My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2025 the theme is a random assemblage of things that are on my mind--or that just pop into my mind. Whatever! Let's just say I'll be "Tossing It Out" for your entertainment or however it is you perceive these things.
Wouldn't it be nice if we woke up one morning to find that 2020 had been the longest, most tortuous dream/nightmare we'd ever had in our lives? I'd gladly take a do over without all of the nonsensical pandemic stuff and the utterly absurd Black Lives Matter/Antifa garbage. This has been one insane year if I have my say about it...
Wear Your Sleep Mask!
I've gotten into more arguments/discussions about the topic of face masks than any other subject that I've ever brought up. This is particularly true of FaceBook, the go to place for fake friends and bloggers who never comment on my blog posts but will compose incessantly long tirades defending the Holy Mask.
In many ways social media has a way of being the biggest time waste I can think of. Why oh why do I waste my time bringing up controversies on Facebook? I guess it does reveal something about some of the bloggers who have become my "friends" on Facebook. My mistake for not screening people more carefully. And also for continuing to put up such triggering posts. I'm baffled that people can see where I'm coming from and yet will deliver long diatribes complete with research and links. Maybe I'm not the only one getting these missives from those bloggers. If I am then I suppose I should consider myself honored to some degree. That is, if one can consider it an honor to be repeatedly told the same things. No, you haven't convinced me of your side.
Why don't we all just remove the silly mouth masks and don sleep masks instead. Perhaps if we hibernate for a while all of the nonsense will be gone. Or, better yet, maybe we can wake up on January 1, 2020 and start all over again. How about a do over?
Battle of the Bands Results
I thought this recent three-way Battle featuring the song "This Masquerade" was a very difficult choice. Over the course of the week I was all over the place with my preference. In the end I settled on the original version by Leon Russell. But I could have gone with any of these wonderful song versions. The win was a pretty decisive one and that works for me.
Final Vote Tally
Leon Russell 4 votes
Carpenters 11 votes
George Benson 4 votes
Next Battle on Thursday October 1st
If I'm not asleep then I'll be back.
Does anyone else on Blogger dislike the new format as much as I do?
I usually don't say things just to piss people off, but I say them to express my opinion. A lot of times that opinion just pisses people off...
Recently I saw the following meme on Facebook. Not only did the sentiments resonate with me, but it also cried out, "Battle of the Bands"!! September 15th is what I'm saying...
When I saw this meme I immediately shared it on my own page. Generally speaking, my posts on Facebook or Twitter tend to go seemingly unnoticed, but there are a few topics that seem raise the hackles of those who are passionate about certain topics. This post was one of those, though still not any huge response. One such respondent was a guy that I haven't seen or spoken to in about forty years. And I've had similar online encounters.
There was the long time friend who "unfriended" me on Facebook because of a difference in political beliefs. Before doing so he privately messaged me to tell me of his disappointment in how much I had changed over the years. All his message revealed was that he never knew me very well if he thought I had changed as what I believe now is pretty much what I believed 40+ years ago when we used to hang around sometimes. What I didn't bother to remind him of is that over the many years we only spoke every 2 or 3 years by telephone or when I stopped in to visit him when I was in Tennessee. He never once called me like some of my real friends do--it was always me calling him.
But getting back to face masks, in our time this has become one of the most divisive issues not only in the United States, but the world. I've tried reasoning with some using logic, but usually the Maskers are passionate and unwavering about their beliefs. They cite "science" just as the Climate Change Hysterics do. As I pointed out in my A to Z post "Science Is Speaking", this is a poorly framed argument since science is a field comprised of many studies, many scientists, and many points of view. "Science" is saying nothing, but people without strong arguments like to hide behind the veil of the concept of science thinking it somehow lends credibility to a rather flimsy argument.
So if science doesn't convince anybody then maybe some cliched slogan will do the trick. "Wearing Is Caring" or some such drivel might make a nice play on the emotions of some, but, sorry, it just doesn't tug on my heartstrings. My sense of logic tells me something different.
