A few days back, I was informed that Vegemite is, indeed, tastier than SPAM. Have I tried that out? Don't be silly! But I was looking for something to post about, and low and behold, my spam filter provided. This one I've got to say is loaded with so many curiosities, I had to share piece by piece.
1- The address: from "Kelley Bergeron" at one long abandoned Yahoo dot com e-mail address, TO "Kelley Bergeron" at another long abandoned yahoo dot com address.
2- "Greeting", singular, followed by the opening line: A just-opened post of Parcel Host of ours logistic concern has been started. Even if we assume the "s" from "Greeting" drifted over to the "our" in this phrase, I still have no idea of what a 'post of Parcel Host' is.
3- "Our company offers a significant fee 'n' instructional package to
receive ya as a participant of our company's expanding 'n' highly
resultative partnership.
"
Looks like someone took a "Make my spam look colloquial" class from Acme Language Arts. I have to admit, I thought "resultative" was a made-up word, but I looked it up on Wiki:
In linguistics, a resultative (abbreviatedRES)
is a form that expresses that something or someone has undergone a
change in state as the result of the completion of an event.
That said, I'm thinking it's not being used correctly here... but I can't be sure...
4- "We unsheathed your contact channels via the CareerBuilder online space
& hope that thine mastery might be potentially useful for the firm."
"Unsheathed"? I'm thinking thine mastery of communications channels might be a bit... well, MPD? A sudden shift from colloquial mangling to the latest episode of "The Mighty Thor in Nigeria". But, it doesn't last long... "When you’re excited about our business' job, would you be so kind to
e-mail our concern so our firm's personnel workers might be capable to
show ya'll upward function's description.
"
The upward function's description, I believe, has come unsheathed.
5- " The job is for operators who aren't mind to function from apartment. If
you may afford to physically be present inside of yours dwelling from 9
AM ending with five PM, you would make dollars." A rather tortuous way to say. "If you can stand being at home from 9 to 5, you can make money". Glad I could unsheath that for you.
6- And now, ye olde job description:
The boon of our job is to proceed with packages. Things that will be UR
exact capacities: accommodate packs out of 1 person, repack them
following our biz's guideline, & to send off those to additional
receivers. You has to be an unimpeachable partner for described post if
you all are a just started to be a mommy, a scholar of outlying way of
schooling, ex-service, handicapped man or woman, or the personality that
distaste to depart place of habitation to make function.
"Accommodate packs OUT OF one person"? What sort of pack is coming OUT of this person? I think the second part means, "you are a perfect fit for this job if you are a new mom, a college student, a vet, disabled, or just don't wanna leave the house." But that "scholar of outlying way of schooling" sounds a bit conspiratorial to me.
7- "You all will not be made with force to hand out with heavy-weight batches." Directed to an audience from the South, perhaps Civil War vintage south, 'You all' won't be FORCED to lift heavy objects. Never mind the man with the whip behind you...
8- And now, another exciting episode of, "Thor: Alabama God Of Thunder":
"How much money ye will obtain relies solely on ye – the more ya'll
operate, the more money ya'll receive. On average, employees which only
start operation for our association earn approx. 1000 bucks per 7 days.
Are thou in awe about our proposition? "
In awe just doesn't cover it, y'all...
9- But, y'all gotta love being at home, verily:
"And you must remember about staying at home from nine-hundred hours to
17.00 is a must to be able to obtain the mentioned proposition (in
another case, mentioned appointment isn’t for thou, unfortunately)."
10- And let's take a look at how Kelley Bergeron (Assuming not a relative of Tom's) closes her letter. You're probably thinking something like "Prithee, send ya missives by e-mail 'n' all", right? Guess again.
So if you know your Bible, you can answer the question: Who is the Bible's version of Superman?" with Samson, right?
Superman gets his amazing powers from exposure to Earth's yellow sun, according to his creators.
Do you know what Samson's name in Hebrew means?
"From H8121; SUNLIGHT; Shimshon, an Israelite: - Samson."
I wonder if anyone realized that?
