Going Away

Business is no longer profitable enough to pay for an internet connection. This is troubling on many levels, but for the time being, I will be out of email, IM, facebook, and news (no cable either).

I'm not sure how much longer I can keep my cell phone, so that number may go away too. You can always send me an email, but it might be a while before I ever get it.

Hey, what can I say? It sucks to be poor and unemployable. Even Walmart turned me down. :-/

Anyway, I think this blog has run its course; all remaining energies for it will be channeled toward creating a book and establishing my career as a writer. Besides, I ain't gonna run down to McDonald's everyday in freezing weather just so I can post to it!

Don't look so sad... no one ever said there would be a happy ending! As Mr. White says, "There's a train wreck waiting at the end for all of us."

Besides, every end is just another beginning.

Love Always,
Clio

Day Of Remembrance

Friends, Family, & Loved Ones,

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I welcome you today, on this day of remembrance. We have come together to keep alive the memory of those where were victims of violence this past year. We have come together to share our grief of loved ones lost. We have come together to bury our dead.

Let us observe a moment of silence while we give our prayers.

...

Yes, today is a solemn day, but even now, there is hope. Though we may gather in sorrow, we do not stay in vain, for there are similar services today spread not just across America, but indeed, throughout the world. Awareness has spread! That means that where before there were no local resources for transgender support, now there is!

And we shall not forget the cost! Violence afflicts many people, for many reasons, but too many transgendered persons know the pain of losing a friend. Too many transmen and transwomen live in fear of their physical safety. Too many lead silent, tortured lives. Too many have been killed for the innocent crime of simply being themselves.

For certain, the path is difficult; ask any transgendered person and you'll find a story filled with undeserved bigotry, hatred, and too much sadness. And for the lucky few who recognize their situation and survive their transition, they often disappear in the fabric of society, assimilated not as transgendered, but as their transitioned gender. For many, the desire that drives them is not money or power, or control over others; it is simply to be accepted as they feel. Such a modest goal for an all-encompassing desire!

Let us then also remember on this day that though we share a common pain, we also carry with us a common dream. Know that your thoughts, your words, and your actions influence others. Know that you spread the seeds of hope and acceptance when you keep alive their memory. Show through your example, a world free of discrimination, intolerance, and hatred. Show through your love that we are all of us, God's children. Awareness will spread further, times will change, and one day, on Novemeber 20th, there will be no new names to remember for there will be no new deaths! And on that day, we will come together with lighter hearts, knowing that our grief, our sorrow, and our loss was not in vain. We will remember the passing of loved ones and know that their life and their memory served to bring about change, acceptance, and unity.

May God bless.

(for more info: see here)

Sixteen Things

This was part of a Facebook game...

1. I don't have 16 friends, but the ones I have are worth 16 each. Some more.
2. When I live near a coast, I eat Sushi every day, but other than that, I don't eat meat, and I utterly dislike cheese and dairy products. Except ice cream, which I scream for.
3. I finished in the top 100 (top 8%) in the 2008 World Series of Poker Ladies World Championship - No Limit. It was my first ever bracelet event. I recently made it a life goal to win a bracelet and make a living doing it.
4. I speak French like a 4th grader and Italian like a one-night stand.
5. I'm autodidactic; taught myself how to play piano, program computers, juggle, dive, think, chew food, and masturbate.
6. I learned about Love from TV and Movies. Life has shown me otherwise, but I'm still a hopeless romantic. Or maybe that's romantically hopeless, the jury's still out!
7. I've composed/arranged 7 Christmas albums. Played all the instruments too. Haven't listened to a Christmas song since. Also made 4 other albums with 2 other bands... still listening to songs.
8. As a child, I read, read, read, all I could read. I recently made it my other life goal to develop my career as a writer.
9. I was born in the Midwest, lived in New York, but not so long to make me hard and lived in San Francisco, but not so long I got soft. I've travelled around the world, but haven't seen enough of it, and my heart, still, is in my flat in London. Could someone please ship it back?
10. Role models have included: Einstein, Greg Lugainis & Wendy Lian Williams, Sting, Douglas Adams (& Trillian), Hedwig, Gwen Stefani, George Carlin and of course, my friends.
11. I once interviewed Gerald Ford as a member of the peanut butter press. No kidding; still have the badge! Bill Clinton spoke at my college graduation (while he was president)... my roommate's dad was friends with Hilary in high school. Obama hasn't met me yet, but when he does, I hope he'll hire me as his technological advisor. Or PA, I'm not picky in that matter.
12. I once medicated myself with fresh magic mushrooms daily for eight weeks. Best summer ever. Also partied with the guy who drove the buggy on the moon. Well, one of the guys. To this day, he is still the bar by which all adrenaline junkies get measured.
13. An avid 'green advocate' I've not owned a car since 2001. Yes, I walk everywhere. Not coincidentally, I've also lived near work and a grocery since 2001.
14. In an attempt to simplify my life, I sold nearly everything I owned (a house full of stuff... and a house!) and now live with just a few meagre possessions. Okay, they're not meagre at all, they're pretty cool things, but they all fit together in a big car (that I don't have).
15. I make love like a woman, but throw like a man.
16. When I grow up I want to be famous, see the world, drive nice cars; I wanna have groupies (but I'll settle for boobies).

$16 to Freedom

Lots of news this week, let's start with the second woman in US History to run for the office of Vice President. (You do remember Geraldine, right?) Turns out Mrs. Palin wasn't always so sharp looking! With $150,000 to spend on clothing, we'd all look so good, wouldn't we? They say that the clothing was always intended to go to a "charitable purpose" after the campaign.

Are you kidding? $75,000 in ONE DAY at Neiman Marcus??? Did they buy the whole store? She spent more on clothes in one shopping trip than some people do for a home! And to what charity? I wanna be at that Goodwill the day those clothes arrive! Lookit, right next to this t-shirt from the 80s sporting a Rubik's Cube, here's the suit she wore at the RNC! Right. Charity must be a popular girl's name among rich republicans!

They spent another $40,000 later in St. Louis and $4,000 for make-up and hair! Four thousand dollars for hair? I go to expensive stylists, and I've not spent $4,000 in a lifetime of doing hair!

Also in the news, reports show that pregnant women don't necessarily have to avoid drugs while pregnant, so long as they are done in moderation. At least for alcohol anyway. Everything in moderation, people...

More science news, people who kill themselves have different brains than normal people. Especially after. And, environmental effects are suspected!

The rate of methylation in the suicide brains was almost 10 times that of the other group, and [as a result] the gene that was being shut down was a chemical message receptor that plays a major role in regulating behaviour.

Can you imagine that hell? The things that would make a normal person happy don't give those feelings to someone who's clinically depressed! It's amazing that the brain is so flexible, even as an adult, which begs the question... can we change our brains simply by changing our thoughts?

And it's not just me who says that "programming is masculine" as techie women try to create solidarity.

Being girly and being fashionable and being pretty feminine didn't work very well when I was trying to participate in events where there was a lot of programmers because there weren't a lot of women.

It really doesn't work if you have a penis!

Finally, if you remember our earlier report about airline rates rising 1000%, here's some good news. RyanAir, the airline that used to offer £1 flights throughout Europe is expanding to America with £8 flights.

HOLY FREAKIN' COW! We can get off this continent for $16! Pardon me while I do a happy dance! They fly to Stansted (or Dublin) from New York, Florida, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston. Once in London, it's a £7 train ride to the Centre, or, another £8 flight to anywhere in Europe!!!

This changes everything.

Pulling My Hair Out

This morning I pulled out 505 hairs from my face. That's an unusually high number for me; generally it's around 50-100 hairs in the morning but since Halloween was an up close and personal night, after my normal hair removing routine, I shaved too.

When I shave, that's like, 24 hours of total smooth, so I can survive waking up in a strange bed.

For some reason though, this morning the hairs just kept coming.

In case you're wondering how I know it was 505 hairs... I counted them as I pulled out each one! I'm getting pretty quick at this; this morning's marathon only lasted about 20 mins. It's usually 5-10 mins.

And yes, I count everyday. Yesterday was zero. The day before was 58. Before that, 92. Before that, 85. Before that, 55. Before that was 212. The spikes are from doing my upper lip all at once.

I wonder if half the real women out there would go through as much trouble as I do to be female? I mean, whatever routine they use to get pretty, they start the day as female. I'm still starting the day with 50-100 little reminders I'm not. At least I can epilate my entire face now; that was the goal that got me started pulling the little buggers out.

So I figure there are around 1,000 hairs on my face - a drastic reduction from normal thanks to laser hair removal. I think electrolosys requires 90 seconds per hair, plus maybe another 30 seconds to position the needle. At that rate, I'm 2,000 minutes, or 32 hours (non-stop) away from never having to shave (or pluck) again.

Of course, I'm also 32 hours worth of money short for that to happen... but soon!