Transgendered and on Facebook UPDATED 01-31-10

We usually enjoy that back and forth motion
but this isn't getting us anywhere near a climax.

Here's my scientific wild ass guess as to what's going on with Dominic Scaia.
Someone, probably just one person, keeps reporting his photo as offensive. I think Facebook should consider the source on this one.


Here's the story

The Truth Will Set You Free

I've been saying that education is the key, the answer to the question "why are trans or gay people (who are just trying to live their lives and have equality)  so despised?"

Lack of education, *false beliefs and peer pressure keep us in the dark from earliest childhood.

So, education has to start early, as in kindergarten or earlier with parents taking charge but most are already "brainwashed."
You certainly couldn't have gender variance taught in public elementary school or preschool, where it would really make a difference (or is it being done somewhere besides this private school) because of Christian fundamentalists and others that are just afraid of change.

Some will say "God doesn't make mistakes," and that "we are born either male or female." I agree that the Almighty doesn't make mistakes but He does make everything in nature different. Why is that so hard for people to understand? Nature is gloriously and infinitely diverse.

Can people not see the beauty in the diversity of nature? Unfortunately, most cannot because our minds are clouded from infancy. Our parents did the best they could based on their pasts, as did their parents and so on. Old ideas are ingrained and our environments tend to keep things as they've always been. We perpetuate old ideas by participating in rituals. We keep ourselves "brainwashed." Because of this, I cannot fault anyone for the way they think. I can, however, fault them for not trying to think.

What does it say for Christians, or for that matter, anyone so against this truth of nature, that they feel hatred? Do not most faith based religions believe that love is the ultimate goal? And along with love, acceptance?

What does it take to break through minds that are consumed with the idea that theirs is the "only right answer?"

All I can do as one person, is live the life I was given in the most loving and forgiving way I can.
 




*Not implying any religion.

She Becomes Another Sad Statistic

And to add insult to
injury, death in this case...

Trans Woman Killed, Media Calls Her Male

 By Advocate.com Editors 

The half-naked body of a 51-year-old trans woman was found last week in a vacant lot in the Montrose area of Houston, Texas. But reports of Myra Ical’s death have been salacious at best, with mainstream media referring to Myra as a man, saying the area where her body was found was known by police to be frequented by prostitutes and drug users.

The Houston Chronicle reported that Ruben Dario Ical “also went by the name of Myra Chanel Ical” and that “he had numerous bruises and defensive wounds, as if he had struggled against his attacker.”

Police told The Chronicle the area is “well-known spot where homeless people camp and is frequented by prostitutes and drug users.”

Human Rights Campaign board member and Pride Houston president Meghan Stabler submitted a strongly worded letter on behalf of the two organizations to media covering Ical’s murder, urging reporters to “use fair, accurate and inclusive reporting” when covering LGBT issues.

Reads the letter: “On Monday January 18 the brutal murder of Myra Ical occurred in Houston. She is a transgender woman but the media continue to use male pronouns along with colorful statements about being found in an area known for drugs and prostitution. This lazy and irresponsible journalism shows the amount of ignorance about transgender issues that is rampant among far too many reporters despite the existence of resources to help them report accurately.”

The letter then links to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s Media Reference Guide.

A candlelight vigil in memory of Ical will be held in the lot where her body was found. Click here for more information. 

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When will the media have some respect? When they are educated. 

When will we as trans people have some understanding and empathy? 

When the public is educated.

A Sucking Problem

Has this ever happened to you?
You're doing a job, one you perform tirelessly and faithfully...


You're sucking along, rhythmically like you always do and by now the job should be finished but no. You've tried different techniques, going faster, slower, pushing and pulling but nothing seems to work and you're baffled, right?

Well, here's what's wrong. It is a fairly rare occurrence but that hose, or pipe or whatever pet name you have for it can actually become clogged. Here are some tips to get the clog out:

Hold that hose straight up and slap it silly, up and down it's entire length.

Wire coat hangers are one of our favorite gadgets to use but in this situation, you may have to twist several of them together to reach really deep.

Electricians and some DIY'ers will have some Romex on hand. Try shoving that down the tube.

If you have an air compressor, you could blow out the clog but that may be a bit messy. Just take your air compressor hose and push it through to avoid a possible blow-back in the face.

If that doesn't work, you could drop a heavy ball bearing, screwdriver, etc to dislodge the nasty clog. We're not joking about it being nasty, either. You can expect to find everything from hairballs to cigarette butts in there.

Aside all that,
the design of many vacuum cleaners allow you to detatch the hose from it's normal sucking position and place it on the exhaust side so that it blows.This may be the easiest way to rid yourself of the clog and finish that job!

Stage Play in El Paso Texas

Thoughts like this confirm that we are socially programmed. and not in a good way. "There are so many kids on the verge of suicide. They're sure their family and friends will never speak to them again. They're sure they are horrible people" There is a stage a play for National Coming Out Day in El Paso Texas called "Out of the Closet and Into the Fire." It uses real life stories from our community to send the message that no matter if you are gay, straight, trans or anything in between, all of us have our share of human struggle. I hope they get the movie deal because it sounds like something that a lot of straight people would go to see. It could erase some of that programming.

'Out of the Closet:' Coming-out play draws on universal fears and struggles

Let's Go to the Beach!

We didn't intend this blog to be a rehash of the news but we just can't help ourselves when we get excited! We like the term (they use here) "Human Rights Law" rather than "Equal Rights." While both are accurate, we believe that when the homophobic side of our society hears "Equal Rights" they immediately turn the deaf ear.

Commission passes new Human Rights law

Jan, 21, 2010 01:15 AM - Miami Herald (FL)

Jan. 21--Miami Beach, long considered a petri dish for progressive legislation, once again may be at the forefront of Florida's civil rights debate after city leaders passed a new Human Rights law, activists and attorneys say.

The City Commission last week voted to update and rename its 1992 Human Relations ordinance, agreeing to a new process for dealing with discrimination complaints, language protecting the city's transgender population and stiff penalties, including up to $15,000 in fines, for those found by the city to be guilty of discrimination.

The new law also creates a city Human Rights Commission, similar to those that already exist at the state and county level.

