The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66, "Roda" from Superbad: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66, "Mas Que Nada" from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery—Original Soundtrack (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: According to the Wikipedia, the title should be punctuated, "Mas, que Nada!," which in "Brazilian Portuguese slang" has a very different meaning than the more familiar Spanish "Mas que nada" (Hyperlink).

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Neil Patrick Harris, "Everything You Ever" from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog: Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Be careful for what you wish, & live in dread of the moment when you realize, when you are overcome by the terrible realization that you've gotten everything you ever wanted, & weep.

"Here lies everything:
The world I wanted, at my feet,
My victory's complete,
So hail to the king!
(Everything you ever)
Arise and sing!

"So your world's benign,
So you think justice has a voice
And we all have a choice?
And now your world is mine.
(Everything you ever)
And I am fine.

(Horrible, Horrible, Horrible, Horrible,
Horrible, Horrible, Horrible, Horrible)

"Now the nightmare's real!
Now Doctor Horrible is here
To make you quake with fear,
To make the whole world kneel!
(Everything you ever)
And I won't feel a thing."

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Elvis Costello and the Attractions, "Lip Service" from This Year's Model (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day

Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, "The Tears of a Clown" from Motown 1's (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: I knew I was on the road to recovery on the drive home today, when "The Tears of a Clown" played & I wanted to dance. I always want to dance, yet had not wanted to do so during all of Tuesday, a most wretched day. I'm not yet secure enough in my recovery to dance, but the desire is back.

Dienstag, 26 Juni
Fountains of Wayne, "Sick Day" from Fountains of Wayne (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary:

"She's a hell of a girl,
She's alone in the world,
And she likes to say, 'Hey, good lookin'…"

He's Dead, Jim
I've not eaten anything since Monday's dinner. I felt fine 'til I awoke early on Tuesday. The next eight hours were the longest of my life, a blur of explosive diarrhea, projectile vomiting, & drifting in & out of consciousness more than drifting in & out of sleep, for there was no rest. I started to feel better, but then pushed the rehydrating too hard & proved than even Gatorade can be thrown up.

Operation AXIOM

'Tis Memorial Day. 'Tis not the day we honor our veterans, those who survived war; that's Veterans' Day. 'Tis not the day we honor our active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, & Marines, those who defend us still; that's Armed Forces Day. Today we honor those who laid down their lives so that we might be free, those who gave the last full measure of devotion. Today we honor the glorious dead. To to otherwise, to obscure the meaning of this day, is to dishonor their sacrifice.



The Rebel Black Dot Song of Memorial Day
Paul Roebling, Jay Unger, & David McCullough, "Ashokan Farewell/Sullivan Ballou Letter" from The Civil War: Original Soundtrack Recording (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Aaron Burnett, "Narwhal" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary:

"The narwhal has a long, thick tusk that grows out of his snout,
It's really just a big old tooth, but it gives him lots of clout,
Lives in the Arctic waters, just a happy little whale,
Very little is known of him, so I thought I'd share this tale…"

Narwhal Day

Sympathetic Narwhal Day, dear reader(s)! Whenever I am asked about narwhal Day, I describe it as a day of celebration of & sympathy for the narwhal, one of the strangest & most beautiful of God's creatures. A whale with a preposterous horn-cum-tooth, in days of yore thought to be the unicorn's horn. The narwhal is transcendent proof that truth is stranger than fiction.

According to ancient tradition (established in 2001), the full & proper celebration of Narwhal Day requires three deliberate acts:
One, recite "The Oath of Narwhal Day," the sincerity or lack of same being on one's own conscience;
Two, wear at least one item of clothing, gray in color;
Three, listen to "Sympathy for the Narwhal" by D.J. Seaghost, an ally of The Aquabats!, the song that inspired the creation of Narwhal Day.



The Oath of Narwhal Day
The narwhal is a noble, pitiable creature,
A magnificent, monstrous visage.
An asymmetrical tooth for a horn,
Or sometimes two, or sometimes none,
Half again as long as the beast.

