Band Geeks

Continuing my summer theme of all things drum corps. I stumbled onto this great Ranker's list of celebs who were once in marching band. Of the list of 33, I have to admit that some of them were completely lost on me - so celebrity is a vague term. But others brought a smile with the images posted. I would loved to have seen them in a uniform marching on a footbal field during half-time or a competition. Long live Band Fags!

Trent Raznor - who is now a film composer makes total sense. Others like..... Samuel Jackson, Ewan McGregor and Richard Gere- who both played their own trumpets in Brassed Off & Cotton Club, Halle Berry, Aretha Franklin, Lionel Richie, Celine Dion. Julia Roberts & Gloria Estefan. Steven Tyler and Tom Selleck were surprises and I can't quite imagine what instruments they played.

But how about Tommy Lee looking hot with his snare drum strapped on:

 

 

No surprise in Bill Clinton

 

 

 

 

 

 

or Jennifer Garner on alto sax?

 

Got Style?

A shameless and sexy plug from a high-end Men's store in Toronto that is definitely thinking outside the box. In more ways than one. Owner Melissa Austria was looking for a hook that showcased not only her great taste in merchandise, but her niche for high end customer service. They hired a PR firm Dorsey/Holme and came up with a new marketing strategy that has gone viral since.

The GotStyle Naked Man campaign. It was launched in October and has been gaining steam since. Sure to get attention by name alone. It features a sexy naked man on an outside balcony using cell phone and skype technology to order his wardrobe while exposed to the entire city. Melissa herself helps in the transaction and is there on the street below with bags of the clothes only minutes later.

The stores website now features a YouTube channel and Facebook video game in line with the sexy Naked Man who has remained anonymous at present.

a Dip in the Lake

It has been a long while since posting. Much of it is a large workload, but the other aspect is taking some quality time for summer season. Aquatennial fireworks, firepit s'mores with Jeffrey and Waylon in the side yard, quiet time watering the garden.... a requirement in this glorious season.

I know I have mentioned it several times in the past and already this summer. But there is nothing like our fabulous Lakes in the city of Minneapolis to better enjoy these months. I was reminded of it again last week during our severe HOT stretch. After an especially tiring Friday it was a no-brainer to just grab a towel and head over a few blocks for a dip to cool down. The sun was low in the sky with a gentle breeze that defied the heat of the day. A crowd nearby had the great aroma of a BBQ. A gaggle of mallard ducks seemed to be entertaining the kids along the shore. But it was all about the cool and clear water. Not a hearty swim but just a splash to cool the body temp down. Perfect again.

And then this second tidbit of the healing power of the waters here. I remember seeing this photo from last year and it touched me then. The dogs name is Shoep and his owner is John Unger. The picture was a viral sensation last year when it circulated. Shoep was an aging husky and his daily dips in Lake Superior with his owner were soothing to his aching old body. Apparently the 20 year old dog just recently died and a second wave of sympathy was pouring out to John. Sweet and sad for any of us tat are dog owners. I will think of this often as Waylon and I enjoy our adventures in the summer MN waters.

Close Shave

This from my Towleroad morning read. Shameless fun from Gay Pride in Toronto - but also genius marketing. It is for a wax removal from Fuzz WaxSpa. They used a very handsome hirsute man Lowe Roche and mummified him up with wax strips all over his body. Spectators could peel away the strips while he grimaced in pain. How exciting is that?

Each strip had a different smiley face which denoted the amount of pain inflicted based on body part and amount of hair. And then the players kept their swatch of hairy wax for a discount coupon. That;s a bit weird in itself. Poor guy - I hope he was paid well. But a great gimmick.

Grrl Power

Two unrelated videos that found me lately. Both from a woman's perspective of sorts. Both are profound in the sense of stirring a reaction. And both involve actors outside their comfort zones to make a statement.

The first is Keira Knightley making a public service announcement about domestic abuse. It becomes chilling the moment where things get out of hand and she asks the cameras to stop. For a brief second, one is not sure if it is acting or not. That scary.

The next is an old clip from AFI with Dustin Hoffman that is finding a new viral life. It is part of an interview of his Tootsie portrayal and starts casually. He talks about finding the character and making it believable for himself with screen tests of him as a woman. He was at first disappointed that he was not more attractive and was wanting make-up to alter his persona into something more appealing. It then turns very serious when he realizes he has bought into the stereotype perpetuated over decades where men objectify women and choices in his life that he regrets. Powerful stuff.

Summer in the City

One of the pure joys of living in the City of the Lakes is indeed our lakes. This hot and humid 4th was the christening of Lake Calhoun this season. I always use it for sunset rides, occasional outdoor yoga and dog walks - but on these hot summer days there is nothing more sane than a dip in the cool waters.

For me it is just an easy trip in a pair of swim trunks and does not need to be a major planning. Even with the hordes of holiday traffic there is always enough room to find a spot on the sand. Today it was a nook in the shade next to the free samples of Snapple which also were refreshing. Coopertone was in the air a block away as I approached. All types: the albinos in need of some ultra violet, the sun Gods and also the few scorchers that are going to hurt in a few hours. The hunks and the has-beens all mingle well as long as you are careful of the lobbing frisbees and footballs. Bikinis for the gals - less is apparently more - and board shorts for the dudes.

But it all comes down to that invigorating water. Cool, fresh and with a jolt of relief. Still relatively clear with soft sand in between the toes. I will sleep well tonight.

Part 2; Food Truck Festival

It was with much anticipation that I looked forward to coming home and regrouping for the Uptown Food Truck Festival after Pride. I had heard last year did not go well but organizers had taken extra steps for the 2nd year. I could tell crowds were on hand by the street traffic making its way over to my blocks.

Once there I was met with the biggest let down of the summer. Not that I think it is a bad concept, it just does not work. No way! Imagine having the entire State Fair in an area of a single block. Foods lines were inconceivably long stretching out to 100 in every direction. No exaggeration. That meant a wait of at least a half hour for any food. And the lines intersected several times from truck to truck so that navigating was impossible. I was there half way through and most signs were already full of erase marks and shortages. Look at the size of a truck and the crew inside - they are not equipped to do mass fast food for anything longer than a single hour lunch rush.
There was music playing. Bad R&B funk that seemed to appease the drunk masses. I was annoyed by the off key vocals that could have used some autotune. I lasted 15 minutes, gave up and went home to eat a hot Dog. Epic fail. Save your money and hit lunch downtown on any Thursday. Grade F