STMcC’s Vote On '2018, Nov. 1st: Battle Of The Bands' - BOTB (Or, America Versus Electric Light Orchestra) And The Final Tally:
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It was my 'All Saints Day' Battle which took place HERE. And it was a "Twisted" BOTB installment, meaning that I used two different songs that were tied together by a theme. In this case, the theme was "Soundalikes" - America's 'A Horse With No Name' sounding like Neil Young, and ELO's 'Telephone Line' sounding like Paul McCartney & The Beatles.
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It was not a close contest, and although I generally like America better'n Electric Light Orchestra, my own vote went to 'Telephone Line'. The peculiar thing is that had this Battle taken place prior to July 27th of this year, I likely would have voted for 'Horse...'. But as I mentioned, I have had some Spiritual experiences occur this year, and as a result, ELO's 'Telephone Line' has become extremely meaningful to me.
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America = 6 votes
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Electric Light Orchestra = 12 votes
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My sincere thanks to all of YOU voters! Without you, BOTB would not exist.
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In The Battle Within The Battle, The Magic 8-Ball predicted the outcome correctly, while The Amazing Sixwell's prognosticating took a nosedive. This means our two psychics are all tied up again at 10 Hits & 5 Misses apiece. (That 8-Ball is tenacious!)
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Shortly after becoming a (Maverick) Christian, I bought the album 'Crimson & Blue' by Phil Keaggy, which contained the song 'Love Divine'. It may sound even more like Paul McCartney & The Beatles than does ELO:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALVI-O_vbiM
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I wasn't really planning to elaborate on my Spiritual experiences related to my tape 'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report' (songs, advertisements, disc jockey banter, traffic reports, and a beach report recorded from Los Angeles area radio stations in September, 1985). But we do take requests here, and Sixgun McItchyfinger wrote:
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"I am very interested in the revelations/divine inspiration that hit you TWICE, as described in your narrative above. I hope you tell us about it in the voting summary."
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Actually, there were three or maybe even four different occurrences. Below is an overview of the various "revelations" all blended together into one perfect, cold Mojito concocted by The Great Bartender in the Sky. Most of you readers will likely think I'm out of my mind, but that is 100% irrelevant to me. Whether folks believe this story or not, it makes no difference to me in the slightest.
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On Saturday, March 24th, I played 'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report' for the first time in over a decade. I couldn't even remember what was on the tape, but I was knocked out by some seemingly mystical quality to it.
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By analyzing things randomly recorded on that tape (including what appears to be a chronological impossibility), I came to believe that much of the tape was not "randomly" recorded after all. I now believe that the tape was largely "designed" by The Eternal Designer (aka The Great Bartender in the Sky).
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That is to say that, nine years before becoming a Christian on April, 6, 1994, I believe God was inspiring or guiding me to tape certain things. He was prompting me to turn the dial to radio stations at certain times. There are myriad clues that I wasn't fully in charge of this recording. Examples: That'll be the day when I change the radio station while Santana's 'Stormy' or 'Nights In White Satin' by the Moody Blues are playing, but I tape in their entirety Eric Clapton's 'She's Waiting' and 'Let's Go' by The Cars. No way are those decisions made by me! NO WAY is that the STMcC I've ever known!!
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Why would God do this? Because God, in His omniscience, knew that in 2018 I would need to receive an amazing message from Him in order to get me back on the Divine Railroad Track. I admit it, I had fallen back on my Spiritual life. I was nowhere near my previous peak Spiritual point - when I was being visited by angels and felt so connected to God and Christ that I was in that state Saint Paul spoke of as praying without ceasing.
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In 1985, God dropped little clues into 'Me, Lynth And The Beach Report' (too many to mention and too many to be "coincidental") that He knew I would recognize in 2018, when I would need the inspiration to get "back on Track". And then Jesus started using some of the songs on this tape to speak to me. (Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm insane. Tell me that when you get to Heaven and find me there sipping the perfect Mojito in the 'Cloud Nine Silver Lining Lounge'.)