"I believe it is probably the first in the state that goes this far," City Attorney Jose Smith said of the ordinance.

The legislation, sponsored by former Commissioner Victor Diaz Jr., grew out of concern that the 2008 passage of Amendment 2, a statewide voter referendum that limited marriage to a union between a man and a woman, would weaken Miami Beach's laws regarding domestic partnerships.

Diaz, who is openly gay, said the result is one of the strongest human rights measures in the country and a reaffirmation that Miami Beach is committed to equal rights.

"This is about being again at the forefront, at the cutting edge of these issues," Diaz said. "So when people say 'Gee, where should I live? Where do I feel safest? Where do I feel I can express myself and raise children and love my partner and contribute to my community without any fear of discrimination?' they say Miami Beach."

Diaz stressed that the legislation was a win for all people, but acknowledged that the new, updated measure has great significance for Miami Beach's gay community, considering state and federal laws do not offer the same protections covered under the city's new law.

Miami-Dade County has legislation banning discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, but Robert Rosenwald, director of the LGBT advocacy project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said Miami Beach's law goes further in protecting all people, particularly those who are gay or transgender. And Rosenwald, like others, hopes Miami Beach's updated legislation will begin a move by the state and county toward a tougher stance against discrimination.

"Miami Beach is the starting point for all progressive legislation in the state, bar none," said Rosenwald, who helped in crafting the new measure. "Where Miami Beach goes first, we hope the state will follow. So it is absolutely essential that Miami Beach's ordinance be clear, and that it have terminology that is currently appropriate and that it have teeth. This ordinance accomplishes all of those things."

CJ Ortuno, executive director of SAVE Dade, a gay rights organization, also hopes the new measure will make a splash with state legislators. He said his organization often lobbies Miami-Dade representatives, pushing them to support amendments to the state's current civil rights statute to extend more protection to gays and lesbians.

But one of Miami Beach's own state representatives is skeptical that the new law will have any impact.

"The state of Florida has a very conservative Legislature," said Luis Garcia, Jr., D-Miami Beach. "To be honest with you, I don't think that type of legislation will be passed in this day and time. Maybe years from now."

And Miami Beach must first prove that its own measure is actually making a difference inside its own boundaries, said Matthew Dietz, a Miami civil rights attorney.

Funding is a priority, Dietz said, considering that the city must pay for investigations into complaints and, potentially, prosecution, should mediation break down.

Dietz points to the county's Commission on Human Rights where, according to the county's website, five staff members handle a county of 2.4 million people.

"They're extremely overworked and overburdened," he said.

City Manager Jorge Gonzalez said no funding is currently alloted for investigating complaints but there are options, such as applying for grants, should costs become an issue.

Dietz also said the city -- which, according to a memo, has received just one discrimination complaint in 18 years -- must effectively promote the new legislation and the ability to file complaints.

"If Miami Beach follows through, is adequately staffed and enforces it and gets word out," Dietz said, "then I think it can make a huge difference."

Miami Beach

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Copyright (c) 2010, The Miami Herald

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Knee Jerk Offs

We are guilty of jerking, too. Everyone does now and then, especially when the mood is already hot. We believe that it is far better to take things nice and easy. Slow down and don't get overly excited and shoot off mindlessly and prematurely. It just makes one look stupid.

Secretary of State candidate Paul Scott campaigns against changes on ID for transgender individuals

"I will make it a priority to ensure transgender individuals will not be allowed to change the sex on their driver's license in any circumstance."

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Slow down, Cowboy! Under any circumstances? Even after surgery? Well, that's what the idiot said. I am thoroughly disgusted with people, especially our elected or appointed leaders, who spend zero time trying to understand an issue before making a judgement. Now pardon me while I go scream in the street.

Good News, Bad News

First, the bad news: "A forthcoming national study of 6,450 transgender people by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality finds that transgender workers face rampant discrimination. A whopping 97 percent say they been mistreated, harassed or discriminated against at work, while 47 percent have lost a job, been denied a promotion or been rejected in the hiring process as a direct result of being transgender. The study also finds that transgender people have twice the unemployment rate of the general population." But the good news is: "...on Jan. 1, the Obama administration updated the Equal Opportunity Statement on the federal jobs Web site to explicitly include gender identity. No longer should anyone looking for a job with the federal government be discriminated against because of the job seeker’s gender identity." The full story is here.

If Cuba Can, Why not US

Cuba performing state-sponsored sex change surgery

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ Associated Press Writer

Posted: 01/19/2010 01:44:26 PM MST

HAVANA—Cuba has begun performing state-sponsored sex-change operations after the government lifted a longtime ban on the procedure in 2007, President Raul Castro's daughter said Tuesday.

A sexologist and gay-rights advocate, Mariela Castro runs the Center for Sex Education, which prepares transsexuals for sex-change operations and identifies Cubans it deems ready for the procedure.

Speaking to reporters during the fifth Cuban Conference on Sexual Education, Orientation and Therapy, Castro said surgeries began in 2008 but would not specify exactly how many have been performed or how much they cost.

She said only that Cuban doctors working with Belgian counterparts have gotten to "less than half" of the 30 islanders approved to undergo the procedure.

Cuba identified 122 people who wanted to have sex changes in 1979 and performed the first successful operation nine years later, but subsequent sex-change procedures were prohibited, Castro added.

The operations are covered by Cuba's universal health care system, even though some have protested the decision to allow them—either because of general opposition to the procedure or due to its high costs for a developing country with economic problems.

"We schedule a certain number per year based on economic circumstances," Castro said, adding that, because of budget constraints, sex changes are not offered to foreigners who travel to Cuba for medical care.

Castro said Tuesday that she plans to prepare a letter to the leadership of Cuba's Communist Party urging authorities to draft a measure directing that homosexuals not be barred from joining the party.

Such a decree would be similar to one approved in the 1990s expressly allowing Cubans of all religious affiliations to join.

Gays are not technically banned from the Communist Party, but Castro said such a measure would help better cement their role in politics.

Castro also said her center will continue to push the single-party government to rewrite civil codes and recognize same-sex unions, though not full gay marriage.

However, she said the group has stopped pushing for same-sex couples to be allowed to adopt children, saying Cuba's legal code provides no means for such a move.

