Celebrity Big Brother

CBS is giving Big Brother fans a real treat.

Celebrity Big Brother!!!!!!!!!!!!

Learning about people's lives is one of my greatest joys. Celebrity or not, people are people. Just like us "regular" folk, celebrities have siblings in rehab, estranged relationships with their parents, and physical and professional insecurities.

As these celebrity houseguests embark upon the Big Brother experience, my wish is that they remain true to themselves and play the game with integrity.

And when they leave it, they do so with no malice.

The Beauty Queen.

Ariadna Gutierrez

The Heartthrob.

James Maslow

The Host.

Ross Mathews

The Villainess.

Omarosa

May each and every one of them make this first edition of Celebrity Big Brother USA a colossal hit!

Celebrity Big Brother schedule is HERE!

Sleep, Glorious Sleep

I feel pooped.

So...I'm goin' to bed!

That's all!

Pledge Brothers - Where Are They Now?

A few days ago, I received a message on LinkedIn from one of my favorite, Fiji Pledge Brothers.

Mr. Steve Hurst!!!!

While at Wabash College, I loved that dude! He was as witty and as funny as anybody I had ever met!

Today, though, his witticisms of old would land him in some hot water with the PC police. To them, he would have been viewed as a college-age Archie Bunker! Haa!

Anyway, reconnecting with him made me think about all my other Pledge Brothers.  

WHERE are they now?

WHO are they now?

As a pledge, I had to memorize my Pledge Brothers' names (first, middle and last) in alphabetical order, and recite them before a lighted match stick I was holding burned my fingers.  I'm proud to say: I was never burned!

As I recite their names this very moment, I'm going on a Google search to see if I can find out where each of them is in his life.

This should be a BLAST! :)

Wabash College's Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity (FIJI) Pledge Class of 1982:

1.) Rick Batesky

Rick is a man of honor and integrity. No ambulance chaser is he! And he makes a hella thoughtful commercial, too. :)

2.) Matt Beebe

Back in 2005 or so, Matt was the US Brand Director for Cialis. A drug I had absolutely no use for then.  Goodness, how the tide has turned! :)  Apparently he has since moved on from that miracle drug, though! Dangit! :)

3.) Joe Bevelhimer

Well, I'm fully up to date on this one! I adore him, his lovely wife and his terrific kids! He is a Regional Director at a great insurance company! :)

4.) Wayne Booker

From Wabash College to 181 ISS Commander, Air National Guard! Go 'head, Wayne with your bad self! 

5.) Will Christensen

I remember when he depledged and moved out of the fraternity house. We pledges were shocked. I can't say that I remember seeing him much around campus afterwards. And I can't find a darn thing online about him except that he has been a donor to the college. I suspect from the college's point of view, that's all that matters! :)

6.) Karl Cooke

It looks like Karl is living somewhere in the Northeastern region, working for global security company Northrop Grumman.  He looks great! He sure does! :)

7.) Charlie Feehan

Last I heard, Charlie was a franchisee of some joint called Shane's Rib Shack.  I see on LinkedIn that he has since moved on from there.  Now, he's listed as a Partner in a company that manages law firms. From barbecued beef to conniving pigs. Haa! Interesting. ;)

8.)  Chris Ferris

Chris is a gastroenterology specialist in North Carolina. Heck, I always knew he'd be a doctor. Actually, I knew he'd be whatever he wanted to be, because the man is a smartie. It's no surprise to me that he and his running buddy back then, Zaheer Shah, are as professionally accomplished as they are. No surprise at all.

9.) Eric Harvey

Eric passed away in March, 1994. Just eight years after we had graduated. He was 30. I will always remember him as a bundle of energy. May his kind soul rest in eternal peace.

10.) Steve Hurst

I live here in Southern Cali and Steve's up in the San Francisco area, working for a biotechnology corporation. I have lived in L.A. for 18 years and have never visited SF. Not even once! That's crazy. Well, now, I'm gonna do it, just so I can see good ol' Steve!

