Random Friday Thoughts — April 28, 2023

It’s hard to believe that April is almost behind us and May is upon us.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my thoughts. Feel free to share yours with me once you read what’s on my my mind.

2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

The 2024 presidential election is now about eighteen months away!

I really don’t want to think about it — President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, or Ron DeSantis.

Earlier this week, President Biden “officially” announced he’s running for re-election. Meanwhile, 45 has already announced his candidacy, while also waging a fight to stay out of jail.

Florida Governor DeSantis hasn’t announced his run against Trump for the Republican nomination.

But, with the election just one-and-half-years away, polls show that Trump would have an easy time becoming the Republican nominee and Biden would be the Democratic nominee.

In the polls, Biden’s closest competitors would be Vice-President Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Interestingly, enough in the Harvard-Harris polls, Bernie Sanders picked up 8% of the votes from those polled and Hillary Clinton 7%!

Enough about the 2024 election for now!

CHAKA KHAN — MORE LIKE “SHOCK-A KHAN)

Chaka Khan is a ten-time Grammy winner (nominated for twelve more) and a chart-topper.

On the R&B chart, as a solo artist, as the lead singer of Rufus, and as a guest on other’s songs, she’s had 44 hits with 23 reaching the Top Ten. Ten of those made it all the way to #1.

However, interesting enough, she’s only has two solo hits on the Billboard Hot 100, “I’m Every Woman” (#21, 1978) and “I Feel For You” (#3, 1984).

While legendary, she’s not above throwing some shade!

Earlier this year, Rolling Stone released its list of the “200 Greatest Singers of All Time”. It ranked Chaka at #29. When the podcast host mentioned it to the singer, she first responded, “I didn’t even know what the hell you were talking about, so obviously this don’t mean a great deal to me.”

She then asked who else was on the list. When the host mentioned that Aretha Franklin was #1, she responded, “As she f**king should be”. All’s good, but then it went downhill.

When she found out Mariah Carey was #5 (“That must be payola or some shit like that.”), Adele was #22 (“Okay, I quit.”), and Mary J. Blige was #25, “They are blind as a motherf**ing bat! They need hearing aids…These must be the children of Helen Keller!”)

OUCH!

Then came the apology, “Recently, I was asked about a list of the ‘greatest singers of all time’ and instead of questioning the need for such a list, I was pitted against other artists and I took the bait… As artists, we are unfairly put into ‘boxes’, ‘categories’ or on ‘lists.’ Being an artist or musician is not a competition. It’s a gift, for which I am truly grateful.”

Khan went on to say, “It was not my intention to cause pain or upset anyone. To anyone that felt this way, I sincerely apologize. Thank you for all the love everyone has shown me, unconditionally.” 

MY FAVORITE CHAKA KHAN SONG

In 1986, Chaka Khan also hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Steve Winwood on “Higher Love”, which is one of my all-time favorite songs.

“BRIDGERTON”

I’m late to game, but I finally watched the first two seasons of Netflix’s “Bridgerton”.

After the first few episodes, I thought except for the sexiness of Rege-Jean Page…

Jonathan Bailey…

and the hot, naughty sex scenes, this Shonda Rhimes series is overrated and I was bored to tears!

However, it started picking up midway through the first season and I enjoyed it more. Season two was much more enjoyable.

One thing that blows me away is the clothing.

Lady Featherington’s dresses are so gorgeous and lavish! Polly Walker, who plays Portia, Dowager Baroness Featherington is stunning.

My favorite characters are Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).

GRADE: B

“DOWNTON ABBEY” — THE MOVIES

After finishing the six seasons, I was wondering how long I’d have to wait to watch the two movies that followed since Peacock didn’t have them.

I wasn’t going to pay to watch them and then I thought, “The library has movies. Maybe it has them!” And, it did!

The first movie (2019) was so boring. I was not impressed with the King of England visiting Downton and how his staff got along with the Downton staff.

However, the second movie (2022), “A New Era”, was incredible. A crew came to Downton to film a movie while most of the Crawley family was away.

