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...

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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...

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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...

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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!

Wedneday Bible Study: The end of all things- Revelation

 

Being as this is the very end of the Bible, I'd kind of like to save my take for the last of the series.  But fear not, for with his take on Revelation 22:11 and other related verses, here's substitute lead learner Johnny Cash:

"And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder
One of the four beasts saying,
'Come and see.' and I saw, and behold a white horse"

 

There's a man goin' 'round takin' names
And he decides who to free and who to blame
Everybody won't be treated all the same
There'll be a golden ladder reachin' down
When the man comes around

The hairs on your arm will stand up
At the terror in each sip and in each sup
Will you partake of that last offered cup
Or disappear into the potter's ground?
When the man comes around

 

Hear the trumpets hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singin'
Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettledrum
Voices callin', voices cryin'
Some are born and some are dyin'
It's alpha and omega's kingdom come
And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree
It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks

 

Till armageddon no shalam, no shalom
Then the father hen will call his chickens home
The wise man will bow down before the throne
And at his feet they'll cast their golden crowns
When the man comes around

 

Whoever is unjust let him be unjust still
Whoever is righteous let him be righteous still
Whoever is filthy let him be filthy still
Listen to the words long written down
When the man comes around

 

Hear the trumpets hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singin'
Multitudes are marchin' to the big kettledrum
Voices callin', voices cryin'
Some are born and some are dyin'
It's alpha and omega's kingdom come
And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The whirlwind is in the thorn trees
It's hard for thee to kick against the prick
In measured hundredweight and penny pound
When the man comes around

 

"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts
And I looked, and behold a pale horse
And his name that sat on him was death, and hell followed with him"

 

 

The Better part, two days late, week #6

 

This has been a really bad week of not getting things done as they should have been.  Not only did I miss one day of Better Part FB posts, I forgot to put them on here so I always have them!  Without further ado...

The Better part, Day #36:

"We couldn’t live as close to Rigel as we do to our sun. That’s because its surface temperature is much hotter, about 21,000 degrees Fahrenheit (11,600 degrees Celsius) in contrast to about 10,000 F (5,500 C) for the sun.

Counting all its radiation (not just visible light, but infrared, ultraviolet and so on), Rigel emits about 120,000 times more energy than the sun; this luminosity is calculated based on a distance of 863 light-years, a distance derived from data collected by the Hipparcos space telescope. With such enormous energy, you might be surprised to find that Rigel has only 21 times more mass, and is 79 times the diameter of our sun."

(From EarthSky)

You might be asking why you have an astronomy lesson here. Well, I got to thinking on what I said this weekend about God having an 'analogue' in our sun. Atenakhen thought so as well, so he changed the Egyptian pantheistic worship to one god- the sun. What he didn't have is this perspective- that as bright, as powerful as it is, our sun is a little bitty fish in an endless pond. And our God made it all. Mankind keeps looking for a god it can see touch, and use- But God is a lot more.

 

The Better part, Day #37:

Deu 6:6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

Deu 6:7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

Deu 6:8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

 

Today as I listened to a sermon going over another "to-do" list that I found I had several items checked off, I started to remind myself that 'not everyone is at my level of study, and these sermons are for them.' But then God added on no uncertain terms, "AND TO REMIND YOU." Re-learning is a very blessed form of humility.

 

 

The Better Part, Day #38:

Mar 4:37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling.

Mar 4:38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"

Mar 4:39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

Mar 4:40 He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?"

Mar 4:41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" 

 

After one of those usual meltdowns at work, I was again bashing myself for my un-Christlike reaction. And the Lord calmed me down by spinning a story based on this passage, which included cussing, Matthew pitching the anchor over without a rope, and Jesus threatening to dump the sea into the Negev. And I realized, I'm not the only one who struggles with their knee-jerk reactions. Eve hid when she sinned (and so did David); Elijah ran away when overwhelmed; but God never threw them away, either. The only one of the reactions I found where God DID cast the react-or off was Saul, when he feared for the Phillistine advance and Samuel wasn't there to sacrifice. But here's the reason- Saul never got past the part where God was a "master" to be "appeased" with sacrifice, instead of a Savior to be beseached.

When I realized that God isn't gonna cast me off for my reaction, I felt better about being "in the same boat" with the Apostles. "Except," I told God, "for all the cussing".

And I felt God saying, "These men were fishermen and tax collectors. How do you THINK they responded?"

 

 

The Better part, day #39:

Mar 14:34 And he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch."

Mar 14:35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

Mar 14:36 And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will." 

