M10 show Week #4

 

So Merry Christmas, my friends!  As you can see, I never did get around to debating on a Christmas bash, and you all have better things to do with the holidays anyhow.

Elvis:  Better'n being with ME?

 

C'mon, King, we're talking family, gifts, the birth on earth of our Savior...

Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right...  

 

So anyway, we got a couple more debuts this week, as well as the beginning of the M10 top 40 of 2021!  Plus, if I can find the notes, some further details on the Billboard top 10 (which was released early this week!).  I think the way to start is with the debut at #10, and it might be a climber!  Though he promised Pearl Jam will bring us something in 2022, Eddie Vedder starts us off with a tune from his new solo lp, Earthlings. At #10...

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Hey, you find them notes yet?

Actually, I hadn't even looked!  Ah, here ya go...

 

Thank you! So this week, Mariah Carey broke the record- if you c'n divide apples an' oranges- an' got herself a third separate time at #1 for All I Want For Christmas Is You.  But a bunch o' others also made the week's top ten, an' we filled in some details...

At #2 is Brenda Lee an' Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.  This is where it has peaked the last 3 years, somethin' else considerin that the original only made #14 back in 1960.

At #4 sits Bobby Helms an' Jingle Bell Rock.  The highest it's got is #3 2 years ago, while the original topped out at #29.... just crazy, man!

At #5 is Burl Ives with A Holly Jolly Christmas.  It never charted back in the olden days, by this time they were doin' a separate Christmas chart thing, but has got as high as #4 the last few years.

At #7 is Andy Williams an' It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.  Get this, it wasn't released as a single, because the label wanted 'im to have White Christmas as the single.  Great choice, huh? It got to #81 one time.  Execs, whatcha gonna do? It has got as high as #5 a couple years back.

Oh, an' Wham was at #9 with Last Christmas.

 

Good job!  So I have been crunching- and ignoring- the numbers to put together the official M10 top 40 of the year!  I'll do 40-31 this week right here- then pick out another couple of posts to stick 30-11 on during next week- and reveal the top 10 right here next week, along with whatever else we end up doing.  

So here are 5 of that first ten... 

 

40- Beach Boys, Big Sur. From the box set Feel Flows that came out this year.  Currently by points (which actually has a week yet to run), it came in at #32. 

39- The Fratellis, Action Replay. #43 in points, it just grabs me.

38- Trini Lopez, Lalena. A Donovan cover we found searching through the years, from the 1969 lp The Whole Enchilada. Pointwise it it was #26.

37- Elton John and Dua Lipa, Cold Heart (acoustic).  I really thought I would have had this much bigger at first, but for me it flamed hot and fast and then cooled.  Pointwise it was #44.

36- The Ventures, Theme From A Summer Place.  Another one snatched from ages past- it was on their Hawaii 5-0 lp.  Pointed #28.

So Boss, why are we keepin' track of points when ya move 'em around anyway?

Framework to build from, my friend.  Now, how about you play that second debut?

Oh, yeah!  We've been floatin' this one around for a while, waiting for a spot to bring it in.  Brand new, a cover of a 2009 Bob Dylan tune, this is the latest from- Tom Jones...at #9...

 

 

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Now, it would probably be good of us to get to this weeks top songs...

8- and holding, Sweet's latest, Everything. 

7- falling 3, Our Lady Peace and Future Disease.

6- dropping one, The Explorer's Club and Hurts So Bad.

5- dropping from the runner up spot, Beach House and Once Twice Melody.

4- and powering up 3 spots, Manchester Orchestra and Inaudible (Lucius version).

Bud, do us some more of the M10 top 40!

Gotcha, man.  

35- courtship., Fuzzy. It pointed a lot higher, at #19, a fun summer song that hit at just the right time.

34- Major Murphy, Attention. Okay if'n you like playin' with yer vocals. Pointed at #18.

33- Damien Jurado, Take Your Time. Neat piano tune what just fell off the weekly chart. Pointed at #36.

