Friday, July 31, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest (1491-1556), co-founder of the Jesuits, formally the Society of Jesus: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link S.J.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
Ignatius became expert in the art of spiritual direction. He collected his insights, prayers, & suggestions in his book the Spiritual Exercises, one of the most influential books on the spiritual life ever written. With a small group of friends, Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits. Ignatius conceived the Jesuits as "contemplatives in action."
It bears mentioning that His Holiness Pope Francis, the Bishop of Rome, is the first Jesuit to ascend to the papacy. Ad maiorem Dei gloriam, "For the greater glory of God."

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter one (of thirteen).

Mass Readings
The Book of Leviticus, chapter twenty-three, verses one, four thru eleven, fifteen & sixteen, twenty-seven, thirty-four(B) thru thirty-seven;
Psalm Eighty-one, verses three thru six, ten thru eleven(A,B);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses fifty-four thru fifty-eight.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Jim Gaffigan, "Hot Pockets" from Beyond the Pale (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Three guesses what I had for lunch today. "Hot Pockets" is a refined version of "Hooooot Pocket!" from the earlier album, Doing My Time.

Bonus! Song of Last Night
The Forces of Evil, "Angry Anthem" from Friend or Foe? (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Pardon our French:
"I'm just stupid and I'm angry,
Is it immature for me to say—

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

Thursday, July 30, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Less Than Jake, "Good Enough" from See the Light (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop & Doctor of the Church (c. 380-450): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
St. Peter merited to be called "Chrysologus" (golden-worded) from his exceptional oratorical eloquence. He was made a Doctor of the Church, largely as a result of his simple, practical, & clear sermons which have come down to us, nearly all dealing with Gospel subjects.
Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
Introduction to the Second Letter to the Corinthians.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter forty, verses sixteen thru twenty-one, thirty-four thru thirty-eight;
Psalm Eighty-four, verses three thru six(A), eight(A), eleven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses forty-seven thru fifty-three.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Memorial of Saint Martha (1st century): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
Sister of Lazarus & Mary (of Bethany) & friend of Jesus. She is taken as the type of a woman who is constantly busied with domestic affairs, from the story in Luke. She may be shown with a ladle, a broom, or a bunch of keys, for her housewifely skills, or for the dragon she is said to have overcome with sprinkling holy water.
Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter sixteen (of sixteen).

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter thirty-four, verses twenty-nine thru thirty-five;
Psalm Ninety-nine, verses five thru seven, nine;
The Gospel according to John, chapter eleven, verses nineteen thru twenty-seven;
or, The Gospel according to Luke, chapter ten, verses thirty-eight thru forty-two.

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day

Tennessee Ernie Ford, "Sixteen Tons" via iTunes (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I owe my fondness of "Sixteen Tons" almost exclusively to the motion picture Joe versus the Volcano, though of course Tennessee Ernie Ford's gold-standard rendition is not featured in the film. It's the old standard all the same.
"If you see me comin', better step aside,
A lot of men didn't, a lot of men died,
One fist of iron, the other of steel,
If the right one don't get ya, then the left one will!…"
Dienstag, 28 Juli
Cherry Poppin' Daddies, "Zoot Suit Riot" via iTunes (Alpha Charlie)

Commentary: Yesterday, we, the Honor Guard of Monsignor Patrick R. Dunigan Assembly 510 of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus, conducted a memorial service for the wife of a brother Sir Knight. She also happened to be the matriarch of my old chum Danny Boy's family, whom I've known since I was a toddler. We were there in our uniform tuxedos, which one of the brothers, Alpha Charlie, quipped are our "zoot suits." Not much of a leap, then, to "Zoot Suit Riot," which I referenced on-site, especially since Alpha Charlie is, like your humble narrator, a fan of ska. (The '90s swing revival is of a piece with Third Wave ska's moment in the sun, though they are two distinct genres.)

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Samson of Dol (c. 485-565, A.K.A. Samson of York), bishop: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Obadiah;
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter fifteen.

Commntary: The Book of Obadiah has no chapters & just twenty-one verses, introduced in my Bible as containing "the shortest & sternest prophecy in the Old Testament." Every now & again I crave exactly such unflinching reminders of what fate awaits me if I do not embrace more consistently & profoundly the transformational message of the New Testament, in Ray Stantz's phrase the "real Wrath-of-God-type stuff!"

1 Corinthians, 15 is as long as 1 Corinthians, 13 is short, with a robust fifty-eight verses versus a scant thirteen.


Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter thirty-three, verses seven thru eleven & chapter thirty-four, verses five(B) thru nine, twenty-eight;
Psalm One Hundred Three, verses six thru thirteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses thirty-six thru forty-three.

Monday, July 27, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

D Lime featuring Tabago Crusoe, "London Is the Place for Me" via iTunes (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: "London Is the Place for Me" is from the delightful motion picture Paddington, which we recommend to one & all.

The Loot
My birthday presents are going to be distributed gradually over a period of weeks. My mother was out of town over the weekend visiting her mother, my grandmother, who is ailing & increasingly frail; I will receive my presents from her & my father at some indeterminate point after her return, when we finally have my birthday dinner. The denizens of Xanadu decided not to mail their presents, but to bring them when next they visit, at some indeterminate point in August.

The only presents I received on my birthday succeeded like gangbusters: a book (Where the Writer Meets the Road by Same Posey) & a pin (from D.C.'s Dangerously Delicious Pies) from The L.A.W., Brother-in-L.A.W., the Squeak, & the Shriek. If this is a preview of the treasures to come, then something may yet to salvaged from the worst birthday of my life.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Pantaleon (c. 275-305), martyred under the Emperor Diocletian, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers: Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter fourteen.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter thirty-two, verses fifteen thru twenty-four, thirty thru thirty-four;
Psalm One Hundred Six, verses nineteen thru twenty-three;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, thirty-one thru thirty-five.

Mass Journal: Week 31
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
Holiness brings us to life. It refines every human ability. Holiness doesn't dampen our emotions; it elevates them. Those who respond to God's call to holiness are the most joyful people in history. They have a richer, more abundant experience of life, & they love more deeply than most people can ever imagine. They enjoy life, all of life. Even in the midst of suffering they are able to maintain a peace & a joy that are independent of the happenings & circumstances surrounding them. Holiness doesn't stifle us; it sets us free. The surest signs of holiness are not how often a person goes to church, how many hours he spends in prayers, what good spiritual books he has read, or even the number of good works he performs. The surest signs of holiness are an insatiable desire to be all God created us to be, an unwavering commitment to the will of God, & an unquenchable concern for unholy people. Living a holy life means letting our decisions be guided by the Holy Spirit. It means allowing each moment to be all it can be.

Sunday, July 26, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Were 26 July not a Sunday, we would remember Saints Anne & Joachim (1st century B.C.), the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Saints-link, Saint-link Alpha, & Saint-link Juliett; Wikipedia-link Alpha & Wikipedia-link Juliett.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter thirteen.

