I'll Watch "Roseanne" if I want to

Some of my progressive, open minded friends have a LOT to say about Roseanne Barr and her show this week. It's as if since the March For Your Life marches are over, they need something new to be outraged about. To which i say, please keep being outraged by gun violence!.

Look, I get it.  The anger toward Trump in 2016 getting elected isn't going away, and every day it becomes less and less about "our person not winning" and more and more about "the worst possible person in all of humanity won" So yeah, I am angry at people who voted for Trump (like Roseanne the non fiction person) and still support his "policies" (like Roseanne the non fiction person). Honestly, I mostly avoid any kind of conversation or interaction at all with family or friends who I know voted for Trump. There is definitely some sort of Civil War going on in our country right now that doesn't as of yet involve a war level of gun fire and blood shed.

BUT I am equally angry and some of my liberal friends who are usually on my team, but who voted for Jill Stein or wrote in Bernie or worst of all did not vote at all. They are just as responsible for the Trump presidency as any one who DID vote for him. Those people have joining our parades NOW, but they don't get a free pass. At least not with me.

So with all that anger going around, is lecturing people on how they shouldn't be watching a TV show really a battle you want to fight?

It isn't for me. I should also tell you that I don't like when people tell me what to do. So if you lecture me to do something, it will most likely have the opposite effect. If my parents were alive, you can ask them. They know this well. And while I express my strong opinions about many many things out of my mouth and on social media, I try very hard not to tell people what to do. I try to lay out the facts, and if people make stupid choices despite that then so be it. I say I try to do this, so if you ever see or hear differently please call me out on my BS.

But I digress. So getting back to "Roseanne". "Roseanne" is perhaps my favorite comedy show of all time. So I was always going to watch the reboot of "Roseanne" since the day it was announced into existence, but I REALLY REALLY was going to watch it after some of my very "progressive thinking" friends willed me not to watch it.  That's just what I do. I kind of like doing my own thinking.

It's funny that Roseanne is getting called out by liberals because of her politics because back when it was on long ago, it was getting called out by conservatives. My mother, who leaned conservative, hated it for the reasons I liked it. I liked it because no TV program is ever going to show a 100% percent realistic family, but for me Roseanne was the closest I had ever seen and I still believe that to be true.

So yes the actress who plays Roseanne is infuriating to people for many reasons. Right now she is infuriating to liberal minded people (including myself) because she voted and supports Trump, but she used to infuriate conservatives because of her treatment of their sacred national anthem. Roseanne has always been a rabble rouser  or a pot stirrer. Being a bit of a pot stirrer myself, i have always liked that about her even when I don't agree with her (and that is fairly often).

Separating the artist and the art is always tricky. It is something I have struggled with with a lot of Woody Allen movies among other things. But in this case Roseanne may be on to something. She voted for the same person that 46% of voters also voted for.  So she wasn't alone in that vote, but she realized how polarized this country is and now she is making a statement about that on her show. I was interested to see how the reboot  would address our 2018 reality, and i am really pleased with what she did. Her show is not pro Trump as some have said. One character being pro something doesn't make the whole show pro something. My guess is that more of her writers and actors on the show did not vote for Trump than did  and that opposite point of view is certainly more than represented on the show that I watched last night.

The other thing besides the family aspect of Roseanne that I have always appreciated is the way her show takes on issues that other shows won't usually touch. And not just that,  but her show takes on these issues in a very gray way. What I mean is as humans we like things to be black or white. Art is often either pro this or against that. Gray is uncomfortable for most people. But " Roseanne" has always dealt with issues in a gray way. The show puts the issues out there but doesn't do our thinking for us. So whether or not I agree with a character's point of view on her show I appreciate that it wasn't just one viewpoint that was shoved down my throat like I see in a lot of other artistic expression.

I like that. We need more of tha--t especially now. So yeah, if you don't like Roseanne and don't want to watch her show. HAVE AT IT. But I can and will watch "Roseanne" if I want to .

At long last!! My favorites in 2017 film!

The Oscars were about a month ago, and I am pretty much caught up on anything that I want to see (or in some cases didn’t want to see) from 2017.

I will give my favorite choice of any category that I Have listed with more than one person or movie at a later date.

