BOTB RESULTS: DEC. 15th, 2019 (Or, BURL, BOB, AND THE BOYS)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2019, December 15th: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, Burl Versus Boys Versus Bob - And The Final Tally:
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My last Battle Of The Bands installment for 2019 (may the likes of this year never be seen again!) took place [link> HERE. The song was 'The Little Drummer Boy' and our contestants were Burl Ives, The Vienna Boys Choir, and Bob Seger (not to be confused with Pete Seeger!) Several voters - myself included - felt the Battle was a goot juan, even though Big Burl didn't have much trouble whipping the competition.
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I'm not a big fan of the Bob Seger rendition, as I don't really feel the prominent electric guitar and saxophone solos belong in a song about a drummer boy. (It almost seems as if Seger was saying: I may be singing a Christmas song, but don't forget I'm still really a rocker at heart!)
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I truly LOVE both of the versions by Burl and The Vienna Boys Choir, and it's a pretty tough call for me. But I cast my BOTB bote for Big Burl, as I like the way he sings 'The Little Drummer Boy' in such a way that makes it feel very intimate, personal, and heartfelt.
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Burl Ives = 8 votes
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The Vienna Boys Choir = 4 votes
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Bob Seger = 1 vote
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Now for some sad news:
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Carnac The Magnificent predicted the outcome of this Battle correctly, giving him a record of 4-2. Twice as many hits as misses - not bad at all. Unfortunately, however, Carnac got run over by a reindeer, walking home from my house the other evening. He'd been drinking too much egg nog and I begged him not to go, but he forgot his medication, and he staggered out the door into the snow. When I found him the next morning, at the scene of the attack, he had hoof-prints on his forehead and incriminating Claus marks on his back. I guess Carnac didn't see that coming. (They should never give a license to a man who drives a sleigh and plays with elves!)
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Carnac will be missed, but BOTB will go on. In fact, I'll be back here again with a new Battle on "Margarita Day" (That's "New Year's Day" to you). With Debbie the Doglady out until January 15th, and Doc Cherdo taking a break until February, our first BOTB Blogfest of 2020 promises to be a meager affair. But the show must go on, and I hope to see all y'all here again. Until then, my friends, my friends, thanks for participating in BOTB, and I wish a Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year to you and yourn!!
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2019, DEC. 15: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, BURL VS. BOYS VS. BOB)

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BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB)
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB).
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On the Positive side: Yip! I'm doing a second BOTB installment this month, only because I'm such a fan of Christmas and Christmas music! 
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On the Negative side: BOTB is increasingly feeling less and less like the community it was years ago. (See? I pulled that linguistic trick again, by using "increasingly" to describe something that is becoming "less". Phunny, huh?)
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Anyway... the idea behind a blogfest is that people join a collective project which has a beginning and an ending - you know, like a beginning and ending? As opposed to a haphazard collection of stray cats and dogs running willy-nilly around an unfenced property that experiences neither day nor night.
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The original idea for BOTB was that each Battle would be initiated and concluded in a single week, with the voting window open for 6 days, and the voting results announced on the 7th day of rest. It looked like this:
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1st of the month - a new Battle begins.
7th of the month - the Battle Results are announced.
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15th of the month - a new Battle begins.
21st of the month - the Battle Results are announced.
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See how that works? That little bit of structure gave BOTB a sense of cohesion and made it feel like a fun family game or community project. But today - with Results getting posted any old time - or not even getting posted at all, until the next Battle begins - BOTB seems like it's not really a blogfest at all, but just random individuals doing whatever whenever. 
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Now, of course, I understand that occasionally real life happens, and we can't always keep strictly to a predetermined schedule. Even I myself have been a day or two late announcing BOTB Results, but that has only happened a few times in over 6 years! And I'd like to see BOTB regain some of its earlier structure, which made it seem more like an "event" than just a handful of music-lovers milling around.
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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I rarely do the more time-consuming 3-Way Battles, but I'm presenting a 3-Way this time because I think I've got a goot juan that features 3 strikingly different renditions of the song 'The Little Drummer Boy'. Here's the first one for your consideration:
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THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY - BURL IVES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJMqcynrZRo


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In 1968, Rankin & Bass created the stop-motion animated Christmas television special 'The Little Drummer Boy', based on the popular song. I'm sure you've all seen it.
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Featured in the TV special was a rendition of the song by The Vienna Boys Choir, and that is our second competitor in this contest:
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THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY - THE VIENNA BOYS CHOIR
(Note: The song doesn't begin until 14 seconds into the video.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHmvrkOSqU


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And our final competitor is a famous Rock star with some notable 'night moves'...
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THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY - BOB SEGER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxW-4YaRZnI


