Time Machine co-ordinates VICLIII63473159

Elvis:  So all I hadda do is hit this button here, an' it woulda told me what happened on that day?

Yep.  Go ahead, you ARE the POTM this week...

All right... say!  That's it?  A picture of a guy standing next to a tree he hit today, 61 years later?

Yep, sometimes there just isn't a lot going on.  But the rest of the show will be good, with 2 debuts, 2 6D stories, and you get a chance to win POTM again!

Wow, that would put me at seven!  how many do the Beatles have?

11, plus Paul's 2...

Yeah, yeah, fergit I asked.  What else ya got?

Well, I just thought of a live research project I want to do, so give me a sec to step into the research booth, and...  Wow, sorry that took so long!

You were just gone a minute...

So I've been calling this the "Cover Summer"- and with another cover coming in this week- since the beginning of M10 summer on May 27th, fully 27% of all the covers I know of that have hit the M10 have hit so far this summer!

Man, this IS a cover summer!

So let's go right to this week's new cover, and the 'original' that I knew is a cover itself!  First, Jo Stafford hit #1 in 1952, and Patti Page hit #4 that same year.  Then Dean Martin took it to #12, also in '52, before the version I knew- the one by the Duprees- hit #7 in 1962!  This week, though, Mo Kenney brings it onto our chart at #10...






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Okay, so what're we doin' next?

So last week I mentioned I regretted not feeling well enough to do a 6D on the victim, Sheb Wooley's Purple People Eater.  Since you already know what the song is, let's work our way from there to the first modern-era open-mouthed kiss in a movie!

Bet I was the kiss-er...

No, actually it was...

(Thanks to PicClick)

...Merv Griffin, who did it with Kathryn Grayson in So This Is Love, for the first time since the Production Code set in 1934 forbade it.  Merv was also quite the singer in his day, mainly with big bands.  Two of these hits were the last 2 top tens for Freddie Martin and his Orchestra- 1949's I've Got A Lovely Bunch Of Coconuts (#8), and 1950's Music! Music! Music! (#5).  Freddy had a lot of big hits on his own, and backed a lot of other stars, one of which was Judy Garland on her Garland At The Grove lp- on which she covered a certain tune; a song that the bosses at MGM told the original singer they "didn't want to be identified with that type of music".  That is, until they heard their staff playing it and singing along during their lunches.  Yep, can you believe Judy covered the Purple People Eater, which was last week's 6D- sitting at number one, mind you, but getting no Panel Love.


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Man, that's burnt!  But not as burnt as me getting a chance at a second POTM in a row!

Well, you sure do have that chance, buddy!  We had twenty contestants with 36 votes, only three of them got more than 2!  Would you care to do the honors?

Yes, sir!  Your choices fer the winner are:

Carl Dobkins, Jr, with My Heart Is An Open Book at #10 on Cashbox this week...
Paul Anka an' Lonely Boy at #2...
...an' yers truly at #9 with Big Hunk Of Love!

Like I said, you have a good chance to be the first two-week-in-a-row winner since Barry Manilow did it a while back.  While everyone thinks about it, here our other new song this week- brand new stuff from our friends, the Beths at #9....






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Good stuff, man!  How's about this week's 6D?

Sure thing, King!  In the era we're in, it's not uncommon for artists, such as yourself, to have simultaneously charting a and b sides of the same single.  In fact, your Panelist A Big Hunk Of Love, was the a-side of My Wish Came True at #48 this week.  Others this week on the Cashbox chart included Brook Benton (who had the big mover, up 36 to #51) with Thank You Pretty Baby, along with With All Of My Heart at #66; Sarah Vaughn with a gorgeous version of Misty at #79 and Broken Hearted Melody at #82; Billy Vaughn's Orchestra with Blue Stay Away From Me at #88 and All Night Long at #94; and a bit higher, Sweeter Than You at #18 and Just A Little Too Much at #19 for Ricky Nelson.

But perhaps the most unusual a/b record to chart, for a week at #87 with On The Good Ship Lollipop and at 96 with Somebody Loves You in 1965 was The Wonder Who?  The WW were actually Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, who took up the name when they wanted to release- but contracts wouldn't allow- a cover of Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice (It's All Right).  The WW took that tune, with an exaggerated (even for him) falsetto vocal by Frankie, to #12.  This song comes into the story because playing on Bob's version from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan was a gentleman by the name of George Barnes, who at 12 years old in 1931 became the first person- it is believed- to play an actual- if homemade- electric guitar.  This same historical guitarist also played on our 6D victim, charting at #4 this week without a Panel vote- Connie Francis and Lipstick On Your Collar.

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Hey, do we even got a stat pack now?  Ya gave away the big mover...

Still have the #1s across the English speakers, if you'd like...


No problem!  In the UK, Bobby Darin's Dream Lover was at the top- it was falling at #28 here...
In Canada, they had my Big Hunk Of Love at the top...
...an' in Australia, they liked Lloyd Price's Personality, which got a vote on the Panel an' was sittin' at #5 on Cashbox!

Oh, and we should mention that Cashbox's #1 this week did get just 2 votes... but that was because Johnny Horton's Battle Of New Orleans was on the last of its NINE weeks at the top.  So do you want to do the M10 or the big reveal...

I'll do the reveal!  Just hurry up with yer top ten so's we can see if'n I won again!

All right, all right, keep your boxers on! 

At #8, Jakob Dylan and Cat Power move up one spot with their cover of You Showed Me.
#7 and dropping from #2 is The Explorer's Club with their former #1, covering the Loving Spoonful on Didn't Want To Have To Do It.
#6 and up 4 spots is Basia Bulat and Your Girl.
#5 and up 3, Brooke Annibale's Home Again.
#4 and up 2, the Jayhawks with Bitter Pill.
Stuck at #3 this week, Dent May and I Could Use A Miracle- a song I've been empathizing with a lot lately...
Slipping a spot to #2 after its second trip to #1, the Jayhawks with their 1995 cover of Grand Funk's hit Bad Time.

