Barnacle Busters at Pride

Here you'll get a taste of both the evolution of the float I worked on with friends Billy and Glen as well as it in the parade itself. We had a pretty great time. You even get to see a clip of me being a balloon nazi asking people to grab their damn balloons so we didn't have to chase them down the street.

All the Doo Dah day

I always have a blast haging out with my friends Billy and Glen, as well as the fantastic company of Disco Mark and Dog and Snowball... This was the perfect entourage to watch the Doo Dah parade with. The crazy and nonsensical just wouldn't have been the same without these guys shouting things out, laughing together and even for a brief moment joining in the parade. (Yes John Malkovich we saw you.)

One personal favorite was the group of "Dead Robert Palmer Girls."

To do: Doo Dah Parade '08

If anyone is up for it, me and a few friends of mine are heading down to Pasadena Sunday morning for the annual Doo Dah Parade. It kicks off around 11- 11:30ish and is always a fun display of the bizarre, creative, and just downright tacky. Take for instance the "Briefcase Drill Team" pictured above. Everyone loves an event with Shriners, Hippies and Drag Queens all in equal measure. Bring your sense of humor and maybe dress appropriately...

Happy...um...pride....

Ok, now everyone have a great Pride weekend if your city is celebratin' it... Washington, LA and a few others are having their often tepid celebrations this weekend. I'm actually kind of excited for a change this time around as I'll be taking Anna, my friend Betty's daughter. She's a really cool kid, a little too clued into the adult world for her age at times, but still a great sweet soon to be woman. (They grow up fast don't they?) I had promised to take her to the parade this weekend ages ago, and I'm certainly interested to hear her take on it. I was so excited the first time I went to Pride, and it'll probably be good for these often jaded eyes to remember what that was like. For someone my age, I sure do feel ancient at times. I gotta change that.

The picture above makes me laugh and at the same time retch... That is a flamboyant, annoying, gay-ass dude in Japan who is a celebrity for being THAT gay and wearing THAT god awful get up all over the place. Imagine Paris Hilton, but not an heiress, less fashion sense (isn't saying much) and more pandering to the camera and that what this guy is like. I saw him appear on "the New Dotch Cooking Showdown" while watching with my roommate (I blogged a bit about it a while back) and I wanted to crawl into the tv and strangle him.

Anyways, Everyone get laid (safely), party (safely), and get home in one piece this lovely weekend. Pride can be a tough thing to muster when looking at any group of people nowadays, but I promise you all: I will find that sense of Pride so help me!