Random Friday Thoughts — April 4, 2014

FINALLY, IT’S FRIDAY!

I don’t use the phrase “T.G.I.F” very often, but I’m really thankful to God that today is Friday and I have a weekend with nothing planned.

Several things are on the docket work wise and public relations-wise the next two weekends, so I’m going to chill out this weekend with Ray and my sister, Tammy.

I hope you have a great weekend and make the best of it.  Here are my random thoughts for this week!

GUILTY!

Last Friday, I shared the story of Jessica Dutro, an Oregon woman on trial for murder, murder by abuse, second-degree assault, and four other charges in the death of her 4-year-old son, Zachary, because she thought he was gay!

Her boyfriend had already pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for his part in the child’s death.

Wednesday evening, the jury deliberated a little more than hour before finding her guilty on all seven charges!

“The Oregonian” reports that Dutro showed “no reaction” when the verdict was read.

Her sentencing date is set for April 18th.

LATEST ON MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT 370

Weeks after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpar International Airport in Malaysia to Beijing, China, we still don’t know what happened and the families of those on-board are still being fed misinformation.

It’s now a criminal investigation and Khalid Abu Bakar, the inspector general of the Royal Malaysian Police Force, says “As we have said earlier, only the passengers has been cleared. The rest? No.”

This means the pilot and co-pilot are still being investigated.

While it may not be a big deal to some people, it seems the authorities in Malaysia are again showing their incompetence under the scrutiny of the world.

Officials are now reporting that the last words from the cockpit were “Good night, Malaysian three-seven-zero” rather than “All right, good night”, which they reported two weeks ago.

For the sake of the families, I hope they find answers and get closure soon.

“12 YEARS A SLAVE”

One of the things I plan on this weekend is finally getting to see the Oscar-winning movie, “12 Years A Slave”, now that it’s out on DVD.

Also, I plan on seeing the Oscar-nominated Martin Scorsese film, “The Wolf of Wall Street”.

Yes, that’s all I need — a movie that glorifies the use of the f-word, as if it isn’t one of my favorite crutch words.

If you recall, from my January 17, 2014 “Random Friday Thoughts”, the f-bomb is used 506 times in this movie, which is second only to documentary called “F*ck”, which is about the f-word.  It’s used 857 times in that one!

SUNNY FORECAST FOR WILLARD SCOTT

Former “Today” show weatherman Willard Scott got married earlier this week on April Fool’s Day.

The 80-year-old married his girlfriend of almost eleven years, Paris Keena, in Fort Myers, Florida.

The couple met back in the late-1970s and remained friends.  Scott was married to Mary Dwyer from 1959 until her death in 2002.

Congratulations Willard and Paris.  I forecast sunny and happy days for you!

BEST WISHES TO SARA & LINDA, TOO

Congratulations and well wishes also go out to “The Talk” co-host Sara Gilbert and record producer Linda Perry.

The couple was married this past Sunday in an ocean side Malibu wedding and are now away on their honeymoon.

Sara and Linda have been dating since 2011.

For the reception party, Linda surprised Sara, who loves ’80s female rockers, with a concert featuring Terri Nunn of Berlin (“The Metro” and “Take My Breath Away”), Dale Bozzio of Missing Persons (“Destination Unknown”), Annabella Lwin of Bow Wow Wow (“I Want Candy”), and Martha Davis of the Motels (“Only The Lonely”)!

How incredible would that be!!!!!

You’re probably more familiar with Sara, who starred on “Roseanne”.  But, Linda has produced for Christina Aguilera (“Beautiful”), Pink!, and Britney Spears.

She was also the lead singer of 4 Non Blondes, a one-hit wonder, that reached #14 in 1993 with the smash, “What’s Up?”

While it was a modest hit in the U.S., it reached #1 in Austria, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, and several more European countries.

“FROZEN”

“Frozen”, Disney’s latest animated blockbuster, is now the biggest animated film in history.  It’s crossed the one-billion dollar mark at $1.07 billion!

When it was released a couple of weeks ago to the home market, it sold more than 3.2 million blue-rays and DVDs and in February, it became the biggest digital release ever!

I finally got around to seeing it.  Gretel, our 12-year-old daughter, has seen it several times already and loves it.  She says it’s one of her favorite Disney movies.

I guess my expectations were too just high with its box office success and the Oscar win for Best Animated Feature.  While I enjoyed the movie, it was no “Beauty and The Beast” and Belle will always be my favorite.

GRADE:  B-

PICK HIT

The “Frozen” soundtrack is just as popular as the movie.  It’s the only album that has sold more than a million copies in 2014.  Since its November release, the soundtrack has sold 1.8 million copies and has spent eight weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart.

“Let It Go”, the first release from the album, picked up an Oscar for Best Original Song.  That song by Adele Dazeem has been downloaded around 1.8 million times!

