This Is Me--2024 A to Z Theme

My A to Z Themes in the past have covered a range of topics and for 2024 the theme is a personal retrospective that I call "I Coulda Been" which is in reference to my job and career arc over my lifetime. I'll be looking at all sorts of occupations that I have done or could have done. Maybe you've done some of these too!

Monday, September 28, 2015

Home Invasion Story

English: High detail closeup of a cockroach.
 High detail closeup of a cockroach. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


       I had a post ready to go for today, but then I decided to hold off on putting it up on my blog.  My reasoning goes along with some of my previous posts that spoke about political correctness and avoiding controversy that might work against what I'm trying to achieve with Tossing It Out.  This blog is certainly no stranger to controversy, but sometimes it can be better to let things stew in the pot a while longer.   For now I'm going to turn the heat down on my intended controversy and put that pot on the back burner.   Instead, managing to still stay with the theme of my upcoming Battle of the Bands, I will present something that is more allegorical than overt.

The Cockroach Invasion

      A year or two after moving to our house in East Tennessee we were faced with a highly unpleasant situation.   Cockroaches had been sighted in our kitchen.   In all of my 16 years of living I had never seen a cockroach.  To my mind they were almost mythical--something one might see in a cartoon or hear about in urban slum dwellings.  Yet now they were here in our home.   We were all horrified by this discovery.

      At first the sightings were random and few.  We killed as many as we could see and thought this would win the battle.  However one night after returning from a family outing we turned on the kitchen lights to face hundreds of the dreadful creatures scurrying every which way.  The kitchen that night must have looked like a barn dance hoedown as my father, sister, and I began stomping every roach we could manage to destroy.  War had been declared and we were hopelessly outnumbered.

       Our best guess as to where the nasty critters came from was that they had made their way in groceries from the neighborhood market.  Since there weren't many grocery shopping choices in our area back then we continued to shop at that market.  Now however we were more careful about our pickings in that store and checked bags carefully after we brought them home.  Perhaps that stemmed the flow of new incoming roaches, but the ones that were already firmly established in our home were breeding with great abundance.  Roaches were in every cupboard and even showing up inside food packages.  This war was now going to call for drastic measures.   None of our family wanted to live with roaches in our midst.

        So we did the obvious thing and called the exterminator.   This was after an ineffective attempt to use bug spray we bought from the store.  That stuff smelled horrible and probably was eventually as likely to kill us as it would the cockroaches.  The exterminator used a substance that had little lasting odor and the delivery device he used covered every room of the house.   I'm not sure what poison he was using, but it seemed better to deal with that than having to share a house with an ever growing population of cockroaches in that house.

          My mother signed a year-long contract for the exterminator to come by once each month to spray.    After his second visit the cockroaches appeared to be conquered.  If any were still hiding away in the deeper recesses of the house, the succeeding visits by the exterminator must have finished all of them off.   In the fifty years since that incident we have yet to see any return of cockroaches.

          When unwanted invaders threaten to take over ones home, drastic action needs to be taken in order to maintain the status quo of ones life.  Cockroaches are amazing creatures to observe as well as being hardy survivors.  Let's face it though, they are not willing to assimilate into the family like a dog or a cat or any other pet.   Cockroaches are set on establishing their own society without regard to the society upon which they are encroaching.  I for one am not desirous of sharing my living space with cockroaches, rats, or any other unclean pests.   What other options do we have?

Battle of the Bands Song Clue



        On Thursday I will have another Battle of the Bands post.  The story above offers some hints to my song choice, but let me give you a few more:






  • The song I'll be using is a very well known folk song that is speculated to date back to the 15th century.


  • The song's lyrics have often changed depending on the times and circumstances, but typically the subject matter has to do with politics.


  • This song can often be heard in cartoons or comedies.


  • You may have sung this ditty when you were a child in school, but with age appropriate lyrics.


  • My first presenter of the song is a highly respected American artist who had a fondness for marijuana.


  • The second recording is by an immensely talented and highly educated artist from Mexico whose name might make one think she comes from the United States.


        Please be here on Thursday October 1st to find out what song I'll be using and by which artists.   I've been having fun with this one and I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

         Have you ever had to deal with an infestation of pests?  If so, how did you remedy the situation?   Do you have any idea what my next song choice will be?   Can you guess the artists?

