Social Media Reigns Supreme

Part of what I do for a living is help clients understand the importance and relevance of the technologies offered in the age of new media. Search, Blogging, Affiliates, Online Ad technology and now social media. Social Media has been around for a while but was really ushered into the Interactive scene in 2003 by the popularity of MySpace.com. A simple concept site that allows users to create a page about themselves and connect electronically with their friends has now become the 4th most popular English speaking website in the world. Followers were Friendster, YouTube, Wikipedia, Black planet, Mi Gente�, etc All these sites that allow users to generate their own content (including text, audio, or video) and share it with the world or just a select few. The concept behind these sites is age old. The simple yet complex dynamics of social/familial interaction played out on the web. Friends, groups, belonging, etc. Because social networking specifically appeals to tweens/teen/twenties, these sites have become mainstays within these demographics and of course the advertising world has taken notice. Now there are entire teams dedicated to marketing products/services/advocacy/political/ activism messages on social networking sites. There are people whose jobs are dedicated to infiltrating these networks and spreading a marketing message. A similar tactic has been used by gorilla street marketers for years. Planting marks (usually hot women) in bars and restaurants to start �organic� conversation that leads to a mention of a product. Social Media now facilitates this among friends and other �connected� users in a way that reaches further, faster and more efficiently. It�s a marketers dream.

The only downside to the social media explosion is its tendency to alienate the over 30 crowd. Cute animated fonts, grotesque videos, constant �friends� requests and blaring music aren�t of much interest to people who have real jobs, kids and a mortgage. Id suggest Eons (over 50), LinkedIN (professional), del.icio.us (social book marking) or connexion (if you wanna get laid). No matter what your poison, you�ll find other people out there with the same taste and an entire page dedicated to it. And watch out, we�re watching and marketing to you every chance we can get, whether you know it or not.

Next topic: Why Text Messaging is directly connected to the breakdown of the traditional Family.

Life as I know It..

I fell asleep tonight when I got in from work and woke up about an hour ago. I didn�t know where I was�I actually had to think a minute about where I was. Finally realizing I�m in Washington. I stay in this hotel so much sometimes I can�t remember which trip I am on. I this is my fifth trip since the first of December and its not stopping here. I fly back to Austin on Friday morning and fly out again Friday night for Chicago. I return on Sunday and leave for Los Angeles on Tuesday and return back to Austin on Tuesday. I have scrapped a one day trip to San Francisco the following Saturday in hopes of catching my breath. Then I�m back in Washington the following Monday for a week. I�m not even thinking about the trip overseas I have to take for work soon after that. It�s gotta stop sometime soon. I don�t know where I belong anymore.

I finally got word today that my furniture has cleared customs in Houston and is ready to be shipped to Austin. Of course I have to be there to accept it which can�t happen until next week. I have been given a hard deadline of this Friday to accept the things from US customs or I have to start paying a daily storage rate. Of course the rate is compounded by like 100 because its all sitting in an international shipping container that has been scheduled for a return trip to South America. I still haven�t found a place in Austin to put any of this stuff, so I�m going to have to rent a second storage unit at the same place which will triple my monthly storage cost until I can move it all out into a house. SO, after I land on Friday im going directly to the storage place to sign the contract and hopefully meet the movers when they arrive. Let them in the unit, sign off, go wash some clothes at CH�s, and get back to the airport by 6 for my flight to Chicago.

I�m still getting ridiculous rental proposals. I even had someone try to pull a Nigerian Bank Account scam with a real estate twist (ill share that email soon). All of that and No legit offers. This is insane. I really need to call 20/20 and persuade them to take a break from catching child predators on camera and focus on the Real Estate insanity for a minute. I think people would be just as shocked.

40 Flight Segements Dec 1 through Feb 1:
SJO-DFW-AUS-DFW-DCA-ORD-AUS-DFW-CUN-DFW-AUS-DFW-RDU-DFW-AUS-DAL-TUL-DAL-AUS-DFW-DCA-DFW-AUS-DFW-ORD-DFW-AUS-DFW-LAX-DFW-AUS-DFW-DCA-DFW-AUS-DFW-LHR-FCO-LHR-DFW-AUS��..

