Minggu, 30 Desember 2007

Men Hairstyles: Haircare Tips

As hair loss issues become one of the most concerns of men, regardless of their ages. It is important for us to stress on hair care further (There was a earlier post on hair care tips, to find out earlier post, click here: man health: how to take care of your hair). Most of us are overwhelming by many ads for shampoos and styling products you see on television that claim to promote "healthy hair!" Let's get real, people!

There is no such thing as "healthy hair." Hair is basically made up of protein and keratin. The hair itself has no blood supply and no nervous system. Hair is not alive, so it cannot be "healthy" Because hair is not a living structure, it cannot repair itself and must be maintained properly to preserve strength, elasticity, and shine. Some shampoos and conditioners claim to "repair the damage" to your hair. They simply cannot. Once hair is damaged, the only way to "repair" it is to cut off the damaged length. The following are a few tips to keep your hair looking great... looking "healthy!"

Dry Your Hair

Towel Drying is one of the leading causes of damage to men's hair. Guys love to take a towel and rub that hair like crazy. The problem here is that when hair is wet, it is also very easily damaged. When "rubbing" the hair with a towel, some of the hairs become tangled in the threads of the towel and are stretched to the breaking point, causing damage to the cuticle and split ends. To minimize damage from towel drying, shake out the excess water and then stroke your hair with the towel in the direction it grows. This may take a bit longer but it's worth it.

Blow Drying is also a leading cause of hair damage. It can dry out the hair and scalp. We strongly recommend not to use blow dryer, but if you must blow, then you might want to follow these tips.

  1. To prevent damage from blow drying, apply a thermal styling spray to the hair. This will make it easier to comb and protect against heat damage.
  2. Make sure to hold the dryer 6-10 inches away from the hair and move it briskly from side to side. This will keep the hair from becoming damaged by heat.
  3. Avoid drying the hair completely. Leaving the hair slightly damp will prevent drying out the hair.

Easy On That Comb, Pal, when hair is wet, prevent damage by using a wide-tooth comb or brush. This will limit damage caused by the comb or brush pulling on the hair.

Wash in very hot water can dry out the hair and scalp. Take it easy on the heat.

Watch the Pool Water.Pool water contains chemicals that can dry, damage, and discolor hair. To minimize damage from chlorine and other chemicals, always wet the hair with tap water before entering the pool and wash with tap water after swim. This will help prevent your hair from absorbing water from the pool and wash away the chlorine or other chemicals after swim.

Avoid Chemical Abuse. Repeatedly coloring or perming hair can wreak havoc. Chemicals used to process hair can be very harsh to your hair and scalp.

Don't over wash. Feel free to shampoo daily, but extensive shampoo in a day could cause damage to your hair. Professional shampoos are designed to deposit softening agents, moisturizers and protect agents into the hair shaft. But, when you shampoo, concentrate on cleansing the scalp. The hair will be sufficiently cleansed by rinsing the shampoo out of the hair.


Balance diet. Eating well, drinking plenty of water, taking vitamins, getting plenty of sleep, and living a stress free lifestyle will promote faster growth of the hair. The hair is often a reflection of the entire body. A body that is healthy and well maintained will likely have hair that is strong, shiny, and "healthy looking."

Control Frizz. Frizzy hair is caused by a low amount of moisture and protein. To control frizz, use a good moisturizing conditioner. You can also apply a "smoothing" serum such to add shine and manageability.

So remember, all these tips are not one time event, but are continuous effort.

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HRC = Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Human Rights Campaign

“We're gonna win this one, take the country by storm,We're gonna be elected,You and me together, young and strong,We're gonna be elected.” — I Wanna Be Elected, Alice Cooper

With the Iowa Caucuses coming up in a few days and New Hampshire following a few days hence, I hope these early states, and indeed the entire country choose wisely for the rest of country, especially when it comes to the economy. After eight years of the Bush/Cheney and indirectly the Rove agenda, we as a nation are in dire need of righting this sinking ship.

At stake is the future of America, and domestically an embattled and pained middle class, working class and poor. True, there’s an enormous expenditure for war on at least one country (Iraq) that had nothing to do with terrorism on America or American targets. This alone dominates the budget.

Yet behind the scenes and little reported is how the nation itself is doing, particularly the lower 90 percentile and especially the most vulnerable lower strata of American society. Staples like gasoline, milk and home energy costs are just a few that have nearly doubled in the past couple years. Health care is becoming and expensive (and for some an unattainable) luxury. While costs are rising, wages are dead stagnant. Foreclosures, defaults and bankruptcies are at record levels. Meanwhile President Bush pronounces the economy “fundamentally sound.”

For we in the transgender community (the overwhelming majority of whom are in the lower 90’s grouping), there’s no hope at all from the R side of the ticket. This week on Meet the Press with Tim Russert, Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas (R) noted how he believed in the right of every American to the same opportunity and aspirations held in the American Dream.

Hearing Huckabee’s thoughts, the first thoughts out of my head was “what if this person is gay or lesbian? What if the person is transgendered?” Even though his message sounded all-inclusive, and may well be personally believed as all-inclusive, I can guarantee that if nominated his RNC (Republican National Committee) will ensure he disbelieves this statement post-haste. That goes for anyone nominated with an “R” after their name on the ballots. To the GOP, egalitarianism and social issues are poison – they are the anti-social party.

On the “D” side of the game, a friend wrote to me proudly claiming that Hillary Clinton has “four transgenders on her steering committee.” Not so fast, said I.

In the ten years of lobbying, I’ve personally visited Clinton’s offices four times. No, they weren’t ugly, such as Tom DeLay, Duke Cunningham, Charlie Stenholm or (worst of all) Trent Lott’s office.

Fact is that Clinton’s office was civil, but nothing more than perfunctory. You could find the same emotion from the items for sale at a fish market. For my friends in the gay and lesbian community, Hillary Clinton will be the second coming of Christ and will do wonderful things for them. For Transgenders, our future becomes very bleak as a result of all focus turned away from “Queer issues” after the gay and lesbian community gets their dream agenda fulfilled.

Clinton demonstrated her knowledge of transgender issues with her own wording back in 2001 (during an HRC published interview) was "I have not been told that (transgender issues) is a concern by my gay and lesbian friends."

How would that statement have been taken if she said “I’m unaware of African American issues as no one from the Anti-Defamation League has approached me on this”? Or “I don’t know Latino issues as no one from the NAACP were concerned about it”? I’d venture it would cause a stir. Why would it never occur to the Senator to go to the community directly on what our issues were, or the difficulties on housing, employment, health care, etc?

We in the transgender community would easily be painted with the “screaming tranny, always complaining” stereotype should we decide to voice opinion on this. Instead, we held our tongue trying to contradict the stereotype.

Later Clinton was posed a question from New York trans activist Melissa Sklarz on transgender inclusion in ENDA (Employment Non Discrimination Act). Sen. Clinton replied by saying that she supported gender identity inclusion in principle, but that she misgivings about supporting a bill that would place transitioned transgenders in “positions of responsibility”. Improvement? Sure. But is she a solid supporter of transgender employment? No.

"And if I am elected I promise the formation of a new party.
A third party, the Wild Party!
I know we have problems,
We got problems right here in Central City.
We have problems on the North, South, East and West,New York City, Saint Louis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago —
Everybody has problems,
And personally, I don't care." — I Wanna Be Elected, Alice Cooper

Out of all the candidates I’ve lobbied (Edwards, Kucinich, Biden, Dodd and Clinton), I must state that the least supportive of all the offices was Hillary Clinton’s. Admittedly I haven’t lobbied Obama’s office, and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico signed into law a non-discrimination including not only sexual orientation but gender identity – and did so with zero hesitation.

Kucinich and Edwards were the most supportive. I personally met Kucinich three times and visited fully with him twice, noting his historic mention of us in the 2004 election season. Sen. Edwards’ office (at least the legislative director) was the most candid. Thankfully he came out personally to let me know how the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) was lobbying, and how that was likely impacting us. He also challenged HRC on the approach of sexual orientation only when it was being advertised as “equality.”

Their candor was very welcomed in the transgender community, and also explained the pointed questions in the LOGO Network/HRC debate being directed at both Edwards and Richardson, and why all the softball questions (save for marriage which was asked of all) being directed toward Sen. Hillary Clinton.

For anyone not already aware, while HRC has not offered endorsements on candidates, Hillary Clinton is a lock-tight cinch for the HRC endorsement. It’s been a foregone conclusion since summer. Truth be told, she has a Clinton legacy she wants to right for the gay and lesbian community and will be the dream candidate of gay and lesbian America.

