Just feel like doing an update about the state of the state of Martin.
Today is Saturday, and Misty and I didn't walk because we took two yesterday and are both kind of burnt. She's currently mad at me because it's time for her muscle supplement treat and we're out. I was sure I had it set up for autoship on Chewy, but apparently Chewy did not. Should have them back tomorrow. She settled down somewhat after I told her Daddy was a failure.
On my second day of "baby exercises" after my first PT appointment. My left shoulder has given me fits for about six months, so I have 8 weeks of upcoming PT appointments. A reasonable $15 co-pay. Almost was worse- in yet another thing I thought was done but apparently was not, I got a call from corporate HR yesterday saying did I really mean to drop my insurance. I did everything the way Erin told me to, but apparently Pay.Com disagreed. I believe next year I will be CALLING HR rather than trusting their unreliable, confusing, 'employee self-serve' site.
My son KC is back at his old job- with a raise- but stuck for the moment at 3rd shift as he lost his seniority. As for MY job, we are on short hours- haven't had a full 40 in a while. Our boss is trying to get January orders released, but corporate is heel dragging. I wonder if it isn't pettiness. See, we are a three plant company, the corporate office in Wisconsin. But the big fish that owns our company shut down the plant in Wisconsin as of this month, with many office people forced onto remote work. And sometimes I wonder if the remote staff aren't a bit miffed that we (the most efficient plant right now) survived and they didn't. Picking up our share of their workload has kept us from being even worse off, but still not good. That Joe Biden economy building back better, I suppose.
Speaking of my boss, he and his wife just had a spanking new baby girl. Already worried about the 'late in life' pregnancy, his worry was compounded by a) the fact that his wife got COVID, and apparently that crap likes to attack the placenta- and that caused a preemie c-section; and b) a skill-challenged tech did the last ultrasound and thought her legs looked small. But little Keely was a perfect 6 lb 12 oz girl with no problems.
The usual Christmas village is up, thanks to Laurie- if you haven't seen the pics and video on FB, I post one with the walk pics tomorrow sometime. I have a couple of gifts for Laurie already in, as well as for KC, but beyond that I am done, because of the job stuff above, and am letting Laurie bit and piece the rest. I haven't even taken the time to slap together the vacation requests I need for Christmas week, since like Thanksgiving week, our Big Fish decreed company wide shutdown. At least we get the holidays paid, and CAN use vacation- salary were told no vacay those weeks since they wanted a 'zero-payroll' week those weeks.
Add to that my back decided to pop out when I arrived at work Tuesday, which I endured for three hours before going home and missed Wednesday entirely. Combine that with virtually running out of work halfway through Thursday, and I slapped together a 21 hour week. After a 35 hour last week. At times like these, I am glad I started the discipline of tithing, because I know the Lord will provide in one way or another.
But I am reminded, while I tongue in cheek complain here, Tennessee is currently going through a day-long parade of tornadoes and severe weather. Life could be a lot worse, and I know it. Like I said, God will provide.
That's it for now, time to go cause some pain to exercise my bum shoulder. Till tomorrow...
We have a very special M10 show this week- no Elvis for two straight weeks! (JK, bud, we love ya!) No, Elvis is nearly 90% complete on his Christmas Party lineup, and this week, since it was a rare week she was home as I started this, you get to enjoy this week's guest host- Laurie!
(Disclaimer: All dialogue from Laurie may be edited, cut short, twisted around, or not quite factual)
L: Um, should I say something here?
Not necessarily... But chip in whenever you feel like! She's gonna be starring in a version of our wonderful 1972 feature. But first, I have two new debuts that she hasn't heard yet- the first from an act boasting two M10 #1s! At number ten, here's Real Estate...
Yeah, I think we have a couple of bangers (in the sense of they will be banging up my chart) coming on this week! So anyway, here's what I decided to do this week, with Laurie- We went to the chart for this week in 1972, and we EACH picked 10 songs we wouldn't turn off- and the winners are the ones we matched on! Before we get there, though, I should start with this week's #1s. Canada has the one song that topped all three of our national charts- USA, Canada, and Australia- a song that sat at #5 on Cashbox this week, Lobo with I'd Love You To Want Me. Australia was topped by Michael Jackson's Ben, which hit 2 in the US several weeks back, and 6 in Canada. Our Cashbox chart was topped by the Temptations and Papa Was A Rolling Stone, a song that crapped out at #69 in Australia, and at #12 in Canada.
Now, about those four songs that we matched on...
The highest charter was at #7 this week, and would peak at 6 here and in Canada and 16 in Australia- and a cover of which has been #1 on the M10 the last several weeks- Seals and Crofts with the original Summer Breeze.
Laurie, you want to do the next one?
No. You can go ahead, I'll just watch.
But no one can hear you watching...
I'm sorry. Hi, I'm watching!
Sigh. Okay, so the second song we matched on was #9 on CB this week, headed for a peak of 2 here and in Canada and 12 in Australia, Albert Hammond (Senior) and It Never Rains In Southern California.
Our third match was peaking this week on CB at #14; it would make 11 in Canada- but somehow never made it to Australia... Jim Croce and Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels), a song that deserved better across the board!
Our final match was only at 52 on this week's CB, but would be top ten in all three countries- 3 here, 1 in Canada, and 6 in Australia. Laurie, could you at least give out the name of this last one?
I guess so... the song is Garden Party!
By...
I don't know, you know I don't keep up with...
...on the bottom of the card...
....oh, I see it now. By "Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band." Is that the right one?
Yes, ma'am, nicely done. Now the second of today's debuts at #9, here once again is Juliana Hatfield covering ELO....
I love how she uses her own voice to cover where the cellos would be in the second verse...
I just thought it was good. Can we play my best song I wouldn't turn off?
If you'll read off the rest of the M10 this week...
Okay, let me have the list...
8- Saint Asonia stays at 8 with Wolf...
7- Cafun... cafu... how do you pronounce this?
Haven't a clue, but you're actually typing the show so it doesn't matter.
Oh, yeah. Cafune holds at 7 with Shadowboxing.
6- Juliana Hatfield drops from 3 with Can't Get It Out Of My Head...
5- Oh, wow! Summer Breeze by Dark Side Of Light drops from the top!
4- Frankie Cosmos and Abigail is up one...
3- Lilly and Madeline are at 3 with Windowless Bedroom...
2- Always moves up...
Alvvays...
Huh?
Alvvays, with two v's...
How do you pronounce it, then?
"Always..."
Always up 2 with Tile By Tile...
And a new number one....
a-ha unplugged with Take On Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well done!
So we can play my top song I wouldn't turn off?
Yep. Laurie's top song she wouldn't turn off is the definition of a 'dark horse', so to speak. It would peak at 14 in a couple of weeks here, 12 in Canada, and 23 in Australia. Here are the Osmonds....
Not for the first time in this study, I am relying on the Lord to provide inspiration here, as we enter the building and builders of the Wall. I believe we can glean some lessons here both macro and micro, as we trace around the builders and their wall.
Neh 3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel.
First thing I noted was that the High Priest started the rebuild. I think this is a direct reference to Christ, our High Priest, beginning our rebuild. Eliashib's name means, "God will restore": both indicate that the restoration begins with Jesus. This Sheep Gate was right near the Pool of Bethesda, which the angel stirred and where Jesus healed the paralytic. Rebuild/restore/heal then are the prayers that open our journey.
Neh 3:2 And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
No, I'm not going to go verse by verse, but this one adds some important thoughts. Several of the outlying towns, such as Jericho, are named as having helped; Jericho, a city once under a curse, is the first- and I think that notable too. Others include Ophel, Zanoah, Gibeon, and Mizpah.
One that gets a special note, for two reasons, is Tekoa, home of the prophet Amos:
Neh 3:5 And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.
Where other towns even had nobles mentioned by name (or had sons of said nobles leading building projects), Tekoa is distinguished, in a bad light, by the refusal of their leaders to the task. The commentators know not why; but the phraseology could suggest that these leaders thought enough of themselves that they already considered themselves leaders of the area, resistant to making Jerusalem any more powerful. The common people, however, were among those doing double work...
Neh 3:27 After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
These areas were directly across the city from each other. In essence, these men went all the way to the farthest spot from their home, and when done there, stopped at another spot on their way home. Tekoa, whose meaning if you chase it far enough is "to become bondsmen, by clasping of hands", were two sides of the coin: The common people with total commitment to their fellows, the rich with total commitment to themselves. Reminds us how close a divide we all have between those two.
Neh 3:4 And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired.
These two first mentioned, Meremoth and Meshullam, are the first individuals named to have worked in two spots. Meremoth would chip in again near the High Priest's house. Eliashib, himself, seems to not appear at the walls again; this fact seems to draw the ire of another who worked near his house:
Neh 3:20 After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the corner to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.
Noting that Baruch worked his section "earnestly", or in other translations "diligently", which sounds good. But dig into the actual meaning, and he was doing the work ANGRILY... I and I have to wonder if he wasn't wondering why the missing HP wasn't there. While the office of the High Priest may symbolize Jesus, Eliashib did not. He apparently, other than God's influence in it, only kicked things off in order to stay popular. In fact...
Neh 13:4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,
Neh 13:5 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.
On the side, Eliashib was loyal to Mr Lust-of-the-Flesh Tobiah, nor was he the only one. We'll deal with Eliashib later (when Nehemiah does); But another was in our same start off point:
Neh 6:17 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them.
Neh 6:18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife.
So our boy Meshullam was a co- Father-in-Law with Tobiah! The 'worm in the apple' had burrowed deep; and probably they were rationalizing their participation as 'negating' their dalliance with Tobiah. Curious that among the meanings drawn from Meshullam's name are 'allied', 'reciprocate', and 'make resitution'- all rationalizations for the sin that sought to hinder the building. Lesson- keep examining your nobles, that is, your MOTIVES.
Once again, Baruch and Meremoth are two sides of the coin; both might have had reason to curse the traitorous High Priest: none did, one merely did the job. Right before them, the son of Shecaniah named Shemiah worked; if this is the same Shecaniah, he is then described as a District ruler- and Tobiah was married to HIS daughter; no wonder 'the Worm' had so much influence! Instead of God being the uniter of peoples, they had replaced the God Jehovah with the god Sex. How very appropriate to my story.
