Nine months of the year are almost behind us and the spooky, the thankfully tasty, and the merry and bright seasons are ahead of us.
Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts this week.
HAPPY FALL FROM MISS XANADU
Crazy pug Xanadu is 9-months-old now and up to 17 pounds! She’s definitely taking in the sights of autumn.
And, she’s a total garbage mouth and loves the crunch of half-eaten acorns left behind by squirrels.
At first, I didn’t pay too much attention to her munching them — other than the awkward poop since they don’t break down.
However, after she got sick and vomited the other night, I did my research and learned that acorns are toxic to dogs!
Acorn poisoning will first cause vomiting and can lead to kidney and liver damage. And, in rare cases, death!
The more you know!
BOOK BANS
PEN America reports that book bans were up 33% across the United States during the 2022-23 school year compared to 2021-22.
And, it should come as no shock that Florida leads the U.S. at 40%. Texas is in second place in book bans. (Other states in the top five: Missouri, Utah, and South Carolina.)
The largest group of targeted books are those with LGBTQ+ themes and from queer authors.
People, if you don’t want to read them, move on and entertain yourself!
HOMOPHOBIA & COUNTRY MUSIC (SHOCKER!)
Gay country singer Adam Mac recently dropped out of the Logan County Tobacco and Heritage Festival in his hometown of Russellville, Kentucky.
His reasoning — he heard that board members were “concerned” he’d be “promoting homosexuality” while performing.
Since then, several friends of the LGBTQ+ community in country music have come out in support of Adam Mac including Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini, along with queer singers Chely Wright and Brandi Clark.
While they may have contacted Adam Mac personally, no male country music star has publicly supported him!
For the record, I didn’t know of him before this controversy. But, I’m going to give him a listen now — just because.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT CARTER
On Sunday, my idol, President Jimmy Carter turns 99-years-old.
For anyone, turning 99 is remarkable. It’s even more so for President Carter because in February, he entered home hospice after a series of short hospital stays.
In the past seven months, he and his wife, Rosalynn, who is living with dementia, at age 96, have stayed out of sight.
However, they made a surprise visit last weekend at the Plains Peanut Festival, where they live!
Also, President Carter is the oldest living president and he and his wife, Rosalynn, have been married for now over 77 years, making them the longest-wed presidential couple.
CRAZY PUG LOVES HELPING
Back in August, Sophia, a colleague at work, left to pursue another career opportunities and I baked her a peanut butter-chocolate ganache cheesecake. It was rather tasty!
Well, pug Xanadu loved helping with the pre-wash cycle. Ironically, I didn’t add the music (Dead or Alive) to the video.
It was playing in the background, but worked well with her madness of licking the spatula! 🙂
“WHAT HE DIDN’T DO”
I started listening to country music some after coming across Cole Swindell’s “Drinkaby” earlier this year.
This Carly Pearce song caught my attention and it’s one of my favorites now.
On March 27, 2023, it reached number one on the Mediabase chart, becoming the first woman in 80 weeks to top the country radio charts with a solo track.
Some believe that the song might be about her ex-husband, country singer Michael Ray.
JUST SAYING
For Carly Pearce, her man was left for what he didn’t do.
For some (or many), it’s what “he did”!
“TENSION” BY KYLIE MINOGUE
As you know, I’ve been excited for months about the release of Kylie Minogue’s 16th studio album, “Tension”, that came out last Friday.
I bought the 14-song deluxe version and it’s an incredible follow-up to her 2020 masterpiece, “Disco”!
As much as I enjoy “Padam Padam” and “Tension”, the first two singles, and both are perfect choices, my favorite song on the album is “Hold On To Now”.
I expect this to be the third single.
Another standout is “10 Out of 10” with Oliver Heldens. It was released as a teaser before “Padam Padam” was chosen as the first single.
And, “Vegas High” is superb! (If only I had tickets to see one of her 20 shows at the Venetian in Vegas!)
While every song on the album is solid, my other favorites are: “Things We Do for Love”, “Story”, “One More Time”, and “Green Light”.
Of the three extra songs on the deluxe version, “Love Train” is my favorite.
“THE SUSPECT”
I came across this five episode-one season British police procedural television series and it was enjoyable.
Clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin (Aidan Turner) is called in to assist police after a woman was found dead in a cemetery from 21 self-inflicted stab wounds.
As the show progresses, O’Loughlin becomes a suspect in the murder.
GRADE: B+
“JUSTIFIED: CITY PRIMEVAL”
“Justified” ran for six seasons on FX (2010-2015).
I binge watched in early 2021 and loved it, especially Timothy Olyphant.
It’s tells the story of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Olyphant) having to go back to his home state of Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains as punishment for shooting a Miami thug in a questionable manner. Givens has his own set of justice that doesn’t set well with his bosses!
The series returned for eight episodes this summer with Olyphant returning as Givens.
He left Kentucky to raise his daughter in Miami, but finds himself in Detroit.
He’s looking for The Oklahoma Wildman, Clement Mansell, played by the oh so tall and oh so delicious Boyd Holbrook.
His favorite choice of dress — a kimono and tighty whities!
Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”) brought some star power to the cast and that definitely help balance out the huge mistake of having Olyphant’s real-life daughter play his character’s daughter in a few episodes!
GRADE: B-
MORE HENRY KISSINGER
Last week, I started sharing things I learned from Walter Isaacson’s 1992 look at the incredible life and career of President Richard Nixon’s Secretary of State and National Security Advisory Henry Kissinger.
Here are a few more:
When Kissinger entered government in 1969 to the time he left in 1977, his weight ballooned from 155 to 215 pounds. He loved junk food and his diet consisted of “sausages, bratwurst, eggs, cream, fried onion rings, and meat loaf”.
And, when I read biographies and autobiographies, I love hearing about real things, like what these people eat and enjoy in life. And, how lavish they live.
When Kissinger retired from government work after President Carter moved into the White House in 1977, he and his wife bought a four-bedroom duplex in Manhattan. While very impressive, what blew me away is that the dining room could seat 40 people at four large round tables!
And, finally, U.S. Democratic Senator from New York Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who worked with Kissinger at Harvard and in the Nixon White House, often repeated, “You do not understand. Henry does not lie because it is in his interest. He lies because it is in his nature.” And, because of his conspiratorial nature, Moynihan says he “helped bring on” Watergate.
ON A BRIGHTER SIDE — KISSINGER’S WIT & HUMOR
Isaacson did share several incidents of Kissinger’s humor. Here’s one:
After President-elect Carter won the 1976 election and was getting ready to move into the White House, Kissinger headed off to Brussels for a NATO meeting.
A reporter asked him, “Can you tell me what you consider to be your greatest success and your greatest failure?”. Kissinger replied, “I don’t quite understand your second point.”
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Anthony
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 