For those of us in the transgender community – 2% of the population at best – this spells a future of trying to gain our rights all by ourselves. While we’ve always been there at the gay and lesbian community’s leisure to bolster their numbers, once legally empowered they will leave us without the same ability to reciprocate in kind. HRC and others will take their traveling show (including the funding, the media attention, their numbers) with them to whatever is next on their agenda.
Per my contacts on the Hill, the Clinton presidency is exactly what they are scripting and strategizing for in the next session. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) has already stated and predicted passage of the Employment Non Discrimination Act (ENDA), which will be submitted as sexual orientation only.

This upcoming election is going to be one of the closest in both parties in recent memory. For once, even the transgender community – small as it is – can be a sizable enough percentage to throw the election from one candidate to another. Blindly siding with the gay and lesbian community agenda may well end up working against the transgender segment of the GLBT community.
Sen. Hillary Clinton will be the greatest candidate ever elected to the White House for the gay and lesbian community. Clinton will be HRC’s dream President. However, we in the transgender community are fully aware of HRC’s history on transgenders, and we should also fully understand the implications.

We need to consider what is best for the transgender community, and indeed all economically disparate communities as a whole. Who best represents our community? Someone who “works with corporate America”, as Sen. Clinton has inferred she will? Someone with a readiness to compromise with corporate America?

Frankly, I know disparities first-hand and would venture the well over 90% of the transgender community knows it and lives it. So far, the only candidate of the entire crop – on both sides – who’s addressed the disparities of elite vs. the remainder of us is Sen. John Edwards. He may not have a transgender person on his LGBT committee as yet -- at least not until I can figure a way onto it! However he’s the only candidate that’s not only raised the issues, but has committed to addressing the inequalities in this American experiment.

The inherent economic disparity makes a huge difference for me personally. If you’ve been part of Trans community negatively impacted by this “Economic Recovery” these past seven years, I wholly encourage you to take a look at the positions of your candidates and become actively involved in the political process for this coming presidential election season. I’ve been a national level delegate before; you can do it as well.

Meanwhile, don’t simply toss a victory to the candidate of HRC without understanding who the victory is truly benefiting – and how this will impact your own community in the coming four to eight years.

“Americans continue to suffer from a notoriously short attention span. They get mad as hell with reasonable frequency, but quickly return to their families and sitcoms. Meanwhile, the corporate lobbies stay right where they are, outlasting all the populist hysteria.” — Eric Alterman

“The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.” — Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction writer

Dress Shoes: Reveal the Secret of Your Personality

It might sound a bit corny, but the saying: You can tell a man by the shoes he wears, is very apt, it really is. It's as predictable as being able to tell how someone lives by their life indoors by their garden outdoors. Men might be better groomed today than at any time in the past but when it comes to shoes, many of them still haven't got a clue!There's nothing a woman likes to see more than a well groomed man, and that goes for hair, nails, and general attire, and that includes his footwear. Putting a scruffy and unkempt pair of shoes onto a clean and otherwise well spruced body from the ankles up, will mean that all that hard work into looking good has gone out of the window! Man dress shoes should be considered and extension to the feet. It's a mistake to think that the location of the feet will mean the shoes go unnoticed.So every man's wardrobe should include these basic dress shoe colors, as highlighted in my earlier post, black and brown along with a selection outside the basic color dress shoe for those "special occasions". As I mentioned in my earlier post, many folks skimp on quality footwear due to the price, but the high quality man dress shoes are eventually going to be more cost efficient than the cheap poor quality ones as they are simply not made to last.

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Jumat, 28 Desember 2007

How to Look For Your Perfect Fashion Dress Shoes?

Unlike women dress shoes, man shoes normally design with simplicity in mind. Hence, a pair of men fashion dress shoes normally will not out of fashion so quickly. Regardless, there are some factors that you need to keep in mind that will not only make your selection criteria easier but also help to insure that you get the right footwear.
  • Style and Fashion
The most important criteria during your selection process will be style and fashion of course. One obvious will be the color, the basics that every man should needs are the standard black and brown. Another color that you might want to consider is burgundy, which goes well with many different colors of khaki pants.

Within the dress shoe genre there are casual dress shoes that are really more like fancy moccasins and more elegant dress shoes made of elaborate exotic skins. Depend on what occasion and your dress code, you wouldn’t want to wear a casual dress shoes to attend a gala dinner at a 5 stars hotel ballroom. In short, your fashion dress shoes should be dressy depending upon what you wear with them and the occasion you are going to attend.

  • Durability
Men dress shoes details are the foundation in building and shaping the durability of dress shoes. It provides the comfort and firmness within that men are always sensitive about. So let go through some of the basic features.

