I'll Never Say Never Again Again (#BOTB)

      Words like "always" or "never" are overly rigid so I try not to use them, but I'm never successful and always end up using them at some point...

            For the past few years I've considered not doing the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge any more.  It's partly a result of the stress I've felt due to doing the Challenge, but my reluctance to continue is also due to a certain amount of frustration and disappointment I feel about the Challenge not being conducted in a way that is consistent with the Challenge of my dreams.

           Then, each May, it's all over and a lot of people seem happy and excited and I start thinking about the next year.   This past fall I was feeling especially despondent about doing another A to Z because of a number of factors that I won't go into in this post.   Thankfully my longtime A to Z blogging associate J Lenni Dorner got the ball rolling for me.

          Fellow blogger John Holton also provided his technical expertise which got us out of a few fixes that I certainly didn't know what to do with.  I almost feel like I grew up with John as we share many similar life experiences from what I've gathered on reading his blog.

           Csenge has also been helping for several years and was willing to provide her support again. New A to Z Team member Jayden brilliantly handled the lists and even provided helpful technical support to make finding participants more easily. 

             As long as I have other bloggers who want to keep A to Z going then I'm encouraged.  But it's like a lot of things in life.  I've tried to make a conscious effort of not saying that I'll never do something again.  It's a limiting phrase and I like to keep my options open. 

           I'm not going to say that I'll never say never again when there is some possibility that I will.  I might say it, but I try not to. 

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 blogs there is also a Battle on the 1st of the month.  My blog is one of those with a second Battle on the 1st of the month.   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.


I'll Never Say "Never Again" Again

          Last year I happened upon an episode of The Jack Benny Show (one of my favorite shows from childhood) that featured Frankie Avalon singing a song that I had heard all of my life, but I couldn't exactly place the song.  Then I realized it was actually a meshing of two songs--"Never Say Never Again Again" and "Taking a Chance on Love"--cleverly interwoven.   Battle idea inspired!

         Since I couldn't find anyone else doing what Avalon did, I decided to focus on one song only--"Never Say Never".  Sometime later I'll do another Battle with "Taking a Chance", but that will be like eventually rather than right away.  But I'll never say never!

         For this Battle I'll be matching two very different versions by two artists who were stars of  television shows in the fifties...

Ozzie Nelson  "I'll Never Say 'Never Again' Again"  (1935)

        Ozzie Nelson had a long career as a band leader/singer as well as a star of stage, screen, radio, and television.  I grew up watching the Nelson family in "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet".  Now the music of son Ricky Nelson is more well known than Dad Ozzie, but still those cats back then could really swing...





Dinah Shore  "I'll Never Say 'Never Again' Again" (1957)

        Twenty-two years after Ozzie did it, Dinah did it in her own sultry way.  She'd been a musical star for almost as long as Ozzie and hosted several popular television shows into the 1990's.  Dinah's arrangement of this song is very similar to the one I'd heard by Frankie Avalon so I'm guessing he was basing his version on hers.  It's a sound of the times...





Time to Vote!

         Come on and play. What's your favorite between these two choices? Which song version do you like best? 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

Angel's Bark  

Debbie Doglady's Den

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Cherdo on the Flipside 


Winner of this Battle Announced on Tuesday May 22

         That will likely be the next day I post here, but if inspired I will write.   The next Battle of the Bands post on my blog will be Friday June 1st.  Summer songs are a-comin'!


           Have you ever felt like quitting and then were lifted into action by others?  Did you ever say you definitely were not going to do something only to change your mind?   Do you have any favorite old television shows?  

Immigrant Arrival (#atozchallenge)

     

A statue of Tawanka, a chief of the Lenni Lenape, stands in front of Macy's (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

         Often we might think of Manhattan as the landing point for immigrants to the United States.  Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries new arrivals were processed at Ellis Island within sight of the Statue of Liberty.  When they were allowed to set foot in their new homeland, a good many of them went to Manhattan first.  J. Lenni Dorner provides a twist in the immigrant arrival story with a story about what might be considered the first immigrants in Manhattan.                         

