Random Friday Thoughts — July 7, 2023

Hopefully, you had a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July.

For many of us across Illinois, it was one of cleaning up from damaging winds and tornadoes that left at least 107,000 Ameren Illinois customers without power. Even at midweek, there were still a thousand or so in the dark.

Thus, I wasn’t able to post my thoughts last Friday, so here goes….

FINAL SUBMERSIVE THOUGHT

This follows up from my last blog. While I’m sad for the families of those onboard the Titan submersible that imploded killing the five men on board, I just can’t get past how reckless the whole adventure was going into it.

It’s been reported that four of the men paid about $250,000 a person for the adventure, that’s a million dollars!

Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, migrants are paying almost every penny they have to unsafely cross the Sea for a better life knowing they could die.

This sums it up!

BUD LIGHT CONTROVERSY WON’T GO AWAY

I honestly want to stop talking about the silliness that is the Bud Light controversy.

I don’t drink beer, so it affects mostly those that hate trans people and want to be on the wrong side of history.

Country icon and legend Garth Brooks is opening a restaurant in Nashville called “Friends In Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk”.

He says, “I want it to be a place you feel safe in, I want it to be a place where you feel like there are manners and people like one another.” He went on to say, “If you [are let] into this house, love one another. If you’re an asshole, there are plenty of other places on lower Broadway.” Oh, and it’ll serve “every brand of beer”.

Of course that prompted the ire of right wing commenters and the very intelligent Florida congressman Matt Gaetz. (Sarcasm!)

But, the biggest fool of all is Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

He tweeted a FAKE article about Brooks being booed off the stage in the Lone Star state and thanked Texans for being jerks!

He has since deleted the tweet.

Clearly, I’d chose Brooks’ “friends in low places” over Abbott’s friends!

Good Lord, I’m still laughing about it!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

While he’s at home with end-of-life hospice and she’s suffering from dementia, my idol former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter are celebrating their 77th wedding anniversary (July 7).

They are the longest-wed presidential couple.

MY FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY

My favorite Independence Day is, without a doubt, probably one of your favorites, too.

Back in 1976, the United States was celebrating its 200th birthday, its bicentennial.

As a kid, I was mesmerized with the sight of more than a dozen tall ships and tens of thousands of boats filling New York Harbor.

On my transistor radio, “Fernando” by ABBA was playing.  It’s hard to believe that just one month later, the band would release the iconic “Dancing Queen”!

MY LEAST FAVORITE FOURTH OF JULY

On the other hand, none compare to the 4th of July in 2007 for the worst!

I was working the morning show and on my drive in, it started pouring rain. In the three minute drive to the station, it was coming down in buckets.

As I was running toward the door, my keys flew out of my hands and went underwater in a puddle.  I got to the door and banged and banged, but no one heard it! It was 1:45 a.m. (I didn’t have a cell phone at the time!)

So, I dug through my bag and found my spare car keys.  I drove to the other side of the building and, this time, one of the producers heard me knocking and opened the door.

Since I was soaked, I decided to go back home and change into a dry suit.

As torrential rains continued falling, a wall of water came crashing into the intersection. Without warning, in just seconds (real-time seconds), my car stalled and died as the water quickly came up to the door.  At the same time, three other cars met the same fate as mine.

I quickly thought about the power doors and windows and opened my door! If there was a shortage, I would be locked inside!

Three intoxicated teenagers came running through the water and helped me push my car into an alley.

Soaking wet, I walked fifteen blocks to my house bare-footed in a ruined suit.

I ended up with three large blisters on the soles of my feet. Luckily, I didn’t step on anything sharp, which would have allowed bacteria from the nasty floodwaters to make me sick!

By the way, I made it back in time to get my weather graphics done and was on the air at 5 a.m.!

As a meteorologist, I’ve never encountered the force of raging water and now I know first hand just where “flash flooding” gets its name. 

It just two or three seconds, the water came out of nowhere and submerged the cars!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Remember, it only takes about six inches of flowing water to sweep a person off their feet, a foot of moving water to make a car buoyant, and only two feet of raging water to sweep a car away!

SUMMER AND TICKS

Now that summer is here, mosquitos are a pest and ticks are lurking.

There are some amazing smelling herbs and plants you can put in your yard to create a barrier between wooded areas and your home that keep ticks away.

Mint, sage, lavender, rosemary, garlic, and marigolds have tick-repellent properties, with fragrances, textures and oils that ticks can’t tolerate.

“GEORGE MICHAEL: A LIFE”

This 2022 biography by James Gavin was very honest and very enlightening. A must read!

It covers all of the demons George battled in life — from his childhood (overweight and insecure) to early adulthood (worldwide fame and drugs) to later in life (fame, avoiding the spotlight of fame, drugs, and weight gain). Oh, and that arrest in the Los Angeles park bathroom!

George died on Christmas Day 2016 and eerily, his sister, Melanie Panayiotou, also died on Christmas Day three years later.

WHAM! (THE DOCUMENTARY)

I can’t wait to check out the “Wham!” documentary that debuted on Netflix earlier this week.

“WHEN WE RISE: MY LIFE IN THE MOVEMENT”

Pride month is over, but I still want to share some details from LGBTQ pioneer Cleve Jones’ 2016 autobiography.

He came up with the idea of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1985 at a Harvey Milk memorial service.

Jones also fought against Anita Bryant’s “Save our Children” campaign in Florida (1977) and John Briggs’ California Proposition 6, better known as the “Briggs Initiative” (1978), which would have banned gays and lesbians (and their allies) to work in the California school system.

After his historical election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in November 1977, his friend, the legendary Harvey Milk, told Jones, “Even if we lose, having the debate moves us forward, just by requiring people to think about the issue. The more they think about it, the more progress we make. And we have to get everyone to come out of their closet.” Milk smiled and added, “If we all come out, we will win. Once people understand that they have gay friends and family members and coworkers and neighbors, they won’t fear us, they won’t hate us, and they won’t vote against us. That’s how we win. Everyone must come out.”

And, I loved the story that Jones told about his sadness after finding his lover in bed with another man. When he told Harvey, Milk told the young Jones (in his early 20s) that later in life he’d realize who was and who was not the great loves in life. He said that Harvey was right.

MY FAVORITE GEORGE MICHAEL (WHAM) SONGS

There are many to choose from, so “Monkey”, “Too Funky”, and “Freedom 90” missed out.

“WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO” (Wham!) (3 weeks at #1, 1984)

“I’M YOUR MAN” (Wham!) (#3, 1986)

“I WANT YOUR SEX” (#2, 1987)

“FAITH (4 weeks at #1, 1987)

“I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME) with Aretha Franklin (#1, 1987)

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — June 23, 2023

Happy Friday and for you summer lovers, enjoy it for me.

Now that it’s officially summer, fall is just 92 days away.

Thank you for taking time to check out my random thoughts.

SUBMERSIVE SAGA

This past week, crews were searching the North Atlantic near the site of the “Titanic” wreckage for a submersible called the “Titan” with five men inside. They’re likely dead.

U.S. and Canadian ships and aircrafts intensified the search about 900 miles east of Cape Cod and about 13,000 feet below sea level.

While it’s a tragic end to the story, you’d never have seen me on that regardless of the cost! No thank you!

I’m claustrophobic enough that I don’t even want to sit in the middle seat on a plane!

If I want to see the “Titanic”, I’ll watch Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as Rose and Jack!

A TRUE TRAGEDY OFF GREECE & SPAIN

At the end of May, I talked about people willing to die for a chance of freedom and a new life.

It was mainly about how many migrants die while trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Italy.

Earlier this week, a migrant boat sank near Spain’s Canary Islands and dozens are feared drowned.

On Thursday, Spanish government maritime services rescued 227 other migrants from four boats off Morocco’s west coast.

And, just last week, more than 300 Pakistani nationals died off the coast of Greece when the overcrowded fishing boat they were on capsized. About 750 men, women, and children were on board.

The refugee crises involves tens of thousands seeking sanctuary from poverty, persecution, and war.

How sad!

BOYCOTTING — WHAT’S DIFFERENT

I know you haven’t lost any sleep over it, but I was thinking about the difference between the Bud Light boycott and me not spending my money (basically boycotting) at Chick-fil-A!

I’m not hypocritical by shaking my head at those avoiding Bud Light beer because it featured a trans woman in a promotion.

Clearly, the people mad at Anheuser-Busch are transphobic, even if they don’t know what that means.

I loathe the chicken chain because of its blatant antigay stance and its funding of antigay agendas!

By the way, I’d love to try its peach shake, but I sure the hate would make it tasty less peachy!

So, I’ll just watch Elio enjoy his peach in “Call Me By Your Name!” 🙂

WHAT PRIDE IS & ISN’T

A WORK OF FICTION!

Typically, I read biographies, autobiographies, and books about real life events.

For years, I’ve been moving a box of old “Time” magazines (2017-2019) from place to place and I finally read them. While doing so, I jotted down some fiction book titles that sounded interesting and read them.

I’d highly recommend three of them, I’m indifferent about one, and would skip the last one.

“THE CARE AND FEEDING OF RAVENOUSLY HUNGRY GIRLS” by Anissa Gray (2019)

I highly recommend this book.

It’s about a family coming together after the oldest sister goes to jail. It’s then up to her siblings to raise her two children. This is a very touching book about family dealing with the past while trying to figure out the future.

Additionally, the book really touched me because I can truly relate to one of the characters — she’s gay and she has an eating disorder.

GRADE: A-

“THE OTHER AMERICANS” by Laila Lalami (2019)

A Moroccan immigrant living with his wife outside of Palm Springs, California, is killed by a hit and run driver.

His grown daughter, Nora, a musician living in San Francisco, comes home for the funeral and butts heads with her mother and sister.

While home, she meets up with an old high school friend, Jeremy, who helps her cope with her dad’s death while battling his own demons.

He also helps her with the investigation into her father’s death.

GRADE: B+

“99 NIGHTS IN LOGAR” by Jamil Jan Kochai (2019)

This is a riveting coming-of-age story about a boy living in the United States making a journey home to modern-day Afghanistan.

While there, 12-year-old Marwand, one of his brothers, and his young cousins go on a 99-night search across Logar for the family guard dog, Budabash, after it bites Marwand’s finger off and escapes.

We learn more about the dog and its relationship with the boy when he visited six years ago.

It was also very enlightening about their culture.

GRADE: B

“DRIVING YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD” by Olga Tokarczuk (2019)

This book was originally published in Polish in 2009 and translated in 2019. I absolutely love the title!

It’s the dead of a European winter out in the middle of nowhere Poland.

Janine prefers animals to people, so she’s not too upset when her neighbor she wasn’t friendly with ends up dead. His death is followed by other deaths with strange circumstances.

Janine becomes an eccentric sleuth trying to find the killer using astrology and the police aren’t impressed with her nosiness and methods.

GRADE: B–

“MY SISTER THE SERIAL KILLER: A NOVEL” by Oyinkan Braithwaite (2018)

This book is about a Nigerian health care worker helping her sister cover up the death of her boyfriend that she claims threatened her life.

However, it seems her beautiful, younger sister has bad luck with guys because another boyfriend ends up dead and, again, involves her sister in getting rid of the body.

But, the older sister draws the line with her “serial killer” sister when the younger one starts dating a co-worker she’s crushing on.

Much of the book was entertaining, but the ending was unfulfilling!

GRADE: C

“I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY” (THE MOVIE)

I finally got around to seeing the $45 million Whitney Houston biopic, “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” that made almost $60 million in theaters last winter.

Naomi Ackie was great as the iconic singer and I enjoyed Stanley Tucci as music mogul Clive Davis.

I’m still grossed out by the real and movie version of Bobby Brown!

GRADE: B

“I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY” (THE SONG)

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” was released as the first single from Houston’s second studio album.

It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #38 on May 16, 1987. It reached #1 six weeks later on June 27, 1987, the same day her album “Whitney” debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 (known then as “Top Pop Albums”). That was the first time ever for a woman!

The song also won the Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) is my favorite Whitney Houston song.

At #2 is “So Emotional” (1987)

At #3 “How Will I Know” (1985)

and at 4, “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” (1999)

MY LIFE: THE FIRST 35 YEARS

In the summer of 2020, with the pandemic raging, I started thinking about the events and the songs that influenced me most in life.

On September 11, 2020, I counted down my 35 favorite songs of my first 35 years (1964-1999). However, because I had so much fun with it, I decided to countdown my 101 favorites (there were 101 Dalmatians)!

I also counted down the 13 biggest events, personal or worldwide, that affected me the most.

If you’d like to have some fun and enjoy the soundtrack of my first 35 years of life, click here and take a walk down memory lane with me:

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2020/09/11/my-life-the-first-35-years/

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — June 9, 2023

It’s Friday and the weekend is here. For many that’s enough to be happy.

