I have been reading the latest 'year's best SF' and quite enjoying it. I then look up stories here, see 'SF' or fantasy in the header, and switch off. One story, "The Island", intrigues me,and I will continue reading it, but those stories with miraculous devices/transformatons do not speak to me. Clearly, this is a personal thing, and I mean no criticism of others, but while I love SF I can only connect with TG stories that are close to real life. Perhaps this is personal identification, maybe I am inflexible, but I offer now my apologies to those who write that sort of story.

Fantastic news.

I learned tonight, 1726 British Daylight saving time UST +1 that the bitch who abused me as a child died a month ago of Pneumonia and kidney failure. My oldest sister was 76.

I've had some requests to consider using Mr. Gabriel in more stories, and I think it will happen. The funny thing is, I didn't know about his "surprise" until I wrote the end of the story. He was created after a very special friend who has now passed, and named after my new nephew, Gabriel. He was just a nice teacher, originally.
Just goes to show what happens when you write from things that happen in a dream and throw in some memories to fill it in.

I found these on YouTube last night and thought they weren't even half bad... "Beautiful Boxer", a true story of Nong Toom, a transsexual Thai kickboxer who fought as a means of survival and rose to fame, quite an amazing story. Part one is here, and if you're familiar with YouTube at all (is there anyone who isn't?) you know you'll find the other parts shown to the right of the screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TxdRlg3Llw&feature=related

"Just Like A Woman" is a fictional story of a crossdresser who loses his wife and family and other tribulations etc. Part one is here:

I used to have a search field on the home page, it no longer shows up in Firefox nor IE... haven't had any other problems displaying any pages... is the search function gone? thanks.

Dear Family, Friends, and Faithful Readers...

I didn't believe it.

I promised to get this story chapter out by the end of this week. Unfortunately, I been a little too busy with household matters. I've got a little over 12,000 words written but there are two major scenes I still have to complete.

Plus I need to fix up the story before turning it into Puddin. DHCF Part 29 will be ready soon, but now I'm estimating it will be more like Monday to Wednesday of next week before its published.

Well as of this morning, BCTS tells me I have been a member for 4 years and 52 weeks... Which I translate as meaning that today is my 5th anniversary of being a member here. My first story, "Two Roads" was posted on 12/4/2005, so perhaps that is the real anniversary date.

There used to be professors at University of Hawaii (Milton Diamond), and one at Umich, (Who seems to have been completely written out of the historical record?) who were studying Transgender Issues, and of course there was pioneering work done in the Netherlands in the early 90's, but lately I have not heard any new News. Of course there was the work done at a University in Australia that had done preliminary identification on a Transgender Gene, but in the last year, I have not heard anything new on that front.

Khadijah

I may have mentioned before, I am not a fun person to sleep with. Between night terrors, snoring, and the simple fact i dont sit still, even when i am dreaming. But last night was a topper. I remember having a dream of going downstairs, picking up a pile of presents, and returning to my room. Along the way i had turned off my alarm. Once the dream was over, i woke, and it had felt so real i actually got up to check if i had brought stuff up. I hadnt, but I had turned off my alarm, and there were signs i really had left my bed while asleep. It's a little frightening, to be honest. Ah, well.

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2006/11/72174

You draw your own conclusions. Discuss.

Well, today I was told to stay off work. Snow had closed it down, and looking out the window at nine eleven PM my time, the snow is still coming down, and the road past my placeis nearly shut. The drifts on my walk around today were nearly at my knees. Not big stuff compared to other countries, but it's bad enough fora cyclist. Ice under powder snow, now being covered with fat flakes. So...I should call myself 'Walker' now!

Dear Friends

What is the true Holiday Dilemma, Jews face at this time of the year?

For those of you who are interested in such things, i would like to share with you how "No Son of Mine" came about. It started with the old Genesis song of the same name. (you can read the lyrics at: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/g/genesis/no_son_of_mine.html) Because i could truly identify with the character in the song, it was a moving piece for me from the first time I heard it. It ends pretty darkly, and at some level that bothered me. I wanted some hope, some possibility of a reconciliation. Then i saw the "loophole".

Somehow, my short story is approaching 1,200 episodes, so it's time I asked if readers want me to continue it for a bit longer - the last time was two hundred episodes ago. This is of course assuming our gracious landlady will permit accommodation for a bit longer - maybe we could all give a little more towards the rent, I know she struggles with it.

