Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Not sure this is a new line of thinking here, but here I sit watching anime, and it is clear, aside from a few icons in science, the only thing that inspires me, is anime.

Well in the realm of my situation relevant to Susan's place at least.

I love watching Sailor Moon, but, I am sooo much more than just that one show.

I love watching ANY anime that is ostensibly what I call 'girl friendly' anime. For those that are not familiar with the anime market and the anime industry in general (and this likely includes manga, as the two are hard to separate), anime comes in a variety of forms and genres and styles and tends to be focused on one or more demographics. Contrary to a big misconception (likely deserved in some cases), anime is NOT just girls flashing panties and silly over emphasized boobs. Nor is it meant to entertain just horny male teenagers (but sadly there is plenty of shows that sure seem like that is the case).

There are lots of anime shows out there, that a male would find as hard to watch as any movie normally referred to as a 'chic flick'.
Not that all males dislike them.

I like anime (the anime I am mentioning that is), because it is so 'girls being girls' in the shows that are girl friendly.
I watch it, and it is like hanging out with the girls in a way.
I can almost lose myself in the shows. It's almost better than walking out the door enfemme.

I wish I could look like them, and I wish I could just enjoy doing what they do.
I admire the hair styles. And to be honest, if I ever do get a wig, chances are I plan to emulate a hair style in an anime series (but probably not the colour :)).
I have been studying the clothing, and to be honest, if I get the ability to wear a skirt, chances are high I will have made it not bought it and it will look like something I saw on an anime series too. I like simple clothing, no nonsense designs, and that is one thing you often get with anime, as the designs are drawn that way usually. Plus they tend to be very feminine it seems.

I am a great big fan of Hatsune Miku, who admittedly is cgi and not anime, but she's Japanese, and pretty much looks the same.
I like her because, well to be honest, the girl is lucky to have an A cup size :) I could probably wear most of her designs if I can master the fact she is not over weight either. I'd consider it a dream come true to dress up as her and go to Anime North. I'd be her the whole damned weekend too. My suitcase would not have any male clothes packed.

I realize my 'inspirations' are all from a fictional world that is drawn. But when you consider I am wearing a male form, there is no point in pretending any of my life is going to be simple, easy or overly realistic in many ways. I can ponder many articles of clothing, but some, well some will always be a bridge too far eh. Well unless at some magical point in time I manage to do some serious renovations. And I am not expecting that to happen.

But there ARE plenty of outfits I have seen, that I could manage if my waist line wasn't out of control.
It's not like every visual is impossible.
But I can likely forget a lot of the beach episodes I watch hehe :)

Who inspires me ?  G-d above all is my inspiration...

What inspires me ? The desire to keep my Nation one step ahead of the Enemy

Hmm.... good question Lesley. I've never thought too much about this, but I think I get inspired by really athletic men. I want to be big and strong like them, so I enjoy exercising and making a sad attempt at keeping up with the men in the back of the videos. I'll catch up to them one day!  :P

I am also inspired by a lot of art, I love watching the male dancer in Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" music video. I am just amazed by his strength and fluidity of movement.

I am also just in general inspired by the sheer beauty of nature and life (even man-made stuff) that just reminds me of the power and beauty of Waheguru.

Quote from: peky on March 02, 2013, 07:32:03 PM
Who inspires me ?  G-d above all is my inspiration...

What inspires me ? The desire to keep my Nation one step ahead of the Enemy

Well it is not right of me to scoff at the who inspiration response, it would be a personal foul that I would be called on if I did (I hope).

But I must confess, the what response took me by surprise :) Sounds a bit paranoid.

Batman. He watches his parents get killed and instead of moping, he goes around the world learning all sorts of sciences, languages, martial arts, history, and technologies so that he can return to his crime-ridden home city and kick butt, all without resorting to the same level of the criminal that took him parents away from him. He genuinely cares about his fellow man and always manages to maintain his faith in people and has saved the planet when no one else could several times, despite not having any superpower other than his superhuman wit and will.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWHHsdE_oQg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWHHsdE_oQg)

Here, Batman stays with a psychic child until she dies, consoling her, instead of using a weapon to kill her before she causes permanent damage. He manages to convince her to undo what she did and was the only person who she could call a friend throughout her entire life: the only person who did not fear or use her.

When I watch anime, one of the hassles is the problem of how society sees me as male (understandable considering the form I am stuck in).

I have been called the P word more than a few times. And I don't mind saying, I would do a person serious injury if said to my face. I usually only get it online. Well used to. I turfed the wargaming world online over this matter. It just fueled my inherent dislike of men thanks to the efforts of a good sized bunch of miserable old buggers.

That and the usual 'isn't that for kids?' line of thinking mainly as North American culture has it firmly in it's head that cartoons are for kids even after a decade of several cartoons clearly not for kids. Which conflicts with how anime is so completely not age range limited.

That, and I personally would rather act like a 19 year old given a choice. I'd rather be called immature over it if they must. I don't mind being told I am not acting mature. Mature to me = all that is wrong with the world in most cases. When was the last time you were given lousy treatment by a 5 year old, or a 10 year old eh?

So much of my anime focuses on the lives of persons in what would be school for persons ages 14 through 17. The high school years.
I can't really say why there is no real volume of anime past the high school years. I think people in their 20s can be lots of laughs too.

But anyway, I watch anime, and it is usually something that makes me potentially look 'creepy' on first glance. Which sucks in general.
Because if I was wearing a female form, well no one would care. I know this from having discussed so much with females that also like anime.

But I get to be all girlie when I watch the shows. It's about as close to therapy as I can get if you ask me.
I get to laugh at what they are laughing at, and feel sadness over things that make them sad. I get to join in with all the relationships.
But unlike soap operas, anime seems to often be a lot more 'fun' and a lot less of the daily crud that weighs down life (like I see in the soaps when I end up seeing any of it).

Nice call on mentioning Batman DianaP.

Of all the classic comic characters, I usually do find him more interesting for the same reasons more or less.

One person that inspires me is Nelson Mandela.  I've read his auto biography and just recently finished a book about him called playing the enemy.  He spent 27 years in South African prisons.  He didn't come out of the experience fill with hate but became a better person.  He became president of South Africa and did what no one thought could be done...brought his country together peacefully.