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Carnac The Magnificent (3-2): The jolly fat man.
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Question: Who will prevail, Burl, Boys, or Bob?
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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other.
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After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. Vote your vice...   Vice your voice... 
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Voice Your Vote...
@ TOSSING IT OUT by clicking HERE
@ MIKE'S RAMBLINGS by clicking HERE
@ THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING by clicking HERE
@ JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE by clicking HERE
@ THE DOGLADY'S DEN by clicking HERE
@ CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE by clicking HERE
@ CURIOUS AS A CATHY by clicking HERE
@ AI LOVE MUSIC by clicking HERE
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I will return to this 'BOTB' blog bit on December 21st to post my own vote and announce the winner.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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BOTB RESULTS: DEC. 1, 2019 (THE RONETTES VERSUS CHICAGO)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2019, December 1st: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, The Ronettes Versus Chicago - And The Final Tally:
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"Ma-ma-ma-ma-cita, donde esta Santa Cleese... da vato wit da bony knees... he comin' down da street wit no choos on his feet... and he's going to..." No, no, that ain't it... 
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HOT DOG! As I sit here drinking my morning coffee and typing up this BOTB Results page, I'm looking out my living room windows and seeing sunshine. The sky is blue and the white sh*t on the ground is starting to melt! We haven't seen sunshine here for about a week and a half! I was starting to feel like I was living in a Twilight Zone episode! 
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My thanks to each and every one of y'all who took the time to participate in my latest Battle Of The Bands contest! You folks made it a really goot juan! The contest took place [link> HERE, and it was The Ronettes battling Chicago over the classic Holiday song 'Sleigh Ride'. 
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Chicago jumped out to a quick lead but The Ronettes' sleigh - pulled by Rudolph, Donner, Blitzen, Chuey, Tavo, and 'Berto - soon caught up, and from that point on, we had us a real serious reindeer race on our hands! 
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As for me, I love the song 'Sleigh Ride' so much that I think it would be difficult for someone to mess it up. And so, naturally, I enjoyed BOTH versions of the song that I used in this Battle. The Ronettes do it with so much upbeat cheerfulness that their energy rubs off on me. But... that Chicago sleigh seems so loaded with fun romance that it makes me want to climb in and go along for the ride! To me, no version of 'Sleigh Ride' could ever touch Leroy Anderson's instrumental. Leroy was the composer of the song and he got it right right from the start! But I gotta say, of all the many covers I've heard, Chicago's just might be my favorite. 
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So here's the final tally, with my vote included:
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The Ronettes = 8 votes
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Chicago = 7 votes
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The house psychic, Carnac The Magnificent, predicted the outcome correctly, giving him a prognosticating record of 3-2.
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I intend to return here with another Battle Of The Bands installment on December 15th and I hope all y'all will come back again for that one. In the meantime, please have 12 hot buttered rums for me! But don't drink and drive! If you *must* drink, then crawl. 
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2019, DEC. 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, THE RONETTES VERSUS CHICAGO)

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Republican Vs. Democrat, Male Vs. Female, War Vs. Peace, Light Vs. Dark, Good Vs. Evil, Man Vs. Machine, Love Vs. Hate, Dog Vs. Cat, Sun Vs. Moon, Brain Vs. Brawn, Oscar Vs. Grammy, Angel Vs. Demon, Laurel Vs. Hardy, Beer Vs. Wine, TV Vs. Radio, Pitcher Vs. Batter, Paper Vs. Plastic, Reality Vs. Fantasy, Yeshua Vs. Beelzebub, Conservative Vs. Liberal, You Vs. Me, House Vs. Senate, Offense Vs. Defense, Kramer Vs. Kramer, Spy Vs. Spy, Fischer Vs. Spassky, W.C. Fields Vs. Sobriety, Harold Gimpy, Jr. Vs. Sheldon J. Pismire, Rock Vs. Paper Vs. Scissors, Islam Vs. Everything, Singer Vs. Singer, Band Vs. Band...
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BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB)
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB).
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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Eugene Martone versus Jack Butler

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Because it's Christmastime, and because I love Christmas and Christmas music so much, I'm planning to do two (count 'em: 2) BOTB contests this month - the first one on the 1st (hey, that's TODAY!) as well as the second one on the 15th. 
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STMcC at Santa's Village, circa 1990.

