The Lawndale book is just one week away from being published!
While writing the Lawndale book I started to think about all of the music we listened to growing up in the house on 312 Magee.
There was always some sort of music playing somewhere in the house at any given time. Whether it was my mom listening to Andy Williams on the record player in the dining room while she did her housework, or us kids listening to our records.
My father always loved music and would listen to classical and operas in the basement while he worked or read his books.
We had the jukebox on the porch that had been loaned to us by a couple that my dad was friends with and we loved that thing!
There was the the 8-track player in the 1969 VW minibus that we all rocked out to on trips on the road with dad.
We listened to the radio in the kitchen and would hear all the new popular songs of the day.
I would sometimes bring a little record player to the dinner table and sit it on the seat next to me. My dad wasn’t home, and it would be just my mom and my sisters. I would put little 45 rpm records on and we would all sing to them. It was a riot!
I got into listening to some of my favorite songs and bands recently on Spotify and thought about creating a playlist of all the music we heard in our house growing up as kids. Not just the music we owned, but all the theme songs from our favorite shows that were on TV in the 60s and 70s.
At first I thought it would be cool to share it with my sisters for nostalgic reasons. But then I thought, wouldn’t it be great to share it with all of the people who might remember some of these songs from their past as well.
So I’ve decided to add to the anticipation of the Lawndale book coming out next week and share it with everybody as a soundtrack to the book.
Some of the songs you may not recognize but some will make you smile and take you back to a simpler time. This is an eclectic mix of music and themes from the 60s and 70s that were alive in our house at 312 Magee growing up.
I hope you enjoy it, and maybe you’ll listen to it in the background while reading my book! (Don’t worry if you don’t have a Spotify account. It’s free and you can just go on and check it out!)
You’ve had date night on your Google Calendar for over three weeks, and you still haven’t figured out what you and your boo are going to do. You can’t watch another bad movie. You simply can’t eat takeout anymore. You’re ready to put on your sexy pants and paint the town with your flame. Of course, you need to find out what the heck is on the agenda first. If hindsight is 20/20, perhaps the year 2020 will be full of good ideas, wisdom, and learning from the past. In fact, these date ideas to try in 2020 will bring the excitement and the fun back to date night.
From dressing up like it’s 2002 and hitting up your childhood hotspots (Rainforest Cafe, ILY) to drinking some wine and getting crafty, there are tons of creative date ideas out there. Whether you turn off your phones and explore the city with disposable cameras or start a monthly movie club together to share your favorite flicks, getting out of your date comfort zone this 2020 is sure to be a 10/10 experience.
And if you’re looking to add some zest to your relationship, here are 10 date ideas for 2020 that are out of this world.
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1. Print Out Your Fave Pics & Make A Scrapbook
Go to a CVS or a RiteAid with a photo center, then print out your favorite pictures of you and your boo. Fashion them into a scrapbook, along with concert tickets, little notes, and any other small mementos you may find. It’s like an IRL Instagram feed, but of your relationship.
2. Have A DIY Date
Find a tutorial you like on YouTube (I live for TheSorryGirls and Lone Fox) and grab all the supplies you need at a dollar store or thrift shop. Load up on snacks, grab some wine or tea, and get to crafting!
3. Plan A 2002 Night & Watch A Reboot
Grab your butterfly clips and Juicy tracksuit, and get ready for a 2002-themed date night with boo. Maybe you both dress up like it’s the early 2000s and snuggle up to watch a reboot of an old classic or you hit the town by going to some OG fave spots, like the Rainforest Cafe or Johnny Rockets. Whatever you choose, the best way to celebrate 2020 with your date is to bring it back to 2002.
4. Start A Monthly Club
Planning a running date night to sit down and swap media recommendations can be a great way to start your 2020. Whether you switch off who chooses the movie or book or snuggle up to listen to some tunes together, making time to share your favorite things in 2020 is a great way to connect with your date.
5. Have A Disposable Camera Day
Sure, you have Huji Cam. Or maybe you had it, then deleted it for VSCO. Whatever the case, if you plan to have a romantic, retro 2020 date, hit up a drugstore for a literal disposable camera (yes, they still sell them) and turn your phone off for an entire day. Run around the city with your boo and take some sweet photos together on the camera, to commemorate the adventure.
6. Plan A Silly Scavenger Hunt
From hitting all the places you went together in 2019 to revisiting different memories from throughout your relationship, a scavenger hunt date can be a great way to revisit some old faves as you get into 2020. Run around the city, find clues, and get to the next spot. Then meet up somewhere that neither of you has been before!
