Random Friday Thoughts — March 29

It’s “Good Friday” and to me, that’s the same as any Friday.  I try to be good. 🙂

“HAPPY EASTER”

Kidding aside, it’s Easter weekend and I wish all of you a “Happy Easter”.  We’re having friends over for dinner Saturday night (not Easter-related) just for fun and then on Sunday, we’re making ham and having my sister over for Easter brunch.

I hope the Easter Bunny brings you plenty of chocolate and fun candy if that’s your thing!  But, after seeing this earlier in the week, I hope he doesn’t leave you a bunny as a pet.

I remember getting a “chick” (the animal, not a girl) one year for Easter when I was a kid and it died a couple of days later.  No thanks, candy is fine with me.

EQUALITY IN THE HEADLINES

There’s been a lot of talk in the news this week with what I call “marriage equality” and what many, even in the media, call “gay marriage”.

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard arguments on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California’s gay marriage ban.  And, on Wednesday, they heard the case of Windsor vs. United States, which tackles the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which basically states that marriage is between a man and a woman.

If you don’t know about Edith Windsor, the 83-year-old woman at the center of this Supreme Court debate, check out this heartwarming story.  It’s only three minutes long, but it shows you what true love is and that love knows no boundaries!

It may be months before we get a decision from the SCOTUS, if they even decide.  Edie and California, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

      

SLEEP AND MY STRANGE WORK HOURS

Since I work 2-10 a.m. Monday through Friday and get roughly three to four hours of sleep each weeknight (I get more on the weekends), it always frightens me when I hear news stories about all of the health issues that people develop when they don’t get a good night’s sleep.

Putting that aside, I read in the September 2011 “Men’s Journal” there’s something better than becoming over-caffeinated to stay awake and alert when I start to drag.  Dr. Bob Arnot says “studies show that just 10 minutes of shut-eye can net you 155 minutes of mental clarity.”

“PEEPS’ ’80S FRIDAY FLASHBACK”

In the early 1980s, when this country boy moved away from that musical genre, I moved quickly and it was all about “New Wave” music starting with Kim Wilde and Soft Cell.  The English band, A Flock of Seagulls, was at the top of my list, too.

I mean, seriously, Mike Score’s  (the lead singer) hair was incredible.  I know if I had the nerve then, I would have been a hit in Mayfield, Kentucky, but then again, I would have probablygotten beat up , too.

A Flock of Seagulls’ first hit in America was also their biggest.  “I Ran (So Far Away)” was released in October 1982 and it made it all the way up to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

While the two follow-up singles, “Space Age Love Song” and “Wishing (If I Had A Photograph of You)” both cracked the Top 40 in America, they only made it to #30 and #26, respectively.

“Wishing” was also featured in the aforementioned movie, “Edge of Seventeen”.

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

It was two years ago this week that Miss ABBA was diagnosed with a terminal cancer and given only two to three months to live.  She was a fighter and never got down and sick until the day before she went to puppy heaven ten months later on February 3, 2012.

These pictures were taken on April 1, 2011, just days after having a non-malignant “fatty tissue” removed during that terminal diagnosis (notice the cute shaved leg!), when she received a package in the mail from my friends Tracy and Steve Weinberger.  They were friends from my old neighborhood in Moline and they knew that Miss ABBA loved Peeps.  Whenever they’d walk by with their little girl, Miss ABBA would always share Peeps with her.

As you can tell, ABBA loved opening her own gifts and presents and was very excited when it turned out to be an edible treat — Peeps!

 

MY GOLDEN, ABBA, HAS A NEW FRIEND IN “PUPPY HEAVEN”

A few weeks ago, I blogged about Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine’s golden, Frankie, crossing over the “Rainbow Bridge” to play with Miss ABBA and now Ginger has joined them, too.

Ginger, like ABBA, also died of cancer, as so many goldens sadly do.

Here is what Ginger’s “humans” posted on Ginger’s Facebook page March 19th:  “Ginger’s cancer was very aggressive and she was declining rapidly. We couldn’t let her suffer anymore, and with the help of a vetrinary [sic] oncologist made the decision to put her down this afternoon. Our family is heartbroken, but we know she ran up to heaven on the wings of your prayers and well wishes. Thank you all for your support. Many of you mentioned you have gone through it before or going though it now. Our hearts are with you. It has been a cold and snowy few days here in Michigan. We took Buddy for a walk a bit ago and the wind got really strong and we looked up and suddenly the sun peaked through the sky, just for a little bit. We like to think that was Ginger lighting up heaven with a grand entrance! Thank you again for your support and friendship.  With deepest gratitude, Scott and Barb ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥”

SEASON ONE OF “MALIBU COUNTRY” IS OVER

The first season of one of the shows that I watched this fall, “Malibu Country” with Reba and Lily Tomlin, came to a close last week.  ABC hasn’t announced whether it will be renewed for a second season.  However, I feel that it will since it is the highest rated new comedy on network television.

While the show is uneven and copies a lot of the jokes from Reba’s former “WB” and “CW” show “Reba” (2001-2007), I love seeing Reba and Lily Tomlin, as her marijuana loving mother.

If the show is renewed, I hope Reba sings more and that we see less of her daughter, June, and her puppy love crush on the boy next door, Sage.  And, if Sage is going to be front and center with his singing career next season, cut his hair!  Please!

And, Reba needs to start dating Mr. Bata, the head of the record company.

‘THE FOLLOWING”

With five more episodes to go (season one finale is April 29th), this show is testing my loyalty.

While I know I won’t stop watching since I’ve invested ten weeks into it, but I want some fun things to happen.  Yes, the deaths are brutal, shocking, and clever.  But, the FBI really needs to win one in the game of cat and mouse with the serial killer, Dr. Joe Carroll.

Or, at least let us know who in the FBI is working for Joe and not let it be revealed to his/her colleagues until the season finale.  And, it had better not be Mike Weston!  My money is on Agent Parker or the new guy brought in to head up the capture of Carroll.

Emma must die at the hands of Jacob!!!!  And, while I’m voicing what I’d like to see, how about a crossover with ABC’s “Nashville” so that one of Joe’s “followers” can take Scarlett out, too! 🙂

What a way to end a blog on Easter Sunday weekend.

Have a great one.

Anthony

Should You Trust Those Almanacs For The Forecast?

We’re almost three months into the new year and I’m sure some of you might be looking over your “2013 Old Farmer’s Almanac” and wondering if the temperature and precipitation forecasts are accurate.

The “Almanac”, which has been published since 1792, claims an accuracy rate of 80%.  But, is it really.  As I was spring cleaning at home, I came across the 2011 edition.  I looked through it to see if there was anything I wanted to save before recycling it and I decided to check the forecast and see how correct it was for eastern Iowa and northern Illinois.

When I started checking the “Almanac” forecast to the actual weather for that year, I was very lenient in grading.  I didn’t even check the detailed forecast for actual dates for those months because there’s no way to forecast that far in advance!  I just checked the monthly temperature and precipitation forecast.

For temperatures, the “Almanac” was 42% accurate.  For instance, it predicted December 2010 temperatures to be three degrees above and the month ended up 5.3° below average in the Quad Cities.  Many other months were off the mark.  However, in September 2011, it predicted that temperatures would be four degrees below average and that’s how it turned out!

As for precipitation, the forecast trends were more accurate.  The “Almanac” was 75% accurate!

I always find it interesting to read the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” and the “Farmers Almanac” (published since 1818), but if you really want to trust the forecast, you have to watch the CBS4 weather team! 🙂

Have a great day!

Anthony

Love, Hate, & The Future of Prop. 8

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard arguments today and could decide on the constitutionality of Proposition 8, which is California’s ban on same-sex marriage.

This is the legal team of David Boies and Ted Olson that is working to do away with Prop 8, along with the plaintiffs and their families, and Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin at a press conference after leaving the oral arguments at the Supreme Court.

Here is a blog from inside the court proceedings and what this might mean.

Here is what the Huffington Post is reporting:

Justice Anthony Kennedy “acknowledged that while the social science on gay marriage is relatively new, there is an “immediate” legal harm to those same-sex couples who cannot be married.  He said the voice of the thousands of children of same-sex couples was an important aspect of the case.  “They want their parents to have full recognition and legal status,” Kennedy told Charles Cooper, who was representing supporters of Proposition 8’s ban on gay marriage. “The voice of those children is considerable in this case, don’t you think?”

This is from the Associated Press:  “Justice Anthony Kennedy, the potentially decisive vote on a closely divided court, suggested that the court could dismiss the case with no ruling at all.  Such an outcome would almost certainly allow gay marriages to resume in California but would have no impact elsewhere.”

It’ll be interesting to see how this turns out.

Here are some of the faces of love today in Washington D.C.

And hate in Washington D.C. (thank you Westboro x Church):

When referring to that extremist group out of Topeka, Kansas, I won’t use the former church affiliation in their name because that is offensive to the people of that denomination that don’t think like those haters.

To my friends, thank you for your unrelenting support!

Anthony

They Said What??? Lily Tomlin, Ann Coulter, & Michelle Shocked

“MALIBU COUNTRY” ACTRESS LILY TOMLIN

(clarifying that talk show icon Johnny Carson “didn’t out me or try to out me”):  “He was just being a host and saying conventional stuff. You know: ‘You’re not married. Don’t you want to have children?’ … (These were things) they would ask a female in the early ‘70s.”

DIRECTOR BRETT RATNER

(at the recent GLAAD awards):  “Homophobe. Bigot. Gay-basher. Ignorant frat boy. Fat, Jewish pig.  I was called all of these names when I foolishly used a gay slur in a misguided attempt to be funny during an interview. Do I believe what I was called to be true? Aside from the Jewish and fat part? No, absolutely not. But I learned a valuable lesson: A word can matter, whether it’s said with malice or a joke.”

CONSERVATIVE AUTHOR/COMMENTATOR ANN COULTER

(poking fun at Republican New Jersey Governor Chris Christie):  “Even CPAC had to cut back on its speakers this year about 300 pounds.”

ACTRESS SELENA GOMEZ

(about “Spring Breakers” co-star James Franco):   “He stayed in character the whole time and luckily for me, my character was creeped out by him, becuase I genuinely was at first.  That’s who I knew, until we started doing press and I realized he’s one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met.”

MORE SELENA GOMEZ

(After talk show host David Letterman told her that he made her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber cry):  “Well then, that makes two of us.”

FOLK SINGER MICHELLE SHOCKED

(to a stunned San Francisco audience last week right before two-thirds of them walked out and the show was shut down):  “God hates fags and you can tweet that I said so.  I live in fear that the world will be destroyed if gays are allowed to marry.”

Method(ology) to My March Madness

UPDATE:  Sunday, April 7, 2013

Two weeks of March Madness comes to a climatic finish Monday night as the Louisville Cardinals take on the Michigan Wolverines for the national championship.

And, check out this brackets!

For the first time since I’ve been filling out brackets, I picked the final two teams for the championship!!!   And, after seeing how Louisville played in most of the semi-final game against Wichita State and how Michigan struggled in the second half against Syracuse, I’m lucky both teams survived!

If my calculations are correct, I may have won the office pool.  If so, I’ll use the money I won to host a party this summer for my work Peeps.  (If any of them read my blog, they will know first hand!) 🙂

And, I entered this bracket for a local newspaper’s bracket contest and as of Sunday morning, I’m in first place out of more than 500 entries!!!!!!!!!  If Louisville wins Monday night, I might win a big screen television!

Although I’m a die-hard Kentucky Wildcats fan, I’m rooting for Louisville so I can win the contests!

Anthony

ORIGINAL POST:  Sunday, March 24, 2013

Kids are too honest and funny.  Last night, our internet went out around 9 p.m. and was out until this morning (Mediacom, this is becoming too common!).

So, instead of just watching the NCAA Men’s basketball scores update online, I had to turn on the television to watch the end of the Marquette-Butler game.  (Hey Brad Stevens!)

Sadly, for Butler fans, they lost.  That’s good news for me because I picked Marquette to go to the Final Four and they had to struggle in the first round to come back in the last two minutes to beat Davidson by one point and they were down 1o points to Butler and barely held on to win, 74-72!

Okay, so I’m getting all riled up watching the last few minutes of the game, and Gretel pulls herself away from her Kindle and says, “when did you start liking sports?”  I didn’t want to tell her that I’m a fair-weather basketball fan that turns into a die-hard NCAA basketball fan when March Madness comes around.  It would have taken too long to explain what “fair-weather” and “die-hard” means. 🙂

What I wanted to say is that “yes, I follow some sports.  It’s not all about Madonna, Lady Gaga, Reba,  Britney, and Helen Reddy.  I mean, seriously, have you seen some of those coaches and players!”

Kidding aside, I love basketball.  My only regret in life is not having the self-confidence, as a teenager, that I have now to try out for our small high school basketball team.  I was pretty good in the ‘hood with my jump shot!

I entered the basketball pool at work just for fun.  In the past, I’ve never won, but my goal was to beat the sports department.

Since I hadn’t followed basketball all season long (I didn’t know Murray State and Kentucky were doing so poorly), here’s how I made my picks.  The method to my March madness was to look at the last five games of the season for each team and I based my picks on that!!!!!!!!!!!

I have heard that two people at work picked Gonzaga to win it all.  That’s two people out-of-the-way.  However, I had Gonzaga in the Final Four, so I won’t be getting any points from them.  Oh yeah, they lost to Wichita State.  First, the “Shockers” beat Pitt in the first round and then “shocked” the #1 seed Gonzaga.

I was more concerned with Marquette, another Final Four pick for me, struggling in the first two games!  I never thought for a minute that Gonzaga would fall that quickly.

If I had to pick three upsets that I’d love to see happen today, it would be for Temple to stun and eliminate Indiana, North Carolina to knock off Kansas, and for Iowa State to send the Buckeyes packing in that order!

If those things happened and Louisville marches on, life would be sweet! 🙂

I love college basketball!

Anthony

Yes, More Snow! But, Leave The Groundhog Alone!

AFTERNOON UPDATE:  Saturday, March 23, 2013, 2:52 p.m.

A “Winter Weather Advisory” goes into effect at midnight tonight and runs through 7 p.m. for the following counties in Iowa:  Des Moines, Henry, and Lee, and for the Illinois counties of Hancock, Henderson, McDonough, and Warren.  For Knox and Stark counties, that “Winter Weather Advisory” runs from 1 a.m Sunday until 1 a.m. Monday.

As for snow amounts, I think based on the latest information that we should shave about an inch off  the totals from the Quad Cities northward and about 2″ off the totals in the far south.  That still means about an inch north to about 1-3″ in the Quad Cities and along Interstate 80, and about 2-4″ south.  Isolated higher totals are still possible.

