Thursday, October 31, 2019

2019 TransGriot NFL Picks- Week 9

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The Texans are playing in London for the first time ever in franchise hisory, but our opponent is a familiar one in our AFC South divisional rivals the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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Jalen Ramsey is no longer patrolling the Jags secondary after being traded to the LA Rams.  But we're also missing a defensive stud in future Hall of Famer JJ Watt, who is out for the rest of the season due to a torn pectoral muscle.

We still have Deshaun Watson at QB.   If only the offensive line would jell and start protecting him.   That's still going to be an interesting game for you peeps across The Pond to watch.

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I had a great Week 8, going 13-2 for my best week of the season so far.   Unfortunately Mike matched me on his picks after the Bears boneheaded stunt and missed game winning field goal cost me a win.

I'd already picked up a game when the Tennessee Traitors beat the Buccaneers.

Let's get to the Week 9 picks.   Four teams, the Falcons, Bengals, Rams and Saints are on their bye week, so only 14 games to pick.   Mike's picks will be at this link, and mine as usual will be in bold red print with the HOME team in caps.

Week 8 Results                                     2019 NFL Season Record
TransGriot  13-2                                   TransGriot  79-41-1
Mike           13-2                                    Mike          74-46-1

Thursday Night Game
49ers over CARDINALS

London Game
Texans over JAGUARS

Sunday Early Games
EAGLES over Bears
Colts over STEELERS
Jets over DOLPHINS
Vikings over CHIEFS
PANTHERS over Titans
BILLS over Washington

Sunday Afternoon Games
SEAHAWKS over Buccaneers
Lions over RAIDERS
Packers over CHARGERS
Browns over BRONCOS

Sunday Night Game
Patriots over RAVENS

Monday Night Game
Cowboys over GIANTS



Popeye's Chicken Sandwich Returns November 3


Popeye's introduced a new chicken sandwich back on August 12,  and people stood in line for it at its restaurants around the US.  Peeps bought it in such numbers that the chain sold out of them before the end of the month and created a social media firestorm in the process.. 

I was upset that I didn't get to try one before they sold out in large part because the lines were too long at the Popeye's locations near me.

I join America in celebrating the news that the Popeye's chicken sandwich is coming back on November 3 as a permanent addition to the Popeye's menu.

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That's going to make Bigot Fil A big mad, since they are hostile to TBLGQ rights and with their profits gleefully fund many of those TBLGQ hate organizations. 

Those of us on the liberal progressive side of the political spectrum are also beyond tired of  FOX Noise and conservafool politicians trolling us with bigot chicken sandwiches and Chick Fil A food. 

Popeye's is seen by us as a viable and tasty TBLGQ bigotry free alternative to Chick Fil A's problematic product.   Even better, the Popeye's sandwich will be available on Sundays.

That point was made in the video Popeye's released heralding the return of its chicken sandwich.

So am I and everyone else who didn't get a chance to sample it the first time around.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Miss France Universe Open To Trans Contestants

Vaimalama Chaves was crowned Miss France 2019 last December
The Miss Universe Pageant system has been open to trans contestants since 2013, but only one trans person, Spain's Angela Ponce, has won her national pageant and made it to the Miss Universe pageant stage.

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Since Canada's Jenna Talackova attempt to make it to Miss Universe, other trans women from around the world have entered their national Miss Universe qualifying pageants in Belgium, Mongolia, Puerto Rico, Norway and most recently Chile but failed to capture crowns. 

There are some notable Miss Universe pageant nation holdouts such as Venezuela, Mexico and surprisingly Thailand and the Philippines.   Those two nations obstinate refusal to do so is even more puzzling considering they are home to major trans beauty pageants.

Another one of those surprising to me holdout nations was France.  The Miss France pageant is a popular television event that draws 7.4 million viewers every December.  It also has a long history of iconic trans women who called France home during the 50's and 60's
Jacqueline-Charlotte 'Coccinelle' Dufresnoy and Marie-Pier Ysser performed in Paris' legendary Madame Arthur and Le Carousel transgender cabarets along with Britain's April Ashley and later Caroline Cossey.

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Dufresnoy not only turned down a lucrative offer to join Bob Hope's touring troupe, she blazed human rights trails  for French trans people until her death in 2006.

PHOTO: CEO of Miss France Company Sylvie Tellier attends an event at Palais De Tokyo, Sept. 9, 2019 in Paris, France.
The national director of the French pageant, Sylvie Tellier, recently conducted an interview with the local  Le Parisien newspaper.   She confirmed that contestants between 18-25 will no longer have to be AFAB (assigned female at birth) people, and the rules have been changed to reflect this change.
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Teller was a former Miss France herself who won the crown in 2002.   She has been director since 2007, but believes France is not ready for a trans woman to wear the Miss France crown.   She also thinks a trans woman would have little chance of winning the crown.