Commentary: Short, but rich.

Mass Readings
The Second Book of Kings, chapter four, verses forty-two thru forty-four;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-five, verses ten & eleven, fifteen thru eighteen;
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter four, verses one thru six;
The Gospel according to John, chapter six, verses one thru fifteen.

Project MERCATOR
There was an ice cream social after the eleven o'clock Mass, with ice cream & hot dogs being served in the pavilion while a smooth jazz band played in the background. I had a ball. 'Twas hot but pleasant enough in the shade of the pavilion, but out in the death rays of the Accursed Sun 'twas as hot as a skillet.

On Saturday, there is to be a fancy dress-up dinner & dance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Monsignor Patrick R. Dunigan Assembly 510 (Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree). If you can wear a tuxedo without feeling a little bit like James Bond, you're not doing it right.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

They Might Be Giants, "Older" from Mink Car (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:
"You're older than you've ever been
And now you're even older,
And now you're ever older,
And now you're even older,
You're older than you've ever been
And now you're even older,
And now you're older still.

"Time is marching on,
And time is still marching on!

"This day will soon be at an end,
And now it's even sooner,
And now it's even sooner,
This day will soon be at an end,
And now it's even sooner,
And now it's sooner still.

"You're older than you've ever been
And now you're even older,
And now you're ever older,
And now you're even older,
You're older than you've ever been
And now you're even older,
And now you're older still."

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA



Today is the Feast of Saint James, Apostle (1st century, the son of Zebedee, A.K.A. James the Greater), witness to the Transfiguration, martyred under King Herod Agrippa: Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
He was chosen by Jesus to be one of the twelve apostles, James was on the mountain where he was privileged to witess what no one else had seen—Jesus transfigured in His glory, speaking with Moses & Elijah, as the voice of God spoke from a cloud. James was one of the martyrs of the Church.
Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-three;
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter twelve.

Mass Readings
The Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter four, verses seven thru fifteen;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-six, verses one(B,C) thru six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty, verses twenty thru twenty-eight.

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of My Birthday

Jim Gaffigan, "Presents" from Beyond the Pale (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:
"They give the alert, 'cause, y'know, there's so much pressure in our society to have a good time on your birthday. Y'know, it's like, 'I can't believe I'm going to work on my birthday.' 'I can't believe I'm doing laundry on my birthday.' 'I can't believe I'm paying for sex on my birthday. Rip off!'"
Bonus! Song of the Day
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "They Will Need Music" from The Magic of Youth (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:
"They will need music to uplift,
It'll be a Godsend, it'll be a gift,
And hope and glory to coincide,
They'll need the strength and warmth and comfort that the music will provide…"

Friday, July 24, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Sharbel Makhluf, Priest, O.L.M. (1828-1898): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
St. Sharbel is called the second St. Anthony of the Desert, the Perfume of Lebanon, the first Confessor of the East to be raised to the Altars according to the actual procedure of the Catholic Church, the honor of our Aramaic Antiochian Church, & the model of spiritual values & renewal. Sharbel is like a Cedar of Lebanon standing in eternal prayer, on top of a mountain.
Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Sirach, chapter fifteen.
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter eleven.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter twenty, verses one thru seventeen;
Psalm Nineteen, verses eight thru eleven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses eighteen thru twenty-three.

The Queue
This paragraph from Pope Francis—Evangelli Gaudium, § 135—caught my attention given the ongoing discernment of my vocation.
Let us now look at preaching within the liturgy, which calls for serious consideration by pastors. I will dwell in particular, & even somewhat meticulously, on the homily & its preparation, since so many concerns have been expressed about this important ministry & we simply cannot ignore them. The homily is the touchstone for judging a pastor's closeness & ability to communicate to his people. We know that the faithful attach great importance to it, & that both they & their ordained ministers suffer because of homilies: the laity from having to listen to them & the clergy from having to preach them! It is sad that this is the case. The homily can actually be an intense & happy experience of the spirit, a consoling encounter with God's word, a constant source of renewal & growth.
That brought to mind the Reverend Cleophus James's sermon from The Blues Brothers, which transitioned directly into a performance of "The Old Landmark."



Bonus! Song of the Day
James Brown, "The Old Landmark" from The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack Recording (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day

Fountains of Wayne, "Brights Future in Sales" from Welcome Interstate Managers (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: My future lies in sales, so I certainly hope 'tis a bright future.
"As long as I don't have to drive—

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,
I got a new computer and a bright future in sales!
Yeah yeah (yeah yeah),
Bright future in sales!
Yeah yeah (yeah yeah),
Bright future in sales!
Yeah yeah (yeah yeah),
Bright future in sales!
Yeah yeah (yeah yeah) yeah yeah!

"I had a line on a brand-new account,
But now I can't seem to find where I wrote that number down…"
Donnerstag, 23 Juli
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Graffiti Worth Reading" from Pin Points and Gin Joints (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: One need not be excessively cynical to read "Graffiti Worth Reading" as applying to all our ultimately futile media of self-expression, not just graffiti. This song, this blog, graffito: aside from the violation of property rights inherent in graffiti, is there any essential difference 'twixt those forms?
"Graffiti worth reading rarely is written on walls that are worth writing on,
So if that is true then believe me, now, you, worth reading graffiti is gone,
While we're on it, get off it, the days of the prophet writing his words on the wall
Have gone now behind us, but somehow we find ourselves desperately reading it all.

"Repent! (Repent!) Obey! (Obey!) The end is near!
I tagged and marked and bragged and barked that I was here!…"

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Bridget, Religious (c. 1303-1373), foundress of the Bridgettines, formally the Order of the Most Holy Savior: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link Bravo; Wikipedia-link Ordo.

Commentary: Father Anderson mentioned St. Bridget at Mass this morning, because she was Swedish & he is of Swedish descent. Quoth the bulletin:
Bridget married at a very young age. Her husband, Ulf Gudmarrson, was a Nobleman & the couple had eight children together, including Catherine, who later became known as Saint Catherine of Vadstena, Sweden. When Ulf died, she began the Order of the Most Holy Savior, or the "Bridgettines." Her monastery became a popular Swedish New Age Spirituality Center emphasizing the importance of sticking to your studies & pursuing high ideals.
The last sentence is a head-scratcher.


Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter ten.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter nineteen, verses one & two, nine thru eleven, sixteen thru twenty(B);
The Book of Daniel, chapter three, verses fifty-two thru fifty-six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses ten thru seventeen.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Drink!