Which means the new number one belongs to...

....Australia's Hazel English with Five And Dime!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Okay, bud, it's up to you!

Geez, I'm so nervous...

Are you itchin' like a cat on a fuzzy tree?

Uh, yeah, somethin' like that!  So, here we go...

So Dobkins got 8.3%....

...an' Anka got 11.1%...

...which means, the winner with 19.44%...

YES!!!!  It's me again!  We get to do it all again next week!!!!!!

Yep!  Our own Elvis Presley has a chance to go where no one has gone before- a third straight term as POTM!  Can he do it?  Will we WANT him to?  Find out next time!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- John

John 21 is truly one of the richest final chapters we've hit so far.  I gathered my thoughts on it under four categories.

Category one: The gathering

So I first looked at the group of Disciples that were there....

Joh 21:2  There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas who is called Didymus, and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 



So Peter is a given; the discussion held off-page between him and Jesus (Mark 16:7) set him back at the head of the group.  The sons of Zebedee, John and James, also pretty much a given.  Thomas seems an odd member of the group; one commentator speculates that having missed the first appearance before the Twelve, and being shown up on the second, he was going to stick to Peter and John like glue to avoid missing the Lord again.

Nathaniel takes a moment more.  Only here in John is he named Nathaniel; in the other Gospels he is referred to by his surname Bartholomew (son of Tolomeus).  Only in John does he get more than a mention, and it's worth it to review that story from John 1.  He is sitting underneath a fig tree, possibly trying to put what he believed at peace with what the Teachers of the day were teaching (but not living), when Phillip comes up and proclaims to him:

Joh 1:45  Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
Joh 1:46  Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."


Now here's the thing, one commentator points out:  This is Nathaniel scoffing at the idea of a messiah coming from Nazareth.  What then plays on that is Jesus' response:

Joh 1:47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!"


This was a double play on words.  The word for deceit, or 'guile' in other versions, is the same word that was used to name the original Israel, Jacob.  So, in return for Nathaniel's snide remark about no good coming from Nazareth, Jesus in essence calls Nathaniel "an Israelite with no Jacob in him"- he has the blood, but not the faith!  Nathaniel is amazed that Jesus could even know he sat under a fig tree some time before, let alone his thoughts at the time- and it's enough to convict him.  So Jesus then challenges him:

Joh 1:50  Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."
Joh 1:51  And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man." 

So, much like Thomas, Nathaniel is there because he has no intention of missing out.

The other two?  I speculated that they may have been disciples but not of the twelve, since they weren't named; Commentator consensus figures it's Andrew (since that would complete the fishing partnership of Peter, Andrew, James, and John) and Phillip (since the Gospels usually have them paired up).  Why would John leave them out?  Good question.



Category two: The fish story

Joh 21:8  The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off.
Joh 21:9  When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.
Joh 21:10  Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught."
Joh 21:11  So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn.


If you know me at all, I have to ask: "Why 153 fish?"  But instead of chasing the bunny this time, I let the Lord guide me.  And what I discovered was this:  The number is meaningless to US.  But to someone reading this back then, reading about the net almost breaking, and thinking, "Must have been a pretty wimpy net", he then hits 'large fish, 153 of them', and he has a visual picture he CAN'T deny.  This was no fish story!


Category three: Competition or partnership?

Peter and John have, in a few places, a kind of one-upsmanship in the stories, at least from our perspective.  Especially considering the race to the tomb.  And so, when you see John figuring out it's Jesus on the shore first, and then Peter swimming to shore, it's easy to think that the following passage is more competition:

Joh 21:20  Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?"
Joh 21:21  When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what about this man?" 



Because here we have what seems to be a private convo between Jesus and Peter, and here comes John sneaking up behind.  But let's look at some clues that it is nothing of the sort.

1- Here's one I missed right off the top:

Joh 21:7  That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea.


John SAID TO PETER!  Think about this: in a boat with 7 men on it, John goes first to his- HIS- leader- and tells him.  If you have studied John at all, you find that he is ALWAYS ready to defer to Peter.  In Acts, Peter AND John travel Jerusalem together, but it is always Peter who gives the sermons.

2- Note the way the story is described: "the one who had been reclining at table close to him and had said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?"   This story, if you recall, involved Peter giving a hand-signal to John to ask that question.  Would it be to much to speculate that John had come nearby to signal Peter to ask about himself?  These two men evidence not a rivalry, then, but a bond born of years of working together, of cues they could read without speaking.


And it changes Jesus' answer not a bit:  Our job is not to worry how the other guy is following, just to follow.


Category four: And Peter was grieved because....

Joh 21:15  When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."
Joh 21:16  He said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."
Joh 21:17  He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep.


Traditionally, we think Peter is grieved because Jesus asked a third time, but I believe it is more than that.  Those of you who study these things know that the first two times, Jesus asked the word "love" as agapos- the Agape deep love that is the most intimate kind; and Peter answered with phileo, or brotherly affection.  A lot of speculation has been made about how it was that Peter could not get his profession of love to match the request of Jesus.  The third time, Jesus also uses phileo- a 'dumbing down' of His love for Peter's sake.  Jesus came to Peter's ability to love!  Of course He did so understanding that Peter still awaited his filling with the Holy Spirit.  John points out that it was this third time, when Jesus deliberately stepped down His question, that grieved Peter- not just because it was the third time, but because he had not been able to make the climb himself.  Of the many lessons of this passage, the one that strikes me today was that Jesus got what he sought- the desire in Peter to rise to that new level of love.  And that He understands we need help to get there.  And, that he's looking at that farther ahead date that we CAN love Him that way.  He didn't say, "Peter, once you are able to love Me that way, I have a plan for you"- He knew Peter WOULD rise to that love, and had a plan for that day already in hand!

He says that to us, too.  Why else do you think we often say, "God, I'm not ready for what you have planned?"  But He sees us complete.

