There is an amazing source of information available to anyone dealing with the transgender spectrum, be they practitioners or people and that is The Official Journal of the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, the International Journal of Transgenderism. While the journal is now published by Hawthorne Press, the archives of material from 2002 is still on line and, let me tell you, it is great reading. From time to time I’ll feature material from the journal as it is too rich a source to leave untapped. In respect of copyright laws, I won’t put the full articles here, but I’ll be refering to them. You may view the archive yourself of course by clicking directly to it at this linke here.

For the first mining of this treasure I’d like to present what will be a controversial topic, in my opinion, for many of you reading this. It certainly was for me. The piece is entitled, “What I Did For Love: Temporary Returns to the Male Gender Role”. And is the remarkable story of Laura Davis. She transitioned at age 60 (so there’s still hope for me apparently) and then found herself in a very important life choice, should she, indeed could she, live for a time as male in order to help her wife in a difficult career situation? Would you switch back to your incorrectgender to help someone you love? What circumstances might drive you to do it?

I’ll leave you with this teaser from Laura’s writing:

I can do now for love what would have been impossible ten years ago. My gender essence has consolidated to that of female but the public presentation of a female identity is less important than my love for my Judy. As needed to not hinder my wife’s ministry, I have and will continue to gladly adopt a male identity temporarily. Like Jim, [from the story by O. Henry, "The Gift of the Magi"], I can pawn my watch for my beloved

It’s a provocative story and one that encourages any of us under the transgender umbrella to think about what each of us might do for love. For the full story, please click to this link here.

(Picture courtesy of Nadar’s Photos, used under Creative Commons License)

I am, by all accounts, health conscience in my food. I try to eat five more servings of vegetables a day, drink lots of water, and stay away from too much meat. But the call to try out SPAM in my kitchen was too great so off the shelf and into my basket it went on Friday. I kept thinking, it can’t be all that bad can it?

When you read the label you get a sense of what you’re in for. Calories from fat are 140 per serving. The calories in one serving are 180. Do the math fair reader. You are eating a slab of lard. Still, even that can be okay once in a while (though some in the medical community think that even a single fatty meal can muck you up, (see this article on the risk from fat in a single meal written by Dr. Simeon Margolis, M.D., Ph.D. of John Hopkins, click to the article on Yahoo at this link HERE)

Undaunted, we at Beck’s Cafe lept at the chance to try the fabricated food to see if it had any redeeming value outside of being an excellent source of material for Monty Python. We donned aprons, fired up skillets and, with our trusty dog at our heels lapping it’s chops for any scraps that might make their way to the floor, and we began to cook.

Cooking Spam straight up is easy. Anyone who can boil water can do it (though you may wonder why you’d do it). You simply POP the handy top off and presto, pink perfectly square meat that has a “meaty/porky” smell to it (since pork is the main ingredient that scent is a good thing). Then, skillet heated to medium heat, you can get it out by:

• Scooping some out with a melon baller
• Slicing delicate strips of it out trying to make it look elegant
• Making squares or cubes out of it
• Cutting up triangular or rough shapes
• Using a cooking cutter to create odd shapes such as bunnies or stars, let your imagination free!

Once chopped to a desired shape, simply slap it into the skillet and away you go! It should hiss and sizzle as it hits the heated pan and then you need to cook it till it’s lightly to medium browned on the outside. DON’T burn it, you’ll regret it we assure you.

The smell and taste are uniquely, well, spammy. Its sort of a bland meatless taste that has added spices to it in order to enhance the taste. It is greasy. It doesn’t so much leave a puddle of grease in your pan like, say, bacon. It’s more like the grease is permeated IN the meat and never leaves. I have to give Hormel Foods credit, they try hard to make a food tasty that is really formed to exist for the long haul on your shelf. If you have no food, SPAM is a great source of calories. If you do have food it might be better to try other options for a nice meal.

The Cook’s Thoughts
You can get creative with SPAM, Hormel has a whole list of recipes to choose from. To see the list of recipes click to the Hormel site via this link here.

I found in cooking it that if you cook it with something, like eggs, the Spam tastes better. It’s tastes seems to blend a little with other tastes.

And what did those who ate it think?
* DAMN get me something to drink to get this taste out of my mouth!!
* Hmmm, I think I’ll pass on that taste test.
* Slobber, slobber, gulp {my doggie enjoying a morsel)

Blog content theft is beginning to be a big issue. I don’t think it’s happened to us here at Beck’s Cafe but who knows? Maybe we’re too busy swilling capuccino to notice. Still though it is disturbing. It’s so damn wrong. Someone’s thoughts on their blog are there for public reading, debate and consumption not to be snatched up and made to be someone else’s. It’s rather goulish really.

I guess the real issue isn’t if some wonderful article you or I have written is going to be ripped off, it’s when. One question you might ask yourself is, why? Why steal our drivel when someone else can come up with their own perfectly drivelly drivel themselves? I thnk the answer to that question is money and time. The time to write the drivel to earn the money. And the money is earned by witless readers who go to a site that’s ripped off content and then see Google Adsense Ads and click on those. Get enough clicks and I’d imagine such a scam is worth creating hatred for yourself in the blogosphere. But there are some things you can do, cheaply we might add, to hunt down and combat these miscreants.

Lorelle on WordPress has an excellent series of articles on the issue of Blog Content theft. Starting with her excellent series will get you up to date as to what the issue is. You can click to Lorelle’s site by clicking on this link HERE.

Spoken For’s blog has an outstanding series of free methods to fight back, and fight back hard. You can read her sad tale and then learn how to fight back by clicking to her post on this subject at her blog HERE.

(Photo courtesy of Caribb’s Photos, used under Creative Commons License)

When I saw the article on September 19th being “International Talk Like a Pirate Day” at The Inquirer (see article here), I thought, “what a bunch of jokers”. Then I realized it’s real! In the words of the offical, International Talk Like a Pirate Day web site:

International Talk Like A Pirate Day began in the mists of the 1990s, when two Yankees, John Baur (Ol’ Chum Bucket) and Mark Summers (Cap’n Slappy), be talkin’ like pirates all o’a sudden. They decided that, to further the noble causes of the sweet trade of piracy, September 19 each year be the day when all souls over the world should be talkin’ like pirates. For years, their valiant efforts were wasted, until they contacted a man by the name of Dave Barry, who be writin’ a humour column for the great masses o’ landlubbers out yonder.

He showed his devotion to the cause by promoting the Day to millions of people across the world from the tropical climes of Miami, to the wild and weary shores of Thunder Bay. From thar, the media across the seven seas carried the story, and it reached every corner of the world!

Back then, we be havin’ no connection with Dave Barry, John Baur, or Mark Summers, but we be enjoyin’ the Day and we be makin’ this site, the first of its kind.

Shiver me timbers! 

(Skull & Crossbones pic courtesy of GeishaBoy Photos, Pirate Women photo courtesy of McBeth’s Photos, used under Creative Commons License)

I love this movie, Under the Tuscan Sun (or Sotto il sole della Toscana in Italian) It is rich, gently textured, unpredictable, nurturing and satisfying. It is a movie with such memorable quotes such as:

• A fountain and a magnum of champagne will always set you right
• I am going to make love all over you!
• Regrets are a waste of time. They’re the past crippling you in the present.
• Any arbitrary turning along the way, and I would be elsewhere. I would be different.

This comedy and drama movie is about a woman named Frances (played by Diane Lane) who, divorced from her husband, becomes very depressed and goes to Tuscany Italy with a tour group. While she is there she impulsively buys an old villa with all her savings, and she has a wish. Her wish is that there will be a wedding at the villa and a family too. And it is the rich story and excellent acting that leads her to the fulfilling of those wishes.

The acting is well done. Diane Lane, as Frances, is excellent as the novelist turned general contractor as she works with a polish speaking contractors, in Italy, to bring the suddenly bought house to life. The story and scenes of that subplot will make any homeowner wince in empathy. But that’s not the only thing Frances is up to as romance, unexpected visits and further plots twists are weaved through the movie. The movie has a gentle but not slow pace. It’s carefully crafted and best enjoyed with wine.

There are many memorable scenes, among them:
* Francis grabbing the arm of a strange man to avoid some other Italian “admirers” from stalking her. Her choice in a stranger leads her in a path in life that she didn’t expect
* The collapse of the main wall in the house during the construction. It’s priceless.
* The incredible “luck” of Frances, now living in Italy, unable to speak Italian, who has hired Polish laborers, and she doesn’t speak Polish either.
* Katherine, her ex pat British friend, who poses naked for her artist friend 20 years her junior and then invites Frances up just to say hello.

Under the Tuscan Sun was nominated for a Golden Globe award and won the GLAAD Media Award. It stars Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Raoul Bova and Lindsay Duncan.

I’ll end with the best quote from the movie, by Frances:

What are four walls, anyway? They are what they contain. The house protects the dreamer. Unthinkably good things can happen, even late in the game. It’s such a surprise.

Guy warning, it’s mostly a chic flick, so girls, get your friends together for this one and bring the wine, chocolate and tissues. The tears you’ll shed are not in saddness but for how your heart is touched by this wonderful movie.