Happy Friday the 13th! If you’re superstitious, beware!
Oh, boo! Forget you, Jason Voohres!
Michael Myers is the man and Halloween is just around the corner!
“HALLOWEEN KILLS”
After being pushed back a year last fall because of COVID-19 closing down movie theaters, Jamie Lee Curtis is ready to go up against Michael again — for the last time?
2018’s Halloween was very successful (it made $255.6 million with a $15 million budget).
The trailer for “Halloween Kills” is out and it’s incredible.
From the title and the trailer, the body count is going to be very high!
“Halloween Kills” is in theaters October 15, 2021.
I’m so ready for my large plain popcorn and large Coke Zero (and my free refills)! The last movie I saw in theaters was “Bombshell” in early 2020 about Megyn Kelly and Fox News!
TRAVEL REBOUND?
Once the COVID-19 vaccinations became available this spring and the number of cases and deaths dropped drastically earlier this summer, did you start planning any big trips?
I did!
Now, I’m very dismayed with the resurgence of cases and deaths from the “delta variant” and the unvaccinated overwhelming hospitals!
I’m going to be optimistic!
With more businesses mandating a vaccination (or weekly negative COVID tests) for employment, I hope the U.S. and the world will beat down the “delta variant” and we’ll see the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths drop again!
“GRACE AND FRANKIE”
Earlier this year, I started watching “Schitt’$ Creek” and “Grace and Frankie” at the same time. I’d watch one series during dinner one day and the other the next day.
By the time I got into the third season of “Grace and Frankie”, I started bingeing “Schitt’$ Creek” exclusively and put “Grace & Frankie” on hold.
After I finished “Creek”, I watched season four of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, a few movies, and then caught up on the new “American Horror Stories”.
As you can see, I was avoiding getting back to the Jane Fonda-Lily Tomlin series. Once I returned, I don’t know if it was because of the break or the writing or the flow changed, but seasons four, five, and six were much better!
I love Grace (Fonda), Robert (Martin Sheen), and Joan-Margaret (Millicent Martin), but Brianna (June Diane Raphael) is my favorite.
When the series returns to Netflix for the seventh and final season, I really want them to kill off Sol early in season. Okay, that may be a little harsh.
Just send him away for some reason! While I like Sam Waterston, who plays Sol, I can’t stand the character and I can’t believe that Robert wants to be with him!
Here are a couple more highlights…
The final season is being filmed now, so there’s no release date yet.
“THE MAURITANIAN”
This incredible 2021 movie is based on the true story of a man detailed at Guantanamo Bay for more than a decade without ever being charged with a crime.
While the movie was overlooked by the Academy Awards this year, it earned Jodie Foster a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and a Best Actor nomination for Tahar Rahim in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama category.
Foster plays an Albuquerque, New Mexico lawyer who takes up the case of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a man from the African country of Mauritania in 2001.
Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch co-star and were great, too.
GRADE: A
“AMERICA IN SEARCH OF ITSELF”
This 1982 book by Theodore H. White is subtitled, “The Making of the President 1956-1980”, and is a very interesting read.
Here are a couple of oily things I learned:
The first year that the United States imported more oil than it exported was in 1948. After that, we were dependent on the Middle East!
White added that during the oil shortages of the 1970s, the price for a barrel of oil from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries — originally, in 1960, four Middle Eastern countries and Venezuela) at the start of 1973 was $3.41 and jumped to $41.00 in 1980!
By that year, in the U.S. “it required an uninterrupted eight million barrels every day from overseas to maintain an entire way of life.”
“A QUIET PLACE, PART TWO”
The 2018 original was my #9 movie of the year and I gave it an “A” when I reviewed it.
Here’s what I said then: “The movie ended perfectly for a sequel and one is on the way. Does it need one? No. It’s a perfect stand alone movie.”
So, even then, I had a feeling that I’d be disappointed with the follow-up and I was!
The positives: We saw director John Krasinski again and Emily Blunt is great, but under-utilized.
Millicent Simmonds, who played Blunt and Krasinski’s daughter, is magnificent in this movie, just as she was in the original.
This one felt like it was made just because it’d bring in a lot of money like the original.
The first one made $350.3 million and this one brought in $294 million, which is great for a sequel and in the new COVID-19 landscape with theaters just opening back up.
GRADE: B-
FINAL THOUGHTS
“THE HANDMAID’S TALE”: Since I mentioned season four earlier, I loved this season. The change of pace and scenery was great.
But, I seriously hope the series in with season five!
“AMERICAN HORROR STORIES”: Not to be confused with Ryan Murphy’s other series “American Horry Story”, this is a new weekly series that features of a horror of the week instead of a storyline for the entire season.
It’s like “The X-Files” when it featured a different monster or case of the week!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Two weeks ago in my “Random Friday Thoughts”, I jokingly posted about breaking up with winter because summer is hotter!
It snowed earlier this week here in Central Illinois!!! That’s what I get! 🙂
Oh, if winter looked like this in the real world, I’d be all for it twelve months a year!
Thanks Gus (Kenworthy) for making my day!
And, thank you for taking the time to check out my thoughts this week! (Oh, apologies to the uninitiated to my blog about the pictures above, but my thoughts are really random!)
REMEMBERING WALTER MONDALE
Earlier this week, the world lost a great man when former Vice President Walter Mondale passed away at the age of 93.
Before become President Jimmy Carter’s vice president from 1977-1981 and running as the Democratic nominee for President in 1984, he served as the U.S. senator from Minnesota from 1964-1976.
Here are some interesting facts from Jonathan Alder’s 2020 book, “HIS VERY BEST, JIMMY CARTER, A LIFE”:
President Carter changed the role of Vice President. Before Carter, it was basically a useless role — other than becoming the leader of the free world in the case of the president died or became incapacitated.
But, Carter made Vice President Walter Mondale’s role real. He invited him into meetings, gave him real responsibilities, and valued his opinions.
At a farewell dinner before President Carter left office in 1981, Mondale said, “Never once did you put me down. Never once did you fail to treat me with dignity.” He made a toast and added, “We told the truth. We obeyed the law. We kept the peace.”
AND, ON A MORE INFAMOUS NOTE…
While on a high school trip to Washington D.C., future serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer called the White House and talked his way into a tour and met Vice President Mondale!
AMERICA, GET ON WITH YOUR BAD SELF!
Even though thousands are still being diagnosed with COVID-19 daily in America and the death toll continues to rise, more and more of us are fully vaccinated!
In the U.S., 26.7% of us are fully vaccinated! That’s slightly more than one-in-four!
In Illinois, we’re at 26.9% and up to 43.3% for those with at least one shot.
While this is great news, I personally feel that some are getting a little too comfortable a little too soon. However, I’m happy to see things moving toward the “new normal”.
With that being said, more and more artists are announcing fall 2021 tour dates.
In the past few weeks, Eric Church, Kane Brown, Andrea Bocelli, and Sammy Hagar announced new tour dates and Elton John and James Taylor posted new dates for their previously postponed tours.
Meanwhile, last week, Reba postponed her 2021 road concerts to 2022 and Michael Buble did the same for his 2021 U.K. dates.
I’m still waiting for Kylie Minogue to announce dates for her late 2020 critically acclaimed album, “Disco”. As I said before, she’s at the top of my concert “bucket list” and I want to see her in some foreign city!
Call it wanderlust!
How comfortable are you attending concerts with 100% capacity later this year?
I’m ready for us to safely travel again. However, it may still be a while for international travel.
At this point, only 2.8% of the world is fully vaccinated!
REBA ANNOUNCEMENT
Oh, back to Reba! When she announced the postponement of her summer arena tour, she also dropped something that made me very happy!
Yes, new music!!!!!
“ARMY OF THE DEAD”
My two most highly anticipated movies this year are “Halloween Kills” (October 15, 2021) and Netflix and Zack Snyder’s “Army of The Dead” (May 21, 2021).
I’m excited for two reasons: (1) it’s about zombies and (2) it’s set in Las Vegas!
Let’s just hope the excitement for me when I visit in June is winning big bucks (or breaking even) — no explosions or zombies, please!
The full trailer is now out and if you love Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler”, take a look and listen!
RIP JIM STEINMAN
Earlier this week, the same day that Vice President Mondale died, the rock music world lost a legendary producer.
