I am definitely a soda pop lover. I know the dentist says it’s like giving your teeth a sugar bath but I adore it. I like real cane sugar pop, like those from Jones Soda. I am really sick of the Pepsi and Coke high fructose offerings and am grossed out by the taste of sweetener.
John Nese is the proprietor of Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in LA. His father ran it as a grocery store, and when the time came for John to take charge, he decided to convert it into the ultimate soda-lover’s destination. About 500 pops line the shelves, sourced lovingly by John from around the world. John has made it his mission to keep small soda-makers afloat and help them find their consumers. Galco’s also acts as a distributor for restaurants and bars along the West Coast, spreading the gospel of soda made with cane sugar (no high-fructose corn syrup if John can avoid it).
What a cool place, interesting man and a great story. The next time I am in LA I will be checking out Galco’s Soda Pop Stop.
If anyone knows where to get a decent bottle of pop in Vancouver I would love to know. Please leave a comment.
Carol took a full headed mo’ progress photo this evening while were out at the fundraiser for my new job at DOXA. We had a good time but here’s a particularly creepy looking photo of me:
I apologize. I am sure you did not want to see that.
Last night was got sent a great video from PhilipCantone on twitter. It’s by the Mustache Kings from Tickle Strip Express (love that album title):
So the spelled moustache without an ‘o’. I can forgive them, though. That’s pretty funny stuff.
Ooh! Fuzzy wuzzy! I think the mo’ is a good luck charm for the Canucks. After a shaky first period the boys laid the smack down on the stinkin’ Avalanche for the second game in a row.
Maybe I’ll keep it until they win the Stanley Cup this. It’ll be quite the fu manchu by that time.
I am fairly sure I’ll be waxing it vigorously. I said waxing… my moustache, I mean.
Today’s video comes from Tanya and friends over at Bluefinch Creative Inc., it’s titled Bashful Bladder:
Pretty good stuff. See my comment on the Bluefinch blog post titled The Real Movember for more of my thoughts on this video. Don’t forget to sign up at memelabs.com/movember to vote for the video. I did.
Today’s picture is below. I am happy. I got a job today. What a relief. Now Carol doesn’t have to listen to me whine, at least not about that anyway.
As well we went out to the Movember Tweetup and shook hands and had a few laughs with some of our fellow mo’ bros and sistahs — all very nice people just as I suspected. It’s funny how generous fundraising types seem to be nice. Weird how that works.
There are some pictures of the evening over on Carol’s blog.
The mo’ is growing both on my face and on me. I guess I am past the itchy stage, even though it still feels a little dirty and I think I can taste cheeseburger in it.
Perhaps it’s a good luck symbol that I should cultivate. Although I was asked by my new employer, in jest of course, when I would be losing the moustache.
Maybe I’ll join the Handlebar Club:
Maybe not. I don’t meet the beer drinking requirement. Oh well, you can’t win them all.
Before I get going, don’t forget to enter the Official Movember Cuff Links Contest. Some of the photos I am seeing as entries thus far are hilarious. We will be out at a fundraising event event tomorrow evening taking photos of mo’s in the wild for entry into the contest. It should be a good time. If you’re into it come on by and dip your upper lip!
While Carol was taking my daily mo’tograph I decided to smile a goofy smile. This is how it came out:
I think it makes me look like Gabe Kaplan from that horrendous old sitcom (that I loved when it was first airing) called “Welcome Back Kotter”. If you don’t remember it, or weren’t even born, here’s the premise:
The show starred comedian Gabe Kaplan as the title character Gabe Kotter, a wise-cracking teacher who returns to his high school alma mater—the fictional James Buchanan High in Brooklyn, New York—to teach an often unruly group of remedial wiseguys known as the “Sweathogs.” The school’s principal was an absentee; the uptight vice principal dismissed them as worthless hoodlums and only expected Kotter to attempt to control them until they inevitably dropped out.
However, Kotter had attended the same remedial classes when he was a student at Buchanan and was a founding member of the Sweathogs. Recognizing that he is those students’ last chance to have a decent enough education to allow them to survive beyond school, he soon befriends them while they learn to recognize and appreciate his commitment to them. This extended to his students often visiting his Bensonhurst apartment, sometimes to the chagrin of his wife, Julie (Marcia Strassman).
