Since You're All DYING To See What I Look Like

Here's a little candid shot of me and my better half. And yes, we both agree that this TOTALLY does both of us justice.



I am prone to snide looks, witty banter, beer, and cheap smokes. Rick is a scaredy cat with a love of MAC Cosmetics, frequently crazy hair, and has a heretofore unmatched obsession with candies of all sorts.

I don't know WHY we're not on South Park yet. I mean seriously, can you IMAGINE the story lines?

I Love Me Some Beth Ditto!

Man, I sure love me some Beth Ditto. I just said that...

She's big, beautiful, and sassy. She's also from Arkansas, and has that natural Southern charm. Seriously, I think she challenges our cultural notions of beauty and celebrity. I'd pick her as best dressed and sexiest on the red carpet any day, but that's just me.







When you're feeling blue about your size, shape, or whatever else is bringing you down about yourself, just ask:



Find out more about what Beth and the rest of Gossip are up to at they MySpace page. In honor of Ms. Ditto, I have changed the song on this here blog to Standing In the Way of Control by Gossip.

Beth on bullying:


A great interview with Yoko Ono, Ana Matronic, and Beth (and a great little part with the wonderful Mr. Jake Shears at the end):


Check out Gossip's spectacular album, 'Standing In the Way of Control' (and other recordings)here

We're In a Recession, Pt. 2

Okay, so I know this is in contrast to my last post about Earth Hour, but just so's you all ain't confused n' such...look, I gotta keep it funny around here, b/c these days, there isn't too much to laugh about in the world. With our economy still floating blissfully in the toilet, massive job loss and skyrocketing unemployment, etc. we have to laugh somehow, right? Right. So, I give you this: (Click to enlarge)



The absolute best part of this picture is the name of the file. When I downloaded it (from Hot Ghetto Mess, no less)it came up as a-whole-lotta-cheetas-died-tonight.jpg. HAHAHAHA!

I'm not one to make fun of big people or the way people look or anything like that, but if you wear a big, tight ass cheeta outfit, some weave and a cheetah cowboy hat, make that face, and allow someone to take this picture, then you're just asking me for it.

Laugh a little, no, a lot...and enjoy your day. Leave me some comments foo!

Earth Hour is TONIGHT!!!

VOTE EARTH

YOUR LIGHT SWITCH IS YOUR VOTE

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

Visit earthhour.org for more

Vermont Close to Legalizing Gay Marriage

The state motto says it all: Freedom and Unity. Many of my gay brethren and lesbian...sistren(?)...you get the idea...in the Green Mountain State are no doubt jumping for joy this evening, as the Vermont Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation to legalize same-sex marriage in the state, by a vote of 26-4.



The House has scheduled a meeting on Tuesday to consider the bill to legalize same-sex marriage within the state, and is expected to similarly pass the bill into law.

Peep the story over at CNN

Racism, American Style

Mood: Angered!

I was just sitting on the sofa watching today's episode of The Tyra Banks Show with Rick (this is what happens when you're home all day), and even though it's 2009 I am still SHOCKED about the misguided, ignorant views people in this country have about others. The refrain from several people on the show (all young people in the 18-25 range)was, "Well, that was the way I was brought up" or "That's what my parents have always taught me" and it just sickens me. Hi, you're an adult now, how about you start thinking for yourself and forming your own conclusions.

One young woman told her best friend that she was disgusted because she was dating a Mexican man. She said her parents & grandparents always taught her that dating outside your race was wrong and that it's in the Bible that it's wrong. You can imagine what reaction that got from everyone in the audience and Tyra. My first thought was, Okay, so did you ever crack open that Bible to find that passage? Of course not, why would you?

Below is a clip of today's show:



Click here for full episode

On one hand I feel sorry for young people who have been raised by uneducated, misguided people who hold those views. But at the same time I'm outraged that people are so blind that they actually think they're racist views are normal and okay. Maybe it's just me - I was the one in church as a kid who listened to the preacher say things that just baffled logic, and thought, Wait a minute, that doesn't compute...

I come from a small, rural place where people are mostly good souls who fear God and pass the potato salad. But beyond the folksy friendliness are deeply held (and seldom questioned) views about others. On one hand (Libra that I am) I understand that people fear what they don't understand. There were no black children in my school. Well, I think for one year. There was a black teacher, and her son attended our school for one year. I don't recall there being any Hispanic children either. Now before it starts looking like I went to some white prep school, let me assure you my school was probably rather poor and in the country. It was pretty much white kids and Native American kids.