Jim Steinman produced some of the biggest hits in pop and rock music including Bonnie Tyler’s four week #1 smash “Total Eclipse of the Heart” in 1983 and Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) in 1993, that topped the charts in 28 countries, including five weeks in the U.S., and Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”, which hit #2 in 1996.
He also wrote and produced my favorite Air Supply song from 1983, “Making Love Out of Nothing At All”. It peaked at #2 for three weeks behind Bonnie Tyler’s “Eclipse”!
“ANOTHER ROUND”
Earlier this week, I checked out the 2020 Danish movie “Druk” (which means “binge drinking”) on Hulu.
While most of you haven’t heard of it, it’s actually nominated for two Oscars this year, including Thomas Vinterberg for Best Director.
My interest in the movie is that it stars Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal”).
It’s the story of four high school teachers in Denmark going through mid-life crises.
They decide to do an experiment with alcohol, since a leading psychiatrist believes that an alcohol blood content level of 0.05 makes you more creative and relaxed.
They test the theory and push it to the limits.
While a very interesting movie, I probably wouldn’t watch it again. However, the final scene is amazing!
Spoiler Alert: The captured image above is part of that incredible last scene.
GRADE:B
MORE MADS
If you love Mads Mikkelsen and you’re going through “Hannibal” withdrawals like me, check out “Arctic”, my #9 movie of 2019.
Awesome movie!
THEY SAID WHAT???
Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace to Texas Governor Greg Abbott: “There were thousands of complaints of sexual abuse at migrant shelters during the Trump years. Not to say what’s going on now is right, but we couldn’t find one instance of you complaining & calling that out when President Trump was president.”
“ME”
I’ve read several book about and from Elton John, but his 2019 autobiography, “Me”, is by far the best!
I absolutely loved this book and I’d highly recommend it.
I was very intrigued about what he had to say about Michael Jackson (“He was genuinely mentally ill, a disturbing person to be around.”) and Tina Turner.
In 1997, he and Tina had planned to tour together but found her very difficult to work with. His band called her a “f**king nightmare” and Elton agreed!
Elton says she called him at home and told him, “She didn’t like my hair, she didn’t like the color of my piano – which for some reason had to be white – and she didn’t like my clothes.” And, then Elton says, she added, “You wear too much Versace, and it makes you look fat – you need to wear Armani.”
I loved that he and Rod Stewart have female nicknames for each other.
And, I was so touched when he told the story of how he and his husband, David Furnish, met in October 1993. (Elton was feeling down, so he called a friend and said bring others over for a dinner party before they went out to celebrate Halloween. David was one of the people his friend brought along to dinner!)
He and David are now the dads of 10-year-old Zachary and 8-year-old Elijah.
Since I haven’t had a date in more than two years, I should try that when the “new normal” post-pandemic world begins!
Also, I was curious about what he’d have to say about Madonna.
If I recall correctly, Elton mentioned her four times and three were positive. The other time he spoke of Madonna was about his anger toward her and he said he apologized to her!
THE NIGHT I SPENT WITH ELTON JOHN
Ha! That’s just tease writing! I never spent the night with Elton John — just the evening! 🙂
For my birthday weekend in 2012, I had tickets to see Madonna’s “MDNA Tour” in Las Vegas.
Earlier that year, Sir Elton John was forced to cancel nine shows due to health reasons and it was announced in the summer that he would make up those dates in October. But, I didn’t have tickets.
As luck would have it, just hours after arriving in Las Vegas, I searched ebay one last time and found fantastic rear orchestra seats for a great price. And, just like that, two hours later I was sitting there waiting for the show to begin!
I’ve always been a fan of Elton’s from the days of my childhood and his poppy ’70s songs, the fun, yet sometimes, moody hits of the ’80s, the more mature themed music of the ’90s when radio began to move away from playing his new songs (except for “The Lion King” and his tribute to Princess Diana), to his recent adult contemporary fare.
Elton closed out his 19-song set with his award-winning “Circle of Life” from “The Lion King”.
It was two hours of pure gold entertainment!!!
LAST CHANCE TO SEE ELTON
In January 2018, Elton announced his final “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour that would play more than 300 shows worldwide.
The North American leg kicked off that September and ran through March 2019 and then moved to Europe for the summer and then back to North America though November. The show moved “down under” to Australia and New Zealand from late 2019 to March 2020 when COVID-19 shut down the tour and the world!
Dates are now rescheduled and the tour is expected to resume in Europe on September 1, 2021, and return to the U.S. and Canada in January 2022 for 43 shows through April!
MY FAVORITE ELTON JOHN SONGS
On the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S., Elton has scored 58 Top 40 hits. Of those, 27 reached the Top 10 with 19 making it to the Top Five. Nine reached #1!
And, he’s had even more hits on the American Adult Contemporary charts. He’s scored 74 Top 40 hits with 40 of them making the Top 10 and 33 of those reaching the Top Five! Eighteen topped the charts!
So, it was so hard narrowing the list down….
“I’M STILL STANDING”
“THE LAST SONG”
“SAD SONGS (SAY SO MUCH)”
“EMPTY GARDEN (HEY HEY JOHNNY)”
“I GUESS THAT’S WHY THEY CALL IT THE BLUES”
What’s your favorite Elton song?
If you want to see the full blog and my other 15 favorite Elton John songs, here it is! (It should open in a new window!)
Spring is inching closer and next week, the Irish and those just wanting to eat corned beef and cabbage and drink green beer will be celebrating.
Since beer isn’t really my thing, here’s a flashback picture from my August 2013 Cancun trip of my favorite drink (green).
Not sure if it had a name, but it was a heavy pour of Smirnoff Vodka, melon liquor, a splash of sour mix topped off with a little blended (not frozen) pina colada. It was incredible!
Thank you for taking the time check out my random thoughts. Feel free to share yours, too!
Oh, back to that picture — how did get so old in the past eight years? That’s rhetorical. Don’t answer!
TIRED, LAZY MORNING NETWORK NEWS
For morning network news shows, “Breaking News” is so five minutes ago! (CNN still uses it in overkill!)
The new tired cliché is “Bombshell”! Stop now! (Unless, of course, you’re talking about the movie about Megyn Kelly, Roger Ailes, and Fox News!)
Let’s get beyond this. If you have an interview and someone says something you didn’t know, while newsworthy, that’s called “reporting”!
Case in point — earlier this week, all three morning shows, “Today”, “Good Morning America”, and “CBS This Morning” were all talking about the Harry and Meghan interview with Oprah Winfrey. And, all three had a chyron with the word “Bombshell” in it at the same time!
I’m not a fan of the Royal family (except on “The Crown”), nor do I care about Meghan Markle’s life. (I agree that some of the things she discussed bears further discussion. Otherwise, I could care less about her life in that family!)
It’s NOT a “BOMBSHELL“ in the 2020s to learn that British Royal Family is mean. Google “royal family”+”Lady Diana”!
To quote Ariana Grande, “thank u, next”!
AND, THE CATEGORY IS “SADNESS”!
One of my favorite shows is coming to an end! 😦
The upcoming third season of the critically acclaimed and fan favorite FX series, “Pose”, will be its last!
The cutting edge drama’s final season premieres May 2, 2021.
The networks says this season will take place in 1994.
“Entertainment Weekly” reports that Blanca (Mj Rodriguez) is struggling a balancing act of being a mother, being in love, and being a nurse’s aide.
Also, from “EW”, “the AIDS crisis becomes the leading cause of death for Americans aged 25-44, and Pray Tell [Emmy winner Billy Porter] grapples with his related health burdens — all while the rise of a fresh, new house forces the Evangelistas to consider their own legacy.”
As Pray Tell says, “THE CATEGORY IS LIVE.WORK.POSE.“
“I CARE A LOT”
This Netflix black comedy is incredible!
It’s the story of Marla Grayson, a con artist who makes a living by convincing judges that many of her “clients” are not competent enough to take care of themselves and she’s awarded guardianship.
It freaked me out a bit because this can happen even without YOU being present in court!
Anyway, I thought, how can this con be sustained over two hours? Well, that happens when they choose a “cherry”, an older person with a lot of money and no family interference, that really isn’t who they think she is.
Rosamund Pike is incredible as the icy, conniving Marla. She won the Golden Globe this year in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical category. It’s a well-deserved win!
Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) was incredible, too, but I really didn’t need to see him naked! (Oops, spoiler alert!)
GRADE: B+
CISSY HOUSTON
Last month, I talked about Cissy Houston and her 2013 book, “Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped”.
I had no desire to read the book because of her reaction to Oprah Winfrey while she was promoting it.
In the interview, Oprah read an excerpt that implied Whitney may have had a relationship with her assistance, Robyn Crawford, and she asked Cissy, “Would it have bothered you if your daughter, Whitney, was gay?” and she replied, “Absolutely.”
I avoided the book for eight years because of her close-minded response, but in February, I wrote, “After reading Robyn’s book [“A Song For You: My Life With Whitney Houston”], I’m going to read Cissy’s book, even if I cringe through it — to see if she mentions the gay rumors!”
Well, I read it and she didn’t spend much time talking about Robyn and Whitney and the details of their intimate (or not) relationship. She made no bones about disliking Robyn.
Actually, she spent most of the book talking about herself! It was basically a Cissy Houston biography with details about her daughter.
Yes, she felt she didn’t do enough to help Whitney, but the book was empty and I spent much of the time reading it and wishing I hadn’t. I didn’t care for Cissy Houston before reading the book and I definitely care for her less after it!
I’ll stop now because I’m keeping my honest, unkind thoughts to myself. If you haven’t read it, DON’T!
“A SONG FOR YOU: MY LIFE WITH WHITNEY HOUSTON”
Crawford’s book was much better, more honest, much more in touch. If you want to know the real Whitney, read this one instead of Cissy’s book!
MY THIRD FAVORITE WHITNEY HOUSTON SONG
MY SECOND FAVORITE WHITNEY HOUSTON SONG
MY FAVORITE WHITNEY HOUSTON SONG
NEED TO BUY A HOUSE AND INSTALL THIS
“YEAH, I SAID IT”
Comedian Wanda Sykes’ 2004 book, “Yeah, I Said It”, is so hilarious.
She definitely needs to follow it with another one just like it!
While she takes many shots at then-President George W. Bush and the Iraqi War, she also ranted about his predecessor, Bill Clinton.
I won’t quote all that she said about Clinton (whom she supported, but still called him an “idiot” and that she was “disappointed by him”) because it’s a few pages long and very adult in nature. 🙂
About Clinton lying and then recanting his story about his sexual encounters with Monica Lewinsky once they pulled out the blue dress, Sykes says, “A little DNA. Bill’s not smart. They had DNA, blood, a glove, two dead bodies, a limo driver, a barking dog, and O.J. still said, ‘I’m one hundred percent not guilty.’ Stick with the lie.”
And, Lewinsky didn’t escape unscathed. Sykes said the judge should have thrown the case out of court because she kept the dress.
Sykes: “I should throw you in jail for being nasty, Miss Nasty Ass! What else you keep, some old Q-tips and some tissue? How old are those drawers you wearing, Miss Nasty Ass? Bailiff, wipe all this off where she was sitting, too.”
Also included in the 247 pages of hilarity, she also listed the thirteen things you’ll never hear her say!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
The holiday seasons are fast approaching with Halloween up next!
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’ll be nice to put 2020 behind us and hope for a better 2021!
Just a clarification before you read it. I’m calling someone “scum of the earth” and I’m following my own advice of being “diplomatic”. The words I’d like to use would show far less diplomacy! 🙂
But, first…
HELEN REDDY, YOU’RE ALREADY MISSED!
International superstar, Grammy Award winner, Golden Globe Award nominee, and feminist Helen Reddy passed away earlier this week at the age of 78!
A movie honoring Helen and her iconic song, “I Am Woman” is out now and will be released on DVD on November 3, 2020.
I submitted an entry this summer on what Helen’s music and that song meant to me for an advertising campaign promoting the movie. I was chosen! 🙂
Here’s my original and unedited 1 minute, 10 second submission!
Here’s a little bit about my favorite Helen Reddy song!
While the song was included on her 1971 album, she re-recorded it and it was shipped to radio in May 1972.
It stalled out at #97 and dropped off the chart! Months later, it was released again.
This time, it took off and by the end of 1972, “I Am Woman” topped the chart becoming the first #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 from an Australian-born artist and the first song written by an Australian to win a Grammy Award!
Helen, thank you for the music and you’ll be missed even though you’ll be in our hearts and souls! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜
SCUM OF THE EARTH
Read this clearly: Most of us already know which candidate we’re going to vote for on November 3, 2020, so this isn’t about Joe Biden or Donald Trump!
But, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is scum of the earth!
In no time following the recent death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, McConnell was on the fast track to have her replacement named and confirmed before the 2020 Election — just a little over a month away!
Again, I don’t care if you’re supporting Biden or Trump (well, I really do, but that’s not the point of this post!), it’s the principle.
SCALIA’S DEATH
Because it was a presidential election year, when Justice Antonin Scalia died in February 2016, McConnell was such an obstructionist!
He and the Republican-controlled Senate declined to take any action on President Barack Obama’s nomination, Merrick Garland, one month later.
That nomination expired with the end of the 114th Congress in January 2017 and #45’s nomination later that month was confirmed in the spring.
The bottom line is that “what’s good for the goose is good for the gander”!
While a nominee has already been announced, we SHOULD WAIT for the outcome of the 2020 presidential election to move this process forward. The winner should be nominating the next Supreme Court justice!!!
THE “MILLENNIUM” SERIES
Although this Swedish crime series came out more than a decade ago, the three books have been sitting on my bookshelf.
I finally read the Stieg Larsson’s series — “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Girl Who Played with Fire”, and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest” — and loved them!
The first book was my favorite and I felt the quality dropped off a little with the next two books.
I also watched the first two Swedish movies based on the books and Noomi Rapace was amazing as Lisbeth Salander.
I remember seeing David Fincher 2011’s English version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and it not making an impression on me. I’ll have to watch it again now that I’ve read the books!
“BETWEEN SUMMER’S LONGING AND WINTER’S END”
Leif G.W. Persson’s 2002 book was translated to English in 2010.
On the back cover, here how it’s described: “acclaimed as one of the greatest Swedish crime novels of all time” .
Well, based on the four that I’ve read, after the three “Millennium” books, I disagree! Halfway through the 638 page book, I was ready to discard it!
So, skip it!
There are definitely better Scandinavian crime novels out, like Norwegian Jo Nesbo’s “The Snowman” (2007, translated to English in 2010)!
And, totally irrelevant, 60-year-old Nesbo is so hot! 🙂
That’s just a bonus! 🙂
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
I normally read autobiographies, biographies, and books on real events, so my familiarity with fiction isn’t that great.
However, in the four Scandinavian crime novels that I read this year from Stieg Larsson and Leif G.W. Persson, one thing I appallingly noticed was the degradation and the violence directed toward women.
But, just the description of women in these books was gross and unjust.
Is it a crime novel thing? Heaven forbid, I can’t imagine that Scandinavian women would put up with this from men! Now, granted, these four books were written before the “Me Too” movement.
However, earlier this year, this was addressed by Nesbo in an interview with “The Guardian”.
He says, “Violence against women is a problem in society – it is something we should talk about. I would be more worried if there was an absence of violence against women in fiction, because it’s a problem in real life. Of course, it’s a question of how you do it, but in general I would be more worried if fiction pretended it wasn’t a problem.”
“MAGIC”
On a lighter note and one that excites me so much, Kylie Minogue treated us fans to the second single from her upcoming “Disco” album coming out November 6th!
“Magic” is the new single!
“MAGIC” BONUS TRACK!
I hope you took a few minutes and watched the amazing Kylie video.
So, now you know it’s not a remake of Olivia Newton-John’s four-week #1 smash from the “Xanadu” soundtrack from 1980!
MEGYN KELLY “SETTLE FOR MORE”
I enjoyed reading Megyn Kelly’s 2016 autobiography.
Along with stories about her childhood, her career as a successful lawyer, and how she gave it up to become a television reporter and anchor with no experience (really, I mean no real experience!), she spent a lot of time talking about her abuse from Donald Trump and his supporters in the 2016 presidential election!
She also talked about how great of a guy that toxic, creepy, nasty, dead pervert Roger Ailes was! He’s the one that sadly brought Fox News and Donald Trump into our lives!!!
