On this particular date there’s only one person who could possibly live up to the Dazzler of the Day: Snoop Dogg. I’ve been a fan long before his friendship with Martha Stewart thrilled the world, tickled by his mellow way of making his journey through life. There is something very Zen about how he navigates the tricky world of celebrity. And even though I’m not into the gin these days, ‘Gin & Juice’ is still a jam – but my main joint will always be ‘Drop it Like It’s Hot’.
John Cena is a quintessential Renaissance man. He has mastered and conquered the worlds of professional wrestling, bodybuilding, acting, and rapping. More importantly, as my pal Skip pointed out, Cena is actively involved in the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and holds the record for most wishes granted. That alone merits this Dazzler of the Day crowning. (See also his turn as Hunk of the Day.)
Continuing our dive into the backyard treasure trove of Albany’s finest, this Dazzler of the Day recently launched his podcast ‘Florist Life‘ in which he speaks about flowers and the journey of a florist. Chris Grigas is a friend from long ago, who has been astounding the Albany area for years with his floral creations. His podcast offers a glimpse into the background machinations of the florist life, and it’s a lovely aural addendum to the beauty he conjures every day. He even transformed my view on carnations. Check it out here.
It’s so gratifying to feature someone in our own Albany backyard – from one of my favorite Albany streets too – Lark Street – as Dazzler of the Day. Elissa Halloran has been running her enchanting store ‘Elissa Halloran Designs’ and entertaining shoppers for two decades. Twenty years in any profession is an incredible feat – in the world of retail and small business, it’s practically a miracle. Credit goes to Halloran’s own artistic talent – her jewelry designs have continually impressed art and design appreciators in Albany for all these years, and her retail space is a magical world. Upon entering it, one is instantly flung into a different land. The deceptively-small-seeming space slowly unfurls and expands itself, with treasures and delights lurking around every turn and corner. Halloran sits quietly in a corner near the entrance, blending into the artful surroundings before offering guidance or advice to anyone in need of such, or she’ll let you wonder and explore on your own. You never know what you may find, and you will always find something you never knew you needed that’s part of the spell here.
Having just received my second Fauci-ouchie, this seems as good a day as any to name Dr. Anthony Fauci as Dazzler of the Day. In these tumultuous times, he has been acting as the calm but insistent voice of wisdom, even in the face of political attacks and a sometimes-stupid public. Throughout it all, he has stood behind the science, utilizing facts and reason to make his compelling case for vaccination and preventative measures. Sadly, scientific fact and basic reason are suddenly debatable, and as sad and disappointing as that may be, Dr. Fauci still gives me some hope.
What’s even better than a perfect game? A game in which the pitcher is so strikingly perfect that every batter up ends up striking out. Hope Trautwein accomplished such an amazing feat, and for that she earns her first turn as Dazzler of the Day. I can’t imagine throwing a single pitch that makes it over the center of home plate – or reaches home plate for that matter – so this sort of excellence is especially impressive.
Putting on a show-stopper of a Super Bowl Halftime Show is no mean feat in this socially-distant time of COVID, but that’s precisely what The Weeknd did earlier this year, taking a cavalcade of hits to the middle of the field and entertaining the entire world. He’s more than earned this Dazzler of the Day, and was requested on FaceBook, as well as recommended for a road trip soundtrack by Skip. All good references. See more of The Weeknd’s majesty at this site.
Wit and hilarity inform many a Dazzler of the Day, but nowhere do they find more masterful employment and comedic artfulness than in the written work of David Sedaris. We don’t feature enough authors as Dazzler of the Day, something I aim to correct starting here and now, and no one is better equipped for charging head-first into such calamity as Sedaris. I’ve been gleefully following his work since the mid-90’s (that’s the 1990’s for those wondering) and he’s always pointed a sharp assessing eye on the foibles and failings of humans, and more often than not such missteps are entirely endearing, if not outright revelatory in the long run. Sedaris captures life on many levels – the surface humor of our hijinks, and the deeper more resonant way they connect us to one another. Visit his official website here for further evidence of his brilliance.
