Category Archives: Dazzler of the Day

My first memory of Congressman Paul Tonko was of his family home’s Christmas lights during the holiday season. When the trees behind our house had shed their leaves for the winter, we could just barely make out the glow of that display, and we always made a point of driving by several times during the season. That glow merely hinted at the warmth and affection he has shown to our hometown of Amsterdam, and it grew into a lifetime of service in which he has consistently and unrelentingly championed the well-being of all his neighbors and constituents.

One of the greatest things about Congressman Tonko is that he shows up – and not everyone does that these days. He’s there for all the events that a Congressman should be at – engaging and talking and sharing – and he’s there for all the minor moments that don’t get the airplay, but remain important to the people he represents. That points to a heart of service greater than himself: for Congressman Tonko, it’s always been about the people, and making the world better for all of us. For that reason alone, he is our Dazzler of the Day.

Check out his website here for more of his accomplishments, and join me in supporting his campaign this year. He’s also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 

My favorite Dazzlers of the Day are those whom I know personally. This happy selection is one such Dazzler, as my friend Kira snatches her crown in anticipation of an upcoming Boston weekend post. Kira and I have been friends since our days at John Hancock in the late 90’s, making a friendship that’s sustained for over two decades. We’ve learned to enjoy each other’s company as it is, work on our friendship with its ebbs and flows, and been there for each other as a comfort when the rest of the world descends into madness. 

Stage, screen and television star Ariana DeBose recently won a Screen Actor’s Guild award, setting the stage for further Oscar gold thanks to her turn in ‘West Side Story’. After turns in ‘Hamilton‘ and ‘The Prom‘ she proves her status as a triple threat, and now she can add Dazzler of the Day to all that glory. 

Every now and then this silly Dazzler of the Day feature highlights someone of supreme import and beloved admiration, and things turn slightly more serious. Today that honor belongs to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, so valiantly fighting to hold onto his country’s democracy in the face of advancing autocracy and the unwarranted and unprovoked attacks by Russia and Putin. Zelenskyy has rallied his people, and summoned the support of the entire world against Russia’s awful aggression. He has galvanized his citizens, defiantly turning down offers from other countries when they asked if he wanted to leave his own: “I need ammunition, not a ride.” It’s a powerful moment, an impressive lesson, and plants the seeds of a memorable legacy, even if he said early on that such glory is not the purpose of his serving as President. Today, Zelenskyy is named Dazzler of the Day, because it’s the only little thing I can do from this dismal point of helplessness. 

PS – He was also a winner on Ukraine’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’. Look it up.

He got his entertainment boom as a contestant on ‘The Bachelor’ and this year Jesse Palmer returns to that space as host of the television show. While I’m happy to have missed out on all incarnations of that American viewing experience, I’m equally happy to have witnessed Palmer’s charming hosting duties on several cooking championship shows on the Food Network. All of the above is reason enough for his first crowning as Dazzler of the Day. A host with the most, indeed. 

The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. Sunflowers are also one of their biggest crops and exports. The seeds and their oil comprise a huge chunk of the world’s supply. The sunflower represents hope and warmth – the embodiment of the sun after which they are named. When I heard of this story of a Ukrainian woman boldly admonishing a Russian soldier who had invaded her country, my heart broke. She put her own life at risk, bravely speaking her mind about the Russian occupation, and powerfully condemning his presence, insisting he put sunflower seeds in his pockets for when he died on Ukrainian soil. A chilling comment on what is happening now.

I hope she is safe. 

Actors who learn enough about their craft, and the jobs of those around them, often end up directing, which is precisely what Ryan Eggold has recently done on ‘New Amsterdam’. His acting and directorial efforts earn him this Dazzler of the Day.

My obsession with ‘The Gilded Age‘ rages on with this Dazzler of the Day, which finally features the magnificent Christine Baranski – a true dazzler and Broadway baby with the rare trait of having absolutely stolen every single scene she’s ever appeared in, from the side-kick-who-should-have-had-her-own-series in ‘Cybill’ to her luscious turn as a no-nonsense doyenne in HBO’s ‘The Gilded Age’. And her talent to so gorgeously devour scenery is not from lackluster company – she’s provided luminescent turns while appearing opposite Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in ‘The Birdcage’ to harmonizing with Meryl Streep and Julie Walters in ‘Mamma Mia’. Her scenes with Cynthia Nixon in ‘The Gilded Age’ crackle with the nerve and verve of an actress at the top of her game. 

The accolades from her performance in the HBO series ‘Euphoria’ get louder and louder every week – though to be honest I have not yet been able to bring myself to watch the show based on what is said to be regularly-triggering topics and depictions, and it’s all I can do to handle the damn Olympics right now – but I am certain Zendaya is entirely worthy of the praise. Given her previous winning turns in everything from ‘The Greatest Showman’ to ‘Dune’, it seems she can do no wrong. And her red carpet style is nothing short of stunning – hence this Dazzler of the Day honor.