Hello 
I'm Siobhan Curran/Kisa Naumova, and this is my weblog. I tend to write about stuff like crossdressing, Macs, code, cats, wine and Second Life, but in general it's just an ongoing conversation about all sorts of stuff. If you'd like to know a little bit more about what this all is, I recommend starting on this page which has a little bit of info on who I am, and what I'm trying to do — or you could dive into my five years worth of archives if you like.
Otherwise, feel free to close this box and explore...
Did You Know
...that, according to Google Trends the region most interested in 'goatse' ... is Finland?
Thanks Wikipedia.
Sparkle Auction
Whoo! Excitement! Fundrasing!
As subscribers to the UK Angels mailing list (and other fine TV-based web products) will no doubt already know, there's currently an auction on Ebay to raise funds for this year's Sparkle.
Full details at the above url, however I'd like to draw your attention (in a completely self-plugging and shameless way, natch) to this item, it being the print of this:
I should, perhaps, point out that this isn't one of the Giclée prints that you can buy from these guys (more shameless plugging) — it's a full-blown original Digital C Type, and I only ever have one of each made.
Can I also recommend the Full make-over and photoshoot at The Boudoir — even if you're not a trannie, because it would be a hell of a lot of fun 
Susan Callan
That's great. BUY MY PICTURE DAMMIT 
On The Joy Of Being Wrong
I dunno about you, but I've noticed a trend within blogging for a while — the seemingly inherent need for a poster to feel that what they write is The Absolute Truth From Which There Can Be No Deviation™
I suppose this happens primarily with weblogs that espouse themselves as being somehow opinion-based — weblogs that seem to revolve around the author's (mostly misguided) belief that they hold the keys to a better understanding of humanity. And bugger me, they're going to shout about it until the rest of us accept their logic.
Actually, thinking about it, it's not soley restricted to weblogs. Every text-based internet expression-medium suffers (I feel) from exactly the same thing. You can see it in newsgroups, mailing lists, forums (one in particular), chatrooms, and anywhere else that people congregate to spout nonsense ideas.
I was watching something I saved a long time ago earlier — a programme on BBC3 about "the trouble with young people". Essentially, it was a Middle-England, Daily Mail-based ranting of some frumpy Middle Class woman, intent on using the words "decent people" and "common sense" and "lack of discipline by parents" as much as she could.
But it sparked a train of thought in my head, along the lines of "I bet that she thinks that if she says this out loud, then everyone will agree and the world will become a better place". And it struck me that in the past, I've been prone to exactly the same thoughts. Not the insanity inspired by the Daily Mail, but the idea that if I only find the right words, then everyone will agree with me, and we can start making a difference to this unjust world.
The thing is though, as well as not being able to find the right words, most of the time that I go off on a bit of a rant, I'm proved wrong.
For example, my vehement insistance that "All Transvestites Are Driven By Sexual Feelings™" has been repeatedly (successfully) argued against. My "I Am Fab And The Rest Of You Are Just Boring™" beliefs have, over and over again, been proven wrong.¹
I've been wondering about this one for a while, and it occurs to me that there's a fundamental aspect of blogging (or forumming, or mailistting) as it currently stands that feeds this feeling of 'rightness'.
Blogging is, essentially, non-ephemeral.
Everything we write, everything we think, everything we commit to keyboard is visible to every single bot and web-searcher out there. So we're reluctant to change our minds about something, for fear of someone pointing out that we've contradicted ourselves.
And all that leads to, is pointless reiteration of themes and ideas that we've had in the past, garnished with a total lack of us wanting to 'lose face'.
Well bollocks to that. Wrong is good. Wrong is fun.
The advantages of admitting to yourself that sometimes you're wrong, is that you learn new stuff. If you write with the express disclaimer emblazoned on your forehead that you might not actually be right, then fun will ensue.
All over the Intarweb, I've seen heated discussions that have gone past the booundaries of 'debate' and entered the dizzy world of "I'm not prepared to lose face" — discussions that would be so much more interesting if both parties admitted they were both wrong, and learnt from each other.
This is, incidentally, why most weblogs are shit. The authors assume that they are the sole guardians of human experience, and whatever they say is Undeniably Right™. To question them is heretical. To offer up an alternative viewpoint is unthinkable.
The minute that the majority of the world accept the idea that Most Of Us Are Different™ and Have Had Different Experiences™, the sooner we'll get rid of this outdated notion that I know runs through the vast majority of webloggers heads:
If the whole world just thought the same as I do, then everything would be OK.
