Mustache Sightings on the rise..

ATTENTION: The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Mustache Warning for the The Twin Cities and the surrounding area....There is a phenomenon going on in the upper Midwest and it all can be traced to one man....Twins ace, Carl Pavano. AKA Super Pavario.



The man has been hotter than wasabi lately, undefeated in his last 10 starts (8-0), with his last loss coming June 3rd. After a ho-hum start to the season, Pavano, no stranger to the world of facial hair, started growing a moustache in hopes of sparking some sort of momentum and consistency. What he didn't know, was that his mustache would become bigger than him and his pitching. The 'stache (as commonly referred to) has its own facebook page apart from Carl's regular facebook page. In fact, Carl Pavano's Mustache page has over a 1,000 fans compared to just 250 for the man himself! It even has its own Twitter page, @carlstache with 100 followers.

The Courtesy Wave did a little history on the mustache, which can be spelled with an 'o' as moustache. However, American English spells it without the 'o', therefore I have left it at that. I digress, the oldest portrait showing a man with a mustache, is dated all the way back to 300 B.C. (Before Carl), where an ancient Iranian horseman is depicted with a sleek 'stache. The word moustache has been derived a few times. Its etymology dates back to the 8th century where in Medieval Latin the term "mustacium", and by the Greeks in the 9th century with the usage of "moustakion." In the 14th century, the term took an Italian swing to "mustaccio." And finally in the 16th century, the French can be attributed to creating the present day term of "moustache." Take that to the bank and cash it!

History aside, the mustache can take on many forms. The World Beard and Moustache Championships recognize 6 sub categories for moustaches.
1) Natural - the mustache that grows without aids..
2) Hungarian - Big and bushy, beginning from the middle of the upper lip and pulled to the side
3) Dalí – narrow, long points bent or curved steeply upward. Named after weirdo artist Salvador Dali (seen here on the right)
4) English - narrow, beginning at the middle of the upper lip the whiskers are very long and pulled to the side, slightly curled with the ends pointed slightly upward
5) Imperial – whiskers growing from both the upper lip and cheeks, curled upward
6) Freestyle – All moustaches that do not match other classes.

Other popular moustaches and their famous counterparts.


Fu Manchu - long, downward pointing ends, generally beyond the chin. -- David Lo Pan from Big Trouble in Little China


Handlebar - bushy, with small upward pointing ends. Also known as a "spaghetti moustache".--There's no one that symbolizes the handlebar 'stache than the great Rollie Fingers.


Horseshoe – Often confused with the Fu Manchu style, the horseshoe consists of a full moustache with vertical extensions from the corners of the lips down to the jawline and resembling an upside-down horseshoe.--No one rocks this better than the Hulkster.


Pencil Moustache - narrow, straight and thin as if drawn on by a pencil, closely clipped, outlining the upper lip, with a wide shaven gap between the nose and moustache.--Popularized by Raul Julia's Gomez Addams character.


Chevron – thick and wide, usually covering the top of the upper lip.--If you wear your mustache like Jeff Foxworthy...you just might be a redneck.


Toothbrush - thick, but shaved except for about an inch in the center. --Charlie Chaplin rockin the toothbrush way before Adolf ever did.


Walrus - bushy, hanging down over the lips, often entirely covering the mouth.--Wilford Brimley and Pops from the Muppet Show

Let's bring this back to the man, the myth, the legend that continues to grow...Carl Pavano's mustache. There has been a growing trend of mustache supporters amongst Twins fans and mustache fans alike..its even spawned a Chuck Norris like fact list. (who also rocks the 'stache) Here are a few of my favorites:

It takes Carl Pavano's Mustache 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.
Carl Pavano's Mustache knows where Carmen Sandiego is.
Carl Pavano's Mustache can slam a revolving door.
Carl Pavano's Mustache ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.
Watching Carl Pavano's Mustache can raise testosterone levels by up to 35%
When Carl Pavano's Mustache wants popcorn, he breathes on Nebraska.
On the 7th day, God created Carl Pavano's Mustache. And saw that it was good.

And that's it from the CW...So for now, keep growin that upper lip hair, keep watchin Super Pavario dominate opposing mustache less hitters and here's hoping we see the 'stache in the World Series!

bsv
the Courtesy Wave

Inception"ally" awesome

Went to Inception on Friday night with my girlfriend. An amazing feat in itself that I was able to bring her to a non-chick flick that she was ACTUALLY excited about. This left out any guilt I may feel if her expectations were less than met. But lo and behold, we both came out of the theater like giddy spoiled children, we LOVED this movie. Rarely does a movie keep you so entertained for 2 and a half hours. This is the kind of movie you want to make sure you buy the popcorn and pop before hand, but not too much pop. Please do the courtesy wave a favor and use the bathroom before hand, if you get up in the middle of the movie, you might as well grab the keys and head home, you will be lost for the remainder. *There are no spoilers in this review aside from the actors and their characters, I'm not giving away anything you didn't see in the Trailer.

Audience: Brock...what is the movie about? You're rambling like you just discovered the wheel. (Back to me) The movie surrounds around the idea of lucid dreaming. The concept theorizes that during these dreams, the person is aware of the fact that they are dreaming and can possibly control the outcome. The movie is a heist genre in nature, and the main character (Leonardo DiCaprio), is the thief. As in many heist movies, (Oceans Trilogy, the Italian Job, the Bank Job, etc), the main character is perceived as the good guy, despite partaking in illegal activity. As always, there is a compelling back story and good reason for the heist. Like in the Oceans trilogy series, there are a series of characters that are specialists in the role. This was done very well, incorporating Joseph Gordon-Levitt(500 Days of Summer), Ellen Page (Juno), Ken Watanbe (Last Samurai), on Leonardo's team. While involving a complex love interest in Marion Cotillard (Public Enemies), and an intriguing supporting role played Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins).

While the action, script writing, and graphics are all exceptional, especially when compared to a lackluster 2010 year in film, the real reason why this movie rocks is the concept. When I first saw the trailer, I have to be honest in saying I thought the concept was ridiculous. Being able to control your dreams, that's ludicrous...however, as a person who dreams frequently, I was riveted at just the thought of it being possible. Inception will make you think, then think about that thinking, and then you're trapped. There are no answers. As technologically advanced as our society is, our dream world is still an amazing mystery. When we wake up, we wonder if our dream was real, and usually after a couple seconds we realize the truth. This movie blurs the line between reality and dream world and ultimately leaves the decision up to the viewer.

Happy watching!

bsv
the courtesy wave

Sky Mallin'

A few weeks ago, my girlfriend and I took a nice vacation to New York City, this post isn't about that vacation, it's about being stuck on the tarmac at La Guardia for what seemed like forever, probably only 45 minutes or so. During that time, I flipped through the ever popular Sky Mall magazine that frequent travelers are undoubtedly familiar with. It occurred to me that while most of the products have justifiable use, many of them look so ridiculous that warranting their use in public could be embarrassing for the person, but hilarious for the on lookers. The courtesy wave presents the most ridiculous products I viewed in late June while waiting on La Guardia's tarmac. (Photos were taken from my camera phone, so I apologize for the clarity). Enjoy!



Practical? Maybe...Ridiculous? Yes. It's probably really comfortable, and I suppose if you're sleeping, you don't care what people think. An addition of a drool bucket would be nice. Looking at the shirt this guy's wearing, he really doesnt care about appearances. Buy at your own risk.



First of all, anything offered by a company named No!No! has to be suspicious. The product is intended to provide youth and lift your face, it also doubles as a great ski mask and is convenient for burn victims.



Power Lung. It comes in different colors! The courtesy wave asks that you do not use this in public, it's for own good. (this actually applies to all)



Do I really need to comment on this? The sales department at this company has to laugh every time one of these is purchased. For anyone that ever wanted to immortalize their pets, what better way than to stick a concrete statue of them in the lawn drinking out of a fountain. I really want to meet the people who buy this...on second thought, no I don't.



Honey, are you dead or is that really comfortable?



Ever wanted to fit in better at the office WHILE breathing better? Look no further. You're on your way to that promotion!



On the practical scale, this product is actually pretty high. I just love how the picture is presented with the tired business man lounging in his hotel room...the angle seems to be positioned precariously...lets hope he's working on that big presentation.



Keep you're children safe...OR...give Burglars easier access to your kids bedrooms. Matching robes not included.



Really great product for those creepy neighbors that are always looking your way..if anyone suspects anything, a quick shout out that you're just aerating your lawn (again) will put their minds at ease. Also spikes double as a weapon for passerby joggers that look suspicious.

That's it for now, I highly recommend the Sky Mall if you really need to pass the time, I just don't recommend buying anything.

bsv
The Courtesy Wave

Diving in Head First

I know what your thinking. Another one? Brock really, there are enough blogs out there already, you've been beaten to the punch, you're more than fashionably late, yadda yadda yadda. Yes, I agree with you, I've wrestled with this idea for some time now and I just couldn't wait any longer. I have too much to share and so much to discuss. From the comical to the serious to the puzzling, I'm throwing out my 2 cents and maybe even a Canadian penny from time to time. I'm a goal setter, I've got my own bucket list, but instead of death, its my "before I turn 30" bucket list. I've got 2 years and a month, so I figured now was a good time. Not that I think 30 is "the end" its just a nice round number to motivate me. So I'll keep this short, I don't want to rant just yet. I need to make the blog look like something a Masters student put together, not a 3rd grader (despite the fact that 3rd grader may be more technologically advanced). What I want to accomplish:
1) Provide intelligent and fact plus opinion based discussion material
2) Give you an inside look at what goes on in the mind of Brock (hold on to your butts)
3) Have no expectations whatsoever.
4) In the process maybe give you a chuckle or make you think twice

Life is a journey, blah, blah, I'm not going to give you that metaphoric crap, you've heard it all before. Two roads diverged in the woods and I pulled out my GPS to find the best route.