Random Friday Thoughts — February 26, 2016

It’s Friday and that’s makes me very happy.  The weekend is almost here and I get to share some of the things that got me to thinking this week.

As always, let me know your thoughts once you’re done.  If you disagree, that’s fine.  Just do it diplomatically!

SUPPORT FOR TRUMP CONTINUES TO GET SCARY

I had my “Random Friday Thoughts” all ready to go including a little spat between Donald Trump and Pope Francis and a quote from Trump’s Nevada Caucus victory speech earlier this week.

But, I bumped everything down when I heard about what David Duke, a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and Louisiana state representative had to say about Trump.

Duke says, “Voting for these people [Ted Cruz & Marco Rubio], voting against Donald Trump at this point is really treason to your heritage.  I’m not saying I endorse everything about Trump, in fact, I haven’t formally endorsed him. But I do support his candidacy, and I support voting for him as a strategic action.”

Six months ago, Duke made similar comments in support of Trump.  The GOP front-runner then replied, “I don’t need his endorsement; I certainly wouldn’t want his endorsement.”  And, he added, “I don’t need anyone’s endorsement.”

Duke is not the only white supremacists praising Trump.  When asked about it, Trump’s response is coy, “A lot of people like me. Republicans like me, liberals like me. Everybody likes me.”

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m have no positive feelings about Cruz or Rubio.

This is just scary, sad, and so reductive to the advances we’ve made in the past fifty years as a nation!

DONALD TRUMP TAKES ON THE POPE

The war of words between Donald Trump and Pope Francis has calmed down.

Last Thursday, while traveling  from Mexico to Rome, Pope Francis talking about immigration, said this of Trump, “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel.”

The U.S. presidential hopeful fired back, “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith”.

By that evening, God must have talked to Trump because he had a much nicer message and someone else to blame, “I don’t think this is a fight.  I think he said something much softer than was originally reported by the media.”

Of course, blame the media! 🙂

PLEASE GRANT KANYE HIS WISH! 

I’ll admit up front that I can’t stand pompous ass Kanye West.  He may be a musical genius (as reported by others), but his ego is so disgusting, I wouldn’t think twice of giving his music a listen to see what it’s like.

Last week, he tweeted that “I love love love white people” after he tweeted this:

I hope white publications continue to get the word out about “black music”, but I wish that ALL publications would never write about Kanye again.  Maybe the world would be a better place?

THEY SAID WHAT???

DR. BEN CARSON (GOP PRESIDENTIAL WANNABE) — speaking of President Obama and saying if elected he might be the first black president:  “He’s an ‘African’ American. He was, you know, raised white. Many of his formative years were spent in Indonesia. So, for him to, you know, claim that, you know, he identifies with the experience of black Americans, I think, is a bit of a stretch.”

MRS. BETTY BOWERS (COMEDIAN –AMERICA’S BEST CHRISTIAN): “It is so inappropriate for the Pope to say Donald Trump doesn’t sound like a Christian. No conservative American does! How unfair to single Trump out.”

DONALD TRUMP (in his Nevada Caucus victory speech):  “We won with highly educated, we won with poorly educated.  I love the poorly educated”.

ANTHONY (blog writer and political pundit):  “I rest my case, your honor!”

“STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON”

After seeing this summer 2015 blockbuster now on DVD, it definitely should have been nominated in the “Best Picture” category for the Academy Awards that’ll be handed out this weekend.

I can’t say that any one performance in the movie deserved an Oscar nomination and if so, it would have been Corey Hawkins, who played Dr. Dre.  Hawkins is now on the sixth season of “The Walking Dead”.

If you’re familiar with rap music, you know the story of “Straight Outta Compton”.  It starts with the creation of the rap band N.W.A. and how Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy E changed the world of rap.

When watching this movie, you never want it end and you never notice the 2-hour-21 minute running time.

The $28 million movie grossed $201.6 million and is now the all-time highest grossing music biopic and is all-time highest domestic grossing film from a black director in the United States.

GRADE:  A

#OSCARSSOWHITE WEEKEND

The 88th annual Academy Awards are this weekend, but sadly “Straight Outta Compton” will not be picking up the top prize.  I’m not saying it’s the best movie of 2015, but as I stated above, it should have been nominated.

It could still win an Oscar since it’s nominated for Best Original Screenplay.  I’d put my money on that one because the four screenwriters are white!

But, will there be more diversity next year when the nominees are announced?  Big changes have been proposed to ensure that people of color are nominated in the acting categories.  This year and last year, all 20 acting nominees were white, prompting #OscarsSoWhite.

The changes proposed are to double the number of women and minority members and there’s talk of taking away the voting rights of members that are not actively working in the movie business.

My thoughts:  It great to diversify the membership to reflect what America looks like.

I also think there should be some kind of verification that when nominee selections are made that the movies were actually watched.  I’m sure if more Academy members had actually watched “Straight Outta Compton”, it might have been the ninth movie nominated this year for Best Picture!

A few more notes about the Oscars:  There are currently 6,261 members — mostly men and mostly white.  The show will be seen by about 40 million people and commercials are bringing in $2.2 million for each 30 second spot.

FOR THE LOVE OF HILLARY!

I just finished reading Hillary Clinton’s incredible 2003 autobiography, “Living History” and I love the woman even more.

In the book, she details her life from Chicago and Park Ridge, Illinois, to college and law school on the East Coast, to Little Rock, Arkansas, to becoming First Lady of the United States, and to winning the New York Senate race in November 2000.

The book ends with her and President Bill Clinton leaving the White House in January 2001.

The book details many of the personal and political attacks she’s endured in her years in the public limelight.  But, it was a quote on page 42 that jumped out and stuck with me throughout the 528 pages.

It shows that behind the exterior people see (good or bad), she’s human!

“I have never been as good as or as bad as my most fervid supporters and opponents claimed.”

#ImWithHer

TAYLOR SWIFT SUPPORTS KESHA

Kesha has topped the Hot 100 chart four times including two solo #1s “Tik Tok”in 2009 and “We R Who We R” in 2010.  Last Friday, she lost a major court battle.

A New York judge ruled that Kesha would not be released from her contract with Dr. Luke to record new music without him.  (Back in 2014 lawsuit, Kesha claims Dr. Luke “sexually, physically, verbally and emotionally abused” her for nearly 10 years, starting at age 18.)

Now, it appears that Sony (her record company) says she can record with other producers (Zedd has offered his services), but she can’t get out of her contract.

However, Kesha picked up big support from Taylor Swift, who donated $250,000 toward her legal fund.

Many stars, including Lady Gaga, Adele, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande, Zedd, and Lorde have tweeted their support of Kesha.

I posted this blog in early 2013 about Kesha’s phenomenal album, “Warrior”, which was her last full length CD.

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/this-warrior-comes-with-a-parental-advisory/

Best of luck Kesha!

“EVEREST”

This movie is stunningly beautiful, but eerie and scary at the same time.

It’s a true story movie about a 1996 Mount Everest expedition that stranded and killed several climbers when they were caught in a “rogue storm”.

The movie features an all-star cast including Jason Clarke, Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sam Worthington, and Keira Knightley.

There were many WTF moments during the movie and several times I asked, “are these people crazy?” to want to do this.

 

GRADE:  B+

GOP DROP OUT!

I’m sure that many of you probably haven’t heard of comedian Randy Rainbow.

His latest parody of “Grease” and the GOP presidential candidates is cracking me up. You’ll have to look up the one about Carly Fiorina.  It’s funny to me, but I didn’t want to offend those easily offended by posting it.

Here’s his goodbye to Jeb Bush — you know the former Florida governor and son and brother to the former president and two-time president.  What happened to Jeb chances?  Maybe Barbara would have had a better chance?

“OUR BRAND IS CRISIS”

Since it is political season in America, this movie starring Oscar winner Sandra Bullock is timely.

Bullock plays a political strategist with the nickname, “Calamity Jane”.  She’s hired to turn around a presidential campaign in Bolivia where her client is down by 30 points just months before the election.

There’s a lot at stake here.  If her candidate wins, will the people of Bolivia win, too?

Sadly, after waiting months to see this movie, it was mostly disappointing.

However, there was one really rewarding scene near the end of the movie with her adversary, played by Billy Bob Thornton.  It involves a quote he steals from her (or did she feed it to him?).

GRADE:  C

“THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE”

We just finished the 10-episode first season of Amazon Prime’s series, “The Man in the High Castle” and it was fantastic.

After the way episode nine ended, the last scenes of the season didn’t shock me.  I’m definitely looking forward to the second season later in 2016, but I definitely don’t want the show to become another “Fringe”, even though it was a great five-season Fox series.

PICK HIT

I know it’s already one of the ten most played songs in America this week, but I’m really taking a shine to Selena Gomez’s latest, “Hands To Myself”.

It’s the third release and third Top Ten Hot 100 hit from her second album, last fall’s “Revival”.  Both of her albums have debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart.

Until “Hands To Myself”, my favorite Selena Gomez song was her hit with Zedd last year, “I Want You To Know”.

THAT’S IT

I hope you enjoyed my random thoughts.  Feel free to share your thoughts about them with me.

Have a great weekend and have fun.

Anthony