32-  Hurts So Bad, The Explorer's Club.  The masters of sunny covers, currently pointing at #31 but still on the chart.

31- Dami Im, Pray. A song that got hot late.  Pointed at #30.  That's it fer this week!

 

 Thank you, my friend!  And now, the top 3 this week...

3- and holding, a song which has been on the chart 7 weeks and in the top 3 for all but one, Duran Duran with Tove Lo and the 3-week #1, Give It All Up...

2- and dropping a spot from the top, Geowulf and Open Me Up...

...and the new #1, leaping from a debut of #6 last week, the fifth time at #1 for...

...Beach House, and ESP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It might be big, it might be small, but if the Lord don't return before, the M10 show will be back New Year's Eve!

The Long Standard

 And by that I mean, this walk was our "long" version of the "standard" walk for us.  I thought I would take picture "mile markers", a) since I haven't done that in a while, and b) because the course has been changed since then by our use of the disc course trails.  Ready?  Bundle up, it's a tad cold today...

His eminence greets us entering the course

Quarter mile mark, just before the new soccer fields

Half mile, the ridge above those fields

Odd place for a play ball

Thought this was an odd place for a "doggie bag" too- until I saw it was a "flag" for a damaged tree

3/4 Mile- just past where we found the deer carcass

Coming back slowly for a sip, after breaking through the ice and panicking earlier

The first mile- just back inside the woods after the back trail

Mile and 1/4, overlooking the Ravine

Mile and 1/2, heading towards the river

"River?  I'm getting another drink!"

Mile and 3/4, back into the Plex

2 mile mark, north end of the PFW pitch

2 1/4 mark, just on the other side of that trail only Misty can find.  She wants to slog through that back way I took her a while back.  This cold, water, and 6-inch deep mud?  I think not.

2 1/2 mile mark, along the river just before we cross the pitch to make our bridge over the canal.

2 1/2 mile mark, just before home

And home, approximately the 2 2/3 mark.  Time elapsed?  I'm guessing one hour 15-20 minutes.

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Oh, and I did say I'd let you know how those beers went.  Here's the first review, for the Ommegang Collaboration 2016:

" Look: Big head, even poured slow ("so as not to disturb the yeast sediment"). Deep amber, very cloudy, lots of the mentioned sediment. Smell: On the pour, a sweet, fruity, bready smell. Bready comes out with a little stir. Taste: I'm thinking, most doppels I've tried with a cider-y, fruit touch. Not overly sweet. Feel: Hey, I'm a stout guy, but this is okay, not watery. Overall, darn good. If they still brewed it, I'd have another!" My score 4.28, 28th of 79 I've reviewed.

 

Night #2 was the Kentucky Winter Golden Stout:

  "Gotta say, the reviews so far are pretty accurate. On opening I got zero aroma, with slightly buttery thereafter. Color an unimpressive muddy amber. Almost no head. After it sat a bit, you pick up the buttery notes along with a "tinny" taste that does it no favors. When we were kids, I had some ten-year old warm Buckhorn that had a more metallic taste, but still not real pleasing. Kinda sticky on the lips without redeeming sweetness. Not a drain pour by any means, but def a one and done for me." I scored it at 3.39, 75th out of 80 on my list.

 

So one winner, one loser.  Later tonight (as I type) will be the New Belgium Oakspire.  My intent is to drop back before this posts and add that review.  See you in a couple of hours! 

 

UPDATE:  Here's the review on the Oakspire: " Once again, sadly, I must agree with the majority here.  Very little aroma, not much more taste.  A hazy dark amber pour without head (mind you, I bought this in 2021).  The alcohol starts to hit as it warms.  It's not unpleasant by any means, just not flavor-forward."  Hopefully that 9.0% abv kicks in quick! I rated it 3.53, #71 out of 81 on my list- or five notches higher than last night's beer.

Wednesday Bible Study: Peoples of the Epistles part 6

 

Philippians brings us to a Church not unlike the Ephesians in what we learn about them.  But as Paul puts it...

Php 3:1  Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is indeed not grievous to me, but for you it is safe.

This is pretty much the reason to keep going to Church, to keep hearing the word.  It is SAFE.  The Philippians were under the same assault as the others...

Php 3:2  Beware of the dogs! Beware of the evil workers! Beware of the mutilators! 

Yes, those lovely Judaizers, who have in our world those that are preaching "tolerance", men like those who (at one of the biggest churches in the nation) preach that you don't need the Old Testament, because it drives away the new generations.  That preach there are many ways to heaven, all that's needed is sincerity.  Those that rightly teach, 'love the sinner', but believe that this love includes ignoring the sin.  And, on the other side of the coin, tell you "you can't understand the Bible on your own", or, "God hates (fill in your group)", or, "That form of worship isn't respectful enough for OUR church".

How does Paul tell us to combat these doctrines?  That is the crux of this letter.

Php 2:1  So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
Php 2:2  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

And what is that "same mind"?

Php 2:3  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Php 2:4  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Php 2:5  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
Php 2:6  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Php 2:7  but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Php 2:8  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

So let's walk through this.  Pride as always is the enemy.  Whether it is the pride of being the 'most praiseworthy by men' church, or the 'look how pure we are' church, pride is the enemy. What are the good qualities he brings up? Service and obedience.  See, you can be as humble as Moses, but not obedient; you can put the Cross before you in all things, and not be humble.

Php 2:12  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
Php 2:13  for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

2 of the most misunderstood verses in all the Bible.  One uses it to "prove" that salvation can be lost; another uses it as the basis for a work-based faith.  Neither one reads it correctly.  Have you been saved?  Then, are you at the same point you were when you started? Think of this very fortunate phrasing as your faith is like you in a gym.  You are working out, becoming stronger and healthier.  In faith, that workout consists of what God is working INTO you: new knowledge, new ways of seeing things.  Only, instead of being proud of the 'muscles' you're building, you should be marveling- even 'trembling'- at what God is doing in you.

So far we've hit on Service, obedience, humility, and working out. The next step as it was with the others, is attitude:

Php 2:14  Do all things without grumbling or questioning,
Php 2:15  that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Php 2:16  holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 

Mind you, this use of 'questioning' doesn't mean a "my way or the highway" attitude, but to eliminate the childish "but why"s over every little thing.  The actual word means "debating", which was built into the Greek culture of the time.  Philosophical arguments over the 'jots and tittles' as the 'Teachers of the Law' did, and were trying to draw these others into.  There is no problem asking about something you are not sure you understand.  Trying to build a 'man's reason' for a command of God is a different story.

The next level Paul takes them to is to follow his extreme example...

Php 3:8  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

You might recall, this use of the word "rubbish" is preceded by his long list of how great he used to be in the eyes of men (especially the Judaizers).  And it is followed by his 'running the race' analogy:

Php 3:13  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,
Php 3:14  I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Point:  What was great in his own accomplishments is now nothing to him; and what he has accomplished through Christ is not yet enough while he still breathes- even though he's already earned a better reward.  Standing still is going backwards to him.  And so moving forward is the sixth lesson to the Philippians.

Finally, a little 'personal experience' this week.  Application is hard, so follow along.  One morning this week, I read this passage:

Php 4:8  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Php 4:9  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Within moments, on the way to work, I saw a sign carrying the acronym "BBD".  My mind, as it often does, tries to make it stand for something "funny"; instead, it came up with something shameful.  I said, "No, it's not going to work that way". I turned it into meaning "Bright Blue Day", a symbol, I thought, of optimism and joy.  I shared it with a co-worker, and we watched in amazement as the day quickly dissolved into a cavalcade of catastrophes, leading my co-worker to eventually exclaim, "This is all your fault!"  And so it was.  Satan will do everything he can to keep you from "thinking about these things".  But, YOU have the choice- how do you react?  Nothing that Satan can throw at you HAS to change your attitude.  And if you take Paul's advice...

Php 4:1  Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. 

Php 4:4  Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

...you can end the day laughing off Satan's attempts.