Have a great rest of your weekend.

Anthony

ORIGINAL POST:  Saturday, March 23, 2013, 9:23 a.m.

I’m a firm believer that people (even politicians) can change or, at least, educate themselves to see both sides of an argument.

Earlier in the week, I got on the bandwagon with many others of blaming our late season cold and upcoming snow on Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania groundhog, that made his forecast February 2nd that we’d see an early spring!

It’s gotten out of hand.  There have been calls for him to be brought up on criminal charges, he’s wanted dead or alive, and there are even pictures on Facebook that he’s been attacked and injured!

I apologize for blaming him for our weather misfortunes:  In the Quad Cities, this March, our temperatures have not even hit 50°once and are running 8.3° below average, and, as of this writing, this is the sixth coldest March on record in the metro area and those records go back to the late-1800s!

Now, the madness has to stop!

Phil is right.  He was never trained to analyze weather charts, satellites, radars, and learn the physics of the atmosphere.  How dare humans take this cuddly little critter and put so much pressure on him!

As a meteorologist, I’ve blown a forecast before and I’ll do it again.  And, with that being said, there are other meteorologists that blow every storm out of proportion and every snow event becomes the “storm of the century” and every spring thunderstorm develops tornadic potential.  Do people hold those forecasters to the same ridicule as Phil?   No!

But, I’ll say that it’s pretty bad when you make only one forecast a year and you’re wrong.  That doesn’t do much for your forecasting accuracy!  It’s either 0% or 100%, so you can’t afford to be wrong.  You just have to hide out again for another year!

So, with that being said, let’s ease up a little on that Pennsylvania rodent and talk about the snow potential here in eastern Iowa and northern Illinois tonight and Sunday.

As of Saturday morning, a “Winter Storm Watch” goes into effect later this evening for counties just south of the Quad Cities.  I do expect this “Watch” to become a “Winter Weather Advisory” later today and for the aerial coverage to expand northward.

Here’s the bottom line:  Nice weather is expected today with mostly sunny skies giving way to increasing clouds from south to north.  Highs will make it to 35°-40° far north, 40°-45° in the Quad Cities, and 42°-47° in the far south.

A rain and snow mix will develop later this evening across the south and progress northward.  With the relatively mild day and warm ground in the south, snow accumulations will not begin until later tonight.

Snow will fall tonight and most of Sunday before winding down Sunday night from southwest to northeast across the area.

My snow forecast totals (or “snotals”) have not changed from when I first brought them to you Friday morning on “CBS4 News This Morning” (and for those watch us, thank you).

As with any winter storm event, there could be a few isolated higher totals.

Enjoy your weekend and make the best of this snow.  For those that are ready for spring, this could be the last snow of the season.  For those that want the snow, it might not be. 🙂

For Phil’s sake, I hope it’s the last snow.  I can’t keep blogging in his defense if real spring weather doesn’t arrive soon!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — March 22, 2013

Happy Friday!  We’re one week away from Easter and it’s officially spring!

SPRING SNOW THIS WEEKEND

With the forecast of a storm that could bring some snow this weekend and March temperatures running more than 8° below average, I think we’re experiencing  “2013:  The Year Without A Spring”!

I’m thinking we’ll see 2-4″ of snow in the Quad Cities Saturday night and Sunday.  To our south, 4-6″ are possible and to our north, only 1-2″ of snow could fall.  It’s still early and these numbers could change.

Here are the chances of seeing 4″ of snow.  This forecast is from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center.

BE RESPONSIBLE, NOT SENSATIONAL!

I have a plea for all meteorologists!  Be responsible when you look at data and post it.  If it’s not your forecast, then avoid the panic it causes for many people.

I’m really appalled by a few “Chicken Little” forecasters that throw out a computer model projection with astronomical snow totals knowing full well that it would have to be a perfect scenario for that to happen.  And, to do this six days in advance!  Insane!  I really wish  people would think about re-posting this crap and hold those forecasters accountable.

It’s easier for people just to say that all weather forecasters are always wrong.  GRRRRR!!!!!!!!!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

SING IN YOUR SHOWER, HATER.  NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR YOU NOW!

Folk singer Michelle Shocked has never had mainstream success and I hope she never sings another note publicly again!

Last Sunday night, the singer went on an anti-gay tirade at a San Francisco club owned by a gay man in front of many gay patrons and all of her upcoming tour dates, except one (the Harmony Bar in Madison, Wisconsin) have been cancelled.

While performing at Yoshi’s, she stunned the audience by saying, “When they stop Prop 8 and force priests at gunpoint to marry gays, it will be the downfall of civilization, and Jesus will come back,” and “You can go on Twitter and say, ‘Michelle Shocked says God hates fags.’

The show was shut down when about two-thirds of the crown walked out.

In the aftermath of the tour cancellations, Michelle Shocked tweeted, “First: “I’m abiding, letting everyone’s true colors show before I undertake a personal response to each & every tweet.” and  “Am neither against a woman’s right to choose nor gay marriage. Am a fundamentalist tho”.

