Another weekend is here and I hope you have a fantastic one. The weather is going to be perfect. It’s a short weekend for me since I’m working Saturday evening for our weekend meteorologist, Kyle, who’s on vacation. While it’s a longer work week for me, it all works out because I go on vacation next weekend!
ONE WEEK TO CANCUN
I was in Cancun twenty years ago and this is Ray’s first visit. God willing, next Saturday afternoon we’ll be lying on the sandy beaches of Mexico with a margarita or some low-calorie cocktail in hand a million miles (figuratively) from home.
And, while the Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1st, there’s good news out in the tropics. Here are the forecasts from the National Hurricane Center for the next five days.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO... TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.
SAD FOLLOW-UP
In last week’s blog, I wrote about the injustices being brought upon the LGBT community in Russia and I posted this edited picture of the teenager that is reportedly dead from excessive torture.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, the hate you’re encouraging is disgusting!
If you didn’t get a chance to read about it last week, here’s the link: https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/random-friday-thoughts-august-2/
MY HEART IS BREAKING
Animal abuse stories usually get to me more than stories about human tragedies. Even when watching movies or television shows that I know are not real, it’s harder for me to watch something that involves an animal in pain or dying than a human.
However, earlier this week, I saw a story on “CBS This Morning” that broke my heart. It was about little 2-year-old Logan Stevenson, who was dying of a rare genetic disease, serving as the best man at his parent’s wedding last weekend.
Sadly, the toddler died Monday evening. Here is what his mother, Christine Swidorsky, posted on Facebook that evening, “At 8:18 my son took his last breath in my arms. I’m so sad, upset and I’m in disbelief. He is with angels, and he’s in no more pain. No more sickness, no more hospitals. We love all of [you] for all your prayers.”
Christine and Sean Stevenson, Logan’s dad, were planning on getting married in the summer of 2014. However, after learning that the baby only had weeks to live from lukemia and cancerous tumors on his kidneys, the couple moved up the wedding date for Logan to take part in the event.
I know that God has a plan for all of his creatures, young and old, but I guess it’s not for me to fully understand. After seeing Logan’s story, I’m going to work harder and remember that whatever dramas we face in our lives, most are usually small. There is always someone facing something worse.
In memory of little Logan, I want to share “God’s Will” by Martina McBride. It’s one of the most heartfelt music videos I’ve seen in years.
THOUGHT-PROVOKING ITEMS WHILE SHOPPING
Last weekend, Ray and I did something we rarely do – we went shopping at the mall and a few other stores. Typically, we go where we need to go, grab what we need, and then head home. I despise shopping! However, here are a few things I saw that piqued my interest or made me smile.
That “Pinnacle Pumpkin Pie” vodka brings our vodka flavors and brands total up to 42! It’s definitely getting me in the mood for fall and if the bottle looks a little interesting, it has frost on it since I put it in the freezer when we got home in case I make a pumpkin pie martini one of these days soon.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!
Birthday wishes go out this week to two of my favorite, sexy people.
Today, “The X-Files” star Gillian Anderson (Dana Scully) turns 45 and two days ago, David Duchovny (Fox Mulder) turned 53.
FINALLY WALKED OUT WITH A LITTLE MONEY!
Ray and I have gone to the casinos in the past and never invested much money. However, lately, we’ve been going and we usually come home empty-handed. While I don’t like losing at all, it’s a good thing we’re not hard-core gamblers that bet the house!
Last Sunday night, down to my last few dollars I took to gamble on, I finally hit a good one!
While I’m very happy with the pay-off, I still have to think, “how much would it have been if I had bet the max of $1.50 and what if that “7” and “blue star” had been a “WILD, too?” Oh well, once I played on that money a while longer and took out what I started with, I still left with $50 more than I started with.
It’s a good thing because dinner there (and the last time we visited this casino) was not good, which is surprising because this place is usually pretty tasty!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
SEXIST, RACIST, OR NEITHER?
“The Sapphires”, a musical dramedy, is new to DVD this week. Since its release last year (March 2013 in the United States), the movie made slightly over $20 million. It stars “Bridesmaids” cutie Chris O’Dowd.
The movie is inspired by a true story of four young, talented Australian Aboriginal singers learning “about love, friendship and war” (Redbox) when their all-girl group, “The Sapphires”, are discovered by Dave (O’Dowd), a kind-hearted talent scout who knows soul music. He works as their manager and gives the ladies a chance for stardom entertaining American troops in Vietnam in 1968.
Sounds innocent so far, huh? It was until the packaging for the DVD in the United States was revealed. In the American release, O’Dowd is front and center and the singers are in the background (below left), compared to the Australian release (below right) which has the girl group more prominently featured.
The original band members of the 1960s group wrote a letter to the National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People saying, “As I’m sure you can appreciate, the treatment of people of colour in Australia mirrored much of the trauma to which people in the United States were subjected. That trauma – and much of that treatment – remains alive and well in Australia today, as I know it does in the United States.”
Anchor Bay Entertainment released a statement Monday apologizing and “regrets any unintentional upset” and is considering new cover art for future orders of the DVD.
I firmly believe that women should never settle for anything less than what men get in life. It was always unfair to me that David Duchovny made more money than Gillian Anderson on “The X-Files”. And, I don’t think that race, sexual orientation, religion, etc. should be a deciding factor in job placement. The best and most qualified person should get the job or promotion!
In this matter, I don’t know if race or gender came up in the discussions at Anchor Bay when the artwork was being created for the U.S. release. But, I can fully understand why the biggest star in the movie would be prominently featured in the promotions. After all, American audiences know him from “Bridesmaids”, which made $288 million dollars two years ago.
“The Sapphires” was the biggest movie of 2012 in Australia and is one of the top 20 of grossing films of all time there.
What are your thoughts?
THE TURNING TIDE
A recent Gallup poll found that if Election Day was held now, 52% of Americas would make marriage equality legal in all 50 states, while 43% of those surveyed said “no”.
Breaking down that survey, the sub-groups that ranked highest for approving marriage equality were liberals (77%), those with no chosen religion (76%), Democrats (70%), and those ages 18-34 years (69%).
Those that were most opposed to legalizing same-sex marriage in all 50 states were: weekly church attendees (73% against), conservatives (67%), Republicans (66%), and Protestants and those 55 years or older (58% opposed).
Women more than men were for making marriage equality a reality in all fifty states.
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER
British actor Ben Whishaw who played “Q” in last year’s James Bond flick, “Skyfall” recently came out as a gay man and he also announced that he’s been in a civil partnership with his boyfriend, Australian composer Mark Bradshaw, since August 2012.
Ben told “Out” magazine in March 2011, “[A]s an actor you have total rights to privacy and mystery, whatever your sexuality, whatever you do. I don’t see why that has to be something you discuss openly because you do something in the public eye. I have no understanding of why we turn actors into celebrities. It’s difficult talking about it. That’s why I didn’t want to go there, but at the same time I know this is a gay magazine and that means there’s a conflict there.”
The couple met in 2009 while working on the movie, “Bright Star”.
DON’T PUT AWAY THE CHAMPAGNE YET!
Well wishes also go out to “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson.
He tied the knot with lawyer Justin Mikita on July 20, 2013, in New York City. The couple have been together almost two years.
WAS “THE $64,000 QUESTION” ANSWERED?
Actress Raven-Symone has always avoided questions about her sexuality, but this tweet last Friday may have answered the question.
The 27-year-old actress who got her start on “The Cosby Show” in 1989 and had her own show, “That’s So Raven” on the Disney Channel from 2003-2007, tells E! News, “I am very happy that gay marriage is opening up around the country and is being accepted. I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to.”
Congratulations to Ben, Mark, Jesse Tyler, Justin, and Raven-Symone for being yourself, finding love, and being out and proud!
LADY GAGA TAKES ON RUSSIA’S IGNORANCE
We’re now just a little over a week away from the premiere of Lady Gaga’s new single and video, “Applause”, and that isn’t the only thing that Mother Monster is working on right now. She’s fighting back to homophobes in the Russian government!
In addition to arresting and exiling people from the LGBT community, authorities are investigating Gaga and Madonna’s visas they used last year to perform concerts in Saint Petersburg.
Here’s how Gaga is responding. In just the first half-hour, the comments were re-tweeted more than 20,000 times!
How about a little Gaga this Friday with the late, great saxophonist Clarence Clemons before we flashback to the 1980s?
PEEPS’ ’80s FRIDAY FLASHBACK
This past Tuesday we experienced a new moon that was one day too late to fit into music history. Just think, if it had fallen a day earlier, it would have been a “New Moon on Monday”. If you’re a ’80s music fan, that’s already ringing a bell for you. If not, how about “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” as a second clue?
In 1978, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor formed a band that would go on to be named after a character from the movie, “Barbarella”. Lead singer Simon Le Bon, Roger Taylor, and Andy Taylor would round out the English group Duran Duran.
While the band had some success back home and on the American dance charts in 1981, their first song to reach the Billboard Hot 100 debuted at #77 on Christmas Day 1982. “Hungry Like The Wolf” would go on to peak at #3 in the summer of 1983.
Fourteen more songs would reach the Top 40 in America from that first hit in 1983 to their last pop radio hit in 1993. Eleven of those songs would reach the Top Ten and two would top the Hot 100, “The Reflex” in 1984 and “A View To A Kill” from the James Bond movie of the same name in 1985.
“New Moon on Monday”, the second release from “Seven and the Ragged Tiger”, peaked at #10 in March 1984. The “Ragged” album went double platinum in the United States with shipments of more than two million copies.
Sing along even if you have no clue what the lyrics mean, “Shake up the picture the lizard mixture/ With your dance on the eventide/ You got me coming up with answers/ All of which I deny”.
Duran Duran has sold more than 100 million records worldwide!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Here’s to a great weekend. While I’m working Saturday, Ray and Gretel are going to see “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” and then on Sunday, Ray and I are going to see my woman, Jodie Foster, in “Elysium” (with Matt Damon). And, we’ll spend a couple of hours in the pool working on a nice base tan for Cancun.
Whatever you do this weekend, make the most of it. Thank you for checking out my random thoughts. Let me know what your thoughts are about these topics or anything on your mind.
Anthony
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 