It came to my attention this evening that The southern Comfort Transsexual Conference is no more!

http://www.tgforum.com/wordpress/index.php/the-southern-comf...

I attended in 2009 and it was a life changing event for me.

The Con had relocated from Atlanta Ga. to Ft. Lauderdale, but apparently there were some lawsuits that have ended the Con that had been a fixture for Trans folks for 26 years!

It seems, as the years go by, that the real message of this time of the year has faded to overstuffing oneself on turkey, or whatever passes for the holiday meal and vegging out in front of the TV or computer, engaging in whatever non-activity one prefers.

To me, the true meaning of this holiday, that of being grateful for what one has received in life, has faded into self indulgence and solitude from the scary world outside one's "safe place." In this post, I shall attempt to re-affirm what is truly important to me in my life.

that Grover and Understanding Spouse have arrived safely in Utah and are recovering from a trip fraught with danger. U.S. starts her new job Tuesday and Grover will be back in the groove writing as soon as they get settled into their new domicile.

They got waylaid by snow in Denver over Friday and part of Saturday and, being from much warmer climes, they didn't want to risk life and limb trying to navigate the icy roads. I can't say I blame them.

Anyway, alls well that ends well and I can breathe again, knowing that my family of the heart is safe at home.

I just clicked the link Tigger provided and it appears that Amazon has taken the author's page down. Looks like the reviews and phone calls had the correct effect. Hope that story thief gets what's coming to her. Great job everyone. We caught another thief!!

Catherine Linda Michel

Have a great day of celebration and thanks for being such great neighbors... geographicly speaking.

Catherine Linda Michel

Erin and crew need bucks to keep the doors open! It can't be any more clear than that. So c'mon everyone. Break into the piggy banks and help keep Top Shelf where it belongs. On top of the 'net and the best TG fiction site out there anywhere!

It's SO easy to send even a one time gift to help out. Use this URL and your bank credit/debit card: http://bigclosetr.us/hatbox/node/26

Thank you for all your great stories. I hope you are surrounded by all the people who are special to you and who love you.

Catherine Linda michel

Lewis Hamilton wins the Brit Grand Prix for the third year in a row. There's a Brit in the finals at Wimbledon and a Brit in the lead at The Tour De France. Well done and congratulations from the Colonies.

Catherine Linda Michel

I want to personally thank all those who responded to my challenge to donate to help keep the site online. I also want to again thank those who donate regularly. The donations you all sent, helped take some of the pressure off Erin, Piper et all.

Again,There are several ways to donate. You can send a check or money order to the address on the front page.

Checks can be made out & sent to:
Janglewood LLC
602 Higgins Ave
Suite 1 #283
Brielle, NJ 08730
USA

You can donate through the Hatbox.

In the latest episode of MASKS a male becomes female but gains super powers as a result. It's a common theme in our genre, that of becoming female, but would it be better to become female and gain "super powers" or remain/become male(for those who are truly male) and not become super?

I'm sure that the majority of US would prefer the former, but I'm also sure that there are a lot of men, or trans-men who might prefer the latter, or become the latter.

It's an interesting thought/question, is it not?

Catherine Linda Michel

So. Memorial Weekend is upon us once again. Funny how that happens about this time every year. Celebrating my 8th B'day (8 years post-transition) and remembering the monumental few days surounding this date 8 years ago.

this... want, this NEED to help others, and why oh why does is hurt me SO much when I can't? Sometimes I just ache for wanting to help someone and know that there isn't a damned thing I can do to truly help them!

With the recent interest in my Home That Love Built universe, I am re-issuing an open invitation to any writer who would like to try their hand at adding to the wonderful stories already posted in it. There have been many stories written so far in the universe and I'd love to add more. There are some very talented writers who were not members here when I first opened THTLB universe and I'd be pleased and proud to add them to the roster as well as inviting writers who have already made their wonderful additions to THTLB.

When writing a story or whatever, when one is done with the task, take some time and read it out loud back to yourself. I think it helps find errors that otherwise would have been missed, and helps eliminate misunderstandings of some phrases, sentences or words.

It helps with spelling, syntax, and punctuation as well. One big thing. Even though you might THINK you know the meaning or spelling of a word... if there is the slightest doubt, LOOK IT UP! There are dictionaries everywhere, even on the internet. GOOGLE IT!

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Stickmaker, but he is a superb writer with a huge body of work. He generally posts his stuff as emails to the Yahoo group, I think.

His main story, MASKS is an immense work, involving very large groups of characters, supers, of course. If you're a fan of these kinds of stories, I urge you to go and read. You won't be disappointed. Of course, his main character(s) is(are) TG.

http://www.dcr.net/~stickmak/Stories/