Thursday, October 31, 2013

HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY





Before I get down to the trick or treat dedications, I want to apologize for my sporadic visiting this week.  My computer is sick and I am having to use my mom's and well... that just hasn't been the easiest.  Unfortunately, that reading problem also made today's post a bit of a scramble.  It all came out in the end, but I wasn't sure until about five minutes ago.  Yeah, like that.

I also want to let you know that I posted my Battle Of The Bands bout early.  You can click on it here to go to that post and cast your vote for your favorite.  This week YOU get to be the owner of Motown records.   So, get on over there and vote!!!  Now, let's get down to business...


If you don't know what I am blabbering about, it is Thursday.  And that means another post dedicated to all of you and the excellent blogging you have done this week.  So, sit back and enjoy.  It's HERE'S TO YOU DAY!!!

This is a weekly event landing typically on Thursdays.  The best (or worst) part is that I am not going to explain why I chose "whatever" footage for each of you. If, you watch your footage and are scratching your head at the end, well that means I didn't do a very good job. However, all is not lost. You can email me at rarichards68@gmail.com and ask me what I was thinking when I chose that particular piece of footage off of youtube and connected it to you. And then I will tell you. Then I will start sending up prayers that I haven't offended the crap out of whoever is on the receiving end of that email....lol. Because, honestly, I will tell you right now... I admire all of you enormously so I really hope that doesn't happen.

Also, this is not an exclusive venture by any means. I hope that you will take the time to watch ALL of the footage because I don't pick bad footage:-) I also hope that you might check out the blog of the person I dedicated the footage to because they are pretty darn awesome. If you haven't figured this out yet... I pick the footage based on something that you've written or something that I've gleaned from your personality. Think on that for a while... If you are having trouble watching the entire video (meaning it is being cut off on one side), click on it a couple of times and it will take you straight over to youtube. If you click on the four squares at the bottom corner of the video, it will enlarge it to fill your screen. The escape key will bring it back to normal size. The back arrow will bring you back to my page.

Now, let's get this PARTY STARTED!!!!

This one is for everyone:


This one is for Red Shoes at Red Shoe's Chronicles:


This one is for Alex J. Cavanaugh:


This one is for L.G. Smith at Bards and Prophets:


This one is for Arlee Bird at Tossing It Out:


This one is for Al Diaz at Father Dragon Writes:


This one is for Susan Gourley/Kelley at Susan Says:

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

BATTLE OF THE BANDS TAKE VII

For those of you not keeping up with this sort of thing, my HERE'S TO YOU post falls on Thursday the 31st.  Battle of the Bands is on the 1st of each month.  That is just not working out well for this blog.  So, I am going to run my Battle of The Bands post a few days early so that it isn't backing right up on my Thursday post.  Make sense?  Yeah, I thought so.

So, today is another face-off in Battle of The Bands.  Woohoo!




I am going to take just a moment and tell you that blogs, like life, simply do not go as planned.  I had a totally different match-up slated for today.  That all changed when I posted on Monday (Spin City).  At the end of that post I referenced some lyrics from the song I Heard It Through The Grapevine.  And then THAT song was on my brain.  I quite unintentionally did an Arlee Bird tease about my BOTB song.  Ha!

So I went on to Wikipedia to see what light it had to shed on this song.  The song was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for Motown Records in 1966.  First to record it was Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, but Motown Owner, Berry Gordy, rejected it.  Marvin Gaye then recorded it but Berry Gordy rejected it.  Gladys Knight & The Pips recorded it and Berry Gordy decided that was the Winner!  It went to #2 on the Billboard charts.  They released it as a single in September 1967.  However, Marvin Gaye must have really liked the song because he added it to his 1968 album In The Groove.  Radio disc jockeys started playing the song and Gordy finally agreed to release it as a single.  It went to the top of the Billboard Pop Charts and stayed there for seven weeks AND became the biggest hit single on the Motown label.

As an aside, Credence Clearwater Revival (CCR) also recorded the song on their 1970 album Cosmo's Factory.  You can go listen to it if you want on YouTube.  It sounds very CCR.  Not saying that is a bad thing... or a particularly good thing, in the case of this song. (source)

Today's match-up is Marvin Gaye vs. Gladys Knight & The Pips.  Barry Gordy took a pass on Marvin Gaye's version in favor of Gladys & The Pips.  The public (by and large) disagreed with him, but that was back in the late 60s.  The question is this: Was Gordy right to choose Gladys & The Pips over Marvin Gaye????  Today, we will pretend that you are the owner of the Motown label.  Which version is better?  You be the judge!

The man who recorded it second... Marvin Gaye:



And Gordy's favorite... Gladys Knight & The Pips:


Remember YOU are the owner of Motown this time around, so vote in the comments.  And PLEASE tell me why you think one song is better than the other.  You have until the 7th to get your votes in... it will be in that week's Thursday post.

