Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives

Saturday, 30 April 2011
The Loose Ties, "Awesomer Than You" from the The Loose Ties E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Wayback Machine.

Section 31: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-2024)

Episode o' the Day
"The Tribunal" (season two, episode twenty-five; 6 June 1994): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: It's not your imagination, "O'Brien must suffer" was a theme in the Deep Space Nine writers' room. In the second season alone, O'Brien suffered in "Armageddon Game," "Whispers," &, of course, "Tribunal." The station's resident everyman would continue to suffer throughout the series, the exemplar being season four's absolutely brutal & heartrending "Hard Time."

"Tribunal" guest starred Richard Poe as Gul Evek. Between February & June 1994, & then again in January 1995, Evek appeared in three episodes of Deep Space Nine ("Playing God," "The Maquis, Part I," & "Tribunal"), two episodes of The Next Generation ("Journey's End" & "Preemptive Strike"), & the Voyager pilot ("Caretaker"). That spring, as both T.N.G. & D.S.9 introduced the Maquis to set up VOY, Gul Evek was the go-to Cardassian for all things Maquis. "Playing God" the sole non-Maquis exception.

6 June 1994 was the fiftieth anniversary of "D-Day," the Second World War Normandy landings.

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

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

'Tis the Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

Reel Big Fish, "Life Sucks… Let's Dance!" from Life Sucks… Let's Dance! (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: The above imagine, a hilarious rejiggering of The Shawshank Redemption as "The Ska Skank Redemption," was shared on the FaceSpace by an old acquaintance. SKApril brings out the best in everyone.

"Let's all get on the dance floor,
It's all gonna be all right,
Let's all get on the dance floor
'Cause we're not givin' up the fight,
They say things are worse then they've ever been,
It looks like the bad guys are gonna win,
And nobody here is gettin' out alive,
So let's have some fun before we die.
(Let's have some fun before we die!)

"Life sucks; so let's dance!
Life sucks; so, let's dance, yeah!
Maybe if we have some fun we won't feel so bad…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

Alpheus, "Our Time Will Come" from the Rudies single (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"We're here under pressure,
But our time will come,
It's rough and it's tough,
But our time will come,
Good rules over evil,
So our time will come,
Soon come…"

Section 31: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-2024)

Episode o' the Day
"The Collaborator" (season two, episode twenty-four; 23 May 1994): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "The Collaborator" gives us a study on the ongoing aftermath of the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, of Vedek Bariel's (Kira's paramour) loyalty to the memory of Kai Opaka & Vedek's Winn's ruthless ambition to become the next kai (the Bajoran pope). In the end, Bariel is able to protect Opaka's legacy, but only at the cost of giving up his all-but-certain election as kai. Winn is elected kai, becoming one of D.S.9's great recurring villains.

23 May was not yet Narwhal Day in 1994. The first Narwhal Day would not be celebrated until 2001.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives!

Wednesday, 29 April 2020!
The Aquabats!, "Pajamazon!" from the Pajamazon! single (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Skammentary: Gloopy Industries sells the Lil Bat pajama pants depicted on the Pajamazon! cover.

Wayback Machine.

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

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

The Popish Plot
"Bonus: X-Men in the Bible?"

'Tis the Monday of the Fifth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Explorers' Club, № MXXV

The Space Race—Astronaut Group 3 (the "Fourteen"), Part IV
Michael Collins (31 October 1930-28 April 2021), Major General, U.S. Air Force—He flew Gemini X (1966) & Apollo 11 (Columbia & Eagle, 1969); during Gemini X, he conducted only the fourth-ever E.V.A.; he served as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, director of the National Air & Space Museum, & undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution; author of Carrying the Fire, et al.

Commentary: It is Providential that this week's episode of "The Explorer's Club" is published on the third anniversary of Major General Collins's death. I did not have the date of his demise in mind when I was scheduling "The Explorers' Club," but I am grateful for this blessed happenstance, having failed to commemoriate properly Collins's death back in 2021.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: The Fourteen—Michael Collins
John Craigie, "Michael Collins" from No Rain, No Rose (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

&

The Boy Least Likely To, "Michael Collins" from The Great Perhaps (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Michael Collins
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCXXX: The 55th Anniversary of Gemini X
"The Explorers' Club," № DCXCVIII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part I
"The Explorers' Club," № DCXCIX: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part II
"The Explorers' Club," № DCC: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part III
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCII: The 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, Part IV

Requiescat in pace.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives

Wednesday, 28 April 2021
Bombskare, "See What You See" from A Million Ways to Die (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Forgive my sins, look the other way,
Live to lie another day…"

Wayback Machine.

Saints + Scripture: V Sunday of Easter

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

'Tis the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the V Sunday o' Easter

The Fifth Sunday of Easter
Matt Maher, "Abide with Me" from Saints and Sinners (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

Ken Boothe, "Everything I Own" from the Trojan Records: 40 Years, 40 Tracks compilation (Rude Boy Bravo Charlie)

Skammentary: "Everything I Own" is wonderfully earnest about heartbreak & heartache, & Ken Boothe has a beautiful, soulful voice. That said, at the risk of seeming a Philistine, my ska-punk heart wouldn't object if "Everything I Own" was played twenty-five per cent to fifty per cent (25-50%) faster.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives

Friday, 27 April 2012
Slow Gherkin, "Pretty (In a Pretty Sort of Way)" from Run Screaming (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"…There's something odd about you,
What it is I couldn't say,
You're just pretty in a pretty sort of way!"

Wayback Machine.

Section 31: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-2024)

Episode o' the Day
"Crossover" (season two, episode twenty-three; 16 May 1994): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Crossover" re-introduced the Mirror Universe for the first time since the original "Mirror, Mirror" (T.O.S., 6 October 1967). D.S.9's first three Mirror Universe episodes were madcap fun ("Crossover," "Through the Looking Glass," & "Shattered Mirror"), one each in the second, third, & fourth seasons. After no Mirror Universe episode in the fifth season, the last two in the sixth & seventh seasons ("Resurrection" & "The Emperor's New Cloak") seemed more obligatory than inspired.

The Mirror Universe returned for a two-part episode of Enterprise, "In a Mirror, Darkly." The twist was "In a Mirror, Darkly" didn't involve characters crossing over between the Mirror & Prime Universes, but were set entirely in the Mirror Universe, including a new Mirror Universe version of the opening credits sequence.

Back on D.S.9, the Mirror Odo's Bajoran uniform had a higher collar than Prime Odo's, & a broad belt. Starting in the third season, Prime Odo's uniform had the higher collar & the belt, though the belt soon disappeared.

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

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

'Tis the Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

The Bodysnatchers, "Ruder Than You" from the Let's Do Rock Steady single (Rude Boy Bravo Charlie)

Skammentary: The Bodysnatchers were an all-female ska band between 1979-1981, who released two single on 2 Tone Records & performed in the Dance Craze documentary & compilation album, but did not release a full album before breaking up. I realize that sometimes the 2 Tone-era gets short shrift during SKApril, what with so many new fourth-wave bands to explore & all the All-Stars being third-wave ska-punk bands. So, here's a 2-Tone deep cut for you.

I reiterate, there are no unworthy songs in SKApril. Yes, we shine the limelight on the breadth & depth of ska, including rocksteady & reggae, but we don't pick songs we don't like. Bad Manners haven't been featured in SKApril not because we're unaware of them (we were unaware of The Bodysnatchers before 2023), but because we've never been able to connect with their music. "Ruder Than You" is a deep cut, but a worthy cut.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives

Saturday, 26 April 2014
Less Than Jake, "Pete Jackson Is Getting Married" from Borders & Boundaries (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"I can smell his cousin's Polo
Mixed with his grandpa's Old Spice,
The Swedish meatballs looks so tempting
That his two fat aunts might even fight…"

Wayback Machine.

Section 31: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-2024)

Episode o' the Day
"The Wire" (season two, episode twenty-two; 9 May 1994): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "The Wire" is quite simply one of the finest episodes of Star Trek ever. I have neither the time nor the inclination at this juncture to number it (top ten, top five), but "The Wire" is stellar. I would stack it, especially Andrew Robinson's performance as Garak, against any other episode of television ever made.

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

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

'Tis the Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

Mustard Plug, "Hit Me! Hit Me!" from In Black and White (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Life is worth living. The Lord wants us to enjoy the good things of this world.

"Life's a journey not another losing fight,
And it's over before you're gonna get it right,
So you gotta drink up all the joy that you can,
Now sit back listen to these words:

"Hit me, hit me, hit me with sensation,
I'll hit it back with excitation,
Hear my, hear my, hear my revelation,
Hit the floor, feel the liberation!…"

Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives

Tuesday, 25 April 2017
The Hippos, "Celebrate" from Forget the World (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: I stand behind "Do Right" by The Soulutions, yesterday's paean to romantic love. Today, "Celebrate" by The Hippos serves as a counterpoint, as a paean to romantic love gone awry.

"You think that you could walk out on me,
Every day I grow farther from you,
You think that I'll be there when you're in need,
Don't you think that I found something new?
I'm finished with you.

"I celebrate, I celebrate,
My days of hate, my days of hate,
'Cause now I see
That you're nothing to me…"

Wayback Machine.

Section 31: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-2024)

Episodes o' the Day
"The Maquis, Parts I & II" (season two, episodes twenty & twenty-one; 25 April 1994 & 2 May 1994): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Truly Providential to watch "The Maquis, Part I" on 25 April, without being aware that the episode first aired on 25 April! The Maquis organization was created as set-up for the then forthcoming Star Trek: Voyager, but like most everything else on Voyager, the storytelling potential of the Maquis elements was wasted. Deep Space Nine made much better use of the Maquis, especially the complexity of Ben Sisko's conflicts with Cal Hudson, Kasidy Yates, & Michael Eddington.

Saints + Scripture: Feast of Saint Mark

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

'Tis the Thursday of the Fourth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

Roka Hueka, "Skank It!" from ¡Volar! (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: I find it impossible to listen to "Skank It!," even as I compose this post, without bopping my head & shimmying my shoulders, if not getting up & low-intensity skanking right here in my room. Ska! Ska! Ska!

Google Translate doesn't quite know what to make of "Roka Hueka," but they are a Denver-based ska band who bill themselves as "Latin Ska," tapping into the deep popularity of ska throughout Latin America, which remains largely unknown to many "Anglo" Norteamericanos. ¡Bienvenidos a SKApril, Roka Hueka!

Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives

Saturday, 24 April 2021
The Soulutions, "Do Right" from the The Aquabats! and Horchata Records Present… Rice Capades Music Sampler, Vol. 1 compilation (Rude Boy Captain Thumbs Up!)

Skammentary: "Do Right" is a paean to romanic love &, despite the R.B.D.S.O.T.D.'s annual festival of "Anti-Valentine's" songs & delight in the cynicism toward romance in third-wave ska-punk, we are here for it.

"Be good,
Do right,
Be kind to that beautiful girl.
Hold her close,
Tell her why
You want to be a part of her world.
Don't be scared
To be fair,
Try to laugh about your worries and cares.
Give a laugh,
Give a smile,
Don't be cruel to that beautiful girl…

"And if things aren't right,
Don't hold on to her.
And if she loves some other guy,
Watch what you say to her,
Remember that you love her and—

"Be good,
Do right,
Be kind to that beautiful girl…

"Be good,
Do right,
Be kind to the most beautiful girl in the world."

As beautiful as the multi-instrumentalist Elise Trouw is (above), she's not the beautiful girl I'm thinking of as I listen to "Do Right."

Wayback Machine.

The Stars My Destination: The Soyuz 1 Disaster

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 57th Anniversary of Soyuz 1
Fifty-seven years ago to the day, 24 April 1967, Pilot Vladimir Komarov perished when his Soyuz 1 capsule crashed into the Earth's surface after its parachutes failed to deploy during atmospheric re-entry, the first man to die during a spaceflight.

Three cosmonauts were meant to launch aboard Soyuz 2, equipped with the same flawed parachute-deployment system, & rendezvous in orbit with Komarov aboard Soyuz 1. The Soyuz 2 launch was called off due to thunderstorms near the launch site; otherwise, they would have perished, too. After the tragedy, the Soyuz program was delayed for eighteen months while the parachute system was redesigned, amidst other refinements.

The Wayback Machine Tour of Soyuz 1
The Explorers' Club, № DCCCLXXVII

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: In Memoriam
The Phenomenauts, "Heroes" from For All Mankind (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Requiescat in pace.

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

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

The Popish Plot
"Books Not in the Bible: Protoevangelium of James"

'Tis the Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Easter Feaster Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
The Bruce Lee Band, "Running Out of Time" from the Beautiful World E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

Brad Pittance & the Pirates, "Always the Last One to Know" from the Love, Lust, & Skadust E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Arr, mateys, it warms me heart to know that fourth-wave ska retains the third-wave's cynicism toward romantic love.

"I met you on Sunday,
I called you on Monday,
It thrilled me to bits
When you cooked us fish and chips
On Tuesday, I called you on Wednesday,
You said, 'Let's just be friends.'
I called you on Thursday,
You didn't answer the phone.

"I don't know where this is going,
But I love you so!
I don't know where this is going,
I'm always the last one to know.

"Friday you answered my call,
I said, 'You're not much of a talker.'
It upset me a bit,
You asked if I was a stalker.
So then I asked if I could see you
Over the weekend,
You said you're far too busy
Going out with your friends…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKApril XIV

Less Than Jake, "History of a Boring Town" from Hello Rockview (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: I was at first surprised that "History of a Boring Town," an achingly perfect exemplar of Less Than Jake's theme of songs about growing up & leaving town, had never before basked in the SKApril limelight, but with so many great songs off so many great albums, & only one open spotper SKApril, I ought not have been surprised. That's what makes Less Than Jake SKApril All-Stars.

"A boring life in a boring town,
With the same old crowd (woah-oh-oh),
And I used to say that I'd never stay,
But I'm rotting here today (woah-oh-oh),
With that same old crowd
That's always been around,
And I always thought I'd be the first to go…"

For the record, I never thought I'd be the first to go.

Bonus! Song o' Today: From the SKArchives

Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Mustard Plug, "Throw a Bomb" from Pray for Mojo (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: The bombs "Throw a Bomb" advocates throwing are rhetorical bombs. I don't know if Mustard Plug are still the zealous defenders of the freedom of speech they were a quarter century ago in 1999 (!) or if they have succumbed to the authoritarian temptation that has seduced so many in these latter days, on both the political left & the political right, but regardless, "Throw a Bomb" stands as a monument.

"Right-to-lifers, have your say!…"

Wayback Machine.

Bonus! Song o' Yesterday: From the SKArchives

Wednesday, 22 April 2020
The Interrupters, "Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from The Interrupters (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Wayback Machine.

Saints + Scripture: Pascha

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

'Tis the Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Easter (Latin: Pascha, meaning "Passover"): Pascha-link & Wikipedia-link Paschaltide.

The Explorers' Club, № MXXIV

Operation AXIOM
20 April 1974: The last inhabitants were evacuated from Hashima Island in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan, A.K.A. Gunkanjima ("Battleship Island"), leaving the typhoon-resistant reinforced concerete architecture as a time capsule; Hashima was first inhabited in the 1880s as a coal mine & built up through land reclamation—tripling the island's size—until petroleum replaced coal, closing the mine.

Semper exploro.