The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "The Old School Off the Bright" from A Jackknife to a Swan (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: All these years (A Jackknife to a Swan was released in '02) & I still don't know what "the bright" is. Denizens of Beantown, any help?

"Bring in the skins with the pins
And the patches on their flights,
The rovers with the clovers
Who've spent far too many nights
Out with us 'til closing time,
We hope we're not imposing on you,
Get the crew together,
It's the old school off the bright.

"Flush the boys out of Dot,
We're gonna need them there,
And tell the troublemakers
That hang out in Harvard Square:
We need every able asshole,
Every asshole you can spare,
We're going off the bright.
Invite them to this fine affair.

"Tell the Irish in Southie,
And the South End Puerto Ricans,
The North End Italians,
The wind bags up on Beacon Hill:
There will be no tomorrow,
It's going down tonight,
So get the crew together,
it's the old school off the bright.

We want the punks, the drunks, the layabouts, the steady working Joes,
The white collars, the rednecks, and our blue-blooded bros,
The jocks, the preps, the stoners, the homeless, and home owners,
Every loser, boozer, drug abuser, Sharpie, and Two-Toner,
We'll take the Jills and bring on the Jacks
From Forrest Hills all the way to Father Mac's,
The rude girls and the rudies,
Don't fail, it's your duty,
'Cause tonight will be the night!

So get the crew together,
It's the old school off the bright,
It's the old school off the bright,
It's the old school off the bright,
Get the crew together,
It's the old school off the bright.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Memorial of Saint Jerome, Priest & Doctor of the Church (c. 347-420): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link Vulgate.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer Parish bulletin:

He is best known for his translation of most of the Bible into Latin (the translation that became known as the Vulgate), & his commentaries on the Gospels. His list of writings is extensive.

Quoth the Holy Family Parish bulletin:

St. Jerome was born in Dalmatia around 347. He was a scholar of Latin, Greek, & Hebrew. He studied scripture under St. Gregory Nazianzen. Pope Damasus commissioned him to translate a new edition of the Latin bible, called the Vulgate. He once stated: "To be a Christian is a great thing, not merely to seem one, & somehow or other those please the world most who please Christ least… Christians are made, not born."

St. Jerome once wrote, obviously not in English, a language that had not yet developed at the time he shuffled off this mortal coil, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." I've wasted too much of my life ignorant of Scripture & thus ignorant of Christ.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Wisdom, chapter six, verse twenty-two thru chapter eight verse one.

Mass Readings
The Book of Nehemiah, chapter two, verses one thru eight;
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-seven, verses one thru six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses fifty-seven thru sixty-two;
or, for the Memorial,
The Second Letter to Timothy, chapter three, verses fourteen thru seventeen;
Psalm One Hundred Nineteen, verse twelve;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter thirteen, verses forty-seven thru fifty-two.

Project GLOWWORM

That is all.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Let's Face It" from Let's Face It (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Well, it's so hard to face that in this day and age
Somebody's race can trigger somebody's rage,
Somebody's preference can drive some total stranger
To make somebody somehow feel the wrath of their anger.

"Why were we put here? What for, we're unsure.
We sure weren't put here to hate.
By racist, be sexist, be bigots, be sure
We won't stand for your hate.

"Now why so cut and dry? A simple concept this:
Give tolerance a try and this confusion still exists.
Ignorant mongers, no area's gray,
Couldn't be any wronger in this age and day.

"Why were we put here? What for, we're unsure.
We sure weren't put here to hate.
By racist, be sexist, be bigots, be sure
We won't stand for your hate.
Get that straight.

"Now how far have we come? How come there still are some
Who won't let some march to the beat of a different drum?
Face it, it's so hard, you must be on your guard,
It's not O.K. and you're not free to be a different way.

"Why were we put here? What for, we're unsure.
We sure weren't put here to hate.
By racist, be sexist, be bigots, be sure
We won't stand for your hate.

"Let's try to erase it, it's time that we face it,
If we don't then who will? Shame on us.
Let's try to erase it, it's time that we face it,
Let's face it, the time is upon us.
Let's try to erase it, it's time that we face it,
If we don't then who will? Shame on us.
Let's try to erase it, it's time that we face it,
Let's face it, the time is upon us."

Ska has always sought to unite the brotherhood of Man, railing against divisions of race, sex, & in latter years sexual orientation. (There is still a good deal of class-based prejudice, especially the "Have-nots" viewing the "Haves" with hatred fueled by envy, but even the most self-consciously progressive of us have our biases & bigotries to overcome through charity.) None of this is to deny that sin is sin, but to acknowledge that all are sinners, that no one is righteous & all have fallen short of the glory. So, greet each other in charity as you would ask to be greeted.

The Victors

Saturday, 26 September 2015
Michigan 31-0 B.Y.U. (№ 22)
3-1, B1G 0-0

Oh, now I understand why Jake Rudock is the valiant Wolverines' starting quarterback! In the first half of the valiant Wolverines' dominating victory over the epithetless Cougars of Brigham Young University (all but universally known as B.Y.U.), Rudock showed improvement that had been sorely lacking over the first three games of the season, most especially in the victory over U.N.L.V. In the second half, Rudock played more like the Rudock we've come to known & loathe, but by that point the victory had been secured. I am concerned by Michigan's inability to score in the second half—all thirty-one points against B.Y.U. were scored in the opening thirty minutes—but one could argue that by the second half both U.N.L.V. & B.Y.U. had been beaten, so the only gentlemanly thing to do was stop scoring. I would agree with that sentiment, if I was convinced that it what happened, but I am not so convinced. Nonetheless, with Rudock finally acting less like an albatross, the offense proved devastatingly efficient, scoring on all five of the Maize & Blue's first five drives, netting four touchdowns & a field goal.

The defense was intimidatingly stout. The only criticism that can be leveled is that all of the epithetless Cougars' drives ended in punts, meaning the Michigan "D" forced no turnovers, but that's the weak sauce of criticisms, fueled by insecurity & meanness. In the last three games, the valiant Wolverines' defense has only surrendered fourteen points, less than a touchdown a game. Over the four games of the non-conference schedules, the defense has given up only thirty-eight points (an average of nine & a half points per game, less than a touchdown [with the point after] & a field goal). Arguably, only thirty-one points should count against the defense (seven & three quarters points per game, less than a touchdown & a two-point conversion or two field goals & a safety), because the margin of defeat in the loss to Utah (ranked № 10 in this week's Associated Press poll) was an interception run back for a touchdown, a play for which the defense wasn't even on the field. Even if Oregon State, U.N.L.V., & B.Y.U. are to be counted as lesser competition—which is unfair to them given that B.Y.U. entered the game ranked in the Top 25, having lost to Top 10 U.C.L.A. by a single point, & unfair to us, given that almost our entire roster was recruited & coached the the bumbling Brady Hoke—holding three opponents to a combined fourteen points is impressive by any measure. The defense is looking smothering. Let us hope that level of performance translates into league play.