As we move on, we see cities, tradesmen, merchants, priests, temple servants- all walks of life working together to rebuild, moved by the impassioned word of God's man Nehemiah. There is no part of the people- no part of ourselves- that don't have the benefit of building the wall of God's Word in our lives. So what else do we take from this?
Christ has to be the start of our task.
Rebuild/Restore/Heal is the task at hand.
We choose between total commitment and total self-interest. Anything between belongs to the Worm.
Keep examining your 'Nobles' and your motives. What are you rationalizing?
This was a weather-beaten bad week for pics, but here goes!
Virtually the only good evening to take a walk was Wednesday...
This family had four big dogs playing off-leash. No problems, other than the speed increase it brought out from Misty...
Air traffic: normal
Misty kept looking around for something....
And here it was! A lady walking her two beautiful dogs sans leashes! This too would have been no problem...
...even when they ignored her for a meet-and-greet...
...but, in their roughhousing, Misty got her leash around the neck of one of them. She was a sweetie )unlike my doggie) and sat there calm while I knelt and unwrapped her. She went back to her owner, Misty tried to follow, and came close to making me face-plant in the snow. Needless to say, Misty's next couple minutes were not near so enjoyable...
...but we moved on, and boy didn't I wish I was on skis!
Thursday was yet another lack-of-work nooner, and we went to go find the nearby place where I am going to have to go for PT for my shoulder. Left shoulder is not wanting to raise, and Doc set me up with an outfit near home...
At this point, we are going where Misty's never been (though Scrappy had been many times). She was good about looking back to see which way I wanted to turn...
..and took her time on this patch of ice.
Ice AND a banana peel? Come on...
Here we are at the office park...
...and there's the place!
So next, I took here through the addition, where she's never been...
"You sure about this?"
Watching the city collect leaves
Christmas, perhaps overdone
And into the park in the center. Haven't been here in about 6 years...
Misty was impressed when we rounded the corner and things opened up
I think that bottle was there 6 years ago...
Misty sees our back yard- suddenly, she knows where she is, and speed goes up accordingly.
Friday was a wash-out, and so was much of Saturday- but we got a pleasant morning walk in...
..if you're a Dorian Gray kinda guy...
Thinking they jumped a mite early on the ice sign... no ice, no deep water...
Alumni Center Mastodon ready for Christmas, lol
Little gray squirrels playing on the ravine trail...
Okay, we are back after taking Thanksgiving off, and the good news- from my side- is that the top 5 were the same both weeks! The bad news- but good for you music lovers- is that each week debuted two songs! So let me start with a tune that debuted last week at #9, and rises to six this week! Because I now have a hard copy of where everything M10 charted, I can tell you this is this duo's 3rd time in the ten- with the #1 Can't Help The Way I feel to their credit! Here are Lilly and Madeline...
The next of the debuts was #7 last week- but slides to #10 this week. This is Marika Hackman- and I will say the official video is a bit too bizarre for my sensibilities, thus you get the still-life...
So the chart last week also had Hozier/Carlile sliding to 6 with Damage Gets Done (which drifts back into the lower part of the fifteen this week); Cafune's Shadowboxing, which moved 2 to #8 and then went up one more to 7 this week; And Duran Duran's Black Moonlight, which paused at 10 last week on its way out.
This time, we go to feature year 1973. The Carpenters were on top of the Cashbox chart with Top Of The World, while Canada had last week's #1, Ringo Starr's Photograph, on their top spot, while Australia's #1 had been tops here even longer ago- the Rolling Stones and Angie. In the meantime, my final three on a seven-song Songs I Wouldn't Turn Off list run the gamut of reactions in our three nation's charts.
My #3 was a #1 in all three nations- the aforementioned Carpenters and Top Of The World.
My # 2 barely charted here, and failed to on either of the other nations- Steely Dan's My Old School, at a high water mark of #63 this week.
And my #1 SIWTO basically splits the difference, hitting 68 in Australia, 17 in Canada, and sitting this week at # 8 here- Todd Rundgren's Hello It's Me.
The two debuts this week start out with this band's 6 time on the chart, and a decent run will land this act in the list of M10 superstars- they are looking to become the 23rd act to rack up 200 points on the ten! At #8, here is Saint Asonia...
Finishing out the debuts, this song came to me when Larry The Cable Guy- yes, that Larry- mentioned this song was in his top five all time. To my shock, I learned that Larry is a lot like me- this song is an lp cut, never released! Here, from 2019's Feels Like Country Music, at #9- Jon Wolfe:
*************************************************
And with that, there remains only the top five- both weeks the same...
5- Frankie Cosmos leaped 4 last week to this spot with Abigail...
4- Alvvays moved up one with Tile By Tile....
3- Juliana Hatfield moved up 4 with Can't Get It Out Of My Head....
2- a-ha's unplugged Take On Me spent 2nd and 3rd week at 2....
And with their 3rd and 4th weeks at the top....
...Dark Side Of Light and Summer Breeze!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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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