I swear my sympathy for the narwhal.
I will not lie and convince it all is well,
But I will be a friend to the narwhal.
The mocking dolphins and snobby manatees
Will get their well-earned comeuppance,
And the narwhal will frolic all day.

I dream this dream of the narwhal
And celebrate it in all its improbable, oddball glory,
On this the fifteenth Narwhal Day.

Commentary: Your humble narrator does not cut & paste the "Oath" from one year to another, but always retypes it directly from the original "Oath." The dodgy grammar of the original is retained, though the misspelling of manatees as "manates" is corrected. On the same sheet of paper, beneath the word-processed "Oath," is the following:

"the Narwhal (Monodon monoceros)—also narwal or narwhale"



The Rebel Black Dot Song of Narwhal Day!
D.J. Seaghost, "Sympathy for the Narwhal" from The Aquabats! and Horchata Records Present Rice Capades Music Sampler, Vol. 1 (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary: A few weeks hence at the Moonbase Summit, I mentioned Rice Capades. The Ace chortled, highly amused. Rice Capades is such a simple, stupid joke, & yet it never fails to amuse. 'Tis emblematic of an era, a golden age that we at the time were only too joyously aware was a golden age. Long may the memories endure!

"Play something sad. Convince it all is not well."

As the "Oath" indicates, we here at The Secret Base are opposed to lying to the narwhal. We will not convince it all is well, yet at the same time neither should we unfairly convince it all is not well. We are perfectly comfortable lying to human babies, who need reassurance & peace of mind. Convincing a narwhal-costumed baby all is not well would be unconscionably cruel.



Narwhal Day continues to amuse & befuddle. FaceSpace comrades whom I also know in the real world query me about Narwhal Day in the week leading up to the great fête, always unsure of what it occurring. In a lovely blast from the past, I was text messaged a photograph from the Sardine, a screen-cap of the National Geographic's Instagram account, showing a pod of narwhals tusking. I use a "dumbphone" & stubbornly refuse to use the mobile interwebs, so things do not move seemlessly from my mobile to the broader internets. The image is now the "wallpaper" on my mobile, which I find persistently delightful. We must remember that it was the Sardine, for whom I used to lust, who inspired these lines:

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

It was also suggested to me this past week that I investigate the process for having Narwhal Day recognized as an official holiday. I have no such interest. I am no "libertarian" anarchist, but I don't see why Narwhal Day should require Leviathan's seal of approval. Narwhal Day is not a holiday of the bureaucrats, not a holiday to be moved from 23 May to the following Monday in order to give our Mandarin overlords a three-day weekend. Narwhal Day need not be listed on any official calendar so long as Narwhal Day persists in the heart. Let your heart yearn for frigid Arctic waters & your thoughts dwell on that most bizarre little whale. On this one day at least, have sympathy for the narwhal.

The Wayback Machine Tour of Narwhal Day
Narwhal Day '14 | Narwhal Day '13
Narwhal Day '12 | Narwhal Day '11
Narwhal Day '10 | Narwhal Day '09
Narwhal Day '08 | Narwhal Day '07a & Narwhal Day '07b
Narwhal Day '06 | Narwhal Day '05
Narwhal Day '04 | Narwhal Day '03

Sympathetic Narwhal Day!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Haberdashery, "The Narwhal Suite" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: And so it begins.

The Queue

Reading time has been in short supply of late. Most notably, in the realm of magazines, I've been able to stay current with National Review & have been making significant inroads into my backlog of Road & Track. I'm a full year behind on Car and Driver. I borrowed Samantha Power's "A Problem from Hell:" America and the Age of Genocide from the library long with The Adventures of Tintin, but will return the former unread; I simply haven't the necessary time to devote to such an important book. It will remain in the Queue.

