I was just told by a cop that my party was the most epic party they ever crashed

And from FML:

Today, I saw an elderly man fall in a crosswalk, so I jumped off my bike to help. As I helped him across, the light turned green. I then watched across a 6 lane street as someone stole my bike. FML

I realized, though, that while I can sit and read pages of TFLN or FML, I’m not actually able to handle more than a small sampling of GMH. The stories, counter-intuitively, kind of bum me out.

I think it’s because there’s a certain schadenfreude in FML: you get to see tales of people doing poorly. And there’s a voyeurism to TFLN: hearing about people’s foibles and sexual conquests. But GMH is about good things happening. So while one or two is endearing, pages and pages of good things, all happening to other people, just makes me realize that I’m sitting at my computer reading about ‘em instead of having them happen to me.

I fare pretty well at Urban Dictionary. Searching for Rebecca gives me this:

Obviously.

And this:

Also pretty nice

Indeed, all the definitions on the first page of results are pretty complimentary. But what about nicknames?

Searching for Becca brings up slightly less complimentary results:

It's not artificial, I promise.

And this:

Now I'm just confused...

Intrigued, I ventured on to Google, searching for “Rebecca looks like.” Here’s what that brought me:

False, bitch!

What the hell does that mean?

That's very sweet of you to say.

Any of y’all come up with fun stuff while searching for your names?

Since being bought out by the New York Times, 538 has gone from allowing the entire blog posts to be read in a reader to only offering a one-sentence teaser. I understand, from the NYT perspective, that they want advertising dollars. However, from my perspective, my RSS reader is my newspaper, custom built with authors and articles in which I find value. I don’t want to journey out of my paper. It’s as if, on page 3 of the Times, they said, “By the way! Check out this cool article in another magazine!”

No thanks.

The Homophobia Keeper – Homophobia in literature (particularly in sci fi and fantasy)

deviance, rape culture, and the courtroom – In cases where one is accused of rape, how does the presumption of innocence shape public perception differently than in other crimes?

The Complexity of Fluid Dynamics in Slow Motion – Warning! Objectification of women! (I don’t like myself for liking that link as much as I do…)

Schrodinger’s Rapist – I really like this post, and have used the concept to explain to some of my male friends how I view men differently now that I’ve transitioned, and am more aware of presenting myself as a woman.

Now for a funny video. She’s not actually bad looking to begin with, which is frustrating, but it’s still amusing.

Super Heroes vs the Westboro Baptist Church – I heard me some geeks!

Low cost health care in Chicago – Already used it to save about $20/month on my meds! Awesometastic!

NYT Ethicist’s dangerous advise on outing “transgendered” people – BOOO!!! (But go Feministing) (Also at Dating and “Disclosure”)

I’ve never been super successful at link shares here at The Thang Blog, but I’ll still give it a try. What fun things have you been reading or writing this week? (Or ever. I don’t do this consistently, so lets open it up!)

Lets pretend my bathing suit made me look like this.

Today was a beautiful, sunny, breezy, 90-degree day in Chicago. My roommate and I took advantage of the weather to sunbathe on the roof. (I think I’ve mentioned this before, but we have awesome landlords.)

I actually found a halter bikini top I like, so didn’t feel like a total fat blob, along with the bikini-bottom-underneath-short-trunks for a bottom. This marks, I think, the first time I’ve ever felt comfortable in a bathing suit. In my life. FTW! (No, you don’t get pictures. Neener neener neener.)

Unfortunately, CVS’s “Continuous Spray Sunblock” fails on all of its advertised features: It does not spray, it particularly does not spray continuously, and it only blocks the sun intermittently. Hence I have a dinner-plate sized burn on my tummy and boobs, as I enjoyably but regrettably chose to sunbathe topless. Which felt great at the time, but is now itchy and pink. (There’s a visual for ya!) Though, honestly, most of where I’m burnt wouldn’t have been covered my the top, so I don’t feel too much regret over my choice.

In any event, I’m sunburnt. (Sunburned? Sunned burn?) I have a sunburn. Summer is finally here!

Beating Heart Stress Relief Pillow – I’m embarrassed that I kinda want one of these… “Happy Gallbladder Removal” gift, anyone?

How To Accept A Compliment – I’m really bad at accepting compliments (self-esteem issues) so I appreciated this little list of tips.

Mighty Ms. – New feminist blog I stumbled upon.

Growing Up Skipper – A toy where lifting her arm caused her breasts to ‘develop.’ If only it were that easy…

Pixels and Spinning – Two awesome videos on YouTube

Self-censorship, or picking your battles – How presentation at work can be a political act

I hate MTF and FTM – These labels being used to reassert assigned gender, rather than identified. Good point, Lisa!

What have you been reading/writing recently?

First, I’d love to provide an opportunity for guest posts, if anyone is interested. If you have a topic you’d like to write on, let me know. If you have an older post from your own blog you’d like to expose to a wider audience (meager as that ‘wider audience’ may be!) let me know that, too. Shoot me an email at blog [at] fridaythang.com; I’d love to hear from you.

Likewise, if anyone has any questions for me they’re dying to have answered, or topics they would like to see me write on, I’m open to that, too. (Shamelessly stealing a page from Bond’s book.) Leave a question or a topic in the comments, or shoot me an email.

I hope to hear from you!

Recovery is slow, and tiring, and boring. Mostly been laying around, though I did go to work for a few hours today. It was exhausting (not in a bad way, just in a “I haven’t recovered my strength” way) but it made me feel like I’m a real person and not just a TV-movie-watching couch potato.

I’m going to take a nap, but I do have an open question: What exciting story should I use to explain my surgical scars? I have four nickel-sized holes on my tummy, and need a good explanation.