From the Cyrsti's Condo Bookshelf

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This book instantly caught my attention. Mainly because I live close to the area of the country the book was written about. Plus,  the cultural lines between central Kentucky and southern Ohio are very similar.

Here's an intro for you to check out:

"They’re doing their makeup in a pickup truck as you step into that small-town gay bar and take a seat at the catwalk, where the queens striding down the line are fierce, and all because they have to be in these parts. It ain’t all about the coasts and a couple of Midwest strongholds anymore. Now there’s "Who the Hell is Rachel Wells?," the debut collection from J.R. Greenwell, a one-time headlining female illusionist in Dixie who now devotes his time to writing fiction and plays in central Kentucky.

 The title story kicks off the anthology, where a whole lot of people are about to get in a whole mess of trouble when Danny, a little boy with a taste for cosmetics and J.C. Penney’s catalogues, discovers a purse full of drag and trinkets that’s been left for the dogs near a rest stop off I-65 at the Kentucky-Indiana border. Danny’s mother Linda sifts through the purse and finds a note: "The contents in this bag belong to Rachel Wells... Take care of these items and give them a good home..."

Here is more of the review from the Edge in Boston:

"A slew of bizarre stories , some hilarious, some heartrending, and almost all of them as original as an Ionesco play with a good dose of David Lynch trompe l’oeil thrown in. "Silver Pumps and a Loose Nut" explores what happens when drag culture meets the criminal underworld and how a diva can still come out looking like Botticelli’s Venus -- or, better yet, Ursula Andress in "Dr. No" -- in the aftermath. Make sure your Puffs box is full when you read about the trials of the young gay and trans characters in "The Scent of Honeysuckle," "Spaghetti Kisses," and "A Colony of Barbies," as the protagonists attempt to stake whatever meager claim they can in a world that’s frozen them out. "Watch Me Walk" gives us the other side of the struggle when two gay seniors contemplate falling in love in a world that seems to belong to the young. "Starting Rumors" shows what happens when a bitter queen and his irascible hag at work stir the turd over lunch with the wrong colleague."

And yes kids, you did see the fleeting "trans" word even tossed out once in the review. Who said there wasn't change in the gay community? (Actually there is) thanks to girls like Pat.

Go here for more.

Still in the Fight

Perhaps you remember Nikki Araguz. (Shown below with her new family)

If you really remember her, she goes back to early talk show appearances on Jerry Springer I believe as a party girl with a little extra. She resurfaced in Texas years later with the story of the tragic death of her husband Thomas Araguz III ..  Thomas Araguz was a volunteer firefighter in Wharton, Texas and was killed in the line of duty in 2010.


However, Texas’ 2005 marriage amendment doesn’t recognize her marriage to a man and her 2008 marriage to her late husband, Thomas Araguz III, became invalid leaving her out of her husband's death benefits.

Now, the 13th District Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi will hear her case on Sept. 18. Araguz is appealing a 2011 ruling by Houston state district Judge Randy Clapp, who ruled that Araguz was born male and Texas’ 2005 marriage amendment doesn’t recognize her marriage to a man.

Advocate's are calling this case ‘incredibly important’ for transgender equality and it's way too difficult for a person of my limited intellect to explain.

Go here for more!

A "Smokin" Headline"

From the "Scottish Express":

 Sex swap cannabis farmer avoids a spell in the joint  Really?

 A SEX swap patient caught with cannabis worth more than £10,000 has escaped a prison sentence.

Mellow out and go here for more...wow, far out man!