So, I’ll quickly vent (bitch) and educate a few people and then move on and share fun thoughts. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH

To all my LGBTQ+ friends and my “straight, but not narrow” friends, Happy Pride month!

Now, joking aside, two WTH or WTF thoughts.

DING DONG!…THE WITCH IS DEAD

Televangelist and notorious homophobe Pat Robertson is dead at the age 93.

Now, who’s going to blame the gays for every natural weather disaster in the U.S.? Did I mention he was a very bad weather forecaster?

In 1998, he sent out this warning to Orlando, Florida, because of its “Gay Days” at Walt Disney World that began in 1991, “I would warn Orlando that you’re right in the way of some serious hurricanes and I don’t think I’d be waving those flags in God’s face if I were you.”

And, in late December 2010, Christmas travel around the country was disrupted by this winter storm on the East Coast.

Despite the weather science behind the storm, here was Robertson’s explanation:

“Because of the bad road conditions the Almighty has made, any gay activities that people were planning on doing will have to be postponed by a day or two.” 

He also said God shut down all the big airports in New York “so that people who were hoping to fly to do something of a gay nature would have to take a train or a bus, so it might be days before the gay thing they were going to do could occur.”

Parting thoughts: God, please set this man straight now. Funny, I said “straight”.

And, I’ll even ask for forgiveness when I pray tonight for feeling no compassion toward him. Maybe he should have asked for forgiveness for his lack of compassion for the LGBTQ+ community! (Who knows, maybe he did on his death bed!)

BOYCOTTS THIS SPRING & SUMMER

Boycotts are nothing new.

We boycotted the 1980 Olympics and there was a boycott of that antigay fast food chicken chain restaurant.

This spring, Bud Light lost a lot of money because people are transphobic.

And, now Target is being boycotted because of their support of the LGBTQ+ community and Pride month.

I’m writing this very carefully because I don’t want to give an antigay rap song and its “artists” any publicity. However, it was the #1 downloaded song last week. (Luckily, the novelty has worn off and it’s dropped considerably on the chart!) Bye, Felicia!

My issue is that the rapper told a conservative “news” show, “We’re living in a culture right now where people need to speak out. We need to stand up for the children.”

Blah, blah, blah. We’ve heard that all before!

By the way, how’d that work out for you Anita Bryant?

But, here’s the part that got me. He said, “There’s no place for LGBTQ for fourth- and fifth-graders.”

Wait, if you choose to dislike LGBTQ people, I’m sorry for you and your narrow-mindedness. However, if you’re just ignorant, educate yourself.

Let me tell you, I knew I was gay before I started first grade.

And, kids these days, with access to smart phones and computers before they can put sentences together, know far more about sex and things they shouldn’t know about by the fourth and fifth grade.

Maybe “the children” need real facts from educated people and not education from a Google search!

THIS! — ME AS A CHILD 🙂

SPEAKING OF DELICIOUS…

I still haven’t tried the Peanut Butter Puppy Chow Blizzard or the Cotton Candy Blizzard from Dairy Queen…

Or, the new Cotton Candy Oreos!

TO SHAVE OR NOT TO SHAVE?

Last fall when I visited Turkey, I decided to grow a mustache to see what I thought of it. When I was young, it really wouldn’t fill in.

Once I got home, I shaved it off and started growing it again in December while in Palm Springs and I loved it.

I was almost to the point of shaving it off when a package arrived at work this week. In the past, I’ve been sent books, a pug figurine, and baked good.

This time, it was disposable razors!

Subtle, NO! Hilarious, YES!

So, I posted the story on my work Facebook page asking if I should shave it off? Here are the results over the past three days.

GONE COUNTRY?

A couple of months ago, I talked about slowly taking a chance on country music again. There’s still so much I have no desire to listen to, but some of it is enjoyable.

Since I gave up on the genre almost two decades ago, I thought Michael Ray in 2015 would win me over, but it didn’t.

And, I still think that Canadian Brett Kissel should be a huge star in the U.S. I wrote about him in early 2016.

“Drinkaby” by Cole Swindell is the song that caught my attention this spring and made me program a local country station into my car stereo.

Since then, I really enjoy hearing “Famous Friends”, the most played country song of 2021, from Chris Young and Kane Brown.

“80 FOR BRADY”

I absolutely love Sally Field and Jane Fonda and I like Lily Tomlin and Rita Moreno. They’re all great in this box office smash from earlier this year.

And, of course, Tom Brady is a hottie.

Now, what was I saying? Oh, the movie.

The first part was okay setting up the story of these older women wanting to see Brady play in the Super Bowl.

Well, they get to the game and the movie really takes off after they’re given edible cannabis at a party. (OMG, I’m glad I proofread. Originally, I wrote “cannibal”! Maybe I had the next movie review on the brain!)

The funniest scene in the movie is when Betty (Field) is flirting with a very sexy young man (36) and she crushes him with a comment about his smile. It still cracks me up thinking about it!

GRADE: B

“BONES AND ALL”

Who doesn’t pine for a good cannibal love story? Okay, there aren’t too many of them.

The subliminal love story between Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) in the three-season NBC series, “Hannibal” was amazing.

I wish it’d be brought back on some network or as a movie.

“Bones and All” is a cannibal love story between a Kentucky kid (no, not me), Lee, played by Timothee Chalamet, and Maren (Taylor Russell).

I struggled to stay interested in the two-hour-plus movie until about midway through. And, the ending was the best part of the movie.

GRADE: C-

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — July 20, 2018

July is moving right along and before you know it, it’ll be August!  I hope you’re having a great summer and thank you for checking out my random thoughts.

DEAR CANADA

Will you please share Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with us here in the U.S.?  We’re heading into crisis mode!

TRUMP-PUTIN LOVE AFFAIR

45 and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Helsinki, Finland earlier this week and 45 basically says he trusts his buddy more than American intelligence.  (Seriously, him debating anyone’s intelligence?)

You know my thoughts without me expressing them.  So, I’ll let fellow Republicans speak their mind of the summit, or as Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) calls it, “a tragic mistake”.

McCain calls it “one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory.”

Senator Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) says it was NOT “a good moment for our country. This was a very good day for President Putin” and that Trump made the U.S. “look like a pushover”.

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan says there’s “no question” that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and this about “that man” (45): “The president must appreciate that Russia is not our ally.”

BREAKING NEWS… 24 HOURS LATER.  45 claims that he misspoke.  Whatev!

JUST A FEW THINGS RUSSIA SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF…

Interfering in the 2016 American presidential election, buying the right to host the World Cup soccer tournament, condemning and making the lives of the LGBTQ community miserable, and poisoning people with substandard street alcohol… for starters.

DAN QUAYLE, REST EASY…

You’ll likely not be remembered as the most useless Vice President in recent American history.

Mike Pence is giving you one hell of a run for your money!

This photo of just another old white man standing around gives credence to the phrase, “a picture is worth a thousand words”!

What has he really done as vice president?  I can answer that with two comments:  (1) With his boss that wants, needs, and lives for the spotlight, nothing, and (2) with his hateful views, I’m glad he doesn’t have power to do anything!

I really don’t think that 45 will run again in 2020, although he says he will and is already setting the stage for it.

If he does run, I hope there’s a Republican that’ll pull a stunt like Ronald Reagan did in 1976 or Ted Kennedy in 1980 and be successful.  Both Reagan and Kennedy failed in their efforts in trying to steal the nominations from sitting presidents (Ford in 1976 and Carter in 1980).

Hopefully, a “sea of blue” in the 2018 midterm elections in November and the 2020 presidential election will end the current rhetoric of “Make America Hate Again”!

And, then Mike Pence can take his misguided interpretation that God stands for hate and fade away into obscurity.

“MAMMA MIA:  HERE WE GO AGAIN”

I absolutely love and adore the 2008 original starring Meryl Streep and the fabulous music of ABBA!

With that being said, I WILL NOT being seeing the sequel out in theaters now!  That’s all I’ll say since I don’t believe in spoilers.

Full disclosure:  I may break down and watch it on DVD one day!

CHER DOES ABBA

On a happier note, the iconic and legendary Cher will be releasing an album of ABBA covers in September!

Cher says, “It’s not what you would think of when you think of ABBA, ’cause I did it in a different way.”

In “Mamma Mia:  Here We Go Again”, Cher plays Sophie’s grandmother and Donna’s mother.

EMMY NOMINATIONS HITS & MISSES

Last week, the Emmy nominations were announced and I’m excited that FX’s “The Assassination of Gianni Versace:  American Crime Story” picked up 18 nods, the most for a Limited Series!

As I predicted, Darren Criss was nominated for “Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie” for playing Andrew Cunanan in “Versace”.

Also, I said that Judith Light would be pick up a nod for “Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie” for playing Marilyn Maglin, the wife of one of Cunanan’s victims.

I’m happy that Finn Wittrock was nominated in the supporting actor category, but I was a little surprised that Penelope Cruz, Edgar Ramirez, and Ricky Martin were also nominated in supporting roles.

And, as I expected, Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated in the “Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie” for Patrick Melrose.

However, I’m disappointed that Jennifer Jason Leigh was snubbed as his mother, Eleanor.

Also, bummed that Evan Peters was overlooked for “American Horror Story: Cult”. But, there is some happy news — two of his castmates, Sarah Paulson and Adina Porter were nominated.

Beware a “Nasty Woman” and two Emmy nominees (Paulson and Porter)!

Contains strong language and violence!!!

Again, no nomination for Peters!!!!

Finally, no love for AMC’s “The Terror”.

KINDNESS

If you haven’t been watching “Pose”, you’re missing out on an incredible period of life in LGBTQ culture and a show that’s so damn heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time!

In a recent episode, Pray Tell (Billy Porter) doesn’t hold back when he retaliated against Blanca’s transphobic and homophobic siblings after their mother’s funeral.

“Kindness doesn’t cost you anything.”

Pray Tell, tell it!!!

“DIETLAND”

I first wrote about “Dietland” (the book) in January 2016 and I’ve become Twitter friends with the amazing author, Sarai Walker.

Now, “Dietland” is a hit AMC series.

Not every woman is a size zero and trying to get there can kill you or get you killed if you’re one to degrade women or fat girls!

Okay, before you think I’m insensitive to use the word “fat”, instead of “full figured”, “large”, or “overweight”, you need to understand what Walker wants people to know about these beautiful women!

The series stars an incredible Joy Nash, as Plum, a mostly reclusive 300-pound-plus woman from California, now living in New York City and working for a fashion magazine catering to young women.

She works for a very demanding, gorgeous, piranha of a woman named Kitty Montgomery (Julianna Margulies).

Next year when Emmy nominations are announced, I hope that both Nash and Marguilies get a nod!

The 10-episode series concludes on July 30, 2018, so you still have time to binge watch it before the finale.

Here’s my original blog on Walker’s book (clicking on this link will open it in a new window)

https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2016/01/14/losing-weight-degrading-women-is-torture-in-dietland/

FARMERS’ MARKETS

Since moving to Duluth, I haven’t been to a farmers’ market, yet peaches 🍑 and grapefruits are on my mind!

Maybe that has to do with “Call Me By Your Name” and “Girls Trip”.  If you’ve seen both of those movies, you know what I’m talking about.

If you haven’t, I won’t tell! 🙂

I’m still thinking of juicy peaches! 🍑 🙂

SPEAKING OF PEACHES! 🍑

Armie Hammer told Stephen Colbert recently that people are bringing him peaches 🍑 to autograph.

Wondering what people did with those peaches 🍑, Hammer says,  “Watch it wither like Donald Trump’s presidency.”  (and this was even before 45 spoke, misspoke in Helsinki!)

“GEORGE MICHAEL: FREEDOM”

There’s an incredible documentary on Showtime about music icon George Michael.

While I knew much of what was covered, it was heartbreaking to hear George talk about finally meeting the man of his dreams only to have his lover become ill and die of AIDS not long into the relationship.

It was very interesting to hear how George became a staple at black radio and then once he won awards in that genre over black artists, he became a pariah in that format.

Michael was found dead at his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day 2016. A coroner’s report attributed his death to natural causes.

I think he died of a broken heart and loneliness!

If you think you’ll never watch the documentary, this longer trailer gives you much more of the George Michael story.

MY FAVORITE GEORGE MICHAEL HITS

“FAITH” (1987)

So damn sexy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“FREEDOM ’90” (1987)

“ONE MORE TRY” (1988)

“I WANT YOUR SEX” (1987)

Again, so damn sexy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“I KNEW YOU WERE WAITING (FOR ME)” featuring Aretha Franklin (1987)

FAVORITE WHAM! SONG

As much as I love “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go”, “Last Christmas”, and “Everything She Wants”, “I’m Your Man” (1985) is my favorite Wham! song.

“JESUS TO A CHILD” (1996)

I didn’t realize how emotional and touching this song was until I heard the story behind it — finally falling in love and coming out and then losing your lover without getting to spend much time together! 😦

THAT’S IT

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

Anthony