Love is in the Air

I sat beside an extremely good looking Air Marshal on my flight here to DC yesterday. It was funny because Air Marshals used to not identify themselves as such, you would just randomly catch a glimpse of their gun strapped to their sides under their coats and hope they had a permit to carry it on. They always typically sit in first class on the aisle 2 rows back. This guy sits down, says hello and proceeds to tell me that this was his 1st flight of the day and he has 3 more to go. When I asked what he did, he flashed his gun and said �I keep these planes in the air�. I immediately felt safe.

Evidentially flights in and out of Washington are chocked full of Air Marshals, which makes sense. If you�ve flown into Reagan National anytime after 911, you�ll certainly remember the strange, grip your seat landing pattern they go through now. As if the flight over the river isn�t concerning enough, tight banked turns 100 meters off the water adds grey icing to the �oh-shit-im-gonna-die� cake.

Whoever is doing the hiring over at the US Air Marshal office gets a platinum star for getting �Mark� to sign up. Not only is he keeping the planes in the air�he�s breakin� hearts all over the country.

More Adventures in Real Estate

OK so I had to share this. I put a �housing wanted� ad out here in Austin in an attempt to secure something short term until I find a house to buy. I get this idiotic response today..

�I have something which might work out for both of us. I have rented a huge brand new house in central austin/ Hyde Park. It has 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms( Glass showers and everything) with two car garrage and a fence for pets. it usually rents for 3500 but the construction completed in late september and i got a really good deal and am leasing it for 1500. I could not find roommates whom i liked and hence i want to vacate this house. If you are ready to pay me 5000 which i have lost on this house because i could not find roommates, i can transfer the lease to you for this house. You wont be disasspointed. The lease runs till July 31st and it cannot be extended because the owner will find people to pay more for this house.

-Tejas�

So this guy wants me to pay him 5K upfront in rents he would have collected since Sept from roommates had he found some �he liked�. Then he�ll transfer the lease into my name for me to continue paying monthly. He told me in a subsequent e mail that he was a PHD candidate in Finance at UT. I told him to QUIT the program immediately before they realize how ignorant he is.

All I can do is laugh at this point.

A Whisky Tango in Tulsa

I spent this past weekend in Tulsa Oklahoma and had a fantastic time despite the 3.2 alcohol content beers. MN did a bang up job of introducing his fair city to us. We had some good food, met his prairie-fab friends and generally enjoyed ourselves there in the buckle of the Bible belt. Sometime I think bigger/smaller towns are just my size. Small enough to rise to the top quickly, big enough to keep you interested for more than a month. I did leave with house envy; M�s place is exactly what I�m looking for here in Austin�except $250,000 cheaper.

We saw THIS monstrosity from a distance. Oral Roberts �vision from god� was the tallest hospital in the world for a long time. It�s always great to see crazy immortalized in steel and glass. I also learned that Oklahoma is home to the only skyscraper designed by Frank Lloyd Wright that was ever built. He called it �the tree that escaped the forest� because it was built literally on the prairie in Bartlesville and its design relied on one central core (or trunk) that was sunk into the ground like a root. Not my style, but fascinating nonetheless.

I�m glad I visited the Sooner State; Oklahoma had long been on my shit list. Ever since I spent a scary weekend in a tent on a mountain with a guy who admitted to having sex with his own brother, but that�s another story in and of itself

Tulsa A Gays


There aren't words...

Gourmet Goodness

Austin is the home of Whole Foods, if you know anything about Austin, that shouldn�t surprise you. It started here in a small store on Lamar blvd and the flagship store has seen several iterations since. While I was away from TX, they built and moved into the largest WF space in the world (80,000 sq ft). Like Donald trump would say, �It�s huge and luxurious�. The parking sucks�but it�s �Huge and Luxurious�, so that somehow makes up for it. My friends and I affectionately refer to whole foods as �Whole Paychecks� , Because that�s about what you�ll spend shopping there. I guess wheat germ and spelt just beg for a higher sticker price.

Whole foods is really good for a lot of things, but especially good for three things.

1. If you feel at home among WASPY soccer parents pushing $1000.00 baby strollers then visit Whole foods. They are everywhere. Moms in velour track suits, dad�s suffering in silent desperation. It�s the end of a marriage waiting to happen and you can have a front row seat.