Thinking that you might be wrong is one of the most wonderful emotions in the world, superceeded only by actually being proved wrong.
Because every time you're proved wrong, you learn something new, and learning new things is the whole point to human existence.
Although I'm prepared to be proved wrong on that one.
¹ I made that one up. I don't really think that. Not very often anyway. Sometimes. Maybe. Just a little.
Is this a prelude to something?
No, not really. It's just a thought that's been festering for a while
Although, having said that, I suppose it could be some kind of prelude to a tirade against certain blogs that I happen to think are a waste of bandwidth — mostly blogs that I find during my whoring-moments of self-promotion, but also ones closer to home.
BUt I think I'll never have the right amount of 'presence of self' to pull that off — so I'll just rant internally about them, and let everyone else be none-the-wiser.
Maybe.
but also ones closer to home.
HA. I knew you hated me!
You've not been on Blog Explosion have you? That is a depressing place to go, so many political blogs so little original thought and as you said not open to debate or admitting mistakes or errors.
I don't like admitting I'm wrong (just ask Becky) it's human nature I suppose. But the political blogs tend to be read by those who agree with the main stances of the writer so they are living in a hemetically sealed world of fellow thinkers.
But I'm the same and I'm willing to bet most people are too, almost all the blogs I read are either by trannies or are tranny friendly, they are socially liberal even if some are more to the right economically and politically than I am. And I like that because blogging is conversation and entertainment for me. I'm sure that for others they read blogs for the arguments but can get the teeth grinding fury at work, I'm surrounded by Daily Mail readers.
No, no, that's all wrong.
That whole "I might be wrong" thing — it's one of the things I love most about blogging, when someone (a commenter, an email correspondent, the person who comes up to you at a gig and says "are you that opinionated git, who...") actually points out the inconsistencies and errors in my thinking. And frequently I spot it myself — I look at something I wrote six months or a year ago, and realise that I was either wrong (or at least, I think now that I was wrong then) or, that I've just changed my mind, or stance, or underwear, or something.
I'd sooner read the ramblings of an idiot who knows they're an idiot than the outpourings of a konw-it-all who doesn't. And I'd sooner be the former than the latter.
"konw-it-all"? know-it-all. Sheesh — don't bother pointing out that I can't type for toffee.
I know it's totally 'off topic' (when has that ever stopped me); but I just wondered if you've seen the Trannie-Glasses™ ad. on the telly? It's for an opticians (Vision Express?) who are running one of those 'two for one' promo's, and goes something like this: Guy zooming about avoiding pursuit. He looks trapped — oh no! Steps back into the shadows, swaps his glasses AND HIS GENDER. Emerges from the gloom and walks calmly, unnoticed, past his pursuers.
This got me thinking (and not just the obvious 'where can I get a pair of THEM?'). I mean it's kind of 'positive', and not the usual, cringe making, 'burly blokes in floral frocks' thing. Is it possible that we've successfully infiltrated the advertising medium and are subtly putting a message across? Nah! More likely somebody has seen us as an un-tapped market, and lacks the balls to just say, "Trannies, buy a pair of boy-bin's from ??? and get a pair of sissy-specks absolutely free."
However, if you do know where I can get...
Alli' Cat'
Are we wrong, or do we just develop different perspectives — the problem, as I see it is when we close our minds to alternative perspectives. An allied issue is the espousing of absolutes — very dodgy ground!
Probably hasn't added anything to the debate, but glad to see it raised.
Surely though whenever someone expresses an opinion on their blog it's just that — their opinion. I wouldn't have said that everyone should necessarily agree with it. Why would anyone express an opinion that they didn't agree with themselves — that wouldn't make much sense. Also, if one were to leave remarks disagreeing with other people's views accusations of "Troll" would come rolling in before long. It really depends on the style in which one expresses oneselves (sorry — grammar probably all wrong) — if it's put as opinion it looks okay, if it's presented as fact it looks smug and conceited.
Tidy
Personally, my blog is about capturing my experiances, recording my journey. It may not be obvious to the reader (you know who you are) but I can see how my outlook and opinions have changed since the blog started.
So I totally agree, change can be good. Can help you grow. But then I guess in something like a political blog, where a "right" opinion is being put forward it may be harder to admit that you've gone down the wrong track. Admitting you made a prat of yourself while out on a Saturday night is much easier!
Gone quiet round here, where is everyone??
It's the proverbial Preston Front!
Beki
The bidding for the photoshoot is fun. I think one person put in 6 bids in a row, just to get past my £300 bid.