Best of all, we Michigan Wolverines are beginning to believe again. Our rivals call us conceited, but that's only because they fundamentally fail to appreciate how unique, special, & inherently & altogether superior to them the University of Michigan is. There is meant to be a swagger about Michigan football. This is not an arrogance born of presumed privilege, but a hard-won confidence rooted in a tradition of excellence that stretches back to Fielding Yost's point-a-minute teams; Tom Harmon, "Old 98;" Fritz Crisler's "Mad Magicians;" Bo Schembechler's resurrection of our greatness; Desmond Howard & the Heisman Trophy pose; Lloyd Carr & the National Championship that always eluded Schembechler; Charles Woodson & the impossible interception; Tom Brady, the quadruple Super Bowl winner who was drafted in the sixth round by those cretins in the No Fun League; & so many more players, coaches, & memories. Rich Rodriguez was doomed not only because he completely neglected the defense & the special teams, but because he failed utterly to understand Michigan; he thought this was just another school, just another job. Brady Hoke was a Michigan Man in his love for the Maize & Blue, but a tragic hero out of his depth, possessed of neither the ability nor the force of will required to succeed in his dream job. Jim Harbaugh is a Michigan Man in the classic mold, a victor valiant, a conqu'ring hero, one of the leaders & best. The legendary Bo Schembechler didn't preach easy victory, he was a Churchillian figure who promised victory to those willing to work for it harder & longer than their opponents. "Those who stay will be champions." This is our mantra. We are impatient for success after seven seasons in which we didn't ever look like Michigan, seven years in which we became estranged from ourselves, but we understand that these things take time. We are beginning to recover the old mindset, the notion that any season in which the valiant Wolverines do not win the Big Ten title is a disappointment, a failure to fulfill our promises to ourselves, our predecessors, & our posterity. We are beginning to believe again. We have seen the future & it is clad in khakis & throwing a fiery temper tantrum on the sidelines. This is Michigan.

Forgive me for being a basketcase, lurching from the elation of the Oregon State victory to the frustration of the U.N.L.V. victory to this new/renewed confidence after the B.Y.U. shutout. The last decade of Michigan football has been very trying. As if our own travails weren't bad enough, the hated Buckeyes of THE ^{Ohio State University} sit atop the heap, & even the dastardly Spartans of the Michigan Agricultural College (or whatever they are calling M.A.C./M.S.C./M.S.U. this week) are entertaining delusions of grandeur. The world needs to be set aright. In this week's A.P. poll, the valiant Wolverines are ranked № 22. I want to say this is too soon, but I can't. I believe Michigan belongs in the Top 25. Jim Harbaugh, the unicorn of our impossible dreams, has made me believe again. The world is being set aright.

Next: The Big Ten opener, on the road against the terrible Terrapins of Maryland. Under Coach Harbaugh, the valiant Wolverines have yet to play a B1G opponent—heck, they've yet to play an Eastern Time Zone opponent—& have yet to win a road game: all three Harbaugh-era victories have been within the friendly confines of Michigan Stadium. Said Coach Harbaugh of the challenge ahead, "We're going to need a good week of preparation, good week of practice. This (Maryland) is a very good football team."

Go Blue!

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael, Archangels, A.K.A. Michaelmas: Archangels-link & Wikipedia-link Michaelmas, Archangel-link Mike & Wikipedia-link Mike, Archangel-link Golf & Wikipedia-link Golf, & Archangel-link Romeo & Wikipedia-link Romeo.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '14. My pre-BLACK MAMBA interest in Michaelmas surely has nothing to do with being the namesake of the Prince of the Heavenly Host: Wayback Machine '09 & Wayback Machine '11.

Quoth the Holy Redeemer Parish bulletin:

An archangel is an angel of high rank. The archangels Gabriel, Michael, & Raphael are venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast on 29 September.

Quoth the Holy Family Parish bulletin:

The name Michael means, "Who is like God?" Devotion to St. Michael spread after the victory of the Lombards over the Saracens in 663 which was attributed to his intercession. The prayer to St. Michael is prayed for protection against the devil. The name Gabriel means "Power of God." In the Book of Daniel, he foretells the coming of the Messiah. In the Gospel of Luke, he foretells the birth of (St.) John the Baptist to Zachariah, & announces to (St.) Mary that she will become the Mother of Christ. The name Raphael means "God has healed." He appears in the Book of Tobit & is the patron of travelers.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Wisdom, chapter six, verses one thru twenty-one.

Mass Readings
The Book of Daniel, chapter seven, verses nine & ten, thirteen & fourteen;
or, the Book of Revelation, chapter twelve, verses seven thru twelve(a,b);
Psalm One Hundred Thirty-eight, verses one thru five;
The Gospel according to John, chapter one, verses forty-seven thru fifty-one.

Bonus! Song of Michaelmas Day
The Stanley Brothers, "Angel Band" from O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Soundtrack from the Motion Picture (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Oh, come, angel band,
Come and around me stand,
Oh, bear me away on your snow white wings
To my immortal home,
Oh, bear me away on your snow white wings
To my immortal home."

The Explorers' Club, № CDLXIV

Operation AXIOM: The World War—The Third Battle of Artois, Part I
25 September-14 October 1915: The Battle of Loos—initial British gains were not exploited & eventually retaken by the Germans due to a lack of reserves (fresh troops) & artillery shells; Loos saw the first British use of poison gas of the war & the first tactical aerial bombing in history.









Commentary: When we think of the Great War of 1914-1918, of ranks of infantry climbing out of trenches & advancing across open ground under constant machine gun fire toward coils of barbed wire, with clouds of poison gas hanging over the whole bloody affair, we are thinking of the Battle of Loos. All the elements were in place, except for the British Brodie helmet & the German Stahlhelm, which wouldn't be introduced 'til 1916. (Wayback Machine: The Explorers' Club, № CXII, 2009.)

Lest we forget.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Optional Memorial of Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr (c. 097-935, A.K.A. Duke Wenceslaus I of Bohemia): Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Redeemer Parish bulletin:

His martyrdom, & the popularity of several biographies, quickly gave rise to a reputation for heroic goodness, resulting in his being elevated to sainthood, posthumously declared king, & seen as the patron saint of the Czech state. He is the subject of "Good King Wenceslas," a Saint Stephen's Day carol written over nine hundred years later, in 1853.

Quoth the Holy Family Parish bulletin:

Wenceslaus was a Christian ruler of Bohemia; he was martyred near Prague in the year 929. He is the first Slav to be canonized.

'Tis also the Optional Memorial of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz & Companions, Martyrs (d. 1633-1637), martyred under the Tokugawa Shogunate: Martyrs-link, Martyr-link Lima Romeo, Wikipedia-link Lima Romeo, & Wikipedia-link Sixteen.

Commentary: Quoth the Holy Redeemer Parish bulletin:

Lorenzo Ruiz is the first Filipino saint. He is also the first Filipino martyred for the Christian Faith. After two days of agony, he died of bleeding & suffocation. He & fifteen companions, martyred in the same persecution, were beatified by Pope Saint John Paul II (22 October).

Quoth the Holy Family Parish bulletin:

Lorenzo Ruiz was a Filipino layman who was martyred with fiften companions at Nagasaki, Japan in 1637. He was the father of a family who went to Japan with the Dominican missionaries in order to avoid arrest for a crime of which he was accused. In the presence of the Japanese judges he said: "I am a Christian. I shall die for God, & for Him I would give many thousands of lives. So do with me what you please."

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Wisdom, chapter four, verse twenty thru chapter five (all, verses one thru twenty-three);
The Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter three.

Mass Readings
The Book of Zechariah, chapter eight, verses one thru eight;
Psalm One Hundred Two, verses sixteen thru twenty-three, twenty-nine;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses forty-six thru fifty.

Bonus! Song of the Day
The Klezmonauts, "Good King Wenceslas" from Oy to the World: A Klezmer Christmas (Mike Papa Whiskey)

This Week in Motorsport
I find it pleasing that we honor sixteen of the Martyrs of Japan a day after the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, run at mighty Suzuka, the second greatest circuit in the whole of the world. I have a deep & abiding fondness for the Nihonese, & I hope one day to visit the Land of the Rising Sun, most certainly Honshu, but 'tis hoped also Hokkaido, Kyushu, & Shikoku.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Everybody's Better" from A Jackknife to a Swan (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Envy is a dread foe, with self-pity amongst the many weapons in its arsenal.

"Everybody's better than I am,
I think everybody's better than me,
And everybody's swell, I guess,
They're doing well, more of less,
And everybody's better than I am, I think.

"You know, to be king you don't need a castle.
To row back to shore can sure be a hassle…

"Why you walk around with your head low down?
The true king rules without a crown!
If your boat's afloat after the typhoon,
Row it safely back to the lagoon.