What?  Damn you, John Travolta!  You’re right, it’s not Adele Dazeem, it’s “Wicked” star Idina Menzel!  🙂

“Frozen” is now ready to melt dance clubs across the country.  The song’s remix just debuted on the Billboard Dance Chart.  While Dave Aude’s remix is great, this is my favorite version by Papercha$er.

This will be Menzel’s fourth dance chart hit.  Her biggest hits on that chart were the #5 smash, “Defying Gravity”, from “Wicked” in 2007 and “Gorgeous” from her 2008 album, “I Stand”, peaked at #3.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

READY FOR THE BACKYARD POOL

That Moscato Strawberry Lemonade has me thinking of hot summer days in our backyard pool.

While the chill has settled in again across the Quad Cities after Monday’s 69° high, I can’t wait to lounge and soak up the sun dreaming of my 50th birthday vacation celebration this October.  It’s only six months away!  Only?

One of these days soon, I’ll write a blog and announce where it is.  Now, I just have to pay for it!

Until then and until we can swim outside, here’s a flashback to the summer of 2010 with Miss ABBA and Gretel that still melts my heart!

“I’M A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY”

This Sunday, country music legend Merle Haggard will celebrate his 77th birthday.

Along with Buck Owens, Haggard helped define the “Bakersfield Sound”.

Since his first hit in 1963 to his last Top 40 appearance on the Billboard Country chart in 2005 in a duet with Gretchen Wilson, Haggard charted 84 songs!

Of those, an astounding 74 of them reached the Top Ten!  And, 38 made it all the way to the top of the charts!

My favorite Merle song reached #1 in 1974 and was the lead single from his Christmas album, “A Christmas Present” in November 1973 and his next studio album in February 1974, “If We Make It Through December”.

That song also hit #28 on the Billboard Hot 100, which was his only crossover.

My other favorite was his 1968 hit “Mama Tried”, which topped the country charts for four weeks.

Happy Birthday Merle!

THAT’S IT

Have a fantastic weekend!  I hope I wasn’t too controversial in my thoughts this week.  I’ll have more to share next week.

Anthony

Secrets Exposed!! President Barack Obama Is Guilty!

I have some shocking news to share with you.  The conspiracy theories have been running rampant since last weekend and now I have proof that they may not have been so far-fetched!

Some of you will scream that it’s unfair that the Commander-in-Chief of the greatest nation on Earth should be granted so much power and control.  It’s one thing that President Barack Obama worked very hard to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Act, or “Obamacare” in March 2010 and repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in September 2011.  But, the powers that he possesses go much deeper than that.

Last week, right-wing blowhard Rush Limbaugh angered me slightly, but then I just laughed at his stupidity when he stated that President Obama was indirectly responsible for Tropical Storm Isaac cancelling the first day of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida.  Limbaugh stated, “I’m not alleging conspiracies here. The Hurricane Center is the regime; the Hurricane Center is the Commerce Department.  It’s the government. It’s Obama.”

At first, I thought, that man is so stupid and he’ll say anything to get people riled up.

As you recall, last week, the initial storm track of  “Isaac” from the Hurricane Center had the storm passing dangerously close to south Florida before the track moved more west-northwest taking it into the Gulf of Mexico instead of across Florida.  However, we all know that weather forecasts never change and that meteorologists are never wrong!  Right?

Sadly, I admit that Limbaugh was on to something.  It seems that once the Republicans cancelled the first day of their convention, Isaac’s course shifted and set its sights on Louisiana and that is where it made landfall.

And, now here’s the smoking gun that proves that the “conspiracy theorists” were right.  I have proof that President Obama is manipulating the atmosphere in his quest to defeat Mitt Romney in the November presidential election and this could be an inconvenient truth to some.

While all eyes were focused on the Gulf of Mexico last week to see where Hurricane Isaac would make landfall and to see how much flooding would take place in Louisiana, two other storms were developing out in the Atlantic just in time to wreak havoc on the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, September 4-6, 2012.

On August 30, 2012, Tropical Storm Kirk strengthened into a hurricane and the next day, winds reached 105 miles-per-hour, which is a category two hurricane.  However, it dissipated Sunday, September 2nd and never posed a threat to land, much less the East Coast.

And, now Tropical Storm Leslie is located out in the Atlantic and will likely become a hurricane later this week, but it will not threaten the East Coast of the United States anytime soon.

That means two hurricanes moving through the Atlantic in the week before and the week of the Democratic National Convention both steered clear of North Carolina.  Rather convenient, wouldn’t you say?

So, Mr. President, since you now control the weather, once you’re finished with the convention, could you please send enough rain to Illinois and Iowa to alleviate the drought?  Thank you in advance.

The preceding blog is satire.

sat·ire

noun

1.

the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.

2.

a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.

My name is Anthony Peoples and I approve this satirical blog.