Recently
Thomas J. Craughwell, Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men, and Devil Worshippers Who Became Saints
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Llana of Gathol
Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Carter of Mars

Currently
Hergé, The Adventures of Tintin, Volume 5 (contains Land of Black Gold, Destination Moon, & Explorers on the Moon)
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)

Presently
Pope Francis, The Church of Mercy: A Vision for the Church
Rice Broocks, God's Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty
Richard Price, Clockers
Sir Richard Francis Burton, translator, "Sinbad the Sailor" from The Arabian Nights
Sir Ernest Shackleton, South: A Memoir of the Endurance Voyage
Norman Davies, Vanished Kingdoms: The Rise and Fall of States and Nations
Norman Stone, The Atlantic and Its Enemies: A Personal History of the Cold War
Ted Morgan, Valley of Death: The Tragedy at Dien Bien Phu That Led America into the Vietnam War
Samantha Power, "A Problem from Hell:" America and the Age of Genocide

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

MxPx, "Angels" from Secret Weapon (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Spike Jones & His Wacky Wakakians, "Hawaiian War Chant (Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai)" from The Spike Jones Anthology (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Spike Jones's band was normally called the City Slickers, but on special occasions it used named such as today's Wacky Wakakians, the Band That Plays for Fun, & His Other Orchestra. Variety is the spice of life, variety & random sound effects.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

All-Star Hawaiian Band, "Hawaiian War Chant" via iTunes (M.P.W.)

Commentary: All things Tiki have been the rage since the first Moonbase Summit a fortnight hence. The sea-themed home our fearless leader, K. Steeze, rented in Redondo Beach (far & away my favorite part of L.A.) came equipped with a glorious Tiki bar & dining area in the backyard. We would have used it more had the weather been warmer, K. Steeze & the Ace being thin punks, more than a decade acclimated to California's uniform heat & more than a decade divorced from Michigan's toughening cold. The photograph below, which is not of the Tiki bar at the Moonbase Summit, is currently the desktop image on my Macintosh.



We in the Rebel Black Dot Society will take Trader Vic's over Trader Joe's, though Jimmy Lum's Aloha Lounge trumps both of them any day of the week & twice on Sunday.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

First Aid Kit, "King of the World" from The Lion's Roar (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary:

"Well, I'm nobody's baby,
I'm everybody's girl,
I'm the queen of nothin',
I'm the king of the world…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Elvis Costello & the Attractions, "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" from This Year's Model (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: I don't give a tinker's damn for the Premier League, but I do appreciate N.B.C.S.N.'s use of "(I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea" in adverts for Premier League matches involving Chelsea F.C. Also, yours truly enjoys the idea of the Men in Blazers Show, if not the soccer-mad hijinks themselves. Credit to C.B.S. for being the only network to make (at least some) of its on-air personnel wear corporate logo-bearing blazers.

Bonus! Song of the Day

The Proclaimers, "There's a Touch" from Persevere (T.L.A.M.)

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint John of Nepomuk (c. 1345-1393), priest, martyred under King Wenceslaus IV: Martyr-link & Wikipdia-link.

We also remember Blessed Vladimir Ghika (1873-1954), priest, martyred under the Romanian Communists: Martyr-link & Wikipdia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter eighteen, verses twenty-three thru twenty-eight;
Psalm Forty-seven, verses two & three, eight thru ten;
The Gospel according to John, chapter sixteen, verses twenty-three(B) thru twenty-eight.

Ordination of Deacons Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter six, verses one thru seven(B);
Psalm Ninety-six, verses one thru three, seven thru ten;
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter three, verse eight thru ten, twelve & thirteen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter twenty-two, verses fourteen thru twenty, twenty-four thru thirty.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

The Ataris, "The Radio Still Sucks" from Short Music for Short People (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Words as true today as they were back in that halycon heyday, the turn of the millennium:

"Every now and then, I turn it on again,
But it's great to see that the radio still sucks!"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Isidore the Farmer (c. 1070-1130): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

For the greater part of his life he was employed as a laborer on a farm outside the city. He was favored with celestial visions &, it is said, the angels sometimes helped him in his work in the fields. In 1947, he was proclaimed the patron of the National Rural Conference of the United States.