"And never the mind the green grass you won't mow,
Or what it is you have or don't to show,
Or what it is you can or can't afford,
The good are good without reward…

"You know, to be king you don't need a castle."

He's Dead, Jim | Project GLOWWORM
I had my annual appointment with the optometrist this morn. Normally, my eye exam falls on what seems to be the sunniest day of the year, but today I awoke to a pleasantly overcast sky. My eyes appear to be healthy & the prescription for my spectacles is effectively unchanged. I hadn't realized that I've had my present frames & lenses since 2010. Tempus fugit—time flies! My spectacles are thoroughly modern black plastic rectangles, owing to their Danish origin, appropriate for a hipster circa 2010 & superficially similar to the U.S. Armed Forces' contemporary Model 5A G.I. glasses. Though my spectacles hold only one lens—the left eye piece is not a prescription lens, owing to that eye's nearly 20/20 vision—I find that I now wear my spectacles almost all the time. The optometrist assures me that this is perfectly ordinary, as age makes it more & more cumbersome for the left eye to compensate for the right eye's shortsightedness.

I do not yet have the appropriate wardrobe to accompany wearing a monocle, even though my vision would support such an affection.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Otherwise, 27 September would be the memorial of Saint Vincent de Paul, C.M. (1581-1660), priest, co-founder of the Daughters of Charity, formally the Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, & the Vincentians, formally the Congregation of the Mission: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link D.C. & Wikipedia-link C.M..

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Quoth the Holy Family Parish bulletin:

St. Vincent de Paul was born of a poor family. He became a priest at age nineteen. he established the Congregation of the Mission (later called the Vincentians) & the Daughters of Charity. These groups are dedicated to charitable works, especially to the poor. St. Vincent de Paul societies are one example of how the work he began continues to this day. He died in Paris in 1660.

The Holy Family Parish bulletin's "Saint quote of the week:"

"Even though the poor are often rough & unrefined, we must not judge them from external appearances nor from the mental gifts they seem to have received. On the contrary, if tyou consider the poor in the light of faith, then you will observe that they are taking the place of the Son of God who chose to be poor."—St. Vincent de Paul

Scripture of the Lord's Day
Mass Readings
The Book of Numbers, chapter eleven, verses twenty-five thru twenty-nine;
Psalm Nineteen, verses eight, ten, twelve thru fourteen;
The Letter of James, chapter five, verses one thru six;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter nine, verses thirty-eight thru forty-three, forty-five, forty-seven & forty-eight.

Mass Journal: Week 40
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute

A tree with deep roots can weather any storm. In your life & mine it is only a matter of time before the next storm gets here: an illness, the death of a loved one, unemployment, financial difficulties, a troubled child, a natural disaster, marital strife, or any number of other things. The storms of life are inevitable. The question is not weather there will be another storm. The question is: When will the next storm get here? (sic) And when the next storm gets here, it's too late to sink the roots. When the next storm gets here, you either have the roots or you don't.

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Lord's Day

Alan Powell, "Chasing after the Wind" from The Song Album: Music from the Motion Picture (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"What do we mean if nothing has meaning?
If in the end we're chasing after wind?

"I had everything, but that don't leave me anything,
I had my plans crumble into sand.
Now I understand I was born a natural man,
Racing to the end and chasing after wind…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas & Damien, Martyrs (d. c. 303), martyred under the Emperor Diocletian: Martyrs-link, Martyr-link Charlie, Martyr-link Delta, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Quoth the Holy Redeemer Parish bulletin:

Reputed to be twin brothers, physicians, & early Christian martyrs. They practiced their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, the in the Roman parovince of Syria. Accepting no payment for their services led to them being named Anarguroi (Ανάργυροι [It's Greek to me.], "Unmercenaries"); it has been said that, by this, they attracted many to the Christian faith.

Quoth the St. Michael Parish bulletin:

Twin brothers born in Arabia, physicians, & early Christian martyrs. They practiced their profession in Syria. They accepted no payment for their services & they attracted many to the Christian faith. They were martyred in Syria & their relics are deemed miraculous.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Wisdom, chapter four, verses one thru nineteen.

Mass Readings
The Book of Zechariah, chapter two, verses five thru nine, fourteen thru fifteen(a);
The Book of Jeremiah, chapter thirty-one, verses ten thru twelve(a,b), thirteen;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses forty-three(b) thru forty-five.

The Undiscovered Country

Today, for the second time in three weeks, I served as a pallbearer. Twenty-one days ago precisely, I carried the casket of my dear friend Chris. This morning & this afternoon, I carried the casket of a priest & brother Sir Knight I had never had the privilege to meet. Though Chris was only forty-one years old, I will not say that he was taken too soon, because if he had completed the circuit on Earth to which the LORD in His infinite wisdom had appointed him, who am I to protest that this was "too soon"? Monsignor, by way of contrast, was in his nineties, having been a priest for seventy-one years; a goodly span by any accounting. I have felt tremendously honored to serve on both occasions, for reasons both personal & corporate. Both of the departed were brother Knights of Columbus, & to join the Knights is to join something larger than oneself.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, & let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

Sufjan Stevens, "Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid)" from Michigan (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Pray for the people of Flint. Pray for the Catholic Community of Flint—St. John Vianney, St. Mary, St. Matthew, & St. Michael—four parishes under a single pastor. Pray for the Diocese of Lansing's "Faith in Flint" initiative. Pray for the unemployed & underpaid.

"It's the same outside,
Driving to the riverside,
I pretend to cry,
Even if I cry alone.

"I forgot the start,
Use my hands to use my heart,
Even if I die alone,
Even if I die alone.

"Since the first of June,
Lost my job and lost my room,
I pretend to try,
Even if I try alone.

"I forgot the part,
Use my hands to use my heart,
Even if I die alone,
Even if I die alone,
Even if I die alone,
Even if I die alone,
Even if I die."

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Cleopas (first century): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: St. Cleopas is the only named member of the duo of disciples who encountered the Risen Christ on the road to Emmaus, as described in detail in the Gospel according to Luke, chapter twenty-four, verses thirteen thru thirty-five & more briefly in the Gospel according to Mark, chapter sixteen, verses twelve & thirteen.

We also remember Saint Finbarr (c. 550-623), bishop & abbot: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Wisdom, chapter three.

Mass Readings
The Book of Haggai, chapter two, verses one thru nine;
Psalm Forty-three, verses one thru four;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses eighteen thru twenty-two.

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

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

Commentary: After yesterday's corporate jargon (which, though nauseating, is not intentionally misleading & is thus not doublespeak, however much I'd love to denounce it as such), how about an honest day's work?

"Some people say a man is made out of mud,
A poor man's made out of muscle and blood,
Muscle and blood and skin and bones,
A mind that's weak and a back that's strong.

"You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don't you call me, 'cause I can't go:
I owe my soul to the company store.…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Anathalon of Milan (second century), bishop: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Today is also, in certain places, the Feast of Our Lady of Ransom: Our Lady-link & Wikipedia-link.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
Introduction to the Book of Haggai;
the Book of Haggai, chapter one, verse nine thru chapter two, verse nine;
The Book of Wisdom, chapter one, verse sixteen thru chapter two (all, verses one thru twenty-four).

Commentary: Wisdom, 1:16 really should be part of the following chapter, as it represents a change in subject & perspective from the rest of the opening chapter.

For those who, like me, struggle with Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home), let me recommend to you the second chapter of Wisdom, which expresses what methinks the Holy Father is trying to say more concisely, more eloquently, & more evocatively than his own too often "crude & naïve" prose.

Mass Readings
The Book of Haggai, chapter one, verses one thru eight;
Psalm One Hundred Forty-nine, verses one(a) thru six(b), nine(b);
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses seven thru nine.