11.) Jeff King

Jeff is a badass cop! And I mean, badass! In the pic above, he was the supervisor on a narcotics detail. I'll always remember him as an athletic, fun-loving cat with the hottest damn body I'd ever seen on a dude. And I really liked his mother, too! :) 

12.) Rich Lapehn

Rich is a pastor in Barberton, Ohio, and used to be a city councilman. As quiet as the man was, who knew he was born to lead? God bless him.

13.) Ross Marburger

Ross is an orthopaedic surgeon in Evansville, IN. I always got a kick out of him!

14.) John Miner

John is a dermatologist in Western Michigan. He transferred to Wabash from another school, but wrapped up his undergraduate work with us! Cool dude.

15.) Charles Montgomery Jr

My FAVORITE fraternity brother without question! :) He works a host of different gigs (eg., voice-over, screenwriting) that afford him more variety than DOLLAR$! :) :) :)

16.) Tim Oakes

Tim is currently the Presiding Judge of the Executive Committee of the Marion Superior Courts in Indianapolis. The man pulled himself up by the bootstraps and made his mama proud.

17.) Chris Potee

Chris, the stud of the Pledge Class, is now an outstanding Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon in Noblesville, IN. And he has a gorgeous wife and daughters to boot! Just sayin'! ;)

18.) Mike Reding

My dear, beloved Brother Mike is now Father Michael to those who attend his church in Minneapolis. Even at 18 years old, I knew he had an inside track to the big "J."  :)

19.) Jim Riddle

Jim is an architect extraordinaire! His design firm is responsible for designing the current Fiji House at Wabash College.

It blows me away that he lived in our old house, then came back to the college years later and designed a new one. He must be so proud of that accomplishment.  I know I sure am!

20.) Zaheer Shah

I don't know where to begin with this one. Suffice it to say, Zaheer epitomizes sheer, mind-blowing BRILLIANCE! The man is a medical doctor AND a freakin' lawyer!  What!!!!!  And he still manages to be a present husband and father! Of TWO sets of children! I reckon he does everything in twos! God bless him. He's one helluva role model for excellence!

21.) Adam Smith

Adam is a retired, college, physics professor, married with two sons, and living in Michigan. What does he do with his time now?

He builds beautiful guitars, of course. Why not? :)

22.) David Starr

LinkedIn states that David works as the Head of Regional CPS Planning & Supply at Roche Diagnostics in Indianapolis. Whatever that means! :) And just like me, he staunchly believes in volunteerism. Good for you, David. Good for you!

My FIJI PLEDGE BROTHERS, I wish you all well.

Perge!

Three Times Blessed

JOSHUA TRIPLETT.

Every time I read or hear his name I think three words:

DISCIPLINE.

HUSTLER.

SUCCESS.

Joshua has to be one of the most incredibly focused, driven, and multi-talented young performers I've ever met.

The man sings.

Writes music.

Acts.

Performs magic.

He's the king of commercials!  His TV bookings are on the rise, too!  His wife, Nory, and daughter, Jaidyn, even book projects with him now.  In fact, Jaidyn is catching up to his commercial success. And Nory is on a commercial streak her dang self.

Speaking of commercials, today, from Manhattan, Joshua posted this message to his social media pages:

"I came here to NYC to go to the Grammys. However, I have to fly back to L.A. tonight because I booked three (3) national commercials in one day. My mind is blown. It’s still not even real to me. I film tomorrow morning. And then several consecutive days thereafter. My first booking of the year turned into three! God is taking me through some tests. And I am being patient, and observant, and I am walking in faith!"

I mean, WOW!  This dude is on RED, HOT FIRE!!!!!!!! He's living proof what focus, discipline and a plan can do for you.

It would behoove me and many others to follow his lead.

I wish him the very best!

Hollywood, a STAR IS BORN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mo'Nique Worldwide

Actress/comedienne Mo'Nique is hurting.

Her husband, Sidney, is hurting.

Their bank account is probably hurting.

I can see the hurt and frustration written all over their faces.

And hear it in their voices.

And here's the deal: Mo'Nique was offered $500K to do a Netflix, comedy special, and she was appalled by what she deems a ridiculously low offer.

She and her husband peppered the Netflix executives with questions about why actress/comedienne Amy Schumer was paid $13 million for her special, yet, Mo'Nique, a multi-multi-award-winning performer (including an Oscar) was offered so "little."

At this point, it seems to me that Mo'Nique and hubby are becoming more and more frustrated.  Ultimately, what they want is to have Oprah, Tyler Perry and Lee Daniels publicly admit that she is not a difficult person to work with.  It's her good name that's been tarnished since she won the Oscar for Precious.

She is a monstrously talented woman, so I hope all these distractions from performing her craft will dissipate shortly.  If they don't, only God knows what will become of her.

She doesn't have many of her celebrity "friends" speaking up in her corner.  I suspect that fact has revealed to her how phony Hollywood really is. Everybody loves you when you're up and riding high.

Unfortunately, we can never know who are true friends are until we're low.

I wish her well.  She can use all the well wishes anybody has to offer.

I could paraphrase everything she and Sidney said on their Periscope broadcast but I won't.  Instead, hear them rant and rave HERE.

Broccoli, A Rat's Best Friend

Jessica Wilzig Gottlieb

I stumbled across a video while on Facebook the other night.  I'm tellin' you, it made me laugh out loud!

I have a young lady named Jessica Wilzig Gottlieb to thank for the video.  Apparently she has two, teenage children, a son and a daughter.  And the daughter has a cat named Broccoli.

Anyway, Broccoli brought a gift into the house from outside. A rat!  A LIVE rat!  He proceeded to take it upstairs and let it go free.

Jessica and both her children were scared crapless!  I mean, Jessica's commentary on the video is so darn funny I truly laughed OUT LOUD!!

I had to look her up on social media and discovered she's quite the gal about town as a guest speaker at events.  And she cooks.  Well, check out her Instagram to see all she's up to.

One thing that rattled my cage is that she appeared with Oprah on some of Lady O's Live Your Best Life tour.  That, in and of itself, makes Jessica a-okay with me!

Well, without further ado, please take a look at her hilarious video!

That damn cat, Broccoli, sure isn't much of a rat chaser!

This Is Everything

Tonight's episode of This Is Us was as riveting as always.  Honestly, the creators and writers of that show certainly know how to write characters you care about.

The actors must feel so incredibly blessed to have such terrific work to perform each week.  I mean, the roles are so realistic.  And so are the situations in which the characters find themselves.

Just like everybody else who watches the show, I've been dyin' to see how Jack Pearson (the father) died.  Now, I know.  We didn't actually see him burn to death on this episode, but we will on the next.  And leave it to NBC to schedule that episode immediately after Super Bowl LII.  That means, there will be millions of viewers.  Bravo, NBC!  Excellent move!

I felt all warm and fuzzy inside when I saw the incomparable, writer/producer/actor Lena Waithe show up on the show.  She is the first black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.  Anyway, what I love most about her is that she's unapologetically gay.  Her character tonight was an animal shelter employee.  At one point, she referred to her wife.  I thought, go 'head, Lena, with your bad self.  Live OUT LOUD!!!!!  Granted, her appearance is such that even Stevie Wonder could see she's a lesbian, but still, I love that there's shame in her lesbian game.  Not one iota!  Apparently Hollywood is loving her as an actor as much as they love her writing, because soon she'll be appearing in Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One, in addition to her recurring gig on Netflix's Master Of None.  You go, Lena!  You go!

I hope I can keep my excitement contained until next week's This Is Us.  I'm sure they'll probably reserve Jack's death to the last moments of the episode.  They're torturous the way they make us rabid fans wait for the good stuff!

Tortured or not, God willing, I'll be watching!

Welcome To The Club

Prince William, welcome to the club!

#BaldIsBold

#HairlessAndFree

#NoHairDontCare

Mama Ru & Lady O

I enjoyed this recent interview with RuPaul and Oprah.

RuPaul made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show years ago, but this interview was longer and more personal.

Honestly, I have gotten a kick out of RuPaul's Drag Race since season 2.

I recall back in my NYC days, going to Tompkins Square Park to see Wigstock.  It was at the height of RuPaul's Supermodel song.

After RuPaul performed that day, he had a meet and greet at which fans could purchase a t-shirt, and he'd autograph it.  The cost was $10.00.

When it was my turn up at bat, I tried to be a typical New Yorker, and tried to get a bargain.

He said, "Ten dollars and an autograph."

I said, "Five dollars, no autograph."

He looked me up and down, then, without missing a beat, said, "Next!"

Haaaa!

Needless to say, I walked away from Wigstock WITHOUT a t-shirt!

I'm happy he and his show are doing so well.

Perseverance is EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!  :)

Johnny Wactor, I'm Rooting For You

Johnny Wactor

Earlier today I ran into a former neighbor.  Mr. JOHNNY WACTOR!

Johnny moved to Los Angeles from South Carolina to make a name for himself in film and television.

Well, as is the case 99.9% of the time for Hollywood hopefuls, several years have passed and stardom hasn't fervently embraced him just yet.

He's had a few dances with the bright lights, though.

I saw him on CBS's popular Criminal Minds.



And on NBC's Siberia.



He told me that he's made some changes in his life that he deems will benefit him.

Change #1: Maturity.

The man has simply grown up and cast aside the folly of his youth.  He now readily identifies what serves him, and what doesn't.

Change #2: Sobriety.

He has stopped working as a bartender, and has stopped drinking.  In fact, he said he's been alcohol-free for the past seven months.

He asked me how I keep such a positive attitude.

I told him my truth: I keep a positive attitude because it's the only attitude that serves me.  I don't like feeling bad.  I don't like stress.  So, I consciously choose NOT to reside in either of their worlds.

Heck, at this very moment, I have a couple reasons most folks might be stressed out, but this ol' dude is gonna power through them until I come out on the other side feelin' like a champ!  I have no other viable alternative.

I hugged Johnny several times before we parted ways.

And I told him that I hope he knows that I'm rooting for him.

I always have.

And I always will!

UPDATE: It was announced in late January 2020 that Johnny would be starring on long-running soap opera GENERAL HOSPITAL as "Brando!!"

Yippee!!!!!!

See, his PERSEVERANCE paid off!!!

BRAVO, Johnny! BRAVO!

UPDATE #2: On Saturday, May 25, 2024, Johnny was shot and killed in downtown Los Angeles.

May his kind and loving soul rest in eternal peace. 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿

Happy Saturday

Well, it's just past 8:30 AM and this ol' boy is gonna start his day.

First, I'm off to Enterprise Car Rental to see if I can pick up a phone charger.  Yep, if ever I have phone charger woes, I simply go to them because customers leave behind chargers by the bundle.  I just have my pick!  So, I'm hopin' I'll have plenty to choose from.  And for FREE!

Afterwards, I think I'll visit a park to get a light workout in!  Truth be told, I haven't gone to the park in the past couple months.  Working on that dang pilot script kept me bound to my computer.

I don't know specifically what today will bring, but I do know I'm counting on mostly BLESSINGS!

And I always DO! 

Good Night, My Fiji Brother

I learned the other day that one of my fraternity brothers passed.

His name was Christopher Conerly.  To everybody in the fraternity, he was simply Chris.

Truth be told, I don't remember him.  I really don't.

But what makes me want to talk about him is his obituary.

His obituary is written so beautifully, and illustrates what a phenomenal man he was in the eyes of whomever wrote it.

Honestly, I smiled the entire time I was reading it.

And a part of me, actually more of me than not, hoped that when I die, someone thinks to write something just as beautiful and heartfelt about me.

Many of my fraternity brothers and I communicate via a Facebook page (Wabash Guys) that one of the guys created.  There, we discussed Chris's passing.  Although he passed in September 2017, we just found out.

Interesting how we lose touch with one another.  But boy, oh boy, am I happy that Facebook allows us to catch up.  I tell ya, that website has reconnected more folks than anybody could ever count.

I sincerely hope that Chris loved the life he created for himself.  In my humble opinion, that's the greatest accomplishment any man/woman could ever achieve.

Good night, my Fiji Brother.