Saints + Scripture: Adventus

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Peter Canisius, Priest & Doctor of the Church, S.J. (1521-1597, the "Hammer of the Protestants" & "Second Apostle of Germany").

Commentary: Wayback Machine '20 & Wayback Machine '18.

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

Dance Hall Crashers, "North Pole" from the The Old Record (1989-1992) compilation (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"But I'm still waiting for you…"

Bonus! Song o' the First Day o' Winter

"The cruel, hot summer
led into the long, hard fall,
becoming the dark, killing winter
until spring replenished us all."
—Bill Willingham, Fables

Sufjan Stevens, "The Winter Solstice" from Songs for Christmas (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: Adventus

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

The Kleznomauts, "Deck the Halls" from Oy to the World" A Klezmer Christmas (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Today, my fellow parishioners & I are scheduled to deck the halls of Saint Matthew, Flint, for Christmas. Monday, 23 December, after the last Mass of Advent, would have been the ideal day, but we have Eucharistic Adoration scheduled for the afternoon; so, that wasn't an option. Decking the halls on Christmas Eve, before the 4:30 P.M. Mass, wasn't seriously considered.

Saints + Scripture: Adventus

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day!

The Aquabats!, "Santa Claus's Party!" from the I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Too! E.P. (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Saints + Scripture: Adventus

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

Bite Me Bambi, "Holiday Cheer" from the Holiday Cheer single (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Some people hate Christmas and I think thats so sad,
'Cause if they knew the secret then it wouldn't seem so bad,
So if you're feeling anxious then there's nothing more to fear,
Just take a sip from this festive cup,
Forget your cares, you're all effed up,
All effed up!

"So, pass me some more of that holiday cheer,
That holiday cheer, that holiday cheer,
Pass me some more of that holiday cheer,
Let's all go get—…

"To the top of the shelf, we'll drink 'til we fall,
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all!…"

Bonus! Song o' the Wright Flyer

Foo Fighters, "Learn to Fly" from There Is Nothing Left to Lose Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation AXIOM
One hundred twenty-one years ago to the day, 17 December 1903, Wilbur & Orville Wright made the first four controlled, powered flights in the sand dunes near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The first flight, by Orville, covered a total distance of one hundred twenty feet, less than the wingspan of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet; the fourth flight, by Wilbur, covered eight hundred fifty-two feet, lasting nearly a minute. The Wright Flyer was damaged shortly after the fourth flight when overturned by a gust of wind, & would never fly again. The Wright brothers returned with the Wright Flyer II in 1904 & the much improved Wright Flyer III in 1905.

The Wright brothers made the first aeroplane flights, 17 December 1903, one hundred twenty-one years ago today.

Saints + Scripture: Adventus

Simplex Edition | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

She & Him, "I'll Be Home for Christmas" from A Very She & Him Christmas (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"I'll be home for Christmas,
If only in my dreams…"

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

Bob Dylan, "Must Be Santa" from Christmas in the Heart (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Explorers' Club, № MLXIV

The Space Race—Astronaut Group 3 (the "Fourteen"), Part XII
Theodore Cordy Freeman (18 February 1930-31 October 1964), Captain, U.S. Air Force—He died after ejecting from his T-38 Talon due to a bird strike; he was the first fatality among the Astronaut Corps, dying just over a year after his selection in Astronaut Group 3, before he was assigned to a space flight; during his crash, he veered away from housing, potentially saving lives on the ground.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: The Fourteen—Ted Freeman
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "M Fanfare" from Forever Valiant (Space Cadet Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: Captain Freeman held a Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Michigan.

The Wayback Machine Tour of Ted Freeman
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCLXXX: In Memoriam Ted Freeman

Requiescat in pace.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the III Sunday o' Advent

The Third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday)
Daniel Schmit, "Rejoice" from Advent: A Season of Hope (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

Fountains of Wayne, "The Man in the Santa Suit" from the Out-of-State Plates compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: This morning was my Knights of Columbus council's annual Breakfast with Santa.

"At the K.O.C., Local 313…

"And he's jolly and hairy,
But it's hard to be merry
When the guys at the bar say he looks like a fairy,
He's doing it just for the loot,
The man in the Santa suit…"

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day!

The Aquabats!, "Christmas Steve!" from the I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas, Too! E.P. (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary!: I love the dark side of The Aquabats!

"Christmas Steve's behind you,
You'd better call the police,
The phone is dead,
He's on your roof,
You'll never go to sleep…"

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

Guster, "¿Donde Esta Santa Claus?" from the ¿Donde Esta Santa Claus? single (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Explorers' Club, № MLXIII

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 50th Anniversary of the Helios Project, Part I
10 December 1974: Helios 1 (Helios-A prior to launch) lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a Titan III-Centaur rocket, bound for close approaches to the Sun; the two Helios probes were built in West Germany & carried ten scientific instruments; Helios 1's perihelion was within Mercury's orbit; some instruments were damaged by the Sun's heat (21 September 1975).

Commentary: The primary mission ended after eighteen months; the last telemetry from Helios 1 was received on 10 February 1986.

The Helios probes were the first non-American/non-Soviet-built objects to leave Earth orbit.

Semper exploro.

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

Barenaked Ladies, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" from Barenaked for the Holidays (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: An instrumental rendition.

