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.

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.

The Explorers' Club, № MXXXII

The Space Race—The "Fourteen" (Astronaut Group 3), Part VI
Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Junior (b. 20 January 1930), Brigadier General, U.S. Air Force—He flew Gemini XII (1966) & Apollo 11 (Columbia & Eagle, 1969); during Gemini XII, he conducted the sixth-ever E.V.A.; he was the second of the twelve Moonwalkers; his nickname "Dr. Rendezvous" came from his doctoral work on orbital mechanics; he pioneered neutral-buoyancy-pool training for E.V.A.

Commentary: Aldrin was given the nickname "Buzz" in childhood; it became his legal name in 1988. We call him Edwin Aldrin Jr. here not out of disrespect, but because that was his name when he was selected in Astronaut Group 3.

He is the author of many books, including the autobiographies, Return to Earth (1973) & Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon (2009).

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: The Fourteen—Buzz Aldrin
Rocket Surgeon, "Buzz Aldrin" from Flash Fiction (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Wayback Machine Tour of Buzz Aldrin
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCL: The 55th Anniversary of Gemini XII, Part I
"The Explorers' Club," № DCCCLI: The 55th Anniversary of Gemini XII, Part II
"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

Semper exploro.

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

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

Episode o' the Day
"Indiscretion" (season four, episode five; 23 October 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Tuesday 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 Day: SKAfter Party

The Toasters, "Daddy Cry" from Don't Let the Bastards Grind You Down (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

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

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

Episode o' the Day
"Hippocratic Oath" (season four, episode four; 16 October 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Monday 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 Day: SKAfter Party

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

Skammentary:

"Well, she's so cute, if you know what I mean,
She's the cutest little girl that I've ever seen,
Maybe she'll like me if I play guitar,
Maybe she'll like me if I'm the lead singer, yea!
Oh yea!
And there's so many bands, we all look the same.

"Well, I just saw them up on stage
And I don't remember how good they played,
'Cause he can't sing,
But I'd pay just to see her face,
Yea, yea, yea, yea…"

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

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

Episode o' Father's Day
"The Visitor" (season four, episode three; 9 October 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Bonus! Song o' Father's Day

Fountains of Wayne, "Action Hero" from Sky Full of Holes (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: XI Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

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

Commentary: Wayback Machine (for previous 16 Junes, scroll down to the Wayback Machine hyperlink in the saints section).

Bonus! Song o' the Day: SKAfter Party

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

Skammentary: Overheard at Kroger during a stop on my way home from Mass. I don't want to engage in such commerce on Sundays, but I have not yet sufficiently disciplinesd myself to conduct any grocery shopping that can't be put off 'til Monday on the prior Saturday.

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

The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
John Lee Hooker, "The Healer" from The Definitive Collection (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: There is a catechuman at my parish preparing for Baptism, a young women our priest & faith formation director have judged ready for the sacrament; instead of waiting until next Easter Vigil, we are reading the scrutiny readings on three consecutive Sundays—last week, today, & next week—to prepare her to be Baptized at the end of the month. Thus, our readings today were for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (Year A) instead of the Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B).

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

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

Episode o' the Day
"The Way of the Warrior" (season four, episodes one & two; 2 October 1995): Wikipedia-link.

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Optional Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis the Saturday of the Tenth 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, "Trendy" from Turn the Radio Off (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture

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

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

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

Bonus! Song o' Flag Day

Band of the Grenadier Guards, "The Stars and Stripes Forever" from Sousa Marches (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The Grenadier Guards are the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army.

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

The Skamotts featuring Kuro, "Put Your Records On" from Pleasure Isle (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey-san)

Skammentary:

"Maybe sometimes
You run and crawl, but it's alright,
'Cause more things seem to change,
The more they stay the same.
Don't you hesitate!

"Girl, put your records on,
Tell me your favorite song…"

"Maybe sometimes
You feel afraid, but it's alright,
'Cause more that stay the same,
The more that seems to change.
Don't you think it's strange?…"