What is it about nice people that attract total idiots?Nice people are martyrs. Idiots are evangelists.

SOCK IT TO ME BABY!!!

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Saturday Morning walk



Neighborhood bunny says hello


Tops of the trees just getting the sun

Bunny #2


We weren't the first ones out... but there weren't many until the way back

Way to the distance, a 4-pack of deer




And they go... but not far





Misty on 'varmint patrol'

chirping at us


I bet Stick could


Almost caught a frog



On the way through the Swamp, I thought about it being a nice enough day to cross the bridge to the River Walk.  Miss mind reader had the same thought.



Here's a newbie- a new Blackjack Oak



Uh-oh- road work ahead

A new electrical box?

Ah, for the new decorative lights

At this point, my legs mentioned they were getting tired.  Misty seemed to be showing signs of slowing down too (you know, like a Chevelle big block showing first signs of needing a tune-up). I asked if she was ready to turn around, and she turned around.

Another newbie- a Showy Mountain Ash.  Not yet showy, though.

The view is, though.  Picture don't do it justice.

Just a quick drink, Homey's not doing water today.


At last, we're on the same pace.  For a minute or two, at least!


Friday, July 29, 2022

M10 show week #33

 


Elvis:  So what's this I hear we ain't doin' the number ones this week?  It's m'favorite part!

Well, we already have one feature and two M10 debuts, so I wanted to leave room for something I KNOW you'll bring up...

How do YOU know what I'm-a gonna say?

Um, I write the post, so...

Oh, yeah...

So while we have everyone corn-fused, how about playing debut #1?

Sure thing! At #10, I love these gals, new Maddie and Tae!

 

 

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

So what's this thing I'm gonna bring up?

Well, it's another thing that Harry Styles' hit As It Was has in common on both Billboard and here- it drops out of #1 this week.

Already? It was #1 10 weeks outta 13 on Billboard, an' only one here!

 

And that brings up the difference between a Billboard chart and the M10.  For example, this week's M10 songs have a collective 38 weeks on the M10- so, say we did a hot 100, and just to give us a big cushion, say the songs any given week have twice the weeks on the 100 that they have on the ten... that would be 76 weeks.

Yer point?

So this week in 1952 (and here I had to use Cashbox, since Billboard charts weren't official until 1958), the top ten songs had a collective 122 weeks on the chart.

Okay, so they stay longer on their charts...

But it is a phenomena of the modern age that REALLY pushes those weeks out!  For example, 1962 this week, the weeks in the chart of the BB top ten totaled 83...

More like ours...

But that was an outlier.  In 1972, it was 102, in 1982, 119, and in 1992, 115...

Seems to be holdin' pretty steady, son...

Until next:  In 2002, 127 weeks; in 2012, it jumps to 150; and this week's BB top ten has a collective 194 weeks on the chart!

Holy cow!  That went up... uh...

It went up a whopping 40% from the average of the other 7 years, and 22% over just ten years ago!

Sounds like the chart's a bit bound up these days...

Exactly.  One song is in its 79th chart week!  Anyway, how about you rattle off some more of that special from last week- the highest charting songs that debuted on Cashbox at #100!


All righty...

10- Henry Mancini, Love Theme From Romeo and Juliet. came in 5/3/1969, two weeks at #1.

9- Seasons In The Sun, Terry Jacks. Came in 1/12/1974, 2 weeks at #1.

8- The Most Beautiful Girl, Charlie Rich. Came in on 9/29/1973, 2 weeks at the top.

7- I Think I Love You, The Partridge Family. The only three-week #1, it came in on 9/26/1970.

An' 6- The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Roberta Flack. First of 3 four-week top dogs, it came in 3/4/1972.

 

Good job.  Itching to hear that top 5?

Not unless I'm in it...

 Boy, selfish much?  Anyway, the debut at #8 brings back our 'Acid Jazz' buddy, Matt Berry!  He and a lady named Emma Noble did a tune earlier this year covering a song from 1970; this week, he decided to re-release it as a mainly instrumental track!  That's the version we get this week...




 

 

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

 

So you want the M10 or the other five?

Lemme pick up the M10...

9 is Chicago's Firecracker, up one...

7 is Gilbert O'Sullivan, Let Me Know, up one...

5 an' 6 are a Built To Spill twofer!  The new one, Fool's Gold, up 3 to 6; the old one, Understood, holds at 5...

Absofacto drops one to #4 with Dissolve, and Bad Dream by Cannons changes places with it to 3...

Cat's outta the bag on #2, Harry Styles an' As It Was....

An' the new #1- relatively speakin...

 

 

 


 ... the Jayhawks, with 1995's Save It For A Rainy Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Good job, bud!  So the highest charting five songs in Martin Era 2.0 that debuted at #100...

 

5- Hey!  Baby, Bruce Channel.  A 4 week #1 that debuted 1/20/1962;

4- In The Year 2525, Zager and Evans.  A 4-weeker from 6/14/1969;

3- Dominique, The Singing Nun, a 5-week chart topper from 11/2/1963;

2- Michael, the Highwaymen. Also 5 weeks, debuting 6/24/1961;

 

And the biggest CB hit in Martin Era 2.0 to debut at #100, coming in on 8/18/1962....

 

 


 

 ....the Four Seasons and Sherry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Wow, that couldn't have worked out better!  See you next time!

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Wednesday Bible Study: What Jesus asked, part 26

 

We are close to the nitty gritty of our tour through Matthew, and this week Jesus asks two questions that frame a 'quick review' for the Disciples of all He tried to teach them.  I'm going to save the questions for last, because I can see how they could be directed for us- one for the unbeliever, and one for the believer- and neither one very complimentary.


We are in Matthew 26, and in between the 2 questions He makes 6 statements- during a very famous occasion (the Last Supper)- that, like I said, serve as a review of His teaching to them.

MY TIME HAS COME

Mat 26:18  He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, 'The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" 


The biggest thing that they refused to wrap their heads around was, Jesus was going to die- and rise again.  The come to Jesus tour-original version was ending.And yet, as the statements go on, you can see He is still in control.

ONE WILL BETRAY

Mat 26:20  When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
Mat 26:21  And as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Mat 26:22  And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, "Is it I, Lord?" 


As I was collecting this verse, it struck me that this was a symbol of how little we learn and why.  They- and we- were more concerned with the "Is it ME?" angle than what was ACTUALLY going on.  "I" am what makes it hard for HIM to get through.


THIS IS MY BODY


Mat 26:26  Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
Mat 26:27  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you,
Mat 26:28  for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 

 

If they could get past their case of the I's,  they might have noticed the symbolism He was trying to bring out- and the point that what He was about to go through would erase their debt of sin.  But as we well know, there was a lot they weren't getting yet, especially the next part.


AFTER I AM RAISED UP

Mat 26:31  Then Jesus said to them, "You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
Mat 26:32  But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee." 


Still trapped in the I's, they were mentally arguing with Him, that they would NOT fall to fear- which of course, they did.  And so they failed to catch both the implication and the promise:  He would die- but He would be raised from that death!


YOU WILL DENY ME


Mat 26:33  Peter answered him, "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away."
Mat 26:34  Jesus said to him, "Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."
Mat 26:35  Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!" And all the disciples said the same.


Now their mental argument reached spoken level.  They weren't sorrowing about His death, nor rejoicing about His resurrection.  They were pride-wounded because He said THEY would fall.  Jesus knows we CANNOT live a perfect life.  That's why He had to do what was coming.  We have to get out of the I's to truly see what He DID for us.


WATCH AND PRAY


Mat 26:36  Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray."
Mat 26:37  And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
Mat 26:38  Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." 

 

There is our job on earth- to remain here, to wait for Him and pray.  And I bet if you have been following the scorecard, you know the 2 questions that frame this story.

 

QUESTION ONE (to the unbeliever)

Mat 26:7  ...a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.
Mat 26:8  And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?
Mat 26:9  For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor."
Mat 26:10  But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me.
Mat 26:11  For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
Mat 26:12  In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial.
Mat 26:13  Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her." 



The woman is doing what the Church is expected to do- she glorifies God, in anointing Jesus.  She acknowledges both His God-ship and His prediction of His death.  Unbelievers , they think it's all about doing the 'feel-good' stuff, the WORKS that are the important thing.  Not to God.  To God, the worship is #1.  


QUESTION #2 (To the believer)

Mat 26:40  He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, "Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour?
Mat 26:41  Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak."
Mat 26:42  Again Jesus went to pray and said, "My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want."
Mat 26:43  Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open.
Mat 26:44  He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
Mat 26:45  Finally, Jesus returned to his disciples and said, "Are you still sleeping and resting? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 


We make it such a struggle to pray.  But the real challenges are just on the other side of the praying.  I found it interesting, in looking at the translations of the words "sleeping" and "resting" that each one has a 'directional'.  The word for sleep has a component meaning 'down', and the explanation says, has a component of "frequently denotes opposition distribution or intensity ."  Opposition to praying?  The word "resting" has a component of "up", but drifts into the realms of 'severally' and 'each'.  Each prayer is a battle against Satan.  He seeks to distract, to put us to sleep, to make it seem we'll never get it right.  Do you see why Jesus told them pray THAT YOU WON'T BE TESTED?  We not only need to pray, we need to pray to be ABLE to pray.  Jesus told Peter in between questions that 


Luk 22:31  "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat,
Luk 22:32  but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."


Just because Jesus HAD prayed for him, didn't mean he shouldn't have prayed for himself.  If you know the test is coming, shouldn't you put the work in to pass?  Don't fall asleep.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Another walk

 Hey, is anybody watching out there?  Today it was a bit cloudy (which Misty likes) if a bit more humid (which I don't), but staying near the trails, we eliminated the skeeter problem from yesterday.  And so...

Bunny #1...

"Yeah, so?  I gotta friend about 15 yards that way..."

Oh, yeah...

Not sure what the yellow stuff was, but something was climbing out of some of them (or around them), and the beetle didn't care

Misty heard something- I didn't- and she tried hard to find it...

This time, she literally leapt into the weeds after whatever it was

This is what happens when a yellow swallowtail dive bombs you and you try to get a snap...


And here's a black one!  Between that and the fact that today we went from 2 monarchs spotted this year to about a dozen, I'd say they are all just de-pupating (?)

Here he's beating his wings at supersonic speed.  Think they are still drying.

I did say Monarchs, right?



"Guess I'll stop off at the Swamp on the way home..."

Duck Family Robinson is back


Misty scared the crap outta this one

While the goldfinch sang merrily

Misty's goal, just ahead


Playing the nose game again

Suddenly, this guy went straight overhead, down the trail towards the river...

...and went right back over the other way...

Landing on the pole at the near side of the field, screaming...

While I assume his lady friend, screaming in a higher key, was at the opposite end...

Yellow swallowtail dive bombed me again!

These are new to me- elliptical outdoor bikes!

More monarchs

I think this one JUST came out...


Gray Kingbird


This time I heard it, saw the grass move.  Misty missed it, but I called her back and she almost caught it by surprise!  Still no idea what it is, but I'd guess they are groundhog pups.