Sunday Message: the ghosts of Nineveh

Right now I am studying 1 John 5 for Wednesday upcoming, and it has taken me some time to realize that the point is, everything we learn flows together.  But the point from which it must flow for us to get anything out of it is that first verse:

1Jn 5:1  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 


It HAS to start with God loving us.  He touches us then with faith in His Son- a faith born of His testimony.  The point where we HAVE to jump in is believing that Jesus died for our sins- not just collectively, but YOUR sin, and MY sin.  John goes about things in an elliptical way (to me), but the basis comes back to this- we are nowhere without belief that Christ and Christ alone is the way to heaven.  You might glean some understanding from other paths, maybe even hints of how to live a better life on earth, but Heaven requires faith in Christ alone.

The Pharisees thought they had a way through life well enough without putting much mind to God, or to the Messiah that had been prophesied by the Prophets they claimed to listen to.  But Jesus taught them the folly in that:

Mat 12:38  Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you."
Mat 12:39  But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Mat 12:40  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Mat 12:41  The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Mat 12:42  The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Mat 12:43  "When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.
Mat 12:44  Then it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.
Mat 12:45  Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation."


Sorry for such a long passage, but you need to see what Jesus said here.  First, that these other paths that make you content on earth do NOTHING for you eternally- that's the point of the story in vv 43-45.  Second, how much do you need to be told this?  Look at the verse- 41- about Nineveh.  What was the message they got?  "Jon 3:4  Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!"
Jon 3:5  And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. "



The message was nothing more than being confronted with their sin.  It was the same message Peter gave in the first sermon, and the answer was much the same:

Act 2:37  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Act 2:38  And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.


However, the Pharisees "knew better".  And because they knew better, because they knew a 'shortcut' that would bring them peace in this life, the men of Nineveh will get to accuse them in the end because they applied the lesson- they repented.

We live in a world where the Word of God is almost universally available.  What will the men of Nineveh say about US in that day?

Time Machine co--ordinates VICLII63372458

LAST WEEK AT THIS TIME...

Elvis:  Okay, you two idiots, we have a problem.  Chris is way, way down, an' I think we're gonna miss this week's show.  WE CAN'T LET THAT HAPPEN, unnerstan'?

Don Everly:  Why not?

EP:  Becuz this is the week o' my big movie Beauty Contest!

DE:  YOU in a beauty contest?  I vote Frankie Avalon...

Phil Everly: Not, him, Don, the girls in his movie.  What do you want us to do?

EP:  Well, he usually starts off with what happened that day- in this case, July 17th, 1958...

DE:  Ah, I remember that day well...

EP:  I'll just bet you do...  

DE:  Sure, we were on the road with Buddy an' the Crickets.

PE:  No, Don, we finished that tour in early July.  We were taking a break by then.

EP:  Look, no 'un cares what you did.  What was goin' on in the world, that's what we need...

DE:  So just hit one of these frammistats here and ask..

EP:  DON' HIT... WHOOOOOAA...

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And that's how we get here, one week askew of where we should be, our Beauty Contest ringleader and POTM guests lost in time, and me with last week's show, a Beauty Contest to put together, and three new debuts to the postponed M10 to play.  So let me play one of those, and we'll try to tune in on our poor lost cast.

At #10, the return of someone we haven't heard from since roughly this time in 2016!  Here's Canadian Basia Bulat...




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LAST WEEK AT THIS TIME...

EP:  Thanks, Noodle, fer pullin' us outta that one...

Nardole:  You KNOW you shouldn't be activating any of these devices!  Even Chris barely knows what's he's doing...

DE:  Sorry, that was my fault...

N (Glaring at EP): And you let him?

EP:  Hell, no!  But he won' do it again...

DE:  But do you really think you had to duct tape me to the chair this tight? I...

(Everyone): YES!!

EP:  Okay, so mebbe you can just roll the tape of our nine contestants in my Beauty Movie Pageant...

N:  THAT'S the name you're going with?

EP: Just run the slides, okay?

From Follow That Dream, Anne Helm...

From Loving You, Delores Hart

From GI Blues, Juliet Prowse

From King Creole, Carolyn Jones

From Love Me Tender, Debra Paget

From Flaming Star, Barbara Eden

From Blue Hawaii, Joan Blackman

From Jailhouse Rock, Judy Tyler

And from Viva Las Vegas, Ann-Margaret

PE:  Boy, you sure did pick some fine women, Elvis!

EP:  Thank you, thank you very much!  But now, we gotta figure out which un's Chris picked fer the final four!  Noodle, do you have that file?

N: Sir, merely hit that link right there...

EP:  This one?

DE (Hobbling over duct-taped to a chair):  Hey, let me see!  Let me...
N:  PLease don't push, I... look out!
EP: UH-OH...WHOOOOAAA.......


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Will they ever make it back?  Learn more after listening to the debut at #9, from Bob Dylan's son Jakob, and someone we just discussed recently, Cat Power... this came up in my 'discovered for you' feed from the 2018 movie Echo In The Canyon, and in the Cover Summer of 2020, why not?








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LAST WEEK...


DE:  C'mon, guys!  Don't hang me upside down on the wall!  I promise I won't...

PE:  Shut up, Don.  Is that the list?

EP: It sure seems to be!  He took Anne Helm, Juliet Prowse, Joan Blackman, and Judy Tyler.  So where's that durn dog?

You're not talking about me, are you?

EP:  Yes, Misty, good girl...

DE:  Misty, come rescue me from evil Elvis!
PE: Don, shut up!

EP:  Naw, Misty you come be a good girl... lookit these nice treats...

...each one with the name of a beautiful co-star lady!  Now cum on over an' git one...

...that's a girl, an... wait?  She's got the paper too!

DE:  I TOLD you not to stick the paper to the treat!

EP:  Shut up, Don!  There she goes, down that hatch!  FOLLOW THAT DOG!!

PE: Wait, where does that shaft go to?
DE, PE, EP: WHOOOOOOAAA....

