Evolved birthday

 Happy Darwin Day! On this day each year, I mark the birth in 1809 of the man who would lay down the foundation of biology.  It was on this day, 217 years ago that Charles Darwin was born, along with some chap in the USA named Abraham Lincoln, who would amount to something later in life as well.  After an astonishing voyage of discovery on HMS Beagle, Darwin would dither and procrastinate for many years before finally publishing his world changing ideas.  More than two centuries later, there are those (many in the area of the country where I live) who remain stubbornly resistant to the clear truth of science that Darwin and others first elucidated.  But those of us who can recognize reality will today celebrate the birth of the man best known for providing the core tenants of the life sciences.  Happy Birthday Charlie!

Save the Bounty

  Readers of this blog will know that I am a big fan of all aspects of the story of HMS Bounty, the ill-fated 18th century mission to transport breadfruit tress from Tahiti to English colonies in the Caribbean.  The famous mutiny resulted in the ship's commander, Captain Bligh, being set adrift in a small boat with some loyalists and their arduous journey back to civilization.  The mutineers sailed the seized Bounty and ultimately destroyed her after settling on a little known south Pacific island.  Since then, several books and movies have been made to recount the mutiny.  A semi-authentic replica Bounty was built with traditional woodworking methods for the 1962 version of the film starring Marlon Brando.  This ship later became a museum ship for decades before being lost in a storm in 2012.  A later version of the film in 1984 starring Mel Gibson used a more authentic replica ship, though one that had a modern steel hull and was clad in a wood veneer for appearances.  This ship still exists, though is now apparently in a state of severe neglect.

In my random internet wanderings, it is info of the latter ship's status that I recently discovered.  According to this web page, the ship lies in a woeful condition in Bankok, Thailand.  The identity of the current ship's owners is unclear, but the web page appears to be trying to organize a restoration effort.  I will certainly be watching for updates about this project.  The trilogy of novels by Charles Nordoff and James Norman Hall that fictionalized the true Bounty mutiny story was among my earliest and most beloved books. Since then, I've collected valuable first editions of all three books.  A couple years ago, I also commissioned an oil painting of the Bounty by a prominent marine artist.  Further back in time, on one of my trips to England, I visited the grave of William Bligh, the Bounty's captain.  It's long been a story intertwined with my life.  So with great interest, I will follow the progress of this restoration effort.