The Better Part, Day #163:
Today, my boss was offering me to read this book (I didn't try to catch the author, as he's going to loan it to me anyway) about being a leader who is soft spoken and tries to never get upset or raise his voice. Apparently this author does a daily podcast as well, and the other day he asked his listeners to do an exercise- Ask a friend why you are friends. He mentioned that you would probably start out with an uncomfortable listing of qualities and so forth, before you dug down to how the friend makes you feel.
I thought, how much do I need to keep doing this with Jesus! I can come up with a million wonderful things, but until I stop seeing Him as "in the way" when I want to sin, how do I really feel?
The Better Part, Day #164:
Luk 23:39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
Luk 23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong."
Luk 23:42 And he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Luk 23:43 And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Two men. One telling the Lord, "Get me out of my pain, so I can keep living life the way I want! If not, what good are you?"
The other, saying, "I know that my pain is mine. But I know that You hold the promise of happiness beyond this life."
Which one received their desire?
The Better Part, Day #165:
Act 6:3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.
Act 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
Act 6:5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.
Act 6:6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
Listening to a q and a show Saturday, I was reminded that to be a leader, God requires an anointing. Any time I start to consider myself a "leader" I need to humble myself and remember I am not an anointee by any stretch. But just as the special anointing didn't stop either Phillip or Stephen from preaching the Word, I still am under the commission of Christ to share what I learn.
Hello, and welcome to the Time Machine, counting down the last 15 weeks of...
KNOCK KNOCK
Um, excuse me, I better see who...
Aaron May: Hey, I'm here- and I brought doughnuts!
Chef Aaron May?? Great to meet you, but why-
AM Someone told me you needed some Mayhem this week, and that's my nickname- at least the one Guy Fieri always uses!
Ah HAH!
AM: By the way, this girl followed me up here...
TT: So, you thought you'd use some flimsy excuse to get rid of me again this week, did you?
Well, the thought had... uh, never mind. Frankly, I'm glad to see you both, because it's time for another fun round of Time Machine!
AM: This isn't going to involve trying to make caviar from SPAM or a savory sauce from Oreos, is it?
No cooking here, boss, all music! And if you looked at the header, you know that this week I picked from the years 1955, '67, '72, '73, and 1976 for my favorites in this week's top tens. But first, and since I have no debuts on the M10 this week, I thought I would post this video in honor of the late Robby Steinhardt, the violinist from the glory days of Kansas, who passed this week aged 71...
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AM: Believe it or not, I was just a baby when that came out...
Mmmblmmblmawmmaw...
TT: For pity's sake, swallow the doughnut first!
AHEM, I believe it! It just staggers me how fast all these years got away from me. I was a sophomore in high school...
TT: Dear God, I was closing in on 40...
AM: You don't look that old now!
TT: Thank you! Yes, Chris is a sweetie and always brings me back from when I looked the best..
ANYway, why don't we get started with our musical selections this week! With 5 years in the shuffle, I still managed to pull 16 of my favorites out of those five top ten lists. Then we looked up where they finished in their years' respective year-end charts. The top 5 this week will be our finalists; our bottom 2, neither of which made their years' lists, split 6D and Overseas If You Please duties. The rest of them, let's have Chef Mayhem give us the list- since he is the newbie here, Toni...
TT: I'm fine with that...
(I bet she wouldn't be if it was Antonia Lafaso...)
TT: ExCUSE me?
Nothing, nothing, Chef if you would...
AM: Why not? The songs that didn't make the top five or the last two are...
C'mon, Marianne by the Four Seasons, the #9 song this week in 1967...
Get Down by Gilbert O'Sullivan, the #9 song of 1973 this week- looks like a trend starting...
I'll Be Good To You by the Brothers Johnson, the #8 in 1976...
And probably my favorite on the list this week..
TT: Then , why aren't you?
Why aren't I what?
TT: Good to me!
AM: Moving right along, next is Kodachrome by Paul Simon, the #8 this week in '73... say, are these all gonna come in pairs?
Then it's Starbuck and Moonlight Feels Right, the #6 in '76...
Andrea True and More More More, the #3 in '76...
The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy, the #10 in '76...
Too Late To Turn Back Now by the Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose, the #2 in 1972...
And finally, the Carpenters and Yesterday Once More, the #3 this week in 1973.
Nice job, Chef!
TT: Eh, 14 on gameplay, 12 on plating...
You hush, now! It's time for our 6D, and that means it's time for our favorite attorney, Horace Bellbottom!
HB: I do wish we could dispense with the fanfare. At any rate, given that both our bottom songs missed their 100 for their year, we chose which song to feature based on the year- in other words, we couldn't have gotten anything approaching a full Overseas If You Please on this one. And we begin with a rather heartbreaking story, copied from Wikipedia:
Robin Gibb's son played "I Started a Joke" on his phone just after his father died from kidney failure on 20 May 2012. Robin-John Gibb told The Sun:
"When he passed away we went out, they took the equipment away and we came back in, I picked up my phone and found "I Started a Joke" on YouTube and played it. I put the phone on his chest and that was the first time I broke down. I knew that song and its lyrics were perfect for that moment. That song will always have new meaning to me now."
HB: We get to that story because the song I Started A Joke was the last song released by Hall of Fame vocal group the Four Aces. And the Four Aces make our story because their biggest hit, Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, won the Academy Award for best original song that particular year-1955-, beating out a song from the Fred Astaire movie Daddy Longlegs, which was performed by Mr Astaire. However, it is the cover of that song, that was sitting at #5 this week for the McGuire Sisters in 1955, that is our 6 Degrees victim- Something's Gotta Give.
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AM: Boy, you guys sure take the long way around the barn on that feature!
Well, like the Busch Beer guy says...
"Kinda the point!"
Next up, Toni, the OSIYP...
TT: So the other song that was at the bottom was the #7 from 1967, Don't Sleep In The Subway by Petula Clark...
I love Petula...
TT: Yes, don't we all...
(AM: I see what you mean about Antonia..)
TT: ExCUSE me??
Er, moving right along...
TT: So, in 1967, here were the international #1 songs this week...
Both South Africa and New Zealand had the Tremeloes and Silence Is Golden...
Canada had the Fifth Dimension and Up Up And Away...
I love Marilyn McCoo...
TT: You're just trying to make me mad, now...
Um, you're cute when you're angry?
AM: Nice save...
TT: Whatever. Australia had Whiter Shade Of Pale this week, by Procol Harum...
...and England had the Beatles and All You Need Is Love. Meanwhile, the big mover this week across the years was Gary Glitter's Rock And Roll- this week in 1972, it climbed 36 spots from 97 to 61.
Thanks! And now, in alphabetical order, this week's finalists!
Gilbert O'Sullivan scores again with Alone Again, Naturally, the #6 in 1972...
Looking Glass and Brandy (You're A Fine Girl), #10 that same year...
Also in 1972, the week's #1, Bill Withers and Lean On Me....
From 1955, Bill Haley and his Comets with Rock Around The Clock, also at #1...
...and finally, The Association and Windy, the #1 in 1967! So 3 #1s on the list- but do they make it to their year-end #1? CLUE: ONE of them did...
AM: I'll bet it's Rock Around The Clock- it only makes sense, it's a classic!
Last week, all three songs that were #1 that week did not win...
TT: Yeah, so glaze your doughnuts with that!
AM: Says the woman that calls THAT cleavage! What's your guess?
TT: I'll go with Windy! I loved the music in 1967...
Me, too! I was in Kindergarten then...
TT: Let's not do this again! I'm the oldest one of us here, I get that...
If Elvis were here, you wouldn't be...
TT: He's hiding, again, isn't he? Coward...
Anyway, let me tell you about this week's M10! Other than the top 2- and which one was where was another debate- I almost literally had every other song in every other position before I was finally satisfied! And here's what I came up with:
10- Brooke Annibale falls from 3 with Feels Like Home...
9- The Beach Boys fall from 6 with Big Sur...
8- courtship. ends up here a second week with Fuzzy...
7- Counting Crows fall from #2 with Bobby And The Rat Kings- good enough to move them to #6 on the all-time songs of summer list...
