Random Friday Thoughts — September 29, 2023

Nine months of the year are almost behind us and the spooky, the thankfully tasty, and the merry and bright seasons are ahead of us.

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

HAPPY FALL FROM MISS XANADU

Crazy pug Xanadu is 9-months-old now and up to 17 pounds! She’s definitely taking in the sights of autumn.

And, she’s a total garbage mouth and loves the crunch of half-eaten acorns left behind by squirrels.

At first, I didn’t pay too much attention to her munching them — other than the awkward poop since they don’t break down.

However, after she got sick and vomited the other night, I did my research and learned that acorns are toxic to dogs!

Acorn poisoning will first cause vomiting and can lead to kidney and liver damage. And, in rare cases, death!

The more you know!

BOOK BANS

PEN America reports that book bans were up 33% across the United States during the 2022-23 school year compared to 2021-22.

And, it should come as no shock that Florida leads the U.S. at 40%. Texas is in second place in book bans. (Other states in the top five: Missouri, Utah, and South Carolina.) 

The largest group of targeted books are those with LGBTQ+ themes and from queer authors.

People, if you don’t want to read them, move on and entertain yourself!

HOMOPHOBIA & COUNTRY MUSIC (SHOCKER!)

Gay country singer Adam Mac recently dropped out of the Logan County Tobacco and Heritage Festival in his hometown of Russellville, Kentucky.

His reasoning — he heard that board members were “concerned” he’d be “promoting homosexuality” while performing.

Since then, several friends of the LGBTQ+ community in country music have come out in support of Adam Mac including Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini, along with queer singers Chely Wright and Brandi Clark.

While they may have contacted Adam Mac personally, no male country music star has publicly supported him!

For the record, I didn’t know of him before this controversy. But, I’m going to give him a listen now — just because.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRESIDENT CARTER

On Sunday, my idol, President Jimmy Carter turns 99-years-old.

For anyone, turning 99 is remarkable. It’s even more so for President Carter because in February, he entered home hospice after a series of short hospital stays.

In the past seven months, he and his wife, Rosalynn, who is living with dementia, at age 96, have stayed out of sight.

However, they made a surprise visit last weekend at the Plains Peanut Festival, where they live!

Also, President Carter is the oldest living president and he and his wife, Rosalynn, have been married for now over 77 years, making them the longest-wed presidential couple.

CRAZY PUG LOVES HELPING

Back in August, Sophia, a colleague at work, left to pursue another career opportunities and I baked her a peanut butter-chocolate ganache cheesecake. It was rather tasty!

Well, pug Xanadu loved helping with the pre-wash cycle. Ironically, I didn’t add the music (Dead or Alive) to the video.

It was playing in the background, but worked well with her madness of licking the spatula! 🙂

“WHAT HE DIDN’T DO”

I started listening to country music some after coming across Cole Swindell’s “Drinkaby” earlier this year.

This Carly Pearce song caught my attention and it’s one of my favorites now.

On March 27, 2023, it reached number one on the Mediabase chart, becoming the first woman in 80 weeks to top the country radio charts with a solo track.

Some believe that the song might be about her ex-husband, country singer Michael Ray.

JUST SAYING

For Carly Pearce, her man was left for what he didn’t do.

For some (or many), it’s what “he did”!

“TENSION” BY KYLIE MINOGUE

As you know, I’ve been excited for months about the release of Kylie Minogue’s 16th studio album, “Tension”, that came out last Friday.

I bought the 14-song deluxe version and it’s an incredible follow-up to her 2020 masterpiece, “Disco”!

As much as I enjoy “Padam Padam” and “Tension”, the first two singles, and both are perfect choices, my favorite song on the album is “Hold On To Now”.

I expect this to be the third single.

Another standout is “10 Out of 10” with Oliver Heldens. It was released as a teaser before “Padam Padam” was chosen as the first single.

And, “Vegas High” is superb! (If only I had tickets to see one of her 20 shows at the Venetian in Vegas!)

While every song on the album is solid, my other favorites are: “Things We Do for Love”, “Story”, “One More Time”, and “Green Light”.

Of the three extra songs on the deluxe version, “Love Train” is my favorite.

“THE SUSPECT”

I came across this five episode-one season British police procedural television series and it was enjoyable.

Clinical psychologist Joe O’Loughlin (Aidan Turner) is called in to assist police after a woman was found dead in a cemetery from 21 self-inflicted stab wounds.

As the show progresses, O’Loughlin becomes a suspect in the murder.

GRADE: B+

“JUSTIFIED: CITY PRIMEVAL”

“Justified” ran for six seasons on FX (2010-2015).

I binge watched in early 2021 and loved it, especially Timothy Olyphant.

It’s tells the story of U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Olyphant) having to go back to his home state of Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains as punishment for shooting a Miami thug in a questionable manner. Givens has his own set of justice that doesn’t set well with his bosses!

The series returned for eight episodes this summer with Olyphant returning as Givens.

He left Kentucky to raise his daughter in Miami, but finds himself in Detroit.

He’s looking for The Oklahoma Wildman, Clement Mansell, played by the oh so tall and oh so delicious Boyd Holbrook.

His favorite choice of dress — a kimono and tighty whities!

Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”) brought some star power to the cast and that definitely help balance out the huge mistake of having Olyphant’s real-life daughter play his character’s daughter in a few episodes!

GRADE: B-

MORE HENRY KISSINGER

Last week, I started sharing things I learned from Walter Isaacson’s 1992 look at the incredible life and career of President Richard Nixon’s Secretary of State and National Security Advisory Henry Kissinger.

Here are a few more:

When Kissinger entered government in 1969 to the time he left in 1977, his weight ballooned from 155 to 215 pounds. He loved junk food and his diet consisted of “sausages, bratwurst, eggs, cream, fried onion rings, and meat loaf”.

And, when I read biographies and autobiographies, I love hearing about real things, like what these people eat and enjoy in life. And, how lavish they live.

When Kissinger retired from government work after President Carter moved into the White House in 1977, he and his wife bought a four-bedroom duplex in Manhattan. While very impressive, what blew me away is that the dining room could seat 40 people at four large round tables!

And, finally, U.S. Democratic Senator from New York Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who worked with Kissinger at Harvard and in the Nixon White House, often repeated, “You do not understand. Henry does not lie because it is in his interest. He lies because it is in his nature.” And, because of his conspiratorial nature, Moynihan says he “helped bring on” Watergate.

ON A BRIGHTER SIDE — KISSINGER’S WIT & HUMOR

Isaacson did share several incidents of Kissinger’s humor. Here’s one:

After President-elect Carter won the 1976 election and was getting ready to move into the White House, Kissinger headed off to Brussels for a NATO meeting.

A reporter asked him, “Can you tell me what you consider to be your greatest success and your greatest failure?”. Kissinger replied, “I don’t quite understand your second point.”

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — July 7, 2023

Hopefully, you had a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July.

For many of us across Illinois, it was one of cleaning up from damaging winds and tornadoes that left at least 107,000 Ameren Illinois customers without power. Even at midweek, there were still a thousand or so in the dark.

Thus, I wasn’t able to post my thoughts last Friday, so here goes….

FINAL SUBMERSIVE THOUGHT

This follows up from my last blog. While I’m sad for the families of those onboard the Titan submersible that imploded killing the five men on board, I just can’t get past how reckless the whole adventure was going into it.

It’s been reported that four of the men paid about $250,000 a person for the adventure, that’s a million dollars!

Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, migrants are paying almost every penny they have to unsafely cross the Sea for a better life knowing they could die.

This sums it up!

BUD LIGHT CONTROVERSY WON’T GO AWAY

I honestly want to stop talking about the silliness that is the Bud Light controversy.

I don’t drink beer, so it affects mostly those that hate trans people and want to be on the wrong side of history.

Country icon and legend Garth Brooks is opening a restaurant in Nashville called “Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk”.