In The News Today

Flo McGarrell:

transgender artist dies in Haiti earthquake

(please click the NECN.com link for the video report) Flo McGarrell, a 35-year-old artist from Vermont who lived in Haiti, is among the Americans confirmed dead as a result of the catastrophic earthquake that occurred there on January 12. According to NECN.com, McGarrell and a friend started to leave a hotel where they were having a drink when the quake began, but McGarrell went back for his computer and was lost in the collapse of the building. McGarrell moved to Haiti to pursue his art. He began a transition from female to male five years ago. “That is Flo’s wish — to be remembered as a man,” McGarrell’s mother said in an NECN video. Although McGarrell’s parents still use a female pronoun when referring to him, NECN uses male pronouns in its report. The news report is very respectful of McGarrell's identity. At the time of NECN’s report, McGarrell’s body had not been found. McGarrell’s Web site, which features his art, can be found here. Thanks to LGBT POV for additional information.

*****************************

Rest in piece, Mr McGarrell. Thank you NECN for being understanding and respectful.

Things You Didn't Know about Cocks

Explained by your connoisseurs of cock. As you know, cocks come in all shapes and sizes and there are many different names for them but when it comes to function, they all do pretty much the same thing. Since we've had a tough time with our plumbing all our lives, we're not going to tell you how to work with yours. At the same time, we do work on pipes. We think we're pretty good at it but since plumbing isn't our strongest suit, we like to bone up on it when it's time to get to work. Recently we replaced a friend's drippy old tap with a nice fresh one. Yes, we have some very refined skills. Everyone that sees this thing knows that it is all business! Really, it is pretty amazing. You wouldn't believe the pressure build up that it takes to finally make this thing shoot off! Anyway... Our neighbor's water heater started leaking and we replaced the valve (or cock) that is very important in keeping water heaters safe. It's commonly called a pressure valve, or relief valve and they aren't hard to replace. I should have done a pictorial for the site but um... my camera batteries were dead. Yea, that's it! Dead batteries. Aunt May's Glossary: Sample Cock - According to Wikipedia, it has nothing to do with window shopping for a nice tap. However, the use of one could definitely lead to that sort of activity! Petcocks - This term is so misleading! As an owner of the pet rock, I certainly have a petcock or two in my house. I bet if you snoop, you'll find some in almost everyone's home! Yes, Even Pat's. Bibcocks - Now this is more like it. Just as you'd suspect, they're the cute little baby ones! Tap - I like this one because it can be a noun or a verb, even a transitive verb. (Tap, Tapping, Being tapped - all good to me!) Friend's drippy old tap - This sounds pretty yucky and personal but I can tell you that it was handled with professional decorum and no cocks were hurt in the making. Ballcock - Some people think that this pair, or threesome if you like, are dependent on each other but that isn't true at all! Cocks opperate just fine without being paired with balls. It just isn't automatic. With your standard cock and ball set up, The cock relies on the balls to activate it. If your cock has no balls, you have to activate the cock yourself. I'm talking from experience, so trust me on this.

Good Work Facebook!

We mentioned this on Facebook but not here - Facebook reinstated Scaia's account (the link points to the entire story as it unfolded) We wish to give Facebook a round of applause for being trans friendly!

This Doesn't Help Our Image

I have mixed feelings about the article below but in all fairness the story should be told. Some would say that TTaaT isn't helping either but if the satire isn't apparent to them, I say they need to lighten up a little. I suppose many, if not most transgenders have had the thought of making money in the sex trade cross their minds at some point. It's been my last resort back up plan for quite some time. The sad fact is that a lot of us are forced into situations where selling sex seems like the only available option left to keep paying the bills. This is no different than a cisgender woman in the same business except that pre op trans women are said to make three times the money. The easy money is very tempting. This woman already has money, though she did have some major hospital bills. Do I fault her because she isn't in dire straits? I can't. I don't like it but I can't condemn her. Unfortunately, the fact that she enjoys being non op and intends to stay that way, adds to society's confusion about transsexuals and/or transgenders. The common denominator of transgenders (from closeted, weekend cross dressers to post op transsexuals) is cross gender expression. The difference between cross dressers and "drag queens" (they prefer the term Female Impersonators) and male to female transsexuals is that the former still identify as male. Drag Kings are male impersonators and there are female to male cross dressers, too. But after their performance or play time, they return to their relatively "normal" lives in their given gender. With transsexuals, it is an identity issue. There is a mind/body incongruence and a strong desire to end the pain caused by it. Of course, there are transsexuals that perform drag, so that adds a little more to the confusion. The bottom line is that gender is in between the ears, not the legs. So whether non op, pre op or post op, a transsexual has an identity opposite the gender assigned at their birth. The full story is below. The full story with the sexy pics is here. Er, there is Something About TV's Miriam, the transsexual reality star.. She's a hooker EXCLUSIVE by Suzannah Hills and Will Payne 17/01/2010 Miriam Rivera (Pic:SundayMirror) The transsexual who rose to fame on the hit reality TV show There’s Something About Miriam is working as a £300-an-hour “escort”. Miriam Rivera, 28, caused ­controversy on the dating show when she duped six male contestants – competing for her affections and £10,000 prize money – into ­believing she was a woman. It was only in the final episode of the cult 2004 programme that Miriam ­revealed the truth… that she was born male. The outraged contestants then sued the producers for personal ­injury. Now Mexican-born Miriam is ­advertising her services online as a “companion”, operating from ­Knightsbridge, West London. The former glamour model confirms to punters contacting her that she offers clients a “full service” for £300 an hour or £200 for half an hour at her flat. She says: “I do absolutely everything – I do a full service. Once you have paid for me, you can do whatever you want.” Her internet advert boasts about her spell on the show, which was screened on Sky in Britain and sold worldwide. It says: “Probably hear about me being one of the most beautiful transsexuals in the world and famous for my reality show ‘There’s Something About ­Miriam’.” In an interview with the Sunday ­Mirror, Miriam says she turned to ­prostitution to pay off hospital bills racked up after an accident. She also revealed that many of her punters are wealthy businessman and celebrities who are desperate to “experiment” with a ­pre-op ­transsexual. Miriam said: “The men I meet are hot. Some of them I’m even surprised at because they’re well-known, rich, ­eligible men. Big boys, you know – businessmen, singers, actors. "They take me to the best restaurants and fly me abroad. They pay for my companionship and we only have sex if I want to. It’s voluntary. But most of the time they are so hot I end up being the one begging them. I have no regrets – I’m having fun. I started doing this for the money and when everything is sorted I will stop.” Miriam mounted up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debts after ­falling out of the fourth-storey window of her New York flat while trying to escape from a burglar in 2007. She had no health insurance to cover the hospital bills. She started dressing as a girl aged four, but she has never taken the final step with sex reassignment surgery – and has no plans to. “I love who I am,” she says. “I’m just enjoying myself.” news@sundaymirror.co.uk

Super Glue - uh oh or oh yeah!

In this article: The Do-Not-Eats Okay, everyone knows that we trannies get excited about certain things. Screwing, hard wood, most things sticky, clamps, etc. But we are very excited about a discovery we made while researching the beauty of more perfect unions. While we like super glue and its dangerously enjoyable applications, we're not that into it...yet. Thinking about it, even when working our wood, doesn't get us excited the way it would a dominatrix. Aunt May says be very afraid of a Dom with a tube of super glue. No, we get off more on long tangents and love exploring new techniques. Experimentation is good! They say "The main ingredient in Super glue is cyanoacrylate." and that it goes through the chemical process of polymerization. Easy for them to say. We were amazed to discover how super glue works and that it is related to the crystals in those "Do Not Eat" packets found in everything from food to electronics packaging. Here are a few dry crystals. We are impressed at how much water they can absorb! Further research on the crystals we saw on the polymerization page, brought us here. Hmm, I saw some of these crystals (already soaking in water at the dollar store. Maybe someone has already figured out how to recycle them into cash! Two Trannies have their own ideas about recycling the do-not-eats. We're thinking we could sprinkle some of the crystals inside condoms. These would make some pleasantly portable dildos! Just add water! Make your own "water bra" without the risk of leaks caused by overzealous fondling! Do pretty much anything with them except put them into your body. Although they are inert, they will absorb water from your body if ingested as crystals. Since super glue cures in the presence of water, get a "tupperware" and store the glue along with a packet of the thirsty crystals. I'm wondering what it would do for a refrigerator with too much moisture. It would be pretty cool to toss one of those packets in the fridge rather than in the trash. I haven't tried this but I'll bet my spiky heels it will work. I plan to take the next one(s) I find and mix them in my potting soil for a drought resistant mix. I might make some coasters with it. Hmmm, some absorption tests will have to be done... Besides, we're not sure these crystals have the exact same properties as the ones you can buy. We'll let you know. We found How Stuff Works, to be a very informative resource.

News To Me

In this story, the problem with her argument in regard to transsexuals is that we don't want to be androgynous. Our identities are feminine or masculine, despite our body's appearance. The thought that same sex couples "can never be a true reflection of [God's] love" is, in my mind, a slap in His face. I can't agree with Jennifer Hartline's vision of a world of androgynous people, either because among other things, I believe that everything in nature is a spectrum. It is the nature of nature to be varied. As far as the projected time line, well, we might have equal rights by then! (full story) apparently, linking directly to this story at catholic.org is prohibited, so I've posted the entire work here. 'Male and Female He Created Them': Men and Women R.I.P.?

By Jennifer Hartline 1/15/2010

Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Being male or female does matter.We ignore this difference to our severe detriment and we trample on it to our self destruction.

God certainly would not have bothered to create two separate ways of being human with distinctly different yet perfectly complimentary attributes – physical, emotional, mental, and vocational – if the difference wasn’t important.

CHESAPEAKE, VA. (Catholic Online) - I have a nightmare in which I look ahead twenty-five years or so and I see a bland, ambiguous society simmering with an undercurrent of antagonism. I see a culture largely without men and women, made up instead of some strangely amalgamated human creature. This creature is not truly human anymore because it has declared gender and the Natural Law to be irrelevant and oppressive. In that tragic mistake, it lost its freedom and fulfillment. I think it’s more than just a melodramatic bad dream. It's slowly coming true right now, in bits and pieces every day. Amidst all the new sexual classifications – gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender – we’re losing the awe-inspiring truth about men and women as we were created to be. Such forgetfulness will be disastrous. Being male or female does matter. God certainly would not have bothered to create two separate ways of being human with distinctly different yet perfectly complimentary attributes – physical, emotional, mental, and vocational – if the difference wasn’t important. We ignore this difference to our severe detriment and we trample on it to our self destruction. If we weren’t so pigheadedly set on our asinine idea of a limited, instrumental understanding of equality which is rooted in function we’d be able to understand the inestimable worth of our differences. We might see how our opposite natures as men and women are intended to strengthen and enhance our individual gifts and form a complete foundation for life when brought together in marriage and the family and society founded upon it. No such foundation exists within a relationship that excludes either man or woman. It simply can’t. God created us, male and female, for each other, to be the complete and perfect companion, and to be a sign and symbol, a reflection of Christ’s love for His church. Same-sex relationships can never be a true reflection of that love for many reasons, just one being that they necessarily reject the opposite sex. It’s two men saying, “Sorry, ladies, we don’t really need you,” and two women saying, “Thanks anyway, guys, but we don’t want you.” That’s a grossly distorted image of femininity and masculinity that only serves to drive a wedge between men and women with its errant message that we don’t need each other. It feeds the hostility of those who insist that all men are oppressors of women everywhere. Worse, it promotes a culture in which men and women are increasingly used for their reproductive functions without any attachment, commitment or respect, all of which are a part of an authentic understanding of love and communion. Two women who wish to become mothers simply need a guy to give them some of his DNA (which he'll be financially compensated for, of course). No father is necessary, thank you, just some sperm. Two men who want to be parents need a woman who will simply be a “carrier” for them, donating an egg and her womb (which she'll be financially compensated for, of course), then leave the child motherless. To create by design a fatherless or motherless home for a child is utterly selfish and damaging. I can't fathom how two homosexual men could possibly teach a little girl what it really means to be a woman nor how two lesbian women could show a little boy how to be a man. More importantly, it reduces children to some kind of accessory that can be purchased and manufactured at will, and it opens the door to endless scenarios in which the courts are left to decide who gets parental rights, while the child is the one who suffers. None of this equals giving life as God intended. None of this is love. The issue is more than just the ability to provide material goods for a child and care for a child. Children need a father AND a mother. A child needs to see the proper relationship between a man and a woman lived out in the home day after day in order to understand and appreciate the unique roles of male and female. A same-sex relationship simply cannot teach a child about the beautiful, sacrificial mystery that is married love, nor can it demonstrate authentic feminine and masculine natures because it denies and excludes the opposite sex. We are sending dangerous messages to the generations coming after us. The fact is, men and women need each other to reach the fullest potential of our humanity, to become who we are created to be. It is a terrible fallacy to say that women can do it alone, or men can do it alone, that both are not vital to the family structure and the healthy formation of a child. True and authentic femininity embraces true and authentic masculinity and the two interlock and create a proper balance. We are rapidly losing that balance and the innate, God-given, unique value of men and women is being cast aside in deference to counterfeit notions of a sexuality rooted in function and the use of the other.

Marriage is not solely about the couple saying “I do”, that is the beginning of an invitation into the communion of love through the gift of self. Its primary purpose is not to get something, but to give someone to another someone. This exchange gives life daily by affirming the dignity of the spouse and recognizing and receiving the complimentary gift of that spouse. That gift is expressed in the fullness of married life and, in a special way, in the intimate communion of the marital embrace with the beloved. Certainly, this relationship gives life by cooperating with God in the creation of children. Love is always fruitful, and open to life. Obviously, this giving cannot exist between same-sex couples. That is the wisdom of the Natural Law trying to tell us something. If we just forfeit the fight to protect true marriage between one man and one woman out of some misguided belief in what is passing itself off these days as "tolerance" and "equality", we will effectively consent to the diminishment of men and women altogether. Men and women give life to each other in a myriad of different ways through our minds, hearts and bodies precisely because we were made to complement one another… we were made to complete one another. The giving and receiving of life simply doesn’t work any other way. It’s absolutely essential that we start reaffirming the value of femininity and masculinity as the two halves that make one whole, before it is too late. ----- Jennifer Hartline is a Catholic Army wife and stay-at-home mother of three precious kids who writes frequently on topics of Catholic faith and daily living. She is a contributing writer for Catholic Online.

- - - Deacon Keith Fournier asks that you join with us and help in this vital mission by sending this article to your family, friends, and neighbors and adding our link (www.catholic.org) to your own website, blog or social network. Let us broadcast, we are PROUD TO BE CATHOLIC!

Help, It's Stuck!

Don't you hate it when your drawers get all sticky? Note: (This is different from your bottom falling out, which may be next) Actually, we like that our drawers still get sticky sometimes! It gives us something to do! You know, it's a shame to have beautiful drawers that have become stuck or otherwise, wedged in so tightly you have to call in a professional to remove them. If left unattended for a long period of time, you may find it hard to even pull it out. Who knows what would happen if you snatched it really hard. Yes, that is disgusting. We know. It is quite embarrassing, isn't it. But don't worry! We are about to tell you how to remedy this uncomfortable situation right in the privacy of your own home. No salesman will call. You won't need any complicated tools, either - a screw driver, possibly a pair of pliers, a clamp or two... but really, some cases are delicate and you may have to call someone with the proper expertise to examine your drawers before you try remove them yourself (and make a big mess.) Two Trannies have a lot of experience in this area and would be delighted to help you out of a jam. If there's one thing that gets us up and working in a hurry, it's sticky drawers! (this pic has nothing to do with the article. it was "built" of many flipped and rotated shots of my work ) There are all sorts of drawers and ways to make them slide but just a few attributes which make them slide well or bind easily. 1- the drawer's sides must be parallel to each other. 2- the "runner(s)" or other guiding members must be parallel with each other and the drawer side. 3- the space between the drawer sides and the runners must fit just enough to allow free motion and not much more. Wooden drawers and runners have problems related to the seasons. The dry winter shrinks the wood and the muggy summer expands it. The old masters would choose materials that were seasonally stable for drawer sides and their runners, so if you have an antique with sticking drawers, moisture content shouldn't be a problem. Usually it is because someone "repaired" it with some glue but didn't...what. Put a clamp on it! Modern metal runners have their problems, too but even as the runner technology gets more complicated, the same rules apply and you can fix this! Usually, screws are the problem. They back out and then the runner starts to tilt and scrape. You know what to do about that. Fill the hole with wood (a match stick, golf tee, tooth pic) Squirt a little glue in there, too, then drive the screw back in. If you're dealing with particle board, push steel wool into the hole. Another common failure with metal runners is the wheels fall off. You'd be lucky to reassemble one and have it perform well, so the runner would have to be replaced. Replace all four parts because they're probably about shot, too. They are sold in sets anyway. Then there are the little plastic brackets that hold many different styles of runners to the back of a cabinet. Some of them are flimsy and some can be brittle and the usual problem is that the runner just popped out of it's bracket. You can pop 'em right back in but it won't stay there unless it is screwed in. Finally, you should check both the drawer sides and the runners to make sure they are all in the same plane. That is, not leaning this way and that but standing straight upright. Call or comment with your particular sticky situation and we will do our best to help.

Lovely Stick Darling!

