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Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Halloween '18








What plans do you have for your Escape today/night?

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Superman's Pal -1966

Vintage Comic Book “Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen” Aug-Sept 1966

Great Caesars Ghost! Is Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen coming out of the closet as a cross dresser?

This is from the web site Sally Edelstein and Envisioning The American Dream, 2014.  For 1966 this is a amazing.  The narrative and illustration are all so interesting and you can actually follow the story with many panels from the comic.  Thank you for preserving this bit 1966 transgender history.  

Here is one of the concluding pages:   



Be sure to check out the whole post.  I knew there was something about Jimmy I liked.  Also according to the Misfit Robot Daydream site this was not the last time.  To be continued...  



Monday, October 29, 2018

Superman - My Hero



Growing up I had lots of television favorites.  Several of which I knew that l liked, although not fully aware at the time of why.  Annette Funicello was my favorite Mouseketeer. It was a few years later in my teen development before I realized why. At that age I had very little grasp on the nature of 'sex' however, just knew I liked her. Enough said. 

Old movies on TV were also a favorite after school.  After doing my farm duties, homework and while waiting for my Grandfather to get home from the general store, I watched and re-watched. I was fascinated by beauties dancing in flowing gowns and heels - Judy Garland with Fred Astaire in (Easter Parade), Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelley, (Singin' in the Rain)....

However, my all time favorite TV character was Superman. According to Tyranny of Style, "Superman first graced the small screen in the television show Adventures of Superman that ran from 1951-1958, starring George Reeves." If it was on, I was going to watch on my grandparent's DuMoint TV.


George Reeve and Phyllis Coates
the first TV Lois Lane.
"Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Disguised as Clark Kent... fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way."

It was not that he was a macho muscle man of steel, (something I was never going to be able to emulate) or that I had some secret crush on a guy.  Annette already had my heart. 

I can only understand the possible fascination now and this may be overthinking hindsight. First Clark Kent had a secret life and as obvious as it was to me, no one else knew (wink-wink). I was already working on my secret life. 

He could jump into a phone booth (remember those) and change into a completely different person. 

Lastly, the outfit was a little on the girly side with the leotard, cape  and boots. The costume was always underneath. Also as an extra, I liked Lois Lane. If I could not be Superman, then maybe I could be Lois with a quick change in a phone booth.  

Give me a break - I was only 8 years old....  

George Reeves' ultimate outcome was sad - Not the man of steel we envisioned.  
  
Adventures of Superman, starring George Reeves, 1950's.






Sunday, October 28, 2018

Political Cartoons 10-28












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In the sad but true department:










Saturday, October 27, 2018

Friday, October 26, 2018

Friend's Friday - Wine Event



New Friends at a Saturday Evening Wine Tasting 
South Florida has five Doris' Italian Markets. There I found a unique throwback to when markets provided isles of specialty items plus Italians have always known how to prepare food. Doris' Markets are not exactly a corner market but neither are they an over-the-top supermarket. Their specialty - wine.   

I found this wine tasting event on Meetup and signed up at the last minute. I joined the group, out-of-the-blue, not knowing anyone else. It seemed a good opportunity to meet new people and escape what otherwise would be a  boring Saturday evening. There were already 33 registered and I was so happy to find space left. Silly me - Our group only made up a small portion of the likely 200+ in attendance. 

The market, the wine/food and all in attendance did not disappoint. While snacking I made several new friends and had interesting conversations.    

The event was not all about buying wine as many tastings push. It was an introduction to the many varieties of prepared food that Doris' provides and wine tasting at 10 stations/vendors. Available was a sampling of up to 100 different wines  That evening all of the vendors were offering reduced prices on their wine bottles/cases, if you found anything you liked.   

I love the group, was welcomed and look forward to many of their other events. I see from their Meetup site that they host dinners, trips, wine lectures, tastings and other events. My first time with this group was a fun evening/Escape. 



  




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Thursday, October 25, 2018

AGT #1 Funnest Audition





This is a week where we need a little humor.  Enjoy. 


A friendly 84-year-old man performs a humorous song he has written called "What She's Got". Laugh along to the lyrics of his naughty tune!


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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

They Call Me Mello Yellow



I have always been drawn to yellow. It likely worked much better when I was younger and had red hair. From what I was taught as a beauty consultant, few have the proper skin tone to use yellow as a primary fashion color. Natural blonds being that exception. I really do love it as an accent color and pair it with grays and white which work well with my white hair - age appropriate.  Age has not diminished my love for yellow. I now use it as an accent to brighten what would otherwise be a dull outfit. 

