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flametitan

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Join date
1-Mar-2016
Last activity
29-Dec-2021
Posts
653

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Post
#1282933
Topic
Last movie seen
Time

SilverWook said:

I’m amazed there has never been a crazy fanedit mashup of all Titanic films into one. It would be surreal! 😉

Oh I’d bet. Only problem I can think of is that to the best of my knowledge, the real surreal works to put in aren’t necessarily well preserved, at least not in a consumer friendly manner (aside from that one where a giant octopus saves the ship. That one might be easier to find.)

Post
#1282930
Topic
Last movie seen
Time

I recently found my old DVD for Titanic (1997)

It is a much slower film than I remembered. Not even just because it’s 194 minutes, but the first half of the movie just drags on and on to establish the dynamic of Jack and Rose. It still has some decent quips and moments, though. For some reason, the “Nearer My God to Thee” scene in particular really got to me.

6.5/10

Post
#1276493
Topic
Random Thoughts
Time

CHEWBAKAspelledwrong said:

When I watch a movie on Blu-Ray, I sometimes find myself wondering how much better 4k could really be. I mean, I can make out the individual stubble hairs on Marlon Brando’s chin for gods sake (One-Eyed Jacks). How much better could it be?

I get the potential benefits of HDR for certain movies, particular flashy sci fi flicks. But beyond that, am really missing anything?

Not really. There’s a ratio of pixel density to screen size to viewing distance, whereupon beyond a certain point you don’t really notice a difference. It matters mostly if you’re really close to the screen (such as desktop users,) or have a really, really large screen, but beyond that, you mostly just want it for the HDR.

Post
#1274767
Topic
Random Thoughts
Time

So if anyone wants a quick rundown of my life while I was away:

  • Trying and failing to find a job
  • Getting the last bits of my ID updated
  • Finding myself falling into a long distance relationship with one of my friends
  • Going to try making traditional Mayan Chocolate.

Hopefully when the ID stuff gets resolved I can get on welfare or disability and be able to better hold my life together.

EDIT: Oh, and I cleaned out my wardrobe. That was nice.

Post
#1254992
Topic
An Environmental & Ecology thread
Time

oojason said:
Remarkable decline in fertility rates’:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46118103

I feel like it’s missing another point as to why there’s a lower birth rate, at least for people my age: It’s just not really feasible in this economy. Raising children, even one, is expensive, and young people are finding it harder to meet those costs.

Post
#1254464
Topic
An Environmental & Ecology thread
Time

oojason said:

^ Same here mate.

 

Some good news re the environment…

Earth’s ozone layer is healing, UN report says

… the upper ozone layer above the Northern Hemisphere should be completely repaired in the 2030s and the gaping Antarctic ozone hole should disappear in the 2060s, according to a scientific assessment released Monday at a conference in Quito, Ecuador. The Southern Hemisphere lags a bit and its ozone layer should be healed by mid-century.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/earths-ozone-layer-is-healing-un-report-says

This is good news, but not surprising. The Ozone layer’s depletion was caused by relatively specific compounds, and limiting/outlawing them meant they’re not added to the atmosphere to ruin the Ozone layer. It helps that the Ozone layer appears to be self regenerating.

Edit: quality links, flametitan - nice one, enjoyed reading them.

Glad you enjoyed those links. I feel they help show the problem with Climate Change: There are large powers invested in ignoring it, and there’s only so much we as individuals can do to stop it without radical change.

Post
#1253587
Topic
An Environmental & Ecology thread
Time

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/10/31/we-have-less-time-we-thought-alarming-new-study-shows-oceans-have-retained-far-more

Oh no.

EDIT: Oh, and here’s the top producers, ranked by company instead of nation. https://b8f65cb373b1b7b15feb-c70d8ead6ced550b4d987d7c03fcdd1d.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/cms/reports/documents/000/002/327/original/Carbon-Majors-Report-2017.pdf?1499691240

Post
#1253103
Topic
Ask the trans woman (aka interrogate the trans woman)
Time

Post Praetorian said:

Do you believe there should be minimum age requirements for transitioning?

No.

Okay, let me rephrase that. Usually when people say transition in this context, they mean medical transition. Age requirements for medical transition are already in place (though HRT’s requirement could be lowered to 14, rather than its current 16). There’s also social transition, which involves things like changing name, changing what pronouns you’re referred to, etc. That doesn’t need an age requirement.

