Team Saturdazzle: The One Where I pull something from my draft status and then go from there

I have been trying to clean out my draft staus which is where posts I start but don't finish end up or where I put you tube videos just in case I may want to put them on the blog someday. So today when my first Idea for Team Saturdazzle seemed a little too cumbersome to finish on time. I decided to look through some of the videos that I had in draft status. When my son was in F.L.L. FIRST Lego League he participted in a scrimmage table where different robotics teams would get together to practice together at the same facility. One of the tenets of FIRST Robotics is gracious professionalism, so even though these teams would soon compete against each other in competition. This was an opportunity for them to practice and learn from each other. I took some footage of the event and put some of it on my vlog probably 10 years ago or more. I don't think this particular video made the cut but I'm glad to show it today.

 

One thing I specifically remember from the event that it was in a building that my Orthodontist had been in years before and that the building had one of those old fashioned elevators complete with an elevator operator. Watching that video reminded me of a movie that is currently playing at the theatre I work at. It is called rule breakers based on a true story of Afghanistan girls competing in a FIRST Robotics competition.  

 I like to consider myself the king of the segue but even I wasn't sure how to go from two segments on robotics to talking about Bob Bennet Weekly Live but I'm going to try:

From FIRST to First Things First

The 5 years anniversary of Co-Vid 19 shutting down life as we knew it at least for a time kind of came and went, in my opinion, without much to do.  5 years ago on  Friday, March 13th was my last day working as a substitute teacher until September of 2022, and Saturday March 14th 2020 was my last day working at the movie theatre until a year later.  Two weeks later I was stocking shelves overnight at a grocery store, which I did for a year.  People in many lines of work had to be flexible at this time.

Bob Bennett, one of my favorite singers began on his 65th birthday March 21st of 2020  a series of weekly on-line interactive concerts called originally enough Bob Bennett Weekly Live.  Tonight he finished his 5th year of such concerts.  He streams these concerts replete with a virtual tip jar each week and on both You-Tube and Facebook.  

My wife and I listened in while we were playing cribbage, and gin rummy and Bob even gave Amy a shout out during the concert.  Tonight's concert featured many songs mostly made by request from Bennett's first album First Things First (1979) I also made a Spotify playlist that features the songs Bennett played tonight including multiple renditions of a few of the songs.  

 Finally tonight I'd like to end with a clip from Saturday Night Live from 1979 with Jimmy Fallon and Jerry Seinfelld both performing as Jerry Seinfeld

 

A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal: The ABC's of ME

April Blogging from A to Z Challenge 2025 SIGN-UP March 24-April 5 a-to-zchallenge.com

Leap of Dave 

2025 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal

Sponsored By No-One

No-One is a proud sponsor of the Leap of Dave 2025 A to Z Challenge Theme Reveal.  No one has  practically been reading this blog for many years and was glad to answer the call when I asked no one to sponsor it.  Now back to the theme reveal.

The Theme for my 2025 A to Z challenge is The ABC's of Me. 

I had many different ideas for the challenge theme this year and I chose this one because at the beginning of the year I placed an alphabetical list of things that described me on my home page.

As of March 7th 2025 this list reads as follows:

Amateur Parodist, 

Blogger, 

Christian, 

Daring do-gooder, 

Evangelical sans Trump Kool-Aid, 

Father of 3 adult children, 

Giraffe lover, 

Husband of one amazing wife, 

Illinois resident, 

Jester, 

Kindred spirit, 

Library lover 

Middle School teacher 

Nincompoop 

Original Poet

Quintessential worker 

RITA (Republican in theory, anyways.) 

Sixty something 

Teller of jokes 

U of I Parent - ILL

Voracious reader, 

Willy Wonka Wannabe, 

Xenophile 

Yankovic enthusiast 

Zoo attender

Each day of the challenge I will write a post about the alphabetical aspect of me that matches that day's letter.  It is very possible that I may change some of the topics before the challenge.  If I do that, they will also be changed on my blog's sidebar.  As I am not a fan of revisionist history, I will not change them on this post.  