This layout is built around a Boston Proper  square neck t-shirt.  They are sexy, come in many colors and are available year round.  I have it in navy blue, white and the above gray. They always fit nice and run true to size.  (I wear a medium). The pants are Banana Republic, hemmed for heels and the white denim skirt is Levi. The purse is Ralph Lauren from several season ago.  The heels are Banana Republic Madison Pumps and the ballet flats are Talbots.  

With just a little planning it is easy to look all pulled together. This packed combination could be a "day-to-evening and two day travel outfit"; dressy for evening - casual for day.   




 Donovan - Mellow Yellow

 The song became Donovan's signature tune in the US and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on the Cash Box chart, and earned a gold record award for sales of more than one million in the US
Donovan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 and
the 
Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014. . Source Wikipedia




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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Monday, October 22, 2018

White House Plan To Eradicate Transgender From Gender Definition

According to HuffPost article of  10/21/2018 08:07pm:


The administration is reportedly planning to restrict the definition of gender as immutable for an individual’s lifetime and that would be based on genitalia at birth, according to a draft memo obtained by The New York Times. Such a definition would essentially be a government declaration that there is no such thing as “transgender.” At least 1.4 million people in the U.S. currently identify as transgender, according to the Times.
The reported change is being spearheaded by the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a legal definition of sex under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that bans gender discrimination in education programs receiving government funding. 

The NewYork times broke the news on this pending directive and describe it this way: "The Trump administration is considering narrowly defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth." 

You must realize that this is an all out attack on being transgender. Progressive communities and counties, like the one in which I live, have enacted enlightened civil rights stands to protect transgender rights. This could be a first step in rescinding all of our civil rights protections.  

Given the current Supreme Court's conservative majority, we have little hope that these directives would be overturned. This could be the new Justice Kavanaugh's payback to the "calculated and orchestrated political hit by Democrats".        

Understand that this will affect all within our community. You could lose your job for being a cross-dresser. Long ago granted gender marker changes could be rescinded. Healthcare providers could refuse treatment, and drop your coverage. You could be harassed in public, refused service, and barred from any public activities/facilities. You could be refused housing, a bank account, access to education and fair treatment under the law. All of this could happen with no recourse.

Individuals are going to feel empowered to discriminate and they will.     

The National Center for Transgender Equality, which is one of the organizations planning the Washington rally, warned on Twitter: “Make no mistake, trans people are under direct attack from the Trump Administration.” 

Could this be a first step in outlawing all transgender activities? Trump banning transgender people from serving in the military looks to only be the first step in the Trump/Pence challenge to our civil rights protections and our right to exist.  Politics just got very personal.  I am scared.  






They DO!


Is It OK for guys...


This is a question that came up on a guy's fashion video.  That is not the whole subject discussed and it covers question like "Is it OK for guys to cry?" or "Is it OK for guys to wear a V neck shirt or skinny jeans?".  He is discussing fashion choices.

The above question is handled as liberating guys to be creative, and be yourself. Something I encourage through escapes. Maybe dressed fully as opposite gender or maybe just androgynous - ESCAPE!

Robin James:
Push your own agenda and be you.     




Is it OK for guys to wear V necks?
Does What You Wear Make You Less of A Man?

Sunday, October 21, 2018

Political Cartoon 10-21

Source: Palm Beach Post 10/14

















Saturday, October 20, 2018

Friday, October 19, 2018

Friend's Friday - September Colony Adventure


The above photo is Caitlin and I visiting the Colony Hotel Palm Beach, the end of September. This boutique hotel bar always welcomes us and on this evening we had dinner.  The restaurant is part of the bar and yes, outstanding food. We sat next to the piano and had music for all of dinner. The bar/restaurant is newly decorated and gone is the "Polo" theme. Now just Palm Beach chic. 

As we get more into "Season" we look forward to seeing our snowbird friends as they return from up-north. Even for a warm late September evening, there was a good turn-out.

There is a lot of history at this Palm Beach destination. Caitlin has found a video and more on that in a future post. Hint - High-heel-Neal.









Thursday, October 18, 2018

Amelia Gapin - “I am entirely me.”



July 2016






Meet Amelia Gapin, the first trans woman to front 'Women's Running' magazine




When transgender runner Amelia Gapin was first named a finalist for Women’s Running magazine's cover search contest last fall, she was nervous.

The software engineer and co-founder of MyTransHealth, an online startup connecting users with trans-friendly physicians and mental healthcare professionals, told New Now Next that she had no "desire to play into the voyeurism of trans lives by (cisgender) people." 

But then Gapin thought about what that visibility might mean for another trans person. And when she found out she had been selected to cover the fitness magazine’s July issue — the first trans woman to do so — the 33-year-old went for it. 

"I wanted to be able to show other trans people what’s possible and that they can be their true selves," Gapin said of her decision to front the issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday. 

"You know, I grew up through the 90s and there was never any positive representation," Gapin continued. "I just remember growing up thinking, 'I guess there’s nobody else like me. I’m the only person who feels the way that I do.' It was really, really alienating because I didn't know you could actually transition and live those things you felt and be the person you knew you were." 

Running showed Gapin that. 

"I had spent years trying to convince myself to believe lies — that I wasn’t transgender — and there was a lot I had to work through, and running was the place where I did it," Gapin, who started transitioning four years ago, said. "It gave me some place to work out aggression and anger that I had when I found out that some friends weren't the people I thought they were... honestly, I don’t know that I'd still be here if I didn’t have running." 

Women's Running editor-in-chief Jessica Sebor said the selection of Gapin was a natural choice.

"What we really wanted to underline is every body, every person, every woman is welcome into the Women’s Running community and we just thought Amelia’s openness and embracing of her own identity was something that underlined that mission," she said.  

Sebor also echoed Gapin's hopes that the cover helps someone who may be struggling. "There are a lot of really unfortunate difficulties and challenges facing the trans community right now," she said. "What we hope is that they see there are many of us who stand in support and we want to show that support, and hopefully that provides a bit of comfort."


Read the whole article here: "Amelia Gapin Is Our Transgender Cover Runner"


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More about Amelia: She has been on hormones for three years, and says she had been back and forth about surgery for awhile. She hesitated for many reasons, not the least of which was the apprehension and fear she had of the long and intense post-operation recovery period. She finally decided to undergo the procedure, because “my big goal is to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and I can’t qualify for it as a woman without having surgery.” 



Tuesday, October 16, 2018

General Lee - Not a Great Man

Trump praised Confederate General Robert E. Lee
as "a great general" on Friday 10/12/18
during a campaign rally in Lebanon, Ohio.
I grew up in an area that looked to Robert E. Lee almost as a deity. If the South had saints he would be at the top of the list. This past week our racially tone-deaf president hailed Lee as a great man. Let us be assured his audience was likely, predominantly white.  

His statement is true only in a shallow sense that Lee orchestrated brilliant battle strategies for a less than great cause. Germany does not celebrate its great "Field Marshals" of World War II; e.g. Erwin Rommel or  Erich Von Manstein. Neither should we look back and romanticize the tragedy of the lost cause of defending slavery. The president is constantly baiting his uninformed-to-history, base.  

Note the Atlantic article below.

The Myth of the Kindly General Lee


The legend of the Confederate leader’s heroism and decency is based in the fiction of a person who never existed.

The Atlantic Adam Serwer


Every state that seceded mentioned slavery as the cause in their declarations of secession. Lee’s beloved Virginia was no different, accusing the federal government of “perverting” its powers “not only to the injury of the people of Virginia, but to the oppression of the Southern Slaveholding States.” Lee’s decision to fight for the South can only be described as a choice to fight for the continued existence of human bondage in America—even though for the Union, it was not at first a war for emancipation. (A fight to preserve the Union).


To describe this man as an American hero requires ignoring the immense suffering for which he was personally responsible, both on and off the battlefield. It requires ignoring his participation in the industry of human bondage, his betrayal of his country in defense of that institution, the battlefields scattered with the lifeless bodies of men who followed his orders and those they killed, his hostility toward the rights of the freedmen and his indifference to his own students waging a campaign of terror against the newly emancipated. It requires reducing the sum of human virtue to a sense of decorum and the ability to convey gravitas in a gray uniform.

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-myth-of-the-kindly-general-lee/529038/


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"The day white Virginia stopped admiring Gen. Robert E. Lee and started worshiping him."

The Robert E. Lee monument and scaffolding
 during construction in Richmond in 1890
The Robert E. Lee memorial was erected on May 7, 1890 in Richmond’s soon to become Movement Avenue. The revisionist “Lost Cause” movement was gaining steam, and Lee... was the perfect “marble man” to change the narrative of the rebellion from slavery to honor. This according to the writer Roy Blount Jr., who wrote a 2003 biography of Lee. 

