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

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

Episode o' the Day
"Paradise Lost" (Part II; season four, episode twelve; 8 January 1996): Wikipedia-link.

Saints + Scripture: XIII Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

'Tis the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Tempus per annum, "time through the year"): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Saints of the Day
Otherwise, 30 June would be the festival of the First Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church (died 64), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Nero.

Commentary: Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:

In the first* persecution against the Church, begun by the Emperor Nero after the burning of Rome in 64, many of the faithful were tortured & slain. The pagan writer Tacitus testifies to these events in his Annales (15, 44) as does [Saint] Clement, bishop of Rome, in his letter to the Corinthians (chapters 5-6).

*The actual first persecution of the Church happened in Jerusalem, spearheaded by Saul of Tarsus (Saint Paul the Apostle), as related in the Acts of the Apostles (chapters 6-9). Today's feast honors of the first martyrs of Rome.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the XIII Sunday in O.T.

The Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sam Cooke, "Touch the Hem of His Garment" from the Portrait of a Legend, 1951-1964 compilation (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: An adult Baptism & two Confirmations. Victory!

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

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

Episode o' the Day
"Homefront" (Part I; season four, episode eleven; 1 January 1996): Wikipedia-link.

The Star My Destination: The Soyuz 11 Disaster

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 53rd Anniversary of Soyuz 11
Fifty-three years ago to the day, 29 June 1971, the Soyuz 11 capsule vented its internal atmosphere into the vacuum of space, asphyxiating to death its crew of three: Commander Georgy Dobrovolsky, Flight Engineer Vladislav Volkov, & Research Engineer Viktor Patsayev. Soyuz 11 had departed the Salyut 1 space station after a three-week residency & was preparing for atmospheric re-entry.

The Soyuz 11 trio were not wearing pressure suits, leaving them defenseless against the sudden capsule depressurization. Cosmonauts had stopped wearing pressure suits, even during launch & re-entry, in order to squeeze more crew into the Voskhod & Soyuz capsules. After the disaster, the Soyuz capsule was redesigned to accommodate a crew of two, wearing pressure suits. The Soyuz 11 trio remain the only humans to have perished in outer space, above the Kármán line (one hundred kilometers/sixty-two miles above mean sea level).

The Soyuz 11 capsule depressurized just prior to atmospheric re-entry, killing its crew of three, 29 June 1971, fifty-three years ago today.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: The Soyuz 11 Disaster
The Phenomenauts, "Heroes" from For All Mankind (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of the Soyuz 11 Disaster
№ DCCCXXIII: The 50th Anniversary of Soyuz 11, Part I
№ DCCCXXVII: The 50th Anniversary of Soyuz 11, Part II

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "After the Music Is Over" from While We're at It (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: There's a stillness & a sadness on the day after the end of vacation Bible school. It's an absolutely exhausting week, but also exhilarating.

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

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

Episode o' the Day
"Our Man Bashir" (season four, episode ten; 27 November 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Bonus! Vacation Bible School Song o' the Day

The Aquabats!, "Pizza Day!" from Myths, Legends, and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2 (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary: Pizza party, ice cream, & a water balloon fight after the end of a great V.B.S. week.

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Memorial of Saint Irenaeus, Bishop & Martyr & Doctor of the Church (circa 130-202, of Lyon), second (II) Bishop of Lyon (then Lugdunum), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Septimius Severus; a Father of the Church, author of On the Detection & Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis, also known as Adversus Haereses ("Against Heresies").

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

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

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

The Chinkees, "Trophy Winner" from Peace through Music (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: V.B.S. Day 5.

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

Episode o' the Day
"The Sword of Kahless" (season four, episode eight; 20 November 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "The Sword of Kahless" is a great exemplar of why I'm just not that fond of the Klingons. I find them mostly uninteresting adversaries, whose chief virtue is hypocrisy. Jadzia Dax, her old friend Kor (returning from season two's "Blood Oath"), & Worf go on a quest to find a long-lost Klingon artifact, the eponymous Sword of Kahless. They find the sword in the Gamma Quadrant* & are pursued by Toral, son of Duras (returning from The Next Generation, though played by a different actor). During the pursuit, Kor & Worf turn on each other, each plotting to ride the prestige of having returned the sword to seize power within the Klingon Empire. They fight & might well have killed each other, but Dax stuns them with her phaser. There are no non-corporeal lifeforms manipulating Worf's & Kor's emotions; there is no hidden device manipulating Kor's & Worf's brain waves. They are under no mind control or outside influence, they turn on each other within minutes of finding the Sword of Kahless out of sheer lust for power & prestige (what the Klingons call "honor," though Klingons rarely act honorably). Back on their runabout, the trio beam the sword into interstellar space, believing returning with it would plunge the Klingon Empire into civil war.

*Did the "Hurq," the otherwise unknown aliens who pillaged the Sword of Kahless from the Klingon homeworld one thousand years ago, have early access to the Bajoran Wormhole?

Bonus! Vacation Bible School Song o' the Day

Nena, "99 Luftballons" from Nena (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Bouncing a balloon with a toddler, the younger sister of a V.B.S. participant, who was mostly interested in taking pratfalls on the soft mats laid down for the V.B.S. kids to sit on, "99 Luftballons" came to mind. These are such delightful days!

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Catholic T-Shirt Club Unboxing: Serviam"

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop & Doctor of the Church (circa 376-444), twenty-sixth (XXVI) Patriarch of Alexandria & a Father of the Church who played a crucial role at the Council of Ephesus (431, the third ecumenical council).

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

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

The Rebel Black Dot Songs o' the Day

Queen, "We Will Rock You" from the Greatest Hits I compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

&

Queen, "We Are the Champions" from the Greatest Hits I compilation (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: V.B.S. Day 4. This is the final day of Holy Redeemer's "Detective Academy & the Mystery of the Mass," but we still have one more day of Saint Matthew's "Cathletics!: Training to Be Champions for Christ" in store.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day!

The Aquabats!, "Look at Me, I'm a Winner!" from Charge!! (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary: V.B.S. Day 3. Sad to think there are fewer days ahead than there are behind. This is such a uniquely exhausting yet blessed & wonderful time of the year!

Operation ÖSTERREICH

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

Commentary: Vacation Bible School all this week. My morning's are hectic!

Saints + Scripture

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

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

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

The Explorers' Club, № MXXXIII

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 50th Anniversary of Salyut 3, Part I
25 June 1974: Salyut 3 lifted off from the Kazakh S.S.R.'s Baikonur Cosmodrome atop a Proton-K rocket; "Salyut 3" was a cover name for a military Almaz ("Diamond") spy station, O.P.S.-2, which was equiped with a Rikhter R-23 autocannon; the gun was fixed in place, so that the whole station moved to aim it; Salyut 3's low orbit, military crews, & communications activity betraying its secret purpose.

Commentary: An earlier, civilian-model space station that would have been designated "Salyut 3," but it failed to achieve its proper orbit & so was given the generic satellite designation "Kosmos 557." Kosmos 557's brief orbital career overlapped with Skylab being in orbit by eight days (14-22 May 1973), but was not acknowledged by the Soviets until much later. Thus, this military-model Salyut 3 & Skylab marked the first time two acknowledged space stations were in low Earth orbit simultaneously.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: Salyut 3
Robert Duncan, "Gunfight Epiphany (Theme from Terriers)" from the Gunfight Epiphany single (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.

Saints + Scripture

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

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

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

John Williams featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Utah Symphony Orchestra, "Call of the Champions (Official Theme of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games)" from American Journey (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: V.B.S. Day 2.

Autobahn: 99,000 & Counting…

After recent trips to & from Mackinaw City (gateway to Mackinac Island) & Xanadu in verdammt Ohio, the Shuttlecraft Odysseus's odometer has ticked over to 99,000 miles. I missed the Lumi's odometer ticking over to 100,000 miles & the Malibu Stacey was wrecked before she ever reached that milestone. Within the bounds of safe & conscientious driving, I hope to witness the Shuttlecraft Odysseus's odometer ticking over to 100,000 miles. Stay tuned.

Saints + Scripture: Nativity of Saint John the Baptist

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (six months B.C.).

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Son of Ss. Zechariah [23 September] & Elizabeth [5 November].

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Smash Mouth, "All-Star" from Astro Lounge (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: "All-Star" is the topic of this week's episode of the Chris DeMakes a Podcast podcast.