Monday, September 21, 2015

People Hear But Often Don't Listen (BOTB results)

An example of crossover between video game cul...
An example of crossover between video game culture and graffiti culture found on the Berlin Wall (Photo credit: Wikipedia)


       Of late my frustrations with our screwed up society have been exacerbated.  More than ever before, media creates the stories that become our history and provides interpretations of what people say rather than merely reporting what they say.    That which is presented as news is distorted in order to fulfill agendas and control our thinking.   No wonder so many in the United States are amazingly nonchalant about who we are as a nation and where we are going in the future.

       As I have been watching certain television reports lately I am baffled when I know what I heard and what I understood about what has been said and then the talking heads reinterpret things for me to let me know what I was supposed to have heard and what it is that I'm supposed to think.   This is a technique that is in essence mind or thought control.

       The U.S. government has been working on the collective brain of society for years now as certain influential groups have been whittling away our traditional thinking and twisting our history into the story they want us to believe about ourselves.  My memory is fading as I grow older, but the powers that pervade the general belief systems of the American psyche in an attempt to pervert rational thinking in favor of emotions are interfering with my ability to remember the United States of America as a beacon for the world.   The guiding light that once made this nation great may be dying out and many of the younger generations don't even realize it or for that matter care.

        I'm puzzled when something makes total sense to me and then the message bearers from the media tell me that I'm wrong and then let me know according to them what I am supposed to be witnessing and hearing.  I'm not naming names or citing specific situations.  I'm being enigmatic for a good reason.   This is just my way of saying something without actually saying it.  Obfuscation is a media tactic and a ruse of the politicians that seems to be the way we are often forced to use as our method of communication and now here I am also resorting to it, not in the way they do, but in the way I feel I must for reasons some of you might understand.   If you don't understand then I see no reason to explain this to you.

         Besides, those who don't like me or what I'm saying will shape my statements to suit their own needs.   Most everyone else isn't listening anyway.


Results for Battle of the Bands

         My most recent Battle featured the Kool and the Gang hit "Cherish" with versions by The Katinas and Pappa Bear.   Knowing the nature of my voting audience, the winner of the contest was no real surprise.  What did surprise me was how well the rap artist Pappa Bear actually did.   I had even considered the possibility of a blowout in favor of the Katinas, but a handful of you kept that from happening.

          One thing for certain is that my vote would not have saved Pappa Bear although I thought the rap version was pretty good.   Rap is not a genre that I normally listen to, but I like to keep an open mind about music and I can honestly say that there are some rap songs that I actually don't mind and in some cases I even think a few rap songs are quite good.  However, I would imagine that my general  preference in music will always fall in a direction away from rap.  This is so in the case of this match-up and my preference is with the group The Katinas.

Final Vote Tally:

The Katinas         23 votes

Pappa Bear            7 votes

     
One More Thing...

      Regarding my opening statement, you can make what you want of it.  You can consider it an exercise in writing or another rant blogging in the wind.  I tend to do some of both.  When something strikes me strongly I tend to say more than "ouch" and then fade with a whimper, but then again what I say might be so veiled that I leave people guessing or just moving on to the next thing.  I do what I feel like I need to do, but often not to the extent that some would think I should do.   I guess that's my business though.  And for now I do mean "business".

      Next Battle of the Bands will be on Thursday October 1st when I will get political by presenting one of the most well-known and perhaps oldest of political songs--a song that most of you probably wouldn't even associate with politics.  You might be surprised.

       Do you avoid discussing what is meaningful to you for fear of offending others?    Can you think of any recent blatant mind manipulations in the media?   Have you avoided any genre of music merely because of your decision not to like any of it?  

         

       

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Cherish (BOTB)




       Once again it's time for Battle of the Bands.  This is the event that takes place on the 1st and 15th of each month.  Far Away Eyes at Far Away Series gets the credit for first conceiving this study in song version comparison. Stephen T McCarthy maintains the participant list and answers your questions about the event--you can find his blog with a list of participants at  StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands.   This is not at all complicated:  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 Battles to vote on.

The Song:  "Cherish"

       In a post from FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 I talked about my personal story behind my song pick for today's Battle of the Bands.  The song "Cherish" was originally released by Kool and the Gang in 1985 as the B-side to the hit "Ladies Night".   Sometimes referred to as "Cherish the Love" this "Cherish" is not to be confused with the song of the same title by the group The Association.   To hear the original Kool and the Gang version click here, but please do not vote for this version.  