Here are some areas where I just outright chose my favorite!

Best Animated Film: Coco
Best Use of Sound in A Film: Dunkirk
Best Hair styling in a Film: I, Tonya
Best Make up in a Film: Wonder
Best Documentary Film:  Strong  Island
Best Production Design: The Shape Of Water
Best Visual Effects in a Film: Okja
Best Editing in a Film: Dunkirk
Best Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman    Chile

The rest of the categories will have 5 choices except for Best Picture which will have ten.

My 5 favorite performances by a Supporting Male Actor were:
Armie Hammer Call Me By Your Name
Richard Jenkins The Shape Of Water
Jason Mitchell Mudbound
Ray Romano The Big Sick
Michael Stuhlbarg Call Me By Your Name -BEST OF 2017


Best Cinematography
Call Me by Your Name
Dunkirk- BEST OF 2017
The Florida Project
Mudbound
The Shape Of Water

Best Costume Design
Beauty and the Beast
I, Tonya
Phantom Thread- BEST OF 2017
The Post
The Shape Of Water

My 5 favorite performances by a Female Actor I’m a Supporting Role Were:
Mary J Blige Mudbound
Holly Hunter The Big Sick
Allison Janney I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf  Lady Bird- BEST OF 2017
Octavia Spencer The Shape Of Water

Best Original Music Score in a Film:


Dunkirk
Mudbound- BEST OF 2017
Phantom Thread
The Post
The Shape Of Water

Best Original Song in a Film
Evermore Beauty and the Beast
Mighty River Mudbound
Mystery of Love Call Me By Your Name-BEST OF 2017
This is Me The Greatest Showman
Tightrope The Greatest Showman

Best Adapted Screenplay
All the Money in the World
Call Me By Your Name- BEST OF 2017
The Disaster Artist
Mudbound
Wonder Woman

Best Original Screenplay
The Big Sick- BEST OF 2017
I, Tonya
Lady Bird
The Post
The Shape Of Water

Best Direction of a Film:
Guillermo del Toro The Shape Of Water
Greta Gerwig Lady Bird -BEST OF 2017
Luca Guadagnino Call Me By Your Name
Dee Rees Mudbound
Steven Spielberg The Post

My favorite Lead Performances by a Female Actor were:
Margot Robbie I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan Lady Bird- BEST OF 2017
Meryl Streep The Post
Daniela Vega A Fantastic Woman
Michelle Williams All the Money in the World

My favorite Lead Performances by a Male Actor were:
Timothée  Chalamet Call My By Your Name - BEST OF 2017
James Franco The Disaster Artist

Jake Gyllenhaal Stronger
Daniel Kaluuya Get Out
Nahuel Pérez Biscayart BPM

And the Ten Best Films Of 2017 were:
10. The Florida Project
9.  Dunkirk
8.  Wonder Woman
7.  A Fantastic Woman
6. the Shape Of Water
5. The Post
4.  Mudbound
3. the Big Sick
2. Call Me By Your Name

And the Best Film  of 2017 is

Lady Bird

In Summary
Coco- Best Animated Film
Strong Island- Best Documentary
Okja- Best Visual effects
Wonder- Best Make Up
I, Tonya- Best Hairstyling
Shape of Water- Best Set Direction
Phantom Thread- Best Costumes
A Fantastic Woman- Best Foreign Film
Mudbound- Best Original Score
The Big Sick- best Original Screenplay
Dunkirk- Best Use Of Sound, Editing, and Cinemotography
Call Me By Your Name- Best Original Song, Best Supporting Male Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Lead Male Actor
Lady Bird- Best Supporting Female Actor, Best Director, Best Lead Female Actress and Best Film

Onto great films in 2018!

My predictions for the winners of the 90th Academy Awards

I am definitely kind of blah about his years Oscars. To be honest, most of the "predicted" winners are not my thing. The acting winners are most likely set and with one exception I wouldn't have even voted to nominate any of them. I actually thought about skipping them this year because I thought I was not going to be getting up super early for work on Monday morning. But that was never really going to happen since I have watched every year since 1983. I have had a good run the past few years with lots of my favorites winning, so this will just not be my year. So I will watch to see if my predictions are correct, see if Kobe Bryant becomes an Oscar winner (it's very possible) and see if Warren and Faye mess everything up again (not going to happen).

Here are my predicted winners for this year's Oscars.

Best Picture: Three Billboards Outside Ebbings, Missouri. Tiri

This is the big question mark of the night. I think it is Billboards vs Share of Water. Some are predicting Get Out, but I just do not see it. I am not a fan of Ebbings, Missouri. I think it is a mess that is sometimes mildly entertaining. I hope my prediction is not correct. It will be the worst Best Picture win since Crash.

I will stand up and cheer if the winner is: Lady Bird or Call Me By Your Name

Best Director:  Guillermo del Toro  Shape of Water
I will stand up and cheer if the winner is: Greta Gerwig Lady Bird

Best Actress: Frances McDormand TBOEM
I will stand up and cheer if the winner is: Saoirse Ronan Lady Bird

Best Actor: Gary Oldman The Darkest Hour
I will stand up and cheer if the winner is: Timothee Chalamet Call Me By Your Name

Best Supporting Actress: Allison Janney I, Tonya
I will stand up and cheer is the winner is: Laurie Metcalf Lady Bird

Best Supporting Actor: Sam Rockwell TBOEM
I will stand up and cheer if the winner is: Eh. The best supporting actor isn't even nominated, but it would be cool if  Richard Jenkins won.

Best Original Screenplay: Three Billboards Outside Ebbings Missouri
I will stand up and cheer if the winner is : Big Sick or Lady Bird

Best Adapted Screenplay: Call Me By Your Name
I will stand up and cheer if the winner is: I'm good with this one!


Animated Feature: Coco
Animated Short: Dear Basketball
Cinematography: Blade Runner 2049
Documentary Feature: Icarus
Documentary Short: Heroin(e)
Live Action Short: Dekalb Elementary
Foreign Language Film: A Fantastic Woman Chile
Editing: Dunkirk
Sound Editing: Dunkirk
Sound Mixing: Dunkirk
Production Design: Shape of Water
Original Score: Shape of Water
Original Song: This is Me The Greatest Showman
Makeup and Hair: The Darkest Hour
Costume Design: Phantom Thread
Visual Effects: Blade Runner 2049

Ranking (most of) the Pixar films. Updated Sept 2018

Pixar has had a pretty amazing run of high quality animated films with a few minor bumps along the way. A couple nights ago I watched  the soon to be Academy Award winning Coco which is Pixar's 19th film. Pixar has slowly moved into representing lead characters who are minorities (Coco's characters are all Mexican) and women (Brave was the first Pixar film with a female "human" lead character).  While representation has increased, the last few years have been a little rough for the company as they have abandoned creating a lot of unique original stories for sure to be money making sequels. Below is the list of how I would rank most of their films (because frankly there are a couple I am not going to bother with).

Ranking the Pixar Films

N/A Cars 2 and 3 and Monster University.

I watch a lot of movies, so I am not going to waste my time watching sequels to films that originally underwhelmed me. That being said.....

17  Cars: While it is shiny and colorful,  it seems to only exists to sell toys to little boys and girls. Paul Newman's character is the one bit of heart in a film that needs more of it. 

16. Monster's Inc: That year was the year of monster animated films and Shrek deservedly wins the Oscar and is the better movie. I liked the idea of this film being about a young girl who befriends the monsters in her room that she is initially afraid of. But it depends a lot on Billy Crystal's schtick and for me a little Billy Chrystal schtick goes a long way. 

15.  The Good Dinosaur: This is one that everyone forgets exists. 2015 was the only year ever that Pixar released two original non sequel films. One was Inside Out. This one had the unenviable task of following that film. It isn't a bad film. The animation is good, but the story about a dinosaur is thin and had been done better years ago with the non Disney Pixar film The Land Before Time. 

14. Finding Dory: Dory, voiced by Ellen Degeneres, was the scene stealing sidecick in Finding Nemo. So why not give that character the lead of a movie? It was amazingly successful, but usually the sidekick is a sidekick for a reason and that is the case here. It is missing a lot of the heart and feels of the original 

13. A Bug's Life: We waited a few years after Toy Story for another Pixar movie. The world of insects was an interesting choice to animate , and this was ultimately an entertaining movie but it is also pretty forgettable. 