“DOWNTON ABBEY” (2019) — GRADE: C+

“DOWNTON ABBEY: A NEW ERA” (2022) — GRADE: A-

MY PICKS FOR “MARCH MADNESS”…

I almost won my “March Madness” brackets at work, but I didn’t repeat my 2013 brackets win.

Thank you very much Memphis for losing by one point in the first round! I had the Tigers as the runner-up!

I did horribly in the first round — 21-for-32 (only 65%) and was ranked #57 (out of 71). However, after the second round, I was up to #25.

And, then #5 after the Sweet Sixteen! My Top 5 ranking happened because Texas (my pick to win) and Creighton advanced to the Elite Eight and Alabama and Houston lost and many picked them to win.

Even when Texas lost to the Miami Hurricanes and didn’t advance to the Final Four, I still had a chance to win it all. At one point, I was tied for first!

All I needed was for Miami to win the next game and eliminate UConn.

That didn’t happen, so UConn made it to the finals.

Had UConn lost the final, I would have finished in second place and still gotten a pay off, but the Huskies won it all and I didn’t have enough points in the tiebreaker game to place third.

So, I missed out on the money for third place by three points!

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — April 21, 2023

It’s Friday and I’m sharing some of my random thoughts.

I’m actually introducing a new topic today that incorporates something I touched on last week.

As always, we don’t have to agree. But, we have to disagree diplomatically.

Thank you for checking out my thoughts and for sharing yours.

COUNTRY MUSIC & MY RESERVATIONS

When country music programmers gave up on playing new music from Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood, Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, and other women I love, it was a perfect time for me to stop listening to the genre.

Except for Christmas CDs from Dolly and Reba, the last country CD I bought was Reba’s amazing 2019 Grammy-nominated and radio-ignored “Stronger Than The Truth”.

Recently, I started listening to 99.3 WXFM in Mount Zion, Illinois, in my car and I’m actually enjoying most of it.

However, I’m always hoping not to hear who’s singing, especially the men, since I didn’t want to like a song from racist Morgan Wallen. (No, I’m not buying that he only used that word in a drunken stupor. Alcohol lowers our inhibititions to say, do, or express how we really feel — right or wrong — something our sober mind says “no” to!)

But, Wallen isn’t the only problem and why I have reservations about embracing country music again.

Not only is the format pretty ageist (it stops playing women getting older before it does the men), but it’s still very sexist. Of the 40 most played songs this week on country radio, only seven are by women and one of those is a duet with a man!!!

And, last week, I mentioned that some people are getting bent out of shape after Anheuser-Busch (Bud Light) announced a partnership with trans social media star Dylan Mulvaney.

Kid Rock took his frustrations out by shooting Bud Light cans and “has been” country singer Travis Tritt is not happy either.

He announced he’ll no long work with Anheuser-Busch and drop its products from his hospitality rider and he’s also down on Jack Daniel’s for promoting drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race (in a years old campaign).

MY PARTING THOUGHT TO TRAVIS TRITT

Hey Travis, “Here’s a Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares)”!

KUDOS TO HOWARD STERN

Speaking out on the uproar from Kid Rock, Travis Tritt, and other conservatives, the radio talk show host Howard Stern said, “I’m not bothered by gay people or transsexual people. They don’t impact my life, they don’t hurt my life. I love when people are in love. You wanna be a woman? Be a woman. You wanna be a dude, be a dude. Be whatever you f*cking want. As long as you ain’t hurting anybody, I’m on your team.”

EVEN REBA IS SPEAKING OUT

Although her songs have touched on some heavy topics (sex work in “Fancy” and AIDS in “She Thinks His Name Was John”), my country music idol Reba McEntire normally doesn’t take sides in politics or on controversial topics.

However, she did speak out on Tennessee’s anti-drag bill saying she was “disappointed”. Reba adds, “I wish they would spend that much time and energy and money on feeding the homeless children in those two counties.”

When the reporter addressed that her views on the anti-drag bill could alienate some country music fans, Reba responded, “Boy, why? I mean, we’ve got a real problem in this country, and to be worrying about men wanting to dress up as women? God bless ’em to wear those high heels — I feel for ’em. But let’s center our attention on something that really needs attention.”