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

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

Commentary: You've sat through this meeting. You know you have.

"We must all efficiently
Operationalize our strategies,
Invest in world-class technology,
And leverage our core competencies,
In order to holistically
Administrate exceptional synergy.

"We'll set a brand trajectory
Using management's philosophy,
Advance our market share via-à-vis
Our proven methodology,
With strong commitment to quality
Effectively enhancing corporate synergy.

"Transitioning our company
By awareness of functionality,
Promoting viability,
Providing our supply chain with diversity.
We will distill our identity
Through client-centric solutions and synergy.

"At the end of the day (at the end of the day),
We must monetize our assets.
The fundamentals of change, can you visualize?
A value-added experience
That will grow the business infrastructure and
Monetize our assets,
Monetize our assets,
Monetize our assets.

"Bringing to the table
Our capitalized reputation,
Proactively overseeing
Day-to-day operations,
Services, and deliverables,
With cross-platform innovation,
Networking
Soon will bring
Seamless integration,
Robust and scalable,
Bleeding-edge and next-generation,
Best of breed.
We'll succeed,
In achieving globalization.

Gaining traction with our resources in the marketplace,
It's mission critical to stay incentivized,
Our business plan will foster flexible solutions for our customer base,
If you can't think outside the box you'll be downsized.
It's a paradigm shift!
Hey! Hey! Look out!
Well, it's a paradigm shift, now!
Here we go! Here we come!
Here we go! Here we come!
Ha!"

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

Don Byron, "Powerhouse" via iTunes (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Even if you don't know "Powerhouse" by title, I assure you that you've heard the song, likely playing over a cartoon montage of work in a factory.

Project GLOWWORM
Having begun the long, hard fall, the straw Trilby has been retired, replaced for warm-weather duty by the paper Trilby, which provides slightly less shade but is a more comfortable chapeau. The paper Trilby will share duties with the bright maize Michigan Wolverines baseball cap, which is altogether superior for rainy & windy conditions.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest, O.F.M. Cap. (1887-1968, A.K.A. Padre Pio), stigmatic: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Quoth the Holy Redeemer Parish bulletin:

Commonly known as Padre Pio (25 May 1877-23 September 1968), was a friar, priest, stigmatist, & mystic of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1962, when Pope Saint John Paul II (22 October) was still an archbishop in Poland, he wrote to Padre Pio & asked him to pray for a Polish woman with throat cancer. Within two weeks, she had been cured of her life-threatening disease. (St. Pius of Pietrelcina's) was the 45th canonization ceremony of Pope St. John Paul II's pontificate.

Quoth the St. Michael Parish bulletin:

Also known as Padre Pio, a friar, priest, stigmatic, & mystic of the Capuchin friars. He was born in 1887 in Italy & died in 1968. At baptism he was given the name Francesco & by the age of five he made the decision to dedicate his life to God. He was afflictaed with many illnesses which kept him bedridden. It was reported that he experienced heavenly visions. he was seen as a symbol of hope in Europe & began to manifest gifts of healing, prophecy, & miracles.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
Introduction to the Book of Wisdom;
the Book of Wisdom, chapter one (of nineteen), verses one thru fifteen;

Mass Readings
The Book of Ezra, chapter nine, verses five thru nine;
The Book of Tobit, chapter thirteen, verses one(b), two thru four(b), four(e,f,g,h), four(n), seven & eight;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter nine, verses one thru six

The Explorers' Club, № CDLXIII

Operation AXIOM: The World War—The Great Retreat, Part IV
19 September 1915: The Germans captured Vilnius, following the recapture of the Przemyśl Fortress (5 June) & Lemberg (22 June, A.K.A. Lviv or Lwów) & the capture of Warsaw (5 August)—by the end of the Great Retreat in, Russia's killed, missing, or wounded tallied five hundred thousand (c. 500,000), while one million of the Tsar's soldiers had been taken prisoner (c. 1,000,000).









Lest we forget.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Maurice & the Theban Legion (d. c. 287), martyred en masse under the Emperor Maximian: Martyr-link Mike & Wikipedia-link Mike, Martyrs-link & Wikipedia-link Legion.

We also remember Saint Thomas of Villanova, O.S.A. (1488-1555), bishop: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings
The Book of Ezra, chapter six, verses seven & eight, twelve(b), fourteen thru twenty;
Psalm One Hundred Twenty-two, verses one thru five;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eight, verses nineteen thru twenty-one.

Mass Journal: Week 39
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute

My favorite passage from the Catechism of the Catholic Church appears as the first line of the first chapter, & it reads, "The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God & for God; & God never ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth & happiness he never stops searching for."

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day!

The Aquabats!, "Cheeseburger Politics!" from Charge!! Special One Year Anniversary Edition (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary: A boss of mine once sagely opined, setting the tone for his workforce, "This job would be great if it wasn't for the fucking customers." Alas, customers aren't always the only thing that makes some jobs unbearable.

"I got me a job, but now I wonder if it's worth it,
So clap your hands if you work for The Man!
Flippin', moppin', cookin' in the Burger Hut, kickin',
Skin all shiny from the grease up in the kitchen,
And why do the managers talk to me
Like they think I really care about a fast food career?
And why do the other kids who work here too
Try to get me all fired, like a even want to work here?…

"So I try to chat it up with somebody here
About anything besides this burger career,
But everybody's grippin', moppin' so no slippin',
No one wants to get caught by someone else trippin',
And why don't the people here make a fuss
Of throwing other coworkers under the bus?
And why don't they see you don't get paid that much more
Playing office politics, like I even want to work here?…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Feast of Saint Matthew, Apostle & Evangelist (first century), martyr: Apostle-link ūnus, Apostle-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the Holy Redeemer Parish bulletin:

According to the Bible, St. Matthew was one of Jesus's twelve disciples & the first author of the New testament. Matthew is the patron saint of tax collectors & accountants.

Quoth the Saint Michael Parish bulletin:

One of the four Evangelists. He was a first century Galilean, the son of Alphaeus. He invited Jesus home for a feast & the scribes & Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors & sinners. He followed Jesus & was one of the witnesses to the Resurrection & the Ascension. After Jesus's death, Matthew remained in Jerusalem & proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah. It was claimed that he preached the Gospel to the Jewish community in Judea & then in other countries. He died a martyr.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter four (of four);
The First Letter to the Thessalonians, chapter five;
The First Letter of John, chapter two, verses eighteen thru twenty-three.

Commentary: In neither my paper & ink journal nor The Secret Base did I mark precisely when I began my chapter-a-day reading of the New Testament, suggested by the diocesan vocations director as a discernment tool, but 'twas on 2 October 2014 that I finished the sixteenth & final chapter of the Gospel according to Mark, which is where this cycle of reading began. Having now read the fourth chapter of Colossians, I've completed the New Testament, except for the intimidating Book of Revelation. I'm working with the parish's adult faith formation director on acquiring some study materials for Revelation & I will not be proceeding without that or some similar form of hand-holding. So, for a little while I'll read the Book of Wisdom, & whatever else strikes my fancy, before beginning again with Mark, reading the rest of the Gospels, too, & then diving into the Old Testament, probably stating with the Pentateuch.

Mass Readings
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter four, verses one thru seven, eleven thru thirteen;
Psalm Nineteen, verses two thru five;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter nine, verses nine thru thirteen.

The Victors

Saturday, 19 September 2015
Michigan 28-7 U.N.L.V.
2-1, B1G 0-0

Michigan quarterback Jake Rudock, a graduate student transfer from Iowa, where he was a two-year starter, has now thrown five interceptions in the first three games, which is the same number of interceptions he threw all of last year at Iowa. Rudock is a complete disaster, an albatross around the neck of a club that is still weak from the Brady Hoke years, a club that might not be good enough to win very many games behind a quarterback whose only accurate throws are to the opposing club's defenders. As long as Rudock is the valiant Wolverines' quarterback, they are going to struggle to achieve bowl eligibility this season. I do not understand why Rudock is still starting ahead of Shane Morris, unless Morris is a shambles in practice. Thank goodness Rudock's active sabotage of the valiant Wolverines can only last for this one year. When he is gone, it will be good riddance to bad rubbish.

