Saints + Scripture: Feast of the Visitation

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

30 Years of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1994-2024)

Operation AXIOM
"All Good Things…" (season seven, episodes twenty-five & twenty-six; 23 May 1994): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: A week ago, 24 May, I watched "All Good Things…" on the thirtieth anniversary of The Next Generation's finale. Thirty years! That was a seminal moment in Star Trek's golden age, & I remember watching it live with my brother & father. This was the first time I'd watched a complete episode of T.N.G. since enduring the first & third seasons of Picard, a show that has altered my perception of & dampened my enthusiasm for T.N.G.

"All Good Things…" is the same great episode it has always been, a deliberate & fitting bookend with the series pilot, "Encounter at Farpoint." Captain Picard is once again put on trial by Q & bounced between three different time periods: seven years in the past, the time of "Encounter at Farpoint;" the present; & twenty-five years into a potential future. Picard is initially disoriented by the time switches, but grows in confidence as he gets his bearings, eventually orchestrating concerted action between all three time periods. In the past, Picard must convince a brand-new crew who don't yet know him to trust him & follow him, even though he cannot fully explain what it happening; in the present, the crew are a well-oiled machine operating at peak proficiency; in the future, the crew must reunite & learn to trust each other again after growing apart throughout the previous quarter century. The "anti-time" anomaly is a clever conundrum for Picard & company to solve & there are some good moments between Picard (played by Patrick Stewart) & Q (played by John de Lancie). "All Good Things…" is an altogether satisfying series-finale-but-not-farewell to The Next Generation, which was to continue on the big screen, beginning with Star Trek Generations six months later (18 November 1994).

What's striking is the number of parallels between the future presented in "All Good Things…" & the future presented, alas, in Picard. Picard (2399-2401) is actually set later than "All Good Things…" (2395); so, some of these parallels might be explained away as the natural consequences of time passing, but others strike your humble narrator as purposeful. In both futures, Picard is a sad old man who is dismissed as past his prime & suffering possible dementia; in both futures, Picard & Doctor Crusher both married & divorced off-screen, which is cheap emotional manipulation; in both futures, La Forge is married, wife unseen, with an adult daughter named Sydney; & in both futures, Admiral Riker initially refuses to aid Picard's quest, but eventually arrives with the cavalry in the nick of time.

Yet the poisonous legacy of Picard remains. Patrick Stewart had considerable creative input into Picard, not just as a highly skilled actor, but in the writing process & in setting the show's themes. The show is a hate letter to Trekkies, denouncing us all as rubes & deplorables. Watching "All Good Things…," especially the early going, I didn't see Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the Starship Enterprise, but Patrick Stewart, an actor who made his fortune off T.N.G. & who hates me, hates my brother, & hates my brother's kids, who are being raised to appreciate Star Trek. Picard has ruined The Next Generation for me, at least for the nonce.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "The Final Parade" from the The Final Parade single (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: "The Final Parade" is a paean to third-wave ska-punk, clocking in at almost eight minutes long (7:58) & featuring more guest stars than you can shake a stick at. 'Tis glorious, but also ominous, given the finality of the title & The Mighty Mighty Bosstones' breakup not long after.

"We'd play around
With our punk rock reggae sound,
'Cause sometimes dancing is all you've got,
(Come on! Come on! Come on! Come on!)
We were crankin',
We were skankin',
We were crankin', we were skankin'
All over the world!…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Reel Big Fish, "Please Don't Tell Her I Have a Girlfriend" from Monkeys for Nothin' and the Chimps for Free (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Please don't tell her I have a girlfriend,
Please don't tell her I have a girlfriend,
'Cause it's so hard, can't even pretend,
That I only want to be her friend…"

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

Episode o' the Day
"Improbable Cause" (Part I; season three, episode twenty; 24 April 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Improbable Cause" starts off as a detective story—Who blew up Garak's tailor shop?—& builds to a crescendo as Odo & Garak stumble into the heart of a conspiracy that will shape the future of the galaxy for the rest of Deep Space Nine. The dialogue crackles throughout, including one of the most memoriable & satisfying lines (& line deliveries) of the series: Doctor Bashir explains the fable of the boy who cried wolf to Garak, who praises the boy's cleverness; Bashir counters that the lesson is that if one lies all the time, one will not be believed, even when telling the truth; Garak asks if Bashir if certain that is the lesson:

Bashir: "Of course! What else could it be?"

Garak: "That you should never tell the same lie twice."

There are masterful verbal dances between Odo & an alien assassin masquerading as a perfume merchant; Odo & Garak when Odo reveals that he knews Garak blew up his own shop in order to enlist Odo's aid; & between Elim Garak & Enabran Tain, the not-so-retired chief of the Obsidian Order secret police, the man who exiled Garak from Cardassia &, as we find out in the fullness of time, Garak's father.

There is also great character work & a brilliant performance from Andrew Robinson (playing Garak): tenderness when contacting Mila, Tain's housekeeper & confidant, & vulnerability when risking his life to save Tain when he thinks the old spymaster is in danger of being assassinated by Romulans. The opening chapter of a two-part story, "Improbable Cause" ends on a cliffhanger, with Garak back in Tain's good graces, his exile about to end, & the joint Obsidian Order/Tal Shiar fleet about to enter the Gamma Quadrant to strike a coup de main against the Dominion.

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Women of the entire universe…, you to whom life is entrusted at this grave moment in history, it is for you to save the peace of the world."
—Pope Saint Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Reel Big Fish, "Everything Sucks" from Turn the Radio Off (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"She said, 'Some day, we'll get back together maybe,'
She said, 'Some day, things'll be much better, baby,'
But I don't believe her,
And I don't think I need her anymore!…"

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

Episode o' the Day
"Through the Looking Glass" (season three, episode nineteen; 17 April 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Through the Looking Glass" is the greatest of Deep Space Nine's five Mirror Universe episodes. What's better than the piratical Mirror Sisko chewing the scenery? Our Sisko pretending to be the piractical Mirror Sisko by chewing the scenery, backhanding Mirror Bashir, & being seduced by Mirror Dax! Poignancy is brought to the proceedings by the introduction of Mirror Jennifer, estranged widow of Mirror Sisko. Our Sisko lost his Jennifer in the Battle of Wolf 359 (The Next Generation, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II" & D.S.9, "Emissary, Parts I & II"), & "Smiley" (Mirror O'Brien) persuades him to help in order to save Mirror Jennifer.

Operation ÖSTERREICH

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 331.8 lbs. (1 May 2024)

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Papal Quote o' the Day

"When work is done in common—when hope, hardship, ambition, & hope are shared—it brings together & firmly unites the wills, minds, & hearts of men. In its accomplishment, men find themselves to be brothers."
—Pope Saint Paul VI (1897-1978, r. 1963-1978; feast: 29 May)

The Explorers' Club, № MXXIX

Operation AXIOM: Destination Moon—The 60th Anniversary of AS-101
28 May-1 June 1964: AS-101 (Saturn I S.A.-6) lifted off from Florida's Cape Kennedy A.F.S., the first flight of a boilerplate Apollo Command & Service Module & Launch Escape System; the № 8 H-1 engine shut down 116 seconds into the flight & fuel was re-routed to the other seven engines, which burned longer to compensate; data transmission ceased after four orbits, due to battery exhaustion.

Commentary: The test shutdown of an H-1 engine during Saturn-Apollo 4 (March 1963) bore fruit during AS-101, when the engine shutdown was unexpected, but the system responded without missing a beat.

Semper exploro.

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

Episode o' the Day
"Distant Voices" (season three, episode eighteen; 10 April 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Distant Voices" is a bottle episode, shot entirely on the existing sets, as Starbase Deep Space 9 represents Julian Bashir's mind after a psychic attack by a new alien species, a Lethean named Altovar. Bashir, who is shortly to turn thirty years old, ages rapidly & encounters his crewmates embodying different aspects of his personality (Dax is his confidence, Sisko is his professionalism & skill). There are some great moments between Bashir & Garak, both in the framing narrative & in Bashir's mind, wherein Garak is a disguise used by Altovar.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "All Things Considered" from Pay Attention (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"The truth is what he's been through,
And what he's had to do,
And what he's seen, and what he's done,
All things considered, what he's telling us isn't hurting anyone.
All things considered,
He's not bitter,
He's not mean, and he's not done,
All things considered, what he's telling us isn't hurting anyone…"

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Tuesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Matamoska!, "Slacktivist Swing" from the Slacktivist Swing! E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Hey! (Hey!)
Let's make a change! (Hey!)
Make this world a better place
By doing absolutely nothing…"

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

Episode o' the Day
"Visionary" (season three, episode seventeen; 27 February 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Time travel! Romulans! Multiple Miles O'Briens! "Visionary" has it all.

