Some of us are finally getting a bit of a break from the heat and humidity of summer.
Bring on fall and Halloween!
Today’s thoughts are a little heavy at the start, but then some fun.
“AND THERE WAS LIGHT”
I just read two heavy books that really made me think.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham’s 2022 book subtitled, “Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle” was incredible, but sad to read.
While I know that racism is so much still a part of life in America (and the world) today, it saddens me to read some of the quotes from politicians from the mid-1800s about the Black race and slavery.
Lincoln was always against slavery and he was evolving in his thinking about what rights freed slaves should have when he was assassinated.
However, one of the biggest mistakes Lincoln made during his re-election run in 1864 was NOT choosing his own running mate.
He let the system choose racist Tennessee Democrat Andrew Johnson.
After Lincoln’s death, reconstruction came to a standstill and white supremacy came back to the forefront of American life through Black voting suppression and the Ku Klux Klan.
On a lighter note from the book, the story is told about Lincoln canvassing the countryside for his 1958 Senate race.
A woman on a horse approached Lincoln and said, “Well, for the land’s sake, you are the homeliest man I ever saw.” Lincoln replied, “Yes, ma’am, but I cannot help that.” She replied, “No, I suppose not, but you might stay at home.”
“THE GRIFT”
Clay Cane’s 2024 book is subtitled, “The Downward Spiral of Black Republicans from the Party of Lincoln to the Cult of Trump”.
Reading this book right after Meacham’s Lincoln book wasn’t planned, but it worked out well.
Meacham’s book was incredibly researched and written and he touched heavily on the racist politicians of Lincoln’s era and the struggles Lincoln faced as he evolved. However, Meacham, a white man, also somewhat sugar-coated Lincoln’s views on race.
Cane, a Black man, didn’t!
While he praised Lincoln for what he achieved in his lifetime, he also spelled it out that Lincoln was a “white supremist”. (Those two words were gross then, but are much, much more disgusting in today’s world!!!)
He wanted slaves to be free, but he didn’t think Blacks should have the same rights and other privileges white people did (such as holding political office).
“The Grift” moves from Lincoln’s Republican party (which would be closer to the Democratic party today) to where we are now.
Cane took us through the decades and explained how Black politicians chose to become Republicans because they could get the notoriety and fame they couldn’t within the Democratic party.
And, he stressed that many of those Black politicians that became talking heads on Fox News had very little support from Black voters.
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, South Carolina U.S. Senator Tim Scott and former presidential candidate Ben Carson are just some of the Black politicians and cabinet members Cane called out for using their Blackness only when it was convenient.
“The Grift” is a must read!
2024 OLYMPICS IN HEADLINES
THE GOOD…
THE BAD…
Poor sexy guy Anthony Ammirati of France… and all the memes and headlines! 🙂
THE UGLY (KARMA CATCHES UP)…
“BABY REINDEER”
I avoided this powerful Netflix series for the longest time because of the name and not watching the trailer. Until I started hearing more about it, I had no clue what it was about.
Richard Gadd, the show’s creator based the story on traumatic events in his life. He plays Donnie, a bartender in a London pub.
He takes pity upon Martha (Jessica Gunning), a lonely woman who comes in one day. She becomes a regular and she doesn’t understand boundaries.
Martha begins to terrorize him through texts and stalks him in his private life as he falls for Teri (Nava Mau), a trans woman.
If that wasn’t enough, Donnie gets involved in drug-fueled, sexually abusive relationship with TV writer Darrien O’Connor (Tom Goodman-Hill).
“Baby Reindeer” is nominated for eleven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology series and acting nominations for all four main actors (Gadd, Gunning, Mau and Goodman-Hill).
And, since I’ve been stalked by several people in my lifetime, it’s an even creepier story.
GRADE: A-
“FOOL ME ONCE”
This eight-episode series debuted on Netflix on New Year’s Day 2024.
It’s the most watched English language Netflix series of the year and the 7th-most viewed English language Netflix series of all time.
I just got around to watching it and it was thrilling and exciting. I did figure out the killer early on, but I didn’t see that ending coming! WOW!
Michelle Keegan was fantastic as the series’ lead Maya and it was great seeing Joanna Lumley (“Absolutely Fabulous”) as Maya’s icy mother-in-law Judith.
Last week, I admitted that I had never watched “Designing Women”, which cost me some gay points. Now, another confession — I never saw Lumley as Patsy Stone in “Ab Fab”, another iconic gay show!
GRADE: B
“FOOL ME ONCE” (THE NOVEL)
The book by Harlan Coben came out eight years earlier in the spring of 2016.
Without giving away any major plots, the action in the book took place in New York City and the Northeast and the series moved the location action to the U.K.
Also, there were two sub-plots in the series that weren’t in the book. Otherwise, the series and the book were pretty much the same.
INTERESTING RANDOM STAT
In the book, Coben shared this: shooting handguns with accuracy is difficult and even more so shooting at a moving target.
He states that trained police officers miss the moving target 76% of the time at three to nine feet! For civilians, it’s higher than 90%.
So, like the character Maya, basically run if you’re in that situation! (His literary advice!) While I trust him, I don’t want to find out in real life!
WHY WAS NIXON SO NASTY?
Back to presidents again — in the past, I shared things I learned about Henry Kissinger, President Nixon’s National Security Advisor and Secretary of State.
If you know anything about President Nixon, it’s no secret he was a racist, he was anti-Semantic, and homophobic.
I’ve always wondered if those that scream the loudest are the ones that have the most to hide?
There were always rumors and gossip about Nixon spending so much time away from his wife, Pat, with his friend, Bebe Rebozo.
And, in Walter Isaacson’s 1992 biography, “Kissinger”, I came across a couple of funny (gayish) stories and quotes more about Kissinger than Nixon.
One day at the West Wing elevator, Nixon’s Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman and Nixon’s White House Council John Ehrlichman were teasing Kissinger about seeing him in the newspaper with a beautiful woman at a party the night before.
Ehrlichman then said, “Of course you’d be happier if it was a boy. Were there any cute boys at the party, Henry?”
Kissinger was not amused.
And, Kissinger had a contentious relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir.
As her time as Prime Minister was coming to an end in 1974, she threw a reception for the U.S. Secretary of State.
While laughing and joking, he gave her a big kiss.
Meir replied, “I never knew that you kissed women.”
THAT’S IT
With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!
Anthony
What's Peeps Thinking About Now? It's Probably Random! 