We know how it is when you're thinking about your stick. When you have your stick on your mind, thinking of something unique and imaginative is always more exciting than the same old same old, right? Using it the same way every time gets monotonous pretty quickly and that can lead to apathy. Once you get there, it won't be long before you're thinking "why do I keep this thing anyway?" wait, that's me! But seriously, we would absolutely love to take your stick and show you at least one cool thing you didn't know you could do with it. I know you're thinking "no way" but we really would love to do it for you. Have you ever stuck your stick in a tree? Me neither. But I did put my stick into some holes in a block of wood. You know I put a clamp on it, too. "Tree Shelves" I like to use Crepe Myrtle branches because they are bumpy, twisty and shapely. They are pretty strong, too. The process for making these shelves is easy but I can get lost studying branches and visualizing the finished shelf.The finish on these three shelves is a special metallic paint (copper) which has been sprayed with an oxidizer to give them an old look. I like to carve the under-sides of shelves that will be hung high on the wall for a little more interest. There are no visible fasteners and the base of the branch appears to grow out from the wall. The branch doesn't actually hold the shelf up. It rests against the wall providing support pretty much the way a traditional shelf bracket does. To join the branch to the shelf, holes are drilled at approximately the same angle as the branches intersecting the shelf. I don't attempt a perfect fit since they will be filled with epoxy. On the back edge of the shelf, I drill holes at a steep upward angle as deep as I can without breaking through the surface. Nails (or straight pins for smaller shelves) are driven into the wall at that same angle hold the shelf tight to the wall. The shelves below have a bronze oxidized finish. (click a pic to enlarge, browser back button to return)

And now Something Touching

Every now and then my faith is renewed. If the families represented here are an indication of where things are headed, the future sure seems sweeter. The five or so comments that were posted at the time I read the article are also encouraging! Found at Thingamababy.com

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Best casual conversation leading to a serious discussion you’ll read today

5-year-old daughter: “He’s the best brother ever!”

Dad: “Why?”

“He’s exactly like me!”

“Well, no, you have girl parts.”

“I know something about boys that Momma knows too.”

“What?”

“He can go to the doctor and get surgery to become a girl.”

[raucous laughter from Mom in the next room]

Dad: “I hope he doesn’t need to have that surgery.”

My nurse-wife guesses our daughter overheard a conversation about women who have sex-change operations (while retaining their vaginas) and later give birth, and to the point, how hospitals might change their operating procedures if this becomes commonplace.

So Dad and Daughter sat down to talk a few minutes about how throughout history individuals who are different have usually been treated poorly by most people in a community, such as black people being enslaved (which we covered in a previous conversation).

And how most boys and girls grow up to like each other and get married, but some boys like boys, and some girls like girls, and some people even grow up feeling they should be a boy when they are a girl or the other way around. (We know of one such child who seems to be in that situation.)

And how these people today are the ones being treated poorly and how that’s wrong.

When Dad says he hopes his son doesn’t need that surgery it’s because of how other people would treat him, but that we would still love him.

This conversation was not too heavy for a 5-year-old. She assimilated the information quite easily.

Less than an hour later my wife waited in line at a pharmacy behind a transgendered individual who was picking up her hormone pills.

Oh How Ignorant

Not to mention the inflammatory title and graphic added to her photo. This article was found at "The Last Crusade" web site.

OBAMA’S SHEMALE CABINET SURPRISE

Posted on January 9, 2010 thelastcrusade

Don’t pack a sweater-girl

THE ROAD TO HELL – - PART 9,762

thelastcrusade.org

No man like her has ever occupied a prominent cabinet post.

But President Obama, in an effort to display his solidarity with gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgenders has appointed Amanda Simpson to serve as a Senior Technical Advisor at the Department of Commerce.

“I’m truly honored to have received this appointment and am eager and excited about this opportunity that is before me. And at the same time, as one of the first transgender presidential appointees to the federal government, I hope that I will soon be one of hundreds, and that this appointment opens future opportunities for many others,” Ms. Simpson gushed.

Ms. Simpson was formerly Mitchell Simpson, a test pilot and worked for Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona.

Eight years ago, he underwent a surgical procedure to remove his male sex organs and his Adam’s Apple. At the same time, he received massive injections of testosterone and received breast implants.

Simpson declined to elaborate on the medical procedures she undertook to become a woman but explained, “I am much more comfortable who I am today than what I was before. I struggled with this my whole life.”

Following the make over, Mitchell became Amanda, ran for Congress (unsuccessfully), and became a delegate for Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) during the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Simpson is a longtime LGBT activist, having been a leader in the National Center for Transgender Equality, Out & Equal, the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance, the Southern Arizona ACLU and the Arizona Human Rights Fund.

The YWCA recognized Simpson as one of their “Woman on the Move” in 2004.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This just further proves the point that some people don't even try to understand. Here's a news story and the author doesn't even bother to get the facts straight. Obviously zero research was made. Not so obvious, yet interesting is the lack of the author's mane.

Even Small Wood Can be A Lot of Fun

Sure, bigger is better, blah bla bla. But we know how to treat these special little jewels! Oh yea. I really enjoy daydreaming while I stroke that sweet part with some 120 grit sandpaper. Sometimes it can take up to an hour of stroking to get it to come out right but when it does, it's a beautiful thing. Small parts like these are just as deliriously enjoyable as the big ones plus they are just all-around fun to play with! Don't diss the little wood and let it rot away! Go ahead. Get it out of your little shed and play with it! The results could amaze you and your friends. Now where's my 60 grit... (click pics to enlarge, use your back button to return) After building a deck, there were a bunch of short 2x4's left over, so I used them for garden edging. The pressure treated material is perfect for burying in the dirt and according to the manufacturers the wood has a forty year lifespan under ground. To make these, all you need is a jigsaw (sabre saw) although a band saw will make the cuts much more quickly and accurately. Start with a piece of paper (thicker is better) to make a template. 2x4's are really just 1-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches, so mark off 3-1/2" and fold the paper on the line. Lay a ruler or other straight edge on the line and bend the paper up. Fold it over to make a good crease. Place the edge of the paper on the crease you just made and fold again as shown. Draw half of the design centred on the crease, just like you did when making hearts for Valentine's day in kindergarten. This will be a "self indexing" template and in the following not so well done photos, you will see why I didn't simply start with a piece of paper the same width as the 2x4. The jig consists of two parts: the design area and the indexing tab. Cut away the section of paper adjacent the design area. The part of paper (in the background) behind the scissors will become the indexing tab. Cut the folded design area on the lines. Unfold the paper and trim about an inch from the crease as shown. Here's the jig in action. Notice how the tab, or flap wraps around the 2x4 and perfectly indexes, or places the design area relative to the work piece. Trace around the template, then follow the cutting sequence outlined below. In the trade, cuts such as these are called "stop cuts." These cuts are always made first, so that the next cut will free the the waste easily. Here, the outer edge of the tulip motif is being cut. Notice that I'm not allowing the saw blade to exit the material and here's the reason: If one tries to start a cut at an acute angle with reciprocating tools like jigsaws and sawzalls, the blade will deflect laterally causing it to enter the material out of square. It is also the nature of a saw blade to stay in it's kerf, so if it starts out out of square, the whole cut will be out. The next cuts free the waste. Cutting the top of the tulip. So, that's it. One down and ? to go! We hope you have fun with this and come up with your own designs, too! Use caution when handling pressure treated materials. Wear gloves and/or wash your hands. Don't breathe the dust. The EPA has an update on the hazards of pressure treated wood here. Glossary: Jig - a positioning devise, usually shop-made, that either places a work piece or tool in such a position that only one outcome is possible. For instance, a hinge mortice jig will only let the router move in a defined area, thus the only outcome is a perfect hinge mortice. Sawzall - Brand name of a reciprocating saw. (pic) Kerf - The space created by the saw. Once a cut is started, the saw's kerf becomes long enough to give the blade lateral support. Once the saw blade has that support, it will tend to stay on the track it was started in. The wider the blade, the more it will stay in a straight line. You that have table saws know how important it is to have the fence *parallel to the blade. On the other hand, narrow blades can easily cut in circles. *I like my fence to very slightly pinch the work. It helps keep the work against the fence.

Stuck Together Like Two Dogs

Has this ever happened to you? Lord Knows it has happened to me a few times. It is no fun, let me tell you. No amount of pulling seems to help. Once, I used a pry bar and a putty knife to get it free but I broke it. I also tried generous amounts of lacquer thinner poured into the crack followed by some vigorous scraping. This actually works but it is very messy and you might cut yourself. No really. It is such a powerful union, great care must be taken from the very start to be sure that the end result is pleasant. Contact cement is some great glue with many applications but it is primarily used for laying up plastic laminate. There was a fellow at work who used to glue the soles of his shoes back on with it! Here are a couple of tips for making your project go smoothly: First, make sure you allow plenty of overhang. Cut the laminate (or whatever you wish to bond) about a half inch bigger all around than the substrate. After coating both the substrate and the laminate with cement, let it dry thoroughly. The main reason contact cement joints fail is because the glue wasn't dry enough when the pieces were laid together. With most contact adhesives, you have about a one hour window to work with. Don't rush it. Arrange some strips of wood over the already coated and dry substrate in order to keep it and the laminate separate. This will allow you to perfectly position the laminate, even if it is very large. Lift the laminate at one end, pull out a few strips and press the two parts together. Continue removing strips and pressing the parts together, then roll with a laminate roller or pound it down with a hammer and a block of wood. Plastic laminate requires that much pressure. Materials like cloth benefit as well but it isn't as crucial. Trim off the excess and you're done. I've always used the volatile solvent type of cement but there are water based non-flammable ones on the market today. If you use the volatile kind and need a break from laminating, put your brushes or rollers in a pail of water. This will keep them pliable. Just wipe the water off with a rag before dipping your brush back in the cement. I'm a big fan of aerosol contact cement. It is more expensive but the time saved is worth it, just make sure the spray tip is clean after each use. Many people use contact cement for veneering but in my purist opinion, it is a faux pas, which could end up ugly because contact cement "creeps." In other words, it will allow the two parts to shift if exposed to constant pressure. Have you seen square edged counter tops with the laminate hanging over the edge or pulled away from it? This is the reason: The substrate and laminate expand and contract at different rates and the glue is weak enough to allow it to happen. Contact cement should never be used in structural applications because of this fact. If you want your wood veneered project to become an antique, use wood glue and a proper pressing technique, either with a veneer hammer, press or vacuum bag. Glossary: Laying up - A common term used in the trade to describe the process of lamination. Plastic laminate - Many times referred to as Formica, this is the durable surface of many inexpensive counter tops. Formica was invented in 1912. Substrate - In this instance refers to the material to which the laminate is bonded. Laminate roller - a small tool designed to apply maximum pressure by rolling its rubber roller over the surface of the laminate. Volatile solvent - For our purposes, it is usually a very smelly liquid which evaporates from the glue, leaving only the binders. Structural applications - Such as laminated beams - see Glulams. Veneer hammer - Essentially it is a squeegee, not a hammer at all. Vacuum bag - or vacuum press, is just a big bag made of thick plastic in which the parts to be veneered or laminated are placed, then clamping pressure is applied by extracting the air from the bag. Press (veneer press) - This is the way veneering has been done on flat surfaces for centuries. Basically, it consists of a whole bunch of screws arranged to apply even pressure over a wide area. Here are some pictures.

Beauty, Birth Defects and Social Outcasts

We will return to our usual silliness, tips and techniques after this. Our society places so much emphasis on outward beauty, unattractive people are often dismissed without a second thought. It is a fact that beautiful people are, in general, treated better than unattractive ones. The "ugly" are discriminated against, overlooked or even outcast. Unattractive can mean anything that isn't considered "normal." Certainly, no one wants to be unattractive and if there were some way of fixing their "defect," they would. Could anyone fault them for that? Consider birth defects such as cleft pallet. Is it wrong to correct it? Is it wrong to correct any of our defects in order to try to fit into society? Wouldn't it be nice to fit in. If there is nothing wrong with fixing birth defects, why are transsexuals so damned by the majority? Probably because it is a common belief that our plight isn't considered a birth defect. Probably because some never stop for even a second to try to understand the issue. We judge people unconsciously and immediately. That first impression usually sticks, then influences the rest of a person's thought process. Aside from that, we are taught and programmed by the current trend of thought in society. Not everything we are taught is correct but the masses are slow to realize it. They would rather not be bothered with ideas that might force them to think differently because it is just too much effort. They'd rather stay blind and not have to deal with a reality that forces them to change. This is an article about baseless discrimination. Trans people, weather we have that outward beauty or not, are not only unattractive to society, we are outcast, marginalized and murdered just because we chose to fix our birth defect. The sad truth is that if I were a beautiful and perfectly passable (trans)woman, I would be employed even if I didn't possess the outstanding skills and talents I have. Yet as a transsexual, my merits are not even considered by most employers. You know, *Jesus accepted everyone. I'm a Christian, believe it or not, and thankful that I've been appointed this low place in society, except for the fact that I can't get employment in it. Yet... The point of all this is to remind people to take a moment and open the book. Don't just look at the cover and discard it because it is different. You may be passing up something good. *I won't try to cram my spiritual beliefs down anyone's throat and I'm not in your face about my status in public.

In The News Today

US President Obama has appointed Amanda Simpson, a woman who used to be a man, to a Commerce Department security post, which would make her the highest-level transgender person chosen by a president.

Ms Simpson, who is single and tall with shoulder-length blond hair, is an expert on technology development at defense contractor Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, Arizona.

She earned degrees in physics, engineering and business and is a certified flight instructor.

She also used to be Mitchell Simpson, a 5-foot-10, 150-pound test pilot who flew the T-39 and A-3 Sky Warrior in those planes' development stages for Hughes Aircraft.

She was born in Chicago as the oldest of four boys.

Ms Simpson, who starts work in DC today, will be a senior technical adviser in the Bureau of Industry and Security, where she will evaluate "dual-use" technology sold abroad to make sure it isn't used by our enemies for military purposes.

Contacted by The Post, Ms Simpson said her appointment was an important milestone because of the "public stigma" against transgender people.

"If my appointment, and the visibility of working in the federal government, helps change a few people's minds out there and helps people secure a few jobs that they may not have been previously able to get, then I'm thrilled," she said.

Ms Simpson declined to elaborate on the medical procedures she undertook to become a woman but explained, "I am much more comfortable who I am today than what I was before. I struggled with this my whole life."

According to a profile in the Arizona Daily Star from 2002, Simpson spent $70,000 for six surgeries around that time to help her look more female, having her Adam's apple removed, breasts added, and genital surgery.

"If you look at the job she's taking and at her resume, this is not a quota appointee," said Mara Keisling, of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

source

Antigay Group Disses Trans Appointment

Peter LaBarbera of the antigay group Americans for Truth on Monday criticized President Obama’s appointment of Amanda Simpson, a transgender woman, to the Commerce Department.

By Advocate.com Editors

Peter LaBarbera of the antigay group Americans for Truth on Monday criticized President Obama’s appointment of Amanda Simpson, a transgender woman, to the Commerce Department. Citing a press release from the National Center for Transgender Equality, in which Simpson said she hoped she would “soon be one of hundreds [of transgender presidential appointees,” LaBarbera asked, “Is there going to be a transgender quota now in the Obama administration? How far does this politics of gay and transgender activism go? Clearly this is an administration that is pandering to the gay lobby.” His comments were made on Focus on the Family’s Citizenlink.com. “We should consider what transgender activism is about,” he continued,” which is essentially recognizing civil rights based on gender confusion.”

Matt Barber, associate dean of the conservative and antigay Liberty University, seconded LaBarbera, saying that Simpson's appointment “boggles the mind…. This isn’t like appointing an African-American in order to provide diversity and right some kind of discriminatory wrong. This is about political correctness.”

Read more about Simpson's appointment here. source

Wobbly Wood

I am absolutely certain we can cure this situation. Personally, I get really excited when I have the opportunity to transform a "project" from its limp, loose, wobbly state to the rigid and stiff state that pretty much every body prefers. I just adore it. Actually, in the wobbly state, they are very dangerous! You may be thinking "no no, it's the other way around!" But trust me, I'm a pro. I know. Imagine Aunt May coming to visit and when she sits down, the wobbly wood just gives way! That's a pretty scary thought, isn't it! I know, I know. I have cured this sad situation in so many different ways, the next time I perform this delicate task, I will post it right here on this page. It will be an experiment. You know, just because I'm bored. Just kidding, I wish I were bored. Right now would be fine but I'm just too busy. Besides, I still have a headache from yesterday. Back to serious talk about making that project nice and stiff, the way they should always be. I'm not kidding about the experiment, call me an exhibitionist... Now, most of us ladies are familiar with the nail salon and the stuff they use to make our fingernails long and sleek and strong. That is some amazing, fast setting, hard stuff isn't it, Ladies. Good stuff, it is. I have used it to fill minor defects in my wood with excellent results but I've never actually tried to inject any inside. So my idea is to mix up some of that goo and make it a bit on the watery side so that it will flow in better and basically I will just inject it until it's full, then put a clamp on it. Better yet, I will wrap a nylon rope around it several times. The more wraps, the tighter the squeeze, so I'll be careful not to put so much pressure that all the goo comes out. Acting as a filler, this stuff should keep the wood stiff and it should be ready to enjoy in about ten minutes. I guess this is just like epoxy except it cures faster and yes, I've seen other stuff like this on TV but this is definitely different than that! Besides, I have some in my night stand.

Getting It In The Groove

I had dildos in my head earlier... Sorry for the confusion. Now I'd like to describe a technique for you to get your wood deep inside the groove with absolutely zero frustration and minimal effort. All it takes is a plan and a little finesse, just a clamp or two - maybe three if you're anal like me, and of course, the wood before you try to stick it in. If you love what you're doing, it will come naturally. As described previously, cut the dado width about a sixteenth inch shy of the thickness of your material. The next step is to create a shoulder, or rabbet on the edge of the shelf (or other workpiece) To get consistent, perfect fitting joints we rely on jigs like this. Here we've set up a couple of *featherboards screwed to a board which is clamped to the table saw. They apply steady, even pressure. This set up is crude but shows what you can slap together in a few minutes. In future articles I'll show how investing a little time in your tools now will save many hours later by using quick release jigs. *The featherboard shown at Wikipedia is a bit lame, in my not so humble opinion. It's fingers are too short to allow much flex and the positioning method doesn't apply pressure as easily or as controllable as the ones I will describe later. Actually, these featherboards could be set up better to apply pressure directly at the blade. They could be raised over the blade with a spacer or they could be rabbeted to allow clearance around the blade. If your fence only clamps the front rail, don't forget to clamp it down at the back end. Also watch the clamp handles when you first turn on the saw. If they spin because of vibration, replace them or use some duct tape to keep the screws from turning. This is a nice fit. Snug but not so tight that it is difficult to push together by hand. I will describe ways of creating dados with other tools in later posts.

Because it is pretty

my full scale drawing of a plant stand's apron/leg combination

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