The running game returned to Earth after soaring to unsustainable heights against Oregon State. Of course, I say that about a game that featured the two longest runs of the year, both of them for touchdowns. Other than those "explosive plays," the things that has been conspicuously absent from the valiant Wolverines' offense this season, though, the running game struggled more & was less reliably productive than in the previous match. The defense was solid throughout, only losing the shutout late in the fourth quarter.

My expectations for the rest of the season are minimal, given the offense running through the inept hands of Rudock, who actually seems to be regressing, becoming a less accurate passer with each passing weekend. I had hoped the valiant Wolverines would win eight games. While that is still possible against a Big Ten schedule that looks fairly weak, I expect them to be soundly defeated by every ranked club they play & finish the regular season with six wins. A winning season & bowl eligibility are the goals. We can begin to think about eight or nine wins once Rudock has exhausted his N.C.A.A. eligibility & Harbaugh's own players displace Hoke's on the roster. (Of course, it must be noted that responsibility for Rudock wearing the Maize & Blue rests with Harbaugh, not Hoke; this albatross is largely responsible for tarnishing Harbaugh's aura of inevitability-cum-invincibility.)

Next: № 22 B.Y.U. at the "Big House," Michigan Stadium. The epithetless Cougars are 2-1, their loss having come this past weekend at the hands of № 9 U.C.L.A. (Ranked № 10 before the victory over B.Y.U., who were № 19.) True, both of B.Y.U.'s victories involved last-second "Hail Mary" passes, but they are also not hamstrung by starting Jake Rudock at quarterback, so I am very concerned about the prospect of Coach Harbaugh's first defeat in the friendly confines of the Big House. Where is my faith in the valiant Wolverines? I suppose the last seven years, & the blundering of Jake Rudock, have made me bitter & cynical.

Of the first "Hail Mary" victory, over Nebraska, Daddy Dylweed, who is Mormon, texted me, "Every Mormon is a little more Catholic after that pass!"

Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Labor Song of the Day

Wally Dogger, "I.T. Is for Rockstars" from I Surrender, When Do I Start? (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Management has had to add a third shift to keep up with soaring demand driven by high customer satisfaction & good word-of-mouth.

"I.T. is for rock stars!
I only own three dress shirts,
You've got a doctorate,
But I can use bigger words,
Like the (technobabble) gonna crash the (technobabble),
And you just shake your head,
'Cause I know you're impressed with me.
I work in I.T.…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Otherwise, on 20 September we would remember Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, & Companions (d. 1791-1888, A.K.A. the Korean Martyrs), marytred under the Joseon dynasty: Martyrs-link ūnus, Martyrs-link duo, & Wikipedia-link Martyrs; Martyr-link Alpha Kilo Tango & Wikipedia-link Alpha Kilo Tango; Martyr-link Papa Charlie Hotel & Wikipedia-link Papa Charlie Hotel.

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

Mass Readings
The Book of Wisdom, chapter two, verses twelve, seventeen thru twenty;
Psalm Fifty-four, verses three thru six, eight;
The Letter of James, chapter three, verse sixteen thru chapter four, verse three;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter nine, verses thirty thru thirty-seven.

The first "Mass Mob" in the Diocese of Lansing mobbed the noon Mass at St. Michael Parish today. I've been the St. Michael several times, for Corporate Communion as a Knight of Columbus & for the St. Patrick Day Mass last March. The Mass Mob in the Archdiocese of Detroit has been gathering geographically dispersed but devout & enthusiastic Catholics in small inner city parishes for at least two years now. I've loved the concept & am thrilled that it has both come to my diocese & that I'm a part of it. I cannot wait 'til the next Mass Mob, wherever it shall be!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Lord's Day

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, "Amazing Grace" via iTunes (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: This rendition of "Amazing Grace" is instrumental, that instrument being the bagpipes. The Scottish flag, pictured above, is an explicitly Christian symbol, a white St. Andrew's Cross defacing a blue field; Saint Andrew the Apostle, the brother of Pope Saint Peter, is reputed to have been martyred on an X-shaped cross.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Januarius, Bishop & Martyr (d. c 305), martyred under the Emperor Diocletian: Martyr-link ūnus, Martyr-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Book of Wisdom, chapters one thru three;
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter two.

Mass Readings
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter six, verses thirteen thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred, verses one(b) thru five;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eight, verses four thru fifteen.

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

Fountains of Wayne, "Hey Julie" from Welcome Interstate Managers (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Fair's fair—since I always harangue Less Than Jake over Hello Rockview, I dare not spare Fountains of Wayne: The song should be titled "Hey, Julie" & the album should probably be titled Welcome, Interstate Managers (except in the unlikely event the title is meant as a command to welcome interstate managers to some or another function).

"Working all day for a mean little man
With a clip-on tie and a rub-on tan,
He's got me running 'round the office like a day around a track
But when I get back home you're always there to rub my back.

"Hey, Julie, look what they're doing to me,
Trying to trip me up, trying to wear me down,
Julie, I swear it's so hard to bear it,
And I'd never make it through without you around,
No, I'd never make it through without you around.

"Hours on the phone making pointless calls,
I've got a desk full of paper that means nothing at all,
Sometimes I catch myself staring into space,
Counting down the hours 'til I get to see your face.

"Hey, Julie, look what they're doing to me,
Trying to trip me up, trying to wear me down,
Julie, I swear it's so hard to bear it,
And I'd never make it through without you around,
No, I'd never make it through without you around.

"How did it come to be
That you and I must be
Far away from each other every day?
Why must I spend my time
Filling up my mind
With facts and figures that never add up, anyway?
They never add up, anyway.

"Working all day for a mean little guy
With a bad toupee and a soup-stained tie,
He's got my running 'round this office like a gerbil on a wheel,
He can tell me what to do but he can't tell me how to feel.

"Hey, Julie, look what they're doing to me,
Trying to trip me up, trying to wear me down,
Julie, I swear it's so hard to bear it,
And I'd never make it through without you around,
No, I'd never make it through without you around,
No, I'd never make it through without you around."

I've never worked in an office. While this has necessarily limited my career prospects, have I really been missing out on anything? Which is not to say that I should not have worked harder & could not have been far more successful in my chosen non-office career.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today we remember Saint Hygbald, O.S.B. (d. c 690, A.K.A. Hybald), abbot & hermit: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

We also remember Saint Joseph of Cupertino, O.F.M. Conv. (1603-1663), priest, the "Flying Friar": Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter one (of four).

Mass Readings
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter six, verses two(c) thru twelve;
Psalm Forty-nine, verses six thru ten, seventeen thru twenty;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eight, verses one thru three.

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

The Folksmen, "Blood on the Coal" from A Mighty Wind: The Album (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"It was April Twenty-seventh in the year of Ninety-one,
About a mile below the surface and the warm Kentucky sun,
The late shift was ending and the early shift was late,
And the foreman ate his dinner from a dirty tin plate.

"Blood on the tracks, blood in the mine,
Brothers and sister, what a terrible time!
Old Ninety-seven went in the wrong hole,
Now in Mine Number Sixty there's blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal.

"Well, the slag pits were steaming, it was seven twenty-five,
Every miner worked the coal face, every one of them alive,
The train came round the corner, you could hear the trestle groan,
But the switcher wasn't listening, so he left the switch alone.

"Blood on the tracks, blood in the mine,
Brothers and sister, what a terrible time!
Old Ninety-seven went in the wrong hole,
Now in Mine Number Sixty there's blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal,
Blood on the coal.