I don't know "what" inspires me. 

I'm sorry if I am beating on this, but, it helps to talk about it :)

Another aspect of anime that helps me, is the messages are often very profound.

Sailor Moon is what is called a 'magical girl' show in that it features girls that transform into something they never knew they could be previously. It is generally about girls transcending their own personal limits and defeating forces of hate.

Not easy to avoid finding the positive in that eh.

I have also watched shows where a person has been stuck being the other gender for either limited spans of time, or in some cases there is no going back.

Ranma 1/2 is about a boy who ends up cursed to change into a girl when splashed with cold water. Warm water restores him. The thing is, you can't really go to the beach and expect warm water :) And it tends to rain cold water. Cold water happens at the funniest times. This show focuses on the humour of what do you do when you have this happening to you at random.

I have also watched a great show, called Kashi Mashi Girl Meets Girl. Boy is accidentally changed into a girl right down to the last molecule, when an alien ship crashes on him, and the aliens re assemble him by mistake as the wrong gender.
It follows all the odd things you never think of normally.
If tomorrow I woke and I was actually female in a genuine female body that was properly functioning. Well I am plenty darned sure I'd be horribly unprepared for so much. Just as the person in the show was.

One show was called I My Me Strawberry Eggs (don't try to understand the name :)). This guy wants to teach, and the problem is the school is run by an entirely man hating woman. But it turns out the guy is boarding at the home of an old woman that dislikes the school principal, and the woman is a master of disguise. He converts the guy into his female self, equips him with the right clothing, proper training to act like a woman and gives him a voice altering device. Presto the guy is now a female phys ed teacher.
But he's really a guy under the clothing. And of course there are a lot of things a guy will have troubles with.

Anime generally doesn't have problems with gender based issues. Everything is just an opportunity for content.
There is no shortage of homosexuals in anime. And there is no shortage of confused persons in challenging situations.

But, mostly for me, it is just girls being girls.

Two of my friends are my biggest inspiration.

J has been battling crohns disease for years and has not had an easy time with it yet she battles on.
K Has CP and diabetes. Both woman try to better themselves every day. J works for a large national company. And K is going to school for law. I love them both equally. They both encouraged me to be true to myself.

The third person who inspires me is Laura Jane Grace, She fronts the band Against Me!. The courage she has shown by coming out in such a public way is amazing. I would love a chance to sit down and have a conversation with her.

I'm inspired by any woman who had the courage to have SRS.

Rachel Corrie has always inspired me, I wish I can have a fraction as much strength and courage she has.

There are so many I can't remember them off the top of my head, but here a some of them (in no particular order):

Linguist, philosopher, political critic (etc.) Noam Chomsky
Primatologist Jane Goodall
Christopher Hitchens (aside from his Iraq rants)
Academic Judith Butler
Richard Dawkins
Choreographer Pina Bausch
Filmmaker Pedro Almodovar
Philosopher Daniel C. Dennett
Rock goddess Suzie Quatro
Amazing singer-songwriter Patti Smith
Photographer Cindy Sherman

And a number of close, personal friends of mine.

Astronomers.

George Carlin.

Cheerful misanthropes.

als La Roux, mainly for this quote. "I don't have a sexuality. I don't feel like I'm female or male. I don't belong to the gay or straight society, if there is such a thing. I feel like I'm capable of falling in love with other people. I'm not saying I'm bisexual, I'm just sexual!"

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 03, 2013, 12:24:30 PM
I have also watched a great show, called Kashi Mashi Girl Meets Girl. Boy is accidentally changed into a girl right down to the last molecule, when an alien ship crashes on him, and the aliens re assemble him by mistake as the wrong gender.
It follows all the odd things you never think of normally.
If tomorrow I woke and I was actually female in a genuine female body that was properly functioning. Well I am plenty darned sure I'd be horribly unprepared for so much. Just as the person in the show was.

LOVE that show. Just wanted to say that. The scenes where Tomari is trying to teach Hazumu how to be a girl in the second episode are absolutely priceless.

And I also get a lot of inspiration from anime series. Although, I suppose my main animated influences are from the films of Hayao Miyazaki. Nausicaa is seriously my idol. She is exactly the kind of person who I would ideally want to be in real life... the kind who sees the good in everything, loves nature and all of the little beautiful things in life, always keeps a calm head, and yet is strong enough to stand up for what she believes in even in the direst of odds. I just love her, and see her as a huge inspiration.

Babylon 5 inspires me,
When one character had a drug addiction I was a mess on amphetamines, he gave up the drugs & so did I
Delenn inspires me when she goes into a cocoon looking bland & comes out as a beautiful woman, how can any trans person not be touched by her transition, especially when she says to complains about her new grown hair not doing what she wants (I know that feeling)
G'kar starts out full of hate, anger & a thirst for revenge & becomes a very spiritual person, i've been a very angry person throughout my life, i've hated the male world because how dare they be comfortable being male, I hated the female world because how dare they be born into the right body, I am now becoming more concerned with the damage this anger is doing to my soul & i'm seeking peace.
The Minbari believe that if you do the right thing for the wrong reasons then the outcome will be tainted, i've done what I believed was right but now I question my motives, were my reasons right?

The list could go on & on

Inspiration is a tricky thing, it can be so meaningful to some, and flat out nothing to another.

The Bible for instance. I couldn't care less. Just a lot of biased writings mainly from men in a male dominated world in a time when knowledge of the real world was dreadfully lacking. Full of massive holes and greatly lacking in consistency. No it does not inspire me at all.

But it inspires some all the same. Just can't figure out the why that it does.

But I am ok that plenty will not fully realize why watching the film Stargaze the Universe as seen by the Hubble Telescope bring me such incredible peace and calm. To be able to see the incredible wonder, and stunning magnitude of all that CAN be seen in the cosmos. To wrap my head around how there is sooooo much out there too, and so much of what I am seeing, actually happened BILLIONS of years in the past. Watching that film makes me ok being just a bland ordinary mortal creature. Because I am still a part of all that magnificence.

I have read many things, that have had a profound effect on me. I know that the author Terry Goodkind is often scoffed at simply because of his beliefs. I am not no expert in the area of objectivism (I think that is it), but, I know his series of books The Sword of Truth and the 9 novels that comprise it, were incredible insights into the follies we humans often get into. And the last book of the series, well, it has effected ME I suppose on par with how the Bible affects so many Christians. But I am not here telling anyone they will be lacking for not reading it. His first book Wizard's First Rule, was stupendous for it's clarity. Wizard's First Rule, people are stupid. It's true, not one of us are safe from that statement's truth either. So often we do the completely stupid, and for reasons none of us can intelligently defend. Wizard's Second Rule is also something to take to heart. Because it's also so true. Wizard's Second Rule, even a good deed can do harm. Something to think about eh. Just because you and a great many claim the action was a good deed, does not mean it can't hurt someone. And that sure has a lot of relevance in our specific area of interest. Be careful what you do, because it might seem like a good thing, and not really be harmless.

I have seen the video portion of Cosmos, titled The Backbone of Night. It comes across better than the print version. In my view, almost no one can watch that with an open mind, and not come out changed and able to accept the whimsical and unproven nonsense of our world's religions. That and Carl's book The Demon Haunted World does so much to strengthen my resolve to not accept anything, that is not capable of being given even the slightest bit of real proof.

I am a big fan of Doctor David Suzuki, a man of great vision. And a man unwilling to be anyone's bought mouth piece.

I love Rick Mercer, a man who can shove a nasty fact right in your face, and make you laugh with him.
I love a lot of comedians actually. I believe that Robin Williams is one of the greatest actors I have ever had the pleasure to watch. He can play roles that make you laugh and he can reduce you to tears with moving scenes of great sadness.
Steve Martin and Bill Cosby have added so much to my life.

My friend Paul, you won't know him, but he is my idea of what Jesus would like in a Christian.
Paul never makes you feel like you are with a Christian. You can tell he's a Christian, but he doesn't bug you with it.
He's also an incredible person. He has education on paper that is no better than mine (I don't think he has his HS diploma either).
And yet Paul can walk into any museum on the planet and correct the curator on an exhibit (music), and you can take it for granted he will be correct, and he has experts with long lists of credentials that will back up Paul.
It's easy to see why when you look at what Paul has made. Google the Gentile Collection when you get time. If you are looking at recreations of miniature musical instruments that are impossibly small, you are in the right place. And they all play.
I have seen him paint to a level that makes him the equal of Michael d'Angelo. I have seen him create things that make him the equal of Leonardo daVinci. It's amusing that Paul is also of Italian decent (his dad was born in Italy) :)
None of Paul's abilities were taught, he was born this way.
I have seen the machine tools he has made, simply because he needed them, and couldn't afford to buy them. A 50 thousand dollar thickness planner that he made on his own. It can slice off cuts to the 1/1000 th of an inch.
Some day soon, you might hear of his piano he's been working on. I have seen it in person, and even looking right at it, it's almost impossible to believe.
Paul's resume, well I suspect most people would find it impossible to accept considering he has no formal education. But in a room of 1 MILLION people, none of them will be the equal of Paul.
He's my yard stick by which I define achieving the unachievable.
When we were still teens I once told him, Paul, ya know, if you applied yourself, you sure could go far. I never saw it coming though :)

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 04, 2013, 05:35:30 AM
Inspiration is a tricky thing, it can be so meaningful to some, and flat out nothing to another.

The Bible for instance. I couldn't care less. Just a lot of biased writings mainly from men in a male dominated world in a time when knowledge of the real world was dreadfully lacking. Full of massive holes and greatly lacking in consistency. No it does not inspire me at all.

But it inspires some all the same. Just can't figure out the why that it does.

Psalm 23:5-6  You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 04, 2013, 05:35:30 AM
Inspiration is a tricky thing, it can be so meaningful to some, and flat out nothing to another.

The Bible for instance. I couldn't care less. Just a lot of biased writings mainly from men in a male dominated world in a time when knowledge of the real world was dreadfully lacking. Full of massive holes and greatly lacking in consistency. No it does not inspire me at all.

But it inspires some all the same. Just can't figure out the why that it does.

But I am ok that plenty will not fully realize why watching the film Stargaze the Universe as seen by the Hubble Telescope bring me such incredible peace and calm. To be able to see the incredible wonder, and stunning magnitude of all that CAN be seen in the cosmos. To wrap my head around how there is sooooo much out there too, and so much of what I am seeing, actually happened BILLIONS of years in the past. Watching that film makes me ok being just a bland ordinary mortal creature. Because I am still a part of all that magnificence.

Was the physical universe created in the realm of eternity?

This vision shown to Moses was not the actual creation, but a rerun of it. There was no man present in eternity when Elohim brought in the actual creation. It took place in eternity before time, space, energy, and matter were formed.

Moses pointed this out in the second chapter of Genesis where he stated the actual creation took place in the DAY singular, not DAYS plural. "These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Yahweh Elohim (LORD God) made the earth and the heavens (Gn. 2:4)."

The "day" referred to in this verse symbolizes eternity in which Elohim created heaven and earth. Now Isaiah wrote: "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, ... (Isa. 57:15)."

Dr. Kinley wrote in his book: "Yahweh inhabits ETERNITY (Isa. 57:15), as indicated by His Super Incorporeal Form, WITHIN THE CLOUD, that covered Mount Sinai. Hence, the actual CREATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH must emanate from Yahweh and TAKE PLACE IN THE REALM OF ETERNITY. Therefore, these created physical objects such as the Sun, Moon, Stars and other Planets function within the REALM OF ETERNITY and cause the REALM OF TIME TO EXIST (Elohim, the Archetypal (Original) Pattern of the Universe, Vol. 1, p. 38)."

Quote from: JulieC. on March 03, 2013, 11:07:19 AM
One person that inspires me is Nelson Mandela.  I've read his auto biography and just recently finished a book about him called playing the enemy.  He spent 27 years in South African prisons.  He didn't come out of the experience fill with hate but became a better person.  He became president of South Africa and did what no one thought could be done...brought his country together peacefully.

