Sweet Brown

This hot new viral video came to me via cousin Carly in Baltimore area. Poor Sweet Brown is the victim of an apartment fire and being interviewed by local channel 4. She is a colorful character to say the least in spite of the tragedy. What happens next is a bit of play with auto-tune and a studio to turn her commentary into a full fledged piece of music - complete with video topographic content.

The reason I was taken - other than the obvious - is that I passed "this woman" today in St Paul. She was driving a beat up Durango with the windows down and the stereo on full. Long press-on nails and cigarette dangling in the mouth. She was waving to passerbys, singing at full voice, and a friend to all. Sort of made my day Sweet Brown. Music starts at :47 seconds.

Lemmings at Coachella

I am often amazed by how dense the human population can be. Especially in terms of herd mentality. As unique and intelligent as we are born to be, there are times when I question the fact. Travel is one instance where I have mentioned a severe lack of judgment and actions formerly. This posting from Jimmy Kimmel at Coachella demonstrates the same thing among young hipsters checking out the festival there. They are tossed ridiculous fictional bands that have never existed, and yet each manages to have a shout out to them and knowledge of their identity. Herd mentality at its best with a bit of drug influence possibly?

Minneapolis Judgment Map

I found this mildly amusing. It is via City Pages and created by Sarah Burridge. It insets a map of Minneapolis with homogenized stereotypes for each neighborhood. Things we know to generally be true. More than enough nasty shout-outs to Target execs climbing the corporate ladder. I guess I am lucky to be in the zone of up and coming cafes - which I can vouch for with the recent openings of Pat's Tap, Spill the Wine & Morrissey's to name only a few.

Pippin - Behind the Scenes

Pippin is coming back to Broadway this month and already it has racked a small handful of Outer Critic noms without much press. This is a little sneak preview of behind the scenes creating the Opening number. The show will always be linked to the original Fosse concept - so the task here was to reimagine it in a new way. Director Diane Paulus speaks about bringing together the idea of the big top circus and a Broadway stage in this vignette. Lead player, Patina Miller (from Sister Act) leads the cast which is a mix of many types. Here it is in a video article.

New York Times - Pippin

More About Donuts

Creme filled Brioche from Salty Tart

I have written about them before and will again in my quest to find perfect donuts. Minneapolis had been trailing in the donut world due to muffins and scones for ages - so it is with excitement that I am finding a turn in tide. As with the recent post on Glam Doll donuts, the Star Trib followed up last week with 18 shout outs from bakery and kitchens around town. So I will have to make some comparisons in the next month over a hot cuppa Joe. Here are the notables:

chocolate pistachio orange @ Birchwood

Lynn on Bryant - right down the street

Seriously Amazing

This is a link to the new marketing campaign from the Smithsonian Institution. Jeffrey has been hollering at me as of late; that I am always asking too many questions. While I know this to be true - I like to think of it as an eternal quest for knowledge and not his account that I need to know everything. I have ALWAYS done so.

It is called Seriously Amazing and it is indeed. I am most intrigued with this idea of not just looking at old artifacts in a museum - but in asking questions framed in ways you never thought to ask. The colors are hip, the layout catchy. It is trying to reach out to the younger demographics that are not finding worth in the countless collections of the Smithsonian. If you have never been - it is mind boggling to say the least. The Science & Technology, the Aerospace museum, the portrait gallery, the National Gallery, the Botanical Gardens.... these are just the tip of them all. And they are all FREE in DC as part of our national heritage. I love museums and support anything they have to offer. The new link will now be added to my sidebar here for reference.

Let Us Raise Our Voice in Song

Two things that really struck me over the last two days. The first is on the momentum that Marriage Equality is carrying as it is making its voice heard. Not just from its slow motion across these United States of ours, but across the globe as nations in Europe, Central America and now New Zealand are uniting in spirit. I was particularly moved by the passage in New Zealand as it became the 13th nation where it was upheld 77- 44 by lawmakers there. Despite some outspoken opposition in the public, most of the political speeches on the floor seemed like joyous and humorous diatribes in support verging on a pep rally. Even more-so - it was heart warming that after the verdict was read, a large majority in the balcony launched into song which was choraled by all in the chamber. It was a Maori folk song that speaks of love called Pokarekare Ana. The video is the official chamber coverage and is noted by a standing ovation @ :55 and then breaking into song @ 1:15.

And then today I found a beautiful new anthem about labeling by a pop duo of Ryan Amador & Jo Lampert. It is called "Define Me" and speaks to the black and white labels that we come to be known by and how we need to be freed from them. Empowering and lovely to watch.

Best of Intentions

Being tax time and a period for inventory, I decided to look back on my Resolutions for 2013 and see how I am doing. Sadly - it seems a big FAIL! Here is my accountability update.