He says, “I want it to be a place you feel safe in, I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another.” He went on to say, “If you [are let] into this house, love one another. If you’re an asshole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway.” Oh, and it’ll serve “every brand of beer”.

Of course that prompted the ire of right wing commenters and the very intelligent Florida congressman Matt Gaetz. (Sarcasm!)

But, the biggest fool of all is Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

He tweeted a FAKE article about Brooks being booed off the stage in the Lone Star state and thanked Texans for being jerks!

He has since deleted the tweet.

Clearly, I’d chose Brooks’ “friends in low places” over Abbott’s friends!

Good Lord, I’m still laughing about it!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

While he’s at home with end-of-life hospice and she’s suffering from dementia, my idol former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter are celebrating their 77th wedding anniversary (July 7).

They are the longest-wed presidential couple.

MY FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY

My favorite Independence Day is, without a doubt, probably one of your favorites, too.

Back in 1976, the United States was celebrating its 200th birthday, its bicentennial.

As a kid, I was mesmerized with the sight of more than a dozen tall ships and tens of thousands of boats filling New York Harbor.

On my transistor radio, “Fernando” by ABBA was playing.  It’s hard to believe that just one month later, the band would release the iconic “Dancing Queen”!

MY LEAST FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY

On the other hand, none compare to the 4th of July in 2007 for the worst!

I was working the morning show and on my drive in, it started pouring rain. In the three minute drive to the station, it was coming down in buckets.

As I was running toward the door, my keys flew out of my hands and went underwater in a puddle.  I got to the door and banged and banged, but no one heard it! It was 1:45 a.m. (I didn’t have a cell phone at the time!)

So, I dug through my bag and found my spare car keys.  I drove to the other side of the building and, this time, one of the producers heard me knocking and opened the door.

Since I was soaked, I decided to go back home and change into a dry suit.

As torrential rains continued falling, a wall of water came crashing into the intersection. Without warning, in just seconds (real-time seconds), my car stalled and died as the water quickly came up to the door.  At the same time, three other cars met the same fate as mine.

I quickly thought about the power doors and windows and opened my door! If there was a shortage, I would be locked inside!

Three intoxicated teenagers came running through the water and helped me push my car into an alley.

Soaking wet, I walked fifteen blocks to my house bare-footed in a ruined suit.

I ended up with three large blisters on the soles of my feet. Luckily, I didn’t step on anything sharp, which would have allowed bacteria from the nasty floodwaters to make me sick!

By the way, I made it back in time to get my weather graphics done and was on the air at 5 a.m.!

As a meteorologist, I’ve never encountered the force of raging water and now I know first hand just where “flash flooding” gets its name. 

It just two or three seconds, the water came out of nowhere and submerged the cars!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Remember, it only takes about six inches of flowing water to sweep a person off their feet, a foot of moving water to make a car buoyant, and only two feet of raging water to sweep a car away!

SUMMER AND TICKS

Now that summer is here, mosquitos are a pest and ticks are lurking.

There are some amazing smelling herbs and plants you can put in your yard to create a barrier between wooded areas and your home that keep ticks away.

Mint, sage, lavender, rosemary, garlic, and marigolds have tick-repellent properties, with fragrances, textures and oils that ticks can’t tolerate.

“GEORGE MICHAEL: A LIFE”

This 2022 biography by James Gavin was very honest and very enlightening. A must read!

It covers all of the demons George battled in life — from his childhood (overweight and insecure) to early adulthood (worldwide fame and drugs) to later in life (fame, avoiding the spotlight of fame, drugs, and weight gain). Oh, and that arrest in the Los Angeles park bathroom!

George died on Christmas Day 2016 and eerily, his sister, Melanie Panayiotou, also died on Christmas Day three years later.

WHAM! (THE DOCUMENTARY)

I can’t wait to check out the “Wham!” documentary that debuted on Netflix earlier this week.

“WHEN WE RISE: MY LIFE IN THE MOVEMENT”

Pride month is over, but I still want to share some details from LGBTQ pioneer Cleve Jones’ 2016 autobiography.

He came up with the idea of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1985 at a Harvey Milk memorial service.

Jones also fought against Anita Bryant’s “Save our Children” campaign in Florida (1977) and John Briggs’ California Proposition 6, better known as the “Briggs Initiative” (1978), which would have banned gays and lesbians (and their allies) to work in the California school system.

After his historical election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in November 1977, his friend, the legendary Harvey Milk, told Jones, “Even if we lose, having the debate moves us forward, just by requiring people to think about the issue. The more they think about it, the more progress we make. And we have to get everyone to come out of their closet.” Milk smiled and added, “If we all come out, we will win. Once people understand that they have gay friends and family members and coworkers and neighbors, they won’t fear us, they won’t hate us, and they won’t vote against us. That’s how we win. Everyone must come out.”

And, I loved the story that Jones told about his sadness after finding his lover in bed with another man. When he told Harvey, Milk told the young Jones (in his early 20s) that later in life he’d realize who was and who was not the great loves in life. He said that Harvey was right.

MY FAVORITE GEORGE MICHAEL (WHAM) SONGS

There are many to choose from, so “Monkey”, “Too Funky”, and “Freedom 90” missed out.

“WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO” (Wham!) (3 weeks at #1, 1984)

“I’M YOUR MAN” (Wham!) (#3, 1986)

“I WANT YOUR SEX” (#2, 1987)

“FAITH (4 weeks at #1, 1987)

“I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) with Aretha Franklin (#1, 1987)

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — June 2, 2023

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

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

I’m ready for fall!

PRESIDENT CARTER UPDATE

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

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

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

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

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

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

ROSALYNN CARTER HEALTH UPDATE

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

She turns 96 on August 18th.

KNOW YOUR STATUS

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

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

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

AMERICANS EATING HEALTHIER?

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

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

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

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

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

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

ANOTHER TINA TURNER THOUGHT

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

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

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

“WE ARE THE WORLD”

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

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

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to the absolutely gorgeous and stunning Kylie Minogue!

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

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

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

“KNOCK AT THE CABIN”

I really, really wanted to love this movie.

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

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

And, I still absolutely love Aldridge.

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

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

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

GRADE: B-

“AMERICAN HORROR STORY”

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

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

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

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

Russell Tovey was so, so hot!

Here’s my ranking of the first eleven seasons:

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

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

#9 “Hotel” (season five, 2015)

#8 “Roanoke” (season six, 2016)

#7 “Apocalypse” (season eight, 2018)

#6 “Coven” (season three, 2013)

#5 “1984” (season nine, 2019)

#4 “NYC” (season eleven, 2022)

#3 “Murder House” (season one, 2011)

#2 “Cult” (season seven, 2017)

#1 “Asylum” (season two, 2012)

Oh, back to Kimmy!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — February 24, 2023

Happy last Friday of February! I hope you have a fantastic weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.

PRAYING FOR PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER

As I put this week’s thoughts together, it was a wait and see on how I was to write this first entry and how it would change.

Last weekend, it was announced that my idol President Jimmy Carter was entering home hospice after a series of short hospital stays.

I’m fortunate to have meet President Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in Plains, Georgia, in July 2017.

Once I got back home, I sent a photo of the three of us together along with an anniversary card.

Weeks later, I was pleasantly surprised to get the photo back signed by both of them!

In 2016, while visiting Atlanta, I took a tour of The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum.

There was a message board where you could leave a note for the Carters.

While I’ll be saddened when the time comes, I know that he had a long, amazing, and accomplished life.

At 98, he is the longest living U.S. president is history — a record that’ll be hard to beat.

I FEAR FOR OUR FUTURE!

Last week, I said that Olivia Newton-John was probably rolling over in her grave, this week it’s Whitney Houston! She did sing on her #1 1985 hit, “Greatest Love of All”, “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way”.

I was just reminded of and I’m still amazed at a survey I saw last fall. It found that 3 in 4 college students were not prepared to clean on their own upon arriving to campus!

Seriously!!!!!! Do they think dorms come with maids and butlers?