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Okay, so they'll be joining us in a minute, so let me get to the other parts of business here!  Your finalists for this past week were:

Hard Headed Woman by Elvis (which he is no doubt singing to Misty right now), #3 on last week's Cashbox chart for 1958, and  Poor Little Fool by Ricky Nelson, the big mover from 36 to 14, 12 spots.

The Everlys had the #1 in the UK with All I Have To Do Is Dream, which was #9 here; Canada had Hard Headed Woman, Australia had the Platters and Twilight Time.

Our 6D for the second time in recent weeks was the Cashbox #1, Sheb Wooley's Purple People Eater, which I would have loved to put through the 6D but just wasn't able; and that high debut at #8 this week is the latest single from defending Beauty Contest winner Brooke Annibale...





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THUMPPPP!!!!

Hello, gentlemen!  Welcome to this week's show!

EP:  Aw shucks, now we gone and done it!

I'd say so.  And the only thing I'm actually upset about is that you didn't do it to help me out... you did it for your own glorification!  Aren't all those hits enough glory?

EP:  Yeah, boss, they are.  Sorry!
PE:  Sorry, Chris!
DE:  They made me do it!  They tied me up in duct tape, an'...
EP, PE:  Shut up, Don!

Anyway, Elvis, here's the winning slip of paper!  You want to open it?

EP:  Yeah, I- I mean no, you do it...

Okay then!  The winner of the Elvis Movie Beauty Contest Is...

Judy Tyler!!!!! Congrats to Judy!!!!

DE:  I was gonna pick her...
PE:  YOU picked Frankie Avalon!
DE:  That's back when I thought Elvis an' a buncha guys were in it!
PE:  I would have picked you, Don...
DE: REALLY?
PE: Of course not, you idiot, I'm smarter than to pick a guy in a beauty contest!

And for the M10...
EP:  Boss, let me do the M10... just to kinda make up fer all this....

Okay, go ahead...

The rest o' the M10 had Margo Price's Letting Me Down falling 2 to #7; The Jayhawks go from 10 to #6 with Bitter Pill; The Shacks fall from 2 to 5 with Smile Now, Cry Later; Hazel English is up 5 to #4 with Five And Dime; Dent May is up 5 too, to #3 with I Could Use A Miracle; The Explorer's Club down to #2 with Didn't Want To Have To Do It;  and that means, returning to #1 after being 3 for 2 weeks...

...the Jayhawks n' Bad Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, bud!  And in honor of your repentance, I have a treat for you!  Winning this week's Panel by 32.3% to 14.7%.....

.............Elvis and Hard Headed Woman!

I WON?  I WON!  YESYESYESYESYES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So next time, a hopefully quieter and healthier week, with me and my big bud here, and 1959!

DE:  And they finally untie me!  Yaaay!

Everyone:  SHUT UP, DON!!!!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- Joel

Today as I type this, I'm on what I hope is the far end of the health fun I described last week on another post, so believe me I'm barely getting by on this.  Joel 3 at first blush seems to be the standard "End of the world, and Israel survives" chapter.  This is good for me, but bad from a teaching/learning standpoint.  But we can take a motorboat across the Sea of Galilee this week, and just hit a few wave-crests.

In fact, let's do it as if answering questions from a skeptic.  Ready?
Q1:  When is this all going to take place?

The answer here is as specific as it gets:

Joe 3:1  "For behold, in those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem...

Over the last few weeks, we've been reminded of Jesus saying only the Father knows the date and time.  We heard Daniel- a prophet so valued an angel fought demons for a month just to get to him- get told, "Go your way!" when he asked. Religious fakers, code breakers, even devout, intelligent men like Isaac Newton, speculated on the date.  But the answer is, and always will be- "When God wills- and not a moment before".  HINT:  This means one of the best ways to expose a false teacher or church is if they take a guess that contains more than, "soon."

Q2:  Why should we even believe God cares?  If He hasn't hit us with lightning all this time...

A2:  Joe 3:4  "What are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Are you paying me back for something? If you are paying me back, I will return your payment on your own head swiftly and speedily.


God isn't blind to the arrogance of doubters; He is, however, blind to their timetables.  He has shown over and over that sometimes, a land or people's evil has to be built up to just the right amount.  For example, in Genesis 15, God tells Abram his progeny will live in Egypt, "for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full".  He's going to give them time to commit every arrogance.  And then....


Q3: Fine, wipe out the whole world.  You'll take out the good with the bad.  Isn't that why you 'left the tares grow with the wheat" in the parable?

Guess, what, this is the harvest time, the cups of iniquity are full- Marquis of Queensbury rules no longer apply.  Plus....

Joe 3:16  The LORD roars from Zion, and utters his voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth quake. But the LORD is a refuge to his people, a stronghold to the people of Israel.


God's had the defense and protection of His People (the ones not fallen to pride, arrogance, and mammon) planned out all along.  Look here...

Rev 12:5  She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,
Rev 12:6  and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.

"She", to all but tradition blinded Catholics, is the people Israel.  It was the Jews, not the church, which gave birth to the Messiah.  I understand that's hard to swallow when your leaders tell you 'tradition is equal to Scripture; Scripture is just a guide"-as I was- but this is the story of how Israel will be supernaturally protected the back end of the Great Tribulation- 3 1/2 years, or 1,260 days.


Okay, I am fading big time here, so one more question, Mr Skeptic:

Q4: The same one I asked before- If He hasn't done it yet, why should I believe He will?

A4:  Joe 3:19  "Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
Joe 3:20  But Judah shall be inhabited forever, and Jerusalem to all generations.
Joe 3:21  I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the LORD dwells in Zion." 

Get it?  He's not blind he hasn't paid you back-yet.

There's been a little delay...

Due to illness- an illness you can read about here - The wonderful Time Machine I have set up- but not typed up- will be run next Friday in its entirety, including topical references to said illness.  Sorry to disappoint, but the boilers just don't have enough coal in them today.

