The Better part, week #9

 

This week's FB posts, for your edification and my preservation:

The Better part, day #56:

 

Pro 22:20 Have I not written to you yesterday and the day before with counsels and knowledge,

Pro 22:21 to cause you to know the certainty of the words of truth, to return the words of truth to those who send to you? 

 

Last night I read an article in The Times Of Israel by a man whose main point was how much better Judaism and Islam was because they don't accept the doctrine of Original sin. Among his points were that it's never mentioned in the Old Testament (If you throw out enough of the Pentateuch that it becomes the 'five paragraphs'); That Jesus was a "moralizing perfectionist" who just wanted us to do better (turning the Gospels into the 'four paragraphs'); That Paul, "the true founder of the Christian faith" (If you toss out all of the miraculous power of God in Christ) pulled the doctrine of Original sin out of his left cheek; and that the Christian faith 'forces you to become a Christian to avoid hell', while neither the Jews nor the Muslims (which he 'proved' with yet more cherry-picked Koran verses that bear no resemblance to the actions of the historic- or current- Muslim faith) force anyone to do anything.

Although I could have gotten onto the comments section and put holes in his argument big enough for a Carnival cruise ship to pass through, I was a good boy for once and refrained. I knew he would never listen to someone who serves a Holy God who isn't going to dismiss what I want to do with a nod and a wink, who isn't just sitting back watching the dreidel spin, and who doesn't see man as sinless except through the lens of His Son's sacrifice. Wisdom has to be sought, and Jesus will teach it to you. If you're not too satisfied with your own intellect and with a do-nothing God.

 

The Better part, Day #57:

 

Joh 8:7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

I had something else planned for today, but real life struck: By now I know you all heard about Tiger Woods's horrible accident. And, not surprisingly, I heard on WOWO'S Pat Miller show that social media was having a lot of fun saying that Tiger's Karma for cheating on his wife finally came due. Before we start saying that, let me point out in that verse above, Jesus didn't say, "You who have LESSER sins". Jesus calls us to have mercy on ALL men, not just the ones whose sins are lesser, or hidden.

 

 

The Better Part, Day #58:

 

Rom 9:20 But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"

Rom 9:21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? 

 

To make the point I want here (not the one you might think), I'm going to add a secular quote of a scientific sort:

 

"...One is perhaps we are alone in the universe. The argument here is that we are finding more and more Goldilocks zones, meaning that it becomes increasingly difficult to find planets that can fit within all these new Goldilocks zones. For example, there is a Goldilocks zone (now) for the Milky Way Galaxy. If a planet is too close to the center of the galaxy, there is too much radiation for life to exist. If it is too far from the center, then there are not enough heavy elements to create the molecules of life...Each time there is another Goldilocks zone, it vastly decreases the possibility of life..." -Michio Kaku, The Future of Humanity, note # 245

 

Now we put the two together. How does this not convince these scientists that it all HAD to be put together by a Supreme Being? Because there are three kinds of things we don't know. There are the things we never bother to look for; the things, like in the Bible passage, God doesn't choose to share with us yet- or with each of us until we're ready; and things we REFUSE to see because it would dethrone man as supreme being.

 

 

The Better part, day #59:

 

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Joh 1:2 He was in the beginning with God. 

 

Today, just a note that I took comfort that, if Jesus is The Word, and The Word is in the Bible, then every page I read, I am getting to know Him!

 

The Better part day #60:

 

Joh 14:1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 

 

This is another just brief thought, stolen from Jack Hibbs. Jesus's first job- a carpenter. Imagine a carpenter with the Power of God having spent the last 2,000+ years building your future home?

 

 

The Better part, Day # 61:

 

(This is the tail-end of my Wednesday Bible Study post on the blog this coming week...)

 

2Sa 2:4 And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. When they told David, "It was the men of Jabesh-gilead who buried Saul,"

2Sa 2:5 David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead and said to them, "May you be blessed by the LORD, because you showed this loyalty to Saul your lord and buried him.

2Sa 2:6 Now may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you. And I will do good to you because you have done this thing.

2Sa 2:7 Now therefore let your hands be strong, and be valiant, for Saul your lord is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

 

And thus, where a lesser king might have eliminated or at least ignored followers of the old regime, these men were blessed by David- and a city that might have died in infamy turned their path around and found themselves blessed. And we might never had noticed, had it not been set against the contrast of a soul lost without God. When we feel it's time to give up on this world, let's be men of Jabesh-Gilead, and receive God's blessing for it!

 

 

The Better part, Day #62:

 

"There is a connection between purity and power in our lives..." Charles Stanley

 

2Sa 24:2 So the king said to Joab, the commander of the army, who was with him, "Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and number the people, that I may know the number of the people."

2Sa 24:3 But Joab said to the king, "May the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times as many as they are, while the eyes of my lord the king still see it, but why does my lord the king delight in this thing?"

2Sa 24:4 But the king's word prevailed against Joab and the commanders of the army. So Joab and the commanders of the army went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel. 

 

Rom 14:21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

Rom 14:22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

Rom 14:23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. 

These three things came together for me this morning, telling me that a) if I want to feel God in a more powerful way, I've got to accept him bringing me to points of greater purity; b) that I go backwards in that battle every time I shut Him out as I gravitate towards sin; and c) that things that might not be sin to anyone else in the world can be sin FOR ME.

Time Machine Co-Ordinates VICLXXI66522662

 

So, you mean we have no good lead in newswise for February 26th, 1962?

EP: No, but here's a thought.  Look at yer co-ordinate number this week..

Okay...

So the 'VI' means it's volume six, an' the CLXXI means this is the 171st post of this volume...

Yeah...

