Currently on ‘The Red Tour’ (with an upcoming ‘Blue Stop’ at Boston’s City Winery in September 19, 2025) Corey O’Brien adds comedic fuel to the fire we so badly need right now. Today he earns his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day. Designed to bring people together over laughter and the absurdity of life going on at the moment, O’Brien’s Red Tour brings comedy, dance, and a thrilling amalgamation of entertainment to stages and places that need such light. Check out his website here for upcoming show information.
Just when the potted plantings come into their own, sumptuously overflowing from their confines, obscuring their containers with foliage and flowers, it seems it’s time for the season to wind down. Summer is always elusive that way – it hints, it whispers, it arrives, and too swiftly it is gone. It’s why we cherish it so.
These blooms were captured in Boston or Albany – I genuinely forget which now – part of some potted display that was still bursting forth with color and fresh foliage. Helpful hint – unlike the garden, where I stopped fertilizing in mid-August, planted containers should be watered and fertilized up until the hard frost takes them out for the season. Let them go out with a bang and a flourish.
It feels like the world craves some hilarity right now, and filling that need is Zarna Garg, who earns her first Dazzler of the Day honor. A gifted comedian, screenwriter, actress, podcaster, producer and social media sensation, Garg has conquered more worlds than most, bringing her comedic flair and sharp social insights into an entertainment scene badly in need of it. Check out her robust website here for more info on her career, upcoming live shows, and links to all her endeavors, including the following quick encapsulation of a life and career trajectory that is heroically inspirational:
Comedian Zarna Garg is a force of nature with a microphone. Her inspiring new memoir ‘This American Woman,’ about her treacherous climb from a homeless teen in Mumbai to an unhinged stay-at-home mom in New York and then to an internationally beloved stand-up comedian, is a New York Times Bestseller! This Indian immigrant mom brought her sharp, relatable family humor to her first streaming special, ‘One in a Billion.’ Her follow-up special ‘Practical People Win’ is coming from Hulu in July. When Zarna’s not slaying at the Comedy Cellar or opening for icons like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, she’s selling out headlining shows worldwide. Zarna’s Tonight Show and Late Night interviews are among the most watched online. She made her acting debut in ‘A Nice Indian Boy,’ currently out in theaters now and a New York Times Critic’s Pick (calling Zarna “a standout”). Her hugely popular ‘Zarna Garg Family Podcast’ explores modern family life with her husband and kids. With millions of social media followers and billions of views, Zarna just can’t stop laughing her way to the top. – from ZarnaGarg.com
A transitional week that somehow managed to be free of tumult, the past septet of days held a rollercoaster of blog posts, and if you happened to have missed any of it, here’s your weekly recap:
Noah: You want me to give advice to your readers that are much older than me?
Uncle Al: Exactly. Hit it.
Noah: Stay consistent in what you do, you know? I don’t really know what it’s like to be an adult. Find something you like doing and stick with it. Umm, be humble.
Uncle Al: This is very general, very vague. What specifically have you learned in your own life?
Noah: You know what I think? Don’t be jealous of other people cause I feel like people my age are jealous. I look up to myself, I don’t look up to other people.
Uncle Al: That is very wise. Anything else to add before I close out this post?
Noah: Umm… what do you mean?
Uncle Al: I mean, what would you like to say to someone who’s been reading my blog for years?
Noah: Thank you for all the support. Glad they enjoy the writing. Have a good day.
After being chewed down to their very roots, these marigolds are a portrait in resilience and courage, coming back from their rodent-inflicted wounds to begin blooming this late in the season. Any new color is appreciated at this point in the garden’s year. Marigolds signify the height of summer – all happiness and bright bonhomie.
I thought I was ready to welcome fall, but if summer wants to linger, who am I to rush her out the door?
“Be silent and listen: have you recognized your madness and do you admit it? Have you noticed that all your foundations are completely mired in madness? Do you not want to recognize your madness and welcome it in a friendly manner? You wanted to accept everything. So accept madness too. Let the light of your madness shine, and it will suddenly dawn on you. Madness is not to be despised and not to be feared, but instead you should give it life…If you want to find paths, you should also not spurn madness, since it makes up such a great part of your nature…Be glad that you can recognize it, for you will thus avoid becoming its victim. Madness is a special form of the spirit and clings to all teachings and philosophies, but even more to daily life, since life itself is full of craziness and at bottom utterly illogical. Man strives toward reason only so that he can make rules for himself. Life itself has no rules. That is its mystery and its unknown law. What you call knowledge is an attempt to impose something comprehensible on life.” ~ Carl Jung
“The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it.” ~ Carl Jung
“It is often tragic to see how blatantly a man bungles his own life and the lives of others yet remains totally incapable of seeing how much the whole tragedy originates in himself, and how he continually feeds it and keeps it going.” ~Carl Jung
“In the artist, the strongest force in his make-up, that is, his creativeness, will seize and all but monopolize this energy, leaving so little over that thing of value can come of it. The creative impulse can drain him of his humanity to such a degree that the personal ego can exist only on a primitive or inferior level and is driven to develop all sorts of defects: ruthlessness, selfishness, (“autoeroticism”), vanity, and other infantile traits.”~ Carl Jung
“As a child I felt myself to be alone, and I am still, because I know things and must hint at things which others apparently know nothing of, and for the most part do not want to know.” ~Carl Jung
“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” ~ Carl Jung
A time capsule within a time capsule: this entry is from 2005’s Divine Diva Tour, but this song jumps back another decade to 1996, when Suzie and I (and our Moms) found ourselves at the celebrated Broadway revival of ‘Chicago’ featuring Ann Reinking and Bebe Neuwirth. I wore a shirt of silver thread in a leopard pattern, with a long-tailed black tuxedo jacket; Suzie was probably in cargo pants. We took in the phenomenon of classic theatrical showbiz pizzazz, and escaped our college-age concerns with a bit of the old razzle dazzle…
About a decade later, this song formed the backdrop to the photos seen here from The Divine Diva Tour Book: A Fairy’s Tale. A bad wig can work wonders when placed atrociously and artfully enough – in disarray it tells even more sordid tales of debauchery and treachery…
Give ’em the old razzle dazzle Razzle dazzle ’em Give ’em an act with lots of flash in it And the reaction will be passionate Give ’em the old hocus pocus Bead and feather ’em How can they see with sequins in their eyes? What if your hinges all are rusting? What if, in fact, you’re just disgusting? Razzle dazzle ’em And they’ll never catch wise!
Give ’em the old razzle dazzle Razzle dazzle ’em Give ’em a show that’s so splendiferous Row after row will crow vociferous Give ’em the old flim flam flummox Fool and fracture ’em How can they hear the truth above the roar? Throw ’em a fake and a finagle They’ll never know you’re just a bagel Razzle dazzle ’em And they’ll beg you for more!
Having taken the darkened turn and downward spiral into the last act of The Divine Diva Tour: A Fairy’s Tale, we re-enter a sweetly and dangerously delusional moment of dazzling escapism, winding ourselves irrevocably in the inevitable destruction of this character’s world. First conjured twenty years ago, in so many ways the disturbing aspects hinted at then have come to fruition in the wider world since – a sad testament to the timelessness of sorrow and darkness, cloaked in colorful bombast and shiny go-go pants.
Bands of black lace cut the thigh, a fishnet harlequin shades the legs, and a bed of feather boas gives false comfort and deceitful glamour. How can they see with sequins in their eyes?
Rudbeckia keeps putting on its summer-long show – one of the few garden plants that will run for most of the summer, and continue throwing out flowers until the first hard frost ends it for good. There was a time when I’d grow tired of this show, pining for the short blooming periods of poppies or iris, but in my older age I appreciate the consistency and reliability of such strong color for such a long time.
These particular blooms are from a wild patch of space behind my therapist’s office. I arrived early yesterday morning and caught these images, fresh with dew still dangling from dawn.
If there’s one thing we love here, it’s a Renaissance artist keenly invested in reinvention and self-evolution. Enter Erin Harkes and her impressive array of talents and testaments, including today’s Dazzler of the Day crowning. It wasn’t enough for her to conquer the worlds of music, comedy, and performing arts – she had to add publication-savior to that storied resume as well.
Resurrecting the beloved ‘Metroland!’ was a bold and some might claim foolish move, but for those of us who loved and missed an independent alternative focused on the arts and entertainment, it was the act of a savior. Harkes made that bodacious decision to bring ‘Metroland Now’ to the Albany fold, and for those of us who used to eagerly await each new issue this rekindles happy memories of a perhaps-happier time.
Harkes has been at the helm of the revitalized publication since April 2024 (which is the last time she claims to have slept) and the effort she’s put into its relaunch is apparent. With a renewed focus on the music scene of Albany, ‘Metroland Now’ feels reinvigorated and reborn, reconnecting with its original roots; brash, irreverent, and slightly messy, it’s the very thing for this moment of social media mediocrity, and mainstream media’s reluctance to take a stance on anything.
My hat goes off to anyone brave enough to wade into any aspect of publishing these days; my greater admiration is reserved for those who go after a dream and a noble vision with an idea and element of bettering the community around them. That’s the true talent of this Dazzler of the Day.
Harkes is currently setting up to compete in ‘Dancing with the Capitol Region Stars: Battle of the Beats’ to do some fundraising for ‘Metroland Now’ – scheduled for November 1, 2025. Check out her enchanting website here for all the details.
My friend Betsy gave me a box of Lucky Charms – Marshmallows only! – as part of my birthday gifts this year and it turned out to be one of the more pleasant surprises of the season. I haven’t had Lucky Charms in years – they were a mainstay of my early breakfasts at Brandeis, when I mustered up the strength and energy to make the trek to Sherman Dining Hall. (In later years I would simply grab a bite at Usdan Center instead of walking across campus for hot food.) Every once in a while I’ll pick up a box for nostalgia’s sake.
This gimmicky version was all marshmallows – which made for a cloying bowl of sweetness – proof that too much of a good thing is sometimes too much. While the marshmallows are indeed the best part of a traditional Lucky Charms bowl, having them alone proved an embarrassment of riches. It also turned out that all the milk in the house was bad, so Andy suggested I just use Half & Half in them, which didn’t really tone down the richness much.
Anyway, your kids will love this if you can find it, and it made for a sweet treat at the end of a trying day.
Sumptuously ensconced in an Emerald Suite at Raffles Boston, the view of the former John Hancock Tower (and I won’t learn its not-so-new name anytime soon) was new to me from this vantage point – one of those moments where a city I’ve known and loved for forty years takes on a new aspect, opening up in thrilling fashion. Rather than plan anything elaborate or fanciful for this day, I’d decided to make the most of our stay, padding about our rooms and perusing the spa while Andy took a nap.
Sometimes, such as on one’s 50th birthday, it’s best to simply be – to exist in the moment at hand, to breathe slowly and deliberately, to find the quiet and to make the space for being wholly present to whatever is at hand. Surrounded by such luxury and comforts, it is simple to be mindful in the midst of beauty, comfort and ease.
Down in the spa, I indulged in all their Eau Imperiale bath products, testing out the sauna, steam room, and ice showers – then trying out the fragrances at the Guerlain perfume bar, where the ‘Herbs Troublantes’ spoke volumes to me and a trio of Oud offerings hinted at future fall scents. The last thing I need is another perfume house obsession, so I merely perused casually, not on the hunt for anything particular, and the lightness and ease of the moment went well with the intentions of the day.
Back in the suite, Andy was still asleep, so I sat in the living room area and watched as the sun began to lower itself over the Charles River.
We had dinner reservations at La Pedrona, which is in the same building as Raffles, which means I could wear this lounge-like ensemble and pop in straight from our room. My definition of luxury.
My birthday dinner was a much-welcomed exercise in hilarity, as our server was straight out of a Kristen Wiig SNL sketch, only she was entirely earnest about it. I thought it might just be me and my silliness, but when she did the same thing with the table across from us, and they seemed as flummoxed as we were, I knew she was an experience unto herself. Even Andy almost lost it when I had to put my head down and stop making eye contact with her for fear of busting out laughing. It was a fun dinner, just me and my husband, in my favorite city. We didn’t need anything else.
The next morning came too soon, and with it another beautiful day. On the 17th floor of Raffles, we got a seat on the outside balcony, and life as a 50-year-old began in quiet earnest – brilliantly, beautifully, contentedly.