“THE BEAR”

If you’re a fan of the Food Network or intrigued by the cutthroat world of the restaurant business, you’ll really enjoy the Hulu series, “The Bear”.

For the longest time, I didn’t even give it a second thought because of the name. I didn’t realize it was about cooking and food.

It’s incredible!

I absolutely love Jeremy Allen White’s intensity as “Carmy”, a New York City chef that comes back to Chicago to run his late brother’s restaurant that’s about to go under.

White won the Critics’ Choice Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy. I expect the same when the Emmy Awards are announced.

My other favorite character is Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), an inexperienced chef with her own demons, but she wants to learn.

While the first season is eight episodes long, the second season, which is expected in mid-2023, is ten episodes.

GRADE: A-

NEW OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN MUSIC

I’m looking forward to the first release of music from Olivia Newton-John following her death last August.

“Just The Two of Us: The Duets Collection Volume One” will be released May 5, 2023.

While two of the singles were released before Olivia died (one with her daughter, Chloe Lattanzi and one with Paul Anka), the third release is a remake of “Jolene” with Dolly Parton.

Other duet artists included on Volume One are Mariah Carey (“Hopelessly Devoted To You”), Jim Brickman (“I Honestly Love You”), Jon Secada, Richard Marx, David Foster, and Barry Gibb.

Although I can’t wait to get the CD, I’ll probably won’t watch the video again because it saddens me.

I know that Olivia was fighting for her life while this was being recorded and that’s evident with her sitting down while doing her vocals.

And, then there’s the pained look on her face at the end of the video as the camera moves away!

REMEMBERING BURT BACHARACH

Legendary musical composer, songwriter, producer, and pianist Burt Bacharach passed away earlier this month at the age of 94.

In his long career, more than a thousand different artists recorded his music.

He was nominated for six Oscars and won three and he also won six Grammy Awards.

Some of his #1 songs were “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” (B. J. Thomas), “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)” by Christopher Cross, and “On My Own” (Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald).

That one was my 18th favorite song of my first 35 years (1964-1999).

In 1963, he also co-wrote, “(They Long To Be) Close To You”, which would top the charts in 1970 for the Carpenters.

As you know, I love Karen Carpenter and feel a close connection to her since we both dealt with eating disorders.

It’s hard to believe that she died 40 years ago this month!

“VIOLENT NIGHT“

Christmas was two months ago, but I recently watched this holiday movie because it’s now on Peacock.

A group of bad guys are going to rob a very rich and vile family of a hidden and illegal fortune on Christmas Eve.

It just so happens that Santa Claus (David Harbour of “Stranger Things”) happens to be there at the same time.

This Santa is over Christmas and is very bitter about the holiday.

There are three really great kills (spoiler alert: ice skates and a snow blower are involved in two of them) and I won’t even tease the final one. 🙂

I’m glad I watched the movie, yet I’ll never watch it again.

The $20 million movie made $76.3 million and a sequel is already in the works.

GRADE: B-

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — February 17, 2023

The shortest month of the year is moving right along and before you know it, March will be here. Let the “madness” begin!

Thank you for taking time to check out my random thoughts this Friday. Feel free to share yours.

AMC THEATRES, I’M DONE WITH YOU!

AMC Theatres, after my last visit to your location in Decatur, Illinois, in September 2022 to see “Bros”, and your poor customer service and lack of response, I was already over you.

Now, with your new seating and pricing scheme, I’m done with you!

In case you haven’t heard, the company is rolling out a test program of charging for seats like venues do for concerts (three different prices for seats).

Do you realize how frustrating this will be for people trying to watch movie trailer previews? And, during the movie, will they have employees checking to see if people move from the seats they paid for?

While AMC Theatres expects to expand this to all domestic locations by the end of 2023, I see the company ditching this venture before it goes wide!

I’M SORRY OLIVIA!

I’m sure Olivia Newton-John is rolling over in her grave!

I didn’t watch the Super Bowl and just happened to catch the T-Mobile commercial with John Travolta with Zach Braff and Donald Faison.

It was a pathetic and horrible ripoff of “Summer Nights” from “Grease”.

Listening to the commercial, it goes to show that even in 1978 producers could polish a mediocre voice (Travolta) or team it with a real singer (Olivia) to make a hit record — “Summer Nights” reached #5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

What’s even more shocking is that it was the #2 viewed Super Bowl ad on YouTube Sunday. Maybe it was from just the shock and absurdity of it?

So, here’s the original with Olivia just to get the commercial out of my head!

“A REMARKABLE MOTHER”

I very well could be talking about my late mother, Dessie, who would have turned 80-years-old the day after Valentine’s Day. Sadly, she only lived to 47.

However, I’m talking about the 2008 book written by President Jimmy Carter about his late mother, Lillian Gordy Carter.

It’s a very touching tribute that covered her life in small town Plains, Georgia — from becoming a nurse, a mother, a Peace Corps volunteer in India, when she was 68-years-old, to representing the President and the United States at state functions and funerals around the world.

FAVORITE LILLIAN CARTER QUOTES

I would have loved to have met Ms. Lillian, but she passed away in 1983.

Luckily, I got to meet my idol President Carter and Rosalynn Carter in the summer of 2017.

After reading “A Remarkable Mother”, I want to share my three favorite Lillian Carter quotes.

At #3 is one President Carter has no recollection of why she said this and it became an answer in “Trivial Pursuit”: “Sometimes, when I look at my children, I wish I had remained a virgin.”

Her reaction when Jimmy told her he was running for president. She replied, “President of what?”

And, my favorite: After always making herself available to President Carter’s campaigns and traveling the world to represent him and the U.S., Miss Lillian wanted some peace and quiet.

She told the President and his press secretary she wouldn’t do anymore interviews. They convinced her to do one more with a woman from The Washington Post.

The reporter kept questioning Lillian about Jimmy saying he would not tell a lie and she wouldn’t let it drop.  Finally, Lillian said, “Well maybe a little white lie every now and then.”

The reporter gets closer with her microphone and replied, “Aha!  Aha!  And what do you mean by a ‘little white lie’?”

Lillian’s response is priceless: “Well do you remember a few minutes ago when I met you at the door and said that you look very nice and that I was glad to see you.”

“YOU” SEASON 4, PART ONE

Netflix dropped the first half of the fourth season of the creepy stalker series, “You”, last weekend.

I absolutely loved Season 3. It was my favorite and I gave it a grade of “A-“.

Season four takes place in London as Joe (Penn Badgley) escapes his California life. I won’t say why if you haven’t seen season three.

And, let me just say, I’m really digging Joe’s beard and sexiness this season! I digress!

Joe’s teaching at a university and gets involved with a crowd that I absolutely despise. Well, there’s one in the group that I like and she has an interesting candle collection!

Season four is a cat and mouse game like the first three seasons, however Joe is the one that’s being creeped on this time!

There really isn’t too much that surprises me, but there were two scenes early on that left me a little shocked with a very naughty smile on my face!

Let’s just say I’m sure there were many Googling “Prince Albert” afterwards and when it comes to water sports, it didn’t involve boating or skiing!

Season 4, Part 2 arrives March 9, 2022!

GRADE: B

BACK TO “DOWNTON ABBEY”

Since I needed a “The Crown” fix after watching season five in November, I started “Downton Abbey” that originally aired from 2010-2015.

While enjoyable, I got burned out on it after season four and took a break. I’m back to finish the final two seasons and the two feature length movies released in 2019 and 2022.

My favorite characters are Mr. Carson (Jim Carter) and Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan).

Also, there’s Mrs. Patmore (Leslie Nichol) from downstairs and Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery), Isobel Gray (Penelope Wilton), and Tom Branson (Allen Leech) upstairs.

By far, my least favorite character is Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier), even though he’s very sexy, but so tormented!

I’m cracked up the most by some of the one-liners and the looks from Violet Crawley, The Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith).

In the beginning, I couldn’t stand Lady Mary, but I really like her now and I hope she ends up with super sexy, hottie Charles Blake (Julian Ovenden).

