Michael Buckley tells the stars how it is!

You have GOT to see this. "What the Buck" video podcast on Youtube. It's one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time. Not only because of the irreverant take on the rich and famous, but his delivery is perfect! I imagine those folks at Youtube will eventually be forced to take it off because it offends those that it takes the "Michael" (excuse the pun) out of. Anyway, Michael, make it available on iTunes for god sake..... besides, don't the rich and famous invite this kind of thing? ;-)

Disneyland - Not for pussys!

I will NEVER go to Disneyland again during the school holidays. We have been to Disneyland Paris several times but last week (hence my lack of posts), was the first time I have ever been in the official holidays and the queues where horrendous. To cap it all, Europeans must be the most careless people on the planet judging by the amount of bruising on my legs where people where getting to close behind me in those queues. I lost count how many times I got trodden on. I also like to keep a little free air around me but it seems people waiting in line for rides think that doing that will make their queue time longer. One women stayed so close to me througout an hour long wait, that I practically gave her a piggy back! One tip - Wait until the evening parade. At this time, everyone is watching it and then afterwards, most of the parents take the tired and winging kids back to the hotel. From this point on, the rides are virtually empty and the considerate people come out. All except those that decide queuing is not for them and proceed to jump into the closed "fast pass" lane, bypassing all those people that have patiently stayed in line. When I mentioned it to one of the attendants they told me "oh, the fast pass queue is now closed". When I asked them why they are still letting people on through the fast pass lane, they looked at me blankly. Perhaps Disney only employ dim staff? I hate to say it but the Americans do Disney way better then the Europeans and are much more curtious to the patrons. We will be experiencing that again early next year..... watch this space......

Despite all that, we had a ball! The place we stayed was a little off the beaten track but it was very nice and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a slightly cheaper alternative to the Disney hotels. The people that run it where really nice. One tip though, if you take this option, hore a car. The shuttle is about 10 GBP per trip so can get expensive..

We also went Eurostar for the first time (We usually fly). I think I will be flying next time. Eurostar was ok but the round trip for us was 10 trains. If you have to carry your baggage for the entire journey, which we did, then it becomes very tiring. I would rather hop to the Airport, lose the bags until the other end and only suffer 2 planes. If you like trains though, it's a good choice.

Business opportunity?

So the dilemma is thus :

It's more economical to buy large. When buying shampoo, conditioner or bodywash, it's way better to get the bigger sizes. The problem is that when I go on holiday, I need another suitcase for all my toiletries! So I'm hunting through the supermarkets and pharmacies today to try and find mini versions of my favourite things and couldn't find them anywhere. Last time I went away, I bought mini bottles and decanted some from the big bottles. Not only is this a pain, but the labels don't last long and I ended up washing my face with Shampoo.

Yay for Charles Worthington take-aways. Little bottles of everything you may need. I haven't used his products before but I thought it was worth a try. Now you may be asking "why don't I just buy the products when I get out there"? The last thing I really want to do on Holiday is hunt around a supermarket. Besides, they never have brands I recognise and the shops are pretty much always closed when I get to any hotel.

So, I may write to the manufacturers of my favourite brands and plead they do the same. That is, or course, only if I don't love the Charles Worthington products so much that I end up switching.

Evolving the Human

I find it incredibly odd that we have not evolved to withstand things that have been around since before we where. Evolution is supposed to allow the survival of the most adapted through mutation and natural selection. So why do we need sun block?

Recent scientific press releases suggest that the Sun's power output is not increasing and so is not a contributing factor to global warming. If this is the case, why have our bodys not evolved mechanisms for coping with a phenomenon that we have always lived with? Shouldn't we have developed the ability to withstand any damage the sun does to us naturally? Life could survive outside of the protective oceans early in it's history partly because UV radiation from the sun would have broken down the protiens it contained and killed it. The sea provided a natural defence against this happening. When it evolved a certain level of protection, life was able to flourish on dry land. So we do know that life can evolve protection but why hasn't it developed sufficiently to fully protect us. Perhaps there is an evolutionary advantage in not doing so. I believe that populations in hotter regions have better protection (perhaps those living in equatorial latitudes), but surely, it is enough of a hazard that all living creatures should have developed protection. Which lead on to thinking about if Animals suffer from skin damage due to sun exposure. After all, they are out in the open more often then Humans, with less protection and they don't wear sun cream!

Internet dating .V. the pub and club!

So I have had reason to revisit this debate with myself in the vast casm of unfilled space called my mind. I have been absent from chatting on the internet for quite a long time. Mostly, chatting to people that I know via MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger, but also using facebook and chat rooms. When I discuss this with people there seems quite a divide on the topic of Internet dating and most people have very stong opinions against Internet chatting and dating. I kinda find this a little odd. I settle into two areas of thought.

1. With internet chatting/dating you can get to know a little about the person you are talking with before you decide to meet face to face and put your safety, potentially, on the line. usually, those interested in you for one asset show themselves very early and conversations rarely progress beyond simple sentences all aimed at getting you in a prone position of their choice. This is quite distinct from the usual "flirting" stage that all initial encounters have. On the Internet, you don't have to buy your date a drink so moving straight in for the kill is what most people (for "people" read "guys"), seem to go for like it's a winning tactic. Perhaps it is and that's why it happens so often. on the other hand, you have those that really want to chat and at least, don't mention S.E.X for a few exchanges at least. Sooner or later, it will come though and all in the comfort and safety of your own home where you can quite easily turn them off :-). And thats the key! You can turn them off. Through the haze and mist , I have chatted to some genuine and sincere people. You may eventually get to the flirting stage but they seem to have a way of telling in an online conversation, be it through type, Audio and or video, when that vital stage has been reached. Some people take their time and that is nice. Just like the real world.

2. Ok, the second way to meet people is to get off your ass and get down the pub or club and talk to "real" people. I think most people would agree this is still the primary way people hook up. But is it? Today, so many times you hear of people "meeting" through Mutual online networks (like FB), where the dynamics are more like the real world. You hang out with people you know who have freinds who eventually become your friends. You learn about peoples interests. In short, you learn a little about the person. In the real world, you have to have a reason to be there. I go out alone to the cinema and maybe a meal afterwards sometimes and I always get the "awww, Sad lonely bastard coming through" look from the others, Or perhaps it's me thinking that and manifesting it on others ;-). So if you want to go out, you have to have freinds. If you move to a new city how do you make them without going through the SLB stage? It's a dilemma so many people face and don't want to discuss it for fear of being singled out as a norma/norman nomates. face to face meetings have all the dangers associated with them and at least online, you get to know those with unwanted intentions earlier on. I'm not really into standing in a club holding a bottle of whatever just looking around while all your friends do the same. I'd rather be somewhere where you have some sort of activity like talking, dancing, eating... some sort of experience.

So, I think Internet chatting/ dating gets a bit of a bum wrap! I don't think it should replace the face to face contact we have with people, but it sure as hell can enhance it.

Society love Goldilocks

Nobodys perfect! But unfortunately, society will no longer tolerate it. A year ago, the press was full of storys about people wanting to lose too much weight and be very thin, under nourished, pale and interesting (in my humble opinion). The glossy magazines took the blame and everyone was told "you must all put on weight". Now, everyone is talking about the obesity problem not just in the UK but worldwide. Everyone is getting bigger and you have to cut down to half a carrot and a stick of celery or you'll die screaming. P.l.e.a.s.e! Let people just be happy. OK - There is a need to make sure that your body is in shape and healthy but we can't all look the same - It would be BORING!

Today, listening to talk radio, they where asking if an obese child should be taken away from it's parents and likening it to child abuse. Way to go and make every parent of an overweight child, even if they have struggled to keep the weight off, guilty at every turn. My daughter is carrying some weight. We try very hard to eat healthily. plenty of Fruit and Veg. Small portions. Loads of water. No added salt or sugar (not even on Cereals) etc... but occassionally, you do have to let your hair down and have a night out and a little self indulgence. But boy, do I feel guilty these days when I m sitting in a restaurant with my Daughter and she chooses something off the menu that isn't all that great for her (Like a cheese pasta or creamy desert for example). I can feel all these judgemental eyes boring into me. It doesn't matter that we eat properly the rest of the time. Society doesn't care! THIS time, we aren't and you're gonna pay tenfold in guilt. OK - I'm yet to have someone point at me and shout "abuser", but in my mind, it's only a matter of time!

Anyway - For society to love you these days, you have to be :

Straight

Medium Height

Medium build

Average intelligence

Have hair (or have hair but deliberately remove it)

All your facial features in the right propoertions

2 arms
2 legs

in other words - Just right! Personally, I blow a raspberry in societys face. I like people to be different and varied. Bring on the clones? not bloody likely.

It's a jungle out there!!

Today, the sun is finally shining and life is good. Late night last night visiting a friend (Becky waves to Katie)and taking in yet another movie. I LURV my unlimited card. Best 11 pounds I ever spent :-)

A news item caught my eye this morning. A senior citizen in the US was forcefully arrested in Utah for having an "unkept lawn". The pensioner, who was confused when approached by police to be cautioned about not watering her lawn, turned to call her son to sort out the issue and the officer hit her with handcuffs and cut her nose. The story says she was arrested and after treatment at hospital was taken to the police station. Thank god we don't have such a law in the UK. My front garden, which admittedly is a little small, is an overgrown jungle! I see it this way. There is a hedge so other people don't have to endure it and the cat loves it out there. He's like a tiger stalking his prey when he gets out there. Also, It's a nice wildlife habitat. After all, I envaded their space. Thats my excuse and I'm sticking to it. The fact that the back yard takes all my time to keep nurtured has noting to do with it ;-) On that note, I am starting to benefit from the vegetable growing. So much produce I can hardly get through it before it all rots. It's amazing how much longer shop bought veg lasts which just shows how much preservative chemicals they use to keep them fresh! My radishes shrivelled in days ;-)

Life twists for the more exotic.