I'm glad he became a better person but - with respect - the man was no saint. He and his organisation sanctioned some pretty evil things that hurt a lot of innocent people, including a former boyfriend of mine who lost his both his hearing and his mother as a result of an ANC terrorist bombing in a family restaurant. So I have mixed feelings about Madiba.

Life in South Africa is more difficult and more violent now than it was when I voted for equal rights for black citizens back in 1994. Those were exciting, optimistic days where we were looking forward to our new rainbow nation. But the reality hasn't lived up to the hype.

That having been said, I've visited Robben Island and I saw Mandela's prison cell. His cell was tiny, with nothing but somewhere to sleep and a bucket to do his business in. It had a window, but it was very high up on the wall and faced the inner courtyard so the prisoners couldn't see Cape Town. Also, the prison guards used to take the prisoners to work in the quarry via a route that had no views of the mainland, just to help dehumanise the prisoners. The fact that he came out of that experience a more peaceful man speaks volumes for him.

I'm inspired by the following people:

Teachers and thinkers

Carl Sagan - the man who gave me answers when my teachers were frightened of the questions. He was the greatest teacher I never had: he taught me how to think, not what to think. He's the reason why I studied science, as well as the reason why I became an atheist.

George Carlin - one of the greatest comedians of our age. Such a shame he's gone now.

Eleanor Roosevelt - one of the wisest women in history.

Winston Churchill - our greatest leader.

Mohandas Gandhi - peaceful resistance is an extremely powerful force.

Johnny Clegg - the White Zulu. This musician did a great deal to popularise Zulu culture in South Africa. His groups (Juluka / Savuka) helped bridge the gap between our nations.

Eratosthenes - worked out the circumference of the Earth, the tilt of the Earth's axis, and the distance between the Earth and the sun - amongst many other things. He did all this with the most primitive resources way back in 276BC. Despite his achievements, he was known to his friends as being the 'second-best' at everything. I'd love to know who came first!

Trans People

Lando - Seeing him on Maury made me reconsider FtM transition. I'd decided many years ago not to transition because the results didn't seem convincing. But if my transition is even half as good as Lando's I'll be very pleased with the results.

Caroline Cossey - she was the first trans person I'd ever heard of. Reading her story made me realise what was 'wrong' with me. I owe her a lifelong debt of gratitude for helping me understand myself.

KingGutterFace - a controversial choice, but he's clearly been through a lot of hardship in his life and it has built his character. I admire him for surviving and becoming a strong individual.

My friends at Susan's - every single one of us is brave enough to do whatever we need to do to feel comfortable with our gender identities; that's why we're here. I salute you all!

Fictional People

X-Men - I was a huge fan of the X-Men growing up. I always felt like a bit of mutant who was hated & feared by those around me. The X-Men made me think it was OK to be different and that there are other people who go through the same thing. It's just a shame that I can't shoot laser beams out of my eyeballs too. ;)

Star Trek - I love the humanist ethos that is central to the Star Trek mythos. I love the fact that their future is about peaceful exploration and self-improvement whilst being humane to each other. I also love their acceptance of a wide variety of people. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination. :)

Quote from: FTMDiaries on March 04, 2013, 10:14:29 AM
I'm glad he became a better person but - with respect - the man was no saint. He and his organisation sanctioned some pretty evil things that hurt a lot of innocent people...

The perennial question of whether revolutionary change should come from within (using state political apparatus) or from outside (military force or, as the oppressors call it, "terrorism"). Personally I don't believe that the change required to oust an oppressive government can come from within, as the dice are too heavily loaded in such regimes.

Quote from: Jenna Stannis on March 04, 2013, 02:57:13 PM
The perennial question of whether revolutionary change should come from within (using state political apparatus) or from outside (military force or, as the oppressors call it, "terrorism"). Personally I don't believe that the change required to oust an oppressive government can come from within, as the dice are too heavily loaded in such regimes.

In our case, it did come from within. Do you know how Apartheid ended? The South African government took the very brave step of holding a referendum (of predominantly white voters) asking us whether we wanted to end Apartheid by giving the black majority equal rights as full citizens with the right to vote.

Because the black population hugely outnumbers all other races, we knew that this would mean an end to any privilege that had previously been enjoyed by some white South Africans. So we went to the polls... and 75% of us voted to withdraw our privilege. Not because of external forces, or sanctions (which we barely felt), or even because of terrorism... but because South Africans are decent people and it was the right thing to do. I'm very proud that this was how I used my first opportunity to vote.

Bombing innocent people in restaurants just to strike fear into the populace is terrorism, any way you cut it. Our schools were surrounded by barbed wire, and we had to undergo bag checks for explosives every day, because of repeated threats by Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the ANC. That's right: they threatened little children in schools. Who was Umkhonto we Sizwe's first leader? Mandela.

I'm glad he changed.

Quote from: FTMDiaries on March 04, 2013, 03:23:11 PM
In our case, it did come from within. Do you know how Apartheid ended? The South African government took the very brave step of holding a referendum (of predominantly white voters) asking us whether we wanted to end Apartheid by giving the black majority equal rights as full citizens with the right to vote.

I'm fully aware of what eventually happened. But that didn't happen in a political vacuum. Mandela would never have got to the negotiating table – or received the international recognition that he did – without initial violent opposition. I'm not condoning it; it's just a reality of the world we live in. It's the same with the Israel-Palestine problem and the English-Irish question. Unfortunately, a pointy stick is the only thing that will prod oppressive regimes into considering change.

QuoteWho was Umkhonto we Sizwe's first leader? Mandela.

Well, yes, that's the point. Members of the MK were members of the ANC, and the MK were active right up until the dismantling of apartheid.

Eratosthenes, I can never remember that durned man's name :)

I have also read that in modern parlance, Plato likely was a jerk :)

I like Star Trek for a variety of things, but, there always seems to be a careful omission of pointing out the 'great future' only happened after WW3 had trashed our civilization.

I'd like to have the Federation if possible, but without the WW3 road to it of course.

I rewatched the first 4 films just the other day actually. They often call the first film the dull one. Me, well nothing quite compares to the power of the opening score when it was used in that film for the first time. I have also heard a lot of people didn't care for the last series called Enterprise. To me, the opening tune alone made me want to watch the series. It was so damned uplifting sounding. I also liked that the show was not so perfect, the uniforms looked like work clothes and not fancy dress regardless of function in the show as they were in Next Generation.

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 04, 2013, 04:16:40 PM

I rewatched the first 4 films just the other day actually. They often call the first film the dull one. Me, well nothing quite compares to the power of the opening score when it was used in that film for the first time. I have also heard a lot of people didn't care for the last series called Enterprise. To me, the opening tune alone made me want to watch the series. It was so damned uplifting sounding. I also liked that the show was not so perfect, the uniforms looked like work clothes and not fancy dress regardless of function in the show as they were in Next Generation.

The way our politicians like to run things, I fear it is inevitable that we might not achieve global peace until we have either a devastating war or a common threat from outside. The world is becomg unmanageably overpopulated and I fear they're gearing up for a cull.

One of my favourite things about the first Star Trek movie - apart from the wonderful slashy scene between Kirk & Spock about 'this simple feeling' - is that Roddenberry got away with incorporating the original 1978 Gay Pride flag into the cover artwork. If you haven't noticed this yet, look it up. ;D

Enterprise had some good moments, and (like you) I enjoyed the fact that the uniforms seemed to be halfway between NASA and StarFleet. It lended an air of authenticity to it.

Quote from: Jenna Stannis on March 04, 2013, 03:42:41 PM
I'm fully aware of what eventually happened. But that didn't happen in a political vacuum. Mandela would never have got to the negotiating table – or received the international recognition that he did – without initial violent opposition. I'm not condoning it; it's just a reality of the world we live in. It's the same with the Israel-Palestine problem and the English-Irish question. Unfortunately, a pointy stick is the only thing that will prod oppressive regimes into considering change.

I'm not convinced that giving in to the demands of violent people is the correct way forward. It may temporarily buy us peace, but at what long-term cost?

Quote from: Jenna Stannis on March 04, 2013, 03:42:41 PM
Well, yes, that's the point. Members of the MK were members of the ANC, and the MK were active right up until the dismantling of apartheid.

...when they were rewarded for the 'struggle' by being put in positions of authority in the ANC administration. I would argue that that hasn't proven to be the smartest of policies. Maybe they aren't bombing innocent people any more. But are they qualified, capable leaders? History will judge.

A terrorist is really just a person that has been pushed far enough they no longer care how to obtain their goals.

You rarely see people go all the way until they have no other way to go.

Look at the US and it's own independence. You would not be the US of A if you had not decided 'enough is enough' and decided it was going to be independence over someone's dead body(s).

Canada gained freedom probably more so because the British could no longer really force the colonies to be colonies by force any more. We still call a monarch a head of state here, but it means nothing really. She's on our money, and so what.

It has rapidly become likely, that the US has a need to once again have the schmucks rise up and get suitably angry and do something about all of the state and federal level crap that saturates their country. I know this much, Stephen Harper is pushing a lot of buttons lately and making it so the next government likely will be liberal regardless of how much we hate them. Because I have lost count of how many reasons I hate Harper for.

I am not as of yet though, 'inspired' to do anything drastic myself. But, I think I might become a bit 'distracted' if he was being beaten up by someone else, and I walked past it.

Our world sure needs some truly inspiring politicians that's for sure.

Violence is an aspect of human nature that I don't think we'll ever transcend. I like to think I'm a pacifist, but I don't believe that pacifist doctrines are effective. I don't believe in capital punishment, but I would kill anyone who tried to kill any of my family. And so on, and so on...

Quote from: FTMDiaries on March 04, 2013, 10:51:23 AM

Star Trek - I love the humanist ethos that is central to the Star Trek mythos. I love the fact that their future is about peaceful exploration and self-improvement whilst being humane to each other. I also love their acceptance of a wide variety of people. Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combination. :)

Whilst being a huge Babylon 5 fan I would love for the world to become like the Star Trek universe (without the Borg).
I know that one day we will all realise that the only race on the planet is the human race, one day we will be able to devote our energies into bettering the whole species instead of running around like headless chickens, our time & energy being consumed by pointless jobs.

i said to my support worker last week that the petty squabbles on this planet will only be resolved when we find definate proof that there is life out there other than us, unfortunately that unity will probably just be a result of us joining forces to fight what we perceive as a new enemy but I live in hope of a peaceful world where the only thing that truly matters is the soul & not the flesh that holds the soul

I like Elves of the sort made popular by Lord of the Rings and as a result Dungeons and Dragons.

They live WITH the land, not just on it.

We have a few groupings of humanity that likely feel a lot like that. But I know enough history to know our native first peoples of the world are not always perfect. They just didn't get on the industrial band wagon like the old world did.

I have had many a goof ball dream wish in my time. One of my personal favourites is 'the world is covered in 200 year old forest growth everywhere without limit, no open space larger than an acre permitted and very few of those as well, and all buildings larger than a single family home are deleted. Roads are removed and the contour of the land is nowhere flat but rather it is all hilly underneath the canopy. I'd leave the water alone though. It would be nice if humanity had to walk everywhere and it took a LONG time to get anywhere far. It would be nice if our power needs were not focused on running machines to make 'stuff' just for the sake of making stuff.

I don't think I would miss a lot of our technology some days. And I would like having it used a lot more sparingly.

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 02, 2013, 09:00:31 PM
Well it is not right of me to scoff at the who inspiration response, it would be a personal foul that I would be called on if I did (I hope).

But I must confess, the what response took me by surprise :) Sounds a bit paranoid.

There are many "friends," "foes," and "potential foes" who keep a well-funded research enterprise with the sole objective to surpass our technological edge. They actively steal technolgy from us, and most of them have made no bones about their intention towards us.

Ask yourself what technological advances -and there is 3 major ones- allows us to win WWII?

Quote from: peky on March 04, 2013, 09:59:22 PM

Ask yourself what technological advances -and there is 3 major ones- allows us to win WWII?

As the US is the only country to ever use nukes in warfare (and continue to use uranium-based weaponry today. Yes, parts of the middle east and its children are glowing), clearly technological advancement and wisdom are not a package deal.

And no, I don't buy into the argument that the two bombs dropped on Japan saved thousands of lives.

Hehehehe WW2, I know more about WW2 than I do about being a man. This is my backyard, and I would be impressed if anyone here could keep up let alone surpass me in this topic.

WW2 was won for a lot of reasons. The Germans for instance were wiped out in Russia. The British held firm, but most never hear the real truths. The British only survived because of an over reaction. The bombing of London saved England. The airfields were due to collapse when Germany switched to the bombing of London. It never gets more close.

Japan was already defeated. The nukes were for many things. Finishing the battle sooner than later and preventing the Russians any option to be occupational forces. Japan was being squeezed pretty harshly by the blockade. And most are not aware, a firebombing strike was actually more complete than a nuke. Tokyo suffered more from incendiaries than Nagasaki or Hiroshima did from nukes. But a single bomb was a quick and efficient use of aircraft. The thing is, they were unsure of the weapons working. They were unsure of a lot of things. And they didn't have stacks of them available either.

The liberty ship was likely one of the greatest weapons of the war. The cargo truck again, an unsung hero. WW2 was a war of mobility. A tank is only able to drive a limited distance before it needs maintenance. A battleship or a carrier need fuel to operate.

Germany actually managed to go to total war WHILE being regularly bombed. It is good that Hitler was a fool and misused the Jet in 43. It is good that Hitler did NOT give the Ukrainians freedom as they would have loved. Not everyone liked Stalin. But Nazi racism was blind to the opportunities it threw away.

The Island of Malta likely cost the Axis the war.
It kept Rommel out of Cairo and the middle east and linking with Japan and hitting Russia in the south and cutting off lend lease.
One lousy little island.

The US did not 'save our bacon' they were just a member of a team that enjoyed a lot of successes at the most gravest of hours when the enemy dropped the ball and did it badly too.

Stalingrad should never have happened. Hitler was not the genius he thought he was. The 6th army was a veteran formation and not expendable.
Midway was a close thing even with foreknowledge. A handful of dauntless dive bombers won that battle after scores of devastator torpedo bombers committed suicide.

Patton only sat in England the perfect ruse because the jack ass pissed off the folks at home for slapping a soldier for battle fatigue something Patton thought was bull. If he had not gotten sent to the doghouse the Germans would not have been so faked out and Overlord might have been much worse. The Germans thought it was idiotic that Patton might need to answer to mouthy civilians.

That war was won for a lot of reasons you won't see in the movies. It takes a lot of very intense background first.

Quote from: Jenna Stannis on March 05, 2013, 12:27:30 AM
As the US is the only country to ever use nukes in warfare (and continue to use uranium-based weaponry today. Yes, parts of the middle east and its children are glowing), clearly technological advancement and wisdom are not a package deal.

And no, I don't buy into the argument that the two bombs dropped on Japan saved thousands of lives.

That is because they did not save thousand but millions of lives, both Japnese and American. Just the invasion of japan would have cost us 1 million Americans casualties.

As far as the atomic bombs, consider that they caused about ~ 180,000 casualties. The conventional bombing (including fire bombing) of Japan cost over ~ 800,000 deaths. You do not consider this statistic on your overall assessment of the horrors of the war, do you?

More important dear, that war was started by japan invading China (say something about the "rape of Nanking and Shanghai) in the 1930's to which we responded with an embargo, to which the Japaneses responded with peace talks while planing the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the invasion of the Philippines.

Do not forget that America did not start WWI or WWII, and the atrocities perpetrated by the axis (Ethiopia (Mussolini), the holocaust (Nazis), rape of china and the Philippines (Japan), the firebombing of Coventry (Nazis), the bombing of Darwin (Japanese), the march of bataan (Japan), etc..were not perpetrated by Americans...

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 05, 2013, 07:27:53 AM
Hehehehe WW2, I know more about WW2 than I do about being a man. This is my backyard, and I would be impressed if anyone here could keep up let alone surpass me in this topic.

WW2 was won for a lot of reasons. The Germans for instance were wiped out in Russia. The British held firm, but most never hear the real truths. The British only survived because of an over reaction. The bombing of London saved England. The airfields were due to collapse when Germany switched to the bombing of London. It never gets more close.

Japan was already defeated. The nukes were for many things. Finishing the battle sooner than later and preventing the Russians any option to be occupational forces. Japan was being squeezed pretty harshly by the blockade. And most are not aware, a firebombing strike was actually more complete than a nuke. Tokyo suffered more from incendiaries than Nagasaki or Hiroshima did from nukes. But a single bomb was a quick and efficient use of aircraft. The thing is, they were unsure of the weapons working. They were unsure of a lot of things. And they didn't have stacks of them available either.

The liberty ship was likely one of the greatest weapons of the war. The cargo truck again, an unsung hero. WW2 was a war of mobility. A tank is only able to drive a limited distance before it needs maintenance. A battleship or a carrier need fuel to operate.

Germany actually managed to go to total war WHILE being regularly bombed. It is good that Hitler was a fool and misused the Jet in 43. It is good that Hitler did NOT give the Ukrainians freedom as they would have loved. Not everyone liked Stalin. But Nazi racism was blind to the opportunities it threw away.

The Island of Malta likely cost the Axis the war.
It kept Rommel out of Cairo and the middle east and linking with Japan and hitting Russia in the south and cutting off lend lease.
One lousy little island.

The US did not 'save our bacon' they were just a member of a team that enjoyed a lot of successes at the most gravest of hours when the enemy dropped the ball and did it badly too.

Stalingrad should never have happened. Hitler was not the genius he thought he was. The 6th army was a veteran formation and not expendable.
Midway was a close thing even with foreknowledge. A handful of dauntless dive bombers won that battle after scores of devastator torpedo bombers committed suicide.

Patton only sat in England the perfect ruse because the jack ass pissed off the folks at home for slapping a soldier for battle fatigue something Patton thought was bull. If he had not gotten sent to the doghouse the Germans would not have been so faked out and Overlord might have been much worse. The Germans thought it was idiotic that Patton might need to answer to mouthy civilians.

That war was won for a lot of reasons you won't see in the movies. It takes a lot of very intense background first.

I am not impressed at all...no in depth knowledge at all...more important...you did not answer my questions

I admit, I did not answer the question.

Granted, I was not trying to impress either. As for indepth teaching, maybe after we discuss payment terms :)

Three advances.

The ASSEMBLY LINE. Good luck with out it. But everyone was using it so it can't be claimed by a single nation in WW2.

The COMBUSTION ENGINE was made dominant. It made tanks effective, it made planes effective. And of course it powered transport.

The radio and radar (sort of a similar technology). I made it possible to detect ships, planes, and listen in on communications, to enable resistance, and coordinate troops.

By the time the first nuke was detonated, the war had been already resolved. And again, like I said, the war was rushed by the nuke to a conclusion. The allies could have sat back and staved Japan if it had desired it. They were a defeated people. You want to be careful what coffee table history you believe in though. Not only could the US not afford a million deaths to attack Japan, they simply didn't have the cash to pursue the war either.

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 05, 2013, 09:20:59 AM
I admit, I did not answer the question.

Granted, I was not trying to impress either. As for indepth teaching, maybe after we discuss payment terms :)

Three advances.

The ASSEMBLY LINE. Good luck with out it. But everyone was using it so it can't be claimed by a single nation in WW2.

The COMBUSTION ENGINE was made dominant. It made tanks effective, it made planes effective. And of course it powered transport.

The radio and radar (sort of a similar technology). I made it possible to detect ships, planes, and listen in on communications, to enable resistance, and coordinate troops.

By the time the first nuke was detonated, the war had been already resolved. And again, like I said, the war was rushed by the nuke to a conclusion. The allies could have sat back and staved Japan if it had desired it. They were a defeated people. You want to be careful what coffee table history you believe in though. Not only could the US not afford a million deaths to attack Japan, they simply didn't have the cash to pursue the war either.

Close but no cigar: 1 out of 3 + D


1) Radar (invented by the Brits, perfected by us gringas,
2) sonar, invented by Canadians and french, perfected by us gringas, specifically by US Navy scientist who invented terfenol ( a super piezo electric, key for real-time sonar applications)
3) high altitude bombing sight, invented and perfected by us gringas

1) The radar was the key technological determinant that allow Britain to win the "Battle of Britain" thus negating Hitler the possibility of invading England,

2) The sonar (the American one) allows to sink Japanese and Nazi submarines.

3) The Norden bomb sight, after the illustrious Navy Scientist Carl Norden allowing High altitude precision bombing. was in use until the 70's


Seems to me that you ow me some monies for the lesson dear Lesley Roberta....I take credit cards and other forms of payments...LOL

American historical myopia rears its ugly head yet again. It's a shame that such a culturally rich and diverse country is tainted by so many reactionary screwheads.

Don't take it personal Peky, but you won't be teaching me history any time soon with that resume.

"Ask yourself what technological advances -and there is 3 major ones- allows us to win WWII?"

Your own answers

1) The radar was the key technological determinant that allow Britain to win the "Battle of Britain" thus negating Hitler the possibility of invading England.

Ah that is a big fat no. Radar made a big difference, and yet, if the Germans had just kept hitting the airbases, your radar answer would not have done a damned thing in the final analysis. It didn't save Britain at all. Stupidity from fat boy and his cpl buddy saved Britain.

2) The sonar (the American one) allows to sink Japanese and Nazi submarines.

Ahh sonar is sonar, including the American usage. It didn't come in flavours. And you might want to read up on that a bit more. You seem to be forgetting the guys in the planes here. Sonar didn't singularly drive off the wolf packs. And the Japanese submarine force didn't operate the same way as the Germans. You did know that correct?

3) The Norden bomb sight, after the illustrious Navy Scientist Carl Norden allowing High altitude precision bombing. was in use until the 70's

As I already commented on and you have not managed to refute by the way, the Germans were able to conduct total war UNDER allied bombing, including those using the Norden bombsight by the way. You know what made those bombers dangerous, Escort fighters made those bombers dangerous. Because the norden bomb sight didn't stop bullets very well.

Dear I won't be teaching you any, until you make it through remedial history.
And try not to teach granny how to suck eggs while you are at it :)

Quote from: kkut on March 05, 2013, 05:17:12 PM
I would be inspired if you be so kind as to elaborate.   ;)

I will respectfully decline that invitation. I consider it enough to merely hint at my opinions, as I find that these sorts of discussions bear no fruit and quickly deteriorate into slanging matches (I'm not necessarily referring to you, but other hotheads who inevitably chime in). Moreover, I don't believe that a transgender support site is the appropriate forum for heated political debate, which only serves to increase my blood pressure and decrease my adoration for my fellow humans.

Quote from: Lesley_Roberta on March 05, 2013, 02:52:41 PM

And try not to teach granny how to suck eggs while you are at it :)

And I thought all along you were a young chick...video games, cartoons, and anime..sorry, I guess my assumptions were wrong.

So, in any case, flash news to you granny..we won the war..we defeated them both...and then out of the goodness of our old American goodense we rebuilt their countries and protected them against the communist hoards....

BTW I do not mind to upset you granny, so ...I gave up..you win! You are the master of history

Quote from: kkut on March 05, 2013, 07:04:32 PM
Who inspires me: All the young men and women who join the armed forces voluntarily knowing their service could cost them their lives.

That ^^^ is very much appreciated!! BTW there are not all "young," plenty of old foxes around.

Wow, this has turned into quite a strange thread. 

QuoteI'm glad he became a better person but - with respect - the man was no saint. He and his organisation sanctioned some pretty evil things that hurt a lot of innocent people, including a former boyfriend of mine who lost his both his hearing and his mother as a result of an ANC terrorist bombing in a family restaurant. So I have mixed feelings about Madiba.

I realize he was no saint.  He was in prison because he deserved to be.  Maybe not under such cruel conditions or for so long.  I think the thing that I find amazing is that a person with so much hate to begin with did not end up with more in the end.  I wonder if all I would think about every day is who I would kill the minute I got out. 

I must admit I don't know about the current state of affairs in South Africa.  Would it be better had apartheid stayed in place?  Could anyone else have led the transition any better?  These are not rhetorical questions.  There is a lot I don't know but would like to. 

History is fluid and is always written by the victors.

I ditched a forum over this sort of nonsense :)

Old men and their inherent need to argue a point into the dust.

I could take pictures of my extensive library where in lies the facts so many are not interested in accepting.

I could show you my equally detailed wargames collection and mention I have been studying the every last permutation of that conflict since the mid 70s.

I could even show you my old dogtags and point out I am an ex military individual.

But the truth is, I simply do not care if some wish to believe nonsense about the past. I won't live long enough to likely suffer through the conflict likely headed this way. Logic says there will be a tipping point. Those that forget the past are doomed to revisit it. Or your kids. The world of 1945 was NOT the politically correct world of today though.

Back in 1945, Japanese was spelled JAP and it was not spoken nicely. No one was really particularly interested in the future of Japan while fighting ashore on Guadalcanal, Saipan, Tarawa, Iwo and Okinawa to mention a few names the common person might have heard of. I won't waste time on place names no one will have seen in movies.

I feel sad for some of you, your education system has failed you.

But as I said, I ditched forums over this sort of thing, it has run it's course for me. You have had your say, further posts simply will be invisible to my eyes. Arguing history does NOT inspire me. It depresses me. I have seen too much of it accurately.

I'm not a grand parent just yet though, my son appears to know how to keep it in his pants better than my brothers boys :)

Quote from: peky on March 05, 2013, 06:58:31 PM
we won the war..we defeated them both...and then out of the goodness of our old American goodense we rebuilt their countries and protected them against the communist hoards....

Oh, Peky, I do so hope you weren't being serious here... it's hard for an old Aspie like me to tell.

America certainly helped, but they did not win the war. It's not as if everyone else bumbled around Europe like headless chickens for a couple of years before Bruce Willis swept in to single-handedly save the day. ;)

The goodness of your old American [hearts]? If only that were true... but the reality is that Britain has been heavily in debt for generations to pay for every single penny of that help, plus interest. We wound up paying back almost double the original loan in 50 installments, the final of which was paid in 2006. See here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6215847.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6215847.stm)

So whilst we are grateful for your assistance, it wasn't out of the kindness of your hearts and we paid you back in full, at enormous cost to our country and its prosperity. My parents were born after WWII; I was born after WWII; my children were born after WWII... and yet, we've all had to suffer a reduced quality of living because of this inherited debt.

Never doubt that any country that seems to rebuild another country out of the 'goodness of their hearts', does so ultimately for selfish reasons - usually financial or political gain. America certainly prospered from the aftermath of WWII, both financially and politically.

Quote from: FTMDiaries on March 06, 2013, 06:15:47 PM
Oh, Peky, I do so hope you weren't being serious here... it's hard for an old Aspie like me to tell.

America certainly helped, but they did not win the war. It's not as if everyone else bumbled around Europe like headless chickens for a couple of years before Bruce Willis swept in to single-handedly save the day. ;)

The goodness of your old American [hearts]? If only that were true... but the reality is that Britain has been heavily in debt for generations to pay for every single penny of that help, plus interest. We wound up paying back almost double the original loan in 50 installments, the final of which was paid in 2006. See here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6215847.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6215847.stm)

So whilst we are grateful for your assistance, it wasn't out of the kindness of your hearts and we paid you back in full, at enormous cost to our country and its prosperity. My parents were born after WWII; I was born after WWII; my children were born after WWII... and yet, we've all had to suffer a reduced quality of living because of this inherited debt.

Never doubt that any country that seems to rebuild another country out of the 'goodness of their hearts', does so ultimately for selfish reasons - usually financial or political gain. America certainly prospered from the aftermath of WWII, both financially and politically.

That's right. The Marshall Plan screwed everyone else and helped the US prosper. American goodness? Pfft... more like the ability to recognise how to make a quick buck.

Quote from: JulieC. on March 05, 2013, 07:58:24 PM
I must admit I don't know about the current state of affairs in South Africa.  Would it be better had apartheid stayed in place?  Could anyone else have led the transition any better?  These are not rhetorical questions.  There is a lot I don't know but would like to. 

I'm flattered that you'd like to know more. This is probably not the right place to go in-depth - as you said, this thread has gone a bit weird - but I'll try to briefly answer your questions and point you to more info.

Would it have been better if Apartheid had stayed in place? That's a very controversial topic, obviously. At the fall of Apartheid, the ANC promised prosperity to their voters. A lot of ANC voters thought they'd all be driving Mercs, eating caviar and living in posh houses, as promised by the Comrades... but of course that can't be the reality for everyone. As with any regime based on communism, those who know the right people have done very well out of the fall of Apartheid. But those at the bottom of the socio-economic scale have been left severely disappointed. Some of them have reported that they were better off under Apartheid. Isn't that strange? For all their faults, Afrikaners set up the Apartheid system as a way of having a 3-tier government for a 3-tier society at different stages of development, with each tier serving the specific needs of the people it served. That in itself is a good idea but obviously the execution left a heck of a lot to be desired. I wish I knew a better way to serve the different needs of various communities without discriminating against any of them. That having been said, I still believe we did the right thing in voting for the end of Apartheid. I just don't think the right system replaced it.

Could anyone else have led the transition better? Definitely. Democracy isn't a perfect system; majority rule only works in your favour if you're a member of the majority. Because black South Africans hugely outnumber South Africans of other cultures & races (and members of certain tribes outnumber other tribes), there is no way that such people can make their voices heard. So maybe some sort of coalition, with representatives of each culture, would have been better.

If you'd like to know more about everyday life in South Africa, might I suggest you try http://www.news24.com (http://www.news24.com) which is a South African news website. It's not always perfect but it will give you a very good overview of the sort of everyday events that are foremost in the minds of South Africans, such as government ineptitude, the murder rate, or the harrowing fact that South Africa has 65 000 rape cases per year.

By the way... I'd just like to point out the correct pronunciation of 'Apartheid', because so many people get it wrong. Ironically, it's pronounced 'Apart-hate'. Now, isn't that an easy way to remember it? ;)

Quote from: JulieC. on March 05, 2013, 07:58:24 PM
History is fluid and is always written by the victors.

I couldn't agree with you more. :)

Lovely end of the topic.

Call me a "screwhead," but I don't think this is going anywhere good.

Thank you very much.