7. Try A $5 Challenge
Meet up with your boo in a new part of a town. Then hand each other a crisp $5 bill. Select a set amount of time, then yell, “Ready, set, go!” When you reunite again, see who found the other a better present or the most things for under $5. Balling on a budget, but make it romantic.
8. Make Vision Boards Together
Sitting together and collaging about the future can be a natural way to kick off the “Where do you see this going?” convo. Maybe you talk about a city you’ve always wanted to visit, which leads to a conversation about traveling together. Or perhaps you can describe your dream apartment, then naturally bring up one day moving in together. Blast some tunes, pour some drinks, and start cutting up some old magazines.
9. Go To A Local Show
Find a local theater in your community and see what upcoming shows are coming to town. Is a local high school putting on Bring It On: The Musical(it’s a thing)? Is a community center holding a futuristic, space ballet performance? Supporting your local arts scene can mean connecting more with your date and your community.
10. Brainstorm Date Ideas For The Rest Of The Year
Write down all the things you want to do with your boo this year, as well as any exciting activities you’ve always wanted to try in your city. Mix them all up and place them in a bowl. The next time you’re wondering what to do for date night, pick something out of the bowl and commit! Having a bunch of ideas ready to go can nix any, “Well, what do you want to do?” boredom for the rest of the year.
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We just finished a gig at The Troubadour. I put my guitar in its case and locked it in the backroom behind the stage. The band sort of spread out through the club as if they needed to go network, but we were all there for the obvious. Sex, drugs, booze, and Rock and Roll.
I run into this gorgeous blonde. Like a baby Farrah Fawcett.
“I like that song you played about the bombshell. Who’s that about?”
“Farrah. I wrote it when I was sixteen. I love Farrah.”
The earliest warning sign should have been her next opening line. Jabbing me with her finger, she pointed at her own face and said: “Who do I look like?” I had no idea. The answer she was looking for apparently, was Heather Locklear.
A few hours later and we’re walking back to her place. It’s beginning to spit with rain.
Things started fine. Pretty much like most tipsy post-show hookups back then. As things began to escalate, she made an excuse to go to the bathroom. It took a few minutes to decide on the appropriate level of nakedness to be in on her return but after 10 minutes I thought I should probably check if she’s Okay.
When I got to the bathroom, the door was locked. The light, on. I knocked: no answer. I returned to the bedroom, put some clothes back on. Looked out the window. The rain was now torrential. The home was 20 minutes away. Do I call a taxi? Faced with an impossible situation, I took an incredibly ungentlemanly decision.
“Hope you’re okay. Unlock the door and I’ll get you some water.” I wrote it on a piece of paper found on the girl’s desk, slipped it under the bathroom door, and waited a few minutes. When the door stayed locked, I went to her room, got into bed, and fell asleep.
A few hours later I’m awakened by the door opening. It’s her. I make a move to get up but she pins me down with a surprising level of strength, strips me completely and the most excruciating 20 minutes of my life began. To this day I’ve never met anyone else who has a “don’t touch me with your hands or mouth below my waist” policy. It was bizarre and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. It was just a bronco cowgirl ride to the finish.
When it was over, I got up to leave but she grabbed my arm and said no. She pulled me back into bed, only to roll over and go back to sleep within minutes. Awkwardly, I lay there a bit longer, trying to figure out whether it was worth staying. Eventually, I tried to leave again. This time she said no but I ignored her. Besides, it had stopped raining now.
As an act of goodwill, I wrote my phone number on a pad on her desk. She asked what I was doing and then laughed when I told her.
Two weeks later, my band is back at the Troubadour. I’m out back having a smoke out back chatting to some friends when over my shoulder I hear it again.
“Who do I look like?”
Poor guy.
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It’s hard to put a price on self-control, but $100,000 is a decent place to start. That’s the cash prize up for grabs on Netflix’s upcoming reality dating experiment Too Hot to Handle, whose eight-episode first season drops on Friday, April 17.
Here’s the skinny: Ten smokin’ hot singles from all across the globe come together in paradise for what they think is going to be the sexiest summer of their lives — only to discover that money is deducted from the group’s final pot for every sexual encounter that goes down. Yes, that includes kissing.
Naturally, the whole shebang is hosted by an Alexa-like machine named Lana, who throws just as many wrenches into the game as the cheeky, unsuspecting players.
With one week until the show’s premiere, Netflix has released the first official trailer, which offers a glimpse at the action — though we use that term very loosely. (Remember the rules!) As you’ll see, some of the contestants are committed to keeping it zipped, while others’ loose lips threaten to sink everyone’s ship.
