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Welcome back, my friends, to the "Battle" that never ends.
We're so glad you could attend. Come inside! Come inside!
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This is 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS' ('BOTB') where you listen to different recordings and vote for the one you like best. A new Battle gets posted on the 1st of each month and on the 7th, I place my own vote, tally 'em all up and announce the winner.
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Friend? Foe? Stranger? No matter, ALL are welcome. So pull up a chair, pour yourself 24 oz. of DOG BITE High Gravity Lager (or the poison of your choice) and turn it up to Eleven!
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[NOTE: Links to the first year of 'BOTB' (#1 - #24) can be found at the very bottom of this page.]

Monday, October 12, 2020

BOTB RESULTS: 2020, OCT. 1 (Or, SANTANA VERSUS TODD SNIDER)

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2020, OCTOBER 1st BOTB RESULTS (Or, SANTANA VERSUS TODD SNIDER - STMcC's VOTE & THE FINAL TALLY) 
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First of all, my sincere apologies for being 5 days late with this BOTB Results post. Part of the problem is that my "real" fake life has me so busy that I just never get caught up on anything - phone calls, Emails, trips to my favorite cocktail lounge, etc., etc., etc. 
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And there was probably also a bit o' reluctance to force my butt into the chair and get this blog bit written because A) Blogger has become such a pain in the butt to deal with, and B) I knew that this post would be my swan song for... at least the rest of 2020, and perhaps forever. 
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My brother, Judge Al Bondigas, suggested that I not write a Results post at all, and just leave this final Battle open-ended. I'd thought about that already but had dismissed the idea. I need closure to things. 
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Secondly, my most sincere and heartfelt "THANKS!!" to all y'all who made BATTLE OF THE BANDS so much fun for me for 6+ years and 153 Battles. "There's a sadness in the heart of things", and I'm feeling it as I type these words. My Friends, My Friends, I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your years of loyalty to this little blogfest. I have SO ENJOYED interacting with y'all! 
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It was a Christ Yeshua (aka Jesus Christ) themed contest between Santana's 'Somewhere In Heaven' and Todd Snider's 'Somebody's Coming'.
 
I was sure Santana's gorgeous song would win the Battle. I love everything about 'Somewhere In Heaven' and can fully understand why it attracted the first five votes right outta the chute. But gradually, beginning with Sixgun McItchyfinger's vote, Todd Snider staged a bit of a comeback. 
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As much as I love Santana's song, my own vote went to Todd Snider's 'Somebody's Coming'. Sure, musically, Santana's tribute to Christ far outclasses Todd Snider's tribute to The Holy King. But... Todd's lyrics, and the way he sings them, it just gets my Jesus-lovin' motor runnin'! In Todd's voice is both a sound of comfort and a sound of... WARNING! And those lyrics? Hokey-Smoke! Todd not only understands what is soon to come about (2029, I'm looking at YOU!) but he also has the extraordinary God-given talent to put it into creative & captivating words: 
Tell anybody that ain't got nobody 
Somebody's coming 
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Tell everybody walkin' tall and proud 
That their money talks, but it talks so loud 
That there's Somebody coming 
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Tell everybody in the KKK, in the FBI, in the CIA 
That there's Somebody coming 
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Somebody's coming to change your mind 
Sneak up on all you believe from behind 
Somebody's coming who won't let you down 
Who'll turn everything you thought was right around 
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Well Somebody's coming 
That's gonna change everything
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Tell all these people at the end of the line 
Somebody's coming 
Tell all these people holding "I'll work for food" signs 
Somebody's coming 
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Somebody's coming Who's been here before 
If you think you're outta chances, well you've got one more
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'Cause Somebody's coming 
That's gonna change everything 
Somebody's coming Who don't need your vote 
{*Here in October of 2020, I think that might be my #1 favorite line!*} 
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Somebody's coming like a thief in the night 
Gonna stand by His people when we're too weak to fight 
Well somebody's coming 
It's gonna change everything 
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I say, yes, Yes, YES!!! For I know, Know, KNOW Todd Snider's words to be True!!! Christ is returning again in 2029 - give or take a year. Get right with God and His Son NOW, while you still have time. Because when He comes back this next time, He is NOT coming as a "Suffering Servant" (Google that term!), He is coming back as The Conquering King and "The Lion Of Judah" (Google that, too). You don't want to be on the wrong side of The Lion King, Who has ALL authority in Heaven and on earth, when He descends from the clouds and lands in Jerusalem! 
My #1 Recommended Reading is this: 
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FINAL TALLY OF THE FINAL BATTLE: 
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Carlos Santana = 9 votes 
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Todd Snider = 6 votes 
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Not a bad Battle / Swan Song at all. Thanks again to all of you who took the time to listen and cast a bote in this contest. And my sincere gratitude also to every single person who ever voted - even if only once - on any of my Battle Of The Bands installments. You are ALL truly appreciated, and I hope we can stay in touch in comment sections and/or via Email. 
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{*Thanks also to Larry C. for turning me onto Todd Snider so many years ago.*} 
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May you all...
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BLESS AND BE BLESSED! 
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Beee! 
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This is Stephen T. McCarthy 
(aka D-FensDogG
signing off... 
Over & Out. 
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Thursday, October 1, 2020

2020, OCT. 1: BATTLE OF THE BANDS (Or, SANTANA VERSUS TODD SNIDER)

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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! 
Yes, it's time once again for Battle Of The Bands (BOTB)
Alright, let's get on it. Let's get ON this thing!... 
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But first, an announcement:
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Sadly - VERY sadly - in all likelihood, this is probably going to be my final BOTB installment. For as long as BOTB survives on the Internet, I will ALWAYS be supporting it with my personal votes (aka "BOTB botes"). In other words, if YOU put up a Battle, I WILL be there to vote on it. I promise... so long as my memory remembers.
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However, unfortunately, the most recent "improvement" to the system made by Blogger (aka "Evil Google") has finally killed off my blogging (ALL of my blogs). Even using my Brother's very modern laptop - as I'm doing now - Evil Google's new bibbidi-bobbidi-boo has made creating even a simple blog installment, like this one, extremely difficult & time-consuming for me! 
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I won't bother explaining all the minutiae. Just take my word for it, that the time & effort now necessary for me to continue blogging has reached and gone way beyond "the point of diminishing returns". So, THIS Battle Of The Bands installment, and its BOTB Results post, will probably end my own BOTBing. But I'll still be around as a "voter" or "boter". 
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At my "real" blog, on November 28, 2016, I posted a blog bit titled [link> WHY I BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST WILL RETURN TO EARTH IN 2029 (Or, R U READY?)There are almost countless reasons to believe that The Holy Bible was indeed inspired by God, our Creator. For example, the first appearance of Jesus Christ fulfilled at least 300 prophecies written in the Old Testament lo-ooo-ng before He was born. At the website [link> InCaseNoOneToldYou.com they specifically point out 300 of these prophecies:
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Over 300 prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus’ life when He came the first time 2,000 years ago. The Bible is both verifiable & supernatural.  
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The probability that even a very small number of these prophecies could be fulfilled is extremely low - to the point of absurdity and impossibility - unless the source could see into the future.  God created time and space and exists outside of them.  For this reason, He can easily tell us what is coming hundreds, and even thousands of years in advance.
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Jesus Christ promised His believers that He would return again to the Earth after 7 years of tremendous Tribulation, and that He would then rule the world with Love, Righteousness, and Justice for 1,000 years. The time of His return is drawing near - VERY near!! Yes, Somebody's coming, and "He doesn't need your vote"!!!.
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By now, you've undoubtedly figured out that this final BOTB installment is about Christ Yeshua (aka Jesus Christ). I am using 'Somewhere In Heaven' by Carlos Santana versus 'Somebody's Coming' by Todd Snider. I already know that Santana will run away with this victory because... Santana versus "who?" But I truly LOVE both of these recordings. 
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I consider Santana to be one of the greatest guitarists in Rock history. And I consider Todd Snider to be one of the greatest lyricists in Rock history. So, in a sense, this Battle is almost 'Guitar Versus Lyrics'. My friends, my brothers and sisters, see whatcha think & feel about these songs. And... if you haven't yet surrendered your soul back to its Creator - God - and its Savior - Christ Yeshua - please consider it while there's still a brief amount of time in which to do so. The End is indeed very near. In "The Good Book", your personal Savior said that He [link> stands at the door and knocks. All you need to do is open the door and invite Him in. 
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SOMEWHERE IN HEAVEN -- Santana
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SOMEBODY'S COMING -- Todd Snider
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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. 
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... Voice Your Vote...
@ TOSSING IT OUT by clicking HERE 
@ MIKE'S RAMBLINGS by clicking HERE 
@ THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING by clicking HERE
@ CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE by clicking HERE 
@ CURIOUS AS A CATHY by clicking HERE 
@ AI LOVE MUSIC by clicking HERE 
@ STORMS & STARDUST 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 winner. 
~ Stephen T. McCarthy 
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