New Blog about my Vegas gardening efforts!

So I decided to start a blog about gardening in Vegas... seems how it is not easy and I seem to be pretty good at it! Seems a shame to keep all the joy to myself (sarcasm)... anyway click on this link to follow

MY NEW BLOG ABOUT GARDENING IN VEGAS

The Flower of Love

I'm happy to post about my latest inspiration, agapanthus; a flower, commonly known as Lily of The Nile. See, I fell in love with this plant as a kid, it bloomed in every non-vegetable garden I've ever loved and now that I am focusing on my own garden I am including this lovely little gem. Remembering something that I was so fascinated with as a child and being able to include that in my adult life is... priceless.

Also, I read this:

The name Agapanthus comes from the Greek agap, meaning love, and anthos, meaning flower, translating broadly as the flower of love.


So... you see, I'm smiling because I have the flower of love blooming in my garden!

Time to move on!

So... I've decided that the world is just too messy and miserable already and I am no longer going to tweet or post or blog negative stuff... I just don't want to contribute to that cloud which lingers over us all... All day everyday we are bombarded with negative images and stories... TIME TO MOVE ON!

So... fashion!

Fashion is such an inspiration to me! Why you may ask? Because it is art! Fashionable people understand that their bodies are canvasses and given proper attention we can become walking, breathing, pieces of art... walking through a crowd of fashionable people is like taking in a viewing of a fabulous gallery!

I had the most wonderful experience at that little boutique I work at yesterday. These fabulous ladies from Boise, ID came into the store. At first it was just two, cute, kinda quiet ladies that I started talking with. Before I knew it we were trying on dresses and having so much fun! Little did I know that they would send there entire group of friends to come shop with me through-out the day! In three waves, I helped 2, then 5, and then 2 more shop. NOW-- what is remarkable about this, isn't the shopping. What was remarkable was the great, fun positive energy that complete strangers were able to share with each other. Each of the ladies gave me a hug when they left our shop and they, like myself, were just smiling and beaming from our experience!

THAT... made my day and obviously more then 24 hours later, I'm still thinking about it.

I don't know their politics, their religion, their... whatever. All I know is that they chose to share some time with me and we all just had a blast. We bonded over fashion.

I wish that we (all of us humans) would all choose to focus more on the threads that bond us!

It's easy to see that you are different then me... but what about the things we have in common? Let's focus on that for awhile.. and keep each other smiling.

The Bodhisattva

The trouble is that WE don't really know who WE are. Do we? ;)

One only needs to stand by the sea shore to appreciate the power of waves but to perceive is not to participate. The greatness is an ocean, our lives drive it's currents and our thoughts stir it's waves. The bodhisattva has broken upon the shore of enlightenment.

The bodhisattva: The true self... the being that emerges only in our deepest sleep, when we forget ourselves otherwise and completely.

What year is it? Oh yeah.....

I get that politics are ugly... people are uncomfortable confronting other points of view which may be drastically opposing to their own and to do so in a civilized manner can at times be unnerving, especially when u are passionate about your beliefs. Like I said, I get it.

So understandably, most people don't want to blog about, tweet about or otherwise share how they feel for worry of causing offense. I feel however, that in holding back my beliefs and my passions I would be even more offensive because of my would be false pretense. Mutual respect requires honesty.

So I must be honest. I am outraged that public officials feel comfortable making prejudice statements in the year 2011. I learned tonight that Clark County Commissioner and former (thank god he was defeated!!!!) Las Vegas Mayoral candidate Larry Brown campaigned stating that he would support repeal of Nevada's Domestic Partnership Law. Not only does this asshole believe that we are not all created equal but he also has no regard for the responsibility of public officials to represent ALL of their constituents. I can't wait for this scumbag to run for re-election!

I wish that more people would take a stand for what they believe in.... whatever it may be.

FASHION or BUST!

Seriously... I have so much fun trying on new clothes and putting together new looks and I forget that not everyone feels the same. The way I see it... being passionate about fashion... your own personal fashion is really just being passionate about yourself... about realizing your own importance and self-worth.

And so I'd like to say a few things to those who may feel less passionate about the subject:

1.) GURL-- shut up and buy that dress you know you're worth it!!