What are your feelings with regards to the concept of researching the psychology behind an individual’s desire to transition? Would you prefer a greater, or lesser, amount of such research be conducted?

It is what it is. As long as it includes actually talking to us and our experiences, then it’s not really a major concern, unless it becomes used as a means of gatekeeping who’s “really” trans.

What might you consider your views to be as to the benefits of requiring individuals undergo psychiatric evaluations prior to transitioning? Is this discriminatory or rather a measure in prudent caution?

Discriminatory. I mean, it’s useful for those who aren’t sure, but when you’re confident that it’s the right course of action, it becomes a game of jumping through hoops to prove that you deserve treatment.

Do you believe any further such psychiatric evaluations should be undertaken post-operation?

If they see a therapist already (likely for anxiety, depression, etc,) they shouldn’t stop seeing them because of srs, but if they didn’t before, then there’s no real reason to begin seeing them

What might be your greatest hopes and fears upon achieving a successful transition?

Whether or not others are violent towards me (Luckily this town is like, passively not caring atm, if not actively supporting it 😃), and in general getting used to be considered female.

Aside from that, I’m just another person, which much the same concerns as other humans.

Do you believe such transitioning surgeries should be privately or publicly funded? Do you believe the same as to regards de-transitioning surgeries?

I come from a country where SRS is already covered by the federal government (Canada). So, yes. If Facial Feminization Surgery (FFS) was covered, it’d be even better. I believe masectomies are covered, though I’m not sure there.

Do you have any thoughts with regards to the following article?

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/the-new-taboo-more-people-regret-sex-change-and-want-to-detransition-surgeon-says

The general problem is that “Detransition” stories like this one focus on a tiny, tiny portion of the population, (like, that’s… 14 total people out of… how many get SRS?) and then they become the driving force behind trying to tighten up the process by which the other 99% of trans people have to go through, and make it even more hellish for us.

Also wonderfully, the article appears not to interview any of the detransitioners, but rather a surgeon who appears to fear that the WPATH Standards of Care will update to let minors have SRS (which… there’s no indication they will), and a psychotherapist who tried to write a study based on a handful of people and discuss it like it were an increasing trend. How impartial! :V

From the vague way the surgeon explains it, it reads like those detransitioners ended up where they were because of poor training (on the staff’s end) leading to poor communication, leading to a surgery that wasn’t actually asked for. It seems more like they need to raise the bar on training regarding trans care, not raise the bar on who’s eligible for trans care.

What is your view of the following statement:

A 2011 study found that after sex reassignment surgery, more than 300 Swedish transsexuals faced a higher risk for mortality, suicide ideation, and psychiatric issues compared to the rest of the population. The researchers concluded, “Our findings suggest that sex reassignment, although alleviating gender dysphoria, may not suffice as treatment for transsexualism, and should inspire improved psychiatric and somatic care after sex reassignment for this patient group.”

That it’s taken out of context, has been frequently taken out of context, and one of the individuals behind the study wishes it wasn’t taken out of context:

“People who misuse the study always omit the fact that the study clearly states that it is not an evaluation of gender dysphoria treatment. If we look at the literature, we find that several recent studies conclude that WPATH Standards of Care compliant treatment decrease gender dysphoria and improves mental health.”

http://www.transadvocate.com/fact-check-study-shows-transition-makes-trans-people-suicidal_n_15483.htm

Do you have a comment with regards to the differences between dysphoria and transsexualism?

The former is the currently accepted term for discussing the distress that comes from a gender identity incongruent with their assigned sex, and the other is an outdated term (though some trans people still identify by it) that’s used sparingly at best.

Further, what might be the proper reaction to the following:

The review of more than 100 international medical studies of post-operative transsexuals by the University of Birmingham’s aggressive research intelligence facility (Arif) found no robust scientific evidence that gender reassignment surgery is clinically effective.

Research from the US and Holland suggests that up to a fifth of patients regret changing sex. A 1998 review by the Research and Development Directorate of the NHS Executive found attempted suicide rates of up to 18% noted in some medical studies of gender reassignment.

To what extent should the above be potentially discredited due to the use of 20-year old review given the likely differing views and societal pressures as compared to modern sentiments? To what extent should it be accepted given the previously quoted 2011 Swedish study?

That it’s a 20 year out of date study based on an older version of the standards of care, advances have been made since then, and that the environment a dysphoric individual lives in is just as important as the actual medical transition. Nvermind that the 2011 study is taken out of context and does not actually support these results.

To what degree might you concur with the following statements as a means of potentially further addressing the above?

Transgender psychiatrists, who assess whether patients should change sex, agree that more scientific research is needed. But Kevan Wylie, chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ working party on gender identity disorders, said that all of his patients’ lives have drastically improved following gender reassignment surgery.

Dr Wylie added that it was difficult to conduct research on the outcome of gender reassignment, or to compare its effects with alternative treatments, because transsexualism was such a “rare experience”. Urological surgeon James Bellringer, who has performed more than 200 sex changes over the past four years, claimed that trying to carry out research that involves studying a control group of transsexual patients who were denied hormones and surgery would be unethical.

Mr Bellringer, who works at the main NHS gender identity clinic at Charing Cross hospital in west London, said: “I don’t think that any research that denied transsexual patients treatment would get past an ethics committee. There’s no other treatment that works. You either have an operation or suffer a miserable life. A fifth of those who don’t get treatment commit suicide.”

Pretty much. Pretty much everyone I know has found an improved frame of mind due to transition, and my own life has become much improved since starting. Denying transition is, to a lot of us, like denying medication for any other disease.

There have been attempts made to not treat it with transition in the decades past, but transition has stayed because transition works.

Do you have any reservations with regards to the above statements?

Well, Bellringer does exaggerate with the “Operation or miserable life.” Some (a significant number) of trans people do require SRS, but the non-op community exists as well, with myself on the fence between the two.

Otherwise, nope.

Do you have any comments with regards to the following article?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/16/transition-caused-more-problems-than-it-solved

Specifically, to what extent might one consider it possible that some gender dysphoria might have a connection to a failure to feel safe in the role of one’s previous gender?

Eh. Again, it’s one story. While I can agree with and understand his reasons for detransitioning, I’d still rather not have to make the agony for myself and others worse.

How, in general, do those in the trans community view those who have chosen to de-transition?

Over-sensationalized. The reason trans people get defensive over detransitioners is because the media loves “both sides-ism,” and presenting the detransitioners as an undercurrent that the trans narrative doesn’t want you to know about. This in turn creates uncertainty and stigmatizes transition, (WHAT IF YOU REGRET IT!? is something my friends and I have hear far too often), and is often used to support more draconian gatekeeping, which forces us to present as almost a stereotype of our gender identity and might even force us to be at risk of violence. Real life experience before HRT is hated by the trans community for that reason.

Post
#1252224
Topic
Ask the trans woman (aka interrogate the trans woman)
Time

Trident said:

flametitan said:

Trident said:

That’s interesting. You see the people I know with dysphoria fall into 2 camps. There are those who accept it’s something, but they don’t think it’s right to fix it (operate) because of their beliefs? And then there are those like that friend of mine who’s still pre-op.

The former group you describe is one I’ve never seen trawling through support groups or general meeting places for trans people. Probably because of that opposition to the treatment that alleviates dysphoria.

As for your friend… I am autistic as well. That’s not a factor in how “sorted through” I am with this. Likewise, you absolutely cannot just jump on board of any sort of operation. It takes a minimum of a year on HRT before any facility capable of it will even consider seeing you. Now, there’s been debate over whether that’s too long, whether such gatekeeping is helpful at all, but the year of HRT before surgery is the standard currently. On top of that, everyone jumps to talking about whether or not someone will “regret” SRS. For the most part, it’s rare that such a thing happens, and as I said on the religion thread, for transfemme individuals it has a lot more to do with pressure from society than them actually regretting it. (It’s a more complicated instance for trans masc detransitioners)

What do you think? Is a year too long? Or not long enough? I mean you’ve been on this road for at least 5 years (if I’ve got that right)? What took the time to get from there to here? What was the aha moment for you when you figured it was time to turn thought to action?

What took me so long was not having the resources to do so until 2016, and from 2016 to 2018 was about them redirecting and gatekeeping me until I managed to get in their good graces and be allowed a prescription. Had I access to an informed consent clinic, I would have been going along this much faster.