By the way, “toxic, creepy, nasty, dead pervert” are my words, not Kelly’s!
It wasn’t until the end of the book that she addressed the sexual allegations that brought Ailes down. It felt more like, “Oh, I should mention that!”.
In fairness, Kelly shared a 2006 meeting with Ailes in his office when he once again came on to her. She said he tried “to grab me repeatedly and kiss me on the lips”.
Kelly got away from him and as she moved toward the door, Ailes allegedly (I’ll say that word for legalities even though the scumbag likely said it with venom) said, “When in your contract up?”
She also states that Ailes earlier said, “I don’t like to fight, but when I do, I fight to kill.”
MORE THINGS SHE SHARED IN “SETTLE FOR MORE”
When she moved to Chicago in 1995 to take a law firm job, she looked out her Navy Pier apartment window drinking white Franzia boxed wine and listened to Tina Turner’s “I Don’t Wanna Fight” CD. She said that her “real life” was starting! (I only shared this one because I loved Franzia boxed wine!)
She told Roger Ailes that while she was raised in a Democratic household, she was “apolitical”. She went on to share a passage from her 1988 journal, “Am I a Republican or a Democrat? I seriously don’t know.”
There were rumor of her having an affair with married Fox News anchor Brit Hume. He thought it was funny and said people wouldn’t believe it. She disagreed by saying, “people love to dismiss potentially threatening women as ‘nuts or sluts’. Evidently, I didn’t pass as a nut, so I was to branded a slut…”
“BOMBSHELL”
If you haven’t seen the 2019 movie, “Bombshell”, check it out.
Here’s what I said about it in January.
“Even after seeing ‘The Loudest Voice’ on Showtime last year, watching ‘Bombshell’ was a different viewing experience about the toxic environment at Fox News. (Oh, and about the toxic, creepy, nasty Roger Ailes!)
While John Lithgow was incredible as Ailes, it was definitely the women who made the movie — Charlize Theron (as Megyn Kelly), Nicole Kidman (as Gretchen Carlson), Margot Robbie (as a composite character created from many of the women that Ailes victimized), and Kate McKinnon (a co-worker, Jess Carr).
I expected Oscar nominations for Theron the Best Actress category and for Robbie in Best Supporting Actress category and they got them!”
GRADE: B
“Bombshell” was my #13 movie of 2019!
“CHOW DOWN”
Although this parody of Wilson Phillips’ #1 1990 debut hit, “Hold On”, came out in 2012, I can’t watch it enough — even today! 🙂
The drag queen trio of Willam Belli, Detox, and Vicky Vox take on the anti-gay agenda of the Georgia chicken restaurant chain, Chick-fil-A.
Disclaimer: Yes, it’s hilariously funny and R-rated.
***It includes adult language and adult situations***!
The bottom line and I couldn’t have said it better myself: “we just want a little meat without your Bible!”.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN!
While I wished my idol, President Jimmy Carter a Happy 96th Birthday last week, I’ll do it again since his birthday was October 1st!
In 2016, I left this message for the Carters when I visited the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
I hope the new year is off to a great start for you. Even though we’re only a few weeks into 2020, I already feel overwhelmed with some of the things I’m working off that I’ll share one day!
Thank you for taking the time to check out my “Random Friday Thoughts”. If you want to comment, feel free. If you disagree, do it diplomatically!
MOVE ALONG, YOU’VE PROVED YOUR POINT!
We’re now just a few weeks away from the beginning of the voting process for the Democratic nominee for president in 2020.
After a few more suspended campaigns, we’re down to twelve “active major” candidates, which is still several too many! (It’s a stretch that Bennet, Delaney, Gabbard, and Patrick are still in the race!)
I’m sure the Iowa caucus (February 3), the New Hampshire primary (February 11), the Nevada caucus (February 22), and the South Carolina primary (February 29) will weed out several more of those running.
However, it’ll likely be Super Tuesday on March 3, 2020, that will narrow the field to just the front runners. Fourteen states have their primaries on that day.
So, Hillary Clinton, it’s time to jump into the race!
Say what you want — diplomatically!
WE CAN CHANGE THE FACE OF INAUGURATION DAY 2020!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
EERIE, SAD COINCIDENCE
Melanie Panayiotou, the sister of pop legend George Michael, died on Christmas Day. She was in her 50s!
What’s eerie is that Michael also died on Christmas Day in 2016! He was 53.
They are survived by their father and an older sister.
MILLIONAIRE “LOVER”
My favorite CD of 2019 was also the ONLY album to sell more than a million copies last year!
It’s astounding that the music landscape has changed so much with streaming, downloading singles, etc.!
Taylor Swift’s “Lover” sold 1.085 million copies. Of that, 699,000 were physical units (including mine) and the other 386,000 were digital copies.
Now I’m getting excited to see what the fourth single will be from the album. I hope it’s either “I Forgot That You Existed” or “The Man”.
I would have added “Cornelia Street”, too, but it’s a ballad and her last single, “Lover”, was a ballad!
“FAST FOOD NATION: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ALL-AMERICAN MEAL”
This incredible, eye-opening, and mind-boggling book by Eric Schlosser came out in 2001.
While I know there have been improvements and advancements in raising animals for human consumption and in food processing and distribution, something tells me there are still so many horror stories today that threaten our health and our lives.
Even before reading this book, I was already considering giving up eating meat. The first step will be to stop buying it for home (except when I’m hosting) and only eating meat when I’m out.
I’m sure I can do it since I gave up beef more than a decade ago!
While I know the research in the book is reliable, if only a fraction was true and our lives weren’t dictated by huge corporations and shady politicians, we Americans would change our eating habits.
Not just because it’d be healthier, but the production of meat, from raising livestock to slaughtering them for food, is so cruel and unsanitary!
A very compelling documentary to watch from 2009 is called “Food, Inc.”, which was nominated for Oscar!
In 2012, I wrote a very interesting blog called “Our Eating Habits Are Killing Us.”
Here’s the link if you want to read it and see some of the monstrosities we serve in our restaurants, including this:
I can’t believe that it took me so long to read Portia De Rossi’s 2010 heartbreaking book about her fight with food addiction and the obsession with weight loss!
I also didn’t expect that reading it would trigger me to fall off the food addiction wagon!
For a recovering bulimic or anorexic, eating is a nightmare.
Once you fall, it’s hard to get back on track. The scale entices you with weight loss that you can’t do easily just by eating right and exercising.
Every pound that disappears is not just one step closer to a goal. Sadly, it’s only more encouragement for the physically destructive behavior to continue!
After nine years as a practicing bulimic (1986-1995), I spent the next two decades “on the wagon”. A separation (and ultimate divorce) caused a relapse for a few months, in 2017, but I overcame it.
And, I know I’ll overcome this recent relapse, too. I just hope it’s sooner rather than later!
SKIP THIS BOOK!
“Call Me By Your Name” was my favorite movie I saw in 2018. Afterwards, I read the book by Andre Aciman.
I was so excited when it was announced in 2019 that a sequel, “Find Me”, was on the way.
I was thoroughly disappointed!
I was so excited that I’d see where Elio and Oliver were in life and if they ended up together! However, most of the book (the first part) was about Elio’s father!
When we finally caught up Elio and in a fleeting moment, Oliver, it was too little, too late.
As for “Find Me”, don’t even look for it!
Pretend that this sequel doesn’t exist and just enjoy the beauty of “Call Me By Your Name” again!
It’s peachy! 🍑🍑🍑
MORE BOOKS I READ LATELY
“Dispatches From The Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival” by Anderson Cooper (2006)
What a riveting book about what Cooper saw in 2005 from the aftermath of the Indonesian tsunami, various wars, and Hurricane Katrina.
Anderson also talked quite a bit about his brother’s suicide.
I sure hope that he sought therapy after 2005 because he sounded very depressed and down.
Or, like me, writing is therapy and maybe authoring the book was therapeutic for him!
“Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of The American Presidency” (2006) by Lou Dubose and Jake Bernstein
I knew from living through the George W. Bush presidency that Dick Cheney was a despicable man. However, I didn’t know that his wife, Lynne, was also a mean, snake of a woman, too.
But, then again, why should that shock me???
