It’s Memorial Day weekend. We should remember those that gave their lives for our freedom every day and not just on one day.
To those men and women, gay or straight, or however they identified, thank you!
Memorial Day is also the “unofficial” start to summer!
No, not that summer, but it works for me!
Thank you for taking the time to check out out my random thoughts this week.
FREEDOM WORTH DYING FOR
I know you’ve heard that freedom is not “free”. While I registered for the draft on my 18th birthday in the early-1980s, I was never called to serve.
The freedom I enjoy and that you enjoy has been fought for many times in the past almost 250 years of our country. Yet, there’s another freedom people are willing to die for that has nothing to do with war.
It’s the freedom to escape violence, poverty, dictators, Communism, and the list goes on.
The United States is a “melting pot” of people from others lands hoping to start anew and be free.
There are guidelines in place to curb how many people can enter the U.S. (and, at one time, there was talk of building a wall to keep people from Central and South America away).
However, just across the Atlantic, Europe is also dealing with a large number of refugees looking to escape horrendous lives to start over. And, they’re willing to die trying.
One example is Italy.
The Associated Press reported that 105,000 migrants reached Italy by sea in 2022. And, through March 10, 2023, some 17,600 arrived.
Earlier this spring, intelligence reports indicate nearly 700,000 migrants are in Libya hoping to make it to Italy.
Sadly, it’s how these people are trying to get there that’s heartbreaking.
These asylum-seekers know that while many make it, some are lost at sea crossing the Mediterranean being smuggled in unseaworthy fishing boats and rubber dinghies.
FINAL THOUGHT ON MY FREEDOM
Although my sister and I grew up poor white trash, I’m so grateful for all that I’ve been blessed with in my life. I’m thankful for being safe and not having to risk my life just to try to live a better life!
ON A LIGHTER NOTE… SPOOKY KOI
I love koi and I miss my koi pond from my former life. Luckily for me, Scovill Zoo in Decatur, Illinois, has one in the Japanese Garden.
Miss Xanadu and I regularly visit.
However, check out this spooky, but incredible koi I came across on Twitter!
SPEAKING OF MISS XANADU
She turns five-months-old on Memorial Day!
Check out the bling Aunt Tammy bought her. She wasn’t a fan of the necklace, but we got this priceless photo.
She’s not fond of dangling things. Her rabies tag hanging on her collar distressed her! It’s now on my key ring! LOL
She’s maturing some, but there’s still plenty of puppy in her. In other words, she chooses to be a total little B! Oh, that’s B-R-A-T!
With regards to potty-training, I’d say I’m about 90% sure she wouldn’t do anything in the apartment unless it was an absolute emergency. However, I’m still not giving her a chance. We go out many times a day.
Like the ZZ Top hit, she’s got “Legs” and she knows how to use them! She now comfortably jumps up and down off the bed and sofa. However, at times, she still chooses to be lifted up!
I still crate her when I go to work or on my walks around the Lake. While I trust her more with potty-training, she’s still very much a puppy and wants to chew on things that she shouldn’t be chewing on.
KYLIE IS BACK!
You know from reading my blog that I absolutely love and adore Kylie Minogue and she’s the only artist left on my “bucket list” to see in concert.
Her 2020 album, “Disco”, was incredible. However, because of the pandemic, she didn’t tour with that album.
Earlier this month, she announced her 16th album, “Tension”, will come out this fall (September 22nd).
The first single, “Padam Padam”, dropped last Friday. The video is so hot and the song has a fun summer vibe!
VEGAS RESIDENCY?
Last November, there were rumors that Kylie was in talks to do a Las Vegas residency. Nothing else was said about it.
Once the “Tension” album was announced and I saw the track listing, I’m now totally convinced the Vegas residency is going to happen!
The ninth song on the album is called “Vegas High”!
If Kylie does a residency, I’m there!!!
I’m ready for a bottomless mimosa brunch at the Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan. The last time I ate there was in 2019.
At that time, I was going to drop out of television when my contract ended in Duluth, Minnesota, and move to Vegas and wait tables.
Once the pandemic hit in 2020, I’m glatina tt. Instead, I moved to Decatur, Illinois, to be the morning meteorologist at the NBC affiliate!
REMEMBERING TINA TURNER
Iconic singer and 12-time Grammy winner Tina Turner died Wednesday at the age of 83.
What an incredible singer, performer, and woman!
On the Billboard Hot 100, she scored 13 solo hits. Of those, six reached the Top Ten. Her only #1 hit on that chart was “What’s Love Got To Do With It”.
Tina also scored a hit duet with Bryan Adams, “It’s Only Love” (#15, 1985).
She also scored six additional Hot 100 hits with her ex-husband and abuser, Ike Turner. The biggest was “Proud Mary” (#4, 1971).
Tina is survived by her husband of almost ten years, Erwin Bach. They married on Lake Zurich in Switzerland in July 2013 after a 27-year romantic relationship.
“THE GREAT”
I really need to get caught up on television and movie viewing to watch the third season of the incredible show, “The Great”. It dropped earlier this month on Hulu.
In March 2022, I wrote it was “freaking hilarious”, “It’s funny and naughty with drama, death, and intrigue.”, and “I described it to someone as a “Rated-R ‘Beauty and the Beast’ if Belle had married Gaston and he was the Emperor of Russia!”
It stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult.
“COCAINE BEAR”
If the title alone or the trailer looks like a crazy time, it is.
Luckily, this Elizabeth Banks-directed movie is only an hour-and-a-half long, which is a perfect running time for a movie. (Remember when most movies were 90 minutes or so!)
What’s interesting is that this movie is based on a true story, but the bear didn’t go on a drug-crazed killing frenzy. Oops, spoiler alert!
The irony of the movie for me was to see Keri Russell and Margo Martindale in their silly roles, especially Martindale.
I remember both of them in their incredible dramatic roles in the amazing series, “The Americans”!
Would I recommend this movie? Yes, for the absurdity of it. Do I plan on ever watching it again? No.
GRADE: B-
WHAT A FEELING!
Although I still haven’t seen the movie, it’s hard to believe that “Flashdance” came out 40 years ago this spring.
I loved many of the songs on the soundtrack that sold more than 6 million copies in the U.S. and more than 20 million worldwide.
The album and its music picked up nine Grammy nominations and won three, including one in the Best Pop Vocal Performance – Female category for Irene Cara’s six-week #1 song, “Flashdance… What A Feeling”.
Other than the two #1 Hot 100 hits, “What a Feeling” and “Maniac”, my favorite songs on the soundtrack were “He’s A Dream” by Shandi Sinnamon, “Seduce Me Tonight” by Cycle V, and “Romeo” by Donna Summer.
Interestingly, those three songs were not released as singles.
Two other singles were released to radio — one reached #86 and the other didn’t event break the Hot 100!
MY FIVE FAVORITE TINA TURNER SONGS
The “Queen of Rock” Tina Turner had so many great hits, it’s hard to pick favorites. But, of course, I did!
Kygo’s 2020 re-working of “What’s Love Got To Do With It” is phenomenal.
It reached #1 in Croatia, Germany (airplay), and Poland. On the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, it made it to #7.
Here are my five favorite Tina Turner songs!
“THE BEST” (#15, 1989)
“WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT” (3 WEEKS AT #1, 1984)
“BETTER BE GOOD TO ME” (#5, 1984)
“TYPICAL MALE” (#2, 1986)
“WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER HERO (THUNDERDOME)” (#2, 1985)
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Anthony
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