The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Hallowe'en

Ray Parker Junior, "Ghostbusters" from Ghostbusters: Original Soundtrack Album (Mike Papa Werewolf)

Commentary: "Ghostbusters" debuted as a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2010.

The Explorers' Club, № MCXIX

Operation AXIOM: The Space Age—The 40th Anniversary of S.T.S.-61-A (№ 22), Part I
30 October 1985: Spacelab D1—The Space Shuttle Challenger OV-099 lifted off from Florida's K.S.C. with CDR Hank Hartsfield, Pilot Steve Nagel, M.S.1 Bonnie Dunbar, M.S.2/F.E. Jim Buchli, M.S.3 Guy Bluford, P.S.1 Reinhard Furrer (West German space agency, D.F.V.L.R.), P.S.2 Ernst Messerschmid (D.F.V.L.R.), & P.S.3 Wubbo Ockels (European Space Agency), the largest crew ever launched.

Commentary: S.T.S.-61-A was the ninth flight of the Challenger OV-099.

S.T.S.-61-A was also the first space flight to carry multiple citizens of a country other than the United States or the Soviet Union (Furrer & Messerschmid were West German & Ockels was Dutch).

Bonus! Space Age Song o'the Day: S.T.S.-61-A
Nena, "99 Luftballons" from the International Album compilation (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.

The Rebel Black Dot Hallowe'en Song o' the Day

Sufjan Stevens, "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!!" from Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise (A.K.A. Illinois) (Mike Papa Wraith)

Commentary: "They Are Night Zombies!!…" debuted as a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2010.

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Please Stand By

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

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Hallowe'en Song o' the Day

Thurl Ravenscroft, "The Headless Horseman" from Walt Disney Archive Collection, Vol. 1 (Mike Papa Wyvern)

Commentary: "The Headless Horseman" debuted as a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2015.

The Rebel Black Dot Hallowe'en Song o' the Day

Jason Segal & Cast, "A Taste for Love" from Forgetting Sarah Marshall: Oiginal Motion Picture Soundtrack (Mike Papa Wizard)

Commentary: "A Taste for Love" debuted as a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2014.

The Rebel Black Dot Hallowe'en Song o' the Day

They Might Be Giants, "Haunted Floating Eye" from the Cast Your Pod to the Wind bonus disc (Mike Papa Wight)

Commentary: "Haunted Floating Eye" debuted as a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2019.

The Explorers' Club, № MCXVIII

Operation AXIOM: Between the Wars
28 October 1925: Tutankhamun's Mummy—Howard Carter & his team opened the innermost of three nested coffins, within a sarcophagus, revealing the mummy of Tutankhamun & its magnificent death mask, possibly the single most famous artifact from ancient Egypt; Tutankhamun's was the only royal mummy found undisturbed, but was partially dismembered to extract the mummy from the coffin.

Wayback Machine
"The Explorers' Club," № CMXIII: The Discovery of Tutankhamun's Tomb

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Tutankhamun's Mummy
Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, "King Tut" (live) from Rare Bird Alert (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.

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

The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Leon Bridges, "Better Man" from Coming Home (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: Go Blue!

Team 146, Game 8: Michigan @ Michigan Agricultural
Sufjan Stevens, "Say Yes! to M!ch!gan!" from Sufjan Stevens Presents… Greetings from Michigan, the Great Lake State (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: Have I mentioned how much I hate night games? Because I really hate night games. This is the valiant Wolverines' eighth game of the season & fourth night game out of those eight.

Go Blue!

Bonus! Hallowe'en Song o' the Day

Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers, "Transylvania Twist" from The Original Monster Mash (Mike Papa Wampir)

Commentary: "Transylvania Twist" was first a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2012.

The Rebel Black Dot Hallowe'en Song o' the Day

Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers, "Monster Mash" from The Original Monster Mash (Mike Papa Witch Doctor)

Commentary: "Monster Mash" was first a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2011, our second series. How it wasn't part of the first Hallowe'en series I will never understand.

The Rebel Black Dot Hallowe'en Song o' the Day

The Cast of The Simpsons, "Treehouse of Horror V" from The Simpsons: Songs in the Key of Springfield—Original Music from the Television Series (Mike Papa Warlock)

Commentary: "Treehouse of Horror V" was first a Hallowe'en R.B.D.S.O.T.D. in 2014. The episode, "Treehouse of Horror V," first aired in 1994. Even Progressives hate modern pop culture & nostalgia for the 1990s runs high.

The Explorers' Club, № MCXVII

Operation AXIOM: Between the Wars
19-29 October 1925: The Incident at Petrich (A.K.A. the War of the Stray Dog)—After a Greek soldier was killed under disputed circumstances, Greek troops invaded Bulgaria & attacked the town of Petrich; the League of Nations ordered a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Greek troops, & Greece to pay £45,000 in compensation to Bulgaria within two months; around one hundred seventy souls were lost.

Lest we forget.

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Please Stand By

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

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

The Optional Memorial of Saint John Paul II, Pope
Dan Potthast, "Pope" from Sweets and Meats (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"…It was like a parade at forty miles an hour,
And the pope zipped past in his see-through car,
And we laughed and we waved and I think he smiled,
It all happened so fast, all the people were chanting:
'John Paul Two, we love you!'…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Operation AXIOM: The 15th Anniversary of My Loss on Jeopardy!
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "I Lost on Jeopardy!" from "Weird Al" Yankovic In 3-D (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Fifteen years ago today—Thursday, 21 October 2010—my episode of Jeopardy! aired on nationally syndicated television. I still wear that same watch.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' This Auspicious Day

"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Happy Birthday" from "Weird Al" Yankovic (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I woke up this morning in *shudder* Ohio. Yesterday, amidst pouring rain, I ventured into Columbus, the heart of darkness itself, & was not even rewarded with an all-you-can-eat sausage buffet. If that's not love, I don't know what is.

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

The Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The O.C. Supertones, "Fight On" from For the Glory (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: Go Blue!

Team 146, Game 7: Michigan v. Washington
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "I Can't Turn You Loose" from Forever Valiant (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Reel Big Fish, "Don't Start a Band" (live) from Our Live Album Is Better Than Your Live Album, Disc 2: Move Fastly with the Fast Music (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary:

"Ladies & gentlemen, this is the meanest song I ever wrote…"

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Reel Big Fish & Zolof the Rock & Roll Destroyer, "Don't You Want Me?" from the Duet All Night Long E.P. (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Fountains of Wayne, "Sink to the Bottom" from Fountains of Wayne (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"I wanna sink to the bottom with you,
I wanna sink to the bottom with you,
The ocean is big and blue,
I just wanna sink to the bottom with you…"

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Please Stand By

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

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs. (12 June 2024)

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin & Doctor of the Church, O.C.D. (1515-1582, of Ávila; A.K.A. Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda y Ahumada) co-foundress of the Discalced Carmelites (1562, O.C.D.), formally the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

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

Saint Quote o' the Day

"In all created things discern the providence & wisdom of God, & in all things give Him thanks."
—Saint Teresa of Jesus, O.C.D. (1515-1582, feast: 15 October)

The Explorers' Club, № MCXVI

Operation AXIOM: Between the Wars—The Locarno Pact, Part I
5-16 October 1925: Germany negotiated treaties with France, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, & Czechsolvakia, agreeing to the French & Belgian borders as set out in the Versailles Treaty, & the demilitarization of the Rhineland; Austen Chamberlain of Great Britain, Aristide Briand of France, & Gustav Stresemann of Germany won the Nobel Peace Prize; Germany joined the League of Nations.

Commentary: In 1919, Germany was not a party to negotiating the Treaty of Versailles; the Germans were presented with the completed treaty as a take-it-or-leave-it proposition (with the threat that if you leave it, the French will invade). The "Spirit of Locarno" greatly improved foreign relations throughout Europe & marked Germany's readmission to the community of nations.

Lest we forget.

Saints + Scripture

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

The Popish Plot
"October Saints Who Wore Costumes: Part 3 (Blessed Chiara Luce Badano)"

Saints of the Day
'Tis the Optional Memorial of Saint Callistus I, Pope & Martyr (died circa 222; also spelt Callixtus), sixteenth (XVI) Bishop of Rome (217-222), martyred in the reign of the Roman emperor Severus Alexander, superintendent of the Catacombs of Callixtus.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

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

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

The Mr. T Experience, "New Girlfriend" from Pounded: The Official Comic Book Soundtrack (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

My new girlfriend is better than you,
She's got bigger breasts and a higher I.Q.,
And she always knows which fork to use,
And she doesn't always have some lame excuse,
She's a-wigglin' and a-gigglin' and a-bakin' a pie,
And I can tell just by the look in her eye,
That she's never gonna make me have to wonder why,
And we're gonna have a hell of a time!

She's better than you! (Better than you!)
She's better than you! (Better than you!)
She's better than you! (Better than you!)…"

Saints + Scripture

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

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

'Tis also the festival of Saint Edward the Confessor (circa 1003-1066).

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

Super Boat Warp, "This Epic Adventure" from the Fire All Weapons! E.P. (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture: XXVIII Sunday in Ordinary Time

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

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

Saint Quote o' the Day

"To always be close to Jesus,that's my life plan."
—Saint Carlo Acutis (1991-2006, feast:12 October)

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

The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Party at the Leper Colony" from Poodle Hat (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: Go Blue!

Team 146, Game 6: Michigan @ U.S.C.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, "To California" from Medium Rare (Rude Boy Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: Have I mentioned how much I hate night games? Because I really hate night games.

Go Blue!

Bonus! Song o' Trivia Night

Project Mercator: Trivia Night @ Saint Matthew
MxPx, "Is the Answer in the Question?" from The Ever Passing Moment (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"Was the answer in the question all along?…"

No, the answer was not in the question all along; I'm not smart enough to write questions like that. But every now & again, I'll give a hint.

Saints + Scripture

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

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Well, Lord, it's Your Church. I'm tired & going to bed."
—Saint John XXIII (1881-1963, r. 1958-1963; feast: 11 October)

Commentary: Pope Saint John XXIII was asked how many persons worked in the Vatican. He replied:

"About half."