It’s been two months since I last shared my “Random Friday Thoughts”. I hope you’re enjoying your summer. I’m ready for fall and winter and the holidays that come along with it.
Thank you for taking the time to see what’s on my mind. Happy Weekend!
MONKEYPOX & AIDS
As the world moves into the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re now seeing a resurgence in cases of Monkeypox, a virus first found in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The viral infection generally produces fever and a rash with lesions a week or two after exposure. Those lesions usually last a few weeks before drying up, crusting, and falling off.
The coverage of Monkeypox is really starting to piss me off and yes, journalists are to blame!
MONKEYPOX CAN AFFECT ANYONE!!! However, a large number of people affected so far are young or middle-aged gay or bisexual men with new or multiple partners.
Didn’t we learn anything from the coverage of AIDS in the 1980s???? While AIDS (then referred to as “gay cancer”) was first noted in the gay community, it was a deadly disease that affected all walks of life.
However, the stigma was already driven home to the world that AIDS was a gay disease, which prompted the Reagan administration to pretty much ignore it because it affected those people (queers)! (And, then drug users and Haitians — they weren’t a concern to “right wing” conservatives either!)
Let’s not repeat that ignorance now with Monkeypox.
National media, don’t lead your stories with the gay angle! It can affect anyone!
OLIVIA, I ALREADY MISS YOU!
Earlier this week, I lost another one of my five childhood singing idols — Olivia Newton-John.
Sadly, she now joins Karen Carpenter, Donna Summer, and Helen Reddy.
Here’s Helen when I saw her outside Chicago in 2013.
I never got to see Donna Summer or Karen Carpenter in concert.
As for my only survivor, Tanya Tucker, stay safe and healthy.
Here’s Tanya when I saw her in Las Vegas in December 2017.
NOW, BACK TO OLIVIA…
I was so excited to see Olivia Newton-John in May 2014 in Las Vegas and it was a beautiful show.
While prohibited, I’m glad I broke the rules and snapped this photo just before Olivia left the stage!
Many books have been written about her, but her own 2019 memoir, “Don’t Stop Believin'”, was incredible. I think I’m going to read it again now!
And, I know most of you have seen her 1978 blockbuster, “Grease” and have probably watched it many times.
“Xanadu” (1980) is another one of Olivia’s movies that I enjoyed. Critics hated it and it was a box office bomb. However, over the years, it’s become a cult classic.
One movie that you have to check out is “Sordid Lives” (2000), where Olivia plays Bitsy Mae Harling, a hardened lounge singer with a “reputation”!
The tagline to the movie sums it up perfectly — “A Black Comedy About White Trash”! And, Leslie Jordan, Beth Grant, Bonnie Bedelia, and Delta Burke are amazing!
For that full blog and the countdown of my favorite 13 Olivia Newton-John songs, click here (it’ll open in another window so you won’t lose your place in today’s blog):
And, the cast of “Sordid Lives” singing Tammy Wynette’s “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad” is worth it alone to click on my Olivia tribute link above! 🙂
“LOVE, VICTOR”
I really enjoyed the final season of hulu’s “Love, Victor”.
While I loved the series, it really showed a lot of maturity in the third season and it gave most of the cast real story lines.
If it wasn’t for the totally, let me stress, TOTALLY, unreal series finale, I would have given season three an “A-“!
SEASON 3 GRADE: B+
“QUEER AS FOLK”
I also really enjoyed the latest re-boot of the “Queer As Folk” series on Peacock.
While some of the eight episodes were not as thrilling as others, I loved the LGBTQ+ and racial representation that the two versions lacked!
And, that cliffhanger! I didn’t see that coming!!!
My favorite characters and actors were Ruthie (Jesse James Keitel) and Noah (Johnny Sibilly).
As of this writing, the series hasn’t been renewed for a second season.
GRADE: B
IN CASE YOU DON’T CLICK ON LINKS!
Before I talk about the late Elvis Presley, earlier in the blog I re-posted a love letter (now a tribute) to Olivia Newton-John and I counted down my 13 favorite ONJ songs.
If you don’t click on links, you won’t know #13 to #4, but here are my three favorites!
“SUDDENLY” (with Cliff Richard) (#20, 1981)
“LET ME BE THERE” (#6, 1974)
“XANADU” (#8, 1980)
“ELVIS PRESLEY”
Next week (August 16) marks the 45th anniversary of the death of the “King of Rock and Roll”, Elvis Presley.
While I remember his music as a child and I still recall that day as a 12-year-old, in 1977, when he died. I even got to visit the outside of Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee, shortly after his death.
Last year, I read Bobbie Ann Mason’s 2003 biography.
While an easy read, it was more of a glorified Wikipedia page and a love letter to Elvis. While Mason (who is from my hometown of Mayfield, Kentucky) covered Presley’s rise to fame and his descent into drugs, it was sugar-coated and not very realistic.
Also, the book featured NO pictures! Boring!
Here are some of the things I learned:
In the summer of 1954, 19-year-old Presley recorded “That’s All Right” in the Sun Records studios and a popular Memphis disc jockey at WHBQ played the record. It was so popular that he played it fourteen times that night!
After Elvis made his Grand Ole Opry debut in October 1954, the Opry manager reportedly told Elvis he wasn’t right for the Opry and he didn’t want any more of that “n-word music” on his program and to go back to driving a truck!
In 1956, with many network television appearances and five number one hits, in April alone, Elvis made $77,000, which is equivalent to about $750,000 today — that was just in one month!
Peanut butter and banana sandwiches were always an Elvis favorite. (Although I’ve never had one, I want to try it!)
Also, Elvis liked his eggs cooked hard and his bacon burnt. Actually, he liked most of his food burnt!!!
What I found very creepy was that when stationed in the Army in Germany, Elvis took Priscilla Beaulieu, barely a teenager, from her parents and brought her back to Graceland. She claims they were not sexually active until she was of legal age. She became his wife (and ex-wife) and the mother of Lisa Marie Presley.
After she left him for her karate instructor, Elvis ordered a hit man to kill Priscilla’s boyfriend, but he was talked out it!!!
ELVIS — THE MUSICIAN
Elvis is the best selling solo music artist of all time, selling more than 500 million records worldwide. He won three Grammy Awards.
In the U.K., Elvis has the most #1 singles (21 — three of his early number ones topped the chart again in 2005.) He’s ahead of the Beatles (17), Cliff Richard and Westlife (14), and Madonna and Ed Sheeran (13).
And, in the U.K., he’s tied with Robbie Williams for the most #1 album (13) for solo artists. For all musicians, he’s behind the Beatles (15), tied with the Rolling Stones, and just ahead of Madonna and Bruce Springsteen (12).
Here in the U.S., Elvis is tied for sixth place for most #1 albums (10) behind the Beatles (19), Jay-Z (14), Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, and Drake (11).
As for #1 singles in the U.S. (Hot 100 and pre-Hot 100 charts), Elvis is in third place with 18. He’s behind the Beatles (20) and Mariah Carey (19).
My three favorite Elvis songs:
“Kentucky Rain” (#16 — 1970)
“Suspicious Minds” (#1 — 1969)
“Blue Christmas” (#33 — first made commercially available the year I was born — 1964)
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! 