Most men dress shoes are made of leather. It is important to know what constitutes good leather since this material covers about 80 – 90% of the dress shoe. Generally, base on layman’s sight and touch, we focus on a smooth with consistent fine grain on the leather for men fashion dress shoes details. The leather should feel rich and supple. Still it is difficult for any layman to assess the quality of leather unless you really know leather very well.

Hence, instead of trying to focus 100% on the leather itself, it should put some attention on the construction of the men fashion dress shoes such as lining, stitching, soles and heels.

Believe me, I would suggest you rather spend a little more money upfront for a good pair of shoes that will last several years than to pay $20 or $30 bucks for shoes that won't last one year or less.

  • Frequency
The frequency of shoes is going to be used is very important criteria in the selection process. Shoes that are worn infrequently don't necessarily need to be held to the same standards as those that are worn on a daily basis. For example, if you are wearing shoes that are only for seasonal formal occasions they might not necessary to be as comfortable or durable as if you were wearing them every day.

In other word, the biggest consideration in shoes that are worn daily should be support to give you comfort and prevent injury.

Lastly, whatever you choose be sure they are comfortable and durable so that they will feel good and last a long time.

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New Men Collection from Bill Blass New York

The former men’s fashion director for Bergdorf Goodman, Michael Bastian launched his own menswear collection in 2006 after noticing a void in the men’s designer market for classic American apparel produced at a luxury level and with a modern fit. He was a 2007 nominee of the CFDA Newcomer Menswear Designer of the Year award, as well as a recently announced finalist for this year’s CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund award. Attached here with his latest design for Spring 2008.“The opportunity to be part of the re-launch of the Bill Blass men’s line is incredibly exciting for me. He was always someone I greatly admired, and in my opinion, completely epitomized the idea of the American Gentleman – charming, engaging, caring, always beautifully put together, but in an approachable, loosened-tie sort of way. I am looking forward to reinterpreting these ideals for the modern customer,” said Bastian.Michael Bastian’s first collection with Bill Blass will be launched in Fall 2008.You can find out more from Bill Blass homepage.

Photo: Men.Style.com

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Kamis, 27 Desember 2007

Who is the most trusted man in Fashion?

YOU probably didn't notice, what with all the excitement about the return of "Project Runway," the release of a survey by a marketing company last week noting that Donald J. Trump had beat out Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan as one of the most trusted fashion names in America. That's right: Donald Trump, the real estate mogul, television star, hair aesthete and confessed "germ freak." Even the editors of Women's Wear Daily seemed to be in a state of disbelief, since their report of the news was buried on the inside.

It couldn't be true. Mr. Armani has worked his fingers to the bone to be a world-renowned designer; spent a fortune advancing the idea too. And what about Valentino, Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and those boys - what are their names? - Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana? They don't even make the list. Shut out of America. Ignored. Trumped. It's true.

The Donald J. Trump collection of suits, ties and dress shirts has been available for the last year at Macy's and other Federated department stores, a couple of hundred outlets in all. Terry J. Lundgren, the chief executive of Federated, has characterized the Trump apparel business as "an unbelievable runaway success." Mr. Trump doesn't design the clothes, he doesn't make them, and he doesn't spend a dime to promote them. And unlike most designers, he doesn't expend any effort trying to convince the American public that a billionaire, the keeper of Mar-a-Lago, the defender of capitalist culture, would dump his $5,000 Brioni suits in favor of his own $495 make. He wears his suits, which are produced for a royalty by a firm called Marcraft, but he also wears the other.

"I like Brioni; they treat me fantastically," Mr. Trump said last Friday from Florida, where he was watching a women's golf tournament at one of his clubs.

He may have been surprised himself to learn that he had done in a year of light lifting what has taken Ralph Lauren nearly 40 years to accomplish. That is, according to the survey, by Brand Keys, a marketing company in New York, his brand is seen as having the qualities that consumers most desire in clothes, namely comfort, style and fit. Brand Keys asked 500 adults, chosen from the nine census regions, to rate a total of 1,200 brands, ranging from banks and fast-food chains to apparel and consumer electronics.

Out of 50 fashion brands, however, only five ranked in the top category, called Human Brands, which simply meant that whether you hailed from a red state or a blue one, said "tomato" or "tumaytuh," you recognized values beyond the commoditized subsoil of price. The five were Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Victoria's Secret and, of course, Donald Trump.

A number of designer labels fell into a next-best category, called 21st-Century Brands, which suggested that names like Prada, Armani and Versace also resonated with consumers but without the same degree of meaning as the Human types. The inclusion in a third, more lowly category, Label, of Anne Klein, Bill Blass and Calvin Klein points up the staying power of a name long after the company's founder has died or retired and its product has struggled to be relevant.

Source: NYTimes.com

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Rabu, 26 Desember 2007

7 Men Fashion to avoid in 2008

Fashion trends are changing so fast recently, what was popular in last summer might no longer applicable today. So what are the fashion trends that made popular by fashion designers in 2007 that now you should avoid in 2008? I have listed 7 men fashion trends that in my opinion will slowing die-off. If you have something to add on, please feel free to drop me a note.
  1. Skinny Jeans for men
  2. Male V-neck T-shirt
  3. Bright shoes for men
  4. Man scarfs
  5. Giant sunglass
  6. Patent leather
  7. Metallics clothing


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Boxing Day Sale

So right after Christmas, here come the Boxing Day, so did you manage to get something on this Boxing day? In most of the Commonwealth countries, (except some of the Commonwealth countries in Asia). Boxing Day sales are just as much part of the festive season as candy canes. On December 26, shoppers line up outside stores, waiting in anticipation for the doors to open and for the 50%, 60% and 70% sales or even 80% sales to begin. The term originates in Victorian England, when the rich would box up gifts on the day after Christmas and bring them to the poor. In recent times, it has just come to mean Sale, Sale, Sale!

This year, Boxing Day came early -- at least in New York City. Sales started everywhere on the street: Gucci, Guess, D&G, Marc Jacobs, Barney's, etc. Even online retailers have been going on sale earlier than ever before.

So, does this must mean that retailers are desperate because US retail market is in the doldrums? Maybe, is too early to tell, but one thing for sure, you don't want to miss this crazy sale on this Boxing Day.

Senin, 24 Desember 2007

Want Ads: Looking for Mr. or Ms. Goodbar

Help Wanted: Transgender Political Insider, No Experience Necessary – Will Train!
Need individual with a smiling face and a Can-Do Attitude! Personal Ambition a serious plus! Must take directions well. Must be able to learn public relations marketing from a gay and lesbian perspective (Marketing experience a huge plus) Must like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Gay and Lesbian Equality. Must possess ability and willingness to both raise funds or to be able to attract leads for fundraising for HRC. Can easily substitute a great personal story (author of an autobiography or esp. high-profile job loss, lawsuit or hate crime victim) for fundraising skills.

To be filled: Immediately.

Very competitive salary commensurate with other transgender activist salaries, plus perks! We are an EEOC employer. Only transgendered applicants, preferably white, docile and above-average income need apply.


Yes, the above is a satirical take on what’s actually happening right now. HRC is in desperate need of superficially plastering over the era of discontent in Transgender, and subsequently adjacent portions of the GLB community. They can’t be without a throw-down tranny to upkeep the façade of plausible deniability.

Since Mara Keisling’s tirade last month on both HRC and Joe Solmonese in the Gay City News, where she came right out and stated, “Yes, they totally abandoned us … but even worse was all the lies,” HRC’s been in motion. In an effort to keep the Transgender Community fractious and distracted with ourselves, HRC realized they needed a new leader – the next alpha-dog to bring to the fight.

While Keisling had served them well over the years marketing their agenda like no one before, over time she’s learned the reality. We all come into activism as clean slates, and for some awareness are stark and swift. For others, it’s an osmosis that takes time to gradually clarify. Now Mara sees what we ‘crazy naysayers’ were trying to warn her of six or seven years back and has taken her first steps to try to counter the HRC effect. HRC also realizes they need a replacement part for NCTE.

Thus we have Project Win-Back I wrote about in a previous blog. Word recently went out that Barney Frank was coordinating a joint effort to lobby congress with a handful of unnamed transgender community “business” leaders, ostensibly led by Susan Stanton, the Largo, Florida City Manager who was fired for transitioning. While HRC is not explicitly mentioned, it’s got their fingerprints all over it, while very deftly keeping a low profile.

“What I really need to do
Is find myself a brand new lover,
Somebody real nice to me
Who doesn't notice all the others.” — Brand New Lover, Dead Or Alive


So why does this signal HRC “looking for a new love”? For starters, Mara Keisling and NCTE is in Washington DC proper, well-experienced, and has even joint-lobbied with HRC for some time. That she’s not named as the lead on that effort would never occur if she were involved.

Additional reason to see a circumvention by HRC: In late 2001 and 2002, this is exactly what they did with Mara Keisling a year before ushering her in as the go-to transgender leader for HRC a scant year later. Riki Wilchins was still around, though out-of-favor with them. NTAC was around and certainly not swayable by the HRC marketing team. They needed a “transgender leader” that they could work with – one who passed their mettle. In 2002, Mara Keisling fit their bill and would eagerly circumvent. Five years down the road, and now it’s Mara and NCTE that HRC wishes to circumvent. At the moment, it appears to be Susan Stanton to fit their bill.

When you wake up tomorrow
You'll be all alone
Oh the love that we had
I have quickly outgrown — Brand New Lover, Dead Or Alive


As HRC sees it, they need to choose the transgender leader / liaison they feel most comfortable with. The key traits they seek in their transgender leaders are agreeability, docility and willingness to compromise. They cannot tolerate a leader becoming aware and actually challenging them. Mara’s now surpassed that threshold for them.

One thing strangely never occurs to HRC. How is it that they feel the right to anoint another community’s leadership?

Some years back, when Exec. Dir, Elizabeth Birch left, HRC board member (and a friend of mine) Tony Varona asked me for my opinion on who HRC should consider to replace her. I refrained from any opinion on that. I felt strongly then and still do today that we should not pressure or manipulate their community’s organization or who their community chooses for their leadership. It’s not our place. They, as should every community, must have the right to self determine and choose freely – good or bad. If they choose unwisely, tell them afterwards about why the choice is bad – but still allow them the right to choose.

Yet HRC has an addiction to meddling in trans affairs, tweaking and steering – sometimes quite heavy-handedly – our community. And it always blows up in their face, and the trans community becomes that much more resentful of them, and they still don’t seem to understand why – or perhaps want to ignore it. Why have a voice when we can have them decide what our voice will be?

As Jessica Xavier taught me in a phone conversation about six years ago, HRC is in the business of Political Management. It’s not about advocacy or civil rights as much as it is about ‘managing’ the sociopolitical environment to help mold public opinion favorable to the gay and lesbian rights agenda. They have not just a desire or an addiction to control, it’s in their very business description. It’s their job.

Therefore it’s easier to see why they feel need to choose our leaders for us, why they need to tell us what is inclusive language and how is the best way to achieve it, why they need to instruct us on what is politically feasible.

It’s not easier for us to take, much less accept. This is not only dismissive, but it’s flagrantly arrogant. Knowing their calculated nature, and watching their movement patterns, I’m relatively certain they intend to not only get their slate of items on their political agenda (yes, we’ll be left out), but then move to co-opt “transgender” and make it their next cottage industry in an effort to keep the paychecks and funding rolling in. As a bonus, they get more media face-time, and stand above us as self-envisioned heroes leading we hapless trans folk to our equality (and to craftily manage to assuage any former guilt).

So HRC will bring in a whole slew of fresh new transgender faces for the next wave. They can always find names like a Dana Beyer, Amanda Simpson, Susan Stanton or others with little to no awareness of, or a healthy disdain of trans history, willing to soak as would a sponge all the gospel HRC can impart. With enough personal ambition to put the blinders on and leave them on for as long as possible, they may even find another as effective as Mara was for them.

And Mara herself? HRC will keep her close by. They’ll relegate her to Riki Wilchins’ status and utilize her on one-off ventures – mostly as a reminder for the newest trans leaders to “stay in line,” the same way they’d pull Riki in to remind Mara of her place in the political world according to HRC.

It’s all to help HRC further their agenda while keeping the Trans community at bay, creating more opportunities for mistrusting our own and developing more self-loathing. And eventually, when the sponge becomes saturated and disgorging the water it soaked in, it’ll be time for HRC to look for a brand new one to replace it.

“Reality Bites … and sometimes those who reality’s bitten deserve every last bit of it.” — transgender activist Jessica Xavier, 2001

Men Fashion: Asian Street Fashion



Short and Sweet? Maybe. For Now ….

“Neat. Sweet. Petite.” — theme from the TV show, The Addams Family

Between the long hours at work and my weekly blogs, I do actually try to read a portion of my Emails. It’s sort of a losing battle, but I give it the game attempt when time allows. A couple of my Emails concerned my blogs and offered critiques. The first one thought my posts were fine, but that there was nothing in it about me – none of my own “personal thoughts” about my life. The second one commented on enjoying my posts, but questioned why all of my posts had to be “such epic screeds”! She also noted how the length was a “bit wearying” and wanting more frequent, shorter posts. Well!

