My A to Z Theme for 2022 is My Vinyl Record Collection. This will be about the music I still have on my shelf. Be sure to check the links for samples of the albums and music I'll be talking about. There will be a lot of interesting music ahead for your listening enjoyment.
It's raining again. In Los Angeles that seems weird. So much talk of drought last couple of years. But now it seems like it's been raining for months. Not that it bothers me that much since I mostly stay home these days. Bad for the teachers now on strike. I guess. But that's good for the kids who get to stay home and goof off.
That's what I would do on snow days when I was a kid. Or whenever we got off. I don't think our teachers ever went on strike. I had some really good teachers when I was in school. We got a pretty decent education, and more importantly, we learned to be inquisitive.
Then there was television. I grew up in a household that had one black and white television with a 15 to 19 inch screen as time progressed. When we finally did get a color television I had just started high school. It was an impressive "big screen" that measured in at 25 inches. There wasn't that much to watch back then any way. We could only get three stations that went off the air around midnight or so.
When I did watch TV I might watch a serious show like Twilight Zone or Dragnet. But one show I did watch for many years is The Mickey Mouse Club. Which brings to mind...
Battle of the Bands Results
My most recent Battle was a showdown between two classic TV themes: "Mickey Mouse Club March" and "Dragnet". These days I'm not a Disney fan, but I fondly recall watching the Mouseketeers almost every day. Hearing that theme sure brings back happy memories. I voted for the Fifties Disney "Mickey Mouse Club March".
Final Vote Tally
Dragnet 6 votes
Mickey Mouse 10 votes
Next Battle on Saturday April 1.
What a day this should be. It's also day one of this years Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. This year my theme will be a look at my book collection. Last year I enjoyed doing my record collection so much that I thought books would be good too. Now I've got to get focused on getting my April posts ready. See you then!
My Battle of marches for the month of March is in the latter half of this post. But first, as we march toward our 2023 Blogging from A to Z April Challenge, it's time for me to reveal my theme for this year's blogging march through the alphabet. Ready! March!
My 2023 A to Z Theme
Books, books, books! Many bloggers will relate to my love and obsession with books. I've got thousands of books scattered throughout our home. Nearly every room has books of some kind on shelves, in closets, or tucked away in unseen places. Books on shelves, books on furniture. books in boxes. Books and more books. My wife would love to get rid of nearly all of our books, but I hang on to them tenaciously. One might say my interest in books is resilient (the theme of this year's A to Z).
Looking though our home you would be hard pressed to be in a place where you can't see a book or be within a few feet of a book. Here are some of the places where you might find books in our house:
The living room...
Spare bedroom/home office
My home office
The upstairs hallway
And in the garage, maybe a thousand or more books on bookshelves or packed away in boxes
I started my book collection when I was a child and have amassed a respectable library over six decades of accumulation. When I married my wife over 25 years ago, she brought with her nearly as many books as I had. Her books had belonged to her late husband and many are in Spanish. Those I don't mind getting rid of, but the books in English that he passed on to her are worth keeping. His reading tastes seemed to be similar to my own. I am never at a loss for something to read. So many books and so little time!
For my 2022 A to Z theme I shared my collection of vinyl records with readers. This year I will do something similar with my print library. Considering the overwhelming amount of books that I have, I will share highlights of my collection. At times I will feature specific books or authors, while at other times I will take a look at genres or particular types of books.
If you enjoy looking on other people's bookshelves (like I do) then you might enjoy my 2023 theme. I think it will be somewhat of an extra challenge for me since I will still be dealing with limited computer availability and access. But, hey, I've gotten this post out there, so I think I can manage this April Challenge okay. Are you ready to look through my book collection? I hope you'll join me throughout the month of April.
RESILIENCE is a word that I'd used to describe my book collection. It's not going anywhere as long as I can manage to hang on to it.
...and now for some resilient sounding music...
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bandsisthe blogging event started byFar Away Seriesand now hosted byStMcC 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.
Marches from TV Shows
My first March Battle was received better than I had thought it would so I've decided to continue with the march theme. After all, it is the month of March so why not?
You might not associate marches with television show themes, but for certain shows it not only makes sense, it seems obvious. Take a listen to these marches from well known TV shows that first aired in the fifties and you will likely recognize both immediately. The question is: Which do you like best?
Time to Vote! Forward march! Or should I say Vote! Just listen and appreciate. Which song 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'SRAMBLINGS' 'Curious as a Cathy' Sound of One Hand Typing Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
Be sure to see who came out ahead in this Battle. Was your pick the favorite of most voters? In the meantime, I'll be marching toward April as I whip up another torrent of A to Z blog posts. Hope you'll join us!
Just as I was getting used to the time change here we go again back into Daylight Savings Time. I mean, really, do we really need to keep doing this? So I guess this means after this coming Sunday we're back into summer again? Aw, who needs spring anyway...