"Well, the walls began to tremble and the men began to yell,
They could hear that lonesome whistle like an echo out of—well,
They dropped their picks and shovels as to safety they did run,
For to stay amongst the living in the year of Ninety-one…"

The Victors

Thursday, 3 September 2015
(№ 24*) Utah 24-17 Michigan
0-1, B1G 0-0

The much-heralded Harbaugh era began with a thud. In a surprisingly close loss to a superior Pac-12 opponent, we looked every bit like a Brady Hoke club; I know that those are fighting words, but they accurately convey my experience of the loss. That said, the pain of the loss had the salutary benefit of lowering expectations for the Harbaugh era. I am not arguing that my fellow Michigan Wolverines & I should accustom ourselves to a "new normal" in which mediocrity is acceptable & good enough is good enough. Heaven forbid! We are Michigan & our proud tradition of excellence will accept nothing less than continued, or in this case a return to, excellence. Any season in which we do not win the Big Ten championship has be be viewed as a disappointment, a failure. That is & always must be the standard to which we hold ourselves. No, what I mean is that prior to the Utah contest many of expected unrealistic results from Coach Harbaugh & co. There has been messianic excitement about Harbaugh's coming, quite a sight to see in atheistic Ann Arbor, but also a sign of how desperate we Wolverines have become for success after three roller-coaster years under Rich Rod, four sinking years under Brady Hoke, & the reign of terror of Athletic Director/ultimate stereotypical corporate douchebag Dave Brandon. Expectations for Harbaugh were frankly out of control. Yes, many intellects acknowledged that rebuilding would be a slower process than any of us would like, but our hearts? Our stubborn hearts, so often burned & yet still so ready to love, our hearts told us that Harbaugh was a magical unicorn would would slay our enemies & restore our pride. The loss to the epithetless Utes was a needed cold shower.

None of which is to say that I'm in any way happy about our defeat. I'm furious! But in my fury I do have to acknowledge that despite all the frustrating setbacks & unforced errors, the margin of defeat was only seven points, on the road, to a ranked* club. The margin of defeat was one intercepted pass returned for a touchdown, what is today ubiquitously & irksomely called a "pick six." After all the poor tackling & bad passes & missed assignments, how did we only lose by seven on the road? Maybe progress is being made after all?

*This ranking is an anachronism, because the epithetless Utes were not ranked in the Top 25 in the preseason poll. Thus, they were not ranked № 24 'til after they beat us. That said, this sop to my vanity is not wholly inappropriate, because the preseason poll is guesswork, pure speculation; once games began to be played, Utah was recognized as one of the twenty-five best in the country, being ranked № 24 in the "Week 2" poll & № 21 in today's "Week 3" poll. So, I stand behind the claim that we lost to a Top 25 club.

Saturday, 12 September 2015
Michigan 35-7 Oregon State
1-1, B1G 0-0

The valiant Wolverines' victory over the epithetless Beavers of Oregon State, the second Pac-12 opponent in as many games, was the game we has been waiting for lo these many years. The valiant Wolverines ran all over them! Sure, sure, a teddy bear parade could have gashed O.S.U.'s (distinct from the hated Buckeyes of T.O.S.U. or the epithetless Cowboys of the other O.S.U., Oklahoma State) run defense, but that doesn't matter, because it was the valiant Wolverines who ran all over them! There are both rational & irrational reasons for this excitement. The rational excitement is that the valiant Wolverines have not had a running game since Denard "Shoelace" Robinson exhausted his N.C.A.A. eligibility & well as every defender who ever had to pursue him. Under Brady Hoke, we couldn't run even against paper tiger run defenses like Oregon State's. Progress!

On the other hand, graduate student transfer quarterback Jake Rudock continues to be a human turnover machine, accounting for a fumble & an interception against the epithetless Beavers after throwing three interceptions about the epithetless Utes. Even if we assign blame for two out of the three Utah turnovers to a freshman receiver who ran terrible routes (which is fair), Rudock still shoulders the blame for staring down his receivers & for terrible ball security in the backfield. Too harsh, you say? He's a third-year starter, for pity's sake! Yes, this is his first & only year in Ann Arbor, but before that he was a two-year starter in Iowa City. By this point in his career, if he doesn't know better, he never will. For my harsh critique of Rudock, I've been asked if I want to be address as "Debbie Downer" or "Negative Nancy;" I replied that I am a "Rudoubter." This particular conversant's explanation for how Rudock would overcome his innate Rudock-ness? "Harbaugh, dude!" (Of course, many years ago, during a B.T.W. game of Risk, this same fellow tried to persuade me into the suicidal course of pursuing the Asian continental bonus. When I expressed my doubts about the solidness of his plan, his only reply was to raise his eyebrows hopefully & said, "But, Mike—Asia!" Bless him for his consistency.)

Speaking of "Harbaugh, dude!," the gripping hand that turned the Oregon State victory back into the happiest day for Michigan football in recent memory was Coach Harbaugh's first sideline tantrum. That beautiful madman erupted like Krakatoa! Oregon State's rugby-style punting bobbled the snap & ran out of the "tackle box" before finally kick the ball, which should have nullified any possibility for a roughing-the-kicker penalty, yet the valiant Wolverines were assessed a penalty for roughing the kicker, at which point Coach Harbaugh snapped. He stomped. He snarled. He drop-kicked his clipboard. It was the sideline tantrum we'd all been eager awaiting since the glorious news of Harbaugh's improbable hiring. Rich Rod was often agitated on the sideline, but that was always exasperation. Hoke was often agitated on the sideline, but that was frustration, later tinged with resignation. Harbaugh was boiling over with righteous fury. Praise the Lord & pass the salt & vinegar potato chips! Burns so good! Not only is Jim Harbaugh a winner with an envious track record of success in both college & the No Fun League, but Jim Harbaugh brings the crazy. The most frequently used word to describe his coaching style is "intense." This is a euphemism for "bat-guano crazy," meant in the best possible way. Jim Harbaugh is Bruce Wayne staring down the Joker in Vicky Vale's apartment in Tim Burton's Batman, wielding a fireplace poker against men bearing firearms & shouting, "You want to get nuts? Let's get nuts!" Nobody out-crazies the Harbaugh! You can't out-Harbaugh Harbaugh! It can't be done! HARBAUGH! After the game, all Coach Harbaugh said was that he'd like an explanation for the ruling on the field. "Harbaugh, dude!"

For the first time in a long time, even if Oregon State is predicted to be one of the weakest clubs in the Pac-12 Conference, the valiant Wolverines looked like the valiant Wolverines of old, the valiant Wolverines almost of myth & legend after lo these seven years of anguish. Despite my Rudoubts & paltry appraisal of Oregon State, the fact is that I came away from the victory smiling from ear to ear. I don't know if I'd been so happy since the ugly Sugar Bowl victory in January '12, at the end of Hoke's first season, & even that most due as much as anything to Shoelace's brilliant improvisational play. There is optimism afoot throughout the Wolverine Nation. There is hope, or at least the hope that there is hope.

Next: The epithetless Rebels of U.N.L.V., the University of Nevada, Las Vegas at the "Big House," Michigan Stadium, Saturday at noon. U.N.L.V.? What deluded imbecile put together this schedule? Oh, right, the devil Dave Brandon. I am outraged that the valiant Wolverines are not playing a club based in the Eastern Time Zone 'til the start of conference play. Truly, nothing is sacred in college football.

Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

Billy Joel, "Allentown" from The Nylon Curtain (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Well, we're living here in Allentown
And they're closing all the factories down,
Out in Bethlehem they're killing time
Filling out forms, standing in line…

"And we're living here in Allentown,
But the restlessness was handed down,
And it's getting very hard to stay…

"So the graduations hang on the wall,
But they never really helped us at all.
No, they never taught us what was real:
Iron and coke, chromium steel.

