Jeffrey Scott's - Best of the Blog - 2015

It's time for my seventh annual Best of the Blog, blog post. What a year 2015 turned out to be. I started to get serious in my creative writing and my blogging. It started in January when I continued the formula I started in 2014 with each week writing a rant entry and finishing the week with a poem. I continued this into February, but I started to get determined about my creative writing.

I began rewriting my old Writers Block series and editing was a key factor. While doing research for my article, I found fellow blogger Chrys, who had some great tips on writing and editing. As I started to follow her blog, I got interested in the blog hop A-Z. So in April I started to blog a new r.a.n.t. ever day, each day starting with a new letter of the alphabet. I met more great bloggers and soon became involved in FAE & Stephen's Battle of the Blog. Back in the day, music was a big part of this blog, and so it was again.

Most recently, I realized I needed to get back (once again) to my creative writing. So I joined the Insecure Writers Support Group, founded by Alex. I've really just gotten started in this and still trying to find my footing, but I'm hoping the continual support will motivate me in 2016 to get even more of my creative writing done. What will I accomplish this next year? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. In the meanwhile, please peruse this blog post. It'll give you a sampling of what you'll find at this site on a regular basis.

Thanks to all of you! Every single one of you who have come to read, and decided to stick around. I appreciate those who continually support me, my blog and all of my writings. Did you have a favourite blog post of mine this past year? Why not share.

As always, leave a comment, share on your social media page, "like" it or just email me with your thoughts. I'm always looking for input, always looking for people who are willing to guest blog and always willing to post run on sentences. Thanks for reading. I truly hope you enjoy what you find here.


January
Photography
Out for a Drive - Took photos on a trip to Chicago and a Dinosaur exhibit.
Poetry
Into the Future - Poem based on a popular film.
R.A.N.T.
Your Video is Overdue - When borrowed items are not returned.
Guest Blogger
(Jennifer Long) Guess Who's Coming to Dinner - I chat with an old friend about RSVP etiquette.

February
R.A.N.T.
R.A.N.T. About A Lot of Very Bad Words That I Kind Of Just Really Hate When Editing - Starting to get serious about my writing, I blog about editing.
Poetry
Chicago Parking - A fun poem showcasing how mad I become looking for a parking spot.

March
R.A.N.T.
Mad as a Hatter - My erroneous picks for March Madness (Second Annual)
Jeffrey Scott's Day Off - I ask others what they hate about being sick.
Poetry
A Day Off - Humorous poem on being sick.

April
A-Z R.A.N.T.
Week One
C is for Coffee Mugs - I showcase a few of my favourite coffee mugs.
Week Two
H is for High Pressure Sales - I describe what happens when I try to sing up for a FREE 2 WEEK MEMBERSHIP at a local gym.
Week Three
M is for Music - An A-Z themed showcase of some of my music I own.
Week Four
S is for Spatula City - This is a joke. I can't believe such a store could ever exist. I describe my first and only visit to the store.
Week Five
Y is for Youtube Ads - Nothing is so annoying as having to watch a 30 second commercial before a 10 second video.

May
R.A.N.T.
Reflections from A to Z - I recap the previous month and give thanks to a few visitors.
Poetry
Pizza Crazy - A poem I wrote for my friend who loves pizza.
Guest Bloggers
(Muriel) Where is Everybody in France - Why is it impossible to do business in France in May?

June
R.A.N.T.
Writer's Block - Ranting about my short story series which I'm struggling to find time for.
Photography
Egg Harbour Part One - The first of three photography blog posts. This one is heavily focused on flora.
Battle of the Bands
Giving It All Up For Love - My first musical battle. It becomes a regular feature. (Featuring Huey Lewis)
Award
Creative Blogger Award - Someone nominates my blog for it's creativity.

July
R.A.N.T.
A Special Anniversary R.a.n.t. - Guest bloggers stop in to help with an anniversary r.a.n.t.
Photography
Lambeau Field - I visit the stadium of the Green Bay Packers
Battle of the Bands
Kashmir - This battle is between two electric string groups; Bond & Escala

August
Cover Release
Piper Morgan Joins the Circus - I do a cover release for a blogger and author, Stephanie Faris. I also have a chance to ask her a few questions about her book and her inspiration.
Battle of the Bands
Summertime Blues - Another battle in the series. This one features Alan Jackson and Olivia Newton-John

September
Insecure Writer's Support Group
Am I really a writer? - Another new feature. In my first article, I ponder if I can really be called a writer.
Battle of the Bands
Wallflower - My favourite jazz artist Diana Krall is up against Doug Sahm
R.A.N.T.
Rotten Fruit - How I hate purchasing rotten fruit at the store.

