SPRING BREAK FOR THAT'S A GOOD BLOG!!

I'm off to visit family and friends in Texas for the rest of the week. I'll be back Monday, April 27th, my lovely readers. In the meantime, enjoy some pre-written posts and lovingly reposted gems to help you through the long, lonely days without me.

A FEW SONGS ABOUT RAIN ON A RAINY DAY

It's raining and 54 degrees in NYC today so I thought I'd serve up some wet weather realness and give you my favorite songs about rain! That way I won't miss the warm Spring weather we've been having and go on a murderous rampage around town. Yay!! Here are some wet ones from Eurythmics (Here Comes the Rain Again, #4 1984), New Edition (Can You Stand The Rain, #44 1988), Billy Myers (Kiss the Rain, #15 1997), Belinda Carlisle (Summer Rain, #30 1990) and Phil Collins (I Wish It Would Rain Down, #3 1990). And yes, I am purposefully leaving out Rain by Madonna because it's been on my blog a bajiliondy times.

JIMMY KIMMEL TRICKS THE FASHION ELITE INTO LYING! WATCH AND LAUGH.

HA!! I love when people are forced to talk about something they know nothing about....especially when it's completely made up!! Jimmy Kimmel sent his crew to New York Fashion Week with a bunch of made up designer names and fooled the in-the-know folks to talk....well....lie about them. Hilarity ensues. My favorite is the guy talking about Asian style when asked about the collection by Purina Chow. GOLD!!! I actually get it. You are at an event in your industry and someone sticks a camera in your face and asks you a question. You can't say, "DUH, I don't know," so you L-I-E! Still........ Watch and laugh, peeps.

  

I'M BACK!

After many months away, I have finally re-ignited (if you will) my passion for pop culture! New albums coming soon, controversial artists and sassiness, in general, abound. So look out, world! Here I come!!! (cricket........cricket.........cricket)

MADONNATHON: INTO THE GROOVE

Madonna has many, many classic songs, but high -- WAY high on that list would sit a little song I like to call (because it's the name of the song) Into the Groove. Jebus lawd, this song is amazy!!! What most people DON'T realize is that it was never actually released as a single in the U.S. It was merely a B-side to Madonna's song Angel from her Like a Virgin album. Her record company released as a B-side so it wouldn't compete with the songs on her LAV album, but also to promote her film debut in Desperately Seeking Susan. The song was released in the UK, reaching #1 in the summer of 1985, and in many other countries around the world. The song is without a doubt a highlight in not only Madonna's long career, but in the dance music genre in general, changing the beats, the sound and the groove of the 80s. The music video is made up of clips from Madonna's first starring role in a movie, Desperately Seeking Susan, and shows THE image of Madge's early career. Madonna still performs it in concert, most recently and notabley on her Sticky & Sweet tour she sang it while doing double-dutch. She's over 50, people!! She is working for you! Anyway, here is the classic song Into the Groove. Love love love it!

MADONNATHON: CHERISH

Thought I'd swith things up and save Madonna for the end of the day. Madonna's third single from her Like a Prayer album was quite a gem. Cherish is a tribute to those sweet sounding girl groups from the 60s, much like the song True Blue before it. The song was released August 1, 1989, eventually peaking at #2 on the Hot 100 and becoming Madonna's 16th consecutive top 5 single, 17th top 10. Definitely one of Madonna's sweeter songs, Cherish is all about love, comparing the lovers in the song to Romeo and Juliet, but better! The video is a simple black and white shot on the beach by famed photographer Herb Ritts. Madonna is joined by a bevy of hot, hunky mermen, including her boyfriend at the time Tony Ward (hot hot hot. see here). The song stands the test of time and is as fun to listen and sing along to as it was in 1989. Enjoy Cherish by Madonna.

