Today would have been Joe Strummer’s 59th birthday. Somehow, it’s been nine years since he left the stage.
Trans Care & Medicare
For those of you on Medicare who are seeking trans-related medical care, NCTE has created a document that can help guide you through what should be covered. Share it with your doctors.
Cool, Cool Young Woman
I expected something different, something far more corny, but found this woman’s explanation of her life & her reason for the video pretty damned incredible. Watch through to the end.
NYT Goes Nuts With Trans Stories…
The NYT has an article on silicone pumping and trans women, and a piece by a woman whose husband transitioned, AND another column by Boylan. Even I’m starting to think they’re overcompensating for past negligence.
That said, 12.5k trans women in all of NYC has to be the lowest of lowball estimates. Even if they’re only talking about transsexual women who seek medical intervention I think that’s got to be low.
Not Mutually Exclusive
Rocking dad. Dumb party organizers. Happy kid.
ABC on Trans Couple Story
Somewhere in the last week’s insanity I did an interview with Susan James of ABCNews.com about a recent article published in the Boston Globe by a journalist whose husband transitioned from male to female.
It was a lovely interview, and quite a few things I said I can see reflected in the story (such as the suspicion of the 55% statistic).
An estimated 45 percent of those surveyed said that their relationship with a spouse or partner ended because of their transgender identity. Surprisingly, 55 percent, stayed on or their relationship ended for other reasons, according to that report.
But those like Diane who have gone through transition with a loved one, say it is a long and painful process — and most spouses leave the marriage.
ABC has a few other good clips up as well, so do go check out the article. If you’re the type, thank James for doing such a good job with the story. She’s covered trans issues before and really seems to get it.
Two Tune Tuesday: Milestones
Happy 40th, Mark!
Two Tune Tuesday: With Love from Daughter #3
My father was a gentle man who lived a life of decency and took pleasure in simple things – music, food, family, & the Brooklyn Dodgers. He passed away suddenly yesterday morning at 83 years old after a tricky aorta surgery. He ate like he was 25, danced like he never might again, and quietly, simply, taught me everything I know about social justice.
Godspeed, Dad.
WI Elections: Tuesday, August 9th
Colbert explains how Americans for Prosperity “helped” out with the recall elections by sending ballot applications to Democratic households.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Wisconsin’s Recall Election & Americans for Prosperity’s Absentee Ballot Typos | ||||
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I would like one Repulican I know to explain how on earth this isn’t voter suppression.
Life in Wisconsin, Pt. 4?
I’m not sure how many of these updates I’ve done, but here’s another!
This summer I’ve been spending most of my time reading, thinking, bicycling, and learning how to drive and cook. Weird, all of it, besides the reading & thinking parts.
There are times I find myself on a little path that’s actually called the Apple Creek Trail looking at the huge sky and the tiny finches and think, how the hell did this happen? Not in a bad way. It’s just a surprise, still, on a regular basis, and the more bucolic the scene, the more surprising.
I’ve been biking every day for a month now, & recently I’m up to at least 20 miles a day. I usually do that in two stints – an hour in the early afternoon & another 40 minutes around dusk – but it varies. I don’t really go anywhere in particular, but sometimes I stop at a picnic bench and read and/or write and/or smoke (yes, really!) for a while.
I’ve lost a little over 30 lbs. since I was first here in Winter 2008. Intentionally, and somewhat slowly.
Another day I’ll write more about the experience of teaching, of seeing the first students I knew as sophomores graduate, but for now, birds and clouds and fresh mushrooms from the weekly farmer’s market.