Head's up

For those of you who didn't realize, here's a quick timeline on why it's been quiet (except for scheduled posts) around here.

Friday:  Second day of tooth infection I hoped would ease off on it's own.  Cold all day at work, had boss rescan my temp about 130PM (98.2F).  Got home, cold for about 2 hours, then everything planed out.

Saturday: Felt like I MIGHT have a fever, but not enough to be sure.  Wore hoodie (temperature outside at 6A, 72F).  Boss scanned me at 101.5.  Sent home.

Talked to HR Told me I was required to get a COVID test before I could come back.  With some difficulty, got it.  Still waiting for a test result.  Last actual successful solid food meal, Quarter Pounder w/cheese and fries.

Sunday:  By this time the sinus infection that piggybacked on the tooth thing was in full blossom.  Already down to my lowest wait in 20 years, so there is that.

Monday:  Worst night of sleep ever... Upset stomach most of the night (upset because there was nothing of any value in it).  Capped off the upset with a visit to the porcelain altar around 930.  Tried to get ahold of dentist to find out if they'd take me. Next day: "Not until you have a negative result".


Tuesday:  Feeling a bit better, but no strength (goes with 'no food').  Expend what I can eat to pudding and soup, and the odd cheese slice.  Watched True Grit.  El Dorado Monday night.  It ain't all bad when you can spend evenings with the Duke.

Now:  About as good as I have been all week.  What that means for what I had planned for Time Machine tomorrow, IDK yet.  If it's a go, it will be up the regular time.  If not, I'll link this post to a stub and say good night again for a while.  Love each other and be safe!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- Job

This week we tackle Job 42, and I see three points- one rather lengthy and seemingly off subject- that I wanted to work out here.  First thing was, I felt a need to work out what time period we were looking at.  Not especially important, and it should be noted that what I came up with is little more than guesses, but you can learn while you look.

My first thought was, you can get a pretty good estimate in this particular era of Bible history by looking at the ages of the people mentioned.  For example, take Shem, son of Noah.  He was born 98 years before the flood (Gen 11:10), and lived to the age of 600- 45 years longer than his 7th-great grandson Abraham, as the ages of succeeding generations dropped pretty consistently after the flood.  In fact, Shem's son Arphaxad outlived both his great and great-great grandsons!  So how old was Job?  Well we can kinda guess he was what we would call late middle age (Job 15:10 kind of indicates that), so let's say he was 50.  Add on the 140 God adds to his life in our chapter, and he lived to 190 (Note: I'm gonna challenge that in a bit).  Abraham lived to 175, Isaac to 180.  So maybe there?  Let me go on here.

The fellows that came to comfort him.  Now nowhere does it say this for sure, but Eliphaz the Temanite appears to be the same Eliphaz who was the firstborn of Esau.  Esau was 40 when he married, so if we assume he got right to building a family, that would give us a definite date for Eliphaz's birth.  Let's set us a 'zero' at the flood, Esau would have been born in our 'speculative year' 542.  That would put Eliphaz's birth around 582- and Abraham died 15 years earlier.  Bildad the Shuuhite is a bit trickier.  The one Shuuach this seems to point to was Abraham's last child with the wife he had after Sarah died.  That death would be in our year 529, so let's say Shuuah, the sixth child with this new wife was born 535-540.  That would put what seems to be 'prime birthing age' among the patriarchs for a first kid around 580- same time we're guessing off Eliphaz.  The wrinkle here is that while this would require Abraham to name Shuuah's city after his son (or Shuuah to name it after himself); one reason we can suspect we have the right Eliphaz is that he had a son named Teman- and we can assume Eliphaz named his city after his son.  Zophar is absolutely no help here.  But if we wanna say for conjecture, that Eliphaz and Job are roughly the same age, and Job was 50 when the curse fell upon him, that would put us at about 630 years after the flood- or 40 years before Jacob joined Joseph and the boys in Egypt.  By Genesis 47, we know Jacob was 130 at that time, and lived to 147.  Joseph, the last one we have a grip on the age of, though, only made it to 110.  So ages might not quite match up.  However, I have an explanation for that up my sleeve as well, which I'll get to later on.

The one that throws a bit of a monkey wrench into my theory is the latecomer " Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram".  Now Abraham's brother Nahor (actually Nahor Jr, as their grandfather was also Nahor) had what apparently were twins to start out- Huz (which means consultation) and Buz (which means contempt; makes me think this is a way of saying, 'one was expected, two were not').  So this Buz would be a nephew of Abraham down that line.  But... and this is a big one... Ram lived MUCH later on.  In fact, he was a great grandson of Judah through Pharez.  But notice, unlike all the others, it says 'of the the kindred of Ram'.  Which means, I would believe, that the crossing of his line with that of Ram happened later.  So why even mention it?  Because Ram was 7th before King David in the messianic line.  Get it?  The one speaker that spoke God's own mind was rewarded with a connection to the Messiah!

And Job?  All we know about Job is he's from the land of Uz, and Uz was the youngest son of Shem.  And the story goes full circle.


So now, let me move on to the second point, now that you're thoroughly baffled.  I bring to you, verse 7 of our chapter:

Job 42:7  After the LORD had spoken these words to Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite: "My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.

"As Job has"? Are you now thinking, "Wait, I thought he was in trouble here?"  And he was- but not for anything he said in the debates.  Saying, "I wish I could hash this out with you, God" is no sin- but like Job, you better be prepared for the answer.  While Larry, Moe, and...er, Eliphaz and the others were busy saying, "You must be lying, you have to have sinned, or else this wouldn't have happened", Job was telling them over and over: 1- I am innocent; 2- God does what He wants. Even the righteous may suffer, while the mighty take comfort in this world, even leading one to ask "What value is there in prayer?"( Chapter 21)  But Job also figured out something his buddies did not- and it comes up in 2 different spots:

Job 16:19  Even now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and he who testifies for me is on high.