I'm a little down today after an incident in the street last night. I spent the day with a friend shopping for summer clothes for my up-coming trips and had a really lovely day. We decided to go back to her home town for some Dinner afterwards. Whilst walking to the restaurant, for the first time ever since I transitioned 10 years ago, I got verbally abused in the street. So it was a group of teenagers but the ferocity of the shouting really put me off my guard. I was quite shocked that such intense feelings about transexualism still exists. OK - So if people find out, they are generally a little shocked. This is a pretty nice feeling in some ways because it shows that they had no idea to begin with so all the changes you have made in your life have not been in vain. Some people are just really good at spotting some visual clues that might give your status away but generally speaking, day to day, it doen't happen. It made me start to think again about those people for whom "passing" every day is almost impossible and the hurt they must feel when they get the same response I got yesterday.

So, what is it that makes people feel so agrieved by people like me or even the wider gay community? Is it their own insecurities, always cited by the Gay community when they get abused. I'm not so sure. Is it this current generation who are growing up with a culture that uses lyrics in songs against Gender and sexually different people and where the word "gay" is used as a derogatory term? Or some other far more inbred and evolutionary reason. Perhaps the feelings that we where "deviants" has never actually gone away but has been forced underground by legislating against prejudice without really ever addressing the issue of education. I know of many places on the Internet that have become "closed" because of the ferocity of the attacks they recieve. I can't quite put my finger on it but I would love to know. I've had a lot of rejection in my life because of the way I am and I've also had a lot of surprises when people are capable of looking beyond it. Yesterdays incident just proved to me that, I'm quite lucky to not have people shout at me like that all the time, but it is sometimes not appropriate for your status to be revealed as feelings out there are so high, it can be an area where your personal security is threatened. Yes, For the first time in quite a long time, I feel very vunrable. However, I'm not going to let it upset me too much. It's one time in 10 years. I guess thats a pretty good track record. I've had more nice reactions then nasty ones. Generally speaking, the population is very good about things. But perhaps I'm a little blinkered because I don't undergo that sort of treatment everyday. I know of plenty of people who do and I realise, probably for the first time, how blited their lives must be. Keep you head up high and don't let the few bastards grind you down!

Anyway - As a result of all that - I sat down and watched Soldiers Girl again last night (I haven't watched it for quite a few years). You know it's the saddest film I probably have ever watched but it always gives me a determination I can't find anywhere else. If you haven't seen it, try and get hold of a copy. In the UK, thats very hard. I taped it from Showtime when I was in New Jersey but have since bought a copy from Amazon. It was never released in the UK which is extremely annoying. It's a film everyone should watch and based on a true story.

PS. Troy Garity is HOT!

Facebook. Are you a fan?

Alison Bell on LBC radio is chatting about Facebook and it's merits. I've always been happy with ways of keeping in touch online as it carrys some anonymity. Most of the press that anonymity online gets is bad. People grooming kids etc but in some cases it can be a good thing. For example, in cases where vunrable people want support from those in the same position. One area which was fantastic for me when I was going through my transition, was being able to chat online to those who had already overcome the issues I was facing. At that time, Facebook, Myspace and Bebo etc, did not exist, but instant messaging programs like MSN messenger and it's associated chat facilities, Geocities and Yahoo chat where all great places to meet people in the same position. I made some good friends. I used Friends reunited too and a few people I had lost touch with who had heard of my changes managed/wanted to get back in touch with me and that was very encouraging. However, it is very important, even if you have no reason to want to stay anonymous, to make sure you don't give too much about your personal circumstance away. Just that little extra piece of information can make identity theft easier for those involved in it. So, like real life, just take care online and keep your eyes open and be aware, people aren't always what they seem.

Click here for my Facebook page (you will have to log in to see it).

Good riddance to stale air.

Yay - The smoking ban came into force in England today. Before all you smokers complain that we live in a nanny state etc... Think about the years we have had to breathe in your foul exhaled air and the times we have come home smelling like an old ashtray. Now, it's our turn. For once I will be able to go into a pub, Club or restaurant, eat and drink without a mouthfull of carcenagenic shit. You have to the right to smoke (it's not illegal like some other drugs), but now you can't affect those that don't want to have to endure it. After all, how would you like me to come and piss in your hair?

Yesterday, despite the rain, we made it to Pride London. See the pics at my google web albums page. it was an excellent day. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood. Well done once again organisers for such a brilliant event. The number and quality of the floats was exceptional and I think my Daugther really enjoyed it. London showed once again that the terrorists won't stop us from doing our thang. PFC where there again. I've carried that banner before. Perhaps I should do it again someday! Anyway, take a peek at the photos if you are interested.