the phoenix light rail system is having it’s grand opening today. many special events are scheduled, and the rides are free until the new year. needless to say, it’s packed today, but we stopped by one of the stations to get some pictures of the historic event. oh, and pardon my artistic license with a bit of photoshop on the above image.

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and yeah, i have a lot of airing of grievances.

via the bbc news:

Pope Benedict XVI has said that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.
He explained that defending God’s creation is not limited to saving the environment, but also protecting man from self-destruction

read the whole article. it speaks for itself. apparently, the pope finds himself at odds with the united nations.

it seems that not only gun sales are through the roof. this past weekend, i stopped off at cabelas to pick up some ammo. they had no minimag .22 hp ammo left. none. i almost picked up some 9mm ammo there, but the check out lines were too long, and i figured i’d stop by sportsman’s warehouse and get that blazer ammo for less anyway.

so i stopped by there yesterday. the ammo shelves were bare. they had one sleeve of mini mag .22 hp ammo left. originally, i thought i’d get a couple hundred rounds. i got all they had - 500 rounds. they had no 9mm ammo at all. no blazer, no remington, no winchester, no magtech, nothing. i couldn’t believe it.

apparently, all those people who bought guns are also buying lots of ammo.

navi pillay, un high commissioner for human rights, said in this article:

Those who are lesbian, gay or bisexual, those who are transgender, transsexual or intersex, are full and equal members of the human family and are entitled to be treated as such.

The ageless cliché that everyone is equal but some are more equal than others is not acceptable. No human being should be denied their human rights simply because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. No human being should be subject to discrimination, violence, criminal sanctions or abuse simply because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

what a concept. lgbti people are human beings, deserving of human rights. where’s the “film at 11″?

i’m watching the latest episode of the sarah connor chronicles on fox on demand. this episode appears to cast a trans woman in a role in which her trans-ness isn’t the main focus of her character. she’s just a regular person. she’s not killed, or raped, or a sex worker. yet, anyway - i’m only half-way through the episode. i just had to stop watching and blog about it.

ok, perhaps i spoke too soon. but still, i see this as a good thing.

i came across this press release through google news proclaiming “Cross-Dress/Transgender Niche Retailer Beating the Recession”. i began reading with interest. the press release goes on to say how Genie, The Crossdress Store is doing well during these difficult economic times by catering to “cross-dressers, transvestites, transsexuals and transgenders”. i was particularly interested when i read:

“Retailers like Genie, The Crossdress Store, don’t sell luxuries. They sell the every day items of people’s lives - and people don’t stop living their lives because of recession. As a niche retailer, you just have to tailor your messages and your product line to reflect your customers’ needs.”

i was intrigued. after seeing so many on line stores that cater to crossdressers with outrageous prices and nothing more than club wear or costumes, i thought i may have finally found a place that offered tall and skinny pants or actual long sleeve shirts at a reasonable price that would fit my body. you know, being tall and skinny with long arms. i do a lot of shopping at my local tall girl shop which does offer a modest selection for tall and skinny women like myself, but the prices are pretty high, so i often must wait for their clearance sales.

so i went to genie’s site, and this is what i found:

now, perhaps things are different in canada, where the genie store is located. i spent a couple of weeks in montreal several years back receiving some medical treatment, and i don’t remember any of the women walking around in these types of outfits. but then again, i really didn’t get out much. but i can tell you that if i showed up at work in any of these “every day clothes”, i’d be fired. and $156.00 for a skirt? i could buy two pair of designer jeans at tall girl for the regular price, and i could actually wear them to work. or if i wait for the sales, i could buy a weeks worth of clothes.

it just seems to me that genie is yet another attempt at exploiting the trans community. what a disappointment.