OK. I'm lucky that I'm currently employed in a position where I can help people dress well and therefor feel better about themselves, everyday. It's funny.. what started out as a "job" meant to keep myself busy during the day while I go back to school has become something more... I'm having fun.. helping other people to have fun. People need to treat themselves... many, many people will not buy anything fun... no matter the price... for themselves. No matter how much they love it, they don't think they're worth it. Well, I'm here to tell them, they ARE.

2.) DRESS the person you are now and the body you have now, NOT the person u see in your mind.

Some people dress like their still 17 but unfortunately they're not! Every body type and every shape can be dressed well and look amazing... the trick is in the details. Pay attention to what you wear, it says a lot about you.

3.) BE HAPPY with what you've got!

If you've got an ass, stop complaining... show that puppy off! If you're thick, damn-it you've got curves... WORK 'EM. There are almost 7 billion people on this planet, we don't all look the same for a REASON. We don't need to dress or act the same either!!

OK... thats enough for this installment of FAHION 101... :)

Britney Spears- Till the World Ends (San Francisco, 3-27-11)

Yo Yo Yo.... Biggy Hooptie in da house!

WHOA! My rap name is Biggy Hooptie!Find out what yours is with the Rap Name Generator
at NamePistol.com

Yes... I AM bored, LOL.

Wisdom from the Holy Shrine of Walmart

  "I can't complain. Who would listen?" said the artificially cheerful and unexpectedly wise Walmart cashier who assisted me last night, in response to my generically offered question "How are you?".   Minutes earlier I had been consumed by my own unfortunateness.  AH! When truth smacks me in the face I have no choice but to acknowledge it.  Why should I allow something so insignificant to others as to not be worthy of their even momentary attention, to consume me.

Well, at least my hair looks awesome.

Friday Night for Pedophiles?

Honestly, I'm still trying to figure this one out.  Which means that it is probably a good topic to write about.  I saw an advertisement for a gay nightclub on The Las Vegas Strip which was once really a lot of fun (BTW I'm gay in case you didn't know!) but in recent years, in my opinion has become kind of well, BORING.  That aside---- this advertisement I saw was for their 18+ Night, meaning anyone 18 years of age and older can enter the club.  Now, this alone doesn't bother me.   I used to be a bored teenager, I get it.  What does bother me, is that the entire night (based on the advertisement) is filled with themes of underage kids being sexually explicit.  It's one thing for a minor to hook up with another minor (under 21 years old say) but clearly these events are not designed for them.  You know how I know this? Mathematics.  They are allowing minors into the club but the club still can't sell them alcohol.  How much money do you think the establishment plans to make from Soda and Juice sales?  Exactly.  The club is planning to lure older men who can buy alcohol, men who want to be surrounded by younger boys.  One of the lines on their well circulated event flyer reads "The Youngest Go-Go Boys" another line read "Hot Young Go-Go Boys in Showers".

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Am I being overly sensitive?  Definitely.  Are some people more or less mature then others?  Like, duh (sarcasm).  Is it possible that some older men are better suited for younger men?  Sure.  To be honest, sure.  However I'm not just talking about some numbers, I'm talking about some people.  For example, take the number 5.  Some might say that a 5 year age difference is ok and in some instances I would agree.  I would agree that a 30 year old and a 35 year old might be well suited for each other,  they both may be at a similar place in their lives,  possibly focusing on their careers and because of what they have in common their ages really are just numbers.

Now, what about an 18 year old and a 23 year old? The same number of 5 years separate their ages but do most 18 and 23 year olds have THAT much in common? I don't think so.  Even a 23 year old has a world of experience I'm willing to bet most all 18 year olds don't.

Think about it reader, now it's your turn!

Do you remember what it was like when you turned 21 and could legally drink? It was different, totally different.  Please.... I was drinking since I was a teenager but I remember turning 21... it changed the game.  How about, when you moved out of your parents home?  Do you remember that?  How did that rock your world?!  Your first real job.... paying rent.... do you remember what the first occurrences of these events in your life felt like?  I've named just a few of dozens of events which have probably happened in the life of most 20 somethings that most 18 year olds can't imagine.