The Explorers' Club Special: December 1914

Operation AXIOM: The World War
December 2014 found the Great War centenary is complete control of "The Explorers' Club": five consecutive episodes & all three published that month concerned the Weltkrieg. My original intention to dedicate at least one episode a month to the World War had been long surpassed. I'm not sure when it will be that I manage to claw back at least one episode a month to anything else.

The breadth of the conflict is what made it so all-consuming. These five episodes cover the Eastern Front, the South Atlantic, the North Atlantic, & the Western Front.

The Wayback Machine Tour of the World War: December 1914
"The Explorers' Club," № CDXXI: The Battle of Limanowa (1-13 December 1914)
"The Explorers' Club," № CDXXII: The Battle of the Falkland Islands (8 December 1914)
"The Explorers' Club," № CDXXIII: The Raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool, & Whitby (16 Dec. 1914)
"The Explorers' Club," № CDXXIV: The Christmas Truce (24-25 December 1914)
"The Explorers' Club," № CDXXV: The Cuxhaven Raid (25 December 1914)

Lest we forget.

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

MU330, "I've Got This Neighbor" from Winter Wonderland (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: I once saw MU330 play on the campus/pasture of the Michigan Agricultural College. 'Twas approximately Christmastime; so, my companions & I requested, "I've Got This Neighbor," but Dan Potthast—A.K.A. Dan Posthaste, A.K.A. Steve Roelle, the missing Roelle brother—misheard us & the band quite reasonably played their much better-known song, "Neighbor," from Crab Rangoon.

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

Reel Big Fish, "Skank for Christmas" from the Happy Skalidays E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Explorers' Club, № MLXII

Operation AXIOM
1 December 1974: In the morning, Trans World Airlines Flight 514, a Boeing 727, crashed into Mount Weather, Virginia, claiming all ninety-two souls aboard (seven crew, eighty-five passengers); in the evening, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231, also a Boeing 727, crashed in Haverstraw, New York, claiming all three souls aboard (crew); the disasters were caused by pilot & Air Traffic Control error.

Semper exploro.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the II Sunday o' Advent

The Second Sunday of Advent
Sufjan Stevens, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" from the Sufjan Stevens Presents Songs for Christmas Singalong (in Stereo Hi-Fi) compilation (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' Pearl Harbor Day

Operation AXIOM: The 83rd Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Glenn Miller, "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" from Glenn Miller's 50 Finest (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: We are now farther away in time from the Attack on Pearl Harbor (eighty-three years) than Pearl Harbor was from the Battle of Fort Sumter (12 April 1861, eighty years), which marked the start of the American Civil War. Sit with that for a minute.

"December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy…."

Lest we forget.

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

They Might Be Giants, "Santa's Beard" from the Then: The Earlier Years compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Once a year my friend puts on a red suit
And hangs around with me and my wife,
Now I can't help but feeling jealous
Each time she climbs on his knee.

"And she stands beneath the mistletoe screaming
For him to stand beneath the mistletoe screaming,
Now I can't help but feeling jealous
Each time she climbs on his knee.
Why must she climb on his knee?

"I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard,
She kissed him once and whispered in his ear,
I saw my baby wearing Santa's beard,
I wish he would go, he's breakin' up my home!

"She always had this twisted side to her,
But she'd never drag my name around town,
But lately she's been humming cheatin' songs,
And I don't like that fat guy around,
No, I don't like that fat guy around…"

The Rebel Black Dot Christmas Song o' the Day

The Optional Memorial of Saint Nicholas, Bishop
The Jackson 5, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" from the Number 1's: Christmas compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Explorers' Club, № MLXI

Operation AXIOM: Destination Moon—The 10th Anniversary of Exploration Flight Test-1
5 December 2014: An uncrewed & unnamed Orion capsule lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a Delta IV Heavy rocket; E.F.T.-1 was the inaugural flight of an Orion capsule, with a dummy service module; after two orbits, the Orion re-entered the atmosphere, simulating a Moon return; Orion CM-001 splashed down in the Pacific & was recovered by the U.S.S. Anchorage.

Commentary: The second flight of an Orion capsule would not follow for almost eight years, until Artemis I, 16 November-11 December 2022.

Ad astra per aspera.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Toto, "Africa" from Toto IV (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Broughgt to you courtesy of today's "Throwback Thursday" episode of the Chris DeMakes a Podcast podcast.

Yes, I am aware that the above map is out of date.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Today

Mittwoch, 4. Dezember
The Cars, "Just What I Needed" from the The Cars: Complete Greatest Hits compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Yesterday

Dienstag, 3. Dezember
Simon & Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson" from The Best of Simon & Garfunkel compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Advent Edition

Please Stand By | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June)

Commentary: I had sincere aspirations to resume the Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in today, in the new liturgical year, but slept in & found myself scrambling to take the trash to the curb in time for garbage day. I will try again next week.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Ereyesterday

Montag, 2. Dezember
War, "Low Rider" from Why Can't We Be Friends? (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Explorers' Club, № MLX

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 50th Anniversary of Soyuz 16
2-8 December 1974: Soyuz 16 lifted off from the Kazakh S.S.R.'s Baikonur Cosmodrome, with CDR Anatoly Filipchenko & F.E. Nikolai Rukavishnikov aboard a Soyuz 7K-TM capsule atop a Soyuz-U rocket; call sign Buran ("Blizzard"); this was a test flight for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, especially of the Androgenous Peripheral Docking System; after six days, they landed in the Kazakh S.S.R.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: Soyuz 16
Barenaked Ladies, "Testing 1, 2, 3" from Everything to Everyone (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.