6- Journey up one with The Way It Used To Be...
5- Maneskin up 4 with Beggin'...
4- Weezer rockets up 6 with Tell Me What You Want...
3- Sass Jordan falls 2 from the top with The Key, putting her #31 on that all-time list...
2- Griffith James and Tennis up 3 with Market And Black....
And the new #1 this week....
...the late Gerry Rafferty and Slow Down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, who wants to do the reveal?
AM: Ladies first...
TT: Well, that was sweet, at least! Here we go...
Lean On Me finished #14 in 1972...
Brandy ended at #9 that year...
Aw, shoot! Windy was #7 in 1967...
Alone Again Naturally was #2 in 1972... but that means...
AM: It means I win, I win!!!!!
Yep, it only made sense that the winner this week was...
Bill Haley and his comets and Rock Around The Clock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tune in next week, for Bill Haley and the end of our first cycle through the years!
This week we have three chapters that we will really drive by- but we start with one so loaded I have to step-by-step through it. And that one is our first one chapter 40.
Chapter 40 begins with a note of comfort for those who will come after the exile. And immediately thereafter comes the commissioning of John the Baptist, some 700 years before his birth:
Isa 40:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God. Isa 40:4 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and all the crooked ways shall become straight, and the rough places plains. Isa 40:5 And the glory of the Lord shall appear, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God: for the Lord has spoken it.
And we know that's what this means because it is pointed out as such in Matthew 3:3 and elsewhere. But usually, you see no further than this, but hear, there is an interesting 2nd part:
Isa 40:6 A voice said, "Speak!" So the man said, "What should I say?" The voice said, "People are like grass. Any glory they enjoy is like a wildflower. Isa 40:7 When a wind from the LORD blows on them, the grass dies and the flower falls. Yes, all people are like grass. Isa 40:8 Grass dies and flowers fall, but the word of our God lasts forever." Isa 40:9 Zion, you have good news to tell. Go up on a high mountain and shout the good news. Jerusalem, you have good news to tell. Don't be afraid; speak loudly. Tell this news to all the cities of Judah: "Look, here is your God!"
So John's message is to contain three parts- three parts Isaiah's audience has forgotten: The temporary nature of man; the permanence of the Word of God; and that they need to open their eyes and SEE Him.
Next, God reminds them of all He has done...
Isa 40:12 Who measured the oceans in the palm of his hand? Who used his hand to measure the sky? Who used a bowl to measure all the dust of the earth? Who used scales to measure the mountains and hills? Isa 40:13 Who could know the LORD'S mind? Who could be his teacher or give him advice? Isa 40:14 Did the Lord ask for anyone's help? Did anyone teach him to be fair? Did anyone teach him knowledge? Did anyone teach him to be wise?
And what they did with that knowledge...
Isa 40:17 Compared to God, all the nations of the world are nothing. Compared to him, they are worth nothing at all. Isa 40:18 Can you compare God to anything? Can you make a picture of God? Isa 40:19 No, but some people make statues from rock or wood, and they call them gods. One worker makes a statue. Then another worker covers it with gold and makes silver chains for it. Isa 40:20 For the base he chooses special wood, a kind of wood that will not rot. Then he finds a good wood worker, and the worker makes a "god" that will not fall over.
They make idols and believe them to be the equal of God. Worth equal time, equal effort, equal value. Much like we do. But He isn't and they/we should know better...
Isa 40:21 Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? Isa 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; Isa 40:23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.
And yet...
Isa 40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"?
Finally, He reminds them of the true value of obedience to Him, in the same way He reminded them of His power...
Isa 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. Isa 40:29 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Isa 40:30 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; Isa 40:31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
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After the power of that chapter, the prophecy stretches out into three chapters with three main points. 41 is basically a challenge to Israel's so-called gods:
Isa 41:7 The craftsman strengthens the goldsmith, and he who smooths with the hammer him who strikes the anvil, saying of the soldering, "It is good"; and they strengthen it with nails so that it cannot be moved. Isa 41:8 But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; Isa 41:9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, "You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off"; Isa 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isa 41:21 Set forth your case, says the LORD; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Isa 41:22 Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen. Tell us the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, that we may know their outcome; or declare to us the things to come. Isa 41:23 Tell us what is to come hereafter, that we may know that you are gods; do good, or do harm, that we may be dismayed and terrified. Isa 41:24 Behold, you are nothing, and your work is less than nothing; an abomination is he who chooses you.
42 shows us that the coming Messiah can do what they cannot...
Isa 42:6 "I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, Isa 42:7 to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Isa 42:8 I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols. Isa 42:9 Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."
And yet, the people who reject God will be blinded and not understand that they are...
Isa 42:17 They are turned back and utterly put to shame, who trust in carved idols, who say to metal images, "You are our gods." Isa 42:18 Hear, you deaf, and look, you blind, that you may see! Isa 42:19 Who is blind but my servant, or deaf as my messenger whom I send? Who is blind as my dedicated one, or blind as the servant of the LORD? Isa 42:20 He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.
And in Chapter 43, I came across something that explains, in a way, why God is setting the future up this way, with the surviving Jews entering the 1,000 year kingship of Christ before the final reckoning:
Isa 43:25 "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Isa 43:26 Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
I believe this chapter is telling them that, "yes, now you believe, because you see Me... but now, it is time to remember and repent." They don't get the entrance to heaven by rights of surviving Armageddon any more than we do- they have a lot to learn, a lot to repent, and a millennium to get it done.
It's not every day I have the opportunity to "Seinfeld" a post, so I guess I'll do it today.
My opportunity comes because my GP thought my PSA (which is a prostate screen, not a public service announcement) was high, so I took a vacay day to see the urologist. Takeaways from this meeting include:
-the PSA is about as nebulous, flip-a-coin thing as I've ever been involved with...
- the U has seen patients with 10 times my PSA with no problems whatsoever...
- the exam proves once again you never have to worry about me posting a 'coming out' post. Decidedly not for me.
Long story short, he's ordered another test, whose results he hopes will tell him more nothing than he already knows.
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I was just looking at my blog stats (which in this day and age can be best done with a microscope) and found the last 3 months 75% of my pageviews have come from Sweden. This led me on a quest for info that led me to the following tidbits:
- In 2011, 70% of Sweden's e-mail was spam.
- you can get SPAM (the "meat product", kinda like Vegemite from pigs) in Swedish supermarkets...
-There is currently some spam attack striking Europe, mainly Sweden, involving demands for payments from companies you don't necessarily have accounts with, that funnels through a Bangladeshi IP, and originates from a Russian (what else?) "malware as a service" provider called Agent Tesla.
- Most news from Sweden is behind a paywall. I suspect the nation has been taken over by aliens- but it'll take 30 kroner a month to find out.
I just discovered that the spanking new Seattle Kraken, the NHL team who will be picking their first players Wednesday, is co-owned by Jerry Bruckheimer. I think they should name Gil Grissom as first coach...
Greg Sanders: I guess I should stop trying to impress you.
Gil Grissom: That would impress me.
On the subject of hockey, our family hockey teams had a rather messed up year, with COVID wiping out some, most, or all of our seasons, and at least three of our teams non-functional last year. Prepping for next season, I have found that while one of the missing teams (Laurie's Znojmo in Austria) returns, at least one (KC's Kurbads in Latvia) most likely isn't, one of mine (Gdansk in Poland) won't, another (Val Pusteria in the Alps League) is moving leagues, and KC got one relegated (Sweden's HV71, who won the league as recently as 2017). Out of our four teams (Me, KC, Laurie, and Misty) in some two dozen worldwide leagues, 13 never played at all and 2 played one game each (we have two Korean teams in the Asian League, and each got blasted by their version of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the "Korean championship"). Not that you are deathly interested, but more for my records, here are our top ten finishers (NOTE: To figure it up, I add OT wins to wins, losses the same, and figure by percentage, since no one plays the same amount of games...)
