Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day"

"Someone will always be prettier.
Someone will always be smarter.
Someone will always be younger.
But they will never be you."

Tanni Sattar

Thanks Lynne!

Sarah Revisted

As 2013 comes quickly to an end, it's time to take a look at a couple very positive transgender achievements. One in this post and more to come in others.

Sarah McBride speaking at the passing of the Delaware Gender 
Identity Non Discrimination Act.

The first comes from WAMU 88.5 who has taken a look at Sarah McBride's life a year after she came out as transgender:

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when Sarah McBride believed she had to choose between her dreams and her identity. But nearly two years after coming out as transgender, she not only continues to pursue her goal of working in politics, but she's also achieving it.


The last time Metro Connection interviewed McBride, she had recently come out in a very public manner. After wrapping up her term as American University's student body president, the rising senior wrote an Op-Ed in The Eagle, her school's student-run newspaper. The piece was entitled "The Real Me," and in it McBride, who at that point was still known as "Tim," announced to the AU population what she had kept a secret for years: she's a woman. In the article, she explains that she'd spent years thinking she had to choose between her identity and her dream of being a politician. She rationalized that if she could make life fairer for other people, then the work would be fulfilling enough to overshadow her own internal struggles. 

 "I told myself that if I could make 'Tim' worthwhile for other people by changing the world, that being 'Tim' would be worthwhile," she wrote.

I wrote here in Cyrsti's Condo at the time how encouraging it was to see young transgender women and men not running for the stealth closet and making a difference! Read more about Sarah here.

Where Did it Go?

I had an archived post which went live this afternoon which I pulled down.

It was a "cute as a button" Go Elf Yourself video which a friend of mine put together on FaceBook.  I wasn't familiar at all with the concept but the video was hilarious.. I guess the deal is you paste faces on dancing elves and there I was along with a couple other of my genetic friends.

I tried to pull it back up here and got some sort of a weird deal so like I said I deleted it.  I did put it on my Facebook page if you want to go there to see it.

Cyrsti's Condo Christmas "Horrorscope"

What a way to wrap up a busy Christmas Eve and get ready to head to my families house than to pass along yet another "scope" from theFrisky!


Libra : (September 23-October 22): Now is the time to make bigger changes as you declare 2014 to be your breakout year. Not that you need to see your name in lights, but shifting where you lay down roots will be on your mind, as will making things work on your terms. Stop thinking and get to doing, because hesitating is so 2013.

How dynamic is that? Wow! and all this time I thought I continued to make quite a few big changes in 2013. Just between you and me though, I know what this script is saying and I will mention some of them as we actually approach the New Year.

Go here for your scope!

I Just Can't Imagine

Can't imagine the skill which went into this video on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen. Another Merry Christmas moment! Thanks Lynne for sharing!

We Have Duck Boy Mail

As you have probably noticed, I haven't given the bearded duck call boy much play here in Cyrsti's Condo.  Like I said, what did anyone suspect? All of them are in it for the money anyhow. I've heard them described as "yuppies in beards".  On top of that, there are the believers that any publicity, good or bad, is good publicity. Truthfully, the show never had much of a draw to me anyhow.  As happens so much around here in "the Condo", Pat had a thoughtful comment to pass along:

As for Phil Robertson (Duck Boy) I just started watching Duck Dynasty this week after the controversy blew up. I know that A&E has had the text of the GQ article ever since the original interview some time back and they have had plenty of prior knowledge about Phil's views on religion. Phil refers to himself as a genuine Bible Thumper. All week A&E have been running Duck Dynasty marathons. My theory is that this was a planned publicity stunt. A&E knew that wide scale publication of his views on the Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians would stir up a hornet's nest. If you read his actual words you will find them to be somewhat less than the spin that has appeared in the media. 

I have bought the NY Daily News every day for over 40 years. Last month I was reminded that it had been a real newspaper back in the days when they republished their entire paper from the day after JFK was killed. The headline this week on the front page was "Go Duck Yourself". It has sadly become more of a propaganda rag than a newspaper.

As a side note, recently I had a person who showed up on Facebook with a comment on the show. She   was evidently part of the New York Media elitists and was standing up for good old "Phil".  I agreed with her, he has the right to say what he believes.  Who cares? Don't watch the show, don't buy their products. My warm and fuzzies stopped when she went into a mini side discussion of how "all of them" work so hard to entertain all of us. Really?  "Me thinks" they need to work harder to entertain the faceless minions out here in nowhere land.

I guess my two years in NYC taught me, to many peeps there, the country is a vast wasteland until you get to California.  Many New Yorkers I came in contact with in the restaurant I worked were only barely aware of Texas and tied me into it because of my southern Ohio accent. So I'm with you Pat, it was a planned stunt.  I do know now though that at least in one house where it was watched, it is now banned.

My girlfriend's son was a fan. He may still be but better not get caught watching it.  It's the only recourse we as a transgender culture have, force the media bigots to build their ratings on someone else's back. While I'm on my soap box, I have warned cross dressers in the past to not ignore transgressions such as Phil.  Someday you may change and decide to identify as trans or even gay and life may be easier if you aren't getting smashed in the media.

There, I feel better now!  I'm back in my Christmas eve glow.  Now where are my green elf tights?

What's in a Picture?

Pictures or "selfies" in the modern world could mean anything. With the advent of photo shop programs, certainly we can all put our best foot (or face) forward and we don't even have to be a celebrity to do it. If you can afford to do it, professional "photo" businesses can do wonders for us if they know what they are doing.


I'm sure by now you have seen the new blog "banner pix" and it was taken primarily at the request of Katie Glover, the editor of Frock Magazine.  Katie and I have literally for years tried to get together on an article I could write for her magazine.  Proud to say, I finally did it and I will have more info later here in Crysti's Condo. Note!!! I am NOT the cover girl you see on the left.

So, the new picture you see above is simply me. No filters of any kind. What you see is what you get on a sunny winter day in Cincinnati, Ohio.   I have to tell you the process was and is agony for me.  Not looking for support or sympathy here, but I know my 64 year old, been through a bunch of wear and tear male body does not present feminine well often...BUT I do just fine in the world.

My point to all of you is, appearance is not the be all, end all to the transgender transition process.  The other "A" word attitude is right up there too. Pat, around the Condo writes about it too.  When you know yourself and feel secure with yourself, all sorts of fun happenings are possible.

It's a bit early for New Year's resolutions I know.  This year though, make sure you add in a liberal share of thought and ideas for those resolutions for your girl self.  If you are looking to venture out of the closet in 2014 make sure you take her attitude with you!

The Amazing "Brini Maxwell"

Cyrsti's Condo regular Liz just loves Brini Maxwell so here is a video for you Liz on the Condo's big screen:

Dragging in a Hippo?

I wonder if this guy sent a holiday video out to all his friends of this Christmas Classic? Guess what I learned at college Mom?  Check it out on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen!