It’s clear that I’m alive! However, being alive and living are not the same.
That’s where I’m at in life: Alive, but not living!
While I enjoyed my life from 2009-2016, the world was changing around me. But, I didn’t see it — until it was too late!
There were a couple of profound things underway that would shatter my world. One happened in the fall of 2016 and the other just three months later in February 2017.
Honestly, like millions of others, my life changed forever on November 8, 2016.
While many moved on, the cracks in my armor surfaced and my seemingly happy life quickly disintegrated into chaos!
Without a second thought following an argument, my eight-year relationship (and five-year marriage) was over. But that wouldn’t be the biggest mistake — the worst decision of my life was taking a job and relocating to Panama City, Florida!
Spending a year there was deplorable! I maintained my sanity by meeting a very dear couple, Cathy and Gerard, and my neighbor, Diane!
This song summed up my life in 2017 and ended up being my favorite song of the year!
For those of you that don’t click on videos, here are the lyrics from “Silence” that touched me the most.
♪♪♪”I’m in need of a savior, but I’m not asking for favors My whole life, I’ve felt like a burden I think too much, and I hate it I’m so used to being in the wrong, I’m tired of caring Loving never gave me a home, so I’ll sit here in the silence”♪♪♪
That temporary savior came in March of 2018 when I landed a job in Duluth, Minnesota, and relocated there in June.
While much happier than in Florida, I’m still not where I need to be and I know something needs to change. And, that something is me!
It’s time to start outlining and writing “The Next Chapter”!
I feel that I need to do something while I’m still healthy and still young enough to start over again because we never really know how much time we have left!
I don’t want to be a really old man and be saddled with regrets that I could have done something about.
I read this quote in a book the other day and it makes perfect sense, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
With that being said, I’m coming up on a milestone and I’ve been thinking way too much about mortality.
My father lived 55 years, 3 months, and 23 days. For me to match that, I only have to make it to February 5, 2020.
If I only live that long, then it’s too late to change much.
However, I could live as long as my idol, President Jimmy Carter. He’s living it up and he’s 94.7 years old!
After he reached the highest level in an American political career, he left the White House on January 20, 1981, at the young age of 56 years, 111 days.
And, he’s accomplished so much in the almost four decades that followed when most people are just thinking of retirement.
In life, I’ve only made two real spontaneous decisions. As it turned out, both were the best decisions I’ve ever made!
The first was moving away from small town Kentucky where I grew up to Chicago in the summer of 1994. This kick-started my television career two years later.
In 2002, I decided to leave television for two more years in Chicago.
That time around, I had fun bartending and living life. After a break, I got back into television, went back to school for my meteorology certification and I earned the “Seal of Approval” from the National Weather Association.
I love traveling and I’ve been fortunate to be able to see the world (well, 16 countries)! Most recently, I added Morocco…
and Thailand to the list!
However, even when jetting off to some exotic location, “reality” is still waiting when those trips are over.
So, I’ll have to be spontaneous again and start living!
As this summer turns into a long Minnesota winter, I’ll enjoy every snowflake. And, come spring 2020, I’ll proudly take to heart the words of my favorite Robert Frost poem, “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”.
Baseball season is here. So is the 2020 election season!
First, let’s talk about America’s favorite past time.
While we’re accustomed to three strikes and you’re out (and many times that’s two strikes, countless foul balls, and then a strike and you’re out).
Would the game of baseball be more exciting if batters were given only two strikes instead of three? And, that’s two strikes and no foul balls to keep the batter in the box?
I’m not proposing a change to the game that dates back to the 18th century. I’m bringing it up as a metaphor for the 2020 presidential election — more specially, the Democratic primary and nomination.
Hillary Clinton has been up to bat twice — 2008 and 2016. In 2008, she was a formidable opponent to eventual winner, President Barack Obama.
Eight years later, Hillary became the first woman to become a major party’s nominee and won the popular vote in the November election with almost 66 million votes!
That was almost three million more votes than “that man” that won the electoral college vote to become “45” (45th president of the U.S.)!
In the current Democratic race, there are already 23 declared candidates including Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
Yet, just the prospect or thought of Hillary Clinton entering the race makes many people gasp and freak out!
Some may say “she ran twice and lost”.
But, you didn’t hear that when Ronald Reagan for President in 1968 and again in 1976 before finally winning the presidency in his third attempt, in 1980!
As much as I’d love to see Hillary Clinton as the 46th President, I know she isn’t going to run. Why the hell would she run again and be subjected to the hypocrisy?
Honestly, as diversified as the Democratic field is, I think there are very few (and that’s an understatement) people running that could actually beat “that man”!
As I close, the words of Geraldine Ferraro come to mind.
For those of you that don’t remember or choose to forget, Ferraro was the first woman vice presidential candidate on a major ticket in 1984.
In her book, “Ferraro: My Story”, she shared this story: it was early 1983 and she was talking about which eventual Democratic candidate she’d support.
She wanted someone who shared her values to be the candidate, but she would campaign for any Democrat to run against Ronald Reagan.
As we head into the race to get Trump out of office, remember what Ferraro wrote more than 30 years ago.
She perfectly summed it up with, “Even an imperfect candidate would be better than Reagan — that’s how strongly I felt.”
In life, there are times when we luck out and run into a “celebrity”. It might be on vacation, at a county or state fair, or just a random encounter.
As a television meteorologist, my job is a public and high profile position (if you’re lucky and people watch the news and your channel!).
That wasn’t the case for me in Salisbury, Maryland. No one watched my channel and I was never recognized in public in the year-and-a-half there! However, I was much more well-known in the Quad Cities after 11.5 years and people did recognize me in Panama City, Florida.
I don’t buy into that whole “you’re a celebrity” thing, yet my career has given me better access to some big names in the world of entertainment and politics.
It’s also presented some not so fun moments.
In Lubbock, Texas, I was thrown against a car by an irate man and another time, I was likely urinated on in a crowd of Marilyn Manson fans after his concert while doing my live report (I felt a warm wetness on my leg while talking)!
And, in the Youngstown, Ohio, market, I was first on the scene of a shooting inside a car outside a school and had to look at the body until police covered it. (At that point, we didn’t know if it was a murder or suicide.)
But, back to the positives. For today’s blog, I’m “name dropping”! Some of these people I met through work and some through sheer luck!
I’m going to start off with the three that mean the most to me, so these are not in chronological order of when I met them.
On a cold January morning in 2016 in Davenport, Iowa, I made my way through the crowd and got to say hello to former Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Some people even thought this was photo-shopped and then I point out that her hand is on my shoulder! 🙂
The highlight of my move to Panama City, Florida, was meeting my childhood idol, President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.
In July 2017, I got up in the middle of the night and drove almost four hours through the backwoods of Florida, Alabama and Georgia to Plains, Georgia, to hear President Carter give a sermon at his church.
After getting back home, I sent the Carters a “70th Anniversary” card with our photo. I was totally shocked when they sent it back to me — autographed!
I’ve told this story many times, but I’ll tell it again. As an 12-year-old in Mayfield, Kentucky, in 1976, I got to go into the voting booth with my grandmother and pull the lever for Jimmy Carter. I did it again in 1980!
In April 2005, I was living in Salisbury, Maryland and working for the ABC affiliate. We also broadcast the CW network that aired the “Reba” comedy series.
To kick off her tour that spring in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we took a bus with twenty viewers to see that cold, windy outdoor show. Two of those lucky people (and me) got to go backstage and meet Reba.
She was just as you’d imagine her to be — sweet and delightful. Here are the framed memories of that night.
And, in 2014, I took my first awkward selfie with Shania Twain in Las Vegas, when she walked out into the crowd!
As I name drop the people I’ve been fortunate to meet, I so wished that we had had smartphones earlier than we did. I could have had photos of the others that I’ve met. 🙂
THE SOS BAND — 1984
In 1984, while a student at Murray State University in western Kentucky, I was doing the nightly weather on the campus television station and I started a music countdown show called “Music Visions”.
The first “celebrity” that I got to meet for the show and in my life was the group, The SOS Band, which was in concert at Murray State.
You might remember them from their #3 Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”.
PAULA ABDUL — LAS VEGAS, NEVADA — DECEMBER 2019
When I was last in Las Vegas this past December, not only did I get to see Paula Abdul’s great “Forever Your Girl” residency, I got a hug from her as she passed through the crowd during that song! 🙂
LIONEL RICHIE — LAS VEGAS — DECEMBER 2017
I met Lionel before his concert and when I said “Hello” (get it?) and extended my hand, he grabs me and says, “I’m a hugger!”
MADELEINE ALBRIGHT — First Female U. S. Secretary of State (in President Bill Clinton’s administration)
In 1999, while working as a reporter and weathercaster in Youngstown, Ohio, I interviewed Secretary of State Albright. She was so gracious and kind and, at the time, she was the highest ranking political figure I’d ever met.
I interviewed her about several things, but we focused on Serbian President Slobodan Milošević.
Once I got back to the station, I practiced saying his name over and over so that it’d roll off my tongue easily when I did my live report.
It did. But, then I flubbed an English word that followed next! 🙂
MARTHA LAYNE COLLINS — MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY — 1983
I met Collins while she was campaigning for her successful bid to become the first (and only) female Kentucky Governor.
LEANN RIMES — SALISBURY, MARYLAND — NOVEMBER 2005
LeAnn is so sweet and adorable!
RANDY TRAVIS — RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN — JULY 1996
This was an interesting meeting during Rhinelander’s “Hodag Music Festival” at my first real television job.
It was a little awkward because Randy was so kind and talkative and the whole time, his ex-wife/manager watched us like a hawk!
RHETT AKINS — LUBBOCK, TEXAS — 1997
Rhett and I share the same birthday, even though I’m older. I interviewed him a school where he was reading to students.
By the way, he’s the father of current country music superstar Thomas Rhett!
Akins scored his first Top 5 hit in 1995 with “That Ain’t My Truck”!
LEE ANN WOMACK — LUBBOCK, TEXAS — 1997
I met Lee Ann as her first two singles were moving up the country charts. While I love her music and I saw her in concert years later opening for Reba, her demeanor was very short and curt that day.
I was hoping that she was just having a bad day. However, throughout the years, while talking with others in the business, she must have had many bad days when it came to reporters and interviews!
GARY ALLAN — LUBBOCK, TEXAS — 1997
Not only was Gary dreamy and so kind in the interview early in the day, I saw him at his show that night.
After the show, he told me that got a laugh out of the fact that people stopped him in K-Mart before the show after seeing our interview on the news! 🙂
LONESTAR — LUBBOCK, TEXAS — 1997
Luckily, I interviewed Richie McDonald and Dean Sams and I didn’t have to even see close-minded homophobe John Rich!
BRAD PAISLEY — CANFIELD, OHIO — 2001
THE BAND PERRY — DAVENPORT, IOWA — AUGUST 2012
FAITH HILL — RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN — JULY 1996
TIM McGRAW — RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN — JULY 1996
PAM TILLIS — BETTENDORF, IOWA — NOVEMBER 2012
PAM TILLIS & LORRIE MORGAN — CLINTON, IOWA — JUNE 2014
I first interviewed Tracy when I was working in Lubbock, Texas. We crossed paths again when I got to introduce him at a concert at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, Iowa.
Both times, he was warm and down-to-earth!
NEAL McCOY — RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN — JULY 1996
EMILIO — RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN — JULY 1996
TY ENGLAND — RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN — 1996
STEPHANIE BENTLEY — RHINELANDER, WISCONSIN — 1996
DAVID KERSH — LUBBOCK, TEXAS — 1997
David was such a sweet person (and no I didn’t say “Goodnight Sweetheart” to him) and was very grateful for the television exposure.
Sadly, after a string of hits from 1996-1998, he had to take time off in 1999 for vocal strain and left the music business in 2005.
TARA DAWN HOLLAND — Miss America 1997 — LUBBOCK, TEXAS
CAROL CHANNING — LUBBOCK, TEXAS — 1997
DEE DEE MYERS — Bill Clinton’s press secretary in 1993 & 1994
C. EVERETT KOOP, Surgeon General, 1992-1999
KAY BAILEY HUTCHINSON, Republican Texas U.S. Senator & PHIL GRAMM, Republican Texas U.S. Senator
ED RENDELL, former Pennsylvania Governor
DENISE BROWN, sister of Nicole Simpson, O.J. Simpson’s murdered wife
JIM TRESSEL, former Ohio State University and Youngstown State University football coach
MOLLY SIMS — And, before any of these celebrities I’ve met through my career, I worked at a college textbook company in Murray, Kentucky, for the Sims family. Their adolescent daughter was always around in the warehouse.
Molly Sims would go on to become a model and staple on MTV.
WISHFUL THINKING!
Outside of music, I still want to meet Michael C. Hall (“Dexter”)
Gillian Anderson (“The X-Files” and “Hannibal”)
and Laura Linney (“Ozark” and “Tales of the City” series)!
Now, there are four other singers that I’ve seen in concert a total of ten times, but I’ve never gotten to meet them.
Happy Mother’s Day weekend to all of the moms and future moms out there, whether it’s children, godchildren, pets or plants!
Here’s a flashback to spring 1990 with my mother, Dessie, and my sister, Tammy. While we didn’t know it then, this would be her last spring and Mother’s Day with us! 😦
Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts. If you disagree, feel free to diplomatically share yours with me!
IT’S SPRING, BUT NOT SO MUCH IN DULUTH
Okay, we’re already past the first week of May and we just experienced record May snowfall in Duluth, Minnesota.
10.6″ of snow fell Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Of that, 8.3″ fell Wednesday night making it the snowiest May 8th on record and the snowiest single day in May.
An additional 2.3″ fell on Thursday making it the snowiest May 9th on record.
This is now the snowiest May on record with 10.9″ (so far).
For this snow season, we’re up to 104.4″ in Duluth, making this the 15th snowiest winter on record and these records go back to 1884!
REALLY CLASSY PANAMA CITY BEACH!
As you know, I was miserable the year I spent in Panama City, Florida, before moving to Duluth.
While I made three amazing friends and I’m sure there were many other great people I didn’t meet, there were a lot of people there that believed every word that spews out of 45’s ugly mouth.
He was in Panama City Beach this week and while talking about immigrants and how to handle the border, a woman in the audience shouted, “Shoot them”!
He smiled and commented, “That’s only in the Panhandle, you can get away with that statement. Only in the Panhandle!”
Sadly, it’s probably true! Pathetic!
PINK SAID WHAT????
To “Entertainment Weekly” about the title track of her latest album, “Hurts 2B Human”, a duet with Khalid: “I feel like if you’re present in 2019 and not totally escaping your feelings and looking around at what’s going on in the world, especially this country, it hurts. It fucking hurts your heart. I think that’s a good thing, because that’s what creates change, and we’re starting to see change and people show up and fight back!”
“FERRARO: MY STORY”
This 1985 autobiography is by Congresswoman Geraldine A. Ferraro.
In 1984, she became the first woman to make it on a major presidential ticket when Democratic nominee Walter Mondale chose her as his running mate.
While she talked about her family, her mother raising her and her brother as a single parent after her father’s death and her early political career, the book focuses mostly on the weeks leading up to her nomination and the long and painful 1984 presidential run.
In the book, this story stood out to me and it’s very relevant today as we head into a bitter fight into the 2020 race to get Donald Trump out of office.
It was early 1983 and Ferraro was talking about which eventual Democratic candidate she’d support. She wanted someone who shared her values to be the candidate, but she would campaign for any Democrat to defeat Ronald Reagan.
Ferraro wrote, “Even an imperfect candidate would be better than Reagan — that’s how strongly I felt.”
“THE BLOOD OF ABRAHAM”
This 1985 book by my idol and former President Jimmy Carter traces the history of the Israeli-Palestinian turmoil back to biblical times when the Arabs, the Jews and the Christians all came from Abraham.
If you’re not a reader of the Bible, some of the history is overwhelming and, to me, unbelievable (Abraham fathered children when he around 100 years old and he lived to 175!).
But, this was only in the first few pages of the book.
The great, concise book (just over 200 pages) details the torturous history of Palestine that only became more daunting once Israel came into existence in 1948 and Arab Palestinians didn’t have a home or home state.
As you recall, President Carter worked night and day for almost two week at Camp David in the summer of 1978 with Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachen Begin to broker a peace agreement between the Israelis and the Arabs.
Sadly, there will never be peace between the two peoples over this small piece of real estate because neither side wants to give up anything to make peace.
Carter sums up the book talking about Abraham’s blood flowing through the veins of the Arab, Jew and Christian people and the bloody history of the Middle East with this chilling line, “The spilled blood in the Holy Land cries out to God — an anguished cry for peace.”
AMERICA’S CRY FOR PEACE
It’s easy for Westerners to shake their heads over the long-standing history of violence in the Middle East. But, that’s very narrow-minded of us.
Without being too judgmental, it’s like that right now in the United States. We have strong race divisions, religious divisions, human rights divisions, and many more.
Just look at the divide between Democrats and Republicans, Hillary Clinton supporters, Bernie Sanders fans, and the ones that think that Donald Trump can do no wrong!
We’ve crossed a line from which we can’t (or will never) rebound!
I’m not a pessimist, I’m a realist!
“MADAME X TOUR”
Madonna announced her latest tour this week to support her 14th studio album, “Madame X” coming out June 14th.
And, not surprising, it’s something new for the ever-changing icon.
Instead of taking her very expensive and incredible tours to arenas and cities all over the world, she’s doing mini-residencies in smaller theaters in large cities in the U.S. and Europe.
So far, only New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago have been announced. The tickets sold out so quickly that five more shows were added in New York City and four more in Los Angeles.
While only 25 show dates are known now, she’s set to announce additional dates for Boston, Las Vegas, Miami, and Philadelphia for 2019.
Since I didn’t get to Vegas last year, I’m planning on seeing Madonna for the fifth time when the show plays at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
And, while the dates aren’t public yet, I’d venture to say that it’ll be in December since no headliner has been announced there in that month! 🙂
“KILLING EVE” UPDATE
I couldn’t take the suspense any longer. After finishing season one of the critically acclaimed BBC America series, I slowly started watching season two.
I’m four episodes in (five of the eight season two episodes have aired).
In the second episode, I almost peed myself with a line that likely went over the heads of most Americans!
Giving a power point presentation to her new team of detectives about Villanelle’s murders, Eve mentions that Bill was killed (oops, spoiler!) on a club’s dance floor and she quickly replies:
“MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR”
“Murder on the Dance Floor” by Sophie Ellis Bextor was a minor dance club hit here in the U.S. in the early 2000s, yet it hit the Top Ten in, at least, 18 countries worldwide.
I fell in love with this song at Roscoe’s when I moved back to Chicago in 2002.
It’s from her fantastic debut album, “Read My Lips”.
MARIAH CHRISTMAS EARLY!
While Christmas is still more than seven months away, Mariah Carey recently announced that she’ll be performing her holidays standards again in Las Vegas.
Her “All I Want For Christmas Is You” will be returning to the Colosseum at Caesars Palace for five shows November 22-30, 2019.
Trust me, this is a phenomenal show! I saw a version of it in December 2017 in Vegas.
This is what I wrote about it on my return, “She was absolutely gorgeous and flawless and her voice was crisp and angelic. The sets were magical and stunning and for just over 90 minutes, all my unhappiness was a distant memory!”
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Now that May is here and the weather will start being nice on a regular basis (I hope), I’m ready to get out more and enjoy life.
So, I have just a few more blogs to share with you before I go on hiatus.
Thank you for checking out my random thoughts. Feel free to share your thoughts about what I’m talking about and if we disagree, that’s fine. Just do it diplomatically!
GET VACCINATED!
I know I probably have friends that don’t believe in vaccinating their children, but this is a subject where we sorely disagree.
If you don’t vaccinate, I’m sure you have your reasons.
I think people, of any age, should be up to date on their shots to help prevent the spread of contagions!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tweeted this on Monday!
KENT STATE MASSACRE
This weekend marks the 49th anniversary of the Kent State Massacre!
As you recall, the Ohio National Guard opened fire on the campus and the shootings left four students dead.
In May 2000, I was a reporter in Mansfield, Ohio, about 75 miles away from Kent State University and I got to cover the 30th anniversary of the shooting spree.
It was very eerie and I can’t believe that next year will be 50 years!
Here is the report that I filed in 2000. My apologies for the quality since this was recorded on my phone from TV and VHS!
The story is still great!
2019 BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS
The 2019 Billboard Music Awards were amazing! It was a total throwback for me to the fun 1980s American Music Awards — so many great, exciting visual performances!
Madonna & Maluma, Taylor & Brendon Urie, Mariah Carey, Ciara, Paula Abdul and The Jonas Brothers rocked Las Vegas and the MGM Grand, along with Halsey and Kelly Clarkson (both performances)!!!
I’m still crushing on Brendon!
“KILLING EVE”
We’re midway through the eight-episode second season of BBC America’s “Killing Eve”.
I just finished binge watching the first season’s eight episodes and finally brought myself to start watching the second season.
After the shocking season one finale, I hesitated to start this season because I know I’ll have to wait for the next four episodes to air on television and then wait another year for the third season!
The show is absolutely incredible!
Sandra Oh, who won Best Actress awards in a drama from the Critics’ Choice Television Awards and the Golden Globes, is amazing, as Eve Polastri, an MI5 officer in London.
And, every time that Jodie Comer, who plays psychopathic, hired assassin Villanelle, is on screen, I’m mesmerized!
And, of course, I’m crushing on Sean Delaney, who plays Kenny Stowton, an ex-hacker who has been recruited by Eve in her search for Villanelle!
“SECOND ACT”
I love Jennifer Lopez and I’m hoping to see her in concert this summer.
Until then, you can catch her on this hit from last winter. The $16 million comedy brought in $72.3 million in theaters.
Lopez plays Maya Vargas, an assistant manager at a Value Shop store, who is ready for a big promotion after working there for 15 years.
She’s passed over because she doesn’t have a college degree.
On her birthday, she makes a wish that is far-fetched. But, through the magic of the internet and social media, things start happening for Maya, but it’s based on a lie!
Leah Remini is hilarious and sexy Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”) plays Lopez’s boyfriend.
Okay, the movie is cute, sexy, and funny, but it’s not totally realistic. But, that’s why we watch some movies!
GRADE: B+
“ON THE BASIS OF SEX”
This movie is based on the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
It covers her life from her college years, when not too many women were enrolled at Harvard Law School, to her trying her first big case.
Felicity Jones (“The Theory of Everything”) plays Bader and dreamy Armie Hammer (“Call Me By Your Name”) plays her husband, Martin Ginsburg.
It’s a well told story and both actors are great, so I recommend it. However, I’d highly suggest that you watch the superior “RBG” instead or in addition to “On The Basis of Sex”.
GRADE: B
“RBG”
In September 2018, I wrote, “This superb 97-minute feature directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen documents the career of 85-year-old Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.”
GRADE: A
“SANTA CLARITA DIET” CANCELLED
I haven’t gotten around to watching the third season of this Netflix comedy.
I guess I should laugh and cherish each episode since it was cancelled!
Where will I watch Timothy Olyphant now?
SPECTRUM “ON DEMAND”
My cable company, Spectrum, is pretty much like any other cable company, most notably, Mediacom — very expensive and very unreliable.