Really, it doesn’t sound like you’re against gay marriage!  Good riddance!

REALLY READY FOR APRIL 1ST

No fooling here!  I’m ready for April Fool’s Day to arrive and for the Easter feast to be over with because I want to start eating really healthy again and working out.

Last summer when Ray and I lost all that weight (30 pounds for him and 25 for me), we both felt really good.  Since we’ve been very bad at our food choices since August, we’ve gained much of the weight back (17 pounds for me).

While I don’t plan on being so extreme this year, my goal is only ten pounds this spring and summer.

HILLARY, THANK YOU!

ONLY ONE CONCERT PLANNED, SO FAR!

After seeing Madonna’s “MDNA Tour” last October and Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way Ball Tour” in January before her hip injury forced the cancellation of the rest of the tour, I don’t have any big mega shows planned this year.

I’ll be seeing Rick Springfield (a teenage crush) in May at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa.

And, there’s a part of me that would love to see Depeche Mode in Chicago in August.

Maybe there’ll be some big announcement coming soon that will really get me excited!  A Culture Club/Human League reunion tour would be fun!

PEEPS’ ’80S FRIDAY FLASHBACK

Since I’ll be seeing Rick Springfield in concert in May, I’ll feature him in my ’80s flashback.

The Australian gained television fame on “General Hospital” and scored his first hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971 with “Speak To The Sky”, which peaked at #14.  However, it would be a decade later when he shot to the top of the charts with “Jessie’s Girl”.

He would have four consecutive platinum albums (shipments of more than a million copies) from 1981-1984 and score a career total of 17 Top 40 hits with five of them reaching the Top Ten:  the aforementioned “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).

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

With the dismal, cold weather we’re experiencing this March, I thought I’d share these pictures from my yard this time last year!

EMAIL US!  TEXT US!  TWEET US!

Okay, the news business isn’t this bad?   Is it?   But, it’s funny.

AND, WHAT ABOUT HAIL DAMAGE?????

KABOOYOW!  I had to leave you with a smile!

Have a great weekend!

Anthony

I’m Ready To “Celebrate Youth” and Bop ‘Til I Drop

Growing up poor in western Kentucky in the 1970s and 1980s, I didn’t get to go to concerts.

The Purchase District Fairgrounds were located just down the road from our apartment in Mayfield, Kentucky.  While my mother got to see her idol, Conway Twitty, in concert (she always told us that he would be our stepfather, but that never happened), I remember hearing Loretta Lynn playing there, but I didn’t get to see her.

When I was a freshman at Murray State University, in the early-1980s, I got to interview the S.O.S. Band.  However, my first concert was John Cougar Mellencamp in Carbondale, Illinois, in 1985.  Being from a small town and an introvert, at the time, I missed out on seeing many of my favorite artists in concert:  Olivia Newton-John, Tanya Tucker, Helen Reddy, ABBA, The Human League, Culture Club, Duran Duran, Corey Hart and Rick Springfield.

Since then, I got to see The Human League “(Don’t You Want Me”) at Market Days in Chicago in the early 2000s and Australian Helen Reddy last week in St. Charles, Illinois.

And, yesterday, I bought tickets to see another Australian, Rick Springfield.  He’ll be playing at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa, on Friday, May 24, 2013.

Now that I’m in my late-40s, it’s great that I’m getting to see many of the acts that I grew up listening to and that they’re still recording new music.  I love hearing all of the hits from the 1970s and 1980s, but it’s fun that there’s new material that I haven’t heard.

63-year-old Springfield released “Songs for the End of the World” in 2012 and he hasn’t slowed down one bit and still rocks.

While he charted with his first hit in 1971 (“Speak To The Sky” peaked at #14), he became a household name a decade later as Dr. Noah Drake on “General Hospital” (1981-1983) and as a Billboard Hot 100 chart topper for two weeks and Grammy Award winner (Best Male Rock Vocal Performance) for “Jessie’s Girl”.

Springfield would chart with two more hits from his 1981 platinum album (shipment of one million copies) “Working Class Dog”.  “I’ve Done Everything For You” (#8) and the under appreciated “Love Is Alright Tonight” (#20).

And, from that video, you’ll probably understand why I was so jealous that my sister, Tammy, got to see Rick in concert in the early-1980s.  How beautiful and sexy and you gotta love those ’80s bright colors!

Rick would go on to score four consecutive platinum albums starting with “Working Class Dog”.  That one was followed by 1982’s “Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet”, “Living In Oz” from 1983, and “Hard To Hold” in 1984.

From that second album, “Success”, the lead off single, “Don’t Talk To Strangers” would be the biggest radio hit making it up to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.    The next two songs, “What Kind of Fool Am I?” (#21) and “I Get Excited” (#32) didn’t fare as well on the charts.  However, “What Kind of Fool Am I?” is still one of my favorites today.

And, the lyrics, “But the gods or whatever/Make the world go ’round/Shuffled when they should’ve cut” are some of the best ever written!