Monday mish-mash

 So after wasting a lot of time trying to see if a MWN post was in the offing, I considered that today (Monday) was funny enough on its own.

Let me give you the lead in: Today was the vacation day set apart for getting me a new phone.  My previous had suddenly s t ar t ed   g  oi   ng  v  er   y    s   l   o   w.  To the point that I could try to answer a call and by the time it decided to let me, any normal person would have given up.  Now I had to wait for businesses to open, which means I had tons of time to give Little Miss Impatient a morning walk.

"Mmmm...frosty!"

Blinding, even...

Then it was time to hunt.  So I start at, logically, since I'm on AT&T, the local AT&T Store.

"Anything you want, we would have to order.  We don't know when we can get anything in!"  Partially, this was true; I suspect a large part, though, was that they didn't feel like dealing with someone who wanted just a cheapie, talk-n-text phone.  They suggested I could find their off-brand (AlTel) at "Kroger or Wal-Mart".  Strike one.

Thought to myself, "Best Buy's just down the street."  So I try them.

"Have you been helped?"

Explain what I'm looking for.  Suddenly his eyes register me as something dirty.

"What's your carrier?"

"AT&T."

Now I smell bad, too.  "We have nothing like that."  Strike two.

So I go to Wal-Mart.  They have EXACTLY what I want, but...

"I can sell it to you, but I can't help you with it.  That takes our IT dept., and they... well they have a deadline they have to be in by.  It's a half hour till that deadline, so I don't think they're coming in today.  But, they might show up.  Or, they might come in at 2 (it's now 11:30).  Or they might not come in at all.  It's crazy.  You might want to try after Christmas."

So I bought the darn thing, brought it home, plugged it in while I tried to pry out my old sim card. Figured out later it wasn't going to charge with the battery STILL IN THE PACKAGING.  At any rate, all is now well and working.  So screw you, Wal-Mart IT dept.

(BTW I know the story sounded unbelievable, but as we came to the register, I heard the dude's partner explaining the same thing to another guy.  When that customer left and I commented about it, my guy's partner told me his customer wanted him to GO OUT TO HIS CAR and set up his bluetooth.  I made a joke about it not being Best Buy, but then thought to myself that the Geek Squad might have thought he was stinky, too.)

(BTW #2- As I was trying to check out, the guy's register was a good 15 seconds behind the display at my end.

Display: "Remove card"

Me: removes card

Guy: You took it out too soon! It didn't register yet!

Me: It said, remove card.  Now it's asking about a warranty.

Guy: That's funny, it didn...

Me;  Now it says I'm all done.

Guy: That's funny.  Well, you're all set.

Me: Thanks.

Guy: Wait, your receipt! (5 seconds later, it decides to print.)

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At this point I called Laurie (miraculously with the old phone) and told her that after all this, I was going to the liquor store and round up a variety pack.  Here's what I got (considering their selection was about as raped as everyone else's, I did pretty good:)

First up here is Ommegang Brewery out of NY state and something I've had before and didn't review- their Three Philosophers Quadrupel. This gets a BA rating of 93 Outstanding, an average score (on the 5 point scale) of 4.18, and lights up at an ABV of 9.7.

Second is this year's Founders Nemesis.  This is considered a Barleywine (think "you have to work hard to make it boozier"), too new to have a rating or score, and ABV of 11.2.

Third is Lexington's Kentucky Winter Golden Stout.  Considered an American Stout, It rated 83-good, scored 3.56, and ABVed at 8.

Then comes another Ommegang, called Collaboration 2016. This was a combo of a dopplebock done by an outfit called Urban Chestnut, considered thus, with some whistles and bangs added.  Rated 88 very good, scoring 3.95, ABV 7.5- the lightweight of the group.

Next is a New Belgium Oakspire, an American strong ale, rated 86 very good, scoring at 3.81, ABV at 9.

Finally, since I didn't have a whole lot left as to choices that I thought I would like, I took an old favorite- Founders KBS.  Rated 100 world class, scored (by them) 4.65 or (by me) 4.57, with an ABV of 12.3.