He (Lee) enabled people to put a kind of gentlemanly High-Church face on the Confederacy. It was a time when people were trying to establish the idea of white supremacy. Lee himself would have eschewed such relics and rituals, scholars say. He spoke against monuments as irritating ‘the sores of war,’ and his modesty would have made him chafe at hero worship.
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Monday, October 15, 2018

Third Person - No Diagnostics Required

In a Friend's Friday from a few weeks ago I made this statement: "Rhonda has many social interactions and does get about."  I wrote that, however spoke of Rhonda as different from myself. That is not the case, and by doing that, I relegated her to be different/less than me.    

I was speaking about myself in the third person. Here is another example spoken by Richard Nixon having just lost California’s gubernatorial election in 1962: 


You don’t have Nixon to kick around anymore because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference. 

Several weeks ago at the Southern Comfort Transgender Conference I was relating an activity to a friend and spoke of Rhonda doing "thus and so". Very quickly I was corrected and rightly so.  

"Rhonda is not a separate identity or person." She is very much who I am and this gives cause for all of us to consider our personage. I am not saying that we  always display the same personality and a good example is how we relate during a sales presentation or job interview - Not the same as we would act at a sporting event. Yet, still the same person. 

Neither are we "Sybil" in nature with multiple personality disorder. Or dissociative disorder; "characterized by an involuntary escape from reality characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory".  Yuck - Not me! 

Acceptance is a key factor in our transgender journey. This is one way to recognize that our own personality has a major feminine component, regardless of where we are on the transgender scale. Living as we all do, allows for different moods, activities and apparel.  No diagnostics required Dr. Freud.

Let us recognize we can be fulfilled on many levels. There is no need for the third person. I am going to make the effort to make sure that I am not relegating myself to the third person.  



   


          

Sunday, October 14, 2018

Political Cartoons 10-14





From Velma - Thank you 








Sunday's Crazy Bonus

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Dangerous Rapidly Intensifying Landfalling Hurricanes Like Michael and Harvey May Grow More Common

Dr. Jeff Masters  or Weather Underground 10/12/2018


As Hurricane Michael sped northwards on October 9 towards a catastrophic landfall on Florida’s Panhandle, the mighty hurricane put on an phenomenal display of rapid intensification. Michael’s winds increased by 45 mph in the final 24 hours before landfall, taking it from a Category 2 hurricane with 110 mph winds to an extremely dangerous high-end Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds. It was a disturbing déjà vu of what had happened just one year earlier. On August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey rapidly intensified by 40 mph in the 24 hours before landfall, from a Category 1 storm with 90 mph winds to a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds.

Read the Whole article by world renown Meteorologist Dr. Jeff Masters.     

Also see: the the March 2017 science paper "Will Global Warming Make Hurricane Forecasting More Difficult?" written by the American Meteorological Society (AMS)

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Friday, October 12, 2018

Acts of Faith - Deacon M

The United Methodist Church has appointed a transgender deacon.


By Julie Zauzmer, June 7, 2017





The bishop spoke the traditional words as she placed her hands on the new deacon named M with just a slight difference from the way those words have always been spoken before.

“Pour out your Holy Spirit upon M,” the bishop said. “Send them now to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to announce the reign of God and to equip the church for ministry.”

Not “send him now” or “send her now.” “Send them now.”

That’s what M Barclay has been working for 12 years to finally hear.

Barclay, a transgender person who identifies as neither male nor female and thus uses the pronoun “they,” was commissioned on Sunday as the first non-binary member of the clergy in the United Methodist Church.

The United Methodist Church is one of the largest denominations in America, falling behind only the Catholic Church and the Southern Baptist Convention. The mainline Protestant denomination has been bitterly divided over sexuality and gender identity: Its official rules say clergy must either be celibate or in heterosexual marriages, and can perform only such marriages, but American bishops have ordained gay and transgender clergy before, and clergy have conducted same-sex marriages.

In the Northern Illinois Conference, where Barclay was commissioned Sunday, Bishop Sally Dyck said in a statement:
While M’s journey over the last few years has included gender identity, all of those who were commissioned or ordained on Sunday have been on some kind of journey that has brought them to new places of faith, life and relationships. Likewise, I hope the church will find itself at a new place in the near future when it comes to full inclusion.





Note: This was my family and childhood church in rural Virginia. Makes me proud.




  

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Help Me Rhonda



62 Rare Historical Photos

Pictured here are The Beach Boys in 1965. The Beach Boys became wildly popular because their California surf-inspired sound was so unique. Surf-rock had yet to emerge and the Beach boys quickly became the most influential American band of the sixties. With over eighty songs topping charts worldwide, they remain one of the most critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and widely influential bands of all time.

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I always smile because of my song. Today is a self indulgence music interlude. Enjoy.