2026: Welcome and Let’s Do This

Happy New Year! We’re one-quarter of the way done with this century and I’m looking forward to the year ahead.

Politicos are ready for the November midterm elections. Sports enthusiasts are ready for the Super Bowl, March Madness, the NBA playoffs, Wimbledon, or the World Series.

I’m ready for a new and improved life. I’m ready to walk the walk and talk the talk!

MY NEW PHILOSOPHY FOR 2026

Between movies or episodes of whatever series I’m binge-watching, I fall into the YouTube “rabbit hole” of Kylie Minogue, ’80s dance music, slot machine bonus rounds, etc.

I came across this video and I’m totally mesmerized.

I guess Manny Patel has been doing these forever, but “I Just Wanna Fuckin’ Dance 2026” with Alison Jiear is fuckin’ incredible!

2025, GOOD RIDDENCE

The last year was rather trying and one I’d just as well forget.

A move to a new apartment in March turned into hell (okay, it felt like it inside all summer).

A tyrant boss made me re-think my life and leave Central Illinois and my job after 5.5 years. In retrospective, thank you so much! I’m happy and he’s someone else’s problem now!

That led to another move not just across town, but hours away.

And, days before Christmas, I lost my my sister and my best friend, Tammy, at the age of 59.

I’m ready for a new beginning.

QUAD CITIES 2.0

I made the first step toward that by moving back to the Quad Cities this past November. I’m now back at my old station, WHBF-4 and Fox 18.

Here’s how I summed up my first six weeks on the air to someone: “I’ve been here six weeks and it feels like six months with four straight hours of news instead of two and two hours each with two different co-anchors.”

Xanadu and I are settled into our new apartment.

She already has a new bestie, Phineas — a pug one year old than her.

Miss Xanadu turned three a couple of days before New Year’s Eve!

She and I celebrated on the actual day and that weekend, she invited Phineas and his brother George over for a grumble (a real word for three of more pugs in a group)!

We enjoyed our feast, too.

SOCIALIZING MORE

I’m making it a point to get out more.

Weeks into the move back to the Quad Cities, I went to a Christmas fundraiser premiere party and the next Friday, I saw country superstar Clint Black in concert.

And, the weekend before Christmas, I attended a holiday party at a real castle!

It was festive and gay!

CONCERTS

In last year’s look ahead, I was highly anticipating seeing Kylie Minogue in Chicago in April and it was a spectacular show. (And, that’s how close she walked by me!)

This year, I can’t wait for the concert DVD to relive it.

That fulfilled my concert bucket list after seeing Reba (13 times), Madonna (four times), New Kids on the Block (three times), Lady Gaga and the Chicks twice, and Patty Loveless, Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy, and Mariah Carey once.

I’m excited for the new year ahead. I’d still love to Daryl Hall & John Oates (if they ever play together again), Culture Club, Toni Braxton, and Vanessa Williams in a Christmas show!

THINGS THAT EXCITE ME FOR 2026

As I mentioned above, clearly the DVD to Kylie Minogue’s “Tension Tour” is at the top of my list.

“DEXTER: RESURRECTION”

Also, in February 2026, I can’t wait to see and add the latest season of “Dexter” to my collection.

Yes, I love Michael C. Hall. Or, do I really love Dexter Morgan?

If it’s Dexter Morgan I love, I definitely want to stay on his good side!

And, there’s season 5 of “Hacks” arriving this year.

I can’t get enough of Jean Smart as Debra Vance and Hannah Einbinder as Ava Daniels.

Also, the long-awaited sequel to “Red, White & Royal Blue”! It’s being shot right now!

Plus, season two of “Heated Rivalry”, but that’ll likely in 2027!

And, either in 2026 or 2027, a sequel is coming to one of my all-time favorite comedies — a box office bomb, but now a cult favorite!

Yes, “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion”!

And, since I shared that GIF — IYKYK — the biggest music event I’m looking forward to in 2026 is Madonna’s sequel to the her 2005 masterpiece and my second favorite Madonna album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor”!

I’ve seen Madonna in concert four times and the “Confessions Tour” was the first one.

That Chicago show was mind-blowing from the moment she was lowered onto the stage in a giant mirrored disco ball and it opened!

And, then this iconic visual (scandalous?) performance of “Live To Tell”!

My favorite Madonna show was the “MDNA Tour”, which I saw on my birthday in 2012, in Las Vegas!