If your friend is pretty firm it’s the right way to go, then they really should pursue it. Dysphoria becoming some other feeling of, “something’s not right,” doesn’t happen.

That’s the big problem with him. He’s not a firm type. I mean take his trying to tell his parents? 2 years running and still nope. He keeps promising himself and keeps talking himself out of it. But at the same time he’s sure he wants the operation. I keep telling him if he can’t commit to talking about it how can he commit to the full operation? It seems like a mixed view to me. It makes me worried.

Sounds to me like procrastination cause by anxiety, or something similar. I know I’ve been in those shoes. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t pursue HRT or some such.

From the people I know who’ve gone through it, it starts off painful (Because their bodies are healing, so of course it’s painful) but when the pain starts to subside, it becomes normal. It’s just kind of a part of you now. It improves emotions greatly, sure, but those improved emotions become the norm, and the individual moves on with their life.

How many years has it been since they’ve made the transition on average? I mean how far past the pain are they in general?

All over the board. Usually the pain subsides after a few weeks or months, and the people I’ve talked to have varied from having just received it to going on years afterwards. That said, it’s not always that easy to find those who have been post-op for several years, as occasionally they move “past” being trans and just start living their life as their preferred gender identity without thinking about it or identifying as trans at all.

Post
#1252215
Topic
Ask the trans woman (aka interrogate the trans woman)
Time

Trident said:

That’s interesting. You see the people I know with dysphoria fall into 2 camps. There are those who accept it’s something, but they don’t think it’s right to fix it (operate) because of their beliefs? And then there are those like that friend of mine who’s still pre-op.

The former group you describe is one I’ve never seen trawling through support groups or general meeting places for trans people. Probably because of that opposition to the treatment that alleviates dysphoria.

As for your friend… I am autistic as well. That’s not a factor in how “sorted through” I am with this. Likewise, you absolutely cannot just jump on board of any sort of operation. It takes a minimum of a year on HRT before any facility capable of it will even consider seeing you. Now, there’s been debate over whether that’s too long, whether such gatekeeping is helpful at all, but the year of HRT before surgery is the standard currently. On top of that, everyone jumps to talking about whether or not someone will “regret” SRS. For the most part, it’s rare that such a thing happens, and as I said on the religion thread, for transfemme individuals it has a lot more to do with pressure from society than them actually regretting it. (It’s a more complicated instance for trans masc detransitioners)

If your friend is pretty firm it’s the right way to go, then they really should pursue it. Dysphoria becoming some other feeling of, “something’s not right,” doesn’t happen.

So I don’t really know anyone who’s gotten to the other side of the procedure. I’ve got no connection with anyone who’s a survivor 3 years on and feeling great.

I’m assuming you’ve got more of a connection with people who’ve managed to go the full way. If so? Do you generally get the same solid feedback that it was the right thing to do? Or do you get a mixed message sometimes? I mean how much of a risk do you think you’d be taking if doing an operation? Emotionally, mentally, psychologically, whatever. I guess I’m trying to figure out if this is the lesser of 2 evils? Or if it’s guaranteed happiness and easy pacing from there?

From the people I know who’ve gone through it, it starts off painful (Because their bodies are healing, so of course it’s painful) but when the pain starts to subside, it becomes normal. It’s just kind of a part of you now. It improves emotions greatly, sure, but those improved emotions become the norm, and the individual moves on with their life.

Post
#1252202
Topic
Ask the trans woman (aka interrogate the trans woman)
Time

There’s a lot of people going on against comparing the pedophilia and SSA point, and that one I’m probably not going to touch with a hot poker until I can better wrap my mind around what my answer is. However, the first question is one I see from a lot of “opposition” to transition, and someone who might be ignorant on it might actually not realize why it’s different.

Trident said:

What’s your take on dysphoria in terms of rating its cause to be physically caused verses psychological?

I mean take apotemnophilia or xenomelia? Both of these are obviously disorders. Obviously. I mean I’d have a hard time thinking anyone anywhere really thinks that wanting to cut your own limbs off is ever gonna be accepted as normal enough to have its own parade. They’re both accepted as caused by physical breaks in the brain. They’re not even so much psychological as physical brain wiring problems.

