Showing posts with label Voting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Voting. Show all posts

Contests, Blogger Radio & Blues

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Tuesday, July 24, 2007 18 Of Your Sparks

best blog of the year


Over the last year and a half of blogging, we have met so many wonderful people.

Some we found through a site called Bestest Blogger...well a few months ago there was a big hub-bub over the way the site was being run (or not run depending upon your point of view), and some nastiness went through the bloggosphere. We made our feelings known then and, as you can see...well, there is nothing to see...LOL

Well, it appears that Mr. Griffin has revamped some of that site and is going to begin a new site. But before he does, there is a contest to name the BESTEST BLOG OF THE YEAR.

All sites that have been named BESTEST BLOG OF THE DAY are entered.



What does this mean?
It means some of our favorite bloggers are in the running, including:


The process is super simple. There are 105 blogs in the running. Go here and vote for them on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 is the worst, 5 is the best).

If you want to make your vote count 3 times as much, be sure to register first.

Voting will end 2 weeks from today, August 6th and winners will be announced on August 7th.

The winner will receive (at least) a $50 cash prize! They will also have a link to their blog featured on the Blankest Blank Home Page for the next year (until the next blog of the year is decided).

The overall top 10 blogs (including the winner) will have their link featured at Bestest Blog (replacing the Blog of the Month and Featured Blog in the top left) as well as have their links replace the blog of the year voting page. Results for blogs ranked 11 and up will be available from a link on the voting page as well.

OK, do not forget to give some love to those above...
....THANKS

......this has been a public service announcement



BlogTalk Radio update...

tonight...6:30 - 7:30 EDT
Just click on the MO SHOW link in the left sidebar




Tonight at 9:00PM EDT
click on the link right above MO


Yahoo! Sports Senior NBA Writer Adrian Wojnarowski will update us on the latest information concerning NBA referee Tim Dunaghy and allegations that he was working on behalf of the Gambino Crime Family.

Dr. Blogstein will attempt to keep Jane awake and alert when he assembles his sports brain trust to discuss the scandals in all our major sports leagues. We'll try to determine who has it worst: the mobbed up NBA, the thugged up NFL, or the juiced up MLB.

Also, rapper and radio talk show host SK-1 stops by. We'll delve into the state of hip-hop, find out who the governor of that state is and what the age of consent is there. We'll also try to get SK-1 to do some free-style joints for us (I'm so white).

All that, plus the return of Justin the Weatherman and your calls





Don't remember doing this before, but we just have to go for a second helping of "RIDING WITH THE KING" and Mr.'s Clapton & King...

This is called "THREE O' CLOCK BLUES" and has the two trading vocals and guitar licks throughout. It is just freaking hot.

Oh, yes, we have all lived this one....

The song is credited in various places as being composed by Reily King (B.B.'s given name); B.B. King; B.B. King & Jules Taub; Reily King & Jules Taub; B.B. King & Jules Bihari and finally just to Lowell Fulson!

Once again, Nathan East on bass and drummer Steve Gadd do an excellent job of holding down the entire walking line which allows the guitarists and keyboards a chance to take us away on floating lead guitar lines and keyboard explorations. Mr. Tom Carmon is once again on the Hammond Organ and the great Joe Sample was sitting in on piano.

FYI, the first guitarist is Mr. Clapton... Mr. King takes the solo after he sings...

Hope you enjoy...

Well now, it's three o'clock in the morning
And I can't even close my eyes.
Three o'clock in the morning
And I can't even close my eyes.
Can't find my baby
And I can't be satisfied.

I've looked all around me
And my baby, she can't be found.
I've looked all around me, people,
And my baby, she can't be found.
You know if I don't find my baby,
People, I'm going down to the golden ground.

Goodbye everybody,
I believe this is the end.
Oh, goodbye everybody,
I believe this is the end.
I want you to tell my baby,
Tell her please, please forgive me,
Forgive me for my sins.





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Wednesday, November 8, 2006

Sparks Of Insanity By Vinny "Bond" Marini Tuesday, November 07, 2006 21 Of Your Sparks

"PEACE IN THE VALLEY"
"WELCOME TO MY MIND"
"LOW VOTER TURNOUT"
"AMERICAN ENGLISH"
"GRANDPA"


Welcome To THE COUCH...Sit on Down and Get Comfy..
"PEACE IN THE VALLEY"
It appears to me that Mimi's idea for Dona Nobis Pacem was a rousing success... THE COUCH personally spent much of the evening visiting many blogs to read as much as possible.

One of our visitors yesterday, Lizza from the Phillipines had this tremendous video on her site yesterday and as it streamed a tear came to my eye.

THE COUCH now shares it with all of you...it truly reminded me that the theme of the day DONA NOBIS PACEM can be started by one individual and if they are sincere and convinced that what they are doing is right, the idea can spread and be accepted by the multitudes...



It also brought to mind the visual from Tianamen Square when one brave soul stood tall against a line of aggressor tanks...

THE COUCH hopes that this simple idea begun by one lone woman takes hold and becomes a yearly event. At the same time we ask all of you sitting on THE COUCH to remember the video you just watched and remember you can make a difference with one tiny gesture...even a hug.
"WELCOME TO MY MIND"
THE COUCH had many new visitors yesterday and we are so happy they felt comfortable here.

There are many more red dots on our map...South Africa, the Phillipines...more throughout the US.

THE COUCH began as a comfortable place for The Soul Patrol to sit over on that gulag site...and migrated here to Blogger when it became evident we were no longer welcomed there.

In the course of the last few months, our visitors have increased; opening our world to many other writers who honor us by sharing their thoughts on subjects as varied as the population of the world.
"LOW VOTER TURNOUT"
As THE COUCH sits here the television is on and the results of the many elections are scrolling across the screen.

Being new to the Memphis area, many of the names mean nothing to me other then party affiliations, not knowing what they stand for or their platforms.

The recent move meant THE COUCH was not able to participate in this election. As a registered independent THE COUCH has always voted for a candidate based upon their beliefs and platforms.

We wonder how many people, who had the ability and right to vote, did not. You see the numbers and realize there are hundreds of thousands of disenfranchised, who feel their one vote means so little they just bag the whole thing.

Put those hundreds of thousands of votes into a ballot box and many election results could change. If you are one who passed the polling places on your way to work, or on your way home, or on your way to and from lunch and you said "It doesn't matter", then you can not complain when your liberties are challenged or the things you believe in disappear.

If you did vote, I tip my hat to you and thank you for exercizing the one right every American, no matter their race, social status, or philosophy is allowed.
"AMERICAN ENGLISH"
Busy, one of THE COUCH's favorite people had a rant on her blog yesterday that touched another spot for us.

The question of language in our country. The fact that many new immigrants have deemed it their right to not have to speak English. This is especially prevalent in the Hispanic community.

Now, THE COUCH has no problems with people wanting to speak their native language within their own ethnic group, but asking me to speak your language...and becoming upset if we do not..that is just plain wrong.

How many times have you seen job postings that require you to be bi-lingual English/Spanish?

Why should someone have to speak Spanish to get a job in the United States of America?

Because your co-workers or employees speak Spanish. Why are they not required to speak English?

In the town we just moved from in NJ, there is a large Asian population at this time. Recently there has been a push for the schools to add Cantonese to the language program. This makes THE COUCH laugh, as the majority of students who will take this course come from homes where it is already spoken.

What sense does this make? THE COUCH has no idea.

Again...understand THE COUCH is not insisting that people leave their native tongues behind. What we ask is that the immigrants to this country understand that English is the language spoken here and learn it to become part of our great land.

Have we not always considered the USA a "melting pot". If we still do, then those who join us here - legally - need to be mixed into those of us who have come before them.
"GRANDPA"
THE COUCH wishes we had learned Italian and could speak it and, to this day, still think of a time when we can take an course and learn it.

WHY were we not taught it as a child...

My grandfather and grandmother came over as young people from Italy. When they arrived they only spoke Italian.

As a child, in their home, THE COUCH heard very few words of Italian spoken and when they did speak it, it was only because it was something they did not want us to understand.

Grandpa Ernest believed strongly that The United States of America was his home and English was the language of his country. He fought for the US in WWI and was so proud of his uniform and being a veteran.

He never forgot his native land, but knew that when he and his family moved, the only way to assimilate was to become an American.

As THE COUCH packed for this move, there was one item we needed to find and bring along. It is the flag that covered his coffin when he was buried.

It sits in the living room now, tri-folded as is the custom and looking at it, I can only thank my ancestors for taking the long, frightening journey across a grand ocean, to come to a place they hoped would bring a better life for themselves and their children and their children and so on.

Their wish has come true.

St. J - P.B.U.A.Q.B.


Thanks for sitting on THE COUCH, hope you enjoyed your stay.


Remember .. Nets For Malaria - UNFoundation.org/malaria - find the big SI's Nothing But Net logo ... Or call 202.887.9040. Every cent goes to buying nets to place over the beds of children in Africa to stomp out Malaria. PLEASE HELP.

Keep that spark of insanity kids...It helps keep you an individual.

SONG TITLE INDEX:
PEACE IN THE VALLEY: Composer: Thomas A. Dorsen
WELCOME TO MY MIND: Composer: John Patrick Denery & Chris Imlay
LOW VOTER TURNOUT: Composers: Timothy W. Alexander, Michael David Manring & Alex Nathan Skolnick
AMERICAN ENGLISH: Composers: Andrew M Gold & Graham Keith Gouldman
GRANDPA: Composer David Farnon



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