Blogs that will be posting Battle of The Bands on the 1st:
Far Away Series, FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS, Tossing It Out, DiscConnected,
and Alex J. Cavanaugh

I hope you check them all out.  In the case of the first three there are prizes to be won just for voting!

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Spin City (and I don't mean the TV show)



So, what are we talking about today?  Media and spin.  Do you believe that ALL news outlets spin the truth?  What I am talking about here is the news outlets all being in it together to spin the news so that our perception of the truth falls into line with what they want us to believe.  I think the exception is Internet news, which tends to be more factual in the reporting.  Additionally, news reported from other countries is often more truthful than what we read here.

Am I talking about the news outlets (or The Bix Six) spinning the political news so that the landscape of what is actually going on is different from the truth?  Yet bet.  Can you think of specific cases where The Bix Six is reporting something and you are finding a different story elsewhere?  If so, share it.

Can you think of a case where the media reported something patently untrue in order to help a major corporation or lobbyist group continue to keep on doing business precisely as they were?  Think companies like Monsanto.

I just got some schooling yesterday on the coffee case Liebeck vs. McDonalds.  Did you know that the lady wasn't driving the car like all the news reports said?  Did you know she was sitting in the parking lot?  Did you know that McDonalds coffee was MUCH HOTTER than other drive-through coffees and had hundreds of reports of burns before this case went to trial?  Did you know that McDonalds drive-through coffee (before they lowered the temp) would cause a 3rd degree burn after 15 seconds of contact with the skin?  Did you know it was set 30 degrees higher than coffee fresh from your pot at home?  Did you know that Mrs. Liebeck didn't get over 2 million dollars like the networks reported?  She actually received just under $500,000.00  In other words, did you know that all of the media giants made a decision to cast Mrs. Liebeck as an opportunist and McDonalds (major corporation) as the victim?  Did you know you were played?

Are you aware that the media plays you every day?  They are taking the truth and bending it or outright lying.  The courts have ruled that it is OKAY FOR THE MEDIA TO LEGALLY LIE.  Did you know that?  Our court system has ruled in favor of the lying.  These liars are hiding behind the 1st Amendment.

Here is a bit of that article:  "The position implies that First Amendment rights belong to the employers – in this case the five power media groups. And when convenient, the First Amendment becomes a broad shield to hide behind. Let’s not forget, however; the airwaves belong to the people. Is there no public interest left-while these media giants make their private fortunes using the public airwaves? Can corporations have the power to influence the media reporting, even at the expense of the truth? Apparently so."

I am a huge proponent of the 1st Amendment and the individual's Freedom of Speech.  I am also a big proponent of Truth.  That means you have the right to know that these groups have been given a Free Pass to twist and distort the news so that it no longer resembles the truth, and the courts are fine with it.  With that in mind, I say that The Big Six is nothing more than a Grapevine for lobbyists, political powers, international bankers, and big money corporations.

"People say believe half of what you see,
son, and none of what you hear.
I can't help bein' confused
if it's true please tell me dear?"
~I Heard It Through The Grapevine

 So, what news stories are you aware of that have been spun so thoroughly that they no longer resemble the truth? 

 I would like this blog to become a dialogue about something that affects each and every one of us.  With that in mind, if you have something constructive to say in relation to the comment of another, post it.  Of course, comments will be moderated and if anyone steps over the bounds of stating their belief to attacking someone else for theirs... the comment will not be posted.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY

Hello!  It's me again.  In case the week has completely gotten away from you... today is Thursday.  And you KNOW what that means.  You don't?  It's HERE TO YOU THURSDAY!!!!  ::horns blow raucously::

This is a weekly event landing typically on Thursdays.  The best (or worst) part is that I am not going to explain why I chose "whatever" footage for each of you. If, you watch your footage and are scratching your head at the end, well that means I didn't do a very good job. However, all is not lost. You can email me at rarichards68@gmail.com and ask me what I was thinking when I chose that particular piece of footage off of youtube and connected it to you. And then I will tell you. Then I will start sending up prayers that I haven't offended the crap out of whoever is on the receiving end of that email....lol. Because, honestly, I will tell you right now... I admire all of you enormously so I really hope that doesn't happen.

Also, this is not an exclusive venture by any means. I hope that you will take the time to watch ALL of the footage because I don't pick bad footage:-) I also hope that you might check out the blog of the person I dedicated the footage to because they are pretty darn awesome. If you haven't figured this out yet... I pick the footage based on something that you've written or something that I've gleaned from your personality. Think on that for a while... If you are having trouble watching the entire video (meaning it is being cut off on one side), click on it a couple of times and it will take you straight over to youtube. If you click on the four squares at the bottom corner of the video, it will enlarge it to fill your screen. The escape key will bring it back to normal size. The back arrow will bring you back to my page.

Now, let's get this PARTY STARTED!!!!