 

A long time ago when I made a commitment to start every morning with prayer, I noticed it seemed to have a beneficial effect on my day. It can- and sometimes did- lead to an attitude of, "I better pray or my day will be messed up!" But you know, God isn't like that- and that attitude brings us back to King Saul yesterday. "Here's my daily prayer, in the slot, hit the button and get my blessing." No, God will bless heartfelt prayer- but as Jesus knew, even that blessing doesn't guarantee a good, happy, fun-filled day. I must focus on God's will- He'll take care of the day, good or bad.

 

 

The better part, day #40:

Act 8:39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Act 8:40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he preached the gospel to all the towns until he came to Caesarea. 

 

This last week, God's theme with me is trusting Him fully, that He won't leave or forsake me. I feel myself being hesitant when I think of how He is moving me- what if I have to leave home, family, life? This passage reminds me that He can safely and in His will move me in an instant. And, that this shouldn't be a fear for me. It tells me that, on the flip side, that I need not be afraid of missing my opportunities, He will put me where He wants me.

 

 

The Better part, Day # 41:

Mar 11:30 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me."

Mar 11:31 And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'

Mar 11:32 But shall we say, 'From man'?"--they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet.

Mar 11:33 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." 

 

Sometimes we see the sin we commit, but we don't look at THE sin. For example- a repeating sin that you just haven't been able to lick. Now you see the sin, and what it does to you- but here's the thing: Would you confess it before the masses? Or are you afraid of the people, of letting them know? And yet, there is seemingly no problem in committing it BEFORE GOD. Afraid of people, unafraid of God. And the work of the Spirit is to instill in ME how backwards that is.

Time Machine co-ordinates VICLXVIII6622559

 

Today, we arrive on February 5th, 1959- two days after The Day The Music Died.  And that means that I have a very special surprise for you all- and it was a surprise for me, too, one that came without me realizing we'd be here this week.

Elvis:  Boss, I hope y'all didn't just confuse them as bad as ya did me...

 

Patience, my friends, all will soon be revealed.  But first, let's have a little fun with our 6D!

Ah, yes, Bonanza.  Was there ever a better theme song?  In 2015, it was voted #58 in the all-time country song category.  David Rose was the man in charge of it, as he was for several TV themes- as well as for his 1962 #1 hit, The Stripper.  What I never knew, though, was that 18 years before, he just missed the top with an instrumental called Holiday For Strings- which became the theme for the Red Skelton Show!  He also conducted the orchestra for our 6D victim, a revival of a 1948 classic which had several acts take it towards the top, including:

Jon and Sondra Steele, who had the big hit at #3 and I could find virtually nothing about;

The Pied Pipers, a supergroup fronted by soon to be solo star Jo Stafford, and playing with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey (on the same record, no less!)- they would take it to #4;

And Ella Fitzgerald, who needs no other hype, and took it to #8.

However, our 6D's hit came 11 years later, and was parked at #2 this week without a Panel vote.  That song was Connie Francis and My Happiness!

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That don' sound like a very smart Panel...

Folks, let me introduce you to the POTM's baritone for the Silhouettes, the man I mentioned might look a tiny bit like Will Smith, Mr Earl Beal!

Thank you, nice to be here!

Earl, you are a true Hall of Famer- one of only two members, Rick Lewis the other, to remain with the original group until you broke up in 1968.

Shucks, didn't have much better to do...

I had to chuckle when I read that your home was the band's contact address, since you were the only one with a "stable address"...

Back then, things was lean.  If we was gonna get a job offer, or a royalty check, we needed to make sure we got it.  We was all livin' that damned song, ha ha!

So today, I have a couple of debuts on the M10- one very special one, as a matter of fact- and I want to play the first one before you get onto the Panel votes.  Considering your hit was, in my time, 62 years ago, and we have a 50th anniversary... something... coming up, this might not seem like AS much of a feat, but the debut at #10 is new stuff from a band that formed way back in 1975!  A bitter three way battle for this spot goes to... Crack The Sky:

 

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Now, I can get BEHIND that soul, Daddy!

Glad you liked it!  Now we have a 14 song, 25 station Panel, speaking of lean, and the votes are pretty spread out!  So we're going with a 3-song final.  Here's the list, Earl...

All right, let me see... choose from these fine songs, if you would...

The Crests and 16 Candles, at #3 on the Cashbox charts this week...

One of my favorites, Mr Lloyd Price with Stagger Lee at #4...

and of course, one of the boys that just lost their lives, Ritchie Valens and Donna at #5!

Thanks, Earl, and hang out for the Overseas If You Please, here in a bit!  First, let me tell you a story.  One of the rarest of M10 feats is debuting inside the top 4.  Out of now 554 M10 songs since the end of August 2015, only 7 songs prior to this week had managed it.  They were:

Phoenix and Lisztomania in October 2015;

Alvvays and Archie Marry Me in December that year;

Radiation City and Come And Go in November of '16, all at #4...

