This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Friday, December 21, 2018

Dilly, Dilly, and to All a Good Night! (#BOTB Results)


Christmas time means end of the year which often calls for a bit of introspection and a lot of retrospection.  Sounds like this could be time better spent on other things, but still I'll add my thoughts about the year in entertainment...



Looking Back on 2018

        Since I don't keep up with music much anymore, I'm not very familiar with anything that came out this year.  I think most of it probably sounded like stuff that came out in previous years.  Don't ask me about current music because I don't know much.  This past year I mostly focused on my own songs.  Now to figure out what to do about them.

        Sadly, I haven't been keeping up with reading.  When I read, it's mostly older books or non-fiction.  With all the crazy stuff going on around us everyday, who needs to read fiction?  Things get more fantastical every day so I don't need any fantastical story to carry me to another realm.

       Since retirement I've been watching more television than I've watched at any time since my pre-college days.  That's not been the best thing for me, but I've fallen into a bit of a habit.  Unfortunately for me (or is it a good thing?), most of the TV shows that I get into seem to get cancelled or just disappear without any fanfare.  As usual I guess mainstream tastes don't match mine or perhaps there is something more nefarious afoot.  There have been some TV shows that I've liked a lot that apparently most other people don't care about.  So it goes.

       Finally, there are the movies.  As a bit of a refresher, I had to look up the movies that came out in 2018.  I came to the realization that not only had I seen very few new movies (about 5 or so), but I've not even heard of a good many of them.  I definitely have not been keeping up with new movie releases!  Of the few 2018 movies that I did watch, there are none that I would likely watch again because I was essentially unimpressed.  Were there any good movies that came out in 2018?  Not for me I guess.  Or at least I haven't seen them yet.

         So that's my retrospective look at 2018 from the standpoint of entertainment.  Not very enlightening I suppose.   This was a mostly good year for me, but the good parts came from my own life and the things associated with it.  Hollywood has little to offer me nor does much of the rest of the world of entertainment.  Maybe that world has become too obsessive with messages and agendas.

          I live less than 20 miles from Hollywood, but you'll rarely find me there.  Normally I only go to Hollywood if I have a visitor who wants to see the area attractions.  There's nothing in Hollywood that I particularly need.  If I saw a celebrity or a movie star it's likely that I wouldn't know who the hell they were.   But they wouldn't know who I am either.   I guess that puts us on an equal plane and that's about the only thing we'd have in common.

         Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!   Make your own life and memories.  Don't let someone who doesn't really care about you decide what you should and shouldn't like.

         And that's as controversial as I'm going to get for now.   I'd hate to offend anyone.


Battle of the Bands Results


       My previous Battle was between versions of "Lavender Blue" that came from two different Disney films.  The first was a more widely known version by Burl Ives first recorded in 1949 while the second appeared in a live action version of "Cinderella" that came 66 years later.

       I kind of thought that there would be more voters who wouldn't care for Burl Ives' voice or the old style of the song while more would appreciate the updated style of the song.  With a different voter demographic this probably would have been the case, but the voters for this Battle went for the more traditional sound.   I did too--my vote went to Burl Ives.


Final Vote Tally

Burl Ives                21 votes

Muffin Songs           5 votes



Next Battle of the Bands on Tuesday January 1, 2019

       I'll be back on the blog next year for my first Battle of the Bands post of 2019.  Next year is really only a matter of days away, but I can use the blog break.  Of course, if the whim hits me, I might post before then, but don't count on it.

       Again, Merry Christmas!

      What great innovative music did you hear over the past year?  Are there any television shows that captivated you in 2018?   Please, please name a movie from 2018 that is not only worth watching, but worth adding to my home film library to watch more than once?






24 comments:

  1. New celebrities are a surprise to me too. I see headlines on magazines lining the supermarket checkout and unless it is Meaghan Markle, It is not unusual for me to not know who they are. lol I hope all is well with you Arlee. 2019, here we come. Boy howdee, 2018 was brief.

