Michael's Musings

Halo
Michael Shinafelt

With only three days left of 2016 could we please not have anymore beloved celebrity deaths? Yes, Grim Reaper I'm calling you out, enough!!!

2016 how do I put this to you delicately? Fuck off! I am ready for something new, and while there are reasons to tread with extreme caution moving forward into 2017 there are a few things I am grateful to be armed with going into it, that I reclaimed this past year.

Here on the 29th of December I am giving the ultimate kiss off to 2016, I'm so over you!

Debbie Reynolds passing away the day after her daughter Carrie Fisher died. So sad.

Ringing in the New Year early with Scott Jacobs last night via wine, cheese and German Chocolate Cake, was a welcome escape.

Even though 2016 was a pretty lame year, at least Donald Trump was not President.

Speaking of which, I am shocked that Orange Cosby didn't Tweet what a "Nasty Woman" Carrie Fisher was after her passing. She did call him out as a coke addict after all.

I'm grateful to have regained my sense of self this year, I'm going to need it in 2017.

Dear Rockettes, I advise you on not doing any high kicks during your performance at Trump's inauguration. 

The people I meet out and about everyday keep my faith in humanity alive.

Hitting spin class today, as you might imagine it is much needed.

Billy Idol said it best: "With a rebel yell more, more, more!"

Middle Creek exploded because of the Beaver Dams, sounds like innuendo to me.

Just because I grab a pole on the subway and gyrate, that does not make me Nomi Malone. 

2017 does not hold a lot of promise for anything in particular but trust me when I say there are going to be a lot of surprises. That my friends is as sure of a thing that you can count on. Let's hope they err more on the side of good than awful.

Get your last Thursday of 2016 on!

Join me won't you? at:

https://twitter.com/MShinafelt

https://www.instagram.com/michaelshinafelt/   

Sh!t Carrie Fisher Said

What A Dame
Carrie Fisher

The passing of Carrie Fisher is truly epic. Not only did she play the iconic role of Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, she was also a writer with a sharp wit and even sharper tongue. Her candor about being being mentally ill gave others the courage to face their challenges by owning them.

I think the best way to honor her passing is to let her own brilliant words speak for themselves...Carrie On!

"I always wrote. I wrote from when I was 12. That was therapeutic for me in those days. I wrote things to get them out of feeling them, and onto paper. So writing in a way saved me, kept me company. I did the traditional thing with falling in love with words, reading books and underlining lines I liked and words I didn't know"

"I am mentally ill. I can say that. I am not ashamed of that. I survived that, I'm still surviving it, but bring it on. Better me than you"

"No, as it turns out, I really like being congratulated on my weight loss. I like it so much, it's tragic"

"I was street smart, but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive"

"The world of manic depression is a world of bad judgment calls"

"Leia follows me like a vague smell"

"I'll never be known for my work with boundaries" 

"I'm very sane about how crazy I am"

"Anything you can do in excess for the wrong reasons is exciting to me"

"I am truly a product of Hollywood in-breeding. When two celebrities mate, someone like me is the result" 

Carrie on IMDB: 
www.imdb.com/name/nm0000402/   

Just Because, Lady Gaga & Elton John

Ladies Who Lunch
Lady Gaga & Elton John

Today is one of those nebulous Post Holiday/Pre-Holiday days. Yes kids it's the first Tuesday after Christmas and the Tuesday that falls before New Year's Eve aka 2017.

So I thought I would run this image of Lady Gaga & Elton John out and about in Aspen, CO.

Why? Just because the two of them together represent so much talent and creativity it would make a pig in lipstick jealous, and look, it's two icons who are still alive, together!

Hey, it's great to be here! 

Have a TT! Terrific Tuesday, in case you didn't get the gist.

Go Gaga at:
https://www.instagram.com/ladygaga/?hl=en

Go to the John at: 
https://www.instagram.com/eltonjohn/?hl=en 

"Father Figure" George Michael

Daddy
George Michael

It's the day after Christmas and I am sure a majority of you, like me, are saddened by the passing of pop icon George Michael, on, well of all things Christmas Day.

He was truly one of the greatest musical artists of all time, not to mention he was also quite ahead of it as well.

George was a Father Figure of sorts to up and coming performers looking for someone to emulate. Which happens to be my favorite song by Mr. Michael, for it's daring to touch a certain subject matter that most artists wouldn't ever dream of going near, especially in this day and age of mediocrity.

I could go on and on about this unique, one of a kind, legendary talent, but what's the point?  Every one of you has your own feelings and impressions of what he meant to your lives. This post is done to honor an individual whose influence on the world around them was truly epic.

Thus I leave you with my favorite George Michael song Father Figure. 

R.I.P.

www.georgemichael.com/   

Happy, Happy To You & Yours

When Holidays Collide

 Merry Christmas & Happy Hanukkah !

"You Didn't Give Them A Chance"

Hello Everyone, we all know what today is don't we? Why it's Christmas Eve and the first day of Hanukkah. Yes, that's right peeps this year they both fall on the same day, which is pretty cool actually.

Which brings me to an E-mail I received the other day from my buddy Tom Connan, it goes something like this...

Hi Michael,

Hope you're well! As you may have noticed, I just released my new single 'You Didn't Give Them A Chance' and the music video is doing great on YouTube already. 

I'd be more than happy to have a post about this on your blog.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,

Tom Connan

But of course I will and just have. Thanks Tom for alerting me to your hot new song, oh and the look, that look you've got going on, very, um, edgy, not to mention sexy.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a giver! Let's kick off the Holidays with Tom's latest single "You Didn't Give Them A Chance."

Celebrate Below!

Tom on Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/tom.connan/

https://twitter.com/tomconnan

https://www.facebook.com/tomconnan/

Encore, Dolly, Encore!

Nobody does Christmas better than Dolly Parton, that's why their airing her latest Holiday blockbuster special again, tonight!!!

NBC is set to re-air their blockbuster special: “Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love” starring Jennifer Nettles, Ricky Schroder, and Gerald McCraney. The 2-hour special will air again on Friday, December 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The DVD of the movie, which also features a guest appearance by Dolly Parton, is available at retailers nationwide.

“Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love” tells the story of when the Partons, a family of humble means living in the mountains of Tennessee, face a devastating event that challenges their will. But when they experience a bewildering Christmas miracle, the Partons are drawn closer together than ever — with deepened faith and love for one another.

Available now on Digital HD

• iTunes
• Amazon
• Microsoft

DVD & Blu-Ray Available Today

• Amazon (DVD & Blu-Ray)
• Best Buy (DVD | Blu-Ray)
• Walmart (DVD)
• Target (DVD)

Or you can use this link that takes you directly to the proper place at each retailer:
gwi.io/DollyChristmas
  

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DOLLY PARTON, VISIT:
www.dollyparton.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/DollyParton
Instagram: Instagram.com/DollyParton
Twitter: Twitter.com/DollyParton
Tumblr: OfficialDollyParton.tumblr.com
Google+: Plus.Google.com/+DollyParton