In town, there was the "black part of town" that was literally across the tracks. To this day, I've never even driven through that part of town. It was told to me at a young age that it was the black part of town, rather in passing, but it instantly labeled that neighborhood as 'Other' in my young mind. There was a mild sense of fear and uncertainty. That part of town was literally on the edge of town, past the places I hung out and all the businesses, so I never really had a reason to go down there either. I write all this simply to illustrate that yes, I do come from a place where there was not a great deal of diversity. As well, most people from there are born, raised, and die there. Many never venture outside those bucolic confines, and thus, do not encounter other cultures and ways of life that would challenge these passed-down notions.

But, that is no excuse anymore. It is 2009, and even the country has internet access and cable TV. The world is at our fingertips now, and with that, every nation, culture, and viewpoint on Earth is represented and easily available at the click of a button.

One of the men on the show is a white college student from Texas. :SIGH: Thank you for being NON-representative of my adopted home state. I fully understand that there are a lot of people in Texas (and beyond) that harbor deeply racist views, but I am also proud to say that there are many, many people who DO NOT exhibit those views.

And for those of you out there who forward "funny" racist emails, you are fooling yourself into thinking, "Oh, I don't mean it in a serious way, I'm not a racist". You may not make racist comments in public, and may indeed have friends of other races and nationalities, etc. But participating in silent racism is just as bad as openly displaying it, in my opinion, because it perpetuates the feeling that it's okay to make fun of people of other cultures or races, as long as "you don't really mean it". Well, you do mean it, or you wouldn't find it humourous.

Sure, we all see FAIL pictures or videos on YouTube of someone acting stupid or doing something asanine, and we laugh - all in good fun. But there's a difference in laughing at someone who is wearing some ridiculous outfit or doing something they probably shouldn't be doing and failing miserably at it for all the world to see, and making assumptions about people based on their skin color, country of origin, religious beliefs, etc.

This may be a bit controversial (but I never claimed not to be), but I have posted a few of these allegedly "funny" cartoons, etc. that are floating around the web, in an effort to challenge my readers to think. You may have seen some of these, and laughed at them, or felt angered by them. If you are seeing them for the first time, what reaction do they elicit from you? Keep in mind, I am not posting these in an effort to spread them even further - on the contrary, I would love it if they were stricken from existence - but rather to make a point, and make each of you think. Feel free to leave comments on this post about your reaction to the following.











These are, of course, only a few that are out there. After viewing these, what do you feel about them? If you found yourself chuckling at them, why? I love a good funny picture or video, but I find these to be sad.

I'm also conflicted because someone close to me in my life would find these probably hilarious while at the same time assuring me they don't hold any racist views. But they would also no doubt forward them to others in amusement to be shared and spread over & over again. I am torn between my relationship and admiration for this person (or persons) and my own strongly-held views that any type of racism is unacceptable. I've told good friends as much when they made racist jokes. If you think it's okay to be racist, you're stupid. It makes you look uneducated and ignorant, and especially if you're from a place like Texas, it makes you look exactly like what some outsiders think Texans are like, thus, further perpetuating yet another stereotype.

My feeling is there is plenty of tear-inducing hilarity in the world besides resorting to cheap amusement based on fear, insecurity, and misinformation, which is where racism springs from.

So, sound off...what do YOU think?

The Knife - Pass This On

Okay, I've loved this track/vid for years, and have featured it on a number of my past blogs. I was thinking about it randomly, and how Rick was asking me what the name of the song was the other day, and thought I'd share it.

My Favorite Song...EVER

Stevie Nicks - Outside the Rain

Outside the rain
And the heart skips a beat
Are you lonely?
Creature of the night
Its been almost a week
Could you love me only?

Look at me, for a very long time
Long enough to fall
Love is a word - Ive been trying to find
Words don't matter
They dont matter at all

So you're still lonely
You say that it's been forever
Maybe you never knew me
Maybe you thought that
I'd never change - but
You know I'm changing
- you're wrong -

And its been like dying
No love's that hard to find
And I'm tired of
I'm tired of trying

Maybe it's only a dream
I don't want to feel that
Well it's one more link in the chain, I know
I don't believe that

Outside the rain
And the heart skips a beat
So you're lonely
Creature of the night
It's been almost a week
Would you love me only?

Look in my eyes
Touch my face
Baby, there's no one
That can take my place

Look in my eyes, touch my face
Baby there's no one that
Can ever replace that heartache
Take away that heartache

Love is a word that some entertain
If you find it
You have won the game

Somebody said
Outside the rain...

From the album - Bella Donna, 1981
www.nicksfix.com

5 Days Off!

Woo hoo! I took off Thursday - Monday, and thank God - it's just what I needed! My schedule is pretty tiring during the week. I work four 10-hour days at work, and I take the bus currently, due to car drama. I work in one of the burbs of Dallas, and it takes me an hour & a half to get to work and the same to get home. So for 4 days out of the week, I'm out of the house from 5:15am until 7:00pm in the evening.

Before you start projectile vomiting, it's worth it because of the extra day off each week. I work with one other person who does the same job as I do, so we easily rotate our days off and let our boss know what we've scheduled. So every couple of weeks or so I end up with a Friday and a Monday off, making for a scrumptuous 4 day weekend. Hence, I cannot complain. This was one such weekend, and I took PTO for Thursday to make the 5 day stretch. I'm off from my classes (I'll post more about that in school drama, later) this week too, so I figured it was the perfect time to do so.

Plus, the weather has been sunny and in the 70s. Man, it's been nice these first two days, and I still have 3 more to go! Whoooooo-hooo! I've been productive so far (well by my standards I guess) - trips to the grocery store, a bit of spring cleaning, got Fernando the maintenence man to come replace our garbage disposal and fix our kitchen faucet, seriously caught up on some sleep, and messed around with my blog (a lot, as you can see by the fresh new layout). I've even logged in and checked up on my work email a couple of times. Boo, I know...I need to leave it til next week. Plus, I've exclaimed, "Foo! I'm on vacation!" several times when Rick has questioned my bedtime habits, beer-drinking at 1pm, etc.

In a couple of months work is issuing me a laptop so I can start working from home a couple of days a week, and going to the office for the other 2 days. Suh-weet! I've been trying to connect to the network via my home computer in the meantime, but apparently Cisco is ASS and does not support Windows Vista for their VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection. Ugh, thanks for not being with it, Cisco. Hell, I could be working from home already! Oh well, again, I cannot complain.

My other half Rick's alter ego Lacienega is cooking up a web-based gossip show with local musician and rising superstar Halohead. It's called The Loop Show. Here're a couple of teaser trailers they've made:

Porndogzza

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the greatest invention ever...

Big Fat Whale

NO, I'm not talking about this one



or even this:



I'm talking about my new favorite comic, Big Fat Whale


Click to enlarge

It's a great comic that somehow I only recently stumbled upon, by Brian McFadden. It's right up there for me with Dustin Glick's Dustinland, which I've been reading for years.



Both of these men are comic geniuses, with a hint of wit and a dash of sarcasm (actually more like a cup of each) - both of which go a long way with yours truly. ;-)

So head on over and check those out, and tell 'em 'jasedoesdallas' sent ya...so they can reply with 'WHO??? Who the shit is that?'

The smartest, funniest new blog in all of the interwebs! Well, maybe not...

Natasha Richardson's Shocking Death at 45

I am stunned and saddened by the swift and tragic passing of Natasha Richardson from a fall while skiing on Monday. The whole ordeal is so horrific, and for me personally, brings up memories of when my own mother suffered a brain injury several years ago. Fortunately, she survived it. My thoughts and prayers tonight are with Ms. Richardson's adoring family. She will be sorely missed by masses of people the world over. My heart truly goes out to her loved ones.

From Yahoo News:

NEW YORK – Natasha Richardson, a gifted and precocious heiress to acting royalty whose career highlights included the film "Patty Hearst" and a Tony-winning performance in a stage revival of "Cabaret," died Wednesday at age 45 after suffering a head injury from a skiing accident.

Alan Nierob, the Los Angeles-based publicist for Richardson's husband Liam Neeson, confirmed her death in a written statement.

"Liam Neeson, his sons (Micheal and Daniel), and the entire family are shocked and devastated by the tragic death of their beloved Natasha," the statement said. "They are profoundly grateful for the support, love and prayers of everyone, and ask for privacy during this very difficult time."

The statement did not give details on the cause of death for Richardson, who suffered a head injury when she fell on a beginner's trail during a private ski lesson at the luxury Mont Tremblant ski resort in Quebec. She was hospitalized Tuesday in Montreal and later flown to a hospital in New York.