       
Cherish (Kool & the Gang song)
Cherish (Kool and the Gang song) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
         As I stated in my previous post about the song "Cherish", I initially paid little attention to the song when it was released.  A few years later I actually paid attention to the song and the lyrics.  The sentiments expressed by the song deeply touched me.  Now whenever the song comes on the radio I'll turn up the volume and listen to the lyrics.  This is one song that brings a tear to my eye when I hear it.  I'll discuss more about this in my next post at Wrote By Rote as I present a Soundtrack of My Life post.

       I usually don't post lyrics, but for this song I will in order to provide more perspective:

  1. Cherish
  2. Let's take a walk together near the ocean shore
    Hand in hand you and I
    Let's cherish every moment we have been given
    The time is passing by
    I often pray before I lay down
    By your side
    If you receive your calling before I awake
    Could I make it through the night
    Cherish the love we have, we should cherish the life we live
    Cherish the love, cherish the life, cherish the love
    Cherish the love we have, for as long as we both shall live
    Cherish the love, cherish the life, cherish the love
    The world is always changing, nothing stays the same
    But love will stand the test of time
    The next life that we live in remains to be seen
    Will you be by my side
  3.       Call me sappy or sentimental--I can be unashamedly so at times--but for me these lyrics carry such a powerful message and I absolutely adore the melody of the song. Enjoy the versions that I have to offer in this round of Battle of the Bands.
 
The Katinas  "Cherish the Love" (2013)

        This version of "Cherish the Love" is by a contemporary Christian group consisting of five brothers from American Samoa.   The vocals are pretty tasty with some fine harmony and funky back-up.  Get into this recording and see what you think.






Pappa Bear "Cherish the Love"  (1997)

       I've probably said somewhere that I doubted that I'd ever use a rap song for one of my Battles.  That was until I found this version of "Cherish".  And really this is not so much a rap song as it is a pop song with some rapping added to it.  I hope you'll give it a fair listen since it's pretty soft edged as far as rap style songs go.

      Originally from Netherlands Antilles, Pappa Bear, with his rap hip-hop style, gives love song "Cherish" a bit of a twist.  The recording didn't get much notice in the U.S. but achieved hit status throughout Europe when it was released.  This is not too bad to my ears--the kind of rap I can listen to.  See how you compare this to the version by The Katinas.




Time to Vote!

         I cherish your votes in my song version Battles so I hope you'll add yours. Which song version do you like the best? Surely you think one is better than the other even if you don't like either presentation as much as the original version. Judge what you hear in the above videos. Which version do you prefer? It's up to you to help determine the winner.

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:

FAR AWAY SERIES’ 

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

'Curious as a Cathy'

Sound of One Hand Typing

DC Relief Battle of the Bands

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Cherdo on the Flipside  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Women:  We Shall Overcome  

Book Lover

J. A. Scott  

Quiet Laughter

Holli's Hoots and Hollers

NovelBrews

Results on Monday September 21st

        Find out who gets the most votes in my post of Monday September 21st.  And don't forget to drop by at Wrote By Rote on Saturday September 19th when I add "Cherish" to the Soundtrack of My Life.

          Are there any songs that move you to tears?    Do you typically prefer sadder songs or more upbeat songs?  Do you have a favorite song by Kool and the Gang?









Monday, September 14, 2015

Do You Still Love Your Blog?


        I love my blog.   In a manner of speaking I can say that.  After all, the word "love" is perhaps one of the most misused and misunderstood words in the English language.  We all tend to say that we love certain foods, times of the year, places, or things.  Then of course we love certain people. There should probably be degrees of love or different words to actually express the kind of "love" we are trying to express.  Instead we lump a lot of things into one word that loses power in its overuse and misuse.

        So in thinking more about my blog post title today, maybe I should change the word "love" to something less enigmatic.  What is actually on my mind is enthusiasm or interest perhaps.   From my own standpoint I continue to be dedicated to my blog with a sense of commitment.   I don't post like I did in my first year of blogging and as I continue to blog I seem to be cutting back more.