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I've never been on a sled pulled by dogs. But I have been on a sleigh ride - kinda-sorta. That was at [link> Santa's Village near Lake Arrowhead, California, in probably 1989, '90, or '91. 
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When my Brother, Sister, and I were very little, our parents took us to [link> Santa's Village two or three times. We LOVED it! 
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When I went up to Santa's joint a couple times from '89 to '91, the place had fallen on hard times, and since there were no reindeer (horses or mules) to pull the sleigh ride, an employee had to get behind the sleigh and push it around the track. Ha!-Ha! It was like something out of a satirical, black comedy Holiday movie.
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I'm happy to report that after closing in 1998 and remaining abandoned for 15 years, Santa's Ghost Town was purchased and refurbished and apparently looks great again. I'd love to revisit Santa's Village someday:
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OK, that was my lead-up to today's BOTB song, the classic 'SLEIGH RIDE'. Here are the two competitors: 
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SLEIGH RIDE - THE RONETTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rDA2Czz0E

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SLEIGH RIDE - CHICAGO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fskjw1czWmI

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Carnac The Magnificent (2-2) : "Jessica Claus"
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Question: Who will win this Battle of the Sexes?
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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other.
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After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. Vote your vice...   Vice your voice... 
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Voice Your Vote...
@ TOSSING IT OUT by clicking HERE
@ MIKE'S RAMBLINGS by clicking HERE
@ THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING by clicking HERE
@ JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE by clicking HERE
@ THE DOGLADY'S DEN by clicking HERE
@ CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE by clicking HERE
@ CURIOUS AS A CATHY by clicking HERE
@ AI LOVE MUSIC by clicking HERE
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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BOTB RESULTS: NOV. 1, 2019 (MORRISON, JIM VERSUS MORRISON, VAN)

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STMcC’s Vote On '2019, November 1st: Battle Of The Bands' (BOTB) - Or, Jim Morrison Versus Van Morrison - And The Final Tally:
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OK, the Battle took place HERE. Whatever. I'm in such a bad place right now that it's a wonder I'm even bothering to write up this BOTB Results post. (To quote Warren Zevon: "I don't wanna talk about it".)
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As always, I sincerely thank all y'all who cared enough to take the time to visit, listen, and cast a vote.
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I voted for Van Morrison, but, by my count, Jim Morrison (predictably) beat Van 10-6. Our psychic, Carnac The Magnificent, predicted this BOTB outcome correctly, but that hardly required psychic ability. (I'm too tired to count up Carnac's prognosticating record, but I'll have it for you when you tune in to my next BOTB installment on December 1st. However, I know he's doing pretty good now.)
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I promised to tell y'all why this Battle had special significance for me, and although I'm not really in a social mood, I need to keep my promises, so...
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On the BOTB page, I posted the following 2 photos as clues:
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The Countess in 'The Bucket Of Blood Saloon' in Virginia City, Nevada (circa 1989).

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The peak of Mount Davidson with Virginia City's "V" on the mountainside below it.

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That first photo is of 'The Countess' - a past girlfriend of mine (the most significant one). And the second photo shows 'Mount Davidson' which rises above the world famous Virginia City in Nevada. The "V" on the side of Mount Davidson stands for "Virginia City", NOT for "Van" Morrison. And didn't anyone notice the 'Double-V' I created in that photo?! Actually, in truth, the photo is showing 2 "V"s pointing down, and 2 upside-down "V"s pointing up.
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The Countess and I went to Virginia City two or three times, but the first time was probably in 1989 or 1990. One day, on our first vacation there, The Countess and I had climbed up to D Street when I decided I really needed to hike up to the white "V" on the side of Mount Davidson (despite my pretty hellacious hangover). So, she patiently (or impatiently) waited for me while I did that. And when I finally got back down again, she and I went into The Famous Crystal Bar where I bought us Mint Juleps - which started a Mint-Julep-Palooza which likely contributed to the eventual death of [link> Margaret Marks, who was our bartender.
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To this day, the entirety of Van Morrison's 'Pagan Streams' speaks to me about that trip with The Countess:
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And I want to climb that hillside again, with you,
One more time
As the great, great, great, great, great, great, great
Being watches over
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"Honey Street", in 'Pagan Streams', is a reference to 'Marine Street' in Santa Monica, California, where The Countess once lived in "The House At Pooh Corner". I could go on and on explaining what Van Morrison *really* meant when he wrote 'Pagan Streams'. 
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Virginia City, Nevada, has ALWAYS been my favorite place (going back about 16 years *BEFORE* I even met The Countess). In fact, the ONLY reason I've lived in Reno and Carson City is because both of them are only 30-minutes away from Virginia City. Here are some photos I've taken of my favorite place on Earth:
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Virginia City, Nevada, graveyard.

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Clouds gather over the graveyard.

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[No double or quadruple "V"s in those photos, so don't sweat it.]
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At least 28 years after I first hiked to the Virginia City "V" while The Countess waited for me, I did it again. And this time, a friendly, local dog named "Rudy" accompanied me all the way to the "V". Here are some photos of him I took while we were both in the middle of that white "V" on the mountainside:
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Over the decades, I've also hiked to the very tip-top of Mount Davidson about 4 times. Below are a couple of photos I've taken from the top of Mt. Davidson, overlooking Virginia City, while wearing some of my crazy socks (I LOVE CRAZY SOCKS!!) :
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Flamingos Fly Over Virginia City.