'Tis also thematically appropriate for the first day of Vacation Bible School: "Cathletics!: Training to the Champions for Christ" @ my parish, Saint Matthew, & I am also helping out a little (narration) with "Detective Academy & the Mystery of the Mass" @ my former parish, Holy Redeemer.

Bonus! Songs o' the Day

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

&

Reel Big Fish, "Sell Out" from Turn the Radio Off (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Unprompted by me, Brother Envy quoted the lyrics of both "The Impression That I Get" & "Sell Out" as we battled against the Green Monster this morning. I like to think that SKApril, the SKArchives, & the SKAfter Party are having their intended effect.

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop (circa 354-431, A.K.A. Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus).

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

Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:

St. Paulinus was born at Bordeaux in France in 355. He advanced in the service of the state,married, & had a son. Desirous of an austerelife, he received baptism &, having disposedof all worldly goods, began to live the monastic life in 393, at Nola in Campagna. He later was made bishop of that city & promoted the cult of St. Felix, assisted pilgrims, & diligently alleviated misfortunes of the day. He also composed poems remarkable for their fine language. St. Paulinus died in 431.

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saints John Fisher, Bishop, & Thomas More, Martyrs (died 1535), Bishop of Rochester, martyred in the reign of the English king Henry VIII.

Commentary: Quoth the Holy Family bulletin:

St. John Fisher was born in 1469. After completing his theological studies at Cambridge in England, he was ordained to the priesthood. Appointed bishop of Rochester, he led a most austere life & fulfilled his pastoral role be frequently visiting the faithful. He also composed works against the errors of the time.

St. Thomas More was born in 1477 & was educated at Oxford. He married & had a son & three daughters. While Chancellor in the King's Court, he wrote workson the governance of the realm & the defense of the Faith. Both he & St.John Fisher were beheaded in 1535 by order of King Henry VIII, whom they had resisted in the matter of his divorce: John Fisher on 22 June & Thomas More on 6 July. While detained in prison, Bishop Fisher was named a Cardinal by Pope Paul III.

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

Saint Quote o' the Day

"I do not care very much what men say of me, provided that God approves of me."
—Saint Thomas More (1478-1535, feast: 22 July)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

James Carter and the Prisoners, "Po Lazarus" from O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Music from a Film by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: It's that time of year, time to "tame the Green Monster," to trim the extensive hedges around the Widow Lima Charlie's house. Her late husband, Sierra Charlie, was a Knight of Columbus & the aboriginal purpose of the Knights of Columbus is to care of the widows & orphans of departed Knights; so, twice or thrice a year I beg & plead & harangue 'til I've gathered a crew of four to eight Knights (including grandchildren of sufficient age to be useful) & we gather on a Saturday morning to do battle against the Green Monster. We always prevail, but the Green Monster always returns for another bout, later this summer or in the fall.

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

Episode o' the Day
"Little Green Men" (season four, episode eight; 6 November 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Little Green Men" is a romp, revealing that the 1947 Roswell incident had been caused by Quark, Rom, & Nog (& Odo, who maintained a much lower profile), who inadvertantly traveled back in time after Cousin Gaila sabotaged Quark's new starship, the Quark's Treasure. Delightful!

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Video from the Cross in the Woods"

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious, S.J. (1568-1591).

Commentary: Wayback Machine. Cousin of the martyr Bl. Rodolfo Acquaviva, S.J. (25 July).

Quoth the Saint Matthew bulletin:

St. Aloysius Gonzaga, born in 1568, in Italy, was a remarkable figure, known for his spirituality & commitment to service despite his brief life. As the eldest son of a noble family, he was expected to pursue a military & political career. However, inspired by the religious environment of his time & influenced by his mother, he developed a deep religious devotion from a young age. At just nine years old, Aloysius experienced a profound spiritual awakening & began to practice rigorous asceticism, including frequent prayer & fasting. His desire for a religious life grew, leading him to join the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) at the age of 18, renouncing his noble title & wealth. As a Jesuit novice, he devoted himself to studying theology & serving others, particularly the sick. During a severe plague outbreak in Rome in 1591, Aloysius courageously volunteered to care for the victims, despite the high risk of infection. His selfless service led to his contracting the plague, & he succumbed to the disease on on June 21, 1591, at the age of 23. St. Aloysius Gonzaga was canonized in 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII, & he is venerated as the patron saint of youth, students, & plague victims.

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

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

The Blues Brothers, "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" from The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack Recording (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I have ever enjoyed the role-reversal, that in most situations "Joliet" Jake (played by John Belushi, R.I.P.) is the more talkative of the Blues Brothers, but on stage, Elwood (played by Dan Aykroyd) does most of the talking.

"You know, people, when you do find somebody,
Hold that woman, hold that man,
Love him, please him, squeeze her, please her,
Hold, squeeze, and please that person, give 'em all your love,
Signify your feelings with every gentle caress,
Because it's so important to have that special somebody,
To hold, kiss, miss, squeeze, and please…"

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

Episode o' the Day
"Starship Down" (season four, episode seven; 13 November 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Starship Down" is a submarine episode, a venerable Star Trek tradition that dates back to "Balance of Terror" (T.O.S., first season), with this episode's writers also citing Das Boot as an inspiration.

There are also parallels to "Disaster" (T.N.G., fifth season), with the crew split up & isolated, acting in unusual roles amidst the wrecked ship. Lieutenant Commander Worf, recently transferred from security to command (from Security Chief aboard the Starship Enterprise-D to Strategic Operations Officer aboard Starbase Deep Space 9), learns some lessons about command with the help of Chief O'Brien. Doctor Bashir & Lieutenant Commander Dax have a frank discussion about his erstwhile romantic pursuit of her, which was part of the series pilot, "Emissary," & the evolution of this unrequited love into a genuine friendship.

Major Kira tends to a wounded Captain Sisko, & has a largely one-sided discussion of her reverence for Sisko as the Emissary in her Bajoran faith & how that has served as an obstacle to the two of them forming a more interpersonal relationship. When he takes a turn for the worse, Kira prays, which is a welcome maturing of Star Trek after the cartoonish & condescending atheism of T.N.G. This is the most significent treatment of the Emissary & the Bajoran religion since "Destiny" (season three) & sets the stage for "Accession" later in this season, & an ever increasing role for the Emissary in seasons five, six, & seven.

Saints + Scripture

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

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

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the First Day o' Summer

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

The Summer Solstice
Fountains of Wayne, "It Must Be Summer" from Utopia Parkway (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"It must be summer, 'cause the days are long,
And I dial your number, but you're gone, gone, gone…

"It must be summer, 'cause the streets are bare,
And I try your number, but you're just not there…"

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

Real Can of Yams, "Set Phasers to Fun!" from the Nothing Can Kill the Grimace E.P. (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: Stay tuned for SKAugust, this year commemorating 1999. Coming 1 August 2024.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Juneteenth

Sam Cooke, "A Change Is Gonna Come" from Portrait of a Legend, 1951-1964 (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Juneteenth
Juneteenth '23 | Juneteenth '22
Juneteenth '21 | Juneteenth '20

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

Episode o' the Day
"Rejoined" (season four, episode six; 30 October 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: "Rejoined" is not a very good episode. Yes, I am a Catholic Christian; yes, I am a social conservative; but what's wrong with "Rejoined" has nothing to do with two women kissing. The plot is fairly thin, & the romance between Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax & visiting Trill scientist Doctor Lenara Kahn is like a teenage melodrama. (A previous host of the Kahn symbiont, Nilani, had been married to a previous host of the Dax symbiont, Torias, who died serving as a test pilot.) Jadzia tries to blackmail emotionally Lenara, saying, "If you feel about me the way I feel about you…" you'll accept exile from Trill that would result in the death of both the Kahn & Dax symbionts at the end of Lenara's & Jadzia's humanoid lifespans. She sounds like the creeps who pressure teen girls into premarital sex: "If you love me, you'll do it." That's the icky part of "Rejoined."

Operation ÖSTERREICH

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

Commentary: I'm frustrated with my home scale. I will change the batteries & give it one last chance next week, but if it will not lock on to a weight I will toss it & replace it.

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"Pilgrimage to the Cross in the Woods"

'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Romuald, Abbot, O.S.B. Cam. (circa 950-1027, of Ravenna), founder of the Camaldolese Order, a tradition that encompasses both eremitic (solitary) & cenobitic (communal) monasticism.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

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