Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Ker Plunk! It's time for the Sunday "Memorial Day" Edition- and a busy one!

"Justin Vivian Bond"

Page 1.-A salute to our fallen heroes.  Not too long ago, I began to tweet back and forth with another transgender vet, Lexi.  She has reminded us this weekend, is becoming similar to Christmas.  Graduation parties, time off of work and a celebration of the start of summer are taking away from the deeper meaning of the weekend. She even went a step further yesterday and pointed out this weekend is a time to take a second and remember all who served in uniform.  The fallen, the retired and those who will continue to live with service related injuries their entire lives. Such as Lexi! It's time we do!

Page 2.- We got Mail-Kind of- From Connie:  OK, Cyrsti, enough with the lip-schtick. I suppose that I should be honored to have been featured in more than half of your blog entry, but, somehow, I feel victimized. No matter, though, as I am perfectly capable of holding my own (there, I left myself open for you to make another joke at my expense). I know that you are done with the debate, but it occurred to me that it might be good to call in an old friend of yours, Dan Quayle. He would surely tell you that the plural of stilettos is spelled STILETTOES. 

Just as in the words "tomato(e) and potato(e), the singular form would have an E at the end of it. So, let that be the end of it. (but I'll bet that I have, again, left myself open (toed)) I don't plan on writing a book, but you may know that I enjoy writing song parodies. Your book's title reminds me of the one I wrote for Elvis's (did I get the apostrophe right there?) "In the Ghetto", which I made into "In Stilettos". (She) gets herself all done (She) Gets on Shoes!!

Connie, should I be fortunate my mind refuses to remember Dan Quayle? Should I trade out royalties whith you for your blog work and my song?  Which brings up another tune: "Nothing from Nothing equals Nothing."

Page 3.- Whose Worse?  Judge Judy or Rude Paul? After a while many minds seem to convince themselves because of how they have lived or who they are-they enable themselves to speak their mind to the point of believing they are right.  I have used Judy and Rude as an example because they seem to think "the world according to them" is gospel.  Rude figures since he grew up gay and black, he has an entitlement to think he can say anything he wants.  Of course, that it like saying since I grew up white, with a poor grandmother who told stories about going to KKK meetings in a wagon-I can say anything I want. (Ridiculous)  Plus, since Rude didn't serve his country like I did-do I have more of an entitlement than he does to be a hater? No, of course not.  I along with millions of others did our duty so he could.

I think both of them have been simply caught up in their rhetoric which used to help ratings and their finances but now their words have begun to define them.  Judy's inherent meanness is becoming through as does Rude's life as an old bitter gay queen. They are nothing more and nothing less.  Not to worry, soon they will enter the ranks of the dinosaur and retire to their gated palaces and become extinct.


Back Page.-  It's been a big week, here in the Condo with the book and all, tied in with everything else which is going on.  It's ironic, nearly my entire life, I have worked jobs which included the weekend and holidays.  From my paper route, to working as a disc jockey on radio to the restaurant business-weekends off were few and far between.  Now I'm continuing in the same direction by writing a 24/7 blog.  If the truth be known, I'm actually lost on holiday weekends , since I'm not working-so I am now, what I call a "live" post. Which means I'm writing it at 9:30 EST and not yesterday -  Even I figured out how simple it is to archive a post and schedule it to go live another time. High Tech!!!

Have a great week, and remember to take the time to thank a vet!

Jerry "Springs" Forward Past Rude

Did you see this?

 In a surprising move, controversial daytime talk show host Jerry Springer has announced that he will no longer be using the word "tranny" on his show. In an interview with TMZ, Springer responded to criticism over a recent episode of The Jerry Springer Show titled "Trannies Twerk It Out," telling the gossip site, "I've just been educated." "I won't use that term," Springer continued. "I honestly had no idea that you're not supposed to use that term, so now we'll find another term to use."

That's his excuse and it's great he has dumped the term.  Now what about the transpobic Rude Paul?  The obnoxious cis gay man is still carrying the banner saying it's OK to use a gender slur.

A Beer and a Yuppie Walked Into a Bar

On occasion I feel like you all must feel I must spend half my life in alcohol dispensing establishments...and here is another because this week is "Beer Week" in Cincinnati.  I have mentioned numerous times here in Cyrsti's Condo Cincinnati has a rich brewing history from it's German heritage.