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Jesus was telling me that if I would 'Take The Long Way Home' and enter through "the narrow gate", that 'Someday We'll Be Together' again. He was telling me that He has 'Two Tickets To Paradise' and one of them has my name on it. And especially, He wanted me to know that He was calling me back to the Spiritual place where I was in 1994 through the early 2000s. I needed to re-dedicate and re-devote myself to the Spiritual "walk of Life" for this final 10 or 11 years. We are - all of us - in the final Stretch Run now, and I was blowing it. 'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report' was exactly the Divine boost I needed right now to reignite my Spiritual passion.
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I really do believe that, through this tape, Yeshua (Jesus) is "calling" me back to Himself again, pleading with me to answer His Spiritual phone call.
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Huh? God can't design a cassette tape in 1985 that is specifically meant to deliver messages to one of His children in 2018? I would not presume to place ANY restrictions on what The Eternal God can do. He can do anything He chooses to do!
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One Spiritual experience that really blew my mind occurred while I was putting together my BOTB post and listening to the song 'Telephone Line', which is included on Side B of 'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report'. The song includes these lyrics:
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Don't you realize the things we did, we did, were all for real - not a dream?
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Initially, I thought this line about "a dream" was referring to the fact that my Spiritual peak was so long ago that it now seems almost like a dream to me.
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But on Oct. 28th, The Holy Spirit told me that the "dream" was actually a LITERAL dream I had in early January, 1998 . In truth, I believe that dream was a flashback to a previous lifetime in which I saw Yeshua on the original Palm Sunday and accepted Him then as my Savior King.
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Yes, I'm referring to reincarnation. Reincarnation is explicitly stated and frequently alluded to in The Holy Bible, and yet, Yeshua said that only those who have the Spiritual ears to hear it will recognize this fact.
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Reincarnation has also been objectively studied and been all but proven to occur on a pretty regular basis. These books shown below, by Dr. Ian Stevenson, are rather "dry", as they approach their subject in a very scholarly way, but they are also persuasive as all get-out!
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Well, that's it, my friends. I hope to see ya back here again for my November 15th BOTB installment.
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Bless And Be Blessed!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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Nice hearing that Keaggy song again. I bought that album as well and there are many others that I have on cassette and CD. Phil Keaggy is a very talented artist.
ReplyDeleteI won't be one to doubt your story because it's your story and not mine to doubt. God can speak to us in many ways and time offers no hindrance to His messages.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
LEE ~
Delete>>... Nice hearing that Keaggy song again.
There are one or two other songs on that same album that I may someday use in BOTB competitions. They're on my list, but it's a pretty long list.
>>... I won't be one to doubt your story because it's your story and not mine to doubt.
And not only that, but you can't roller skate in my buffalo herd! I posted a "No Roller Skating" sign.
>>... God can speak to us in many ways and time offers no hindrance to His messages.
Yep. As someone once said: Time exists solely to keep everything from happening all at once. Plus, I have a theory that perhaps everything has already happened and we are merely perceiving it as if it's happening right now.
God knows me even better than I know myself, therefore He knows that I will not be persuaded of anything based solely on my "feelings". (In other words, I am the ultimate "Anti-Millennial".) For that reason, when God and Christ interact with me, They include empirical evidences that go beyond mere emotion. And my experiences with 'Me, Lynth & The Beach Report' have included undeniable evidence, but I chose to exclude that from this blog bit. It was already pretty long.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI almost was persuaded to go with ELO but picked America over the victor. So, I was on the loosing side this time and I'm sure it won't be the last but one thing for sure is when it comes to Jesus I am not on the loosing side!
I believe God can use any aspect of our lives to talk to us, so who am I to judge that he used yesterday's song recordings to speak to you today? If you hear a message in it then it's for your ears only, designed soley for your purpose alone. At least you have the good sense to recognize God's call. It's so easy to turn a deaf ear to what He has to say.
Anywho, I'm sorry for the delay in voting so late in the game. I hope my vote got registered in time to count but if not then that's too bad. Things have been so crazy for the past two weeks. Gotta jet for now. Hopefully, I'll see you on the 15th, my friend. Have a pAwesome day!
