Over the years I've been exposed to numbers of different cultures and it has been fun to learn what I could about their idioms and accents. It was interesting to learn something about the Thai culture, their way of writing and their accents. To me their writing seems oddly similar to Hebrew, not that I know anything mind you.

In a conversation I just had with an ER Doctor, he asked me if during my SRS surgery, had the surgeon removed my Prostate Gland? Back in 2007, when mine was done, I do not think they were doing that because it was felt that the proceedure was too dangerous to the nerves and blood vessels.

Apparently some or all surgeons are now doing it orthoscopically as a part of SRS. Are any of you aware if this change in surgical procedure has been implemented or is the ER Doctor wrong?

Gwen

In the last day or so, the clicker thingie clunked over to 11 months so before Christmas I'll be at 10 years here. I remember it quite well. I was still very nutty from the divorce 2 years earlier, and being on huge doses of VA psych medications for PTSD. I'd previously published some stories over on Storysite, when I was approached either by Sephrina or Cathy; can't remember which. I was very messed up and broken at the time and spending time locked up in a secure cell at the VA every few months.

So, I poured coffee into my keyboard, a Blue Tooth one, that seems OK. Well, the keyboard still works, so I thought I'd tear it down and give it a bit of a flush out, since I have done it before numerous times on other ones.

My question? Is there a certain spray solvent to use?

Gwen

My skills on BCTS with pictures is not remarkable but I hope this works out.

I've been thinking about a chapter of the Hala Story that deals with very cynical account of the years from 2020 though about 2050. One of my protagonists would be involved in more war in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey with Daesh and finally the Russians. Thank God the US runs out of money to prosecute this war.

Not really sure I even want to write this chapter because I think there are enough Vets on this site that it would just traumatize them. Maybe all this can be handled in a paragraph or two. There is no glory in war.

Gwen

So, for a very long time I have been too holy to drink, like ever.

Innocently I was on my way up to KFC to get my fat fix and I spied a little hole in the wall Italian Resurante. So, deciding that some culture could help cure my depression, I stopped and went in there. So, I had Pollo with mushroom sauce and pasta. YUM !!!! In a weak moment I had a pint of IPA beeer or ale or waht hever.

So, now I need to aks the qurestion. Can I posseblyt be intoxicated on a mere pint? Serouisly?

Oh, I gots soem tiramisu too, thinkin it mite sobr be up.

I'm looking for a female Drow Warrior picture where she is clad fairly decently and not copyrighted to use as my avatar in various places. I thought I was Ferie but it seems clear now that I'm not that nice.

Gwen

I don't know the release date of this film entitled (Re) Assignment. It's a Canadian film and I just can't wait to see it. The premise is about a guy who involuntarily gets made into this hot babe, so she goes around offing anyone she is pissed at.

Vwewy interestink.

Gwen

I looked for "Being Christina Chase" tonight and both the story and Captain Crunch as an author are gone. I am sorry to see that. I was getting ready to read it again.

Gwen

Experienced my first ever "Denial of Service" yesterday at a Sheri's in Hood River of all places. I've eaten in Hood River before, while out on one of my many sanity restoring "walkabouts". It was done carefully and craftily so I would not be able to file a grievance.

Donald Trump has made hatred even more prevalent than it ever was.

To those who have routinely been discriminated against, I am sorry that you had to go through that.

Since 2004, life has been unimaginably hard at times but over the last 5 or so years it has gotten much easier. Being the odd sort that I am, I never really engaged with the LGBT folk's political agenda, choosing to simply be a woman. I've learned a lot about writing, but lack the talent to ever be a star. I'll likely be increasingly absent because, for now at least, I have lost interest in the whole male to female thing, and never had any interest in the female to male one.

A so called "transgender woman" got caught in Idaho taking photos in a changing room in Target. Sigh ... Life just got a lot harder. I'd like 5 minutes with this person ...

I doubt that this was anything but a set up; and that "Shauna" is transgender.

I sat with my Counselor of some 11 years today talking about some Meyers Briggs testing that was done on me in 2003 and a similar test done on me in 1966. In records that were with the 2003 tests was a test that said that I am an INFP (Meyers Briggs Personality Type). I can say that the assessment describes me perfectly and as she read the information, she somehow interpreted it to mean that I could react violently to certain situations. At the time I thought nothing of it but upon reflection simply can't figure out where she got that.

A couple weeks ago, I went to the VA to get a Doctor to look at a spot on my back that never heals, so I wanted to see if it was Cancer. Spent about a half hour with the doctor and left, and then in about a few days I get a call from another Doctor that said that she was told that I wanted to start living as a man again. What ?!? The!

As authors, if we are going to be any good, perhaps we learn to sort of "be" other people since we must develop characters as we write a story and most often our stories have more than one person in them. As I have been thinking about this, perhaps lots or even most T folk learn to be more than one person in our real lives and each of them are very real. Then I thought about a police officer who must be an authoritarian figure at work, and when he gets home he is dad, hey you, or some such.

This is by no means intended to be enticement by anyone on psych medications to deseat them. Please do not stop taking medications that are working for you.

Lots of good conversation going on in the news and on places like Facebook, where Target, the American Family Association and other sites feature homophobes.

Though participating in the commerce is exhausting, I think a lot of good is coming of it. I'm just too snotty and sassy to let some of what the ignorant are saying just go by. Though, the time will come when I need to step back and take a break.

Many on the news and in Facebook are sympathetic to our plight, something that surprises me.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, I've become curious about the movie, "The Danish Girl". Early reviews indicated that it might be too poignant for me, so I passed when it came out. So, how was it? Was it decently done? I'm post op and know how it is. Was it worth it?

Gwen

Having gotten to what feels like a secure place in my own estimation personal identity, it is quite nice to not worry about it.

Lately I have seen the use of simile and metaphor in stories that I feel is quite clever. There are likely other literary tools that I don't even know about. I smile at the thought that some of you simply thought you were writing something that appealed to you, or you thought you were just writing out your pain, and along the way some of you have become very skilled at wordsmithing.

A few writers have approached me about their new stories and I do not know why anyone would seek my approval. I like reasonably well written stories but excessively violent stories and and those with sad endings are not likely to be read by me. I've seen just so much violence and sadness in my own life that I just don't want more. This should not be a reflection on any one's stories.

A story in Harper's Bazaar about celebrities meeting the Queen has a bit of a ruction going on Facebook. I've been around the world a bit and see no harm in respecting the culture of another country. If I went to Saudi Arabia, you can bet I would wear Niqab. If I went to the Jungles of South America, I am not sure I would run around in a few leaves, but not out of disrespect. If I went to Japan, I would try to find out about their usual greeting, and bow and say hai as is proper.

This story was published back in 2008, how did I miss it? It is quite fun actually.

Gwen