MADONNATHON: LIKE A PRAYER

In early 1989 Madonna decided to make a little masterpiece and blow my 17 year-old mind. "Like a Prayer" was a gospel inspired, enchanting song about how her lover's voice sounded....well, you know how it goes. The song came out to radio in February and was used in a Pepsi ad depicting Madonna as a little girl on her birthday. Very cute and innocent and a great little commercial. THEN THE SHIT HIT THE FAN!!!! Madonna released the video. Burning crosses, stigmata, a black Jesus, rape, stabbing. Oh, my!!! It was HEAVEN!!!! Of course everyone went batshit crazy. People started threatening to boycott Pepsi, so they stopped airing the commercial (pusses). Consequently, Madonna got to keep the 5 million dollars she was paid (cha-ching) for the spot and the video is on just about every "most kick ass videos in history" list you can find (suck it). The delicious controversy turned the song into an epic event. It was a number one hit and sold 5 million copies worldwide at the time of it's release. Arguably one of the most inspired songs of her career, "Like a Prayer" is a little slice of pop music history that will live on and on and on .......

MADONNATHON: VOGUE

Vogue in an undeniable pop classic, one of Madonna's most successful singlesand has glamour running out of it's ass! Originally released in 1990 on the album I'm Breathless (Music from and inspired by the film Dick Tracy), Vogue was written originally to be a B-side for the single Keep It Together from Like a Prayer. Shep Pettibone and Madge wrote it, but the record company thought it was too good to be a B-Side and so they included on the I'm Breathless album, adding in the middle spoken part about classic movie stars to tie-in with the theme of the album. I think anyone worth their salt knows that part of Vogue. If you don't, you must be a deaf nerd. The song reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 and also reached No. 1 in 30 countries. It was a record at the time for Madonna. (Since taken over by Hung Up which hit No. 1 in 45 countries). The video is thought by many to be one of Madonna's greatest. Shot in black and white with bright, beautiful lighting, Madonna and her dancers "vogue" and dance their way through several setups inspired by 1930s Hollywood and the Art deco artist Tara de Lempicka. The song and video are, dare I say, pop masterpieces that have really stood the test of time. Enjoy Vogue.

GAY PRIDE MADONNATHON!!!

It's Gay Pride week here in NYC and in celebration of that amazy occasion, That's a Good Blog is having a Madonnathon weekend!!!! Watch for all Madonna, all weekend. Exclusives you can't see anywhere else (except on the internet and pretty much anywhere else you want to see them. ha!) All right. Let the games begin!!!!!!

MADONNA FRIDAY: HAPPY PRIDE!!! GET TOGETHER

In honor of NYC Pride I thought I'd give you a little message of togetherness from the Queen of All That Is Gay, Madonna. Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor album was filled to the brim with amazing songs, but my second personal favorite was the third single released from the album, Get Together. (Jump was the fave, and actually my favorite Madonna song of all time) The song is giving us absolute-pure-pop-dancefloor-anthem realness and the video is an amazing animation/live action ride through a world of limitless Madonna's. I WANT TO GO TO THERE!! It's also pulsing with love and hope, which is why I picked it to celebrate and kick off NYC Pride! Enjoy the Queen and live with her all weekend in your heart. HAPPY PRIDE!!

FLASHBACK: WILL YOU MARRY ME? - PAULA ABDUL

Two of my nearest and dearest friends, Jason and Michael, got married in NYC this past weekend and it was the FIRST gay wedding I've attended. Not counting mine, of course. It was perfect and lovely and this song kept popping into my head. Paula recorded Will You Marry Me? and released it fromher 1991 album Spellbound as it's fifth and final single. The song hit #19 on the Hot 100, which is pretty impressive for a simple little love song and the fifth song released from the mega-hit album. The video is totally cute too. But the reason it kept popping into my head this weekend, obviously, is because it's unusual in that the girl is asking the boy to marry her. So she says, "will you marry me, boy". Duh! Okay, here is the lovely little tune and I hope it gives you a case of the lovies like I had all weekend. I LOVE MY HUSBAND TOO!!