One of the newer craft breweries is actually not far from my partner's house and we chose it last night to "sample" their brews.  The brewery is actually in Mt.Carmel and I was surprised how small it was. Actually it's in an old house with a small addition on the back and it was packed.  These days I'm very comfortable about navigating the world as a woman, so the "closeness" of the space was my biggest worry as I am rather claustrophobic in a room full of people.  The crowd was 30 to 50 somethings and very yuppified.  I was right, I had no problems and enjoyed myself immensely. I guess gender liberated would be an appropriate term.

As luck would have it today (or not), the Logo network was showing a Rude Paul Drag Race Marathon.  (I still think Rude just oozes evil).  I did watch two episodes and admired the terrific drag queens on the show.  I'm glad I did because the experience proved to me once again how little I have in common with them.

The good news is Beer Week goes on until next week end and the "Drag Race" marathon is over.  Hopefully I won't have Rude Paul intruding into my dreams tonight calling me some sort of gender slur!

28% Gave a Duck!

Or...they didn't give a "duck" and the ratings of "Duck Dynasty" took a 28% dive in the opening 5th season show. As it turned out, one of my least fave "tranny drag queens"- Rude Paul  came up with a potential home for the three million Duck defectors:  the Tuck Dynasty.

Certainly I'm impressed three million people are not gonna stand for Phil Robertson’s offensive comments about bestiality, gay sex and statutory rape!

Carmen Carerra

Carmen Carerra again seems to making yet another name for herself.  It doesn't seem so long ago she had her problems with Rude Paul since she officially dumped the drag queen tag by taking hormones. Now the transgender model is performing in a burlesque show! Where can I buy tickets?  Check out this interview on Inside Edition:

Cyrsti's Condo Sunday Topic :The Human Side of a Trans Elitist

Such a week kids, but then again aren't most of them?

Topping my Sunday morning list this week is being called a trans elitist, which I guess is another term for trans nazi. Those of you who read my verbage (not garbage) on a regular basis were most likely as amused as I was - or not.

For those of you who don't know,   I in no way consider myself to be any better than anyone else because they may be a cross dresser or stuck in the closet.  My goals have always been to throw out ideas to you if you are thinking about transitioning. BUT, I do consider myself a trans activist of sorts.  In this day and age, everyone is protecting their "brand" and I do believe in protecting the trans brand  and I ended up being called an elitist for doing it as once again as I protested an individual who posted cross dressing fetish videos under the transgender name.

Quickly,  the response came back that I was some sort of "elitist" because of my current lifestyle. I never could connect the dots with her that when someone mislabels and posts a trashy video it hurts me when I try to educate the public on who I am. It can be as destructive with the wrong person as Rude Paul calling us Tranny's or "Houston Ugly" who couldn't even refer to the trans woman student as Mia not Mia/Ryan.  So, I guess if all of that makes me an elitist, so be it!

Hey, can't be worse than being called "just another old guy on hormones" or how about "Cyrsti, you ignorant F--k?." Seriously though, for the amount of traffic we are beginning to see here in the Condo and as outspoken as I am on certain topics, I'm surprised I don't have more "trolls" stopping by. Then again Halloween is over. No candy for you trolls!

Speaking of the OWN show I called "Houston Ugly", it's really "Houston Beauty" I was referring to.

As I wrote in a blog post yesterday, the show features a transgender beauty named Mia (right)
Being the "elitist" that I am, I thought she came across as a serious positive messenger for the trans community -surrounded by cast of reality show clowns.  !!

What is a Drag Queen?

Ironically, the more I'm able to make my way in the world as a transgender woman the more I become re interested in how closely related drag queens are to us.
Of course they aren't and drag peeps such as Rude Paul make me sick but every once in a while I run into an interesting video which gives extra insight into the world of drag queens.
Be patient with this one. The first part of it provides an interesting look at a few classic female impersonators and then settles into the present:

Beautiful for a Cause

A point that is lost on me quite a bit when I come across an especially convincing womanless beauty pageant contestant or winner is the reason behind their participation. Many times the contestants are donning drag for really good causes such as Mitchell Ashford  on the right.
The womanless beauty pageant was raising much needed funds for a cancer victim-well worth the effort on those nails Mitchell!

Then there are the others for the ages who have donned drag for laughs and money or personal career advancement.

Back in the day during my youth and in the the prime of black & white television it wasn't uncommon to see any of the major comics in drag for a laugh. Perhaps the best known was Milton Berle.

Uncle Miltie just could have been just a little over the top in the picture on the right.

Of course as time went on we saw the likes of Geraldine courtesy of Flip Wilson.
Below.

Then again, this post didn't start out to be a history lesson and I really wanted to finish it with a giant cheap shot to Rude Paul.  But it is getting close to the serious holiday season - so I better act like it!
I want to be good for Santa!!!!