Favorite Albums

Yes, I ganked this idea from dr. morbius, who got it from another girl out there. I've always thought that the music a person listens to can tell you a little about that person. I haven't done it in a while, but one thing I used to like doing when I visited someone's home was to look over their music collection. On that note, I'll give you all the opportunity to look through mine. These are just my favorites, listed in no other order than how I thought of them.

Led Zeppelin - IV (I tried to find a suitably-sized image of the symbols, but it was not to be)
Tori Amos - Boys for Pele
Sheryl Crow
Soundgardern - Superunknown
Loreena McKennitt - The Mask & Mirror
Paul Oakenfold - A Lively Mind
Wolfmother
Madonna - Ray of Light
Rage Against the Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles
Sheryl Crow - The Globe Sessions
Aerosmith - Permanent Vacation
Def Leppard - Hysteria
Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstasy
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion
Chris Cornell - Euphoria Morning
Jeff Buckley - So Real: Songs from Jeff Buckley
Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex OST+
Peter Gabriel - So
The Police - Synchronicity
Metallica - S & M
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
KT Tunstall - Eye to the Telescope
Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation 1814
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
A Perfect Circle - Mer de Noms
Sheryl Crow - Wildflower
Linkin Park - Reanimation
Queen - A Kind of Magic
Seal (1994)
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table and Dreaming
U2 - Rattle and Hum

Law & Order Repeat

For anyone who, like me didn't see last week's episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit all the way through, the episode, "Transitions", will re-air tonight on the USA Network at midnight. That gives me plenty to watch tonight, with the first part of the "Ryloth Trilogy" of Star Wars: Clone Wars on the Cartoon Network, and one of the last episodes of Battlestar Galactica on SciFi. Yeah, this girl is a nerd.

Correction: the SVU episode actually runs on Saturday night.

Story in USA Today

Here I was, leafing through the Life section, hunting for the puzzle page, when I come across this 3/4 page story, "A shadow of regret cast over gender switch". The story is about trans persons who either stop transitioning, or else revert to their original gender after making the change. The story cites the case of Mike Penner, aka Christine Daniels, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, who began to transition, publicly in 2007, then reverted to his male identity in October of last year. The story is a little disturbing, but it's one of the first stories I've read in a mainstream news publication in some time. I made the title above a link to the story, but here's a regular link just in case:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-02-24-transgender-penner_N.htm

Edit: I want to clarify something I wrote here this morning. I said that the story is a little disturbing, and I'd like to say a little more about that.

I know this life is hard. The article cites a Paul McHugh of Johns Hopkins University. Contrary to his opinion, I don't believe anyone "chooses" this life due to some social construct. I am 6' 1" tall. I won't say my weight, but it's over 200 pounds. I could live as a man, if I wanted to, and have no outside difficulties. It's what I've done for most of my adult life. That life would be hollow though, and it has been. When I go out as my true self, I feel as though a burden has been lifted, and the prospect of living that way full time fills me with joy, as much as I have ever known.

It's a little daunting to read that people who are further along than I am stop, or even go back. I read another news story back in the fall:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1026392/A-British-tycoon-father-man-woman---man---knows-sex-hed-be.html

That was truly disturbing. This person is wealthy beyond counting. He is unhappy in married life, begins hanging out with transwomen, then decides to become one himself. A Middle Eastern man remakes himself into a blonde Western woman, complete with a name change. Her considerable finances grease all the wheels, and she becomes a successful designer. Then, a few years later, she decides to switch back. Now I understand all the qualifiers, the conditions that have been set for whether or not someone transitions.

I don't know about these others, but the only way for me is forward.

House, 2/23/09

I don't often watch "House", and I missed last night's episode, but I think it's one I would have watched. The episode was titled "The Softer Side", and it featured House treating a teenager diagnosed with genetic mosaicism. I'd heard of this before, but I didn't think it effected humans. A deeper reading of the synopsis describes the teen as having both male and female characteristics. Hmm... IMDb says the episode is set to air on the USA Network Friday, March 6. Set your DVR, or Tivo or whatever.

If anyone's already seen it, I'd appreciate their take on it, House is a cranky fellow, but the medicine on the show is usually handled in a realistic manner, from what I remember.

An Apology

I don't know if this is necessary, but I feel like saying it. I want to apologize for not staying on my supposed topic. I'm pretty sure that no one here cares that my Xbox is on the fritz. I suppose it's just that there isn't a whole lot going on in my life, and I somehow feel compelled to fill the space.

Plus, my friend De told me something last month. I am transgendered. Due to circumstances, I don't live as a woman 24/7, but I don't stop being trans jut because I'm not en femme all the time. So, technically, every little event in my life is part of my trans experience. Okay, that might be pushing it a little.

That's all I've got on this subject.

"Calamity!" said the Oracle.*

I'm pretty sure I mentioned on here before that I play Xbox a lot. I'm not always good at the games I play, but I play mostly to relax, take my mind away from my worldly cares by concentrating on saving the Universe or something. I fired up my machine yesterday morning and found one of the red lights on the front flashing, and when I switched the TV over to the proper input, I got a black screen showing "System Error" in about twenty languages, with the message "E74" at the bottom, along with a note to contact Xbox support.

I've had my 360 a little less than a year, so it's still under warranty. I get to ship it to Microsoft (free of charge) and they'll either fix it or send me a new one. I'm just glad I haven't done anything to customize it, like that fellow last year, who had his case autographed by a bunch of the folks who worked on "Halo 3". When he sent his in for repair, Microsoft sent him a clean case. OOPS! My 360 is bog-standard, so no worries. I hope...

* - refers to one of the NPCs in the "Halo" series.

NLTO Movie Night

The third Saturday of the month is usually our group Movie Night. A number of us gather at a friend's house in Virginia Beach, and we watch a movie that explores some element of being transgendered. This month's selection was the HBO movie "Normal", with Tom Wilkinson and Jessica Lange. Oftentimes, most of those assembled have seen the movie, but we use these gatherings to share with our friends who haven't seen them. A few of the people we were expecting didn't appear, so those that were left had all seen the movie. We debated what else to watch, when I mentioned the new movie premiering on HBO, "Taking Chance", with Kevin Bacon.

"Taking Chance" is not the least bit trans-themed. It's a beautiful movie, though. Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl is a Gulf War veteran. In 2004, his unit was one of several assigned the duty of bringing home the bodies of those who have fallen in Iraq. It is highly unusual for officers to escort enlisted Marines, but Lt. Col. Strobl felt strongly about this one Marine, PFC Chance Phelps, who enlisted in Strobl's hometown in Colorado. The movie is based on an essay Strobl wrote about bringing Chance Phelps home. Here's the HBO site:

http://www.hbo.com/films/takingchance/

I also found the original essay.

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2004/04/taking_chance.html

Powerful stuff.