Random Friday Thoughts — May 24

It’s the last “unofficial” weekend of spring if you’re one of those people who count Memorial Day as the “unofficial” start of summer.  It’s also a three-day weekend for some of you and if you’re Ray, it’s a four-day weekend since he’s taking today off!  And, if you’re in the news business, it’s probably a traditional two-day weekend!!!  Oh, woe is me!  However many days off you have or whatever you do, I hope you have fun and it’s a safe one.

Tonight, Ray and I are going to the Rick Springfield concert at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa.  We’re meeting up with two of my colleagues from my television job in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, in 1996, for a blast of the past evening — my former morning show co-anchor, Julie (VanGoethem) Lund and Elizabeth Goodsitt (who now works in the Quad Cities at a competing station).

I’ve never seen Rick in concert, but I hear he puts on a fantastic show.  It’s so strange that his first hit was more than 40 years ago (“Speak To The Sky” reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971)!

PEEPS’ ’80s FRIDAY FLASHBACK

However, Aussie Springfield shot to super stardom in 1981 when “Jessie’s Girl” hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.  He scored a total of 17 Top 40 hits in the U.S.  Of those, five reached the Top Ten:  “Jessie’s Girl” (#1, 1981), “I’ve Done Everything For You” (#8, 1981), “Don’t Talk To Strangers” (#2, 1982), “Affair Of The Heart” (#9, 1983), and “Love Somebody” (#5, 1984), from his movie, “Hard To Hold”.

I blogged about Rick Springfield and getting tickets for this show back in March.  Here’s the link in case you missed it:  http://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2013/03/21/im-ready-to-celebrate-youth-and-bop-til-i-drop/

IF YOU HAVE FAITH IN THIS MAN, I’M VERY SORRY!

“The 700 Club” televangelist Pat Robertson has said some very mean things in the past about gay people being the root of all problems in America.  Okay, maybe not all of the problems, but many of them.  However, for once, it has nothing to do with “the gays”.

Earlier this week, one day after deadly tornadoes killed 24 people, including 9 children, in Moore, Oklahoma, he stooped to an all-time low.

I have three to say:  How can real God-loving Christians have any faith in anything this vile man says, how can people actually give money to support this ignorance, and “Don from Illinois”, if you’re a Facebook friend of mine, please delete me.

And, let me clarify and question one of his weather comments.  Since tornadoes have occurred in all 50 states, does that mean we shouldn’t build houses in the U.S.?

AND, SPEAKING OF ANOTHER WHACK JOB…

“One Million Moms”, an offspring of the conservative fundamentalist Christian organization, the American Family Association, is now taking credit for the cancellation of the NBC series, “The New Normal”.

The show about a gay couple hiring a surrogate mother to have their child was cancelled after one season.  But, then again, so was its lead-in, “Go On”, with former “Friends” star Matthew Perry, along with many other first season shows.

In an email, “One Million Moms” leader Monica Cole writes, “Our persistence has paid off once again!  The New Normal got the axe by NBC after the show’s first and only season!”

She goes on to say, “We are still waiting for a decision on a few of the other programs we have voiced our concerns over. Many of those shows have a high probability of not being renewed, including  The Biggest Loser, American Idol and Dancing With the Stars.”  And, she ends her email with, “One Million Moms continues to fight for the moral values that have served our country so well for so long. We do so without apology.”

Monica, keep up your good fight (note the sarcasm)!  “The Biggest Loser”, “American Idol”, and “Dancing With the Stars” are still performing rather well for their respective networks.  And, remember your failed campaign to get that married lesbian fired as spokesperson for JCPenney?

I have three words for you:  Ellen DeGeneres Rocks!  And, she’s still working!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS ABBA

This past Wednesday marked what would have been Miss ABBA’s 13th birthday.  We celebrated by having a Whitey’s ice cream cone in her memory.  A typical birthday celebration for Miss ABBA would have consisted of a cake, an ice cream cone, and a Checkers burger (since we moved to the Quad Cities in 2005).  Before that, any fast food double cheeseburger worked.

Our friend, Vickie Felger, did this beautiful piece of art that hangs in our sun room right after Miss ABBA went to puppy heaven on February 3, 2012.  And, as you can see, it is no secret that the goofy golden loved her “ice cream & Checkers”.

And, for those of you that haven’t seen it, here’s a memorial video I made of Miss ABBA’s life and I posted it the day she crossed over the “rainbow bridge”.

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

Two years ago this week on May 25, 2011, we replaced our old broken stone patio with a concrete patio.

Since Miss ABBA had already been diagnosed with cancer two months earlier and given only two to three months to live (luckily, she lived ten more months and never got sick until the last day), I knew she had to be immortalized.  While she stared at me and wondered what we were doing, she lives on and we can see her paw print every time we’re on the patio by the fish pond!

HAVE PASSPORT, MUST TRAVEL

While I’ve been to Ontario, Canada, and to Cancun, Mexico, it was before you needed a passport.  And, this past December when we went on our Carnival cruise, we spent the daylight hours in Cozumel, Mexico, but because the cruise started and ended in New Orleans, Louisiana, it was a “closed loop” voyage and no passport was needed.

But, Ray and I finally broke down and got our first passports in preparation for his upcoming 50th birthday celebration.  Details coming soon on the milestone vacation he chose.  And, since I’ll turn the big 5-0 in October 2014, I’m working on where I’d like to go.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHER

Iconic singer, actress, and performer Cher celebrated her 67th birthday earlier this week.  She is currently at work putting the finishing touches on her new album that is expected in September and her new single, “Woman’s World” officially comes out next month.  So, in honor Cher’s birthday, here are her top five hits of her 50-year-plus career ranked by Billboard Magazine.

#5 “Dark Lady” (#1 for one week, 1974), #4 “I Got You Babe” with Sonny Bono (#1 for three weeks, 1965), #3 “Gypsies, Tramps, & Thieves” (#1 for two weeks, 1971), #2 “Believe” (#1 for four weeks, 1999), and at #1 “Half Breed” (#1 for two weeks, 1973).

Happy Birthday Cherilyn Sarkisian!!!!!!!!!

HEADING TO THE MOVIES THIS WEEKEND

Outside of the Rick Springfield concert tonight, Ray and I may try to talk my sister, Tammy, into going to brunch Sunday at Jumer’s Casino since they’re having a great special.  I guess people don’t head out to the casino on a typical Memorial Day weekend.

While those plans are not certain, we are going to the movie to see the new J.J. Abrams movie, “Star Trek Into Darkness”.

In just its first seven days in theaters, the sequel has already brought in over $179 million worldwide.  It still has a long way to go to reach the box office success of Abrams’ 2009 original reboot, which grossed $385.7 million.

MADONNA, YOU GO GIRL!

As you know from reading my blogs over the past year, I absolutely loved Madonna’s “MDNA Tour” that I saw in Las Vegas, Nevada, on my birthday, October 13, 2012.  Well, apparently, I’m not alone!  Last Sunday night, Madonna ruled the 2013 Billboard Music Awards winning for “Top Touring Artist”, “Top Dance Artist”, and “Top Dance Album”.  By the way, the “MDNA Tour” was the top grossing tour of 2012 bringing in $305.2 million!!!!!!!!!!!!  The DVD is expected later this year.

Madonna’s Facebook page summed it up best:  “2013 Billboard Music Awards: 3 nominations, 3 awards and only 1 queen… Congratulations MDNA!”

I blogged many times over the past year about Madonna, “MDNA”, and the “MDNA Tour”.  All you have to do is type in one of those words in the blog search engine at the top of the page to read more.

Warning:  Contains violence and adult language  (After all, it’s Madonna)!

MORE FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Here’s something to leave you with as you kick off your weekend with maybe a barbecue.  I had this satirical, morbid thought yesterday — the perfect solution for fighting world hunger and crime is not fundraisers and superheroes, but the dynamic duo of Dexter and Hannibal!

Have a great weekend.

Anthony

They Said What??? Boy George, Chris Christie, & Angelina Jolie

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR CHRIS CHRISTIE

(on Prince Harry’s visit to New York, referencing Harry’s naked Las Vegas scandal):  “I’m going to be spending the entire day with Prince Harry. And so believe me: Nobody’s going to get naked if I’m spending the entire day with him. OK? I think I can assure the people of New Jersey that.”

ACTRESS ANGELINA JOLIE

(on having undergone a preventive double mastectomy after learning she had an 87% risk of breast cancer):  I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer.  It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.

ACTOR JUSTIN BARTHA

(about the cancellation of his series, “The New Normal”, a show about a gay couple becoming parents with a surrogate): “The NBC executives get a lot of critique from the press, but they should be applauded for putting us on the air in the first place, because we still have a long way to go with equality in this country and around the world. Just read the comment section on your website [The Huffington Post] and you’ll see people spewing hateful language and hateful words about all types of people. So we already know that we have a long way to go for that and I’m not saying that The New Normal was a lightning bolt to the cause, but I do think it was a drop in the bucket and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

POP MUSIC ICON BOY GEORGE

(when asked if gay men are better off than in the 1980s):  “We shouldn’t have to feel lucky. I am shocked we are still having debates like gay marriage. On one hand, I think it’s very conservative to want to get married, that it’s a case of ‘if we’re more like them, they’ll like us more’. But on the other hand, who cares? The idea that it is somehow going to destroy civilization is so retarded.”

POP MUSIC ICON CYNDI LAUPER

(on the biggest change she’s seen as an HIV/AIDS advocate) :  “The biggest challenge today is that people don’t think HIV is that much of an issue anymore. While the drug therapies have done an incredible job of keeping people with HIV alive, it is an arduous journey for people taking the drugs. The side effects are significant. The public does not see HIV as a death sentence anymore. We need to continue to reinvest in prevention efforts and to put all the resources we can into ending the epidemic.”

“STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS” & “AVATAR” ACTRESS ZOE SALDANA

“[I might] end up with a woman raising my children, that’s how androgynous I am.”

SINGER NATALIE MAINES OF THE DIXIE CHICKS

(who’s married to actor Adrian Pasdar and is the mother of their two children):  “I love Rachel Maddow. She would be my lesbian girl crush.  She’s hot! And she’s smart and beautiful … and I like her hair.”

ACTOR DEAN CAIN

“If anybody wants to get married, go ahead.  I have a lot of gay friends … I can’t understand why it’s an issue. For me, it’s a non-issue.”

Anthony

 

Random Friday Thoughts — May 17

It’s Friday and it finally feels like spring and summer!  Can you believe this crazy weather?  It was 90° here Tuesday, but the story gets even crazier in Sioux City, Iowa.  Sunday morning, it was a frosty 29°.  Two days later, they hit an all-time May record high of 106°!  These other cities hit record highs for the date.

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be emceeing the kick-off to the Heart Walk in Rock Island, Illinois, and then I’m lying low this weekend to catch up on movies, television shows, and spending some time with Ray, Gretel, and Tammy.  We still have to take her out to brunch Sunday for a belated Mother’s Day gift since she worked last Sunday.  I hope you have a great weekend.  Here are the random thoughts on my mind today.

QUIET WEEKEND UNTIL SUNDAY NIGHT

Just a quick heads up that the weather could become a little scary Sunday night into Monday.  Severe thunderstorms with large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes are possible.  Here’s the latest Storm Prediction Center map of the threatened area.  I’ll touch on this topic again Saturday or Sunday.

WHY INVEST TIME IN NETWORK SHOWS?

Either I pick crummy shows to watch or networks don’t allow a show to breathe these days and find an audience.  I was fortunate that “The Following”, “Elementary”, “Nashville”, and “American Horror Story” were both renewed.  However, in the past week, “The New Normal” and “Malibu Country” with Reba were cancelled!

A few years ago, I invested in “Invasion” and “Commander In Chief” and both of them only lasted one season on ABC.  “Eli Stone”, another favorite of mine, made it to two seasons before being cancelled.  Luckily, I can get my Jonny Lee Miller fix these days on “Elementary”!  It seems that only reality TV can find an audience!

On a final television note, I’m thinking that “Hannibal”, another one of my favorites, may be cancelled, too.

REBA’S FUTURE

Now that “Malibu Country” has been cancelled, I hope Reba gets to work on picking out fantastic songs for a new album.  While I’m hopeful, I don’t even care if country radio embraces new Reba music.  I know I would enjoy it and so would her fans.

Also, although I’ve seen Reba in concert twelve times, I want her to do something she hasn’t done since the late 1990′s.  I want her to do a large concert production with multiple sets and costume changes.  I know it’s a lot of work, but if Madonna, who’s in her 50s, and Cher, in her 60s ,can do it, I know “Red” can do it.

Since I’m placing my order, Reba, how about a resurrection of  “The Singer’s Diary”, which I never got to see when it was presented about 15 years ago.

SPEAKING OF REALITY TV

I never watched “Jersey Shore” in its six seasons on MTV, the network that was fun when was actually “music television”!  However, even having never watched it, you couldn’t escape the train wreck of a cast.  But, I have a confession — while skanky, Snooki is adorable!

I was reading an old “Rolling Stone” (August 5, 2010) and I have to share this Snooki quote:  “To be honest with you, I Google myself every single day.  The negative stuff?  I get off on it.  Because the only reason why people talk negative is because they’re jealous.  Every time they call me a midget, Oompa-Loompa, orange, they’re just jealous.  It makes me want to be more ridiculous and more stupid”.

Let your freak flag fly, mama!

One last thought about “Jersey Shore”, you have to admit that Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino is a hottie.  And, didn’t Snooki make him mad by insinuating that he was gay?

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 

WAY TO GO, MINNESOTA!

Minnesota becomes the 12th state (along with the District of Columbia) to vote in favor of marriage equality.  After the 37-30 state Senate vote Monday, Governor Mark Dayton signed it into law Tuesday afternoon.  Same-sex couple will be able to marry later this summer.  In just the past two weeks, three states (Rhode Island, Delaware, and Minnesota) have made it possible for everyone in the state to marry!

While watching and listening to the state senators talk before the vote, here’s what I posted on my Facebook page Monday:  “I’m listening to Minnesota senators talk about why they’re for/against marriage equality before taking a historic vote. I’ve smiled several times, but I also realize that in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”, there must be a lot of big rocks near those lakes that some of these politicians have been living under!”

A couple of the senators really touched me like Patricia Torres Ray.

Speaking in English and Spanish (her native language for the first time on the Senate floor), Torres Ray said her faith would lead her to vote for marriage equality, “Many people may ask why a Catholic, immigrant woman feels so strong about this and why it is I have been so vocal about this campaign and why I stand in strong support.  My commitment to work on their behalf here and on behalf of all issues that i consider to be fair and just. I hope I get invited to their wedding now. I hope I’m able to celebrate their relationship, see their children having children, and continue on this journey of loving our kids, loving our partners together.”

In Spanish, she added for her family that didn’t necessarily support her beliefs for marriage equality, “Son las mismas cosas … Es sobre egualidad,”, which basically confirmed her commitment to all issues that would promote equality for everyone.

MEANWHILE IN MINNESOTA, A NOT SO HAPPY ENDING

Just one month after linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo was released from the Baltimore Ravens, punter Chris Kluwe was cut from the Minnesota Vikings.

Now, professional players get cut from teams all the time or leave teams to become free agents.  However, I find it a little odd that both players, both straight men with wives and children, and very strong advocates for marriage equality, were cut so close together.

Ayanbadejo and Kluwe have both been longtime and a very loud voices for the LGBT community.  Both vow to keep fighting for equality.

After Kluwe was cut from the Vikings, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton said he “doesn’t feel good” about the decision and he made this accusatory statement, “public officials should be honest about what’s going on.”

Was the heat too hot in the kitchen for the teams with high visibility athletes supporting marriage equality and the LGBT community?  I think it was a huge factor, but Cyd Zeigler, the co-founder of the gay website, outsports.com, doesn’t think that LGBT advocacy was a factor.  Will we every really know?

Nevertheless, Brendon & Chris, thank you for your support and good luck!

KATY PERRY:  A LITTLE OUT THERE OR AWESOME?

As I was catching up on my old “Rolling Stone” magazines, there was a really good article about Katy Perry’s very religious background and her using a sexy image to sell fun, pop music (August 19, 2010).

In the article, she says, “I still believe that Jesus is the son of God.  But I also believe in extraterrestrials, and that there are people who are sent from God to be messengers, and all sorts of crazy stuff.  I look up into the sky and I’m just mindf**ked — all those stars and planets, the neverendingness of the universe.  I just can’t believe that we’re the only polluting population.  Every time I look up, I know that I’m nothing and there’s something way beyond me.  I don’t think it’s as simple as heaven and hell.”

Whoa!  Beauty, brains, boobs, and fun music that makes you want to dance.  I admit that I was late becoming a Katy Perry convert, but she’s incredible and “Teenage Dream” is definitely a must have album.

By the way, “Teenage Dream” spawned an incredible 8 Top Three hits, with six of them topping the Billboard Hot 100.   Katy also tied Michael Jackson as the only artist to have five consecutive #1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 from one album.  She did it with “California Gurls”, “Teenage Dream”, “Firework”, “E.T.”, and “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.).  Michael did it with 1987′s “Bad” album and the singles, “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You”, “Bad”, “The Way You Make Me Feel”, “Man In The Mirror”, and “Dirty Diana”.

And, “Teenage Dream” is the only album ever to have 9 songs top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Song charts.  In addition to the eight radio hits, “Peacock” topped the dance charts!

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

These two pictures were taken on May 19, 2011.  In the front yard, Miss ABBA found the perfect place to beat the summer heat by hiding out in the shrubbery.  And, in the back yard, we had a visitor that was just passing through in the ravine.

SHE’S AMAZING AND “SHE’S SO UNUSUAL”

80s pop star Cyndi Lauper is still touring, making music, and writing soundtracks for Broadway!  (“Kinky Boots” is nominated for 13 Tony Awards this year).  She’s a strong ally to the LGBT community and is a strong advocate for HIV/AIDS education and awareness.  Lauper says, “Having never been a person who was afraid to speak up, I knew I had to help make some noise and do whatever I could to make a difference. You fight fear and ignorance through education and awareness.”  (It seems that I have, at least, two things in common with Cyndi –  being unusual and speaking out about things I believe in!)

Lauper says that while people are not dying from AIDS like the 1980s and the 1990s, we can’t stop the fight now and must continue to educate people.  She says, “the biggest challenge today is that people don’t think HIV is that much of an issue anymore. While the drug therapies have done an incredible job of keeping people with HIV alive, it is an arduous journey for people taking the drugs. The side effects are significant. The public does not see HIV as a death sentence anymore. We need to continue to reinvest in prevention efforts and to put all the resources we can into ending the epidemic.”

PEEPS’ ’80s FRIDAY FLASHBACK

Cyndi Lauper’s debut album, “She’s So Unusual” turns 30 years old this October (it was released just one day after I turned 19-year-old)!  Don’t do the math.

In the 30 years since, she’s sold 50 million albums, more than one million DVDs, and over 20 million singles.  On the Billboard Hot 100, Cyndi has scored 11 Top 40 singles.  Of those, all but two have hit the Top Ten.  Six of them have reached the Top Three:  “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” (#2, 1983), “Time After Time” (#1, 1984), “She Bop” (#3, 1984), “We Are The World (#1, 1985, as part of USA For Africa), “True Colors” (#1, 1986), and “Change of Heart” (#3, 1987).

She’s had so many amazing songs to choose from, but I picked one of my favorite performances and a song that was never officially released as a single.  Cyndi performed the Prince classic, “When You Were Mine”, at the 1985 American Music Awards.

Thank you for checking out my random thoughts.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.   I love doing this segment.

Have a great weekend!

Anthony

Severe Weather Threat Increases Sunday

It finally feels like spring across the Mississippi and Illinois Valleys.

After hitting 90° Tuesday in the Quad Cities, we reached 82° yesterday, and highs of 80° or better are expected through Monday of next week.

And, while we’ve had plenty of rain, 13.05″ since March 1, 2013, which is 8.45″ above average, we really haven’t seen much in the way of severe weather.

However, that could be changing.  Showers and thunderstorms are possible tonight and Friday, but by Sunday night and Monday, Iowa and Illinois could be seeing some strong to severe thunderstorms.

The map with the red shading is for 7 a.m. Sunday through 7 a.m. Monday.

And, this map with the purple shading is for 7 a.m. Monday through 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Each colored shading indicates where there is, at least, a 30% chance of seeing either damaging winds, large hail, or tornadoes.

Of course, the fantastic CBS4 weather team will keep you updated with the very latest on this severe weather threat.

By the way, Iowa just set the record for the longest period, 356 consecutive days, without a tornado.  The last tornado touched down on May 24, 2012, in Fayette County, in the northeastern part of the state, near the Wisconsin and Minnesota borders.

Anthony

They Said What??? Bill Clinton, Rick Perry, & Helen Mirren

FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

(about whether his wife, Hillary, will be running for president in 2016):  “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know this: that is the worst expenditure of our time.”

MORE BILL CLINTON

(speaking at the Peter G. Peterson Foundation’s 2013 Fiscal Summit in Washington):  “She’s taking a role in the foundation, she’s writing books, she’s having a little fun being a private citizen for the first time in 20 years. We need to be worried about the work at hand. All of us do. So whoever the next president is has an easier set of choices.”

TEXAS GOVERNOR & REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL WANNABE RICK PERRY

(defending the Boy Scouts of America and increasing acceptance of gays):  “The fact is, this is a private organization. Their values and principles have worked for a century now, and for pop culture to come in and try to tear that up because it just happens to be the flavor of the month, so to speak, and to tear apart one of the great organizations that have served millions of young men … that is just not appropriate.”

FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR CHARLIE CRIST

“I most certainly support marriage equality in Florida and look forward to the day it happens here.”

“PRECIOUS” ACTRESS & ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE GABOUREY SIDIBE

“Who hasn’t dated a gay dude?!? He didn’t tell me [he was gay], I just sort of figured it out… [we dated] sort of recently. There were weird things he would say. He also tried on my heels once – that’s a pretty big indication!”

NEIGHBOR CHARLES RAMSEY

(in a live interview after calling 9-1-1 that led to the rescue of three kidnapped victims in Cleveland, Ohio):  “There’s some more girls up in that house.” So they go up in there, 30, 40, deep. And when they came out, it was just astonishing. ‘Cause I thought they would come up with nothing. Like I said my neighbor, you got to have some pretty big testicles to pull this off, bro. Because we see this dude every day. I mean every day.”

MORE RAMSEY

“Bro, I knew something was wrong when a little, pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms. Something is wrong here. Dead giveaway. Dead giveaway.”

ACTRESS HELEN MIRREN

(storming out of a theatrical production where she was playing Queen Elizabeth II and screaming at drummers promoting a LGBT gathering):   “Quiet! I’m trying to do a play in here! People have paid a lot of money for tickets.”

MORE MIRREN

(later):  “I would love to track them down and invite them to see the play. I felt rotten but on the other hand they were destroying our performance so something had to be done.”

SINGER AGNETHA FALTSKOG

(about her former super group, ABBA, getting back together):  “I don’t think so. No. And we’ve had a lot of offers but we have our own life now since many years back and we don’t understand why we should do it. Because we’ve had our time and I think we should let ABBA rest and just listen to the music.”

 

Random Friday Thoughts — May 10

The weekend is almost here and on any given Friday, I’d be excited to have the next two days off .  However, I’ll be working Saturday night, so it’s a six-day work week for me and only one day off this weekend.  However, that extra work day will come in handy as a “comp day” this fall when I want to take a vacation.

Otherwise, it’s Mother’s Day weekend, so Happy Mother’s Day!  This picture is of my mother’s last spring celebration with us in 1990.

Ray and I were going to take my sister out to brunch Sunday, but Tammy has to work a double that day.  So, if you go see her at work, tip her well!   We’ll just take her out next weekend and since our schedule opened up Sunday, we’re going to see ‘The Great Gatsby”.  I sure hope it’s as dazzling as “Moulin Rouge!”

MY FRIEND WINS A NATIONAL AWARD

I’m very proud of a friend of mine who works as a counselor at Erie Elementary School in Erie, Illinois.  GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) awarded Matt Beck as the 2013 Educator of the Year!

And, here’s what his very proud husband, Scott, tells me:  “Matt, a professional school counselor for the past 6 years, relentlessly is on the mission of teaching elementary school kids that it’s ok to be different, that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that respect for others is the common goal we can all share and strive for.  Matt epitomizes the strength that you do not give up and retreat when opposition rises, especially when it goes against your ethics and is harmful to kids.”

Matt will accept his award May 20th in New York City.

For those of you that may not remember the story, here are two blog links about it from last May and June.  That first story was my most viewed blog ever in one day.  And, needless to say, not all of the comments to me were positive.  But, it was a story that needed to be told!

http://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2012/05/22/the-erie-school-district-illinois-needs-to-address-bullying/

http://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/erie-school-board-diversity-controversy-goes-national/

Congratulations Matt!  Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your huge accomplishment last year when you shared the story with me to get the word out.  Keep up the good work!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

SLIMMING DOWN FOR 2016?

Speaking of the Garden State, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie secretly underwent a weight-loss surgical procedure in February and he revealed the details to the “New York Post” earlier this week.   The surgery will limit the amount of food he can take in, but it doesn’t affect his digestive process.  The lap band surgery involves the placement of a silicone band around his stomach to reduce its size.

Christie says, “I’ve struggled with this issue for 20 years.  For me, this is about turning 50 and looking at my children and wanting to be there for them.”

I sincerely believe he did it for his family, but I don’t think that is the only reason.  I would venture to say it’s because he’s eying a run for the presidency in 2016 and weight has come up many times in the past when his future political ambitions are discussed.  He downplays this by stating,  “It’s so much more important than that.”

While Christie has never stated his weight, it’s been reported at between 300 and 350 pounds.

On this weighty topic, the last president to weigh over 250 pounds was William Taft, the 27th U.S. president from 1909-1913.  Taft weighed in at a reported 316 pounds and had  a BMI (body mass index) of 42.3, which is considered “very severely obese”.  He died of a heart attack.

That was 100 years ago and my personal opinion is that in today’s 24-hour media circus and the internet, weight does matter.

As much as I disagree with your politics, Governor Christie, I wish you good health.

GOODBYE “BIG”

A few weeks after Miss ABBA died in early February 2012, Panda, the blind shar-pei that we doggie sit for from Chicago came to stay with us in the Quad Cities with his live-in golden retriever companion, Big.  They stayed with us for about a week.

I just found out that “Big” died recently of cancer at the very young age of seven.  Poor baby!  Now, heaven is graced with another beautiful golden that I know Miss ABBA welcomed with a tail wag and a smile.

MICHAEL BUBLE — “TO BE LOVED” OR NOT?

I’m a huge fan of sexy, Canadian crooner Michael Bublé.  I own eleven of his CDs, including all of his studio albums beginning with the 2003 release “Michael Bublé”, along with “live” recordings and extended plays.  My favorites are “Christmas” (2011) and “Call Me Irresponsible” (2007).

Bublé recently released his latest album, “To Be Loved”, which sold 195,000 copies in its first week and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.  It also debuted at #1 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom!  But, is it any good?

I bought the “deluxe” version from Target with three additional songs.  If you’re a die-hard Bublé fan, get the deluxe version.  If you’re not all that familiar with his music or sound, the standard version that’s $3 cheaper (14 songs) would suffice.

The first four songs on the disc, including his new radio hit, “It’s a Beautiful Day”, are fantastic and perfect.  He gets your blood pumping with the disc opener, “You Make Me Feel So Young” and keeps you happy with “Who’s Lovin’ You” and  “To Love Somebody”.

But, then the album hits a brief road block to bliss.  As much I love actress Reese Witherspoon, her appearance on “Something Stupid” is boring and off-kilter.  It sounds like she just phoned in her vocals and I wish that Bublé had done the song solo.

The magic returns on the next three songs.  Fellow Canadian and 1980s pop superstar Bryan Adams even shows up on “After All” and shows us that he’s still the master of mid-tempo love songs.  The two singing together is a perfect combination.

Other than the title track, “To Be Loved”, which is song #10 on the disc, which is perfect, the album loses steam once we get to the tired classic “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” to the end of the standard disc.

Of the three “exclusive” songs on the “deluxe” version, only the “swing mix” of the current radio hit, “It’s A Beautiful Day”, excels.

GRADE:  B

I’ve seen Bublé in concert twice.  Both times were in Moline, Illinois.  However, Quad Citians, if you want to see him, he’s moved up in the world.  The closest he’ll be playing to the Quad Cities will be at the United Center in Chicago on September 7, 2013.

WAY TO GO, DELAWARE!

Following Rhode Island last week, Delaware, earlier this week, became the 11th state in the United States (along with the District of Columbia) to make marriage equality legal.  Minnesota may become #12 as early as next week after the House passed the measure yesterday with a vote of 75-59.  The bill is expected to move to the Democrat-controlled Senate Monday.

So, what about Illinois?  Movement in the House has been slow since the bill for full marriage equality passed out of a House committee in late February 2013.  The legislation needs at least 60 votes for passage in the House to land on the desk of Gov. Pat Quinn, who hopes to quickly sign it into law.

A group of country musicians, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris, and “Big” Kenny Alphin, issued an open letter to Illinois lawmakers saying, “When two people are lucky enough to find each other and want to commit their lives to one another, it is nothing less than a blessing to us all.”

Even before I heard about this open letter last week, I had been listening to some of my old Mary Chapin Carpenter albums.

Since she scored her first country radio hit in 1989 until her last Top 40 appearance on the country chart, she’s charted with 22 hits.  Of those Top 40 hits, nine reached the Top Ten and one, 1994′s “Shut Up and Kiss Me”, topped the chart.  Her 1992 album Come On Come On” produced seven Top 40 country hits between 1992-1994 and sold more than four million copies.

My favorite Mary Chapin Carpenter song, “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her”, reached #2 (Billboard) and #1 (Radio & Records) in 1994 and it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Record of the Year.  The song also featured some of the biggest names in country music:  Patty Loveless (one of my favorites), Emmylou Harris, Kathy Mattea, Trisha Yearwood, Pam Tillis, and Aledo, Illinois’ own Suzy Bogguss.

Mary Chapin, Emmylou, Rodney, and “Big” Kenny, on behalf of all of us in Illinois wanting marriage equality, thank you!

BEATLES’ ARE NOT THE PROBLEM, GRASSHOPPERS ARE

70-year-old Sir Paul McCartney may want to think about playing outdoor concerts in the future.  Earlier this week, during his three-hour set, in Brazil, the former Beatles was invaded by grasshoppers!

At one point, the sky was filled with the creatures.  Nevertheless, Paul just kept right on performing and even introduced one of the insects as “Harold” during “Hey Jude.”

I guess sometimes you should just “Let It Be”!

WHY DO I LOVE FREAKS?

“Entertainment Weekly” is slowly winning me back with humor.  As you may recall, a few weeks ago, I was pretty miffed at the magazine for a major spoiler alert they blabbed with insufficient warning.  While I’m still working on totally forgiving my favorite magazine, it made some progress with this entry in its May 3, 2013, “Dan Snierson’s Hit List”, a look at ten things that really happened in the entertainment world, complete with a witty comeback:

“After sleeping in glass case for MoMA exhibit, Tilda Swinton poses with centipedes on her face for fashion-mag shoot  As of press time, Swinton was being classified as 49 percent James Franco, 47 percent Lady Gaga, and 4 percent other/no clue”.  Too funny (and true)!

By the way, I love Tilda.  If you’ve never seen any of her movies, check out “We Need To Talk About Kevin” (my third favorite movie that I saw in 2012) and “The Deep End” (2001).

FUTURE HIT PICK — SONG OF THE SUMMER?

Atlanta, Georgia, singer Erika Jayne is a beautiful singer that you likely haven’t heard of — yet.

That is unless you’ve been hanging out in dance clubs.  Since her first release, “Rollercoaster” soared to the top of the Billboard Dance charts in 2007, Erika has followed that up with five consecutive number one hits:  “Stars”, “Give You Everything”, “Pretty Mess”, “One Hot Pleasure”, and “Party People (Ignite The World)”.

Her new song, “Get It Tonight”, is going to take her to the top of the dance charts again and out of the clubs for a crossover to Top 40 radio!

She teams up with rapper/musician Flo Rida, who’s no stranger to pop radio.  He’s already scored 14 hits since he topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his first hit, “Low” in 2007.  He’s also topped that chart with “Right Round” with Ke$ha in 2009, and with “Whistle” last year.

I have her first CD, 2009′s “Pretty Mess” and it’s fantastic.  Her new disc featuring “Get It Tonight” is titled “Glitz, Glamour, & Fun”, but there is no release date yet.

Remember the name, Erika Jayne.  She will have the summer song of 2013!

THE CLUBS WON’T BE THE SAME!

While not a household name, Peter Rauhofer is one of the most amazing DJ/remixers/producers.  Sadly, he died Tuesday at the age of 48 after discovering he had brain cancer just weeks ago!

Rauhofer worked with Madonna, Britney, Whitney, Lady Gaga, Cher, Janet, Kylie, Christina, Pink, Mariah, Depeche Mode, and countless others.

In 1999, he remixed “Nothing Really Matters” for Madonna.  That song would go on to hit #1 on the Billboard Dance chart and win an ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Award in 2000 for “Award-Winning Dance Song”.  The video would be nominated for “Best Special Effects” for the MTV Video Music Awards.

R.I.P. Peter!

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

This week, last May, I made mint and jalapeno-mint jelly and they both turned out fantastic and as you can see by this photo, the mint took over the herb garden!  This year, I transplanted it and much of it is struggling to survive.

And, last May, Ray had a conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, and I went with him.  I’d love to move to Indy!

On the way there, we stopped at what is now one of my favorite restaurants in Illinois, Destihl in Champaign.  The food, from the appetizers (shrimp ceviche and watermelon feta) to the homemade desserts were fantastic.  I think we need to make a road trip downstate for dinner soon!

PEEPS’ ’80s FRIDAY FLASHBACK

As new wave swept across the Atlantic in the 1980s, Kim Wilde scored the first of her two Top 40 hits in the U.S.  “Kids In American” hit #25 in 1982 and five years later, she hit #1 with a remake of The Supremes’ “You Keep Me Hangin’ On”.

My friends, that’s enough random thoughts for one week.  Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day!

Anthony

They Said What??? Paul Ryan, Seth Rogen, Ke$ha, & Dr. Ruth

FORMER REPUBLICAN VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE PAUL RYAN

(on reversing his views on not allowing gay couples to adopt children):  “Adoption, I’d vote differently these days. That was I think a vote I took in my first term, 1999 or 2000.  I do believe that if there are children who are orphans who do not have a loving person or couple, I think if a person wants to love and raise a child they ought to be able to do that. Period. I would vote that way.”

ACTOR/COMEDIAN SETH ROGEN

“Zac Efron is incredibly handsome.  He’s the sexiest ****** on the planet!  I did a scene with him, and we’re both shirtless, and it was a very humbling experience.  I marveled at the fact that we’re literally the same species.  I’m hairier than he is, so I win at that.  [Zac's] very veiny. I’m not that veiny.”

POP STAR KE$HA

(to Conan O’Brien on what she uses to write some of her songs):  “It started as a joke but it’s produced some of my favorite songs on my new record.  I turn off all the lights, I walk over to the piano, and I gently low myself, my boobs….  They go onto the keys and I just let them tickle the ivories.  They really just go crazy, and all of a sudden, I have these chord progressions.”

RAPPER A$AP

“I respect men more for coming out.  They joke on Frank Ocean a lot, but at least he ain’t out here frontin.’  I respect gay men who identify it and they out with it. I don’t have a problem with gay people at all.”

NBA CENTER JASON COLLINS 

(coming out and becoming the first openly gay male athlete in a major American sports):  “I’m glad I’m coming out in 2013 rather than 2003. The climate has shifted; public opinion has shifted. And yet we still have so much farther to go. Everyone is terrified of the unknown, but most of us don’t want to return to a time when minorities were openly discriminated against.”

MORE JASON COLLINS

“I’m impressed with the straight pro athletes who have spoken up so far — Chris Kluwe, Brendon Ayanbadejo. The more people who speak out, the better, gay or straight. It starts with President Obama’s mentioning the 1969 Stonewall riots, which launched the gay rights movement, during his second inaugural address. And it extends to the grade-school teacher who encourages her students to accept the things that make us different.”

PSYCHOSEXUAL THERAPIST DR. RUTH WESTHEIMER

(on Collins’ coming out):  “I find it very sad.  That’s why I said that I have mixed feelings, that we even have to talk about it. In my opinion, this is a private matter and everybody has to be respected for who they are.”

ESPN SPORTS ANALYST CHRIS BROUSSARD

(about Collins coming out): “If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality; adultery, fornication, premarital sex between heterosexuals, whatever it may be — I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and Jesus Christ, so I would not characterize that person as a Christian, because I don’t think the Bible would characterize them as a a Christian.”

JENNIFER ROBACK-MORSE, PRESIDENT OF NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE’S RUTH INSTITUTE  (The Ruth Institute is anti-gay and anti-equality)

(complimenting Broussard and downplaying Collins’ announcement):  “I mean, it requires no courage at all today to say ‘I’m gay.’ It’s my understanding [Collins] got a phone call from the president congratulating him on his courage. Well, how much courage can it take if the president’s going to pick up the phone and give you a personal phone call, you know? But in the meantime, this fellow who says, you know, ‘I’m a Christian, and I believe that sex belongs in marriage and it belongs in man-woman marriage,’ to say that, now that will bring the whole wrath of the society down upon your head. So that’s the guy that really required the courage and I give him a lot of credit for it.”

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — May 3

After working eleven of the last twelve days, I’m ready for the weekend.  While the weather will not be perfect, it’s going to be better than the rainy, chilly 40s that we’re going to experience today or the 4-11″ of snow that parts of Iowa saw Thursday!   Have a great one.  Here are the random thoughts on my mind today.

STILL LACKING MOTIVATION

While I exercise daily, I really haven’t mastered the art of losing any weight.  Thus, I’m still 13 pounds from my ideal weight for the summer.  One of these days I’ll get back into the same groove from last summer when I lost 25 pounds.  Don’t worry, I didn’t have any trouble finding twenty of those pounds! 

WEEKEND PLANS

Saturday night, we’re having friends over for dinner.  I’m making the appetizers, the salad, a veggie dish, and two desserts, while Ray is making two entrees (one meat and one vegetarian).  Gretel is looking forward to it because there will be three other girls here that she’s never met.

On Sunday, I’m taking part in a fundraiser for the “Metropolitan Community Church QC” as a judge in a chili cook-off contest!  I’ve done this in the past and it’s a fun time.  So, if you don’t have plans Sunday evening and you’re in Moline, come on by.

“THE FOLLOWING” SEASON FINALE

After getting disgruntled with “The Following” midway through the season, I knew that the finale would be mind-blowing and it was!   All I can say is AMAZING!  The payoff was worth it and I’ll be tuning in next January to see what happens.  For a time there, I was ready to move on after this season, but not now!

“DEXTER”

The countdown to season seven of  “Dexter” on DVD is now down to 11 days and I can’t wait!  The final season (the eighth) begins on Showtime at the end of June and I bet that they have it out on DVD before Christmas because if spoilers announce how the series ends, who would want to buy it on DVD?

Spoiler alert:  The season 8 trailer is incredible.  Don’t watch it unless you have already watched season 7!!!!!!!!

KSL, SALT LAKE CITY, GET A CLUE!

Censorship continues to thrive at the NBC affiliate, KSL, in Salt Lake City.  In August 2012, the station refused to air “The New Normal” and it passed on “The Playboy Club” (as did the rest of America, by choice), and it doesn’t show “Saturday Night Live”.

The latest victim of the station’s self-imposed programming censorship is “Hannibal”.

On its Facebook page, the station posted this:  “PROGRAMMING NOTE: After viewing the past few episodes, as well as receiving numerous complaints from viewers, KSL TV will cancel the airing of the NBC show “Hannibal” on Thursday evenings.  This decision was made due to the extensive graphic nature of this show. The time slot will be replaced with a special edition of KSL 5 News at 9 p.m.  NBC remains a valued partner to KSL TV.  KSL is confident that with the proliferation of digital media, those who wish to view the program can easily do so.”

It really ticks me off when individual stations pick and choose what they think people should see.  Let people decide by watching or not watching the show.  As much as I love “Hannibal” and its gore and violence, America doesn’t seem to agree with me.  The premiere garnered 6.77 million viewers and the ratings have dropped big time in just four episodes.

LOVE IT, BUT I STILL HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT

As I was watching the episode, “Coquilles”, last Thursday night, I felt a disconnect with the show.  It felt like something was missing.  There was no mention of characters Abigail Hobbs or Dr. Alana Bloom, both integral to the plot line in the first three episodes.  Upon a little investigating, I found out why.

Show producer Bryan Fuller decided to pull the original “fourth” episode, “Ceuf”, because of the recent real-life events in Boston and the Newtown, Connecticut school shootings last December.  In this episode that will air in its entirety in international markets (and will likely appear on the DVD), Molly Shannon plays the “criminal of the week”, a teacher who brainwashes kids into killing other kids.

My problem with this is that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings took place almost five months ago and if the producers were that uneasy about the theme of this episode, they knew that back there and they could have done some editing or re-shoots to maintain continuity in the show!  Come on, NBC “Hannibal”, nobody is watching you anyway, so don’t tick me off.

I’m still patiently waiting for Gillian Anderson’s five episodes as Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier, Lecter’s psychotherapist!  Her hair may not be as gingery as FBI agent Dana Scully from “The X-Files”, but she is one hot mama!

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

Two years ago this week, Mr. Panda, our little blind shar pei friend from Chicago, was spending the spring with us.  As you can see, he was sunning and Miss ABBA was enjoying the shade.  Panda, now 11-years-old, may be coming back to spend some time with us soon.

The planting and gardening season was much further along last year.  We had already planted tomato and peppers plants in memory of Miss ABBA.  We always grew tomatoes for her because she couldn’t get enough of them!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 

STILL BEHIND, BUT CATCHING UP

As I’ve said before, I always read the new “Entertainment Weekly” when it arrives and I don’t get too far behind on “Instinct”, “The Advocate”, and “Out”.  However, I had a huge stack of old “Men’s Fitness”, “Details”, and “Boston” magazines that I’ve recently blown through and recycled.  Now, I’m working on the three-year-old “Rolling Stone” issues.  Luckily, the subscription was only for six months!

Ironically, last week in my blog I talked about my health and the thought of dying.

And, in the July 8-22, 2010, double issue of “Rolling Stone” with Lady Gaga on the cover, she talked about her health.  And, it sort of touches on what I talked about and was pretty much a scary precursor of her own health issues this past winter when she was forced to cancel the rest of her “Born This Way Ball” tour because of a labral tear of the right hip caused by strenuous repetitive movements involved in the shows and required surgery.

On becoming a hypochondriac, Gaga said, “I don’t want to be one, so most of the time I’m like, ‘F**k it, I’m fine.’  At a certain point, you’re so beyond the point of exhaustion that you don’t know:  Do I have a health problem that may or may not be real, or am I just really tired.”

I guess I’m not alone.

I saw Lady Gaga in concert in Las Vegas this past January before she cancelled the rest of the tour.  She was incredible and the mammoth set was over-the top!

Check out this amazing time lapse video of how much work and detail went into putting on this spectacle of a show in each city.

A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE COMES OUT

By telling “Sports Illustrated” this week, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay”, Jason Collins becomes the first professional athlete in the United States to come out.  Most of the reaction to his announcement has been positive.

While I’m happy that Collins can finally live his life without hiding who he is, I’m just sorry that we still live in a world where it still matters!  The bottom line should be “good for him” and “who cares”, just be happy”.  People are just so concerned with what others are doing when they should be focused on their own lives.

Pro tennis player Andy Roddick says, “Yesterday was an incredible day for athletes everywhere. Jason Collins’ courage and leadership in coming out reminds me of how important it is for an athlete to be able to be true to him or herself.  As an Athlete Ally, I want to support every athlete to feel comfortable and confident being themselves and to make sure that all people – players and fans alike – are  welcome and included in tennis.”

Good for you, Andy!  And, good for us.

LET THAT FREAK FLAG FLY!

In about a month (June 9th), we’ll be seeing Ke$ha and Pitbull in concert outside Chicago for Gretel’s birthday!  I cannot to see Ke$ha just to see what crazy things she’ll do.  Say what you will about her auto-tuned music, but it’s fun.

And, regardless of what you think of her, check out this outrageous interaction with Conan O’Brien about how she composed some of her favorite songs on her “Warrior” album, which came out in late 2012 that I gave a grade of “A” and blogged about in January!

Too flipping funny!

It’s okay Ke$ha, I love dinosaurs, too!  Roar!!!!!!

PEEPS’ ’80s FRIDAY FLASHBACK

Everyone knows Madonna and everyone has an opinion about her.

In 1983, my freshman year in college, I fell in love with her when she was just a dancer and singer from Detroit, Michigan who moved to New York City to be a star.  Before her first song, “Holiday”, made it to pop radio in the fall of 1983 and peaked at #16, Madonna had already scored two #3 dance club hits, “Everybody” and “Burning Up”.

I KNOW YOU REMEMBER THAT ONE, BUT PROBABLY NOT THIS ONE!

English singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor has scored 9 solo hits in the U.K with six reaching the Top ten and the first three reached either #2 or #3.  She was also featured on two other hits in the U.K., including Spiller’s #1 smash, “Groovejet (If This Ain’t Love)”.  “Groovejet” also reached #3 on the Billboard Dance chart here in the U.S.

Sophie never crossed over in America.  Her biggest chart success on this side of the Atlantic was the #26 Billboard Dance hit, in 2002, “Murder on the Dancefloor”.  It was one of my favorite songs during my last two-year stay in Chicago and at Roscoe’s.  It’s from the album, “Read My Lips”, which includes a remake of the Cher smash, “Take Me Home”.

Now, I want to dance and have fun.

Have yourself a great weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.

Anthony

They Said What??? Barbra Streisand, Ke$ha, & Sharon Osbourne

NEVADA STATE SENATOR KELVIN ATKINSON

(talking about marriage equality during a debate over a measure to repeal the state’s gay marriage ban):  “If this hurts your marriage, then your marriage was in trouble in the first place.”

TALK SHOW HOST/REALITY STAR SHARON OSBOURNE

(denying rumors that she and Ozzy are getting a divorce):  “It’s our business. We’re dealing with it. We’re not getting divorced.  However, am I happy? No. Am I upset? Yes. I am. I’m devastated right now. It’s a disease that not only hurts the person that has the disease but it hurts the family, it hurt people who love you. We’re dealing with it, we’ve dealt with worse and we will deal with it and this too shall pass.”

FORMER BALTIMORE RAVENS FOOTBALL PLAYER BRENDON AYANBADEJO

(on his fight for marriage equality):  “bigger calling than football.”

MORE AYANBADEJO

“I think the star power, especially with athletes, allows us to hit a demographic. … I think this allows us to have our voice reach a little bit deeper to people who wouldn’t normally hear our message.”

ACTRESS/SINGER/SUPERSTAR BARBRA STREISAND

(accepting the Chaplin Award from the Film Society of Lincoln Center):  “Ever since I can remember, people have been calling me bossy and opinionated.  Maybe that’s because I am. Three cheers for bossy women!”

COMEDIAN DAVID ALAN GRIER

(to Baltimore’s Fox 45 television station promoting his new movie, “Peeples”, after informing them that they misspelled his name.):  “This is the raggediest TV studio I’ve ever been in in my life… The sequester hit you hard.”

POP STAR KE$HA

(talking about her new MTV series, “My Crazy Beautiful Life”):  “I’m very well-known around the world for being a wild party animal — you see that too, don’t get me wrong.  But you also see me… reading the reviews and trying to make my show better, and rehearsing and going over the lights, and going over the choreography, and changing into costumes. I am so involved with every little thing I do. I think people are probably going to be surprised at how seriously I take everything I do.”

MORE KE$HA

(talks about her next tour after this summer’s double bill with Pitbull):  “What I’m doing is keeping the essence of my last tour, which is just wild, debauchery, raw, and more or less unplanned.  We have some planned moments, but I like having it where it’s a little bit less structured, because then I can do whatever I feel like, whenever it hits me. That was very much on my last tour, but now I’m just amping it up. I’m making [my show] bigger, better, funner, louder, brighter, with more pyro, more glitter, and more dancers, just more of everything. I very much agree with Dolly Parton that ‘more is more.”

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — April 26

Happy Friday!  The last weekend of April 2013 is almost upon us.  I hope you have fun plans.  Since the weather is going to be nice, I hope to get outdoors and prep some things for spring planting.  Last weekend in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Ray bought several plants that we’ll be putting in the ground.  I hope they are hearty because I don’t trust this Midwestern weather!

Old Farmer’s Almanac says to “plant trees and shrubs while it’s still cool and wet”.  Ray and I did just that two weeks ago with a couple of trees.  Gretel and I really want a cherry tree and we saw a nice one last night, so maybe we should get it.

Although I have to work Saturday afternoon and evening, I still plan on getting out and enjoying the very nice weather this weekend and maybe even mow the yard for the first time this season.  All of the recent rains have really greened up the lawn and the grass is growing.  By the way, don’t expect to see me on the air Saturday.  I’m only there as behind the scenes support for our new weekend meteorologist, Kyle Kiel, who is making his Quad Cities’  and CBS4 debut.  Check him out!

Even though we have a few days of mostly dry weather in the forecast, this April is already going down in the record books as one of the wettest Aprils on record in the Quad Cities.  And, we still have four more days to go and rain is expected Monday and Tuesday.  (This graphic was from earlier in the week.  We now stand at 7.21″, since we’ve added a whopping 0.01″ more!)

ANOTHER REASON TO WATCH CBS EARLY IN THE MORNING

Other than joining me for your latest Quad City weather forecast Monday through Friday from 5-7 a.m.  on CBS4 and to get live updates during the national morning show from 7-9 a.m., national publications are telling you why you should check out Norah, Charlie, and Gayle on “CBS This Morning”.

“Broadcasting & Cable” recently commended the show for being a “bright spot” in the morning.  And, affiliates like mine, CBS4, are happy, too.   Chris Cornelius, the chairman of the CBS affiliates board, told the the group at a recent gathering in Las Vegas, “We’ve got a wonderful advantage in that we do [hard] news in the morning.”

It’s working.  While those other two national morning shows are fighting each other for number one, mediabistro.com just reported, “The big winner again is “CBS This Morning” which, while still trailing by two million viewers, is up +24% in viewership vs. last year.”

Up 24%!  Incredible!

DO YOU THINK ABOUT DYING?

Normally, I’m a care free kind of guy that always looks and plans for the future.  I rarely think of dying except in mid-February when my mother’s birthday and the anniversary of my father’s death comes around (February 14th & 15th) and in early November around the anniversary of my mother and grandmother’s deaths.

However, lately, I just get a weird feeling that the hereditary curse of my father (brain cancer) and grandfather (colon cancer) is catching up to me.  I know I’m getting older, but I’m noticing more and more aches and pains internally that I didn’t have before.  I know it could very well be from the lack of sleep with my new position at work.  Is three or four hours enough sleep to thrive on during the week?

I saw this on someone’s Facebook page the other day and it got me to thinking even more!  Luckily, if I were to die tomorrow, I don’t share four of those regrets:  I definitely have the courage to be true to myself (#1), I express my feelings (#3), I do a relatively good job staying in touch with my friends if they want to (#4), and I allow myself to be happy (#5).

The only regret that I have is #2, working too hard in life.  But, short of winning the lottery, how do you get around that one?

“I’M TOO SEXY” FOR THIS COUNTRY

After that buzz kill random thought, let’s lighten the mood.  “Out Traveler” is reporting that three men have been kicked out of Saudi Arabia because they were “too handsome” and that women “might fall for them.”  Seriously!  One of the men is actor/poet/photographer Omar Borkan Al Gala from Dubai.

Now, you can thank me for getting that #1 hit from 1991 by Right Said Fred stuck in your head for the day!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

 

I LOVE FOOD, BUT NO THANKS!

My friend, Joan, always teases me that many of my blogs and posts have to do with food.  Yes, I love food.  I love talking about it, posting pictures of great culinary treats that I make, and restaurant entrées or buffets that I’ve sampled.  However, I came across an entrée in a past “Boston” magazine food review that I had to say, “no thank you” to and turn away!

I’ll just have the fish and chips, please!

BEY BEY BEY

There is no doubt that Beyonce is gorgeous and hot.  Okay, there are a couple of pictures that you can argue about and I want to share  one of them with you!

She’s now less than two weeks into “The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour”, her new 65-date, three-leg concert across Europe, North America, and South America.  While some are surprised that the concert doesn’t feature any new music (her new album is due later this year), one thing that is definitely turning heads is the costumes.

This one has me saying “Bey Bee” (baby)!

And, this one has me saying “Bey BOO!”

You go on with your bad self!  Lady Gaga and Madonna, watch out, Bey has gone “Boobie-liciuous”.

AWESOME SURPRISE FROM HELEN REDDY

Last month, I blogged about finally getting to see one of my childhood idols, Helen Reddy, in concert in St. Charles, Illinois.  As you already know, back in the 1970s, she was one of the biggest pop stars in the world.  In 1992, Helen gave up touring and started enjoying life and doing whatever she wanted.  Luckily, for her fans, she decided that she wanted to tour some more this spring.

Although I didn’t get a chance to meet the 71-year-old singer after the show, her great fan club president and Facebook page administrator, Jim Keaton, made my day recently.  Look what he got me!

Jim and Helen, thank you very much!

CHRISTMAS IS ONLY EIGHT MONTHS AWAY!

Too early to think about it?  I don’t think so considering we had just snow flurries in the Quad Cities last weekend!

While Christmas is still eight months away and I have no desire to even think about what to buy people this Christmas, I already have the first new Christmas album on my list to buy.

Erasure, the new wave/dance band from the 1980s, is recording a Christmas album that is expected to come out in November or December!

While the duo of Andy Bell and Vince Clarke have dominated the Billboard Dance charts with 21 hits, 15 of which have made the Top Ten, and two reaching #1, they’ve only charted with three Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100:  “Chains of Love”  (#12, 1988), “A Little Respect” (#14, 1988), and #Always” (#20, 1994).

Since this isn’t my Flashback ’80s hit, I’ll share “Always” from 1994 with you since it has a wintry, holiday feel to it.

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

Three years ago this week, we purchased two “King Winter Hawthorne” trees for our front yard.

Interestingly enough, we didn’t have to convince Miss ABBA and Gretel to help us dig the holes for the news trees.  ABBA thought it was fun because she got to dig in the yard without getting reprimanded and Gretel pretended to be a ghoul rising up out of a grave!  The trees have done very well in the three years since we planted them and I can’t wait for the new leaves to sprout out so I can share a new picture with you from this spring to show how they’ve grown.

And, this awesome photo is from April 28th of last year.  I wasn’t lucky enough to “catch” the lightning streak.  I had to cheat.  I recorded a video and was able to capture frames from the video.  Nevertheless, it’s a cool shot.

PEEPS’ ’80s FRIDAY FLASHBACK

Why not have another dose of Erasure?  I met the band briefly when I was a writer for “Fox News Chicago” when they were on the morning show about ten years ago.  They even signed my VHS copy of “Erasure Live!”

The synthpop band first charted on the U.S. Dance chart with 1985′s “Who Needs Love Like That” and first topped the dance chart in 1987 with “Victim of Love”.

When I was a club disc jockey in the 1980s, “Oh L’Amour” and “Sometimes” were two of my favorite Erasure songs.

MY FINAL “THE FOLLOWING ” THOUGHT BEFORE THE FINALE

“The Following” season one finale is Monday night at 8pm Central on Fox, that other network!

Have yourself a great weekend and thank you for checking out my weekly random Friday thoughts.

Anthony