"And we're waiting here in Allentown,
But they've taken all the coal from the ground
And the union people crawled away…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop & Doctor of the Church, S.J. (1542-1621): Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

This outstanding scholar & devoted servant of God defended the Apostolic See against the anti-clericals in venice & against the political tenets of James I of England. He composed an exhaustive apologetic work against the prevailing heretics of his day. In the field of church-state relations, now regarded as [fundamental,] democratic authority originates with God, but is vested in the people, who entrust it to fit rulers.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter six (of six);
Introduction to the Letter to the Colossians.

Commentary: If I stay on schedule, by Monday I will have within the last year & a half read all of the New Testament (Acts twice) except the Book of Revelation. I am currently organizing a Bible study covering Revelation, so for my personal reading after Colossians I think I will circle back & re-read the Gospels, starting with Mark.

Chapter six of Ephesians is noted for the "armor of God" metaphor, but 'twas the verses immediately following that most caught my eye:

¹⁸ With all prayer & supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance & supplication for all the holy ones ¹⁹ & also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Mass Readings
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter four, verses twelve thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred Eleven, verses seven thru ten;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter seven, verses thirty-six thru fifty;
or, for the Memorial,
The Book of Wisdom, chapter seven, verses seven thru ten, fifteen & sixteen;
Psalm Nineteen, verses eight thru eleven;,
The Second Letter to Timothy, chapter & verse unknown;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter seven, verses twenty-one thru twenty-nine.

Commentary: I woke up early today & drove out to Flushing (to the northwest of Flint, whereas Grand Blanc sits to the southeast) to attend morning Mass at St. Robert Bellarmine Parish. I write this not to boast, but to share with you how wonderful 'tis to start the day with Mass, in the Real Presence of the Lord; I cannot encourage daily Mass attendance strongly enough. Because today is the solemnity of the parish's patron, this morning's Mass went the whole nine yards, including a second reading (no mention of which was available in the Missal where the alternate Memorial readings were listed), the Gloria, & the Creed, pieces of the Mass normally reserved for the full Sunday extravaganza. My experience at St. Pius X Parish on the feast day of Pope St. Pius X (21 August) was underwhelming, but I could scarcely be more satisfied about this morning's sojourn to St. Robert Bellarmine. Keep up the good work, Father Gordon!

The Explorers' Club, № CDLXII

Operation AXIOM: The World War—The Fokker Scourge, Part III
Adolphe Pégoud (d. 31 August 1915), the first French ace (whose press nickname "l'As" originated the term); Max Immelmann (d. 18 June 1916), namesake of the Immelmann Turn; & Oswald Boelcke (d. 28 October 1916), formulator of the first rules of aerial combat, the Dicta Boelcke—the latter two winners of the Prussian Pour le Mérite, nicknamed the "Blauer Max" ("Blue Max") after Immelmann.













Lest we forget.

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, & Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs (d. 253 & d. 258), martyred under the Emperors Gallus & Valerian, respectively: Martyr-link Charlie Oscar ūnus, Martyr-link Charlie Oscar duo, & Wikipedia-link Charlie Oscar; Martyr-link Charlie Yankee ūnus, Martyr-link Charlie Yankee duo, & Wikipedia-link Charlie Yankee.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

The great controversy that arose as a result of the Decian persecution was whether or not the Church could pardon & receive back into the Church those who had apostacized in the face of martyrdom. Cornelius decreed that they must be welcomed back & insisted that they perform an adequate penance. St. Cyprian was a close friend of Pope Cornelius, & supported him both against the antipope Novatian & in his views concerning the readmittance of apostates into the Church.

I am continually puzzled by schismatic, ultra rigorous heresies like Novatianism (arising from the Decian persecution) & the later Donatism (arising from the Diocletianic or Great Persecution). Did not Saint Peter, the Apostle, the first pope, thrice deny the Christ during the Passion? After the Resurrection, did not Jesus forgive Peter? The whole point of Christianity is that we are to share in the Resurrection & the Life of Christ. If we are striving to be like Christ in all things, how can we justify showing less mercy than He showed to Peter? How can we expect to be forgiven our trespasses if we will not forgive those who trespass against us? Is apostasy in the face of persecution to be lauded? Of course not! Is martyrdom glorious? Of course it is! But we are all sinners, & we condemn ourselves to fiery Gehenna when we pretend otherwise & sit in hypocritical judgment of our fellow sinners.

Scripture of the Day
Reading
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter five.

Mass Readings
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter three, verses fourteen thru sixteen;
Psalm One Hundred Eleven, verses one thru six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter seven, verses thirty-one thru thirty-five.

The Queue

I must find an appropriate way to contact Mr. Posey, to thank him for his writing without invading his privacy. Perhaps I shall send a note of thanks care of his publisher, David Bull Publishing, or his home track, Lime Rock Park, wherein a section of the circuit is called the Sam Posey Straight.

After the entertainment of Where the Writer Meets the Road, which is not to say that the work is not thought-provoking, 'tis now back to work with Pope Francis's second encyclical letter, the famous (in certain circles, infamous) Laudato Si'. I have tried not to prejudge On Care for Our Common Home, & whatever I encounter therein I shall remember that His Holiness sits upon the chair of Saint Peter, having been duly elected & enthroned (yes, yes, I know the term "inaugurated" is the current fashion) to lead Christ's Church on Earth for as long as shall please the Lord. God the Holy Ghost, guide him!

Recently
Hergé, The Adventures of Tintin, Volumes One thru Seven
Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)
Sam Posey, Where the Writer Meets the Road: A Collection of Articles, Broadcast Intros, and Profiles

Currently
Pope Francis, Laudato Si' (On Care for Our Common Home)
Madeline Pecora Nugent, The Divine Office for Dodos: A Step-by-Step Guide to Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

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

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "Last Dead Mouse" from Don't Know How to Party (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Even the stark raving mad have to work for a living, especially since the Great Society progressives closed down all (no, of course not "all," but an unhelpfully large percentage of) the mental hospitals & threw the mentally ill out onto the streets, often literally.

"Last dead mouse, but I'll get more,
I'm a business man and and entrepreneur,
Folks say I'm nuts; they can say what they please,
You've got to be crazy with prices like these!
No overhead, so I can keep down the cost,
I make my own hours 'cause I'm my own boss,
I believe in my product, I love what I sell,
'Last dead mouse,' that's what I yell!…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows: Our Lady-link ūna, Our Lady-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

The prophesy of Simeon that a sword would piece our Blessed Mother's heart was fulfilled. For this reason, Mary is sometimes depicted with her heart exposed & with seven swords piecing it. More importantly, each new suffering was received with courage, love, & trust that echoed her fiat, "Let it be done unto me according to Thy word," first uttered at the Annunciation.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter four;
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-five, verses thirty-one thru forty-six.

Commentary: I sought out today's selection from Matthew because of recent Sunday readings from the Letter of James, which seeks to correct Saint Paul's often easily misinterpreted statements about the role of faith & works in salvation. Of course we cannot be saved by our works alone, only by grace, but Saint James provides a useful & necessary warning against Martin Luther's & John Calvin's error, which followed a millennium & a half later, of misreading Paul on the relationship of works to faith. In Matthew, chapter twenty-five, the Lord Jesus speaks very explicitly of the necessity of works, what Saint James would classify as demonstrations of genuine faith.

Mass Readings
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter three, verses one thru thirteen;
Psalm One Hundred One, verses one(b) thru three(a,b), five & six;
The Gospel according to John, chapter nineteen, verses twenty-five thru twenty-seven;
or, the Gospel according to Luke, chapter two, verses thirty-three thru thirty-five;
or, for the Memorial:
The Letter to the Hebrews, chapter five, verses seven thru nine;
Psalm Thirty, verse seventeen;
(same choice of Gospel readings).

