jdeleski
First Post
Dr. Moore Pontificates
Before leaving the podium, the Mayor waits for the polite clapping to die down and makes one more announcement. ”I am afraid that I must now depart to attend yet another event, but I leave you in good hands. It is my great pleasure to introduce to you a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge. A man who’s studies have taken him to nearly all corners of the globe: to the Himalayas, to the Arctic, to Africa, to South America, and now to Antarctica. I present to you our reknowned geologist, paleontologist, and explorer from Miskatonic University, Dr. William Hannibal Moore!”
Amidst rousing applause, Dr. Moore rises from his chair, shakes hands with Mayor O’Brien, nods to James Starkweather, then steps upon the platform. As Dr. Moore approaches the podium to begin his speech, Mayor O’Brien walks down the aisle towards the exit in the rear, stopping momentarily for a few personal goodbyes. Trailing behind the Mayor are two large, solemn bodyguards whom you remember seeing at his side all evening.
Dr. Moore raises his hand to quiet the audience, smiles, and says ”Thank you. Thank you, and good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Looking to the rear of the room, Dr. Moore says ”Before he sneaks away, I’d like to give a special thanks to Mayor O’Brien, for joining us this evening, for providing me with such a kind introduction and also for his excellent summary of our plans for the Starkweather-Moore Expedition.” Mayor O’Brien turns, laughing, and waves goodbye before slipping through the rear doors.
Dr. Moore returns his gaze to the audience seated before him. ”James asked me to come before you tonight to give you a taste of the many preparations underway for this monumental undertaking, and also to describe for you some of the unique challenges that are set before us. I will do my best to avoid putting you to sleep,” here there are a few chuckles from the audience, “but there are many aspects of this voyage that are not just difficult, but also dangerous, and these will require great fortitude and precise execution of our planning to overcome.
Take, for example, the location. As we sit here in Manhattan, we are nearly 10,000 miles away from our planned Antarctic base, and that base will be more than 2,000 miles from the nearest human dwellings. For nine months out of every twelve, we would be shut off even from these closest neighbors by an impenetrable pack ice. If we should forget some item which seems trivial, there will be no opportunity to purchase one and have it delivered. Through my mind runs a provoking rhyme… “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost…” I seem to have forgotten the rest, but the moral is clear anyway.
But we have done our best; if something is forgotten, then it will have to be one of those things with which Providence bedevils humans who reach out for too much. For we have estimated, calculated and considered until our heads whirled; we have divided and sub-divided to the nth degree; we have laid out our plans on a cosmic order, setting up, as it were, an ideal scheme—an expedition equipped with the most nearly perfect instruments for gathering information.
Here, as Dr. Moore relates further intricacies of his plans, some nonscientific members of the team may find their minds and eyes beginning to wander…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).
Bibliography Reference 5.
Before leaving the podium, the Mayor waits for the polite clapping to die down and makes one more announcement. ”I am afraid that I must now depart to attend yet another event, but I leave you in good hands. It is my great pleasure to introduce to you a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of knowledge. A man who’s studies have taken him to nearly all corners of the globe: to the Himalayas, to the Arctic, to Africa, to South America, and now to Antarctica. I present to you our reknowned geologist, paleontologist, and explorer from Miskatonic University, Dr. William Hannibal Moore!”
Amidst rousing applause, Dr. Moore rises from his chair, shakes hands with Mayor O’Brien, nods to James Starkweather, then steps upon the platform. As Dr. Moore approaches the podium to begin his speech, Mayor O’Brien walks down the aisle towards the exit in the rear, stopping momentarily for a few personal goodbyes. Trailing behind the Mayor are two large, solemn bodyguards whom you remember seeing at his side all evening.
Dr. Moore raises his hand to quiet the audience, smiles, and says ”Thank you. Thank you, and good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Looking to the rear of the room, Dr. Moore says ”Before he sneaks away, I’d like to give a special thanks to Mayor O’Brien, for joining us this evening, for providing me with such a kind introduction and also for his excellent summary of our plans for the Starkweather-Moore Expedition.” Mayor O’Brien turns, laughing, and waves goodbye before slipping through the rear doors.
Dr. Moore returns his gaze to the audience seated before him. ”James asked me to come before you tonight to give you a taste of the many preparations underway for this monumental undertaking, and also to describe for you some of the unique challenges that are set before us. I will do my best to avoid putting you to sleep,” here there are a few chuckles from the audience, “but there are many aspects of this voyage that are not just difficult, but also dangerous, and these will require great fortitude and precise execution of our planning to overcome.
Take, for example, the location. As we sit here in Manhattan, we are nearly 10,000 miles away from our planned Antarctic base, and that base will be more than 2,000 miles from the nearest human dwellings. For nine months out of every twelve, we would be shut off even from these closest neighbors by an impenetrable pack ice. If we should forget some item which seems trivial, there will be no opportunity to purchase one and have it delivered. Through my mind runs a provoking rhyme… “For want of a nail, the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe, the horse was lost…” I seem to have forgotten the rest, but the moral is clear anyway.
But we have done our best; if something is forgotten, then it will have to be one of those things with which Providence bedevils humans who reach out for too much. For we have estimated, calculated and considered until our heads whirled; we have divided and sub-divided to the nth degree; we have laid out our plans on a cosmic order, setting up, as it were, an ideal scheme—an expedition equipped with the most nearly perfect instruments for gathering information.
Here, as Dr. Moore relates further intricacies of his plans, some nonscientific members of the team may find their minds and eyes beginning to wander…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Job (the tortured one).
Bibliography Reference 5.
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