My plan is one a night from the weaker (since it IS Monday) to stronger (which means Collaboration is up).  I'll let you- and BA- know what I think as I go.

That lovely yearly "State of the Blog" post

 When I saw my numbers this year, I have to say... between declining me and declining pageviews, I was disappointed.  July was a decent month... before, it was so so... after, it was pure dumpster fire.  Sometimes sitting on the deck of a sinking media, waiting for the band to finish chorus # 672 of Nearer My God To Thee, isn't fun.  But for those faithful, prepare for me to try to make the boring interesting.

So blogger tells me that this year, I have posted (so far) 191 times with this one (and, I think, the scheduled Wednesday Bible Study), and have had around 52,000 pageviews (about 270 per), with 519 comments including my replies.  Far from an empty house, but when you consider I had at least 3 posts with 100+ PVs last year and the best I could manage this year was an 83 at this point... wait, didn't you say Blogger stats said 270 per?  Yeah, funny that... I must have gotten double points for me and Laurie looking at them.  Or something.

All I have to say about my "pageview graphic" is that June 9th and October 22nd must be "spammer holidays".  Or to put it another way, if it was a seismograph, we had a major tectonic incident from June 3rd to August 3rd, and someone got drunk and ran into the machine in October.  Most of the rest could be called "Baby bunny's heartbeat".

I hope I'm not picking on a serious ghosting reader who just comes from weird spots, but three of my "top referring URLs" lead to sites for a) iron on designs for soccer jerseys, b) a graphic artist site that seems to favor orange, and c) a site that promises all kinds of seemingly innocent forms you can print but is ominously titled, "visa letters application" dot com.

My search keywords included two or three entries about Nancy Holten, a woman who waged an "annoying campaign" to win Swiss citizenship on her third try (and I never heard of until now), one about "garments of sha'aṭneẓ," (which I learned is the Jewish term for the mixing of garments of different types, which the Old Testament forbids)... oh, and one labeled, "drying panties."  I must have done that post in my sleep.   

 

My top nations visiting were lead by the USA, natch, followed by: Sweden (more on this later), France, Germany, Indonesia, Canada, Russia, the UAE, Japan, and Romania.  A special shout out for those 49 visits from Bulgaria, without which none of this would be possible.

This year, I ended at 700 posts the institution known as Time Machine with our final Halloween Bash.  Hopefully that will give me more time and impetus to do more picture posts.  That way I can give you more interesting things like this:  "On our walk the other day, I got more proof that Misty is mixed with coonhound.  The same dog that walked past a reasonably-fresh deer carcass without a backwards glance three times, stopped to sniff at something small in the grass on our way to the woods.  When I looked, I found she had sniffed out...

...a tiny raccoon's face..."

Anyway, here's this year's top 10 (or so) posts:

Tie 9th- Wednesday Bible Study: The End Of All Things- Philippians - Featuring lessons learned from Paul breaking up the fight between the two women.

Tie 9th- Time Machine (Feb. 5th) - which featured members of the Silhouettes as "guests", and the debut of Home Free and Don McLean's updated American Pie.

Tie 9th- Wednesday Bible Study: The End of All Things- 2 Thessalonians- featuring Paul and his "Irish goodbyes".

Tie 9th- 3 Day Weekend First Morning Walk- the day we went over the bridge at PFW and saw three deer come out into the river.

8th- The Better Part, Week 2- from the week of the "Great Insurrection".

7th- The Better Part, Week #28-  the week I commented on Susan Southard's "Nagasaki: Life After Nuclear War".

6th- Wednesday Bible Study (the one time I forgot to put that in the title), The End of All Things: Zechariah, Zephaniah, and Revelation Part 2-  one of those amazing leadings of God that had me combine these three chapters into one coherent story about the End of Days.

5th- The Monster Blogging Has Become- My rant when Blogger decided it was too lazy to send our posts out by e-mail.  And other things.

4th- Just A Bunch Of Nonsense- a well-named mish mash about my prostate exam, hockey, and that mysterious reason why Sweden got #2 on my "nations most visiting" list.

