The “Best version” Edition :: Issue #337, Rusty’s Electric Dreams

Posted on by Rusty Blazenhoff







“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.”

—  Winnie the Pooh



An inbox zine for positive deviants and the people who love them
Issue #337 :: The “Best version” Edition :: 1:25:2023

Best version…

As I am revamping my own brand, I am thinking a lot about branding (go figure). What I’m about to share is on the top of mind this week. It’s from a podcast that my friend Jen recommended to me that  had Seth Godin as its guest. You probably already know this about Seth but he’s wise and amazing and has a real knack for distilling big concepts into simple plain language truths. I’m a big fan.

I’m going to paraphrase what he said here: He said that everyone has a brand, or they’re invisible. Your brand is not your logo, it’s the story people tell themselves about you and the expectations of what you’re going to be like when you walk in the room. [Yes, yes!]

He also said that authenticity is overrated (!); people want you to be the best version of you that you promised. As an example, he talked about going to the doctor. You don’t want to know your doctor is having a bad day. You just want them to be the best version of that doctor because “that’s what you bought.” 

He goes deeper into that: listen for yourself. 

Homework: If you have a moment, I would love some help. Would you drop me a line with three words that you think describe my brand’s promises? Like, what would you expect from when when I walk in the room?
 

— Rusty Blazenhoff
P.S. My name-iversary was Monday. Eight years ago I stood before a judge and legally became my alter ego, “Rusty Blazenhoff.” January 23 will henceforth be known as Blazenday (at least to me)!

As seen on the Internets

Feeling nutty? Apply to be a Peanutter, a driver for Planters 26-foot-long peanut-shaped Nutmobile. It’s a full-time, year-long gig for compassionut college grads requiring 100% travel, a driver’s license, and marketing skills. A monocle is optional but proficiency in nut puns is not. I would 1000% apply if the commitment wasn’t a year long. Full details here.

Alternately, if you pass mustard, there are Hotdogger openings in the Wienermobile.

—-

:: “Masstransiscope” is art you can watch from a moving NYC subway train
:: youtu.be/c-_eHFXqxpQ

:: This gal goes to the Royal School of Needlework to learn hand embroidery and this is how she was graded
:: tiktok.com/@michelleagnewart/video/7176003691890134278

:: A vinyl enthusiast shares some albums she considers 10/10
:: tiktok.com/@lockedgroove/video/7189690859095362821 (playlist: they’re trippy)

:: Falling panties are/were a thing, apparently
:: lileks.com/institute/frahm/art1.html

:: Little Yikes!
:: boingboing.net/2023/01/16/brooklyn-artist-andy-sahlstrom-turns-little-tikes-tot-toys-into-dark-adult-collectibles.html

:: “How to stop crying“
:: swiss-miss.com/2023/01/how-to-stop-crying.html

:: John Waters gives tours of two of his homes, 28 years apart
:: boingboing.net/2023/01/14/watch-john-waters-give-tours-of-his-baltimore-homes-1986-and-2014.html

:: Expensive room in London, or a Swedish prison?
:: tiktok.com/@elgueroingles/video/7188887004006894854

:: Wow, I never knew what the LEGO factory was really like
:: youtu.be/C3oiy9eekzk

:: Question everything
:: boingboing.net/10-year-old-asks-for-a-dna-test-on-a-cookie-allegedly-bitten-by-santa-to-prove-if-hes-real-or-not.html

:: A new online magazine for SF arts coverage is being formed
:: kickstarter.com/projects/substrate/substrate-arts-online-magazine/community

Real things that actually exist: eye!
The eyes have it: A florist in Idaho has gone v-eye-ral for her potato bouquet. Shania of Historia Florals posted it as a “joke” on social media and then it blew up! Now she’s considering adding it as a Valentine’s Day offering. For a Boing Boing post, I asked her about it and she said that she was hoping it would go viral so she could add “Home to the world famous potato bouquet” on her shop. She got her first wish!

Now, I’ve been blogging for over 10 years and have seen many an alt-bouquet in my time, and I am here for every. single. one. of. them: Stitch, pizza, cannabis, comic books, donuts, and any I may have missed!
Featured Events
[San Francisco:: 3/11] Beware the Brides of March is an annual gathering, inspired by a Cacophonist’s thrift store visit in 1999. Founder Michele Michele: “I saw a rack of used wedding dresses and realized how often the dream of an ideal marriage had failed and how so much of this dream has been fabricated in order to fuel the ever-increasing consumption of new products. I thought it would be funny to take the primary symbol of this sacred institution and twist it around, much like what the Cacophony Society did with the Santa Rampage.”

Twenty-three years later, the tradition continues. Head to Washington Square in a fancy white wedding dress at 2:30 p.m. and prepare for the “bridal procession up Columbus Avenue, and DIY wedding receptions at the bar and restaurant parklets on Grant Avenue.” Facebook event link

UNITED STATES
[One day only :: 2/6] Bring your alter ego to see the documentary Facing the Laughter: Minnie Pearl in theaters. 
 
BAY AREA, CA+
[Point San Pablo, Richmond :: ongoing] Go get hot at good hot!

[San Francisco :: ongoing] Artists Television Access’ calendar

[Berkeley :: 1/28] Bullfight headlines 924 Gilman, 9 p.m. $12

[San Francisco :: 2/6] Stand By For Failure: A Negativland Documentary at Roxie Theater House 2, 6:30 p.m. (Part of SF IndieFest)

[Oakland :: 2/11] Play games with like-minded folx: Word Play Cafe Winter Game Party at Temescal Brewery (outdoors), 1 to 5 p.m. Facebook event link

[San Francisco :: Until 3/2/23] Go see Charlie Gadeken’s illuminated forest installation, Entwined Meadow, at Golden Gate Park’s Peacock Meadow. Free.

[San Francisco :: Until 2/5] SF Sketchfest

[Santa Rosa :: 3/2-3/5] Baby Doe and Otto present a new “Mid-Century design, style and history” conference, Resort-O-Rama: “Look at this line up!

[Oakland :: 5/23] Mr. Bungle with The Melvins, Fox Theater [Facebook event link]

LOS ANGELES, CA+
[Los Angeles :: now] Scott Hove’s Cakeland Gallery Presents “The Beauty War,” a “light-meets-dark immersive art experience.” Follow: @cakeland.la

[San Luis Obispo :: 4/7-4/8] John Waters Easter & Pink Flamingos 50th Anniversary at Madonna Inn

NEW YORK, NY
[NYC :: 1/28] Shadow Traffic’s Idiotarod is back: “New York’s longest-running fake sporting event returns for its 20th run” 12 to 6 p.m. (Facebook event page)

ARIZONA
[Bisbee :: 3/11] Tales From the Trash, a thrift store art show

[Scottsdale :: 4/27-4/30] Arizona Tiki Oasis

MARYLAND
[Baltimore :: through 4/16] Baltimore Museum of Art is showing “approximately 90 paintings, sculptures, photographs, and prints” from John Waters’ personal art collection for Coming Attractions: The John Waters Collection. 

TOURING
[2023] Attaboy’s Up Cycled Garden installation is going on tour 

[2023] Fran Lebowitz is starting her international tour in San Francisco on February 1.
Yes, thank you. 

[More altered valentines by Skylar Munday here.]

Rusty’s Electric Dreams is an inbox zine by Rusty Blazenhoff for positive deviants and the people who love them. If this was forwarded to you, please consider subscribing yourself.

Described as, “One of the most inspiring, weird and off-kilter collections of curated kitschy ephemera for the big-brained.” People like it. Well, most people do.

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