Harbor to the Bay Ride AIDS benefit ride

August 30, 2010 in Social Justice by Rebecca | No comments

logo for harbor to the bay aids ride Harbor to the Bay is a one day bike ride from Boston to Provincetown that improves community awareness and care for people living with HIV and AIDS. Their mission is to give 100% of what they raise to beneficiaries! No politics, no elaborate production and no bull! — just a dedicated group of individuals who want to ride and make a difference in our community. This is a grass roots initiative, and we are solely run by volunteers!

AND

Beck’s Cafe supporter and fellow coffee swiller, June, will be in the ride making her butt sore for this great cause.   Who’s June?  Why none other than Fenway Women’s Dinner Co-Chair that ‘s which June!   So here’s what I need my loyal and long-suffering readers to do:  Sponsor Her.  Yep, crack open those wallets boys and girls!  Here’s the link to get to her sponsor page and support a great cause: June’s Harbor to the Bay Sponsor Page

Crossdresser tip 2 for MtF transgender persons: to apply makeup best use a makeup brush

August 12, 2010 in Fashion by Rebecca | No comments

A MAC Makeup Brush for Powder Applications For almost three years I never ventured out of my closet due to one small thing:  I had no idea how to apply my own makeup.  Sure, I’d tried all the usual approaches of books, classes, sponges, fingers and the elbow grease of diligent practice, but, by and large, the lack of both esthetic sense and actual skill left me without a face and on the sideline of life.   Until the day I met my MAC Cosmetics guy.

It’s  a long story and I don’t want to bore you all on a Friday morning but suffice to say that it wasn’t until I’d plopped myself down and actually let MAC have their way with me that I finally got it.  I finally understood how to apply my own makeup.  The biggest take away from that session though was this:  Makeup brushes allow you to apply your makeup like no other method on earth.  They are, in short, indispensable in applying your makeup.

I left my MAC session happy, lighter in my purse and with a fist full of great makeup brushes.  That was four years ago and I am still using those same MAC brushes I bought.  They are still in great condition, thanks to their being tremendous quality and because I listened carefully to how to take care of them.

So that’s the tip really, get a selection of makeup brushes and use them.  Now, if you go to MAC themselves, these babies won’t be cheap but they will be of quality.  I can guarantee they will make your makeup application go much easier and more accurately but they will part you from a nice chunk of your paycheck.  As an alternative, go to eBay and see what you can find.  Here’s a handy linkie love:  eBay MAC Makeup Brush Search.   Now buyer beware is in order.  If you want to make sure you are getting authentic MAC makeup brushes, you’ll need to buy them from MAC or their authorized outlets.  I bought mine from MAC and it was one of my best purchases.   But, if you go the risky low-cost way, here is an eBay Guide to determining fake vs. authentic MAC Brushes.

Do trans-women who are abused suffer consequences for a lifetime?

August 11, 2010 in Social Justice by Rebecca | No comments

Photo from SashaW Photos

Abuse is no joke among trans-women and their partners.  Indeed, organizations like The Network La Red started partially because this kind of abuse, though not talked about, is a real.   One research who has done work in this area is Mona Rae Mason.   Our long-suffering readers might remember our previous posts on Ms. Mason here at Beck’s Cafe regarding her work on The Transgender Project.  Part of what came out of that work were two research papers and Ms. Mason has been kind enough to let us publish them here at Beck’s Cafe.  The first is “”Psychiatric Impact of Gender-Related Abuse Across the Life Course of Male-to-Female Transgender Person”

In this paper, the author’s cover:

The psychiatric impact of interpersonal abuse associated with an atypical presentation of gender was examined across the life course of 571 male-to-female (MTF) transgender persons from the New York City Metropolitan Area. Gender-related abuse (psychological and physical), suicidality, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text revision) major depression were retrospectively measured across ?ve stages of the life course using the Life Chart Interview. Among younger respondents (current age of 19–39), the impact of both types of abuse on major depression was extremely strong during adolescence and then markedly declined during later stages of life. Among older respondents (current age of 40–59), the impact of both types of abuse on major depression was strong during adolescence and then marginally declined during later stages of life. The effects of both types of abuse on suicidality were weaker but more consistently observed across the life course among both the younger and older respondents. Gender-related abuse is a major mental health problem among MTF transgender persons, particularly during adolescence. As these individuals mature, however, the consequences of this abuse appear less severe, which may represent the development of moderately effective mechanisms for coping with this abuse

You can download the full study by clicking to this link here at Beck’s Cafe, “Psychiatric Impact of Gender-Related Abuse Across the Life Course of Male-to-Female Transgender Persons“.

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Jump start your inner entrepreneur with TaskRabbit and eLance

July 27, 2010 in Workin' Girl by Rebecca | No comments

What’s a body to do when jobs seem scarce? Why not start your own firm?   Check these facts out, courtesy of About.com:

  • 16 out of the 30 corporations that make up the current Dow Jones Industrial Average started during a recession
  • Walt Disney Corporation began during the recession in 1923-24.
  • Hewlett-Packard Corporation began in 1938 during the Great Depression.
  • Microsoft Corporation began during the 1975 recession.

But sometimes, you just need a little sumthin’ to get you going.  Well why not two tools that can help you connect with people needing your services today!

TaskRabbit “helps individuals and small businesses in a community outsource their tasks and deliveries.”  While being a personal assistant isn’t the most glamorous job on the planet, it can and does pay and TaskRabbit acts as the conduit to make that happen.

So maybe being a personal assistant isn’t for you.  BUT, you have other skills such as being a software programmer, web developer, accountant, marketer or even data entry specialist?  Well those needing your services can connect up with you on eLance.   eLance is a virtual marketplace and connector with firms needing professional services.   I’ve had some personal experience using them for a project and the system works!   So why not check out eLance and hang out your own shingle today!

