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The 1933 Berlin Reichstag Fire |
The 1933 Reichstag Fire
"We can return violence with violence, we can return hate with hate, and that's the problem with political violence — it metastasizes because we can always point the finger at the other side."
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The 1933 Berlin Reichstag Fire |
"We can return violence with violence, we can return hate with hate, and that's the problem with political violence — it metastasizes because we can always point the finger at the other side."
I’m a boy, Tone. My body is a male body and that’s okay. It’s more than being femme, though. I’m a boy with a lot of feminine traits, both in how I feel from day to day and how I like to dress, to present myself. I’m a boy and a girl both, in different ways. Some people call it gender-fluid.”
Anna Martin
After its release in 1984, the song was well received in Europe and South America and is regarded as an anthem of the fight against oppression. The single reached only number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but reached number three in the UK and was certified double platinum with over 1,200,000 copies sold. It also topped the charts of Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The song features on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits II.
So far, the VMAs have been void of any mentions of the current political climate. But that didn’t stop Sabrina Carpenter from making a bold statement at the show — even if she didn’t say a single word.
Sabrina Carpenter made history at the 2025 MTV VMAs with her debut live performance of “Tears.” Beyond the music, she used the stage to deliver a bold message: advocating for trans rights and celebrating queer visibility. Backed by drag performers and dancers carrying signs like “Protect Trans Rights” and “Support Local Drag,” her performance became one of the most talked-about moments of the night.
With multiple VMA nominations and her chart-topping album Man’s Best Friend debuting at #1 on the Billboard 200, Sabrina continues to prove she’s not just a pop star, but a powerful cultural voice. Her tribute to Britney Spears blended nostalgia with activism, creating a performance that was both artistic and political.
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Talbots - Sleeveless Linen Blend Shift Dress - Damask Swirls |
My note: I have been watching this Talbots "Sleeveless Linen Blend Shift Dress - Damask Swirls" for a good part of this season. I knew it would look good on me and the color blocking, swirls would be flattering. I seldom wear a dress and its original $149 price was hard to justify. My mall's Talbots is right next to my Soma store and more than once shopping after work, I knew it would look good. Last weekend Talbots had its 70% off markdowns weekend sale and $29.00 was a very good price. I receive it a few day ago and it is just as imagined, flattering and feminine. If interested, the price is back up, but watch for another sale.
I remember the girls in my high school wearing "Shift Dresses", Anyone else remember them? Here is a definition of the Shift Dress:
A shift dress is a simple, comfortable, straight-cut dress that hangs loosely from the shoulders, featuring a straight, unstructured silhouette without a defined waistline. Its "shift" or movement comes from its loose drape, allowing for ease and freedom of movement, making it a versatile and timeless garment that flatters most body types.
Why don't we wear dresses more? Here is a discussion from Google AI:
Dresses are sometimes considered "better" than pants for reasons including increased comfort and freedom of movement due to their non-constricting design, effortless style as a complete outfit, and potential for greater breathability, particularly in warmer weather. Dresses can also create a more traditionally feminine appearance and offer flattering silhouettes that celebrate the body's shape. Additionally, wearing dresses can simplify the dressing process and provide a simple way to feel more polished and elegant.
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Financial Malfeasance |
The goal of the potential ban, according to the Justice official, is “to ensure that mentally ill individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are unable to obtain firearms...
In the wake of the Minneapolis Catholic church shooting, senior U.S. Justice Department officials are weighing proposals to limit transgender people’s right to possess firearms, according to two officials familiar with the internal discussions.
The talks, described as preliminary in nature, appear to build on an idea that has gained some currency in conservative media since the Minneapolis shooting that killed two children and injured 21, most of them children, at Annunciation Catholic Church, an attack that police say was carried out by a 23-year-old transgender woman.
Such a move would represent a dramatic escalation of the Trump administration’s fight against the rights of transgender Americans.
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a series of executive orders on the topic, including one barring transgender people from serving in the military and another ordering federal prisons to move transgender inmates to facilities corresponding to their gender assigned at birth.
In addition, the idea of restricting gun rights has long been a red line for conservatives, with many Republican lawmakers and gun rights groups opposing red flag laws and or other policies aimed at keeping guns away from people suffering from mental health issues.
But Justice Department leadership is seriously considering whether it can use its rulemaking authority to follow on to Trump’s determination to bar military service by transgender people and declare that people who are transgender are mentally ill and can lose their Second Amendment rights to possess firearms, according to one Justice official.
Another senior Justice Department official cautioned that any such proposal, should it gain steam, would likely run into legal complications. Millions of Americans have mental health issues and many take medications, but are not a danger to society and therefore cannot have their rights infringed upon.
Federal law requires that a judge declare a person to be mentally “defective” before being stripped of their right to own firearms.
The vast majority of mass attacks in the US have no connection to transgender people. Still, after the deadly shooting last week, some conservative allies of the president quickly claimed that gender dysphoria – the psychological distress and discomfort some people feel when there’s a difference between their sex assigned at birth and their gender identity – is a mental illness that should bar citizens from purchasing a firearm.
The goal of the potential ban, according to the Justice official, is “to ensure that mentally ill individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are unable to obtain firearms while they are unstable and unwell.”
Because gender dysphoria is included in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, also called the DSM, it is diagnosed as a mental disorder (The DSM is the handbook used by health care professionals as the authoritative guide in diagnosing mental disorders).
But the gender incongruence – having a gender identity that’s not the one assigned at birth – isn’t what makes gender dysphoria a mental disorder. Having clinically significant dysphoria around the incongruence is what makes it a disorder.
The DOJ under U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has launched a broad effort to target gender-affirming care across the country, including sending more than 20 subpoenas to doctors and clinics who have provided transgender medical procedures to minors earlier this summer.
One of those subpoenas, made public through court proceedings, demanded that the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia turn over swaths of sensitive information about its treatments, including patient data like birthdays, social security numbers and addresses.
Bondi has previously advocated for some gun restricting laws. As Florida attorney general, she defended a state law that raised the age requirements for gun purchases in the wake of the Parkland school shooting in 2018.
She also worked on the policy to ban the use of bump stocks – which allow a shooter to convert a semi-automatic rifle into a weapon that can fire at a rate of hundreds of rounds a minute – during the first Trump administration. The US Supreme Court has since overturned the bump stock ban and Florida lawmakers are pushing to lower the age restriction on gun purchases.
The letter from the Trump administration says the programs need to remove “gender ideology content” from sex ed materials paid for through the State Personal Responsibility Education Program, which was created by the Affordable Care Act.
“Accountability is coming,” Acting Assistant HHS Secretary Andrew Gradison said in a news release Tuesday. “Federal funds will not be used to poison the minds of the next generation or advance dangerous ideological agendas.”
Begun in 2010, PREP’s ultimate goal is to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, according to the US Family and Youth Services Bureau, an office of the Administration for Children & Families within HHS. Programs are meant to target groups including homeless youth, kids in foster care, people living in rural areas or areas with high teen birth rates, and young people who identify as being from “minority groups (including sexual minorities).”
Individual program details vary by state, but to get funding through the Personal Responsibility Education Program, they must design curricula that teach young people about abstinence and contraception.
The federal government had already approved the curriculum and program language before the funds were granted to the states or territories. But in April, ahead of a “medical accuracy review,” the letters said, the Administration for Children and Families identified program materials that “fall outside of the scope” of PREP: Most of the programs mention gender identity or transgender people in some fashion. According to the new letter, even a mere mention puts federal funds at risk.
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Remember When:
He Lied!
"[I will] do everything in my power to protect LGBTQ citizens from hateful ideology."
We are all in shock by another insidious school shooting. Also, if you are not in "Shock" over the virulent attack on our community, post mass shooting, you should. Ignoring the most obvious cause/effect (guns and political inaptitude), we have become an easy target. (pun intended). As my friend wrote me last week "The story played right into Jessie Watters bend to hurt trans-people."
Medical shock is when there is a life threatening condition or pain that occurs depriving the body of sufficient blood flow to meet essential organ functions. The body moves into survival mode.
Have you ever wondered why medical professionals say, "Stay with me"?
According to Reddit: "The Medical staff monitors consciousness, simply because conscious patients are easier to treat. You can ask questions, you can find out where it hurts. You can ensure the airway is clear and that they is breathing. You can monitor mental state. In "real life it is done casually and encouragingly. Another reason is to calm a patient with chat."
It appears that our community is in such a deep state of shock that consciousness is waning. Are we going to let this frontal attack land so brutally, that we will slip into retreat and social death? That is what our enemies want; invisibility, then disappearance.
Complacency is the enemy. Coming out / being out may be our best defense. There are more people that claim to have seen a ghost than have seen a transgender person. Although ghost can be friendly, transgenders are being painted as monsters. The world must know we are not mobsters! We are their bankers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, ministers, fathers... When inaccurate verbal assaults are made do you speak up?
The "stay with me!', implies we will die [socially], if there is no consciousness.
Are you kidding me?
Tucker Carlson: "Transgenderism is the most dangerous extremist movement in the US."
The Minnesota Star Tribune: "Slanted and dangerous anti-LGBTQ rhetoric has flooded social media in connection with the shooter’s gender identity."
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Google AI:
Data shows that the overwhelming majority of mass shooters are cisgender men. While highly visible in the news, transgender people are responsible for less than 1% of mass shootings, and they are four times more likely to be victims of violent crime than cisgender people.
The Gun Violence Archive, which maintains a database of shootings, estimates that 0.11% of known suspects in mass shootings were transgender over the past decade, said Mark Bryant, the archive’s executive director. The archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are injured or killed, not counting the shooter. There were many more instances in which trans people were victims, Bryant added.
Kennedy, who leads the Department of Health and Human Services, said his agency is “launching studies on the potential contribution of some of the SSRI drugs and some of the other psychiatric drugs that might be contributing to violence.”
Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minnesota) accused Kennedy of using the tragedy to spread disinformation to push a political agenda. “I dare you to go to Annunciation School and tell our grieving community that, in effect, guns don’t kill kids, antidepressants do,” she wrote on X. “Just shut up. Stop peddling bulls--t.”
According to a US Government Site:
I have a short vacation planned for mid-September, New England. Thinking (hoping) for a cool break, I saw this denim hoodie on Amazon. I am seeing possibilities, with shorts in South Florida later this fall. Hoodie and shorts - what is wrong with that picture.
Also, some morning on the motorcycle ride a jackets feels good. I think a good option.
I don't think I have ever owned a hoodie. However, this one had appeal for cool mornings at a open-air cafe or walk. I received it today and the one I ordered has weird coloring, so back it went. I reordered a different one (below) and hoping for the best. I love the fit and pullover style. The 3/4 pushup sleeves are my favorite.
Amazon - Women's Half Zip Denim Hoodie Pullover Jacket Jean Sweatshirt Tops
Here are several styling tips.
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Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware |
Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware, who identifies as a transgender woman, accused President Donald Trump of waging an attack against "American democracy."
In a Monday night post on the lawmaker's @Rep_McBride X account declared:
"This president is taking notes from his favorite dictator. Let’s be clear: a president with popular policies wouldn’t need to illegally gerrymander districts, ban voting machines, or abolish vote-by-mail,"
"This is an all-out assault not just on free and fair elections—but on American democracy itself."
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Is there anyone else but me thinking that Pete Buttigieg and Sarah McBride would make a wonderful match-up to run in three years? Just how bad would Trump have to screw up for this to happen? OH - He already has.
These two transgender women shared how their experiences differed half a century apart...
June 29, 2022:
To celebrate Pride Month we filmed a special episode of The Gap with two incredible transgender women. We brought together Caroyln Mercer, 75, and Cambell Kenneford ( / cambellkenneford , 27 to talk about how things have changed over time and their experiences.
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Paperbag Pants |
Paperbag waist pants are a type of high-waisted pants that feature a gathered or ruffled waistband, often cinched with a tie or belt. The excess fabric above the cinched waist creates a "paperbag" effect.
Styling Tips:
I found this look a few years back in a pair of white jeans, short-shorts. The look is great and blousing a top added. Do you have any Paperbag pants / shorts? What do you think?
If shopped Lascana this morning and found these lovelies. I love their tag line;
"It's A Woman's World"
White Graphic print t-shirt with the two faces
Black high waisted paperbag pants
2 pk eyelet tops (white and Black also Rose and Mint available
From Flicker: This is another of my very old photos from the early 80s and restored by the lovely Tiffany. I do remember wearing this pretty navy plaid dress and loved the square neckline and cute short puffed sleeves, which gave it a sweet young style. I remember dressing as a girl very regularly around this time and had started contacting others via WOTV magazine adverts. In those pre-internet days, it was such a lifeline.
My Note: I found Elaine's lovely photos of Flicker. Her photos were my inspiration for the "Then and Now" series. I assume that the material is available for use being in the public domain. If anyone is unhappy my my research and photo use, please "comment" me and it will be promptly removed.
Sorry I did not get more real responses. Just trying for something personal and interesting.
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Terence Stamp, British actor |
Terence Stamp, the British actor who became synonymous with Swinging London in the 1960s, has died, his family said Sunday, according to Reuters. He was 87 years old.
Stamp first came to prominence when he took on the titular role in the 1962 film “Billy Budd.” The black and white drama, directed by Peter Ustinov, who also starred, saw Stamp nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor - the only Oscar nomination of his lengthy career.
His many screen credits also included his role as drag queen Bernadette in the 1990s Australian comedy “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”
The line "a cock in a frock on a rock" is a famous quote from the movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It's delivered by the character Bernadette Bassenger, played by Terence Stamp, according to IMDb.
The line is a sarcastic and witty remark made in response to the idea of a performance taking place on a rock formation. The movie, released in 1994, follows three drag performers as they journey across the Australian Outback in a bus named Priscilla.
My note: Please if you don't read any article this year read this one. It is both insightful and terrifying.
“Until recently, the question remained theoretical. But it’s not an exaggeration to say that President Trump is running plays straight out of Hitler’s playbook".
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E. at the Queer Britain museum in London |
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Until recently, the question remained theoretical. But it’s not an exaggeration to say that President Trump is running plays straight out of Hitler’s playbook. And it’s not just the hypervigilance I inherited that makes me take note. Trans kids like E. are canaries in the coal mine. If we don’t stand up for them and stop Trump in his tracks, history makes patently clear where this path leads. You may not bear the brunt of this persecution yourself. Your children might be fine. But, as M. Gessen argues with ferocious eloquence:
The reason you should care about this is not that it could happen to you but that it is already happening to others.”
That should be enough.
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Caitlin Ann