Most of the major characters of Welcome Back, Kotter were based on actual people from Kaplan’s teen years as a remedial high school student in Brooklyn. As a stand-up comic, one of Kaplan’s most popular routines was “Holes and Mellow Rolls”, in which he talked in depth about the kids with whom he had attended remedial education classes. The names of three of the four major characters in Holes and Mellow Rolls were changed for the TV series: “Vinnie Barbarino” was inspired by Eddie Lecarri; “Freddie Washington” was inspired by Freddie “Furdy” Peyton; and “Juan Epstein” was partially inspired by Epstein “The Animal”; only “Arnold Horshack’s” name remained unchanged (although on television, it was never mentioned that “by the third grade even the teachers called him Arnold Horseshit”). [source]
Part of the shtick every week was for Mr. Kotter to tell his wife a really corny joke. Here’s a particularly racist one I am better Gabe Kaplan wishes he could take back:
This mo’tograph looks like something you would see on the news in regards to a smarmy individual abusing himself in the bushes outside zoos. If you see this man, please call the SPCA…
Ok, it’s not really that bad, but I hate the way it feels on my face. I am so looking forward to December 1st when I can rid myself of this grim thing. It actually looks like it needs a trim.
Here’s today’s video. I whipped it up over at xtranormal.com. Meet Dirty Dave Sanchez, here he gives his take on Movember:
This thing on my face is starting to itch and feels quite dirty. It took every ounce of my resolve not to hack the thing off my face this morning while shaving. I did have a job interview too, but, as they were forewarned about my creepy school teacher look, I could not use that as a valid excuse. Here we have today’s yuckiness:
Thanks to Arbitrage Clothing in New York one lucky person will be sporting a pair of official Movember Cuff Links designed by Movember founder, Adam Garone (on twitter), and Arbitrage Clothing founder and designer, Alan Chan (on twitter).
Speaking of Alan Chan, He graciously answered some questions via email about his company, the cuff links and Movember:
It has been 15 days since I started growing the mo’ for Movember. We’re halfway through the month and my face is itchy and feels dirty. I have an interview for a gig tomorrow and have already warned them that what they are going to see is not my typical presentation. Meaning, ignore the fact that I seemingly have forgotten to wash under my nose.
Looks rather ethereal tonight. My official mo’tographer, Carol, cannot restrict herself to the plain old forensic looking straight on moustache shot and has to get creative. Although nice it doesn’t really show of the mo’. At least I don’t look fat.
People have been asking me for more information about Movember and where the money from donations actually goes. Here’s the Movember Canada Impact Video 08 / 09 to give you more information:
My cat just had his belly shaved two days ago and seems to have more hair on it than my upper lip after 13 days:
My nose hairs are longer. At least my finger is not in there.
Speaking of fingers. My friend, film and television director Ron Oliver, pointed out to me today that early detection via a prostate exam goes a long way toward saving lives. He went on to say that I should let my readers know that a finger up the ass does not make you gay.
Ron is gay.
I’m just sayin’.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Just get the exam. Doctors are gentle. At least the one who did mine was.
Speaking of Movember, I am going to be running a little contest! Thanks to Arbitrage Clothing in New York one lucky person will be sporting a pair of official Movember Cuff Links designed by Movember founder, Adam Garone (on twitter), and Arbitrage Clothing founder and designer, Alan Chan (on twitter and who I will be interviewing here on this blog within the next week or so). There are four beautiful designs to choose from on the Arbitrage web store each costing $65 USD, $20 of which goes directly to the Movember charity. Shipping and returns are free. Yes, they do ship internationally to Australia, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, etc.
Here’s what a pair of these bad boys looks like:
And they look pretty smart when performing their intended function as well:
Nice huh? You know you want ‘em.
If you really do want these links send an email to movember@mikebrowne.com with the subject line ‘Movember Cuff Links’ with your name, email and full mailing address (I promise not to spam you) and send me a picture of you with a mo’ along with your permission to post it with your first name, last initial, town/city and state/province. If you have a web site, send me the link to that too, but is not required. I will post the most creative mo’ pictures I get. ONE (1) entry per person.
I don’t care if you Photoshop a mo’ on your face because the ladies are going to have to as this contest is open to them too. At least I would hope they would have to. Yeesh.
All entries must be received by midnight of Friday, November 27, 2009 and I will draw and make the announcement on this blog on Saturday, November 28th, 2009. I will ship these anywhere in the world, just make sure you give me your proper address so you can be sure to get them.