We also remember Blessed Maria Torribia (d. c. 1175), his wife: Blessed-link, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter eighteen, verses nine thru eighteen;
Psalm Forty-seven, verses two thru seven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter sixteen, verses twenty thru twenty-three.

Commentary: One of those lessons I am frustrated to report I've had to relearn time & again: The first step to catching up is not falling any further behind.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Pushover, "Radio My Life" from Logic and Loss (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Potshot, "Radio" from Pots and Shots (T.L.A.M.)

Skammentary: Not to be confused with Smash Mouth's "Radio."

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Reel Big Fish, "Turn the Radio Off" from We're Not Happy 'Til You're Not Happy (T.L.A.M.)

Skammentary: A Reel Big Fish song critical of the music industry & the fleeting nature of fame? How unique & unexpected! Note that the song "Turn the Radio Off" is not from the album Turn the Radio Off but was recording over a decade later.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer, "Death or Radio" from Schematics (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Pardon her French.

"Let's hold hands and listen to shitty bands,
Tossing records out the window,
So now it's either death or radio.
Who are you and where did you come from?…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Elvis Costello & the Attractions, "Radio, Radio" from This Year's Model (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day

Smash Mouth, "Radio" from Astro Lounge (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Welcome to Radio Week, apropos of nothing.

Samstag, 9 Mai
Ming Tea, "B.B.C." from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery—Original Soundtrack (T.L.A.M.)

Freitag, 8 Mai
Fountains of Wayne, "Bright Future in Sales" from Welcome Interstate Managers (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: "Bright Future in Sales" is my personal theme song, because much like the son's protagonist, one of these days, pardon his French—

"I'm gonna get my shit together,
'Cause I can't live like this forever,
You know I've come too far
And I don't want to fail…"

Donnerstag, 7 Mai
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Simmer Down" from the Ska-Core, the Devil, and More E.P. (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: "Bright Future in Sales" is my theme song, but "Simmer Down," at least the first fifteen seconds of it, the instrumental introduction, is the music by which I'd like to be introduced on stage, being to me much as the instrumental version of "I Can't Turn You Loose" was to the Blues Brothers. Not that the rest of the song isn't great, it most definitely is, it's just that in general I don't need to simmer down, I need to heat up.

The Explorers' Club, № CDXLII

Operation AXIOM: The World War
7 May 1915: The sinking of the ocean liner R.M.S. Lusitania by the German U-boat S.M. U-20.









Lest we forget.

Project BLACK MAMBA: Backlog, Part II

Had 3 May not been the Fifth Sunday of Easter, we would have remembered the Apostles Saint James the Less, the son of Alphaeus, & Saint Philip (1st century), martyrs: Apostle-link James, Wikipedia-link the Less, & Wikipedia-link son of Alphaeus; Apostle-link Philip & Wikipedia-link Philip; & Apostles-link.

Scripture of the Day (Sunday)
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter nine, verses twenty-six thru thirty-one;
Psalm Twenty-two, verses twenty-six thru twenty-eight, thirty thru thirty-two;
The First Letter of John, chapter three, verses eighteen thru twenty-four;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses one thru eight.

* * * * *

On 4 May we remembered Saint Richard Reynolds, O.Ss.S. (c. 1492-1535), martyred under King Henry VIII: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day (Monday)
Personal Reading
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter twenty-two, verse one thru chapter twenty-five, verse twelve.

Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter fourteen, verses five thru eighteen;
Psalm One Hundred Fifteen, verses one thru four, fifteen & sixteen;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fourteen, verses twenty-one thru twenty-six.

* * * * *

On 5 May we remembered Saint Hilary of Arles (c. 400-449, A.K.A. Hilarius), bishop: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day (Tuesday)
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter fourteen, verses nineteen thru twenty-eight;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five, verses ten thru thirteen(A,B), twenty-one;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fourteen, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-one(A).

* * * * *

Today we remember Saint François de Laval (1623-1708), bishop: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day (Wednesday)
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter fifteen, verses one thru six;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-two, verses one thru five;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fifteen, verses one thru eight.