While recently on a customer service call, I was told that “On Demand” is free.
I politely told the agent that while Spectrum may consider it “free” and there may not be a line on my bill that charges me for “On Demand”, when I pay them $140.40 a month, when I turn on the television to watch something on cable, it’s not free!
I was calling because there was a missing episode in season three of “Veep” and there are four missing episodes scattered about in seasons three and four of “Younger”!
“YOUNGER”
Speaking of… I’ve been trying to binge watch the TV Land series, “Younger” for over a year now.
I watched season one last spring while I was still in Panama City. When I got to Duluth, Minnesota, seasons two through four were not available “On Demand”, yet I did DVR season five.
Now “On Demand”, all five seasons are available with random missing or unavailable episodes.
I’m just finished season four and for the missing episodes, I just read the Wikipedia episode synopsis and ventured on. 😦
“Younger” is from creator and producer Darren Star, who brought us the classics “Beverly Hills, 90120”, “Melrose Place” and “Sex and the City”.
It stars Sutton Foster, as Liza, a 40-year-old recently separated mother of a teenager, who’s trying to jump start her once thriving career. She tries to get a job in publishing, but she realizes the industry is obsessed with much younger employees!
Her roommate and best friend, Maggie (Debi Mazar), gives her a makeover and she lands a job as a “26-year-old” and works for Diana Trout (a hilarious Miriam Shor) and alongside Kelsey Peters (Hilary Duff).
She meets and falls for young, inked, and insanely sexy Josh (Nico Tortorella), a tattoo artist, who thinks Liza is around his age, mid-20s!
I’ve crushed on Tortorella since he was on the first season of Fox’s “The Following”.
On ‘Younger”, the bisexual/genderfluid actor is absolutely stunning!
And, the sexiness doesn’t end with Tortorella. There’s also Peter Hermann (Charles) and Dan Amboyer (Thad).
Amboyer (above) came out as gay in 2017 and announced he had married his long-term partner.
And, my new hottie in seasons three and four is Ben Rappaport!
Season six debuts on June 12, 2019, on TV Land.
“ME”
Taylor Swift is back and she seems happy after the awesome, darker 2017 “Reputation” album.
This time she’s teaming up with sexy Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco.
Wonder if there’s going to be a duet with The Dixie Chicks on the new album?
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
My sister, Tammy, and her boyfriend visited me last week in Duluth, so I didn’t share any random thoughts.
While she was here, we ate some great food and actually won some money at the casino — finally!
Have a great weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.
STILL SHAKING MY HEAD!
So, former Vice President Joe Biden announced he’s running for president in 2020. Of course, 45 fires off a tweet.
Two things quickly come to mind!
It’s so encouraging when “that man” vows the race will be “nasty”. (Note, that’s sarcasm!)
It’s even more bizarre when 45 talks about himself the same way his detractors speak of him, “you will be dealing with people who truly have some very sick & demented ideas”. For once, I agree with Trump on something!
And, really, attacking Biden’s intelligence, “long in doubt”. That’s the pot calling the kettle black!
A similar scenario: it’s usually the most disgusting guys that are always thinking that gay guys are cruising them or hitting on them!
“WRITE IT WHEN I’M GONE”
While it may be common, this is the first time I’ve come across this premise for a biography!
President Gerald Ford talked with print journalist Thomas M. DeFrank, the author of “Write It When I’m Gone”, for almost three decades. The only thing is that nothing they talked about could be published until after Ford’s death.
What an insightful read! I’m glad that even after their harsh 1976 election campaign, Ford and my idol, President Jimmy Carter became friends and Carter even spoke at Ford’s January 2007 funeral.
Even though I was on Team Carter in 1976, I’m sure that I would have liked Ford in person! He seemed down to earth, dearly loved his wife, Betty, and had two golden retrievers, Liberty and her pup, Misty.
Here’s what Ford said about gay couples in the years after his short stint as president in the mid-1970s, “I think they ought to be treated equally. Period!” and gays joining and being welcomed by the Republican Party, “I have always believed in an inclusive policy, in welcoming gays and others into the party. I think the party has to have an umbrella philosophy if it expects to win elections.”
“STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH”
Reba’s latest album, “Stronger Than The Truth”, her first country album in four years, debuted at #4 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
That’s a great accomplishment since country music radio programmers are pretty much sexist, ageist, and racist in what they play!
Ouch! But, it’s the truth! Look at how many women, women of a certain age, and people of color that are on country radio these days. It wouldn’t take long to count!
Forgive me a little for deviating from Reba’s new album!
This is Reba’s divorce album.
Unlike “MDNA”, Madonna’s 2012 very angry and violent divorce album to her ex, Reba’s album deals with loss and heartbreak, but gives us hope and optimism.
On the album, Reba goes back to her 1980s country roots and it kicks off with the fun, upbeat “Swing All Night With You” and then Reba does what she does best. She rips your heart out on a modern day “Rumor Has It”, the first song that we heard from the new album, the title track.
Heartbreak is what Reba is known for and she does it so well on “Stronger Than The Truth” with my two favorite ballads, “Tammy Wynette Kind of Pain” and “The Bar’s Getting Lower”.
Upbeat songs are also a Reba specialty and my absolute favorite song on the album is one of the two tracks on the Target exclusive. Sadly, people that bought the album from amazon or iTunes will miss out on “While You Were Sleeping”.
It starts out sounding like a gentle love song, but quickly turns into a fun kiss off!!!!
My other favorite upbeat songs are “No U In Oklahoma” and “Storm in a Shot Glass”.
“Freedom”, the first official single that radio ignored, is a great song, too.
GRADE: B+
REBA’s SINGING TO ME
I’ve been a die-hard Reba fan since 1990’s “Rumor Has It” album.
And, it seems that regardless of what’s going on in my life when a new Reba album comes out, good or bad, there’s a song (or two) on the album that I feel that Reba is singing just to me.
Sadly, from this album it’s not an optimistic song. It’s a reality check ballad called “The Bar’s Getting Lower”.
In a future blog I’m working on, I’ll go more in depth on this subject! 🙂
MADONNA’S RETURN TO MUSIC
Madonna is back with a new song, “Medellín”, which features Colombian hottie Maluma. Her album, “Madame X” arrives June 14th.
The video debuted earlier this week on a format that Madonna knows all too well, MTV!
Madonna’s last album was 2015’s “Rebel Heart”.
“MADAM SECRETARY”
The fifth season of this great CBS drama just wrapped with a huge announcement!
Now it’s up to CBS to renew the show for a sixth season to see how it all plays out.
“VEEP”
The seventh and final season of “Veep”, the Emmy-winning HBO comedy, is airing now.
I just got caught up on the first six seasons and Julia Louis-Dreyfus is amazing!
The series is so funny and so filthy. If you want political correctness, you won’t find it here! 🙂
Warning: graphic! 🙂
In addition to the star being outrageously funny, I absolutely love Sam Richardson as Richard and Tony Hale’s Gary is hilarious! Poor Gary!
HAPPY 40TH “BAD GIRLS”
This week back in 1979, Donna Summer released her seventh studio album, “Bad Girls”.
The double album sold more than two million copies in the U.S. alone and spent six weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart.
The “Bad Girls” album would produce four hits in the U.S. with two of them reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 — “Hot Stuff” for three weeks and the title track for five weeks.
“Dim All The Lights” made it to #2.
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
While it’s officially spring, I hope you’re having spring weather.
We had a significant winter storm with blizzard-like conditions move into the Northland of Minnesota and Wisconsin Thursday!
Enjoy your weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.
“IN SEARCH OF HOPE”
After reading Mariane Pearl’s “A Mighty Heart” about the Al Qaeda kidnapping and execution of her journalist husband, Daniel, in early 2002, I jumped right into “In Search of Hope: The Global Diaries of Mariane Pearl”.
It’s an excellent book with many great stories and photos of extraordinary women around the world up against incredible odds to make a difference.
While human and sex trafficking is a problem all over the world, including the U.S., some parents in Cambodia sell their daughters off to become prostitutes for less than $10!
Those girls and women then have to service many men each day for just pennies a trick while the pimps keep the rest.
Now, that may not sound like something you would want to read, but to hear about the women who are risking their owns lives to stop things like this is very encouraging.
“In Search of Hope” is a very powerful read!
GRADE: A
“POSE”
If you didn’t see the incredible first season of FX’s “Pose”, you have time to binge watch the award winning series NOW!
Season two premieres June 9th, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the “Stonewall Riots” and gay pride month!
This season jumps ahead to 1990 after Madonna released “Vogue”!
“CLAWS”
I know what I’ll be doing after work on June 9th. I’ll be watching “Pose” and one of my other favorite shows, “Claws” on TNT.
Desna and the girls return for their third season.
I guess this isn’t a spoiler, but a main character that was shot in an assassination attempt at the end of season two is in the trailer, so I guess she lives. 🙂 I never thought for a moment that she’d die!
Again, if you haven’t seen the first two seasons, binge watch now!
Niecy Nash is awesome!
“THE NUTCRACKER & THE FOUR REALMS”
This 2018 holiday movie ended up making $173 million worldwide against an expensive $120+ million budget.
As you may gather, this fantasy is based on the “The Nutcracker”.
If you like the ballet and you like adventure, you’ll enjoy this movie.
If not, watch for the amazing special effects with the Mouse King in the woods! Once you see it, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about!
The incredible sequences with American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland are breathtaking!
GRADE: B
“VICE”
This movie about George W. Bush’s Vice President Dick Cheney rightfully earned the Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling!
This was the only win out of eight nominations, including Best Picture! What????
Attractive Christian Bale was physically lost in his look as Cheney. He and Amy Adams, who played wife Lynn Cheney, were amazing in their performances.
That’s really about the only good thing I can say about this atrocious movie and waste of time — other than the hair and makeup!
Cheney is probably one of the most vile men ever in American politics. With all of the nasty things he’s done in life, I definitely won’t shed a tear when he dies. In all fairness, he won’t shed a tear for me when it happens either!
Full disclaimer here: I’m a die-hard liberal (actually, in an argument once with a Republican former co-worker, I exclaimed, “I’m a Meryl Streep-loving, tree hugging liberal and I’m proud of it!”), but “Vice” was nothing more than a hatchet job against Cheney. But, an honest one!
Spoiler alert: About an hour into the movie, there was a fake ending and credit roll. Watching the movie, I wished it was the real ending!
But, it wasn’t and the second half of the movie was better than the first half!
GRADE: C-
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER!
Horror movies really don’t drive me to the theaters like they used to. Last October, I was excited to see “Halloween” and it was worth it.
I’d much rather see psychological thrillers now and there’s one coming out May 31, 2019, that really has me excited.
I first saw the short trailer of “Ma” on the season five finale of “How To Get Away With Murder”.
It stars Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer as a villain!!!!!!!!!
It’s directed by Tate Taylor (“The Help” and “The Girl on the Train”) and produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse Productions (“Halloween” and “Get Out”).
“A NO NO”
I absolutely love Mariah Carey’s latest album, “Caution” and this is the second single!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
It’s the first week of April and I hope you weren’t fooled too much earlier this week.
Have a great weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.
KUDOS CHICAGO!
Lori Lightfoot’s election win earlier this week to become Chicago’s new mayor is historical!
Not only will she become the city’s first African American woman mayor, but she’s also part of the LGBTQ community! She and her wife, Amy Eshleman, have one daughter!
Best wishes Lori!!!!!!
CHICAGO’S OTHER WOMAN MAYOR
Jane Byrne was the first woman elected as Chicago’s mayor and she served four years — from April 1979 to April 1983.
“A MIGHTY HEART”
I remember the tragic story when it was developing back in early 2002 and when the Angelina Jolie movie came out in 2007.