        It's not that I dislike blogging or anything remotely like that.  I remain passionate about my blog, but in a different way that I once felt.  Blogging can be an enormous undertaking as those of you who have blogged as I do already know.   A time for reevaluation of blogging has come for me.  Now don't get me wrong here--I'm not indicating that I am going to quit blogging.   But I will continue to see a metamorphic cycle in my blogging activity and currently I'm not exactly sure where it will all take me.  For now, my blogging trend will be as it has been in the past months--a combination of Battle of the Bands, Insecure Writer's Support Group, and a random assortment of peculiar or even utterly normal thoughts. And let's not forget Blogging from A to Z April Challenge.  In other words, business as usual.      

        My Blog Schedule tab at the top of my page has become more of a historical artifact of where Tossing It Out once was and no longer representative of what it has become at this time.   Next week my schedule might become more predictable, but then again maybe the schedule will go further awry.  I like my blog a lot.   Sometimes it has a mind of its own and I must respect that.

         But love?   There are many words that work better than the word love to describe certain things.   Likewise there are many synonyms that can work for the word love.  How can we say love?   Let us count the words...






       And speaking of Battle of the Bands, what a convenient Monday day-before-the-event post this is.   It's kind of a throwaway post that will likely pass as quickly as most of those I used to put up when I was posting daily.  

         Consider this post a prelude to tomorrow's BOTB post and a clue as to the song I'll be using this time around.   I will say that it's a love song.  It's also a song that I posted about a few months ago.  The song is one that I find very touching and meaningful in my own life.  Be sure to stop in tomorrow Tuesday September 15th for my next Battle of the Bands post.

          What do you "love" most about blogging?    What do you dislike most?   What replacement words for "love" can you think of?    Can you guess what song I'll be using for my next Battle of the Bands post?



Monday, September 7, 2015

Question of the Month & BOTB Results




         The Question of the Month is hosted by Michael G D'Agostino from A Life Examined.  The first Monday of each month I'll be answering a question posed by Michael prior to event day.  Click on the link to his blog for more participants.   

      Here is this month's question:

“What’s the best job you’ve ever had?”

      Retirement certainly has a plus side and is an especially good gig if you've got a great pension plan or some other generous access to financial resources with the good health to enjoy it all.   Unfortunately, though I've got the health, I am limited by the finance part, but then again aren't most of us?   I'm enjoying a lot of aspects of retirement, but it's not as good as the best job I've ever had.

      Perhaps it's my glass half full attitude that's made my work life seem so blessed.  In every job that I've had over the years I've always managed to find something good about each of them.  There has been no job that I've absolutely hated.  On the contrary, I've been thankful to have had the employment that I have found--or has found me--and each job contributed something positive to my life besides the obvious benefit of a paycheck.  A positive attitude does wonders for what can potentially be a tedious and uncomfortable circumstance.

       My employment history has included stints as a golf caddy, construction worker, telephone solicitor, delivery person, limo driver, warehouse worker, dishwasher, marketing research data collector, retail sales associate, show promoter, general business manager, cold caller, and entertainer.  I can't say that I loved every one of these jobs, but each one served a purpose in its season and added value to my personal growth.

        Of all of the jobs in my life, the ones related to the entertainment industry have been the best.  Growing up in a family that regularly worked professional gigs as a juggling act, I fell in love with being on stage, entertaining before audiences, and the whole lifestyle that went with the profession.  Since my father had a normal day job, we had bookings set up for weekends, evenings, or vacation times.   Juggling was a sideline for our family, but it was a great way to pick up extra money and have a darn good time while doing so.  Early in my life I decided that one day I wanted to have a full-time career in the entertainment industry.

       In 1975 the opportunity to fulfill the dream I had so long harbored was presented to me with an offer to join the Ken Griffin Magic and Illusion Show.  The Griffin's were a seasoned husband and wife team with a notable history in the entertainment industry.  They had written a book--Illusion Show Know How--which gained them a large following among working magicians as well as the dreamers who hoped to one day to pursue careers in stage magic.  Starting my solo entertainment career with the Griffins was an ideal way to break into the business.

Emulating the flamboyant 70's style of disco magic, here I am at the conclusion of the famous Houdini Metamorphosis Trunk Escape as presented with the Ken Griffin Magic Show at the 1976 Abbott's Magic Get-Together in Colon, Michigan.  Being on stage can feel pretty great!
     As much as I enjoyed working on the Ken Griffin Magic Show, the bookings were not enough to keep us working as much as I would have liked and this in turn resulted in my not making enough money to support me and the wife who I had married while working on the show.  They did not have a regular agent booking a consistent tour so we began doing our own bookings and promotion prior to each show.  In doing this I learned a lot about those aspects of show business, but my preference was to tour and perform.   Another opportunity was offered to me in 1978 and this was much more to my liking.


The World of Fantasy

        I was living my dream with the Ken Griffin Show, but I still had a fantasy about touring without having to do the booking and promoting work.  Then my fantasy became a reality as I entered a world of fantasy.  That is, The World of Fantasy Players, a troupe run by magic entertainer and diverse businessman Philip Morris from Charlotte, North Carolina.  

         On visiting a Ken Griffin Show performance in Gastonia, North Carolina, Philip Morris offered my wife and I a job with his touring show.  The World of Fantasy Players presented theatrical stage versions of popular children's stories that incorporated music, dance, and magic.  Each year the show toured throughout the U.S. and Canada for about nine months.  With the blessing of the Griffins, my wife and I accepted Philip's offer to join the Players troupe.

        As the story turns out, my stint with The World of Fantasy Players became the best job I ever had.  In my first two years I was a featured performer in the show doing juggling and magic while my wife was one of the actors.  In 1981 I took over as road manager and remained in that position until 1991 when I continued working for Philip Morris managing a costume distribution warehouse in the Los Angeles area.

         There were many things that made my job with the World of Fantasy Players great.  For one thing the extent of the travel was an opportunity that I would have unlikely achieved on my own.  Yearly we crisscrossed North American visiting major places as well as small towns many have never heard of yet been to.   All of this travel--transportation and lodging--was paid by the company and even though we often kept a very busy performance schedule, there was almost always time to sight see and to enjoy the local color of the places we visited.  

         Decent lodging was always included as part of the package.  Especially after I took over management of our road affairs, I made sure that we stayed in nice places that provided the comfort of home away from home.  When my kids were small we could travel with them with no problems.  Later after they started becoming school age we left the road life to settle down.

        Would I do something like this again if I had a chance?   As long as my wife was game to go I'd take a similar job for sure.  Doing exactly what I was doing twenty years ago maybe not so much (though with a show crew doing all of the heavier work it might not be so bad), but I wouldn't mind going back to some kind of touring life.         

        When I hear rock and roll stars or other big entertainers complain about life on the road I have to laugh.  They have it made.  Posh hotels, deluxe transportation, and many other perks--doesn't sound like all that bad of a life to me.  I suppose there are some who have it rougher than others, but over all most of them don't know the kind of life where the stage stars are also the roadies and drivers.  But it's not a bad life when all the conditions are right.   And even if the conditions are not always right, you sure can get some good stories out of it.





       
Battle of the Bands Results:  Another Brick in the Wall

         Another Battle has been waged and it's time for the winner announcement.   On September 1st my song pick was "Another Brick in the Wall" between Daria Plyushko and Gavino Loche.  I had a pretty good idea who would win in this one, but I didn't expect quite the lopsided outcome.  

         After many listenings of the song I was torn.  Sometimes I was in a "Lazy" mood and got into the chill of the Plyushko version.  In the end though I had to hand my vote to the guitar wizardry of Gavino Loche.   I had a lot of voters who went the same way as I did.

Final Voting Results:

Daria Plyushko        7            

Gavino Loche        27

          Another Battle of the Bands will be coming your way on Tuesday September 15th.   That post will be part of an occasional series I'll be doing of versions of some of my favorite songs.   I'm going to try to tie these posts to "Soundtrack of my Life" posts on my Wrote By Rote blog. 

          Have you had a job that has especially stood out for you?    Have you had any jobs that involved extensive traveling or being away from home a lot?   Is there still a special dream job beyond your horizon?


Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Another Brick in the Wall (BOTB) (#IWSG)


Insecure Writer's Support Group
   
         It's time again for another edition of the Insecure Writer's Support Group, the monthly event hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh.   You too can join in on the fun and education by going to the link in previous sentence and adding your blog link.   But don't add your link unless you plan on actually being a part of the blog exchange.  A link with no #IWSG related content is like a hollow brick which weakens the wall in which that brick is placed.   After all, support is what #IWSG is all about.  

         And after you've read my contribution to the September #IWSG, please continue on to vote in my first September entry in my 2015 Battle of the Bands series.   Also, be sure to check Alex's blog on Wednesday September 2nd for a big #IWSG announcement.

Another Brick in the Wall

“Don't let schooling interfere with your education.” Mark Twain
A brick wall (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

      Life is filled with walls that are needed as well as those that are desired.  Walls can protect us from the elements, keep us secure from potentially harmful intruders, and provide privacy when we don't want others to see us.   However, there are sometimes those walls that stand in our way to keep us from moving forward.  Schooling and formal education are sometimes walls that become barriers to our creativity.

      We sometimes construct our own walls that limit us.  Our communities, friends, and family members can put up walls that are obstacles to be overcome.  With so many walls confronting our paths to success it's often left up to each of us to find our own ways around or over these walls.

       When I was in school as a kid and then later in college, I played by the rules when they made sense to me or when it was a matter of doing what I needed to in order to keep on progressing.  Sometimes however I armed myself with a sense of humor, a stubborn persistence, or pure logic and reason to make it to the other side of whatever wall stood in my way.

         In these days of my life there are still the walls that must be overcome in whatever ways they need conquering.  Ultimately there are few things that can hold us back more than ourselves.  I am my biggest hindrance.   I build walls and then have to figure a way to knock them down.   Not building those walls in the first place would be the biggest time saver and eliminator of stress.

       There are enough walls that life puts before us without us raising our own silly walls.  Count me guilty of putting up walls of excuses, distraction, and dalliance.  What about you?   Are you aware of the walls that keep you from reaching your goals?


Battle of the Bands:  Another Brick in the Wall

       With back to school time here again I wanted to find a song that seemed most appropriate for the occasion.  "Another Brick in the Wall" was the song that popped into my mind very first thing.  I attempted a playful approach on my previous post using a topic with controversy woven together with hints about the song I was going to use for this Battle.  However most readers were drawn into the controversy and entered into a very stimulating debate on the education related topics.   Only one commenter offered up a guess and she guessed correctly--congratulations Birgit.

       Most of you are probably familiar with this song by Pink Floyd, but if not you can find the original version by clicking here.   Don't vote on their version--only use it for reference.  The song has been covered numerous times and in various styles.   This Battle of the Bands edition offers two versions that are very different from the original.


Daria Plyushko "Another Brick in the Wall" (2011?)

        This Russian fashion model has several music and fashion videos on YouTube, but otherwise I didn't find much about her.   Take a listen to her laid back lazy sounding version of  "Another Brick in the Wall".   Since this is a "chill" version it has a comparably lengthy instrumental intro to set the mood, but then again this version is only a few seconds over three minutes so it's pretty darn short despite that instrumental intro.





Gavino Loche  "Another Brick in the Wall"  (2013?)

        In other BOTB contests between vocal and instrumental versions, some of you prefer hearing the lyrics.  Maybe you'll prefer the previous version because of that, but then again the virtuosity displayed by Gavino Loche might sway some voters.   I'm sure the musicians out there will especially appreciate this version of the Pink Floyd song.  






Time to Vote!

          Don't let anything stand in your way to keep you from voting on this Battle.   Which song version do you like the best?   Surely you think one is better than the other even if you don't like either presentation as much as the original version.  Just judge what you hear in the above videos.   Which version do you prefer?    It's up to you to help determine the winner.   

        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 (or which one was the least objectionable to your ears).  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:

FAR AWAY SERIES’ 

 StMcC Presents Battle of the Bands

 ‘YOUR DAILY DOSE’ 

  'MIKE'S RAMBLINGS'

DC Relief Battle of the Bands

The Doglady's Den 

Angel's Bark  

Cherdo on the Flipside  

Jingle, Jangle, Jungle 

Women:  We Shall Overcome  

Book Lover

J. A. Scott  

Quiet Laughter


Results on Monday September 7th

         My Labor Day post next Monday will have the results of the above Battle of the Bands post.    Please vote!   Battle of the Bands works better when I have votes to count.  Also next Monday I'll be posting for the Question of the Month which is hosted by Michael G D'Agostino from A Life Examined.   I hope you'll be here for these postings.

         What "walls" have been standing in the way of your personal progress?  How do you get past the walls that hinder you in life?    Has anything in your educational history had a detrimental effect upon your creativity?