12. Wall-E- I know ! I know! People who love Wall-E, love it. And I certainly admire the film for its purpose and for getting much less kid friendly than the films that preceded it. But perhaps I have a child's attention span because I was pretty bored overall by this mostly dialogue free story. 

11. Brave: I was very excited for Merida and her red wavy hair to be the star of the first female character led Pixar film. But aside from that, the story is just good but also expected when i wanted it to be and expected it to be great for what was supposed to be a pioneer for the company.

10. The Incredibles 2- while still a very entertaining movie, this doesn’t feel special anymore after years and years of comic book movies.  What was fresh and new with the original just feels typical now.  

9. Coco: The top 9, for me, are definitely at a much higher level of quality than the bottom 7, so some may think Coco is a bit low here. It was a fun entertaining colorful historical animated film with a really lovely ending. I enjoyed it a lot, and I appreciate the diversity brought by this films, but  that
should tell you that the top 8 of this list is pretty amazing. 

8. Up: Up has one of the very best scenes of any Pixar film or maybe even any film in general with its opening scene. However, the rest of the film had to live up to that and while the story about a young boy's friendship with an elderly man is enjoyable, it never quite lives up to that first scene. 

7. Toy Story 3: When it was announced that in Toy Story 3, Andy would be going off to college and was going to give up his toys, I was expecting a heartbreaker. And for many people it was. But perhaps I am dead inside, but I wanted a little but more emotional heft. I wish this was the last time they were going to the Toy Story because they had a great run. But alas Toy Story 4 is on its way. 

6. Finding Nemo:  Many Pixar films have explored the relationships between the younger generation and the older generation, and Finding Nemo may do that the best and deepest while still being entertaining for the kids. 

5. The Incredibles: Pixar does its own version of comic book movies, and its characters are more interesting and the movie itself is more entertaining that most anything that Marvel and DC puts out on the screen. 

4. Toy Story: Don't faint. Usually this one is everyone's number one and that is partly because it is the first, and everyone remembers the first time they saw this and experienced Pixar's game changing animation. I won't even argue that it isn't great and that it isn't a classic. But we are getting to Sophie's choice here and #4 in a list of mostly great movies is nothing to sneeze about. 

3. Ratatouille: This is the one I love more than most people who make these lists. It is also the one I should hate. If there is anything in this world I am afraid of it is a rodent, and if there is anything that disgusts me is the idea of a rat in the kitchen. So Pixar is genius to get me to love a rat who lives to be a chef. Peter O'Toole's character is also a gem and Patton Oswalt is great as Remy the rat. This has to be near the top of all food themed films as well. 

2. Toy Story 2: Most purists will always say that the original Toy Story is the best, but for me Toy Story 2 is the rare sequel that outdoes the original . This film introduced a much needed main female character that didn't play into stereotypes in Jesse the cowgirl. She also happens to be one of the best characters Pixar created thanks to Joan Cusack's voice work, and the heart breaking scene where her kid dumps her to the tune of one of the most underrated movie songs "When She Loved Me" by Sarah Mclachlan. This one also introduces audiences to Stinky Pete, and  I can thanks this movie for giving me one of my favorite nicknames for kids I know and my pets. 

1. Inside Out: Most people think only a Toy Story movie can be at the top of one of these lists. But Inside Out blew me away with its ambition of being about what is going on in a child's mind. And unlike Wall-E which was also very ambitious this one actually pulls off being a funny and heart breaking movie thanks especially to its perfectly cast "feeling" characters lead by Amy Poehler.  Honestly, in the end for me there wasn't even a debate. Inside Out is the best Pixar movie made so far and also one of the best films ever made period. 

My Predictions for the 90th Oscar Nominations.