However, reading “A Mighty Heart: The Inside Story of the Al Qaeda Kidnapping of Danny Pearl”, Mariane Pearl’s account of the abduction and beheading of her husband in Pakistan by Islamic and religious extremists, is harrowing and heartbreaking.
If you don’t recall, Daniel worked for the “Wall Street Journal”. He was reporting on the United States’ “War on Terrorism” following the 9/11 attacks just months earlier.
He disappeared on January 23, 2002, at a Karachi hotel where he was meeting a contact. A terrorist group claimed he was an American spy. Once they found out he was Jewish, his fate was sealed.
He was beheaded nine days later in a video that surfaced three weeks later. His body, cut into ten pieces, was found in a shallow grave in May.
One very interesting note I learned from Mariane’s book is that for a 40-day training session at a Taliban camp to learn “how to terrify, torture, kill”, it only cost about $20/day ($50/day with weapons)! 😦
SYMPATHY FROM VLADIMIR PUTIN — COUGH!
The last part of Mariane’s book, “A Mighty Heart”, featured comforting letters to the Pearl family from around the world from everyday people and politicians, including President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush and Laura Bush.
But, the one that struck me the wrong way all these years later was from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In light of all the atrocities he’s orchestrated (oops, I mean, that he’s accused of), this part of his letter didn’t set well with me, “We will do everything to root out this evil, eliminate the threat of terrorism, find and neutralize all those who bring death and destruction.”
Earlier in the letter, he was more honest — like he was looking in a mirror, “International terrorism knows no borders or nationality.”
JOURNALISTS, MAINSTREAM MEDIA & HATRED
Many times while reading “A Mighty Heart”, I thought of 45’s constant attack on the “mainstream media” and his calling journalists that don’t pander to his rhetoric “the enemy of the people”!
No, Donald, jihadists like the ones that kidnapped Daniel Pearl because he was bringing news of their inhumane actions to the world stage are the enemies!
I know that past presidents of both parties have disliked the media. It’s no secret that Richard Nixon, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, just to name a few, disliked reporters and the news outlets.
But, they never went so far as screaming “fake news” to any group that wasn’t Fox News!
We don’t need more blood on our hands with journalists, like Danny Pearl and countless others, being killed just because one man or one group dislikes what they report!
“HOMELAND”
I finally got caught up on the Emmy Award-winning Showtime series “Homeland” with the incredible Claire Danes.
I had watched up to season four, but now that I have premium cable, they’ve added seasons five, six, and seven.
And, in a casting note that I love, Hugh Dancy (NBC’s “Hannibal”), who’s also Danes’ real-life husband will have a multi-series arc!
The eighth and final season comes out later this year. They’re currently shooting in Morocco, which is substituting for Afghanistan!
While I’m thrilled that Dancy will be joining the cast, I hope they bring back James D’Arcy and make him Carrie’s love interest. He’s already mine!!! 🙂
FUNNIEST “HOMELAND” LINE
In a series about homeland security, terrorists, shady politics and being bipolar, there usually aren’t a lot of laughs.
However, in season seven, I had to LOL at one of Carrie Mathison’s (Danes) lines.
She’s knows that her body has built up a tolerance to the lithium that’s keeping her sane. Storming into her therapist’s office with her head bleeding after a fight with a man blackmailing her, a manic Carrie tells the doctor she wants to try new medication.
The doctor is freaked out about the surprise visit and Carrie’s head bleeding asks her repeatedly how it happened.
Carrie’s response: “Can you focus?” 🙂
“HANNIBAL”
Speaking of “Hannibal”, the amazing NBC series that was probably too intelligent for television was cancelled after three seasons.
There’s still talk of bringing back the critically acclaimed show with a Clarice Starling story line! Because of contractual blah blah blah, that wasn’t possible in its first run.
I want more Hugh Dancy (“Will Graham”), Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal Lecter”) and Gillian Anderson (“Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier)!
“STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH”
Reba McEntire’s 33rd studio album, “Stronger Than The Truth” is out now!
If you’re planning on buying it, Target has an exclusive disc with two additional songs!
“THE FAVOURITE”
This Academy Award nominee for Best Picture is set in the early 18th century and is very quirky!
At the beginning of the movie, Olivia Colman’s Queen Anne makes a humorous comment about the war, thinking it’s over.
But, once you realize that she has very serious health issues that affect her ability to make decisions for the country, it becomes darker.
Best Supporting Actress nominees Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz were fantastic.
Now that I’ve seen all five Oscar nominees for Best Actress this year, I’m okay that Colman won.
Ideally, I would’ve been happier if it had been a tie between Colman and Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?”)
GRADE: B+
“IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK”
And, since I was talking about Best Supporting Actress nominees in “The Favourite”, Regina King won the Oscar this year in that category for this movie.
This is director Barry Jenkins’ follow-up to the Oscar-winning Best Picture “Moonlight” (2016).
“Tish” (KiKi Layne) and “Fonny” (Stephan James) have been friends all their lives and a romantic relationship develops when they’re a little older.
Fonny is falsely accused of raping a woman and his mother-in-law, Sharon Rivers (King), tries to track down the woman and convince her to recant her story and clear Fonny.
Layne’s performance, in a weaker Oscar race, could easily have been nominated!
GRADE: B
“BRITNEY: INSIDE THE DREAM”
If you’ve been following the news this week, Britney Spears checked herself in a mental health facility to relax and help her cope with her father’s failing health.
Recently, I recently read Steve Dennis’ 2009 biography on the pop princess and it was more entertaining than reading about Britney on Wikipedia.
However, the book ends after her meltdown more than a decade ago and before she reclaimed her pop throne with “Femme Fatale”, my favorite album of 2011.
Additionally, Dennis didn’t have access to Britney, so much of it was speculation and the parts of the book where he had a psychologist analyze Britney without talking to her were a little awkward.
