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"Router"
Lake Minnewaska, Awosting Falls & Environs
There is a reason, it might be said, that monks of diverse sects traditionally awake before dawn. In a number of essays we have described the feeling of experiencing key features of the Gunks during dawn. It is an hour devoid of intrusion— quiet, contemplative, and receptive to latent stirrings both inwardly and outwardly bound. It is the quintessential coupling of that inward and outward exchange into a bond. And here again, even at 'conventional' Lake Minnewaska, the hour does not disappoint.
If the weather does not subsume all interest into its dynamics— which is a real and not unwelcome possibility— Lake Minnewaska exhibits itself at dawn as part of the atmosphere's feeling and mood. It is the reason, even, for its style, and the garment it wears upon reception. But the same formula arises here that is present throughout the Gunks. Before the sun rises to directly light the environment, the beautiful white rock subtly glows with its own internal luminance. This is perhaps a trick of perceptual contrast, but it is no less available to the senses than any other concrete perception.
At dawn, it is that glowing, living presence that grounds all that is bold and saturated before it. Looking westward with the rising sun at our backs, the lake's surface is a deep gradient of intense blues that greet the stately hemlock forests in the distance and the windswept pitch pines that are always caught in the act of scribing their calligraphic language into the air just above the local bedrock. In time, the sky turns lighter and more cyan— with a yellow-orange tinge gathering like a liquid injected into one corner of the sky. Soon it will disperse across the whole horizon. Before the show, the rock is a potent presence balanced by the sheer volume of the lake that snuggles below. Just after sunrise, the rock remains poised and bold, but the lake and its surrounding terrain seem to shift upward toward the cliff's height as the entire landscape becomes unified into a single horizon. By this subtle transformation the lake becomes less of a voluminous presence than a primary feature of a single expansive horizon. For the senses that have already anticipated such a unified landscape, the lake has lost little in the transformation.
I have stood upon the cliff before sunrise on the east side of the lake where the original Cliff House once sprawled it's magnificent structure along the entire cliff. There, I saw a flock of Canadian geese fly over in migrational formation. Just before the geese passed overhead, their leader peeled off as the formation flew on with incredible power and dignity. The lone straggler that was so recently the leader cycled lower so that I could clearly see his eye return the favor of sight in a mutual exchange of presence, perhaps born only of mutual curiosity, but nonetheless real. The simple significance of that moment could only have unfolded at dawn for me. It was not spectacular in the manner of a whale sighting in the ocean or some other adrenalin-inspired interaction, but it was significant precisely by virtue of its subtly. Indeed, that is the lesson of this land, for although it harbors its own unique and rugged majesty, it is always our receptive subtly that manifests and discloses buried aspects of its latent magic.
In much of this series we have experienced the capacity for dawn to draw out this essence more readily, and that is certainly the case. But the same latent magic is available in a different manner at other times of the day. Lake Minnewaska offers a number of unique faces— a new one, in fact, every day. We can scramble to the large blocks that have long ago broken off the cliffs to investigate every angle at the water's edge. Angular blocks are sent aloft into the water— participating in a voyage that appears to take millennia. Some of the blocks have dived under the waterline. There, amongst the fractured blocks at the water's edge, one can intimately know the fleshy vulnerability of the human scale of time and space, even while taking part in the strangeness of 'rock time'. Amongst the reflections of the sky, we are admitted onto that watery voyage. Or perhaps, after a day's hike, we may return near the beach on the east side of the lake and look upon the sliding stacks of conglomerate and the broad vertical cliffs on the far side as the lake is funneled between them with a mirror-like veneer upon its surface. We can stroll down the cove from which canoes once launched and scuba divers still silently enter the underwater realm. There, divers speak of a hidden world of algae, bladderworts and moss that coats the debris from the grand hotel era in a game of hide-and-seek— all of it attached to a submerged city of conglomerate that allows passage only to the streaming sunlight filtering down to terminate a few meters above the murky green-brown mush at the bottom. Back on solid ground in the little cove, the afternoon sun unveils a yellow-green oasis even as the colors of the lake normally offer a blue-green pallet of reflections amidst the deep blues of the sky. Autumn and winter reveal their own distant world from the very same vantages. But one cannot look upon the lake and its surrounding environs without also considering that which is not present: the majestic hotels themselves. The signs and left over organization of the post-Victorian hotel era are ever present for anyone who is perceptive. They are not simply exhibited in the network and structural organization of the carriage roads and the surrounding plots that are still in the process of forest succession following a formative era of cutting, domestication and subsistence farming— they reside, as we have stated, in the debris at the bottom of the lake itself.
Lake Minnewaska is the central node for an entire web of destinations that are really a diverse set of journeys unto themselves. Carriage roads and hiking trails loop outward from the lake, like honeybees dispatched from their nest, only to return again after the variable distance of their investigative journeys have been partaken. This wide array of excursions is etched into the landscape around the lake. In Fissures Amongst Men and Sound of Still Boulders, we set out from Lake Minnewaska on a journey to Castle Point and Gertrude's Nose respectively. In Remote, we situate Lake Awosting in relationship to a departure from Lake Minnewaska. In Thirst, the magic moment occurred after traversing Millbrook Mountain and descending into the valley between the mountain and Lake Minnewaska's southern outlet. Other popular excursions from the lake include Beacon Hill and Awosting Falls. Outside the festive gatherings it offers for weekend barbecues, Lake Minnewaska is a central routing station to a major portion of the Gunks.
A Victorian Falls
Awosting Falls is situated at the bottom of the twisting road that leads to Lake Minnewaska in Minnewaska State Park. As the name implies, however, Awosting Falls is a sibling, in part, of the outlet from distant Lake Awosting, rather than Lake Minnewaska, which lies a short distance up the winding road from it. Lake Minnewaska's outlet contributes to the Coxing Kill stream that gathers its flow in a valley to the south and east. As referenced in Sensitive Flesh, the Coxing Kill eventually makes its way through Split Rock, before coursing through Clove Valley on the other side of The Trapps. The Peters Kill collects itself from a valley that lies further east and south of the Coxing Kill. The Peters Kill stream's variable disposition, however, is very different than the generally accommodating Coxing Kill. After departing from Lake Awosting and valleys further to the south, the Peters Kill boisterously acts out before withdrawing into itself. It noisily plunges and thunders over large drops and stately falls. Shortly thereafter, it shrinks into itself, withdrawn, moody and secretive. In early spring, it plows through the debris fields that it once carried while drunk on it's own concentrated powers, only to discover its overambitious surge cannot be sustained, and the extra load that it carries has to be dropped. Through much of the year, it trickles through the residual artifacts of its own abandoned activities, pooling in the tracks of its deepest memories.
A few of the Gunks' well-known features attest to this proclivity for periodic outbursts from a variably withdrawn nature. Awosting Falls is, of course, one of them. At the falls, as elsewhere, the Peters Kill presents itself confident and bold at times, only to become irritated and impotent in between outbursts. Awosting Falls is still occasionally referred to locally as High Falls, even though there is an actual destination of High Falls just north of the Shawangunk Ridge. The fall's impressive 40-foot plunge looks to be built on a series of stacked and curved foundations that collectively form an amphitheater. The thin broken slaps of concrete-looking sediments have been fractured by the weight of the stacks above, as if by the act of generations of laborers seeking to take up the same thought of their forefathers. At the bottom of the amphitheater, an equally stacked compilation of tones pile-drive their way into the rippling pool below from the falls above. The sounds of the fall are amplified in the concussion. When the flow is heavy, the turbulence and deep resonant display can be absolutely thunderous; but even when the water slides off the platform in shy, thin whispering curtains, the air is refreshingly ionized with moisture and sheets of a more subtle crescendo; adding wetness to the conditioned coolness that the hemlocks have already transpired into the shadows below.
It is tempting, and almost certainly the case, that upon nearing the top of Awosting Falls for the first time, newcomers migrate to the streambed for a preliminary glimpse. The initial stay is merely inquisitive at first, but it serves as a preamble for the journey below. After shuttling back to the carriageway following a glance that was designed to build expectation, the trail courses through a short series of turns that are also designed to increase anticipation until an open view of the falls is granted. Viewed from below, the falls can appear stately; or the flow may disappoint. Still, the surrounding coolness enwraps the onlooker in the sweep of hemlocks and the wide-embracing backstop of the layered rock. Upon the carriage trail, the trees begin to separate at just the right moment to provide a park-like setting and a romanticized scene that summons idealized views of horse-drawn coaches and ladies with umbrellas strolling languidly in the arms of capped gentlemen. The scene that is summoned in the pool is that of a courting couple drifting in a flat bottom boat as a supple female wrist drops delicate fingers toward the water's surface, one or two of which caress the surface and trail sinuous ripples in their wake. The region, of course, has such overly romanticized and stereotypical Victorian images stamped into it by virtue of its developmental history. Yet even if one's imagination launches into a different era or a deeper reach of time, the immediate vicinity appears idealized when viewed from below. Indeed, it is difficult to overcome the overly romanticized structure of the sight on most visits. Because of that structuring, vision unconsciously engages its quick little journeys across regions that the body either cannot go or is restricted access. All sides of our frontal hemisphere are explored in a rapid acquisition as the carriageway pulls us gently onward, as if our own carriage were still powered by horses. Downstream, the carriageway continues its park-like setting, but the further one strolls, the more it is apparent that the falls begins to tug us for return and suggest that a journey onward is the making of an entirely different expedition.