Job 19:25  For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
Job 19:26  And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,
Job 19:27  whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!


So Job was a prophet, and in his way he knew Jesus!  I should also point out that according to KJV's concordance, the word used here for "witness" is the only time it's used in the Bible...

Third thing needs a bit of text here....

Job 42:8  Now therefore take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has."
Job 42:9  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did what the LORD had told them, and the LORD accepted Job's prayer.
Job 42:10  And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.



Now here's where you get the key to the whole book- Job was healed AFTER he prayed for his friends.  You see, always before, Job had remembered the 'triangle of faith'- God first, others second, you last.  But in the pain of the sickness, and the strain of the debates, Job let them get flipped.  Suddenly HE was the most important thing.  Now that God restored Job, Job had to restore the triangle of faith- meaning before he got his reward, he had to do for others.  If anything else you forget about this lesson, remember this part- God will reward you when you put Him first, others second, yourself last.


And now, before we lose it, the answer to getting my years right is in that last quote.  See, God gave Job TWICE what he had before.  Before, he would have had only (only, he says) another 70 years of life- but God doubled that!  70 years would have put him at 120- a lot closer to contemporary Joseph.  Therefore my guess of 40 years before Jacob goes to Egypt is still good!  So this all times out to be happening, VERRRRRY roughly, about the time Joseph was being sold to the Ishmaelites.

Time Machine co-ordinates VICLI63271057

Well, I was trying to come up with a neat special for this week's adventure, and when I got here to July 10th, 1957, it was staring right at me:

Our big buddy's first starring role in a movie- Loving You- released last night!  It spawned a member of this week's Panel- and my idea for a special this week!  Stay tuned for- the top ten Elvis movies!

"WHAT?  Are you serious?"

I sure am, pal!  I went to 6 different lists and combined votes, to give us a true cross section of what fandom and critics loved!  Plus another M10 first- plus 3 debuts-  plus a two way fight to the finish on the Panel- plus a 6D that weaves its way through the entire mess!  And let's kick it off with this announcement:


The top SEVEN M10 spots remain the same as last week!  Meaning the cover of Didn't Want To Have To Do It is #1 for a second week.  The remaining three spots, however, are all new blood- starting with more new stuff from the Jayhawks! at #10...





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And now- Gogi Grant!  Nice to finally meet you!

  Thank you!  I've never been in a Time Machine before!  Should I strap in, or something?

No, you're good, we're hovering off the coast of 1957 right now.  So Wayward Wind is kind of thought as a one hit wonder, but it's actually your second hit...

Yes, I did Suddenly There's A Valley a couple years back, but everyone seems to forget it.

I just listened to it.  Pretty tune, certainly misses a bit of the oompf that WW had.

Really?  I thought it was a better vocal performance.

Maybe, but WW was a better song.

Well, more up-tempo, anyway.

It was voted #27 on the best western songs of all time...

Wow!  What was #1?

Ghost Riders, actually.  I'd have liked to have heard you do that!

You know, since you have a time machine, you could probably commission all sorts of songs like that...

True, but being an imaginary time machine, it would have to be imaginary songs.

Oh, so then I'm not really here... you just think I am?

Not even I, ma'am.  Though I would enjoy...

So, you're kind of a pervert... or a charlatan...

Yeesh, those are my choices?  No, I'm just trying to bring some joy and memories into a world where everyone wants to focus on hate and selfish interest.  Perhaps we best get to the music...

Yes.  I'm so sorry, I guess I'm having a hard time figuring this out, being imaginary and all.  Well, according to your notes, we have 12 songs from 25 stations, and with one exception, only two songs got more than one vote, and they had quite the battle!  So why don't we give you the song with 2 votes, as well as the big two, so you all have a little more to guess at?

That sounds great to me, Ms Grant.

You can call me Gogi... for now!  So anyway, you may pick from:

Elvis's Teddy Bear, which was in the movie Loving You, and was at #4 on Cashbox.
The Everly Brothers with Bye Bye Love at #2.
And Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra with So Rare at #3.

Wait, #1 didn't make it?

Nope, Pat Boone's Love Letters only got 1 vote.  In fact, outside the finalists, the top 10 got 3 votes total.  So those are your choices... but now, let's move on to...

Elvis:  My movies?

No, the #9 song on the M10, and debut #2.  This is newcomer to the M10 Hazel English...






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Now, let's look at this list!  I used 6 different sites (including IMDB and Ranker), a 10-9-8 scoring scale as per usual, and this list actually captured 23 out of 31 Elvis credits!  But the top ten...

10 (three way tie)- Kid Gallahad (1962), Roustabout (1964), and Spinout (1966), all with 8 pts.
9- Follow That Dream (1962) and Anne Helm, 10 pts.
8- Loving You (1957) with Delores Hart, 13 pts.
7- GI Blues (1960) with Juliet Prowse, 14 pts.
6- Love Me Tender (1956) with Debra Paget, 26 pts.
5- Flaming Star (1960) with Barbara Eden, 29 pts... say, King, I'm getting an idea...

What's that, boss?

How about we do an Elvis movie beauty pageant next week!  Take the girls in these ten movies, and have a mini Beauty Pageant a la the big one at the end of the year?

Say, not bad... but who'll judge 'em?  I don' wanna honk any of 'em off...

How about I pick 4 finalists and have Misty do the treat thing like Scrappy used to?  Kind of the warm-up for this Christmas?

Sounds good, that way we don' have ta let Wayne Newton pick 'em...

WN:  Why can't I do it?

EP:  Cause Bellbottom still ain't settled with the girl you picked at the Christmas Party last year!

Okay, so it sounds like a date.  Be here next week for the Elvis Movie Beauty Contest!  In the meantime, back to our list...

4- Blue Hawaii (1961) with Joan Blackman, 36 pts.
3- King Creole (1958) with Carolyn Jones, 43 pts.
2- Jailhouse Rock (1957) with Judy Tyler, 44 pts.


And number one, from 1964, with 52 pts...

...Viva Las Vegas with Ann-Margaret!!!!  Boy I can't wait to do that Beauty Contest!

An' just think, boss!  After next week, they'll all be eligible for the big Beauty Contest!

Good thinking, bud!  There'll be something extra in your check this week!

C'mon, man!  Not another autographed picture....


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Third debut at #8- the riotous return to the M10 of Dent May....






Before I get to the 6D, here's the stat pack...

Teddy Bear claimed the big mover spot, going 29 to 4 in one leap.

Canada rejoins our English speaker's #1s this week, with Teddy Bear also holding the top spot there.
In the UK, it was Lonnie Donnegan, Puttin' On The Style.
And Australia still doing the all-versions list just like Cashbox, had the combined efforts of Perry Como or the Four Lads doing Round And Round.  And in a moment you'll see why I did this before moving to the 6D.


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So one of my all-time favorite Don McLean compositions is the ballad And I Love You So.  He never released it himself; it became a hit when in 1973, Perry Como (see, there's connection #1) took it to #29.  That ropes us back to the Australian #1, Round And Round (which was not only connection #2, but Perry's last #1 in the States).  Now, the Four Lads (who had the lesser of the twinned hits of the song) did a favorite of mine, Moments To Remember.  That song was written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman, who also got credits on Johnny Mathis's two sided It's Not For Me To Say/ Warm And Tender, which was this week's #5 and got one Panel vote (connection #3).  This was arranged by the legend of Easy Listening, Ray Conniff.  And Ray was involved in a bit of a dust up when the version of Singing The Blues he arranged for Guy Mitchell clobbered Marty Robbin's version on the chart (Connection #4).  So Marty demanded Conniff arrange his follow up, and it became the song at #6 that didn't get any Panel love- A White Sport Coat (And A Pink Carnation)!


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Now, since you already know about this week's M10, we can go right to the final.  Miss Gogi, would you do the honors?

Sure, but can I ask- does this mean I'll be in your Beauty Contest? 

And have been in previous contests...

But I never won...

Well the final is always a random thing...

And I suppose you don't ask for... favors... in order to win...

Elvis: Wayne did!

Wayne:  I DID NOT!  You can't prove it!

Wayne, by the way, has vacation scheduled that week.  And no, other than the treats that help the doggie du jour to pick, which I supply...

Wayne:  Are you calling me a dog?
Elvis:  You asked that last year, ha ha!

Could we possibly let Gogi tell us the voting results, GENtlemen- using the term loosely?

GG:  Thank you!  So here goes...

So Rare got just 8% and came in third...

Elvis, you got 24% for second...

EP:  CRAP!

Steady, buddy!  That might be the highest #2 poll in history- not that I'm gonna bother to check on it...

GG: And at #1, with 32%....

...the Everly Brothers with Bye Bye Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EP:  Oh, great, not those two nitwits again!

C'mon, bud, we always have what could loosely be called fun with Don and Phil!  So between the Smothers... er, the Everly Brothers, and the Movie Beauty Contest, you won't want to miss next TM!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- Jeremiah

The end of Jeremiah, chapter 52, is actually a replay of the story of the Fall of Judah- a story thought so important by God that it is in the Bible 4 times- near the conclusions of both 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, and in Jeremiah 39.  I want to go through the history of it, then tackle the lessons.

So the last good King in Judah, Josiah, had been slain in a battle he was warned not to fight, and now God was ready to begin the punishment of Judah for the sins of the reign of his father Manasseh.    His son Jehoiakim was now king, and he was a ruthless, perverted ruler in every possible way- so much so that God spent most of chapter 22 cursing him.  For me, the line that stands out for our purpose is...

Jer 22:29  O earth, earth, earth! Hear the Word of Jehovah!
Jer 22:30  So says Jehovah, Write this man down as childless, a man who will not be blessed in his days. For no man of his seed shall be blessed, sitting on the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah. 

Note the phrase, "Write this man (Jehoiakim) down as childless, for indeed in Matthew's genealogy he was...

Mat 1:10  And Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, and Manasseh fathered Amon, and Amon fathered Josiah.
Mat 1:11  And Josiah fathered Jehoiachin and his brothers, at the time they were carried away to Babylon.  



Matthew skips both Jehoiakim, the father of Jehoiachim, also known as Jeconiah, and the man that followed Jeconiah and leads off our chapter, Zedekiah.  Jeconiah was either 8 or 18, depending on the chapter/version you read- I'm going to go with 18, since it DOES say he did evil in the sight of the Lord.  He was put in place when evil Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and suffered a pretty grisly death.  But when Nebby got home, someone mentioned to him it might not be a wise idea to put the rebel's son on the throne.  So 3 months into his 'reign', Jeconiah became a guest of the Babylonian penal system, and Jehoiakim's brother (and Jeconiah's uncle) Shallum was elevated to the kingship as Zedekiah.

Zedekiah likewise was a duplicitous schemer, and Nebby had to move against him as well.  Much of the chapters in the 30's of this book involve Jeremiah trying to talk him out of this and him not listening, for reasons we'll hit in a bit.  Despite trying to run as the city of Jerusalem fell, Zedekiah was caught, his sons and buddies executed in front of him, and then he was blinded so his last sight was their deaths.  Then he too became a ward of the Babylon correctional department.


And that was the last man to actually sit a throne in Judah.  But blessings would eventually  return to the line through the children of Jeconiah- notably Zerubbabel.  Funny I should mantion them, but I'll get to that at the end.