For starters, I’ll admit I’m relatively new to the blog game and not really studied on this – or for that matter, much of any web surfing, save for news and political sites such as Thomas. That of itself probably lends itself to boring political subject coming from my quarters.

As for the first commenter’s query, I really never thought of posting anything of a personal nature. My thought was “who the hell cares?” The name of my blog is TransPolitical – not TransAutobiographical or My Diary or Deep Thoughts by Vanessa Edwards Foster. They’re my thoughts, and everyone’s got their own. Why would anyone want to read my personal musings? I might as well create my own website all about me! Yeah … I’ll think about it some day.

Mostly it just came across as too self-important, as if my own life and experiences are so much more interesting or something. Now I’ve got others like Ken Dollarhide or Ethan St. Pierre who’ll chide me otherwise and say what I’ve been through is interesting, but I’m not an easy sell on that. What I’ve noted in my personal journal was for me (mainly for memory notes) and to my knowledge not of interest to anyone beyond the closest of friends – if that.

That said, I’ve actually read and enjoy the personal touches and tidbits on Betty Crow and her wife Helen’s blogs, or Donna Rose’s blogs, as well as Gwen Smith’s and Dr. Becky’s websites. Obviously there’s little time for me to keep up with them, but when I do I find the personal items quite interesting. And even on websites, which I considered vanity vehicles in the day, nowadays Facebook and similar sites are becoming quite popular

So I suppose I am holding a dual standard on that. Maybe someday I’ll try to find time to put a separate spot for my personal musings. Honestly, it won’t be a priority though – sorry about that.

As for the other respondent, I really wasn’t aware I was being that long-winded. That took me aback a bit, and I asked around to a couple others. Sure enough, they agreed – shorter and more frequent posts are better. All I was attempting to do was to be thorough, and not misconstrued due to brevity. I was on the receiving end of such a misinterpretation once with Sylvia Rivera, and it was not pretty. I learned.

So with me being known for stubbornness, obviously I figured: let’s give it a shot. I’ll try to be a bit less screed-like (is that a word?). But it’ll take some effort. And I would imagine I may, from time to time, have need of being a bit more elaborative if the subject calls for it. But I suppose every post doesn’t need to be an editorial length epic on each post.

Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief..." — Hamlet, Scene 2, Act 2 by William Shakespeare

Minggu, 23 Desember 2007

DKNY 2008 Spring Collection






Man Fashion: Color Matching

Just wonder how many of you here are facing problem when try to match your favorite color shirt with your pant? or you are thinking of buying some new clothes to match with your pants, jean, shoes etc? No worry anymore, now there are alot of online color matching tool which was initially design to help those website designer to design their website, but nevertheless, I have started to use some of the online programs and found that's actually be working very well.

Here are just two of the online color matching schme websites that I visited most often.

  1. colorschemer.com
  2. colorblender.com
Enjoy matching.

Sabtu, 22 Desember 2007

Richest Lady Want Perfect Man for Christmas

After so many man fashion, design and style, I believe some of you might wondering what else you can find here? Well, of course some topic to gossip about. So what is the world most famous, richest, sexy single lady want for Christmas?

Paris Hilton has just one thing on her wish list--a perfect man.

Hilton is said to be desperate to settle down and start a family and is hoping she'll get what she wants over the holiday season.

When asked what she wants for Christmas, Paris told Germany's Vanity Fair magazine: "A man to fall in love with, one for life. Someone that I can start a family with."

Do you think she is just dreaming or this can be reality? So any taker or volunteer here?

Source:hollyscoope.com

Jumat, 21 Desember 2007

Men Fashion and Football

Most of the guys like football, of course there are some exception, but do you know what are our soccer superstars fashion style like? Here are some of famous soccer superstar's fashion trends, so what is your favorite soccer superstar?






Rabu, 19 Desember 2007

How to Maintain Your Style and Saving account

I used to wonder how my colleagues could afford the latest and greatest fashions. Despite the fact that we all took home the identical meager salary, they walked in the door every week with a new outfit. I walked in the door with the shirts and khaki pants. It took a few decades before I realized that their clothes were actually owned by Visa and MasterCard. This was a realization I made without ever looking at their credit card statement. I could see the stress in their eyes. By the time they paid off that latest clothing set, those sets are out of style. Then we are on a Fashion Hamster Wheel.

However, one of my colleague James was different. He was always tastefully dressed, his clothes predating the next fashion trend. Almost every time I asked him where he got his clothes he told me he bought them at a thrift store. There was something else about James's style that no one else had - serenity, mean he had ZERO DEBT. He was in full control of his spending and it was palpable.

James clearly had his own sense of style. With a little creativity and a small investment of time, he was able to act on it. I'm not quote you have to forego shopping at your most approved stores to be able to afford a big item like car or house. What I am proverb is - instead of desperately searching for the exact jean tom Cruise wore to his latest movie premier and paying bank for it off the rack - be a little daring and create your own style based on what you may afford.

Defining your own style takes instant and it evolves. Read fashion magazines, watch movies and see what you like. But instead of mimicking what you see, adapt it. Learn to trust your instinct. Learn what looks grand on your body structure (very important). Every time you see a young gentleman wearing fashion jeans that obviously shouldn't be, take it as a reminder that not every fashion trend is for everyone.

Fashion isn't about conforming - its about creating.

Man Fashion: Fashion in Holiday Dos and Dont's

Why is it that whenever you go to a holiday party, you can always find someone who doesn't look how you would expect? Is it because you think they over did their fashion, or is it a touch of envy?

Beauty queen or fashion disaster, its up to you. If you want to shine for this holidays, take note of these dos and don'ts to spruce up your look and receive raves from your friends and family.

Fashion Dos

Do Experiment.

Check out the latest in fashion trends and give them a try. This will update your look and chances are, you will find something that enhances your skin tone and flatters your figure.

Do accentuate your finer features.

Play up your best features while drawing attention away from your problem areas. For example, do you think you have good body build up? wear some tight shirt to show off your body shape.

Do consult professionals.

If you're the do-it-yourself kind of guy, you can benefit from professional opinions now & then. Why not get a makeover for the holidays? Keep in mind, salons are booked tightly for the holiday season, so call well in advance for your appointment and make use of your time in the waiting room looking through magazines for updated hairstyles and fashion that best suit you.

Do simplify your beauty routine.

Unless you're headed out to a holiday party, forgo unnecessary extras that take up valuable measure . Keep your hairstyle simple and build-up to natural colors that will look smart with anything you wear.

Fashion Don'ts

Dont be afraid of change.

Dazzle your friends with a new look. Whether its a new hairstyle, hair color, or just a dress, you will get attention! Think of it this way, models look different for every shoot and are very versatile. Don't they always look efficient?

Don't wear too much accessories

There's a fine line between a little more and excessive. Depend on what kind of occasion you are going to attention, too much accessories such as earrings, rings, messenger bag, bangle etc might consider over do like Christmas trees.

So do remember these few dos and don'ts, which will help you to shine in your own style in this holiday session.

Selasa, 18 Desember 2007

2008 New Year eCard

As Christmas and New Year is just at the corner, if you have not send out any greeting cards by now, why not consider sending Christmas or New Year e-cards to your friends, relatives and love one instead and play your role as environmentalist.

Here are the two e-cards with style from LoveCards.com

Merry Christmas



New Year



Senin, 17 Desember 2007

2008 Men Hairstyle

If you are looking for 2008 hairstyle trends, here are some hairstyles that made populated by prominent artists for your reference.











Related Link:

Man Fashion: Skirt for Men

A kilt is a traditional garment of modern Scottish and Celtic culture typically worn by men. Kilts exist in various modern forms, and in forms inspired by the historical garment, including:
  1. The modern form of the traditional Scottish garment;
  2. The historical form of this same Scottish garment (cf. History of the kilt);
  3. Various other national forms of the kilt, such as the Northumbrian kilt, Irish kilt, Welsh kilt, Cornish kilt, and the Contemporary kilt;
  4. Certain types of school uniform skirts for girls
At modern-day Highland games gatherings in Scotland and elsewhere, the modern version of the traditional Scottish kilt is much in evidence. Historical forms of the Scottish kilt have differed in several particulars (some quite substantial) from the modern-day version. With reference to the Scottish kilt, the organizations that sanction and grade the competitions in Highland dancing and bagpiping all have rules governing acceptable attire for the competitors. These rules specify that kilts are to be worn (except that in the national dances, the female competitors will be wearing the Aboyne dress).
With a simple search, you can easy find a number of websites related to this. I am personally find the following websites more relevant.