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Callin' in Sick" from Bad Hair Day (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: To my ears, 2014's "First World Problems" is a thematic companion to 1996's "Callin' in Sick." To wit, we've got it pretty good, we know we do, & yet we whine anyway. From this critique, I am most definitely not exempting myself.

"Hit my snooze alarm for the twenty-seventh time,
Just don't feel like goin' to work…

"When I'm sick of taking abuse,
I just make up some lame excuse,
Freedom's just seven digits away…"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: Holy Cross-link ūnus, Holy Cross-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

Early in the fourth century St. Helena (18 August), mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine, went to Jerusalem in search of the holy places of Christ's life. She razed the second-century Temple of Aphrodite, which tradition held was built ove the Savior's tomb, & her son build the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher. During the excavation, workers found three crosses. Legend has it that the one on which Jesus died was identified when its touch healed a dying woman.

Said yesterday's St. John Chrysostom of the cross:

"Kings removing their diadems take up the cross, the symbol of their Saviour's death; on the purple, the cross; in their prayers, the cross; on their armour, the cross; on the holy table, the cross; throughout the universe, the cross. The cross shines brighter than the sun."

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

Mass Readings
The Book of Numbers, chapter twenty-one, verses four(b) thru nine;
Psalm Seventy-eight, verses one(b,c) thru two, thirty-four thru thirty-eight;
The Letter to the Philippians, chapter two, verses six thru eleven;
The Gospel according to John, chapter three, verses thirteen thru seventeen.

The Queue

I'm in the final third of Sam Posey's Where the Writer Meets the Road, in the midst of three pieces about Le Mans—one reprinted from Sports Illustrated & two from Road & Track, two from the late 1970s & one from the late '90s. My experience of what Le Mans was like prior to 2009 comes almost entirely from Steve McQueen magnificently minimalist motion picture Le Mans, released in 1971 & filmed on-track during the 1970 running of the "Grand Prix of Endurance." I always enjoy Posey's writing, which has already enhanced my appreciation for the idiosyncratic charms of the Indianapolis 500, but there's no other race in the world, not even the Formula One grands prix at Monaco & Spa-Francorchamps, that I love like I love the 24 Heures du Mans. This book is a true delight.

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

Ben Folds, "Fred Jones, Part 2" from Rockin' the Suburbs (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I enjoyed last week's collection of workaday songs so much that I was inspired to add a second shift.

"There was no party, there were no songs,
'Cause today's just a day like the day that he started,
And nobody's left here who knows his first name,
And life barrels on like a runaway train
Where the passengers change, they don't change anything,
You get off, someone else can get on.

"And I'm sorry, Mister Jones, it's time…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Lord's Day

Matt Maher, "Because He Lives (Amen)" from Saints and Sinners (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: In the words of Elwood Blues, "This is strong stuff."

"I believe in the Son,
I believe in the Risen One,
I believe I overcome
By the power of His Blood.

"Amen! Amen!
I'm alive, I'm alive, because He lives!
Amen! Amen!
Let my song join the one that never ends,
Because He lives!

"I was dead in the grave,
I was covered in sin and shame,
I heard Mercy call my name,
He rolled the stone away.

"Amen! Amen!
I'm alive, I'm alive, because He lives!
Amen! Amen!
Let my song join the one that never ends—

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, every fear is gone,
I know He holds my life, my future in His hand!

"Amen! Amen!
I'm alive, I'm alive, because He lives!
Amen! Amen!
Let my song join the one that never ends!
"Amen! Amen!
I'm alive, I'm alive, because He lives!
Amen! Amen!
Let my song join the one that never ends,
Because He lives!
Because He lives!"

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Otherwise, on 13 September we would remember Saint John Chrysostom (347-407), archbishop (Patriarch of Constantinople) & Doctor of the Church: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: St. John Chrysostom is a personal patron of yours truly, by his intercession, not by my conscious choice. Last year, I received the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, for spiritual rather than physical sickness, & as Father prayed over me & all the assembled Cursillistas laid on hands, he asked if there was a saint whose intercession I wished to invoke. My mind was blank. Father then received the inspiration to invoke St. John Chrysostom, from whom I had been regularly requesting intercession for those C.R.H.P. team members giving spoken witnesses. 'Twas a moment of significant grace, a powerful & lasting reminder that we in the Church Militant are never very far away from our brothers & sisters in the Church Penitent & the Church Triumphant. This world that we see around us, this glorious Creation, is not all there is.

The epithet Chrysostom means "golden-mouthed," because St. John was renowned for his eloquent homilies. The Lord has gifted me with a silver tongue, which I hope & pray to be able to use as a golden mouth for His greater glory & the building up of His Body which is the Church.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter two;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter seven, verses one thru eleven.

Mass Readings
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty, verses five thru nine(a);
Psalm One Hundred Sixteen, verses one thru six, eight & nine;
The Letter of James, chapter two, verses fourteen thru eighteen;
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter eight, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-five.

Mass Journal: Week 38
Reflection by Matthew Kelly, founder of the Dynamic Catholic Institute

Yesterday, I was visiting a friend in Atlanta. He lives in a beautiful neighborhood & as we drove past these magnificent homes, one after another, I began to ask myself, "If your spiritual life were a house, what would it be like?" I would like to place the question before you now. If your spiritual life were a house, what would it be like? What street would it be on? What part of town would it be in? What would it look like? Would it be a house or a home? Is it in need of renovations? It is peaceful, noisy, distracting, well organized, messy?

By way of answer, allow me to quote the daily Gospel from yesterday, the Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses forty-six through forty-nine:

⁴⁶ "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' but do not do what I command? ⁴⁷ I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, & acts on them. ⁴⁸ That one is like a person building a house, who dug deeply & laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against the house but could not shake it because it had been well built. ⁴⁹ But the one who listens & does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once & was completely destroyed."

Bonus! Song of the Lord's Day
Cowboy Junkies, "Working On a Building" via iTunes (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"If I was a liar,
I tell you what I'd do,
I would quit my lying,
And work on that building, too.

"Working on a building,
It's a Holy Ghost building,
O my Lord!
Yes, o my Lord!…"

The Explorers' Club, № CDLXI

Mike the Headless Chicken (1945-1947).

Project BLACK MAMBA

Today is the optional memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary: Our Lady-link ūna, Our Lady-link duae, & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Quoth the bulletin:

The feast is a counterpart to the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (3 January). Its object is the Blessed Virgin Mary; the feast commemorates all the privileges given to Mary by God & all the graces received through her intercession & mediation.

If you're wondering how many Marian feast days there are in Catholic Christianity, the cloying answer is all of them.

Scripture of the Day
Personal Reading
Introduction to the Letter to the Ephesians;
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter one (of six);
The First Letter of John, chapter one, verse five thru chapter two, verse eleven.

Mass Readings
The First Letter to Timothy, chapter one, verses fifteen thru seventeen;
Psalm One Hundred Thirteen, verses one(b) thru seven;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses forty-three thru forty-nine.

The Rebel Black Dot Labor Song of the Day

They Might Be Giants, "Seven Days of the Week (I Never Go to Work)" from Here Comes the 123s (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The same song is featured on the album Here Comes the ABCs under the truncated title "I Never Go to Work."

"Oh, no, no, I never go to work,
Oh, no, no, I never go to work,
Oh, no, no, I never go to work,
Oh, no, no, I never go to work.

"On Mondays, I never go to work.
On Tuesdays, I stay at home.
On Wednesdays, I never feel inclined,
Work is the last thing on my mind.
On Thursdays—it's a holiday!
And Fridays I detest.
Oh, it's much too late on a Saturday,
And Sunday is the day of rest.

"Oh, yes, yes, practice trumpet every day,
Oh, yes, yes, practice trumpet every day,
Oh, yes, yes, practice trumpet every day,
Oh, yes, yes, practice trumpet every day…"