Tuesday the Oscar nominees will be known. Some not great movies will be nominated and some great movies will be snubbed. That is the game! Fortunately, there were a  lot of great movies from 2017. Hopefully the not so great ones will not win anything. :)

My predictions for the Top 8 awards are:

Best Picture
Call Me By Your Name
Dunkirk
Get Out
Lady Bird
The Post
Shape of Water
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (TBOEM)

Next in line: I, Tonya, Florida Project, The Big Sick

Besi Director
Christopher Nolan Dunkirk
Jordan Peele Get Out
Greta Gerwig Lady Bird
Guillermo del Toro Shape of Water
Martin McDonagh TBOEM

Next in Line: Sean Baker The Floria Project

Best Lead Actress
Sally Hawkins Shape of Water
Frances McDormand TBoEM
Margot Robbie I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan Lady Bird
Meryl Streep The Post

Next in Line: Jessica Chastain Molly's Game

Best Lead Actor
Timothee Chalamet Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day Lewis The Phantom Thread
James Franco The Disaster Artist
Daniel Kaluuya Get Out
Gary Oldman The Darkest Hour

Next in Line: Tom Hanks The Post

Best Supporting Actress
Mary J Blige Mudbound
Holly Hunter The Big Sick
Alison Janney I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer The Shape of Water

Next in Line: Hong Chau Downsizing

Best Supporting Actor
Willem Dafoe The Florida Project
Woody Harrelson TBoEM
Richard Jenkins The Shape of Water
Christopher Plummer All the Money In the World
Sam Rockwell TBOEM

Next in Line: Armie Hammer Call Me By Your Name

Best Adapted Screenplay
Call Me By Your Name
The Disaster Artist
Molly's Game
Mudbound
Wonder

Next in Line: Wonder Woman

Best Original Screenplay
Get Out
I, Tonya
Ladybird
Shape Of Water
Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Next in Line: The Big Sick

My 12 Favorite Cities/Towns to Visit in America!

I spend most of my work vacation time traveling around the USA because it is generally much cheaper to do  than paying for expensive international flights.  I save for big international trips every few years. Fortunately, despite our very visible flaws, the USA has a lot of great cities and towns to visit from west to east and from north to south. I am more of a city traveler so I haven't included more rural and scenic areas on my list. That list can be composed by someone else.:)

 I have chosen 12 cities or towns in the USA that I truly love to visit. It was hard to narrow it down to 12 so don't feel slighted if I visited you and had a great trip but your city or town is not on the list :) . There are a couple rules here: 1. Nowhere in Hawaii is included because Hawaii is the only state I haven't been to. 2. Boston and Seattle are not included on this list because it is a different experience to live in a place than it is to visit it so it doesn't feel right to include them even though they are both great cities! Each city includes a few brief pros and cons to think about if you are interested in traveling to them. I have split the 12 into 4 groups: West Cities, Somewhere in the Middle, East Cities, and Quirky Coastal Towns.  Enjoy the fruits of my travels!

West  Cities: 

Portland, Oregon:

Pros:  Great food truck scene, no sales tax, excellent mass transit for such a smallish city, great for a long weekend, and weirdness for days (Portlandia is not that much of an exaggeration). There is also lots of great outdoor activity to enjoy.

Cons: It is not huge so if you go on a long trip you may want to include Seattle and perhaps Vancouver BC (but Portland's  small town feel makes it special). The weather can be tough. It gets colder and snowier in the winter and hotter in the summer than northern neighbor Seattle

San Francisco, California:

Pros: One of the best food scenes in the country (you are going to hear about food a lot on this list). Definitely the best food scene on the West Coast. The Mission is one of the best neighborhoods in the country. One of the most progressive cities in the USA which gives it an amazing unique history. Alcatraz is one of the best touristy activities you can do. It is very walkable, but it also has a variety of mass transit options including trolleys but...

Con: If you have never been to the city before it is hard to know which transit is suited best for which part of the city you are in  (aside from using the obvious Lyft and Uber). Fisherman's Wharf is basically SFO's Time Square but with cool sea lions. SFO is hilly. Don't try to climb up to the top of Nob Hill after you have drank too much. I know a guy who did this. :)

Las Vegas, Nevada

Pros: Even though it is known as a gambling and club city (it is Sin City for a reason), most adults can go there and find something to love about it. The food scene on the Strip has invited many great chefs to open restaurants. At any given time there are multiple large and small shows (music, musicals, comedy) that you can attend and the selection keeps getting better and more current (Lady Gaga is going to stay there soon!). If you want to go to gamble and for clubs,  have at it. Fremont Ave with it's old Vegas style is supercool and there are  amazing hotel rooms on the Strip that would cost you double or even triple in other cities.

Cons: The worst thing about Vegas is that in the summer it is super hot (but it is a dry desert heat). It is over 100 for most days of the summer. You will also find that as you walk through the casinos, people are still allowed to smoke. The Strip casinos have good air filtration systems, but the Off the strip ones generally do not.

Somewhere in the Middle:

Santa Fe, New Mexico
Pros: It is located in one of the most beautiful areas of the country. It has a great art scene as well as some great outdoor markets. It is the city/town on my list that I have had the least amount of time at, so I need more.

Cons: It gets very hot in the summer (again a dry heat). Though I lucked out with my trip in August! It is relatively small, so it is better for shorter trips.

Chicago, Illnois

Pros: It is probably the friendliest major U.S. city I have been to. It is also very much a city of distinct neighborhoods, so you can find some very authentic foreign foods in all its different kind of segregated neighborhoods. It has good mass transit, which you definitely should use. There is a lot of great architecture, and it's an urban haven in the middle of the United States. Oh! Also Deep Dish Pizza.

Cons: The winters are pretty miserable and they don't always end when they are supposed to. I went to Chicago in mid April, and weather wise it was still miserable. I also took a business trip there that required me to rent a car, and I would definitely avoid having a car there if you can. It is a big spread out city so transit is good, but it takes a long time depending on where you are staying in the city. Oh! Also Celery Salt and vegetables on hot dogs! No thanks.

Austin, TX

Pros: It is a strange progressive oasis in the middle of Texas. With Tex Mex, steak, BBQ and more, it is also one of the best food cities in the country. It is a good for inside and outside (except during the summer) activity with many things to do on both fronts. I have been twice for two weeks, and I still feel like I have so much that I have not done there (particularly with the music and arts scene).  Shiner beer is everywhere.  All the queso! Oh and so many Alamo movie theaters!

Cons: There is not a lot of transit so you pretty much have to rent a car or depend on Uber or Lyft which actually just started there not too long ago. The summer heat and humidity are just gross.  Regardless of its progressive nature, you are still in conservative Texas, so watch yourself. That one is the biggest con, I think.

East Cities

Washington DC- 

Pros: Obviously there is a lot of history there, and there is a museum for pretty much everything. A lot of the museums and other outings are free. Newseum, which is the museum for media, is probably my favorite museum I have been to anywhere (but it isn't one of the free ones). The city is very walkable, but it has decent mass transit as well. Fall is very beautiful in DC, and it is fun to walk around in some of the fancier neighborhoods and look at the beautiful houses. There is a board game bar there, and this probably exists in other places but I have only found it in DC. There are a lot of hotels so you generally can get a good deal if you are visiting unless it is a big weekend for some kind of major march or rally.  The Martin Luther King memorial is also breathtaking while also sobering.

Cons: A very evil man lives there when he isn't golfing in Florida and until he leaves I won't be visiting anymore :(. Georgetown which is a pretty major area doesn't really have good mass transit access, so Lyft away.

Philadelphia, PA

Pros: People are very nice there especially for the northeast which isn't exactly known for its friendliness. It is also a pretty good beer city. But let's be honest, the best thing about Philadelphia is its food. The food isn't stuffy so it doesn't probably get the attention it deserves, which is fine because that just means more cheesesteaks and fried chicken at donut shops for me! The winters are cold, but it is a pretty easy city to walk which is good because...

Cons: Philly's mass transit is amazingly inferior to other major northeast cities such as DC, NYC and Boston. They still use a punch card ticket system for their trains, and it seemed that you could not buy train tickets from a machine. There is so much history there, and I missed a lot of it because I got caught up in the food scene. :) That's not really a con, but it is true.

New York, New York
Pros: It is the greatest city in the USA, and I dare you to argue that. You have everything here: arts, music, theater, history, great food and drink. More than any city in the USA, you can come to NYC and never run out of things to do. It has the best mass transit system in the country by far (though definitely not perfect). I personally recommend Governor's Island and the Highline in Chelsea as underrated NYC activities over overdone tourist attractions like the Empire State Building and...

Cons: Time Square. Sorry, but there is no reason to go there unless you are going to a Broadway show. The M&M store and knock off superheroes are not cool. Also NYC can be a little hard to handle if you aren't a crowd person because Time Square is not the only crowded place. Don't look out the windows when you are on the subway unless you just want to see many very large rats.

Quirky Coastal Towns:

Portland, Maine: 

Pros: All 3 of these represent towns have smallish populations, but at the same time I could go back to these towns again and again and not get bored. Portland, ME has simply the best food scene that I have seen in a city its size.  It is also beer heaven. There are great breweries all around. There is also a lot of outdoor activity if you prefer to do your exercising outdoors. There is just one problem with this...

Cons: Portland is sooooooooooooo cold and snowy. I don't know how restaurants stay open during the winter because it is easy to want to stay in when it gets so cold. The city itself is progressive, but not really diverse. It's basically white. I could be wrong on this, but I have never seen a town with this population have such a large homeless population in the downtown area.

Key West, Florida

Pros: After the Keys suffered a terrible summer of 2017 hurricane season, Key West the most popular destination is open for business. It is very walkable, and it has a surprising amount of amenities for such a small town. The night life is pretty great there too. It has a lot of drag shows! The only town that I have seen more drag show options is probably Austin.  It is cliche to say, but a lot of the Key Lime Pie is damn good. There is also lots of outdoor activity that involves the water, and the weather is nice enough year round to enjoy it (every day I was there in November it was basically 80 degrees) except....

Cons: I hear it gets terribly hot in the summer, but I didn't experience that. Some of the tourist areas run a bit on the douchebag crowd side if you know what I mean.  The only other con is I didn't get enough time there.

Provincetown, Massachusetts

Pros: I did not cheat. It is not Boston. In fact Ptown (for short) makes the "hard to get to know" Boston visitors soften. Boston people often go there to show their friendly side. It is also has beautiful beaches and nice scenic areas to walk around. It has a good amount of restaurants and even if you run out of restaurants to go to (I haven't yet) there are so many you will want to return to. The nightlife, for at least gay guys, is amazing and I hear it is decent if you are not a gay guy as well. There are so many live shows to go to for a town this small.

Cons: Because it is very much a resort town it basically closes down from January to April, so you won't want to go at that time. The weather during that time would deter you as well. Hmm not enough bars serve draught beer which is really the only acceptable way to drink beer. :) It is also not particularly economically diverse for visitors. Things to do and eat and drink can run a bit expensive.


I know I have more U.S.  places to explore. Savannah GA, for one, is on top of my list, but I think I have done enough traveling within the USA to give some good feedback!

20 Amazing Christmas Songs and 10 Bad (but some so bad they're good) ones

Its that time! Its official we can listen to Christmas music. We don't have to listen to the killjoys anymore (not that we really ever did). So here are 20 amazing Christmas songs and 10 not so amazing ones. You may prefer a different rendition of a song but....tough, it is my list! In no particular order.

1. Fairytale of New York by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

I lied. There is one Christmas song I like the very very very best in the whole wide world, and it is this one. This is the one I hold off as long as I can to listen  to so I can have a very special Christmas moment! I still have listened to it for 2017. It is a love story! It is Christmas eve in the drunk tank! It's naughty! It's lovely! It's everything!

2. Hard Candy Christmas Dolly Parton-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivLpzyTA9ik

Now I am in no particular order! This is among the best because Dolly Parton is an American treasure and it's from Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Take that conservatives that complains about Starbucks cups!

3. Do You Hear What I Hear- Whitney Houston
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ-coIXJf4s

For whatever struggles Whitney Houston had, we never really deserved her voice. This proves that

4. Do they Know It's Christmas- Band Aid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjQzJAKxTrE

It is basically a big Christmas guilt trip, but it is one with George MIchael, Bono, Simon Le Bon and Boy George. So it is amazing.

5. Someday at Christmas Andra Day featuring Stevie Wonder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaA7B9cu4kU

Some people would just include the Stevie Wonder version, but this is my list so they should shut up.

6. Little Drummer Boy/ Peace on Earth- David Bowie and Bing Crosby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_ReMi7tVWA

This one was my favorite when I was a kid because of their amazing clothes and home decor. But it is still one of the greats. I can't believe both of them are gone now. :(

7. Have Yourself A Merry Christmas- Judy Garland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxxTHzERTsk

Many a dive has tried to sing this, but Judy lived it. There is no comparison.

8. Oh Holy Night- All the divas. Martina McBride in this case.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOd4nTz0hhY

It doesn't matter who sings it as long as it is a diva with serious pipes. It's the dream Christmas song for people who can SANG! I chose Martina McBride because this list could always use some more country.

9. Children Go Where I Send Thee- Audra McDonald and The Mormon Tabernacle Choir

You thought no Audra? No Broadway? Wrong! Sadly no version of this is on the internet. But the link below proves it exists. It is also on Apple Music.

https://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/about/guest-artists/audra-mcdonald.html

10. Merry Christmas Darling- The Carpenters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR1ujXx2p-I

What? Not everyone is happy during the holidays? The Carpenters is evidence.

11. River- Joni Mitchell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAK9Pj5-QXY

What? I love Christmas, but I'm moody! Not just a great Christmas song, but it is perhaps a perfect song all around.

12. Christmas Wrapping The Waitresses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nud2TQNahaU

Because who hasn't forgotten cranberries too...and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed.

13. Silent Night Stevie Nicks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRP06e3jFt4

Silent Night is one of the greatest Christmas hymns ever, but Stevie Nicks haunting voice elevates it!

14. Ave Maria Chris Cornell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd2emzFAqv8

That voice! Many will never know what we have lost!

15. Song for a Winter's Night Sarah McLachlan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV4F2yfEt9o

Yeah Sarah is a late 90s Lilith Fair relic, but her version of Gordon Lightfoot's song is amazing.

16. Merry Xmas/ War is Over John Lennon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN4Uu0OlmTg

Sure it is a liberal pipe dream as long as Republicans exist. But one can dream

17. Wonderful Christmastime The Shins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qReziqBwEr4

Perhaps you think it is blasphemy not to choose Paul McCartney's version, but that one is pure cheese. This one is much better.

18. We Need a Little Christmas Angela Lansbury

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=St7mQWwmo70

My gay shame is that I have never seen Mame, but Christmas isn't Christmas without this manic need for Christmas. Right. This. Very. Minute.

19. That was the Worst Christmas Ever! Sufjan Stevens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpmiPbDkvBQ

Because not everyone's Christmas's are bright!

20 Put A Little Love in Your Heart- Al Green and Annie Lennox

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3J_3mcOwdQ

It wasn't technically a Christmas song until it was in a Christmas movie. And now it is 80's. positive and necessary.


10 Bad Christmas Songs with NO LINKs because you shouldn't have to suffer.

1. Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer- Elmo and Patsy

Look even bad grandmothers deserve better

2. Baby It's Cold Outside: All versions

Because Christmas never should have been date rapey. Especially now.

3. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)

Sure the song itself isn't terrible, but the original autotuning of the Chipmunks is nails on a chalkboard.

4.  Merry Christmas from the Family Rosie O Donnell and the Dixie Chicks

This pains me but.....once upon a time Rosie Donnell was so popular (and deservedly so) that she got her own Christmas album. The great Dixie Chicks agreed to participate. They should not have.

5. My Favorite Things: All Versions

Because it is a song from Sound of Music. Not. A. Christmas. Song.

6. Santa Claus is Coming to Town- Bruce Springsteen

Because no one is perfect. Even the boss.

7. Zat You Santa Claus? Buster Poindexter

For a short period in time, the character Buster Poindexter was made popular much to many people's astonishment. This song proves it happens.

8. The Christmas Shoes- Newsong

In no way is this so bad that it's good. It is just bad. The most emotionally manipulative song ever created. They should feel shame.

9. Santa has got The AIDS Tiny Tim

I discovered this yesterday. I wish it didn't exist. Do not link to the video. It will give you nightmares. Not only does Santa have AIDS. Santa has THE AIDS and that is much worse. So offensive. Really don't search for it. Trust me. It is real.

and finally

10. I think you might Like it Olivia Newton John and Travolta.

You deserve this link. It is the most deliciously awful thing ever. The two stepping!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGNIDXUaVts

You're welcome!


Happy Holidays!