Well, as usual lately, blogger flipped them all out of order. But I don't care.
On this day, a stop at the Scrappy Memorial.
A little guy taking his adorable little sister for a walk to pick flowers for mom. They said hi to Misty.
Chip climbing a tree to get away from the oblivious Misty...
"Finally, a break in the rushes!"
"Say, it's getting a bit warm out here!"
"Anything bitin'?""Not so far..."
Mostly little turtles at the swamp, diving as soon as we saw them. At this point, though, we heard heavy running. A guy who'd been walking towards us was now running, with an irate Mama Redwing closing on the back of his head. As much as I wanted to snap the picture, I respected his danger... (on the outside, that is.
Mat 12:31 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
Mat 12:32 And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
David Jeremiah gave an explanation of this that touched on how it was a warning to the Pharisees, who were consciously calling Jesus's miracles works of Satan. That a living person might commit this sin while alive ONLY if he had Jesus bodily performing miracles in front of him as he said it. For the rest of us, the unforgivable sin is waiting until death and not accepting Him. So, see, if you're breathing, you're still eligible!
The Better Part, Day #128:
Eph 5:15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
Eph 5:16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
I was thinking about this today, how people like Billy Graham (I just read Greg Laurie's bio, highly recommend) certainly live out this verse. Charles Stanley has even written something for people who say, "When I relax, I feel guilty". I think of all Moses took on, how David composed music while on the battlefield, how Paul's engine was in high gear even before his conversion. It gets me to realizing that greater gifts are given to people with greater drive. I'm not saying I could handle THAT kind of drive, but it would be nice to get to a point where I can use my gifts at the level I CAN achieve.
The Better Part, Day #129:
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Preaching on this, David Jeremiah pointed out that the Golden Rule- 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'- is backwards, because: Read as written, it suggests you decide what YOU would want in the situation and do that. What it does NOT do is have you look at the situation from THEIR shoes, and see what you would want if YOU were them.
The Better Part, Day #130:
1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
And for the second time this week- though hardly the only times it was necessary- I had to stop and say, "Jesus, I'm not listening. I'm not paying attention as I ought. Sermons are becoming words, sound bites." And when I get to the point of asking, He opens up my ears again. We as humans are so used to 'hearing things' without any active effort, we forget that listening to God takes just that effort. Passive listening equals ZERO listening.
Hopefully, Ill be able to put our famous logo up here later, but for right now, Blogger has it's finger you know where yet again. They can't have these problems on normal, run of the mill days, no siree, just when I put together the most important post of every week. But I digress. Today we go to May 28th, 1973- a day when the newspapers trumpeted that the San Diego Padres baseball team had been sold and would be moved to Washington (the baseball equivalent at that time of, "this trick never works!"). Not long after, the city won a verdict that would keep that ownership group on the hook for the remaining 15 years of their lease of what would one day be called Jack Murphy Stadium (ironically, Jack was the sportswriter who penned the article I read in the San Diego Union.) Given this, the DC contingent withdrew and the team was sold to McDonalds chief Ray Kroc.
And, I'd put a picture in here, but of course, Blogger... Ah, there's how to outwit the nitwit- look it up online and paste! I'll show you, lol!
"And you'll show me, too! ha ha!"
And with that, I've made an editorial decision- we are going to do a top ten on charting songs that had something to do with pictures or photographs! But first, I'm gonna eat some dinner- and I'm locking the board so none of the Staples Singers come in and mess with the board!
EP: Exceptin' that I have a key! I Bet you din't know there's a secret backwards message on my song, Love Me Tender! Here, let me play some of it...
Evol em rednet, evol em teews, reven tel em og; uoy evah edam ym efil etelpmoc...
Just WHAT do you think you're doing?
EP: Er, nothing, boss... I was...
Here do something productive- sort these songs by chart position! In the meantime, assuming I can share a video, here's the week's only debut- and it is this year's Eurovision winner! From Italy, here's Maneskin at #9....
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And THAT even gave me a fight!
Everybody, say hello to Mavis Staples! Mavis, one amazing thing I saw was you dated Bob Dylan!
Yes, he even asked Pops to marry me... didn't go so well. I felt like I was too young, even though I was 24, and he was younger than me!
So here for your first time amid all this madness, you get a 23-song, 61- station Panel with five finalists, but really only a 2-song battle. Would you like to do the honors?
Sure... but not much of a pre-interview. Did I do something wrong?
No... just trying to keep my mind on I'll Take You There, and not Let's Do It Again...
Hee hee... I can see where there'd be a conflict there! Just remember, where I come from, you're only 11, and where you come from, I'm 72!
True dat! Here's the list...
All right, sweetie, here is everybody's choices this week...
The #22 song this week on Cashbox, Billy Preston and Will It Go Round In Circles...
The # 1 song, Edgar Winters and Frankenstein...
The #2- Paul McCartney's My Love...
The #64, and on it's way down- Sweet and Little Willy...
And finally, the #6, Elton John and Daniel!
Thanks, Mavis! So Elvis, you got that list yet?
Yeah, but I see you went off the 'Martin Era 2.0' on someovem...
Yeah, I went with a few close outsiders that I thought might be worth it, to beef up the list. So what we end up with is a hastily researched, possibly not exhaustive, and creatively adjusted, set of 12 top 40 hits that had something about pictures or photographs in the song itself, not necessarily the tile. Chart peaks are from Billboard, and ties are broken at my discretion. Here we go...
12- Video Killed The Radio Star, the Buggles, #40.
11- Turning Japanese, the Vapors, #36.
10- Wishing (If I Had A Photograph Of You), A Flock Of Seagulls, #26.
9- I'll Wait, Van Halen, #13.
8- Photograph, Def Lepperd, #12.
7- Pictures Of Matchstick Men, Status Quo, also #12.
6- Peg, Steely Dan, #11.
5- Freeze Frame, J Geils Band, #4.
4- Traces, Classics IV, #2.
3- Kodachrome, Paul Simon, also #2.
Before I do the top 2, which are both #1s, honorable mention for a song that didn't chart- and should have- Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells A Story.
In fact, let's save those top two for the reveal, and see if Horace Bellbottom can wing a 6D tonight. Horace?
Yes, let me have a look here... Ah, yes, this will do. Here is a football card you've likely never seen...
This is, as the card reads, Ted Dushinski. He was a Hall-Of-Fame defensive back for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the Canadian League, a member of the 1966 Grey Cup winners. The reason for his inclusion in a music post is he was the second husband, from 1980 till his passing, of Susan Jacks, best known as singer for the Poppy Family.
And Susan's band recorded a song called Which Way You Goin' Billy, a song that was first going to be sung by first husband Terry Jacks under the title Which Way You Goin' Buddy (with, no doubt, somewhat different lyrics). The bass on that tune was played by one Doug Edwards, a guitarist who played several years with the band Chilliwack, and before that, became a top forty co-writer when a policeman friend gave a bandmate a stack of poems he had written to see if one could be turned into a song. The policeman's name was Dave Richardson; the band was called Skylark, and the song at #9 without a Panel vote this week, was called Wildflower. I seem to be getting quite a talent for this!
That you are! Now, it's time for Mavis, here, to do the Overseas If You Please, and the Big Mover...
Thank you, darling! In Australia, Dawn's Tie A Yellow Ribbon 'Round The Old Oak Tree was #1. The UK had former ELO founder Roy Wood's band Wizzard on top with See My Baby Jive. In New Zealand it was Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly. Little Willy was on top of the Canadian charts, and in South Africa it was Cat Stevens with Can't Keep It In. And our Cashbox chart's big mover was George Harrison and Give Me Love, up 26 notches to #26.
Thanks, and I hope we see you again on the Beauty Contest this year!
I think that can be arranged...
So that brings us to the remaining M10 this week...
10- Falling 3 is The Explorer's Club and Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy.
8- Up one for the Tea Party and Summertime.
7- Also up one for Trini Lopez and Lalena.
6- Falling 3, the 3-time #1 Happy by Redspencer.
5- and holding Major Murphy and Attention.
4- Up a pair, Michael Sweet's Challenge The Gods.
3- Up one, POWERS and Legendary.
2- Back up one spot, Blackberry Smoke and Ain't The Same.
And still at #1....
...Overcoats, with Tennis, and The Hardest Part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And how about the picture list?
2- Centerfold, J Geils Band...
...and #1 by my choice...
Ringo Starr and Photograph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And as for the Panel...
Billy Preston, Sweet, and Elton all got you 6.5%...
Edgar Winter got you 14.75%...
And the winner, with 19.67%....
...Paul McCartney and My Love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Will we make it two legit guests in a row next week? Will we be able to even post this week's post? Tune in next time and find out!
The problem with prophecy, it would seem, is that you have to be alert for the 'when' that God is revealing. For God, it's all part of one story; His purpose is to give revelation to the believer, and confound the unbeliever. And the next few chapters really exemplify that, as the prophet goes from current events to Babylon (and who is that, say the contemporaries) to the Messianic reign, and you have to be alert to the tense changes.
We are in chapter 10, and it starts with a warning that fits their day as well as ours and all those in-between:
Isa 10:1 Woe to those who decree unrighteous decrees, and to the scribes who write toil; Isa 10:2 to turn aside the needy from judgment, and to steal the right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and they rob the orphans!
Once again, God explains the 'why' of His judgment. Then he explains the instrument of current judgment- that of Assyria on Israel. Yes, he is using this bloodthirsty nation- though they don't realize it:
Isa 10:7 Yet he (Assyria) does not plan this, nor does his heart think so. For it is in his heart to destroy and cut off not a few nations. Isa 10:8 For he says, Are not my commanders all like kings? Isa 10:9 Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? Isa 10:10 As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols, and their graven images more than Jerusalem's and Samaria's; Isa 10:11 shall I not do to Jerusalem and her idols as I have done to Samaria and her idols?
In other words, Assyria thinks they do it of themselves, that their might is all there is. But God promises a judgment on them as well, and he delivers- within a very short time, all their enemies will gather and tear them apart. But our concern is with the judgment on Israel, and where God stops it:
Isa 10:32 Yet he shall remain in Nob today; he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
But in between is a lengthy section of prophesy of the Day of the Lord. Coming out of that, God shifts back to the near future, and how he intends to call a halt to the proud Assyrians:
Isa 10:26 And Jehovah of Hosts shall stir up a whip on him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as His rod was on the sea, so shall He lift it up in the way of Egypt.
The story of Midian was told in Judges, how the two kings were beheaded at the rock and their armies annihilated; what happened to Assyria came in 2 Kings:
2Ki 19:35 And it happened that night, the Angel of Jehovah went out and struck a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. And they arose early in the morning, and behold, they were all dead bodies. 2Ki 19:36 And Sennacherib king of Assyria departed. And he went and returned and lived at Nineveh. 2Ki 19:37 And it happened as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him with the sword. And they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place.
From there, chapter 11 is a full-on description of Messiah's reign on earth, including one of Isaiah's most famous passages:
Isa 11:7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. Isa 11:8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
I recently heard a pastor who said he "was sympathetic" to the idea that the "binding of Satan for 1,000 years" was in fact the Church age. One of many reasons I disagree is the weight of prophesy that has not been fulfilled. In this chapter is another one, and we can look at it through the lens of our current events. In Israel, two recent disasters during worship services has been laid at the feet of the political power that 'ultra-orthodox' Jews have in Israel- that they were allowed to circumvent safety restrictions, and brought the deaths and injuries down on themselves. How unlike this passage:
Isa 11:13 The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.
In other words, the various factions and their need for political power is no longer around. What one has to remember with prophecy is who it is speaking to; in Isaiah, as well as Revelation after the letters to the seven churches, it speaks to the Jews.
What caught my eye next was the ending verses:
Isa 11:15 And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and will wave his hand over the River with his scorching breath, and strike it into seven channels, and he will lead people across in sandals. Isa 11:16 And there will be a highway from Assyria for the remnant that remains of his people, as there was for Israel when they came up from the land of Egypt.
This is definitely not the world we know-and it will be interesting to see which 'modern' peoples come down that highway from Assyria, given all the guesses as to where the 'ten lost tribes' went.
Chapter 12 is just a neat little Psalm from those far-future days that serves as a break before the heavy prophecies that are to come:
Isa 12:1 You will say in that day: "I will give thanks to you, O LORD, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Isa 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation." Isa 12:3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Isa 12:4 And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Isa 12:5 "Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Isa 12:6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel."
Next time the oracles against the nations begin, starting with Babylon- who at the time wasn't even a concern for Judah, and also serves as a launching point for its analogy to Satan.
Rom 3:9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
Rom 3:10 as it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one;
Rom 3:11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
Rom 3:12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one."
The old missionary amazed Charles Stanley with twice his energy at twice his age. When he asked how to be as energetic for the Lord as her, she said, "Oh, Charles, you are as good as you're ever going to be." As he stood there gap-mouthed at what seemed discouragement rather than encouragement, she finished, "It takes the Holy Spirit to make you as good as God wants you to be."
Slightly paraphrased, but the point being, God will make us what He wants us, if we let Him- and don't get in the way.
The Better Part, Day #123:
Sometime while listening to Charles Stanley talk about "Acknowledge, surrender, faith", I was debating the question that started him on the path- "Why is it the same old stumbling spot?"- and I realized he was right about one thing. I've been fighting my worst trouble spots alone, rather than giving it to the Spirit. My son gave me a little gadget he got at a comedy show the other day- you can about guess how appropriate it was- and my first reaction was, "I'm taking this to work!" That night however, I became convicted about it- and it is still sitting where I laid it down that day. But it was only today, I realized I needed to be bringing the Spirit in on this and so many other "just me" things. Change what I find funny. Change how I react to things. Find something else to catch my eye. Put better words in my mouth.
The Better Part, Day #124:
Another Charles Stanley example of how far I have to go: He told the story of a recent fall that severely injured him. And his first reaction was wondering what test was God going to bring through the fall: "God, what are you up to now?"
Also through failure to remember the 'talk' part of "Walk, Talk, Prayer", I found myself wondering how you ever get to the point, like Nehemiah, when the test comes up and your go-to reaction is prayer!
God reminds me that habits that took years building don't get rerouted overnight...
The Better Part, Day #125:
"It's all fun and games, until..." -modern 'proverb'
Our attitude with repeated sin is a lot like Peter. You see, it was nothing for Peter to be brave, to make bold pronouncements, until... until bad things went down, and he had to stand on his own. Then he went from warrior to denier real fast. It isn't that he wasn't sincere at the time, or that he really denied Jesus, it was just he wasn't prepared for it to get serious. Are we?
The Better Part, Day #126:
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'
I just read a post from a friend who has been through the bitter end of supposed- or, in other cases, misguided- Christians who think that God respects politics, and believe that God's word is what the party tells them at the time. It makes me think of them, "But the pagans do these things also." If we are to walk with Christ, it means love for others and healing of the sick have to be 1-2 in our interactions with the world, not what Dr Doolittle did or did not say to the animals. It breaks my heart that as Christians- or supposed ones- we don't have the love in our hearts to care for others first and the common sense to tell the difference in importance between that and a political position. I pray the Christians who coat their Cross with a flag take this to heart before the passage I shared at the beginning applies to them.
Today we go to May 21st, 1972- the day of Laszlo Toth.
Laszlo, or as he felt he should be better known, Jesus Christ, announced himself as risen from the dead, which would have been the second time, and proceeded to attack the stone Mary that was part of the Pieta with a geologist's hammer. So today, I thought I would bring on Dr Freidriech Flewoffer, a psychologist who has studied the case...
Elvis: WHAT? Why on earth would we wanna do that?
Because I'm curious. We'll have Dr Flewoffer on right after the first of our 3 debuts- and could it be Cover Summer II setting up? Here's Olivia Newton-John and Paul Anka with their brand new take on an old classic at #10...
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So, Dr Flewoffer, welcome. What, in your opinion, would make Toth do such a thing?
Dr F: Is very seemple, my friend. He t'ought his Mama was the greatest woman in ze world. But, you see, that spot was already taken in the eyes ov man by der Virgin Mary. And if his Mama had to be Mary, den he must be Jesus!
But why would he then say he had "risen from the dead", when Jesus had already done that?
Dr F: Because for him to be Jesus was a subliminal, jah? His faith was dead, so to be Jesus meant he had to "rise again".
And the attack on the statue?
Dr F: He was, or supposed he was, a geologist. This made it so that he had rose somehow from the stone- say, the stone ov der statue. If he was stone, so was his Mama. So he tried to chip her out ov der stone and back to life.
EP: That's about the stupidest thing I ever heard come up with!
Dr F: See, child you say that because you are the part of Chris's persona that can get away with sayink or doink such t'ings.
Elvis, a part of MY persona? This I gotta hear.
Dr F: Certainly. You see, Chris is lonely at night. To gain a sense of camaraderie, he must create a cast out of his own resources. Like Elvis, who is the not-too-bright, not so cerebral, 'buddie'. The Lawyer, He is the straight man, the anchor to vat passes as reality, and der little bald guy is obviously the Sancho Panza to Chris's Don Quixote. Why, it as much as says so in der name ov der blog!
Horace Bellbottom: Sir, I shall have you know I am NO figment of imagination...
But, Horace...
HB: I have been a barrister of good standing for the last nearly half-century. I have defended clients before the Crown Court...
EP: Sure that ain't "clown court"?
But, Horace...
HB: And, Doctor, I resent your attempts to demean my career with your psychobabble! Mr Presley's, I just ignore as usual.
But, Horace, you ARE imaginary... we all are inside the Tardis! Even the readers are imaginary, to an extent. They have to surrender a bit of their reality to even figure out what goes on here most of the time.
HB: But, I have a real picture...
EP: Of a real guy that ain't you! C'mon, bud, lemme take ya down for a soda.
HB: Yes... yes, perhaps that's best....
Doctor, you might have some good points, but let's continue this after the next debut at #9. No cover this, but new stuff from Canada, thanks to Debbie the Doglady, from the Tea Party...
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So this week had 26 Panelists from 74 stations, and evolved into a tight, 2-song race. Doctor, would you be adverse to reading off the finalists?
Dr F: Not at all! Please choose from:
Amazing Grace by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, at #64 on Cashbox this week. This choice would signify a deep spiritual character in the voter.
Oh Girl, by the Chi-Lites, #4. This choice would indicate abandonment issues.
The Staple Singers, I'll Take You There, #1. This indicates a strong, self-confident choice.
Roberta Flack, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face at #2. A strong current of dependence and self-abasement shows itself here.
Sammy Davis, Jr, The Candy Man, at #15. This indicates a naive immaturity, a childish abandon.
And finally, Joe Tex and I Gotcha, at #6. Frankly, I'm baffled on this one.
All right, there's your choices... uh, and your free psychological profile. Doctor, we're about 23 weeks out from the end of full-time Time Machine posts, and there has been a certain trend since the announcement of that, of, well, odd choices for guests- including yourself. Do you think this might be problematic?
Dr F: Only in the sense of your readers will have even less idea ov vat is goink on then usual. And I gather that is tenuous at best. I believe your inner host persona is vantink to get everything he wants to say out before it ends. And vat he vants to say, it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Hmm... I hadn't noticed how much you look like Stuart Smalley... anyway, let's put up that last debut at #8 now- our second cover from a Donovan original with credit to Arlee Bird who used it on a BOTB post- from 1969, here's Trini Lopez...
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Well, Doc, I feel a lot better! And to show you my appreciation, how about I give you the honor of giving the Overseas If You Please and the big mover?
Dr F: I t'ink you are tryink to get out of payink me for pschiatric advice, my friend...
True, but it WAS unsolicited, more or less, and I KNOW Horace will want to make that stand up in court, so...
Dr F: Ah, vell played, my friend. Very Vell, let us take the honor for vat it's worth...
In England, the top song this week is T-Rex and Metal Guru...
New Zealand had Nilsson's Without You...
The First Time I Saw Your Face was top in Canada...
Australia had Amazing Grace...
South Africa had Daniel Boone's Beautiful Sunday...
And also, the Netherlands on Radio Hilversham had the beautiful Jerney Kaagman with her band Earth And Fire with Memories...
Great song, and a former Beauty Contestant! And, Der ... er, the big mover?
Dr F: Dat vould be Cher and Living In A House Divided, up a mere 19 from 75 to 56.
Thanks, Doc! And now, the remaining M10:
7- The Explorer's Club up ,one with Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy
6- and holding for Matthew Sweet's Challenge The Gods
5- Down a notch for Major Murphy and Attention
4- Up 3 for POWERS and Legendary
3- Back down from the top for Blackberry Smoke and Ain't The Same
2- and holding for Redspencer and Happy
and the new #1....
...the Overcoats, with Tennis, and The Hardest Part!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And the Panel picks?
The RSDG, Joe Tex, and Sammy got you 6.7%...
Ms Flack gets you 10.8%...
But the winner, by a margin of 17.5- 14.8%....
...The Staple Singers and I'll Take You There!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whether we'll take THEM with us to 1973, tune in next time to find out!
