Random Friday Thoughts — June 9, 2023

It’s Friday and the weekend is here. For many that’s enough to be happy.

So, I’ll quickly vent (bitch) and educate a few people and then move on and share fun thoughts. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH

To all my LGBTQ+ friends and my “straight, but not narrow” friends, Happy Pride month!

Now, joking aside, two WTH or WTF thoughts.

DING DONG!…THE WITCH IS DEAD

Televangelist and notorious homophobe Pat Robertson is dead at the age 93.

Now, who’s going to blame the gays for every natural weather disaster in the U.S.? Did I mention he was a very bad weather forecaster?

In 1998, he sent out this warning to Orlando, Florida, because of its “Gay Days” at Walt Disney World that began in 1991, “I would warn Orlando that you’re right in the way of some serious hurricanes and I don’t think I’d be waving those flags in God’s face if I were you.”

And, in late December 2010, Christmas travel around the country was disrupted by this winter storm on the East Coast.

Despite the weather science behind the storm, here was Robertson’s explanation:

“Because of the bad road conditions the Almighty has made, any gay activities that people were planning on doing will have to be postponed by a day or two.” 

He also said God shut down all the big airports in New York “so that people who were hoping to fly to do something of a gay nature would have to take a train or a bus, so it might be days before the gay thing they were going to do could occur.”

Parting thoughts: God, please set this man straight now. Funny, I said “straight”.

And, I’ll even ask for forgiveness when I pray tonight for feeling no compassion toward him. Maybe he should have asked for forgiveness for his lack of compassion for the LGBTQ+ community! (Who knows, maybe he did on his death bed!)

BOYCOTTS THIS SPRING & SUMMER

Boycotts are nothing new.

We boycotted the 1980 Olympics and there was a boycott of that antigay fast food chicken chain restaurant.

This spring, Bud Light lost a lot of money because people are transphobic.

And, now Target is being boycotted because of their support of the LGBTQ+ community and Pride month.

I’m writing this very carefully because I don’t want to give an antigay rap song and its “artists” any publicity. However, it was the #1 downloaded song last week. (Luckily, the novelty has worn off and it’s dropped considerably on the chart!) Bye, Felicia!

My issue is that the rapper told a conservative “news” show, “We’re living in a culture right now where people need to speak out. We need to stand up for the children.”

Blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard that all before!

By the way, how’d that work out for you Anita Bryant?

But, here’s the part that got me. He said, “There’s no place for LGBTQ for fourth- and fifth-graders.”

Wait, if you choose to dislike LGBTQ people, I’m sorry for you and your narrow-mindedness. However, if you’re just ignorant, educate yourself.

Let me tell you, I knew I was gay before I started first grade.

And, kids these days, with access to smart phones and computers before they can put sentences together, know far more about sex and things they shouldn’t know about by the fourth and fifth grade.

Maybe “the children” need real facts from educated people and not education from a Google search!

THIS! — ME AS A CHILD 🙂

SPEAKING OF DELICIOUS…

I still haven’t tried the Peanut Butter Puppy Chow Blizzard or the Cotton Candy Blizzard from Dairy Queen…

Or, the new Cotton Candy Oreos!

TO SHAVE OR NOT TO SHAVE?

Last fall when I visited Turkey, I decided to grow a mustache to see what I thought of it. When I was young, it really wouldn’t fill in.

Once I got home, I shaved it off and started growing it again in December while in Palm Springs and I loved it.

I was almost to the point of shaving it off when a package arrived at work this week. In the past, I’ve been sent books, a pug figurine, and baked good.

This time, it was disposable razors!

Subtle, NO! Hilarious, YES!

So, I posted the story on my work Facebook page asking if I should shave it off? Here are the results over the past three days.

GONE COUNTRY?

A couple of months ago, I talked about slowly taking a chance on country music again. There’s still so much I have no desire to listen to, but some of it is enjoyable.

Since I gave up on the genre almost two decades ago, I thought Michael Ray in 2015 would win me over, but it didn’t.

And, I still think that Canadian Brett Kissel should be a huge star in the U.S. I wrote about him in early 2016.

“Drinkaby” by Cole Swindell is the song that caught my attention this spring and made me program a local country station into my car stereo.

Since then, I really enjoy hearing “Famous Friends”, the most played country song of 2021, from Chris Young and Kane Brown.