Lucius and Madness in March of 2016;

Beach House and Chariot in May of '17 (BTW, the only one NOT to hit #1);

and the last one to do it, Albert Hammond Jr.'s Set To Attack in April last year, all at #3...

And the same week that Lucius did it, The Joy Formidable debuted at #2 with Liana.

This week, we have an 8th entry into this exclusive club, coming in at #4.  The act is a country a cappella group called Home Free; the song, a 50th anniversary tribute featuring the original singer; and the topic, The Day The Music Died....

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Elvis:  Man, Earl's cryin'!

Earl:  Shut up, punk... you all are too...

Can't help it... anyway, here's the part where we get to see what's number one elsewhere in the English speaking world!  Earl, if you would...

All right, so we start with Canada, where Donna is #1 this week... in Australia, it's the Kingston Trio with Tom Dooley... and the punk over here is tops in England with One Night and I Got Stung...

Elvis:  YES!  Two weeks in a row!

Earl:  And the big mover this week was Duane Eddy with The Lonely One, and in keeping with the anniversary, it moves up 50 notches from 94 to 44!

Thanks, fellas!  That leaves me with the coda to the verse, the remaining M10 and the Panel winner.  For the M10...

9- Pale Waves with Easy, but not with ease, finally moving up after 2 weeks at 10.

8- Elton John tumbles from 3 with The Girl On Angel Pavement.

7- Middle Of The Road up 2 with Fate Strange Fate.

6- Firefall slips one with A New Mexico.

5- Dropping from the top spot, Molly Parden and Kitchen Table.

3- Moving up one, El Michels Affair and Piyat Malik and Murkit Gem.

2- a 4 notch climb for Saintseneca and Wait A Minute.  

And the new #1- while it lasts...

Lilly Hiatt and Brightest Star!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And as for the 3 finalists...

12% each for the Crests and Ritchie Valens...

so the winner, with 20 %, is....

Lloyd Price and Stagger Lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Join us next time as we Stagger into 1960!

Wednesday Bible Study: The end of all things- Proverbs

 

I'm going to look at Proverbs 31 from just a bit different angle this time.  I know we have earlier talked about the 'stairstep' method in study, and how the passage about a "virtuous wife" is a good example of how this applies.  But the thought was given to me- if the Church is the Bride of Christ, shouldn't this be a list of the characteristics we should have?  So let me first give you the text, and then point out the characteristic we should be developing as His Bride.

Pro 31:10  Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Pro 31:11  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
Pro 31:12  She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
Pro 31:13  She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
Pro 31:14  She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
Pro 31:15  She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
Pro 31:16  She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
Pro 31:17  She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
Pro 31:18  She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
Pro 31:19  She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
Pro 31:20  She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
Pro 31:21  She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
Pro 31:22  She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
Pro 31:23  Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
Pro 31:24  She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Pro 31:25  Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Pro 31:26  She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
Pro 31:27  She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
Pro 31:28  Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
Pro 31:29  Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

And now, the character traits we should strive for:

V 11- Trustworthiness.

V12- Righteousness.

V13-14- Seeking out good works to do.

V 15- Rises early/avoids laziness.

V16- Doesn't act in haste, but considers.

V17- Strengthens herself daily (in the Word and prayer).

V 18- Is discerning.

V 19- Hard-working.

V 20- Generous.

V 21- Prepared in all occasions.

V 22-23-24- Has a good reputation, and makes sure her family has one.

V 25- Has hope in her heart, knowing her time to rejoice is coming.

Not a bad guide to go on!  And with this concept, it might be a little easier to understand what God is TRULY saying in the many Proverbs about 'a contentious woman', yes?

Martin World News

Here we go, spanning the globe in trying to find unusual, not-oft-repeated, and somewhat lighthearted events that you get rarely elsewhere, and never without the my precious pearls of wisdom accompanying them!

Story # 1: The funny sh... er, stuff- God created

 Headline: "Box seat: scientists solve the mystery of why wombats have cube-shaped poo", from London's The Guardian

 Frankly, I didn't even know the poor dears pooped cubes, but there it is...

Apparently scientists were baffled at how a non-cubic bu- er, you know- could produce poop briquettes, but after one enterprising vet opened up a wombat hit by a car, he found that the were cubes before reaching, shall we say, the light at the end of the tunnel.  Again apparently, the bugger's intestines have a 'some rigid, some flexible' quality that shapes the pooplet. I don't remember that functionality on my Play-Doh squeezer back in the day...

Story # 2:  In Russia, it is ALL Government

Headline: "Ex-PM Medvedev regrets his Twitter account is marked as a government one", from Tass

 Dmitry Medvedev had a personal twitter account- no, he hasn't dropped it over censorship or 'Cossack Lives Matter' or anything like that- with 4.6 MILLION followers.  His problem- he sits on Russia's Security Council, and since Twitter, according to him, considers Russia one of a group of  "countries with which relations are not very simple", it automatically gets shoved into a government account.  Which means, he's got a personal account which is government whether he likes it or not.  Which also means he can't just share that meme about Putin and the drunken Polar Bear without consequences...

Story # 3: This is a prize?  To each their own...

Headline: "Swedish Covid nurse to watch entire film festival alone in lighthouse", from BBC News

 And yes, Lisa Enroth won this as her prize which she applied for and beat out 12,000 other fans of the Goteborg Film Festival- alone (save for one security person to watch out for her) with a lighthouse and a 60 movie package that everyone else will have to pay to stream. " Ms Enroth, who said she has been "drained of energy" due to the pandemic, will spend a week living alone in the Pater Noster lighthouse on Hamneskar island, without a phone, computer, books or any other form of entertainment."

Me, I'd be drained of energy trying to watch all those movies.  No word on the popcorn concession...

 

Story # 4: Think, 'Hansel and Gretl'...

Headline:  "Russian Artist Brings Baba Yaga Lego Set to Life" from Moscow Times

Baba Yaga, the old grandmotherly type that consumes bad little boys and girls, is being pitched to become a Lego set.

(Artem) Bizyaev’s Lego design includes figures of Baba Yaga as well as her companions Vasilisa the Fair, Bayun the cat and Vova the frog — plus, of course, Baba Yaga’s hut on chicken legs.

The hut comes equipped with all the accessories an ancient witch of the forest might need, from cookware and dishes to the giant mortar she uses to fly around in her free time.

While Baba Yaga is notorious for her child-eating ways, she also occasionally helps other Slavic folk characters who happen to wander into her forest. But only occasionally. 

 Friday it was announced that Artem and BY had received the votes needed in the Lego design contest to be considered for commercial production.  I wonder when the Freddy Kruger set gets pitched...

Story # 5: Off again, on again, gone again, Harrigan

Headline: "Banned 1969 British royal family documentary leaked on YouTube swiftly taken down" from The South African

In 1969, a 110-minute film documenting a week in the life of England's Royal Family came out.  It was meant to "humanize" the Windsors, but in their opinion it did more to satirize them, with bits where Elizabeth compared the American ambassador to a gorilla, and other such bits to which critic Michael McCaffrey says:

“That premise doesn’t fare so well when the Queen goes through her stunning jewelry collection, marveling at the glorious history of pillaging that has bequeathed her such impressive accoutrements.” 

After it was originally shown, the BBC had it suggested to them it never see the light of day.  Which it wouldn't have, except for Netflix.  Their show, The Crown, apparently discussed the making of the show... which led an unknown someone to get ahold of the original and leak it to YouTube.

Story # 6: You could've at least bought me dinner...

Headline: "Man finds gold coins in Germany, but reward unlikely" from Deutsche Welle

So this guy was working a landscaping detail in a dink town called Dinklage (see what I did there?) in NW Germany, and stumbled onto several buried plastic containers that contained an estimated $600,000+ in gold and other cash.  He dutifully reported it to the police, expecting a reward.  However, the cache was, according to the court, neither lost (as it had been purposefully hidden) nor a 'lost treasure' (as several coins were minted 2016, so they couldn't really be considered under the treasure law).  Rub is, the cops haven't been able to locate an owner (can you say, 'inefficient laundering of money?').

Story # 7: More monkey see, monkey do

Headline: "Mysterious monoliths make multiple appearances in Finland" from Helsinki Times

Our final story is a familiar one to some of us- first, it was in Utah where the "monolith" thing occurred.  And now, it has spread at least to Finland-

The story says that "several" have appeared there, including this one in Nurmijärvi, so I looked the phenomenon up, and here's what I found:

Ahmenabad, India

Casablanca, Morocco

4 in Austria

3 in Belgium

Zlin district, Czech Republic

4 in Finland

4 in France

10 in Germany

A field near Budapest, Hungary

5 in Italy

4 in the Netherlands

Kristiansand, Norway

2 in Poland (one roped off for a possible increase in area radiation)

2 in Romania....

I was going to list them all, but got scrolling down the article and found I had well over 60 more to report, including one not far from here in Angola, Indiana, in Bird Song Park with the Roman numerals for '2020' marked on it.  And doesn't THAT just figure!