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

Team 143, Game 7: Michigan v. Penn State
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "Yellow & Blue" from Forever Valiant (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: "Yellow & Blue" is the alma mater (school song) of the University of Michigan, the title traditionally rendered as "The Yellow and Blue." Today's game is to be a "Maize Out," with all the Michigan faithful asked to wear maize, yet the valiant Wolverines will themselves eschew their time-honored maize pants in favor of the new-fangled blue pants. So, fans are going to wear maize while the team aren't going to wear maize. How does that make sense?

Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Bombskare, "Bondtrack" from A Fistful of Dynamite (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

The Skamotts, "From Russia with Love" from Pleasure Isle (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Skammentary: A direct hit to my sweet spot, the intersection of ska & spies.

Saints + Scripture

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

Saints of the Day
'Tis the festival of Saint Theophilus of Antioch, Bishop (died circa 184), seventh (VII) Patriarch of Antioch (169-184): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Wayback Machine.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Benedict of Cupra, Martyr (died circa 304, A.K.A. of Tronto) martyred in the reign of the Roman emperors Diocletian & Maximian, a victim of the Diocletianic Persecution (303-313): Martyr-link & Wikipedia-link; Persecution-link, Wikipedia-link Diocletian ūnus, Wikipedia-link Diocletian duo, & Wikipedia-link Diocletian trēs.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Simpert of Augsberg, Bishop & Abbot, O.S.B. (died circa 807), Bishop of Augsberg (778-807), sixth (VI) abbot of Murbach Abbey (789-792): Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Diocese-link, Wikipedia-link Augsburg, & Wikipedia-link Bishops; & Wikipedia-link Murbach.

Commentary: Nephew of Blessed Charlemagne [28 January].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Gerald of Aurillac (circa 855-909), Count of Aurillac: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link.

Commentary: Son of Saint Adeltrude of Aurillac [14 November].

'Tis also the festival of Saint Edward the Confessor (circa 1003-1066), King of England: Saint-link ūnus, Saint-link duo, & Wikipedia-link.

'Tis also the festival of Saint Daniel, Priest, & Companions, Religious & Martyrs, O.F.M. (died 1227; A.K.A. the Martyrs of Cueta, of Morocco), martyred in the reign of the Almohad caliph Yahya al-Mu'tasim: Martyr-link D-A-N, Martyr-link Alpha, Martyr-link D-O-N, Martyr-link Hotel, Martyr-link Lima, Martyr-link November, & Martyr-link Sierra; Martyr-link Cueta & Wikipedia-link.

NEW! | 'Tis also the festival of Saint Maddalena Panattieri, Virgin, O.P. (1443-1503, of Trino), stigmatic: Saint-link & Wikipedia-link; Stigmata-link & Wikipedia-link Stigmata.

'Tis also the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun, A.K.A. the Miracle of Fátima, the final & most spectacular apparition of Our Lady of Fátima (apparitions 13 May-13 October 1917): Wikipedia-link Miracle of the Sun; Madonna-link & Wikipedia-link Our Lady of Fátima.

Scripture of the Day
Mass Readings—Thursday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
The Letter to the Ephesians, chapter one, verses one thru ten;
Psalm Ninety-eight (R/. two[a]), verses one, two & three(a/b), three(c/d) & four, & five & six;
The Gospel according to Luke, chapter eleven, verses forty-seven thru fifty-four.

Commentary: Daily Readings.

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

Friends, in today’s Gospel, Jesus launches a blistering attack on the scholars of the Law.

The Son teaches, heals, preaches to, and forgives those who feel far from the mercy of God. He is the hand that the Father stretches out to sinners and to those who are lost. And by the same token, he is the judge of a sinful world. When the light of God’s forgiving love appears, the shadows of sin become all the deeper and more obvious. In light of him, there is nowhere to hide. And Jesus, the Word of the Father, gives voice to this judgment: “Woe to you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter."

The Son names all those powers that are opposed to the creative and loving intentions of his Father. He speaks a word of judgment on a world grown cozy with sin. He “channels” all of the feelings of the Father toward the world: intense, forgiving love to those who are lost, and equally intense hatred for the structures of darkness.

Video reflection by Deacon Clarence McDavid (U.S. Conf. of Catholic Bishops): Daily Reflection.

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

Papal Quote o' the Day

"Hold truth in holy respect; fear to offend it, to betray it. Impose upon yourself the discipline of silence, of moderation, of pateience. Truth seeks only to be proclaimed in its entirety."
—Pope Saint John XXIII (1881-1963, r. 1958-1963; feast: 11 October)

Mother Teresa Quote o' the Day

"Faith in action is service. We try to be holy because we believe. In most modern rooms you see an electrical light that can be turned on by a switch. But if there is no connection with the main powerhouse, then there can be no light. Faith & prayer are our connection with God, & power of that connection is service."
—Saint Teresa of Calcutta, M.C. (1910-1997, feast: 5 September)

Archbishop Sheen Quote o' the Day

"One can well believe that a crown of thorns, & that steel nails were less terrible to the flesh of our Savior than our modern indifference which neither scorns nor prays to the Heart of Christ."
—Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

Saint Quote o' the Day

"Our aim has to be the infinite & not the finite. The infinite is our homeland. We have always been expected in Heaven."
—Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006, feast: 12 October)

The Explorers' Club, № CMVII

Operation AXIOM: The 60th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council, Part I
11 October 1962: The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican opened—Announced by Pope John XXIII on 25 January 1959 to finish the incomplete work of the First Vatican Council (1869-1870); the council's watchwords were ressourcement (French), returning to the sources—the Bible & the Church Fathers—& aggiornamento (Italian), bringing up to date the Church's proclamation of the Gospel.

Bonus! Song o' the Day: Vatican II
Tom Lehrer, "Vatican Rag" from That Was the Year That Was (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.

Operation ÖSTERREICH — Please Stand By

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 332.4 lbs (Wednesday, 31 August)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Sugar Ray, "Every Morning" from 14:59 (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

The Blues Brothers, "Theme from Rawhide" from The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack Recording (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Inspired by this morning's very special episode of The Pillar Podcast, "Bonus Hat Chat: Statement Hat."

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

Real Can of Yams, "Shiver Me Timbers" from CODENAME: Koala (Remastered) (The Last Angry Man)

Commentary:

"In Fourteen Hundred and Ninety-two,
Columbus sailed the ocean blue,
We're trawlin' for booty and running you through,
Shiver me timbers!…"

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

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Audrey Assad, "Lead, Kindly Light" from Fortunate Fall (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Bonus! Song o' Leif Erikson Day!

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

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

Team 143, Game 6: Michigan @ Indiana
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "Calyptors" from Forever Valiant (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: I hate tilts against the wily Hoosiers of Indiana. The valiant Wolverines rarely lose, but nobody wins when Indiana University is involved. If the B1G does get rid of divisions, one of the upsides would be not having to play Indiana (ditto Maryland & Rutgers) every blessed year.

Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day, Eh

Bob & Doug McKenzie featuring Geddy Lee, "Take Off" from Great White North (Mike Papa Whiskey)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day, Eh

Barenaked Ladies, "Grade 9" from Gordon (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary, eh: Last night, I recorded a podcast with a Canadian gentleman just over the water in Sarnia, Ontario. Yes, we referenced "Grade 9."

The Explorers' Club, № CMVI

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—In Memoriam C.C. Williams
5 October 1967: Major Clifton Curtis "C.C." Williams Jr., U.S.M.C. (1932-1967) died after ejecting from his T-38 Talon, which crashed due to a mechanical failure; a graduate of Auburn University, he was selected in Astronaut Group 3 in October 1963 & was assigned as Lunar Module Pilot for Apollo 12; survived by his wife, Beth, & daughters Catherine & Jane, the latter born eight months after his death.

Commentary: Williams was the fourth member of Astronaut Group 3 to perish during training, without having flown in space, after Ted Freeman (31 October 1964, aeroplane crash), Charlie Bassett (28 February 1966, aeroplane crash), & Roger Chaffee (27 January 1967, Apollo 1 fire). During Apollo 12, L.M.P. Al Bean left Williams's naval aviator wings & silver astronaut pin on the Moon as a tribute.