CATHY ~
DeleteYour vote for America was abbalouly included in the final tally. And I'm glad you voted for 'Horse...' because that nag needed all the help it could get.
There's no crying in baseball and there's no losing in BOTB, in my opinion. There's just different tastes. (OK, yeah, there's losing in BOTB, but it's extremely rare. Voting for Pete Seeger over Andy Griffith and Joanna Moore is losing. Voting for The B-52s over Paul Simon is losing. Voting for Joan Jett's 'Bad Reputation' over Thin Lizzy's 'Bad Reputation' is losing. But other than that, there's no losing in BOTB.)
>>... At least you have the good sense to recognize God's call. It's so easy to turn a deaf ear to what He has to say.
I think the first step in hearing God's call is being WILLING to hear it and to obey it. The person who isn't willing to hear it will not hear it. As you know, The Bible says that in his own hometown, Jesus was unable to perform more than a small number of miracles. Why? Because the people were unwilling to accept that He really was their Messiah. God can give gifts to people 24/7/365, but if they are unwilling to receive His gifts, they remain unopened under the Christmas tree for years and years.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Thanks for 'splainin' youself. I know you don't care if we believe you and/or think you are nuts, but I believe you received God's message sent to you. You are clearly nuts... but this is not an example of that fact. Your abandoning drinking is a much better example.
ReplyDeleteThis was an excellent battle, but I will again use this platform to troll that nitwit The "Amazing" Sixwell. How on earth could he pick America as the winner this time?
I was doing some internet research, and think that perhaps you should replace him with the well-known Jewish prognosticator, Fyvush Finkelstein. Of course, he predicts in Yiddish so you'd have to translate it. But it couldn't help but be an improvement who might actually be able to beat the 8 Ball.
MR. McITCHYFINGER ~
ReplyDelete>>... I know you don't care if we believe you and/or think you are nuts
Yip! I'm the kinda guy who frustrates the Alpha males because I pay 'em no never mind. To quote the great Bobby Darin: "I ain't goin' your way. Get outta MY way."
>>... Your abandoning drinking is a much better example.
Ha!-Ha! You are SO right! I'll be kicking myself all the way to the grave for that one. (In all seriousness, life is way less fun without booze. It's not even close. UHP! I'M AN IDIOT!)
God asks me to do these things, and I balk for awhile, but then wind up doing them after all. I sure hope there's a real pay-off at the end of the Lion-- er... line, I mean.
Funny you should mention Fyvush Finkelstein, because he actually contacted me about a week ago, wanting to be added to the BOTB psychics lineup. I told him that two bad psychics was all I had room for, but I'd keep him in mind should the 8-Ball lose its purple fluid or Sixwell become unwell and drop to Five.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Stevenson's books have been some of my favorite reads...I'm sure you're not surprised.
ReplyDeleteDOC, I like how Dr. Stevenson so cautiously titled that book '20 Cases SUGGESTIVE Of Reincarnation'. If that stuffs was merely "suggestive", what would outright PROOF look like?!
DeleteHe was being OVERLY non-sensationalistic - the anti-show-off!
~ D-FensDogG
Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
Stephen
ReplyDeleteI know that God speaks to us all the time. Sometimes he has to use different means and ways to get his message across as we are human and stubborn most of the time.
I recall you saying that you are upon a crossroads in your life. I'm certain this is part of the reason you are more in tune with His spirit lately. Pay close attention to His personal message to you, and try not to let too many things distract you from the real focus.
I realize I'm not necessarily the one that should be talking about distractions and focus (just look at that major faux pas you caught in my post today!) But the sentiment is the same.
Congrats to the Beatles for the Win! err. well, you know what I mean :)
~Mary
Thanks for the comment, MMQE.
Delete>>... "I know that God speaks to us all the time. Sometimes he has to use different means and ways to get his message across"
I know that to a lot of people, the idea that Jesus might really be talking to me in 2018 through a tape I made in 1985, seems preposterous. But based on my history with Him, it seems EXACTLY like the sort of thing He would do.