Will you be tuning in?
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DEATH IN PARADISE earlier this year saw Josephine Jobert exit the show as her character Florence Cassell decided to leave the island. But what is Florence Cassell star Joséphine Jobert doing now?
What is Florence Cassell star Josephine Jobert doing now?
Jobert has not revealed what her next project after Death in Paradise will be yet.
In a Twitter video, the actress said: “I quit the show for personal and professional reasons – nothing dramatic I swear!
“Everything is fine it’s just that I’ve been working on Death in Paradise for five years… I loved every minute every minute of it.”Recently, the actress told French magazine Tele-Loisirs: “It was a well-thought-out decision.
Florence Cassell actress Josephine Jobert has not revealed her next project (Image: BBC)
Josephine Jobert has recently holidaying in Menorca (Image: INSTAGRAM)
Josephine Jobert was recently seen in Monte Carlo and Cannes (Image: GETTY)
Last month, she posted a picture of herself enjoying a cocktail with the caption: “A moment and a place out of time. What a beautiful memory of this last day in Menorca.”
According to her social media feeds, she has also spent her post-Death in Paradise time at glamorous locations like Monte Carlo and Cannes.
Although she has finished working on Death in Paradise, she has not quite left the show behind.
Recently, the show began airing in France and Jobert has been doing a number of interviews with the French press to promote the show know across the Channel as ‘Meurtre au paradis’.
Florence Cassell has been replaced by Madeleine Dumas (Aude Legastelois) (Image: BBC)
While Jobert seems to be taking a break, Death in Paradise is currently shooting its ninth seasons, with Legastelois taking over from Jobert.
The actress told the BBC: “I’m thrilled that I’ve been given the opportunity to continue my role as Madeleine and to rejoin the cast of Death in Paradise.
“I can’t wait for Madeleine to be fully integrated into the Honoré Police team and for the viewers to get to know her further.”
In March, the series has recommissioned by the BBC for two more seasons.
Death in Paradise season 9 is coming soon to BBC One
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DEATH IN PARADISE has been on our screens for almost 9 years and throughout the show’s history many cast members have come and gone. But why exactly did Sara Martins leave Death in Paradise? Here’s everything you need to know about why Martins left the BBC series.
Death in Paradise season nine is coming to BBC One in early 2020. Sara Martins was part of the show’s original cast, starring in the crime drama from 2011 until 2015. Martins is a French-Portuguese actress and is best known for her roles in French television and film.
Why did Sara Martins leave Death in Paradise?
Sara Martins starred in Death in Paradise as DS Camille Bordey.
Martins played the role of DS Camille Bordey from 2011 until 2015.She first appeared in episode one of Death in Paradise in 2011 and was last seen in season four, episode four.
Bordey was an undercover investigator who, at first, did not get on with new Detective Inspector Richard Poole (played by Ben Miller).
Sara Martins starred in Death in Paradise as DS Camille Bordey. (Image: GETTY)
As time went on, Poole and Martins got closer and even verged on having a romantic relationship.
Sadly, Poole was killed off in season three and DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall) replaced him.
Goodman had expressed romantic feelings for Martins’ character but nothing happened between them until Camille announced the was moving to a new job in Paris.
As she left the island of Saint Marie, she kissed Goodman goodbye.
Camilla was written out of the show by securing a new undercover job in Paris.
Speaking about the decision to leave Death in Paradise, Martins told What’s On TV?: “I’ve loved everything about the show but the only way to grow in life is to take risks, even if it means losing something you love or leaving a place that’s comfortable.
“You should always go forward and take new challenges.“
However, Martins did not rule out returning to Death in Paradise.
She said: “We wanted to make the best exit, and they didn’t want to kill me off, there was no reason to. And who knows? There’s always the possibility I can come back.
Sara Martins is a French-Portugese actress (Image: GETTY)
Who is Sara Martins?
Sara Martins is a French-Portuguese actress from Faro, Portugal
She is best known for appearances in French television and film.
Martins made her debut acting role in the French series Police District.
Since then she has starred in the French films, Tell No One, Beyond the Ocean, Paris Je t’aime, Summer Hours and Little White Lies.
Death in Paradise was her debut role on British television.
Since leaving Death in Paradise in 2015, Martins has gone on to star in the NBC series American Odyssey as Serena and The law of Alexandre.
Martins has also appeared in Captain Marleau and Father Brown.
Sara Martins starred in Death in Paradise from 2011 until 2015 (Image: GETTY)
When is Death in Paradise season 9 out?
The BBC has not confirmed an official release date for the new series of Death in Paradise.
The previous eight seasons have premiered in January, apart from season one which arrived on screens in October 2011, so season nine is expected to arrive in early 2020.
Filming for season nine is currently underway on the French-Carribean island of Guadaloupe.
Death in Paradise fans will be pleased to know that the BBC renewed Death in Paradise for two seasons last year, meaning fans can expect season nine in 2020 and season 10 in 2021.
Express.co.uk will update this article when more information is available.
Death in Paradise season 9 is currently in production.
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Nearly 10 years after her death, loved ones are sharing new details about Farrah Fawcett’s final days in a documentary set to premiere Thursday night.
Fawcett, whose acting credits include the ’70s hit TV show “Charlie’s Angels” and 1984 TV movie “The Burning Bed,” was born on February 2, 1947, in Corpus Christi.
In 1965, Fawcett enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin. The following year, she moved to Los Angeles to begin modeling and acting, according to a press release from ABC News.
Fawcett, who earned an Emmy Award and six Golden Globe Award nominations during her successful career, was diagnosed with cancer in 2006. She died three years later.
“This is Farrah Fawcett,” a two-hour special, presents rare footage from the intimate video diaries of Fawcett’s fight against cancer.
It also features Barbara Walters’ interviews with Fawcett and actor Ryan O’Neal, the actress’ partner at the time of her death.
As well, some of Fawcett’s closet friends were interviewed, including Houston-born actress Jaclyn Smith, Alana Stewart, hairstylist Mela Murphy and photographer Bruce McBroom, according to the release.
Dr. Lawrence Piro, Fawcett’s primary physician, and Dr. Ursula Jacob, Fawcett’s physician in Germany who used alternative treatments for her cancer, were also interviewed.
In clips of the forthcoming documentary, Smith said Fawcett’s relationship with actor Ryan O’Neal was volatile and spontaneous.
“It was everything that made a relationship not boring,” Smith said.
Stewart recalled how no one was prepared to hear that the Hollywood star had been diagnosed with cancer.
“Farrah was the Golden Girl to everyone so it was such a shock, to the whole world, when she got cancer,” Stewart said. “It kind of goes to show you that you know, cancer doesn’t play favorites.”
Stewart helped record Fawcett’s experience with cancer, including the day the icon said goodbye to her signature feathered hairstyle by shaving her own head.
“It was very important for Farrah to shave her own head so that she was removing her hair, and cancer treatment wasn’t removing her hair,” Piro said.
“It’s kind of like that fine line between being a victim and a victor.”
At the end of her three-year battle, Fawcett declined quickly and suddenly, Stewart said.
“She started to hemorrhage, she had an infection. One thing led to another and she ended up back in the hospital,” said Stewart.
“We kind of knew there wasn’t going to be a miracle at this point.”
Fawcett passed away on June 25, 2009, in Santa Monica, California, with O’Neal and Stewart by her side. She was 62 years old.
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I googled this horrible title for young men today and this is what the internet yielded.
But there is a new mutated version of these horrible little rodents.
My lovely neighbor, Trish, and my co-worker Jane, and my beloved former co-worker Amelia have all recently fallen victim to this new virus of boys.
Back in the day, when I was in my teens and twenties, we used to actually have to go out and be social with other people to meet women. There was competition and several other factors going on. You had to develop certain skills. Some guys never got it, but some of us, and hopefully most of us tried to develop a little charming game to woo a girl. It’s called courtship. You meet a girl you like and you get to know her. You exchange phone numbers and if you’re lucky, and you call her.
Hopefully her dad doesn’t answer the phone when you call because that’s a wall with a poisonous moat around it.
But if you could get the guts, and the luck to get through, maybe you could take her on a date. This wasn’t the fifties. This was the seventies and the eighties.
You needed to build your character and charm and personality to try to meet a girl in the real world in real-time.
It was nerve-wracking but the rewards could be an enormous bounty of love, romance, fun and maybe even sex. (Holy shit!)
Let’s jump to today. 2019. The world of dating has completely changed.
But people haven’t changed all that much.
That’s the catch in this new technological world.
If a guy is reasonably good-looking and has a decent profile he merely has to swipe right on hundreds of eligible women on Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, and the list goes on.
This fucker doesn’t even have to leave his couch to connect with women.
And same goes for girls!
But here’s the catch. They never develop the social skills and the thrust and parry of the actual dating experience. (I write a dating and relationship blog, I’ve been in 3 bands and have over a half a century experience. So listen to me people. I’ve seen it and one it all. i go to my sister Janice’s Christmas party every year an i look around the room an know I’ve had sex with more people than everyone else in the room…COMBINED.)
I have begun to see these young guys. Nice enough. Good looking. Probably decent families. Careers.
Seems like a nice catch.
Everyone is swiping like mad now. No one is going out into the world to meet real people anymore. No one wants to talk to a person to even order food anymore. This younger generation doesn’t mind paying more.
They just want what they want now.
I come from a generation that is far more patient.
Because when I was young you had to wait for EVERYTHING.
You wrote letters. You sent away for thing and they arrived 6 to 8 weeks later. There are more examples but I can’t think of them right now because I’m on bit of a rant.
This generation has their faces in their phones and lack any spatial awareness and want everything, easy and NOW.
Technology has made them and provided a platform for all of that.
But we gave them that. We made them.
Three years ago when I stared this blog I had all of the dating apps. I have deleted them all. It’s all full of losers and leftovers for someone my age.
It’s pathetic to read all of the clever nonsense people my age write on their profiles. “Love the beach, camping, mom of two great grown kids, love travel, friends, brunch, camping, adventure, ready for the next chapter of my life.
Fuck you.
I know what living is, and it’s not that shit.
Those sites are just littered with the sad detritus of people from broken marriages that have been cast asunder by their life partners and soul mates. Divorce. Child support. Alimony. The list goes on.
It’s sad.
I want nothing to do with that collective of losers.
These people are just trying to replicate what they think is love. You’re not 28 anymore darling. It’s over. You can desire all the fun camping and travel you want, but in reality you’re simply lost and running from your past and hoping to recreate what your parents taught you what was love, happiness and marriage.
All bullshit.
Am I bitter about my own losses? Fuck no. I forgave everyone ten years ago. Why should I drink the poison hoping all of those fuckers die? I can’t be bothered with that weight.
I know I’ve been hot on this subject but Phicklephilly is a dating and relationship blog and I need to get back to what it really is. The reality of life. Not a bunch of links to some one elses dating column so I can get traffic. That shit ends here.
Once the dating and relationship shit runs its course I’m not doing it anymore on Phicklephilly!
Now that the storm in my mind has passed I need to tak about this new breed of fuckboys.
Guys… come on. Have you learned nothing from us?
Or have you just gotten better at being pieces of shit to women?
I hate you all.
I wasn’t the best representative of a man when I was a teenager but we need to do better.
I’m so pissed off I can’t even write this garbage about these pieces of shit
Go on Tinder or Bumble and swipe on a bunch of girls.
Connect and engage with them
go on an affordable date with them
spend hours talking to them and build an honest heartfelt connection
Girl thinks she has finally met the ONE
Be that good at it. (You are simply practicing and learning about yourself and using these innocent should to figure out who you eventually want, but she doesn’t know that. You have absolutely no interest in building a relationship with her, She is literally a crash test dummy to you.)
go on may one more date with her… maybe
Fuck her
Time passes…
fade away…. (You’ve gathered your intel from another victim on your journey of self discovery
Afer some sudden absence, text her and tell her you need to figure some things out, you can’t do anything right now, work is crazy. Basically lie to her now that you’ve gathered the two days of experience and penetrated her.
GONE
This is some despicable behavior. Like I said. This has happened in the last month to not one but three girls I know. So this is not an anomaly
This is a trend among young men.
Why.
Because they can.
Think about it. No one needs charm or a sense of humor or talent anymore. If you look decent and don’t seem threatening, you put up a profile on tinder and off you go
You don’t build a personality and confidence and approach a woman in public and get to know her. Your little greasy thumb swipes right and you get to meet a pretty girl.
But you’re blowing it and so are they. You meet, you engage so quickly (Just the way this generation like everything. Quick and easy) and within two or three dates you’re having sex.
But at what cost?
Fuck technology and immediate gratification! Your Heart is at stake here!
The technology is new and fast and easy, but hearts are slow and beautiful and they continue to break just like they have for hundreds of years from bad behavior and shitty people.
So in closing, I’ve been inspired at 2:05 in the morning because some douchebag hurt my friend Amelia with his awful behavior.
As bad as I’ve ever been in my legacy I never did that to a girl. I don’t know where this generation is going, but I will advise the women in my life to protect their hearts and take the time to protect their bodies, minds and their virtue from these charming pirates disguised as future husbands.
Text me for advice before you leap ladies, please! I have three sisters and a daughter. I’m here to help!
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