Random Friday Thoughts — October 6, 2023

Welcome to October! I have some things to talk about, some things I’m excited about for this fall, and, of course, I’m ready to decorate for the December holidays!

Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for checking out my Random Friday Thoughts!

WOULD YOU EAT THE SEAFOOD?

It’s now been more than twelve years (March 2011) since a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and the tsunami that followed destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan. 

Plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO) is now releasing a second batch of treated radioactive wastewater (7,800 tons) into the Pacific Ocean!!! The first round of discharges (also 7,800 tons) in August and September went smoothly.

The wastewater discharges are expected to continue for decades!

Fishing groups and neighboring countries, including South Korea, are strongly opposed to this. And, China has banned all imports of Japanese seafood.

TEPCO says the water is treated to reduce radioactive materials to safe levels. It’s then diluted with seawater hundreds of times to make it much safer than international standards.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says if the safety plan it reviewed is carried out as planned, it’ll have a negligible impact on the environment, marine life and human health.

Now, would you feast on seafood coming from Japan?

IT FINALLY FEELS LIKE FALL!

Pug Xanadu and I took advantage of the recent warmth.

But, we’re very happy it’s turning cooler.

Since she’s 9-months-old, this is her first fall and it’ll be her first real winter. I’m thinking she’s not going to like it — especially the cold.

‘TIS THE SEASON (YES, THE BIG ONE)!

A few weeks ago, I posted this.

Well, it’s official. Mariah Carey says so!

The Queen of Christmas announced her holiday concert tour for November and December that’ll play 13 cities across the U.S. and Canada.

In 2014, 2015, and 2016, Mariah performed her Christmas concerts only in New York City. However, in 2017, she played NYC, three shows in Europe (Paris, Manchester, and London), and Las Vegas, which is where I saw her.

That’s a little photo montage of the show I saw and here’s what I had to say about it back then: “She [Mariah Carey] 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!”

I think I need to take a road trip and see the new show!

PUMPKIN WHAT?

We know “pumpkin spice” season is getting longer and longer and Christmas items pop up in stores earlier. However, fall has now invaded our December holiday staple — egg nog!

I’ll try it if it goes on sale!

MY LATEST OBSESSION

I can’t wait to visit Las Vegas again and see the Sphere at the Venetian Resort in person.

I’m so intrigued by all of the pictures of the $2.3 billion (yes, that’s billions with a “B”), 17,600-seat arena that officially opened in late September with the U2 residency.

It’s the most expensive entertainment venue in Las Vegas history!

“THE WOMAN IN ME”

On October 24th, Britney Spears is scheduled to release her first tell-all memoir, “The Woman In Me”.

Trust me, with the stuff the pop superstar has been through, if she’s honest, this should be an interesting read.

Spears reportedly got $15 million from Simon & Schuster for telling her story!

MY FAVORITE BRITNEY SONG

“Everything”, from 2004, is my favorite Britney song.

It was the follow-up to “Toxic” from the “In The Zone” album and it reached #4 on the Billboard Top 40 Airplay chart.

“KARMA: MY BIORGRAPHY”

Also, coming this fall, Boy George will release his biography, “Karma” on November 9th.

I’m really looking forward to the book. I read his 1995 autobiography, “Take It Like A Man” with Spencer Bright.

There was a second book, “Straight”, in 2005, although I didn’t get a chance to read that one. Keep reading and I’ll share my five favorite Boy George and Culture Club songs.

What’s yours? Think about it!

NEXT WEEK IS FRIDAY THE 13TH!

“THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING”

When it comes to movies, I’m more of a drama fan than comedy.

However, I recently enjoyed “Mafia Mamma” and I just checked out “The People We Hate At The Wedding” with Allison Janney, Kristen Bell, and Ben Platt.

Their characters are invited to a European wedding of Donna’s (Janney) daughter and the half-sister of Alice (Bell) and Paul (Platt).

I love the craziness and messiness that Alice and Paul bring to the wedding.

Also, it was such a pleasure seeing Dustin Milligan (Ted from “Schitt’s Creek”) again. He still looks delicious and was so awkward and funny.

GRADE: B+

“WOMEN TALKING”

This Oscar-winning movie (Best Adapted Screenplay — written and directed by Sarah Polley) is based on the 2018 book by Miriam Toews.

The book (and the movie) is just as advertised — it’s about “Women Talking”. While this account is fictional, it’s based on a true story.

Between 2005 and 2009, in a Mennonite community in Bolivia, 151 women and girls (ranging in age from three to 65) were raped at night in their homes after being knocked out by an animal tranquilizer spray.

The men in the colony blamed it on demons or ghosts, until a group of them were caught.

The movie and the book deals with the decision the women have to make while the men are away trying to free those accused.

In a barn loft, they debate their future — stay and do nothing, stay and fight, or leave.

I read the book first and it was so compelling and heartbreaking. I finally watched the movie last week and the acting was superb. However, after reading the book, I could only watch it in 30-minute-plus blocks over three days!

GRADE: B

MY 5 FAVORITE BOY GEORGE & CULTURE CLUB SONGS

With Boy George’s biography “Karma” coming out just in time for the holidays, I thought about my favorite songs from Culture Club and Boy George. What’s yours?

“I’LL TUMBLE 4 YA”

Boy George in “Take It Like a Man”: “Jon, Roy, and Mikey took brief dancing lessons. It was hilarious. Mikey proved to the only black man with no rhythm.”

“IT’S A MIRACLE”

“MOVE AWAY”

Boy George in “Take It Like a Man” called the video shoot a “two-day catastrophe” and a “mess” with his make-up sweating off. He said, “I had no grip on time or reality.”