2. Enjoy watching hippie counter-culture types buy socially aware food items even though they can�t afford it? Visit Whole foods. There are aisles and aisles of organic, free range, and other non-conflict food items priced above and beyond what�s acceptable and it seems like the only people buying them are people who wear tattered clothes don�t bathe daily?!

3. Need motivation to go to the gym? Shopping at whole foods you often feel like the ugliest, most out-of-shape, un-healthy person that ever walked the earth. Time spent among the other Whole foods shoppers (with exception of those described in #2) will have you re thinking your position on Yoga and Pilates.

I must say, it is nice to shop among people who actually put items back where they originally found them and clean up their own messes on Aisle 4. If you�re hungry and a little low on cash, you can peruse the free samples and almost enjoy a 4 course meal with wine and desert without feeling bad about it.. Most importantly, Whole Foods is a very socially aware organization that does give back to the world community in many ways. That seems like the honorable thing to do with their 150% markup

A Tribute To My Namesake

Picture it.. Houston, 1998.. there I was pretending to work out at the Q on Post Oak and this strange blonde fellow named Rob comes up to me and asks me if he could use the machine I was leaning on at the time. I obliged, and there started a strange friendship that has stood the test of time, distance and a name change (Ill get to that). So my new friend Rob, another bud named Jason F and yet another friend named Jason W all become fast friends. Among our friends we were affectingly referred to as the �Jason�s (�and rob)�. So there we were three Jason�s and one Rob W living and learning in the big city of Houston. As time moved on, we all went our separate ways and I lost touch with Rob.

Fast forward to 2002. I�m living miserably in South Florida and my then boyfriend and I decide to check out the Ft. Lauderdale GLBT Expo. While were there, there was a huge poster advertising the musical performance acts that day and low and behold I saw Rob�s face smack dab in the middle of it. BUT�the name under his face didn�t say Rob� it Said Jason. AND he had a singing sidekick named Demarco. They were called Jason and Demarco. In shock and awe, I made my way to the stage after their performance and we enjoyed each others company for a short while. I came to find out that the name change was in tribute to the �Houston Jasons�, which of course included myself. So if I die tomorrow, I can claim that I played a small part in the making of a Gay-Christian-Spirit-Pop-Crossover duo that�s taking metropolitan community churches and local gay bars by the balls. Figuratively of course.

Anyway�in a tribute to my old friend Rob..�here�s a promo for the documentary film about their lives...

Realtor Ridiculousness

New Car�New Title�what�s missing?�.New House� That�s right folks�yet another botched real estate deal under my bell due to realtor incompetence. This ones going to make its way to the State Board of realtors courtesy of, um, myself. I�m almost 100% positive I got inched out over cost, after a contract was singed. That�s a no no! So I�m homeless�I have a houseful of furniture slowly making it�s it�s way to Austin from Central America and no where to put it when it gets here. Maybe it will have to join my other things already in storage here so my storage costs will officially become insane. I�d love that�What I do know is that I�m tired of playing this ridiculous game here in Austin. I have all but lost all respect for all local realtors. If they aren�t money grubbing, opportunistic A-holes�they are doing a fine job of acting like them.

Now, I need to make a groveling phone call to the place I passed up last week�I hope his sense of pride wont supersede his need for $$.

Reach Out and Forget Someone

My mom asked me tonight if I have heard from a certain ex BF recently. As I replied no, I realized how strange it is that neither he nor I have made the effort to reach out to each other in over a year. He is just simply not a �keep in touch� person and I honestly don�t think about him enough to remember to. That being said, after our conversation, I started thinking about the 4 years we spent together, realizing that despite our many and varied differences, we had a pretty good thing going for while. It�s funny how time tempers emotions and helps push memories back over to the positive side. Our breakup was relatively painless and absolutely called for. It ended my misery and helped set certain important things in my life in motion. That being said, It does bother me that he does not feel compelled to keep in touch.

While wondering how people can detach themselves from those kinds of situations so easily, I realized that�s exactly what I�ve done. So I�m throwing stones in a glass house here I guess. Moving forward, I only involve myself with people who I feel are post-relationship contact-capable. I�m tired of carrying all of the keep-in-touch weight.

Francisco calls me internationally twice a day, everyday. Yes, it�s too much�but I don�t mind right now. It�s nice to know that despite your relationship being over, you can still connect as human beings who shared an important life experience. It's worth the $5.00 a minute.

Southern By the Grace of God

I�ve spent the last 5 days with my Family in my hometown in the deep south. Everytime I come home I feel more and more disconnected from the traditions of southern culture. While many people may look down on southerners due to their set (often antiquated) ways, I must admit, I do appreciate the sense of style and grace that my people wear on their sleeves. Don�t let NC�s motto fool you (The Old North State), North Carolina is chocked full of southern charm and culture, there�s nothing �Northern� about it.

I put together my version of the Southern ABC�s in case I ever need a little reminder:

Azaleas
Bowl Weevils
Cheerwine
Debutantes
Egg Salad
Fat Back
Giblets
Hurricanes
I.O.U�s
Jogglin Boards
Kin
Low Country
Magnolias
Northern aggression
Outer Banks
Pig Pickin's
Quilts
Roaches
Sleeping Porches
Tomato Aspic
Uncle Tom�s Cabin
Virginia Dare
White gloves
Xxtra sweet tea
Yes Maam
Zinnias

Long Distance Dedication

It's almost Christmas and I'd like to dedicate this entry to a good friend of mine in Austin who recently had a falling out of sorts with his family, and as a result is spending the holiday alone. I just want him to know that Im thinking about him tonight.

Memoirs of an Upgrader

I�m wondering if people agree with me that children under 16 should not be allowed to upgrade to first class on airplanes? I have had several flights lately where I have been joined by multiple children taking up desirable seats in the front of the plane thanks to their executive platinum millennium diamond flying parents. Luckily, I have not been displaced out of the premium class by any kids, but I see it coming soon. I watch all the other would-be upgraders walk by on their way to misery class and get very upset when they see a 3 year old sprawled out in the big seat wiping their shitty diapers all over the nice leather seats. I don�t blame them.

I�m not sure when the �kids belong everywhere� memo got sent out. It certainly wasn�t before I hit adulthood. It was always understood that there are certain places that children just don�t belong. Nice restaurants, bars, concerts and yes, first class on long flights. In fact, plane trips were not really much of option for us as kids. My parents knew better than to subject 250 other people to our consistent fighting and tantrums.

I think I�m going to send a letter to American Airlines suggesting a ban on adolescent upgraders. They need to do their time in the back of the plane like I did. Im off to catch my connection home..Im keeping my fingers crossed that I wont have to babysit along the way.

Gift Idea #1

Ok...so it's low (low, low, low) brow...but you gotta admit its damn funny.

Mayan Melee

I enjoyed 4 days in Mexico this past week. 7 friends from around the country convened in the Yucatan for some pre Christmas sun. Beautiful weather framed a fantastic time. We sailed, jet skied, swam, sunned, ate, enjoyed free flowing libations and found as much trouble as humanly possibly. It was a perfect precursor to the holidays and all the hard work the New Year is going to bring.

Our room with a view



















Poolside















NY Tom takes us sailing














One for the scrapbook

One night in Mexico

Because there are reputations and jobs at stake here..my vaca recap has been limited to photographs...oh, and one video that could bring down a future white house. Names have been included solely for the purpose of embarrassing the guilty.

Steven, Jim and Charles looking collegiate



















Steven and Jason in between a spring break inspired licquor shot














Stevens underwear ends up in his hands....somehow...














Charles beligerency caught on tape

Here in Limboland

Until my new place reveals itself, I�ve been playing bedroom bingo and crashing in between several friends� places. One is in a suburb of Austin called Georgetown. Georgetown is home to Sun City, and about 25,000 Christmas sweater wearing, �my kid is an honor student� touting, �watch me simultaneously drive my 2 ton SUV and talk on the cell phone� soccer moms. It�s amazing how the demographic changes proportionately to the distance from the center of Austin. To the north we have mostly the aforementioned demo. To the South, most of them don�t remember much about the 60�s and have let their now-million dollar properties fall into ruin as not to disturb the rodent and insect life cohabitating in the walls. To the East, Well�Hola Como Estas! Fiesta forever and Katrina victims/refugees/survivors/whatever they're called now. And to the west, the Californians and Nuevo dot comers have dotted the landscape with grotesquely large homes, even bigger egos and their bratty, oxycontin jacked-up kids.

Central Austin is clearly for me. It�s a mix of it all, but really mostly has retained it�s WASPY vibe. I rented a perfect house in the perfect neighborhood, then had renters remorse and cancelled the transaction. I just have a hard time throwing down 1700 a month and not getting at least a dishwasher and a walk in closet. I�m determined to find something feasible to tie me over until I find a something to buy. I�m totally working against the grain here as the government session is kicking in January so all the congressmen, lobbyist and other hanger-ons are here looking for rentals, and the landlords are very familiar with their deep pockets. I know the tide will change, I just hope it�s soon�those Christmas sweaters are looking nicer everyday and I will for sure lose my gay card if I spend one more Friday night drinking margaritas at a themed chain resturant with a 1 hour wait.

Travel Ease

Tired of scouring all the travel sites for the best deal? If you haven't already, check out my new best friend, Kayak.com. It does all the work for you. I love it when someone "gets it" and creats a worthwhile product. Two thumbs waaay up.

IKEA Identity

Like a Penguin living in Miami, IKEA has hit the suburbs here in Austin. The store has opened in Round Rock, which is about 15 miles north of Austin. IKEA typically locates itself adjacent to major metropolitan areas (Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas) and caters to hipster urbanites who appreciate high style at economical prices�Round Rock Texas is pick-up drivin, tobaccao chewin�, deer hunting, bonafide �mom jeans� territory. These people spend their days scrap booking and sponge painting their country kitchens; they typically don�t appreciate scandi styled home furnishings and accoutrements. I heard a lady today comment on the store �What the hell kind of stuff is this?� Her shopping companion replied �its total shit, you gotta put everything together yourself and it all looks like cheap space furniture�. I thought to myself; god bless these ladies. Not only do they have terrible Texas hair and jeans with elastic waste bands�they wouldn�t know sophistication if Jesus Christ himself showed it to them at church on Sunday.

I browsed the aisles watching the Round Rockers react poorly to just about everything in the store. Confused looks, and empty stares everywhere, it was priceless. Every once in a while Id pass a wayward Austinite or random gay man who clearly appreciates the simplicity of Euro style. Like peas in a pod we would gravitate towards the same items and look for acknowledgment from one another before venturing out into another isle filled with style-less rednecks.

FYI: IKEA: Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunaryd

Death Metal Mayhem

I've had this scary goth metal (yet indulgingly catchy) Eurotrash video on my ipod since I discovered these people in Italy this summer. I watched it last night and had nightmares about needles and razor blades. Dont ever mix Tylenol PM and terribly executed vampirish videos before bedtime. Im left wondering (1) How they shot this video with a straight face, and (2) Did they ever get all that eyeliner off?

Looks Familiar

After lugging 4 huge suitcases in a cab, landing in a snow in Dallas and experiencing a wind shear that almost took the plane down on approach, I finally made it back to Austin in one piece. I am glad that I will not ever have to endure another conversationless first class flight to/from Costa Rica again. Those flights seems to attract very tight lipped Expats who look at you like your crazy when you ask them anything about themselves. I should probably get caught up on the US Most Wanted list so I can cash in on Oprah�s 10K catch-a-criminal giveaway. Im positive I have shared seat space with at least 5 of them.

I�ve just started to acclimate to my life back in the US. I noticed last night that I didn�t �shake out� my bedding for the first time since leaving Costa Rica. The insect quotient here in the capital of Texas isn�t nearly as life threatening. I went to the grocery store and enjoyed browsing thousands of products rather than a select few with quickly approaching expiration dates. I enjoyed a true piece of Steak that didn�t relegate me to the bathroom for 3+ days. I had a halleluiah moment in Target, bought some sneakers for under 100 bucks and kicked back in my Starbucks addiction once again. It didn�t take much for me to realize how spoiled we are here in the US. The civil road behavior alone is enough to convert any Tico to the American way of life.

I�m quickly reassembling my life back together. I bought a big boy car on Saturday so now I can pull up in my office in style. Stratocade hosted another famous Sunday Brunch so I got to reconnect with my local peeps. I�ve got an appointment to check out some houses this afternoon. So hopefully soon I can retire my houseguest status. Everything seems to be going smoothly.

I�ve already started working, so I haven�t missed a beat. I�m kinda proud of myself for dealing with the inevitable, pulling it all together and executing a big transition while avoiding a major disaster. Snaps for Jason.