Random Friday Thoughts — March 11, 2022

The weekend is almost here and I hope you have fun plans or, at least, be able to chill out and relax.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts. If we disagree, that’s fine. Just do it diplomatically!

RUSSIA: CANCELLED!

As the conflict and tragedy rages on in Ukraine after the invasion by Russia, the world continues to speak out and governments are waging their disapproval toward Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Economic sanctions are in place and they should be. Anything that may hurt the aggressive Russian behavior should be mounted by world leaders.

However, with a country as vast as Russia, it won’t do much to quickly end the conflict. History proves that. It’s the people of the country that suffer more from them and the Russian people are already suffering.

In Russia, 13% of the population lives in poverty (which is similar to the U.S.). However, in Russia, the top 1% controls about 70% of the nation’s wealth. In the U.S., the top 1% have about 32% of the wealth.

I can guarantee that Putin is still living on caviar, champagne, and all of the exotic riches that money can buy.

But, businesses across the world and here in the U.S. are cancelling Russia.

Gate 1 Travel, a company that I love and have used many times, has cancelled all tours and cruises to Russia in 2022.

And, some stores are pulling Russian vodka from its shelves and some restaurants and bars are pouring out their vodkas made in Russia.

Stoli is the leading Russian vodka.

While it won’t make much difference in the scheme of things, it’s the principle behind it.

Less than 1% of vodka consumed in the U.S. is from Russia. More than half of all vodka drank in the U.S. is made here! (CNN)

Go Tito’s and Smirnoff! This one is my favorite!

The Distilled Spirits Council reports that Russian-made vodka only makes up a very small percentage of the roughly $7 billion in annual vodka sales.

NO TREATS FOR YOU, RUSSIA (FOR NOW)!

This week, Coke, PepsiCo, McDonald’s, and Starbucks announced it will temporarily suspend sales of their products in Russia during Putin’s aggression toward Ukraine.

CNN reports that at the end of 2021, there were 847 McDonald’s in Russia (108 more in Ukraine) and 84% are operated by the company. The others are run by franchise owners.

Starbucks says it’s not selling any of its products to Russia and has almost 2,000 employees in the country.

PepsiCo will stop selling sodas in Russia, but will continue selling its baby food, baby formula, milk, and other dairy options.

Russia makes up about 4% of Pepsi’s annual revenue compared to 1%-2% for Coke.

Yum Brands, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell are making similar decisions.

PEACE!

EXCITED ABOUT THIS MINISERIES

Since I don’t have Showtime, I won’t see it for a while, but I’m very excited about the series, “The First Lady”.

It’s so incredible that two of my favorite actresses, Gillian Anderson and Viola Davis, are in the series and I love Michelle Pfeiffer, too!

Gillian plays Eleanor Roosevelt, Viola portrays Michelle Obama, and Michelle is Betty Ford!

“The First Lady” will premiere on Showtime on April 17, 2022.

“BETTY FORD: CANDOR AND COURAGE IN THE WHITE HOUSE”

John Robert Greene’s 2004 book in the “Modern First Ladies” series was a fascinating read. I just love reading book after book about this fascinating woman!

Here are some of the takeaways from this book:

Her mother, Hortense Bloomer, was very strict. When Betty was a child, like most kids, she loved to snack between meals. Her mother hung a “Please Do Not Feed This Child” sign on her daughter!

When President Richard Nixon offered Gerald Ford the vice presidency, Ford told him that didn’t want to be the Republican nominee for President in 1976 because he had told Betty he would retire from politics in 1977. Nixon replied, “Well, that’s good, because John Connally is my choice for 1976.”

One thing I learned from the book was that Martin Luther King Jr.’s mother, Alberta Williams King, was shot and killed inside the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta by 23-year-old Marcus Wayne Chenault, a Black Hebrew Israelite, in June 1974 — just six years after her son was assassinated in Memphis in 1968. Georgia Governor and future President Jimmy Carter made the arrangements for Betty Ford to attend the funeral!

About her recovery from alcohol abuse, Betty Ford wanted people to know it’d always be a struggle. She said, “the disease is alcoholISm, not alcoholWASism.” (Notice IS and WAS!)

“KING RICHARD”

This movie, about how Richard Williams shaped the careers of his two daughters, Venus and Serena, to become two of the best tennis players ever, was compelling.

It’s nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Will Smith), and Best Supporting Actress (Aunjanue Ellis).

Smith has already won the honor from the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild and he deserved it!

GRADE: A-

“THE LOST DAUGHTER”

Oscar and Emmy Award winner Olivia Colman leads a stellar cast in this Maggie Gyllenhaal-directed drama.

While on holiday in Greece, Leda (Colman) has to come to terms with her earlier life and how she raised her two daughters after befriending a young mother (Dakota Johnson), who’s struggling to raise her own little girl.

The movie definitely turns edgy and very psychological when uneasiness creeps in from a taunting group of young men.

This was my 5th favorite movie I saw in 2021.

GRADE: A

“SPENCER”

This movie is about one particular period of the late Princess Diana’s life. It’s Christmas 1991 and Diana is torn over wanting to divorce Prince Charles and leave the royal family.

The movie was enjoyable, but the best part is the performance of Kristen Stewart as Diana.

The role earned her a Best Actress Oscar and Critics’ Choice Movie Award nomination, which are both still pending. She also got a Golden Globe nomination and she won the Hollywood Critics Association Award.

It was my 6th favorite movie of 2021.

GRADE: A-

“PIG”

Never in a million years did I think I’d outright love a Nicolas Cage movie. Okay, even WATCH a Nicolas Cage movie!

But, this one caught my attention and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Cage plays Robin Feld, a haggard man living in the woods, who earns money foraging and harvesting expensive truffles. When he’s beaten and has his pig kidnapped, Feld goes all “John Wick” to find the pig.

That’s when you learn his backstory.

The movie made my Top 20 list of favorite movies I saw in 2021 (#19)! And, Cage is nominated in the Best Actor category for a Critics’ Choice Movie Award!

GRADE: B

GEORGE WASHINGTON

Here are some interesting things I learned about our first President George Washington from authors James MacGregor Burns and Susan Dunn’s 2004 book in the “The American Presidents” series:

• Incredibly, Washington would trade some of his slaves for rum, molasses, and limes. WOW! Seriously, a man’s worth to him was nothing more than a little food and drink???

• And, he supplied his slaves with little: “scant clothing, few blankets, perfunctory medical care”.

• Even as he was winning the Revolutionary War as commander in chief, he was still a rude and condescending man. He confided to his friends that the army was comprised of “an exceedingly dirty and nasty people”.

• In his second term as president, in the summer of 1796, at the age of 64, Washington decided he would not seek a third term that fall. He was already losing his sight and his hearing and was showing signs of major memory loss.

• While he never spoke out against slavery in public since his slaves were instrumental in making him a very wealthy man, he left instructions to free his slaves upon his death or the death of his wife, Martha, if she outlived him.

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony