Saturday, June 28, 2014

Happy Birthday Bridgette Monet (aka Dana Cannon)!


Today is a special day, though you are forgiven for not realizing it. June 28th is the birthday of former adult film star and one-time PLAYBOY model Bridgette Monet, aka Dana Cannon! And for the record, neither of those are her real name.

Bridgette Monet made a big impact on me when I saw her in the pages of PLAYBOY back in 1984. She was so wholesome and obviously intelligent (the pictorial promoted her as a "college girl" after all), and yet she made sex films. It was eye-opening to me, especially coupled with the accompanying article. It was one of several that de-mystified the porn business for me at a very early age. Bridgette made no apologies about what she did, but she also made it clear it was on HER terms.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Bridgette. She was really ahead of her time in a lot of ways. She disappeared from the scene in the mid-80s and has returned to a life away from the spotlight of her former career. I am reasonably certain the woman who was once "Bridgette Monet" is happy with the life she has built since those days, and I wish her all the best in it. Maybe I could say more, but that's for the lady to share if she ever decides to go public with some of her details.

It's Bridgette Monet's 55th birthday, and considering how people view her former field, you have to call that a success right there. But Bridgette hasn't just survived - she's thrived. Happy Birthday, Bridgette!

Monday, June 16, 2014

A Farewell To Casey Kasem


(Photo via Crystal Price KFOX 14)

I don't talk about every passage from this mortal coil that impacts my life, but this is too big to go unmentioned. I've talked a lot about AMERICAN TOP 40 in these parts the last few years, and I've been a faithful follower of the 1970s rebroadcasts during that time. This weekend was no different, and probably at the same time I was listening Sunday morning, Casey Kasem passed away at the age of 82.

This was not a surprise. If anything, it's something we were all expecting. The very unfortunate circumstances about his life and welfare the last few years have been discussed elsewhere, and are not something I want to dwell on besides acknowledging their existence. Instead, I want to focus on the positives of his life and career.

I first became aware of Casey Kasem as a personality from the AMERICA'S TOP 10 TV show, which was an extension of what he was doing on the radio with AMERICAN TOP 40. If Kasem had only worked in radio, he'd still be a legend. But he did plenty of acting and voiceover work, too. Casey was most famous as Shaggy from SCOOBY-DOO, but he was also Robin in SUPER FRIENDS and other shows, Mark in BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, and really too many other voices to list. There is something oddly comforting about his delivery, and when I hear him, it's like an old friend stopping by for a visit.

Casey Kasem wasn't a perfect human being by any means. But he had an iconic career, and by any measure, his was a life filled with success. Rest easy, Mr. Kasem, as you finally reach those stars.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Princess Nikatonia by Discworldfan


Princess Nikatonia (Art Trade) by discworldfan on deviantART

Well, this one could've knocked me over with a feather! Our delightful friend Nicky Flamingo has adopted Princess Nikatonia (based on her, as you may recall) into her stable of original characters. This is mostly so she can show her off and offer her as a potential subject for art trades. But I gotta tell you, given how awesome Nicky's own OCs are, I wasn't expecting any art of Nikatonia to crop up anytime in the near future.

COLOR ME WRONG! "Discworldfan" stepped up to the plate and delivered a FABULOUS rendition of Princess Nikatonia! I mean, just look at it! I am really tickled to see this, especially since commissions have been a lot fewer in the last year or two.

Thank you both so much!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Considering I have spent far too much time blogging about why I'm not blogging, I have been struggling with this post and this decision for awhile. May was kind of a tipping point for me in a lot of ways, and it has caused me to re-evaluate what I'm doing here and why. So let's just get to it.

Going forward, this blog is going to be updated sporadically at best. I'm going to try to post at least once a month - I mean, I usually find something I need to talk about at length. There may be more than one post. It's all going to depend on my feelings and time, not because of any responsibility I feel to fill this blog with fresh content.

There are still plenty of topics to discuss and explore. I still want and (dare I say it?) need to blog sometimes. But I've let myself become imprisoned by the notion I needed to have something here, even when I don't feel like it. And as of right this second, I don't feel like it. I'm tired and dealing with a lot of real life things that could very well shape my future. Sitting down and trying to figure out how to compose a semi-coherent blog entry is not a high priority right now.

I love this blog. I love doing this blog. And I'm sorry to all the people who follow this blog about the fact that it's been sort of spiraling down the last few months. I think an occasional burst of blogging is better than closing this place entirely. Don't you?

If you'd like to keep up with my public flights of fancy, there's always Twitter. I'm also still doing image blogging at OWARI 2.0 and Continued Next Week! when the mood strikes.

I appreciate all of you who read and follow this blog. Remember, it's not an end, but a new beginning.