Spread Sunshine Gang

In spite of all this bleak weather, a ray of pure sunshine. This all from great friend Nickie Kromminga Hill and her husband Paul. By nature, she adds warmth and cheer into any room she enters. But now she is Paying It Forward in an even bigger way.

She is wanting to bring more GOOD to the world and doing something about it. So she created a group called the Spread Sunshine Gang via a small posse of friends and Facebook. They will have a monthly mission - either in person or virtually - to do a good deed large or small. It looks like the first mission was to create bright Karma Cards with kind thoughts and inspiration and place them at random places for others to just stumble on. How magical is that? I have joined and I encourage you to jump on board.

Family photos

I LOVE my GQ subscription. It was just up for renewal and I added on for the next two years. I am especially happy that they finally have taken care of us Android users and made the on-line version available to us as well as the Apple cohorts. For those not in the know; great recipes, political insights and techno blurbs in addition to the pretty pictures.

These recent mock photos came from the May comedy issue. Maya Rudolph is multi-talented and adds to any party. Danny McBride I do not know as well. But these are strange and awkward family photos they posed for. We all have plenty of these in our old scrapbooks and mantle frames. Cute at times but bordering on embarrassing or ridiculous. *All are based on actual prints and can be viewed in the on-line edition. It also explains some of the antics during the shoot with each improvised family. None of them are actually related or know each other - hired help.
 



Sorry for the horrible formatting, but blogger is not always the most user friendly.

Happy Memorial Day

I wanted to take a short day to pay homage to the holiday. I have always looked at the day as more of a celebration. And with the darker weather, I wanted to observe the somber side of the day. I always remember parades in the high school band, cookouts for the first day of summer, and in recent years with a huge outing at Valleyfair. Rarely do I think of it in terms of honoring the service members who gave their lives over many years now.

Even in that regard, my connections with the armed forces have been minimal. I currently have a niece in ROTC that is spending her summer adventures in "jump school." My brother Jesse is in the border patrol and has some scary contacts in recovery efforts on the Mexican border. A distant cousin that worked base duty in Germany and met a wife, a USO performer, and other friends that were lifers in the Air Force. But no one that ever really made huge sacrifices.

Sort of like the disconnect with Santa Clause and the true meaning of Christmas, I have the same affinity with Memorial Day. So for a few hours I will ponder the real significance of the holiday. Home of the Brave.

Packing for Summer

In spite of our dismal weather and lack of spring, I am forging ahead into summer with the Memorial Day weekend. For me, that always means drum corps season. Tonight I had my annual DCA webinar for judges training. On line technology to connect us again for the marching season. A chance to talk shop with colleagues and realign.

While on line, I was able to toggle between screens and read the latest headlines from DCI at the same time. There will be several other related posts over the next few months :) One article that grabbed my attention was a packing list for members moving in for the final camp weekend. And what a different world it is now. I remember an old military knapsack and a sleeping bag back in the day. Clothes were constantly crammed in sweaty and all. And the sleeping bag somehow managed to suffice on hard floors of gymnasiums and ice arenas. The current air mattress would have been a privilege.

Looking at this new list, technology gadgets lead - solar chargers for batteries, heavy duty protectors for tablets, sleeping speaker headbands. Even standard items are now upgrades with sun screen applicators for your back, isometric pillows. waterproof laundry bags and Give-n-Go durable underwear. All fabulous concepts for anyone in the touring circuit. I just want to know where it all fits on the bus?

Deco Architecture

I am always awed by great architecture. A few weeks back I was strolling the streets of St Paul with Jeff, TJ & Richard and we noticed the fabulous last century of detail on the many buildings downtown. Many, you walk by and never even catch the brilliance unless you look up.

So I found this feature on the Architzer website blog and it points out some highlights of art deco architecture and ties it into the release of the new Gatsby film.

Niagara Mowhawk, Syracuse NY (1932)

Union Terminal, Cincinnati OH (1933)

Follies Bergere, Paris (1869)

American Radiator Building, NYC (1924)

ABBA Gold

On a musical note - one of my favorite Google Current reads is Flavorpill. Mindless facts on all things entertainment. A recent one was titled ABBA Gold ranked from Gleeful to Glum. I think I sort of soured on the whole ABBA craze with the advent of Mamma Mia which turned their entire catalog into a juke box heresy. But I remember during my teen years how cool they were and how much of their music I owned on vinyl.


 
So I perused the article with a bit of apprehension. In hindsight, they really were a dynasty of pop music in the 70s & 80s. Of course there was the output of classic Top 40 material. But looking at this time capsule they were video pioneers, fashion mavens, talented musicians and icons. A bit of Liberace Vegas with the safety of Lawence Welk standards. Agnetha & Anni could sing the hell out of a lyric and had such a perfect blend that it is hard to tell them apart unless watching them on video. Benny & Bjorn could craft catchy pop with a hook. Their albums had range from musical theater to disco. You can see it in the videos which each have a sense of concept to them. Yes there are the hooks of Dancing Queen & Mamma Mia - but also mini dramas like Fernando and Thank You For the Music. They didn't have the tabloid drama of Fleetwood Mac, but with the double marriages in the group; looking at the later ballads like "One Of Us" and "The Winner takes It All" make the downfall seem inevitable. It is not surprising to me that they went on to write scores for the stage.


 
They are back in the news in light of the Eurovision contest which launched their careers and continues now 40 years later. But also a museum opening in Stockholm in their honor. Below is a link to the whole article which features 19 of their chart toppers in complete video form.

Flavorwire - ABBA Gold

That's Entertainment

More news on the Arrested Development front. Netflix is really pushing the release of the new tele-series. And I will be one of the first in line to do a binge viewing of it all. The latest viral push is a demo reel for David Cross' character Tobias.

If you know the show, he is the oddest mix of analysist/ therapist ( calling himself an analrapist) who also has other ambitions as a stage actor. There have been several points throughout the show where he is either auditioning for or performing in something, To add to the hilarity - he now has a mock demo reel of his numerous outings. The concept is sort of like a "Where in the World is Carmen Santiago" where they are inviting web techs to impose his clips into any sort of digital media in the public domain. Ridiculous as would be expected from both him and the show. Even the fictional website has a pun with insertmeanywhere.biz.

Is this what Gay Marriage will amount to?

I have had this video clip on deck for a short while. It is very interesting to share it now with the addition of gay marriage into the state of MN. It is typical "guy" humor with a twist at the end and amounts to basically leaving the toilet seat up male stereotypes. An ad for Guiness Beer from 1995 no less. Who would have guessed almost 20 years later?

More Inspiration

It has been a very hard week at work, with financials impending on the daily tasks at YPC. We are low on cash flow, registrations aren't coming in despite my endless efforts and difficult decisions being made. I have been reluctant to venture into work so that I can move forward and conquer the heap of responsibilities. I'd rather lay out in the sun and regress without care.
 
But then a glimmer of worth comes out of the whole process. Maya Washington is an alumni of the company who has succeeded in more ways than are countable. I had fond times working with her as a young Nancy Drew in an original adaptation decades back. But then our paths crossed when she came working as an essential with me at the Guthrie. It was a different joy to work with her as an adult. And now she has her own vision as a writer and film producer doing great things to change the world. Still humble, grateful and kind. This clip is from her brand new award winning film "White Space" about a deaf LA poet. Big stories to tell.

Insightnews.com White Space

Monumental

This post is meant for those outstate, as those in the vicinty have heard more than plenty about the recent victory in our state legislature. The chains on Facebook, in the press and other blogs are more articulate than I will ever be. The quotes that will sustain and become legacy are already anchored in history. But I feel it important enough that I at least put my footprint on it. It is indeed monumental enough to say I was there and saw it come into being.

I take no credit for efforts, there are others that fought more valiantly than I. Jeffrey and I decided very late in the afternoon that it was worth the trip and hassle of finding a parking spot. But it was an impact to be in the crowd of thousands at the capitol rotunda as we waited for the verdict to be announced. Rather than the easy victory, it seemed to be unsure until the final moment of a very close debate. Amidst all the energy and hope, I would not say assuredness was a given. There was an endless sea of orange and blue, voices in song, smile and hugs abounding. The human spirit in action. Again - I was there and history was indeed in the making. Monumental!

There is no limit to love. It's not going to be all used up. It only expands. - Scott Dibble

Mean Tweets

And a 2nd clip courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel with a series regular. Tweeting has never been my thing - I have nothing of value to be said that has to be heard IMMEDIATELY. I enjoy the blog process where I put things in print to bounce them off myself and anyone else that might stumble across them. Nor do I have the energy to be in a constant feed of who said what about whatever. It has not come to that yet.

This edition is #4 so I have to guess there have been 3 prior installments. And I do feel a bit sad for celebrities that are subjected to such piffle on a continuous basis - regardless of whether I think they merit talent or not. Here, rabid "Non-Fans" rip into a whole slate of celebs from Kelly Ripa to Brad Paisley with horrible venom. If nothing else I applaud each of them for the humor to take it in stride and move forward.

Neil Patrick Harris birthday hunt

I am posting two celebrity-related items today. The first is from Ellen who has always given me plenty of material to comment on. And who doesn't love the adorable Neil Patrick? Can he do no wrong?

This is a segment where he is talking about a massive birthday scavenger hunt given to him by his partner David Burtka. If you know anything about me - you know I love a good hunt. It is time for me to get back to my annual Rainbow Car Rally which has sat dormant for 2 years now. And the GPS has only been fired up a few times over the winter for geocaching. I go nuts for virtual hunts that test my logic and intuition.

So for Neil's 40th - he was sent on a week long venture from Vegas and an appearance in Cirque de Soleil to Arizona and a karaoke bar. If only I had that time and budget! Watch the clip.

Crack Spackle

Following up on my panty post. It actually garnered enough interest to get a few emails. Must be catching someone's eyes. Hmmm.

Think of this as a sequel shared from Facebook. For any of you plumber or gardener types that expose a bit too much crack when bending over and from behind. Totally inane and stupid - but one never knows. For real or for fun??

All Up In Your Panties

I love that phrase..... This coming from my morning reads. Two totally separate articles tied together by a common thread. (pun intended) Men's underwear. 

The first is a featurette on the evolution of them. Originally stemming from men's hygiene and layers of warmth; they can be loosely (pun) traced to a loin cloth called an Ötzi from the Swiss in the Alps. Who knew?! By the mid-1800's they were introduced as a commercial piece of clothing although the concept of ads for them wasn't utilized until the turn of the century. Text ads first, then migrating to a model not wearing them, but holding them up. Early ads from pioneer Munsing Wear were modest compared to today's blitz of porn billboards over Time's Square. Major clout came from two media icons; Clark Gable appearing shirtless in "It Happened One Night" in 1934, and then Marlon Brando immortalizing the t-shirt in "Streetcar" by 1951. The first real ad for briefs came out of France of course in 1931 - and was a male form of a slip, called a kangaroo or a pouch. It was Calvin Klein that turned it into the industry that it has become in the 1980's.


Fitting (pun again) that there is now controversy from a Norelco ad with a man eyeing himself in a pair of boxers over a bathroom mirror. As he goes from from scruffy to clean - he finds himself more desirable as the shavings pile on the floor below him. The final straw being a pair of dropped trough amid a pile of pubes to which he comments "I'd FAQ myself". Humor - yes? Pushing the limit - you decide?

Cossetta Conquers

Cossetta has always been a beacon in St Paul, long before others jumped on the hip ship. Amazing Italian food like the old east in Erie Italiana at prices about the same too. But if you haven't checked out the new expanded digs - and by expanded I am talking GIANT - they are beyond amazing.

On arrival I was a bit disoriented, because the new door is a half block down. But on enterring - the entire serving line has been picked up and moved, identical to before. Same pastas, pizzas & parmesans. As if we needed more options there. But where they really kill it is in the expanded market. The fresh breads coming out of the ovens look amazing, inventive and are affordable for artisan breads. Shelves of anything Italian you could imagine. And a full counter of every item they make frozen or fresh - pastas, lasagnas, meaballs and their incredible marinara sauce. One of those things I wonder; "Why buy all the ingredients to make it myself, if someone else who can do it far better, already did for much cheaper." Bring it home and serve it up.

But where they blew me away even more is the new Pasticceria - or bakery. I sampled a few of the in-house gelatti and they were heavenly in the brightly colored case. And as I have mentioned several times, I am a sucker for baked goods. The range from chocolate donuts to lavish Opera cakes is boggling. Jeffrey had an almond croissant which he said was one of the best he's ever had. And my Baba Rum cake was the same. Again - all cheap. I was surprised when they took my little cake, wrapped it up on a box fit for a present with a ribbon. Will be going back and often!