3rd- Wednesday Bible Study: Drive-By Isaiah part 10- The hinge to the Isaiah posts where I shift from the mainly prophetic to the mainly historical, AKA "You never listen, Hezekiah".

2nd- The Better Part, Week # 27- Riding that wave of people reading in July, and Charles Stanley's explanation of why we should pray.

 

And the most viewed post of the year (with 11 days to go, I know)...

The Better Part, Week #7 - featuring two punk kids that taught me a lesson in forgiveness.

 

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I'm thinking that the Better Part posts, only intended to be a one-year thing, will probably end with 2021.  The Bible Study will remain, even if it is only teaching me, because no one needs it more than me.  The much-shorter M10 posts will go on, but give me a chance to open Thursday for miscellaneous junk.  I have hopes that this sorry world might generate some actually funny stuff and give Martin World News a second breath next season, and perhaps Misty and I will have better luck with picture adventures as she gets older (and hopefully drops to MY speed before I drop to Grandpa speed for good).  Stay tuned to see the great blog upsurge of 2022!

The Better Part week #47

 

Two weeks' worth of FB posts:

The Better Part, Day #229:

 

Today is Immaculate Conception Day for our Catholic friends- a doctrine that says Mary was conceived without sin, same as Jesus. Outside of the logical fallacy that Mary has two recognized human parents, yet Jesus had to be born without a human male father in order to NOT have original sin, the whole concept was drawn from a second century "Gospel of James"- a gospel that was condemned by their Pope in 405AD and rejected by a Church Decree in the early 6th century. And yet, the theory was debated until finally declared "truth" in 1854.

 

So if you have to have a parent born without sin to explain Jesus, then how far back do you have to go? Surely you'd need a grandmother without sin, maybe a great-grandparent...

 

...or maybe you just need what was explained in the Gospels: an otherwise unremarkable teenage girl and the Holy Spirit. Sure would make the presence of a seducer of father-in-laws (Tamar), a harlot (Rahab), and a seducer of kings ("the wife of Uriah the Hittite) in Jesus's line of descent easier to explain...

 

 

 

 

 

The Better Part, Day #230:

 

1Pe 1:12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. 

 

Any of you who might have read Tolkkien's The Silmarrilion would remember he starts with a simplified but elegant story of Creation, wherein all was created as God (his version, anyway) funneled his thought of the plan through the music of the angels (or their analog in the tale). But the part that separates it from what really happened is love.Not bashing Tolkkien here, but just to make you think on this passage. If the angels were created by a God of Love, then He loved them too. And the greater love He has for us on earth is powerfully shown in that the angels LONG to understand it!

 

 

 

The Better Part, day #231:

 

 

One of the things on my "morning prayer" list is "His strength, not my weakness". And this morning- hopefully not in preparation- I thought on how 'my weakness' might just come disguised as strength. We have so much evil lately- shooting, sex scandals, child abuse- there's a lot of people for which I'd like to do as David did and pray down their destruction. But His strength involves me praying for my enemies- whatever form they take. My weakness can be wrath and anger.

 

 

 

The Better Part, Day #232:

 

 

Sit in your bedroom some night, wondering how even to pray over a disaster like Kentucky. Turn on your radio and hear, "God doesn't like it when the unsaved die... He weeps over it! Jesus wept over the lost of Jerusalem..." and you remember that this was a weeping for ALL those who refused Him...

 

 

 

The Better Part day #233:

 

 

David Jeremiah: "Faith is not a medicine you take when you face fear; it is a vaccine you take so you never have to fear!"

 

 

The Better Part, Day #234:

 

Today I typed up Wednesday's Bible study on Philippians. In it, I learned 7 parts to being "of like mind" with Paul (and thus with Christ). 1- A posture of serving; 2- OBEDIENCE; 3- Humility, as Pride is always the enemy; 4- Working out in the "gym" of faith; 5- a gracious attitude in all things; 6- Standing still= going backwards in faith; 7- the way to keep the good things in mind is standing firm and always rejoicing.