Do I think that a 23 year old who finds an 18 year old attractive is sick? NO. I think maybe that 23 year old is immature and has a crush on a boy in a man's body and unfortunately do to his immaturity can't recognize the young boy in that man's body before his eyes.  It's the same reason I have no interest in 23 year olds, well, ONE of the reasons.

Here's what it boils down to:

At what point and at what age is this sort of behavior unacceptable?  I suppose that if 100 different people were asked, 100 different answers might emerge and undoubtedly some would argue that there is nothing wrong with the behavior.  So let me ask instead, at what age did you, dear reader, look at yourself in the mirror and think (about anything) "I should have known better." ?  I ask because in my opinion it is at that age and at that moment, that such behavior becomes unacceptable.

How terribly judgmental of me.

What's not to love?

I've come to realize that some people are just un-happy. There is nothing more to it then that, their choice. They may live in the most exciting place on earth (Las Vegas) or have the coolest friends (me) but they are determined to be miserable.  I want to say I don't hate these people but they do upset me.  I want to smack the hell out of anyone who thinks Las Vegas sucks.... but still insists on living here! I want to pull the wig off any queen who bitches about how hard it is to find someone to love them when they themselves are only looking for the flaws they can find in someone!  Mostly.... I want to vomit when I remember that I fall into the same trap from time to time.  Happiness is a choice. Why it is that everyone, everyday, myself included, don't always choose to smile will remain a mystery to me for as long as the phenomenon exists. 

Its all about that damn glass being half full or empty.... 

Public Officials routinely turn a blind eye to gay rights... go Anderson Cooper!

I am so happy that the assistant attorney general was finally fired (see video below) but I am deeply disturbed that so much effort had to be made for that result to happen. People who are supposed to be protecting our liberties and following the law are themselves criminal in their actions.

I have to wonder if the same sort of action would be tolerated in an environment that was no so anti-gay, that environment being public office?

From my own personal experience I know that in a "professional" setting being openly gay is frowned upon, "acting" gay is akin to being perceived as un-professional and harassment is virtually ignored when it comes to the concerns of a gay person receiving the harassment.  I knew an Assistant District Attorney here in Las Vegas a few years ago and he and I got into an arguement because he thought that sodomy was illegal in the state of Nevada when I knew for a fact that it wasn't.  I verbally educated him on the law (I have no legal background at all I'm just an informed citizen) and patiently waited while he phoned into the D.A.'s office for verification.  Apparantly, the local Assistant D.A.s can phone in and have people check the NRS (Nevada Revised Statutes) at any time for clarification.  Of course, that was not the end of the story.  My buddy, the Assistant D.A. who also happens to be gay (thought not openly) called into the D.A.s office and spoke with someone (on speakphone) and asked "I need you to check the N.R.S. Is Sodomy illegal in the State?".  The gentleman on the other end of the phone, without pause responded with a resounding "Yes.".  My buddy, the Assistant D.A. turned to me, satisfied in his superior knowledge of the law and hung up the phone.  At that moment I was shocked but not dismayed and turned to my friends computer.  Within minutes, I found several articles online which detailed a court rulling made several years prior which did in fact overturn a previous law in Nevada which outlawed sodomy.  Armed with this new, specific information my confused friend redialed the D.A.s office, spoke with the same gentlemen as earlier and gave him the N.R.S. Chapter specifically to research.  After a moment or two, the gentlemen came back to the phone and in a bewildered tone confirmed the information I had given, that sodomy was no longer illegal in the State of Nevada.

At that moment, I knew that I was in-fact a second class citizen and would have to fight for my rights in this country.

My heart and soul.... in Japanese Gardens.

Zen Garden Images - Images by John Lander

Paris Menswear Fashion Week: Mugler autumn/winter 2011

Paris Menswear Fashion Week: Mugler autumn/winter 2011

My physical icon.... Scott Herman

Check out his website http://www.scotthermanfitness.com

This guys body is amazing and I follow him on facebook, youtube etc... but seriously, I want my body to look exactly like his someday... Really, really inspiring.

Professional Mute

So like so many people I possess the skill of being able to turn myself on "professional mute"-- you know, where you don't speak whats on your mind because it may not be "professional".  Ah, I used to believe that this was a well earned and important skill.  I surely hope I never need to use it again.  I've watched profiles on working for progressive companies like google and facebook and loved the newly imagined "professional" atmosphere.  Why does an office have to be a zombie playground?  For the last 3 years, while being complimented constantly for my professionalism I hardly created anything new for my employer... I just followed orders, kept myself on "professional mute" and delegated.  The problem with the old style of professionalism and where progressive companies will continue to topple over their competition is in the fact that creativity must be nurtured and inspired.  If my employer wants me to cover my tattoos, hide my sexuality, never colour hair etc. etc. they can't possibly expect genuine creativity to come through my work now can they?

I say, out with the old and GET OUT OF MY WAY!

The attempted assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords

This is deeply disturbing for so many reasons but most deeply I feel it is because of the failure of so many public officials over the course of the last several political seasons to carefully consider the divisiveness of their campaigning and the effect it has on the general public.  Sarah Palin (R) for example had, until this tragedy occurred,  a map on her website which specifically targeted "liberal" legislators through-out the country by marking them in the crosshairs of a gun's sight. WHAT WAS SHE THINKING? The former governor of Alaska is not alone, candidates in every state have been  campaigning on the basis of fear while failing to accept responsibility for the real consequences.  Sharon Angle (R) said during the course of her 2010 campaign against Senate Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid (D) that if voters don't get their desired results there may be "2nd Amendment remedies".  Now, Angle claimed afterward that she in no-way meant to insight violence but really, again, what was SHE thinking??  An unstable and upset individual, like the man in Arizona who shot up a dozen or so people today will read into a comment like that and it will only feed his anger possible pushing him to commit an act of violence.  Either public officials like Mrs. Palin and Mrs. Angle are too stupid or too careless to NOT realize their failure to the public in making such statements. Personally, I'd like to believe that it is the result of carelessness and not of ignorance.... because if it is ignorance, I'm truly terrified that such people could be deciding the laws which govern us all.

Hopefully today's events in Arizona will teach both ladies and all public officials to choose their words and their means of campaigning MUCH more carefully. Lives may be at stake.

Kelly Rowland - Rose Colored Glasses

Maybe its that I always route for the "under dog" but I'm really diggin Kelly Rowland recently I feel like she is doing things that are truly creative and stand out from the rest.... this music video is just "OK" (Commander is MUCH more my style) but I really digg the song.

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH VEGAS? Well, for one thing Ms. Kelly was just here performing at Jet Nightclub for New Years and also, like Ms. Kelly Vegas has more then her fair share of critics I predict that both entities will come out on top. Cher once was infamously said on live television while accepting a career achievement award from Billboard.... " (the critics) FUCK 'EM.... I've still got a job!"

Ditto.

We HAVE To Say Something About This Gross Naked Photo Of Adam Levine

We HAVE To Say Something About This Gross Naked Photo Of Adam Levine

Gross? I think its hot.

Scientists Create 52 Artificial Rain Storms in Abu Dhabi�Desert

NOW why don't we try this in Nevada? Seriously!

Scientists Create 52 Artificial Rain Storms in Abu Dhabi�Desert

Vegas from Space

Picture from Nasa taken from the International Space Station of Las Vegas while fireworks were exploding to usher in 2011. Pretty awesome.

New Year 2011

NOTHING and I mean nothing is a bigger event in Las Vegas then New Years Eve... we had some 300,000+ people in town to celebrate and we had a hell of a lot more going on then some ball dropping.... no offense New York but that shtick is old news.  I love seeing this city come to life and be in full effect! Despite having a cold I managed to have a really fun, simple New Years' Eve and was able to celebrate it with my man.... god I love him. You know, the deal is that I have the most perfect personal life I ever have had.  I'm happy, I really am... despite the fact that I am unemployed, I couldn't be happier.  As I look back on 2010; I realize what's really important in life.  I experienced too much drama, way too much stress, lost some "friends" and gained some "enemies".... but here I am, right were I should be.... happy and none of that other B.S. really matters at all.