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!

Monday, March 1, 2021

Karma Chameleon (#BOTB & #IWSG )


No this is not a political post.  But I can see why the title might be mistaken as such.  

By the way, what do you call a lizard who likes a cup of tea before bedtime?

A chamomileon

Down the page you will find a Battle of the Bands which I hope you will participate in, but first...

The Insecure Writer's Support Group


Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group--a forum of writers who gather to talk about writing and the writer's life. For a complete list of participants visit Alex's Blog


The co-hosts for the February 3 posting of the IWSG are Sarah - The Faux Fountain Pen Jacqui Murray, Chemist Ken, Victoria Marie Lees, Natalie Aguirre, and JQ Rose!


March 3 question - Everyone has a favorite genre or genres to write. But what about your reading preferences? Do you read widely or only within the genre(s) you create stories for? What motivates your reading choice?


          Since I am afflicted with eclecticism I tend to ramble in my interests.  I've always had this tendency which is probably why I seem to get little actually done at times.  Or maybe I just limit myself in how far I go in each pursuit.

         But that's okay as far as I'm concerned.  I'll call it freedom in a certain sense. 

         My writing has always rambled as has my reading.  A look at my bookshelves will reveal a wide range of subject matter, style, genre, and so on.  My reading schedule is not rigid nor is what I read. Often my reading depends on what is nearby.  If I'm waiting somewhere I'm likely to pick up anything and start reading.

         In more recent years my reading has been more inclined toward non-fiction.  When I have read fiction my reading has been anything from sci-fi to romance to literary.  I like to read even if it's just reading classified ads. 

         The act of reading is a bit obsessive with me, but what I read is not.  Looking at me reading from one day or place to the next one might think me as somewhat of a literary chameleon. 



And now...

Battle of the Bands



        Battle of the Bands is the blogging event started by Far Away Series and now hosted by StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This event happens each month on the 15th and on some there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle excepting over these summer months.   The premise is simple:  Listen to the songs presented below and then in the comments vote for your favorite and tell us why you liked it.  Then visit the links listed near the bottom of this                                                                                 post for more Battle action.



Karma Chameleon

       You probably love this song or hate it.  I like it okay.  Heard it a lot back in the eighties and even had the Culture Club album where the song appeared.  Whatever the case, this is the song I've chosen for this Battle.  Hope you have fun with it...



Reggae Lounge     "Karma Chameleon"  (2103)








Me First And The Gimme Gimmes "Karma Chameleon" (2014)







Time to Vote!
        
          Don't be a lizard.  Play along in this Battle of the Bands.  I hope you'll at least give the versions a listen to discern your favorite.   Which version do you prefer?   Hopefully you have an opinion of some kind.  You don't have to know about music to have an opinion since it all comes down to your own personal taste.

        Please vote on your favorite by letting us know your choice in the comment section and tell us why you prefer the version you chose. Then after you've finished here, please visit the other blogs listed below who may or may not be participating this time around. And if you've put up your own BOTB contest let us know that as well so we can vote on yours.



Here are some other places where you might find BOTB posts:

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 


A I Love Music



Winner of this Battle Announced on Monday March 8

     As always stay tuned for more stuff coming along the way.








39 comments:

  1. I've only heard Culture Club version until today.
    I have chosen Reggae Lounge.
    Have a wonderful March Lee and keep well for April.

    Yvonne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yvonne, Boy George and Culture Club were the rage in the Eighties.

      First vote goes to Reggae Lounge.

      Lee

      Delete
  2. Yup, one of those who hated it.
    I'll go with the second version as they made it different and more tolerable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex, figured you wouldn't be a fan of Culture Club, but I know you're not the only one.

      A vote for Me First.

      Lee

      Delete
  3. Lee

    I remember Culture Club and Boy George from the 80s. I enjoyed both covers being one is quite different from the other. The reggae version has a mellow tone for the early morning hour which I can really appreciate but the punk rock version gets me fired up this morning and that's something I need about now. So, who going to get my vote. Let me think. *insert Jeopardy theme music* My vote is Me First and the Gimme Gimmies!

    When you get a chance, do stop by to check out my BoTB on Curious as a Cathy. Have a good day, my friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cathy, it would have been hard to have lived through the Eighties and not at least heard of Boy George. I get what your reasoning is for your vote.

      A vote for Me First.

      Lee

      Delete
    2. Yep, yep! Boy George had a nice sound. He's actually kind of likeable. Several years back he was on Celebrity Apprentice. I really enjoyed that show so much. A lot of the stars participating on CA seemed down to earth people.

      Delete
  4. Oh, how I remember this song being everywhere! I believe I must have danced to it until I was sick of it. I don't mind this song and both contenders have good voices but I don't care for the music genres. I listened to both and decided to go with the less irritating one with is Reggae so they get my vote. The 2nd one seemed like they ate too many sugar beets like Mrs. Howell from Gilligan's Island and just went nuts

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Birgit, the song was pervasive at the time and I guess some thought of Boy George as perversive.

      I don't recall the Gilligan's Island episode but I get the message.

      A vote for Reggae Lounge.

      Le

      Delete
  5. I'm not usually a fan of reggae, but I have to go with Reggae Lounge here. I didn't like the second.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John, reggae can be hit or miss with me--not an overly huge fan, but I like it okay.

      A vote for Reggae Lounge.

      Lee

      Delete
  6. I got to go reggae as well. The vocals just kinda did it in for the other for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CW, the second band is a bit harsh in their sound I guess.

      A vote for Reggae Lounge.

      Lee

      Delete
  7. A Facebook vote coming from my cousin Tom for...

    Reggae Lounge.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  8. Both of these were entertaining, and worthy of a live appearance in a scene from a Lifetime Movie. (I watch a lot of television.) The Gimmies was just a little too crisp and perfect. For my money, this song is designed to be a train wreck, and Reggae Lounge filled that bill, magnificently. (It was also the only version I was able to sing along with.)

    Vote : Reggae Lounge

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael, "train wreck"? Interesting analysis. Also interesting that you sang along.

      Reggae Lounge.

      Lee

      Delete
  9. The speed of the Gimme Gimmes is just too much! I like to enjoy my music, not rush through it praying it ends quickly. Casting my vote for Reggae Lounge.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mary B, no need for speed.

      A vote for Reggae Lounge.

      Lee

      Delete
  10. LEE ~
    As I'm sure you already knew, I am amongst those people who never liked this song. And as I've said before, it was exactly THIS kind of "modern" Pop/Rock that drove me away from contemporary Top 40 music and drove me to find something much, much better (Blues and Jazz).

    So, in a way, I should thank groups like Culture Club and Duran Duran and Flock Seagull's Poop for inspiring me to look elsewhere for my musical entertainment.

    In this case, please add *TWO VOTES* (mine and my brother's) for *REGGAE LOUNGE*. I preferred it to its competitor in this Battle, and also prefer it to the original version, also.

    ~ D-FensDogG

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. STMcC, I had you partly in mind when I remarked about those who might hate this song.

      2 votes here:
      Reggae Lounge

      Reggae Lounge.

      Lee

      Delete
  11. Thank you for avoiding politics! It has ruined many a post for me. Good post, Arlee.

    ReplyDelete
  12. That joke was totally my style! It's good that you have a diverse reading list. Reading different styles helps up stay open to different ideas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Liza, finally an acknowledgement of my silly joke. That one popped into my head a few Sunday nights ago. I thought my daughters would appreciate it, but they seemed underwhelmed.

      Lee

      Delete
  13. The nice thing with smart phones is that I can always have a book readily at hand for those waiting-time needs.

    My vote is for Me First And The Gimme Gimmes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loni, I don't know if my phone is smart enough to hold books. My wife teases me about my phone, but really I rarely use it for much of anything.

      A vote for Me First.\

      Lee

      Delete
  14. Ha! I can't wait to share your joke.
    The original version by Culture Club certainly encapsulated an era that I was too busy to take part in. But it was unavoidable. I accidently squashed more than one tomato in the produce aisle... gasped when I caught myself humming it once. Anyway, the closest thing to it here, I think, is Reggae Lounge, though I thought it might never get started ;-)
    A vote for Reggae, please.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Diedre, Culture Club's music was hard to miss back in those years. I thought they did some fun music.

      A vote for Reggae Lounge.

      Lee

      Delete
  15. I think it's great to ramble about in our writing and reading. It makes us more rounded as a person. I'm like you. I read widely in different genres.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Natalie, rambling, whether it be reading or whatever else, is an essential part of my nature. Must partly be the rambling man in me.

      Lee

      Delete
  16. Me First gets my vote. Reading I am all over the place. A lot of business stuff, music biographies, classics, sometimes just something I stumble across.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mike, I think it's good to be widely read. Gives you a lot to talk or think about if nothing else.

    A vote for Me First.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  18. Eclecticism isn't a bad affliction at all, so I'm happy to join in with that club. You never know what you're liable to find. To me that's exciting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. C.Lee, I enjoy having a wide range of interests. Guess that's why I like road trips so much--constant change of scenery.

      Lee

      Delete
  19. Lee, I love your expression: afflicted with eclecticism. It's so you. I may be a bit eclectic in my reading tastes as well. But just a bit. I'll read anything with a good plot and characters I care about. But I can't read horror or eroticism. All best to you, Lee. Be safe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Victoria, I don't like horror like I did when I was a kid. There are some mind excursions my own mind takes without reading what others have written.

      Lee

      Delete
  20. Culture club.

    Non-fiction books are good.

    I'm hoping to honor the wonderful women in my life on March 8 for International Women's Day.

    Ready for A to Z? :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. J, not very ready for A to Z or much else anymore. Thank goodness we've got you and the crew to keep the A to Z ship afloat.

      Lee

      Delete
  21. Results for this Battle are now posted at:

    http://tossingitout.blogspot.com/2021/03/a-revealing-day-botb-results.html

    ReplyDelete

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