This is now usually the time in a Theme Reveal where the blogger lists his previous A to Z Challenge theme's.  So let's get to it shall we. The first time I participated in the A to Z Challenge was 2012 it was here at this blog back when it was still called Home School Dad. and it was the only year I had no theme. In 2015 I returned to the Challenge and actually participated in the challenge on2 of my blogs.  The complete list is below. 

 

                                                   

Year    Blog      Theme                                   Sample Post                              

2012  HSD      No Theme                              B is for Boring

2015  HSD      Nouns                                    A is for Allen

2015   CUSP   White Sox Home Runs         F is for Frank

2016  YBD      Comic Book Characters      B is for Beast 

2016   DOL     Y is for You Tube                  Theme Reveal

2016   CUSP   Cubs Home Runs                 R is for Ronny

2019   RAN     Sherman Brothers Songs    Z is for Zuckerman 

2020   RAN     State Capitals                       W is for Washington 

2021   HSD     Alive in 1921                         W is for Waltons

2022   LOD     Multiple *                             Quit Quentin Quest

2023   LOD     A Month at the Movies         Ordinary People

2024    LOD    Holidays                                J is for Just Married

                                                                                          

* The themes for 2022 were Wordles, Limericks and Home Runs

Key to BLOGS: 

HSD Home School Dad *

CUSP Crazy Uncle Dave's Sports Page

YBD Your Basic Dave

DOL Dave Out Loud 

RAN Random Acts of  Dave 

LOD Leap of Dave*

* Leap of Dave is the same blog as Home School Dad.  

I am very excited about participating this year.  Since I am kind of the theme I'm looking forward to putting myself out there.  

Here is a quote from the movie that inspired the title of my theme.

The Theme Reveal Sponsor, No One is offering a prize for anyone who can answer these questions from the above referenced quote:

1. The Name of the film

2. The name of the character speaking.

3. The name of the actor portraying the character.  

Leave your answer in the comments and No One will  be very happy that you participated. 

To  see the theme reveal post as the A-Z challenge website click here.  To  submit your theme reveal post click here. To see the Theme Reveal Spreadsheet click here.

 

Coming April First: Amateur Parodist at your Service. 

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Bob Ayala: Joy By Surprise - A Heard It For The FIrst Time Review

I know a lot about contemporary Christian music (CCM)  and a pretty good amount about the history of CCM/ Jesus Music.  Bob Ayala was a CCM Pioneer. While these first two sentences are correct, I just heard about Ayala today.

 I am in a number of FB CCM groups and someone mentioned his 1976 debut album Joy By Surprise.  Spotify is my go to for finding music like this but they only had one Bob Ayala album  or Bob Ayalbum if you will, and it wasn't Joy By Surprise.  I was able to find it on You Tube and have shared it below.  My plan is to listen to it now and give you a quick as I'm hearing it review.  

The album is about 33 minutes long and has 10 songs. Joy By Surprise begins with Stephanie, With Love which is a nice consoling song about a girl who loved and lost.

 The next song  Do You Know Him? starts with a description of God "He is a poet in the wind a sculptor  of the sky line. " 

Nice guitar work and some good front ground la la las which are very typical of this  time frame.  

 Try And Keep The Pace 

Opening lyrics: You were always haunted by the girl you hated standing in your mirror.  The little I read about Ayala stated a  couple Keith Greenesque qualities. These qualities are on full display in this song.    This song also reminds me of more positive less satire look at the issues Randy Stonehill explored in cosmetic fixation and Barbie nation. 

 To The Ancient of Days seems to be the most famous song from this album according to notes on the FB page and the You Tube comments.  One commenter stated he could not listen to it with out thinking of Narnia, this is not too difficult for an album whose cover art is the singer encountering Aslan.  These songs are quick but they have good production value and I can imagine listening to them again and again,

Peace  is the next song and starts with the sounds of the outdoors at night.  The lyrics continue that theme with a nice guitar accompaniment. The person who shared this album on You Tube stated "that the music drifts further to the middle of the road than one would like".  Speaking for myself, this one likes the middle of  the road just fine.

1/2 way through the album as we pause to turn the record over I'll say that so far I like it.  The songs are quick but they have good production value and I can imagine listening to them again and again.  

I enjoyed Silent Witness,  which seems to be a love song from an unbelieving husband  to his  believing wife. There was a really good lyric in the beginning that I couldn't write down quick enough.  I look forward to hearing it again on a subsequent listen.  

 Joy By Surprise, the title track has a Don Francisco country twang to it which I quite enjoyed.  The lyrics also reminded me of C.S. Lewis a) because Lewis's autobiography is called Surprised by Joy and b) since some of the lyrics talk about scales being removed which is so very Eustace Clarence Scrubb. 

 The Song of Joseph is next and while there are many Joseph's in the Bible,  This one is definitely about Mary's husband.  I found it the most uneven of the songs I've heard so far.  Of course this is just one listen in, and often songs have a way of surprising me after multiple hearings.

 Lord is the penultimate song on this collection.  Where Joseph's song is an Advent song, Lord, is a Good Friday song.  The music is slow and sad and helps you imagine Jesus carrying his cross on the way to  Calvary. If it wasn't obvious before that this was a1970's album this song brings that idea home with an sledge hammer masquerading as an exclamation point.   

 

To end an album with  a song called New Beginnings is kind of different.  It's a good song and is very Michael Cardish with the vocals and the orchestration.  

A couple of final vinyl thoughts that I'd like to spin.  I recognized the names of a couple musicians on the album.  First there is  Billy Batstone   who wears lots of hats,  singer, songwriter, worship leader, bassist, guitarist and of course becomes Captain Marvel when he say Shazam.   Then I read about the drummer Al McDougal and I was thinking that name sounds very familiar.  Then I realized it was probably Alex MacDougal who used to drum for Daniel Amos.  Sure enough he has is credited in Discogs for his work on this album.  

I like this album and kind of want to finish this review quickly so I can listen to it again.  One of the blogs I read mentioned him in early 2020 as still being alive. Apparently in the Fall of that year he passed away while visiting his sister perhaps due to some vertigo issues he had been experiencing.  It was kind of strangely sad discovering he died nearly 5 years prior to my discovery of him.  In a sense I wish I discovered his music earlier, but in another way it's kind of nice to discover old music that's new to you.  

Team Saturdazzle: The One where I Mispronounced Meme Twice.

Another Saturday, another Saturdazzle .  Todays Saturdazzle could also be called The one with the 14 year old video.  After I statrted this blog in 2009, I started in short order a few more blogs most notably Crazy Uncle Dave's Sport-O-Rama and Dave Out Loud. Dave Out Loud was my attempt at a vlog.  A few years ago I combined all 3 blogs into this one. 

As I often do in the early months of the new year I've been cleaning up this blog.  Spending time looking at old posts, and revamping the look of it.  While I was doing that I came across this video talking about my the previous week at our home school.

I was participating in a meme called weekly wrap up where you share post about your week and link your post up to a site.  These things still happen and I hope one day to see if I can make Team Saturdazzle a weekly link up.  

A few years after this post I discovered that I had been mispronouncing meme.  In it's correct pronunciation it's pronounced like it thymes with theme.  However, I was pronouncing it me me.  So when I learned of my mistake, I just corrected my pronunciation and moved on.  

What I didn't realized was that there was evidence of my earlier failure to communicate.  I invite you to watch what I am calling exhibit A.  Where I mispronounce meme not once but twice.

Now if you were wondering what I was thinking when I pronounced meme me me, it is this: Most of the memes I knew at that time were blogging memes and it seemed like the purpose of the blogging meme was to get the attention of other bloggers.  It was to me as if you were shouting Me! Me! Look at me,  That's why I pronounced it me me.  

Memories of Kite Fest 1999

Amy and I were married in April of 1998 and her two brothers gave us a wedding gift of a weekend  in Madison Wisconsin, where they both lived and still live.  We went up in early February and discovered there was a kite flying festival taking place.  I have pictures similar to the picture below in a photobook some where. If you click on the caption below the picture, it will give you more infor about the event this year.  While that festival no longer exists.  There is a kite flying event on the same lake today as part of a new winter festival in Madison.  

Kite Fest 1999 Madison Wisconsin
I do not own this picture, click on the caption for the full story.

Team Saturdazzle At The Movies

Powered by Box Office Mojo

Top 10 Films  January 2025 

and by default

 top 10 Films of 2005 as of 1/31/2005

10. Baby Girl Up 2 from December

9. Wolf Man

8. One of Then Days

7. Den of Thieves: Pantera

6. A Complete Unknown Up 1 from December

5. Wicked Down 3 From December

4. Nosferatu Up 2 from December

3. Moana 2 Down 2 from December

2. Sonic The Hedgehog 3: Up 1 from December

1. Mufasa: The Lion King Up 3 from December

Muppet Movie Posters, Trailers & Clips. Oh My.

I found these posters for the Muppet Movie (1979) in draft status of my blog.  I probably put  then there in preparation for a post of the 45th anniversary.  Well the 45th anniversary has come and gone, but as it is one of my 3 all time favorite films I don't think it needs a special occasion to be celebrated.  The Muppet Movie is a special occasion.

All Muppet Muppet Movie Poster

Muppet Movie Poster Featuring Celebrity Cameos

 

 I really like the cameos in the Muppet movie.  

 It's interesting the next clip starts with Steve Martin who we saw in the last clip.    

Team Saturdazzle: The One With The Made Up Holidays

Hello and welcome to the last Team Saturdazzle post for January 2025.  Last April for the A to Z Challenge I wrote about Holidays. On most day of the challenge I found an event that was already taking place on that day and pair it with the letter of the day. 

For example each April 2nd is International Children's Book Day so since the letter of the day for April 2nd was B, I wrote about that Holiday and title my post, B is for Books for Children.  

Writing about made up holidays turned out to be not enough for me.  SO, I actually made up 5  holidays and added them into the challenge  for all the letters that were vowels.  Now that it is 2025,  It has come to my attention that these holidays are coming up again this year.  

A chart or graph of some kind might be helpful here:

Name of Holiday with link to         2025 Date           (When it occurs)

A to Z Challenge Post

Adult Children Appreciation Day                  April 21, 2025.  (The Monday after Easter)

 

 Wedding Planner Black Friday                     April 4, 2025     (1st Friday in April)

Indicted Illinois Governors Day                     April 10, 2025   (10th day in April)

One More Time and You Get A Parade Day   April 16, 2025   (Third Wednesday in April)

                        

Undecided, Undeclared & Unsure Day           April 30th 2025 (Final Wednesday in April)

This is me talking about one of the new holidays last year.

Not Sure How This is A Writer's Workshop But I'm In.

Here are the prompts for this week’s Writer’s Workshop: 

1. Write a post based on the word surprise. 
2. Write a post in exactly 8 sentences. 
3. Tell us about your favorite restaurant when you were a kid. 
4. Share links to 5-10 of your favorite non-political YouTube videos from this past week. 
5. Tell us about a time you had a really elaborate project in elementary school. 
6. Tell us how you named one (or more) of your pets.

I love writing too much, too look for a loophole when it comes to these Workshop prompts.  But if I were, prompt 4  would be right up my alley.  A writing prompt that just has me sharing links?  Bring it on.  

Some of the videos are not from  the past week but were in my you tube feed in the past week.  I had already put a few You Tube links in previous posts which is why I have the minimum amount.  Yet another loophole.  

Bob Bennett Weekly Live 1/12/2025

 

Ving Rhames Give His Golden Globe to Jack Lemon

MLB Remembers Legendary Broadcaster Bob Uecker

1987 Dal@Phi Buddy Ryan Runs Up The Score

The Newsroom: That's How I Got To Memphis

That was almost too easy,  So I decide to do # 6 as well. It's how I renamed a pet.

When I was in highschool my family bought a cat.  They named him Tiger.  I say they because If I had been conulted in the naming process such a predictable name would not have escaped my lips.  One of my best friends already had a cat named tiger, and of course every other striped cat was named tiger.  

Not only did I refuse to call the cat Tiger. I unilaterally decided to change his name.  So in my family of 7 people, 6 people called  our new cat Tiger and I called the cat Larry. I was very aggressive  and vocal with my naming preference. While no one switched over immediately I wore people down. My Dad would  accidentally call  him Larry, sweat under his breath and switch back to Tiger. I was always a pretty obnoxious teenager but this was me ar my most obnoxious.

in the early 80s VCRs were coming on the scene and our family got one before a lot of my other friends had them. So that summer I had a big party and we watched a number of movies. In between and even during movies people hung out I’m different places in the house and on the front porch and people came and went freely.

At some point during the party Larry/Tiger went freely but didnt come back. He probably got tired of  all the name calling. We never did see Larry or Tiger again. 

The Newfangled Four - A Spoonful of Sugar (parody) [from Mary Poppins]

I  found this the other day on YouTube while looking up prune videos.  Not sure why it would come up there, but I am glad it did.  

This video resonated in me for multiple reasons: 1. I have had multiple family members over the years who have participated in singing groups.  My first trip on an airplane was because my Mom's Sweet Adeline's group was going to sing in Washington D.C. and families were allowed to come with.  Both my sisters have been in Sweet Adeline's as well. I also have several family members who have been in Barber Shop Quartets.  2) I love parodies, write them myself, and love to see them performed.  3) Since the time my youngest daughter was in 4th grade started performing in speech contests, my wife and I have been volunteer judges in them. This performance is a send-up of judging rubrics, especially for judging barber shop quartets, but I found it matched up to speech judging in a most delightful way.

 

Extra Bonus Video: Judges by The Fabulous Bentley Brothers from Jelly Telly which was Phil Vischer's follow up to Veggie Tales.  And, yes the Bentley Brothers are Rhett & Link.  

Jimmy Carter's eulogy for Gerald Ford

I scheduled thispost to coincide with the beginning of President Carter's National Funeral Service. Jimmy Carter gave a Eulogy at President Ford's Funeral service. It is eloquent, homespun, and humorous. In that it embodied many of the traits of both Presidents.

Jimmy Carter on What's My Line

Jimmy Carter passed away on Sunday. Here is a video of him a few years before he became President.

EVANGELICALS FOR HARRIS Ad ("Keep Clear") #evangelicals #election2024

Prune Commercials from 1967 & !985

My wife bought prunes this weekend and I was reminded of this commercial that came out a few years after I was in high school about prunes. It was like the funniest commercial I had ever seen. The problem was when I described it to people even back then, they had never heard of it let alone seen it and thought it was more like a fake commercial from Saturday Night Live. I'll admit it's very much like the change bank. After Amy brought home the prunes I started looking for the commercial on You Tube Again. I have looked before and never able to find it. I had found this commercial before that Stan Freeberg (Dragonnet) had produced in the 60's (He's also the off screen interviewer)  

 This is a very funny commercial but still not as funny as the one from the 80's at least in my memory. 

 I finally found a clip of it. While The YouTube video below Could be of better quality, here is a link to a Facebook page that has a better copy of the commercial   

The Sandberg Game | The Signature Game of Hall-of-Famer Ryne Sandberg's ...

40 years ago today The Cubs played the Cardinals in the famous "Sandberg" Game. Enjoy this documentary:

.

How Non Cubers Think You Solve A Rubik’s Cube

Dave Out Loud Comedy Set @roldaver

Dave Out Loud: Name That Movie

A to Z 2024: U is for Undecided, Undeclared & Uncertain Day

  For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in an A to Z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together.

A Very Special Installment Today

Dave Out Loud Presents Undecided, Undeclared & Uncertain Day

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Song of the Day: Under The Sun - Michael Card

21 letters 21 songs assembled in a playlist.  5 more remain.  Here is what we have so far.

To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

Bo Knows Comebacks: White Sox Home Opener Pinch Hit HR

Bo Jackson was an amazing athlete. He was a three sport star (Football, Baseball and Track) at Auburn. In Football he won the 1985 Heismann Trophy. He played Football for the Oakland Raiders and Baseball for the Kansas City Royals.  He played in a Pro Bowl and in A MLB All Star Game. He had to give up football because of  a  hip injury. Because of the injury , the Royals release Jackson on March 18th, 1991.  

16 days later the White Sox gave Bo a 3 year incentive laden contract. He played a handful of games in 1991, spent 1992 rehabbing his knee and on April 9th 1993.  Bo came to the plate as a pinch hitter in the White Sox home opener and did this...

                     

On March 13th of this year the Kansas City Royals announced that Bo Jackson had been elected to the Royals Hall of Fame and will be inducted this summer.

A to Z 2024 - B is for Books for Children

For The A to Z Challenge this year, I am focusing on everyday holidays. Each day there are multiple unusual things to celebrate.  Every day of the challenge I look for an event taking place that day and pair it with the letter of the day.  I have also made up 5 holidays to coincide with the vowel days of the challenge.  At the end of each post I will share a special song of the day for that day's letter.  At the end of the month, these songs will be assembled in a to z keepsake playlist on Spotify.  Every day is a celebration, let's unwrap today's together. 

Yesterday, I created a new made up holiday by making one up.  Today I will regale you with info regarding a Holiday that someone else made up.  Today is Children's Picture book day! 

Here is an informative video from the  Champaign Library.

 

Like many of these made up Holidays the day we celebrate it is based on a relevant birthday.  The birthday in this instance is Hans Christian Anderson who was born on this day in 1805.  

In preparation for this post I watched the Danny Kaye Film Hans Christian Anderson.  I will review the film sometime shortly after the challenge is complete.  Here is the trailer.  

Exactly 98 years and 11 months after  Han's Christian Anderson's birthday Theodor Geisel much better known as Dr. Seuss was born on March 2nd 1904.  Geisel became a pioneer in children's picture books.  

The book, “The Cat in The Hat,” by Dr. Seuss, sits on a book shelf at West Elementary School during a National Read Across America Day event Mar. 2, 2017 at Yokota Air Base, Japan. National Read Across America Day is a holiday to share the fun of reading with children of all ages, and is celebrated on Dr. Seuss’ birthday. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Donald Hudson) Unit: 374th Airlift Wing DVIDS Tags: Japan; Yokota Air Base; 374th Airlift Wing; Dr. Seuss; National Read Across America Day

One of my favorite kinds of picture books is what I call Alphabet books.  These books much like the A to Z challenge take a subject and then devote 1 page and 1 picture per letter of the alphabet.  On a recent trip to the Beloit Public Library (which I will also be reviewing after the challenge)  I was reminded of my love for Alphabets and took pictures of several of them

Not sure why that pen is in all the pictures, it's nothing to write home about.  

Among other holidays occurring today is Autism Awareness Day.  

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Today's song of the day  is Broken Things by Julie Miller

The Leap of Dave A to Z Spotify Playlist is now up to 2 songs.

Time to close the book on the letter B.  I think you get the picture.  As you head back to more of the challenge or just your regularly scheduled life feel free to leave a comment.  Maybe you can let me know what your favorite picture book is/was and why.  

 To go to the home of the A to Z challenge click here, to see the 2024 master list of participating blogs click here. Enjoy the 2024 A to Z challenge, and Happy Holidays!

Dave Out Loud Reads an excerpt from The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles (...