C.J.: Beyond flexing: Sven Sundgaard's latest social media declaration of love is sealed with a hug and a real kiss

KARE 11 meteorologist Sven Sundgaard is trying to break the Internet.

Or maybe the Body Beautiful of the Twin Cities TV Meteorology is just trying warm us up with some of his recent Instagram posts. One diverting post captured Sundgaard in the bathroom engaging in ablutions with only a towel wrapped around his lower body.

The one that caught NewsBlues.com's eye last week shows Sundgaard kissing his beloved Robert. They were kneeling on a bed, Sven in Valentine's themed shorts, and holding a hugs and kisses balloon.

"This week, Sundgaard took his passion for revealing photos a step further, posing on a bed with his boyfriend. The photo, which appeared in Instagram, showed the bearded KARE-11-NBC meteorologist on his knees, wearing a revealing black muscle shirt and a pair of pink short shorts. He is kissing a bearded man, also kneeling on the bed, in a backward ball cap," read NewsBlues.com.

Aside from Robert wearing his cap, as my mother calls it, "in the ignorant position," I'm fine with Sundgaard's latest declaration of their love.

"Times, indeed, are changing. A reader asks: 'What if a straight newscaster (or meteorologist) were to post pictures like this on Instagram?' " read NewsBlues, continuing, "In fact, what if a female on-air talent were to post something like this? The mind reels."

Some of us in the media lost our balance when a photo surfaced of WCCO-TV's Kim Johnson dressed up in a fluffy pink chrysanthemum bra for a charity event while working for a previous news organization.

Mike James, editor of NewsBlues.com, never telephoned me as requested, perhaps because he was watching his phone to see if KARE news director Jane Helmke would contact him.

Oh, Helmke is not responding to this. If I could speak for her, I'd say, Why so Blue, News? Maybe you should change your website's name to NewsGreen because you're jealous.

She wasn't the boss when a tipster gave me a photo of then-KARE 11 anchor Paul Magers walking around a tony resort in swimming trunks, not nearly as brief as Sundgaard's. Shirtless Magers looked great but not as beef cakey as Sundgaard.

Via direct message, Sundgaard wrote: "I don't know why the photo became a sensation 2 weeks after the fact! Lol … My creative boyfriend's setup." When we talked Monday, Sundgaard told me, "Robert is planning a counter picture. So look for [another] 'Love Is' themed photo."

'Road' replaces NY resolutions

Everybody who made New Year's resolutions has probably already stopped whatever they promised to do differently in 2016 by now. Right?

Now Timotha Lanae, a metro actor who just wrapped "Sister Act The Musical" at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, wants you to join her on "The #OpenRoadChallenge."

Lanae said the challenge is for "self improvement in place of a New Year's resolution. It may be a way to break it down more [and ask], 'What can I do more to inspire others and myself? What can I do to let go of things so that I can move forward to my purpose? What can I do to grow and get out of my comfort zone?' That inspired the song 'Open Road' which I wrote with Ryan Liestman and Michael Bland. Liestman is the other singer featured on the video and also was part of the Jonas Brothers band." Bland, of course, is a drummer who's worked with Prince, among others.

Her "Open Road" was inspired by a desire to mend her relationship with her ex-husband, whom she remarried.

The "Open Road" video features good lyrics and two singers with the most interesting hair within 25 miles of the lonely road near Menomonie, Wis.'s Drum Farm Studio which shot the video: tinyurl.com/j23gpjp. "We found some back roads. Fewer than five cars interrupted the shot. Were were truly on the open road," she laughed.

"Alyson Stoner is the most recognizable" performer to take the challenge and post a video, said Lanae.

Stoner appeared in Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and at the other extreme as the little pigtailed dancer in Missy Elliot's vulgar "Work It" video.

A singer and a playwright, Lanae told me she is working on an album in addition to a musical called "REDdington," about a fictitious biracial singer from the 1940s, based on family stories, with J.D. Steele.

Timotha, whose dad's name was obviously Timothy, pronounces her given name with emphasis on MOTH.

"Look at you," she laughed, "helping people pronounce my name."

C.J. can be reached at cj@startribune.com and seen on Fox 9's "Jason Show." E-mailers, please state a subject; "Hello" does not count. Attachments are not opened.