MY THREE FAVORITE BRITNEY SONGS
BONUS BRITNEY
This song was never released as a single, but it should have been!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
It’s always nice to get away, but it’s nice to come home. Now I’m ready to enjoy the nicer weather heading our way.
Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts and have a great weekend!
“LEAVING NEVERLAND”
This is the four-hour documentary on HBO that’s everybody’s been talking about regarding Michael Jackson and child sexual abuse allegations.
Choreographer Wade Robson and former child actor James Safechuck, now adults, talk extensively and graphically about the sexual abuse they suffered when spending time with Michael Jackson.
I’m going to make some comments and I’m going to keep the sentences short, so there’s no misunderstanding or taking things out of context.
I believe Robson and Safechuck!
As a parent, I’d NEVER allow my child to spend nights with a man in his 30s.
Where was the parental supervision and let’s talk about the lapse of judgement there — I don’t care if Jackson was the biggest star on the planet!
If Jackson was alive today, I’m not sure he’d give details of what did and didn’t happen with those boys, who were around 7 and 10-years-old when the alleged abuse started.
I do wish that the director had reached out to a Jackson family member since Michael is dead and couldn’t speak for himself. But, we know they’d just say it didn’t happen and the two men are out for just money.
By the way, Robson is a multi-millionaire!
“Leaving Neverland” is definitely worth seeing — if you can handle the graphic content!
And, yes I’ll listen to Michael Jackson’s music today. He’s a musical genius!
However, I have no desire now to watch his videos again!!!!!!!!
GRADE: B+
“BEN IN BACK”
I absolutely love Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges is one of my favorite current young actors. He was fantastic in “Manchester by the Sea” and “Boy Erased”. And, he’s so adorable!
I’ve really been wanting to see this movie, but I don’t recall it playing in Duluth, Minnesota, where I live. If it did, it was brief and I missed it.
The movie is about Ben returning home for the holidays after a stay in drug rehab and trying to stay clean.
The trailer is compelling, but the movie is so much better and more intense!
Now I don’t believe in spoilers, so I won’t say if it happens or not. But, Ben, I know you’ve watched horror movies and you should know never to say anything like “I’ll be right back”!
As you’ll see in the trailer, Ben says, “I’m not going to die”!
GRADE: A-
“FREEDOM”
Reba McEntire is back and I really think that country radio is finally going to give her another chance.
Her new single, “Freedom”, makes its debut on the Billboard Country Airplay chart this week at #52!
Sadly, Reba’s last Top 10 hit at country radio was “Turn on the Radio”, which topped the chart in January 2011! What? That’s eight years ago!
“Freedom” is being called “euphoric”and a “fist-pumping anthem”!
It’s the first official release to country radio from her new album, “Stronger Than The Truth”, which comes out April 5, 2019.
“9-1-1” ON FOX
If you don’t watch “9-1-1” on Fox, what are you waiting for? You’re missing a great show that’s really entertaining.
And, two recent episodes — the winter finale and first episode back from the holidays — were the series’ best!
Earlier this week, Fox renewed “9-1-1” for a third season!
“GREEN BOOK”
Spoiler alert, “Green Book” won the Oscar for Best Picture!
I’ve seen five of the eight nominations from this year (I still need to see “The Favourite” and “Vice” and I won’t watch “Black Panther”. I’m not a Marvel fan and if I can’t get through the Captain America movies with my future ex-boyfriend Chris Evans, I won’t be seeing “Black Panther”! Bummer because I love Angela Bassett!).
I enjoyed “Green Book” and the acting was superb. However, I wouldn’t watch it again unless I was in a group and they wanted to see it.
I think the talk of the movie’s racism was overblown. I didn’t see it as a movie where the white man saves the black man. I think it was a movie of two people becoming friends and enlightening each other.
Yes, it had racial stereotypes in it, but it was set in the early-1960s South!
Best Picture, no! Of the five I’ve seen, so far, I would have voted for “Bohemian Rhapsody”!
GRADE: B
“FIRST MAN”
I love Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy is incredible (“The Crown” seasons one and two)! And, director Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” was awesome, so what is this?
I almost stopped the movie within the first 30 minutes!
While it does have some great drama (at times) and it has some great special effects, it seems so disjointed.
Bon Jovi sings, “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “First Man” gives space exploration a bad name!
GRADE: C+
MY FAVORITE CURRENT SONG!
Ava Max is a musical newcomer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
But, her song, “Sweet but Psycho” has already topped the charts in at least 22 countries. It also hit #1 on the Billboard Club Songs chart in the U.S.!
The song has a very European sound to it, which is probably why it’s my favorite current song.
In the U.S., it’s currently one of the five most played songs on Top 40 radio and the video is pretty sexy (but psycho), too! 🙂
Ava Max is definitely channeling one of her idols, Lady Gaga in this video and with her voice!
“Sweet but Psycho” has been viewed almost 234 million times!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
If today is your birthday or anniversary, I hope you have a happy one and that the next years are incredible.
It’s March 28th. Today is the 87th day of the year and there are 278 days left in 2019.
On this day back in 1920, there was a major Palm Sunday tornado outbreak in the Great Lakes and the Deep South; in 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania partially melted down; and in 2005, an earthquake rocked Indonesia with a magnitude of 8.7.
But, let’s get back to birthdays and celebrations!
64 years ago today, one of my idols, Reba McEntire, was born in Kiowa, Oklahoma.
While she’s been very busy over the past years, she hasn’t had a new country album out since early 2015 and it was pretty much ignored by country radio!
That changes soon!
Her new album, “Stronger Than The Truth”, comes out on April 5th, and it features her new single, “Freedom”, which is starting to get country airplay.
“Freedom” is being called “euphoric” and a “fist-pumping anthem”!
Take a listen!
Lady Gaga is also celebrating her birthday today, number 33!
And, back in 1964, 55 years ago today, my parents married.
Later that year, she’d give birth to a baby boy six weeks premature. Yes, it’s yours truly.
Happy birthday Reba and Lady Gaga, and Mom, happy anniversary.
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 