His 1983 album, “Living In Oz” generated three hits, but only “Affair Of The Heart” (#9) reached the Top Ten.

After scoring one more Top Ten hit, “Love Somebody” (#5 in 1984), the next six Springfield hits would only reached the 20s on the chart.  His last Billboard Hot 100 hit to reach the Top 40 was “Rock of Life” in 1988 (#22).

In all, Springfield charted with 17 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.  Of those, five reached the top ten with “Jessie’s Girl” as his only #1 song.

And, if Rick Springfield wasn’t such a good-looking singer, performer, actor, and family man, you have to love a guy that argued with his record label to feature his dog on the cover of two of his albums.  Ronnie (“Lethal Ron”), a bull terrier/great dane mix, who died in 1992, graced the cover of “Working Class Dog” and “Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet”.  I know that Ronnie and Miss ABBA are having a blast in puppy heaven right now.

I’m looking forward to seeing Rick in concert in May and if I’m lucky, I’ll get to meet him, so he can sign his “Late, Late At Night” autobiography that I have.  I’ll have to read before the show.

Rock on, Rick Springfield.

Anthony

They Said What??? Jeb Bush, Cyndi Lauper, & Jane Fonda

ACTRESS JAMIE LEE CURTIS

(commenting on the Oscars skit “We Saw Your Boobs”):  “The ‘boob’ song, as it will be known in perpetuity, may go down as the highest-rated Oscar number in history, but at what cost?  I’m sure public executions would get big ratings too, but is that what the Oscars are truly about? Ratings? When did they turn into a ‘roast’?”

ACTRESS JANE FONDA

(also commenting on the Oscars skit):  “What I really didn’t like was the song and dance number about seeing actresses boobs.  I agree with someone who said, ‘If they want to stoop to that, why not list all the penises we’ve seen?’ Better yet, remember that this is a telecast seen around the world watched by families with their children and to many this is neither appropriate or funny.”

MADONNA

“I wanted to be a Boy Scout, but they wouldn’t let me join. I think that’s f**ked up.  I can build a fire. I know how to pitch a tent. I have a very good sense of direction. I can rescue kittens from trees. Listen, I want to do good for the community. And most importantly, I know how to scout for boys…. I think they should change their stupid rules.”

U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER

“I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.  It’s what I grew up with, it’s what I believe, it’s what my church teaches me. And I can’t imagine that position would ever change.”

FORMER FLORIDA GOVERNOR JEB BUSH

(stating that President Obama won the 2012 election by “dividing the country”):  “I think the basic part of his campaign was that those that were successful weren’t paying their fair share, even though we have incredibly high taxes for high income Americans.  I think he ran a campaign of them and us. And it was quite effective, that somehow the Republicans don’t care about the large number of people.”

CHARLESTON COUNTY COUNCILWOMAN COLLEEN CONDON

(after a blogger threatened to out her):  “Yes, I’m gay. I don’t think that’s a sex scandal in 2013.”

POP STAR CYNDI LAUPER

(about Donald Trump): “I’m not going to kiss ass with somebody like that.  I felt that what he said about the gay community was disappointing because a lot of gay people work for him. It’s just sad. I thought he could have done better for his country than just go to the lowest common denominator and stir up the crap. It’s our country, it’s not wrestling. If you try and make our president fail, it doesn’t matter who he is, you make our country fail. And if you really are a patriot, if you really give a sh*t about our country, you don’t do stuff like that. First of all, you’re an entertainer, and you make ugly buildings, and you’re famous for it. And you have a reality show with very high ratings. Don’t step into the forum like that. Become educated with facts. Don’t just be a sh*t-stirrer. Our country is in trouble and he keeps wanting to make [Obama] fail. Let’s call a spade a spade. The guy’s a black man and that’s your issue? What kind of idiot are you? Come on.”

Anthony

 

Random Friday Thoughts — March 15, 2013

Happy Friday!  Can you believe it’s already the middle of March?  After you read this blog, if you live in the Quad Cities, northern Illinois, or eastern Iowa, get outside for a few minutes today to enjoy the warmest day, so far, in the month of March.  It’s pretty pathetic when the forecast high of 53° today qualifies as “warm” in mid-March.  This is just one of my random thoughts.

COOL, WET, WHITE MARCH

Now that the first half of March is behind us, temperatures in the Quad Cities are running 6.7° below average.  We’ve only had four days, counting today, with highs that made it into the 40s!  To put this chill into perspective, this past January highs were in the 50s or higher five times with the warmest of those days making it up to 62° on January 29, 2013, which is the warmest day in 2013!  In February 2013, two days made it to 50° or higher.

In a typical March, we see 2.86″ of precipitation (rain and melted snow).  In just the first 15 days this March, we’re up to 2.22″ in the Quad Cities.  Average March snow in the Quad Cities is 4″ and this March, we’ve had four measurable snows with a total of 5.7″.

THIS WAS ONE YEAR AGO THIS WEEK!!!

My colleague and friend at CBS4, chief meteorologist Andy McCray put together this graphic to show the high temperatures this time last year.  In addition to these seven unseasonably warm days, we also hit 82° on March 20th and 81° on March 21st.

March 2012 ended up 14.2° above average and it went down in the record books as the warmest March on record in the Quad Cities.

FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES

Look at how green and how in bloom everything was last March 15th-21st in my neighborhood!

MY CONCERT BUCKET LIST IS GETTING SMALLER!

When I got up for work at 1 a.m. Wednesday, I knew I was going to be up 33 hours.  After working my morning shift Wednesday, Ray and I drove 2.5 hours to St. Charles, Illinois, that evening for a concert and then drove back to the Quad Cities just in time for me to shower and go into work to get ready for the Thursday morning news.  Why the insanity and the sleep deprivation?

Last fall, I heard that one of my childhood idols was doing a few tour dates in early 2013 after giving up touring more than ten years ago.  However, most of the dates were in New York, Florida, and California.  Monday morning, I got a Facebook notice about a concert Wednesday night in St. Charles, a western suburbs of Chicago.  And, I knew I had to move heaven and earth to be there!

Back in 1973, I was almost 9-years-old when I bought my first 45 rpm record thanks to an allowance from my grandparents, John and Helen Peoples.  It was “Delta Dawn” by Helen Reddy.

Although Helen had many Top Ten hits in America, she’ll be most remembered by her signature #1 hit from December 1972, “I Am Woman”.  That song not only became an anthem for women and equality, but it was also the first Australian-penned song to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and to win a Grammy Award.  In her acceptance speech for Best Female Performance, Helen thanked “God, because SHE makes everything possible”.

Wednesday night, I got to see the incredible and amazing Helen Reddy in concert!!   While she has aged 40 years since her chart topping days of the early 1970s, she sounded amazing.  The 90-minute concert was surreal.

While Helen charted with more than a dozen Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the 1970s, she only performed a handful of those radio hits:  “Angie Baby” (#1), a medley of “Delta Dawn” (#1) and “Ain’t No Way To Treat A Lady” (#8), along with “You And Me Against The World” (#9).  For her encore, she performed two versions of her iconic #1 international hit, “I Am Woman”.  She recited the lyrics of the song and then she asked the audience to sing along with her.  While most people were shy and just sat there, I sang along with my childhood idol!

Most of the songs that Helen performed where favorites picked by her, whether they were album cuts that never made the radio or songs written by her music business friends.  You could tell that she was having a blast onstage and it never seemed that she had been away from the spotlight for eleven years.

She has a fantastic sense of humor and shared many little personal stories between songs.  Twice, she would be telling a story at the front of the stage and then turn around to the band and ask “what song is next?”  It was so cute and funny.

Two other times, she would be setting up the next song and then pause and the band would be a couple of seconds behind her and she would look around and ask if they were still there or she told the audience, “I thought they left”.

It may have taken me 40 years to see Miss Helen Reddy in concert since I first heard “I Am Woman”, but it was definitely worth the wait.  Aging like a good wine, the 71-year-old mother and grandmother, sounded just as incredible and alive as she did back in the early-1970s when she was one of the biggest international music stars in the business!  I’m not ageist.  I’m only mentioning her age because she brought it up and I hope that I’m still traveling the world when I hit my 70s!

The only thing that could have made this night any more perfect would have been to meet Helen.  We were on the meet & greet list, but the Arcada Theatre management’s own “meet & greet” messed that up and it left me and Ray and about eight other ladies waiting at the edge of the stage to reminisce about her albums and her glamorous looks of the 1970s.

Oh well, maybe Helen and I will cross paths again!  We’re both young at heart. 🙂  I really can’t complain since we were sitting in the front row stage left and Ray told me that Helen was singing directly to me during some songs.  🙂

That was a classic medley from the 1970s with Helen performing one of my favorite songs, “Keep on Singing”.

Now, I only have Olivia Newton-John and Lorrie Morgan left on my must see list before they retire.  And, if Helen Reddy is any indication, great music stars don’t retire forever, they take a break from the business and live life!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“THE FOLLOWING” IS DRIVING ME NUTS!

Fox’s “The Following” has been renewed for a second season in 2014.

With only seven episodes left before this season’s April 29th finale, the show is driving me nuts.  SPOILER ALERT ahead if you haven’t watched this past Monday’s show!  So, I’ll stall for a moment with a picture from the show, so you can skip ahead to the next segment of my random blog!

While the search for escaped serial killer, Dr. Joe Carroll continues, I’m totally frustrated by the incompetence of the FBI agents on “The Following”.  They’re definitely not Mulder and Scully, FBI agents from Fox’s other successful series, “The X-Files”!  Every week, they come some so close to cracking Joe’s “following” and find his kidnapped son, Joey.  So close, yet so far!

Three episodes ago, Paul (left) and Jacob (right), the “gay couple”, escaped and disappeared after a shoot out with the FBI and Paul was bleeding profusely after being stabbed by Ryan Hardy (Kevin Bacon).  And, they haven’t been back in the last two episodes even though they were mentioned.  Hello!!!!!!!!!!!

And, Emma (center), has to DIE!  She is so evil.

Okay, I’ve stalled long enough.  While I love the show, it ‘s definitely dragging things out.  While I love Agent Debra Parker and Kevin Bacon’s Ryan Hardy character is likeable even with his flaws (the biggest being that stupid pacemaker storyline), my favorite character is Agent Mike Weston, played by Shawn Ashmore.  Last Monday, I commented on Facebook that it would be shocking and cool if Hardy died in the season finale and that I wanted to see more Ashmore.

And, then Monday night, Joe’s crazy followers kidnapped Weston and I said, “Oh no, if he dies, this is it!  I’m done”.

After refusing to give away Claire’s whereabouts (the FBI has her hidden away to keep her safe from Carroll), Weston was beaten and bloodied as Hardy and Agent Parker closed in on rescuing him and then it happened!!!!!!!!!!!  Follower Charlie stabbed him as Ryan breaks in only to have Weston whisper, “I didn’t tell them” and his body goes limp in Hardy’s arms!!!!!!!!!!

Holy crap, “The Following”, you’re driving me nuts!

Oh, and since I said I wanted to see more of Ashmore, here’s a bonus from a June 2008 “Cosmopolitan” magazine spread.  And, it has nothing to do with “The Following”.  Enjoy! 🙂

MORE FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PHOTOS

Earlier in the blog, I featured some pictures I posted this week last year during our early season “heat wave”.  Here are a couple from this week in 2010, which definitely showed that winter was hanging on.

Miss ABBA was enjoying playing with Lucky and Odie.  Now, all three of them are playing together in “puppy heaven”.

And, on that same day, I saw a deer walk by our window in the ravine behind our house.  I grabbed my camera and ran out the door into the front yard and down the street a few house to sneak around back and try to cut it off in the ravine.  I was successful and got this great picture!

“OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL”

This past Monday, Ray, Gretel, and I went to see the prequel to “The Wizard of Oz”.

“Oz The Great and Powerful” stars James Franco as Oscar “Oz” Diggs, Mila Kunis (Theodora, the Good Witch), Michelle Williams (Glinda, the Good Witch of the South), and Rachel Weisz (Evanora, Theodora’s sister).

The $215 million, Sam Raimi-directed fantasy movie, grossed a very impressive $167 million worldwide in just the first six days of release.

In the movie, Franco’s Diggs is a small time magician/con artist traveling from town to town hitting on the pretty women and leaving a trail of heartbreak.  When a muscled strongman that is traveling with the carnival finds out that Diggs has been making the moves on his woman, he goes to confront him.  Diggs barely escapes in a hot air balloon only to get sucked in by a tornado.  Oh, and the first part of the movie is in black and white.  Wait, this all sounds familiar. 🙂

Diggs winds up in the Emerald City and Theodora thinks that he’s the Wizard that has been sent to save them.  If he breaks the spell of the Wicked Witch, he will become king and have all the riches!  We also know that either Theodora, Glinda, or Evanora will become the Wicked Witch!

The world of Oz is beautiful and stunningly colorful.  I absolutely loved the movie and there’s been talk that it would have been a better movie if either Johnny Depp or Robert Downey, Jr. had been the magician.  I disagree, as I was captivated by Franco as the Wizard.  And, Michelle Williams is always incredible.

As for kids seeing the PG-rated movie, Ray and Gretel are “jumpers” when watching movies.  She jumped twice (and one was SOOO predictable) and Ray jumped once.  I have to admit that his one jump scene was totally unexpected and fun!

A must see!

GRADE:  B+

FUTURE PICK HIT

Okay, say what you about Ke$ha.  I used to like her auto-tuned to death, sugary, pop confections, but I didn’t think she was very talented.  That changed when I bought “Warrior”, her latest album.  I absolutely love it.  But, I still wouldn’t commit to seeing her in concert!

Her new song, the third release from the album and the follow-up to “C’Mon” is “Supernatural”.

When I blogged about the “Warrior” album and gave it an “A” back in January, here’s what I said about her new single, “If you’re already a fan of Ke$ha’s music and you like to dance, you’ll love a very Ace of Base sounding, “All That Matters (The Beautiful Life)”, “Out Alive”, “Wherever You Are”, “Last Goodbye”, and “Supernatural”.

PEEPS’ ’80S FRIDAY FLASHBACK

And, one of the co-writers on Ke$ha’s “Supernatural” is featured in my weekly ’80s flashback!

In England, singer Nik Kershaw was a 1980s teen idol and made eight appearances on the Top 40 music charts.

Sadly, here in the United States, the closest he came to the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 was with “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”.  The song peaked at #46 in 1984.  I still love the video and the song today!

Okay, that’s enough random thoughts for now.  I could go on and on and on.  What’s on your mind?   Maybe something about what I said today or something else random?  Let me know.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend!

Anthony