This one is for everyone:


This one is for Michelle Dennis Evans ~ author:


This one is for Steven Symes, Writer:


This one is for Stephen T. McCarthy at FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS:


This one is for Susan Gourley/Kelley at Susan Says:


This one is for Red Shoes at Red Shoe's Chronicles:

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Back to the Beginning by M. Gerrick


I have something very special for you today.  However, before we can get down to the awesome sauce in this post I need to post my Battle of the Bands results.  On the 15th I posted the song It Had To Be You with Tony Bennett and Harry Connick, Jr. battling it out.  Eleven of you lovely people voted and came back with 6 for Tony and 5 for Harry.  However, I still have to cast my vote, either giving the win definitively to Tony or creating a tie.  ::drumroll with people holding their breath::  And my vote goes to... Harry Connick, Jr. Yep, all I did was create a tie!  See ya back here on the 1st of the month for the next bout in Battle of The Bands!!!

Many of you know that I have set aside either Monday or Tuesday for All Things Writing.  Today, I am pleased to tell you that my first guest writer is here.  She is going to share with us the story of her journey to publishing her first novel.  Achieving a life goal is something I know that all of you can relate to, whether you are a writer or not.  So, please put your hands together for M. Gerrick, newly published author!!!


Thanks for letting me visit today, Robin!

Robin asked me to write something deep and personal about my experience writing The Vanished Knight, so I thought I’d go back to the beginning of me writing anything. To before I actually could write.

In a way, it all started with my grandmother. When I was still small, my grandmother was the one who told me, my brother and my cousin that fairies lived in our garden. Maybe she thought, it’d keep us busy for the afternoon while we looked for them.

Or maybe she suspected that we’d build this tiny world in the garden, where fairies did dance on flowers, and this big, interestingly shaped rock would be the queen’s palace. We stared in wonder at the magic we saw, and when the fairies went North for the winter (i.e. we lost interest in the game), we wanted some new source of wonder.

Thing is, we’d been creators once before, so hopscotch etc. wouldn’t be it. I can’t remember which story came next, but we often took t.v. shows we liked and changed them to suit us, and lived those stories every afternoon for days. Highlights included Robin Hood, Sinbad, Hercules and the three musketeers. We were never boys though. That was my brother’s job when he was there.

Oddly, one of my favorites, King Arthur, never made it into our afternoons that I can remember. Odd in that it shares prime place with Robin Hood as my favorite story.

Anyway, my grandmother watched us play and urged us to let her write the stories we created down. But they were too long and complicated, and we were much more interested in playing than in writing. She did pen down plenty of rhymes and poems that I rattled off on some bored afternoons, though.

I liked poetry. Enjoyed reciting my rhymes to my grandmother, but later on, when I’d learned how to read and write, she told me to note my rhymes down myself. I think this was in first grade or so. And I loved it! It was probably also where I started writing stuff for stories down, but as I said, playing them was a lot more fun.

As I grew, my grandmother showed me the secrets to writing working short stories. Which was great for two reasons. I aced creative writing in both my first languages and seeing people read and enjoy what I wrote inspired me to write more.

As a natural progression, the word counts dictated by school became too short, so I started expanding the stories in my free time, in my mind at least, often playing them out. At thirteen, I had an idea for a book, and my grandmother told me I could write it. And the day I started, I became a novelist.


Blurb
Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...

When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.

But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess.

Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.

Bio
M. Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has basically created stories since before she could write. Many of those stories grew up with her and can be seen in her current projects.
She lives close to Cape Town, with a view over False Bay and Table Mountain.

If you’d like to contact her, feel free to mail her at warofsixcrowns(AT)gmail(DOT)com, Circle her on Google Plus or follow her on Twitter. If you'd like to see her writer-side (beware, it's pretty insane), please feel free to check out her blogYou can also add The Vanished Knight on Goodreads.

Links

Sunday, October 20, 2013

The Revolutionary War Began on Less Than 2% (Tax)

Hello friends, it is Sunday.  Today is the day that I blog on whatever happens to be on my mind.  That is actually what it says on my updated Blog Schedule.

I also just posted my weekly blog on TV Junction Function.  It was about Fox's new show Sleepy Hollow.  In my quest to find YouTube footage for that blog, I came across this short scene, which is one of my favorites thus far from this show.  I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO SHARE it with YOU.




Of course, you must understand that Ichabod Crane through crazy supernatural events awoke in present-day Sleepy Hollow (along with The Headless Horseman) and is frequently incensed over things like taxation that modern day Americans have come to accept as "necessary."  If we had more participants of the American Revolution alive and well today there WOULD be people flocking in the street.  I can't wait until he hears about our country's 16 trillion dollar debt and our President, Senate, and House of Representatives failing the people again and RAISING the debt ceiling.  That episode will rock the house.  Maybe just my house.  But, still.

I know that the Government Shutdown has been on many people's minds ever since it shut down.  So, I am going to give a bit of information on what I think and ask you what you think.  There were two issues that were on the table: defunding/delaying the Affordable Care Act and NOT raising the debt ceiling.