MANHATTAN

        This story was told around the corn fire by two of the Grandfathers. The Lenni-Lenape nation was dubbed "The Grandfathers" because they are the oldest of the Algonquian people and known for their wisdom. For those of you who don't know, the Lenni-Lenape were not a migrant nation. (The Lenni-Lenape have as much in common with Navajo as the 16th century Japanese had in common with the French.) (And no, I will not be referring to my people as "Delaware.")

The Lenape nation has three divisions, indicated by the Turtle, Turkey, and Wolf. The word "Manhattan" is a combination of the dialect used by the tribes and the spelling and alterations given by the Dutch. (There was no translate app 400 years ago, kids!) Enough prologue, onto the story.

"I have spoken with the Paleface Man. He claims his people traveled the big water to find peace. They wish to worship a sky god, about who they are glad to tell stories. Their leader had a bear spirit who could not hibernate. He chased all the birds from the forest so they could not sing to the sky god."

I look to my friend. "Are those your words, or the words of the Paleface Man?"

"His, I believe. He does not speak well. I think the trip on the big water has salted their minds."

I nod. "Will more come?"

"Yes. He says more must come. The sky god commands it. Some will travel back across the big water to bring more, in fact."

"It must be difficult to leave home and journey so far. They must have a place to call their own. A place where they can worship the sky god. We should give them protection, but independence. Unless they cast spells. Their use of names without fear of witchcraft on their soul is dangerous."

"They know so little of our world," my friend says. "Perhaps a place easy for the other palefaces to find. The people seem fond of where the Great Turtle let their floating home met ground. Beans and seeds were brought with them, so surely they know how to farm."

"They need to be able to farm, hunt, and fish in the area we allow them to settle. The palefaces want to provide for their own, which is good."

"If the home is a gift, they will not take it."

"Exactly. They do not trust the gifts of welcome we have given. They prefer their own way. Gifts were treated as trade, though what they gave has no function." My friend and I think on this. It is quiet for a long while.

"We cannot tell them where to live," I say at last. "That would make us no better than the bear leader they fled from. The wise course would be to get them to offer us a trade. The lower area of (Manahaxtanànk) Manhattan is of little use for our needs. It would suit them well. The area that would separate our peoples is easy enough for all to discern. If they agree to live there and leave our nation in peace, we will trade it to them."

"Land is alive. How can we claim to trade it?"

"They worship only a sky god," I remind my friend. "We can tell them that land is their own, and they will believe it to be so. You see how they are, acting as if all life is inferior. They would change the course of a river if it suited them."

"Wise leader, no one can change the course of a river."

I shake my head. "Though you have spent time among them, you have yet to know them. They do not hear when they think. Much danger comes from their minds. Perhaps a bear spirit is in all of them. Yes, I believe they could change a river. And they would command a mountain to move and the sun to always be overhead. We shall convince them that settling Manhattan is best for all of us. They must be kept close enough to watch, but not so close as to be a danger."

"Will you convince them?"

I sigh. "No, my friend. That duty must be yours. They fear speaking with a leader who carries a life." I rub my belly. A tiny kick greets my hand. "I shall speak to our Wolf and Turtle leaders."

And so it came to pass. Those with skin unable to protect itself from the sun would, indeed, ask for land. The lower part of the island, which became known as Manhattes, was offered. A popular legend is that the Dutch leader asked for land the size of a bull hide. It seemed too small an area for one to live, but the Lenni-Lenape leaders agreed that if this was all the land wanted, that it would be granted. The Dutchman then cut the hide into fine strips and wove it into a long rope. This was how they first marked the edge of their settlement. (For more details on THAT version of the story, please refer to: http://amzn.to/1RUuRpr )

More land would be asked for as the years passed. Then the asking stopped and the slaughter and slavery began. But it was, at first, a peaceful trade. 

       My thanks to J for this Manhattan story.  Be sure to visit the blog of J. Lenni Dorner to read the A to Z series which discusses the craft of writing fiction with a month full of #WriteTips.