"It's beer! Hooray, beer!"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene (1st century): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: St. Mary Magdalene is "a religious figure in Christianity"? What's next, will the bulletin announce that the pope is Catholic? Quoth the bulletin:
A religious figure in Christianity, Mary Magdalene travelled with Jesus as one of His followers. She is said to have witnessed Jesus's crucifixion & resurrection. Within the four Gospels she is named at least twelve times, more than most of the apostles.
We also remember Saint John Lloyd (d. 1679) & Saint Philip Evans (1645-1679), priests & martyrs, martyred under King Charles II; like St. John Plessington (Wayback Machine), victims of the hysteria surrounding the non-existent "Popish Plot:" Martyr-link Juliet Lima & Martyr-link Papa Echo, Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter nine.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter sixteen, verses one thru five, nine thru fifteen;
Psalm Seventy-eight, verses eighteen & nineteen, twenty-three thru twenty-eight;
The Gospel according to John, chapter twenty, verses one & two, eleven thru eighteen.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Happy Birthday" from "Weird Al" Yankovic (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I'm as big a fan of chipper doomsaying as they next fellow—after all, I'm an ardent fan of Reel Big Fish—but "Happy Birthday" indulges in the type of Cold War doom & gloom that was so in vogue in 1983, as if President Reagan was attempting to spark "World War III" while the valiant New Soviet Men were trying to save us from ourselves. I confess that I have the benefit of hindsight, but even accounting for this I find the self-hating paranoia of the early '80s "peace movement" particularly irksome in its baselessness. I know, one should never take "Weird Al" this seriously. I like "Happy Birthday," otherwise it would not be the R.B.D.S.O.T.D.
"Well, what's the matter, little thing, you think this party is the pits?
Enjoy it while you can, we'll soon be blown to bits!
The monkeys in the Pentagon are gonna cook our goose,
Their finger's on the button, all they need is an excuse!
Doesn't take a military genius to see
We'll all be crispy critters after World War III!
There's nowhere you can run to, nowhere you can hide,
When they drop the Big One we all get fried!…"
This same
Zeitgeist is on appropriate display in the new German spy-thriller television series Deutschland 83, which I invite you to watch on SundanceTV, if you are able.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest & Doctor of the Church, O.F.M. Cap. (1559-1619): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
Lawrence wrote a commentary on Genesis & several treatises against Luther, but Lawrence's main writings are in the nine volumes of his sermons. He had an outstanding gift of languages. In addition to a thorough knowledge of his native Italian, he had a complete reading & speaking ability in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian (Czech), Spanish, & French.
As of this writing, there are thirty-six Doctors of the Church, so even amidst the glorious communion of saints St. Lawrence stands in rarified company.


Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter eight.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter fourteen, verse twenty-one thru chapter fifteen, verse one;
The Book of Exodus, chapter fifteen, verses eight thru ten, twelve, seventeen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses forty-six thru fifty.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

They Might Be Giants, "It's Not My Birthday" from Then: The Earlier Years (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:
"Well, the rain falls down without my help, I'm afraid,
And my lawn gets wet though I withheld my consent…

"It's not my birthday,
It's not today,
It's not my birthday,
So why do you lunge out at me?…"
Hollywoodland
I like lists. I also like comic-book superheroes.

Iron Man
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man 2
Thor
Captain America: The First Avenger
The Avengers
Iron Man Three
Thor: The Dark World
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Guardians of the Galaxy
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Ant-Man

Monday, July 20, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

Less Than Jake, "Weekends All Year Long" from See the Light (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Not satisfied with where you are or where you think you'll be tomorrow? Less Than Jake's just the band for that modern malaise.
"…The party never ends when you've been up for days,
And stay confused.

It's been a year stuck in this groove,
Another year of standing in these shoes,
A living lifetime's all that's left to lose…

…I've been cursing right through my feet,
Fell through on my self-defeat,
I keep tripping over my own feet…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Apollinaris, Bishop & Martyr (d. c. 79), martyred under the Emperor Vespasian: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
He suffered exile because of his preaching & converts. When Emperor Vespasian banished Christians, Apollinaris was beaten by a mob & died soon after from his wounds.
Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter seven.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter fourteen, verses five thru eighteen;
The Book of Exodus, chapter fifteen, verses one(B,C) thru six;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses forty-eight thru fifty.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

The Explorers' Club, № CDXLVII

Operation AXIOM: The World War—The Gallipoli Campaign, Part III
28 April-8 May 1915: The First Battle of Kiritha (28 April), the Battle of Eski Hissarlik (1 May), & the Second Battle of Krithia (6-8 May)—repeated British, A.N.Z.A.C., & French assaults against the Turks fail to gain objectives meant to be captured on the first day ashore; Turkish assaults fail to push the Allies into the sea.







Lest we forget.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Mission Statement" from Mandatory Fun (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I was in a meeting today where there was talk of "brand cohesiveness." This was neither pompous not inappropriate to the discussion, but I smiled at the reminder of "Mission Statement" nonetheless.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Were 19 July not a Sunday, we would remember Saint John Plessington (c. 1637-1679), priest, martyred under King Charles II during the hysteria surrounding the non-existent "Popish Plot:" Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter twenty-three, verses one thru six;
Psalm Twenty-three, verses one thru six;
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter two, verses thirteen thru eighteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter six, verses thirty thru thirty-four.

Mass Journal: Week 30
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
Holiness & renewal are inseparably linked. Where there is holiness the Church has always thrived. If the Church is not thriving there is one primary reason for that… & when you & I begin to take God's call to live holy lives seriously, the Church will begin to thrive in new & exciting ways. Holiness is compatible with every state in life. Married people are called to live holy lives just as much as monks & nuns. Sexual intimacy is a profound gift from God & an instrument of holiness. The riches of this world have value only inasmuch as they help us fulfill our essential purpose. If we own them, they can be powerful tools that help us live holy lives. If they own us, they will prevent us from becoming the-best-version-of-ourselves. The rich are called to live holy lives by using their wealth in productive ways that foster their own growth & the growth of others. Material possessions, marriage & sexual intimacy, work, money, & positions of authority are just some of the opportunities life presents to live holy lives.

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest, M.I. (1550-1614), founder of the Camillians, formally the Clerks Regular, Ministers to the Sick: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link M.I..

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
De Lellis established the Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers to the Sick (abbreviated M.I.), better known as the Camillians. His experience in wars led him to establish a group of health care workers who would assist soldiers on the battlefield. The large, red cross on their cassock remains a symbol of the Congregation today. Patronage: sick, hospitals, nurses, & physicians.
Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter six.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter twelve, verses thirty-seven thru forty-two;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-six, verses one, twenty-three & twenty-four, ten thru fifteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses fourteen thru twenty-one.

