I am a model of restraint, I think. You couldn't tell it by looking at me, unless you measure the tensile strength of my corset strings, but you couldn't see that either. In the latest of my temporary jobs I have ended up in yet another machine shop, building yet another machine. With each of these jobs you meet a new group of men - not people, they're exclusively men.

It has been brought to my attention more than once that I have a big mouth. I'm sure that you, my readers, have remarked on my talent for fearlessly offering opinion and advice from behind the safety of the printed page. Unlike talking, where my pontifications can be challenged by a loud "Oh yeah, that's what you say!", if someone out there wants to comment they have to take the time to compose their thoughts, put them on paper, find a stamp and mail the thing.

I'm glad that in the twenty years since I wrote this things have changed appreciably.

Since you're reading this, I'll assume you have read at least one article where some learned person expounds on why men like to dress in skirts and such. You'll find reasons like "freeing the inner self", "expressing our femininity in a hostile world" or even " it just feels good." Somewhere in the list of the good things in being a TV will inevitably come a comment to the effect of "being able to wear a rainbow of colors instead of a gray flannel suit."

A Second Chance

By Dawn Natelle

Sorry for the big gap since the last chapter. Apparently there was a major event early this week. It was the start of the World Junior Hockey Championship, which is more important to Canadians over the age of 14 than Christmas: Dawn

SATURDAY, May 28, 2016

Transvestites of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your pants! Throw off the chains of convention and proudly wear your chains of gold and silver! Strike while your irons are hot! Join with your Sisters today in forming the International Ladies Garment Wearers Union!

Ilos continues!

Ilos is a story about another world that's become intertwined with Earth via what are known as Keys, a tool in the shape of a metal headband that allows those on Earth to access Ilos and interact with it. However, the magic of Ilos has snatched some of those with Keys away from Earth permanently and a mad scramble ensues to figure out what has truly happened and deal with things as Ilos continues to encroach on Earth. The story follows Aria, Nick, and Tasalin as they fight, scheme, and command on their way to the answers they seek in this new land.

The start of one of the final chapters of book 2, Aria is back in action and exploring the Dread Castle Hamelin!

 

[At a School, somewhere two weeks before Christmas]

“Miss Featherstone, the Headmistress would like to see you in her Office?” said the Head’s secretary after she’d popped her head around my classroom door.

Sadly, my class of fifteen year olds were more interested in which ‘C List’ celebrity had either had a boob job or was … well, having it off with some other reality TV performer than 'Britain during the Industrial Revolution'. I refuse to call them stars. Most of them had as much talent as I had in my little finger.

Christmas.

I suppose it must be Christmas - my Facebook feed was filled with trees, Santas and such trappings, masses of frosted cookies, reindeer with red noses and Donald Trump in various compromising yuletide positions. As if we didn't get enough pictures of him all the rest of the year… (Could he really do that with eight not-so-tiny reindeer?)

Answer To A Maiden's (?) Prayer Part Two

Snowmen plotting revenge. Servants of Krampus plotting death and torture. Rotarians plotting... a carol sing? Sample five short holiday stories by Cashmere Chloe, Trismegistus Shandy, TGSparadox, M. A. Thermidor and Hikaro.

Billie's Christmas Present

Bill’s team was in a hard-fought battle with their little league archenemies. They had split their previous two games and this was for the championship. It was the bottom of the last inning, the score was tied, and Bill was up to bat with the bases loaded and two outs. The pitcher watched him dig in at the plate. He had already struck Bill out three times and he was quite sure that he could do it again.

You know the old saying, there's a sucker born every minute? Well, I discovered the truth of that one all too well recently.

You see, I used to go out in my van and fix problems in the telephone lines, just like in the song Wichita Lineman by Glen Campbell. Most of the time, it wasn't difficult work, although it could be time consuming after a big storm went through the area, but that's life, ya know?

This seemed to be a day like any other, I was headed out to check a few sites, one of which had a malfunctioning transformer.