I hope March is treating you well. For the winter-weary, spring can’t be too far away.
Thank you for taking the time to check out my “Random Friday Thoughts”!
AN UNOPPOSED MORON
Leslie Gibson, a Republican running unopposed in Maine’s House 57th District, deleted a tweet calling 18-year-old Emma Gonzalez a “skin head lesbian”.
She’s a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where last month a shooter killed 17 people and injured 14 others.
The complete tweet said, “There is nothing about this skin head lesbian that impresses me and there is nothing that she has to say unless you’re a frothing at the mouth moonbat.”
Gibson apologized in another tweet: “I would like to extend to you my most sincere apology for how I addressed you. It was wrong and unacceptable.”
He added, “You are doing work that is important to you. I would like to extend my hand in friendship and understanding to you.”
While he’s a moron, he does have a right to an uneducated opinion. But, maybe he does know a thing or two about being a “frothing at the mouth moonbat”, whatever the hell that is!
By the way Gibson, Gonzalez is not a lesbian. She identifies as bisexual — you know the “B” in LGBT!
“CALL ME BY YOUR NAME” ON DVD!
If you didn’t catch this four-time Oscar-nominated, critically acclaimed movie in its theatrical run, please see it now!
89-year-old James Ivory won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the movie.
It’s beautiful, touching, loving, heartbreaking, and sensual.
As I wrote back in January, “It’s not only a coming-of-age love story between Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and a slightly older American graduate student Oliver (Armie Hammer) visiting northern Italy, but it’s a beautiful bond of love between a teenager and his parents.”
GRADE: A
WE ALL DESERVE AN ELIO MOMENT
After I saw “Call Me By Your Name”, I shared my own stories of innocence, lust, and living.
It’s been my most read blog (non-weather-related) of 2018! Thank you for all of you that checked it out the first time.
If you didn’t get a chance to read it, please click below on the link and it’ll open in a new window so you won’t lose your place in this week’s “Random Friday Thoughts”!
https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2018/01/29/we-all-deserve-an-elio-moment/
MIKE WALLACE
Just finished reading my sixth book of the year, Mike Wallace’s “Between You and Me: A Memoir”. While it isn’t an autobiography, it did cover part of his career.
It tells stories about the news he covered including interviews with Anwar Sadat, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X.
Also, it talks about some of the people he admired — Tina Turner, Barbra Streisand, and Shirley MacLaine.
BRETT KISSEL
Two years ago, in February 2016, I blogged about a hot Canadian country music singer in “American Country Radio Needs Brett Kissel”.
I was talking about his amazing album, “Pick Me Up” and I concluded that blog with, “Here’s hoping American audiences will get to hear Brett on the radio in 2016!”
Well, that didn’t happen in 2016 or 2017! Hopefully, 2018 will be Kissel’s year to break here in America.
Last December, he released his latest album, “We Were That Song”.
The title track became his 10th Top Ten hit song on Canadian country music radio!
The album features many standouts and potential singles.
My favorites are “Damn!”, “Cecilia”, “Slow Me Down”, “Between You and Me”, and “Guitars and Gasoline”.
By the way, “Damn!” features Dave Mustaine of Metallica and Megadeth fame and country music legend Charley Pride makes an appearance on the track, “Burgers and Fries”.
The second single, “Anthem”, just cracked the Top Ten in Canada on the country charts marking his 11th Top Ten. It’s also one of my favorites from the album.
“We Were That Song” is a strong album, but it’s not doing as well on the Canadian country album chart as its predecessor.
“Pick Me Up” was fantastic, so check out the new album, too.
By the way, American Country Radio (STILL) Needs Brett Kissel!
GRADE: B+
Here’s that blog from two years ago to hear more about and from Brett Kissel:
https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2016/02/16/american-country-radio-needs-brett-kissel/
THEY SAID WHAT???
Margaret Sanger (founding mother of the “birth control” movement before women were given the right to vote in 1920): “No woman can call herself free who does not have control over her own body.”
Sanger, who died in 1966, was not afraid to go up against and speak out against the very powerful Catholic church and its views on birth control and natural law.
She told CBS newsman Mike Wallace, “Oh, I certainly take issue with it, and I think it’s untrue and I think it’s unnatural. It’s an unnatural attitude to take. How do they know? I mean, after all, they’re celibates. They don’t know love, they don’t know marriage, they know nothing about bringing up children nor any of the marriage problems of life, and yet they speak to people as if they were God.”
Just imagine what she would have said about the sexual abuse scandal!
“THE FLORIDA PROJECT”
This movie about people down on their luck and finances living in a “project” (The Magic Castle Motel) in Kissimmee, Florida (near Walt Disney World), is sad and incredible.
The real star of the movie is Brooklynn Prince, who plays 6-year-old Moonee. She’s spectacular for a child actor expressing a happy childhood of not knowing just how bad things are in her life.
Bria Vinaite, is great as Moonee’s white trash mother, Halley.
My sister and I grew up in a bug-infested apartment and we didn’t have much during our childhood, so I could definitely relate to this movie.
Willem Dafoe earned a “Best Supporting Actor” Oscar nomination for his role as Bobby, the manager of the motel. Either it was a slow year for actors in that category or Defoe was just too great and very subtle in his touching role.
GRADE: B+
“DARKEST HOUR”
This historical drama about Winston Churchill earned six Oscar nominations including “Best Picture” and “Best Actor” for Gary Oldman.
A couple of weeks ago, I predicted that Oldman would win the Oscar, even though Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”) deserved it more.
I went on to say this about Oldman, “He was great and so was the make-up.” By the way, the movie did get a nomination for “Best Makeup and Hairstyling”.
However, while compelling, “Darkest Hour” was too cut and dry.
I enjoyed John Lithgow’s Churchill on the first season of “The Crown” better.
GRADE: B-
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Anthony
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 
Posted by Connie Huizenga on March 16, 2018 at 11:09 am
Anthony, One thing that came to mind right away in your talk of Leslie Gibson is what difference should it make to anyone if someone else, no name needed, is Gay, Bi, Trans, Lesbian, Straight, Black, White, Brown, long haired, short haired, bald, tall, short, male, female, whatever????? Until we can get past labeling and categorizing people, we all lose. The topic angers and saddens me. The names I prefer are friend, acquaintance, family, neighbor, etc.
Posted by agenep on March 30, 2018 at 6:46 am
Connie,
Happy Spring!
Labels are just that, but I see both sides.
Being in the LGBT community, I wish there were more role models for me as a youngster. I want people questioning or finding their way to see that there are self-defined LGBT out and proud.
However, when those labels are used to hurt people, then I don’t like them!
AP