Please don't get all upset with me and click away from my Battle of the Bands segment. Ignore my opinion if you don't like it. Or express your own in the comment section--I've most likely heard your argument, but I'll listen one more time and if you are truly convincing then I might perk my ears a bit to listen more. But don't get mad or unfollow me or whatever people in social media times do. I'm just expressing myself and offering you the option to do the same.
Besides, I'm tired of the bickering, the lecturing, and the effusion of emotions that people keep gushing out. If you've got something that beats the logic then let us hear it. Not sure what that would be, but I enjoy discussion. I think I'm pretty civil about discussions, but these days disagreement sometimes seems to be an uncivil offense.
Hopefully if you were able to get this far then you'll continue on to what I think is a pretty decent...
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.
Leon Russell "This Masquerade" (1972)
When Russell's Carny album came out I was not initially won over. For me it was mainly the vocal style that turned me off. However, once I'd become accustomed to the vocals, having already been won over by the top-notch song-crafting and musical production, the album became a favorite of mine. In succeeding years "This Masquerade" became an oft performed and recorded musical standard with a high point coming in George Benson's outstanding version.
Typically I'd be offering an original as merely an introduction to the song for those not familiar with it. The traditional wisdom of these Battles is not to use an original version and ask that blog visitors not vote for it and only listen. In this case, I think some listeners might react as I did decades ago and not care for what they hear. Therefore, I'm not going to discourage voting for this version since I don't know that it would sweep the other contestants out of the running. This version is here for you to consider. You can just ignore it or you can listen and consider it in the voting. Your choice...
Carpenters "This Masquerade" (1973)
I'm sure I've heard this version, but I did not recall it as I was compiling this Battle. But it's the Carpenters and who doesn't like the Carpenters. Many of Russell's songs seem to be a good fit for Karen's beautiful voice. She does a wonderful job with this song...
George Benson "This Masquerade" (1976)
The version by Benson grabbed my attention when it came out and, soon after, I bought the album the song appeared on. In fact, during the eighties I became a fairly avid George Benson fan. The guy could not only play a decent guitar, his singing wasn't bad either...
Time to Vote! Don't hide behind a mask! Let your opinion be heard! 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 ‘Storms and Stardust’ 'MIKE'SRAMBLINGS' 'Curious as a Cathy' Sound of One Hand Typing The Doglady's Den Angel's Bark Jingle, Jangle, Jungle Cherdo on the Flipside A I Love Music Winner of this Battle Announced on Tuesday September 22nd One way or another I should be here on that date to announce the voting results of this Battle. In the meantime I'll probably just lay low in my house most of the time so I don't feel obligated to wear what I consider a mostly useless mask. That's my opinion based on well-reasoned logic. Besides, I don't guess I need to be going anywhere anyway. Except the grocery store now and then and then I'll wear my mask.
I'll be keeping this post short and basic. Looks like my Lenovo desktop computer has gone kaput. I really can't complain since I inherited it from my late stepfather in 2012 and he'd had it for a couple years prior to that. I guess I shouldn't complain about a good computer that has given me seven years of reliable service. I'm going to miss that good old computer.
For now I'm using my wife's computer, but that is going to have to be a very short term solution. My old notebook computer kind of ground to an interminable state of slowness and is no longer functional. I guess that means New Computer Time! Any suggestions?
What I want to find is not only a basic warhorse for composing blog posts, looking up stuff, taking care of business, and checking emails, but also something good for doing home music recording and some video editing. Currently I'm doing research regarding this, but any input from those in the know might be helpful.
Any thoughts? In the meantime my online activity will be drastically curtailed until I find the best solution for me. Maybe if this crash was destined to happen then this might have been a good time for it. Still, I'd rather not have to deal with this expense and computer search.
C'est la vie!
Rainbow Connection Battle
My most recent Battle was between The Carpenters and Willie Nelson performing The Muppet Movie song "Rainbow Connection". What a great turnout for a fight to the finish Battle! At first it looked like Willie was going to take a handy win and then the Muppet fan club must have entered the fray to bring them up to the leader.
As some of you also indicated, The Carpenters did a lovely version though it was a bit saccharine like sugar infused maple sugar on sweet hotcakes. That was my take as well. I thought Willie gave a more genuine performance that exuded more sentiment than sweetness. My vote goes to Willie and that brought the final tally to a tie vote. I'm okay with that since that means the race was pretty even...
Final Vote Tally
The Carpenters 13 Willie Nelson 13
Next Battle on Tuesday October 15th
Well, this will happen hopefully as long as I can resolve my computer situation. I will do what I can until then. Why can't they just make computers that last forever...
What kind of computer do you use? How long have you been using it? Where have you found to be the best place to buy a good new computer?
"I've heard that story before--a lot. Every time I hear it, there might be a few variations, but it's still basically the same story. A good story is always worth retelling..."
--a possible character from some future work I might write?
The Insecure Writer's Support Group
Join us on the first Wednesday of each month in Alex J. Cavanaugh'sInsecure 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.
October 2 question - It's been said that the benefits of becoming a writer who does not read is that all your ideas are new and original. Everything you do is an extension of yourself, instead of a mixture of you and another author. On the other hand, how can you expect other people to want your writing, if you don't enjoy reading? What are your thoughts?
As I typically try to approach things, I'm going to address this question with logic--or what seems most logical to me. Using the old philosophical position that art imitates life, we might further extend it to a simpler concept that simply says "Art imitates". Art is essentially the reproduction of that which has been seen or imagined. Monkey see, monkey do is the beginning of the process of learning and creating. Learning to write and learning to read go hand in hand. One cannot learn to write without first learning to read. And then there are the rules that must be learned so that we are all reading and writing from the same or a similar fundamental perspective. Reading provides us with a sense of the rules of language and gives us examples of the ways in which other experienced writers use language. When we read more, we learn more and gain more experience. We establish our voice by reading and hearing the voices of others. We build our world upon the worlds others have built before us and with the help of those building the world around us. By reading we keep up with trends in the literary market (good business sense) and try on the voices of others in order to further develop our own voice (good artistic strategy). We should never stop reading because then our writing voice and idea development can stagnate. If we stop our reading at our last favorite book then we are more likely to parrot that book rather than amalgamating many ideas, concepts and styles into something that is more true to who we are as writers. Reading what others have written is perhaps comparable to a writing education in which we learn what exactly appeals most to us as writers.
It's kind of like the song from The Muppet Movie where Kermit ponders the question: "Why are there so many songs about rainbows?" We all have seen rainbows and the impact on each of us is our unique experience. And when we've seen one rainbow we don't mind looking at the next one. Which brings us to a Battle of the Bands match using versions of Kermit the Frog's "Rainbow Connection"...
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 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.
Rainbow Connection
This song was written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher for the 1979 film The Muppet Movie. In the film the song is sung by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) and has since been recorded by numerous artists. I dedicate this Battle to our BOTB "host" Stephen T. McCarthy as I know he likes both of the artists I'm using. For me this is a very tough choice as each artist brings their own special touch to the song.
I also dedicate this Battle to all of the dreamers out there which means all of us. If we aren't dreaming, we aren't living...
The Carpenters "Rainbow Connection" (1981)
Willie Nelson "Rainbow Connection" (2001)
Time to Vote! Now it's time for the music connection. Which artist do you like best? Pick one and have some fun! 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.
Winner of this Battle Announced on Monday October 7th
I'll be tallying the votes on Sunday so you've got a few days to get yours in. But don't delay! Vote now! What types of literature do you predominately read? What do you tend to avoid reading? For those who write, does reading the works of others tend to lead you to imitation or inspiration?