M10 show week 3

 

 

Elvis: Wow.  You're very artistic, chuckle...

 

Well, I'm no Rembrandt, but it'll do for this week's M10 list- a list that features 2 brand new debuts!  Also, I have an announcement of upcoming interest, But first, let me give the opening songs this week.

Number 10, a song hanging onto that spot after 7 weeks on the chart, Damien Jurado with a song that follows its own advice, Take Your Time.

Number 9, dropping just the one spot in its 8th week, Tom Jones's #1 Till from 1971.

Number 8, and stepping back a spot this week, Sweet and the 2021 version of Everything.

Okay, King, yer up!

 

Elvis: Yep, an' the latest Billboard top 10 came out moments ago as Chris 'hunts and pecks'.  It's Christmas time, and a lot of the top ten are Christmas songs from long ago...

From 1963, Andy Williams is #10 with It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year....

From 1967, Bobby Helms's Jingle Bell Rock at #6...

From 1964, Burl Ives's A Holly Jolly Christmas is #5...

From 1958, Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree at #3...

And from 1994, Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You is #2.

 

I AM a bit upset, no Blue Christmas on the list... not even in the UK!

 

Oh, buddy, those charts are overrated, pay it no mind.  Now, for a chart you'll really be able to rely on, this weekend, I'll start working on the M10 tops of 2021.  As usual it will be based loosely on the 10-9-8 points system, with modifications by yours truly to better reflect the way they stand with me.  Stay tuned for more details next week.

Hey, whaddabout the Beauty Contest?

Y'know, I don't know.  There's a part of me that wants to have that Christmas bash, and a part that just wants to let those two great bashes we had the last two seasons stand on their own.  But, I'm off until next year, so I have time to decide.  Once again, stay tuned.

 

In the meantime, here come your 2 debuts.  First up at #7 is a dream-pop band I just found called the Manchester Orchestra.  This particular version of the song is the new release called the "Lucius remix" because M10 stars Lucius were mixed into this song to really make it pop.  From the lp The Million Masks Of God...

 

 

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And in a similar genre, M10 superstars Beach House is "slow releasing" the New lp Once Twice Melody.  The first chapter of four contained the title track sitting just a bit farther up.  Last week, the second chapter came out, and I pulled this sure #1 out of it, and it lands at #6...

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Elvis:  So, as far as we can tell off the site we use (since no one wants to fork out for a Billboard subscription) the US has 22 Christmas songs on their list, but no one does Christmas tunes like the UK.  They have a yearly thing about the top Christmas song, and this week, that topper debuts at #1- Ed Sheeran and Elton John with a song called Merry Christmas.  They also logged 7 in the top ten and 36 on their hot 100, with 4 of our "big 5" on the list:  Mariah Carey was 4, Brenda Lee was 10, Andy Williams was 20, and Bobby Helms at #32.

 

Well, you know, it ain't Christmas without Der Bingle...

Who?

 

Me, you idiot!

 So where does White Christmas sit?

 

Oh, uh, 28 here, 62 in the UK...

Eek, not that good... but it made me think, I bet I can get the Australian charts too, and sure enough...

 

Did Bing do better there?

 

Tell you in a minute; right now, give us some more of this week's M10!

 

You bet! The Explorer's Club drops one to #5 with Hurts So Bad...

Our Lady Peace up a pair to #4 with Future Disease...

...an' last week's #1- Duran Duran and Tove Lo's Give It All Up, slipping two to #3....

 

Great!  Now as for Australia, I did not see him in their top 50 (and only 5 Christmas songs on their list) but I did see that their #1- one of the few places in the world where Adele's not at #1- they have the pop mix of former M10 Cold Heart by Elton and Dua Lipa at #1!

Just fascinatin' Boss...

Sigh... at any rate, our list closes out thusly:

At #2 again, Beach House with Once Twice Melody...

And our new #1....

Geowulf and Open Me Up!  That gives them their 4th M10-topper!

That's a wrap this week!