DATING?

Yes, the thought is still alive after alluding me for nine years. I talked to Santa and he wasn’t too optimistic.

However, he thinks the prospects are better in the Quad Cities than Decatur!

TOTALLY RANDOM THOUGHT

Totally random thought, but it ties in… In February 2025, I wrote about LGBTQ actors playing lead straight roles, “I totally bought my lesbian crush Jodie Foster as a straight woman (?) in “The Silence of the Lambs” and in “True Detective: Night Country“.

But, the point, I’m getting to is this. I also wrote: “And, I totally buy my (gay) dreamboat Jonathan Bailey as a straight man on “Bridgerton”. However, I’m totally jealous it’s not me he’s in love with and making out with!”

Well, I was onto something. “People” named him “Sexiest Man Alive” in the fall. 🙂

Jonathan, see topic above — “DATING?”! 🙂

And, if Jonathan is busy or unavailable, Aaron Tveit, give me a call!

Nevermind, he’s married!

There’s enough of them [married men] in the single life “dating” pool already!

Ironically, both Bailey and Tveit have both played Fiyero Tigelaar in “Wicked”!

Here he is for his talent and not looks (well, not entirely)!

MY FAVORITE SONGS OF 2025

Back in the day, I used to share countdowns of my favorite albums, songs, and movies. I only do movies now.

However, this year, here are my eleven favorite songs (that many of you likely didn’t hear)!

“I’M GOING OUT” (Steve Aoki, Sam Feldt, XANDRA, Nile Rodgers & Zak Abel)

“LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I FELL IN LOVE” (Alok & Kylie Minogue)

“SAVE MY LOVE” (Marshmello, Ellie Goulding, & AVAION)

“NO ONE ELSE” (Two Friends & Corbyn Besson)

“I WANNA GO” (Britney Spears — John Summit Remix)

“TASTE OF YOUR TONGUE” (Elephante featuring babyidontlikeyou)

“FANCY $HIT” (CID x Taylr Renee)

“INTO THE BLUE” (Will Sass featuring Kamille)

“BLESSINGS” (Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas)

“XMAS” (Kylie Minogue)

***Seriously, this one is amazing if you didn’t catch it this holiday season. Take a listen!***

“NO BROKE BOYS” (Disco Lines & Tinashe)

And, she’s from Kentucky!

Thank you for traveling along with me on this journey called “life”!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — May 2, 2025

Two weeks in a row with random thoughts!

I appreciate those of you that took time to read last week’s thoughts and especially those that commented. I always love hearing what you have to say.

Have a great weekend!

STILL GETTING SETTLED IN

While Miss Xanadu and I have been in our apartment for over a month now, we’ll still acclimating to the new place.

Check out my beautiful housewarming gifts my sister, Tammy, made us — a decorative pug plaque and two Black pug wine glasses!

And, she wasn’t going to drink the Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire and Tennessee Apple whiskeys, so I took them off her hands.

Does that make her a bootlegger? Kidding ATF!!!

METEOROLOGICAL SUMMER — ABOUT A MONTH AWAY

As I age, my favorite season has changed from winter to fall.

I still love snow, but I’m no longer a fan of the bitter cold.

I wonder if living in Chicago and the Midwest for more than two decades and two years in Duluth, Minnesota, has something to do with that?

But, summer is still my least favorite season. However, one thing excites me about the hot months ahead.

McCormick spices things up with five new flavors for the grilling season and the Watermelon Lime definitely has me intrigued.

Of course, it’s the one that is sold out.

One of the others I’d love to try is the Smoky Garlic & Rosemary.

ROCKY SALAD!

While I want my salad crisp and crunchy and I love “Rock”(y) Road ice cream, I don’t care for rocks in my salad.

About two weeks ago, I was having dinner and luckily, I was chewing my salad in the back of my mouth when I bit down on this rock! It was either in the Romaine mix or the second bag I mixed in with it.

I won’t mention the company because they’ve been very proactive and professional with customer service and trying to locate the source of the problem.

However, I believe it was a fluke. It’s never happened before and I hope it doesn’t happen again.

For my troubles, they sent me a $20 gift certificate to Kroger.

Also, I’ll be more alert when making my salad and be on the lookout for any additional foreign objects (or even domestic ones — LOL)!

“THE RESIDENCE”

Shonda Rhimes scores another major hit with the Neflix series “The Residence”.

Over the years, I’ve invested 17 seasons in Shondaland with “Scandal”, “How To Get Away With Murder”, “Bridgerton”, and “Queen Charlotte”!

Her latest success is this eight-episode murder mystery-comedy. A state dinner for the Australian Prime Minister is derailed when the Chief Usher (Giancarlo Esposito) is found murdered.

It’s up to three-time Emmy Award winner Uzo Aduba’s detective Cordelia Cupp to find the killer.

And, Kylie Minogue plays an exaggerated version of — Kylie Minogue.

GRADE: A-

“THE RESIDENCE” BOOK

I also read the very informative 2015 book “The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House” that the series is based on by Kate Andersen Brower.

It’s a real historical account of working inside the White House or the “Executive Mansion” as it’s more commonly referred to.

In the book, no one was murdered in the White House and Kylie Minogue did not perform “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” “seven f**cking times” at a state dinner. 🙂

However, I came across three real-life events that made it into the series as “fiction”: two gatecrashers at a President Obama state dinner; “Residence” staff (domestics) smuggling bourbon in for Lillian Carter in real life — it’s vodka for the mother of the First Gentleman, played by Jane Curtin, here; and a shower-obsessed president (Lyndon B. Johnson in real life).

LOVE AT FIRST SIP

Let’s continue the Kylie theme since you know I’m a little (A LOT) obsessed.

I finally have her Prosecco Rose in a gorgeous heart-themed bottle — not to drink, but as décor.

One of her signature hits is “Love At First Sight” (#10 U.S. pop airplay, #1 Dance — 2002).

She uses the phrase “Love At First Sip” to promote her wine and the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, made a cocktail for her show there a few weeks ago and it sounds delicious.

This is also my second favorite Kylie song!

1968 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Now, let’s continue with the presidential theme…

Last week, I talked about how writing has changed over the decades and some things in Theodore H. White’s 1969 book, “The Making of the President: 1968”, wouldn’t be written the same way today.

Now I want to share something interesting about President Richard Nixon. In the book, he had just started his first term way before Watergate would end his presidency.

White shared this quote from Nixon’s confidant, Robert Finch, the man he wanted to be his vice president: “He doesn’t want love… he wants respect… he offers the potential of being a great leader. But that’s a judgement that history will have to write…”

In the next paragraph, White wrote, “Whatever judgement history will make on Richard Nixon must wait for years, and will rest on his record in the White House; that judgement must concern itself with the drama of government and policy.”

Not necessarily — one word: Watergate. But, he called it with “drama”!

One interesting thing I learned is that during his eight years as President Eisenhower’s vice president, Nixon was never in the East Room for a grand ceremony or more shockingly, had never been invited upstairs to the living quarters on the third floor.

I knew that Eisenhower and Nixon had a frosty relationship, but wow…

EIGHT YEARS EARLIER…

Back in February, I wrote about White’s “The Making of the President: 1960”.

It was a great book and one thing I found very interesting since it was released in 1961, two years before President Kennedy’s 1963 assassination, it didn’t analyze his place in history and whether he’s viewed more positively because of his premature death.

Near the end of the book, White wrote that Kennedy went to bed on election night because the race hadn’t yet been called. Two security details were ready — one in California (for Nixon) and the other Hyannisport, Massachusetts, (for Kennedy) to protect the eventual President-Elect.

Once TV networks awarded Michigan’s 20 electoral votes to Kennedy pushing his over the 269 needed to win, security moved into place to protect Kennedy.

White writes, “by seven in the morning, security had been established and the President-elect was walled off, as he would be for four or eight years to come, from all other citizens and ordinary mortals.”

Sadly, it ended up being less than three years.

MY FAVORITE SONGS NOW (PART TWO)

Last week, I shared two of my favorite songs right now that you won’t hear on the radio!

I told the story about getting Sirius XM with my new car last fall and how much I miss my CD player. My favorite station is BPM (dance) and here are two more of my two favorite songs right now.

“I’M GOING OUT”

Chic’s Nile Rodgers is joined by an all-star cast including international DJ and producers Steve Aoki, Sam Feldt, XANDRA, and Zak Abel.

“LAST NIGHT I DREAMT I FELL IN LOVE”

In her latest collaboration and a song she performs with zest on the “Tension Tour”, Kylie Minogue teams up with Brazilian DJ and musician Alok on this fun little, very short love anthem!

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony