Random Friday Thoughts — February 13, 2026

You guys are amazing!

The number of people reading my “Random Friday Thoughts” over the past couple of weeks is awesome. And, the feedback is great. I appreciate you checking out my little world.

Here are some more thoughts and enjoy your weekend!

PROVING I’M NOT (TOTALLY) JADED!

Xanadu and I wish you and yours a very Happy Valentine’s Day!

And, if you shorten that and are celebrating, visit the Free Clinic! 🙂

VALENTINE’S DAY BECAME WEIRD

When I was dating or married, gifts and candy were exchanged on February 14th.

And, in 2010, I even made festive cookies. Now, I just shop on the 15th and get half price chocolates!

In our early-20s, Valentine’s Day became weird for me and my sister, Tammy. Our father died on that day in 1987 and our mother’s birthday was the next day.

So, her last four birthdays were shrouded in sadness because of his death and the anniversary.

However, we did celebrate on her next to last birthday at Ruby Tuesday’s in Paducah, Kentucky, in 1989 and had a great time!

NOT JUST FOR CHRISTMAS ANYMORE

The iconic Mariah Carey kicked off the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy last week in a stunning fashion.

She performed the Italian classic “Volare” and her current #1 hit, “Nothing Is Impossible”.

She was also decked out in a reported 306 carats of diamonds valued at $15 million! Stunning!

THE OTHER BIG CONCERT STAGE

Of course, two nights later, the other big concert stage was the Super Bowl. I’m not a football fan, so I couldn’t care less about the game.

Charlie Puth did a stunning job with the National Anthem, Brandi Carlile’s “America The Beautiful” and Coco Jones’ “Lift Every Voice and Sing” were great.

But, the big performance was Bad Bunny with special guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.

Sadly, I never learned Spanish (my fault and no one else’s), so I didn’t understand the words.

But, I could see the love for his American territory of Puerto Rico.

Yes, I said American! Did you miss school that day?

I own four Selena albums.

Except for “Dreaming of You”, her 1995 English language debut she was working on when she was murdered in the spring of 1994, I don’t know what the songs mean, but I recognize some words.

It doesn’t matter. I love them.

Music transcends language. It can move you and you can enjoy it with knowing the language!

BUT, SERIOUSLY…

We have so many problems here in the United States that politicians SHOULD be addressing, but this?

That would be Republican Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles.

In an X post, he called it “pure smut” and said the performance featured “explicit displays of gay sexual acts, women gyrating provocatively, and Bad Bunny shamelessly grabbing his crotch while dry-humping the air”.

Okay, were we watching the same performance? Yes, I saw the women dancing in a fun suggestive way and Bad Bunny dancing. But, it never crossed my mind he was dry-humping the air!

And, was Ogles watching gay porn instead of the halftime performance? There was one very quick, fully-clothed moment where two men touch in a sexy way by a truck!

Oh, he added that Bad Bunny’s lyrics “openly glorified sodomy and countless other unspeakable depravities”.

This is the same man that’s faced many controversies in his political career — exaggerations of his past experience as an economist and a law enforcement officer.

Plus, he faced criticism when nearly $25,000 in donations received from a GoFundMe to finance a child burial garden for his stillborn child’s memory appeared to have gone unspent.

Then, there’s the controversy over the 2021 Christmas card above.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE REPLIES

Of course, Donald Trump hated Bad Bunny’s performance.

Here’s one of my favorite responses from someone I’ve probably never agreed with on anything!

OKAY, HIM AGAIN!

Last Friday, during Black History Month (no less), Donald Trump released a very disgusting, blatantly racist video featuring President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes (gorillas).

He’s done a lot of things over the years to make you say WTF, SMH, and more. But, this?

Hold up before you throw out that it was a staffer that posted the video.

That might have been the case, but it took Trump (or his team) 12 hours, after widespread condemnation, to take the video down.

Also, if it was a “staffer”, then you’re going to give them all the credit for the “gospel” he preaches on his social page?

I didn’t think so.

QUESTION FOR TRUMP SUPPORTERS!!!

I don’t want my liberal friends and left-leaning readers of my blog to answer this. I want any Trump supporter to “DIPLOMATICALLY” explain to me why I’m wrong thinking this is deplorable and despicable!

Black South Carolina Senator Tim Scott called it the most racist thing from the White House.

At first, “Stepford Wife” (allegedly — thanks Nicki)/White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended it as a Lion King meme.

HOW I SEE THE OBAMAS!

“TWINLESS”

This is only the second movie from American filmmaker James Sweeney.

The director and actor, in his mid-30s, is from Alaska and is openly gay.

His first movie, “Straight Up”, from 2019, is critically acclaimed. And, so is this one.

His character, Dennis, joins a grief support group for twinless twins and meets Roman (Dylan O’Brien), whose twin brother Rocky was hit by a car and killed.

The two hit it off since Dennis is gay and Roman’s twin brother, Rocky, was gay, too.

Well, all is not what it seems!

GRADE: B

“RED EYE”

I was looking for a short series to watch and this hulu series caught my attention because I like Richard Armitage (“Hannibal” television series).

There are two six-episode seasons.

The first is about a U.K. doctor being detained at the airport in London after deplaning from a flight from Beijing, China. He is suspected of murdering the daughter of a Chinese political official.

He and four of his colleagues from a conference are flown back directly back to Beijing on the “red eye” flight — think Agatha Christie! One by one they are picked off!

Oops, SPOILER ALERT!

But, why?

SEASON ONE — GRADE: B+

The second season brings back Detective Constable (now Detective Sergaent) Jing Lusi in a mystery involving the U.S. Embassy in London after the murder of a diplomatic courier at the airport.

Note to self: stay away from Heathrow.

SEASON TWO — GRADE: B

ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS NOW

“Come Find Me” by American DJ MK featuring Clementine Douglas is one of my favorite jams right now.

Sadly, it’s not catching on at dance stations and clubs in the U.S.

Clementine had my #3 song of last year, “Blessing”, with Calvin Harris.

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — August 9, 2024

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