Semi-random thoughts

• I find it absolutely amazing how frequently websites' default choices are not what I would choose. Facebook does this constantly, Myspace (I still look at it occasionally) and Citibank's website are pretty good (or rather, bad) at it also.
• Wisconsin had its chances to win the Rose Bowl, but came up a little short. Still, it was a good game to watch.
• I have finished the evening with a beer when I went out the last couple times. It goes down nice and smooth, yet I haven't found I need to run to the bathroom before I go back to CDI to change.

I'm on Facebook

I got a Facebook account now, so you can be my friend there as well as on Myspace.

Semi-random thoughts

● There's a marketing genius out there in Oregon: Clinic: Have Vasectomy, Watch NCAA Hoops

● It seems Myspace "new" friends aren't new forever. Mine were recently reset.

● I sure hope Gov. Spitzer's political meltdown doesn't screw up our chances of passing the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA).

Semi-random thoughts

● They added my friend Helen Boyd's second book, She's Not the Man I Married, to the list of nominees in the Transgender Category for the Lambda Literary Awards. Her first book, My Husband Betty, was a finalist.

● My new ACLU card says I've been a member since 1974. I can't honestly say I'm a card-carrying member--my wallet is stuffed with more than enough cards that might actually be useful to carry. I also can't say that I agree with absolutely every position the ACLU takes. But I'm glad I've been able to support them in the fight to ensure that our Constitution is more than just a bunch of words on paper.

● How long does Myspace consider a friend "new?" Forever? It sure seems that way. BTW, I've got over 300 friends there now.

● I hate being sick.

● There is an interesting difference between the coat-check policies at the New York State Theater and its neighbors at Lincoln Center, Avery Fisher Hall (home of the New York Philharmonic) and the Metropolitan Opera House. The latter two charge $3 per item, while the State Theater only charges $1.50--but unlike the other two, it won't accept fur items. Very egalitarian.

Male or Female: Choose one!

Recently I got a new Myspace friend, Queering MySpace's Gender: Official Petition. This is someone who's trying get Myspace to change its requirement that everyone identify as either male or female. He/She/I-don't-know-what-pronoun-to-use has also just started up an online forum, Gender is Not Binary: Queering the Gender of Social Networking Sites, "the official discussion forum of the Queering Gender movement." I really doubt there is anyone qualified to designate it the "official" one, but I'll accept it as the site's self-identity.

But he/she/whatever has a little problem with the site (actually there is more than one--I also found a technical glitch in trying to access my Profile from at least one page): To register you are required to identify as Male or Female! It turns out this is a restriction of phpBB, the software the forum is using, but the founder never had to register, so he/she/whatever didn't know. A request has been put in to phpBB to change this.

This just shows how ubiquitous the gender binary is.

Brief update

I'm taking a moment out of self-imposed blogging cessation (outside of the occasional coyote, vanity plate, etc. post that really doesn't take any significant amount of time to do) for a quick update. I've added another friend's blog to my bloglist: Erica's Cross Currents. Since I also have a self-imposed cessation of reading blogs, I haven't actually read very much of it. But from a quick scan it definitely seems worthwhile. Erica is a friend from the myHusbandBetty boards and even IRL occasionally--like last night, when I ran into her at a bar.

I was there after the NYC Stonewall Democrats Cocktail Party-Reception-21st Anniversary Party-Fundraiser-Annual Awards event. It was very nice. I managed not to be too late despite having to make an emergency run (almost literally) to a shoestore because I had forgotten to make sure my shoes were in my suitcase when I went to CDI to change. (Fortunately there's a Payless just a block from the CDI apartment, and I was actually able to find a nice pair of white platform wedges (the platform-wedge being fake cork) that are quite comfortable.) The speeches were relatively short (I think they got a lot of criticism about last year's event), the food and drinks were quite satisfactory in quality and quantity, and I got to talk to some people that I hadn't seen in a while.

What else is new? I have now surpassed 200 friends on MySpace--I've added a bunch of rock groups, to go along with my assortment of dead composer "friends." I found a cousin of mine whom I haven't seen in 40+ years and called him up (thank you Google).

Now I've got to get back to work on the CDI website.

100 MySpace friends! Wheee!

I just got my 100th friend on MySpace: Patti LuPone! Actually, I could have had more by now, but I'm a little picky--I don't approve requests from spammers, or people with weird profiles. And I did delete one "friend" who kept sending out religious stuff. So join the crowd. Visit my page and put in a friend request.

EDIT: Now it's 101! Hi Ray!

My picture

I've always hesitated a bit (OK, more than a bit) to put my picture here, for all the world to see. I'm kind of a private person. And shy. But since I already put it on my MySpace page, I figured it wouldn't hurt.

So there I am, in one of the very few pictures of me that I really like. I was seated, and the photographer was standing. I think he may have been holding the camera above his head, also. So the picture is at a lovely angle that completely hides my double chin, and de-emphasizes my shoulders--and it even shows my cleavage a little (being able to do good cleavage is the big advantage of being a fat crossdresser). Also, I wasn't posing. I never seem to get a good smile when I pose. It always looks unnatural--which it is, of course.

That is not my latest hair-do, though. A few weeks ago I got a new wig. It's a little longer, and a little fuller, with a bit more range of color. If I ever get a nice picture of me in it I'll use that. But don't hold your breath.

I'm also wearing one of my favorite pair of earrings in the picture--but I lost one of them recently. I really do miss being able to wear them.

I have 67 friends on MySpace!

I have a MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/capricebellefleur I'm sure I'm not the oldest person with one, but I'd place a small wager I'm in the upper 5% age-wise. Having a MySpage page makes me hip and with it, I guess--though "hip" and "with it" are probably so out-dated that it proves I'm not hip and with it.

Anyhow, I actually set this up almost a year ago. A few people on the myHusbandBetty boards said they had MySpace pages, so I got one, and added them as friends. Then I did nothing with it until this month. I wanted to check if there was any news about Lisa Jackson and Girl Friday--Lisa had broken away from the band. (The group's page has since been reinitialized.) There wasn't any, but I saw someone I knew on their top friends list, so I went to their page, and clicked on "Add to Friends." Then I saw someone on their top friends list, and went there, and an hour or two later I had asked several dozen people to add me. I shouldn't say people. Some are bands, some are organizations.

Many are drag performers or musicians I know at least slightly. The great thing about having them as MySpace friends is that they send out bulletins about their upcoming performances. I did get Harvey Fierstein and Margaret Cho also.

Otherwise, I haven't done much with my page. My single blog entry there just directs people here.

So if you have a MySpace page, go to mine, and click on "Add to Friends." If your profile is not too weird, I'll add you (I have rejected a few). Everyone can always use more friends.