Actually spring is maybe my favorite season. I'd like to have a nice spring. However here in Los Angeles it's kind of moot. The real question here might be: How do we know when it's spring? Here in L.A. I mean. Mostly things stay kind of the same here. There are fluctuations in the weather of course, but not all that much.
Perhaps out in Southern California where I am one needs only to look at the calendar to see what the season is. When April comes then it must be spring--right? Or at least we know in the blogging world that the coming of April means it's time for the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. Yeah, that thing. Guess I need to start getting ready!
But for now let's get to something more immediate...
Battle of the Bands Results
Toy Shop Marches
My most recent Battle was between two classic march tunes from over a hundred years ago. Due to the similarity between the two pieces, this was a tough decision for me and possibly for some of the other voters. But in the final analysis I had to cast my vote for the grander of the two, Victor Herbert's "March of the Toys". From the trumpet clarion call that opens the piece to the stately march that comes nearly midway into the piece, this is a big production worthy of the Arthur Fiedler touch in the version that I used. Jessel's piece is certainly fun, but Herbert's is epic.
The outcome of this Battle was quite good with votes coming in for both. However as one would hope, there was a clear winner in this match, as you can see from the final vote count...
Final Vote Tally
Leon Jessel "Parade of the Tin Soldiers" 6 votes
Victor Herbert "March of the Toys" 8 votes
And now, to celebrate the victory, here is a fun scene from the 1961 Disney version of Babes in Toyland featuring Herbert's March of the Toys with an army of toys in stop motion. It reminds me of the old George Pal Puppetoons that I loved so much as a child. Hope you enjoy...
Next Battle on Wednesday March 15
I've got a couple more marches lined up for a midmonth Battle. These are more recent marches that I'm sure you all know well. Hope you'll stop in then to see what they are.
The Blogging from A to Z April Challenge is upon us! I'm planning to participate even with my current computer issues. Who's with us this year? The A to Z Team is diligently working on things now. Be watching the A to Z blog!
March 1 question - Have you ever read a line in novel or a clever plot twist that caused you to have author envy?
I don't like to think so much in terms of envy, but in light of the question at hand I'll play along. Maybe instead of "envy" I'd prefer to think of admiration or respect for the abilities of another. This not only goes for other writers, but also musicians and composers, visual artists, or even other jugglers (if you know what I mean).
This being said, there are certainly those times when I read something another writer has written and wish that I could express myself just as well. Whenever I read a story by Flannery O'Connor I marvel at her amazing abilities of written expression. Back when I was in college in the early seventies I would attempt to emulate her writing style as well as her quirky storytelling abilities.
Or I recall reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby in 2013 and being in a sort of state of reverent awe about certain passages--especially the closing lines of that novel. Why couldn't I write something that moved me like that?
Then there are those authors of comic writing that come up with something that will have me laughing out loud. I have a pretty good sense of humor, but I can't seem to be that funny much of the time. How do those writers make us laugh with their words? I wish I could do that.
Yes, I suppose I do have a certain envy, but then if I wrote like them maybe it wouldn't be me. I guess I need to be content with who I am and what I write. And if I write enough, maybe someday some other aspiring writer will envy my writing. Or at least appreciate it.
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bandsisthe blogging event started byFar Away Seriesand now hosted byStMcC 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.
Marches for March
Seems appropriate to feature a couple of popular old time marches for my March Battle of the Bands. You probably have heard both of these sometime in your lifetime--likely many times. Now these are usually associated with Christmas, but they do have something to do with toys thereby making them conducive to the biggest toy time of the year. Enjoy these relics of the past and see which one you like the best...
This popular piece comes from the operetta Babes in Toyland. I'm sure you've heard this one. What do you think of when you hear it?
Time to Vote! Forward march! Or should I say Vote! Just listen and appreciate. Which song 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'SRAMBLINGS' 'Curious as a Cathy' Sound of One Hand Typing Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
The way things have been going lately I'm thinking that maybe it would be better to hibernate for the winter.
Of course, when I'd wake up, things probably wouldn't be much better than they've been. I'm not really complaining, but I'm just saying. After all, things could be worse. And I suppose they will be. But it's just fine with me. How about you?
Battle of the Bands Results
Hole in my Pocket Battle
My most recent Battle was a 3 way featuring different songs with the same title of "Hole in my Pocket" and it was a pretty close outcome. The two more well-known acts--Sheryl Crow and Europe--were both pretty good by my estimation, but my vote went to the sixties band The Rockets.
Those who might recall my musical preferences might have noted that the Rockets song had a very distinctive sound of a rock violinist. This violinist was Bobby Notkoff, who for many years was an acclaimed classical violin player who turned to rock and roll in the mid-sixties. He played with the early supergroup The Electric Flag before joining up with an L.A. rock band called The Rockets. This band would later go on to become Crazy Horse, the band that has been Neil Young's back-up band for much of his career.
I first became aware of Notkoff from Young's Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere album on the song "Running Dry (Requiem for The Rockets)". Eventually I obtained a copy of The Rockets first and only album which I still have to this day. Notkoff has also appeared on a number of other albums over the years.
The Rockets made a respectable showing in this Battle, beating out Europe but falling behind favorite Sheryl Crow by only one vote. Pretty good outcome this time around.
Final Vote Tally.
The Rockets 5 votes
Sheryl Crow 6 votes
Europe 3 votes
Next Battle of the Bands on Wednesday March 1
I plan to be back again with another Battle as well as another post for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Until that time I'll be thinking about my current computer issues. Who knows? Maybe I'll even do something about it all. That would be nice.
After a trying two months of November and December, I was looking forward to an upgrade of my internet with the installation of fiber optic delivery of my internet service. At the beginning of January the service was put into place and everything seemed to work great in our house---except for my computer. It would not connect to the internet. Annoying hours of time spent with the tech support of my internet service arrived at no satisfying conclusion. I'm pretty sure they are just looking at their manual of common solutions and so far I haven't spoken to any actual experts. For now I've decided to give this a break. I've actually been enjoying time mostly away from the internet, but this cannot remain. I've got to find the solution which I know is there somewhere.
Contacting the tech support for the manufacturer of my computer was even worse. The guy on the other end of the line sounded like I was bothering him and, indeed, he was probably on the other side of the world asleep when I called. He suggested that I buy a new computer. Of course he's probably right, but my computer had been working just fine before the transition to fiber optic. I let that guy go back to sleep and tried my provider again to no avail.
So here I've been without internet for a month now. I managed to borrow time on my wife's computer in order to compose this current post, but I can't park myself on this one like I used to do on my own. I'm still pondering what to do. My trusty Lenovo was bequeathed to me by my step-father who died over ten years ago. He had bought it about a year before he died so I guess in computer years my machine is pretty darn old. But still--it was working fairly good.
I do need a new computer to do my blogging and other internet activities. But I'd also like something that would be especially good for composing music and supporting good software for that endeavor. Any suggestions?
I've got nothing for this month's question, but since I missed January's posting I sure didn't want to miss another. So here's my acknowledgement of writing insecurity. And with this computer issue weighting my mind I've been somewhat insecure these days.
And looming on the horizon now? The Blogging from A to Z Challenge is rapidly upcoming! The A to Z Team has been on top of things getting ready for April. A big thank you to them! Be sure to check out the new header on the A to Z blog page. The Team is doing a great job without me so I feel good about that aspect of my blogging world.
Hope many of you will join us this year for another year of blogging through the alphabet. And hopefully I'll have things in my house in order by April.
Battle of the Bands
Battle of the Bandsisthe blogging event started byFar Away Seriesand now hosted byStMcC 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.
Hole in my Pocket
As I've indicated above, I'm looking at some potential computer expenses ahead of me in addition to all the usual household expenses. If you have natural gas in your home you have a good sense of what I'm talking about. Those prices have quadrupled for us. And our $90 charge on our last bill is nothing compared to the $300+ bills I've been hearing about from other people. What are people going to do?
Add to all of that you've got price of gas for your vehicles and groceries. Eggs have gone crazy! When I went to Costco last week people were scooping up eggs like they did toilet paper in 2020. Grabbing a meal at McDonalds has taken on the financial aura of a meal in a fancy restaurant in days of not all that long ago. Eating out in a normal sit down restaurant is like a major investment. We just don't go out like we used to.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like they've got a hole in their pocket where money is rapidly pouring through. Can it get any worse? Of course it will. Maybe I'll stop eating. Eating a whole lot less would probably do me a lot of good anyway. That's just not the way I pictured losing a few pounds.
So with all this in mind why not have a Battle of the Bands featuring songs about having a hole in your pocket. There are a number of songs with the title "Hole in my Pocket" so there was no problem in coming up with a few. Here's three different sounding songs from over the past fifty-some years. Take a listen and tell us which one you like best.
The Rockets "Hole in My Pocket" (1968)
Sheryl Crow "Hole in My Pocket" (2002)
Europe "Hole in my Pocket" (2015)
Time to Vote! It doesn't cost you anything to play along with us and it only takes a few minutes! Just listen and appreciate. Which song 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'SRAMBLINGS' 'Curious as a Cathy' Sound of One Hand Typing Jingle, Jangle, Jungle
I plan to post results then. I hope. And I'm pretty sure I will. I just don't know which computer I'll be using to do it on. I'll be doing my best to visit as many posts as I can, but please bear with me if I'm not too quick about it.
