masters in the C.C.P.
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
John Linnell, "Michigan" from State Songs, Vol. 1 (Ska Army)
Commentary: "O Michigan, exemplar of unchecked replication!"
Twenty-three years ago to the day, 4 June 1989, the People's Liberation Army (P.L.A.), the unified armed forces of the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), perpetrated the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The "June Fourth Incident" marked the end of the Tiananmen Square protests, the Middle Kingdom's best chance for political liberalization since the founding of the P.R.C. in 1949. Hundreds or thousands of civilians were slaughtered overnight, the world will never have a definitive accounting of the slain. For all China's economic power & blockbuster growth, her political discourse is more retrograde now than it was in the late '80s, in the build-up to Tiananmen. The Chinese are grower richer, but they must also be made free. We must never forget the despicable means by which the Chinese Communist Party (C.C.P.) retains its precarious grip on Mandate of Heaven.
Never forget the "Tank Man," a hero for all Mankind.
On a more personal note, I turned ten years-old in the summer of '89. My opinions & conclusions regarding the P.R.C. are based on more sophisticated information & analysis than those available to the young Mike of that summer, but what I saw of Tiananmen Square that summer forged a visceral & enduring distrust of the P.L.A. & the sinister intentions of its masters in the C.C.P.
The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
John Linnell, "Michigan" from State Songs, Vol. 1 (Ska Army)
Commentary: "O Michigan, exemplar of unchecked replication!"
Sunday, June 3, 2012
The Queue
The solutions to France's myriad problems advocated in Nicolas Sarkozy's Testimony all boil down to one element: the State. Always the State. The State, the State, the State. Add to this his advocacy for economically devastating environmentalism & protectionist trade policies, & his satirical nickname "Sarko the American" seems particularly unfair… to Americans. Only the most far-left elements of the American political spectrum advocate the all-encompassing statism of Sarkozy. Sarkozy, who stood for a very rightward shift in the French polity. Vive la France? Nay, France is doomed. Doomed, doomed, doomed.
Recently
Steve Martin, An Object of Beauty
Rudyard Kipling, The Man who would be King and Other Stories
Nicolas Sarkozy, translated from the French by Philip H. Gordon, Testimony: France, Europe, and the World in the Twenty-first Century
Currently
Richard Price, Lush Life
Presently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Warlord of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Thuvia, Maid of Mars
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Fountains of Wayne, "Richie and Ruben" from Sky Full of Holes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: "Richie and Ruben/Don't know what they're doin'."
Samstag, 2 Juni
The Fratellis, "Chelsea Dagger" from Costello Music (Jojo)
Freitag, 1 Juni
Vampire Weekend, "A-Punk" from Vampire Weekend (T.L.A.M.)
The solutions to France's myriad problems advocated in Nicolas Sarkozy's Testimony all boil down to one element: the State. Always the State. The State, the State, the State. Add to this his advocacy for economically devastating environmentalism & protectionist trade policies, & his satirical nickname "Sarko the American" seems particularly unfair… to Americans. Only the most far-left elements of the American political spectrum advocate the all-encompassing statism of Sarkozy. Sarkozy, who stood for a very rightward shift in the French polity. Vive la France? Nay, France is doomed. Doomed, doomed, doomed.
Recently
Steve Martin, An Object of Beauty
Rudyard Kipling, The Man who would be King and Other Stories
Nicolas Sarkozy, translated from the French by Philip H. Gordon, Testimony: France, Europe, and the World in the Twenty-first Century
Currently
Richard Price, Lush Life
Presently
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Warlord of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Thuvia, Maid of Mars
The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day
Fountains of Wayne, "Richie and Ruben" from Sky Full of Holes (T.L.A.M.)
Commentary: "Richie and Ruben/Don't know what they're doin'."
Samstag, 2 Juni
The Fratellis, "Chelsea Dagger" from Costello Music (Jojo)
Freitag, 1 Juni
Vampire Weekend, "A-Punk" from Vampire Weekend (T.L.A.M.)
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