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

Requiem æternam.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Sam Cooke, "Summertime Pt. 1" from The Man Who Invented Soul (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: A cover of the Gershwins' aria from the opera Porgy and Bess. A fitting R.B.D.S.O.T.D. on a pleasant but unseasonably warm October day.

Operation ÖSTERREICH — Please Stand By

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 332.4 lbs (Wednesday, 31 August)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Ginger Rogers, "We're In the Money (The Gold Diggers' Song)" from Hollywood's Best: The 30s (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: I know, "We're In the Money" is an exceedingly odd choice for the R.B.D.S.O.T.D. on this, the Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi, a man renowned throughout the centuries for his apostolic poverty & simplicity of life. Yet I woke up this morning with "We're In the Money" frolicking through my head, the best & absolutely preferred method for selecting the R.B.D.S.O.T.D.

The Explorers' Club Special: Mercury-Atlas 8

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 60th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 8
3 October 1962: Mercury 8 lifted off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, carrying Wally Schirra aboard the Mercury capsule Sigma 7 atop an Atlas rocket; the six-orbit flight plan focused on optimizing spacecraft performance & burned less fuel than the three-orbit missions of Mercury-Atlas 6 & 7; the Sigma 7 splashed down on target in the Pacific & was recovered by the U.S.S. Kearsarge.

Wayback Machine: № DCCCXLIII, "The Space Race—The 59th Anniversary of Mercury-Atlas 8"

Commentary: Project Mercury was a giant leap into the unknown. How to conduct human spaceflight was being worked out in real time. Mercury-Atlas 8 was an operational triumph, a textbook flight that showed the Mercury spacecraft could be controlled & its resources conserved, giving N.A.S.A. the confidence to attempt a full-day flight (achieved during Mercury-Atlas 9), an achievement necessary to catch up to the Soviet Union's Vostok program.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Aloe Blacc, "Ticking Bomb" from Lift Your Spirit (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary:

"The whole world's sittin' on a ticking bomb,
The whole world's sittin' on a ticking bomb,
So keep your calm, carry on,
The whole world's sittin' on a ticking bomb.

"The sun may never rise again,
The question ain't 'if' but 'when,'
The sea will boil and the sky will fall,
The sun may never rise again.

"The silent war has begun,
You're staring down a loaded gun,
No refuge found, no solid ground,
This human race can't be won.

"Don't wait to say goodbye,
You're running out of time,
Whatever you believe, it's easy to see…

"The whole world's sittin' on a ticking bomb,
(The whole world, the whole world)
The whole world's sittin' on a ticking bomb,
(The whole world, the whole world)
And it don't care what side you're on,
(The whole world, the whole world)
The whole world's sittin' on a ticking bomb…"

Bonus! Song o' the Day: The Holy Guardian Angels

Shane Harper, "Hold You Up" from God's Not Dead: The Motion Picture Soundtrack (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: 'Tis the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. Otherwise, 2 October would be the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels.

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

Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matt Maher, "Borrowed Time" from Saints and Sinners (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

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

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Team 143, Game 5: Michigan @ Iowa
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "Health System Victors" from Forever Valiant (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: Today, the valiant Wolverines of Team 143 face their sternest challenge yet, a road game against the defending B1G West champions, the tenacious Hawkeyes of Iowa, whom Team 142 defeated 42-3 in December 2021's B1G Championship Game. Iowa's Kinnick Stadium is a house of horrors, the sight of many baleful & improbable turn of events. At least today's contest isn't a night game. Whew!

Go Blue!

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Wheatus, "Teenage Dirtbag" from Wheatus (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: Yesterday's Throwback Thursday episode of the Chris DeMakes a Podcast podcast was a rereun the excellent episode with Brendan B. Brown about Wheatus's 2000 hit "Teenage Dirtbag." I was twenty when "Teenage Dirtbag" debuted, no longer a teenage dirtbag, but the experience of my teenage years was still fresh. What a magnificent song!

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day: Michaelmas

Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, & Raphael, Archangels (Michaelmas)
MxPx, "Angels" from Secret Weapon (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH — Please Stand By

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 332.4 lbs (Wednesday, 31 August)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Andy Findon, "The Belgian Detective (Theme from Poirot)" from When the Boat Comes In (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: David Suchet (above) is the definitive moving picture player of Hercule Poirot.

The Rebel Black Dot Sea Shanty o' the Day

The Aquabats!, "The Wild Sea!" from Myths, Legends, and Other Amazing Advenures, Vol. 2 (Captain Thumbs Up!)

Commentary:

"But we'll set sail and we'll be gone,
We're sailing on,
We're sailing on—

"Sailing on and on and on and on,
Into the ocean, into the sun,
My boat, a-viking, my dad and me,
On the wild sea!
Sailing on and on and on and on,
Into the ocean, into the sun,
My boat, a-viking, my dad and me,
On the wild sea!…"

The Explorers' Club, № CMV

Operation AXIOM: The 500th Anniversary of the Magellan Expedition
6 September 1522: The carrack Victoria completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth, 18 men arriving at Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Spain under the command of Juan Sebastián Elcano; 270 men aboard five ships had departed on 20 September 1519 under Ferdinand Magellan; one ship turned back & three were wrecked or scuttled during the voyage; Magellan died in battle in the Philippines.

Semper exploro.

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Semisonic, "Closing Time" from Feeling Strangely Fine (Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: "Closing Time" is the subject of this week's episode of the Chris Demakes a Podcast podcast, to which I have not yet listened.

"Closing time,
One last call for alcohol,
So finish your whiskey or beer,
Closing time,
You don't have to go home,
But you can'tstay here…"

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

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Aloe Blacc, "I Need a Dollar" from Good Things (Saint Mike Papa Whiskey)

Commentary: The unnamed rich man knew poor Lazarus's name. He was not unaware of Lazarus's plight; he was indifferent, & that's why he burned. If you are reading this, you are rich—rich enough to have access to a very advanced computer & the interweb. Heed the warning!

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

Team 143, Game 4: Michigan v. Maryland
The University of Michigan Marching Band, "I Can't Turn You Loose (from The Blues Brothers)" from Forever Valiant (Mike Papa Wolverine)

Commentary: This afternoon, my oldest nephew is experiencing his first game at Michigan Stadium. He should be in for a treat, as the intensity ratchets up with the commencement of conference play.

Go Blue!

Bonus! Song o' the Day!

The Aquabats!, "Demolition Rickshaw!" from Charge!! Special One Year Anniverdsary Edition (Captain Thumbs Up!)

The Rebel Black Dot Song o' the Day

Better Late than Never | Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea máxima culpa!

Amy Winehouse, "Rehab" from Back to Black (Mike Papa Whiskey)

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

Suburban Legends, "Autumn in the Park" from Rump Shaker (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

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

Potshot, "End of the Long Summer" from Potshot A Go Go (Rude Boy Mike Papa Whiskey)

Operation ÖSTERREICH — Please Stand By

Weekly Wednesday Weigh-in
Last weigh-in: 332.4 lbs (Wednesday, 31 August)

The Explorers' Club, № CMIV

Operation AXIOM: The Space Race—The 50th Anniversary of S.M.E.A.T., Part II
20 September 1972: The Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test (S.M.E.A.T.)—Crippen, Thornton, & Bobko emerged from their hypobaric chamber no worse for wear; along with providing physicians & scientists at the Manned Spacecraft Center with a physiological baseline, S.M.E.A.T. also revealed flaws in Skylab's zero-G toilet (also a medical research device), allowing for re-design prior to launch.

Bonus! Space Race Song o' the Day: Skylab Medical Experiment Altitude Test
The Sandfleas, "My Baby's Got a Poopy Diaper" from the The Aquabats and Horchata Records Present… Rice Capades Music Sampler, Vol. 1 compilation (Space Cadet Captain Thumbs Up!)

Semper exploro.