PHOTO: Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais Maeva Coucke, center, poses with other contestants after winning the Miss France 2018 pageant in Chateauroux, central France, Dec. 16, 2017.
Au contraire Madame Tellier.   Never underestimate what a trans woman can or cannot do.  I hope that somewhere in France right now is the trans woman who will make that history and make you eat crow in the process.     

Equality Texas 30th Anniversary Celebration On November 16

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Equality Texas was founded 30 years ago in 1989 as a statewide advocacy group for TBLGQ Texans.
And like HRC, I was one of its harshest critics, especially after the 1999 and 2001 Texas legislative sessions when trans folks were cut out of the James Byrd Hate Crimes Act.

While it has had a problematic history incorporating the trans community in that mission during its first decade of operation, the organization has evolved to become one of the Texas trans community's staunchest allies in the fight against the TBLGQ oppression  that the TXGOP tries on a regular basis to impose on us.

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Equality Texas is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and in another of of those interesting full circle moments that life and two decades of advocacy can bring you, I'm going to be honored by an org i once criticized.

On November 16 I get to make another trip to Austin, but this one doesn't involve me going to the Pink Dome to visit with state legislators.  The next scheduled Texas legislative session doesn't happen until January 2021 unless Gov Abbott calls a special session between now and then

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This eight trip to the ATX this year will this time be for me to attend the EQTX anniversary event.

While there I'll receive from them a Transgender Activist Award for the work I've done at the state level.  The event will be held at the AT&T Conference Center's Zlotnik Family Ballroom, and starts at 6 PM CST.   

And looks like I'll need to write another speech.   

Looking forward to seeing my ATX fam at that event and hopefully spend some quality time with other peeps I know there before I have to head back to Houston.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Flip Trump Off At A Ball Game

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It's time for another song rewrite, and since baseball fever has gripped H-town, this one is going to have a baseball flavored twang to it. 

Y'all know that Dear Orange Misleader got dissed at Nationals Park on Sunday night during Game 6 of the World Series,  and the conservasnowflakes are big mad about it.  So I'm about to add to their pissivity with this rewrite of the baseball classic song 'Take Me Out To The Ballgame'

Y'all know what to do.  Find your fave music program and sing along with Moni's remixed lyrics

Flip Trump Off At A Ball Game 
(sung to the tune of Take Me Out To The Ballgame) 

Flip Trump off at a ball game
Flip Trump off as a crowd
Boo him and start chanting #LockHimUp
We don't like him 'cause he is a schmuck 

So it's root root root for impeachment
If he stays in, it's a shame
For it's one, two, three crimes you're out
In the U. S. A.

Impeach the mofo...er play ball!


Monday, October 28, 2019

ESSENCE Woke 100 List Has Trans Feminine Representation On It

Introducing The 2019 Woke 100
ESSENCE is the iconic Black women's magazine in our community, and over the last few years I have noted them making an increasing effort to include Black trans women in their stories.

The ESSENCE Woke 100 is a list of women of color who are examples of being change agents and power players.   It is now in its third year of publication, and The Essence Woke 100 encompasses women in politics, social justice, sports and entertainment who are inspirations to people around the globe. 

The 2019 edition included some trans women on this list. 

The trans women who were named on this 2019 list are OUT magazine editor Raquel Willis, actors Dominique Jackson, Angelica Ross, MJ Rodriguez and Indya Moore, and activist/media personality Ashlee Marie Preston.

Congrats to all of you ladies for being named to this prestigious list and thanks for everything you do to rep and uplift our entire community.

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This is also another example of Black trans people being an undeniable part of the kente cloth fabric of our community. 

Nats Fans Give Trump A Not So Warm World Series Welcome

While I was already having a very enjoyable evening watching my beloved Astros take a 3-2 lead in the 2019 World Series after beating the Nationals 7-1, the game was even more enjoyable because of Dolt 45 getting dissed by Washington Nationals fans

Trump and his GOP posse decided to show up for Game 5 of the World Series.  As his smirking orange mug was shown on the Nationals Park jumbotron screen, loud lusty sustained boos arose from the sellout crowd along with chants of 'Lock Him Up!'

Think this is fake news?    Here's the video receipts.



In addition to the beautiful sight of Nats fans exercising their First Amendment rights to demonstrate their disgust for him, Veterans for Impeachment displayed a blue sign in view of the behind the plate camera. 

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A red  Impeach Trump banner was also unfurled during the game from the right field upper deck.

Nope Dolt 45, this was not your carefully curated MAGA rally crowds or the supine GOP pols kissing your orange behind.  There are the overwhelming majority of Americans who despise you with every fiber of their being.

