Operation ÖSTERREICH: Saint Michael's Lent

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

Bonus! Song o' the Day: From the SKArchives

Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Tokyo Ska Paradise Ochestra, "Glorious" from Glorious (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey-san)

Skammentary: 2019 was the year I first undertook the Exodus 90 exercise, which at the time strictly prohibited all music. SKApril was thus delayed until Easter; so, while "Glorious" was the R.B.D.S.O.T.D. for 23 April, it was only the third song o' that ninth SKApril. Forsaking all music, including delaying SKApril, was a terrible mistake, one I will never repeat. The Exodus 90 organizers themselves have modified the disciplines, permitting music that raises one's heart & mind to God. Ska cultivates such joy in my heart!

Wayback Machine.

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Saint Michael's Lent

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

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 349.4 lbs. (Wednesday, 9 August 2023)

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
John Williams, "Duel of the Fates" from Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace (Mike Papa Wookie)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Saint Michael's Lent

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 349.4 lbs.

I am still recovering from a severely disruptive weekend spent in the company of degenerate gamblers working a charity fundraiser with my brother Knights (9:00 P.M.-2:00 A.M., Thursday through Sunday) & only slowly returning to my normal sleep & meal schedules.

The latest Exodus exercise, Saint Michael's Lent, began yesterday, 15 August, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Wikipedia-link. As the cruel, hot summer gives way to the long, hard fall, we face the stark reality that each of us is engaged in the spiritual combat, whether we like it or not.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
John Williams, "Cantina Band" from Star Wars: Original Trilogy Anthology (Mike Papa Wookie)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 342.4 lbs
This weigh-in: 337.0 lbs.
Difference: -5.4 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Spam" from U.H.F.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Mike Papa Weight Watcher)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 339.8 lbs
This weigh-in: 337.6 lbs.
Difference: -2.2 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Grapefruit Diet" from Running with Scissors (Mike Papa Watercress)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 340.2 lbs
This weigh-in: 339.8 lbs.
Difference: -0.4 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Lasagna" from Even Worse (Mike Papa Wanderer)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 342.2 lbs
This weigh-in: 340.2 lbs.
Difference: -2.0 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Girls Just Want to Have Lunch" from Dare to Be Stupid (Mike Papa Wimp)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 340.0 lbs

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 340.0 lbs

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 341.4 lbs
This weigh-in: 340.0 lbs.
Difference: -1.4 lbs.

Not as much progress as we'd like to see, but at least for the second consecutive weigh-in we are moving in the right direction, in contrast to holding steady.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Spam" from U.H.F.: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Mike Papa Weight Watcher)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last two weigh-ins: 346.6 lbs
This weigh-in: 341.4 lbs.
Difference: -5.2 lbs.

Trust the process. Reap the progress. "We will be free."

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Theme from Rocky XIII" from "Weird Al" Yankovicin 3-D (Mike Papa Walnut)

Commentary:

"Fat and weak, what a disgrace,
Guess the champ got too lazy,
Ain't gonna fly now, he's just taking up space,
Sold his gloves, threw his eggs down the drain…"

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 346.6 lbs
This weigh-in: 346.6 lbs.
Difference: +/-0.0 lbs.

No change. In this instance, no news is not good news.

Commentary: Facebook would not allow me to use the above image as my profile picture. Remind me again why I even have a Facebook page? I know why, to help my Secret Base posts & The Popish Plot's episodes reach a broader audience, but is it really worthwhile? I'll jump ship sooner or later, though sooner or later has yet to be determined. I'm definitely not missing the social network during this Exodus. Burn, Facebook! Burn!

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Fat" from Even Worse (Mike Papa Whale)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Exodus 90 Edition

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 350.4 lbs (Wednesday, 28 December 2022)
This weigh-in: 346.6 lbs.
Difference: -3.8 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Grapefruit Diet" from Running with Scissors (Mike Papa Watercress)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Saint Michael's Lent

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 330.2 lbs
This weigh-in: 332.4 lbs.
Difference: +2.2 lbs.

The goal is to lose at least two pounds per week (-2 lbs./week), not to gain more than two pounds per week (+2 lbs./week). This week was an outreach to those who perfer the inhuman uniformity of the metric system: I gained a kilogram (2.2 lbs. = 1 kg.)

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
Letters to Cleo, "Pizza Cutter" from Wholesale Meats and Fish (Mike Papa Whale)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Saint Michael's Lent

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 336.0 lbs
This weigh-in: 330.2 lbs.
Difference: -5.8 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
Robbie Williams, "No One Likes a Fat Pop Star" from Swings Both Ways (Mike Papa Watercress)

Operation ÖSTERREICH: Saint Michael's Lent

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 339.6 lbs
This weigh-in: 336.0 lbs.
Difference: -3.6 lbs.

Year to Date: 2022
Highest weigh-in: 366.4 lbs (2 February, Feast of the Presentation of the Lord)
Lowest weigh-in: 336.0 lbs. (17 August)
Difference: -30.4 lbs.

Bonus! Lied von ÖSTERREICH
"Weird Al" Yankovic, "Grapefruit Diet" from Running with Scissors (Mike Papa Waif)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Freedom Day 2

Bombskare, "Freedom 35" from The Day the Earth Stood Stupid (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' Freedom Day 1

Potshot, "Freedom" from Rock 'n' Roll (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Saints + Scripture

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

'Tis the Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest, S.J. (1580-1654).

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Colossians, chapter three, verses twelve thru seventeen;
Psalm One Hundred Fifty (R/. six), verses one(b) & two, three & four, & five & six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter six, verses twenty-seven thru thirty-eight.

Commentary: Gospel reflection by Bishop Robert Barron (Word on Fire):

Friends, our Gospel today is taken from Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain in Luke. It is one of the more puzzling texts in the New Testament. It speaks of loving our enemies. Not tolerating them or vaguely accepting them, but loving them. When you hate your enemy, you confirm him as your enemy. But when you love him in response to his hatred, you confuse and confound him, taking away the very energy that feeds his hatred.

There is a form of oriental martial arts called aikido. The idea of aikido is to absorb the aggressive energy of your opponent, moving with it, continually frustrating him until he comes to the point of realizing that fighting is useless.

Some have pointed out that there is a great deal of this in Jesus’ strategy of nonviolence and love of the enemy. You creatively absorb the aggression of your opponent, really using it against him, to show him the futility of violence. So when someone insults you, send back a compliment instead of an insult. When someone conspires against you, work to help him.

Video reflection by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

Video reflection by Doctor Tim Gray (Augustine Institute/Formed.org): Daily Reflection.

Mass Readings—Memorial of Saint Peter Claver
The Book of Isaiah, chapter fifty-eight, verses six thru eleven;
Psalm One (R/. two[a]), verses one & two, three, & four & six;
(or, R/. Psalm Forty, verse five[a]; or, Psalm Ninety-two, verses thirteen & foruteen);
The Gospel according to Matthew, chapter twenty-five, verses thirty-one thru forty.

Scripture Study—Day 91: Leo's Ledge, Day 32
The Book of Daniel, chapter twelve, verses five thru thirteen.

Commentary: The Resurrection of the Dead (cont'd; Daniel, 12:5-13).

Scripture Study—Bishop's Year of the Bible
The First Book of Samuel, chapter twelve (verses one thru twenty-five);

Commentary: Samuel's Farewell Address (1 Samuel, 12:1-25).

Saint Quote o' the Day

"We must speak to them with our hands before we try to speak to them with our lips."
—Saint Peter Claver, S.J. (1580-1654, feast: 9 September)