The problem with comparing to those two is that Body integrity dysphoria (BID) has a serious lack of research behind it; by contrast, Gender dysphoria is well documented by the medical community. Transition is by no means the same as desiring to remove a limb. Ignoring that the non-op segment of the trans community exists, the worst thing srs does is sterilize you, an effect that’s not unique to it, either. It is by no means a desire to disable your body, especially when you look into how much work is put into the neo-genitals (or at least the neovagina. The neophallus is apparently still underdeveloped, hence why the majority of transmasc folk I know are non-op.)

On top of that, while there’s few studies about BID, there seems to be an indication that amputation does not cure BID. Rather, amputation temporarily relieves the patient’s feelings, before returning at some point or another. In contrast, if/when GD persists during transition, it tends to be one of two things. The first is that it overcorrects, in which case fine tuning the individual’s HRT regiment remedies it. I’ve only seen it a handful of times, and when I have, it’s usually because the individual in question identifies as non-binary.
More commonly, in my experience, is that instead that the new point of focus for dysphoria has always caused dysphoria, it just wasn’t as large a source as the others. For example, my shoulders and voice. They’ve always contributed to my dysphoria, but not to the extent that, say, growing facial hair or the lack of breasts have. Now that I’ve been on HRT for nine months, developed small chest buds, and have a proper regiment for dealing with my facial hair (though being able to afford laser and remove it permanently is a long term goal of mine), I’ve focused back on my voice dysphoria, in order to relieve that. After that, the shoulder dysphoria will remain, because there is no cure for shoulder dysphoria. If there were, I probably wouldn’t have to worry about dysphoria at all.

And as far as the, “If there was a pill that cures dysphoria, would you take it?” question… If I follow the question literally, there is such a pill. I do take it. It’s called Estradiol and an Anti-Androgen (though I might try to convince my doc to switch me from Spironolactone to Cyprotone, as I hear it gives better results with less side effects) for transfemme individuals, and Testosterone for transmasc individuals.

Following more the spirit of the question, with a “cure” that somehow eliminates dysphoria and lets one live their assigned gender, that becomes a deeply personal thing that depends on who you ask, how far along they are, and how “acceptable” transition is where they are. For myself, who’s been on this road for almost half a decade now, has access to proper transition care and has been on it for nine months with a generally accepting community… Yeah, no. I wouldn’t trade it. If someone was still trying to come to terms with it, or lives in a situation where pursuing transition might lead ostracize them at best or lead to violence at worst… I can see why they’d rather take a pill to repress those feelings.

But it doesn’t exist. The most effective cure to dysphoria is, and continues to be, transition.

As far as physical versus psychological goes, there’s some indications that the brain of a trans individual more closely matches that of a cis person of their preferred gender identity, but from what I recall, the sample had so much variance that it was hard to find a trend for “male brain,” and “female” brain at all.

Post
#1251611
Topic
Ask the trans woman (aka interrogate the trans woman)
Time

Mrebo said:

I think that’s basically right, flametitan. Journalists often flub issues that concern law, science, and other areas of specialized knowledge. Frustrating they didn’t link the memo itself. I’m no expert on Title IX but as it prohibits discrimination “on the basis of sex,” but not gender, it appears that is what the fight is about. For obvious reasons, not least of which it’s not the best use of your thread, I’m not going to dwell on that. It does however bear upon my questions about people confusing what they’re talking about and getting people to understand each other and engage in productive dialogue. I’ve enjoyed your answers.

I’m glad you’ve been enjoying my answers. Sometimes I feel like I’m not quite getting my own point across as clear as I’d like, or that I might be missing something in the question, so it’s reaffirming that people are finding them informative. Likewise, I’ve enjoyed the questions so far. They’ve seem to come mostly from a place of genuine interest, rather than trying to get me to confirm or deny your own biases, or a deliberate attempt to trip me up.

In particular, yours has me thinking about it hard, as while, “Are the people in the debate talking past each other?” seems like it should have a straightforward answer, it really doesn’t. It’s more multifaceted, owing to a combination of deliberate or accidental spreading of misinformation, people reporting on it getting terminology mixed up, simple talking past one another, people being unwilling to educate others, people being unwilling to listen, etc. Probably doesn’t help that I have some obvious biases 😉