1) Balance - Considering that this week alone has just finished up our largest event for YPC, the Opening of Richfield's Chicago, the end of the WGI winter guard season and a cabaret salon performance this weekend - major overbalance. I am finding 12 hour days,  irritability and a need for rest in spite of the ongoing quest for Spring. Grade - F

2) Breakfast - I have made minimal strides here. The problem is not taking the time for it. It is that there is such a small selection of things to eat without major prep. A bowl of cereal or 1/2 cup of yogurt are banner days for me. Weekends have been better with savory batches of waffles on a Sunday instead of church. Grade - C+

3) Books - Reading takes time and music can be great background noise when working on a project. Thus far I finished a trashy Tab Hunter biography and got about 50 pages into Edna Ferber's Show Boat from a garage sale. I don't even take the time to read magazines until they are back issues a few months old. Grade - D

4) Eating Out - I still have Groupons that either expire or are used on the last day like the hoards of others. It is still a bit too early for summer dining fare. But we have been bold about scoping out new places like Spill the Wine or favorite like the Finnish Bistro. Grade - B-

5) Eating In - I think winter has helped on this one. The crook pot has been used for batches of soups and stews. Holidays have forced us to be creative on a regular basis. And Jeffrey often cooks up a sit down meal. Still stuff in the back of the pantry that need to be used before expiration but... Grade - B

6) Fitness - does choreographing a musical with the kids count? There have been a few days where I come home to an aching ass. But nothing on a regular schedule at home. I did get out the air pump and filled the fitness ball and used twice. Grade - D

7) Game nights - I sent out one invite for a grouping in Jan., never followed up on it. Bought a few more at the thrift store though. Grade - F

Arrested Mise´rables

Poor Les Miz continues to get skewered, weeks after it has left the bargain theaters, lost major clout at the OSCARS and hits the DVD racks at our local Targets. Years from now we will possibly remember its good points and kick back and watch it on late night cable television.

The latest merges it in a mash-up of my favorite sit-com, Arrested Development, which is about to have new life via Netflix in May. Couldn't be more excited. Here they take classic lines from the series and matches them up to still from the movie that are ludicrous. TO those on the outside they probably land flat. But for those of us that love the series - they induce chuckles. Here are a few. The full series can be seen at the following link:

http://lesmiserabluths.tumblr.com/

 

Chelsea Blue

I know so little about football and especially anything outside the American NFL. So the identities of these players from the Chelsea League are lost on me. And it is also not the bodies that I am ogling at. I think this ad campaign for Adidas is clever and provocative.

The color for the league is blue and they feature 9 of the athletes literally immersing themselves in blue paint. Sort of like Blue Man Group gone athletic. Or maybe Mystique from X-Men on steroids. Below are both the ad campaign and a making of shoot. The players look game (no pun intended) and the creative types really thought outside the box. Cool stuff and I'd buy if it was my line.

Pet Panties?

I saw these pics yesterday and am still not sure if amused or perturbed. Sort of like the William Wegman photos of Weimaraners where he dresses them up in human clothes. I feel a bit sorry for the animals who can't speak up for themselves and say "enough of this shit."

It is a trend up and coming in China reported by the Huffington Post nonetheless. Owners are putting panty hose and stockings on the hind legs of their critters. Then posting the pics viral on the internet. Dog shaming is one thing but drag maybe another... Here are a few of the extreme photo sessions.

Broadway Bares - again

Another reason why I would never made it as a chorine on Broadway. Just as I was coming into my own as a performer - the NY scene changed and hoofers started transforming into beefcake. Which I was NEVER gonna be. I could maybe pull it off in a kitty costume or a toga for Joseph - but anything less than that is likely embarrassing for me.

At the same time with all the Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS efforts - Broadway Bares came into existence. How they have managed to stretch it out over all these years, gives it more shelf life than the Nunsense canon. But they do and now people come in hoards and buy not only tickets but posters, coffee table books and likely signed dance-belts. This years follows a cross country route of Americana stereotypes. Lumberjacks, Cowboys, Island Girls.... all pretty and hunky. How can one not look? Here is their new behind the scenes featurette for drooling. I actually have a friend from Priscilla doing it this year - but he was not hot enough to be a cover boy for this shoot.

Broadway Bares 23

April Fools for Nerds

I used to be more of a prankster - but being the only one in the office today, seems there is no one to even play on unless by an eblast.

So I found a small list of gags played out on the internet via some high profile tech companies.

Google nose - a new app that accesses "scentsation" but tapping into a downloadable database of 15M of scentibytes. Some aromas of note - lemon, horse manure, locker rooms & wet dog. It has its own Safety Search option of Don't Ask, Don't Smell. This one doesn't sound outlandish enough that I would never expect to see it happen at some point.
Google Nose 

TWTTR - the new abbreviated version of Twitter without the vowels. A new two-tiered system that lets users opt out with consonants for free or upgrade to vowels for $5/ mo. "Y" is complimentary. And also expanding a tweet from 140 to 141 characters with the opportunity to bid for the letter used at a going rate based on popularity. "Z" would likely be a bargain bid!
twttr 

Google Maps - reports a finding of a long lost relic in Capain Kidd's infamous pirate map. It was apparently found on a recent expedition in the Indian Ocean and contains many encrypted symbols that Google is asking for help in deciphering. Archeologists have confirmed the legitimacy of a 315 year old map.
Captain Kidd 

Sony - is introducing a line of Animalia tech products for pets. A comical line of things. Video systems for dogs minus reds & greens for their eyesight. Personal headsets for cats. Customized workout centers for hamsters. Pretty silly.
Sony Animalia