I'll be heading to my beloved West Virginia this week and while this would normally bring joy to my heart, this particular trip will be filled with sadness and grief. A dear friend of mine, Margret Ann Smith, passed away today after a battle with cancer. Mags was the chef and owner of The Red Fox, the amazing restaurant I was blessed to work at for several years during the 90's. An amazing woman, Mags always made us feel so welcome and appreciated.
She watched over us all and during the Christmas season, when so many of us were far away from our families, she went out of her way to make us all feel like family. It's been over a decade since I lived there but not a day goes by that I don't think about those beautiful mountains and the place I love so much. I got to see her last October, a little over a year ago, and spent a lovely evening having dinner with her. As always, it was like I had never been away.
I will see many people that I have not seen in years and while it will be great to be with them, I just wish it were under different circumstances. I suspect that there will be a very large turnout this week as she had a large family in Elkins and loved ones all around the east coast. Most of the people I worked with have moved on to other places but I'm sure they will all find their way back to the mountains this week as we say goodbye to a dear friend. We love you Mags!
This is for you kiddo...
I Call Bullshit On This One
I love Salon, it's one of the best sites on the internet, but I have to call bullshit on http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/2010/10/13/trans_athletes/index.html. Citing a study, Salon says that...
It's possible I suppose that this is true but I find it very difficult to believe. I've been on hormones for over six years now, take massive dosages of anti-androgens and even though I've lost some muscle mass, I feel pretty confident that there are few women, save for elite athletes, that I couldn't out compete in just about any sport.
I can guarantee you that there is not one single female that I work with, many of whom are much younger and if truth be told, in much better shape than me, that could beat me in basketball, throw a football further, ski better, hit a baseball better, run faster, jump higher or lift more than I can. Not a one. Zip. Zilch. Zero.
I'm not saying this to brag or for any other reason save for the fact that I have the advantage of a body that was built by more than 30 years of testosterone. My skeletal system is bigger and stronger and all those years of living "male" simply conditioned me to be able to do those things. It's the way the human body is built and it's the way that most of our fellow animals are built. In nearly every single instance, the male of a species is bigger, stronger and faster. No amount of estrogen will change that.
I give you as an example my two border collies. Sammy and River are both the same age, separated by only a few months, but Sammy, my male border, is bigger, faster, more agile and a better athlete. He's not necessarily smarter, though he is a genius, but physically, he is built different and it's the same with me.
Okay, feel free to disagree but I stand by what I've said here.
It turns out, though, that there is no proof that transgender women have an automatic advantage. A report released earlier this month on transgender student athletes says...
It's possible I suppose that this is true but I find it very difficult to believe. I've been on hormones for over six years now, take massive dosages of anti-androgens and even though I've lost some muscle mass, I feel pretty confident that there are few women, save for elite athletes, that I couldn't out compete in just about any sport.
I can guarantee you that there is not one single female that I work with, many of whom are much younger and if truth be told, in much better shape than me, that could beat me in basketball, throw a football further, ski better, hit a baseball better, run faster, jump higher or lift more than I can. Not a one. Zip. Zilch. Zero.
I'm not saying this to brag or for any other reason save for the fact that I have the advantage of a body that was built by more than 30 years of testosterone. My skeletal system is bigger and stronger and all those years of living "male" simply conditioned me to be able to do those things. It's the way the human body is built and it's the way that most of our fellow animals are built. In nearly every single instance, the male of a species is bigger, stronger and faster. No amount of estrogen will change that.
I give you as an example my two border collies. Sammy and River are both the same age, separated by only a few months, but Sammy, my male border, is bigger, faster, more agile and a better athlete. He's not necessarily smarter, though he is a genius, but physically, he is built different and it's the same with me.
Okay, feel free to disagree but I stand by what I've said here.
Celebrate Good Times
Today is Native American Genocide Day, also known as Columbus Day. It's pretty much just one more day set aside for white people. In all seriousness though, it didn't have to happen that way.
Cold
It's hard to believe that it was 99 degrees just a little over a week ago. A Frost Advisory has been issued for all of the counties west and south of Louisville. The urban heat island in the city will keep us well above freezing tonight so no frost at my house. I can't remember the last year we had cold temperatures like this, so early in the year. Last year, we didn't get our first freeze of the year till the first week of December.
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