“THE WAR SONG”

Boy George in “Take It Like a Man” called the video “epic”.

“KARMA CHAMELEON”

Boy George in “Take It Like a Man”: “We all loathed the finished video, but wherever we traveled in the world, people said, ‘Ooh, the ‘Karma Chameleon’ video, you all look so happy.”

BOY GEORGE BONUS And, while I love several of Boy George’s solo hits and his dance tracks as a DJ, “The Crying Game” remains my favorite.

Boy George in “Take It Like a Man”: “My greatest satisfaction was securing a Top 20 U.S. hit with “The Crying Game” and going back to New York after a seven-year absence. It was great to see it through clear eyes.”

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — September 1, 2023

Happy September! Goodbye summer!

Okay, I’m getting ahead of myself since a new heat wave is building across the country, including Illinois!

Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts.

NOW THAT IT’S “METEOROLOGICAL FALL”

“Meteorological fall” is September, October, and November, the three months between the hottest and the coldest months.

Some call Labor Day the “unofficial end of summer”, but if you want to just stick to the autumnal equinox (fall), that’s September 23rd at 1:50 a.m. CDT.

Photo Credit: Shairaa/Shutterstock

EMMY AWARDS POSTPONED

With the Hollywood writers and actors strike going on, this year’s Emmy Awards have been pushed back to NEXT YEAR on January 15, 2024.

I guess this gives you time this fall to binge watch shows and performances that have been nominated.

“MONSTER: THE JEFFREY DAHMER STORY”

When the true crime series, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” hit Netflix in September 2022, it was a huge success.

The series and its stars — Evan Peters as Dahmer and Niecy Nash as Glenda Cleveland, Dahmer’s neighbor — started winning huge industry awards. The series and stars are nominated for 13 Emmy Awards (seven in the Creative Emmys category).

I watched it and it was an excellent crime series and the acting was superb!

GRADE: A-

CONTROVERSY

However, Netflix, the producers, and even the stars faced backlash from the families of the victims. They’re accusing those involved in the series of “profiting off their traumatic experiences” and “retraumatizing” the family all over again.

One victim’s relative stated, “I want people to understand this is not just a story or historical fact, these are real people’s lives.”

I fully understand that and they’re right. For them, I know the pain will never go away and seeing shows or documentaries about it dredges up the horrible memories.

However, it’s been 30-plus years and dramatizing events for television or movies are not new and it’s not unique to the Dahmer case.

I know if it was my family member, I wouldn’t be watching!

MY CONNECTION (?) WITH DAHMER

Back in the summer of 1990, at the age of 25, I moved from Kentucky to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. While I was only there for a few months into the fall, I enjoyed my job as a bartender at “Partners”, one of the oldest LGBTQ bars in the city.

One night I went out drinking with my friends and co-workers in the seedier part of the gay district at C’est La Vie and Club 219.

Needless to say, I had way too much to drink and the scary alley, while unsavory, was a great place to puke before we moved on elsewhere!!!

I didn’t think too much about it at the time, but when serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was arrested, I got chills. Club 219 was one of his favorite haunts and he picked up some of his victims there!

I used to keep journals and my night at Club 219 coincided with the stalking and murdering timeline of one of his victims.

He very well could have been lurking in the corner that night I was totally wasted!

“THE GREAT”

I just finished season three of the Hulu hit, “The Great”.

Both leads, Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult were nominated for Emmys in the lead comedy categories last year.

While I loved the first two seasons, I only liked this one. It had its moments.

As I watched this season, I found myself hoping this would be the last season. And, then when a major character was killed off (?), I realized three seasons were enough.

Well, be careful what you ask for. Earlier this week, it was cancelled.

If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it.

SEASON 3 GRADE: B-

“GOLDA”

While “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are still dominating the box office around the world, “Golda”, the movie about Israel’s first (and only) female prime minister opened to a decent box office.

In only 883 theaters, it made $1.7 million in its opening weekend. (For reference, “Barbie” was played on 3,700+ screens.)

I definitely want to see the movie, but I may have to wait until it streams or is released on DVD since it’s not playing in Decatur, Illinois.

“GOLDA: THE LIFE OF ISRAEL’S PRIME MINISTER”

For many years, I’ve been obsessed with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.

Peggy Mann’s biography is like a lover letter to the late prime minister. While a very easy and informative read, the book came out in 1971, which was bit of letdown for me.

It ended before the 1972 Olympics slaughter of Israeli athletes and how Meir handled that tragedy and it didn’t cover the last seven years of her life. Meir died in 1978.

One of the most interesting things I learned about Meir is that while she was born in the present day Ukraine, she grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Denver, Colorado, before heading back to Palestine in 1921 to help found the state of Israel (in 1948).

Her first job offer was teaching students English, but she turned it down. However, when she and her husband joined a kibbutz (a collective community based on agriculture), she took a job picking almonds!

In the 1930s, Meir went to work for a union that was one of the first to offer insurance to its workers called “womb to tomb” coverage!

Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion said of Meir: “Some day, when our history is written, it will be said that there was a Jewish woman who raised the money which made the state possible.”

In 1956, Ben-Gurion asked Meir to take the job of Foreign Minister, the second most important job in Israel. B.G., as he was known, said “She’s the best man in my Cabinet.”

When a reporter asked Meir how it felt to be a woman minister, she tartly replied, “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been a man minister.”

When she took the Foreign Minister job, she chose the name “Meir”, which meant “illuminate” in Hebrew. (It’s pronounced May-EAR). Her married last name was Myerson.

I’ll share more things I learned about Meir next week.

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony