G.R.i.D. (Get Rich in Dallas)

Nuff said.

I just received this letter from the NLGJA. It says everything. 

With great sadness, we would like to inform
NLGJA members that Dennis Vercher III, editor of the
Dallas Voice and a former NLGJA Dallas
Chapter president, passed away Wednesday. Dennis
was 53 and died from an HIV/AIDS-related illness.

Dennis, editor of the Voice since 1986, was
NLGJA Dallas Chapter president from 1999-2002. He
also served as a co-chair of NLGJA’s national
convention in that city in 2001. Prior to joining the
Voice, his work included positions as news
director and public affairs director for radio stations
in Beaumont, TX, as well as an adjunct instructor at
Lamar University in Beaumont.

Dennis had a profound impact on the local LGBT
landscape. His work for the Voice over the
last two decades contributed greatly to and
chronicled some important times in the region for the
LGBT communities, including a surge in visibility for
LGBT people in day-to-day Dallas life; battles over
nondiscrimination ordinances, HIV/AIDS treatment
and sodomy laws; and growth in LGBT political
strength. He was one of the most knowledgeable
people about LGBT Dallas and was prominently
featured in “Finding Our Voice,” a locally-produced
public television special about Dallas’ LGBT
communities.

Dennis was also highly-regarded by other journalists
in the Dallas area. As Frank Trejo of the Dallas
Morning News reflected this morning, “In the
mid-1990s I covered LGBT-related news and had
numerous occasions to communicate with Dennis. He
was always willing to help me make contact with
people in the community and always willing to share
information. And, he knew exactly what made a good
news story. He also was one of the nicest people I
have ever met.”

He was honored Sept. 15 for his career in journalism
and contributions to the local LGBT communities by
the Dallas Tavern Guild, a non-profit association
responsible for producing the annual Alan Ross Texas
Freedom and Pride Rally.

Dennis is survived by his life partner, Farron Campbell
of Dallas; his father, Dennis Vercher II, of Orange,
TX; his brother and sister-in-law, James and Janice
Vercher of Lufkin, TX; and his brother and
sister-in-law, Don and Donna Vercher of
Orange.

Funeral services are pending.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dennis’ family, as
well as his friends and colleagues in Dallas and
throughout NLGJA.

Eric Hegedus

National President

Pamela Strother

Executive Director

Thank you Merritt and Jen for the shout out on your blog about my blog. Ahhh…feels like a blog family. Living in a blog cabin.

And in the same tradition, I’ve added local author Will Clarke’s blog to Hot Blog! on your right side of the screen. If you haven’t read his stuff, do it right now. This instant. A genius and really one of the nicest and most gracious people I’ve ever met. His blog is purty clever too.

My good friend Troy is turning in this column for his school’s newspaper, the East Texan. Well, I think that’s the name of it. Come to find out, they don’t have a web version of said paper. And this a university? Their website was even gettin’ on me nerves.

So I’m pasting it up here unedited. I hope it doesn’t cut off anywhere!

Don’t lose your head over the first penis transplant

Column 10/4/6

By Troy Brakefield

It had to happen.

It was going to happen. And this past September, a month marred by tragedies of all sorts, it finally did.

A miracle, if you will, that will go down in history. In China, surgeons completed the first successful penis transplant.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “It’s nothing to lose your head over.”

Ouch. (I apologize for that and the rest of this article’s adolescent remarks.

I came across the piece, er, story while browsing through Yahoo News, my new source of weird junk on this planet. The head(snicker)line read, “First penis transplant reversed after two weeks.”

Kinda catches your right there, doesn’t it? I know I’ve joked about sex before — I’m a guy! – but this is something that is not a joking matter for any man with a penis. Or those without one for that matter.

The piece (never mind) tells of how Dr. Weilie (is it pronounced “willie?”) Hu and surgeons at the Guangzhou (rhymes with “hangs low?”) performed the operation on a man “whose penis had been damaged in a traumatic accident.”

I don’t know what Associated Press writer wrote this story, but any accident involving a penis is pretty much going to be “traumatic.” My two-year-old grazed me once with his shoe, and that was “traumatic” enough for me. (Inhale. Exhale. You’ll survive if you just stay calm.)

Continuing, the article says the “microsurgery” was successful in attaching the penis which was donated from a 22-year-old brain dead man by his parents. The recipient asked for it to be removed after two weeks citing “severe psychological problems.”

A few things: One, did the writer have to say “microsurgery?” I can’t help but think that this brings to mind stereotypes of Oriental men’s members. And that’s just plain wong, er, wrong. (Once again, I apologize.)

Two, I don’t care who you are or how Schiavo-brain-dead your body is, no guy would agree to have his penis given to another guy. (Mom, Dad – how could you?)

And third, if, and I mean IF, my penis was given to another man (wince), how dare he ask for it to be removed! Seriously, the guy couldn’t have sex or even urinate for eight months before the operation. After he got it, he could use the bathroom within 10 days! And then the jerk (watch the puns) wants to give it back? Like Grandma would say, “That’s just bad manners!” And besides, how do I know where it’s been?

And of course the writer had to use the quote from the doctor that ended with “the transplanted penis regretfully had to be cut off.”

Once again, words I could have done without: “regretfully” (you don’t have to tell me) and “cut off” (I GET THE PICTURE!).

More thoughtfully written text: “There had been no signs of the 10-centimetre (4-inch) organ being rejected by the recipient’s body.”

Hmmm … I believe the author is describing the width of the transplanted member. At least that’s what he tells the ladies. (Yes, it’s juvenile penile humor.)

Mr. Funny AP Writer also got a second opinion from a Dr. Yoram (I’m just guessing the accent is on “ram”) Vardi (rhymes with “hard-y”) at the Rambam (honest to God) Medical Center in Israel. According to Vardi, future surgeries such as this can advance contemporary medicine with proper selection and “thorough informed consent of the patient.” Why does the “informed consent” part make me think of Body-Snatcher-like crazed doctors doing penile transplants to unsuspecting men by the cover of a new moon? (That’s the original Body Snatcher with Lugosi and Karloff.)

But perhaps the strangest part of this tale is the “why.”

Why did a man decide to return his new penis? What could motivate such an action that defies reason and understanding? How could he have the cajones (sigh) to do such a thing?

Love.

That’s got to be it. It’s the only thing that makes sense to me.

According to Hu, “The patient finally decided to give up the treatment because of the wife’s psychological rejection, as well as the swollen shape …”

Wow. To be able to do that for your wife is just amazing.

What was her problem? Was it the 10-centimetres thing? Or the swollen part? The color? Honey, speak to me please!

There is no way I would ever do it. No way, no how, ain’t gonna happen, baby. Forget the sex angle; this guy is probably going to have to have a spigot installed to use the restroom? If it’s a choice between you and my “guy” – see ya! Am I wrong, fellas? If there is a man who can read this that would choose his wife over his “boy,” say something.

That’s funny, I don’t hear anything.

It just got so quiet, you could hear a penis drop.

I’ll be here worrying about my anxiety attack looking through the glass floor 33 stories down.

There are three examples on television right now that hint to me that television advertising is for crap. I looked everywhere online but can’t find the commercials to put on here which doesn’t do much to the point I’m trying to make. But if you have seen or unintentionally get to see the commercials for the following companies, please tell me if I’m wrong. I just wish they didn’t saturate my Good Morning America.

Could this guy have the LEAST personality ever? Him as a Dallas Cowboy? A Dallas Star? A Rodeo roper? Unlikely.

And I’m sick of this guy’s bad acting and childish vanity. We get it. You’re voted #1 over and over. Now hire an actor.

And the WORST of them all! These darn Kiwi Carpet Cleaning commercials display probably some of the worst ad writing ever! Enough so that I would never call these guys. A green wig on every actor in every commercial. Gee…how novel. Kiwi lover? Hell no.

Whew! Ok, I feel better.

I might be here tonight. That is if my friends hurry up and call me. It’s already 10:30 and my work buddies have been up there for over an hour!

I’m just hoping my friends want to come down here from G-Town. Gasp! Phone call!

Okaaaaaaay….

So it looks like either here or here. But not Dada.

Thanks to Wee Demon for giving me a nod on her blog and adding me to her blog roll. And apparently GRID is sexy.

I told ya I brought it back!

OK, so during my work I found this place. Doesn’t sound so bad. Have one for me.

TEN Sports Grill - $2 top ten shots.

But hurry! Ya got an hour before HH is over.