For many day visitors, the tug is appropriate because the falls is considered a satellite destination to Lake Minnewaska. Many have arrived at the falls only as part of a larger visit to the lake. But after making their way back to the top of the falls, the ledge beckons for a second, more meaningful visitation. On top, the Peters Kill sculpts a smooth undulating surface. Swirling steps and banked curves add intrigue to the root-beer stained conglomerate. The yellow-brown staining intermingles with a tightly packed sand matrix so that a fine-grained, crystalline texture is immediately received as more than a surface coating upon what might otherwise be considered mundane rock. The quartzite is a constituent of the entire rock depth, granting it its iconic beauty. By virtue of the region's mandate for contrast, aged moss and lichen darken the intervening matrix of the near white surface. It is this glittering surface with a slightly angular ledge that the Peters Kill either rages over with the furry of a spring flood, or shyly clings to on the way to the pool below. Just before its drop, the streambed provides a sculpted, many-tiered destination of its own, often more interesting to range upon than the landscape below. As premonition to the space below, a mini, elongated amphitheater forms the last stage of the streambed just before the drop. There, a windswept pitch pine has positioned itself near the edge. The iconic pine provides just the right refinement to invite additional lingering as it faces two directions at once. While we face only one-half of its gesture, its distal side is oriented to the grand show below the drop. In return, a population of hemlock, oak, beech and birch surround the pool's edge and salute the ledge with a disciplined stance that is quite noble. In the end, the two disparate spaces remain separate but merge into a single perception through the activity of the falls and the little pine near its edge. We encompass the space that we situate within up above as well as the space far below that it is stitched to through the fabric of the falling water itself. We see the Peters Kill sweeping toward us at the same time that the pool down below seems to tilt its entire volume slightly in our direction, even as the falls plunges away from us— all of it, nonetheless, a single space for vision. We see the inlet flow as part of our own body space at the same time that the outlet flow in the pool far below courses away from us in the form of a necessary exit. It is the terminal boundary of our space and the introductory movement to the adjacent space. This is the space of visual perception as it is stabilized by movement.
It is misguided to construe that because a lens cannot appropriately capture all of this at once without distortion that there exists no intimate perception of both tiers at once. Visual perception is not our personal copy of the optics that our technologies employ as they are said to copy or augment our anatomy. Natural perception achieves this solid gathering through a bound momentum, a duration that is structured by movement; not in the manner of video footage— where a series of static 'states' are said to build a perception over time. Actual perception is not the stitching of independent image states along with anticipation of the subsequent images to follow in the sequence. It is, rather, the late achievement of a series of unified gatherings— a "lived" whole that is never truncated or incomplete for experience, though it requires a lived duration that sometimes escapes us, and is always open to a present that is still arriving.
On summer weekends, Awosting Falls becomes so populated that the outing is transformed into a people-watching occasion. Even so, early hours and late season visits reveal again the native beauty that might have been squandered should we dismiss the location as rendered kitsch by popularity. In the depths of winter, the falls can pile snow onto the nearby carriageway— requiring snowshoes, skis, or sealed boots attached to an agile hip. The frozen pool below increasingly stacks a growing cone of ice as winter deepens. In the coldest of winters, the cone creeps up the falls until it nearly greets the ledge with a broken and crusty shell that reveals watery innards pouring out. Even when Gothic-like icicle formations do not transform the amphitheater around the falls into a wizard's cathedral, cold water sprays the surrounding trees to glaze them in a coating that reveals its own wizardry, both practiced and granted. Late autumn has its own special charm, which of course is color, but the beauty of every season is revealed through structure. Awosting Falls presents itself, like Split-Rock, as a self-contained space encompassing both its inlet waters and its pool below— along with a short excursion paralleling the Peters Kill. Should one travel beyond the pull of the falls, one discovers that the carriageway diverts from the Peters Kill just when the latter dives under Route 44-55. On the other side of the road, the stream disperses into a wide thin sheet before leaning to the right and tipping through a long series of stepped falls on each side of a large shrubby landmass. Sheldon Falls and Peters Kill Falls are certainly less accessible than Awosting Falls, but they are infinitely more interesting to investigate, as we do in Abandoned.
The links below access the online adapted version of the book and do not correspond to the order published in the physical booklet. Only a few master copies of the book remain (published 2018), so this set constitutes the original impetus of the work in a different order. In the physical book, the essay "Intimate Otherness" (below) introduced the Gunks through Mohonk Mountain House, the historical introductory anchor to the region. Don't forget to check out related Gunks landscapes (on istockphoto by Getty Images).
a phenomenological essay series
Otherness
Gunks
Selfs &
of Men
Remote Percept
The Afterburn
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Home » Movies in English » Mercury Plains 2016
Mercury Plains 2016
Mercury Plains 2016 quantity
Category: Movies in English
R | 1h 42min | Action, Adventure, Drama | 5 January 2016 (USA)
A troubled young man runs away to Mexico, where he is recruited to join a paramilitary group of teens fighting the drug cartels. Isolated in the desert, he proves himself by becoming The Captain's top soldier, but questions the group's true purpose. As the Mexican police close in, he realizes that his only way out is to escape back to America, but first he must outwit The Captain.
User review:
Eastwood tries too hard. Movie is boring and dry. Giving it 2 stars for effort. Crying roles are too exaggerated and don't appear sincere. He could of taken some acting advice from his father to appear more natural. Music was good but very monotone for a movie of this caliber. Eastwood needs to find his own style and not try to be too much like his father. Even the style of movie was not unique but rather imitating the type of roles his father takes on. It's hard not to compare the two…this kid needs to find his own way , his own style, his own story if he wants to be a successful actor. Seems like he is using his own name to get famous. Why not be creative and call himself something different so he can stand on his own.
Director: Charles Burmeister
Writer: Charles Burmeister
Stars: Scott Eastwood, Angela Sarafyan, Nick Chinlund
Mercury Plains (2016)
102 min|Action, Adventure, Drama|23 Feb 2017
4.3Rating: 4.3 / 10 from 1,121 users
A troubled man runs away to Mexico and is recruited to join a paramilitary group of teens fighting the drug cartels. He proves himself to the group, but questions their motive.
Creator: Charles Burmeister
Actors: Scott Eastwood, Nick Chinlund, Andy Garcia, Jorge A. Jimenez
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Garments Accessories & Packaging sector has started its journey since 1989. Since its inception Garments Accessories & Packaging have been growing steadily keeping in pace with the growing Readymade Garments. Now total Garments accessories & Packaging Industries rose to about 1700 & entire requirements of Accessories & Packaging of RMG & other export oriented industries like : frozen food, leather, ceramic, cosmetics, food & beverage, vegetables, handicraft etc. are being met up locally. It also helps RMG sectors and other exporting sectors to reduce the lead time. Earlier accessories & packaging items are being imported from abroad which involved huge amount of foreign exchange. It is a growing sector. During the last financial year about US$ 7.10 billion was earned from this sector. Our export target is earmarked US$ 12.00 billion by the end of the year 2021 provided Government gives policy support to this sector. BGAPMEA is the member of Asian Packaging Federation (APF) & World Packaging Organization (WPO).
Presently this sector plagued with various problems particularly inadequate infrastructure facilities, electricity, gas connection & high Bank interest rate & political unrest that impede the growth of export. Exporters are struggling hard to survive due to economic melt down of the world, non payment of export bill by the banks after maturity. This problem has aggravated the situation further. Now indiscipline is prevailing in the total banking system. This association had several meetings with the higher authority of Bangladesh bank, Sonali Bank Ltd., Bangladesh Krishi Bank to address these problems. Due to our constant persuasion Bangladesh Bank has instructed schedule banks to clear outstanding export bills of exporters. This association also requested Bangladesh Bank to reduce interest rate with in tolerable limit for export sectors. Bangladesh Bank has provided us loan from Export Development Fund (EDF) in bulk form for this sector. Our members are availing of this facility with minimum interest. We have also addressed bond related issues like : Import entitlement & constantly pursuing quick disposal for issuance of Utilization Permission (UP) etc. on behalf of our association. Value added tax (VAT) has been withdrawn on rented building of factories with our persuasion.
Every year BGAPMEA is arranging an International Exhibition namely Garments Accessories & Packaging Exposition (GAPEXPO). This GAPEXPO provides marketing platform for the members of BGAPMEA to display their latest products & latest collection to the RMG exporters, other related exporters & buying houses who will be visiting the show. At the same time, it also act as a platform for sourcing of machinery and raw materials. The upcoming GAPEXPO-2019 will be held from 17-20 January, 2019 at International convention City Bashundhara (ICCB).
We would like to inform you that European Union (EU) was provided grant for small & medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) for capacity building of the different sectors & associations namely Bangladesh INSPIRED. The intention of the program is to reduce poverty & inequality reduction through enterprises development. This program was funded by the Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh & the EU. The purpose of this grant is to enhance the competitiveness & sustainable growth of SMEs in selected sub-sectors of the economy of Bangladesh. Under the INSPIRED project BGAPMEA had set up a Testing Laboratory at Plot # A-100 (5th floor), BSCIC Industrial Estate, Tongi, Gazipur. Initially this Testing Laboratory is established for the tesing of Carton items. In future this lab will be extended for other accessories items.
BGAPMEA has published an Apparel Accessories News Letter for the first time. This News Letter will be the voice of the Association. This News Letter was unveiled by Mr. Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Information Advisor to the Hon'ble Prime Minister at National Press Club.


The coastline around Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi provinces is renowned for dreamlike beaches, secret coves and islands, and unique rock formations. Did you know that the area is also home to some of the best snorkeling in the world? With balmy, calm and clear waters and rich marine life, the Andaman Sea is, in fact, nothing short of a snorkeler's dream.
We often get asked about the best spots for snorkeling around Phuket. While there are numerous beautiful islands and secluded beaches just next door, the truth is that not all of the locations are suitable for good snorkeling. For example, the famous Phang Nga Bay will amaze you with its rocky scenery but will offer you limited areas to snorkel.
Below is our list of recommendations; please note that certain locales (such as Similan Islands) require a minimum 3-day trip to be enjoyed to the fullest.
Located 12 km off the coast of Phuket, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi (also known as Ko Raya Yai and Ko Raya Noi) are notable destinations for diving and snorkeling around Phuket. The bigger of the two, Racha Yai, has become more developed in the recent years, while the smaller one, Racha Noi, remains uninhabited.
The glassy water around these twin islands makes snorkeling a joy. Besides sea turtles and eye-catching corals and fish in Racha Noi, those that are lucky might also catch a glimpse of manta rays.
A small archipelago that consists of six islands, Phi Phi is known for the two main ones – Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh; stunning Phi Phi Leh is particularly famous for its Maya Bay that was featured in "The Beach" movie.
The variety of sea creatures and coral reefs make snorkeling around Phi Phi truly spectacular. If you happen to cruise around the islands mid-year, keep your eye out for whale sharks! These gentle giants come to Phi Phi every year but only very fortunate visitors get to see them.
Located in a hidden spot in Phang Nga Bay only a short ride away from Phuket, Koh Khai archipelago is another superb destination for snorkeling around Phuket.
The sea around these 3 small islands (called Khai Nai, Khai Nok, and Khai Nui) is bright blue and home to astonishing fish of all sorts and colors. You'll love luxuriating in this picturesque oasis that is fantastic for a half- or a full-day trip – just remember that feeding the fish is prohibited by law.
One of these magical places where the fish swim freely around snorkelers, Koh Hong archipelago is also great for kayaking and scuba diving. These islands in Krabi belong to a national park and are therefore only open for day visits.
Hong Islands' beauty is enchanting: rocks and limestones of all shapes lace a natural lagoon with coral reefs and gorgeous beaches…. Also, some of the best snorkeling spots in the area are a bit further from the shoreline, so visiting on a private charter is an additional perk.
Fantastic for snorkeling trips all year round, Coral Island (locally called Koh Hae) is located just 3 kilometers southeast of Phuket. It features two main beaches and a coral reef that it owes its name to.
Coral Island is yet another wonderful destination for snorkeling around Phuket where the sea is clear, the beaches are clean and white sanded, and the vibrant fish swim right up to your mask.
Maithon Island, known as the Honeymoon Island since it is popular among honeymooners, is a place where you can easily encounter dolphins. This private island is located about 8 km from Phuket and open for limited day trips.
Its paradise-like setting with white beaches, super clear waters, and a clam garden guarantees an afternoon to remember. Take plenty of pictures and enjoy the spectacular array of fish and corals on display under the water's surface.
Made up of two islands called Koh Rok Nai and Koh Rok Nok, Koh Rok Islands belong to Krabi archipelago.
The islands are famous among snorkelers and scuba divers because of their abundant marine life; they have, however, been preserved and protected from mass tourism. Here you can snorkel directly on the beachfront, as well as take pleasure in some of the finest beaches in the area.
Located on the west of Koh Lanta, Koh Ha Islands are among the best and most diverse snorkeling locations in the Andaman. The archipelago is made up of five limestone islands (in Thai, 'ha' is word for 'five') that belong to Koh Lanta National Marine Park.
Koh Ha Islands feature underwater caves and shallow coral reefs visible even from the water's surface – not to mention an abundance of colorful fish. Take your time in this snorkeling paradise, and don't forget to take loads of photos to impress family and friends.
Visiting Similan Islands on a private yacht charter is an experience of a lifetime. The islands are among the world's top ten diving sites and open to public between mid-October and mid-May (dates vary a bit each year).
Similan Islands are located about 85 km away from Phuket. The archipelago consists of eleven islands that belong to Koh Similan National Park.
Everything you have heard about this locale is true: there are breathtaking corals, perfectly clear waters, and an exceptional variety of sea creatures… A cruise to Similan is an unforgettable gift to yourself and those you love.
Now that we've introduced you to the best spots for snorkeling around Phuket, all you need to do is choose a yacht for your cruise. In case you are still undecided about where to go, send us a message and we'll be happy to share our knowledge and advice.


THE NEW YORKER, FEBRUARY 6, 2017 75 of humiliation, of disappointment until she, too, begins to seem more pose than person. At a certain point, it becomes clear that Christopher is gone for good; there will be no confrontation between husband and wife, and here the narra- tive tension begins to eddy in pools of circular thought. She is resolute even in her private restraint. "I did not believe my grief had any claims to make of its own," she says. It's a kind of false mod- esty of the soul. Her grief does have claims---if only she would make them. Passive female narrators have figured in a number of recent novels written by women; Zadie Smith's "Swing Time" and Rachel Cusk's "Outline" come im- mediately to mind. So do the novels of Renata Adler, first published in the sev- enties and eighties but reissued, to much literary fanfare, in . In di erent ways, and to di erent purposes, these books, like Kitamura's, give rise to the same question: How much self should a woman have? The best formulation of it that I know is a story by Lydia Davis, one para- graph long, called "New Year's Resolu- tion."The speaker, beginning her year in a Zen mood, has resolved "to learn to see myself as nothing." But, she wonders, isn't this humility really an act of arro- gance, since it is, after all, aspirational? Besides,"how does a person learn to see herself as nothing when she has already had so much trouble learning to see her- self as something in the first place?" This quandary applies to fiction, too. The whole mysterious game is to take the word and make it, briefly, flesh. A char- acter has to appear if her disappearance is going to matter. "You have been a neg- ative nothing, now you want to be a pos- itive nothing," the speaker in Davis's story says. That e ect, the positive nothing, is what Kitamura is going for, and some- times she succeeds. My favorite character in the book is Yvan, who never appears in person. Like a woman in a Dorothy Parker story, he waits by the phone for his lov- er's call; but it doesn't drive him nuts or make him pathetic. He gently suggests that his girlfriend do something: forget Christopher, return to London, live. "I felt, rather than heard, the explosion of Yvan's happiness," the narrator says, when she tells him she may finally be coming home. I found his quiet, happy hope touching. It will probably get crushed, but good on him for taking the chance. BRIEFLY NOTED The True Flag, by Stephen Kinzer (Henry Holt). In just four years at the turn of the twentieth century, the United States invaded and established de-facto control over Cuba, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. "Never in history has a nation leaped so suddenly to overseas empire," Kinzer writes in a well-researched account, which also gestures to- ward subsequent U.S. interventions. The most vocal expan- sionist was Theodore Roosevelt, for whom hegemony was an end in itself. He was opposed by the Anti-Imperialist League and Mark Twain, who saw in his imperial designs a betrayal of America's founding principles. "It was impossible to save the Great Republic," Twain lamented. "Lust of con- quest had long ago done its work." A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea, by Melissa Fleming (Flat- iron). Written by an o cial in the U.N.'s refugee agency, this deeply a ecting book recounts the story of a young Syrian, Doaa al Zamel. In , as a shy, stubborn fifteen-year-old, she demonstrated against the regime; after fleeing to Egypt, she stitched bags in a burlap factory, hoping to get to Europe. In September, , she was pulled from the Mediterranean, parched and delirious, with two small children clasped to her chest. She'd been afloat for four days, after a boat smuggling her to Europe sank, killing five hundred other passengers, in- cluding her fiancé. Fleming brings a moral urgency to the narrative. Doaa is now safe in Sweden, but Fleming point- edly asks, "Why is there no massive resettlement program for Syrians---the victims of the worst war of our times?" The Midnight Cool, by Lydia Peelle (Harper). Peelle's funereal début novel, set in Tennessee as America prepares to enter the First World War, is a drama about the speciousness of the American dream and the costs of self-invention. When a pair of horse-trading grifters make a bad deal on a beauti- ful but savage mare, despite cryptic warnings from the sell- er's captivating daughter, Catherine, they find themselves stranded in a small town gripped by patriotic fervor. While one recovers from injury, the other takes advantage of the wartime demand for mules, hoping to earn enough to be- come Catherine's suitor. The novel relies too heavily on dra- matic irony, but it resists trite resolution. We may write our own stories, it suggests, but we can't predict our endings. The Dispossessed, by Szilárd Borbély, translated from the Hun- garian by Ottilie Mulzet (Harper Perennial). This novel, by a celebrated Hungarian poet who committed suicide in , at the age of fifty, depicts the world of his childhood: a poor, remote village near the Romanian border, where inflexible Communist diktats meet the ancient brutalities of peasant life. Nothing much happens, but daily chatter contains echoes of the past: forced assimilation of Romanians, the Holocaust. The narrator, a young boy whose family is shunned---it was once wealthy and is suspected of being Jewish---endures beat- ings, hunger, and taunts with the fatalism of someone who has never known anything else.


