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Friday, November 30, 2018

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Underneath the Makeup | Award Winning LGBT Short Film




No words needed - Spoiler alert - Tissues optional, but may be needed. 

Click on "Watch this video on YouTube" of Click Here if you are having problems seeing the video.  

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

We Do Have Friends!

Janet sent this link and it is encouraging to know that we do have friends.  I am going to post the whole article here because not all may have a Washington Post on-line subscription. Thanks Janet for passing this along during a time when we needed a good news boost.  


______________________

Apple, Facebook and Google among 56 businesses telling Trump not to weaken transgender rights




By Tony Romm
November 1 at 12:00 PM 

Source: Matt McClain/The Washington Post
Apple, Facebook, Google and Uber are among 56 companies that told the Trump administration on Thursday that they oppose any change in federal policy that would define gender on the basis of one’s biological sex at birth — the latest clash between tech giants and the White House over civil rights issues.

In a letter to President Trump, the businesses said such a policy would be discriminatory and harm their workers. The companies said they “stand with the millions of people in America who identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex, and call for all such people to be treated with the respect and dignity everyone deserves.”

“We oppose any administrative and legislative efforts to erase transgender protections through reinterpretation of existing laws and regulations,” they wrote. “We also fundamentally oppose any policy or regulation that violates the privacy rights of those that identify as transgender, gender non-binary, or intersex.”

Last month, Trump said he is “seriously” rethinking how transgender people are treated under federal law, telling reporters that his administration has “a lot of different things happening with respect to transgender right now.” The effort has been led internally by the Department of Health and Human Services, which last year told officials not to use the word “transgender” in their budget documents.

The move marked the Trump administration’s latest effort to roll back federal protections for transgender people, including students who seek to use the bathrooms of their choice at school, and it drew an outcry from equal-rights organizations. Fifteen of those groups, led by the Human Rights Campaign and Out Leadership, organized a campaign to get business leaders to speak out against the Trump administration’s potential policy change.

Companies signing the tech-heavy letter include Airbnb, Amazon.com, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, IBM, Intel, Lyft, Microsoft, Dow Chemical and Warby Parker. (Jeffrey P. Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, owns The Washington Post.)

“Transgender people are our beloved family members and friends, and our valued team members. What harms transgender people harms our companies,” the companies wrote Thursday.

The letter marks the industry’s latest salvo against the Trump administration over its treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. Top executives at Google and Twitter sharply criticized the president last year after he issued an order that banned transgender people from serving in the military. And many of the same companies signed a joint letter in May 2017 opposing legislation in Texas that would restrict transgender students’ bathroom use.


Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Feminine Differential - How Feminine Are You?

50 things that scream you’re one of the feminine guys (or want to be one). 





If you are wondering if people see you as one of the feminine guys, these are 50 signs that might not always scream it, but subtly whisper to those around you that you aren’t just okay with your feminine side, but instead you are trying to steal a woman’s thunder.


I listed my "YES"s not as a competition (so unfeminine) but to see where I fall on the list.  We have all taken those "blind" psychological tests that tell us if we are a woman or a man - Questions like, "Do you enjoy shopping?"  We know how to skew that test. However, this is an interesting list. There are no wrong answers and no scoring. Just an opportunity to look into ourselves and see what is considered feminine and where we fall.  Remember, it is not just how we dress.        

Note: This is just for fun and not meant to offend anyone.  Enjoy.. 

How Feminine Are You
Me
You
#1 You cry… in front of people. Of course, when something tragic happens in your life, or if you lose someone, we are okay with seeing you cry. But, if you cry when your sports team doesn’t win, at Hallmark commercials, or just really at will, that signals that you’re one of the feminine guys all the way.
YES

#2 You hold grudges. Guys are supposed to punch it out and get over it. If you are someone who is holding grudges, either let go or keep them to yourself. Grudges are so female!
YES

#3 You sit in the passenger seat. Girls like a guy who likes to take control! Obviously, if you have been drinking and she is the DD, it makes sense *although she probably doesn’t appreciate that unless decided upon up front*. But if you hop in the passenger’s seat and let her take the reins ALL the time… not masculine, dude. 
YES

#4 You take selfies. Selfies are way, way feminine. Enough said.
YES

#5 You live and die by social media likes. Men aren’t really supposed to like anything on social media unless it involves politics or a joke about strippers. But, even those things you should secretly like, but keep it to yourself.


#6 You care about your hair more than girls do. If a guy cares more about his hair than girls do, and it prevents him from being adventurous or outdoorsy, that is way too feminine for our taste. Forget your fade and just let it go!
YES

#7 You have more girl friends than guy friends. 
YES

#8 You wear shorts that go above your knees. Men should cover their thighs, it just isn’t something most women want to look at. Pasty, hairy skin doesn’t scream masculine.
YES

#9 You take longer to get ready than a girl. Having to wait for a guy is irritating enough. If we are doing it because he cares more about what he looks like than we do, it is a huge turnoff.
YES

#10 You skip. Again, enough said… and if you even know how, keep it to yourself.


#11 You cross your legs. I get it, crossing your legs just feels good sometimes, but if you are a perpetual leg-crosser you should probably google the origins of crossing your legs and quit it!
YES

#12 You use emojis. Unless they are sexual emojis meant to turn your girlfriend on, you shouldn’t be blowing kisses, making sad faces or waving your hands. Be a man, will you? [Read: Defining true masculinity – What does it mean to be a man?]


#13 You wear pink and aren’t tough. Only tough guys can wear pink. If you don’t have a six-pack, leave the Pepto-colored shirt for the muscle heads.
YES

#14 You eat neatly. Guys should eat like a hunter and gatherer, not like they are having tea with the queen. If your plate is neater than anyone else and you put way too much emphasis on how to roll your spaghetti, you need to learn to roll with it.
YES

#15 You decorate. One poster or record album sparsely placed is okay. If you are Feng-shui-ing, then you might want to take a good look around… it screams feminine.


#16 You do your dishes Johnny on the spot. Guys are supposed to have a sink full of dishes waiting for women to come rescue. Sure, we absolutely hate it and get pissed, but a clean and neat sink makes us question. There is such a thing as good irritation; they define our gender roles.
YES

#17 Your outfit matches accessories and all. If your shoes match your shirt, belt, watch, ascot, and you even know what an ascot is, then it is time to examine your feminine side.
Big YES

#18 You wear animal prints. Never cool. Camouflage okay, animal prints, so NOT.


#19 You drink cocktails with umbrellas. Fru-fru drinks have feminine written all over it. If you want a fancy cocktail, have the bartender put it in a beer mug. It will taste the same, and no one needs to know. 


#20 You get your butt hurt when someone teases you. Guys are not supposed to take things personally. If you call him a name, he is supposed to shoot right back. If you get your feelings bruised at everything that is said, that is more girl than guy behavior.
YES

#21 You are overly sensitive about everything. Toughen up and take it like a man or you will just come across as a sissy.
YES

#22 You wear a sweater vest and v-necks. Occasionally, maybe, but all the time? Not too hot.
YES

#23 You are too affectionate with your mother. Not just a momma’s boy, if you cling to your mother, hold her hand, or even refer to her as “mother” as if she is the mother of all mothers, that isn’t very manly.


#24 You have a man purse *it’s a satchel*. No, it isn’t a fanny pack, or a satchel or a man bag, it is a purse. Period. 


#25 You gossip more than girls. Sure, all guys like locker room talk, but if you are gossiping about who is sleeping with whom at work or about what someone said to someone else, then you need to stop. If not, you’re definitely one of the feminine guys.


#26 You wax / trim your eyebrows. Ummm, really? Do I even need to explain this one?
YES

#27 You notice when someone has an awesome purse. If you notice that a girl has a really cool purse and admire it silently, then you are probably one of the feminine guys.
YES

#28 You will only buy name brands. It doesn’t show everyone that you have money. It says that you have been reading the latest fashion magazine, which is so not masculine.
YES

#29 You know name brands.
YES

#30 You are a wine “connoisseur.” It is okay if you are really serious about wine and over 50, but if you are a “winer” then it isn’t very manly, just pretentious and makes you one of the feminine guys.
YES

#31 You cry at chick flicks. The fact that you even go is questionable. But crying… not allowed.
YES

#32 You have a man bun. Don’t care if it is “in,” buns are for women only.


#33 You read… like not the Drudge Report… but novels and shit. Can’t keep up with the latest Danielle Steel book? Think about it.
YES

#34 You have a subscription to a magazine, and it’s not Maxim. If you read People, Us, or anything in between, then you are way too worried about the world, which is all female.


#35 You want to have the “relationship talk,” even before she does. We want you sensitive, but not clingy. Don’t jump the gun… it isn’t masculine and again, makes you one of the feminine guys.


#36 You wear a visor. Okay maybe not everyone would agree, but I’m keeping it.


#37 You wear super skinny jeans. Skinny jeans are in and bad enough, don’t take it one step too far! (I wish)
Wish

#38 You have a toy dog. And you carry it around in your “purse.”


#39 You own moisturizer, and not for the reason you think. If your skin is softer than a baby’s behind, then you should really think about the signals you are sending… because you are one of the feminine guys.


#40 You love watching cat videos… or just cats in general. Enough said. Again.
YES

#41 You have super neat cursive writing and use it frequently on thank you cards and “just to check in” cards.


#42 You wear gardening gloves to plant flowers. Men are supposed to get their hands dirty… what are you thinking?


#43 You love malls. Can’t get enough of the mall? Bad news for your masculine side. [Read: How to  be a man the way he really should be]
YES

#44 You plant flowers to add a pop of color. If you are all about making your home curbside appeal awesome, that may be too much for coolness.


#45 You know what a pop of color is. Making comments about decoration like “color pop” is not showing anyone that you’re not one of the feminine guys.


#46 You watch HGTV, not to find out how to square a wall, but to find out what colors are in for the fall.


#47 You’ve never owned an action figure or a plastic gun in your life. Two things that are essential for guys growing up. Even if it was your parent’s fault, don’t let anyone know. [Read: Here’s how you can be masculine without being a jerk]


#48 You never leave the house without sunscreen. I get it… skin cancer, but guys are supposed to live on the edge. Not moisturizing with sunscreen as a morning routine, at least when your girlfriend is watching, is probably a good move.
Yes 

#49 You fold your laundry with corners and edges. It isn’t that we don’t want our guys to be neat, or to do their own laundry, it is just that we don’t want them to spend so much time on activities that are primarily feminine.
YES

#50 Your workout outfit is prettier than your girlfriend’s.  and most everyone else in the Gym. When a guy “works out” he is supposed to wear his ripped Led Zeppelin t-shirt, not his fancy performance wear. Look like a guy when you are working on those biceps.





Monday, November 26, 2018

Black Friday Shopping '18





Black Friday's sales were appealing. I did order a replacement pair of nude pumps from Nine-West at 50% off plus an addition 20%. The pair of Cole Haan that they are replacing, I have actually worn out.  

My second virtual stop was Talbots, where they had 40% off plus an additional 30% off  sale items. I had been watching a black leather skirt and it was still around in my size.  I love the feel of leather and could not resist. I have much to wear with a black skirt and leather is both elegant/exotic.  

My last stop was Amazon which typically is not the place I go to for fashion. The above Indera Women's Pointelle Henley Top, caught my eye at $17.  I am not even sure it was on sale but still a good price and I love the casual look of Henley tops.  An extra touch to a classic v-neck.  

Notice how switching the shoes can change the total look of the outfit in the above fashion layout.  All of these items will make a great travel; summer; Florida outfit; morning beach walk; lunch in an outdoor cafe or an early evening wine tasting          

All of the the other items in the layout reside in my closet and I have likely mentioned them in other posts. If you have questions feel free to e-mail/comment.  




Nine West Fifth Pointy Toe Pumps - in Barley Nude Leather 



Don't forget Cyber Monday! Happy shopping.