LOVING THIS COUNTRY SONG

I’ll close on a happy note and get off my soap box with a song that I’m really loving. Thank you again 99.3 WXFM for turning me on to Cole Swindell’s “Drinkaby”.

After I abandoned country music, Swindell blasted onto the charts in 2013 with “Chillin’ It”. It went on to hit #1 and sell more than a million copies!

Since then he’s become a country superstar. He has a total of 17 Top 40 country hits. Twelve have reached the Top Ten and two made it to #1. And, on the country airplay chart, eight have been the most played in the U.S.

His latest, “Drinkaby” is the follow-up to “She Had Me At Heads Carolina”, a remix with JoDee Messina.

Messina even makes an appearance in the video as the bartender!

JoDee’s original, her 1996 debut hit, “Heads Carolina, Tails California” reached #2.

I saw JoDee in concert in the Quad Cities in 2011. It was an incredible show, but I didn’t get a picture. She was very adamant about no photos!

DOG BITES IN ILLINOIS

No, Xanadu (my pug) I’m not calling you out! But, if the shoe fits Cinderella!

Last week was “National Dog Bite Prevention Week”.

In the U.S., 69 million households own a dog and State Farm reports that Illinois is ranked second in the nation for claims of dog bites (255 claims which cost the insurance company $17.5 million in 2022).

Only California leads Illinois (400 claims and $32.2 million dollars).

SPEAKING OF MISS XANADU

The pug is almost four-months-old now and we’ve been a family almost two of those months.

She’s now up to 10 pounds (4.4 pounds when I got her in late February).

“ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT”

I highly recommend the 2022 German war (actually, antiwar) movie, “All Quiet on the Western Front”.

It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The movie won four Oscars, including Best International Feature Film.

At first, I thought it might just be another war movie, but once you got to know the characters and see the pain and sadness of a long, deadly war, the movie carried a powerful punch!

GRADE: A–

OTHER WAR MOVIES

Over the past decade or so, I’ve enjoyed other war movies.

“The Hurt Locker” was my #9 movie I saw in 2010, I gave “Zero Dark Thirty” a “B+” in 2013, “Unbroken” was my #12 movie of 2014, I gave “Hacksaw Ridge” an “A” in 2017, “Dunkirk” was my #14 movie of 2017, and “1917” was my #16 movie in 2020.

“GEORGE & TAMMY”

Recently, I had free Showtime, so I checked out the six-episode series “George & Tammy” about country music legends George Jones (Michael Shannon) and Tammy Wynette (Jessica Chastain).

Chastain won a Screen Actors Guild Award for the performance and will likely be an Emmy contender when the nominations are announced.

If you’re of a certain age, you know George & Tammy were married from 1969-1975 and are two county music legends.

GRADE: B

MY FAVORITE GEORGE & TAMMY DUETS

Since I’m not a fan of George Jones (the man or the singer), I’ll just say that my favorite song of his is “He Stopped Loving Her Today”. It reached #1 in 1980.

As duet partners, George and Tammy scored 13 Top 40 country hits. Eight reached the Top Ten and three made it to #1.

“We’re Gonna Hold On” was my second favorite.

And, “Golden Rings” was my favorite. It topped the chart in 1976 and I still love it today.

MY FAVORITE TAMMY WYNETTE SONGS

Tammy Wynette is one of my all-time favorites. From the 1960s to her last country hit in 1988, she racked up 44 Top 40 solo country hits. 31 reached the Top Ten and she topped the chart 17 times.

My six favorite solo hits from her are: #6 “‘Til I Can Make It on My Own” (#1, 1976), #5 “Stand By Your Man” (#1, 1968), #4 “Til I Get It Right” (#1, 1973), and #3 “I Don’t Wanna Play House” (#1, 1967).

“D-I-V-O-R-C-E” (#1, 1968)

“Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” (#3, 1967)

TAMMY WYNETTE BONUS

While Tammy scored 57 Top 40 country hit as a solo artist and as a duet partner with George Jones, only one of her country hits crossed over to the Billboard Hot 100.

“Stand By Your Man” reached #19.

And, then in 1991, the British band The KLF reached out to Tammy and asked her to be a guest on their song, “Justified & Ancient (Stand By The JAMS).