I was almost locked in! And if I would have had cookies that would have been OK.
Over the past few months I have had a sleeping problem and I am trying a lot of things to try to get more sleep. Last night was so strange. Watching TV last night, yeah they were Superhero shows, Super girl and Arrow. I was just struggling to stay awake> I love those shows and here I am nodding off. Legends of the DC universe was snooze city, I even took it off my DVD record, and this season is really bad.
Anyway it is time for bed and like I tell you I am trying lots of different things, the latest a CPAP machine. Well it didn't work last night. I slept about 2 ½ hours.
How does this tie into being locked in. Well here goes. As I come into the station today I was in need of something to keep me awake and the convenience store near the station. I tried to get out of my car but I couldn't the lock would not work on my car door , I tried over and over again and almost 10 minutes later I was free! I go purchase what I needed and get to the station and yep I was stuck again. But man the car felt great, it was so cold (4 above) and I was bundled up and I almost gave up to sleep in my car. At least until I could be rescued, but the door unlocked and here I am not as tired as I thought I would be. WHY? I really love my job.
My favorite homemade are the No Bake Chocolate. I have consumed a lot more than I should have over my life. But they are good for you I mean there are Oats in them!!!!!!!!!!


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Home » Gender » Transgender in the United States: A Brief Discussion (1999)
Transgender in the United States: A Brief Discussion (1999)
Posted on Mar 29, 2013 in Gender, Journals
©1999, 2013 by Dallas Denny
Source: Denny, Dallas. (1999, October-November). Transgender in the United States: A brief discussion. SIECUS Report, 28(1), pp. 8-13.
SIECUS is the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States. The organization is dedicated to sex and sexuality education, sexual health, and sexual rights.
SIECUS Report Pages (PDF)
This is a longer version than the published edit.
Editor's note. Dallas Denny was licensed for 20 years as a psychological examiner; she recently retired her license. She founded and was executive director for ten years of the American Educational Gender Information Service, Inc., a national clearinghouse for transgender issues. She was editor and publisher of Chrysalis: The Journal of Transgressive Gender Identities. She has published extensively on transsexual issues and participated in and written about the developing transgender paradigm. Her books Gender Dysphoria: A Guide to Research, and Identity Management in Transsexualism were published in 1994, and her edited text Current Concepts in Transgender Identity was published in 1998. Dallas is a former senior advisor to Mayor Bill Campbell of Atlanta on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender affairs, and the former secretary of the Board of Directors of Atlanta Pride.
Transgender in the United States: A Brief Discussion
By Dallas Denny
Transgender is a term which arose in the 1990s to describe individuals whose appearance, behavior, or self-identification varies from binary gender norms. In one sense, transgender is a global term which encompasses crossdressers, transsexuals, and transgenderists. However, when taken to mean transgressively gendered (Bornstein 1994), transgender can be seen as encompassing not only the more visibly gender-different, but anyone who feels uncomfortable with, dislikes, or resists John Wayne/Marilyn Monroe gender stereotypes. In this interpretation, gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals are transgendered because they transgress gender norms in regard to their sexual orientation, and, regardless of whether they identify as such, all women who are less than perfectly feminine and all men who are less than perfectly masculine (i.e., almost all of us) can thus be said to be transgendered (Rotello, 1996).
Our entire society can be viewed as somewhat transgendered because for the past several hundred years it has been steadily relaxing strict gender norms. This is perhaps most apparent in the changing sartorial styles and increasing civil equality of women. The casual dress of most contemporary American women would have been considered scandalous 50 years ago and was illegal less than 100 years ago, when women were routinely arrested for appearing in public in trousers. Changing gender norms are also reflected in the American workplace, in which women enter occupations and achieve levels of authority and responsibility once closed to them.
Transgender then, is not only a new term, but an alternate way of looking at gender. Transgender sensibility blends elements of feminist and queer and deconstructionist theory to posit that male and female genders are not natural categories, but are socially constructed and vary from culture to culture and over time within cultures.
Under the medical model which prevailed until the arise of this transgender sensibility, individuals whose gender presentation varied from binary norms were considered not merely different, but deviant. The transgender model has changed the locus of pathology from the individual to the society; it is not transsexuals, crossdressers, transgenderists, homosexuals, feminine men, or masculine women who are mentally ill or morally lacking, but rather a society which will not tolerate difference. This shift of perspective has forced a re-evaluation of the traditional clinical categories to which gender-different people have been assigned and cast light upon the often-erroneous and sexist assumptions of clinicians and researchers who have historically studied these populations. Transgender sensibility has also enabled transgendered and transsexual [2] people to cast aside their shame and forge new and proud identities, and to come together as a community.
Transgender History
Transgender history has been largely lost, sometimes deliberately repressed because of societal sensibilities, sometimes misinterpreted as gay or lesbian or mainstream history, and more usually simply ignored. Historians and anthropologists have begun to explore the fragmented historical record and are finding compelling evidence that people we would today call transgendered have existed from prehistoric times and until the modern era in hundreds of cultures on six continents (Cole, et al., 2000; R. Green, 1998; Taylor, 1996). Many societies have had formal and often honored social roles for transgendered men and women. [3]
In the West, existing transgender traditions began to be systematically eradicated about the time of the rise of Christianity (Bullough & Bullough, 1993, pp. 39-40, 45; Roscoe, 1994). Transgendered people thereafter lived largely in secret, but left legal and other records which later provided hundreds of case histories (cf Dekker & Van de Pol, 1989; Lowry, 1994). Many of our most revered historical personages, including more than a few saints, emperors, kings, queens, pharaohs, artists, writers, musicians, politicians, and great warriors lived as members of the other sex or otherwise exhibited characteristics which we can today consider transgendered (Feinberg, 1996).
The Medical Model
During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, clinicians like Ellis (1913), Hirschfeld (1910), Krafft-Ebing (1894), and Ulrichs (1994) began to study the people we today call intersexed, gay, and transgendered. They devised categories based on supposed psychopathology which have evolved and differentiated over the years into terms currently in use, for instance transvestite, transsexual, gender dysphoria, transvestic fetishism, and gender identity disorder. Initially, homosexuality and gender variance were conflated; it was not sexual orientation but masculinity in females and femininity in males which was considered the primary defining characteristic of homosexuality. Even after Hirschfeld (1910) differentiated transvestism and homosexuality, homosexuality was viewed as a psychopathology. It was included in the first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders of the American Psychiatric Association and remained until 1974, when it was moved to the back of the 2nd edition (DSM-II) (Bayer, 1987). With the publication of the DSM-III in 1980, homosexuality was removed entirely and has subsequently lost much of its stigma, but transsexualism was included for the first time in DSM-III and both transsexualism and crossdressing remain in DSM-IV under the respective diagnostic categories Transvestic Fetishism (302.3) and Gender Identity Disorder (302.6 for children, 302.85 for adults). Many mental health professionals continue to view crossdressing and transsexualism as mental disorders and are unaware of or choose to ignore the growing body of evidence which suggests otherwise.
Slave Names
Terms like transvestite and transsexual suggest pathology and were imposed upon transgendered and transsexual people. As such, they are similar to the "slave names" of Africans taken into slavery and forced to give up their names in favor of new names their masters found easy to pronounce. Clinical terms tend to constrain and direct the ways in which transgendered and transsexual people are discussed and viewed; for instance, transvestite, transsexual, and their analogs Transvestic Fetishism and Gender Identity Disorder are considered to be "diagnostic categories." Diagnosis supposes psychopathology. It is difficult to view people as whole and sane when the language used to describe them argues otherwise.
Transgendered and transsexual people have begun to experiment with new identities and new names which do not pathologize them. The term transgender has gained consensus, and many people who would once have called themselves transvestites or transsexuals now simply say "I am transgendered." The term transgender came into widespread use around 1994 and is now the most frequent term used by the gay and mainstream press and most researchers and clinicians and many transgender and transsexual people. However, transgendered people use a wide variety of terms to refer to themselves, and some still prefer the clinical terms. Words like transvestite and transsexual can still be useful, if only to distinguish between those who crossdress on occasion and those who crosslive full time and are in pursuit of or have had sex reassignment surgery.
Crossdressing is a time-honored tradition in many societies, including our own. In American society, crossdressing is common in motion pictures, television, on the stage, and in the pages of our novels. Female impersonation has long been widespread in gay night clubs, but has always had a wide audience in the mainstream. "Womanless weddings" are still held from time to time in the South, and drag is common at Halloween and other times of celebration. Even the ecclesiastical robes worn by clergy in many Christian sects and the robes of judges are but ritualized crossdressing.
Crossdressing was long considered an activity practiced exclusively by gay males, but the second half of the twentieth century has seen the popularization of another type of crossdressing, that of the heterosexual male. While heterosexual males have always crossdressed (cf Farrer, 1987), they are now free to do so in public with little fear of arrest or harassment. Social and support groups for crossdressers can be found in many cities, and there is a small but thriving industry of publishers, makeover services, and manufacturers of silicone breast forms and womens' shoes and clothing in larger sizes.
Heterosexual crossdressers began to meet in private in the 1950s and 1960s (Beigel, 1969), often with great fear of exposure. By the 1970s there was a national organization for them. Tri-Ess, the Society for the Second Self, was formed from two earlier organizations and styled itself as a "sorority" for crossdressers. From its inception, Tri-Ess vigilantly policed its ranks, excluding members who were openly gay or bisexual or transsexual, or were suspected of being so (Prince, n.d.). This made some sense in the 1950s and 1960s, when homosexuality was highly stigmatized, but is an embarrassment today in light of the political gains made by homosexuals. Tri-Ess continues to exclude gay men and transsexuals, but most transgender community organizations and events are open to anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Motivations for Heterosexual Crossdressing
For many heterosexual males, there is a strong erotic component in crossdressing; indeed, episodic partial crossdressing is common among males in general. Many men expand their crossdressing and begin to totally emulate females, depilating their bodies and wearing wigs and makeup. For many such men, the erotic and fetishistic aspects of crossdressing diminish or disappear over time and the crossdressing becomes driven by a sense of internal femininity. Crossdressing becomes an expression of the "woman within" (Prince, 1967). This replacement of the erotic by the personal is poorly understood by researchers and clinicians, who tend to think of the crossdressing of heterosexual males as exclusively sexual in nature. Most clinicians also believe there is a vast difference between crossdressers and transsexuals, but in my experience this is often not the case. In fact, many male crossdressers become gender dysphoric and eventually come to identify as transsexuals and pursue sex reassignment.
Technologies perfected in the twentieth century, specifically the ability to surgically alter genitalia and breasts, the synthesis of human sex hormones, and electrolysis made sex reassignment practical. Before the emergence of these technologies, passing as a member of the other gender was difficult or impossible for most men, who were betrayed by their secondary sex characteristics. In general, women could pass more easily, which may explain why there are more accounts in the literature of passing women (i.e., women who pass as men) than passing men.
History of Transsexualism
In the early 1950s a young American named George Jorgensen journeyed to Denmark and underwent hormonal and surgical treatments which allowed him to return to the United States as a woman (Hamburger et al., 1953). The publicity upon Christine Jorgensen's return to the United States was enormous. While Jorgensen was not the first modern-day transsexual, she was the one who caught the attention of the press. Because of her, the world became aware that gender was not necessarily synonymous with biological sex, and that it was possible to alter one's appearance and social role from one gender to another. Immediately, Jorgensen and her physicians were deluged from men and women desperate for a sex change (Hamburger, 1953). A demand for sex changing technologies had been created. This demand eventually led to the creation of a sex-changing industry.
Harry Benjamin, a New York endocrinologist, was involved with the early treatment of the people who would come to be known as transsexuals. In 1966, he published The Transsexual Phenomenon, in which he defined the syndrome of transsexualism and postulated that sex reassignment was an effective treatment for persons who were dysfunctional and unhappy in their gender of birth. Benjamin's book popularized the term transsexual, which had not until then been widely used.
The term sex reassignment originated in the laboratories of John Money, who, in 1969, published, with Richard Green, Transsexualism and Sex Reassignment, an edited text which provided a treatment protocol for Benjamin's transsexual syndrome. Money was instrumental in opening, at Johns Hopkins University in 1966, the first gender identity clinic in the United States.
By the late 1970s there were more than 50 gender clinics in the U.S. Some were better than others, but in general the clinics were characterized by a cautious approach to transsexualism which resulted in rejection for treatment of most applicants, many for reasons which today seem sexist or otherwise discriminatory (Denny, 1992). For example, applicants were rejected because they did not have the "proper" (i.e., pre-transition homosexual and thus post-transition heterosexual) sexual orientations, because the clinic's clinicians deemed they would not "pass" successfully as a member of the new sex, because they did not apply for treatment at an early enough age, because they did not seem sufficiently feminine or masculine to the clinicians, because they did not sexually arouse the clinicians (Kessler & McKenna, 1978, p. 118), because they were married, or because they had achieved some measure of success in their birth gender. It was common for clinics to impose unwanted lifestyle choices on their patients, requiring them to divorce, change jobs, and even select particular sexual partners.
Most clinics were affiliated with universities and were thus centers for research as much as treatment. Most of the scientific articles published about transsexualism in the 1970s originated from the clinics, and concerned, not surprisingly, the diagnosis, treatment, and management of transsexual patients. In general, the literature of this period depicts transsexuals as immature, hysterical, or otherwise dysfunctional, due more, I am certain, to the biased selection criteria used by the clinics than to the nature of the transsexuals themselves. Reports also presented clinical distinctions such as primary and secondary transsexualism (Person & Ovesey, 1974a, 1974b), which may ultimately prove to be an artifact of the assumptions and treatment regimens of the time. [4]
Unfortunately, even as the new millennium begins, some gender programs are still applying unfair and biased selection criteria (Petersen & Dickey, 1995).
1979 was a watershed year for transsexualism, for three reasons: First, feminist author Janice Raymond published her book The Transsexual Empire, attacking transsexualism as a plot by male physicians to render women obsolete. Unfortunately, Raymond did not limit herself to invective, but campaigned to deny transsexuals the right to surgical and hormonal treatment (cf. Raymond, 1980).
The second significant event of 1979 was the publication, in Archives of Gender Psychiatry, of an outcome study by Jon Meyer and Donna Reter which purported to show "no objective advantage" to sex reassignment surgery for male-to-female transsexuals. Meyer, who was the director of the Hopkins gender clinic, timed the release of the article so John Money, the clinic's primary proponent, would be out of the country, and popularized his findings via press releases, with the result that every major newspaper and magazine of the day carried the story that sex reassignment did not benefit transsexuals.
Meyer's methodology was sloppy, to say the least, and his article came under immediate attack (for a review, see Blanchard & Sheridan, 1990). Eventually, it was demonstrated that the study was part of a plot to discredit sex reassignment, and was thus probably fraudulent (McHugh, 1992; Ogas, 1994). However, the study had the intended effect, with the result that the Hopkins program was closed. Domino-like, the other gender programs in the United States shut down for the next few years.
What the conspirators didn't realize was that the closure of the clinics would ultimately prove beneficial to transsexuals, for it led to the development of a market economy, with the ultimate result that the technologies of sex reassignment became available to virtually everyone rather than the select few who had been accepted by the clinics.
The third significant event of 1979 was the development of the Standards of Care of the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association (Walker, et al., 1984). These standards drew upon protocols developed at Johns Hopkins, most notably the real-life test, which required an individual to live full-time as a member of the new gender in order to become eligible for sex reassignment test). The Standards of Care also required letters of authorization from counseling professionals before the transsexual individual was allowed access to hormones and surgery.
The Standards of Care have been updated periodically, most notably in 1998 (Levine et al., 1998), which marked the first time they saw significant—and controversial—changes. The Standards were revised again in 2000, and are once again undergoing revision.
This review would not be complete without some discussion of transgendered and transsexual men [5], that is female crossdressers and transgenderists and female-to-male transsexuals. Initially, transsexual men were considered to be somewhat more rare than transsexual women. The DSM-IV, for example, gives the prevalence of male-to-female transsexuals at 1:40,000 and female-to-male transsexuals at 1:100,000. Many authorities now consider there to be many more female-to-male transsexuals than was once believed. It would seem it merely took a while for the men's community to become established and for transgendered and transsexual men to begin to come forward in large numbers (J. Green, 1998). There are any number of reasons postulated for this: first, in our culture, females are able to be quite masculine without attracting undue attention, and so did not necessarily need to apply to gender programs in order to dress and behave in the manner of nontranssexual men; second, genital surgery for transsexual men, although expensive and painful and with often questionable outcomes, has improved considerably over the years, and good quality chest reconstruction surgery has become more available; and third, transgendered and transsexual men were simply overshadowed by the attention paid by researchers and the media to male-to-female transsexuals (Cromwell, 1999).
The professional literature is replete with declarations that there is but one category of female-to-male transsexuals, women who have been extremely masculine throughout their lives and are sexually attracted exclusively to nontranssexual females. The literature flatly states that female crossdressers do not exist, and some clinicians continue to deny that they do, regardless of the fact that female crossdressers have been writing about their experiences for many years (Cole & Meyer, 1998). This denial on the part of clinicians would seem to stem from the belief, erroneous on both counts, that all male crossdressing is fetishistic in nature, and that females do not show such fetishism. When the men's community began to come together in significant numbers, transgendered and transsexual men discovered they were a diverse community with many different ways of identifying and expressing themselves (J. Green, 1998). We now know there are indeed female crossdressers, and that some obtain erotic satisfaction from crossdressing. We also know many transsexual men are attracted to other men, and that some were quite feminine when living in the female role (see Devor, 1997 for a typology of female gender variance).
It's also important to address the issue of the sexual orientation of transgendered and transsexual people, for the general populace and unfortunately many clinicians do not seem to understand that gender expression does not dictate sexual orientation (Denny & J. Green, 1996). Transgendered and transsexual people show the same range of sexual attractions and orientations found in the general populace. Transsexuals may be either heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual before transition, and this orientation may or may not change after transition. Many transgendered and transsexual people are attracted to other transgendered and transsexual people. Unfortunately, the DSM-IV continues to classify transsexual people by their sexual orientation, and clinicians sometimes zero in on sexual orientation when the presenting problem is gender identity (see Lawrence, 1998, for an example of this).
Counseling the Transgendered Client
Transgendered and transsexual persons often experience confusion and anxiety about their gender identity. In the past, guilt and denial were pervasive, but today the availability of support groups, the many resources which can be found on the internet, and exposure to individuals who feel positively about being transgendered or transsexual help many to work through their issues without therapy. Most, however, do seek counseling, either to help them deal with feelings of guilt and denial or the disruption of their lives caused by the reactions of others to their transgendered or transsexual natures, or to seek the requisite authorization letters required for sex reassignment. The role of the therapist is to help the individual explore his or her feelings and explore the many options available for self-expression. If the individual seeks sex reassignment, the therapist can serve as a resource by locating needed services and making referrals, and can be a sounding board for issues which arise during transition. The therapist can help family members and life partners deal with their often tumultuous feelings about the transgender issue, and serve as an educator for employers who wish to learn more about gender identity issues so they can accommodate the individual during transition. When appropriate, the therapist can refer the individual to a formal gender program; however, despite the existence of several excellent programs, most transsexuals prefer the "a la carte" approach to sex reassignment, in which they serve as the case managers for their own transitions, choosing which procedures to have, when they will be performed, and who will perform them. Currently, there are dozens of sex reassignment surgeons, hundreds of endocrinologists and plastic surgeons, and thousands of electrologists who are willing to assist transsexual men and women before, during, and after their gender transitions.
Resources: Some Transgender and Transsexual Referral Sources
International Foundation for Gender Education, P.O. Box 229, Waltham, MA 02254-0229, 781-899-2212.
FTM International, 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, 415-553-5987.
Gender Education & Advocacy.
Intersex Society of North America, P.O. Box 31791, San Francisco, CA 94131, 415-575-3885.
Renaissance Education Association, P.O. Box 552, King of Prussia, 19406, 610-975-9119.
[1] Transgenderists are individuals who identify somewhere between the two traditional genders. Some transgenderists live publicly as members of the other sex, but without the sex reassignment surgery desired by transsexuals. Transgenderists tend to be highly individualistic in the ways they view their gender. Some see themselves as neither man nor woman, others as both man and woman, and some as members of a third or alternate sex.
[2] Some transsexuals object to being classified as transgendered; therefore I have whenever possible used the term transgendered and transsexual to refer to the constellation of crossdressers, transgenderists, and transsexuals.
[3] It is of course impossible to determine how someone from another culture or another time would identify when presented with a list of contemporary gender definitions. Perhaps some would call themselves transsexual, some gay, some crossdressers, and some transgenderists, but we cannot be sure of this. We do know, however, that many individuals showed extreme variance in their gender presentations, including the wearing of clothing and the taking on of social roles characteristic of the other sex, and that some males voluntarily had themselves castrated and emasculated.
[4] The classification of transsexuals into primary and secondary categories was limited to male-to-females; female-to-males were considered to be all of a kind (cf Lothstein, 1983). Primary transsexuals were considered to be more "naturally" feminine, to have experienced gender dysphoria from an earlier age, and to be better prospects for sex reassignment than secondary transsexuals, who tended to present at a later age with a more masculine facade, have trouble passing, and were believed to be poor prospects for sex reassignment. I have argued that the real distinction may be the age at which the individual comes to grips with and begins to do something about his transsexualism rather than the differing etiologies postulated by early researchers (Denny, unpublished).
[5] Early researchers described transsexuals in relation to their biological gender rather than the gender of identification. Thus, transsexuals transitioning from male to female were called male transsexuals and their female-born counterparts were called female transsexuals. Today, the terms male-to-female transsexual and female-to-male transsexual are more commonly used in the clinical literature. Recent data show many transsexuals prefer the term transsexual women and transsexual men to refer to, respectively, male-to-female and female-to-male transsexuals (Cromwell, Green, & Denny, 2001). Note that in this usage transsexual is an adjective rather than a noun and thus does not tend to objectify the individual.
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text:
Fiscal Fissures Not Likely to Faze GOP
By Stan Collender
Type Size: Small
Not only is the GOP's deficit-reduction-vs.-tax-cuts fissure not new, it almost always has been settled in favor of the tax reduction wing of the party.
So, though it's hard not to agree with Larry Haas's argument that the GOP will have trouble over the next two years dealing with what he implies are newly created fissures between Republicans for whom federal tax cuts are their reason for living and those who say that reducing the deficit must be the only goal, it's also hard to see how the deficit reducers will be able to overcome the very deep-seated, anti-tax feelings this time around.
The most notable exception to the tax reducers usually winning – George H.W. Bush's agreement with Democrats to raise revenues after he so gloriously said at the 1988 Republican convention that voters should read his lips because there would be no tax increase – is still considered an act of Benedict Arnold-like betrayal by GOP anti-tax conservatives even though analysts generally agree it contributed significantly to the four consecutive budget surpluses that occurred from 1998 to 2001. To this day many Republicans refuse to speak the name of the person who was Bush's OMB director at the time because he negotiated the deal.
The tea party-types have shown themselves to be relatively rabid on the subject of deficit reduction, but very little has happened to make "the deficit" into anything more than what it has always been for the Republican Party -- a subterfuge for some other issue. For it to be different this time you have to assume that those in the tea party will abandon the GOP if they only get half a loaf when it comes to reducing the deficit. That may have been easy to do when they were fighting to get a majority; it will far more difficult when the alternative is handing control back to Democrats they see as the fiscal version of the devil incarnate.
Contrary to what Larry wants us to believe, it's far more likely the deficit reducers will fade as a significant force in the Republican Party as they find ways to redefine success. Indeed, we've already seen tea party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., say that tax cuts shouldn't be counted as an increase in the deficit because that only happens when spending rises. That's using silly putty to fill the cracks Haas says will make life difficult for the GOP next year. It's also a sign that the deficit isn't going down as far or as fast as some think should happen.
Stan Collender is the author of the Capital Gains and Games blog and is a partner with Qorvis Communications LLC.
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This page allow you to download for free the iPad wallpaper named "Céline Dion on a shoot", to install it on your device. Céline Dion on a shoot is an adapted ipad wallpaper. This picture has been posted le 21 May 2016 and has been downloaded 499 times.


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Italy starts largest Mob Trial in Decades
January 13, 2021, 4:05 pm 0 Comments
Italy opened a massive trial on Wednesday of 325 defendants linked to the powerful 'Ndrangheta crime syndicate on charges ranging from murder and drug trafficking to corruption and money laundering, in the southern region of Calabria.
The trial, conducted in a courtroom converted from a call center in the town of Lamezia Terme, with video links to defendants being held in facilities up and down the country as a coronavirus prevention measure, is the most sweeping legal action against the mafia in Italy in three decades.
On trial are alleged leaders and foot soldiers of the 'Ndrangheta, as well as national and local politicians, civil servants and white-collar professionals believed to be working with the Calabrian criminal organization.
It is the most far-reaching action against a criminal organization in Italy since the trials of the Sicilian mafia in the 1980s that led to its decline. That effort opened up space for the Calabrian mobsters to expand their small-time local activities and become the leading drug importers into Europe and one of the world's richest criminal organizations, according to the Italian authorities.
"This is a cornerstone in the wall that we are building to counter the 'Ndrangheta," Nicola Gratteri, the chief prosecutor in the case and a longtime opponent of the Calabrian mafia, said in an interview with a regional broadcaster on Wednesday. "And to make more livable a region that has been martyrized for over a century."
Mr. Gratteri's investigation, which mobilized 3,000 police officers to arrest hundreds of people in Bulgaria, Italy, Germany and Switzerland in 2019, led to the capture of the top ranks of the Mancuso family that runs the 'Ndrangheta from the Calabrian city of Vibo Valentia. That included Luigi Mancuso, who is believed to be the head of the clan.
The Mancusos infiltrated the local political administration and the economy, and also controlled the western coast of Calabria, the large port of Gioia Tauro, and politicians at the national level, investigators said. They also had ties with criminal organizations in South America and the United States, they said.
"They are one of the most powerful clans in Italy and in the world," said Giuseppe De Pace, a lawyer for the family of Matteo Vinci, who was killed in a car bomb after refusing to sell his land to the Mancuso clan in 2018.
The Mancusos' web of interests is rooted in real estate across the region, acquired with cash earned from drug trafficking and enforced with brutal violence.
"This humble Calabrian family simply inherited some land located between parcels belonging to the Mancuso family," Mr. De Pace said, referring to the Vincis. "Their son paid for his sense of justice with his life."
Last week, the police revealed that a Calabrian farmer who disappeared in 2016 and whose remains were never found, was murdered and most likely fed to pigs for refusing to sell land she owned to a clan close to the Mancusos in the southern tip of Calabria.
Mobsters also often killed their own affiliates, if they did not follow their rules. The police are searching for the remains of a 35-year-old member of the clan who was shot and buried in a field in 2002, with the help of his own cousin, who later repented and is now collaborating with prosecutors. The killing's was motivated by a suspicion that the man was gay, police officials in Calabria said.
The charges against the 325 defendants include murder, extortion, usury, money laundering, drug trafficking, corruption and belonging to a criminal syndicate. Prosecutors hope to prove collusion among mobsters and public officials, politicians, businessmen and members of secret lodges, an inextricable web of interests and favors, in Calabria and elsewhere in Italy.
Mr. Gratteri, a Calabrian who has been living under police protection for three decades, entered the courtroom surrounded by bodyguards.
He said that he was even more cautious now with the trial underway. But he said holding the trial in Calabria, where residents have been "vexed and humiliated" by the mobsters for decades, was an important statement.
"It's a sign that the state is capable of giving an answer," he said, adding that the courtroom was built in a few months and allowed almost 1,000 people to attend the proceedings, sitting over a meter apart to comply with coronavirus social-distancing rules, with 150 screens connecting detainees sitting in prisons around the country.
Another 91 defendants will face a related trial later this month, and a third trial related to the investigating, involving five murders will begin in February.
The trial that opened Wednesday is expected to last months, if not years.
"The work is long," Mr. Gratteri said, "But if we keep being serious, constant and systematic, people are not masochists. They need to talk, they need freedom."
This Story First Appeared At The NY Times
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WHAT IS CHILD SUPPORT? Child support is the legal obligation of the parents to financially support their children. Child support payments are made from the parent who does not have custody to the custodial parent. These support payments are to be used to pay expenses such as food, clothing, housing and education.
HOW IS THE CHILD SUPPORT AMOUNT DETERMINED? The State of Virginia uses child support guidelines that are set forth in §20-108.2 of the Virginia Code. These guidelines establish an amount that the Court presumes is the reasonable amount of support. However, the Court has the authority to deviate from the child support guidelines. The calculation of child support can be tricky and it is recommended that you contact an experienced attorney who is familiar with the applicable law.
CAN CHILD SUPPORT BE MODIFIED? Yes. Child support can be modified when there is a material change in circumstances. For example, modification may be warranted if the parent paying support lost his/her job or suffered a significant cut in pay. The parent requesting the reduction in child support bears the burden of showing the material change in circumstances.
WHEN DOES CHILD SUPPORT CEASE? Virginia Code Section §20-124.2 states that the court may order that support be paid for any child of the parties. The court shall order that support will continue to be paid for any child over the age of eighteen who is a full-time high school student, not self-supporting , and living in the home of the party seeking or receiving child support, until such child reaches the age of nineteen or graduates from high school, whichever first occurs. However, the parents may agree in a stipulation agreement to extend child support payments.
AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING FOR MY CHILD'S COLLEGE? There is no legal obligation to pay for your child's college. I do not recommend placing such a provision in your stipulation agreement. There are several reasons why this is not advisable. The cost of college and related expenses will continue to increase and your financial picture may change by the time your child enters college. This way a person can help their child with college as they feel appropriate without an unalterable court order.
I have been practicing family law for over fourteen years. I look forward to hearing from you if you should need legal assistance in this area.


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Hodgins: South Coast Repertory's New Leader Aims to Balance Its Past and Future
by Paul Hodgins Sep 20, 2019 Updated Oct 14, 2022 Why you can trust Voice of OC
David Ivers Credit: Photo courtesy SCR
A highly respected and award-winning arts journalist. In partnership with Heide Janssen, Hodgins has in just over a year established a community-focused, award-winning and widely respected Arts & Culture section at Voice of OC. In addition to his work here as an arts writer, columnist and editor, Hodgins teaches at USC. Previously, he was an arts writer and critic at the Orange County Register and the San Diego Union-Tribune and a professor at UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton. Hodgins holds degrees from USC, the University of Michigan and the Royal Conservatory of Music.
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Perhaps it's simply good timing, but the arrival of a new artistic director at South Coast Repertory corresponds with a season-opening production that announces, loudly and joyously, that change is in the air at Orange County's flagship theater company.
On SCR's plaza, an all-female mariachi performed to an enthusiastic crowd before last Saturday's matinee. It was the perfect warm-up act—the play, "American Mariachi," is about women who form a pioneering female mariachi band in the 1970s. Different groups will take turns performing in the pre-show slot during the play's run, which ends Oct. 5.
SCR is no stranger to theater of diversity—indeed, "American Mariachi" playwright Jose Cruz Gonzales worked closely with the Costa Mesa theater company during the formative years of his career three decades ago and created a seminal playwriting program there, the Hispanic Playwrights Project, in the 1985-86 season.
But starting the mainstage season with a big, heartfelt musical that appeals to O.C.'s vast Latinx community makes a dramatic statement. So do the theater's efforts to present value-added public events like the pre-show mariachi concerts.
"Part of my job is to put a face to who we are," said David Ivers, SCR's current artistic director; SCR announced he would succeed Marc Masterson one year ago, and 2019-20 is his first season at the helm. "I feel keenly that SCR is an astonishing organization that continues to do meaningful work. I just want to make sure that different communities see themselves in the work that's on stage. I'm interested in our theater being a catalyst for the entire community."
The pre-show concerts, in addition to underlining the play's story, bring additional attention to the theater and draw in potential new audiences Ivers said.
"Last night we had an 11-piece student group from Costa Mesa on our patio. The place came alive. We had parents, friends and patrons mixing together. We can do that kind of activity with every show on our schedule: turn it into an enhanced event."
Gabriela Carrillo, Luzma Ortiz, Marlene Montes, Satya Jnani Chavez and Alicia Coca in South Coast Repertory's 2019 production of American Mariachi by José Cruz González. Credit: Photo courtesy of Jordan Kubat/SCR
Giving his theater a more vibrant and visible connection to the community is just one of many ways in which Ivers wants to break new ground at South Coast Rep. He also feels strongly that changing technologies and tastes mean that theater has to connect with people in fresh and unusual ways.
"I think things have changed," he said. "We're getting a lot more story in 30 minutes or 30 seconds in today's society. (Theater is) competing with a variety of mediums that deliver lot of entertainment instantly to your wrist or your desk or your home. For theater, that means we need to tell stories in compelling new ways."
Ivers also thinks the traditional, essentially transactional relationship of audiences and theaters needs to change.
"You purchase a ticket, you go to the theater talking about other things. When the show ends you just walk back to your car, and you may or may not be talking about what you just saw. By the time you get home, it's forgotten.
"I'm interested in what happens when an audience has an immersive experience at the theater, something that really touches them and stays with them. How does that change their relationship to the work and the place that they saw it in?"
Ivers wants to create a feeling of ownership among SCR's patrons. "Then it becomes more than just a theater where you see a play occasionally on a Friday night. It's more about this place as an important cultural hub in the community."
'Daunting and thrilling to work here'
Ivers is no stranger to SCR. He directed "One Man, Two Guvnors" there in 2015 and played a leading role in Amy Freed's "Shrew" at the 2017 Pacific Playwrights Festival. "I grew up very aware of SCR as an important regional theater," Ivers said. "It's always been part of the national conversation. It's both daunting and thrilling to work here. "
Ivers, a graduate of the University of Minnesota's theater program, held leadership positions in Arizona and Utah before coming to Costa Mesa.
"I was part of the team at Utah Shakespeare that built the $40-million expansion that included two new theaters, a rehearsal hall, costume shops and other stuff," Ivers said. "We raised a lot of money and gave the company a new home. I'm extremely proud of that. I'm also proud of the new development wing that takes new plays to full production. That's still at the beginning of its trajectory."
Ivers spent less than two years as the artistic director of Arizona Theatre Company, his last position before coming to SCR. "It was a brief tenure, but I'm proud of the work I've done there."
Ivers has spent his first few months at South Coast Rep getting to know the people and the minutiae of the place intimately; he is in the process of meeting with every employee individually. He's already making some fairly big workflow adjustments.
"Right now we are in the process of renovating our production systems—how we go from page to stage. While there have been systems in place, they do not face our challenges with the best efficiency and grace. I've hired a new production manager and we're creating a (system) to really get a conveyor belt of information in place and flowing. We're doing that so our shops don't get backlogged. That way we can also avoid making crucial decisions in the moment, which is always costly."
Ivers has ambitious medium- and long-term plans for SCR, but he's not ready to reveal any details just yet.
"Probably in late October we will announce a massive and exciting commitment to (enhance) programs that are already in place. It will be a big announcement connected to vision and where we're heading. It will represent something brand new, but inspired by the foundations of what this company is known for."
Ivers is aware of the pressures of maintaining a legacy. SCR's founders, David Emmes and Martin Benson, are now in their 80s. Ivers' predecessor, Marc Masterson, didn't turn out to be the kind of next-generation leader the theater was looking for. Ivers now fills those big shoes, and cautions that it's a challenging place to be.
"If I had a magic formula (about artistic succession), I'd be very wealthy. I don't know that there is a single way to do it. I had the great gift of working at the Utah Shakespeare Festival while the co-founder was still there, which helped me a lot. The situation is similar here. SCR is cradling a legacy, but with a keen eye to the future. I appreciate both things."
Paul Hodgins is the senior editor of Arts & Culture at Voice of OC. He can be reached at phodgins@voiceofoc.org.
Tagged: Arts Features, David Ivers, mariachi, South Coast Repertory


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Todd Sulchek
Professor; School of Mechanical Engineering
Todd Sulchek is an associate professor in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech where he conducts fundamental and applied research in the field of biophysics. His research program focuses on the mechanical and adhesive properties of cell and biological systems and the development of microsystems to aid in their study. His research employs tools, including, MEMS, microfluidics, imaging, and patterning to understand or enable biological systems. His interests include cancer diagnostics, stem cell biomanufacturing, novel therapeutics, and ultracheap engineering tools. He is a member of the interdisciplinary Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. Dr. Sulchek also holds program faculty positions in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering and has a courtesy appointment in the School of Biology. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford in Applied Physics under Calvin Quate and received a bachelors in math and physics from Johns Hopkins. He was a postdoc and staff scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Lab. He joined Georgia Tech in 2008 as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the BP Junior Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, the Lockheed Inspirational Young Faculty award, and the 2012 Petit Institute Above and Beyond Award. To date he has published 42 journal papers and has filed or been issued 7 patents. Prof. Sulchek is a strong supporter of undergraduate research, and he participates in a variety of undergraduate education activities including the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and includes over 8 undergraduate authors in the past year.
todd.sulchek@me.gatech.edu
Petit 2309
Sulchek Lab
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Drug Design, Development and Delivery
Micro and Nano Device Engineering
Miniaturization & Integration
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics
Biomedical Devices; bio-MEMS; biosensors; Drug Delivery; Advanced Characterization. Dr. Sulchek's research focuses primarily on the measurement and prediction of how multiple individual biological bonds produce a coordinated function within molecular and cellular systems. There are two complementary goals. The first is to understand the kinetics of multivalent pharmaceuticals during their targeting of disease markers; the second is to quantify the host cell signal transduction resulting from pathogen invasion. Several tools are developed and employed to accomplish these goals. The primary platform for study is the atomic force microscope (AFM), which controls the 3-D positioning of biologically functionalized micro- and nanoscale mechanical probes. Interactions between biological molecules are quantified in a technique called force spectroscopy. Membrane protein solubilized nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) are also used to functionalize micro/nano-scale probes with relevant biological mediators. This scientific program requires the development of enabling instrumentation and techniques, which include the following: Advanced microscopy and MEMs; Nanomechanical linkers, which provide a convenient platform to control biomolecular interactions and study multivalent molecular kinetics; Biological mimetics, which provide a simple system to study cell membranes and pathogens. UltIMaTely, this work is used to optimize molecular drug targeting, improve chem/bio sensors, and develop more efficient pathogen countermeasures.
Research Affiliations: Center for Medical Robotics, Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing (MC3M), Regenerative Engineering and Medicine (REM), Integrated Cancer Research Center, Immunoengineering, Center for ImmunoEngineering
Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology
Institute for Materials
Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience


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Facing New External Challenges
Last week I sat in a panel on a seminar organized by the Japan Center for Economic Research (JCER) on Asian economies in the midst of the new global environment. Together with research economists from Japan, India, Indonesia and Thailand, we tackled how the Trump Effect and the rise of new nationalism will affect Asia and our individual economies. We have
Is The Death Penalty Worth It?
Lack of quorum in the House of Representatives is reported to be snagging the effort of administration supporters in Congress to restore the death penalty. The 1987 Philippine Constitution rules against the death penalty, but gives Congress the authority to impose it "for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes." In the wake of rising criminality,
There is much to be pleased about in our economic performance in recent years, including the one just past. But as my title suggests, there's as much to be worried about as well. Our situation sums up thus: Yes, we've come a long way and done quite well, but sadly still not quite well enough to even just narrow the gap with our neighbors.
Tax Reform: A Make-or-Break Policy
By: Ser Percival K. Pena-Reyes, MA and Justin Jerome G. Valle
"Build, Build, Build" is a new development mantra signifying the largest infrastructure push in Philippine history to propel economic growth in the next five to six years. Among the key investments that the Philippine government will make are big-ticket infrastructure projects, specifically roads and bridges, mass
Change We'd All Like To See
The current leadership of the country came into power on the promise of real change, and apparently wide expectation that it could deliver on that. After seven months, it has become all too obvious that it was never going to be easy.
It now appears that the main idea was to bring about change through the barrel of a gun, by striking fear
Economics of Love and Valentine's Day
The one thing that Wikipedia has to say about Valentine's Day in the Philippine setting is: "It is usually marked by a steep increase in the price of flowers, particularly red roses." And we all know how true that is. The shoot-up in price has nothing to do with rising costs of production; it's all about demand. The phenomenon of Valentine's Day prices
Review of Policy on International Labor Migration Crucial
By: Leonardo A. Lanzona, Jr., PhD
Along with Mexico, the Philippines is one of the top migrant origin in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec). Furthermore, the country receives the highest remittance inflow in the region. Because of these reasons, the Philippines is considered a global model in managing international labor mobility. While this perception may have its merits,
A Culture of Exemptions
Why is it that we have a lower tax effort (tax revenues in proportion to gross domestic product) than most of our neighbors, and yet have higher tax rates than they do? Consider the following: In 2014, Philippine government revenues as a percent of GDP was 15.1 percent. The corresponding percentage was 19.9 for Malaysia, 18.5 for Singapore, 19.7 for
A Prophetic Pivot?
President Duterte's pivot to China may have been prophetic. At the rate things are going, one is easily led to think that America is doing the wrong things while China is doing things right, and that a reversal of global roles for the two may be in the offing. Many see America to be wittingly or unwittingly yielding economic and political domination in
The Trouble With Lawyers
I was among dozens of economists and lawyers the other night on the occasion of the first anniversary celebration of the Philippine Competition Commission, a very new—and I must say very critical—institution in the Philippine government. Here is one institution that combines the best of the two professions I've been describing as the ones people like to