Ya know, so many Christians are always saying, "You need to have a relationship with Jesus". But apparently they think you develop that relationship by merely sitting in church one hour per week and then spending the rest of your time watching TV and Quentin Tarantino movies and reading Romance novels, or something like that.
I don't like bashing Christians, but so often they harm the cause of Christ as if they were its enemy.
OK, I'm really rambling here and not getting to the point.
>>... "Pay close attention to His personal message to you"
Have you ever read the book 'Beautiful Outlaw' by John Eldredge? If not, I highly, highly recommend it! That book explores the Jesus I actually have a REALationship with. Anyone who doesn't know how ingenious Jesus is and what a creative sense of humor He has, doesn't really have a relationship with Him. They need to work on that!
Recently, I prayed to Jesus several times and asked Him a question that was very important to me. Then I started looking for a sign. (Because if you expect Him to answer you, He will.) I kept asking Him to send me a sign.
Before long, someone sent me a picture of a sign that said, "Are you looking for a sign?" And it then proceeded to answer the question I had asked.
I know that sounds like I'm joking - just making things up, but I'm being 100% truthful. (Plus, I'm just not imaginative enough to have thought that up on my own.)
THAT is how ingenious and creatively humorous Jesus is. THAT is having a REALationship with Him. And EVERYONE can have that, if they really want it.
I feel like I'm "on the Holy Railroad track" again. And now I'm off to meditate because... that's one way a person develops that REALationship with Jesus.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Your experiences are personal and nobody else's business. I admire your strength of faith, Stephen and I'm an Atheist. ☺ As for the BOTB results, looks like I picked the wrong horse! Oh well...
ReplyDeleteHiYa, DEBBIE ~
DeleteI'm not sure I really get your first sentence. The way I view it is like this: Anyone is free to ask me about my Spiritual experiences, and I am free to tell them or decline to do so. That seems fair to me. That's the essence of liberty.
And in the vast majority of instances, I am open about my experiences, because I feel that's being true to [Link> The Great Commission. There are a few things I would keep to myself, but that's the rare exception and not the rule.
There wasn't really any "wrong horse" in this Battle because both horses were "in the money" and paid off on their bets. (As you can probably tell, like my Pa before me, I've played the horses. ;o)
See ya on the 15th (or thereabouts).
~ D-FensDogG
Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
What I meant was, (in response to "Whether folks believe this story or not, it makes no difference to me in the slightest.) these are YOUR life experiences and other people don't have the right to pass judgement. (Yeah; lots of people do anyway, but that's their problem.)
DeleteWe play the horses sometimes, but harness racing, not thoroughbreds. Same idea. ☺
Good morning, DEBBIE!
DeleteAhh!... I see. Got it!
It wouldn't faze me if someone told me I was crazy for believing this, because I am fully aware of how loony tunes it sounds. (God intervened in a cassette tape you made in 1985 so it could communicate messages to you in 2018? Ri-iii-ght!)
On one hand, I wouldn't blame someone for being skeptical. It sounds bizarre. By definition, the paranormal is not "normal". On the other hand, I learned many years ago to withhold judgment until I've got all the facts. I remember once hearing a story told on the radio by a woman whom I immediately dismissed as being cracked. Some years later, after having done my due diligence (more thoroughly researched the subject), I came to realize the woman on the radio years earlier might very well have been telling the truth, and I was wrong and ashamed to have so quickly judged her to be cracked.
I took that lesson to heart and vowed never again to reach a conclusion about anything without first examining / analyzing all the available facts.
One of my very favorite quotes of all-time is this:
There is a principle which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance -- that principle is contempt prior to investigation.
Did you ever see the movie 'A Little Romance'? It includes some horse racing stuffs that tickles me. I love, Love, LOVE that movie!
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...
Another epic battle and... I would have put my money on America for the win yet couldn't vote against ELO. If I bet for America and ELO won couldn't live with myself.
ReplyDelete10-5 each. That's more than wildcard level play. Speaking of which, Sixwell IS the Wildcard - one never knows which way he's going to go. Head fake to Jimmy the Greek, Sixwell takes the Giants by 4, Sixwell, is under - wait - the books changed Sixwell for the win. In contrast, 8-Ball is predictable. Well, technically that's his job - a trouper, a day in day out nose to the grindstone soothsayer from Manhatten grew up with Wall Street, a calculated prognosticator never convicted by the SEC investigations of fixing the books.
People rarely mention that it's Sixwell who came from humble roots, his parents sold apples in Little Italy, his whole life was a 10-1 shot. It's thus understandable that when Sixwell beat the bookies he started wearing fur coats and carrying a cane and red white and blue basketball. He could walk fine and couldn't really play basketball, but oh those accoutrements/affectations. Sixwell.
I can hear you on the God thing meant for you meant on times to be correct correctly and healthy. In contrast, I never had an exact moment except driving on the freeway and every car was orchestrated to be there and every license plate letters and numbers were in code for me and people at McDonalds put something in my food by order of the CIA so I couldn't sleep for days on end jogged/ran for miles then drank a 6-pack couldn't sleep Letterman was watching me from the TV and the audience clapped for the show tailored for me to get me to run for president. (Then doctors stuck a needle in my rump and knocked me out like George Foreman doctors plural because I refused a shot, they surrounded me, I knew it was futile and surrendered "We shall make you humble!") later found out my example wasn't God but called "manic." I know there's God because there's too many coincidences to be a coincidence that kept me alive. Lucky I'm not dead or in jail... something saved me. There but for the grace of God.
Never thought before of the songs in this battle and the ones you note as spritual. Epiphany! Good insight and teaching, Teacher Bro, there it is,there you have it.
G DOGG ~
DeleteI am genuinely impressed by the fact that you know more about The Amazing Sixwell's life than even Sixwell knows. He should hire you to be his official biographer.
>>... People rarely mention that it's Sixwell who came from humble roots, his parents sold apples in Little Italy, his whole life was a 10-1 shot.
Indeed! In fact, in 1970, CBS was scheduled to make a TV special documentary about the life of The Amazing Sixwell. But then "The Rural Purge" occurred, and CBS was cancelling every show with a tree. The Powers That Be decided a documentary that showed people selling apples was just too rural. So instead of making 'Ten To One' (the proposed title for the Sixwell documentary), CBS decided they would make 'Five To One' instead - the story of Jim Morrison and The Doors. But then someone in a CBS board meeting suggested that the fact Jim's dad was involved in the 'Gulf Of Tonkin' false flag event which seriously embroiled the U.S. in the Vietnam "Police Action" might cause some controversy.
Then everything came full circle when they decided that instead of doing a TV special biography of The Amazing Sixwell OR Jim Morrison and The Doors, they would do a biography of Robert Blake. But they were scared off from making THAT biography, too, when The Amazing Sixwell told them that Robert Blake would eventually become a star as "Tony Baretta" but would then later go on to become a wife-killer some years after that. So, the CBS board of directors decided not to make ANY TV special documentary that year and just voted to give themselves pay raises with that money instead. (Television is a tricky business!)
~ Stephen
Doggtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
McBro… I been researching Sixwell like Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough including at the area 51 library. (They don't let anyone take books out - have to read them all there).
DeleteI heard about Morrison's dad and how Jimmy saw an Indian spirit leave a car crash. Was thinking of Jimbo recently because when Democrats won the house I looked like him getting dragged off the stage in New Haven.
Baretta should have hired Johnny Cochran as no one could pinpoint the exact time. "If you don't know the time he didn't do the crime."
>>... Was thinking of Jimbo recently because when Democrats won the house I looked like him getting dragged off the stage in New Haven.
DeleteHa!-Ha! DogG, I know that expression you're referring to quite well. "Wot, me?" Perfect reference.
>>... "If you don't know the time he didn't do the crime."
:oD Right again. And as we all know, Robert Blake wouldn't do the crime cause he couldn't do the time!
McBruhthuh, I think it was the O.J. case where I first realized that trial by jury doesn't work either. There simply is no justice in a fallen world.
~ D-FensDogG
Stephen T. McCarthy Reviews...