Serena

TFW halfway through my morning latte on a day I thought had no appointments, when I get a reminder to leave for the dentist in 20 minutes. I can do this. Coffee, dress, brush teeth. in 17 minutes. Eminently possible. 16 minutes..

Today is my coronation day (crown placement for a missing tooth) but first it is time to get my torso lasered! #TransVisibility #TransJoy #transselfie

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but I know that it was very helpful for me to hear. If you want to be a girl, you can just be a girl. If you want to be a boy, you can just be a boy. If you want to be something other than a boy or a girl, you can just be that. There are no rules. You don’t have to be what other people want you to be. You don’t have to dress any particular way. You don’t have to have a particular body shape or have certain body parts to fit someone else’s definition. You don’t have to talk a certain way. All of the rules and laws and gatekeeping are designed to keep you from being who you know you are and from finding out who that is. They can make it harder, but they can’t stop you from being you. Anyone who says otherwise is a gatekeeper trying to exert power over you. You are beautiful. You deserve to be you. You are worthy of love and care. Be you, and your people will find you. #TransRightsAreHumanRights

Some things need to be said to my sister dolls:

1. You can cut your grass, using whatever implements you wish.
2. You can enjoy cutting your grass.
3. You can wear hiking boots with a sun dress.
4. Yes, you can cut your grass in a sun dress!*
5. It is also acceptable to let someone else cut your grass while you sit back and watch. Doll’s prerogative!

Hydrate! Watch your footing! Wear sunscreen! Check for ticks!

*(Note, this is not a recommendation or advice that you should do this. Wearing any clothes with draped or hanging portions around machinery with moving parts adds substantial risk of personal injury.)

TL;DR Don’t make americanos with the water from the steam boiler tap on the espresso machine. Something something dissolved gases. I am currently drinking a Steamed Americano à la James Hoffman, and I have to admit, it is a remarkably drinkable cup of coffee. Far better than traditional Americanos made with the hot water out of the espresso boiler tap that have always tasted flat and bitter to me. This one really does taste like a black coffee version of a cappuccino! Steamed Americano ​1. Brew your espresso and skim the crema—this will be easier if you let your espresso rest for a minute. ​2. Add 160g of water to your pitcher (the colder the better, you’ll have more time to steam), followed by your espresso. ​3. Steam together until 60-70°C. Pour and enjoy! He also has a recipe for an iced Aerocano that I intend to try this afternoon when the weather warms up a bit more. https://www.patreon.com/posts/156675745 #Coffee #WeirdCoffeeScience

In how few words could you explain what “discretion is the better part of valor” means to you? Bonus points for sharing your explanation/definition in a comment. #Poll

I am all for configurability, but it can result in confusion. I changed the Siri Voice on my devices. Which worked great until I did text to speech, and got the old voice. It turns out, in addition to the Siri Voice setting, there are three other voice settings in iOS! If you want to know where all the settings are, here you go: Siri Voice - the voice used when the Siri assistant responds to you or announces your notifications Accessibility, Live Speech - the voice used when you want your device to speak what you are typing to it. This could be a great place to use a Personal voice, though I’m not sure I have ever used live speech. Accessibility, Read & Speak - voice when you select some text and have it read aloud. Accessibility, Switch Control, Speech - voice used when you are controlling the device by cycling through UI elements.

Do you write thank you notes to new colleagues? Why not write them to new lovers as well? Here is a template you can use for both. Dear ___________, Thank you for a pleasant collaboration. ______ing together with you was a rewarding experience that drew on both of our areas of expertise. I appreciated your enthusiastic contributions towards ensuring that my needs were met and that all project deliverables were completed as desired. Your feedback at the time suggested to me that you shared that satisfaction with my efforts. I look forward to future endeavors in this regard. Best regards, _________

Today’s #filk, with thanks to @Natasha_Jay@tech.lgbt for the inspiration. “Transwoman In NoHo" (Sung to the tune of Sting’s “Englishman in New York”. NoHo is local slang for Northampton, Massachusetts, lesbian capital of the USA.) I take estrogen, not T my dear I tie my skirt up on one side And you can hear it in my voice tone, don’t you know I’m a transwoman in NoHo See me walking down Masonic Street Cross-body purse here at my side I take it everywhere I go I’m a transwoman in NoHo I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a transwoman in NoHo I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a transwoman in NoHo If "estrogen makes women" as somebody said Then she's the hero of the day It takes a woman to face ignorance and smile Be yourself no matter what they say I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a transwoman in NoHo I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a transwoman in NoHo Modesty, propriety can lead to notoriety You could end up as the only one Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society At night a candle's brighter than the sun It takes more than stylish clothes to make a girl Takes more than wanting to have fun Confront your enemies, avoid them when you can A trans girl will walk but never run If "estrogen makes women" as somebody said Then she's the hero of the day It takes a woman to face ignorance and smile Be yourself no matter what they say Be yourself no matter what they say Be yourself no matter what they say Be yourself no matter what they say Be yourself no matter what they say Be yourself no matter what they say... I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a transwoman in NoHo I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a trans woman in NoHo I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a transwoman in NoHo I’m a lesbian, I’m a legal lesbian I’m a transwoman in NoHo

Note to self (or anyone else too new to both emotions and makeup to have learned this important lesson yet): Do not wear mascara to therapy after you have started experiencing actual emotional responses.