1- Zug, Switzerland/Laurie, league champs, 50-15
2- Ocelari Trinec, Czechia/Chris, league champs, 47-21
3- Zemgale, Latvia/Laurie, lost in finals, 35-9
4- Sparta Prague, Czechia/KC, regular season champs, 42-21
5- Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, KHL/Chris, 45-25
6- Brasov, Hungary/Misty, lost in finals, 37-18
7- Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL/KC, 39-23
8- Esbjerg Energy, Denmark/KC, 38-23
9- Carolina Hurricanes, NHL/Laurie, 41-26
10- Les Dragons du Rouen, France/Chris, champions (regular season, no playoffs), 18-4.
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Which reminds me: Kind of a "nations of the world" freak, I noticed that there seems to be a bit of debate on whether the former Czech-side of Czechoslovakia should be called "Czechia" or "Czech Republic." When I saw a news story a couple years back naming "Czechia" as the official name, I thought that was it. And officials have thought that was "it" a few times through the years. But no matter what hoops they tried to lead the nation through, its people preferred "Czech Republic". So it finally got to a point for people more anal than I am about it in I believe 2017 when the Czech legislature once and for all decided it was "Czechia." End of story, kinda...
"Multinational technology companies that adopted the name Czechia include Google, Apple, and Microsoft with Bing Maps. The business network LinkedIn updated its locations to Czechia in October 2020. Microsoft updated its Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to Czechia in January 2021. However, according to a 2020 report, most Czechs still prefer the name "Czech Republic" over the shortened one in English." -wikipedia
Today, David Jeremiah mentioned that in prepping for his series on Angels, most 'sightings' in today's world come at the hospital. Which makes sense. Angels have always been used to derail Satan's attempts to screw with God's plans. I thought about the prayers offered up to save the life of the former drummer of Casting Crowns- which God said no to, as he died this weekend. I guess the thing that hit me then, was that whether His plan calls for preserving a life on this earth, or or bring a soul home to heaven, He is faithful to accomplish His plan. And if we Trust His promises, that should be the most comforting takeaway here.
The Better Part, Day #158:
Heard as a quote on one of the sermons I listened to today: "Your worst day as a Christian is never bad enough that the Cross of Christ doesn't cover you. And your best day as a Christian isn't good enough you don't need God's grace."
The Better Part, Day #159:
2Pe 2:17 These are springs without water, clouds being driven by tempest, for whom the blackness of darkness has been kept to the ages.
Jack Hibbs teaching on this pointed out that this actually shows two different kinds of false teachers. Neither one brings refreshment of the soul; but while the one is an dry stream bed (or well, depending on the translation, the other is a cloud full of water, but sharing none- someone who knows the truth, but denies it to others! My prayer after that was, Lord, let me rain.
The Better Part, Day #160:
Why I'm avoiding politics, reason number 666...
"If you see anything that is deception, division, or destruction, you have seen the Devil himself...." Charles Stanley
The Better Part, Day #161:
"...but I'm sure there's something in a shade of gray/or something in between/ and I can always change my name/if that's what you mean..." Counting Crows, Anna Begins
One of the first big lessons I learned at the foot of Christ came in a time of real flux for me many moons ago. I was struggling mightily with the concept of God's mercy vs people going to hell. The only way I knew to compensate was to search for that "shade of gray". But as the whole structure of what I thought was me crumbled, I realized- God's black and white and my concept of His black and white didn't quite line up. It was like learning the focus on a microscope- what you were searching for remained hidden until you saw it the right way. God's black and white never changes, and His way of seeing it is always just and merciful.
Don't really know... I usually retain my second wind long enough to do this post...
Maybe it's the humidity, and all this rain...
Could be. Of all the years involved in this week's post- 1957, '61, '63, '68, '74, and 1975, this year- 2021- is the ONLY one where it rained at all!
Yer a real stat weirdo, ya know it?
Yeah, I know... so let's dig into some more, as I pull out my favorites of this week's top tens and see which one fared best on the year-end charts! But first... once again, Johnny Horton!
JH: Hi, guys! Nice to be back! So what year are we in this time?
Well, with the rules changes, we're kind of in 'no-time'...
EP: Beats the heck outta 1960 for ya, don' it?
JH: Uh, yeah, so I been told...