And, it would be wonderful if the uptight Mr. Carson and the oh so sweet Mrs. Hughes started dating.

SPOILER ALERT!

Two things: Dammit, I was looking for photos of those two couples to post above and now I know the answers on both accounts! 🙂

And, the fate of one is confirmed and the other is hinted at in the final episode of the fifth season that I just finished!

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — October 14, 2022

Halloween is about two weeks away.

If you’re going to a party, have fun and be safe. If you hand out candy, save me a Snickers or Baby Ruth!

And, if you’re trick-or-drinking, I’m coming to your house!

Have a fantastic weekend. I’ll be watching “Halloween Ends” on Peacock!

A LOW-KEY BIRTHDAY

I just celebrated another birthday — at home and working. I know how to live it up! 🙂

In the past, I’ve been fortunate to celebrate some incredible birthdays —  Athens, Greece (2021), Morocco (2018), Paris, France (2014), and in Las Vegas (2012) with Madonna and Elton John (the night before) on stage, of course.

Cheers from Athens last year with my first tasty and potent Ouzo…

… and outside the Moulin Rouge in 2014 before sipping champagne stage-side at midnight as I turned 50!

If I’m not traveling, I don’t even think of partying when another birthday arrives.

I think of how many more years until I turn 67 and I can retire.

It’s a good thing I love what I do. It sure makes the passing years more enjoyable!

COUSINS

Although I’m in good physical shape and in decent health as far I know, I find myself thinking more and more about mortality.

Last weekend, my sister and I ventured back to Kentucky to spend the afternoon with our cousins on my mother’s side. We haven’t been together with many of them in almost 30 years!

Here are the cousins (with Uncle Romey, at 85, on the far right)!

On our next trip to Kentucky, Tammy and I want to have lunch with our two cousins on our father’s side.

1985 CALLED AND WANTS ITS FASHION & HAIRSTYLES BACK!!!

While at the reunion, many old pictures were shared including this one at my cousin’s wedding in January 1985. I never saw this photo before and I absolutely love it!

Can you believe that’s a barely 20-year-old me on the left with my sweet cousin Cindy? (On the right is my best childhood friend and cousin, Steve).

When this photo was brought to my attention, it blew me away!!! Without sounding vain, I didn’t realize I was such a sexy young man then!

Boy, if I had the confidence then that I have now, I would’ve gotten into so much (MORE) trouble! 🙂

“SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES”

It gets a little dark now!

Since I talked about Halloween and mortality, I’ll use that as a segue to a dark, yet hilariously written book about the funeral industry and what happens when we die.

Caitlin Doughty’s 2014 memoir, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes & Other Lessons from the Crematory”, was very informative, eye-opening, and creepy. And, she knew just when to throw in a little humor to make the book less dark!

Okay, before you think I’m strange (well, we all are to a certain extent), this book was a New York Times bestseller!

I was astounded and shocked by the embalming process.

I know the procedure is being performed on a body, but still it’s a very brutal event even to a non-living person.

It definitely made me regret having my mother’s body prepared for an open-casket funeral!

So, is it just a Southern thing to take photos of bodies in caskets? Why did we do this in 1990 when my mother, Dessie, passed away?

A final note about death, I had already decided to be cremated long before I read Doughty’s book and I’m glad I did!

CHILDHOOD NEWS EVENTS

In September 2020, I posted a blog called “My Life: The First 35 Years”. In it, I shared the 13 biggest events of my first 35 years and I counted down my 101 favorite songs of that era of my life. I had so much fun with it.

As a child and teenager in the 1970s, the news stories that vividly affected me were Jimmy Carter’s election as president in 1976, John Wayne Gacy’s arrest in 1978 after his serial killing of boys and young men in Chicago, and the Kent State Massacre in Ohio in May 1970.

If you’d like to see the biggest event that shaped my first 35 years or find out if “Macarena” was my favorite song of that era (it definitely wasn’t!), here’s that link:

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2020/09/11/my-life-the-first-35-years/

But, as an adult, the three stories from that decade that I’m so fascinated about and have read so much on is President Richard Nixon, the Shah of Iran, and the Jonestown Massacre in Guyana in November 1978.

And, right or wrong, I’ve used the phrase “Drinking the Kool-Aid”!

“THE ROAD TO JONESTOWN: JIM JONES AND PEOPLES TEMPLE”

Jeff Guinn’s 2017 book was a concise and compelling read.

Here are some things Guinn shared that you might not remember or have known:

Jones moved from Indiana to California (Redwood Valley in Mendocino County and was associated with churches in Los Angeles and San Francisco) before heading to the jungles of Guyana in South America to a community he named after himself, Jonestown.

Even as early as 1975, Jones preached “I love socialism, and I’d die to bring it about. But, if I did, I’d take a thousand with me.”

On several occasions, Jones told his followers about Masada, an Israeli fortress in the mountains “where almost one thousand Jewish revolutionaries, women, and children committed suicide rather than surrender to a Roman army about to breach the walls.”

Jones’s personal physician and Jonestown’s doctor Larry Schacht had been working to perfect a cocktail of Flavor Aid, tranquilizers, and potassium cyanide to make it taste less bitter.

In “The Poisoner’s Handbook”, Deborah Blum writes, “The last minutes of a cyanide death are brutal, marked by convulsions, a desperate gasping for air, a rising bloody froth of vomit and saliva, and finally a blessed release into unconsciousness.”

This all led to the Jonestown tragedy where more than 900 of his followers were poisoned with that cyanide-laced Flavor Aid drink. (One-third were children that were killed first and found at the bottom of the mass of people.) 

The bisexual Jones believed that everyone, women and men, desired him. One follower in his close knit managerial team was not afraid to stand up to him. Harriet Tropp told him that she didn’t desire him because “You are 47 and fat”, but she added, “I don’t have romantic illusions. They say the greatest orgasm is death, so I hope we have the great pleasure of dying together.”

PARTING THOUGHTS

Even today, people don’t recall any of the good that Jim Jones did before he became a delusional, drug addict.

What people remember is jokes about “not drinking the Kool-Aid” when it comes to religious leaders and institutions and their fanatical views. Politicians, too.

Sadly, it wasn’t even “Kool-Aid”. It was the cheap imitation, “Flavor-Aid” — just like Jim Jones was a cheap imitation knockoff of God!

“JONESTOWN:  TERROR IN THE JUNGLE”

If you don’t have time to read Guinn’s book, this SundanceTV documentary following Jones’ life was incredible!

This November will mark the 44th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre — some call it “mass murder” and others, a “mass suicide”.

I’m in the “mass murder” camp, since the Jones was deranged and pretty much forced those people to drink the cyanide-laced concoction at gunpoint.

I saw it in the fall of 2018 and gave it an “A”!

STORIES FROM JONESTOWN

Another book I read recently was 2013’s “Stories From Jonestown” by Leigh Fondakowski.

She and her team talked to survivors that were in Jonestown and Guyana at the time and to those working back in the states for Jim Jones.

Their stories are incredible and sad!

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — October 7, 2022

Halloween is just weeks away and it’s looking and feeling a little spooky and creepy out there.

Enjoy your fall weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.

ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK!

I appreciate all of my friends! Your color, gender, social class, who you sleep with or don’t sleep with, and so on and so on doesn’t matter to me. You treat me with respect and I’ll do the same.

We live in a world where progress is being made each day with regards to racism, sexism, homophobia, and all of the other -isms and -phobias. Yet, with progress comes backlash and hate.

I know there are more good people than bad in this country and the world, but it’s the bad ones that make more noise.

I am who I am and I know most of you like me or love me just the way I am. I know there are those that don’t.

A lifetime ago when I got married, a friend that still keeps in touch with me basically told me she likes me, but she didn’t approve of marriage because it was to a man. Oh well!

Guess what, that’s your problem, not mine.

But, not all attacks for people like me are physical or with hateful words.

SADLY, “BROS” IS A BOX OFFICE BOMB!

Sometimes, actions speak louder than words or inflicted pain that heals over time.

“Bros”, the first gay romantic comedy from a major studio with a wide theatrical release featuring an almost entirely LGBTQ principal cast, bombed at the box office last weekend!

The $22 million dollar movie made a paltry $4.8 million opening weekend and finished in fourth place! (It’s now up to $6.4 million.)

Was it homophobia? Lack of diversity? People aren’t ready for a Billy Eichner-led movie?

Those were some of the social media reasons given for “Bros” poor opening.

I saw the movie and it’s definitely homophobia — America, sadly, still doesn’t want to see two men kiss, fall in love, have sex, and be happy!

Here are some of the opening weekend stats: 60% of the audience were men; 63% were between the ages of 25-44; Diversity demos — 61% Caucasian, 19% Latino and Hispanic, 6% Black, and 14% Asian/other.

“Bros” played well in the big cities (New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco), but performed poorly in the Midwest and the South!

The best response to the poor box office returns for the movie with a CinemaScore grade of “A” and a 90%+ rating on Rotten Tomatoes is from “Bros” star Dot-Marie Jones.

At a recent charity benefit, she told “Variety”, “There’s so much heart and so many wonderful good laughs… I don’t know if it’s because it’s, you know, LGBTQ. It’s not contagious – fuckin’ go see a movie, you know what I mean? It’s crazy.”

“BROS”

My sister, Tammy, and I saw the movie this week and it was funny as hell and I’m not a comedy movie fan. I’d much rather see a drama.

I laughed out loud several times, smiled many other times, and rooted for the abrasive Bobby (Eichner) and quiet Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) to actually fall for each other and stay together.

I loved that the movie showed an aging gay man (at 40, Good Lord) and how difficult it is to fall for someone after being alone so long, being tired of empty apps hookups, and taking a chance of falling in love and having your heart broken again.

And, heaven forbid, there were sex scenes — all sexy, awkward, and funny. Yes, sex can be sexy and awkward — gay, straight, or somewhere else on the Kinsey scale.

There were guest appearances in “Bros” and my favorite was Debra Messing! Her reaction to Bobby when her first met her was priceless!

GRADE: B

MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT

Seeing “Bros” was the first time I’ve been to a theater since early-2020, pre-pandemic.

AMC Theaters, what the heck is up with this little bag of popcorn you call a “large”? It’s nothing more than a glorified “medium”.

I want my large bucket again!

I don’t mind paying $9 for it and getting my free refill, but please on those little bags you call “large”!

“QUEEN OF COUNTRY MUSIC” DIES

Loretta Lynn, one of the original queens of country music and a Kentucky-born legend, passed away earlier this week at the age of 90.

After touring for almost sixty years, she stopped after suffering a stroke in May 2017 and breaking a hip on New Year’s Day in 2018.

I never saw Loretta in concert. However, as a kid, I heard her perform. The Purchase District Fairgrounds was located just down the road from our apartment in Mayfield, Kentucky, and I could hear her singing.

Loretta scored her first Billboard Country hit in 1960 with “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl”. It peaked at #14.

She ruled the charts in the mid-1960s through the 1970s as both a solo artist and in duets with Conway Twitty.

As a solo artist, Loretta scored 55 country hits. Of those, 39 reached the Top Ten and 11 of them reached #1.

All 12 of her duets with Conway Twitty reached the Top 10 and the first five made it to #1.

Later on, I’ll share my five favorite Loretta Lynn songs!

“QUEEN OF OUR TIMES”

Last week, I highlighted Tina Brown’s 2022 book, “The Palace Papers”. It’s great, but it equally covers Camilla, Catherine (Kate), and Meghan.

Just before Queen Elizabeth II died in early September, I checked out the 625-page new book by Robert Hardman, “Queen of Our Times”.

This is an excellent read.

A few things I learned:

Hardman is not a fan of “The Crown” and the creative liberties it takes with the Queen.

Her Majesty’s favorite presidents were likely Barack Obama, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Ronald Reagan.

My idol, President Jimmy Carter, got one mention in the book and it wasn’t a good one: He broke protocol at the Queen’s 1977 reception for NATO leaders. William Shawcross says President Carter greeted the Queen Mother with a kiss on the lips! She later recalled, “I took a sharp step backwards. Not far enough.”

If you want to read a very well researched and written book just on the life of the longest-reigning British monarch, this is the book! However, where Brown is a little jaded toward the monarchy, Hardman sugarcoats a little too much.

TWO AWESOME QUEEN ELIZABETH II QUOTES

Queen Elizabeth II was rather witty and here are two quotes I loved from Hardman’s book:

• (Upon learning her father, King George VI, had died, while she was in Kenya, she was asked what name she would go by as Queen): “My own name, of course. What else?”

• (Once Prince Elizabeth became Her Majesty, she would to have to pay some of the Queen Mother’s bills because of her overspending habits. Queen Elizabeth II jokingly said, “I’ll be quite a wealthy woman when my mother dies”.

“SPOILER ALERT” MOVIE

A few weeks ago, I shared my random fall thoughts and the movies that excited me.

This one stars Jim Parsons, Sally Field, and new to me, sexy English actor Ben Aldridge. The trailer dropped late last week.

If you’re unfamiliar, it’s Michael Ausiello’s beautiful, funny, and heartbreaking 2017 memoir, “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies”.

I’m reading it again NOW!

Here’s what I wrote about the book then:

“By page eight, I was ready to date and fall in love in again. By page 26, I had tears streaming down my cheeks and I was happy no one was close enough to me as I was reading and walking by Lake Decatur to see me crying!

The book is amazing. While it’s a heartbreaking story of finding love, fighting for love, and then losing that love in a painful, year-long death sentence, it’s a beautiful love story!

Many will never experience the love that Michael and Kit did.

Ausiello knew just when to drop a funny line, a pop culture reference, or a naughty memory to bring a smile to my face alongside the tears.

One of the “other four-letter words” could be my favorite word (think “F”). Another is one I absolutely love, but I can’t use it without offending someone! (I won’t even give you a hint on that one, but if you’re busy this weekend and on Monday, I’ll see you next Tuesday!)

Also, after reading this beautiful book, “olive oil” takes on a whole new meaning and I hope to get to use it one day! 

While the movie opens in limited release earlier, a wide release is set for December 16, 2022.

Sadly, after “Bros” bombed at the box office, I’m not holding high expectations for this one.

As I stated earlier, Middle America (and mainly the South) is still not ready for two men to fall in love on screen! (And, especially two white men!)

“THEY/THEM”

This Peacock original (pronounced “They Slash Them”) was much better than I expected.

The slasher film takes place at a LGBTQ conversion therapy camp for teenagers out in the woods led by a husband and wife team played Kevin Bacon and Carrie Preston (“Claws”).

It also stars Emmy-nominated actress Anna Chlumsky (“VEEP”) and non-binary actor Theo Germaine from downstate Illinois!

After a murder on a scary road in the woods at the start, the movie forgot it was a slasher film until late in the feature.

But, the psychological creepiness of Bacon and Preston’s characters offering the kids an “inclusive safe place” was there all along.

GRADE: B-

MY FIVE FAVORITE LORETTA LYNN SONGS

Loretta Lynn scored an amazing 67 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Country charts. Of those, 51 reached the Top 10, and 16 topped the chart.

She was very honest and would say whatever was on her mind. That often got her into trouble and she even courted controversy in song.

“The Pill”, in 1975, about birth control, was considered very risqué and several country stations banned the song and it stalled at #5 in the U.S. on the country chart. However, it reached #1 in Canada.

It’s my sixth favorite Loretta song. Here are my five favorites!