I'm still working on a Hatbox story, but it's very slow, plus I have a Gabysode in progress and I know someone would like another Bonkers for her Christmas present, plus I get asked about Snafu and Charlotte fairly regularly.

I've begun posting the rest of "Unexpected Attractions", a story that Melanie E. first suggested as "I Was A Transgendered Craigslist Bride". For the first 8 chapters, I have had the assistance of Angela Rasch, and I think she has made me a much better writer as a result. We'll see what y'all think. I hope you enjoy it.

Wren

Had another series of flashbacks yesterday, and thank God for the friends who chatted with me online as i worked my way through it. I am finding all kinds of ironies in my struggles, both with the assaults and with my gender. For example, I realized that i owed to my abusive step-father a thanks, because by forcing us to move when he did, I was able to escape from the monster who was using me. And despite his other flaws, he never touched me sexually, which gave me some opportunity to heal enough to function.

This is too funny

http://www.kboi2.com/news/offbeat/110989214.html

Melanie Dian

Hello all,

Enemyoffun was nice enough to post a blog letting some of you know that I've been incommunicado for the last three weeks. My motherboard and CPU had to be replaced on my new laptop that's not even a year old yet. Of course it had to happen right during an epic writing spree and on NaNoWriMo. I would have had that sucker beat in the first week! GAH!

Anyway. I'm still returning emails and PM's, so if you haven't heard from me that's why. I'm back now and my fingers are seriously itching to write something. So to work I go.

I've had several emails from members of my "other" community who are quite frightened. I am sure that most of you are aware of the attempted bombing in my home town, Portland, Or. It is the women who have most reason to be frightened, because the Hijab "brands" us. It is likely that many of them will be going out sans Hijab in the future.

I do not have that choice. For me it is Hijab or dress as a Man. I can not wear a wig.

A couple years ago I wrote a very short story about how a Christian parent and her friend were discussing the suicide of her child "Jimmy." The story was called it worked out for the best and was deliberately dark short and to the point.I was in a very low point in my life little did I know it would get worse but I'm still here and don't plan on going anywhere for a while.Here's the thing I'm thinking I should bookend the story with a short story from jimmy's perspective about how he feels and what drives him to commit suicide.I know for me it will take me back down that dark and ugly road bu

Well, it has been an interesting day, to say the least. I am still fighting a bit of a cold, so I chose to stay home and not go to church today. I went on a chat site to talk to some friends about my depression, and while we were talking, I started having a pretty strong flashback. One of my friends there has my phone number, so she called me, and listened while i cried to the point i could barely talk. Feeling slightly better after i unloaded, i fidgeted, played video games, and made lunch. Then, some remnant of my flashback nagged at me, and i started to write.

A visit to FM's Hyperboard and I found something......I don't want to look too closely. But an image in a Hyperboard reply appears to be of someone stroking themselves. {LINK REDACTED - EDITOR}

If I right, FM has gone down the toilet. It's been going that way, but this is just absolute confirmation. The person who posted it, isn't a registered user. So their post had to get approved before being allowed on the Hyperboard.

that the Lulu Cyber Sale ends tomorrow - thats Monday.

For more details on how you can save 25% on your Lulu order see my last blog and remember that it applies to anything on the Lulu site not just Scaramouch product!

So get over there now to start saving!

Mads

Looking for ideas on something to do while stuck in the hospital. Armed with my trusty blackberry, I can do basic browsing and text editing. Hard to do with one hand though. Cat bites suck when you have no immune system :(
So, any suggestions on things to do? Vicodin is helping a little, but still have a nasty headache that won't go away
One armed hugs,
Diana

I just got home from an all day movie marathon at a friend's house, with new and old friends. The new friends are used to seeing me as Cathy, and they treat me as the female I present myself as, but two of the old ones hadn't ever seen me as Cathy, and I was a bit uptight when I got there. okay, I was a LOT uptight!

Chapters 10 and 11 are now posted. I'm sure some of you have been wondering if anything was going to happen. Well, we are one quarter of the way through the story, and things start to happen very fast.

Today my family will declare me to be over-the-hill officially as I have achieved that milestone that women don't talk about. I have my George Jones CD cued to "I Don't Need Your Rocking Chair" and I will use it to remind everyone who rubs it in too much! There is a few more miles left in this girl before she is officially "Over -the- hill" I don't intend to go quietly either! At least I can say I have the best gift already. The wonderful friends and family I have!

Well, it seems like i am fighting the first major depression since i started taking my medication. It started with a sleepless night last night, and pretty much has gone downhill from there. hopefully, i can ride it out, and find a way to hold on until it ends.

I'm grateful to Julie O for highlighting this report from the BBC in one of her stories. It's perhaps expected in a country where there are very poor and vulnerable people that some are exploited sexually, add it to a culture which is so constipated about treating women as equals to men, and a general backwardness and this happens.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11217772

Angharad.

Thanksgiving?

Why?

We had Thanksgiving at MY house today. 13 or 14 people around the house, chatting, eating, playing with my son's new baby.

All of them smiling, happy.

I asked what we had to be thankful for. The Grand baby, my son's job, the weight I've lost this year (120 pounds, more or less, thank you very much!), the food, everyone was happy on the outside.

Except me.

My family barely tolerates me, though God Forbid they should show it in public. My son says I'm "disgusting. My oldest commands, "don't embarrass us."

I'm shaking right now because something just attacked our dog. He's just a little half-chihuahua lapdog, but we let him out every night to do his business. Usually he stays close to the house, but tonight he ran off after something into the pasture by our house.

I think that most T folk struggle with figuring out who they really are. WELL DUH !!!

So, today, I was just cruising the net, trying to figure out some feelings that, Bailey's, "I'd do anything for love ..." story caused to surface. Well, in my researching, I happened upon an author who is published on LuLu. You can get his book titles off the home page of his site.

I would like to take a moment and talk about the origins of the story i published called "A Cop's Story" It stared during a horrible moment, but by the time I finished writing it, it had become a sign of my progress. You see, I started having a flashback at work, and it was terrible, and i wasn't in a position to do much at that moment. But, instead of just being a victim, I responded by writing, and before long, i had mastered the flashback, and i had crafted (what i think) is a pretty good little story too.

Seeing the other authors who have posted their "Thanks" blogs reminded me just how much thanks I owe the community here as well.

In the past few years, I've gone through a lot of drama, most of which I've ended up posting about here. In all this time, no one has ever, EVER, been anything but supportive of me. Through all my ups and downs, Big Closet, and the many wonderful readers and writers therein, have always been there for me.

There is no way that I can thank you all enough, but I can try.

I have so many things to be grateful for this year. This has been one of the most stressful years of my life, but much of what caused that stress has been resolved and now all that angst seems so . . . meaningless.

There were many days when RL pressures became so intense I had to escape . . . and I came here.

Sure — there are those on BC who I think are laughable for a variety of reasons. And -- sometimes the rules are overbearing and the administration of those rules is heavy-handed.

All that being said — BC has given my life more purpose again and again for over a decade.

Well, I'm taking the first steps to going back to school. I should have done this sooner, but you guys know what a rocky year this has been for me. My mother's not been as big a help as she insisted she would be, so I'm taking the initative (Edit: Not her fault - she's been busy this year too! :-D)

Lulu are doing a special promotion again, 25% off any order!

Simply select go to Scaramouch, choose your books/calendars and in the voucher box when you check out just put 'CYBERUK', the website will then automatically make the reduction.

Its for a limited period - until the 29th November, so take advantage now and get your reading matter before Christmas!

ttfn
Mads

For anyone who's interested there are two 13 month Gaby Calendars available for 2011, the first is illustrated Manga style by Mizutamari and the second follows Gab's on her Spring trip to Germany and Autumn trip to the Gabycon in Dorset.

http://www.lulu.com/product/calendar/gaby-by-mizutamari-2011...
http://www.lulu.com/product/calendar/gabys-travels-2011/1383...

Price is  £15 each - the cheapest package i could do.

Mads

Well, I posted my latest story, and I am waiting to see how well it is received. I am not going to beg here for kudos or comments unless they are deserved, but weather or not the story continues will depend somewhat on the response. I happen to think it was funny, but I am the AUTHOR for heaven's sake, so what do I know? I hope it lightened at least a few people's day, but we will have to see.

After much procrastination and many misgivings, I finally posted "Lt Katia In Afghanistan". Perhaps those who have PTSD problems caused by combat, should just avoid this one. To make it clear, I have not been in "Military" combat, and this story is not meant to be a commentary on anything, and is solely for reading enjoyment.

Much Peace

Khadijah

A murderer who brutally killed transgendered prostitute Andrea Waddell in Brighton, Sussex, England, has been given an indefinite jail term for raping another woman in Brighton five weeks earlier.