Track List - Sexy Spin, Thursday, October 12, 2017

1. Roar (video) - Glee Cast (cover of Katy Perry)
2. Low (video) - Todrick Hall featuring RuPaul
3. Mo Money Mo Problems - The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Mase & Puff Daddy
4. Ain't Nobody (Loves Me Better) - Felix Jaehn featuring Jasmine Thompson
5. California Love - 2Pac & Dr. Dre
6. Proud Mary - Tina Turner
7. Perfect - Pink
8. Stronger (remix) - Kelly Clarkson
9. You Have To Believe - DJ Dave Aude featuring Olivia Newton-John & Chloe Lattanzi
10. Didn't Know My Own Strength (remix) - Whitney Houston
Cool Down:
11. What The World Needs Now Is Love - Broadway For Orlando
12. Pulse - Melissa Etheridge

Yesterday was National Coming Out Day (https://www.facebook.com/nationalcomingoutday/) and October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-awareness-month). So, in class, you heard me talk a little about both. I mentioned some ways to provide support. Here is a little more information:

National Coming Out Day doesn't mean that you have to come out. What it does mean, is that anyone can offer support to someone who is struggling with accepting who they really are. Raising awareness by having a National Coming Out Day will hopefully make it easier for those that are having trouble living as their true selves. There are many organizations that provide help and support, but I mentioned two that I feel strongly about. The Family Equality Council (http://www.familyequality.org) helps fight for equal rights (not special rights, just equal rights) for all kinds of families, especially those that are made up of gay parents. Being a gay parent, I am an active supporter of the Family Equality Council. It does amazing work! Another organization that provides much needed help and support for equal rights for everyone is the Human Rights Campaign (https://www.hrc.org). Especially in these times where it seems that our current administration not only doesn't actively support equal rights for all, it is actively working to roll back advancements made in the recent past. So a much needed thank you to the Human Rights Campaign! In addition, I didn't mention it in class this time, but I often talk of a more local organization in class. In fact, the "Give-the-shirt-off-your-back Extra Special Holiday Sexy Spin directly benefits and promotes the Los Angeles LGBT Center (https://lalgbtcenter.org), specifically the youth homelessness programs. So I wanted to add them to my short list of very worthy and amazing organizations that provide help regarding all things surrounding National Coming Out Day!

And all of us have probably been affected by cancer in someway. Directly or indirectly. My mother is twice a breast cancer survivor! More than a couple of current Ride with Tommy! regulars have survived breast cancer! So as October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month, I will be wearing pink, playing songs by the amazing artist Pink, and playing songs by women who have survived or fight for awareness of breast cancer. This morning, in addition to playing Pink, I played Olivia Newton-John and Melissa Etheridge. Strong, brave, courageous women. I hope we can all find strength and comfort in their words, their music, their lives and their battles. Crunch here on Sunset Boulevard is accepting donations at the front desk for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (https://www.bcrf.org) starting October 17th! And an amazing cancer center that is ground-breaking in their research and fight to defeat breast cancer and all types of cancer is the MD Anderson Cancer Center (https://www.mdanderson.org) based in Houston, Texas.

I always talk about positive energy in class. I encourage everyone to start within, build that positive energy to which working out and taking care of your body and mind can contribute, and then reach out and help fill up the world with that positive energy. It can be done. And it can start in a little ol' spin class. At Crunch on Sunset. When you Ride with Tommy!

I love spinning. I love sharing my experience and knowledge. I love encouraging, supporting and sharing. I hope that by all of this, I can make even just a little bit of difference in the world. And it can all start right here. Thanks for being a part!

In good health,

tommy