That song reached #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard Dance Song Chart.

It also topped the charts in Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, and Sweden.

Honestly, how many of you remember this song?

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — April 14, 2023

While I posted one blog in the past few weeks, it’s been over a month since I shared my random thoughts. It’s time for a few more.

Have a great weekend and thank you for checking out what’s on my mind today.

XANADU — SEVEN WEEKS TOGETHER

I can’t believe I’ve been a “Dog Dad” going on two months now.

Pug Xanadu and I love each other dearly, but boy she can be a stubborn little (b**ch) puppy.

She’s learning right from wrong, but it seems like she intentionally chooses wrong and then stares at me with those innocent little brown eyes that say, “What are you going to do about it?”

We’ve had more wins than losses when it comes to potty training, but we’re definitely not there yet!

MORE MASS SHOOTING, NEXT….

Just two weeks after three nine-year-old students and three school officials were gunned down in Nashville, Tennessee, another mass shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, left five people murdered and nine other injured earlier this week.

Yet, many just turn a blind eye or “pray for <insert city>”, and then move on.

MEANWHILE, GUESS WHAT PEOPLE ARE STRESSED OVER?

Politicians and conservatives are losing their minds over nakedness and art in Florida…

drag queens in Florida and Tennessee…

books to ban across the country…

and a trans woman representing Bud Light beer.

People, get a f*cking clue and focus on things that we ‘re losing sleep and loved ones over!

“BEEF”

This ten-episode Netflix series about road rage and its aftermath is incredible.

It stars Oscar nominee Steven Yeun (“Minari” and “The Walking Dead”) and Emmy-nominated comedian and actress Ali Wong.

You might think that a series focusing on a road rage incident might wear thin by the end of ten episodes, but no way.

Once you get to know Danny and Amy and what’s going on in their lives, you realize it could happen to any of us. Well, they do carry it to extremes!

GRADE: A–

TWO MORE “BEEF” THOUGHTS

Joseph Lee, who plays Amy’s husband, George, is absolutely gorgeous!

And, Yeun sings in the series and it’s amazing (grace)!

TASTY TREATS

I can’t recall the last time I had a Dairy Queen Blizzard. However, there are three that I really want to try.

One is new — “Peanut Butter Puppy Chow”. It’s crispy puppy chow pieces, peanut butter topping, and chocolate chunks.

The other is the “Choco-Dipped Strawberry” — a combination of sweet strawberry topping and chocolate chunks.

And, the “Cotton Candy” one sounds fun, too.

“YOU” SEASON FOUR, PART TWO

Thank God, season four of the stalker series, “YOU” is over! This was easily my least favorite season. Luckily, there’s a chance for redemption because it was renewed for a fifth and final season!

When the first five episodes of this season dropped on Netflix February 9, 2023, I gave it a “B” and said, “Joe’s teaching at a university and gets involved with a crowd that I absolutely despise. Well, there’s one in the group that I like and she has an interesting candle collection! Season four is a cat and mouse game like the first three seasons, however Joe is the one that’s being creeped on this time!”

In Season 4, Part 2, it goes off the rail. As much as it was an interesting concept, it was VERY CONFUSING, especially episode 8. Afterwards, I had to read the summary to fill in the blanks. I thought I had fallen asleep and missed something!

While I’ve enjoyed the creepy (love story!) and Joe Goldberg (Penn Badgley), I’m glad season five will be the last.

Season three was my favorite and I gave it an “A-“. Season one would rank second and season two would be third!

This is the trailer for part one of season four. (I didn’t want to give anything away by showing the trailer for part two!)

SEASON FOUR, PART TWO — GRADE: C-

SEASON 4 — OVERALL GRADE: C

MY OSCAR PICKS

Since my last “Random Friday Thoughts” was before the Oscars, I did very well on my Oscar picks for the major awards.

I correctly picked Best Picture (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Best Director (The Daniels for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”).

Also, I was right on all four acting winners (Best Actress Michelle Yeoh for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; Best Actor Brendan Fraser in “The Whale”; Best Supporting Actor Ke Huy Quan and Best Supporting Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, both for “Everything Everywhere All at Once”). 

And, I won $50 for my picks.

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony