(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.”
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.
Peaches & Herb informed us that we had this “thing” and to “shake” it, The System told us “don’t disturb this” thing, Madonna said “get into the” this thing, and a book and a movie showed us how “Stella” got this thing back. I need to pay attention to all of this great advice because I need to find my “groove” again!
Lately, when I get home from work, I’ve lost the motivation to get anything done in the afternoon.
While I’ve only been at my new job, which requires me to get up in the middle of the night, for about two months now, I can’t seem to find the “get up and go” to get much accomplished once I get home. During my four-month “vacation” between jobs, I was writing new material in my blog daily. Now, it takes all the energy I have to do “They Said What???” on Mondays, “Random Friday Thoughts” on Fridays (which is my favorite), and another blog or two during the week on some miscellaneous topic.
I know the weather is probably playing a big role in my lack of desire to do anything. After a lackluster winter, we saw 13.2″ of snow fall in the last eleven days of February and 10.6″ of snow fall in the first 24 days of March.
March temperatures were 7.7° below average and 21.9° colder than the record warm March temperatures a year ago!
And, April is pretty crappy, too. We’ve already picked up more than 7″ of rain in the Quad Cities causing river and basement flooding in many hometowns and making this one of the wettest Aprils on record.
If that wasn’t bad enough, temperatures are running 3.6° below average and there were snowflakes in and around the Quad Cities yesterday, April 23rd!
So, everyone blames the weather (and sometimes, the weather person). I would never do that since I know too many great meteorologists (and some sucky ones, too, and you don’t have to look too far to find them!). 🙂
However, weather aside, there are two larger contributing factors that I believe are to blame: lack of sleep and not eating right.
When I worked a morning show in the past, I never got much sleep at night and I didn’t nap during the afternoon. At that time, I had Miss ABBA, my golden retriever, and we spent the afternoons together walking, playing, and doing whatever we wanted.
The lack of sleep didn’t bother me. Maybe subconsciously, I’m missing Miss ABBA more than I thought or maybe I just want another dog or two! But, that doesn’t fit into the short-term schedule of the next two years of our lives.
But, now that I’m older, maybe I need to condition myself to take naps in the afternoon?
Another thing that needs to change is getting back to healthy eating and frequent buffets don’t fit into that plan. As you know, I love, love, love to eat!
Last year, when Ray and I counted calories with myfitnesspal.com, I lost 25 pounds over a seven-month period and he lost 30 pounds. While we limited our buffets, we ate healthier and we exercised. I still exercise every day, but the treadmill is starting to bore me to tears.
I’m know that when the weather gets warm on a regular basis and we start working out in the garden, the yard, and taking walks around the city, it’ll be easier to feel good, to be motivated, and to lose weight. And, I’ll still be able to have an occasional buffet as a treat and not feel “blah” about it.
So, here’s to spring arriving and sticking around before the heat of summer takes over.
And, here’s to me getting off my a$s, feeling good, and finding the motivation to get “Into The Groove” because you know, “You can dance, for inspiration. Come on, and when you do, get into the groove”!
(uncle of the two men suspected in the Boston Marathon bombings reacting about his nephews’ alleged involvement): “barbarians, wherever they are.”
MORE TSARNI
“They do not deserve to be on this earth … What can I say? They murdered.”
ARKANSAS STATE SENATOR NATE BELL
(in a tweet after a police officer and one of the suspect in last week’s Boston Marathon bombings was killed and police were still looking for the other suspect): “I wonder how many Boston liberals spent the night cowering in their homes wishing they had an AR-15 with a hi-capacity magazine?”
COMEDIAN/ACTOR PATTON OSWALT
“So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, “The good outnumber you, and we always will.”
COUNTRY SINGER LEANN RIMES
“People said I was [anorexic], but I didn’t have a problem with eating, as I ate a ton all the time — I could eat my husband under the table! But I was going through a time when I just wasn’t sleeping — my mind wouldn’t shut off and my heart was breaking.”
“COMMUNITY” STAR & COMEDIAN JOEL McHALE
(on rumors that he’s gay– he’s been married to his wife for 17 years): “Oh, I still see that on Twitter every day. It’s flattering. I always find it really weird when guys flip out over someone thinking they might be gay. If a guy gets offended by that, there’s something’s wrong with him. I take it as a compliment.”
“AMAZING SPIDER-MAN” STAR ANDREW GARFIELD
“Of course I’m in favor of marriage equality. Same-sex couples should have the same rights as anybody else. There is no argument against equality. How can anyone argue against compassion and understanding?”
RAPPER T-PAIN
(in a tweet): “Attention all homophobic idiots: if you’re not attractive to straight women, you’re probably not attractive to gay men. You can unclench now”
MORE T-PAIN
(in another tweet): Just see a lot of ppl lookin at my assistant like “oh no better not go that way. That guy wants my butt” don’t be an idiot. Ur still fugly)
If you crave a juicy steak, feel free to throw it on the grill. If a big plate of bacon sounds like your way to start the day, enjoy it.
As much as I love a medium rare steak, I can’t tell you the last time I had one.
As for beef, the only times in recent memory that I had anything that “contained” it was back in February and last week on pizza. Now, if you noticed, the word contained was in quotation marks. On February 2nd, on the one year anniversary of Miss ABBA’s last day alive, I had half of a double cheeseburger. That was Miss ABBA’s favorite treat and she had one on that fateful night in 2012. I know that that “beef” burger was probably was a combination of mystery meats and ingredients (my assumption is not scientific and that’s why the restaurant wasn’t mentioned). And, the pizza I had recently had some “beef” on it. Again, who knows what it really consisted of.
For quite some time, I’ve been overwhelmed by guilt when I pass pastures of cows or I’ve done stories with pigs that I know are heading “north” (from the movie, “Gordy”, meaning to be slaughtered) and I never look them in the eyes because I know what’s going to happen.
With that being said, I don’t plan on becoming a vegetarian. I don’t have the same feelings when I look at chickens, turkeys, or fish.
However, after my fishing ordeal in Spirit Lake, Iowa, last Memorial Day, I did come to a revelation — my fishing days are done! When I caught “Wally”, the walleye, and for circumstances that I won’t write about, I wasn’t able to release him or her and I had to eat it! While it was tasty, I felt guilty because I saw the fish when it was alive. That reminds me of a line from a recent episode of “Hannibal” on NBC, “Eating her is honoring her. Otherwise, it’s just murder.”
Last summer, I was very successful in losing 25 pounds with more exercise, eating less, and skipping buffets. As you know from my blog and my posts on Facebook, I love buffets. I love getting many samples of all kinds of food.
However, lately, I’ve indulged too many times and I’m finding it less rewarding, except for the desserts. That will be harder to give up. 🙂
While I plan on taking Gretel to Osaka Buffet in May when she passes to the 7th grade and we’re taking Tammy out for Mother’s Day, I think I’ll limit my buffets to one a month. This summer, before the Depeche Mode concert in August and my vacation in October, I want to lose about 15 pounds.
With nicer weather, I know it’ll be easier to get outside to walk more, work in the yard, and buy healthy local veggies from the farmer’s market.
Here’s to a late spring, summer, and fall with no beef and pork for me and more veggies, seafood, chicken, and turkey. (Sorry, chickens and turkeys — maybe next year!)
And, watching “Hannibal” definitely makes eating ANY meat less attractive! 🙂
By the way, liver have been off my culinary menu since I was a kid. My mother would make liver and onions and we had two options — eat it or leave it. On those night, my sister and I didn’t eat!
Another weekend is here and another weekend where Ray and Gretel are elsewhere. What is it? Was it something I said? 🙂 Actually, last weekend, Ray left for a conference in Washington D.C. and Gretel was with her mother. I got to spend last Saturday night with my sister, Tammy. We ate at Isle of Capri (good) and them gambled (bad, for me).
This weekend, Ray and Gretel are in Fort Dodge for his niece’s First Communion. I would have gone, but I had already committed to emcee a fundraiser Sunday with my morning co-host, Meredith Dennis.
SPEAKING OF WASHINGTON D.C.
While he was there, Ray sent me this picture of beautiful blossoming trees. They are farther along than our trees, but we’ll get there.
BUT, THIS DOESN’T HELP
This is a map showing all of the watches, warnings, and advisories Wednesday afternoon. How colorful! Good thing that Crayola expanded beyond the eight original colors in 1924.
As we now know from all of the flooding on area rivers, streams, streets, and basements, we picked up anywhere between 2-7″ of rain Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, in the cold air, heavy snow fell across the Plains and upper Midwest!
THINKING OF BOSTON
It was another chaotic morning today in Boston. One of the two suspects in the tragic bombing at the Boston Marathon was shot and killed. Sadly, a MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) police officer was also killed. As you know, earlier this week, three people were killed and, at least, 172 others were injured in two different explosions near the end of the marathon.
I’m appalled at the number of times the national news media showed the graphic images of blood and missing limbs and how people re-posted them on their Facebook page. I, for one, don’t want to see them.
I want the other terrorist caught and brought to justice and I want to believe in the human spirit that good outweighs bad. And, I’m going to think of this beautiful image of a building that I came across reading the February 2011 issue of “Boston” magazine. This is the Institute of Contemporary Art.
And, if that doesn’t sell you on a positive image of Boston, how about this?
While baking in 1937, Ruth Wakefield made history at Whitman’s Toll House Inn. She invented the first chocolate chip cookie when she dropped chunks of Nestlé semi-sweet chocolate into her butter drop dough cookies and it didn’t melt. It became, you guessed it, the “Toll House Cookie”.
The cookie became so popular that she contacted Nestlé and they struck a “sweet” deal: the company gave her a lifetime supply of chocolate and they would print her recipe on the cover of all their semi-sweet chocolate bars. Nestlé eventually marketed “chocolate chips” for baking cookies!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
We’re getting ready to renovate our main bathroom and although we’re focusing on the shower and the floor, I think I may need to re-consider and get this sink!
TATTOO IT ON ME
It was one year ago this week that I got my first and only tattoo. And, it was on Friday the 13th!
Back in 2005, while living in Salisbury, Maryland, I considered getting a Reba tattoo. However, the artist was not all that confident doing it because of the intricate detail. In retrospective, I’m glad I waited.
Getting a tattoo in memory of Miss ABBA, who died in February 2012, is more heart-felt. I’m very pleased with amazing and incredible job that artist John Kautz at O’Toole Design in Rock Island did. Here are pictures of John doing his thing, the final product, and the “model” for the tattoo.
Here’s the original blog that I posted last April about me becoming inked.
I know that there are people who love the intensity and the quietness of golf. Did I lose you at intensity? 🙂
Golf is not my sport and it might have something to do with the fact that I was struck in the face with a golf club when I was a kid that required stitches to my chin. My cousin, Shane, and I were hitting walnuts with the golf club before the school bus arrived one morning and I guess I was standing too close.
Where is this story going? We know that that creep Tiger Woods is one of the best, if not the best, golfers of all time. But, did you happen to check out the winner of this year’s Masters?
This is 32-year-old Australian Adam Scott. He won $1.44 million for the sudden death win in Augusta. He attended college at UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), now lives in Switzerland, and he tells “Us” magazine, “”I’m not single at all. I am very much in a relationship and very happy for the moment.”
I’m still not a golf fan, but he did make me stop of Google him. 🙂
WHY I FIGHT SO HARD TO EDUCATE OTHERS
As you know from befriending me, I’m very committed to making marriage equality a reality for every American, regardless of what state they live in. But, here’s something that many people don’t know and it might be surprising.
Yes, it’s still legal in 29 states to fire someone for being gay or even thinking they are gay! What year is this again?
Last month, “Time” magazine devoted its cover to marriage equality while the Supreme Court of the United States was hearing testimony on cases pertaining to California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act.
“Time” managing editor Rick Stengel said, “Whatever the Supreme Court decides, it seems clear that the majority of Americans feel marriage is a civil right and that denying that right to people because of their sexual orientation is a violation of equal protection under the law. We had a long debate in our offices about this week’s cover images of two same-sex couples. Some thought they were sensationalist and too in-your-face. Others felt the images were beautiful and symbolized the love that is at the heart of the idea of marriage. I agree with the latter, and I hope you do too.”
I agree that the images are beautiful. We have fought so hard to make more and more people see that all Americans getting to express their love by marrying that person is not a “gay” right, it’s a human right.
But, I disagree that “Gay Marriage Already Won” is a given. There’s still a lot of hate, bigotry, close-mindedness, or whatever you want to call it in this country and in the world. However, with more and more of our “straight, but not narrow” friends siding with us, we’re getting there.
I’M A FOLLOWER AGAIN!
After a very strong, cutting edge start with one shock after another, “The Following” lost its mojo. At every turn, the FBI made one grave mistake after another of being one step behind Joe Carroll’s cult following. I lost faith and was losing interest in the show and was very vocal about it.
However, after this past Monday’s night’s show, I’m a believer again! Here’s how I summed it up on my Facebook status update, “”The Following” — Best.Effing.Episode.Ever. Who needs zombies when you have a homicidal/suicidal cult? I knew the series would be redeemed!!!!!”
There’s one more episode before the April 29th season one finale and the previews are incredible. I thought the massacre on “The Walking Dead” season two finale was brutal. But, I think this finale will have a very high body count!!!!!!!
Here’s a spoiler for you. I’m kidding, sorta. Jacob (Nico Tortorella) survived Monday night, but he didn’t have a scene like this!
“HANNIBAL” GETS EVEN BETTER
I loved the premiere of NBC’s new gory series, “Hannibal”, based on the Thomas Harris novels featuring everyone’s favorite cannibal, Hannibal Lecter. Ray was not all that impressed with the first episode calling it “confusing”. However, he loved the second episode and I thought it was very entertaining. The show seems to be ratings-challenged, but then again it’s on NBC!!!!!
While some people blame television, movie, and music violence for all of the world’s problems, I can separate entertainment violence from real life. With that being said, I admit that the show is right up there with “The Following”, “Dexter”, and “The Walking Dead” in violence and gore. I’m still amazed at some of the things that get past standards & practices and make it on the air. Let’s just say, I’ll never look at mushrooms the same way again!
That’s not really a spoiler because you have no idea what is going on in the scene. 🙂
And, Vickie, I know you’re totally freaked out now. So, these young pre-Will Graham Hugh Dancy photos are for you. Who am I kidding? The pictures are for all of us.
PICK HIT
I’m not too happy with the current state of American Top 40 radio. It seems like you hear the same ten songs over and over and from same ten artists. So, I looked north of the border for some inspiration for my pick hit this week.
Canadian singer Danny Fernandes has released two albums in the Great White North that have gone gold there (sales of 40,000 or more). While he’s charted with four Top 40 hits in Canada, the biggest, “Hit Me Up” only reached #22 in 2011.
However, I’m predicting that his new song, “Fly Again (Broken Wings)”, will become his first Top 10 hit in Canada and even help him to breakthrough here in the U.S., too.
“PEEPS’ ’80S FRIDAY FLASHBACK”
Since Danny Fernandes sampled lyrics from a 1980s song, I’m picking the original as my ’80s Friday flashback.
The American west coast rock band, Mr. Mister hit #1 on the album chart with their 1985 platinum release, “Welcome To The Real World”.
The band would score three Top Ten hits from that album: “Broken Wings” (#1, 1985), “Kyrie” (#1, 1985), and “Is It Love” (#8, 1986). The group would only have one more Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, 1987’s “Something Real”, which peaked at #29.
I guess it’s time now to start focusing on my weekend and stop sharing my random thoughts for this week. I have to have some private thoughts. 🙂
I’m sure there aren’t too many people who would tell Ryan Gosling, Hugh Jackman, Sandra Bullock, James Franco, Amanda Seyfried, and Henry Cavill to wait.
As hot and talented as they are, I’ll likely be waiting for their new movies, “Only God Forgives” (Gosling, July 19), “The Wolverine” (Jackman, July 26), “The Heat” (Bullock, June 28), “This Is The End” (Franco, June 12), “Lovelace” (Seyfried, August 9), and “Man of Steel” (Cavill, June 14) to arrive on DVD in late 2013 or 2014, even though they all hit the movie theaters this summer.
Here are the movies that I’ve decided will send me into the theaters for my large popcorn and large Coke Zero (and free refills).
May 10, 2013
“THE GREAT GATSBY”
If the latest Buz Luhrmann movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire is as magical as Luhrmann’s 2001 musical, “Moulin Rouge!”, it’ll be a masterpiece to me. From all of the buzz I’m hearing, this 2013 version should easily surpass the 1974 adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald literary classic with Robert Redford and Mia Farrow.
May 17, 2013
“STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS”
I previewed this sequel to J.J. Abrams’ 2009 hit and re-boot, “Star Trek” last week in my “Random Friday Thoughts”. I can’t wait to see where this movie takes the USS Enterprise. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana return and are joined by Benedict Cumberbatch (of the BBC hit series, “Sherlock”).
June 21, 2013
Since we’ll have Gretel one of these two weekends (June 21 or 28), we’ll have to make it a double feature weekend at the movies when she’s not with us. It also saves money because you’re only buying one popcorn and two sodas and getting refills instead of doing it each weekend!
The last time we did that, Ray and I saw “Les Miserables” and “Zero Dark Thirty” on the same day.
Of the two new movies I want to see in late June, one features a fight to save the world from, you guessed it, zombies! And, the other features “Magic Mike” Channing Tatum with his clothes on trying to save the President of the United States (Jamie Foxx).
“WORLD WAR Z”
This will be one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. The Brad Pitt-action flick was pushed back from a December 2012 release date for re-shoots, which is sometimes seen in Hollywood as a sign that the movie is in trouble. Plus, it’s not a cheap movie with a budget of more than $170 million! Pitt hopes that this feature will become a franchise.
All I can say is that these are not your “The Walking Dead” slow-moving flesh eaters. They can move!
June 28, 2013
“WHITE HOUSE DOWN”
While I’ve never gone to the theater to see over-the-top movies by Roland Emmerich (the modern-day Irwin Allen), I’ve decided that it might be fun doing something I normally don’t do. I enjoyed his “The Day After Tomorrow” on DVD.
And, with publicity pictures like this, I’d be a fool not to go!
August 7, 2013
“ELYSIUM”
The Oscar-nominated 2009 action/thriller “District 9” was incredible. Director Neill Blomkamp is back with his latest thriller starring Matt Damon and a very stunning and sexy Jodie Foster. I mean, check out that hair! Did that sound too gay? I’ve always been in love with Jodie!
The movie takes place in 2154 and “the world has been divided into two classes”, says “Entertainment Weekly”: the rich living aboard a high-tech orbital space station, “Elysium”, and everyone living on the suffering, dying Earth below.
Matt Damon plays an Earth resident that has to break into Elysium to cure himself of a medical condition that is available there, but not on Earth. And, from what I’ve read, Jodie Foster is the villian in this movie. She heads up the Elysium Corporate Authority.
The movie also stars Sharlto Copley, the star of “District 9”.
August 7, 2013
“PERCY JACKSON: SEA OF MONSTERS”
Sometimes you do it for the kids.
Gretel is a huge fan of the Rick Riordan young-adult series, she loved the first movie, “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief”, and she has a crush on “Percy Jackson” actor Logan Lerman. (I have to admit that he is cute.) Grown-ups will more likely know him as Charlie in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” from last year.
This movie will whet our appetites for “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” coming in November.
HONORABLE MENTION
And, while I’ll wait for the DVD, the new movie from Oscar winner Pedro Almodovar, “I’m So Excited” looks very funny. His last movie, the horror/psychological drama, “The Skin I Live In”, was one of my favorite movies that I saw in 2012.
And, I’ll never think of the Pointer Sisters performing this song again after seeing this over-the-top, hilarious version of “I’m So Excited”. Here’s the video.
In honor of the late movie critic Roger Ebert, I hope my choices that I’ll spend good money on get “two thumbs up”.
FORMER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE RICK SANTORUM
(on Republicans embracing marriage equality): “I’m sure you could go back and read stories, oh, you know, ‘The Republican party’s going to change. This is the future.’ Obviously that didn’t happen. I think you’re going to see the same stories written now and it’s not going to happen. The Republican Party’s not going to change on this issue. In my opinion it would be suicidal if it did.”
MORE SANTORUM
(on how the Supreme Court may rule on the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8): “I think you’ll see, hopefully, a chastened Supreme Court is not going to make the same mistake in the (current) cases as they did in Roe v. Wade. I’m hopeful the Supreme Court learned its lesson about trying to predict where the American public is going on issues and trying to find rights in the Constitution that sit with the fancy of the day.”
ACTOR JEREMY IRONS
(clarifying his comment, “Could a father not marry his son?” when recently asked about allowing same-sex marriage): “Perhaps rather too flippantly I flew the kite of an example of the legal quagmire that might occur if same sex marriage entered the statute books, by raising the possibility of future marriage between same sex family members for tax reasons.”
COUNTY SINGER BLAKE SHELTON
(about his co-host of the “Academy of Country Music Awards, Luke Bryan’s sprayed-on tight jeans): “How about a shout out to the Sherwin-Williams company for spray painting Luke’s jeans on for us tonight. You know what Motel 6 and Luke’s jeans have in common? There’s no ballroom.”
COUNTRY SINGER LUKE BRYAN
(response about Blake Shelton’s jeans): “Blake’s jeans are like buying something on credit…nothing up front. What size is that? Extra empty?
FREE AGENT NFL SAFETY KERRY RHODES
(responding to a photo of him on vacation with his arm another man): I am not gay. The shots were taken during a past vacation in a casual environment with my entire business team.”
MORE RHODES
(about professional athletes coming out): “I know a lot of people are recently talking about atheletes struggling to come out to their fans right now, and I support them, as well as with those individuals comfort.”
In just the past five days, the Quad Cities hit 78° Tuesday, picked up 1-4″ of rain Monday through Thursday, and a few snow flakes fell Saturday morning. Like the old saying goes in the Midwest, “if you don’t like the weather, wait fifteen (or five) minutes and it’ll change”. That is so true and that’ll be the case over the next week, too.
Today will be blustery and cool with a sun and cloud mix. Showers and isolated thunderstorms arrive late tonight as a warm front passes. This will bring windy and warmer conditions Sunday as highs top 70°!
As a strong cold front barrels through the area Sunday evening, there is the potential for large hail and damaging winds of over 50 miles-per-hour for a few hours late afternoon and early evening. This is the map for Sunday night, 10 p.m.
That dark blue represent the thunderstorms and the potential for heavy rain. Once that front moves through Sunday night, it’ll stall just south of the Quad Cities keeping shower and thunderstorm chances in the forecast all the way into Thursday.
Rivers are already on the rise from the rains last week. Here is the rainfall total at my house, in Moline, from last week. I just love my new self-emptying, electronic rain gauge that I got for Christmas!
Look at the rainfall projections from NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center.
I definitely think we could pick up another 1-4″ of rain this week!
Here’s a stark comparison: So far, in 2013, we’ve picked up 10.34″ of rain and melted snow. By this time last year, we were just at 4.30″ and we ended up having a major drought in 2012. By the way, average is 7.3″. So, this year, we’re three inches above average and last year we were three inches below average!
And, I’m already being asked if there will be any snow in the colder air Thursday night. For us, in the Quad Cities, we could see some flurries or light snow. But, the winter storm will likely stay well to our northwest!!!
This is the forecast map for Thursday evening. That dark blue line through the Quad cities is the cold air (below freezing) aloft and the green represents the remaining moisture as the storm moves off. So, yes, there could be some flurries or light snow briefly Thursday night or Friday, but I’m not getting excited about it happening five days out and neither should you.
Have a good rest of the weekend. And, find those waders!
The weekend is here and I hope you have a great one.
Ray and I are going out tonight for dinner since he’s leaving tomorrow for a trip to Washington D.C. I hope the cherry blossoms are in full bloom for him to send me a cool picture since the timing didn’t work out for me to go along for the trip.
Tomorrow, I’ve been asked to throw out the first pitch at the Quad Cities River Bandits game at Modern Woodman Park! Maybe I should practice Saturday morning to make sure I can get the ball to home plate. How far is it from the pitcher’s mound? It looks close on television. 🙂 Afterwards, my sister, Tammy, and I are going out to dinner and maybe a little gambling (I still have some money to win back from the casinos since I’m still at a deficit).
CRAZY MIDWEST WEATHER
The drought is temporarily over for the Quad Cities.
While it’ll take much more rain to satisfactorily replenish the ground water after that terrible drought last year, we got a healthy soaking this week. At my house, in Moline, Illinois, more than 2″ of rain fell Monday through Wednesday. I mentioned the rainfall total at my house because we finally put out my self-emptying electronic rain gauge that I got for Christmas. Ray worked diligently for two days to calibrate it properly. (The manual stated that one cup of water should register 1.68″.) And, it works! This picture is from Wednesday night when we hit the one-inch mark for the day!
It seems like that rain and the recent warmth turned our yard a brighter green overnight. Speaking of the warmth, we went from 78° Tuesday to only 44° Wednesday and in the 40s Thursday and today. We even had some light snow and flurries last night! Crazy!
UNDER AGE BINGE DRINKING
I often post pictures of tasty cocktails that I make or I comment about enjoying some Moscato or a nice cordial. And, we probably have enough liquor downstairs in the bar to require a liquor license because I have a weakness for buying fun flavored vodkas.
However, on a serious note, I just read about a 2005 study by the Centers for Disease Control that “about 90 percent of alcohol consumption by those under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinking.” (“Boston” magazine, January 2011)
The article talked about how alcoholic energy drinks like Four Loko, the most popular, were banned. (The product was re-invented without the caffeine and is still being sold).
Yet, now you can buy whipped cream infused with 30-proof alcohol called “Cream” in six flavors (cherry, orange, raspberry, chocolate, vanilla or caramel). It doesn’t require refrigeration and each canister contains 26 shots! It can be consumed straight from the can or you can put it on drinks.
So, where’s the logic of banning one thing that’s easily accessible, potent, and appealing to underage drinkers, while making another one so convenient? And, no, I haven’t tried either and I have no desire. I’m a responsible drinker!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
MANY THANKS TO LOUISVILLE & MICHIGAN
As you probably know if you’re interested in college basketball, the NCAA men’s championship is over and Louisville was not the only winner in the game over Michigan, 82-76.
Viewership for the final game of “March Madness” was up 18% over last year. Not only that, but the game’s ratings peaked at around 11:30-11:45 p.m. Eastern time, with about one in three American televisions turned on, at that time, tuned in to the game!
And, it should come as no surprise that of all the television sets turned on in Louisville, Kentucky that night, 70% of them were watching WLKY, the CBS affiliate. That means 7-out-of-every-10 televisions in Louisville had the game on!
And, it appears that I not only won the brackets’ pool at work, but for a local newspaper, too.
While I still haven’t gotten the confirmation email to tell me how to collect my 50″ LED TV, it’ll really come in handy.
Ray has been working diligently on our basement which is in desperate need for a makeover. He started by sanding, priming, and painting the bar area (blue) and the walls (yellow).
It’s amazing how a couple of coats of paint have made the basement come alive and much more inviting. He’s going to do the same to the yucky wood paneling and paint that, too. He took the downstairs bed down leaving only the sofa, loveseat, and a small dining room table for a “living area”.
NOT FEELING THE LOVE FOR “ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY”
I’m a long-time subscriber to the movie, music, literary, and all things pop culture “bible”, “Entertainment Weekly”. However, after last week’s issue, I’m really not feeling the love for the weekly magazine right now.
I’m very careful when I post something about television shows or movies not to give away major plot lines or spoilers for people that may not have seen them yet. I wouldn’t tell you what the “gotcha” is in the 1992 movie, “The Crying Game”, I won’t tell you who the “Trinity Killer” treated to a blood bath in the season four finale of “Dexter” (although I found out by doing a Google search about Michael C. Hall’s bout with cancer in 2010), and I won’t tell you if Madonna dies in “Evita” or “Body of Evidence”. 🙂
I’m all for magazines and websites giving a “Spoiler Alert” for people wanting to read them. That gives me a chance to look away and move on if I don’t want to know. The seventh season of “Dexter” ended last December and it arrives on DVD in 32 days. I don’t know anything about it and that’s just the way I like it since I’ll be buying it. The same with “American Horror Story: Asylum”. I’ll be getting it when it arrives on DVD.
However, thanks to “Entertainment Weekly” and its poor excuse of a “Spoiler Alert”, I now know which major character dies in the season three finale of “The Walking Dead”. While I had already seen something that insinuated that this character died, I didn’t look to confirm it. I didn’t want to know.
This is what the magazine featured on the article about the finale and the future of the show. I took the liberty of adding the shocked smiley face to block out the character just in case you don’t want to know who it is! But, seriously, “Entertainment Weekly”, you’re such a “buzz kill”!
DONUTS OR DOUGHNUTS
I just read a very interesting article in the September 2010 issue of “Boston” magazine about Dunkin’ Donuts.
The article talked about the founding of the company more than 60 years ago, how the Munchins (donut holes) in 1972 saved the company from going under, it introduced “Fred the Baker” and his legendary catch phrase, “Time to make the doughnuts”, and how the company went from a doughnut and coffee shop with the donuts being front and center to focus its future on the coffee with the new logo introduced in 2002 with coffee cup taking center stage.
However, I was intrigued by the Top Five Dunkin Donuts best sellers.
#5… Jelly, #4… Chocolate-Frosted, #3… Boston Kreme… #2… Chocolate Glazed, and the #1 selling donut…
Yep, the glazed donut!
NEXT THEATER MOVIE I WANT TO SEE
I can say that I was never a fan of the television series, “Star Trek” or that I had seen any of the movies. My first was J.J. Abrams’ 2009 re-boot, “Star Trek”. I didn’t see it at the theaters, but when it was released on DVD. I really enjoyed it. And, I have no intention of seeing the sequel, “Star Trek Into Darkness”, in the theaters until I saw the trailer and I was blown away. Now, I want to see it on the big screen and it’ll be my next large popcorn, large Coke Zero, and free refills adventure.
It opens in theaters on May 17, 2013.
“PEEPS’ ’80s FRIDAY FLASHBACK”
Two days ago, I blogged about my love for Depeche Mode and that I would be seeing them in concert in August in Chicago (Tinley Park).
In 1987, the band released “Strangelove”, the first single from the “Music For The Masses” album. It would become their 17th hit in U.K. in just six years and peak at #16. It reached #2 in West Germany and South Africa and cracked the Top Ten in Sweden, Switzerland, and other countries.
Here in the U.S., it would become Depeche Mode’s first of ten chart toppers on the Billboard Dance chart. But, it stalled out at #76 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The following year, “Strangelove ’88” was remixed by Bomb the Bass and re-released. This time it reached #50 on the Billboard Hot 100.
FACEBOOK FLASHBACK PICTURES
Three years ago this week, we were in New Orleans. Ray was at a conference and I went along as a tourist. While there, we ate some really good food, had “hurricanes” with my college friend, Crystal and her husband, Ants, and I went on a “Swamp Tour” searching for alligators. And, one night, while walking back to the hotel after checking out Bourbon Street, we came across a crime scene where seven people were shot in a drive-by shooting!
Also, in my Facebook Flashback Pictures, three years ago this week, Miss ABBA wasn’t so sure of the new birdhouse in the backyard.
And, this week last year, the peppermint was taking over the herb garden and we planted a Golden Honey Locust in memory of Miss ABBA. Get it, a “Golden” tree for the golden retriever. 🙂
As you can tell, I love taking pictures and I love my Friday feature of random thoughts. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop right here.
I appreciate you checking out my blog even though I don’t post daily like I used to. 🙂
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 