“YOU AIN’T WOMAN ENOUGH (TO TAKE MY MAN)” (#2, 1966)

“DON’T COME HOME A DRINKIN’ (WITH LOVIN’ ON YOUR MIND)” (#1, 1966)

“SILVER THREADS AND GOLDEN NEEDLES (WITH DOLLY PARTON & TAMMY WYNETTE)” (#68, 1993)

“ONE’S ON THE WAY” (#1, 1971)

“LOUISIANA WOMAN, MISSISSIPPI MAN (WITH CONWAY TWITTY)” (#1, 1973)

This #1 duet from 1973 is not only my favorite Loretta Lynn song, but it’s also one of my favorite songs of all-time.

In the fall of 2020, I put together a list of the 13 biggest events of the first 35 years of my life (1964-1999), along with my 101 favorite songs from that era.

And, this song, was #81.

“I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY”

The trailer for the December 21, 2022, Whitney Houston biopic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” came out a couple of weeks ago.

I’m excited about it and the song is still my favorite Whitney song.

I’m posting the video to the two-week #1 hit from 1987 again to get the stench of the worst cover of the song I’ve ever heard!

WORST COVER EVER!

I’m not familiar with the new crop of country singers today.

After the sexist and ageist genre stopped playing new music from some of my favorites (Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Pam Tillis, Lorrie Morgan, Dolly Parton, and the late greats Loretta Lynn, and Tammy Wynette to name a few), I decided it was time move on and quit listening to country.

Despite scoring nine Billboard Top Ten country hits over the past decade, I came across Jon Pardi’s “CMT Campfire Sessions” cover of Whitney and got excited.

It would be been a great instrumental cover, but wow, that was painful!

Your thoughts?

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — June 10, 2022

Hope your June is off to a great start as we’re already one-third of the way through it.

Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.

BREAKING NEWS….

CNN reports that President Biden is expected to announce Friday (June 10) the CDC “will end COVID-19 testing requirement for air travelers entering the country”.

This will go into effect midnight Sunday for U.S. bound flights.

Interestingly, I blogged about wanting this policy dropped just four weeks ago! And, it was just earlier this week that I tweeted the President, the White House, and the CDC! 🙂

I know this has nothing to do with the change, but it feels nice to think you might be heard!

GUNS! GUNS! GUNS!

It’s now been just over two weeks since an 18-year-old with no criminal record and no documented mental illness killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

His shooting spree also injured 18 others (fifteen students, two police officers, and his grandmother at home).

Since then, there have been more than three dozen mass shootings in the U.S.!!!

Democrats are screaming tougher gun control and Republicans want more done about mental illness. Well, both are right. But, nothing gets done from either side of the aisle with just talk, talk, talk and soundbites!

About gun control, I don’t want your damn guns. But, I don’t think civilians should have access to Glocks or AR-15-style rifles, which the National Rifle Association calls, “America’s rifle”! How sweet!

Just think of how many more mass shootings have been added to that list!

LET’S TALK MENTAL ILLNESS…

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!

ENTERTAINMENT & MASS SHOOTINGS

In the wake of the Texas school shooting, CBS pulled the season four finale of “FBI” because the storyline involved a suspected student’s participation in a deadly robbery.

This has happened many times in the past.

I was a huge fan of NBC’s “Hannibal”. In the spring of 2013, show producer Bryan Fuller decided to pull the original “fourth” episode of the first season, “Oeuf”, most likely because of the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting in December 2012. 

In this episode that aired in international markets and on streaming services, Molly Shannon plays the “criminal of the week”, a teacher who brainwashes foster kids into killing other kids and their old families.

At the time, my problem with this was that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings took place almost five months earlier. If the producers were that uneasy about the theme of this episode, they knew that back then and could have done some editing or re-shoots to maintain continuity in the show! 

I guess it worked out for them. I ended up buying the season one DVD just to see that missing episode!

“QUEER AS FOLK”

The eight-episode reboot of “Queer As Folk” debuted on Peacock Thursday.

I watched the first episode and it’s incredible. I loved the LGBTQ+ and racial representation that the two original versions lacked! I’ll be watching the rest of it this weekend.

Did you watch the 10-episode U.K. original in 1999-2000 with a very young Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy)?

Or, the five-season, 83 episode, U.S. version on Showtime from 2000-2005. (I watched the first few seasons of the U.S. version and finally caught the U.K. version.)

Okay, I digress.

I’m mentioning the new reboot for three reasons — it’s Pride month, it’s new programming, and because the storyline revolves around a Pulse nightclub-like shooting and rebuilding a community after a tragedy.

What are your thoughts on when entertainment is a little too close to reality?

DOING A DOUBLE TAKE!

Okay, let’s lighten the mood!

I posted my senior picture from high school last week on Facebook and I had someone say I looked like a young Keanu (Reeves). When I was younger, I heard that a few times — and thank you! 🙂

A few weeks back, my friend, Steve, sent me a photo and at first glance, I thought, when was that taken and who are those men?

Well, I clicked on it and realized it wasn’t me. Well, unless I’m a really young and muscular, sexy, porn star! (Or, so I’m told that he’s in the adult film industry!)

We sure like that high hair! 🙂 This was on my first trip to Vegas in the early-1990s!

THE PICK TO PLAY MADONNA

It looks like Ozark’s Julia Garner will be playing Madonna in the new movie following the early years of the icon’s life!

“What are you looking at? / Strike a pose / Strike a pose / Vogue (vogue, vogue)”

WHY THE RAINBOW FLAG?

When the LGBTQ movement took off in the 1970s, there was no widely accepted symbol.

Some used the Greek symbol for lambda, but not many knew what it meant. Others want to use the pink triangle, which is how gays during the Holocaust were branded. Yet, people that was too bleak.

Gilbert Baker decided to make a new symbol for the movement and debuted the rainbow flag at San Francisco Pride on June 25, 1978.

While there have been variations of the flag since then, six colors are readily acceptable today on most rainbow flags.

Baker’s original flag had eight colors.

“FIRE ISLAND”

I’ve never been to Fire Island and I’ll probably never go. If I could travel back in time and know then what I know now, I’d love to be there back in the late-1970s and early-1980s during my teenage years.

This Pride month, Hulu is offering a new LGBTQ movie following a group of friends heading to the gay mecca for what could be their last time together there.

The biggest names in the movie are comedian Margaret Cho, “Saturday Night Live” breakout star Bowen Yang, and Conrad Ricamora from “How To Get Away With Murder”.

While the movie is a romantic-comedy, it’s more of a buddy movie. It’s about friends looking out for each other and fighting for each other when the going gets tough.

And, it’s about flaunting what you’ve got.

After a sluggish start, the movie found its footing and ended up being enjoyable, even if the ending wasn’t all that believable!

It was great seeing very sexy Ricamora again (I’d so date him and his character) and the very adorable Charles Scully (“You”). And, “Fire Island”, thank you for introducing me to Zane Phillips and Miss Peppermint!

GRADE: B

MISS PEPPERMINT, “IF” YOU’RE NASTY

Okay, I had heard of Miss Peppermint before “Fire Island”.

Earlier this spring to celebrate Janet’s birthday (Miss Jackson if you’re nasty”), Peppermint released an incredible remake of “If”.

“If” reached the Top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the fall of 1993. It’s still one of my all-time favorite Janet songs!

Here’s the original video.

And, I saw Janet on her “Unbreakable World Tour” in October 2015 in Omaha. Here’s some of “If” live!

SAL MINEO

Most people, if they remember Sal Mineo, know him from “Rebel Without A Cause” from 1955.

After just turning 17-years-old, in 1956, Mineo became the second youngest to get an Oscar nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category for “Rebel”.

Sal was nominated again in 1961 in the Best Supporting Actor category for “Exodus” — becoming the youngest actor, at that time, to have two nominations.

And, some might remember him as the actor stabbed to death outside his apartment in early 1976 after returning home from theatre practice with less than $22 in his pocket and a cupcake he’d bought for his dinner!

I recently read two books about the actor. He was much more successful than he’s remembered for!

Michael Gregg Michaud’s “Sal Mineo: A Biography” (2010) was a great book.

One of my favorite tidbits was a conversation between two of Sal’s girlfriends.

Susan Ladin told Jill Haworth: “If it wasn’t for you, I’d be the first Mrs. Mineo”. And Jill replied, “If it wasn’t for Bobby Sherman, you’d be the second Mrs. Mineo”. (Jill told the author that she walked in on Mineo and Sherman having sex ending her sexual relationship with Sal.)

The other book was by a writer that claims to have had ongoing sexual encounters with Mineo.

Here are some revelations from H. Paul Jeffers’ 2000 book, “Sal Mineo: His Life, Murder, and Mystery”.

While many thought that James Dean was having an affair with both of his co-stars from “Rebel Without A Cause” Sal Mineo and Natalie Wood, Mineo denies they had sex.

In 1973, Jeffers claims Sal told him, “If I’d understood back then that a guy could be in love with another one, it would have happened. But I didn’t come to that realization for a few more years, and then it was too late for Jimmy and me.”

DON JOHNSON & SAL MINEO

Also, from Jeffers book….

Future “Miami Vice” star Don Johnson acted in a 1969 Los Angeles theatrical production directed by Mineo. It was a gay-themed prison drama with nudity and Mineo’s character raping Johnson’s much younger character.

A few years later, in 1973, Johnson said, “Basically, I guess I’m an exhibitionist. I’m very proud of my body. I’m pleased with the way I look and the way I carry myself. I feel that it’s all there to be used — the looks and everything else. Some people have great minds, and they were given them for a reason. I have never been accused of having a great mind, but I do have my looks.”

Johnson lived with Mineo at the time and there were rumors that they were lovers.

Johnson says, “Of course there were some wild stories that went down because of us, which was fine, because they helped sell a lot of tickets. And there have been some outrageous stories about us! God, God, God!”

SUMMER BREAK

Like those that have the summer off, I’m taking a late spring break.

I hope it’s a nice one for you and I’ll be back soon with more random thoughts.

Bon Appetit this Pride Month!

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — May 20, 2022

As May chugs along, we’re getting closer and closer to Memorial Day and the “unofficial” start to the summer season.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my “Random Friday Thoughts”.

FOOD NETWORK

I’m captivated by the Food Network. What’s surprising is that it debuted in 1993 as the “TV Food Network” and adopted its current name “Food Network” in 1997 and I never paid any attention to it until now.

It started with flipping channels in hotel rooms and catching the always classy Ted Allen on “Chopped”.

In the past six months, Food Network became my default channel. Now I have to be very careful when I turn on the TV not to fall “down the rabbit hole” of watching episode after episode of whatever cooking show is on — just like I do with Kylie Minogue and 1980s music videos on YouTube!

My favorite show is “Beat Bobby Flay”. He’s so charming, witty, and snippy!

I really enjoy Guy Fieri’s “Guy’s Grocery Games” and his goofy humor. He also has “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives” and I admire the man’s appetite! (I love to eat, too!) Now, I’m going to have to visit his restaurant on my next visit to Las Vegas!

I find Ree Drummond (“The Pioneer Woman”) so warm and inviting and I’d love to spend a day in her kitchen when she’s baking desserts, and Alex Guarnaschelli is so intelligent and incredible, but I’d be so afraid to cook for her. 🙂

But, the person I love the most on Food Network is Aarti Sequeira. I’m totally mesmerized and I could sit and listen to her read the phone book all day! Well, okay, maybe a cookbook!

I’ll post this delightful video of her making Tikka Masala. Even if you don’t plan on making it, click on it just to hear her beautiful voice!

Could you just imagine sitting down to a delicious, authentic home-cooked Indian feast? I definitely can!

MEETING CELEBRITIES!

My career has given me the opportunity to meet many celebrities (Reba McEntire, Lionel Richie, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Madeleine Albright, Carol Channing, and more).

Also, there have been chance encounter meetings (with a lot of luck) — Hillary Clinton, Shania Twain, and President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter.

Those celebrity encounters were amazing and they were all so gracious.

And, I’ve been in the orbit of two other celebrities that I didn’t approach. (There was a third, but I did get to talk to her from across the room. I’ll elaborate on that below.)

In September 2012, I was next to Florence Welch at the baggage terminal at the airport in Houston. I was there to relax and see the city for a week and Florence was frantically trying to get her bags for a concert hours away with her band, Florence + the Machines.

The other was Carson Kressley.

OH, CARSON KRESSLEY!

Now that I’m a huge Food Network fan, I realize I have an ax to grind.

I didn’t realize how much of a grudge I’ve held for years against Carson Kressley until having to watch his promo for “BBQ Brawl” on repeat this spring.

This goes back to December 2014.

We took a Holland America Caribbean cruise. It just so happened that the “Dancing with the Stars: At Sea” Champions competition was taking place on our ship.

Kressley was one of the celebrities set to perform.

We saw him several times around the ship that week with Kym Johnson and Artem Chigvintsev.

Not once did he even fake a smile to acknowledge our existence when he’d be just several feet away!!! I didn’t need (or want) to carry on a conversation, but some warmth goes a long way.

He might be a great guy, so I’ll give him the benefit of a doubt now that I’m venting. I know that the ship holds close to two thousand people and he may have been overwhelmed by people, but every time we saw him!?

So, now when I hear him rattle off “We’ll be BBQ BFF ASAP OK” in the “BBQ Brawl” promo, I try not to cringe and think “NO WAY” instead of “OK”!

If we ever cross paths again and our QUEER EYES meet, maybe we can say hello socially!

It may not be a delicious Strawberry Basil Bellissimo (vodka, strawberries, basil infusion, and fresh basil) from that cruise, but champagne or wine works for me!

Cheers Carson!

MAMMA MIA, MISS ABBA!

Pug 20-something* is still in the cards. I just don’t know when those cards will be dealt.

(*Pug2020 became Pug2021, then Pug2022 and now it’s Pug20-something!)

I can’t believe it’s been ten years since I had a dog!!!

Miss ABBA, my golden retriever, was born this weekend 22 years ago on a llama farm near Canton, Ohio.

We had a good run for 11.5 years and traveled the country together.

I know Pug20-something will bring me the same joy in my senior years!

“THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE”

I finally got around to seeing “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” which won Jessica Chastain her first Oscar this year.

It was an enjoyable movie, but it was pretty much a “paint by numbers” production. Andrew Garfield, as Jim Bakker, was great, too.

And, like Kristen Stewart in “Spencer”, Jessica Chastain’s performance in “Eyes” is better than the movie itself.

I’ve now seen three of this year’s best actress performances (I still need to watch Nicole Kidman in “Being The Ricardos” and Penelope Cruz in “Parallel Mothers” aka “Madres paralelas”).

Until seeing Jessica Chastain’s Tammy Faye, my pick for the Oscar was Olivia Colman in “The Lost Daughter”.

GRADE: B-

MORE TAMMY FAYE

After reading Tammy Faye’s touching book, “Telling It My Way” in July 2014, I posted a blog and in the first four years, it was read 350 times.

In 2019, when future Oscar winner Jessica Chastain signed on to a movie about Tammy Faye, the number of people reading the blog doubled to more than 700 in 2019 and 2020 combined.

When the movie came out last year, it became my most viewed blog of the year and it’s already the most viewed blog, so far, this year, too! I guess my blog pops up in a Google search for “Tammy Faye”!

Maybe I should put “Tammy Faye” in every blog title! 🙂

If you haven’t read it, here it is:

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2014/07/20/remembering-tammy-faye/

CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH KYM SIMS

The S.O.S. Band, which reached #3 with “Take Your Time (Do It Right)”, in 1980, was my first celebrity encounter. In 1984, at Murray State University, they granted me an interview for a music show I’d be producing and anchoring called “Music Visions”.

In 1993, my best friend, Steve and I were visiting our friend, Paul, and we were having lunch at Planet Hollywood in Chicago. Remember that restaurant chain?

I told them I believed that Kym Sims was sitting a couple of tables over with her family. Our server overheard me and confirmed it was her. He told her and she said “hello” from her table and thanked me for loving her music.

Most of you probably don’t know the name since her only Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 peaked at #38 in 1991 (it reached the Top 5 on the Hot Dance Club Play chart in the U.S.)!

It also made the Top Ten in several European countries and even topped the chart in Zimbabwe!!!

The following summer, I made the biggest and boldest move of my life moving from small town America (Mayfield, Kentucky) to Chicago and have never looked back! 🙂

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — May 13, 2022

It feels like the seasons jumped right from winter to summer this week across Illinois with highs 90°-95° and heat indices around 100°!

Yuck, is it fall yet? 🙂

Have a fantastic weekend and thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts.

Oh, Happy Friday the 13th!

THE PANDEMIC AND COVID TESTING

The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. We’re seeing another surge in infection rates and deaths.

Since masks and mandates are coming down, there’s still one change I hope happens soon.

I want the Biden administration and the CDC to drop its mandatory testing for American citizens returning from foreign countries by air. Currently, you have to have a negative COVID test one day before returning to the U.S.

This is from the State Department’s website: “The order relates to boarding a U.S.-bound aircraft and is meant to protect and preserve human life, as well as prevent further transmission of a highly contagious and often deadly virus.” 

This made more sense early in the pandemic when there were more uncertainties and no vaccine.

But, it doesn’t make sense to me now that foreign travelers have to go through the expense of being tested before returning. (Last October, it cost me 10 Euros in Greece and $40 in Costa Rica in April to be tested.)

This is silly because people can travel freely on domestic flights in the U.S. without being tested and this could just as easily transmit the “highly contagious and often deadly virus”.

Drop the testing policy now for Americans traveling internationally and just bring back the flight mask mandates!

I’ll still be wearing mine! Your thoughts?

MY COSTA RICA SOUVENIR

While I’ve been back from my spring trip to Costa Rica for over a month, I finally have the souvenir I bought myself on display.

It’s now part of my memorable mementos’ wall in my bedroom — my photo with President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter and with Hillary Clinton; the Moulin Rouge in Paris where I turned 50 at midnight sipping champagne sitting at the stage; one of my all-time favorite meals at Benny The Fisherman in Tel Aviv; and Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean from Old Jaffa, which I visited during the same birthday trip to Paris.

SHOCKED AND NOT SHOCKED…

When it was announced that Naomi Judd, of the iconic country music duo The Judds, died at the age of 76 at the end of April, it sounded suspicious. In the back of my mind, I suspected suicide because she had battled mental illness for years.

On Thursday, her daughter, actress Ashley Judd, told Diane Sawyer on “Good Morning America” that Naomi did take her own life. What shocks me is it was from a self-inflicted gunshot wound!

May is “Mental Health Awareness Month”. If you (or someone you know) are overwhelmed and thinking of taking your life, please make this call and talk!

FREE PREMIUM CABLE

Recently, I had free premium channels from my cable company, so I was able to watch “The Flight Attendant” and other series and a movie to take advantage of the free week!

“THE WHITE LOTUS”

If you need to recharge, but you can’t get away or don’t want to spend the money, there are two series you can check out covering relaxation (and drama) — one in Hawaii and the other in California.

The six episode HBO series, “The White Lotus” was interesting.

A group of Americans arrive in Hawaii and they bring all their drama with them. Geez, after watching this series, I really feel for those in the hotel industry!

While the series was great, there were only two likeable characters — a guest and one employee! Jake Lacy and Sydney Sweeney successfully make their characters very unlikeable! 🙂

Out Australian actor Murray Bartlett (“Looking” and the Netflix revival of “Tales of the City” in 2019) was incredible as hotel manager Armond. While dealing with the guests, he falls off the wagon after being “clean” for years.

And, when he falls off, some very interesting things happen. One scene was totally incredible (adult) and the other was nasty (yet, the person it’s directed at totally deserved it)!

Bartlett and Jennifer Coolidge both won the Critics’ Choice Television Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Limited Series or Movie made for Television, respectively. Both were also nominated by the Screen Actors Guild.

I expect both to get Emmy nominations in July!

“The White Lotus” was renewed as an anthology series and Jennifer Coolidge will reprise her role as Tanya McQuoid in “The White Lotus: Sicily”.

GRADE: B

“NINE PERFECT STRANGERS”

This eight episode Hulu series is based on the book by Liane Moriarty (“Big Little Lies”).

While my girl crush Nicole Kidman was great (when isn’t she?), the standouts I expect to get Emmy nominations are Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Cannavale, and Regina Hall.

And, I was totally mesmerized by Manny Jacinto as Yao and I wished he had a larger role.

After watching the series, I read the book. Both were enjoyable, but neither were “Big Little Lies”!

GRADE: B-

“THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT” — THE BOOK

It was a year ago this week that I wrote about Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 bestseller, “The Flight Attendant”, and stated, “it’s incredible.”

I went on to say, “An alcoholic flight attendant wakes up in Dubai after hooking up with a hot man in first class on her flight.

The one night stand or doing the walk of shame would be the least of her problems. She wakes up and the bed is covered in blood! His throat has been slashed and she can’t remember what happened!

Did she do it????”

“THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT” — SEASON ONE

Well, I finally got the watch the first season and it was fantastic. While the book was very bleak, which was fitting with the subject matter, the series took a more comedic-dramatic approach. It worked perfectly.

Kaley Cuoco (“The Big Bang Theory”) was incredible as the alcoholic Cassie Bowden (she’s in denial about being a drunk). And, the men, (soon to be murdered) Alex (Michiel Huisman), Buckley (Colin Woodell), Max (Deniz Akdeniz), and Van (Nolan Gerard Funk) are all beautiful to look at.

And, Zosia Mamet, as Cassie’s best friend and lawyer, was amazing.

The second season is now airing on HBO Max.

GREAT SEEING BANGKOK AGAIN!

While the pivotal murder scene in the book takes place in Dubai, it’s Bangkok, Thailand in the television series.

I was in Bangkok in the spring of 2019 and it was absolutely stunning to see the Chao Phraya River again and the city aglow in lights at night.

The top left photo above is “Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan” (try saying that!), also known as the “Temple of Dawn”, and in the bottom left is Iconsiam, a $1.5 billion mixed-use complex including a high end shopping mall, hotels, and residences.

“FROM HARPER VALLEY TO THE MOUNTAIN TOP”

“Harper Valley P.T.A.” was one of my favorite songs as a kid and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. Recently, I read Jeannie C. Riley’s 1978 autobiography, “From Harper Valley To The Mountain Top”.

Even if it was the late-1970s when the book was published, I was still shocked that she used a quote with the n-word in referencing the blues — a title her father used!!!!

Some of the other things I found interesting about her. I laughed when she talked about not wanting to be noticed one day when she doing something “undercover”, yet she was driving around in a lavender Cadillac. 🙂

Jeannie talked about her own hypocrisy and summed it up, “Not only was I Mrs. Johnson with her miniskirt, but I was philandering Bobby Taylor. I was the widow Jones with her window shades up, I was Shirley Thompson with the nip of gin on her breath. No one was as big a hypocrite as I was. But now, praise God, things are different.”

Jeannie was one of the celebrities welcoming President Jimmy Carter to Nashville in October 1980 at a “Town Hall Meeting” at the Grand Ole Opry House.

“HARPER VALLEY P.T.A.” (JEANNIE C. RILEY) (1968)

In a ranking of my 100 favorite songs in the first era of my life, “Harper Valley P.T.A.” was my #5 song.

“MY LIFE: THE FIRST 35 YEARS”

If you’d like to know the 13 biggest events of my first 35 years and take a walk down memory lane with my 100 favorite songs in those three-and-half decades (1964-1999), just click on the link below.

I had so much fun researching this blog and writing it. Obviously, many of you did, too, since it was one of my most viewed blogs over the past two years.

Click here: https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2020/09/11/my-life-the-first-35-years/

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony