I found out this morning that I have to go to a formal (dress code is: smart) dinner on Saturday evening, so I made an appointment to get my unruly tresses tamed (sounds better than getting a haircut) first thing on Saturday - my hair won't be tidy, it never is - it's very fine and flies about like tissue paper in the slightest draught.

Well, I managed to give myself a scare this morning. I tried to get a hold of Wal-Mart about the job, and was told I didn't get it, which almost killed me. Then I went to phone back to find out why, and realized, I was phoning the WRONG STORE! A quick recalculation got me the right one, and I was told they were just waiting to hear from my supervisor from my old store, and he will be in this afternoon. I'm praying he gives me a good reference, and trying to restart my heart at the same time.

Just letting everyone know that, at least as of this posting, there's something strange going on with Google Docs. New documents are being saved, and you can link back to them directly if you share them or copy the link somewhere, but they are NOT currently being saved under your "Owned by me" area, or anywhere else that I can tell.

Some reports suggest some of the "lost" documents are appearing an hour later, but others never show up at all. Like I said they're being saved because you can link back to them, just not being added to the list. There's a forum thread at Google Support Here

This month's writer's challenges!

--Spies Like Us?
--The Song
--Creepshow
--Life On Stage

Month long challenge:

HOlding Out For A Hero

Sorry this isn't up to my normal par for these -- and a week late -- but with my crash and all I forgot all about it!

Melanie E.

I love the writer's challenges and contests here. Even when I can't come up with an entry, (which is most of the time), I love reading what others create within each contest or challenge. So I decided to create a personal challenge, just for me. I wanted to create a story with a title that began with the letter "z", and keep it under 500 words. You guys have read the result - "Zombie-Killer Girlfriend". And judging from the comments, it turned out pretty good.

Ok. That's done. Now, hopefully we can get the next chapter up something like soon. :)

I've had someone helping me with my new chapter of AJ's story, and because of that we've gone over the first three chapters. The revision of chapter one is now up. I simply replaced the old chapter 1 with the new text. This will be the same thing I do with chapters 2 and 3.

The term Corrective Rape is one applied to the brutal sexual assault and rape of lesbians, gay and transgender people by thugs usually young men. It is purported to teach them a lesson but frequently leaves them devastated or even dead. It is a hate crime of the first order, and seems to be on the increase.

Well, just over four weeks since my quadruple bypass surgery and I'm slowly getting better. I plan/hope to drive back home Tuesday. Then I will start a rehab therapy program at the local hospital. Joy-joy.

The Australian Documentary "The Gender Puzzle" is currently showing on Documentary. It is one of the best programs I have seen at explaining the scientific reasons behind Gender issues such as Intersex conditions and Gender Identity.

There's fodder for a story here, somewhere! This news item first appeared last week, but I just tripped over it while poking around a news consolidation site.

BERLIN | Wed May 4, 2011 11:20am EDT
(Reuters) - A mayor in Germany helped rescue a man who became trapped in a women's prison after mistaking it for a shortcut to a nearby park, police in the northern city of Hildesheim said on Wednesday.

Hildesheim Mayor Henning Blum heard the man's cries for help while passing by the prison near the city center and notified police who came and freed the 24-year-old.

The man told police he was strolling through town and did not immediately notice he had walked into a prison. By the time it dawned on him where he was, the gate to the jail had already closed, locking him inside.

Police said they are investigating why the prison gate was open, enabling the man to wander in.

Shelly/Shalimar and I are going to be moving east in the last half of June, and spending a couple of nights and one day, a Sunday, north of Salt Lake with Penny Cardon, author of ‘Educated in the Hills’.

We will be traveling with a couple of other BCTS members, Beth Williams, & Sparrowchild, so that will make 5, and I have already contacted one other BCTS member about it.

To make it a bit easier to get there, we are thinking we may hold a BBQ in the Ogden area, and invite anyone from this community, as we have twice, out in Walnut Creek, CA.

I've been meaning to talk about my experience with Dungeons and Dragons for a while. I got involved in A D & D in my teens, and because I couldn't afford the books, a friend allowed me to borrow his. I copied out the Player's handbook, the DM's Guide, and the Monster Manual by hand, and then made a world. I used my love of map-making to create a series of maps for the main continent, covering climate, languages, races, and physical features. I also created two thousand years of "back story" to explain how things got to be where they were when the players would arrive.

I know I'm early with this, but who knows what tomorrow will bring, so here it is, right now. I also know that most of us here aren't actually Mothers, but that doesn't mean we aren't Mothers in our hearts.

God Bless you all.

Catherine Linda Michel

I happened across this article on the Huffington Post, which has reference to transgender as well as biological women being labelled as sex offenders, possibly for life , because they had unnatural sex - ie they had oral or anal sex for money.

The article claims that black women and transgender people were being targeted by the police. It's worth reading even if it does show the authorities have a mediaeval approach to life - this is what the police do when they're not out hunting witches one supposes.

See for yourselves.

See the link below for an explanation, but it seemed some police education officer opened his mouth and shoved both feet in it.

According to the CNN web site, the newest edition of the DSM (the "bible" of psychiatry) has been posted for comment. The comment period runs through June 15.

The story can be found at http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/04/psychiatry-bible-st...

The revised edition can be found at: www.dsm5.org

So, I have been running around being far too busy for someone who is unemployed for the last two weeks. As a result still no writing. The issue is part time and part technology, as my laptop is busy messing up whatever I type, dropping the beginnings or endings of sentences at random. Thus I am still behind on things. No update for this week but I am hoping to have one for next week.

I can feel the beginnings of non-writing crazy starting up so I need to take care of that soon, before it gets bad.

The last episode of book one of my story Simon(e) has been published. I see from the comments that many of you are keen to see the story continued.

Nothing serious but it had to happen didn't it.

Friday 29th May 2011; that evening 1830 out dressed in my van with Mandy Mae my best friend. That's how I was dressed.

Hi

Busy publishing.. see my site for some updates
http://tanyastales.yolasite.com/
or Amazon for new Books.
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004VTB5OQ

I am looking at paperback and Pdf versions...

Tanya

We were visiting friends last week, and were having an Easter feast outdoors in the mild weather. I happened to be with several of the wives, including my own, and we were discussing movies, past oscar winners and others. Several nice movies were mentioned, and Notting Hill came up. We mentioned The King's Speech, and I mentioned that I like Colin Firth in Love Actually.. One of the ladies said, "You keep mentioning chic flicks. You're a girl inside, aren't you?" I said I guess so, and my wife said yes, while nodding in agreement.

While we feel life is becoming more tolerant - could we be labouring under a misapprehension. West London seems to be having an upsurge of attacks on gay men.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/may/02/homophobic-attack-h...

Why people can't live in peace, I'll never understand.

Angharad.

Well, my muse refuses to give a lot of details about what she's been up to - just some hints about snogging some girl named Pippa at a wedding .... But, now that she has recovered from a hangover, she is pouring ideas into my head at a furious pace. Its too bad my daughter doesn't type, maybe I could offload some of my workload .....

As a counterpoint to the discussion over T* related labels, I thought it might be interesting to have a more light-hearted discussion of the various other labels we may apply to ourselves (i.e. not related to gender, sexuality or political affiliation) to describe certain aspects of who we are and what we do.

For example, as I'm more knowledgeable than average about computers, and actively enjoy using them, I consider myself a "Geek" (although according to some definitions, I'm actually closer to "Nerd").

I'm sitting here, with tears in my eyes, and shaking so hard its hard to type. Wave upon wave of self-hate is hitting me, and I'm not sure I can swim. I am battered on all sides with self-doubt, one moment fearing that I could be a woman someday, and then a worse moment when I wonder if my sister-in-law is right that I am just .... rejecting my male identity.
 

I am one of a growing number that are unhappy with the use of the word transgender. For me it isn't really about a dislike for other marginalized groups it is instead about a sense of identity. The word is supposed to be an umbrella term that covers diverse groups but in its current usage I think really does all groups involved harm. I think it loses it message and pushes others out that the word was originally meant to include like crossdressers. Speaking of those marginalized groups where are they in the supposedly large LGBT and Transgender groups?

Eh what with all this talk of family crests and such, it prompted me to explore mine a bit. If the "Sun" can invent outraveous lies then I ought also.
So I went looking on the Internet for the "Boucher" place of origin and family crest. Gads, we actually have one! It looks like they were part of the Norman invasion around 1066.
http://www.houseofnames.com/boucher-family-crest

Well, I managed to avoid most of the coverage of the Royal wedding. My reasons for this were not because of any Republican sentiments I may carry, but more raw emotions. I couldn't have born seeing that beautiful bride and that exquisite gown without being almost lost to envy. I have a wonderful girlfriend, but its hard to imagine that I will ever be a bride. But, I have to be grateful for what I do have, don't I?

