Before I Go Any Further

Good Afternoon, Bloggy Friends.

I just can't go any further in my blogging without first paying tribute to two iconic ladies who recently passed away, Eartha Kitt and Odetta. Each of these ladies made a important impact the world, not only as African-American females who broke the barrier in a difficult business, but as out-spoken advocates to the rights of all humanity. I've had them on my mind for some time now, but with the rush of the holidays I never felt that I could write a blog that did them justice. I'm here today with my attempt at a tribute.

Odetta passed away on December 2, 2008, only a day before my very own birthday. She made her mark in this world with her music. She became famous singing spirituals, the blues and folk music. Her mastery influenced some of our greatest artists, including Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin. She used her undeniable musical talent to help lend a voice to the civil rights movement of the 1960's. With her powerful songwriting skills, and vocal abilities, she took the stage to help ignite a fire of passion within the civil rights community. I consider it among one of my greatest blessings to have had the chance to see her live in the last year of her life. She performed at the Sister Rosetta Tharpe Benefit Concert Alan and I attended in January. She stole the evening with her heartfelt renderings of some of the greatest folk classics. I will never forget that evening. She touched me in an inspiring way. Long live Odetta.


Miss Eartha Kitt left this world on December 25, 2008. Most of you would recognize her as the seductive Catwoman in the 1960's television series, Batman. We also inevitably hear her voice each Christmas as she coos through the all-time classic she made famous, "Santa Baby." She made a name for herself as an actress, starring mainly on Broadway and in various cabarets. She also had a successful recording career. She was an exciting, exotic personality that kept audiences yearning for more. In her later years, Eartha Kitt became an outspoken proponent for the gay rights movement. I know her memory will always be kept alive in the hearts and desires of gay men everywhere!

These are two fabulous, legendary ladies who deserve a moment of silence as we all take the time to recognize their contribution to the betterment of our society. I hope you all have a fantastic afternoon. Below I am attaching a video of Odetta performing at the Sister Rosetta Tharpe Benefit last year. Amazing. I will send a free Odetta CD to the first Bloggy Friend who comments. I'll talk to you soon!

Love, Josh

Meet Me In St. Louis, Louis!

Good Afternoon, Bloggy Friends!

Last night we watched a movie I've been wanting to see for a long time, Meet Me In St. Louis. It stars the beautiful, Judy Garland, who was just coming off of the gigantic success of the Wizard of Oz. This musical follows a large family living in St. Louis, at the turn of the last century. It encompasses nearly a year, as the family anticipates the arrival of the St. Louis World's Fair the following spring. Judy Garland plays Rose, one of the elder daughters in the family. I don't think she ever looked more beautiful. The plot mainly revolves around Rose and her four brothers and sisters. The older children in the family fall in love, while the younger ones create a hilarious array of mischief. A wrench is tossed into their happy, wholesome lifestyle when their father announces he is going to transport the family to New York for a new job. If you haven't seen it yet, you'll have to watch for yourself to see how it all plays out. I'll bet a Whitney CD that Bill has already seen it!

It's a great film to watch over the holidays, because a major chunk of it takes place over Christmas. The wintery setting inspired so much Christmas spirit in both of us. This is actually where the song, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," originated. It is sung so sweetly by Garland's character Rose. This film is also where one of Garland's most recognizable tunes, "The Trolley Song," comes from. Clang, clang, clang went the trolley. Ding, Ding, Ding went the bell!

So, now I have a new favorite to add to my list. I'm so happy I finally had the chance to check it out. I hope you guys have a fantastic day. I'm so excited for the weekend! I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

2007 Holiday Series, Pt. 1: Cousin Frieda's

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a nice day. If the weather maps on CNN were correct, no one in the country is having nice weather today. Philadelphia is no exception. It's completely gloomy, rainy and cold. It's ok, though. My classes are over, so I don't have to worry about being out in it.

Today I'm starting a new video series, to help get us into the spirit of the season. I have several videos from 2007's Christmas, that I never had the chance to share. By the time I got back from Kentucky last year Christmas was over, and I know the last thing anyone wants to see after the holidays is another Christmas video. So, I thought I'd take the chance to share them now!

Today's video takes place at our cousin Frieda's home in Wilmore. We've been going there to celebrate the holidays with our extended family, on my Mom's side, for years. She and her husband have a beautiful cabin in the woods. It's the perfect place to host a huge family gathering. Here, I'm always sure to find uncles, great uncles, aunts, great aunts, first cousins, second cousins and old family friends. I don't get a lot of chances to see these people throughout the year, so I love having the opportunity to spend time with them when I can. It's fun to see how everyone changes, and how much larger the family seems to get every year. I hope you enjoy. Stay tuned for a few other holiday videos.

Have a great afternoon. I'll chat with you soon.

Warmly, Josh

Thankful 'n Thoughtful

Good Evening Mr. and Mrs. Bloggy Friends!

Well, the long weekend has finally wrapped up, much to my dismay. I take it you have all returned from you weekend getaways, and are geared up for a fresh new week. This will be my last full week of school for this semester. After this, we have a half week, then a week of finals. I am so excited to be finished. This semester has been rewarding, but I'm just over it, plain and simple.

Since I've already blogged about the rest of our Thanksgiving weekend, I'll just finish up by saying we had a delightful Saturday together. We shopped around the city, picked up some exciting new things for our home and had a delicious dinner. In the later part of the evening we went to the Ritz 5 to see Gus Van Sant's MILK. It is a wonderfully inspiring, heartbreaking movie. One of the best I've seen in a long time. Please get out and see it. Sean Penn was amazing, James Franco was dreamy, and the shots of San Francisco brought back so many fond memories. I miss it so much. Go see it!

Today (Sunday) we were supposed to go with Kelly and Ed to the Valley Green Inn for brunch, but when we woke up it was so rainy we decided to postpone. I think it was a great decision on all of our parts, because the rain held steady all day long. Instead, we braved the weather to do our usual Sunday chores. Tonight Alan made the most amazing dinner. Jude gave us a recipe from her culinary inspiration, Ida Gartner, called Roasted Mustard Fish. It called for things like capers, shallots, crème fraîche, dijon and whole wheat mustard. It was out-of-this-world. Along with that we had roasted fennel, mashed potatoes (thanks Bill) and a green salad. It was sinfully delicious. Wow. I'm so thankful Alan loves to cook.

Below I attached a video of our Thanksgiving in D.C. with Bill and Gary. I hope you enjoy. It was definitely one for the memory books! Have a great week. I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Josh

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you're having a nice Tuesday. I'm up bright and early. The sun is shining on Philadelphia today. Yay!

Today I want to share one of our latest video projects in my audio/visual newsgathering class. In this particular assignment we were asked to conduct an on-camera interview. We decided to interview the mother of one of my group members, Trenae. She is a breast cancer survivor. We thought it would be a nice, inspirational story so share. I took the job as the reporter, Trenae did the camerawork and Chelsea did the editing. I hope you enjoy!

Have a great afternoon. I have a full lecture day ahead of me. Woo-hoo! Talk to ya soon.

Love, Josh

Weekend Wrap-Up

Good Morning, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you had a nice weekend. We did. It was a little busier for us than I had anticipated, but that's how it seems to be going lately. Being busy isn't a bad thing. Isn't there a saying about idle time? Something about the devil and playthings. I don't want none of that!

Friday night my friend Jillian came down from New York City. After work Alan and I met up with her and other friends for drinks. We had a great time. It's always good to see Jillian. I miss her so much.

Saturday was a big day. In the afternoon we met up with Tim, Sarah and Alex to join thousands of others, in cities across America, to protest the passing of California's Proposition 8. The gathering took place at City Hall. There were thousands of people there waving signs, chanting and screaming for their rights. I really felt like I was a part of something huge. It was so exciting. My favorite part was when we marched out into the street. We stopped traffic as we made several loops around City Hall. It was amazing. I'm so proud to have been a part of the whole experience. I posted a video below of our afternoon there. Enjoy!

Saturday evening, after we rested up, we headed out to West Chester to attend a holiday, cocktail party with people from Alan's work. The soiree was held in the beautiful home of one of his co-workers. There were a lot of people there. We enjoyed delicious finger foods, wine and a ton of fabulous desserts. It was a nice time. I don't feel like I have a lot in common with many of his co-workers, but they are all very nice people. I always enjoy these work get-togethers. It provides me an opportunity to break away from my comfort zone for a bit. That's always a good thing. To the left is a picture of Alan and some of his lab mates.

Sunday was nice. In the earlier part of the day we headed to the Reading Terminal and Whole Foods to pick up our groceries. Later I met up with the girls from my radio show for a photo shoot. We are starting to get our promos together - complete with fliers, posters and a commercial on KYW radio. It's very exciting. I'll share those once we get them together. In the evening we had our salmon. It was delicious. For a treat, we decided to walk over to Naked Chocolate for a full-bodied, dark chocolate drink. I had one infused with hot spices. It was divine. Later we walked to Washington Square Park, and then back home to relax before bedtime. It was a good night.

I hope you guys have a great day. It's sunny and bright here in Philadelphia. We've been having some cloudy, rainy weather lately, so it's particularly nice to have some sunshine today! I'll chat with you soon.

Love, Joshua Rights

Go Phillies! *Updated*

Hey, Bloggy Friends!


No, you didn't stumble across the wrong blog. It's really me, doing something you never thought I'd do, a sports post! My dad will be proud. Casey has gotten to me. Puss has her panties in a wad!

Last night the Phillies won the World Series (or the Super Bowl?)! After winning five games in the playoffs against the Tampa Rays. They won the final game 4 to 3. During the past few weeks, as the playoffs were being played, we would hear loud cheers whenever the Phillies won a game. When they would wake us late in evening, we would know the Phillies were victorious. I had mentally prepared myself for what I figured would come last night. I didn't watch the game, but when the familiar screams became three times louder, as Alan and I were sitting on the couch, I knew they were the champions! Instantly fireworks were erupting, car horns were blowing, people were running from their homes screaming their heads off!

Alan and I watched, from our third floor window on South Street, as the streets were suddenly flooded with gleeful fans. Most of them were dressed in red jerseys and baseball caps. Many had white turtlenecks underneath to help shield themselves from the bone-chilling cold. People were running up to strangers, hugging, jumping and laughing. Car loads of people hanging out the window would drive by giving high fives to anyone who would take them. What began as an annoyed feeling quickly turned into "aw, that's sweet." I was so touched by the sense of togetherness I saw below me. These people were so happy. They loved one another so much. It was nice. I tried to think of a time I felt that much excitement. I think it was when Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2004.

The intense celebration went on for a really long time. The noise level held solid for a good two hours before Alan and I popped in ear plugs and went to bed. I know their final destination was Broad Street, because they kept chanting, "Broad Street, Broad Street," but I'm not sure what happened there. I assume the players rode down Broad, towards City Hall, to greet the horde of admiring fans. I also assume a lot of people called into work this morning, many suffered brutal hangovers, and I wouldn't doubt it if there were a few babies made!

I was thrilled to experience this exciting night in Philadelphia. I just had to share it with you. I put together a quick video of what was going on in the street. I'll try to upload it on YouTube with this slow connection we still have. The Internet guy is supposed to be coming back today. I hope it goes well this time. Check back later in the day for an update, with the video attached!

How did I do on my first sports post? I hope you enjoyed it! Have a great day. I'll talk to ya soon. Go Phillies!

Love, Josh

Rand's Visit: A Quickie, but a Goodie.

Hey, Bloggy Friends.

Here is a little video I put together of Rand's visit. As you can see I didn't get a lot of footage. I guess we got a little carried away in conversation. I hope you enjoy and I hope you have a marvelous Monday!

Love, Josh

What I've Been Doing @ School

Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope everyone is having an great, new week. Are you excited about the Presidential Debates on Friday? I can't wait!

So, as you know, school has been keeping me pretty busy. I haven't had a lot of time for bloggy videos, but I wanted to make this one to let you know some of the things I've been up to lately. I am really enjoying my classes. I feel like I am learning a lot of very useful information.

In this specific assignment my group members and I were asked to record a process using sound. I think it turned out fairly well. We had a good time doing it.

Enjoy today's clip. Have a great afternoon. I'll talk to you soon.

Love, Josh

Puppy Progress, Weeks 2 & 3

Hello. Hey, Bloggy Friends!

It's been a little while since I have written a puppy update blog. I wrote the last one while feeling a little frustrated with one too many poops and pees in our house! Since then, Galileo has been doing so much better. Maybe he read the blog and thought he ought to give the training thing some extra effort! He still makes an occasional mess in the house, but it is definitely looking on the up and up. He nearly always waits to pee outside, which is great. He hasn't quite learned how to tell us he needs to go out yet, we just have to stay on top of the game and take him out every half hour or so. For some reason the poopsies are a little different. He hasn't quite equated poops with outside yet. If we take him out and he goes, then it's great, but he still scurries to a corner of the house when he gets the urge to go. We'll keep working on it. I definitely feel a ton better than I did when I wrote the last post about training nightmares! I'm so proud of the progress he...um.... we have made.

He has also started to take to his cage very well. Just like the books said, he heads in that direction whenever he wants to nap or get away from the clawing kitties. We have also learned to utilize the backyard whenever we need a little break from his almost incessant whines for attention.

He has been getting along with Mary Todd and Abigail somewhat better (or should I say it's the other way around). They are definitely lingering around longer when he scurries over to them. Most of the time they take off after a few nips and barks, but sometimes they stay to take a swipe at him with their paws. I've even noticed the cats bringing toys around so they can watch Galileo play with them. That's probably not exactly what their doing, but it's how I like to look at it! I can see them becoming better friends soon, mostly when he gets a little older and looses some of that crazy energy!

So, things are going well here in the Sugar home. We have all began adjusting to the new addition, and now we are just trying to readjust to this sweltering heatwave that has hit Philadelphia. I forgot what heat like this felt like, after being in San Francisco for nearly four years. I grew up in humid weather conditions, but I don't remember it being quite like this. Maybe it's because we are in a city surrounded by concrete, or maybe we are experiencing a little bit of that global warming we've been hearing so much about. We did come across two air conditioners yesterday, so never fear Bloggy Friends, if you want to come visit, your room will be cool as a cucumber!

I hope you all have a great day. I am including a short video clip of Galileo playing around with Mary Todd one day last week. They are such cuties!

Love you all,

Josh

Kentucky Road Trip, Pt. 2 (Louisville)

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

I hope you are all having a terribly terrific Tuesday! Everything is sunny here in Philadelphia. Here is part two of my Kentucky Road Trip series. In it we drive from Lancaster to Louisville, to pick up Galileo and spend time with family and friends. We had such a great time. I hope Puss doesn't mind that I show off his apartment to everyone! I envy his eye for decoration. My brother has it, but I just didn't get that gene.

Love you all. Have a great day!

Love, Josh

Hillary @ UPenn!

Hello.Hey, Bloggy Friends!

Today is the big day that I have been waiting a long time for! Pennsylvanians are finally heading to the polls to make their decision on who they think should be the Democratic presidential nominee. It felt so good to finally walk into that booth and push that VOTE button. I don't think I need to tell you who I pushed it for! Philadelphia had been buzzing with excitement over the past week - this election is inspiring a great deal of passion in people. It's so awesome.

Last night the Clinton's held one last rally at UPenn here in Philadelphia. I almost didn't go, but some friends from work talked me into it at the last minute. I am so glad I did. It was one of the most exciting, uplifting events I have ever attended in my life. We were blessed to find spots on the ground near the entrance. We had a chance to meet all of them, get pictures, autographs and handshakes on their way in and the way out! They obviously made themselves very available to the crowd - which I found extremely impressive. I was a little worried when I talked to them, though, because I had just eaten a falafel wrap and was afraid I had serious garlic breath!

Chelsea, Bill and Hillary gave uplifting speeches. They were fired up and completely right on point. The speech Hillary gave may have been the very best I have ever heard her give. Without jargon, she laid it all out on the table and had the entire crowd going crazy. I was sure that she would make a great president before, but after seeing her last night there is not a doubt left in my head. She wants this so passionately and she really wants to make a positive change in this country.

My experience last night was undoubtedly a dream come true. This was the very first time I have ever seen an actual President. He was very approachable and even carried on quick conversations with some of the guys in the crowd around us. He reminded me of my Dad. Chelsea was sweet, pretty and the easiest to approach. It was such a blessing to walk away with pictures of them - but the highlight of my evening was when I shook Hillary's hand, told her good luck - and then she looked at me and said "Thank you." My heart melted.

I have made a quick video of the evening. It was hard to squeeze it all into 5 minutes, but I did the best I could. Enjoy! I am headed down to watch CNN - it's 8pm and the polls are just now closing. Good luck, Hillary!!

Love you all!

Josh

Whitney?

Oh I wish, but Whitney just isn't on tour at the moment.

Hellohey, Bloggy Friends!

One day I will see Whitney and not only that - but one day I'll sing with her on stage! I have always envisioned myself singing one of her songs on a television broadcast, tribute special when I make it big and famous. Look out for that one! :)

She is currently in the studios making her highly anticipated comeback album, which is due out around Christmas. I'm sure I don't even have to tell you how excited I am for that!

In other diva news:


-Did you guys watch Dolly perform on American Idol last night? She wore a headset and I think that just screwed it up. She didn't know what to do with her hands except throw them around everywhere. She is always fabulous, though, and I love her. The contestants did a cover of "9 to 5," which was a little too campy and just plum atrocious!


-Mariah Carey hit number one again on the charts with her new single "Touch My Body!" This makes her 18th #1 single, which beats out Elvis' previous record! She is now two behind The Beatles and says that she will never compare herself to them or Elvis but "this is a big day for women and minorities." That's right Mimi, butter people up to ensure you hit #1 three more times to be the highest selling artist EVER! Congratulations!

-Whitney still holds the title of the highest selling soundtrack of all time for "The Bodyguard."

I hope you guys have an awesome day! It is sunny and beautiful here. Spring is definitely peeping it's little head around the corner. Tune in tomorrow to finally see what the big surprise is! Have I just been pulling your leg all week to have something to write about everyday??? We'll see tomorrow!

Love you guys!

Josh

Enjoy this video that I did after a previous poll! It is an imitation of Whitney from Being Bobby Brown. Holla!

I Had A Wanda Sykes Saturday!

Hi, Bloggy Friends!!

I hope you all had a great weekend. On Saturday we took a trip to Atlantic City for an overnight stay. For Valentines Day, Alan got me tickets to see Wanda Sykes in Atlantic City this weekend. I am a huge fan of her comedy. I seriously think she may be the funniest person I have ever heard in my life. She was playing at the same casino we saw Diana Ross, the BORGATA.

She didn't go on until 11 pm, so we had a whole day to knock around Atlantic City. We went to dinner at a delicious cuban restaurant called CUBA LIBRE - which is right in the heart of downtown AC. The meal was delicious overall, despite the small portion sizes. Isn't it funny how it seems the more you pay for a meal - the smaller it gets! Geez. I did enjoy their house-made rum selection!

At 11 we made our way to the Borgata to see Wanda in one hilarious show. She stayed on for nearly two hours straight! I'm not lying when I say I had a smile on my face the WHOLE time. She kept the crowd in stitches for real. If you guys are ever in need of a good two hour laughfest - I suggest you get on the computer and find out when Wanda Sykes is coming to a town near you! I love this girl!

Anyways, I made videos of Wanda's opening act KEITH ROBINSON, a segment of her talking about WORKING ON A GAY CRUSE and another on THE GOVERNMENT. Click the perspective links to check them out! They are all great clips, so I highly suggest you check them out. There is some offensive language, though, so consider this a fair warning!

In other news - diva extraordinaire MIMI had a very exciting Saturday himself. In his most recent post he talks about the diva he saw at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday Night. Be sure to check that out!

I hope you guys have a great start to the week, Bloggy Friends. I look forward to talking more with you as the week progresses.

Love you all!

Josh

A Dream Come True!

Hey Bloggy Friends!

One of the highlights of Rick's visit this week was going to see Hillary Clinton at a rally on Tuesday. She spoke to a crowd of thousands at Temple University in a forum she refers to as "Solutions For America." Seeing Hillary was a dream come true for both Rick and I. When she came out of the curtain and I saw her with my own eyes, I teared up. After months of thinking of her, following her campaign and talking about her I felt so emotional, baby.

The diverse crowd was so pumped up and she was very energetic herself. She spoke mainly about the things she would do when she becomes President - like universalizing healthcare, bringing the troops home, boosting the economy and creating new jobs - in Philadelphia particularly.

It was such an exciting night that I will not likely forget. Pennsylvania is a huge state for Hillary. I imagine you will be hearing a lot about us in the news over the next month. I am so glad that the race has made it thus far so that I can go in that ballot box and put a huge checkmark next to Hillary's name!

I hope you guys are having a great week. It has been so fun having Rick here. We've been doing a lot, so stay tuned to another video or two of his visit.

I love you all, Bloggy Friends - enjoy the video! and if you want to watch more of her speech than the small amount of clips I pulled for this video - you can watch it HERE

Talk to ya'll soon!

Josh

Nicole's Visit, Side A

Happy Wednesday, Bloggy Friends! I hope you're having a good one. This week seems to be rolling by pretty quickly. I guess that could be a good or bad thing!

As I told you before, we had a visitor this weekend. My friend Nicole flew in from San Francisco to stay with us over the long weekend. It was really fun for me to show her around the city, since I was in a way showing myself around too. There are a lot of things in Philly that are still really new to me, so exploring Center City on Saturday kind of helped me to fall even more in love with Philadelphia. It is so beautiful down there, with so much to see and do. I was shocked at the amount of restaurants, bars, coffee shops and stores that lined the streets. It was so lively and exciting. I didn't know there was so much life here. I guess living in Manayunk in the dead of winter has put somewhat of a hindrance on my exploration time. All in good time my dearies, all in good time!

Enjoy today's bloggy video which features the first part of Nicole's visit. In it we spend our day in Center City checking out some of the historical buildings (which were closed), having some dinner - and of course shaking a leg!

Have a great day!

Love, Josh

Touch Me In The Morning!

Hey, Bloggy Divas! I hope you are having the best Thursday you've ever had in your entire life. Period.

Here it is, the week is almost over and I am STILL reeling from my experience with, the one and only, Miss Diana Ross on Sunday!

Let me tell you Bloggy Friends, I have stood in the presence of a true diva! I know what you're thinking - "but Josh you stand in front of the mirror everyday." Yes, this is true Bloggy Friends - but Diana Ross was different!

Why? She captivated that Diana-hungry audience with more power than I have ever seen from a stage. She was everything I could have hoped for. There was the big hair, the graceful diva-like gestures, numerous sequined gowns, chiffon boas that she tossed about the stage like rags, and she sang all the classics!

I wasn't sure what to expect out of her - after years of terrible headlines that reported things such as "Diana Gets Another D.U.I." and Poor Diana Down and Out and Drunk in Beverly Hills." I just went with my fingers crossed, knowing that I was going to witness a true legend - and that's exactly what I received. She looked stunning in her tight, form-fitted gowns, and her voice was so on point. She sounded fantastic and looked flawless, people!

I have seen a lot of my most favorite artists on stage, but there is no doubt that Diana is something special. She is a force of nature that is incomparable to anyone else in music history. My life changed a little when I left the Borgata Hotel that evening when I witnessed with my own two eyes one of the greatest divas to ever walk on this earth - present company excluded!

Enjoy my video of our afternoon romp around Atlantic City on into the life-changing performance by Miss Diana Ross.

Love, Josh