I am disappointed in ALL of our representatives for signing the ACA into law without reading it.  I am even more disgusted that after they got a handle on it they took a vote and exempted themselves from it.  Laws should NOT work that way.  You shouldn't be able to sign a bill into law for EVERYONE ELSE and then say, "But it's not good enough for us, so we are exempting ourselves."  That goes for any law... not just the ACA.  So, the time to duke it out over the ACA was BEFORE it was signed into law.  And shame on Nancy Pelosi for telling everyone "not to read it, just sign it."  These people are signing something into LAW FOR THE COUNTRY.  Of course they should read it.  Thoroughly.  It is a HUGE decision.  Instead, it was pushed through the Senate and Congress.  No one had time to read it.  Everyone who voted for it should be summarily thrown out. Democrats and Republicans.  They failed to do their job.

So, here we are now and people are getting wind of all the "kinks" in the ACA and not liking it.  So, the Republicans decided to show that they were supporting the wishes of their constituents and did battle now.  Well, folks that was too little, too late.  Every Republican who got on the soapbox knew it was a losing battle.  The Senate wasn't going to budge and allow for even a delay of the roll-out.  They made it clear that they were "not negotiating."  So why do it?  I have tons of my own ideas, but I am interested in yours.

Now, the debt ceiling.... does anyone, party aside, really think that raising the debt ceiling is a good idea???  When Bush was doing it, Obama said this on March 16, 2006 on the Senate floor:  “The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. ... I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”  Well, okay.  I agree with you Senator.  Of course, now President Obama says that it is imperative to raise the debt ceiling so that we meet our financial obligations.

Let's step back and look at this money thing like it's a budget.  Even though Congress hasn't passed one in years.  Let's try to imagine.  To best do this, let's make it smaller and something to which everyone can relate.  Let's make it a budget for a household of four.  Let's say that there is $100,000.00 coming in annually after taxes.  Let's say that 25% of is spent on a mortgage payment.  ($25,000.00)  So, now we have $75,000.00 to spend.  Let's say that $20,000.00 of that is spent on car payments and insurance.  We are down to $55,000.00.  Let's say that $8,000.00 is spent on utility and cell phone bills annually.  Now, we are down $47,000.00.  Let's say that $11,000.00 is spent on grocery bills and eating out.  That makes it $36,000.00  $10,000.00 was spent on vacation(s).  That makes it $26,000.00.  The teenager turned 16 and needed a car.  The parents paid $7,000.00 for a used model.  That leaves $19,000.00.  With three cars and a teenage driver their insurance went up and that cost another $1,500 annually.  That leaves $17,500.00.  Entertainment for family, kids, and allowance comes to $6,000.00 annually.  That leaves $11,500.00.  Gas for all vehicles costs $7,500.00 annually.  That leaves $4,000.00.  And this couple has four credit cards that are maxed out.  Just to make the minimum payments on all four of them costs $12,000.00 annually... and that leaves no chance of paying them off.  That is merely covering the interest.  They are now $-6,000.00.  So, to solve this problem they have applied and will receive a new credit card which they will use to shift the balances around until they spend so much on it that it, too, hits the limit.

So, what did they put on the cards?  A new boat and the annual insurance, membership to the local country club, three golf courses (they love to golf), charitable gifts to the "best" and most "noteworthy" charities, new furniture, a spa for their house, and the list goes on.

Using the plan of just raising the debt ceiling to pay those bills is THE SAME as getting a fifth credit card.  This management plan by our government suggests that this is EXACTLY WHAT YOU SHOULD DO.  (And many people do.)  That fifth card raises the family's personal debt ceiling.  Our government tells us that this is the responsible way of handling your finances.  It is how the government handles theirs.  But, I ask you, does this seem like the responsible way of handling debt?  Or does your Bullshit Meter tell you that this family needs to cut back and find a way to live within their income AND get rid of some bills so that they can pay down those credit cards???  That means if their kids don't have the newest IPhone, IPad, and IPod the world isn't going to stop turning.

When you are on the verge of filing Bankruptcy (whether you choose to believe it or not), you get rid of everything extra.  Believe me, the taxes of the average citizen pay for a lot of Extra.  That doesn't mean tampering with people's social security or withholding help from people who really need it.  If you would like a small list of the garbage your taxes pay for (to the tune of wildly outrageous sums) you can look over this list my friend JJ, The Disconnected Writer, found and posted in a bit aptly titled "As Rome Burned" on his blog.

If you can justify continuing to spend money on that junk (and lots more like it) than I guess it's worth opening that new line of credit for 16 trillion plus dollars.  But, I just don't see it.  I think we can start to get rid of some of the idiocy and save future generations a lot of pain.

So, where do you stand on raising the debt ceiling and why??? And what about the ACA??? Bring it on.  This is your opportunity to tell me what you really think.

Friday, October 18, 2013

HERE'S TO YOU... again... yep, I forgot one!

Peeps, I don't know where to put the blame for this boo boo.  Senility?  Insanity?  It's a day that ends in "Y"????

I happily published my HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY post yesterday and went off and ran all sorts of errands.... blah blah blah.  I came back and published some comments, but I still didn't notice that something was MISSING.

Missing?  Yep.  I totally forgot to dedicate some footage to someone.  I just realized it when I was going to stop in and leave a comment that there was something for this person on their blog when it hit me.... You didn't post that video, Robin.  You can't refer them to the Thursday post because you forgot.

Holy tomoly.  I have never done that before in the nearly three years I have been doing this feature.  Can you believe that?  Nearly three years?

I just deviated from the path.  Did you notice?  Anyway... this dedication should have been on yesterday's post, but isn't.  Please accept my humble apologies for temporarily misplacing my brain.  And if you missed yesterday's post, stop in and check that out, too.  There could be something dedicated to YOU.

This one's for Rawknrobyn at Life By Chocolate: Robyn Alana Engel's Blog:

Thursday, October 17, 2013

HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY

Hello!  It's me again.  In case the week has completely gotten away from you... today is Thursday.  And you KNOW what that means.  You don't?  It's HERE TO YOU THURSDAY!!!!  ::horns blow raucously::

This is a weekly event landing typically on Thursdays.  The best (or worst) part is that I am not going to explain why I chose "whatever" footage for each of you. If, you watch your footage and are scratching your head at the end, well that means I didn't do a very good job. However, all is not lost. You can email me at rarichards68@gmail.com and ask me what I was thinking when I chose that particular piece of footage off of youtube and connected it to you. And then I will tell you. Then I will start sending up prayers that I haven't offended the crap out of whoever is on the receiving end of that email....lol. Because, honestly, I will tell you right now... I admire all of you enormously so I really hope that doesn't happen.

Also, this is not an exclusive venture by any means. I hope that you will take the time to watch ALL of the footage because I don't pick bad footage:-) I also hope that you might check out the blog of the person I dedicated the footage to because they are pretty darn awesome. If you haven't figured this out yet... I pick the footage based on something that you've written or something that I've gleaned from your personality. Think on that for a while... If you are having trouble watching the entire video (meaning it is being cut off on one side), click on it a couple of times and it will take you straight over to youtube. If you click on the four squares at the bottom corner of the video, it will enlarge it to fill your screen. The escape key will bring it back to normal size. The back arrow will bring you back to my page.

Now, let's get this PARTY STARTED!!!!

This one is for everyone:


This one is for DiscConnected at BACK IN THE USSR:


This one is for Yvonne at Writing My Life Away!:


This one is for Mary the Food Floozie:


This one is for Jasmine at A Yellow Rose of Texas:


This one is for Jay Noel:


This one is for Empty Nest at Empty Nest Insider:



Tuesday, October 15, 2013

BATTLE OF THE BANDS VI

Today is the 15th of the month and that means another Battle of the Bands.  Other blogs featuring battles are Far Away Series, FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS, Tossing It Out, and DiscConnected.  I encourage you to visit their blog and cast your vote for your favorite.  You have a week to get over there and make your voice heard.



The song up for today is It Had To Be You.  I learned a lot about this song when I decided to bring it forth (thank you Wikipedia).  It was originally written in 1924 by Isham Jones, with lyrics by Gus Kahn.  That year nine different people recorded it.  The song was sung in the following films: Melody In May (1936), The Roaring Twenties (1939), Casablanca (1942), Incendiary Blonde (1945), I'll See You In My Dreams (1951), Annie Hall (1977), and A League of Their Own (1992).  Harry Connick, Jr. recorded it for the film When Harry Met Sally (1989).  However, it has been recorded by dozens of people including, but not limited to,  Doris Day, Ray Charles, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Don McLean, Kenny G, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, and, most recently, Michael Buble.

In other words, there is not a shortage of choice for this song.  I asked my mother who she remembered FIRST singing it and she said "Frank Sinatra."  I predicted that, but wasn't certain.  I suspect that the Sinatra version is what most of you are accustomed to hearing, even though it wasn't the first or last recording.  So, I am not putting it in the battle.  Let's listen instead to two very different recordings of this song.  You will note that one of them begins completely differently than the other.  For the record, I found several recordings that include this introduction.

First up for your consideration... Tony Bennett:



Next up for your consideration... Harry Connick, Jr.:


Cast your vote below in the comments along with all of the reasons why you chose who you did.  Due to a guest post appearing on the 22nd of this month, I will post the winner here on the 20th (one day early).  So, you have until Oct. 20 to get those votes in!!!

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Where Are My Keys?

I see from your comments that many of you skipped on over to Unicorn Bell to check out the kissing scenes.  I told you in my last post that I submitted one of them.  For the curious, mine was #4 Out of Touch.  My novel is actually a Paranormal Mystery/Romance.  That was a bit of the romance.  All submissions won a copy of C.D. Coffet's novel Wilder Mage.  This week Unicorn Bell is critiquing 1,500 word submissions.  Yep.  I submitted again.  However this goes down it will be illuminating.  In other words, I need all of the help I can get!

I just posted a blog bit about Vampires, Zombies, Superheroes, and all things Supernatural over on my TV blog, TV Junction Function.  If you are into that sort of thing you may want to add your two cents.

In two days the next Battle of the Bands will be taking place.  I hope to see you here with your ears on and ready to vote!

No big news here.  I am about to start a gardening project despite the fact that my gardening experience borders on nil.  I figure there is no time like the present to learn.  Maybe I will post a picture when it is finished...

Remember that bridge I told you about that was hit by the large ship and is out of order?  Well, it's still out of order and making traffic miserable.

Just for the heck of it, we went to a car tent sale a few days ago.  I ended up test driving a few things.  I haven't bought a vehicle in a long time.  Honestly, we don't need another car yet.  But, I am hoping that soon we will.  Of course, we are looking for something used, compact, good gas mileage.  Blah blah blah.  As a former salesperson myself, it is always supremely interesting to watch another salesman at work.  I drove THREE vehicles and the guy was determined to sell me one of them.  I wasn't crazy about the price tag of any of them and I didn't immediately fall in love.  Yet, he was certain that I would buy.  I told him that I hadn't driven enough makes/models to know what I wanted and this was just investigation.  He asked me which of the three cars I liked best, so I told him.  He then used this analogy about keys.

Him: Have you ever misplaced your car keys?

Me: Yes.  (shakes head lost in the memory and frustration of said experience)

Him: Once you find them do you continue to look for them?

Me: Well, no.

He then hands me the keys of the "favorite" car.  ::light switch moment::  I laugh.  He is trying to sell me on the fact that I have found my "dream car" and don't need to keep looking.  It was pretty good IF I had actually found my dream car.  I hadn't.

However, I like the analogy.  It can be applied to many things other than buying a car.  Or buying anything.  Are there times in life when we have the answer but keep looking anyway?  Absolutely.  If we don't like the answer we are getting, we continue to prowl around seeking out another alternative.  I have done it to my detriment and to my well-being.  The key is knowing the difference.

On a side note, every so often I get a comment in a HERE'S TO YOU post about how great these posts are, but that no one ever posts anything for me... and that is wrong somehow.  To show you how my brain works, if I were to read this post on someone else's page, I would have gone looking for this and dedicated it to them in the HERE'S TO YOU post for next week:





Can you think of a time when you figuratively continued to "look for the key" when the answer was already yours?  Or a time when pressing on for another solution made the situation better? 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Kiss This!

Huntress, aka C.D. Coffett, over at Unicorn Bell invited writers to submit a 300 word sample of a Kissing Scene over at her site.  The last day for entry is Oct. 12 and I am almost certain prizes will be awarded.  I submitted a scene from my Work In Progress, though I will not tell you which submission is mine.  I invite you to visit her site and participate in the reading process.  These submissions are not being critiqued, but each one can get a vote of Yay or Nay.  In other words, you either like it or you don't.  Anyone can vote, so have fun:)  Fair warning:  It's pretty hot in there!!!



P.S.  I did post HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY earlier today, so back up one post to get in on THAT party.  There might be something dedicated to YOU!!!!

HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY

Hello!  It's me again.  In case the week has completely gotten away from you... today is Thursday.  And you KNOW what that means.  You don't?  It's HERE TO YOU THURSDAY!!!!  ::horns blow raucously::

This is a weekly event landing typically on Thursdays.  The best (or worst) part is that I am not going to explain why I chose "whatever" footage for each of you. If, you watch your footage and are scratching your head at the end, well that means I didn't do a very good job. However, all is not lost. You can email me at rarichards68@gmail.com and ask me what I was thinking when I chose that particular piece of footage off of youtube and connected it to you. And then I will tell you. Then I will start sending up prayers that I haven't offended the crap out of whoever is on the receiving end of that email....lol. Because, honestly, I will tell you right now... I admire all of you enormously so I really hope that doesn't happen.

Also, this is not an exclusive venture by any means. I hope that you will take the time to watch ALL of the footage because I don't pick bad footage:-) I also hope that you might check out the blog of the person I dedicated the footage to because they are pretty darn awesome. If you haven't figured this out yet... I pick the footage based on something that you've written or something that I've gleaned from your personality. Think on that for a while... If you are having trouble watching the entire video (meaning it is being cut off on one side), click on it a couple of times and it will take you straight over to youtube. If you click on the four squares at the bottom corner of the video, it will enlarge it to fill your screen. The escape key will bring it back to normal size. The back arrow will bring you back to my page.

Now, let's get this PARTY STARTED!!!!

This one is for everyone:


This one is for Mitzi at Mitzi's Corner:


This one is for Shoes at Red Shoe's Chronicles:


This one is for Brandon Ax at Writer's Storm: Brandon Ax:


This one is for Susan at I Think; Therefore, I Yam:


This one is for Susan Gourley/Kelley at Susan Says:


This one is for Huntress aka C.D. Coffett at Unicorn Bell:

Monday, October 7, 2013

BOTB Results, No Third Blog, and a Moment of Thanks





Let's begin with the results from Battle of the Bands.  Your participation in this round was not nearly as strong as in past posts.  I am going to chalk that up to the post being up only one day before it was covered by my IWSG post and then again by my HERE'S TO YOU post.  Despite the fact that I linked back to it in both of them, so many people simply don't have the time to read older posts.  I get it.  So, there were only nine people who placed votes (including me).  And all my vote did was tie things up so that there was no solid winner for first.  ::sigh::  Sheryl Crow received three votes and Keith Hampshire received two, until I added mine, and that created the tie.  Until I heard the Keith Hampshire version, I was fully prepared to also vote for Sheryl.  His version surprised the heck out of me.


P.P. Arnold received two votes.  My friend Stephen indicated in the comments that he expected me to vote for Ms. Arnold.  I remember laughing at the time.  I have a really hard time with singers with vibrato who tend to be all over the note.  So, while I loved aspects of that version, her voice drove me crazy.  I think this feeling might go all the way back to my time spent in choir during school.  There are no soloists in a choir.  No vibrato.  You sing like that and the entire choir sounds terrible because you cannot stay on the right note.  Anyway, since then, vibrato is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me.

Rod Stewart did get the one write-in vote that I fully expected.  For the record, I do like Rod's version and am not at all averse to hearing it.

The next Battle of The Bands: 10/15/13.  I look forward to seeing you all back here for the next bout.  I am planning on just TWO options next time:)

I appreciate all of the feedback from so many voices regarding the start-up of a third blog for All Things Writing.  The overwhelming majority felt that just keeping two blogs going is a difficult task.  I tend to agree. My TV blog is often severely neglected.  So, my tentative plan is to write something on my mind over the weekend.  On Monday or Tuesday post something writing (if I have anything that week).  That means showcasing blog writing friends who have books coming out or possible writer interviews.  Or maybe even letting established writers post something here.  You get the idea.  And then Thursday will be the regular feature.  And I will try to post something once a week over on my TV blog.  Those are my blogging goals.

While I was in Vegas, a LARGE ship ran into one of our bridges.  Can you imagine being on that bridge at the time of impact????  Me either.  Anyway, it caused severe damage to the bridge (and I bet the ship, too). That bridge will be closed for at least another month.  They are saying one month, so I am expecting two.  Without it, there are severe traffic snarls everywhere.  When you live in a place with water on so many sides, bridges are imperatives.  One of our bridges is so high that it is frequently closed during storms (due to the wind).  Of course, I have no desire to be on it at that time, but if you NEED to be somewhere that is the fastest way.  Since the government is busy closing public places due to the Shutdown, I am (thus far) relieved that our bridges are still open.  The desire seems to be to inflict as much pain as possible on the people during this crazy time.  (Notice no Congresspeople or the President refusing their pay to make this easier on everyone.)  So, on this Monday, I am simply thankful that no one has thought to close the bridges in the name of the Shutdown.

What you are you thankful for today?

Thursday, October 3, 2013

HERE'S TO YOU THURSDAY

Me at the Infamous Welcome To Las Vegas sign
SURPRISE. Drum roll please. You're shocked, right?  Yesterday I said that the Thursday post was non-existent.  (Subtext: forget about it, because it isn't going to happen!)  And then the magic happened and you guys wrote amazing stuff and it all came together!!!

There is still time to vote for your favorite in The Battle of the Bands competition post.  Click here to read, listen, and make YOUR voice count.


This is a weekly event landing typically on Thursdays.  The best (or worst) part is that I am not going to explain why I chose "whatever" footage for each of you. If, you watch your footage and are scratching your head at the end, well that means I didn't do a very good job. However, all is not lost. You can email me at rarichards68@gmail.com and ask me what I was thinking when I chose that particular piece of footage off of youtube and connected it to you. And then I will tell you. Then I will start sending up prayers that I haven't offended the crap out of whoever is on the receiving end of that email....lol. Because, honestly, I will tell you right now... I admire all of you enormously so I really hope that doesn't happen.

Also, this is not an exclusive venture by any means. I hope that you will take the time to watch ALL of the footage because I don't pick bad footage:-) I also hope that you might check out the blog of the person I dedicated the footage to because they are pretty darn awesome. If you haven't figured this out yet... I pick the footage based on something that you've written or something that I've gleaned from your personality. Think on that for a while... If you are having trouble watching the entire video (meaning it is being cut off on one side), click on it a couple of times and it will take you straight over to youtube. If you click on the four squares at the bottom corner of the video, it will enlarge it to fill your screen. The escape key will bring it back to normal size. The back arrow will bring you back to my page.

Now, let's get this PARTY STARTED!!!!

This one is for everyone:


This one is for Jasmine at A Yellow Rose of Texas:


This one is for Al Diaz at Father Dragon Writes:


This one is for Kimberly Gabriel at The Art of Infiltration:


This one is for Mary at Go Ahead... Take A Bite:


This one is for Ilima Todd at Ilima Todd, YA Author:


This one is for Stephen T. McCarthy at FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS:
Me at The Peppermill


Lunch at The Peppermill


This one is for Alex J. Cavanaugh, J.L. Campbell, Michelle Wallace, Joylene Nowell Butler, Susan Gourley/Kelley, L.Diane Wolfe, and Lynda Young:

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

IWSG, BOTB, A Third Blog?, and Balance



Today is the first Wednesday of the month and that means it is time for an Insecure Writer's Support Group post. The link will take you directly to the group page.  There is a Linky List there for anyone who would like to participate to sign up.  This group is not just for published writers.  Nope. Anyone who is struggling with writing is invited to join.  Alex J. Cavanaugh founded the group a few years ago and it is now hundreds strong.  Yeah, that means that there are a TON of Insecure Writers out there.


As many of you know, I have been on vacation for the last two weeks.  We went to Las Vegas and then back to Augusta, GA, for a few days.  During that time I have contributed NADA to my WIP.  I returned home yesterday and all I had time for was to post my Battle of the Bands bout and vote on other people's battles on their blogs.  (If you missed that post, I really hope you will follow the link back and vote for your choice.  It is so much fun!!!)

It is safe to say that I am behind in Everything and my HERE'S TO YOU post is nonexistent.  And tomorrow is Thursday.... Yikes!

So, let me tell you about what I have been contemplating that is writing-related and get your input on THAT.

I currently have two blogs.  This one which I really like to use for non-writing things.  This blog was created with the intention of addressing things that I felt were relevant in my life.  I tend to believe that if it is relevant for me that it will also speak to YOUR human experience as well.  I really wasn't kidding when I subtitled it Blog Therapy.  My other blog, TV Junction Function, is all about things on TV.  Sometimes I post on current TV shows and other times I take a step back in time and look at things that have been cancelled.  If it was on TV (ever), it is possible that it may appear on that blog.

Since I have started writing (again), and following more blogs of writers, I now think that I just might need a THIRD blog.  Yep.  One that is strictly to promote other writers, acknowledge some of the great blogs or sites that I have found that help other writers, etc.  I suppose my question for you folks who ARE writers, is that a good idea?  Would you follow that blog?  Do you have multiple blogs that you use for entirely different purposes?  What has your experience been?

Most important... I don't want to be so consumed with blogging that my writing time dwindles down to nothing.  It is becoming very clear to me that I must establish a balance.  So, in addition to my question about the third blog, I am also willing to hear any strategies that have helped you to achieve Balance in your life.

Bring it on.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

BATTLE OF THE BANDS V




I know that I am late posting today.  It is the 1st of the month and the time for another Battle of The Bands match-up.  We finished the final leg of our travels today, so this is my first opportunity to get this post up.  Apologies...everyone!


I did take a moment before deciding (definitively) about my bout to check out what was going on over at other blogs participating in this music fest.  Far Away Series,  FERRET-FACED FASCIST FRIENDS,  and DiscConnected are all hosting triple plays.  Tossing It Out has two songs up for your consideration.  Alex J. Cavanaugh is not participating this round.  So, now you know who to visit in order to complete your tour of the Battle of The Bands!

 I checked over my list of possible contenders and found one with multiple recordings.  Since most of the other bouts are engaging in a triple this round, I changed my mind and opted to go with this song.  There are actually five very different recordings (at least) of this song, so it wasn't easy narrowing it down.  ::understatement::

The song for this week is The First Cut Is The Deepest.  It was written by Cat Stevens and first topped out on the charts when P.P. Arnold recorded it.  That was back in May of 1967.  That version was reintroduced to the public in the movie Seven Psychopaths.  Cat Stevens recorded his own version later that year on his album Master Cuts, which came out in December of 1967.  However, he never released it as a single.  In 1973, a Canadian by the name of Keith Hampshire recorded it causing it to once again hit the Billboard charts.  However, for many younger people the song was "unknown" until Rod Stewart recorded it in 1977.  It rocketed once more to the top of the charts in 2003 when Sheryl Crow released it.

The first three versions of the song (Arnold, Stevens, and Hampshire) all sang the chorus like this:

"The first cut is the deepest, Baby I know —
The first cut is the deepest
'Cause when it comes to being lucky, she's cursed
When it comes to lovin' me, she's worse
But when it comes to being loved, she's first
That's how I know
The first cut is the deepest."

The Stewart and Crow versions both omitted the last three lines, lending an entirely different sentiment to the song.

Here is the original by P.P. Arnold:


Here is Keith Hampshire's version:


Here is Sheryl Crow's version:


Now, I know that there might be a die-hard Rod Stewart fan of this song. If so, you can still vote for him. Here is the link to hear his version. I am not embedding it, but you can still vote for it if it is your favorite!

To vote, just comment on which version you think is best and why.  The results will be posted in one week, so you have seven days to decide!