21-DAY CLEANSE: DAY 14 - THE SECOND FAST

DAY 14: Well, last night was a total blast, but I definitely broke the cleanse. I didn't go hog wild by any means, especially considering my past. Ha. I did, however, over a 5-6 hour period have four vodka/sodas and a half a glass of champagne. So what I'm deciding today is this:

Do I feel better:
A) Completely clear-headed, energetic & thin
B) After four vodka/sodas and a half a glass of champagne

Of course the answer is A. Duh. BUT, two of our best friends in the whole world are getting married at the end of this month and last night at a drag restaurant (Lucky Cheng's is one of the funnest, most politically incorrect places to dine in the universe) and cruising around the East Village was the perfect way to celebrate.  We killed it!!!! At least the meal was pretty much right on track for the cleanse, aside from maybe not the perfect oils. So, lesson learned and I hope I will remember this slightly poisoned feeling the next time I have more drinks than I need to feel my very best. No, I WILL remember it. Moving on to Day 14: The Fasting!! Sounds like a Stephen King novel. Ha. It's not. No one is going to send in a rabid dog or a self-aware, murderous car to do me in. I woke up at 8:15 this morning and made myself some herbal tea while waiting for hubby to get up, who, btw, did better than me last night drinks-wise. Just saying. Ha. Today is the second fast on the cleanse and I have, believe it or not, been looking forward to it all week. As amazing as I felt last week after the fasting day, I expect a repeat performance this week. I headed down to the Westerly and got hubby and I two cleanser juices to start off our morning. Beets really make a juice sweet and delicious! This one was red!!! (pictured) After a morning grocery run and catching up on Vampire Diaries, hubby and I walked to Lincoln Center to see about getting tickets for the new documentary First Position. We've been dying to see it!! Click HERE to watch the trailer and read all about it. We got tickets, we saw it and IT WAS AMAZING!!! I cried so many times watching these young performers working toward their dream. It was inspiring. We then visited with on of our friends whose bachelor party it was last night. He is still alive! Ha. Then we came back home. Hubby went to the gym and I decided to shower (finally) and prepare to make juice for tonight and tomorrow morning. Had some herbal tea while it did it, girl. Helped get me to the next juice, which I'll have at 7. I am going to write a bit early today because my funniest friend Ian is coming over tonight to watch our oft-quoted Romy & Michelle's High School Reunion. "Have a Romy & Michelle day!" Okay. The second fasting was pretty easy as well. Heading into the last full week of the cleanse and I can see the finish line now. I am very optimistic that the thinness and feelings of glee and euphoria are going to keep me much healthier into the future. Week 3? Bring it!!!

8:30 AM - Herbal tea
9:00 AM - Cleanser Juice
12:00 PM - Green Juice
3:00 PM - Green Lemonade
5:20 PM - Herbal Tea
7:00 PM - Green Juice

JUST BECAUSE: STEVIE NICKS

I AM FINALLY SEEING STEVIE NICKS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE!! After countless years of worshiping at the feet of the Witchy Wonderwoman herself, I am finally getting to see Stevie on July 2nd at the Beacon here in NYC. I cannot be more excited about this. She is a true rock goddess. Stand Back was on constant play for about a year in my bedroom as a child, along with If Anyone Falls, I Can't Wait, Beauty & the Beast, Leather and Lace, Talk to Me, Edge of Seventeen, Stop Dragging My Heart Around, et al. Then of course I loved all of the Fleetwood Mac stuff, and more recently in this 00s when she started finally releasing new music again, Stevie showed that true talent is ageless. I thought I'd share some of my fave Stevie with you on this lovely Sunday. Enjoy some of her biggest hits and greatest songs. Have a wonderful day, all.

SCENES FROM MADONNA'S FRAGRANCE LAUNCH AT MACY'S

The Queen takes the stage and answers question submitted by fans and even leaves her mark on one, giving him a thrill and a gift that will last for a lifetime!! Oh, and a little acapella treat for the New Yorkers. Watch as Madge reigns over the crowds at her April 12th launch of her fragrance Truth or Dare at Macy's in New York City. She seems at ease and confident, but wouldn't you be in a room full of people who worship you? Looking every bit the glamorous star that she is, her answers and appearance did NOT disappoint. Watch below.

LESLIE & THE LY'S AT THE KNITTING FACTORY

I went ALL the way out to Brooklyn on the subway on St. Patrick's Day and lived to tell about it!!! Ha. Leslie & the Ly's headed by Ms. Leslie Hall from Ames, Iowa played the Knitting Factory last night and it was a hoot!!!! If you are not familiar with Leslie Hall, you MUST get familiar (here's her youtube channel). Aside from her one-of-a-kind hip-hop albums, she also has a gem sweater museum and an amazing website. She played (cult) hit after hit last night and did not disappoint her fans, even inducting one into the Gem Sweater Hall of Fame. She's bizarre and I love it. Here are some amazy photos and a couple of videos from her performance last night. Enjoy her weirdness.

CHECK OUT MY TUMBLR: THAT'S A GOOD PIC

So I'm branching out a bit and adding a tumblr page for my everday photos I take. I wanted to share them with more people than I currently do. Go to That's A Good Pic and see if you like my photographic musings. Oh, who am I kidding. You will.

HALLELUJAH! IT'S HERE. THE HANGOVER PILL

It's like the morning after pill, but for everyone. My life just got a little easier! Just in time for my holiday bender, the FDA has approved a "hangover pill" that claims to rid one of several symptoms of hitting the happy juice in as little as 15-30 minutes. Up until now I have just had to start drinking again the next morning, but this could work too. The pill contains 1,000 milligrams of aspirin, 120 milligrams of caffeine and a stomach-soothing agent into two effervescent tablets, like Alka Seltzer, taken the morning after a night of partying with the Satan sauce. Once dissolved in water, the little buggers put the kibosh on your hangover in just 15 to 30 minutes. Do I hear angels singing or have I had too much whiskey today? Either way, YAY! The hangover helper is called Blowfish and it costs a mere $2.99 for one dose or $11.99 for a six-pack. If you live in Manhattan you're in luck, because you can pick it up at Ricky's NYC stores. Duane Reade will start carrying my favorite drug in January. It's like the second coming!

THEATRE REVIEW: SEMINAR

"There's only one thing harder than writing your first novel. Letting him read it." Last night I had the privilege of seeing Seminar, now in previews at the Golden Theatre on 45th street. The show is about a group of four fledgling writers who have paid a hefty sum to take a seminar (see how they did that?) with a notoriously tough writer/teacher played by the fantastically acerbic Alan Rickman, who some of you know best as Snape from the mega-successful Harry Potter series. In his usual form, Rickman tears up the stage with a series of one-liners and a couple of very impressive monologues in which we learn that not everything with his crabby/sexy Leonard is as as it seems. The cast is rounded out beautifully by the excellent Hamish Linklater (The New Adventures of Old Christine)as Martin, a young writer afraid of people actually reading his work; Jerry O'Connell (Stand By Me, Scream 2)as the hilarious Douglas, a slightly pretentious, adequately talented  writer with connections in the literary world; the Lily Rabe (American Horror Story, The Merchant of Venice) as Kate, a ashamedly rich girl who has been working on the same story for six years and is scared to leave it; and Hetteinne Park (The Intelligent Homosexuals Guide..) as Izzy, a free spirited young woman who is willing to do whatever she needs to become a successful writer. Each character and each scene is flehsed out  and played with juicy delight by this excellent cast in this 90 minute piece full of laughs, shocks and drama. Seminar is written by Pulitzer Prize nominee Theresa Rebeck (Mauritius) and directed by Obie Award winner Sam Gold (Circle Mirror Transformation), both of whom keep the story rolling along at the perfect pace and keep the audience guessing what surprise will pop up next. It's smart, sexy and funny and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something a little different on Broadway. If you want to find out more about Seminar you can visit their website SeminarOnBroadway.com, their facebook or their twitter page. Seminar opens November 20th. GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!!

WHETHER YOU WANT TO JOIN OR AVOID: OCCUPY WALL STREET DAY OF ACTION ITENERARY

Here is the itenerary for today's Occupy Wall Street Day of Action in NYC. For other cities you can click HERE. Take not at 3 o'clock they are occupying certain subway stations, but plan accordingly or join them, whichever you decide. Hopefully everything will stay peaceful. Send out good vibes for all involved.

 New York City
BREAKFAST:  Shut Down Wall Street - 7:00 a.m.
Enough of this economy that exploits and divides us. It's time we put an end to Wall Street's reign of terror and begin building an economy that works for all. We will gather in Liberty Square at 7:00 a.m., before the ring of the Trading Floor Bell, to prepare to confront Wall Street with the stories of people on the frontlines of economic injustice. There, before the Stock Exchange, we will exchange stories rather than stocks.

LUNCH: Occupy The Subways - 3:00 p.m.
We will start by Occupying Our Blocks! Then throughout the five boroughs, we will gather at 16 central subway hubs and take our own stories to the trains, using the "People's Mic".

•Bronx
◦Fordham Rd
 ◦3rd Ave, 138th Street
◦163rd and Southern Blvd
◦161st and River - Yankee Stadium
•Brooklyn
◦Broadway Junction
◦Borough Hall
◦301 Grove Street
◦St Jose Patron Church,185 Suydam St, Bushwick
•Queens
◦Jackson Heights/Roosevelt Ave.
 ◦Jamaica Center/Parsons/Archer
 ◦92-10 Roosevelt Avenue, Jackson Heights
•Manhattan
◦125th St. A,B,C,D
 ◦Union Sq. (Mass student strike)
◦23rd St and 8th Ave
•Staten Island
◦St. George, Staten Island Ferry Terminal
 ◦479 Port Richmond Avenue, Port Richmond

DINNER: Take The Square - 5:00 p.m. 
At 5 pm, tens of thousands of people will gather at Foley Square (just across from City Hall) in solidarity with laborers demanding jobs to rebuild this country's infrastructure and economy. A gospel choir and a marching band will also be performing. Afterwards we will march to our bridges. Let's make it as musical a march as possible - bring your songs, your voice, your spirit! Our "Musical" on the bridge will culminate in a festival of light as we mark the two-month anniversary of the #occupy movement, and our commitment to shining light into our broken economic and political system. Resist austerity. Rebuild the economy. Reclaim our democracy.

REVIEW: "STANDING ON CEREMONY: THE GAY MARRIAGE PLAYS"

Last night I attended Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays at the Minetta Lane Theatre here in NYC. The show is a series of short plays about the ongoing battle all over the United States to secure equal rights for the LGBT community to marry the person they love. Gosh, what will we want next? The right to vote? Ha. Anyway, SOC was truly an inspiring reading of nine different short plays with subjects ranging from figuring out how to write your vows ("civil unioned domestic partnered partner") to a supposed gay agenda in which the hilarious Harriet Harris played a woman who was a part of every "family" organization you can imagine, including "F*ck With The Family, You Die". Ha. There were several moments in each play that really highlighted the fact that "gay marriage" is really just marriage. Making the point that the LGBT community is no different than anyone else. We have our fears and wishes, our doubts and hangups. With marriage comes divorce, the loss of a spouse, the loss of being a whore every Saturday night. Eh, whaddaya gonna do? Each play told a different story from different parts and phases of relationships between gay and lesbian couples, their families and "friends", some of whom were not too friendly as evidenced by the play "On Facebook" by Doug Wright, taken from an actual conversation on someone's fb page. See folks; timely! This show is touring the country right now and will have a changing lineup of short plays, ever evolving throughout the life of the piece, with different actors filling in as it goes. This performance included stars of the stage and screen Craig Bierko, Mark Consuelos (whose wife Kelly Ripa sat across the aisle from me), Polly Draper, Harriet Harris, Beth Leavel and Richard Thomas. Pretty impressive, peeps! My hope is that as many, varying types of people possible see this production and that they will feel differently about the issue of gay marriage. Because, IT'S COMING WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. So my advice (and I'm sure no one who is opposed to marriage equality reads MY blog, ha) is to get on board, people. We're here, we're queer, we know how to throw a wedding. . Also, Producers Joan Stein and Richard Frankel announced Nov. 9 that Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays will offer a special, one-night-only discount to young people for the Nov. 30 at 8 PM performance. Press notes indicate, "In an effort to help motivate the younger generation in the fight for marriage equality and expose young people to politically potent theatre." The Minetta Lane Theatre is located at 18 Minetta Lane. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.standingonceremony.net or visit their Facebook page.