A Romulan cloaking device was installed aboard the Starship Defiant in exchange for all Starfleet intelligence on the Dominion; in "Visionary," a Romulan delegation visits Starbase Deep Space 9 to collect Starfleet's intelligence reports & interview the crew of the Defiant, who were captured by the Dominion in "The Search, Parts I & II." Romulans being so predictably treacherous, a cloaked Warbird lurks in orbit of the station, preparing to destroy Deep Space 9 & collapse the entrance to the Bajoran Wormhole, thus preempting the Dominion threat to the Alpha Quadrant. Happily for our crew, Chief O'Brien has suffered a workplace mishap, which exposed him to radiation. This radiation reacts with emissions from the Warbird's warp drive, jumping O'Brien hours into the future, where he interacts with his future self & gains information necessary to alter that future.

"Visionary" reminds us that Romulan warp drives are not powered by a matter-antimatter reaction, like Federation warp drives, but by an artificial quantum singularity (a minute black hole). Thus, the whole of J.J. Abrams's "Kelvin Timeline" can be safely dismissed as non-canonical.

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"The Phoenix (Books Not in the Bible: First Epistle of Clement)"

'Tis the Monday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Memorial Day (observed)

Paul Roebling, Jay Unger, & David McCullough, "Ashokan Farewell/Sullivan Ballou Letter" from The Civil War: Original Sountrack Recording (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation AXIOM: Decoration Day
From 1868 through 1970, Decoration Day was observed on 30 May. Effective 1971, the Congress mandated that Memorial Day be observed on the last Monday in May, creating a three-day weekend that is widely regarded as the unofficial start of summer. This move, eminently practical, has been deliterious to the observance, stripping Memorial Day of its patriotic & spiritual dimension. Every Armistice Day, I quote a line by the writer Kurt Vonnegut, from his novel Breakfast of Champions:

"Armistice Day has become Veterans' Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans' Day is not."

To paraphrase Vonnegut:

Decoration Day has become Memorial Day. Decoration Day was sacred. Memorial Day is not.

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

Episode o' the Day
"Prophet Motive" (season three, episode sixteen; 20 February 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Prophet Motive" is a lark, another frolic with the Ferengi, & we are treated to the juxtaposition of the Ferengi & the Prophets. Quark & Rom's relationship takes on additional depth, especially in light of Nog's recent announcement of his Starfleet aspirations in "Heart of Stone."

"Prophet Motive" is a better pun than the similarly titled Voyager episode, "False Profits," which also involves the Ferengi but is much less fun. "False Profits" is a sequel to a The Next Generation episode, "The Price." "The Price" involves a supposedly stable wormhole, the Barzan Wormhole, which turns out not to be be stable, leaving the Bajoran Wormwole (the Celestial Temple of the Prophets) as the only known stable wormhole.

Saints + Scripture: The Most Holy Trinity

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

The Popish Plot
"Books Not in the Bible: First Epistle of Clement"

'Tis the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Most Holy Trinity

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
Sufjan Stevens, "Holy, Holy Holy" from the Songs for Christmas compilation (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The O.C. Supertones, "On the Downbeat" from For the Glory (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Meet me at the downbeat…"

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

The Rocksteady Conspiracy, "Cool It" from Rough & Sweet (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Reel Big Fish, "One Hit Wonderful" from We're Not Happy 'til You're Not Happy (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: "One Hit Wonderful" is a song about the success of another song, "Sell Out."

"Fourteen minutes and fifty-nine seconds into our fifteen minutes of fame,
When the luck runs out, I won't wonder who's to blame,
Because nobody said they had a guaranteed way
To win the hearts of the public who are easily swayed,
And just this time last year, I thought we had it made.

"We were one hit wonderful!
Livin' the life, playin' the role,
We were one hit wonderful!
Well, it can't last long,
They don't love you,
They just love that one song…"

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Narwhal Day XXIV

After another year of sympathizing & preparing, 'tis Narwhal Day once again! Yes, Narwhal Day, that great & glorious day when all & sundry reflect on & sympathize with the narwhal, the very oddest of whales, far-famed for its curious "horn" (in actuality a tusk) that in times past was oft displayed as a unicorn's horn in cabinets of curiosity (Wunderkammer). The existence & persistence of the narwhal remains transcendent proof that truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

The Ancient & Proper Observance of Narwhal Day
First, the wearing of gray attire;
Second, the hearing of "Sympathy for the Narwhal" by D.J. Seaghost, an ally of The Aquabats!;
Third, the swearing of "The Oath of Narwhal Day."

The ancient & proper observance need not be observed in any particular order, though it is probably advisable to don gray attire so as not to observe the ancient & proper observance naked. The wearing of gray is an invitation to others to experience their own sympathy for the narwhal.

The hearing of "Sympathy for the Narwhal" is a communal act, for Narwhal Day is as much a day of celebration as it is as day of sympathizing; the narwhal will frolic & so should we. Via the YouTubes, "Sympathy for the Narwhal" is now available to everyone reading this.

The swearing of the oath is a highly personal act, though it can be done in community; one swears the oath as a jest or a lark only at one's own peril, for one is only as good as one's word. It is in sympathizing with the narwhal that Narwhal Day finds its highest purpose.

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

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

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


the Narwhal (Monodon Monoceros)—also narwal or narwhale

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

Commentary: "Sympathy for the Narwhal" via the YouTubes: Seaghost-link.

Also, a pair of videos from the children's television series The Octonauts & Friends: "Episode 20: The Narwhal" & "Creature Report".

The Wayback Machine Tour of Narwhal Day
Narwhal Day '23 | Narwhal Day '22
Narwhal Day '21 | Narwhal Day '20
Narwhal Day '19 | Narwhal Day '18
Narwhal Day '17 | Narwhal Day '16
Narwhal Day '15 | Narwhal Day '14
Narwhal Day '13 | Narwhal Day '12
Narwhal Day '11 | Narwhal Day '10
Narwhal Day '09 | Narwhal Day '08
Narwhal Day '07a & Narwhal Day '07b
Narwhal Day '06 | Narwhal Day '05
Narwhal Day '04 | Narwhal Day '03

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Reel Big Fish, "I'd Rather Get It Wrong" from Life Sucks… Let's Dance! (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"I'd rather get it wrong with you than right with anyone else,
I'd rather sing along with you, out of tune, than sing it all by myself,
And you sure drive me crazy, but at least we're on this road together, baby,
And I'd rather get it wrong with you than right with anybody else…"

Operation ÖSTERREICH

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 331.8 lbs. (1 May 2024)

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious, O.S.A. (1381-1457).

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis the Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

The Explorers' Club, № MXXVIII

Operation AXIOM: Between the Wars
21 May 1924: Robert "Bobby" Franks (1909-1924) was murdered by Nathan Leopold (1904-1971) & Richard Loeb (1905-1936), for the sheer thrill of committing the "perfect crime;" the pair's scheme to misdirect the police by demanding a ransom for Franks' return was undone by the rapid discovery of the murdered boy's body (22 May); they were formally questioned & turned on each other (29 May).

Lest we forget.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party!

The Aquabats!, "Aquabat March!" from The Return of The Aquabats! (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Skammentary: The Return of The Aquabats! was The Aquabats!' debut album.

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Bonus: Rich Corinthian Leather"

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Christopher Magallanes,Priest, & Companions, Martyrs (died 1915-1937, A.K.A. the Martyrs of the Mexican Revolution, natively Cristóbal Magallanes Jara).

Commentary: Wayback Machine '20 & Wayback Machine '19.

'Tis the Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Saints + Scripture: Tempus per annum

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.

Commentary: Wayback Machine Mater ecclasiæ.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest, O.F.M. (1380-1444, the "Apostle of Italy"), who popularized devotion to the Holy Name of Jesus thru the IHS Christogram.

Commentary: Wayback Machine '21, & Wayback Machine '19.

'Tis the Monday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

Reel Big Fish, "Scott's a Dork" from Why Do They Rock So Hard? (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"We like pizza but she doesn't eat the crust,
I love her and she loves everyone,
Said she likes my band, but I don't even like my band,
I love her and she loves everyone.

"I saw her (I saw her)
Kiss him last night,
I'm sick now, (I'm sick now)
But its just a little cold…

"When I say, 'I give up,' it just means I'm going to try again,
She loves me and I love everyone,
I was kissin' her, but she was wishing it was him,
She loves me and I love everyone…

"Now she's walkin' out the door,
I don't need her anymore,
I love her!"