Coming out as bisexual is still very much a brave act, especially in the entertainment world, so whenever someone takes such a courageous step, I’m all for encouragement and support. This is Ronen Rubinstein, and he’s our Dazzler of the Day for taking that step. Rubinstein has appeared in ‘Orange Is the New Black’ and ‘9-1-1: Lone Star’ and looks to be adding plenty to that list in the near future.
Compelling testimony to the notion that comedic timing and dramatic brilliance runs in the family, this is Dan Levy as our Dazzler of the Day. His indelible turn on ‘Schitt’s Creek’ – not only as actor, but as writer, director, producer and executive producer – cemented his status as cultural icon, and his recent blitz of commercials seems to be priming the pump for his next artistic endeavor. (See also his Hunk of the Day post here.)
Every now and then a Dazzler of the Day is crowned and I feel like it’s not enough, like it’s almost redundant to try to capture their magnificence in something as silly as a blog post, and then I remember that no matter how big you get, and no matter how many accolades you have already received, there is always grace in giving and receiving any sort of praise. And so we honor the already-award-festooned Cher as today’s Dazzler, and her accomplishments are too numerous and weighty to list out here, so I’ll let you recap your own favorite moments of this timeless diva, here are but a scant few of mine:
Favorite Song: ‘All Or Nothing’
Favorite Movie: ‘Mermaids‘
Favorite Album: ‘Believe’
A request from my friend Katie, this marks the first time that Shaun T has been named Dazzler of the Day, and this fitness icon, whose website has all sorts of inspirational leads, clearly deserves all the honors we may bestow. He’s got a number of fitness programs to help anyone get in shape, but better and more important than that is his goal of helping people find joy in life. Healthy living leads to happy living.
In those glorious days before the former guy took his sham of entry into the highest office, Rachel Maddow was a pleasant and refreshing breath of intelligence on MSNBC, often ending her early programs with a cocktail recipe and toast. As the former guy’s nonsensical but dangerous brand of hate and sleaze worked its way into a rotting of America’s soul, Maddow became a voice of reason and defiance, and her role took on more and more weight as the world struggled to right the sudden proliferation of open and outright racism and evil. Throughout it all, she retained a steady and studied thoughtful guide through those treacherous waters. Her ratings reflected our hunger for such substance and stability, growing and expanding as the right and the reasonable did their best to resist. I’m not sure how we could have made it through that wretchedness without her. She easily earns her first Dazzler of the Day honor for helping keep us all sane at 9 PM.
A number of years ago writer Brian Centrone asked me to contribute a couple of photos for a compilation on Erotica he was putting together, and of course I happily complied. Today he is crowned as Dazzler of the Day, in part due to the recent release of his latest work ‘Dress You Up’ – which is a collection of a dozen stories designed to illuminate how fashion informs and instructs who we are. Now that sounds like something I can understand and appreciate. You can order your copy at this link.
Dress You Up is an anthology like no other. The twelve diverse stories in this collection speak to the multiple ways in which fashion is more than just the clothes we wear. There will be no frivolous yarns about fashion here—those tales can be found in other closets. This Capsule Collection of Fashionable Fiction illustrates how the clothing and accessories we wear or covet often reflect past memories, present challenges, or future hopes and dreams. The stories focus on themes such as trauma and healing, perception and identity, love and loss, hopes and dreams. Ultimately, these stories help us understand how fashion can shape who we are or who we want to be. Edited by Brian Centrone (Salon Style: Fiction, Poetry & Art and Southern Gothic: New Tales of the South<) and illustrated by Stephen Tornero, Dress You Upwill dazzle and delight readers as much as it will touch and move them. {Purchase here.}
She is living proof that not all Republicans have a distaste for the truth. Nicolle Wallace worked magic for the most recent Bush administration, but has been finding less and less in common with the current GOP, moving away from their racist rhetoric and oppressive policies, and right onto MSNBC, where she has developed a sizable fan-base, including a friend who specifically requested Wallace as the Dazzler of the Day. Her erudite, razor-sharp dicing of the latest political news is a thing to behold, as is her own personal journey, a journey that continues as her original party moves further and further from the sane, sensible, and fair. She also has a wicked sense of humor, so if you have a chance to catch one of her appearances on late-night television, do tune in.
