Giving Credit

Here is a follow up post looking back at the Phil Donahue show.  I always try to give credit on any information I find on the web.
The video I posted came through Monica Robert's Trangriot blog and here is an excerpt:


"Phil Donahue's talk show based out of Chicago started in 1970 and was the gold standard in that genre for years. Phil had the number one rated talk show in the 80's and early 90's before Oprah took that title away and his show canceled in 1996. He was one of the first talk show hosts to discuss trans issues and for the most part did so without sensationalizing it. These shows were a huge assist in terms of me and other trans people during that time trying to gather information on trans issues during the pre-Internet era. However, watching them with our second decade of the 21st century evolution on these issues and terms we use in the community now can be grating on your nerves at times. But peeps, this is what we had to work with at the time ."

As I said in my post Donahue actually started a year or two before 1970 but made it big when he moved to Chicago as Monica said. Here is part of his bio:

"At WHIO in Dayton, he became a newscaster, and also started a radio talk show called Conversation Piece. In 1967 he joined a rival station, WLWD-TV, and tried out a new format, a talk show aimed at "women who think." His idea was to involve the audience, and have them interact in person, or via telephone, with his guests. His topics attempted to be substantive, relevant, informative, and somewhat controversially progressive."

That's when I began to see Donahue when we lived about 20 miles from Dayton.
The most relevant statement Monica made was "peeps, this is what we had to work with at the time."
It's great she remembered Phil!

Plus here is another video on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:

Boston

I just wanted to take a moment and send out any good karma I can to the city of Boston. Specifically to the victims and families of the senseless tragedy we witnessed yesterday. How sad is it that a portion of the human race around the world is so emotionally and morally deadened that it resorts to actions we saw at the Boston Marathon. All of us have to embrace what is good in the world and not let the terror of fear and hate ruin our lives.

Femulating Millions

Congratuations to the gold standard of transgender / cross dresser blogs- Femulate for passing the SEVEN Million hit mark!

A true testament to the endless work and knowledge Stana has put into her blog over the years!

Horror Scope

Another week has flown by in our little portion of the universe and it's time for another look at the stars from Cyrsti's Condo and theFrisky.


(September 23-October 22): Sign your name on the dotted line and get those agreements sealed. There is something about making commitments official this week that will put your mind into a new realm of oohing and aching. Yes, finally you will have certain bragging rights and the proof that goes with them. However, new headaches will also be arrive, so get ready for level 2.

Wow! Where did this come from? I don't think I have been commit phobic during my life but definitely commit cautious. So, I have decided to be comment phobic and leave this one alone! (Thanks Liz!)

The term "Horror Scope" is my own follow theFrisky link above for your "scope"

Big Hair Drag from the 80's

Big hair was heaven for trans girls and cross dressers who could afford it in the 80's.  Here is a vintage drag queen video on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:



Was it in the 1980's when the phrase was introduced "Is that your hair? Yes, I bought it!"

Trans Ohio Symposium Update

Over the past couple months I have tried to pass along info here in Cyrsti's Condo concerning the rapidly approaching  5th TransOhio Trans & Ally Symposium coming up April 26th thru 28th in Columbus. I am just one of a huge group of presenters.
Learn all about the weekend here.
That link will also provide you registration info I believe. Obviously I would love to meet you in person if you are going to be there. I promise I have had all my shots and won't bite!

Trans Blast from the Past

If you are "more mature" such as I, you may remember more than a couple of the early "transvestite" themed Phil Donahue television shows.

I was particuarly a "Phil Fan" because he started his talk show in nearby Dayton, Ohio. I actually went to went to one of his Vietnam War discussion shows. I also thought Phil went out of his way to address the subject of cross dressing all the way to sex change surgery with respect not sensationalism.

I found a post which featured a couple "vintage Phil" trans interviews here's one for the Cyrsti's Condo big screen from You Tube:

When More is More

I you have probably noticed, I have sort of been on this fashion and style binge lately. Most of it is because spring weather has finally sprung in my part of the world and it's time for me to look ahead to my second summer of serious transgender transition. This I know for sure. I went from a summer furnace to a winter freezer and I have no reason to believe I won't be in the furnace again this summer. It is time to prepare for "air cooled" fashion.

I've been going through my closet looking for sleeveless and tank tops which I think are still good fashion staples for my summer wardrobe. Long flowing light skirts are good and fun too. All of that is good but then I remembered an old advertising slogan which went something like this:  "Your biggest fashion accessory this summer will be your skin".  How true, more is more when it comes to my skin- legs, arms and all.

I am fortunate my HRT has lessened my body hair tremendously except my beard..  On the negative side, last summer taught me to stock up on the body lotions to help the overall feel and look of my skin. I also am not a fan of panty hose, so I need to provide some color to my snow white legs.

Finally it's also time to get to work on feet and get them ready for summer shoe fashion if I want to go the sandal or the flip flop route.

More is always more for me when I procrastinate and wait for spring to magically appear.  Well. it's here and I have more to do!

The Pedestal or the Heels?

It's Sunday morning here again in Cyrsti's Condo and I assume elsewhere.  Last night I had the pleasure of spending the night with a couple other transgender friends-one trans man and another trans woman. We went  to a local gay venue with a show and before the room got too loud to talk easily we exchanged stories about transitioning and our current and past relationships.This morning it occurred to me our get together was historic in the sense the venue we were in probably had never seen three out and proud transgender people together at once. At the least our little group was educational to a largely uniformed gay populace.

My problem is as I basked in my own smugness, I had to remind myself of how slippery my pedestal can be.   So I took a moment to thank Mother Karma of what I've become and how I have become it. In the end, we are only the sum total of our actions in life. As I gingerly climbed back down from my pedestal I read about Andrej Pejic's painful idea to put me back on one:


"Andrej Pejic apparently wants to launch his own shoe line–just don’t expect them to be comfortable. “The shoes are going to be called Codeine Heels, because you need codeine [to wear] the best heels,” he told WWD. We think we’ll just stick to good old fashioned bandaids rather than bust out the sizzurp. Pejic hopes that shoes will be a part of his own fashion line, which he says will soon debut with (presumably comfortable) t-shirts. Quoted from Fashionista."


I guess I better start starving myself with cotton balls soaked in orange juice, stock up on pain killers and start hoarding pennies to get a pair..to fall off of.