Gloaming in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts. Sound on.

RE: https://sunny.garden/@moonrabbit/116892447313712143 #impromptuPoetry

Someone posted recently that folks in the fediverse will boost anything with boobs in it. And I thought, “Didn’t I just make a boob post last night?” Nope. Apparently I had second thoughts (No stoned boob posts, dear. Well done!) and put it in my private journal instead. Should I? (Pick one or more):

Every now and then, I realize just how much I love the refreshing approach of certain women in the fediverse to dealing with reply-jerks. What am I saying? I love the thoughts and writings of MANY women here in the ‘verse. One woman in particular posted something an hour or so ago that made me come to this realization. I was going to reply, but then I realized that she was the type example, but by no means unique. She does not follow me, and this message is for all of you, not just a particular person in jorts. If you are a strong woman who does not put up with bullshit in your mentions, then yes, I am talking about you. #ThinkBeforeYouReply

Hello @Henoyd@stranger.social and thank you for the follow request. You appear to have no publicly viewable posts, and your profile is rather sparse so checking the vibe is a challenge. You say that your mission is helping people, so let’s go with that. Tell me about one person you helped and why that experience was meaningful to you. #VibeCheck

PSA: The secret fediverse you may not know about. TLDR: Make your profile private and post followers-only. I usually post in a private corner of the Fediverse you may not even know exists. And if you do, you may not have considered the full implications. I am talking about posting Followers Only and having an account set to require Follow Requests. Nearly everything I post now uses this magical feature where only people I have approved see my posts in their timelines. The posts can’t be boosted. Note to the “well actually” crowd: yes, I know this is not really secret or private, any more than a conversation with your friends in a public park is private. So why do I do this? Well the first reason is the well actually, reply guys. I don’t let them follow me, so the only time I have to deal with them is in my occasional public posts, like this one. Why else? Well, let’s stick with a theme. Assholes, racists, jerks, sexist pigs, transmisogynists, TERFs, tankies, scammers, spammers, RUbots, nazis, fascists, need I go on? “But!” I hear you say, “we don’t have those people here in the Fediverse! Yes. We do. I used to think we didn’t either. Because if your profile pic and description are of a white, cishet man, or someone who passes as such, you are much less likely to see how underneath the happy face of the fediverse is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. But as a lesbian trans woman, even a white one, every public post brings the creeps put of the woodwork. Follow requests, boosts/quotes/replies on my few other public posts. Few because I also let my posts expire after a short time. Is it as bad as corporate honeypots like eX? Well, it’s nearly as bad now as Twitter was before it got musked. And this aggravation is intentional; it is how they silence women’s voices, Black voices, trans voices, queer voices. I miss the days when I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts freely, instead of constantly worrying just how much and how often to share. What can you do to help? Simple: be an ally: maintain and enforce zero-tolerance not just for racism, misogyny, and abuse, but also for people simply being jerks. Block, and if they broke a rule on your server, report. No, you can’t teach them or change them or fix them. No they don’t deserve a second chance. U less they just created their account an hour ago, they have already had dozens of chances. All you are doing is wasting your time and amplifying their message. Block early and often. Report when appropriate. Yes, it is socially acceptable in the Fediverse to mention to your followers when you block someone. Even if their jerkery does not rise to the level of a reportable offense, others may want to take a look at the malefactor and consider their own actions. And, now I get to take some time away from the fedipub as the inevitable wrack floats back after this post encounters freeze-peachers.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but… Too many boosts made me realize that I no longer feel comfortable being that public. I’m sorry. Please, I hope others who live in safer places will share a similar message. Just please please don’t copy-paste mine or mention me in any way. And even though I am making this public to reach people who might have seen the original post, please don’t boost or quote it, okay? Thanks, dear fedi friends. And may we all work towards a more accepting and loving world.

If your account is that of an organization, I will not approve your follow request. I am here to interact with people, not non-profits, foundations, associations, corporations, etc. Please don’t waste both of our time.

When did lgbtqia.space drop to a 500-char limit? Did I miss something???

The magical last rays of the sun present so many different lighting opportunities! And deserve a selfie or four. #TransAtSixty #TransSelfie #TransJoy C/w for eye contact. Especially the last one. No, really, if eye contact is a trigger for you, skip that one for sure!

Spouse has left for a week with her family. Past trips have led to: Serena trying out fronting (February) Serena becoming front fulltime (March) Serena learning self-value (June). What will the next week bring? How long will it take Serena to unwrap her fears and explore the world? Stay tuned to Radio Serena for the next installment of Serena First! a transradio drama starring Serena Brittain. Soundtrack by Madelline, MUNA, MARINA, and Madame Gandhi, with additional vocals by Kim Petras.

@faithisleaping@anarres.family Are we witnessing a mass brainwashing of workers by forcing them into daily interaction with an immensely powerful LLM created and trained with the specific aim of tricking humans into accepting unquestioningly whatever it tells them? In past eras, we asked “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”. Who watches the watchers? Perhaps we must now ask instead, “Qui oraculum docet?” Who trains the oracle?

@msbellows@c.im And remember, the original Imitation Game was a parlor game where a man had to try to pretend to be a woman!

@Natasha_Jay@tech.lgbt I dunno, but apparently you can use Orangina to wash your dog.