Well, it seems that my muse has departed for parts unknown, leaving at least one story started and stranded. I hope she comes back soon .....

The devastation in northern Alabama seems to have affected our member Stanman who has not been onsite since early Thursday morning. Let us hope that it is just disruption of internet or electricity and that Stan is okay. There may be other BC members who are having connectivity problems in this extreme weather, remember them also.

Hugs to all,
Erin

Well... hello to all. I just want to say that Bigcloset TopShelf has rapidly become my all time favorite as a libray of TG Fiction.

Well, today there was a hiring fair for a health care company, and I went as Dorothy. We had a group interview, which was kinda different, but cool. The company looks great, and it looks like they would have no problem with me coming to work for them as Dorothy. The best moment was each of us was asked who they would hire, and one of the other people picked me. Wish me luck that they hire me.

New that Isn't!

So tonight after I got home from my volunteer job in Cleveland, my roomate had fixed Matzo Ball soup and then we sat around talkig about the school year and how happy they were that it was almost over. All this made me begin to think about my own life and how I would describe it.

Just a quick heads up, if you go to www.maddybell.com you can read some exciting news and see some new Gaby travel pics!

ttfn
Maddy

Hi all, I just wanted to take this moment to say I pray that you all are safe during these major storms rocking across the Midwest, Southwest, the South, Southeast and Eastern seaboard of the US. My heart goes out to Arkansas, where that State has had approx 20 persons killed, and millions and millions of dollars in damage done. Altho we see large storms this time of year; these have been majorily bad in all aspects. Take care and stay safe. Jan

Hello everyone I hope one and all had a wonderful time the last few days and had fun and a nice visit from the cute bunny no matter bad boy or good girl (hehehe LOL ) also I hope ereyone stays safe and dry ,, as in the last week I got so much rain I found my roof needs to be redone too many leaks and the shingles were at end of live span and with so much ice over the winter I also need new gutters it will be over $20,000 cry cry cry darn I just had drivway redone and now I will have a 30 yard dumpster in it darn I hope it will not crack the new drivway that is over 100 yards long

The Daily Wail does it again. Apparently this one wrote a book about herself, so is I suppose fair game. I wouldnt have thought 60 was that old - or is that all about personal perspective - the closer you get the younger it seems?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1380687/British-ex-p...

Comments are the usual unhelpful sort, but there seems to be some effort to ger pronouns right.

I'm suffering a chest infection and I'm feeling totally crap, so there will be no Somewhere Else Entirely this week.

While Duty and Destiny is on hiatus, I'm working up a new story, over on my little writing website. My plan is to post the rough drafts over there, and when finished, I'll publish the final version here for general viewing.

If you're inclined, have a read.

-A

Moon Harper

Had an interview today. In boy mode, sadly, but I need work too badly to kick.

Curtsy everyone.

The true little me is a sweet little girl of 4 trying to poke out in the big real world. I have been to a number of adult little girl camps. Where i have meat a couple of writers on here aka Piper and cat. I look after a sweet writer calle allie elle.

As you are aware in real life unforntally i am a 33 year old male (soon to be 34) but i just love to be a sweet little girl.

I have loads of pictures of me on my flickr page but i think the perfect one for easter time would be this one http://www.flickr.com/photos/sissysamantharebecca/2536836130...

I have recently been hearing radio ads for a charity event to benefit a residential group home specifically for GLBT youths that is run by a local charity. In the ad they mention that this is one of three such facilities in the US.

Well, I'm back from church, and it was wonderful. They had a choir from Germany was was simply angelic. After the service, I went for coffee with a couple of guys from the welcoming group, and it was pretty good. Makes me wish I could do this every Sunday instead of having to go to my ex's church in male mode. Ah, well.

Well, happy Easter, everybody. I'm getting a rare chance to go to church as Dorothy, so that's good. I'll give an account of how it went when I get back.

To celebrate Earth Day, NASA released dozens of its best images of the planet. Here are some of the most beautiful.

http://news.cnet.com/2300-11386_3-10007536.html?tag=cnetRiver

Hugs

Sue