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    1. Ann, there are a few inescapable names that I recognize, but if I ran into Meaghan Markle or someone of that caliber at a supermarket or something I probably wouldn't know who they were.

      All is well for now...

      Lee

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  2. I love seeing celebs although I'm quite star struck and likely to blurt something out like 'OH MY GOD IT'S....' like I did in a Safeway when I saw Paul Kantner from Jefferson Airplane. hahaha Have a great holiday and new year. Did you see Bohemian Rhapsody? It was so good I went twice.

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    1. JoJo, it's cool to see a celebrity, but I don't make it obvious that I recognize them unless I'm in direct contact with them. Very rarely.

      I'll probably see Bohemian Rhapsody when it comes to DVD. My granddaughter said that she liked it.

      Lee

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  3. I've just started listening to some electronic ambient and trance music. It's kind of interesting; sometimes it pushes the boundaries of what music is, but it can be relaxing.

    As for TV, I'm less fascinated by what the networks are offering and have been watching reruns of classic shows on MeTV and other subchannel networks. We never watched "Charlie's Angels" the first time around, but have been catching back up with it and are surprised that we enjoy it. Saturday nights, we watch old episodes of "Columbo" on Cozi and "The Saint" on This TV. WGN used to run the latter in the '60's, and I didn't watch then, so I'm making up for lost time. And we've taken to watching reruns of the old "Andy Griffith Show," which is classic TV at its finest, as far as I'm concerned. The stories are simple, but very well-written.

    Movies? Haven't seen any in a while, and I'm not sure I'm missing anything.

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    1. John, I like to listen to ambient stuff when I want to relax or not have too much distraction.

      I regularly watch Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock on MeTV. The old shows are the best!

      Lee

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  4. Your Dilly Dilly Duet was so much fun. I went Youtubing and found hours (okay, minutes) of Bud Light commercials based on the premise of Dilly Dilly, and some were very funny.

    Have a Merry Christmas, Sir, to you and yours.

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    1. Michael, I didn't realize there were more videos, but maybe I don't want to get started on that right now.

      Lee

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  5. I had a hunch Burl Ives was going to take this one. It's really hard to get into today's music. Very little of it appeals to me either, but, every once in awhile, I'm pleasantly surprised. Enjoy your blog break, Lee! Merry Christmas and all the best for 2019.

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    1. Debbie D, the classic artists usually win when put up against something newer.

      Lee

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  6. Merry Christmas to you and family Lee! And for 2019! What a year this one has been -

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    1. Susan S, I can't complain much. So many ways the year could have been worse.

      Lee

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  7. Avoiding celebrities and their opinions is important to one's sanity these days! I do like today's music and even some of the movies, but I couldn't tell you the names of the artists or actors unless they're at least 50 years old. Well, except for that Bieber guy and the song that says, "My mama don't like you and she likes everyone..." Can't help myself. I sing along.

    I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that 2019 brings you great joy in music and in your life. I always read your blog posts, although I don't comment every time.

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    1. Patricia, I confess my enjoyment of that Bieber song and for that matter, the whole album from which that song came.

      Always glad to have you read and am thrilled by any comments.

      Lee

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  8. I’d have to say Dumplin’ (on Netflix) and Green Book would be two I’d recommend, as well as Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born. I was impressed with each of these for different reasons. Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year����!!!

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    1. Lisa, I can't believe they've made another remake of Star is Born. I've been wanting to watch the other three versions (maybe there are more?), but never seem to have enough time.

      Lee

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  9. LEE, although I know a blowout is not at all what we're shooting for when we put together most BOTB match-ups, I was pretty thrilled by your voter outcome.

    When Burl Ives trounces some homogenized, pasteurized, sanitized, sterilized, modern Disney pap, it leaves me feeling that there's still a sliver of hope left for the world!

    To be slightly more explicit... your Battle outcome leaves me feeling a bit like I felt very late on the night of November 8, 2016... if ya get my meaning.

    I sincerely hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a terrific New Year. See ya again, Buddy, on 01/01/2019.

    ~ D-FensDogG @ STMcC Presents 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'

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    1. STMcC, the vote for Burl restored my faith in modern taste, though most of the voters are of our generation or thereabouts so I guess the preference for the more traditional is stronger with my audience.

      But I do get your reference to that great night in 2016. Now if only everyone would place nice and let this country move forward we could achieve truly amazing things. I don't see it happening though.

      Til next time.

      Lee

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  10. Have a wonderful holiday season!
    :snowflake: ❄️
    Wishing you and your loved ones peace, health, happiness, and prosperity in the coming New Year. Thank you for your kindness and caring.

    The movie "Upgrade," from this year, is one of my friend's new favorite films of all time, mostly because of the ending twists.

    Keeping current is a choice, I think. Magazines like Entertainment Weekly can help, if you feel like you want to be more "in the know." More fun to create the fanfare than follow it, I think.

    - J

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    1. J, same greetings to you. Not familiar with Upgrade but I'll make a note of it.

      I don't care much about being "in the know" of pop culture, but a slight awareness is fine. I've never been much of a follower.

      Lee

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    2. Did you ever manage to see the movie Upgrade? Just curious because it was different/interesting with some nice twists and "Matrix-like" camera style.

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    3. J, it just so happens that my wife and I watched it last night. I was wondering how I put it in my queue and now I remember. My wife wasn't overly thrilled with it. I kind of liked it and appreciated some of the twisted humor. It was also kind of weird, but interesting.

      Lee

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  11. Lee,

    First off, I hope you and your wife enjoyed a beautiful Christmas. I'm sorry for not getting over before now to pass my warm regards to you. It was busy on this end.

    Anywho, I appreciated reading your highlights in entertainment mews. I'm like you I don't keep up with what's current in mewsic, movies, or TV. If something new crosses my ears then it's because someone is sharing it on their blog, otherwise, I keep to what's familiar to my ears for the most part with the exception of browsing on YT. But, I don't think there is anything I've stumbled on that's worth mentioning, though. Movies and TV fall into the boat. I don't keep up with this stuff much unless I just happen to see a promo. You know you just don't see many movie trailers on prime time anymore. The only TV watching we do regularly and we use streaming for it because we don't have time to watch at the appointed time are things like The Voice, DWTS, AGT, etc. We do have a few TV programs that we like but we're waiting for the current season to appear on Netflix. Again the whole time slot thing and it's much more convenient to stream programming with everything under our control. You did crack me up with how you wouldn't recognize any of the new celebrities, as well they wouldn't know who you are, either. There are a lot of unfamiliar faces in entertainment to me, too.

    Thanks for sharing the outcome in your last battle. I went with Ives and WOW, did he ever win big!

    Well...the year is ending and another one will soon replace it. I hope the Lord's blessings are with you throughout 2019, dear friend. Sending hugs and love to you and your wife as you ring in the New Year!

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    1. Cathy, we had a nice Christmas--it was kind of strange without our kids and grandkids, but it was peaceful and pleasant with just my wife and I.

      These days I can appreciate silence in the house as much or more than the clamor of induced sound. I find myself in more introspective places these days.

      Lee

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Go ahead and say something. Don't be afraid to speak your mind.
I normally try to respond to all comments in the comment section so please remember to check the "Email follow-up comments" box if you want to participate in the comment conversation.

For Battle of the Bands voting the "Anonymous" commenting option has been made available though this version is the least preferred. If voting using "anonymous" please include in your comment your name (first only is okay) and city you are voting from and the reason you chose the artist you did.

If you know me and want to comment but don't want to do it here, then you can send me an email @ jacksonlee51 at aol dot com.

Lee