October
Listing Hop
Top Five Favourite Songs - What are my favourite songs and why? I joined one-off list hop, hosted by Bish Denham
Battle of the Bands
The Lazy Song - A lazy written poem featuring Bruno Mars & Kimmi Smiles
Photography
It's 2015, Do You Know Where Your Hydrator Is? - Doc & Marty arrive. What technology is missing?
R.A.N.T.
Random Rants III - For the third year, I turn to twitter to find out what others are ranting about.
I.W.S.G.
Writing vs. Blogging - I wonder if my blogging is interfering with my writing.

November
Battle of the Bands
Super Hero Theme Songs - Which was your faovurite growing up? Batman? Spiderman? I list 6 total to vote on.
R.A.N.T.
Jumping is Fun For Some People - People jumping to the wrong conclusion, not a good thing.
Photography
Time Travel Museum - A few of my favourite Time Machines.
I.W.S.G.
Creative Characters - How my dialogue has changed in the past 30 years.
Top 25
Favourite Films - I list my top 25 favourite movies. How many of these would be on your list?

December
Battle of the Bands
Mandolin Rain - Pam Tillis battles Bruce Hornsby. Can you guess who wins?
R.A.N.T.
Jumping the Shark - When a good television show goes bad. Has this happened to one of your favourites?
I.W.S.G.
Making A List - A need to make a list for things to improve on. But will I?


Creative Writing
Writer's Block - A story about High School student Erick, his friend Kenny and Erick's literary rival Jenni.


Most Read Blog Posts of 2015
Top 10 Blog Articles of 2015: January - June (According to Web Hits)
1.) 201 Blog Hits - Reflections from A to Z (05/03/2015)
2.) 167 - Celebrating Anniversaries (05/31/2015)
3.) 140 - Battle of the Bands - Giving It All Up For Love (06/15/2015)
4.) 134 - Egg Harbor (Part One) - Harbor View Park (06/12/2015)
5.) 122 - Where Is Everybody In France (05/17/2015)
6.) 121 - P is for Paris (04/18/2015)
7.) 119 - The Creative Blogger Award (06/17/2015)
8.) 109 - N is for Naysayers (04/16/2015)
9.) 108 - M is for Music (04/15/2015)
10.) 107 - Q is for Quantum Physics (4/20/2015)
Raspberry Award (The least popular blog post)
62.) 18 - Into the Future - (01/13/2015)


Top 10 Blog Articles of 2015: July - December (According to Web Hits)
1.) 325 Blog Hits - Battle of the Bands - Mandolin Rain (12/1/2015)
2.) 240 - Battle of the Bands - Somebody That I Used To Know (08/15/2015)
3.) 239 - Battle of the Super Hero Theme Songs (11/15/2015)
4.) 226 - It's 2015, Do You Know Where Your Hydrator Is? (10/21/2015)
5.) 215 - Battle of the Bands - The Lazy Song (10/15/2015)
6.) 215 - Battle of the Bands - Summertime Blues 08/1/2015)
7.) 211 - Battle of the Bands - It's A Long Way to the Top (07/15/2015)
8.) 201 - The Listing Hop - Top Five Favourite Songs (10/26/2015)
9.) 201 - Battle of the Bands - Don't You (Forget About Me) (09/15/2015)
10.) 197 - Battle of the Bands - Fame (12/15/2015)
Raspberry Award (The least popular blog post)
39.) 68 - Rotten Fruit (09/14/2015)

Battle of the Bands Results - Fame

Once again, I have presented quite an uneven battle. And yet, many people mentioned they liked both (or all three) version of the song. So it was odd to see it become lopsided. Let's take the first round. Duran Duran started off strong with a 4-2 win over the Eurythmics. And it didn't get much better for Lennox from there.
Duran Duran First Round Votes: John, Arlee, Holli and the Kate the Cowgirl.
Eurythmics First Round Votes: Shady & Alex

The second round saw Duran Duran taking 85% of the votes. Though Eurythmics were liked, the opening of the song scared a few away from their vote. A few even commented the bizarre photo Lennox proudly displayed.
Duran Duran Second Round Votes: Guilie, Janie, Madilyn, Stephanie, Birgit & Hilary
Eurythmics Second Round Votes: Dixie

Could things get any worse for the Eurythmics? Yes they can. The third round was a complete blow-out. Duran Duran ran away with all six votes.
Duran Duran Third Round Votes: Cherdo, Michele, FAE, Robin, Spacerguy & Cathy

I think by this time, the Eurythmics gave up any of the fight they may have had left. Once again, it was another 85% win for Duran Duran. In the end, I opted out of giving a sympathy vote for Eurythmics, even though I did like their version, I had to admit the Duran Duran version was much better. Besides, it's always nice to side with the obvious wintter.
Duran Duran Final Round Votes: Stephen, G.B.Miller, Kim, Dolorah, Mike and of course, myself.
Eurythmics Final Round Votes: Yolanda
Total Votes
Duran Duran 22
Eurythmics 4


Winners Circle
Congratulations to Duran Duran
For those hungry for a DD classic, here they are singing, 'Hungry Like the Wolf'.



Top Comments

Arlee Bird - This is one of my least favorite Bowie songs. I'm an Annie Lennox fan but I thought the Eurhythmics version of this song was a bit of a bore.

Shady Del Knight - This is a toughie because I very much enjoyed both versions presented. More often than not in these contests I appreciate an artist, group or band that closely imitates the sound of original. In this case, Duran Duran remained more faithful to Bowie's vocal style and arrangement. However, I was more impressed by the refreshingly different arrangement on the Eurythmics recording. Annie's seductive vocals blend with an instrumental track that percolates. I loved it. Annie gets her gun and Annie gets my vote!

Alex J. Cavanaugh - Duran Duran stayed close to the original, but I thought Annie's was fresher - she gets my vote.

CowgirlKate - I'd like to place my vote for Bowie..... But since that isn't an option... Lol
I found I disliked the Eurythmics version quite a bit. I can't put my finger on why precisely, but it just wasn't enjoyable for me. David Bowie with a sonic screwdriver???? Yes please!

Janie Junebug - I thought I would vote for The Eurythmics, but the scary voice at the very beginning was icky.

Madilyn Quinn - Can I vote for Bowie? Lol I know.. let me listen. Uhm, yeah the beginning of the Eurythmics version creepy me out and it didn't get much better from there.

Dixie@dcrelief - Another exciting moment for me. Both versions were nice, but I'm the diehard Annie Lennox/Eurythmics fan! Supporting the E's is for me's please.

Stephanie Faris - Okay, gotta go with Duran Duran because Simon LeBon was one of my first celeb crushes and so I spent hours and hours listening to their music as a teen. I'd never heard this song from them before...had no idea they even remade it. But it felt very familiar to me! Like putting on a favorite pair of socks!

farawayeyes - Give my vote to Duran Duran. Their cover was closer to the original, so I guess I liked that better. Annie's choice was a bit over the top for me.

Robin - (Just a quick note: What the hell did she do to herself in this picture??? Did she go crazy with spray tan? A bad day at the salon? What????) Unfortunately, the music is very much like the picture. Way out there. Overcooked maybe.

Spacerguy - To me Duran Duran hasn't aged which is cool. The contemporary sound of Eurythmics isn't bad but Duran Duran still win.

Stephen T. McCarthy -I vote for NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN - DURAN DURAN. Why? Because Annie Lennox is sporting a 3rd-Degree Burn all over her face and seems to be proud of it.

G. B. Miller - In general, Duran Duran usually does a much better job of doing cover songs (check out their c.d. called "Thank You", features a killer version of the song White Lines).

Kim @ be ReInVintaged - Oooh. Both versions are great, so this is super-hard. I loved the dancy arrangement of The Eurythmics' effort, but ultimately prefer the overall sound of Duran Duran's. So Duran Duran for me!

dolorah - Three awesome musicians, all with their unique styles. For this song, I prefer Bowie. Since he's not in the battle, I'll go with Duran Duran. Eurythmics do a good version, but its all the dips and warble that appeals to me in this song, and the Eurythmics left out that style. Sometimes there's just not adapting the original.

mike spain - Both had different twists. In the end Duran Duran gets my vote they were closer to David Bowie but still very much Duran Duran.


Thanks to everyone who stopped by and placed a vote.
Come back again for a new battle January 1st
Who will you vote for?
What song will I choose?
Which artists will battle it out?
Stay tuned.

Don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see who won their battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS
BE_REINVINTAGED
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

Battle of the Bands - Fame

The good news is, I'm not covering Lada Gaga. The bad news is, I'm not doing David Bowie either. At least, I'm not doing his version of the song. But we are taking a look at his song 'Fame'.

I felt it would be unfair to place Bowie next to any other band. Oh, I'm sure I can find another artists that might tickle the fancy of a few music connoisseurs, but probably not enough to fell as though I've put together another blow out battle.

When I think of a battle, I want to see two evenly matched contenders. The first contender I found was Eurythmics and I though, 'Oh no, if I find a lesser known artist who also performs this song, I'm going to be back where I started'. Fortunately, I discovered Duran Duran also covered this song. Boom! Done. Two well known artists covering the same song.

For one of the first times, I'm literally going into this without bias. I like both artists and I have literally no idea who I'm going to vote for in this round of.....

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

The two musical contenders for this Battle of the Bands are found below.
Please listen to both and let me know which you like best.

Eurythmics


Duran Duran


Those are the two contenders. Ignoring the actual videos, who do you think performs the song best? I collected the two bands to battle it out, now it's your job to vote on your favourite. Please list your preferred song choice in the comments. Additionally, let me know why you feel the way you do. Voting ends on the 22nd when I'll cast my own vote and announce the winner in a separate posting.

Additional Questions:
To what level of fame would you like to achieve?
Are you a David Bowie fan?
Do you prefer a close BOTB feature when it's hard to decide who you want to vote for?
Or do you like a battle when you know before going into it, who you are going to vote for?

Did you enjoy this Battle of the Bands feature? Come back on 1st January when I'll have a new battle. Also, be sure to check out my friends below who have banded together to offer up their own musical battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

Jumping the Shark

R.a.n.t. of month December 2015

Perhaps you've heard this expression before. For those of you unfamiliar with it, you've likely never watched the TV show Happy Days. I'll let Urban Dictionary explain.

"Jump the Shark - A term to describe a moment when something that was once great has reached a point where it will now decline in quality and popularity. Origin of this phrase comes from a Happy Days episode where the Fonz jumped a shark on waterskis. Thus was labelled the lowest point of the show."

Even if you are unfamiliar with the term, you are certainly familiar with the feeling. Truly, nothing good lasts forever. As you may have guessed, this term refers specifically to TV shows. Over the years, I've watched many of my favourite shows 'Jump the Shark'.

The Office did so the moment Michael Scott left. Oh, there were some good episodes after his departure, but it was never the same. The magic was gone.

Did you ever watch Lost? Did you ever try to figure out what was going on? For my friend and I, that was probably the best part of the show. We loved to try and decipher the clues. For me, the show jumped the shark with the repeated promises from Lindelof & Cuse that what we might think was going on, was NOT going on. Only to find out that was exactly what was going on.

The most recent shark jumping for me came about a month ago. You see I had a favourite TV show, but after I got rid of cable, I lost track of the series. But I was finally able to track down the last two seasons and thought I would be enjoying my favourite TV show once gain for a few months. The show was the Mentalist, and the lead Character not only had his showdown with his nemesis early on in the season, but suddenly the entire show was taken in a new direction. Instead of working for the CBI, Patrick, Lisbon and Cho were suddenly working for the FBI on mediocre cases at best. Season six introduced two new characters to replace Van Pelt and Rigsby. From my understanding they were replaced, only to shake up the show a bit. When the season ended, one of the new cast members left the show to be replaced by another, who unsurprisingly, didn't last the entire final season. It was a true case of shark jumping. One of my favourite shows was now gone, in more ways than one.

Well, at least there is still Doctor Who, which I feel is still going strong 50 years plus on TV. But then again, one day they will probably recast the Doctor as a female. That will not be a happy day in my house. Well, it could be worse. They could rewrite a favourite character and change the race, the gender and make them a killer robot. Wait, wasn't this already done once before? OH yea, the Battlestar Galactica re-imaging. I never could get into that one.

Additional Questions:
Do you have a favourite show that has 'Jumped the Shark'?
Do you agree or disagree with any of my thoughts above?
Besides TV, what do you feel has 'Jumped the Shark?'


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


* R.a.n.t. - an acronym for 'Rage About Nothing, Typically'. It's writing about life's little nuances that are, (for the most part), trivial. Something we can all relate to. Do you have something that irritates you? Would you like to r.a.n.t. about it?

Of course you would! Join the R.a.n.t. blog hop today.

When will we be ranting?
The second Monday of each month.

How long should my r.a.n.t. be?
The length is up to you, I find one or two short paragraphs enough to quench my rage.

How do I join?
Let me know you are interested. To the right, you'll notice a banner you can proudly use on your site.

Check out additional r.a.n.t.ers
Alex J. Cavanaugh
Chrys Fey

What should I r.a.n.t. about?
Whatever you feel irate about. Preferably, something that's been bugging you.
Examples: Your writing - the supermarket - annoying people - drivers
The sky is the limit.
If you need suggestions, check out my r.a.n.t.archive below.

Battle of the Band Results - Mandolin Rain

As much as I'd like to say this battle could have gone either way, I think it was quite obvious who the winner was going to be. But, for formality sake, let's pick apart the battle. For our first round, Bruce Hornsby took the early lead. Though a few did like Pam's version (and some did not) it was Bruce's battle to lose.
Bruce Hornsby First Round Votes: Stephanie, Hilary, Arlee & Robin.
Pam Tillis Final Round Votes: Shady & Dixie

If there were any questions in the first round of the battle, the second round pretty much put the question to bed. Pam must have stepped out to powder her nose or something because there was no showing for her at all. All six votes went to Bruce.
Bruce Hornsby Second Round Votes: Guilie, Michele, Elizabeth, Alex, Janie AND A Gal Needs
Total Count: Bruce Hornsby 10, Pam Tillis 2

At least the third round was a bit more even. Without checking the votes already placed, I was starting to wonder if there would be a turn-around. Awww, who was I kidding? I knew the battle was over.
Bruce Hornsby Third Round Votes: Debbie, FAE, Dolorah
Pam Tillis Third Round Votes: Birgit, Chrys, John
Total Count: Bruce Hornsby 13, Pam Tillis 5

The final round was another victory for Bruce. It seems it was a pretty uneven match-up. But, I was happy it wasn't a run-away. I debating throwing a vote for Pam, then I realized it was just going to be a sympathy vote and it really wouldn't have affected the outcome. I have to be honest to myself, and I voted for the winner this time.
Bruce Hornsby Final Round Votes: Stephen, Mary, Mike and myself.
Pam Tillis Final Round Votes: Cathy & Tammy.
Total Battle Count:
Bruce Hornsby: 17
Pam Tillis: 7  


Winners Circle
Congratulations to Bruce Hornsby
Without further ado, Bruce Hornsby singing a song that sounds suspiciously like 'The Way It Is'.


Top Comments

Hilary Melton-Butcher –I prefer Bruce Hornsby's version ... just easier for me to listen to. Great song though.

Dixie@dcrelief - Super tough choice for me. I have always loved the Bruce version, but Pam Tillis puts it in another light! Tillis is a favorite - just as much as Bruce. I'm voting for her.

Alex J. Cavanaugh - Hate to say it, I have to go with Bruce on this one. It's fuller.

A GAL NEEDS - I like Bruce Hornsby and the Range. I grew up listening to that one!

Chrys Fey - They were both really good but I'm voting for Pam. I like how her version was softer, slower. And her voice was lovely, a perfect match for the lyrics.

John Holton - To me, everything Bruce Hornsby does sounds like "That's Just The Way It Is," regardless of who wrote it. Not that it was a bad song, but to make everything sound like it... uh, no.

Stephen T. McCarthy - Do you have that "one thing" that is a constant reminder?
Yes. It's a scar across the tip of my right ring finger from the night I fell down in a Prescott, Arizona, street with a big rock in my hand while filled with Grand Marnier and Tequila.

Mary Burris - Okay, this song takes me back to the 80's. I have the cassette. Listened to it frequently. My memory for this song is not romantic AT ALL. I was in my 20's, working for a beverage distributor. I remember walking between buildings at work. I had to walk past my bosses Volvo. Of course, I looked inside to see the interior and whatnot. To my surprise this Cassette was laying out in the open on the front seat. Boss earned some points in my book that day!

Tammy E. –My vote is for Pam Tillis, I never heard her version of this song before. I love her songs "Shake the sugar tree" and "Maybe it was Memphis".


Thanks to everyone who stopped by and placed a vote.
Come back again for a new battle December 15th.
Who will you vote for?
What song will I choose?
Which artists will battle it out?
Stay tuned.

Don't forget to visit the other participants in the Battle of the Band to see who won their battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.

I.W.S.G. (4) - Making A List

I hate to admit, I'm not pushing myself very well. There are a lot of writings I could be working on, but I've not been putting myself to task. It's not writers burn out or anything, I'm just bad at scheduling. The up side to this, (if you can call it that), is it's not only my writing that's suffering. I should be trying to lose weight, keeping up on my foreign language studies, working in the home and other duties as well. Instead, I keep putting them off because I don't schedule them. Not that I'm a big procrastinator either. Well, maybe I am. BUT.... If I actually dedicate myself to getting something accomplished, and I make a list and check it twice, it seems to get done. It's the reason when I plan a trip, I make a check-list. I should really do the same thing for my writing. Sure, I'm keeping up on my blog-hops, BECAUSE THEY ARE SCHEDULED. But what about the rest of my writing (and other things I should be working on). I've done this in the past, and it has worked. I've made a list and I kept to it. So why am I not doing this currently? Well, I think it's about time I do that. Check back next month to see what I put on my list, and how well I stick to it.If I'm insecure about anything this month, it's worrying if I can actually pull this off. I've been complaining without doing anything for far too long.

(To Be Continued)

Questions:
Does making a list help you?
If you are a procrastinator, what helps you?
Do you find it hard to 'push yourself' sometimes? What helps?

The Insecure Writer's Support Group posts the first Wednesday of every month. Please follow along as my fellow writers and I relate why we feel insecure, or read as we help encourage others suffering from insecurity.

Are you an insecure writer? Why not join the group? Find out more information via the group HERE.

The site is founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh - Thanks for all the support!

Battle of the Bands - Mandolin Rain

Winter is just about here and I really wanted to use a Winter themed song. But so far this year, we have not been blessed (or cursed) with a lot of snow. In fact, we've had one snowfall which disappeared a few days later in 50° weather. Yes, this is Wisconsin, and if you blink, the weather is likely to change. What it has been doing is raining. A lot. So I may as well go with a rainy day themed song.(It was either this or Rainy Days and Mondays).

Mandolin Rain is a song I've loved since I first heard it in the 80's. It's sweet and it's sad. Two individuals are in love with each other, and they share a love of the rain and strolling in it. But when one leaves, the rain is a constant reminder of the others departure.

♪ Listen to the mandolin rain
Listen to the music on the lake
Ah, listen to my heart break every time she runs away
Oh, listen to the banjo wind
A sad song drifting low
Listen to the tears roll
Down my face as she turns to go ♫

I think we have all had a lost love where that 'one thing' is a constant reminder of them.
Even years later.

The two musical contenders for this Battle of the Bands are found below.
Please listen to both and let me know which you like best.

Pam Tillis


Bruce Hornsby


Those are the two contenders. Ignoring the actual videos, who do you think performs the song best? I collected the two bands to battle it out, now it's your job to vote on your favourite. Please list your preferred song choice in the comments. Additionally, let me know why you feel the way you do. Voting ends on the 8th when I'll cast my own vote and announce the winner in a separate posting.

Additional Questions:
Do you prefer rain or snow in Winter?
Do you prefer a soft and gentle rain, or a raging lightening storm best?
Do you have that "one thing" that is a constant reminder?

Did you enjoy this Battle of the Bands feature? Come back on 15th December when I'll have a new battle. Also, be sure to check out my friends below who have banded together to offer up their own musical battles.

FAR AWAY SERIES
STMcC PRESENTS 'BATTLE OF THE BANDS'
TOSSING IT OUT
JANIE JUNEBUG RIGHTING AND EDITING
YOUR DAILY DOSE
BOOK LOVER
MIKE'S RAMBLINGS
CURIOUS AS A CATHY
DCRELIEF - BATTLE OF THE BANDS
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
CHERDO ON THE FLIPSIDE
ANGELS BARK
NOVEL BREWS
QUIET LAUGHTER
HOLLI'S HOOTS AND HOLLERS
THE SOUND OF ONE HAND TYPING
JINGLE JANGLE JUNGLE

Are you currently in the BOTB and don't see your name in the list above? Let me know in comments and I'll include it.