* * * * *

Mass Journal: Week 19
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute

How I wish that when more people discovered you or I are Catholic, they could immediately conclude that we are honest, hardworking, generous, joyful, compassionate, temperate, humble, disciplined, prayerful, & generally in love with life. You wouldn't need too many people like this to develop a positive reputation for Catholicism in a local community. I pray that God raises them up. I pray that God will transform you & me into Catholics of that caliber. All it will take to radically alter the way Catholics are perceived in society today is for you & me to become… honest, hardworking, generous, loving, joyful, compassionate, temperate, humble, disciplined, prayerful, & generally in love with life.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

They Might Be Giants, "Can't Keep Johnny Down" from Join Us (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary:

"They haven't yet built the man
That'll keep old Johnny down…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

The Forces of Evil, "Angry Anthem" from Friend or Foe? (T.L.A.M.)

Skammentary: Just this past weekend, as we motored around the City of Angels, K. Steeze remarked how much less angry & how much more pleasant I have become in the last few years, since the beginning of my hardcore religious awakening. I'm under a ton of pressure this week & nothing else piques my temper like H.A.L. issues, so earlier today "Angry Anthem" was the only song to describe my mood. Pardon their French.

"I feel so lame,
'Cause that's the best I can do to express myself,
It's always the same,
Say the F word, maybe that'll help.

"I'm so sick of trying to fit in,
I don't even know where to begin!
I got friend, but they don't know me,
Want to tell the world to blow me!

"Fuck all you motherfuckers!
Fuck all you motherfuckers!
Fuck all you motherfuckers!
Fuck you!…"

Project BLACK MAMBA: Backlog, Part I

30 April was the optional memorial of Pope Saint Pius V (1504-1572), architect of the Holy League that won the all-important Battle of Lepanto: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

He is chiefly noted for his role in the Council of Trent, the Counter-Reformation, & the standardization of the Roman rite within the Latin Church.

Scripture of the Day (Thursday)
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter thirteen, verses thirteen thru twenty-five;
Psalm Eighty-nine, verses two & three, twenty-one & twenty-two, twenty-five, twenty-seven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter thirteen, verses sixteen thru twenty.

* * * * *

1 May was the optional memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker (1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

In 1955, (Venerable) Pope Pius XII established May 1 as the "Feast of St. Joseph the Worker" to counter the Communists' May Day. The last time Joseph appeared in person in any Gospel is the story of the Passover visit to the Temple in Jerusalem when Jesus is 12 years old.

Scripture of the Day (Friday)
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter thirteen, verses twenty-six thru thirty-three;
Psalm Two, verses six thru eleven (A,B);
The Gospel according to John, chapter fourteen, verses one thru six.

* * * * *

2 May was the Memorial of Saint Athanasius, Bishop & Doctor of the Church (c. 296-373): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

He took part in the Christological debate against Arius at the Council of Nicaea & thereafter became chief protagonist for Nicene orthodoxy in the long struggle for its acceptance in the East. Athanasius was the greatest champion for Catholic belief on the subject of the Incarnation that the Church has ever known.

Scripture of the Day (Saturday)
Mass Readings
The Acts of the Apostles, chapter thirteen, verses forty-four thru fifty-two;
Psalm Ninety-eight, verses one thru four;
The Gospel according to John, chapter fourteen, verses seven thru fourteen.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Mustard Plug, "Suburban Homesick Blues" from Evildoers Beware! (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Less Than Jake, "Hell Looks a Lot Like L.A." from Borders & Boundaries (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

The Toasters, "Weekend In L.A." (live) from Live In London (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Big D and the Kids' Table, "L.A.X." from How It Goes (T.L.A.M.)

Skammentary: SKApril may be over, but May is a fine month for ska.

"L.A.X." is a potty-mouthed song, but I understand the anger behind the filthy tirade. The title is mysterious/nonsensical, because the aerodrome code LAX isn't an initialism, though it is pronounced as much, because the letters don't stand for anything in particular, & though the "L.A." explicitly means Los Angeles no explanation is offered for what the "X." might stand.