The chapter goes on to describe the dismantling of Jerusalem, takes a survey of the exiled population, and finishes on a curious historical note- the lifting of Jeconiah from prison to the table of Nebby's successor, Evel-Merodach.  How this came about is theorized thus:  When Nebuchadnezzar became the 'beast-man' in Daniel, Evel-Merodach his son became regent.  The priests didn't get along with the kings of the day- even in Nebby's reign, though he was too powerful to manipulate, they had prominence, and in Chapter 39 we see that one of the leaders of Babylon that came into fallen Jerusalem after the victory was Nergal-sharezer, chief of the 'soothsayers' or magicians.  They put up with E-M even less, and talked Nebby into briefly putting him into prison.  There, E-M met Jeconiah, who like his great great grandfather Manasseh had come back to Yahweh in a Babyloniah cell.  They became friends, and the Jews say that within 2 days of Nebby's death, new King Evel-Merodach raised his friend Jeconiah into his court.  Not that it did either of them much good, as after a 2 year reign, he was overthrown.  Nergal-sharezer, better known as Neriglissar- a man who had "made peace" with the kingly line by marrying E-M's young daughter- assassinated him and became king for a 4 year turn before he in turn was put out and the Nabonidus/Belshazzar team of later Daniel came in.



So what helpful, other than fun history, did we learn here?

1- This evil didn't come to Judah just because all these evil kings were evil.  In Jeremiah 14, the prophet pleads to an unlistening God to relent, but...

Jer 14:9  Why should You be as a man stunned, as one mighty, yet who cannot save? Yet You, O Jehovah, are in our midst, and we are called by Your name. Do not leave us!
Jer 14:10  So says Jehovah to this people; So they have loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet; therefore Jehovah does not accept them. He will now remember their iniquity and visit their sins.
Jer 14:11  Then Jehovah said to me, Do not pray for this people for good.
Jer 14:12  When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and a grain offering, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the plague.

And as you read on, you discover that, although in some places it might seem like the people are being punished for bad kings, it is the opposite- the bad kings and their stupid decisions are part of God's punishment on the people.  In the end as they say, you get the leaders you deserve.  Food for thought these days.

Jer 52:3  For it was because of the anger of Jehovah in Jerusalem and Judah (until He had cast them out from His presence) that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon. (MKJV)

2- The description of the destruction of the Temple caught my eye:

Jer 52:17  And the pillars of bronze that were in the house of the LORD, and the stands and the bronze sea that were in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces, and carried all the bronze to Babylon.


Why bronze?  The Temple had been denuded of Gold when Jehoiakim and Jeconiah were removed, and the grandeur was reduced to bronze (which Jeremiah describes after v 17).  In a way, this symbolizes the falseness of Zedekiah's kingship- a real king has gold, a 'play-king' has bronze.  So either Zedekiah was too proud to realize he was a play king, or like an OT Pinocchio, he wanted to be a real king.  So he plotted with Egypt- who wasn't all that far off from being destroyed by Babylon itself- and even his play kingdom was lost to him.  The price of pride once again.

3- The number of the exiles:

 Jer 52:28  This is the number of the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, 3,023 Judeans;
Jer 52:29  in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem 832 persons;
Jer 52:30  in the twenty-third year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive of the Judeans 745 persons; all the persons were 4,600.

This is important, because even then the Jews were zealous at keeping their tribal lineages kept track of.  Important to us, because it points out the continuity of the genealogies that point to Jesus.


And speaking of...

4- The Signet Ring.

First, let me backtrack to a part of that curse on Jehoiakim's line from chapter 14:

Jer 22:24  "As I live, declares the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off
Jer 22:25  and give you into the hand of those who seek your life, into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

But now, look again at Matthew's Genealogy...

Mat 1:12  And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel...

And then, recall our study of the end of Haggai?  The last verse...

Hag 2:23  On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts." 

And with that, although the curse on the kingship yet remains, the curse on the line is lifted, and God's plan for salvation moves on.

Martin world -NO- news

So for the last few weeks, I've been wanting to do a Martin World News post, to cheer people (and myself) up from the unremitting nastiness that life on SM has become... and found nothing.  Nada.  Even usually reliable (for laughs) CNN has fallen short of worthwhile material.  Tonight, after being discouraged once again, I figured out why.

It's COVID-19's fault.  Seriously.  Let me explain why.

First, look at the change in the lifestyles of the reporters and editors who usually muck things up and send them into mu bailliwick.  Once upon a time, when gaffes were plentiful, These media gems worked feverishly (pardon the unintended pun) to get their stories out in time so they could publish and make the scene at their favorite watering hole.  The odd looking picture, the not well thought-out headline, the rhetorical question turned into disaster, found their way in as a result of said haste.  Now, they have nowhere to go but- uggh!- home.  Which means they have the extra time to reflect, consider, and even proofread.  That seals up one end of Stupid River.


The other gets choked off because, well, stupid people who would normally be out there doing stupid (yet not malicious) things are now stuck at home for the most part.  At home, they still do their stupid things, but away from the public eye, and so the only way I get to hear about them is on the police blotter or fire reports.  Now, stupidity isn't that easy to thwart, and my guess is that many of the Children of Bozo have channeled their usually benign idiocy into more malignant forms- such as the protests and destruction of innocent statuary.  Cloaked on all sides by the un-funny stupidity of the herd, the entertainingly stupid simply don't stand out and thus fade into the background of those busily trying to find harmless historical figures to abuse.  In the meantime, of course, leaving namesake figures like Elihu Yale ( a man fired from a colonial -no, not COLONIAL!- post in India for self-enrichment; returned to England to make a fortune off the diamond business -look up 18th century diamond mining to see how THAT worked- and then got his name on a university thanks to giving a grant at the request of Cotton Mather, well-known witch roaster) quite alone.

Of course, though, the main reason COVID-19 is the killer of MWN lately, is that Xi Jinping is tired of me using the "Winnie the Pooh" picture, and is willing to destroy us all to stop me...

Independence pics

So we started the morning of the fourth with a planet hunt...
Anyway, here's some stills...

Mars

Jupiter

Saturn (very faint... step it up, ring guy!)

Venus

We then moved on to MUCH later, and the doggie park...

Bird getting a dust bath

It's HOT!

Coming into the back yard

Just in time to celebrate- our slime mold returns!