Family members had been seen coming and going from the New York hospital where Richardson was taken.

Vanessa Redgrave, Richardson's mother, arrived in a car with darkened windows and was taken through a garage when she arrived at the Lenox Hill Hospital on Manhattan's Upper East Side about 5 p.m. Wednesday. An hour earlier, Richardson's sister, Joely, arrived alone and was swarmed by the media as she entered through the back of the hospital.

read the rest here...

We're In a Recession, Yo!

SOURCE: RunawayBox.com

Here Comes the Warm Up

It's that time of year in our fair city...Spring. "Winter" has left us...



Granted, it's winter in Dallas, so we really can't even complain.



Sorry, Northerners...really. DAMN.



The elusive suggestion of winter in North Texas has departed, with full-blown Spring upon us. Technically, of course, Spring is a few days away, but it's already been over 80. Today's high was 79, but it reached 83. Spring has sprung!

And for us lucky Texans, that can only mean...



Fields and fields of our beautiful state flower...Texas Bluebonnets!

On another good note, this week is Spring Break for me from my classes.



Thankfully! I am winding down my program, and I'm so close I'm starting to get the itch to be finished. I long for the weekends that weren't spent cracking books and racing for the finishline on due assignments.



And tomorrow is my last day of work for 5 whole days of unabashed bliss and relaxation. I will be a free man, and fully intend to smoke a few cigarettes while enjoying the fantastic weather and some of my new, 2nd favorite beer:



MMMMM...lime & cactus, and beer...all together at last. It's sweet without being girly or Zima-esque. Plus, the flavors are perfect. This is Texas, after all, so cactus and lime go mighty fine together. And it's great with huevos rancheros. Let's face it; the beer is frigging fantastic, and although vastly different, I think it pretty much ties with my regular favorite beer:



Other than that, for the moment at least, I don't really have anything else planned out. That might change though. Hmmm...there are no doubt countless diversions in a big city with 70/80 degree weather, no?

Anyone out there have plans for the next few days/this weekend?

BONUS:

Name the movie that contains this scene, and win a prize:



[The prize being my undying respect for useless trivia]

Obama 'Outraged' at AIG Bonuses

WASHINGTON -- President Obama said Monday he will attempt to block bonuses to executives at ailing insurance giant AIG, payments he described as an "outrage."

"This is a corporation that finds itself in financial distress due to recklessness and greed," Obama told politicians and reporters in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where he and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner were unveiling a package to aid the nation's small businesses.

The president expressed dismay and anger over the bonuses to executives at AIG, which has received $173 billion in U.S. government bailouts over the past six months.

"Under these circumstances, it's hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay. I mean, how do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?"

Obama was referring to the bonuses paid to traders in AIG's financial products division, the tiny group of people who crafted complicated deals that wound up shaking the world's economic foundations.

The president said he has asked Geithner to "pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole."

Obama spared AIG's new CEO, Edward Liddy, from criticism, saying he got the job "after the contracts that led to these bonuses were agreed to last year."

But he said the impropriety of the bonuses goes beyond economics. "It's about our fundamental values," he said.

read the rest of the story here...

SOURCE: CNN

Tori Amos Reveals New Album Art/Track Listing

tori amos abnormally attracted to sin tracklist
1. give
2. welcome to england
3. strong black vine
4. flavor
5. not dying today
6. maybe california
7. curtain call
8. fire to your plain
9. police me
10. that guy
11. abnormally attracted to sin
12. 500 miles
13. mary jane
14. starling
15. fast horse
16. ophelia
17. lady in blue

+ a DVD of corresponding 'visualettes' for each track will accompany the deluxe version of abnormally attracted to sin. these interlocking episodic films bring to life the narrative arc of the album. the footage was captured over the past year and shot with a noir twist in HD and Super 8. The album is rumored to drop sometime in May.

SOURCE: Popbytes

I'll spend my golden years in Albuquerque, NM

Albuquerque, ABQ, or Burque, would have to be tops for me. I would love to live there PRIOR to retiring, in fact!

I absolutely love the combination of mountains, desert landscape, rich Southwestern culture and food, sunny days, and low-low humidity. The people are very friendly and the city is just the perfect size - big enough for plenty of art/dining/cultural/shopping diversions, but not so big it's overwhelming or hard to navigate. It's my favorite city I've ever been to.

MILK

Okay, so yours truly FINALLY (and only finally) watched MILK over the weekend. I have long considerd Mr. Harvey Milk one of my heroes and a truly great man. Though he lived in NY and later found recognition and history in San Francisco, and died 1 month and 5 days after I was born, his reach is still felt all across the country.

Harvey Bernard Milk was the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in America when he was appointed to the SF Board of City Supervisors. He took on Anita Bryant and John Briggs, and well, the rest is, as they say, history...

Even the trailer made me tear up, I must admit (and still does).



Check out Penn's Oscar speech:



The real Mr. Harvey Milk:



Thank you, sir.

Models Riot Over Last Cruton

Chaos at NYC 'Top Model'Auditions
3 Arrested, 6 Injured



NEW YORK - Three people were arrested and six others hurt after bedlam broke out while they waited to audition for "America's Next Top Model" Saturday, police said.

Police didn't know what prompted the chaos involving hundreds of people outside the Park Central New York hotel. The panic left the Midtown street outside the hotel littered with the would-be models' shoes and clothing.

"It was pretty scary," Jessica Paravati told Fox 5. She said she was caught up in the stampede after waiting on line overnight, hoping for a shot at stardom on the reality show.

Click on the media player (left) for Paravati's account of the chaos.

Two women and a man were arrested on disorderly conduct charges, police said. Authorities also shut down the audition, saying it wasn't properly organized.

Four injured people declined treatment, while two others were taken to a hospital, the fire department said. Their conditions weren't immediately available.

The hotel's phone rang unanswered. Representatives for The CW Network, which airs the show, released a statement saying it was working with authorities investigating the incident.

The popular reality show is hosted by supermodel Tyra Banks, who also serves as its executive producer. The current season began March 4.

Her agent and publicist didn't immediately return telephone calls.

Banks has said she created the show to counter stereotypes about beauty, and Saturday's auditions were open only to women no taller than 5-foot-7, shorter than the industry's conventions.

Open tryouts also are being held this month in several other cities around the country, including Dallas, Chicago and Los Angeles.

BITCH!!!



Don't be bringing that shite to Dallas, hoes!

Sorry Officer!

I would like to shake this man's hand. I think we've all fantasized about this moment. Now, I respect the boys in blue & such, and Dallas cops seem for the most part to be pretty chill. But we've all encountered some cock-knocker cop.

Behold the Rapping Flight Attendent

David Holmes, of our (Dallas') very own Southwest Airlines:





Not this one...but enjoy this too:




And for something COMPLETELY unrelated...thank you to my buddy Eddie for reminding me of this tasty treat:



That's right, ladies & germs...I give you CRACK SANDWICH. I used to purchase these "addictive" delights from the Super Cao Nguyen Market in Little Saigon, Oklahoma City. Apparently the woman featured on the packaging is quite famous...or so I've heard.

Utada's Back in the States!

I first fell in love with this artist on her US-debut album, 'Exodus', released in 2004.



Her name is Hikaru Utada, but in the US she's known simply as Utada. In Japan, her legions of fans often refer to her as "Hikki". Raised in NYC & Tokyo, her 1998 debut album sold somewhere around 23948723948732 billion copies. While 'Exodus' was pretty experimental and melded several genres - from alt-rock to Japanese folk to electronic - she wanted to go for a really mainstream sound on her new disc, dropping digitally in the States this month. It's called 'This Is the One'.

It's poised to be her US breakthrough.


After the jump is a remix video for her new single, 'Come Back to Me'. Keep in mind, this is a remix. The original is a r&b gem.


Official vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tNojuJKGjk [embedding disabled, couldn't add it here]


Other fun Japanese things:









[swiped from Just For Entertainment Humor]

Wocka Wocka: Pac-Man Turns 30

When Pac-Man first chomped through arcades, Jimmy Carter was in office, the Rams were still in Los Angeles, and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back was just hitting theaters.
Some three decades later, the legendary mascot will embark on his umpteenth comeback in the form of a brand new Pac-Man game, reports Gamasutra. Coinciding with the game's 30th anniversary, it will be released sometime in 2010.

The new outing will be his first since the critically-acclaimed Pac-Man: Championship Edition hit Xbox Live in 2007, but it will not be made by original creator Toru Iwatani, who has since moved on to become a full-time lecturer.

read the rest of the story here...