“Christmas in the Old West” (2003) by Sam Travers
A very informative and fun look at Christmases when the West was truly wild. How people survived back then (1800s and early 1900s) still amazes me!
“The Words Lincoln Lived By: 52 Timeless Principles To Light Your Path” (1997) by Gene Griessman
A great quote from the book, which is perfect for the new year!
Lincoln (1858): “By all means, don’t say ‘if I can’; say ‘I will'”.
“THE FAREWELL”
“The Farewell” was my favorite movie of 2019!
Its star was also in my #5 movie of 2018, “Crazy Rich Asians”, in a much different role.
In “Asians”, Awkwafina was comedic relief and in “The Farewell”, she shows off her dramatic acting chops.
She also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Comedy or Musical this month, but was snubbed and didn’t get an Oscar nomination!
It’s a the story of a Chinese family going back to their homeland from the U.S. to visit a loved one who’s dying of cancer. However, the family chooses not to let her know!
GRADE: A
“JUDY”
What an incredible movie!
If you’re a Judy Garland fan, you’re already familiar with what is covered in the movie.
If you just know Garland as Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz” and maybe as Liza Minnelli’s mother, then definitely check out this movie. It’s on DVD!
Renee Zellweger won the Golden Globe Award earlier this month in the Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama category and will be the one to beat when the Academy Awards are handed out.
“Judy” was my #5 movie of 2019!
GRADE: A
“BOMBSHELL”
Even after seeing “The Loudest Voice” on Showtime last year, watching “Bombshell” was a different viewing experience about the toxic environment at Fox News. (Oh, and about the toxic, creepy, nasty Roger Ailes!)
While John Lithgow was incredible as Ailes, it was definitely the women who made the movie — Charlize Theron (as Megyn Kelly), Nicole Kidman (as Gretchen Carlson), Margot Robbie (as a composite character created from many of the women that Ailes victimized), and Kate McKinnon (a co-worker, Jess Carr).
I expected Oscar nominations for Theron the Best Actress category and for Robbie in Best Supporting Actress category and they got them!
“Bombshell” ended up being my #13 movie I saw in 2019.
GRADE: B
A WARM YOU UP THIS WINTER FLASHBACK!
Since we’re into the “dead of winter”, here’s something to warm you up!
It still astounds me that Kim Wilde only scored two Top 40 hits in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Kids in America” reached #25 in 1981 and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” topped the chart in 1987.
She came close to scoring two more hits with “You Came” in 1988 (#41) and this one, “Say You Really Want Me” (#44), in 1987.
This video is so sexy and hot, but it was deemed “raunchy” in the U.K.!
SUPERBOWL TEASE
And, ahead of her Super Bowl halftime performance, a 2020 megamix of the sexiest woman alive — Jennifer Lopez!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
I still have a few blogs to share before the end of the year, but this is the last “Random Friday Thoughts” of 2019.
If you disagree with me, do it diplomatically!
Have a great weekend and thank you for checking out my thoughts!
“LOCK HIM UP”
So, at Game 5 of the World Series in Washington D.C. last week, when Donald Trump was introduced, he was booed and “Lock Him Up” was chanted.
Less than a week later, he was booed at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Some say it was disrespectful.
I didn’t think that because it all goes back to what I was taught at a young age — you have to earn respect.
It’s no secret that 45 not only called Hillary Clinton “Crooked”, but he also went along with his cult, oops, his supporters, in saying “Lock Her Up”!
So then, why is it disrespectful now?
APOLOGIZE OR NOT?
A couple of weeks ago, Sevier County (Tennessee) Commissioner Warren Hurst unleashed a rant about 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and current South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg (without mentioning him by name).
GLAAD, an LGBTQ media monitoring group, asked for an apology.
Mayor Pete, a Navy veteran, responded, “Well, he was right about one thing. He’s right that there is a gay man running for president. He doesn’t seem to be right about much else.”
If GLAAD gets an apology from Hurst, that’s great. But, sadly, if he does apology, it’d be an empty apology, so why bother!
In the early months of my blog in 2012, I wrote about public figures saying hateful things and then apologizing.
I said, “I’m sure if someone watching the news when I’m doing the weather makes a derogatory comment to their buddy about me, and not my performance, I’d bet that he or she really means it.”
So, if you say it and that’s what you think, saying “sorry” isn’t going to change the hurt behind your ignorance!
The fourth and final season of the incredible FX series, “Mr. Robot” is airing and we’re down the last eight episodes.
I love the series and I’m so glad the final showdown between Elliot and fsociety and White Rose and the Dark Army is taking place at Christmas, my favorite time of the year!
And, I still cherish this Twitter response from the show’s genius creator, Sam Esmail, after the season three finale!
“BOMBSHELL”
I absolutely love Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron is incredible!
Throw in John Lithgow as creepy Roger Ailes (played by Russell Crowe on Showtime’s “The Loudest Voice”) and you have a sure fire winner when “Bombshell” opens December 20, 2019.
It’s the story of the sexual harassment lawsuit that threatened to topple Ailes and Fox News!
“LAST CHRISTMAS”
Christmas is now less than seven weeks away, but next Tuesday night my dear friend, Katie, and I are heading to the movies to see “Last Christmas”, which opens this weekend.
It stars Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”), Henry Golding and Michelle Yeoh, both from “Crazy Rich Asians”, alongside Emma Thompson (“Love Actually”) and Patti LuPone (“Pose”).
The romantic comedy/drama is directed by Paul Feig (“Bridesmaids”).
“COMPOSED”
I just came across Rosanne Cash’s 2010 autobiography, “Composed”, and I have to say it was very enjoyable.
It was nice reading about her early years in California, the ups and down of her life, her parents’ life, and how she handled the deaths of her mother and her father and stepmother, Johnny and June Carter Cash.
I was especially touched by the eulogy she gave at June Carter Cash’s funeral.
It was fun hearing her honest thoughts about her music career and her albums. Interestingly enough, my favorite album of Rosanne’s was her least favorite! 🙂
Recording “Rhythm and Romance” was a very long process — they started in April 1984 and it wasn’t mastered until April 1985!
Rosanne says, “I still cannot stand to listen to ‘Rhythm and Romance’, even though I think that some of its songs — “Second to No One” and “Halfway House” especially – are among my best to date.”
As Rosanne started charting on the country music charts, I still listened to country. But, I was moving quickly away from the genre for pop music and dance.
And, because of the pop sound, I admit that “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me”, a song that hit #1 and won Rosanne her first Grammy Award, is still my favorite.
Coming in a close second is “Seven Year Ache”. In 1981, Rosanne reached the top of the country music charts with that song and it became her only crossover hit. It hit #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.
I still love hearing the lines, “The boys say, ‘when is he gonna give us some room’ / The girls say, ‘God I hope he comes back soon'”!
Classic!
Rosanne scored 22 country hits with 16 of them reaching the Top Ten. Eleven went all the way to #1!
Thank you for the music and the wonderful book, “Composed”! And, Rosanne, thank you for your activism and not straying away from being political!
I’M (STILL) WITH HER
It’s so hard to think that the 2016 presidential election was ONLY three years ago today! It seems like an eternity!
And, it makes me happy, regardless of the outcome, that Rosanne Cash and I were on the same team! 🙂
SCREAMING WOMAN & CAT MEMES
Here’s proof that I don’t always write and think about heavy topics!
For some reason, just the image of the “woman yelling at cat” cracks me up. And, it’s usually funnier once it’s a meme!
Some are very naughty. But, this one, by far, is my favorite!
If you’re not familiar with this (where have you been?), it’s a screenshot of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills cast members Taylor Armstrong and Kyle Richards from 2011 next to a white cat enjoying a fancy meal.
NEW COCA-COLA FLAVORS!
Just in time for the holidays, Coca-Cola is rolling out two limited edition flavors: Cinnamon Coca-Cola and Winter Spiced Cranberry Sprite.
These will be available through New Year’s Day or while supplies last!
Would you try it?
“THE HATE U GIVE”
I finally got around to seeing this 2018 movie about a young lady witnessing the shooting of her unarmed best friend, who’s black, by a white police officer.
Amandla Stenberg is amazing as 16-year-old Starr Carter, who lives in a crime-ridden, poor area, but attends a mostly white private prep school.
She’s at a party where a fight breaks out and shots are fired. People quickly leave before police arrive. Starr is given a ride home from her childhood friend, Khalil.
They pull over away from the party and talk about their childhood, Harry Potter, his sick grandmother, and the path he’s taken in life. As they pull back onto the street, they’re stopped by a white police officer.
Khalil is shot dead in front of her.
Now, Starr has to bottle up her feelings about the tragedy and hide her identity at her private school — even as she decides to go public in a television interview about the incident with police.
My favorite scene was between Starr and her uncle, a black policeman (Common).
Ironically, this same topic (white police officers pulling over an unarmed black family) was highlighted recently on Fox’s “9-1-1”.
GRADE: B+
“YESTERDAY”
This is a cute musical about struggling musician Jack Malik who wakes up after being injured in an accident caused by a global blackout. He also learns that it’s now a world where no one has heard of The Beatles!
As he tries to remember all the Beatles lyrics and songs to recreate them, he becomes an international superstar. He’s right up there with Ed Sheeran, who stars in the movie.
Himesh Patel is great as Malik in this Danny Boyle (“Slumdog Millionaire”) directed movie!
GRADE: B
“THE END OF THE F***ING WORLD”
Believe it or not, this is not about “that man”! 🙂
The second season of the critically acclaimed British dark comedy series, “The End of the F***ing World” premiered on Netflix earlier this week.
If you didn’t see the first season, here’s what I said about it in August 2018, “If you’re looking for something short and funny to binge watch, check out this Netflix series.
17-year-old James thinks he’s a psychopath and he decides he’s going to kill a classmate, Alyssa, to see if he is.
There were many classic lines in the series, but this one from Alyssa is my favorite: ‘I sometimes wonder if I should just become an alcoholic. It means you’ve always got something to do.’
Here’s the trailer for the first season.
GRADE: B
“STAND BY YOUR MAN”
I just read Tammy Wynette’s 1979 autobiography in an original paperback that was discolored and falling apart.
What an interesting life she lead!
The book ended in the late-1970s after the height of her popularity, on her fifth and final husband, and many hospital stays — and she was on in her 30s!
If you’re not a country music fan, you probably don’t know that she had 44 solo hits on the Billboard Country charts with 31 of them reaching the Top Ten. Seventeen topped the chart!
And, with former husband George Jones, she scored 13 more hits with eight of them making the Top Ten and three reaching #1.
However, she also hit #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard Dance chart in 1991 with the British duo, the KLF on “Justified and Ancient”.
“REACHING FOR GLORY: LYNDON JOHNSON’S SECRET WHITE HOUSE TAPES, 1964-1965”
This 2001 book by Michael Beschloss actually starts in December 1963 with a Prologue called “Jackie, I Love You”.
It’s a series of privately recorded telephone conversations between President Johnson (by Johnson) and Jacqueline Kennedy, the widow of his predecessor John F. Kennedy.
The book mostly covered Johnson’s 1964 campaign against Republican Barry Goldwater of Arizona and his first two years in office (1964 and 1965).
While there were many interesting conversations, the ones about a scandal weeks before the 1964 presidential election intrigued me the most.
Walter Jenkins, Special Assistant to the President, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct with another man (oral sex) in a public restroom in Washington, D.C. just weeks before the 1964 election.
Back then, it was thought that gays were a security risk knowing highly sensitive government information. Incorrectly, it was believed they were more likely to be blackmailed and spill the U.S. government’s secrets!
What I found humorous is a chat between President Johnson and closet case FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.
Johnson: “They raised the question of the way he combed his hair…”
Hoover: “It’s just… that his mannerisms… were suspicious.”
And, Johnson, knowing the rumors of Hoover being a “secret homosexual”, wins with this line to Hoover: “I guess you are going to have to teach me something about this stuff… I swear I can’t recognize them. I don’t know anything about them.”
To which Hoover replies: “It’s that you just can’t tell sometimes.”
I guess “gaydar” wasn’t perfected back in the 1960s!
Another interesting tidbit: Analyzing the results of his landslide victory in 1964, but losing five states in the South because of his support for the Civil Rights legislation, Johnson said in a conversation, “Louisiana’s a bunch of crooks, and Mississippi’s too ignorant to know any better, and Alabama’s the same way. But Georgia knows better.”
X-RATED LBJ
Another story this book touches on is rather infamous in President Johnson’s circle.
Arthur Goldberg, former U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice and Ambassador to the United Nations, told of the time that someone asked the President why America was in Vietnam, Johnson “unzipped his fly, drew out his substantial organ, and declared, ‘This is why!'”
Could you just imagine????????
A FINAL JOHNSON THOUGHT
It’s very interesting that two vice presidents named Johnson — Lyndon and Andrew — became President of the United States after their Commander in Chiefs, Abraham Lincoln in 1865 and John F. Kennedy in 1963, were assassinated!
And, civil rights for blacks were a major part of Lincoln, Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson’s presidencies about a century apart with the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), the Civil Rights Act (1964), and the Voting Rights Act (1965)!
“ROCKETMAN”
The acting in “Rocketman” was incredible. Taron Egerton was amazing as Elton John and I love Elton’s music, but I thought this movie was a mess!
Unlike the far more superior “Bohemian Rhapsody”, this movie seems very thrown together.
But, people went to see it. The $40 million movie brought in $193.4 million at the box office!
GRADE: C+
“9 to 5”
It’s hard to believe that it took almost forty years, but I finally watched the comedy classic, “9 to 5”.
Starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton, the December 1980 movie brought in $103.3 million on a $10 million budget.
Parton and Fonda both confirmed in 2018 that a sequel featuring them (and Tomlin) was in the works.
By the way, Dolly Parton’s #1 Billboard Hot 100 and Country single was nominated for a Best Song Oscar and she won two Grammy awards!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
I’ve loved Olivia since the early-1970s as a little kid when she dominated country radio before crossing over to pop music.
I was so lucky to catch her during her “Summer Nights” residency at the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas in 2014.
Olivia, you beautiful woman, stay strong and keep fighting!
Here’s Olivia and her daughter Chloe Lattanzi on their #1 Billboard Dance Club Songs hit, “You Have To Believe”, from 2015, with Dave Aude!
MY TWO CONNECTIONS TO PRINCESS DIANA
We’re coming up on the 22nd anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Of course, I remember the fairy tale wedding back in 1981 and the tragic news of her death in Paris, France, in 1997.
I was working at the CBS affiliate in Lubbock, Texas, as the weekend news anchor. We led our 10 p.m Saturday newscast with the news of the car crash. At that point, she was still alive or it hadn’t cross the wires that she had died.
However, just minutes after we said goodnight, the Associated Press reported that the Princess was dead! We waited for CBS to break into programming. They didn’t!
Finally, my co-anchor, Ny Lynn Nichols, and I went back on the air with the sad news. We reported all that we knew at the time, which wasn’t much. We re-ran the story from the newscast about the crash and gave updates for a few minutes as information came into our newsroom.
That was my first connection to Princess Diana. So, if anyone was watching CBS in Lubbock, Texas, after the 10 p.m. newscast on Saturday, August 30, 1997, they saw Ny Lynn and I relaying the tragic news.
SARAH, THE DUCHESS OF YORK
My second connection to Princess Diana came many years later.
In March 2010, Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York (and Princess Diana’s former sister-in-law), came to the Quad Cities for a benefit for Gilda’s Club, a community organization for people fighting cancer.
The Duchess spoke to a crowd of more than 600 at the Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, Iowa.
They had a drawing to win an autographed copy of her book, “Little Red to the Rescue”, and I won.
Needless to say, it was so pretty cool to get not only an autographed book from the Duchess, but also a package addressed from Windsor Castle!
“A ROYAL DUTY”
As the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death approached, I decided to read the two books on my bookshelf about her life (and death).
The first was “A Royal Duty” by Paul Burrell.
This 2003 best seller chronicles Burrell’s life of working his way up through the ranks in British Royal Household to become Queen Elizabeth II’s footman.
Burrell then worked for Charles and Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales, before working for Diana exclusively after the Royal separation and divorce up until her untimely death.
While I believe Burrell’s stories about his commitment to Princess Diana, I do think he was overly dramatic at times!
GRADE: B
“THE DIANA CHRONICLES”
Tina Brown, who worked for Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, released “The Diana Chronicles” in the summer of 2007, a few months shy of the 10th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
While I believe Burrell’s stories in his book, I think that he hid away the naughty and nasty side of Princess Diana. We all have one!
Brown’s book is very comprehensive and easy to read. It’s much more journalistic, thorough and fair (i.e. honest). However, she could be catty! Meow!
Although the front and back cover featured the same collage of photos of Princess Diana’s life, I really wish the book featured photos inside!
One thing that Brown talked about that intrigued me was Diana and Charles’s divorce settlement: a lump sum of £17 million (roughly $20.5 million) and £400,000 annually for Diana’s office (nearly one-half million dollars).
Also, Diana would lose the HRH (Her Royal Highness) title, but retain the Diana, Princess of Wales title.
GRADE: A
“THE CROWN” SEASON 3
If you follow the Royal Family and checked out the first two seasons of “The Crown” on Netflix with the amazing Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II, the next season is getting closer.
Season 3 with Oscar winner Olivia Colman as a more mature Queen Elizabeth II premieres on November 17, 2019!
“IS IT JUST ME?”
As I mentioned back in February, I’m going through my movie collection and I’m watching older ones to either get rid of or save.
So far, I’ve only kept two: the 2012 Spanish movie “Angels of Sex” (“El Sexo de los Ángeles”) and the 2008 Israeli film “Antarctica”.
Now, a third one is saved — the 2010 romantic comedy, “Is It Just Me?” with the sexy Nicholas Downs (Blaine) and David Loren (Xander).
Blaine is looking for a nice guy, but doesn’t think that they exist until he meets Xander online.
After chatting, they talk for hours on the phone.
The problem is that Blaine realizes his roommate, Cameron, an actor and go-go dancer, was logged into his computer and it was his profile they were chatting under.
So, while Xander is talking to Blaine, he thinks Blaine looks like Cameron!
This scene between Blaine and his friend Michelle is one that made me laugh (and I watched it over and over!) The other is the last scene in the movie trailer below. 🙂
GRADE: B
LET’S GO TO VEGAS
I’m finally heading back to Vegas this weekend. I’m taking my sister and her boyfriend since they’ve never been.
As you may know, Vegas experienced a grasshopper invasion earlier this summer.
There were so many grasshoppers in the air that it was detected on Doppler radar!
This was the most creative response to the creepy infestation! 😉
It’d be pretty neat to experience them if they’re still around when we get there! 🙂
VEGAS, IT’S BEEN SO LONG
Since 2012, I’ve tried to get to Vegas every year, but I failed last year since I was moving to Duluth, Minnesota.
However, I had a great time there on my last visit in December 2017 when I saw Mariah Carey’s magical “All I Want For Christmas” show…
met Lionel Richie…
and saw one of my childhood favorites, Tanya Tucker!
“NEW” WHITNEY HOUSTON ON THE RADIO
It’s been more than seven-and-a-half years since Whitney Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hills, California hotel.
Now, Whitney and Norwegian record producer Kygo are poised to have a big hit at Top 40 radio with a rework of Steve Winwood and Chaka Khan’s 1986 #1 hit, “Higher Love”, one of my all-time favorites.
Whitney originally recorded the song for the Japanese version of her third album, 1990’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight”.
The new version is incredible!
“Higher Love” is already at #3 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and at #43 on the Mediabase Top 40 radio airplay chart!
Whitney’s last Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was in the fall of 2001, right after the 9/11 attacks when “The Star Spangled Banner”, her 1991 recording, was re-released. This time around, it reached #6.
Before that, her last original song to hit the Top 40 was in 2000 when “I Learned from the Best”, the fifth and final release from the “My Love is Your Love” album, hit #27.
Kygo’s 2016 album, “Cloud Nine”, is fantastic. Check it out!
“THE LOUDEST VOICE”
This Showtime series about the rise and fall of Roger Ailes, who sadly brought Fox News and Donald Trump into our lives, was great.
Okay, the acting was great. Watching Ailes’ creepiness of preying on women and forcing sex on them was disgusting.
In the series, Ailes blamed the left for all of America’s problems and gloated, “I’ve given the Silent Majority a voice” and that “we worship a Christian God”.
Yes, womanizer and rapist, worship that Christian God!
But, I have to hand it to Ailes for seeing a wide opening in television “news” that wasn’t catering to Republicans and the “religious right” and seizing the opportunity.
Give Russell Crowe his 2020 Emmy now and Roger Ailes, may you rot in hell!
GRADE: B+
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Thank you for taking the time to check out this week’s “Random Friday Thoughts” and have a great weekend!
I know this will likely tick off some people, but that’s okay!
I also know there are so many others here in America (and the world) that are rather pissed off about the way things are right now, too!
DONALD TRUMP
I’ve tried really hard not to be too political lately because with Russian intervention in 2016, it did so much for me to sell Hillary Clinton as president! And, the 2020 presidential election is still a long ways away!
However, after mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, I can’t stay quiet.
Donald Trump’s hateful words are not going to “Make America Great Again”!
Those words are destroying the U.S.A. with senseless violence of people killing others almost daily!
Democrats, independents and Americans, let’s UNITE to kick this man and his sad sense of grandeur out of the White House on November 3, 2020!
MENTAL HEALTH & MENTAL ILLNESS
In my lifetime, I’ve fallen into two categories of “mental illness” *, but I wouldn’t go out and kill anyone!
It’s shouldn’t be a “get out jail free card”.
“Mental illness” and “mental health” really need to be addressed in this country and the only time we talk about the need for it SHOULD’NTbe when there’s another mass shooting!!!
*Until 1973, being gay was considered a mental illness by the American Psychiatric Association. And, eating disorders are a mental illness!
ONE MORE MENTAL ILLNESS THOUGHT!
Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter worked hard to bring mental health issues to the forefront.
President Jimmy Carter signed the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980 into law in October, a month before the 1980 presidential election.
Ronald Reagan, seven months after taking office, signed The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981 into law.
This repealed most of the Mental Health Systems Act of 1980!
ON A LIGHTER NOTE… MY “LOVER” ARRIVES IN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!
I’d like to just fast forward through the next two weeks — not only to wish away the summer heat, but for Taylor Swift’s “Lover” to come out on August 23rd!
It features the #2 smashes, “Me” with Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco and “You Need To Calm Down”, Taylor’s love letter to her LGBTQ fans.
The video has already been viewed over 106 million times!
“MINDHUNTER”
It’s almost time for more Jonathan Groff and the second season of the critically acclaimed (and incredible) hit series, “Mindhunter”.
It drops on Netflix on Friday, August 16th!
This season will focus on the Atlanta murders (children and young adults) of 1979-1981.
Here’s the season two trailer.
If you’re not familiar with “Mindhunter”, the first season was set in 1977 and follows two FBI agents, who help start the Behavioral Science Unit by profiling criminals.
Awesome Anna Torv (“Fringe”) also stars.
And, it’s also a reason to post this gorgeous shot of my future husband.
“AMERICAN HORROR STORY: 1984”
After a mostly disappointing “Apocalypse”, I’m excited for the new installment of “American Horror Story: 1984”!
Not only does it take me back to the slasher films of my youth, but it’ll obviously have a killer soundtrack! It’s the ’80s! Like totally! 🙂
“American Horror Story: 1984” premieres on FX Wednesday, September 18, 2019.
“YOUNGER”
I absolutely loved the first five seasons of this cute comedy. But, I’m definitely not feeling season six! (Breaking… Episode 8, “The Debu-taunt”, was perfect!)
Sutton Foster (Liza) and Miriam Shor (Diana) are amazing and I just get lost in dreamland when Nico Tortorella (Josh) is on screen.
#TeamJosh
There are still a few episodes left this season for it to turn around AND it’s already been renewed for a seventh season.
It’s now the longest running original program on TV Land!
“AMERICAN WIFE”
Curtis Sittenfeld’s third novel, “American Wife” (2008), is a fictionalized book on the life of former First Lady Laura Bush.
It was a great book, but it was a little weird reading it.
In the book’s dialogue, I was hearing Laura and George W. Bush’s voice.
However, I’d see Laura Bush’s face as “Alice”, but Josh Brolin’s face as the former president! Oops, I mean, “Charlie”! (Brolin played George W. in the movie, “W”).
And, it was a little AWKWARD (okay, a lot) reading the graphic sex scenes and thinking of Laura and George W!
By the way, I still really want to have dinner with and meet President Bush and Laura!
“REFLECTIONS: LIFE AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE”
A couple of years ago, I read Former First Lady Barbara Bush’s “A Memoir”.
Before reading the book, I stated that I really wasn’t a fan during her White House years and “there was just something standoffish about her…. I just didn’t feel the warmth was genuine.”
After reading the book, I said, “I’ve changed my views quite a bit. I still think she’s a force to reckon with and I still disagree with her on several things, but that’s part of life. She is more down-to-earth than I gave her credit for and she accomplished so much in those twelve years.”
This summer, I read her 2003 book, “Reflections: Life After the White House”.
It was a very homey book that even featured some recipes!
In it, Ms. Bush talked about many of the speeches she gave (for free and for money), places she visited, her family and friends and the fact that they were very rich.
She wasn’t boasting about being well off financially, but more so that it gave them the luxury of doing things we can only dream about without breaking the bank!
Toward the end of the book she said something that I can definitely relate to these days, “We are at the stage in our lives where we are giving away and not accumulating more.”
While talking about the crazy 2000 presidential election, which the U.S. Supreme Court gave to her son, George W. Bush, she also talked about Hillary Clinton winning big in New York.
She quoted Hillary saying, “Her first statement was that she was going to work to change the Electoral College, “that it was outdated.””
Fast forward to the 2016 presidential election, all I can say, “If only!” 😦
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!
I hope you’re enjoying your Thanksgiving and had plenty to eat.
With many out shopping or visiting with family, I’m not sure how many will check out my “Random Friday Thoughts”, but here they are.
CHRISTMAS CARD DILEMMA
I’m still one of those people trying to keep the postal service in business by buying 49-cent stamps and mailing out Christmas cards!
While I personalize each card, I started sending out a Christmas letter to recap my year for those that don’t follow me on Facebook or read my blog! (The horror!)
Last year, at the end of my Christmas letter, I shared the photo with Hillary Clinton and I wrote that it was “the highlight of the year” for me.
And, I added, “Sadly, we all know how that turned out in November! Regardless of how you voted, I was very dismayed. But, I hope for the best for the U.S. and the world over the next four years.”
I thought that was diplomatic and it expressed my sadness.
However, I was appalled by a response from, I guess, a former “friend” and co-worker. On the outside of the envelope, she wrote:
Now, I spent my only Maryland Thanksgiving with her and her husband. She was my drinking buddy and my confidant. I still considered her a friend even though at some point in 2016, she unfriended me on Facebook!
So, I was torn. Do I not send a card this year? Do I send a card and ignore the comment?
Or, do I send a card and say, “I was already living in a stronger ISIS-free America prior to the election. As for a “new found security”, I wasn’t insecure. When I’m in a large crowd, I’m aware of my surroundings, but I’ve never felt threatened or insecure. But, as one of your LGBT friends, I feel more insecure of my future now –with the current administration — than I did prior to the 2016 election!”
What would you do? At the end of the blog, I’ll tell you what I did. 🙂
STAMPS
By the way, I chose these fun stamps this year.
I’M NOT IN THE MIDWEST ANYMORE!
As the winter season moves closer, I know I’ll miss the Midwest snow. However, I won’t miss the bitterly cold air!
I smiled the other day when I saw this on an area National Weather Service Twitter feed.
Here in northwestern Florida, it only takes 2″+ of snow and/or more than 1/2″ of sleet (or a combination) in a 12-hour period for a “Winter Storm Warning”!
Back in the Quad Cities, it would take 6″ of snow in a 12-hour period or 8″ in 24 hours and/or more than 1/2″ of sleet (or a combination) for a “Winter Storm Warning” to be issued!
GOODBYE, “AHS: CULT”
This season of “American Horror Story: Cult” was incredible.
While the subject matter — the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election — brought back many painful memories, it was presented pretty realistically (although the violence was highly over exaggerated for dramatic effect!). There were things as a Hillary or a Trump supporter that you may not have wanted to hear.
So, as I say “thank you” Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk for a great season, I want to share two crazy late season scenes.
TV reporter and eventual cult member Beverly Hope tells cult leader Kai Anderson what she thinks of him and his cult as she tries to break away.
BH: “Your promises are sh*t. You’re a fake. You don’t stand for a goddamn thing.”
KA: “I’m standing up for millions of people who are finally being heard.”
BH: “Nothing is bigger than your ego. You don’t know what the f*ck you’re doing from one minute to the next. You’re an incompetent guy — just another media whore.”
And, for this next one, I won’t set up the scene because I don’t believe in complete spoilers. But, it was my favorite line of the season!
And, how can I move on without sharing this hilarious one again from earlier in the season!
WINTER FINALE — “HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER”
With all of the craziness of the past 3.5 seasons, you know when you get a special warning beyond the typical “Viewer Discretion Advised” in the last 20 minutes that it’s going to be over-the-top!
Well, this winter finale had a W-T-F ending that you couldn’t tear yourself away from –even as you cringed!
Without giving it anything away, it was the most painful and heart-wrenching scene I’ve seen on television — maybe ever!
This scene made the accidental deadly gunshot to the head and the blood spatter earlier in the episode register only as a “wow”.
“How To Get Away With Murder” returns on January 18, 2018.
NOW THAT IT’S THANKSGIVING…
Maybe people will be a little less touchy about seeing Christmas decorations and hearing all Christmas, all the time on the radio, now that they’ve had some turkey.
However, if you’re decorating this weekend and you live in Florida or in a tropical area, be careful with palm trees and lights! 🙂
PRICIEST CHRISTMAS TREE
Last year, the Christmas tree at the Emirates Palace Hotel, a seven-star hotel in Abu Dhabi, was valued at $11.4 million!
Emeralds, diamonds, and pearls enhanced the 43-feet high tree.
CHRISTMAS SHOPPING FOR KIDS
Since many of you will be heading out Christmas shopping, here’s an interesting tidbit:
“U.S. children make up just 3.1% of the global world population, but American families buy 40% of the world’s toys.” (“Time” — March 23, 2015)
JON STEWART SAID WHAT???
Former “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart tells “Rolling Stone” in November 2014 about Fox News and Christmas:
“They truly feel the loss of absolute power is the same as persecution. Like, watch them do their “War on Christmas” stuff. It’s real, man. There’s no bullsh*t. They are in the middle of Rockefeller Center talking about “They won’t let us put up a Christmas tree!” Meanwhile, they’re standing next to a 60-foot Christmas tree in a place with so much Christmas stuff up it looks like Santa’s balls just exploded.”
HOT JANUARY TELEVISION
Two highly anticipated television shows (at least for me) will be warming up my DVR in January.
Back in June, I wrote about the upcoming Ryan Murphy series, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”.
The 10-episode series will premiere on January 17, 2018.
It stars Edgar Ramirez as Versace, Oscar winner Penelope Cruz as Versace’s sister, Donatella, Darren Criss (“Glee”) as Andrew Cunanan, the man that killed Versace, and Ricky Martin, as Versace’s boyfriend, Antonio D’Amico.
Here’s the official trailer.
And, the 10-episode eleventh season of “The X-Files” returns even earlier on January 3, 2018, on Fox.
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson return as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully!
“WIND RIVER”
Jeremy Renner plays a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agent who stumbles upon the body of an a teenager in the cold, wintry Wyoming tundra on the Wind River Indian Reservation.
The woman’s death isn’t a simple case of hypothermia and frostbite. The FBI is called in and rookie special agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) has to determine if this is a murder case.
Olsen is incredible in this very intense and, at times, brutal movie.
“Wind River” cost $11 million, but it went on to gross $40 million at the box office.
GRADE: A-
A DIFFERENT “THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS”
I feature this very different version of the “The Twelve Days of Christmas” every year because it’s so funny.
I hope you find it humorous, too.
CHRISTMAS CARD DILEMMA — MY SOLUTION
I took the high road and I didn’t send a card. I decided to vent and share my disappointment here.
If she hadn’t unfriended me on Facebook, I would have addressed it to her privately.
My thought is that if that’s how she approached the subject — on the outside of an envelope last year — her friendship isn’t worth 49 cents!
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 