“80 FOR BRADY”

I absolutely love Sally Field and Jane Fonda and I like Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno. They’re all great in this box office smash from earlier this year.

And, of course, Tom Brady is a hottie.

Now, what was I saying? Oh, the movie.

The first part was okay setting up the story of these older women wanting to see Brady play in the Super Bowl.

Well, they get to the game and the movie really takes off after they’re given edible cannabis at a party. (OMG, I’m glad I proofread. Originally, I wrote “cannibal”! Maybe I had the next movie review on the brain!)

The funniest scene in the movie is when Betty (Field) is flirting with a very sexy young man (36) and she crushes him with a comment about his smile. It still cracks me up thinking about it!

GRADE: B

“BONES AND ALL”

Who doesn’t pine for a good cannibal love story? Okay, there aren’t too many of them.

The subliminal love story between Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) in the three-season NBC series, “Hannibal” was amazing.

I wish it’d be brought back on some network or as a movie.

“Bones and All” is a cannibal love story between a Kentucky kid (no, not me), Lee, played by Timothee Chalamet, and Maren (Taylor Russell).

I struggled to stay interested in the two-hour-plus movie until about midway through. And, the ending was the best part of the movie.

GRADE: C-

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — June 2, 2023

Meteorological summer is here. That’s the three hottest months of the year (June, July, and August).

For those wanting hot weather, enjoy it for me and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.

I’m ready for fall!

PRESIDENT CARTER UPDATE

Three months ago, my idol, former President Jimmy Carter entered end-of-life hospice care.

His grandson, lawyer and former Senator Jason Carter recently gave an update on his grandfather.

He says President Carter is in good spirits and is enjoying visits from his family. NBC News reports that he “follows public discussion of his legacy and receives updates on The Carter Center’s humanitarian work around the world”.

And, President Carter still enjoys ice cream. His favorite, of course, peanut butter!

President Carter and Rosalynn will celebrate their 77th wedding anniversary on July 7th.

Jason Carter recently told a group, “We did think that when he went into hospice it was very close to the end. Now, I’m just going to tell you, he’s going to be 99 in October.” (His birthday is October 1st.)

ROSALYNN CARTER HEALTH UPDATE

Sadly, in another update earlier this week, the Carter Center announced that former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has dementia.

She turns 96 on August 18th.

KNOW YOUR STATUS

Since we’re talking health, World AIDS Day is six months away (December 1st).

While I’m not sexually active, it’s always good to know your HIV and STD status. Free and confidential testing is available in most places!

I did it recently, just in case I start dating this summer after six years!

AMERICANS EATING HEALTHIER?

In 2022, retails sales of fruits (+4.6%) and vegetables (+3.5%) were up. I’d love to say it’s because Americans are eating healthier and eating less meat. But, those increases were because of higher prices, not volume!

So, what do you think the five biggest selling fruits and veggies were in 2022?

For fruits (percentages are households buying): #5 Melons (68%), #4 Strawberries (71%), #3 Grapes (74%), #2, Apples (78%), and at 84% and #1.

On the vegetable side, #5 Carrots (78%), #4 Lettuce (80%), #3 Tomatoes (81%), #2 Onions (84%), and at #1 Potatoes (85%).

The biggest drop from 2021 was cherries (down 7.3%) and the biggest increase was blackberries (up 1.4%).

This research is conducted by Circana, a partner with the International Fresh Produce Association.

ANOTHER TINA TURNER THOUGHT

It’s been just over a week since Tina Turner passed away at the age of 83 at her home in Switzerland.

She is now the tenth person from 1985’s “USA For Africa” (44 singers — 21 leads and 23 back-up singers in the chorus) that recorded the iconic charity single, “We Are The World”, to die.

Waylon Jennings was the first to die in 2002. He was followed by Ray Charles (2004), June Pointer of the Pointer Sisters (2006), Michael Jackson (2009), Al Jarreau (2017), James Ingram (2019), Kenny Rogers (2020), Anita Pointer of the Pointer Sisters (2022), and Harry Belafonte (April 2023).

“WE ARE THE WORLD”

The song not only reached #1 in just four weeks in the United States after its spring release in 1985, it hit #1 all over the world and has sold more than 20 million copies.

It’s the eighth-biggest selling physical single of all time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to the absolutely gorgeous and stunning Kylie Minogue!

I hope she had an incredible day and I wish her the best this summer!

I’m so excited for “Tension”, her 16th studio album that drops September 22nd and I hope the announcement of American tour dates comes soon (more specifically, a Las Vegas residency).

Her latest single is racing up charts across the world. It’s already in the Top Ten on dance charts in the U.S. and the U.K. (and in the Top Ten on the Indie charts in the U.K.)

“KNOCK AT THE CABIN”

I really, really wanted to love this movie.

It features openly gay actors playing a gay couple. And, one of them is Ben Aldridge.

I fell in love with him in “Spoiler Alert” (another movie that I really, really wanted to love since the book, based on a true story, was incredible). Sadly, I didn’t love either of them, but I liked “Spoiler Alert” more.

And, I still absolutely love Aldridge.

This M. Night Shyamalan-directed apocalyptic movie had great potential.

Four creepy people show at the cabin and tell the couple and their little girl that they have to sacrifice one of them in order to save the world from disasters and the apocalypse.

And, forgive me, I just CANNOT look at Dave Bautista for any period of time, even though his tattoos in this movie were cool.

GRADE: B-

“AMERICAN HORROR STORY”

The FX series is truly a horror story now and I have the reason I need to just cut ties and stop watching — Kim Kardashian!

She’ll be guest starring in the 12th season “Delicate” that is being shot now. Actually, production has halted because of the writers’ strike — so, for me and because of Kim, there is a God!

While the last season, “NYC”, in 2022, was one of my favorites, it was also the least watched. Only about 190,000 people watched the finale. That’s less than one-quarter of a million people!

It could be that people are tired of the series, the quality has diminished, or the subject matter (AIDS, gay sex, graphic violence, and sexual situations). And, maybe viewers were afraid to watch ten episodes of it! 🙂

Russell Tovey was so, so hot!

Here’s my ranking of the first eleven seasons:

#11 “Double Feature” (season ten, 2021)

#10 “Freak Show” (season four, 2014) — The highlight!

#9 “Hotel” (season five, 2015)

#8 “Roanoke” (season six, 2016)

#7 “Apocalypse” (season eight, 2018)

#6 “Coven” (season three, 2013)

#5 “1984” (season nine, 2019)

#4 “NYC” (season eleven, 2022)

#3 “Murder House” (season one, 2011)

#2 “Cult” (season seven, 2017)

#1 “Asylum” (season two, 2012)

Oh, back to Kimmy!

I’ve only mentioned her seven times before today since 2012 when I started my blog.

This first mentioned still cracks me up: From the “Golden Globes”, host Ricky Gervais: “The Golden Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton – a bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought – allegedly.”

“OFFICIAL AND CONFIDENTIAL: THE SECRET LIFE OF J. EDGAR HOOVER”

Although I despised FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover because he was a vile and disgusting man, I should have higher regards for him since he was gay. However, he was an evil, self-loathing, closeted gay man.

Here are a few innocent things I learned about him from Anthony Summers’ 1993 book.

• In November 1918, just a couple of months before his 24th birthday, he was promoted to Special Attorney at the Justice Department with an annual salary of $2,000 (this would be $40,180 in 2023).

• While he wanted him gone, president-elect Nixon reappointed Hoover after his 1968 victory at an annual salary of $42,500 (in 2023, that would be $372,000!)

• Hoover worked for eight presidents and he made it point to dig up whatever he could on them and every member of Congress. After his fall from grace, President Nixon said of Hoover, “Information was one of the primary sources of Edgar Hoover’s power. He usually knew something about everything that was going on, and that knowledge made him valuable to his friends as it made him dangerous to his enemies.”

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — May 26, 2023

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!

Spooky pic.twitter.com/WCURfAhAzz

— CCTV_IDIOTS (@cctv_idiots) July 21, 2022

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

Random Friday Thoughts — May 5 & 12, 2023

Happy May!

We’re taking a little trip “across the pond” this week. Don’t worry about packing or a passport.

Enjoy your weekend and thank you for checking out my thoughts!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

To all of the women out there, mother or not, celebrate yourself this weekend and every weekend.

While I haven’t been able to celebrate with my mother since 1991, Dessie, I think of you every day.

And, to my wonderful sister, Tammy, Happy Mother’s Day!

One day, your kids may realize they should have celebrated you more and spent more quality time with you. I’m glad you’re my BFF!

KING CHARLES’ CORONATION

74-year-old King Charles III (long known as Prince Charles) was formally crowned the first Saturday of May.

His wait to become king was just over 70 years.

Behind him in the longest wait — Edward VII. He ascended the throne to succeed Queen Victoria, who ruled 63 years 216 days.

While the coronation of King Charles III is exciting for a large portion of the U.K. and lovers of the monarchy worldwide, I could care less.

After Queen Elizabeth II’s reign of 70 years and 214 days (the longest of any British monarch), there is nothing he can do to move out of her shadow and will merely just be a footnote in history. And, I feel the same for Prince William.

Well before Queen Elizabeth’s death in September 2022, I, personally, thought the monarchy would have a hard time having a lasting impact on the world stage in the future — whether with King Charles, William, Prince of Wales (his successor) or Prince George of Wales (second in line to the throne).

With that being said, King Charles has done a lot for the environment and charities and I’m sure William will do the same.

But, they’re very lackluster and let’s face it, they’re not a queen or The Queen!

PARTING THOUGHTS ON KING CHARLES III

One of the first impressions (and I’m sure it’ll be a lasting one) the new King gave the world was his tantrum in September 2022.

While signing a document, he put the wrong date on it, but he lost it when the pen starting leaking!

What a cry baby!

While we might never had known (Princess) Diana Spencer, I wish the Queen had not interfered in his relationship with Camilla, the love of his life, for a more suitable bride to be the future queen.

That marriage and her work as a royal made Diana an international icon, yet it destroyed her and eventually cost her her life.

I’m glad that Charles and Camilla finally got to live their “love story” publicly, even if was as an older couple.

“SPARE”

I just finished Prince Harry’s 2023 autobiography, “Spare”, and it was an excellent book.

I know it’s just one side of the drama between the Duke of Sussex (Harry), his brother, the Prince of Wales and the future King (William), and his father, King Charles III.

However, it’s a poignant story of how life is as a royal. Yes, there are advantages.

But, there are many disadvantages (look at King Charles’ love life). We know that Queen Elizabeth II’s took on the “never complain, never explain” motto.

Even with his major stumbles in life (the Nazi costume party outfit and choice of words with racial sensitivities), he’s always been my favorite of Charles and Diana’s children.

While Prince William is the “heir” and there is more pressure on him to be “king-like”, he’s stuffy and boring.

And, if most of what Prince Harry says of his brother is true, he’s a louse!

“Spare” is a “must read” just to get an inside look from a royal on how the royals live!

MY THREE CONNECTIONS TO THE MONARCHY

My first connection came in August 1997 while working my second television news job in Lubbock, Texas.

My co-anchor and I broke into Saturday night programming after our news ended to alert those still watching our station that Princess Diana had died from her car accident injuries — CBS still had not broken into programming with the news.

My second connection was at a speaking engagement for Sarah, Duchess of York, in Bettendorf, Iowa, in 2010.

During the event, a drawing was held and I won.

A while later, a package arrived from Windsor Castle with Fergie’s book, “Little Red to the Rescue”, inside with a message from the Duchess!!!

And, my third connection is being a pug “Dog Dad”.

King Edward VIII ruled for most of 1936 before abdicating the throne to his brother. He and his wife, American socialite Wallis Simpson, loved pugs.

Edward owned at least eleven of them and most were bred in the United States.

Some of their names were “Imp”, “Disraeli”, “Trooper”, “Mr. Chu”, “Rufus”, “Winston”, “Davy Crockett”, “Minoru”, “Ginseng”, and “Diamond”.

One more monarchy note: King Edward VIII became Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, after his brother, King George VI, took over in December 1936. (Queen Elizabeth II then took over after her father’s death in early 1952.)

“THE CROWN”

The sixth and final season of the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series, “The Crown” will likely drop in November (four of the past five seasons debuted in November and the other in December).  

This season will pick up where season five ended — it’s 1997 (just before Princess Diana’s death) and it’ll move into the 21st century of the Queen’s reign.

And, after reading Prince Harry’s book, I don’t want to hear anything else about the historical inaccuracies of the series after all of the drama he talked about in “Spare”!

“Where there’s smoke…”

“SAY SAY SAY”

If you’re of a certain age (i.e. my age) or a fan of 1980s music, you know that Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson had two hits together as duet partners, “The Girl Is Mine” (#2, 1983) and “Say Say Say” (#1 for six weeks at the end of 1983 and early in 1984).

“Say Say Say” is getting a new chance at success almost 40 years later.

Norwegian DJ Kygo’s remix marks McCartney’s first appearance on the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart and only Jackson’s second (“Thriller 2017” reached #30).

I really like this dance version!

In 2019, Kygo took his version of Whitney Houston’s remake of “Higher Love” to #1 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.

The song also received quite a bit of Top 40 radio airplay!

Steve Winwood and Chaka Khan’s original topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986.

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 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

Three Years & It’ll Always Will Be Struggle

Few have perfect lives. Some think they do, but I find those people a little suspect.

Many struggle financially. Some of those struggles are brought on by life’s circumstances and others caused by poor judgement. And, there are those that continuously make poor decisions.

While definitely not wealthy, I’m financially secure. If I want to travel or buy something, I can and it wouldn’t be a struggle. However, not all struggles are financial.

I’ve been fighting a demon since 1986 and it’ll be something I’ll struggle with and battle until the day I die. It’s the most basic thing that sustains life — along with air and water — FOOD!

Once my eating disorder started, I was a practicing bulimic for eight consecutive years (until 1994) and my weight dropped from 169 pounds to 116 pounds.

With the ignorance and the stigma surrounding the AIDS epidemic, the 1980s and the 1990s were not the time for a gay man to be frighteningly thin.

CLIMBING ON THE WAGON AND FALLING OFF (AGAIN AND AGAIN)

In July 1994, when I moved from my small Kentucky hometown to Chicago, I got on the wagon for a several months and gained a few pounds.

And then, in October, I met a charming psycho on my birthday. Dating quickly turned into a cycle of domestic abuse leading to a spring 1995 break-up. That turned into a stalker situation and a near-death experience at his violent hands.

This is a photo just after that final attack with my childhood best friend, Steve, who was visiting at the time.

You can see how alarmingly thin I was and how my clothes fit (and the gash on my forehead and the black eye)!

Okay, it’s in the past so I can laugh about this now.

When I went to the emergency room that night, the nurse looked at me with blood on my face, and asked “Which of you is the victim?” Steve and I still laugh about it to this day. (That facility looked like Haddonfield Memorial Hospital in “Halloween 2” (1981) and was staffed as poorly!)

Back to my story… needless to say, I fell off the wagon hard. However, at the darkest point that spring, I met Christopher and started my longest relationship and I got back on the wagon.

Even after we broke up after nine years (2004) and I started another relationship in 2009, I fought the food demons hard. While there were temporary bulimic lapses, I was eating sensibly and keeping the food down from 1995 through 2016.

Between the stress and disappointment of the 2016 presidential election coming at the same time my marriage and eight-year relationship was ending, I fell off the wagon again for about a year. But, I found my way back to healthy eating.

Another (non-dating) stalker situation, in Duluth, Minnesota, with the police involved, pushed me back over the edge and back to binging and purging in late 2019 and early 2020. And, that was before the stress of the pandemic.

A NEW START

As I was making my latest life move from Duluth to Decatur, Illinois on April 1, 2020, it was my chance to climb up on that wagon and take control again.

I did and I’m happy to say I’m at the three-year mark and living a healthy life!!!

In my three years in Decatur, I’ve spent much of the time walking 12-16 miles each day around beautiful Lake Decatur reading books and magazines.

It’s keeping my mind and body active.

I moved here a very unhealthy 139 pounds.

Now, I eat sensibly every day and I still enjoy several daily bites of dessert and an occasional buffet. (There were more of them when I traveled internationally, especially at breakfast! This is in Turkey. Yes, I ate every bite, kept it down, and walked it off!)

My only concern is that I’ve replaced one obsessive destructive disorder (bulimia) with by another obsessive compulsive disorder (exercise and burning off more calories than I consume)!

While I’m celebrating three years back on the wagon, I’m scared now that I’ve become a “Dog Dad” to a sweet and adorable (and crazy) little pug, Xanadu.

With the time I’m putting into potty training, obedience training, and watching her every move in the apartment, I’m no longer walking 12-plus miles a day (which was probably too much). I’m afraid that I’ll start gaining weight again by only walking six or eight miles a day.

In reality, gaining ten pounds would probably do me good. However, unless you’ve experienced an eating disorder, you don’t know how just a few pounds of weight gain can mess with your mind — much less ten pounds.

I’ve now had Xanadu a month and I’m still at ease with my weight of 140, but I think of it many times each day.

THE FUTURE

With the exception of still being single after six years, life is good.

I’m celebrating not only three years on the wagon, but also three years as the morning meteorologist at WAND and I still have two more years on my contract.

I love having my sister, Tammy, here in Decatur with me and she’s still doing well after almost dying during the holiday season of 2021 and early 2022.

She’s healthier now than she’s been in many years — if only she’d stop smoking, exercise some, and eat healthier.

I’m loving the crazy little pug, when I’m not mad at her for the incessant biting thinking I’m a “chew toy”.

And, I’m still enjoying my second Decatur apartment that I’ve been in now for over a year.

Now, I’m looking forward to having Xanadu trained so she can take one walk around the Lake with me and to be sociable enough to have people over for dinner and parties.

So, today, I congratulate myself on three years. Here’s to the next three years — day by day by day! (And, this is for anyone fighting demons every day!)

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — March 10, 2023

Winter is winding down and spring is now just over a week away.

In Central Illinois, we experienced a spring-like day earlier this week with a high of 70° and snow is expected this weekend.

Speaking of the weekend, enjoy yours and thank you for checking out my thoughts.

XANADU — THE FIRST TWO WEEKS

Last week, I shared that I’m now a “Dog Dad” again and I introduced you to #Pug2023 — Xanadu.

She’s had more wins than losses in the potty training process, but that’s because I’m watching her like a hawk when she’s inside.

In the two weeks since I’ve had her, she’s gained one-and-a-half pounds and now weighs six pounds!

She also experienced her first snow (less than an inch) after a rainy day with near hurricane-force winds!

And, she was intrigued by the cold of the ice and enjoyed licking it!

It’s incredible how, like a baby, everything she sees goes into her mouth outside! And, I guess there’s an upside to her biting — she allows my fingers in her mouth to take everything out that she picks up!

Xanadu is becoming much more sociable to people and to the select dogs I’m letting her near until she’s fully vaccinated.

WHY EVEN BOTHER WATCHING?

There are so many streaming services out there, with Netflix being the biggest, and many create its own original content.

And, then if they don’t get “Game of Thrones” or “Ozark” viewership numbers, they cancel the series after just a season or two.

This is never more apparent that now. So, my question is, why even bother investing time into a new series that won’t have a conclusion?

“UNCOUPLED” LIVES!

This happened to the Netflix series “Uncoupled” that I watched last summer.

It was cancelled on a cliffhanger after one season. Luckily, it was picked up by Showtime.

If you haven’t watched it, here’s what I wrote about it:

“Neil Patrick Harris leads this eight-episode, Netflix series, alongside Tisha Campbell, Tuc Williams, and Marcia Gay Harden. This is the show that got me to thinking about my life.

Michael and his boyfriend have been together 17 years and he’s planning a surprise 50th birthday party for his partner. However, it’s Michael that gets the biggest surprise right before he and Colin walk into the party. Colin tells him that he’s moving out!

The series is very funny, sexy, and naughty!

The one thing I didn’t like was Michael’s excessive whining and crying about moving on without Colin.

Don’t get me wrong! I shed tears after my marriage fell apart, but life goes on!

It’s so great seeing Campbell again, even though she’s been actively working since 1990s “Martin”. She plays Michael’s real estate agent colleague and friend Suzanne.”

GRADE: B+

“MARCH MADNESS”

While spring officially begins Monday, March 20th, it’s “Selection Sunday” weekend for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

I might wager $10 this year and put forth my brackets for “March Madness” at work.

In 2013, I was successful in picking Louisville beating Michigan in the finals.

Not only did I win $144 at work, but I also won a 55″ wide screen television from a local store in the Quad Cities. And, it still works!

MY OSCAR PICKS

The Academy Awards are Sunday night.

Here are my picks in the big categories — who will win, who might win, and who I want to win!

Best Picture: I have it narrowed down to three: “All Quiet on the Western Front”, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”, and “Tár”.

WILL WIN: “EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE“

MIGHT WIN: “ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT”

I WANT TO WIN: “TAR” OR “EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE”

Best Director: My final two are Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) or Steven Spielberg (“The Fabelmans”)

WHO WILL WIN: THE DANIELS

WHO MIGHT WIN: SPIELBERG

WHO I WANT TO WIN: THE DANIELS

Best Lead Actor: My two final choices are Austin Butler (“Elvis”) and Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”) 

WHO WILL WIN: FRASER

WHO MIGHT WIN: BUTLER

WHO I WANT TO WIN: NOT COMMITTED SINCE I HAVEN’T SEEN “THE WHALE” YET.

Best Lead Actress: My finalists are Cate Blanchett (“Tár”) and Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

WHO WILL WIN: YEOH

WHO MIGHT WIN: BLANCHETT

WHO I WANT TO WIN: A TIE — YEOH AND BLANCHETT BOTH GETTING OSCARS!

Best Supporting Actor:

WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Best Supporting Actress: I’ve narrowed it down to Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) and Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

WHO WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: CURTIS

WHO MIGHT WIN: BASSETT

Best Adapted Screenplay: My finalists are “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Women Talking”

WHO WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: “ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT”

WHO MIGHT WIN: “WOMEN TALKING”

Best Original Screenplay: My finalists are “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Tár”

WILL WIN & WANT TO WIN: “EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE”

Best Original Song: This is no contest and I’d be shocked if “Naatu Naatu” doesn’t win!

“Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman”

“Hold My Hand” from “Top Gun: Maverick”

“Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”

“Naatu Naatu” from “RRR”  

“This Is a Life” from “Everything Everywhere All at Once” 

WILL WIN & I WANT TO WIN: “NAATU NAATU”

“EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE”

Typically, this would not be my kind of movie.

I watched it last December because of the awards seasons buzz and I love Michelle Yeoh. (Yes, I’m crying because we may never see the sequels to “Crazy Rich Asians”.)

The movie has already picked up the equivalent of “Best Picture” at the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Yeoh has already won about three dozen Best Actress awards with the Oscars coming down to her and Cate Blanchett.

Ke Hu Quan, who plays Yeoh’s husband, is almost a shoe-in for the Oscar, and Jamie Lee Curtis earned her first Academy Award nomination for the movie in the Best Supporting Actress category.

While the movie ended up being my #6 movie of 2022, I’m so ready to watch it again just to see what I missed the first time since it was so mind-blowing!

GRADE: A-

I’M SO IN LOVE WITH MICHELLE YEOH

I’ve been singing the praises of “Crazy Rich Asians” for years.

When I saw the movie in August 2018, I gave it an “A” calling it “a classic romantic comedy — a masterpiece of not only love, but culture.” in a blog titled, ‘“Crazy Rich Asians” Sparkles — Fascinating & Irresistible”‘.

In that piece, I called Michelle Yeoh “ageless and gorgeous”. And, now that beauty graces the new “People” magazine.

The accompanying article on Yeoh is incredible — just hearing in her own words about the battles and stereotypes she’s been fighting since coming to Hollywood!

While I showed the cover because it’s beautiful, I also featured it because of the emerald ring from “Crazy Rich Asians”. It’s actually her ring and wasn’t just a movie prop!

However, here’s my favorite photo from the “People” article.

Now, just give her the Best Actress Oscar already (and if you’re reading this after Sunday night, you’ll know if the Academy Awards did just that)!

“YOU PEOPLE”

With a cast led by eight-time Emmy Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Eddie Murphy, how could you go wrong? Well, pretty easily!

The romantic-comedy movie is about race. Broker and podcaster Ezra (Jonah Hill), who is Jewish, meets and falls in love with fashion designer Amira (Lauren London), who is Black.

Dreyfus plays Ezra’s mother who tries too hard to show how thrilled she is by having a future daughter-in-law that’s Black. Meanwhile, Murphy doesn’t try hard enough to hide his feelings about having a white Jewish son-in-law.

While Louis-Dreyfus was great, the standouts in the movie were London and Sam Jay, who plays Mo, Ezra’s podcast sidekick, who’s a Black lesbian.

One of my favorite actors, David Duchovny, is pretty much wasted in this movie — not drunk-wasted, just no real purpose in the movie.

GRADE: C-

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Life Is Full Of Changes

Let’s play a game!!!

While “The 10,000 Pyramid”, “Press Your Luck”, and “Jeopardy” are my favorite game shows, let’s go with “Wheel of Fortune”.

We’ll allow Vanna White and ignore Pat Sajak!

If we pretend this is the bonus round, you’d get the R, S, T, L, N, and E free. That places an “N” in the third spot.

And, since I can’t play with each of you individually, I’ll pick the three additional consonants and an extra vowel for you, B – O – Y – C.

Okay, I didn’t help you very much. None of those are on there. 🙂

I’ll give you a few seconds to think about it.

Well, did you guess this?

As you know, “Xanadu” by Olivia Newton-John is one of my favorite songs of all time.

It was #3 on my countdown of my favorite songs of my first 35 years!

And, I’ve added the lyrics to several of my blogs and Christmas letters over the past few years —  ♪♪♪ “a place where nobody dared to go” where “a million lights are dancing and there you are – a shooting star” ♪♪.

The first person I played this particular puzzle with was my friend, Katie, back in Duluth, Minnesota. Without any letters, she guess O-L-I-V-I-A, which was eerily close to the answer.

Last Saturday, my life, as I know it, changed drastically. I should stop babbling.

Let me show you the “Wheel of Fortune” answer reveal again.

Notice anything different this time?

My friends, let me introduce you to #Pug2023 — XANADU!

#Pug2023 is a technicality because she was born December 29, 2022, while her “people” were on trip to Tennessee. So, while she was born in the South, she’s an Illinois girl.

After over 11 years — 4,039 days more precisely — I’m officially a “Dog Dad” again!

She loves sharing puppy kisses and her adorable puppy breath!

I took a week off work to bond and to work on potty training. (Good Lord, I’d forgotten how torturous this is!)

A few things I noticed on the first day and these might be “pug” things, not just puppy things: She loves to lick you and she wants you in sight at all times. I think it’s a “pug” thing because I’ve read they’re “Velcro” dogs that want to be attached to you.

She’s so adorable when she’s sleeping…

…but, not so lady-like!

Until I got her, she had never been outside and it was interesting watching her react to the grass and leaves and temperatures in the 30s. She also experienced her first rain and thunderstorm. It definitely made her more focused on doing her outdoor business.

And, one thing I’d forgotten about puppies — the razor-sharp piranha teeth. The first day, the victim was my right hand with six cuts and scrapes! (After five days, 32!)

This below was the second morning after I woke her up to go out before sunrise. She came back to bed feisty, fussy, and bitey!

Tuesday morning, she bloodied my ear and upper lip! (Good thing I kept my mustache from my travels!) And, Wednesday, the lower lip! Yes, she’s fast and snappy!

It’s interesting because when she wakes up, she gives you a zillion kisses and when she’s sleepy, she becomes a fierce biter — just like children get cranky when they’re tired.

I’m not sure why I didn’t think about these earlier. However, on Tuesday, I quickly ordered her “Teething Puppy Chew Toys”!

Since I don’t plan on giving her people food, she’ll get to experience chicken and peanut butter flavor here!

Thursday update: Well, that didn’t work. I’m now picking up smaller twists for her to chew on!

On the second day in her new home, she got to meet her Aunt Tammy. On that first visit, she was ready for a nap and not very social.

However, on their second visit, Xanadu wanted Tammy to hold her and she showered her with kisses, too.

When I met the pugs, the other two girls were indifferent to me and wouldn’t make eye contact. The third one did and was full of kisses and started snuggling.

So, she became Xanadu — all 4.4 pounds of her — more than I, a preemie, weighed when I was born!

That’s exactly how it went with my last sweetheart, ABBA, in 2000. I let the golden retriever choose me. 

When the mom and the puppies came outside, all of the little creatures frantically chased their mother trying to nurse — except one. The runt wandered around just sniffing the air and walked over to me. It curiously sniffed my finger, licked it, and then bit me.

I rubbed the little furry, beautiful golden, and picked it up.  I held it for a few minutes and put it back on the ground and rolled it around in the grass.  It was a girl and she became ABBA.

And, Xanadu is totally intrigued with the mirrors and wondering why there’s another pug! It’s funny watching her bark at the mirror!

Here’s a little video of it:

On Thursday, she discovered the warmth of sun shining through the window on her face and promptly fell asleep on the late winter morning.

And, one more thought: She’s been called many things since I got her and the biting started. But, thinking of the 1984 classic, “Gremlins”, I think she’s more Stripe (without the stripe) than Gizmo! 🙂

Now, I have a cuddle buddy that I might share my treats with — if I succeed at potty training and get past the biting stage until those little piranha teeth fall out!

Love,

Anthony & Xanadu

P.S. Her mom and dad’s names are Daisy and Cashmere. Miss ABBA’s mom and dad were Dolly and Fletcher!

P.S. 2 While her name is Xanadu, her nickname is already “Little Puggy”!