But... yer total posts on Time Machine is 665...

So what?

So next week, it'll be 666- the Devil's number!  You should come up with a devil show, or a devil feature!

Say, that's not bad... let me think about it!  But don't tell our guest today- he's a pretty devout Catholic, and he might not understand.

Like he's gonna understand climbing into a phone booth in 1962 ta do a show in 2021?

Good point!  And another one is, we best get this show going!

Yessir!  An' why not start it out with a new debut!  This one isn't exactly from a box set, but it is from another Rarities collection!  Here's new old stuff at #10 from M10 stars The Explorer's Club!

NOTE:  The video is on FB, and despite the post preview showing it showed up, it obviously did not.  You can find it at this link.

****************************************************

Welcome to our show, sir!

Ah-thank you verry much, Mister Martin!

You're just coming off airing a show where you saluted Jazz cornet player-bandleader Red Nichols

and some members of his original Five Pennies jazz group celebrating their 40th anniversary, including pianist Sid Appleman and vocalist Dick Noel.  In the mean time, I have a #1 on my M10 this week celebrating the 50th anniversary of a song, so it's kind of an anniversary theme today.

Red Nichols was a very fine cornet player and band leader.  It was sad that his style of music started fading out too soon, especially with all-a the talent he had in ta band...

No kidding, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa all played for him at one point or another.  And I loved your Lennon Sisters!

Dey were America's sweethearts, I'm not surprised.  Verry proud of tem.

So, it's time to get to the Panel picks.  We had an even fifty votes spread among 17 songs- including 2 that don't hit the charts until St Patrick's Day, one that debuts next week, and one that's the b-side to another charting record that didn't get a vote!

I don-a know a lot of these songs... of course, I know da Elvis an'a da Patsy Cline on ta list...

S'okay, just need you to read off the 4 finalists so the audience can pick a winner...

All right, then, a-one an' a-two...

We have-a Gene Chandler wit' The Duke Of Earl at #1 on-a Cashbox this week...

An' Bruce Channel wit' Hey Baby at #4...

An' dat sweet little Shelley Fabres wit' Johnny Angel, which don' debut till next week...

An' at last we got Elvis wit' his beautiful Can't Help falling In Love Wit' You at #30...

Thank you, sir!  There's your choices- and in the meantime, how about a LIVE 6D!

Let's start with Albert Hammond Jr, who had a #1 M10 hit with Set To Attack last spring...

His dad of course is the Albert Hammond who sang the big hit It Never Rains In Southern California; but we run into him this time because he and a lady we featured a while back, by the name of Diane Warren, wrote the Starship hit, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now- a song that came about because the lady that would become Sr's 2nd wife (and Jr's mom) and Sr fought a seven year battle to get Sr's divorce from his first wife finalized.

This song comes into the story because of one Walter Afanasieff, who played keyboards and synth-bass on the single.  Walter became better known as a writer-producer for Mariah Carey, getting co-credits on her hit All I Want For Christmas Is You.  This hit, among the many records it has since set, became the first song in 59 years to hit #1 twice in two separated runs at the chart- and that happened 25 years after it's initial run!  After making top ten in Airplay (since it never was physically released back then) in 1995, it finally hit #1 in 2019- and again in 2020!  Only one other song has made two runs at the top- and that is our 6D victim, Chubby Checker and The Twist, fresh off of its second trip to the top, at #2 this week.

***************************************

Mr Welk, we'd like you to do what we call Overseas, If You Please- the other number one songs across the English-speaking landscape.

EP:  An' if you say I'm at #1 in England again, I'm-a gonna KISS you!

LW:  I don-a think so, Mr Presley...

"That Lawrence Welk, he's my kinda guy!"

No kissing, buddy!  Mr. Welk...

All right, a-one an' a-two...

You don't have to say that every time...

I know, but I got it a-copyrighted, and it costs you extra when I say it!  

Well played, Mr Welk, well played...

So in Australia, it was Elvis an' Can't Help Falling In Love...

New Zealand had the Peppermint Twist by Joey Dee an' ta Starlighters, which was #5 this week...

Canada had a The Duke Of Earl, just like us...

An' in England... Please don' kiss me...

EP:  ALL RIGHHT!!!!!!! 5 outta six weeks!  YEE HAA!!!

God, why do I have to listen to this all week?  And our big mover?

LW:  The Big Mover for this week is the Lettermen, fine boys, wit' Come Back Silly Girl, up from 100 to 60 for forty notches!

And now, how did the Panelists fare on the 1962 year-end chart?

How about 12 out of the 17?  We had...

Don and Juan's What's Your Name at 71;

Brenda Lee's Break It To Me Gently at 66;

Burl Ives and A Little Bitty Tear at 52;

Sue Thompson's Norman at 50;

Ace Cannon and Tuff at 44;

Of course, Elvis and  Finalist, Can't Help Falling In Love at 28...

TWENTY EIGHT??:? Geez...

Sigh... The Sensations and Let Me In at 25;

Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen with Midnight In Moscow at 24;

Finalist, Duke Of Earl at 15;

Finalist, Hey Baby at 14;

Finalist, Johnny Angel at 11;

And The Twist was #1! (It made #4 first time around in 1960).

*******************************************************

The remaining M10 this week:

9- El Michels and Piyat Malik slip 3 with Murkit Gem;

8- Saintseneca also with Wait A Minute;

7- And the trifecta of falling three spots with Lilly Hiatt's Brightest Star;

6- Royal Blood spins up 4 with Typhoons;

5- 3 upward notches for Neil Young and Pocahontas;

4- So too Tommy James and the Shondells and Hold On To Him;

3- Holding, Crack The Sky and Blowing Up Detroit;

2- Holding, Weezer and Grapes Of Wrath;

And a third week at the top for...

Home Free with Don McLean and American Pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the Panel vote:

Elvis, you got 6%...

SIX??? Geez....

14% for Johnny Angel....

16% for Hey Baby....

And the winner, with 34%.....

...Gene Chandler, The Duke of Earl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And just maybe a "devilish" feature to celebrate my 666th music post to go along with him next week!

Wednesday Bible Study: The End of all things- Ruth

 

The last chapter or two of Ruth is really a study in how to be a man of integrity by Boaz. This is an easy, step by step process that every MAN (and woman, by extension) should hammer onto his morning mirror... and I may just do that!

Step one: Do Not Sin

Rth 3:13  Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the LORD lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning."

What man would tell a woman who, with any intention, sneaks into his 'bed' in the middle of the night to just go to sleep.  Boaz did, but that wasn't all.

Step Two:  Respect her honor

Rth 3:14  So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor."

He went to great pains to make sure that Ruth wasn't besmirched by gossip. In a world where many guys would have bragged about his 'conquest', Boaz kept quiet- and made sure everyone else did, too.

Step Three: The respect of a response

Rth 3:17  saying, "These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, 'You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.'"

Boaz knew that this was a message from Naomi- "Marry this girl, and my fields are yours." He made sure Naomi got the positive response back.

Step Four:  Respect the Law

Rth 4:1  Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, "Turn aside, friend; sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.
Rth 4:2  And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.

Not once did Boaz step out of tradition and the law.  By this, he did not attempt to strong arm his way to his desire- he had respect also for the man who had "rights of survivorship" in the case.

Step Five:  Even if it costs you

Rth 4:4  So I thought I would tell you of it and say, 'Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.' If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you." And he said, "I will redeem it."

And what if the other man wanted to redeem it- and add to HIS land? He could have told him about Ruth first, and turned him off of the deal.  Or he could have said nothing, and the man might have had the land and ignored the law, and Ruth would have been left with nothing.  But by adding on that the man would then have a duty to marry Ruth before the city elders, the man had to either marry her or forfeit.  By Boaz's honesty and respect for all parties, everyone came out the best.

Step Six: Receive the blessing!

Rth 4:11  Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem,
Rth 4:12  and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman."

And they all lived happily ever after?  Pretty much.

I did notice one other thing in this blessing: By this point, seven generations later, the stigma Tamar might have gotten from seducing her at-the-time corrupt and superstitious father-in-law Judah, had been erased, and she was mentioned with respect as being the mother of the true main line of Judah- the line from which Jesus would come.  I haven't really debated this point, having just noticed it, but I imagine for Israel it became a "They shall know you by your fruit" situation.  Maybe I should label this point thusly:

Step Seven: Forgive and forget the past!

The Better Part, week #8

 

Here are this week's FB posts!

The Better Part, day #49:

 

Pro 31:20 She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.

Pro 31:21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household are clothed in scarlet.

Pro 31:22 She makes bed coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Pro 31:23 Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land. 

 

I thought it might be good to do something with snow, and with my 31-day regimen in Proverbs every month, this was the first passage that came to mind. But notice the wonderful balance of the virtuous woman- and apply it to our lives, whether man OR woman. In v21, she made sure her family was taken care of- but in v20, we see she didn't neglect those suffering in the wider world. In v22, we she her taking care of herself, but in v23 she glorifies her husband. In thinking of everyone- herself and others- all end up being put in their finest. God is best glorified when we balance the things He asks of us.

 

 

The Better Part, Day #50:

 

Mat 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Mat 7:8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 

 

Jack Graham told the story of a long ago local (Dallas area) man named Father Bugner who had established a children's home that is still around. Early on though, it was in debt and about to close, when he fell to his knees, asking God for His promised provision. As he prayed, he could hear pecans falling from the trees in the yard onto the roof, like gentle, "I'm right here" messages from God. When he rose from his pleading, he looked out into the yard- and after a moment, he understood. He and the children gathered bushels of pecans from the trees, sold them at the farmer's market, and raised JUST enough to cover the debt. Sometimes the provision is right there, we just have to shut up and listen for it.

 

 

The Better Part, day #51:

 

Rom 10:13 For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Rom 10:14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 

 

One thing I considered as I spent my afternoon Missions prayer time is, we've recently had some missionaries lose their heads- missionaries on the home front, losing their heads, their works, to unconfessed sin. If we are to pray for the work to be done, one place to focus is on OUR pastors and leaders, that they not fall, and if they do, to confess in humility. The Mission field starts wherever two or three are gathered- and the preaching starts with those who call. Lift up your pastors, your youth and mission directors, and everyone else who helps lead the flock. Otherwise, the wolves will see them- yea, and the lost as well.

 

 

The Better Part, day #52:

 

Pro 18:12 Before destruction a man's heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. 

 

I can see, clear as a bell, an incident about 24 hours ago, and another one this morning, of me getting haughty in considering someone else's efforts.And on considering that first incident afterwards, I realized what it was I was doing. It was not overt, just a thought thing- that reminds me that character is an ongoing battle. Philippians 3:12, buddy, you haven't attained yet.

 

 

The Better Part, day #53:

 

2Ki 6:4 So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees.

2Ki 6:5 But as one was felling a log, his axe head fell into the water, and he cried out, "Alas, my master! It was borrowed."

2Ki 6:6 Then the man of God said, "Where did it fall?" When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float.

2Ki 6:7 And he said, "Take it up." So he reached out his hand and took it. 

 

2Ki 18:4 He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan). 

 

So this machine of mine at work is a real test of my ministry at times. It can really, when I'm struggling, seem a tool of the Devil! But as I thought about it today, I asked my memory, "Are there any places where a THING was demon possessed? My first thought was that axe head in the first passage- I would have probably thought of that axe head much like I do my machine. But, would Elisha have raised it if IT were evil? Then I thought of the second passage. This serpent was a symbol , a precursor of Christ in that being lifted, "It would draw all to itself". But when time passed, it didn't become demonic. They MADE it an idol- probably starting like, "We're not worshiping it, we're just 'honoring what it stands for' " -Catholic friends, take note! It took on a 'name' of it's own- a name that basically means, ' the bronze thing'. And while I wasn't making an idol of my machine, I may have been half-kiddingly making it a demon. A reminder it isn't the object, it's the attitude.

 

 

The Better part, day #54: (How's this for keeping a resolution!)

 

Rom 6:21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 

 

I've set myself to reading a chapter from the epistles every morning, and today I was in that famous chapter where Paul is trying to hammer into the Roman church that freedom from sin does NOT equal freedom to sin. I hadn't noticed this one line before- and to me, it might be the most compelling argument in the discussion. "And how is that working for you?"

 

 

The Better Part, day #55:

 

Luk 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 

 

I saw this on FB today, and at first I was put off by its brashness...

 

"If you need people to validate you,

you live a shallow, fragile existence and give your strength to others."

 

But as I thought about it, it's dead right. If I needed- as Satan keeps telling me- people to 'like' these posts for them to do any good, well, God wouldn't be in them and I'd just be glorifying myself. Better to glorify God, and let Him figure out where the 'bread cast upon the waters' goes.

 

Time Machine co-ordinates VICLXX66421761

 

So today we go to February 19th, 1961- the day before THIS happened, per Wiki:

Jerry  Garcia, an 18-year old drifter who had been discharged from the U.S. Army, survived a car accident in Palo Alto, California. He would later describe the event as "the slingshot for the rest of my life". "Before then I was always living at less than capacity," he would write later. "Then I got serious." Garcia would go on to found the Grateful Dead.

And speaking of unknown people getting big breaks, wait'll I get talking to Johnny Preston about just how Running Bear came to be a hit- and who helped him on it!  In the meantime, another new debut, a 6D that I actually got done prior to the show for a change, and the usual good stuff!  Let's sling right on into things!

****************************************************

Hey boss, shouldn't I be getting some kinda award this week?

What, you mean besides being called the King, and the 150 different albums and singles that have been certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum?

Well, when ya put it that way...

What our big buddy is moaning about is that this week, he hit the UK #1 for the third TM in the last four!  We'll find out which of his 149 songs to appear on Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Chart in America he claimed the UK honors for THIS week!  In the meantime, speaking of the UK, here's the new- and title- single for a British duo debuting at #10 on the M10!  Here is Royal Blood...

***************************************************

So first off, Johnny, why don't you let the folks know who was doing the "Indian" background singing on Running Bear?

Well, sir, that was George Jones and the Big Bopper!

How did that come about?

Well, it was JP- the Big Bopper- who wrote the song.  And he also wrote White Lightning which George recorded after the plane crash. He thought Running Bear was too "Romeo and Juliet" for his image, and gave it to me, but we never was gonna release it- until the crash.  'Course, the story of George recording White Lightning was legendary, too.  We lost a lot of good music when that damned plane went down.

Amen to that.  So this week, we had 17 tunes from 46 stations- and one song was on the Panel twice!  The instrumental Wheels was charted by Billy Vaughn and by the String-a-Longs.  The String-a-Longs had the bigger hit- #8 combined on Cashbox and 15 by itself on Billboard- and had a 2 to 1 margin on the Panel.  However, both Laurie and I thought Vaughn's version was more enjoyable despite peaking outside the top 40.  Still, we managed 5 finalists, and now, it's time for you to introduce them!

Sure thing!  You all can choose from:

Lawrence Welk's Calcutta, the Cashbox #1;

The Everly Brothers with Ebony Eyes at #26;

EP:  I sure hope they don' win!  Those two clowns cut into my air time!

Hesh up, or I'LL be cutting into your air time!  Johnny?

Yeah, then we got Chubby Checker and Pony Time at #10;

Buzz Clifford and The Babysitting Boogie at #14;

And Connie Francis and Where The Boys Are at #9.

Thanks, Johnny, and maybe this'll help you guessers out...

EP:  But I doubt it...

...but I will throw in where the Panelists finished in the 1961 top 100 of the year!

Out of 17 Panelists, 11 made that countdown, and they were:

Finalist, Ebony Eyes at #75;

Finalist, Babysitting Boogie at #69;

The Capris and There's A Moon Out Tonight at #51

The Shirelles and Dedicated To The One I Love at #41;

Jorgan Ingmann's Apache at #30;

Finalist, Where The Boys Are at #29;

Smokey and the Miracles and Shop Around at #25;

The String-a-Longs' version of Wheels at #24;

Finalist, Pony Time at #14;

The Shirelles again, with Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow at #3;

 ...and Finalist, Calcutta at #2!

Some further oddities:

The year's #1 song is this week's 6D victim- highest charting without a Panel vote;

One song on the Panel- Pretty One by Roy Orbison- somehow got a vote despite being the b-side to a song that peaked at #72 last year...

And one Panelist- the song Angel Baby- was on the chart at #13 by Rosie and the Originals- but got the vote for a version by a gent named Charles Brown, of whom I could learn nothing.