Okay, so before we get to this week's list, and before you two get too far off track, let's intro the first of 2 debuts on the M10! This one comes off the sound track of a video game, if you can believe that... it's new, it's from "Wave Break", and it is Weezer... at #10:
"For the song, Weezer partnered with Funktronic Labs, the indie developers responsible for Wave Break, "the world's first skateBOATING game, inspired by arcade skateboarding classics". A "Weezy Mode" was added to the game, based around the song. 'Tell Me What You Want' first surfaced as a B-side cut from Weezer's fifteenth studio album, Van Weezer. It was created as a "stream-safe option", so live streamers on platforms like Twitch would not get copyright claims while playing Wave Break."- Wikipedia
So now you know. So Johnny, pull up a chair...
JH: Yessir. So what're we doin' now?
So my random number generator picks out a group of Martin Era 2.0 years, and I pick my favorites off those years' top tens for this week. Then we rank 'em by where they charted on Cashbox's end-of-year list, with ties being broken by the Billboard list. This week I had 16 songs I picked; I'm putting 6 in the final, and you get to tell us about those that don't make that cut right now...
JH: Man, leftovers again. I tol' Billie Jean a star like me oughta at least get Diner food...
Neither here nor there, m'man. Anyway, why don't you go ahead and read off the list, but leave off the bottom two and the top six...
JH: Nifty! Here we go...
Third from the bottom was the #55 of 1963, Bobby Vinton's Blue On Blue...
One of my top 4....
Then comes the number 46 from 1975, Steely Dan an' Rikki Don't Lose That There Number...
Next is... well, this here's the first an' only tie we have ta break! 45 in the year 1975 on Cashbox an' #42 on Billboard, Wings an' Listen To What The Man Says.
An' the winning half, 45 on CB an' 28 on BB, Merillee Rush an' Angel Of The Morning...
And there go my favorite two in one blow...
Don' let it getcha down, Hoss... Next was the #43 of 1974, The Righteous Brothers an' Rock 'N' Roll Heaven.
Then the #38 of 1963, Barbara Lewis an' Hello Stranger.
Next, The #35 of 1963, Del Shannon an' Hat's Off Ta Larry...
An' then, the #21 of 1968, Gary Puckett an' the Union Gap with Lady Willpower! So see, one of yer best four made it inta the final!
Yeah... not as much of a shock as the one that gets the 6D treatment- a song I flat could not believe missed the CB 100 for the year- until I saw it only made #98 on the Billboard list! You'll find out who it is next- after the other M10 debut at #9. This is one of 2 that are currently on the UK chart (one at #5, this one at #7) for this band- and the second time this summer on the M10! Here, with a song actually off their 2017 lp Chosen, is Italy's Maneskin...
And so are their fans! And now, with the mystery behind that song that missed their year end hot 100, here's Horace!
AHEM, could we not make me sound like a talk show host, please? At any rate, Our story begins with this young lady...
This is Vanna White in her first game show appearance- as a contestant on The Price Is Right. While she had little success there, she had much greater fame as the hostess on Wheel Of Fortune some years later. Another phase of her career that didn't do as well was a movie career. This included a film in which she played the mythical Venus, called Goddess O f Love and co-starring one David Naughton. Setting the music and other areas in this television only adventure was a man named Mitch Margo.
Mitch had also had his fame some time before, when as a 13-year-old, he was recruited as 1st tenor for the vocal group the Tokens. The one time this act had ever played instruments on a song (to that point) was when they arranged the song He's So Fine by the Chiffons. Since they had done such excellent work on that, it was where Gerry Coffin and Carole King went with a tune they just couldn't find the right arrangement for. A radical rework later, it became a top ten hit, though not cracking Cashbox's year end chart for 1963- The Chiffons again and One Fine Day.
Wow, hard to believe- IF I may say that without impugning your honesty.
HB: To be sure.
Now let's take a look how this summer's songs are doing on that M10 all-time summer list we just finished revealing last week!
With 5 songs from this summer having climbed into the original list, the bottom floor is now The Japanese House's Somebody You Found... which means The Key by Sass Jordan moves into the #44 slot... Michael Sweet's Challenge The Gods would be at #40... Trini Lopez and Lalena is at #37... Maneskin's Zitti E Buoni is #26... and Counting Crows makes top ten, sitting at #9 with Bobby And The Rat Kings!
EP: Hey, time for Overseas If You Please, ain't it?
Certainly is! So that second lowest song on the year-ends was the #75 from 1975, Pilot and Magic!
Keep in mind, "magic," not "Ozempic"... though in my opinion, lazy days in bed would help MY A1C! So 1975 is the year we will give you the #1s around the world this week... and that means, Johnny, step up to the mike!
JH: Why, sure! In Canada, #1 in 1975 this week was Listen To What The Man Says... South Africa was topped by Sweet's Fox On The Run- must be a huntin' song! Think I'll call Jimmy Dean and...
Uh, not a hunting song, Johnny...
JH: Oh, okay. In England, Johnny Nash was on top with Tears On My Pillow... say, is that the Little Anthony song?
Not even close...
JH: Darngum it, I missed twice! In Australia, that same group Pilot what did Magic not Ozempic was #1 with January...
An' here's a mouthful from New Zealand- Yesterday Was Just The Beginning Of My Life by Mark Williams.
Okay, Johnny! Now, here are your finalists this week, in alphabetical order- don't bet on it being the finishing order two weeks in a row, though!
From 1957, The Everlys and Bye Bye Love- don't say it, Elvis!
EP: I can still hope it!
For the sake of repetition I hope this ain't it- From 1975, Captain and Tennille and Love Will Keep Us Together...
From 1961, Gary US Bonds with Quarter To Three...
From 1961, Dee Clark and Raindrops....
From 1957, our big buddy over here and Teddy Bear...
EP: YES! I just wanna be the winner there- ooooh...
Good grief! And finally, the last of my 4 favorites, from 1968, Herb Alpert and This Guy's In Love With You. So while you chew on that, Johnny, what was this weeks biggest mover?
JH: I dunno... you left the space blank!
EP: Nice job, sleepy!
Okay, so this week we have our first LIVE biggest mover!
EP: We should get a sponsor for this live stuff....
Yeah, that would kill our amateur status for the Olympics. Any way, let's see here... 1957 had Don Rondo's White Silver Sands up 18, bet that ain't it... 1961 had Joe Dowell's version of Wooden Heart up 29... Waitaminit, I know I did this, because I remember now! 1963 Peter Paul and Mary up 49 with Blowing In The Wind! Why didn't I write it down?
EP: Knowin' you, ya were blowin' off yer mouth...
You know, you still have 15 paychecks to lose...
EP: Er, good point. Why don' I just read off the rest a' this week's M10...
JOLLY good idea...
EP: Okay, then...
8- courtship. up 2 with Fuzzy.
7- Up one for Journey an' The Way We Used To Be...
6- down 3 for the Beach Boys an' Big Sur...
5- up one for Griffith James an' Tennis with Market And Black...
4- Gerry Rafferty ignorin' his own advice, up 3 with Slow Down.
3- Brooke Annibale up one with Feels Like Home...
2- an holdin' for Counting Crows an' Bobby And The Rat Kings.
An' #1 fer a second week...
...Sass Jordan an' The Key!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All right, that just leaves this weeks winner... go light a candle, wouldja?
EP: You bet! No Toni again... no Toni again....
#19 on the 1961 list was Quarter To 3...
#17 on the 1961 list was Raindrops...
#15 on the '57 list... Teddy Bear...
EP: Darn it all to heck!!!!!!!!
#9 on the 1968 list, This Guy's In Love With You...
EP: Come on... come on....
#7 on the 1957 list, Bye Bye Love...
EP: Oh NO! That means....
Yep.. the #1 song of 1975.....
Here I come again, boys....
...Love Will Keep Us Together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tune in next week for more years, more Toni, and more Mayhem!
A lone man looking for means of expression in a tsunami of information. Seeking truth justice and the American way in the perspective of a Nixon conservative. And the Commissioner of the free world's smallest and best fantasy football league.
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