Commentary: For those who have been fortunate enough not to have seen the motion picture Exodus: Gods and Kings, the film is utter dreck. I write that not as a Christian, but as a moviegoer. Gods and Kings's biggest sins are being overly long & dull as dishwater.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Lee Greenwood, "God Bless the U.S.A." via iTunes (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Thus, the R.B.D.S.O.T.D.'s extended celebration of Independence Day draws to a close. As the man sings, I am indeed proud to be an American. Wave the flag, not mockingly, not chauvinistically, but proudly & gratefully. E pluribus unum—From many, one. In God we trust.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Hedwig (1374-1399, A.K.A. Queen Jadwiga of Poland): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Today, we also remember the Scillitan Martyrs (d. 180), martyred under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius: Martyrs-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter five.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter eleven, verse ten thru chapter twelve, verse fourteen;
Psalm One Hundred Sixteen, verses twelve & thirteen, fifteen, sixteen(B,C), seventeen & eighteen;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twelve, verses one thru eight.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



The New American Brass Band, "Hail, Columbia" from The Civil War: Original Soundtrack Recording (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Apparently, "Hail, Columbia" was written for the inauguration of President Washington & currently serves as the anthem of the Vice President of the United States: Wikipedia-link. Neat!
A delightful quote from the motion picture The Russia House—screenplay by Tom Stoppard, based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré—spoken by an American in the company of four Britons:
Proud to know you, Barley. I'm the odd man out here. I work for the Central Intelligence Agency, which as you probably know is based in Langley in the state of Virginia. Let's have some fun. Let's do some good.
I've not read The Russia House, but look forward to doing so as I enjoyed all of the other le Carré novels I've read. I've seen the motion picture several times; I have a keen interest in spy fiction, both cinematic & literary, & it is a fine example of the genre.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Trey Parker, "America, Fuck Yeah (Bummer Remix)" from Team America: World Police (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Pardon our French. As Denis Leary used to say, "Nuclear fucking weapons" is only two words.
America, fuck yeah.
Coming again to save the motherfucking day, yeah.
America, fuck yeah.
Freedom is the only way, yeah.

Terrorists, your game is through,
Now you have to answer to—
America, fuck yeah.
America, fuck.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Our Lady-link ūna & Our Lady-link duae, Wikipedia-link O.L.M.C. & Wikipedia-link Scapular.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
Patroness of Carmelites, devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel has centered on the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, known as the Brown Scapular.
Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter four.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter three, verses thirteen thru twenty;
Psalm One Hundred Five, verses one, five, eight & nine, twenty-four thru twenty-seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses twenty-eight thru thirty.

Mass Journal: Week 29
Sunday, 12 July 2015
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
We are called to live holy lives & this is something we should strive for as Christians, but let me be very clear that this holiness is not something that we can attain for ourselves. In truth, holiness is something God does in us & not something we achieve. And yet at this same time, God is the perfect gentleman: He invites us to participate in His life, but never forces Himself upon us. He wants our consent, he wants us to be invited into our hearts & lives, but much more than consent & invitation He desires our loving cooperation. God years for us to be coworkers with Him in this work of holiness. It is this dynamic collaboration between God & man that brings delight to God. The North Star is the only star in the sky that never moves; it remains constant & unwavering, & therefore is a true guide. In the same way, God's call to live a holy life never changes. In a world of rapid & constant change, it is what is unchanging that allows us to make sense of change. The ideas you encounter may change, but God's call to live a holy life never changes.
Commentary: The statement "the North Star is the only star in the sky that never moves; it remains constant & unwavering, & therefore is a true guide" is a terrible analogy for the Almighty's constancy, because the North Star does in fact move in the sky. A parade of stars assumes the rôle of the North Star due to their procession in the sky. The name of the current North Star in English, Polaris, while meaning "of the pole," has only been used since the 17th century, well into what is known as the Modern Era. Polaris was not the pole star to the ancient Greeks nor during the life of Christ. Another star, Gamma Cephei, will be closer to the celestial pole than Polaris in only a thousand years. The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob is truly constant & unwavering, unlike the vacillating North Star.

12 July '15? To quote
Spaceballs, "We're in now, now."

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

The Explorers' Club, № CDXLVI

October 1914-11 July 1915: The Battle of the Rufiji Delta—the blockade & bombardment by a British Royal Navy squadron of the German cruiser S.M.S. Königsberg, eventually scuttled by her crew, most of whom escaped overland with some of the Königsberg's guns, which were used to great effect as artillery in the East Africa Campaign.









Lest we forget.

Below, the wreck of the Königsberg, photographed years later, overgrown with vegetation in Tanzania's Rufiji Delta.



The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
The Puppini Sisters, "Tu Vo Fa L'Americano" from Betcha Bottom Dollar (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The title, which apparently should be rendered as "Tu Vuò Fà L'Americano," is Italian for "You Want to Be American." The song satirizes those who idolized America & adopted supposedly "American" habits & preferences. I don't know, you might be barking up the wrong tree, fellas; leaving war-ravaged Italy for the welcoming bosom of Columbia seems to have worked out pretty well for Mario Andretti. Here at The Secret Base, our patriotism is robust enough to withstand a little ribbing from sniveling, ingrate Fascists whom we freed from Nazi occupation.

As always, the Puppini Sisters harmonize beautifully.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Memorial of Saint Bonaventure, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, O.F.M. (1221-1274): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-linkduo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: The bulletin describes the ministry of the Benedictine St. Boniface (c. 675-754), the "Apostle to the Germans," not of the Franciscan St. Bonaventure, who lived five centuries later.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter three.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter three, verses one thru six, nine thru twelve;
Psalm One Hundred Three, verses one(B) thru four, six & seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses twenty-five thru twenty-seven.

Mass Journal: Week 28
Sunday, 5 July 2015
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
A man's work may be to collect the trash, but if he does it well, & hour by hour turns to God in is heart & says, Father, I offer this hour of work as a prayer for my neighbor Karen, who is struggling with cancer… or in thanksgiving for my wife & children, then he has truly discovered & is living the worlds "pray constantly" (1 Thessalonians, 5:17). He has transformed an hour of work into an hour of prayer. Through his work he has grown in intimacy with God & neighbor, & he has become a (sic) better-version-of-himself. The attitude with which we approach our work is crucial. The transformation of ordinary activities into prayer is the very essence of the inner life. Every activity of our day can lead us to experience God. Learn to foster the interior life in this way & you will live a life uncommon in the midst of common circumstances.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Songs of the Day



Glenn Miller, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" from Glenn Miller's 50 Finest (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I revere "When Johnny Comes Marching Home," but there's nothing uniquely American about it, except for these modified lyrics from this particular rendition:
Uncle Sam will prove he's still the champ,
He'll close up shop and break up camp…
Montag, 13 Juli
The Pogues, "The Body of an American" from The Best of the Pogues (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The Irish in America mythologize the old country, but remain firmly rooted in this New World, as American as Mom & apple pie. Or, as we say around these parts, as American as baseball, hot dogs, Applegate, & Chevrolet.
Fare thee well, gone away,
There's nothing left to say,
But say adieu to your eyes as blue
As the waves are in the bay,
To Big Jim Dwyer, that man of war,
Who was often heard to say,
"I'm a freeborn man of the U.S.A.!
I'm a freeborn man of the U.S.A.!
I'm a freeborn man of the U.S.A.!"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Yesterday was the optional memorial of Saint Henry, Obl.O.S.B. (973-1024, A.K.A. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor): Saint-linkūnus, Saint-linkduo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
His humility & spirit of justice were equal to his zeal for religion. In 1002, upon the death of his cousin, he was elected emperor. He was firmly anchored upon the great eternal truths & the practice of meditation. He is the patron saint of the childless, of dukes, of the handicapped, & those rejected by Religious Orders.
Scripture of the Day (Monday, 13 July)
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter one (of sixteen).

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter one, verses eight thru fourteen, twenty-two;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-four, verses one(B) thru eight;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verse thirty-four thru chapter eleven, verse one.

* * * * *

To-day is the Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin (1656-1680): Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
The first Native American saint in the United States of America & Canada. She was baptized at the age of twenty & incurred the great hostility of her tribe. Although she had to suffer greatly for her faith, she remained firm in it. She lived a life dedicated to prayer, penitential practices, & care for the sick & aged. Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four & remained there until after the last Mass. Patroness of the environment & ecology.
I confess to harboring a concern that St. Kateri is the patroness of the environment & ecology not because of any personal act on her part, but simply because she's Native American. (Sadly, the Church is not immune to stereotyping.) I also harbor the hope that this concern is baseless.


Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter two.

Mass Readings
The Book of Exodus, chapter two, verses one thru fifteen(A);
Psalm Sixty-nine, verses three, fourteen, thirty & thirty-one, thirty-three & thirty-four;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter eleven, verses twenty thru twenty-four.

* * * * *

Mass Journal: Week 27
Sunday, 28 June 2015
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
God calls each of us to live an authentic life. He has designed this life to perfectly integrate our legitimate needs, our deepest desires, & our unique talents. The more intimately & harmoniously these three are related, the more you become truly yourself.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

To-day is the fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
Introduction to the First Letter to the Corinthians.

Mass Readings
The Book of Amos, chapter seven, verses twelve thru fifteen;
Psalm Eighty-five, verses nine thru fourteen;
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter one, verses three thru fourteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter six, verses seven thru thirteen.

Monday, 6 July, was the optional memorial of Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin & Martyr (1890-1902): Martyr-link ūna, Martyr-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth last week's bulletin:
Patron of youth, young women, purity, & victims of rape. She is called a martyr because she fought against [Alessandro's] attempts at sexual assault. However, the most important aspect of her story is her forgiveness of her attacker—her concern for her enemy extending even beyond death.
Urbi et Orbi at Midyear
Thus far, the year's Mass count already exceeds last year's, which itself vastly exceeded its goals. Extrapolating this trend through the end of the year, last year's Mass count could well be doubled. I've not yet missed a Sunday, but betwixt a variety of factors—illness, travel, a disrupted routine, being in a funk (which I'd characterize as malaise, not ennui)—during three weeks, two of them consecutive to constitute a fortnight, I failed in my goal to attend at least two non-Sunday Masses per week. There's nothing for it but to resolve to do better & then to devise & implement habits & procedures to make it more likely I will do better. The numbers aren't important in & of themselves, they are just the outward signs of inward grace.

2008: 32
2009: 33
2010: 32
2011: 37
2012: 45
2013: 63
2014: 130
2015: 141…

Mass Journal: Week 26
Sunday, 21 June 2015
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
Only one thing is necessary for Catholicism to flourish—authentic lives. Throughout history, wherever you find men & women genuinely striving to live the Christian life, the Church has always blossomed. If we wish to speak effectively to the modern world about God, the Christian life, & Catholicism, we must be thriving, blossoming, & flourishing in that life. The best way to speak about God is to thrive in the life He calls us to live. The authentic life begins with the simple desire to be who God created us to be & cooperate with God by playing the part he has designed for us in human history. The adventure of salvation begins when we stop asking, "What's in it for me?" & turn humbly to God in our hearts & ask, How may I serve? What work do You wish for me to do with my life? What is Your will for my life?

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Rob Carriker, "Marching Through Georgia" from Over There! Songs from America's Wars (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I know & acknowledge that it is un-Christian, even anti-Christian, to hate anyone, but I struggle mightily not to hate the Confederates, despite the saintly President Lincoln's supremely Christian admonition to act "with malice toward none."
Ring the good old bugle, boys, we'll sing another song,
Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along,
Sing it as we used to sing it fifty thousand strong
While we were marching through Georgia!

Hoorah! Hoorah! We bring the jubilee!
Hoorah! Hoorah! The flag that makes you free!
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea
While we were marching through Georgia!

Yes, and there were Union men who wept with joyful tears
When they saw the honored flag they had not seen for years,
Hardly could they be restrained from breaking forth in cheers
While we were marching through Georgia!

Hoorah! Hoorah We bring the jubilee!, etc.

"Sherman's dashing Yankee boys will never reach the coast,"
So the saucy rebels said, it was a handsome boast
Had they not forgot, alas, to reckon with the host
While we were marching through Georgia!

Hoorah! Hoorah We bring the jubilee!, etc.

So we made a thoroughfare for freedom and her train,
Sixty miles in latitude, three hundred to the main,
Treason fled before us for resistance was in vain,
While we were marching through Georgia!

Hoorah! Hoorah! We bring the jubilee!
Hoorah! Hoorah! The flag that makes you free!
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea
While we were marching through Georgia!

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Project BLACK MAMBA

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-nine, verses twenty-nine thru thirty-two & chapter fifty, verses fifteen thru twenty-six(A);
Psalm One Hundred Five, verses one thru four, six & seven;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses twenty-four thru thirty-three.

Today is the Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot (c. 480-543 or 547), founder of the great monastery at Monta Cassino: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Monte Cassino-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
Benedict completed his "Rule for Monks," basing it on earlier monastic literature as well as his own original material. Today, the "Rule of Saint Benedict," as it is commonly called, is considered one of the most important factors in the development of Christian Europe. In time, the Rule became the norm for all monks & nuns in the West.

Among the titles given to Saint Benedict over the centuries are the following: "Messanger of Peace, Architect of Unity, Teacher of Culture & Civilization, father of Western Monasticism, Herald of the Christian Faith, & Father of the Whole of Europe." Today, Benedict's disciples, both men & women, can be found on every inhabited continent of the world, leading lives dedicated to "Prayer & Work," as the holy father Benedict taught in his rule & by this life.
Your humble narrator wears on his right wrist a bracelet composed of ten tiny St. Benedict Medals, oriented so that five display the front face of the medal & the other five display the back face: Medal-link. The current bracelet is a replacement for one I was given last fall, on my Cursillo Weekend. The original was not lost, but given to an ailing friend & brother in Christ (Santa Claus), who had in turn given his own bracelet featuring a single, large St. Benedict Medal to another friend & brother in Christ (identify withheld), who was struggling with angst & the attendant anger.

A priest I know asked me what the bracelet meant; when I told him it was a series of St. Benedict Medals, he said that he knew that, & wore his own St. Benedict Medal around his neck, but wondered what this particular bracelet meant, if it was the emblem of a particular movement, as he thought he'd seen it elsewhere. I had, & still have, no idea, having been given the original & having found the replacement by searching an online retailer for "Saint Benedict Medals." There is no mention of the St. Benedict Medal in any of the voluminous Cursillo literature I've read. I wear the bracelet to be reminded, by the letters standing for
"Vade retro satana!" ("Get behind me, Satan!"), of the Christ's admonishment in to-day's Gospel reading, that we should not fear men who can kill the body but cannot touch the soul, but should fear the enemy who wishes to destroy the soul in fiery Gehenna.

To-day we also remember Saint Olga of Kiev (c. 879-969): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: St. Olga is featured in the book Saints Behaving Badly, her chapter titled "St. Olga, Mass Murderer." It should read, St. Olga, Mass Murderess," but the author's point remains: we are all sinners, there is no sin that cannot be cleansed by the Blood of Christ, & that each of us, no matter what we've done, is called to holiness, to sainthood.

Operation AXIOM
Project BLACK MAMBA began in July 2014 as a month-long experiment, Objective BLACK MAMBA. After the objective was achieved, BLACK MAMBA was expanded to an indefinite project & has been a going concern since. It hasn't been twelve months of shining success, but the ten months before the horror show of May & June were pretty good. St. Benedict's day is what recalled to mind the anniversary of BLACK MAMBA: Wayback Machine.

Mass Journal: Week 25
Sunday, 14 June 2015
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
Several years ago, my brother Nathan was living in Japan for a year as an exchange student. During that time, I received a letter from him with a photograph he had taken of what seemed to be the courtyard of an ancient Japanese garden. In the middle of the courtyard was an almond tree in full bloom. Nathan has always been a talented photographer, but what really captured my attention was a quotation he had written on the back of the photograph. The quotation was from the writings of [El] Greco, the famed Greek-born Spanish painter. It read: "I said to the almond tree, 'Sister, speak to me about God,' & the almond tree blossomed."

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Rob Carriker, "The Battle Cry of Freedom" from Over There! Songs from America's Wars (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"The Union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah!
Down with the traitor, up with the star!
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true, & brave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom,
And although they may be poor, not a man shall be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!

"The Union forever…"


Liberty & Union
I have long favored a ban on the display of the Confederate battle flag, which I reference, my voice full of venom, as the "Confederate swastika." What of the First Amendment? you ask. The First Amendment is nigh-sacred & nigh-inviolable; the depth of my belief in this principle is such that, though is makes my blood boil, I support the right of American citizens to burn the American flag as a gesture of disrespectful protest. The First Amendment exists not to protect the speech we like, but the speech we despise. If it does not protect unpopular speech, then provides no protection whatsoever. So, I do not call for a ban of the Confederate swastika because it is a symbol of racism (for which "Southern heritage" is a euphemism). Racism, appalling though it is, must be afforded First Amendment protection. Racist speech must be combated with social pressure, with argumentation &, ironically, intolerance. No, the Confederate swastika ought to be banned because it is a symbol of treason, lawlessness, rebellion, & dishonor. The men who fought & died under that saltire fought against the First Amendment, against the whole of the Constitution. Many of them through away their own honor by betraying oaths taken to defend that Constitution. The First Amendment should not protect Confederate symbols, because if the rebel cause had succeeded, there would be no more First Amendment. If the First Amendment was a shield for treason, then no spy could be prosecuted for espionage; clearly, the Confederate swastika deserves no such protection.

The removal of the Confederate swastika from atop the South Carolina state capitol some years ago was a good first step, the recent removal from the grounds of the state capitol better still. But it is a farce that that banner of dishonor & lawlessness will now be displayed in a museum, a sop to the "Southern heritage" mob. Rebellion, treason, & dishonor are not a heritage that ought to be celebrated.

"Liberty & union, now & forever, one & inseparable!" — Daniel Webster

Friday, July 10, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Aaron Tippen, "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" from the Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly E.P. (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Every now & again, set aside your too-cool-for-school world-weariness & chic cynicism, & engage in some good old-fashioned, non-ironic patriotism.

Project BLACK MAMBA

To-day, we remember Saint Veronica Giuliani, O.S.C. Cap. (1660-1727), abbess & stigmatic: Saint-link ūna, Saint-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-six, verses one thru seven, twenty-eight thru thirty;
Psalm Thirty-seven, verses three & four, eighteen & nineteen, twenty-seven & twenty-eight, thirty-nine & forty;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses sixteen thru twenty-three.

Mass Journal: Week 24
Sunday, 7 June 2015
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
I believe the best way to defend life is to celebrate life. I believe the best way to celebrate life is to live your own lives to the fullest—to embrace life with arms wide open, to lay our lives enthusiastically at the service of humanity, to love deeply the people who cross our paths, & above all, to embrace our God. Life should never be wasted—not one moment—because life is precious. You can celebrate anything you wish. You can celebrate life & faith. You can celebrate love& honesty, mercy & forgiveness, kindness & generosity. You can celebrate truth, beauty, goodness, & redemption. On the other hand, you can celebrate destruction & paganism. You can celebrate hatred & violence, selfishness & greed, contempt & disrespect. You can celebrate perversion, corruption, pride, deceit, & condemnation. But one thing is certain: We become what we celebrate. This is the one immutable truth found in the life of every person who has ever lived. We become what we celebrate. It is true not only of the life of a person but also of the life of a family. It is true of the life of a nation, & it is true of the life of the Church.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

The Explorers' Club, № CDXLV

Operation AXIOM: The World War
1 July 1915: The first victory in air-to-air combat, by Kurt Wintgens of the German Luftstreitkräfte, piloting a Fokker M5K/MG "Eindecker" prototype, over a French Morane-Saulnier Type L "Parasol."





Project BLACK MAMBA

"The future starts today, not tomorrow." — Pope Saint John Paul II



Today is the optional memorial of Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, & Companions, Martyrs (d. 1648-1930): Martyr-link, Martyrs-link ūnus, Martyrs-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:
Saint Augustine Zhao Rong was a Chinese diocesan priest who was martyred with his 119 companions in 1815. The 120 martyrs in this group died between 1848 & 1930.
Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
The Book of Genesis, chapter forty-four, verses eighteen thru twenty-one, twenty-three(B) thru twenty-nine & chapter forty-five, verses one thru five;
Psalm One Hundred Five, verses sixteen thru twenty-one;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter ten, verses seven thru fifteen.

Mass Journal: Week 23
Sunday, 31 May 2015
Reflection by Matthew Kelly of the Dynamic Catholic Institute
As Catholics, the one thing we do more than anything else is celebrate. Everything the Church does is centered around a celebration. We celebrate life. We celebrate the changing seasons with the richness of the Church's calendar. We celebrate excellence by honoring as saints the heroes of our faith. We celebrate birth & eternal life with baptism & burial. We celebrate truth, beauty, & goodness by seeking them out wherever they are to be found & honoring them in our everyday lives. We celebrate Christmas & Easter. We celebrate pilgrimage—our common journey & our own individual journeys. We celebrate salvation. We celebrate forgiveness with reconciliation. We celebrate total dedication to the service of God's people with Holy Orders. We celebrate education. We celebrate communion with God & community with the Mass. We celebrate unity by seeking to bridge the gap. We celebrate love with marriage. We celebrate…

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



James Brown, "Living in America" (from Rocky IV) via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary:

"Superhighways, coast to coast,
Easy to get anywhere
On the transcontinental overload,
Just slide behind the wheel, how does it feel?
(When there's no destination) That's too far
Somewhere on the way you might find out who you are!…"

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Golem, "Citizen Boris" from Citizen Boris (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: The verses of "Citizen Boris" consist of a call-and-answer Q. & A., the answers to which you may or may not remember from your social studies classes. If you don't know the answers to these questions, please don't exercise your right to vote. For the health of our body politic, an ignorant voter is worse than a non-voter.

"Boris Hoffman, you are now a citizen of the United States, so help you God.

"What is the Fourth of July?
Independence Day.
What is the legislative branch of our government?
Congress.
What is the Bill of Rights?
First ten amendments of the Constitution.
Can you name the forty-ninth state in the Union?
Alaska…

"How many representatives in Congress?
Four hundred thirty-five.
What is the capital of your state?
It depends on where you live.
Ho wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner'?
Francis Scott Key.
For how long do we elect a president?
Four years…

"Who said, 'Give me liberty or give me death'?
Patrick Henry.
Who elects the Congress?
The people.
What is the duty of the Supreme Court?
To interpret the laws.
Can you name the original Thirteen States?
Connecticut,
New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, New Hampshire,
Maryland, Delaware,
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia,
And, um, oh—oh! New Jersey!…

"And I pledge allegiance
To my new land, America!
Good-bye, my old passport,
I now renounce you…"

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Operation AXIOM

Ten years ago to the day, 7 July 2005, four jihadist suicide bombers murdered fifty-two commuters in the heart of London; the attack, the first suicide bombing in British history & the worst terrorist attack since the Lockerbie bombing in 1988, came to be known as "7/7," such as the 11 September 2001 attacks came to be known as "9/11." Three suicide bombs were detonated in the "Tube," the London Underground (subway), while a four was detonated on a bus. The jihadist terrorists—three of whom were British-born sons of Pakistani immigrants while the fourth was a Jamaican convert to Islam—were inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki, the Yemeni-American recruiter, mouthpiece, & propagandist for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Awlaki would go on to inspire many other bombings, shooting, & attempted acts of terrorism until his death in 2011 (death from above! by drone strike). The 7/7 bombings shocked Great Britain, which had been a friendly haven for Islamist recruiters & propagandists, even after 9/11, despite partnering with the United States in the liberations of Afghanistan (2001) & Iraq (2003). Another wave of bombings on the Tube & a double-decker bus a fortnight later, 21 July '05, resulted in almost no casualties due to the failure of any of the bombs to detonate properly. There have been a string of jihadist terrorist attacks in the decade since 7/7, & innocents have died, but there have been no further mass-casualty attacks; several mass-casualty plots have been foiled in the planning stages. A wave of coordinated suicide bombings killed fifty-two in the heart of London, ten years ago to-day: 7/7-link.

The Savage Wars of Peace
The war we fight to-day, the war we've been fighting since 9/11, is not, as some have irksomely suggested, a "clash of civilizations" 'twixt Christendom & the Ummah, 'twixt West & East, but it is a war for civilization. We fight against savages, savage in their morality if not in their technology & methodology. Will we be governed by the rule of law, under parliaments & constitutions & the consent of the governed, or will we be governed the whim of men, under the sway of the most violent & fanatical? Will right make might, as President Lincoln insisted it must, or will might make right, as has been the sad case throughout most of history? These savages respect no law of war, they make no distinction 'twixt uniformed soldier & innocent civilian. They view slaughtering innocents on subway trains & double-decker buses as a legitimate means of war. There is no negotiation with such an enemy, there can be no accommodation. He will grant no quarter, so he cannot be granted any. This savage war of peace, now almost a decade & a half old, began on 9/11, but has roots that stretch back a century or more; it will not be over any more suddenly than it began; as the delightfully acidic Mr. Rumsfeld said, this war for civilization will be "a long, hard slog." There are but two choices before us: victory or slavery. If you ask me, that's no choice at all.

Some have characterized this war as something new, as "fourth-generation warfare": 4GW-link. Me, I say there's nothing new under the sun, & I see features of this kind of war throughout history. Either way, victory is no less imperative.

Poetry Smackdown
The title "The Savage Wars of Peace" is taken from Rudyard Kipling's oft-misunderstood poem, "The White Man's Burden," excerpted below.

"The White Man's Burden" (excerpt)
by Rudyard Kipling

Take up the White Man's burden—
The savage wars of peace—
Fill full the mouth of Famine
And bid the sickness cease;
And when your goal is nearest
The end for other sought,
Watch Sloth and heathen Folly
Bring all your hope to nought.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Johnny Cash, "I've Been Everywhere" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: While at first blush "I've Been Everywhere" might not seem like an inherently patriotic R.B.D.S.O.T.D., but I challenge you to name another song that mentions more places in our great republic. Admittedly, the above photograph goes a little farther afield than Mr. Cash's statement, "Listen, I've travelled every road in this here land," but all twelve men to set foot on the Moon were Americans, astronauts of America's National Aeronautics & Space Administration who flew in spacecraft & wore spacesuits bearing the American flag. They "came in peace for all Mankind," as proud sons of the United States of America.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Poetry Smackdown

The title "Poetry Smackdown" was devised in the early '00s (pronounced "aughts") by a kinsman, for that curious little newsletter from the halcyon days in Ann Arbor, The Newsletter. He took inspiration from his disdain for the risible term "poetry slam."

I recently read in Road & Track or Car and Driver that Carroll Shelby once dispensed the advice, "Listen to everybody, but do what you want." This of course recalled to mind Kipling's superior expression of the same sentiment, "If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you/But make allowance for their doubting too." Hey, presto! A Secret Base blog post.



"If—"
by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you cane make a heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!

Bonus! Song of the Day
Michael Caine, "'If—' by Rudyard Kipling" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, "Coming to America" from Have Another Ball (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Our immigration policy is deeply dysfunctional. How did it come about that we prioritized attracting not necessarily the best & the brightest from around the world, but only the relatives of those already here? Sadder still, is the uncivil, acrimonious tone of our immigration-policy debate. Latter-day Know-Nothings intone darkly about foreigners undermining American liberty while starry-eyed dreamers weave anarchist fantasies about world citizenship. Unlimited immigration was a viable idea before we had a welfare state; we have yet to figure out how to integrate those two ideas, a problem compounded by the displacement of the "melting pot" ideal by cynical, inherently racist "identity politics." Alas!

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are strictly a cover band; "Coming to America" is a cover of the Neil Diamond song, replete with Mr. Diamond's quotation of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee."

"Everywhere around the world,
They're coming to America!
Every time that flag's unfurled,
They're coming to America!
Got a dream that'll take them there,
They're coming to America!
Got a dream they've come to share,
They're coming to America!…

"My country, 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing,
Of thee I sing! Yeah!"

Sunday, July 5, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Toby Keith, "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" via iTunes (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary:

"Americans girls & American guys
Will always stand up & salute, will always recognize,
When we see Old Glory flying, there's a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night when we lay down our head…

"Now this nation that I love has fallen under attack,
A mighty sucker punch came flyin' in from somewhere in the back,
Soon as we could see clearly through our big black eye,
Man, we lit up your world like the Fourth of July…"


Saturday, July 4, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of Independence Day



Jim Gaffigan, "Holidays" from Beyond the Pale (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: On first blush, "Holidays" might not seem like the most focused R.B.D.S.O.T.D. for this glorious day, but I assure you, it speaks directly to our most cherished Independence Day traditions.

"Mostly we use holidays so we can eat more, y'know. 'I normally don't have a burger, a brat, & a steak, but it
is Fourth of July. And I need the energy if I'm gonna start blowing crap up. It's what the Founding Fathers would want.'…"

Bonus! Song of the Day
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "The Star-Spangled Banner" from Hurrah for the Yellow and Blue (T.L.A.M.)



Operation AXIOM
Two hundred thirty-nine years ago to the day, 4 July 1776, the Continental Congress declared the independence of a new nation-state, the United States of America, from the empire of the Kingdom of Great Britain. The United States has stood astride the world as a colossus, spending blood & treasure to construct an international order that has brought higher levels of both individual liberty & prosperity to more persons than any other polity in history. To-day the liberalism upon which this country was founded & for which it has always fought is under grave threat from "liberal"/progressive forces that wish to replace the consent of the governed with the tyranny of the minority, the rule of the so-called experts, & from the atavistic isolationism that has haunted us from our earliest days. Neither pessimism nor defeatism will beat back these barbarians at our gates, only the optimism & self-confidence that enabled our forebears to subdue a continent-spanning wilderness & forge it into a continent-spanning "Empire of Liberty," in President Jefferson's phrase. Whatever disasters befall our democracy, whatever gains tyranny makes, I assure you that we're survived & triumphed over worse. (I'm a quadruple History Quiz Night champion, I know of what I speak.) Take renewed courage from a remark usually & erroneously attributed to the great Winston Churchill, but more likely from the Israeli diplomat Abba Eban:
The Americans will always do the right thing—after they've exhausted all the alternatives.
Finally on this Independence Day, I leave you with some words of President Lincoln's, from the most famous oratory in our history, the Gettysburg Address of 19 November 1863:
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Happy birthday, America!

Friday, July 3, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



John Linnell, "The Songs of the 50 States" from State Songs, Vol. 1 (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: Below, words as true of the fifty states as of Mr. Linnell's songs of the fifty states, about which he sings in "The Songs of the 50 States."

"The songs of the fifty states,
The songs of the fifty states,
No two alike by each connected by a golden thread…"

We are so blessed in this country, blessed both by Providence & by the wisdom, industry, & pluck of our forebears. Yet so often we cannot see beyond our First World problems, cannot see beyond the few things that divide us to see the innumerable things that unite us, that bind us one to another. United we stand. In God we trust.


Bonus! Song of the Day
Jim Gaffigan, "Mt. Rushmore" from Obsessed (T.L.A.M.)

Thursday, July 2, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day



Glenn Miller, "American Patrol" from Glenn Miller's 50 Finest (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: There is malaise in the air, the preposterous notion that America is finished, that our best days are behind us, that all we can do now is manage the decline. Poppycock, I say! I am not altogether immune to this smug cynicism, but pessimism has always been the lazy choice & I fed up with my own laziness, both physical & mental. Let us reject both cheap jingoism & smug anti-Americanism. Let us hold fast to the words of Carl Schurz, a man who was wrong about any number of issues but right in this most important respect: "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; if wrong, to be set right."

A word on the set dressing. The New York Stock Exchange? you ask. Wall Street? Corporations?! Yes, indeed. I've long argued & ever shall, that the twin pillars of human freedom are liberal democracy & free-market economics. Liberty & prosperity: America's gifts to a resentful world. This isn't a popularity contest, this is about doing what's right.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

The Rebel Black Dot Song of Canada Day

"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Canadian Idiot" from Straight Outta Lynnwood (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary, eh: I considered picking a song by one of the numerous Canadian bands in my music library, but outside of the comedy stylings of Bob & Doug McKenzie none of their output is that specifically Canadian. (I am open to arguments in favor of "Grade 9," et al. by the Barenaked Ladies.) In the end, as you can see, I chose a song that skewers them but skewers us all the more.

Operation AXIOM
One hundred forty-eight years ago to the day, 1 July 1867, the British North American Act, 1867 came into effect, combining the colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, & Canada (itself a consolidation of Upper Canada & Lower Canada, today known as Ontario & Quebec) into a self-governing nation, creating the Dominion of Canada within the British Empire. Canada would gradually expand & gain ever greater independence, achieving its present borders with the absorption of the Dominion of Newfoundland in 1949 (today known as Newfoundland & Labrador) & achieving formal independence from Great Britain with the passage of the Canada Act 1982 in, you guessed it, 1982. '82 is also when Dominion Day was renamed Canada Day, as Canada ceased formally to be a dominion of the Empire. That said, I still prefer "Dominion Day" to "Canada Day" because it was the Dominion of Canada that fought with such distinction in the Great War of 1914-1918, the Dominion of Canada that helped defeat Nazi Germany & Imperial Japan in the Second World War of 1939-1945. Nevertheless, this year, I've decided to respect the Canadians' choice & use "the preferred nomenclature," Canada Day. Canada is an important & steadfast ally of the United States. Our neighbors in the Great White North fight alongside us in Afghanistan for twelve years from 2001-2013 & in Iraq, thought more discretely. Freedom of speech & freedom of religion are gravely imperiled throughout Canada, but is not the same things true of these United States? There is much that is amiss with Canada, but there is also much more that is right & proper. I prefer Dominion Day, but I'll tip my hat to Canada Day. Canada was created as a nation, one hundred forty-eight years ago to-day.

Happy birthday, you hosers!