Making your way in the world in your own firm still seem too craze?  Well Beck’s Cafe did a post on some new job search engines back on March 23rd, 2010 that you might want to check, have a look here at “Flexjobs, Telecommute Job Finder and Simply Hired Help You Find Jobs that You Can Do From Home“

Latest Gender Marker Change Kit with Passport Guidelines Released by MTPC

July 26, 2010 in Gender, Our World by Rebecca | No comments

Back in June, 2010, we reported on the very exciting news that transgender persons are now allowed to have their appropriate gender on their passports. The question now is, “what is the most effective way to do that”?

MTPC has launched a new “kit” to help. The “Gender Marker Change Kit with New Passport Guidelines” is now available!  The kit, as MTPC describes it in their announcement:

MTPC’s Gender Marker Change Kit includes all the necessary forms and instructions to change one’s gender on all major legal documents: driver’s license, state i.d. card, Social Security Card, birth certificate and passport. The kit also includes detailed instructions on how to fill out the forms, what you need to include with the forms or bring in person to government office. The kit includes a sample attending physician’s letter for attaching to the forms required to change gender on birth certificates.

It’s an open resource and available for download by visiting MTPC’s site at their link, “Changing Gender Marker on Legal Documents“

A Truly Successful Transition: Fran Dalton of Newburyport, MA

July 25, 2010 in Local Buzz by Rebecca | No comments

The Newburyport Daily News reported on the passing of Fran Dalton on July 23rd, 2010. Their article told the neat story of a couple who came to Newburyport, as artists and then, when the wife passed away, the husband, decided to transition from male to female.

I think what struck me about Fran Dalton’s life was what a unique treasure she was to the Newburyport, MA community. She transitioned right where she was “unobstrusively as possible, but also unapologetically”, instead of going to another town. The entire town accepted her for the woman she was. She wasn’t afraid to stick up for what was right (you’ll note the story of her defense of a Newburyport residents new windturbine). She befriended those who had less than her though she didn’t appear to have much. She stayed in her community and, from the sound of things, made a positive difference to those around her. Now that’s what I’d called a successful transition.

You can read all about her at Newburyport Daily News story here: “Port remembers two identities, one unique person | Fran Dalton remembered“

Texting while driving set to be illegal in MA starting in October, 2010

July 3, 2010 in Our World by Rebecca | 2 comments

We’ve talked about the whole issue of using one’s cellphone while driving last year on August 1st, 2009 in our post, “Which States Have Made Using Your Cellphone While Driving Illegal”?   In that post we noted some directories that could tell our readers which states banned what use of cellphones (from talking to texting).   We thought a little update was in order since the whole debate has heated up!

In Massachusetts, starting in October 1, 2010, you may no longer text while you drive.  As if taking your hands and eyes off the road weren’t self-evident enough, the law makes it illegal to text while driving.  Here’s the full scoop as reported in Trucking Info:

Massachusetts has become the 29th state to ban texting while driving, bringing the country one step closer to a nationwide ban on texting behind the wheel.

The new Massachusetts law, signed recently by Gov. Deval Patrick, will fine adults $100 for texting as a first offense, $250 for a second offense, and $500 for a third.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has done a clear chart on which states ban what regarding cell phone use.  You can see it a their site:  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Cell Phone Laws

Beck’s Cafe now on WordPress 3.0!

June 17, 2010 in Coffee Chat by Rebecca | 3 comments

Okay happy readers Beck’s Cafe has just upgraded to WordPress 3.0

It took five minutes, including plug-ins…holy cow!

This should be awesomely fun perking up fresh posts…thank you all for reading by the way.   I really appreciate it!

Click over to this link to learn about the awesome wonderfulness that is WordPress 3.0

C O D E   I S  P O E T R Y

Transgender Rabbinical Students Are Finding Acceptance and Equality in the Jewish World

June 13, 2010 in Leap of Faith by Rebecca | 2 comments

On this perfect Sunday for lazily sipping coffee, I wanted to point our readers to a terrific piece on a Transgender Rabinical Student named Reuben Zellman.  He transitioned, became a Rabbi and started a web site too.  Great reading about faith and being who you are in an apparently unlikely situation.   Read all about the story at JewishJournal.com here: Transgender Rabbinical Students Finding Equality in the Jewish World.    You can see his site here, TransTorah.org

(Thanks to special correspondant Grace for pointing this article to us)

Transgender persons now allowed to have their appropriate gender on their passports

June 10, 2010 in Gender, Our World by Rebecca | No comments

Transgender persons will now be allowed to have their appropriate gender on their passports.   As reported in the Washington Post this morning by Ed O’Keefe:

The State Department has revised its policy on changing passports for transgender people, announcing Wednesday night that a doctor’s note will now suffice in such cases.

Previously, the State Department had required that a person undergo sexual reassignment surgery before it would change the passport. The policy had outraged transgender advocates, who called for an updated approach.

Under the new policy, which takes effect Thursday, a doctor must attest that the person is undergoing clinical treatment for gender transition, State said. Limited-validity passports will also be available to applicants in the process of gender transition, the department added.

That’s pretty exciting news first thing this morning!   But what has prompted such an important change?   WPATH and the AMA!

State noted that its policy is “based on standards and recommendations of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), recognized by the American Medical Association as the authority in this field.”

The department also stressed that passport-issuing officials “will only ask appropriate questions to obtain information necessary to determine citizenship and identity.”

You can read the full article here at the Washington Post, “State eases rules for changing gender on passports”

You can also read the official statement by the U.S. State Department here: “New Policy on Gender Change in Passports Announced”

More news and other sources on this topic at Google News here.

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