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Hula Girls Fly Over Virginia City.

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In fact, I intend to drive to Virginia City TOMORROW to meditate and hike, because I need to get the hell outta here and return to 1876, where I belong.
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There was more I wanted to write, about MMWJ ('Morning Music With Joe') and the second disc of Van Morrison's album 'Hymns To The Silence', but I'm just too tired and bummed out right now. Maybe sometime later. But here are a couple of photo-teasers:
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MORNING MUSIC WITH JOE (MMWJ)

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Thanks, Y'All. I love ya! And I hope to see ya here again for my next Battle Of The Bands installment on December 1st, 2019.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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2019, NOV. 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, MORRISON VERSUS MORRISON)

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BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB)
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Shoop-Shooby -
Shooby-Duh-Dooby-Doop-Dooby-Dooby-Doo-Wah -
Buh-Doo-Wah!
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Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB).
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Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!...
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As I begin typing this BOTB blog bit, it is 8:43 PM on Halloween Night and I am listening to Disneyland's 'Haunted Mansion' ride soundtrack, thanks to my buddy, Kevin, the Kansas Kid!
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I bought exactly 2 bags of Hershey's bars and 1 bag of Reese's peanut butter & chocolate pumpkins in anticipation of Trick-Or-Treaters. And I had exactly 0 Trick-Or-Treaters. But we ALL know that if I had purchased exactly 0 bags of candy, I'd have had 666 Trick-Or-Treaters knocking on my front door. 
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So, now, I'm drinking a big Tervis Tumbler full of Pecan Whiskey because, damn-it, SOMEONE's gonna get a treat tonight! 
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I'm not really a big fan of the "Horror" movie genre, but tonight - since it is Halloween - I watched what is probably my favorite Horror movie. It's a movie that YOU HAVE NEVER seen - a movie you've NEVER EVEN HEARD OF - even though it includes these performers: 
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Richard Dreyfuss, Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Jeff Goldblum, Ava Gardner, Eli Wallach, Burgess Meredith, Beverly D'Angelo, Sylvia Miles, Chris Sarandon, José Ferrer, and Jerry Orbach. 
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That's quite a cast for a movie you never heard of before, don'tcha think?
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My BOTB installment this month is (Jim) Morrison versus (Van) Morrison. And if you think that [link> Mary Burris and I are in cahoots this month, you are simply a "Conspiracy Theorist!" (There are no really relevant conspiracies, as any truly informed person can tell you!!) And, by the way, BE SURE to check out MMQE's BOTB right [click> HERE! (She's obviously a plagiarist, and if I had even half-a-case, I'd sue the bejabbers outta her!!) 
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OK, so my Battle has a theme, and that theme is THIS: TWO MORRISONS (Jim & Van) performing spoken-poetry pieces with musical backgrounds. 
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THE GHOST SONG - Jim Morrison & The Doors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgZcGh92qLQ

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PAGAN STREAMS - Van Morrison

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pP5OqC2eNQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pP5OqC2eNQ


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I generally avoid telling y'all how I intend to vote in my own BOTBs. And, as difficult as that is for me this time, I will do so again. However, I feel SO STRONGLY about this Battle - despite really, truly, honestly, and deeply digging BOTH of these recordings - that I wanna leave ya a couple of photographic clues to how I will be voting. These photos won't really reveal my vote (or "bote") to you, but in my BOTB RESULTS post on November 7th, I will 'splain what these two following photos had to do with the way I "boted":
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Here be the photographic clues 4 U:
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Photo by STMcC.

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Photo by STMcC.

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BOTB PREDICTION:
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Carnac The Magnificent: "The Venice Beach Hippie."
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Question: Which Morrison will win this Battle?
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Alright now, “you know the gig”... I welcome you (whether I know "you" or not) to vote for your favorite of these songs in the comment section below. And feel free to tell us WHY you chose one song over the other.
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After voting here, I suggest - actually I insist - you pop over to the blogs of the other 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' participants to see which songs they have chosen and vote there also. Vote your vice...   Vice your voice... 
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Voice Your Vote...
@ TOSSING IT OUT by clicking HERE
@ MIKE'S RAMBLINGS by clicking HERE
@ THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING by clicking HERE
@ JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE by clicking HERE
@ THE DOGLADY'S DEN by clicking HERE
@ CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE by clicking HERE
@ CURIOUS AS A CATHY by clicking HERE
@ AI LOVE MUSIC by clicking HERE
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As I've done in the past, I will continue to return to my 'BOTB' blog bits on the 7th of each month to post my own votes and announce the winners in the comment sections.
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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