******************************************

This lovely lady is Wendy Waldeman.  She comes into our story with Jim Photoglo, who had a pair of early 80's top 40-grazers.  But together, they wrote a country #1 in 1987- my prime country era- by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band called Fishin' In The Dark.  Wendy had a famous dad- Fred Steiner, who wrote the themes for a pair of well matched TV programs- Perry Mason and The Rocky And Bullwinkle Show.  Wendy was also part of a folk supergroup that was called Bryndle- an act that also included Karla Bonoff and Andrew Gold!  Andrew, of course, first made a mark by being Linda Ronstadt's multi-instrumentalist 'one man band', playing most of the music on the hits Heat Wave, You're No Good, and When Will I Be Loved.  Andy also had a famous dad- one Ernest Gold, who wrote several movie themes, including our 6D victim at #4 this week- Ferrante and Teicher's Exodus.

*************************************************************

Johnny, it's time for the Overseas, If You Please!  Here are the #1s across the English-speaking globe...

Oh, I get ta read them, too?  Say, this is kinda fun!

So the UK...

Save them for last...

EP:  HEY!

Gotta build up the suspense, Amirite? Go on...

So, then, let's go to Canada, where Panelist, A Scottish Soldier by Andy Stewart- which would chart here in April- is at the top.

In New Zealand, it's Floyd Cramer and Last Date, which was at #57 here.

Australia, you had Bert Kaempfert's Wonderland By Night- which was #1 here in January;

and the Elvis song at #1 in the UK was- Are You Lonesome To-Nite, which was #33 here.

There, happy now?

Why ain't it #1 HERE?

Because, you boob, it was #1 for 5 weeks at the end of LAST year, and is taking it's good sweet time leaving the chart, okay?

Yeah, that's burnt!

Good!  Now go entertain yourself while I get at the M10...

JP:  Hey, Mr Martin, this here card says I still gotta do the big mover...

Sorry, Mr Insecure distracted me!  Go ahead!

A song that Bobby Vinton will do in the future, the big mover is Please Love Me Forever by Cathy Jean and the Roommates, 22 spots from 94 to 72.  That it?

I reckon so!  Thanks, Johnny!  And now, that M10...

9- Middle Of The Road slips 4 with Fate Strange Fate.

8- Neil Young and Crazy Horse up 2 with Pocahontas.

7- Tommy James and the boys up one with Hold On To Him.

6- After peaking at 3, El Michels Affair and Piyat Malik's Murkit Gem slips 3.

5- Also slipping three is Saintseneca's Wait A Minute.

4- Former #1 Brightest Star by Lilly Hiatt holds at 4.

3- Big move:  Crack The Sky with Blowing Up Detroit.

2- Bigger move: Weezer up 5 with Grapes Of Wrath.

And still at the top... and not going anywhere...

...Home Free with Don McLean on American Pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the Panel picks?

Buzz Clifford babbled his way to 8.7%...

Everyone else got 10.8% each, except for... with 15.2%...

...Lawrence Welk and Calcutta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be here next week for thrills, spills, and BUBBLES!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things-Romans

 

Romans 16 starts with a long list of people Paul and his scribe Tertius wanted greetings passed on to- boring stuff, right?  Even the commentators seem to content themselves with debating whether Andronicus, Junius, Herodian, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater were actually his kinsmen or this was a euphemism (my take on that at the end.)  But one thing among many we can learn from this chapter is the qualities in a Christian that Paul valued, because he names those qualities as he names off the friends that had them.  Ready?

- A servant of the Church:  Phoebe was noted as "a helper of many, including myself", and it was she that got top billing.

- Risked their necks for the Church: Which always brings to mind our missionaries in the field, and those, God bless them, who risk their lives bringing the Gospel to the Arabic and Oriental worlds.

-A firstfruit:  Valuable because when that first one goes in, others will follow.  Not only applicable in the sense Paul meant, but any endeavor. 

- "Did much labor for us": A bit of a difference here between Mary and Phoebe, in that you CAN serve the Church without laboring.

- "Noted among the Apostles":  Though not as famous; the pastor might get credit for the sermon, but what of the little child he met that week that planted an idea for that sermon in his head?  Paul goes on to mention that Andronicus and Junius were "in the Lord before me", which also reminds us we have- or should have- a long line of mentors behind us.

- Beloved in the Lord: This description of Ampliatus is echoed in the hard-working Persis later on. And it is not far from Apelles, who is "approved in Christ".  The commentators note that this means tried or tested, and there is some suggested that "Apelles" is also the more famous "Apollos".

-Fellow workers and prisoners: Sharing in all these works for the Lord.

As to the kinsmen part, I found what I think is evidence that Paul was using the term for those who had traveled with him on missionary journeys, with whom he had a special bound.  But would it be so much a stretch that Paul had a large extended family, and many of them were saved either by or (in the case of Andronicus and Junius) before he was?  It is not hard to believe that if he had previously saved relatives, they might have been particularly fervent in praying for him- at a time where most Christians might have been praying AGAINST him- and those prayers were heard when Christ appeared on the Damascus road.  And that- persistence in prayer- might be the biggest lesson from this list, if you're willing to do the mining of the Word...

On blizzards and Bangladesh

 So here I am, staring what has the potential to be a downright Indiana blizzard here in a couple hours...

...and thus, I've been looking around for some angles to make this all entertaining.  I got onto a Quora discussion of where it doesn't snow, and a gentleman named Abdullah tried to explain in English how Bangladesh has what they consider 6 seasons.  To the best of my ability to interpret what he said, here are the 6 seasons of Bangladesh:

-Hot summer

-Always rain

-Day Time so hot +

- At whole night (?)

-Always rain (round two, apparently)

-winter

Of course, I had to dig further into it, and discovered the more accurate 6 seasons are:

summer (grisma, in Bengali), monsoon (barsa), autumn (sharat), late autumn (hemanta), winter (shit), and spring (basanta).

Note, this is from Discovery.com- I DID NOT make up the Bengali word for winter, though I certainly agree with it.  And, you know me, I wondered what other languages used that 4-letter word to mean something other than it means to us foul mouthed English speakers...

In Albanian (according to Google Translate, so don't blame me), it means "sell".  I bet their stock market is fun during a shit-off...

In Sundanese, it's "bitter".  Which would change a song from last summer's M10 to, "It's a shit pill to swallow..."  Doesn't seem to lose much in meaning...

In Tamil, it means "Sheet".  So I guess all those times my Dad would exclaim, "SHEET the bed", he was just speaking Tamil.  Amazingly cosmopolitan from a man who routinely mangled 'Afghanistan' into "Fagistan'...

In French, it means "hash".  That might tend to change my breakfast potato ordering...

And in Gujarati- "What is Gujarati?  You ask- well, it's spoken right here-

(That, BTW, is India)

...in Gujarati, it means "Including".  I know there's got to be a good gag about that one, but I should get back to the blizzard thing.

So, later in that first post, a teacher of secondary mathematics (AKA a junior high teacher) named Brian-

Probably not, but you never know....

- gave us the following list of places he says have never had snow:

Maldives, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Guyana, Suriname, Belize, El Salvador, Saint Lucia, Palau, Nauru, Tuvalu, Fiji. Kiribati, Singapore, Bangladesh, Vanuatu, Bahrain, Kuwait, St. Kitts & Nevis, Egypt, Malta, Tonga, Timor-Leste, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia, and there may be a couple more.

 

And I'm thinking many of them are places I'd rather be than here tonight (given adequate food, shelter, and beer).  What's it doing right now in Bangladesh, Abdullah?

67 F, and foggy at 4 AM.  That is the typical description of Bangladeshi shi- er, winter.  Looking for a high of 82.  But it's prolly pretty crowded there, right now.  How about we try Tuvalu?  Where, you ask, is Tuvalu?

Ah, there we go, the south Pacific, just a hop, skip, and 2,500 mile jump from Jo-Anne!  And the weather?

82F, with a 65% chance of thundershowers at 10 AM.  I can live with that, too!  Let's try one more... say Bahrain?

66F at 1 AM, looking for a high of 77 with no rain!  We have a winner!

In the meantime, our WUndergound forecast is 12 F with snow falling at a rate of half an inch or above for the next SEVEN hours.  SHIT!

The Better part, week #7

 

Here are this week's FB posts.  May you be richly blessed by seeing what I had to learn this week.

The Better part, Day #42:

Job 37:11 Yea, he ladeth the thick cloud with moisture; He spreadeth abroad the cloud of his lightning:

Job 37:12 And it is turned round about by his guidance, That they may do whatsoever he commandeth them Upon the face of the habitable world,

Job 37:13 Whether it be for correction, or for his land, Or for lovingkindness, that he cause it to come. 

 

I've been listening to sermons lately that speak to the impossibility of anything without God. And once again that came up last night, as I felt called to respond to another Twitter atheist trolling Franklin Graham- although this one went straight to insult mode ("Grow up", "leaning on your big magic daddy in the sky"). One of those sermons showed why I might have been called- mentioning Job 31:29 and forward where he lists not lifting up his enemies as a possible sin. But what, I thought, is the purpose? Again, we can go to Job's book, but Elihu's speech. See, the sower of the seed scatters seed- not controlling where it lands. Maybe this guy hadn't been warned of judgment yet. Maybe there was a crack in his hard packed ground where a seed might squeeze in. Maybe God just wanted to show him the mercy of interacting with someone who would pray for him afterwards. But somewhere along the line, God will bring an increase from it.

 

 

The Better part, Day #43:

Exo 16:4 Then said Jehovah unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. 

 

David Jeremiah pointed out today that among the many characteristics of God's provision in the desert was that He provided for ONE day, each day. And that is one of the reasons I am doing Better Parts- that I may share what I am getting fed, just enough for each day, every day.

 

 

The Better part, Day #44:

Mar 12:16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar's.

Mar 12:17 And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's. And they marvelled greatly at him. 

 

In the mood for positive reinforcement from Christian radio, and having been interrupted by work's disasters through much of what I usually listen to, I turned it on this afternoon only to hear the 'semi-religious political show' discussing the acknowledged evils the current administration supports. Following that up, they stressed that it was "time to get our country back". Which is all well and good, but you make it sound like a political agenda is our Christian calling. I believe that Jesus never showed any caring about the political situations- the worst thing He even did about Herod was calling him "that old fox"- but put ALL the focus on saving people from the judgment. You want to save this nation with politics? If the horse is even hitched to the cart, the cart is way too far ahead to go anywhere.

 

 

The Better part, Day #45:

1Sa 13:7 Now some of the Hebrews had gone over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; but as for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

1Sa 13:8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.

1Sa 13:9 And Saul said, Bring hither the burnt-offering to me, and the peace-offerings. And he offered the burnt-offering. 

 

So here I was, after a very annoying day, wanting to get started on Time Machine, having to start a Norton check, and I said- at first- "Oh, yeah, Better part. Well, I'll get it later." And then: "Yeah, with the day that has passed bringing God first, I can imagine how not stopping to have God come into my evening will go." Saul didn't wait, and the pressure he THOUGHT was on got a LOT worse. And as I finished finding the verse I wanted, and bringing up my FB page to type it- imagine that, the Norton scan is already done! Lord, keep me mindful of not 'putting you later'.

 

 

The Better Part, Day#46:

No verse today, just a story. What possible use was it for them to be there: Two punk kids on a temp job. They worked two half-days, left a lighter in the men's stall for their "smoking breaks", and left with a pop, belonging to a certain OTHER person, that they stole from the break room refrigerator. What possible use? Well, that other, pop-less person, realizing this was a test of forgiveness, and after a good deal of anger management, prayed for them. Prayed that somehow, someway, God would lead them into another direction in life. One where smoke and music and whatever I can take was no longer a priority. And truth be told, that person prayed for them the first day, too, in an effort to have God teach him not to judge a book by its cover- at least, not the whole book. Whether they might someday find that time useful, God knows.

 

 

The Better Part, day #47:

Today I want to talk about Ravi Zacharias. If you don't know the story- too bad, this isn't a gossip column. What brings him up is that last night, Lee Strobel announced he would be cutting ties with the late apologist's resources and removing an interview with Ravi from one of his books.

 

My first thought was, some people's thorns in the flesh are bigger than others. Ravi was in a LOT of pain for a long time. And the kind of thing he did, while reprehensible, is a powerful opiate. But I realized on praying it out that the sin wasn't his thorn- that was the pain. What his sin was, was trying to remove that thorn by man's means instead of God's strength. Does this invalidate his works? I don't know, but I remember Paul saying in Philippians 1:18, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. " Does it invalidate HIM? Again, God knows the heart; but in my mind, if every ministry was invalidated by the sins of the minister, no ministry- including this one- would ever be valid.

 

 

The Better part, day #48:

John 20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,[a] Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 

 

As I opened my FB feed this Sunday morning I was greeted by cardinals heralding visits from dead relatives, proud proclamations of how many fact-checkers have been blocked, memes for Trump, shirts against Biden, and a handful of lovely Valentine Day wishes.

Nothing about Jesus coming in, sharing the Lord's Day with anyone.

You want to have the peaceful day, you have to invite Him in. He doesn't pop in and say, "Hey, remember me?" anymore.

Time Machine co-ordinates VICLXIX66321260

 

So today is February 12, 1960- one day after Jack Paar announced he was quitting the Tonight Show and stomped off the set.  Why was he mad enough to leave?  Because NBC censors cut a joke he told in the last night's monologue.  What dirty, filthy joke caused such a reaction?

An English lady, while visiting Switzerland, was looking for a room, and she asked the schoolmaster if he could recommend any to her. He took her to see several rooms, and when everything was settled, the lady returned to her home to make the final preparations to move.

When she arrived home, the thought suddenly occurred to her that she had not seen a “W.C.” [water closet, a euphemism for toilet] around the place. So she immediately wrote a note to the schoolmaster asking him if there were a “W.C.” around. The [Swiss] schoolmaster was a very poor student of English, so he asked the [Swiss] parish priest if he could help in the matter. Together they tried to discover the meaning of the letters “W.C.,” and the only solution they could find for the letters was “Wayside Chapel.” The schoolmaster then wrote to the English lady the following note:

Dear Madam:

I take great pleasure in informing you that the W.C. is situated nine miles from the house you occupy, in the center of a beautiful grove of pine trees surrounded by lovely grounds. It is capable of holding 229 people and it is open on Sunday and Thursday only. As there are a great number of people and they are expected during the summer months, I would suggest that you come early: although there is plenty of standing room as a rule. You will no doubt be glad to hear that a good number of people bring their lunch and make a day of it; while others who can afford to go by car arrive just in time. I would especially recommend that your ladyship go on Thursday when there is a musical accompaniment. It may interest you to know that my daughter was married in the W.C. and it was there that she met her husband. I can remember the rush there was for seats. There were ten people to a seat ordinarily occupied by one. It was wonderful to see the expression on their faces. The newest attraction is a bell donated by a wealthy resident of the district. It rings every time a person enters. A bazaar is to be held to provide plush seats for all the people, since they feel it is a long felt need. My wife is rather delicate, so she can’t attend regularly. I shall be delighted to reserve the best seat for you if you wish, where you will be seen by all. For the children, there is a special time and place so that they will not disturb the elders. Hoping to have been of service to you, I remain,

Sincerely,

The Schoolmaster

And "W.C." was too risque for NBC in February of 1960.  The next night, Jack walked out mid-show.

"And that's how I showed them what a WC was really like!"

I promise, Jack, I wouldn't cut a joke like that- I might try to get you to shorten it, though, since it's MY monologue!  Welcome to this week's Time Machine, with Lloyd Price, and a buncha other fun stuff!  However, no jokes...

Jack Paar:  Oh, come on!  How're you supposed to have a good show without good laughs?

Again, Jack, my show.  I put a lot of work into these things, and...

JP:  Aw, c'mon, everyone will like me!  "It's almost impossible to dislike me, because I do nothing."

I don't think I have it in the budget for a co-host, not with Lloyd Price as a guest already.  My lawyer will have a fit...

JP:  Ah, what's a little money? "Poor people have more fun than rich people, they say; and I notice it's the rich people who keep saying it."

Lloyd Price:  Hey, Mr Martin, I don' mind if Mr Paar wanna do the show... I got laundry to do, an' all...

Just where did I lose control of this thing?  Let me figure it out while the audience listens to the first of 3 debuts.  Last summer, we had the Cover Summer... this winter, it seems to be The Winter Of Our Box Set, because we have already had a hit from Elton John's new box, one from the currently charting set by Middle Of The Road, and two more join us this week!  At #10, from Archives Vol. II, here's Neil Young and Crazy Horse, with a not-released song from 1975...

*************************************************

JP:  Boy, imagine if the censors got that part about the pelts...

LP:  That's for sure, Mr Parr!  An' they'd have nevah put up with Lawdy Miss Clawdy...

Ah, gentlemen, if I may... so this was an unbelievably big Panel list for 1960, with 26 songs from 73 stations! I have whittled it down to 5 finalists, as what started as a close battle became a close battle for second place.  Lloyd, would you...

LP:  Maybe Mr Paar would like to do them instead?

JP:  No, Lloyd, you go right ahead, it's your guest shot!

I'm starting to feel like it's MY guest shot...

LP:  All right, then, you all get to choose from...

Mark Dinning and Teen Angel, # 2 on Cashbox this week;

Ah, here's my choice, Miss Toni Fisher and The Big Hurt, dropping this week after a top ten run at #20...

Percy Faith and the Theme to A Summer Place, a hot riser at #13;

Johnny Preston and Running Bear at #1;

An' another cool cat, Jimmy Jones with Handy Man at #8!

JP:  All right then, let's have the audience vote on these songs, and...

Back off, Dick Clark, still my show, and I'll ask nicely if you all wanna vote on these tunes, and while you think about it, here's the next debut, and it also is a not-released track from a brand new box set.  From The Complete Roulette Recordings, 1966-1973, here's Tommy James and the Shondells at #8...

****************************************************

JP:  Say, what's next?

Next up is the 6D, and it starts with Paul Anka....

Paul did an album called Songs I Wish I'd Written, and I can see why- 6 number ones and 4 #2's were on the lp ! Among them were Panelist He'll Have To Go, which Jim Reeves won a guest shot here with a while back, and two songs which had the writing touch of Doc Pomus on them!  One was the Drifters' number one, Save The Last Dance For Me. The other was a #2 that he wrote after a ride through downtown in which he was fascinated by the rhythm he heard in the car horns on the busy streets.  After the ride he reflected on that rhythm, worked it into a tune he first called "A Crowded Avenue"- then he added a chorus, and it became a #2 hit for...

JP:  Say, wait a minute.  Why don't you take the- you said this was a #2, and there were 4 #2s on the album- why not name them, and let your fans guess which one?

Hey, I like that!  Here, tell everyone which ones are one the list!

JP:  Why, thank you!  I really enjoy this kind of thing! "Personally, I like those mystery shows. Ever since I was a kid I've been crazy about blood and detectives and murder. Maybe I was born with a silver knife in my back..." Anyway, which song came from a cacophony of car horns?  Was it...

Rambling Rose

The End Of The World

Can't Get Used To Losing You

or He'll Have To Go?

Thanks, Jack, and BTW for you all, anything he says in quotes is an actual Jack Paar quote.

JP:  Well, of course they are, I just said them!

Anyhow, let's have Lloyd come back out for the Overseas If You Please!

LP:  The what?

This is where you read off the #1 songs this week around the English Speaking world!

LP:  Alright, gotcha.  Canada was on He'll Have To Go, although it was Runnin' Bear that got 3 of the 6 Panel votes from Canada.  Australia's #1 was Crash Craddock with Boom Boom Baby. And in the UK it was multi-talented Anthony Newley with his cover of Frankie Avalon's Why, which was on the Panel at #6, and was on the British chart too at #27.  Also on the Panel was our big mover, Bobby Rydell and Oh, Wild One- up 35 from 100 to 65 this week.

Thanks, guys!  I got one more thing I'd like to throw in before the close, but first, the high debut- and the only one from a new studio lp and not a box set!  At #7, here's Weezer...

**************************************************

One thing I thought about trying was letting you in on how the various Panelists fared on the top 100 songs of the year.  If it goes over, and I remember, It may become an ongoing thing.  But for this week, here they are:

The Big Hurt was #49;

47 was Marv Johnson's You Got What It Takes;

37 was Dion and the Belmonts Where Or When;

Why ended at 35;

Wild One came in at 25;

Marty Robbins had El Paso at #17;

Teen Angel, appropriately enough, was 16;

Handy Man was 13;

Running Bear was #10;

He'll Have To Go at #8;

and Theme To A Summer Place finished at the top.

And next, the M10:

9- Firefall drops 3 with A New Mexico;

6- Up a quick 4 for Crack The Sky and Blowing Up Detroit;

5- Climbing 2 for Middle Of The Road and Fate Strange Fate, the other box-set single;

4- Lilly Hiatt falls from the top after a one-week run with Brightest Star;

3- Holding is El Michels Affair and Piyat Malik and Murkit Gem;

2- Holding is Saintseneca and Wait a Minute;

And my new #1, up from #4...

PHOTOS: FORD FAIRCHILD/HOME FREE, DAVID ABBOTT/DON MCLEAN

Home Free and Don McLain with the 50th anniversary version of American Pie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jack, which song was it that grew from listening to downtown traffic?

JP: Why, Chris, that would be...

...Andy Williams' hit, Can't Get Used To Losing You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lloyd, you might as well be the one to give us the Panel results...

LP:  Sure thing, man!  If you took Jimmy Jones or Percy Faith, you got 6.8%...

If you took Miss Toni, you got 8.2... say, my picks didn't get nowhere!

Teen Angel only got ya 9.6%...

So the winner, with 21.9%....

...Johnny Preston an' Runnin' Bear!  OW WOO WOO WOO WOO!!!!!

Well, thanks guys, it all worked out pretty good tonight, so thanks a lot and... yes Jack?

JP:  I just wanted to say, you run a pretty fun ship here.  And to quote someone near and dear to my heart, I'd like to say, "As I was saying before I was interrupted ... I believe the last thing I said was 'There must be a better way to make a living than this.' Well, I've looked - and there isn't."  Everybody, make sure you come back next week for Chris, Johnny Preston, and 1961.  Goodnight, everybody!