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These are the real Americans who let you know last night they aren't happy about you occupying the Oval Office, and you can't dismiss it as inside I-495 peeps.

They reflect the feeling of a sizable majority of Americans who will eagerly demonstrate at the ballot box in 13 months jst how much we want you to be a one term POTUS.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Dear Transphobic People-Y'all Really Showing Y'all Azz

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Dear Transphobic People,
You are really showing your azzes this week, and it has been especially acute around two issues.

First let's talk about the massive freakout you're having because the Always brand of menstrual pads simply took the Venus female symbol off the packaging in a nod to the fact that women aren't the only beings on the planet who have vaginas.

For over 35 years, Always has championed girls and women, and we will continue to do so. We’re also committed to diversity and inclusion, and are on a continual journey to understand the needs of all of our consumers. We routinely assess our products, packaging and designs, taking into account consumer feedback to ensure we are meeting the needs of everyone who uses our products. 
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After hearing from many people, we recognized that not everyone who has a period and needs to use a pad, identifies as female. To ensure that anyone who needs to use a period product feels comfortable with Always, we’re adjusting our pad wrapper design as part of our next round of product changes. As a global brand, our design updates will be adapted by multiple markets at various dates beginning in January/February 2020.

Yeah, I get it there's a whole cultural aspect around periods and menstruation.   It's associated with femininity and signals that a girl is becoming a woman

It may be news to you, but trans masculine people and gender non conforming who were AFAB still have them even after they take testosterone to masculinize their bodies and make them congruent to the people they are. 

Taking the symbol off the packaging is something that shouldn't be a big deal to you cispeeps, but it is a huge one for trans masculine and gender non conforming people who are going through periods.

Taking the symbol off those wrappers will make it less awkward for trans masculine peeps who have to not only purchase pads during that time, but disposing the wrappers. 

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It was a simple, deeply appreciated gesture by Proctor & Gamble , but cue the predominately white TERFs losing what's left of their collective minds to assert that 'the transgender lobby bullied P&G into doing it'

What opiods are you TERFs on?   You TERFs, and especially you off the chains British ones, will seize on any opportunity to spit anti-trans venom at trans women.

First, eff y'all for that.  Second, why are y'all going apoplectic about packaging on a period pad?  Glad y'all assume we have that kind of power. 

Trust and believe that when it comes to trans community lobbying priorities, getting Proctor & Gamble to change the packaging on an Always  period pad was not high on the Top Five priority list, especially for Black trans folks who are disproportionately catching the brunt of the anti-trans violence being stirred up by you hateful harpies and your Republican allies.

The other good thing about this Always pads mess is that it is revealing who the transphobic fauxgressives and our allies and supporters really are

And yeah gay menz, we see y'all once again taking the opportunity to throw transphobic shade, and your ignorant behinds will be called out and dealt with when the time is right.

Now let's move to my beloved home state of Texas.    A Dallas area mother, Dr Anne Georgulas,  sued her problematic ex-husband Jeffrey Younger for full custody of their twins.   

The divorce has been contentious.  Georgulas and Younger had their marriage annulled in 2015 after the court found that Jeffrey Younger had lied multiple times to Georgulas about his income, education, marital status and military service.

Add to this mix that one of the AMAB twins,  Luna Younger, has identified as a girl since age 3, has clearly expressed a feminine gender identity, and has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria but daddy is trying to force the child to live as male.

The court wisely awarded full custody to Dr Georgulas, but the conservafools have decided to seize on this case and blow it up as a way to attack the Texas trans community. 

'The evilgelicals and far right wing transphobes as usual have been anything but Christ-like in their response to this.   They are firing up the Right Wing Outrage Machine, viciously attacking Dr Georgulas,  have posted fake one star reviews about her pediatric medical practice, and are trying to paint this as the 'transgender lobby run amok'.

Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, indicated that state officials, including the state's welfare agency, were looking into the Dallas child custody case in which a child's gender identity is in dispute.

Gov. Greg Abbott (R), indicted AG Ken Paxton (R) and Sen Ted Cruz (R), never missing a chance to attack the Texas trans community, have stuck their noses in this family's business and outed the child.

Rep Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands) has pledged to author a bill that would declare  transitioning of a minor child 'as child abuse', and Rep Matt Krause (R-Fort Worth) wants to introduce a bill banning the use of puberty blockers in children.

“We’ve already seen what happens when the state politicizes transgender children: Real harm can be done,” said Angela Hale, the acting CEO of Equality Texas.  “Politicians have no business delving into people’s private lives and attempting to harm children.”
I'm going to say it in terms that you TXGOP transphobes and cognitively challenged voters can clearly understand

Don't mess with Texas trans children.   We will fight you every step of the way along with the Mama and Papa Bears, the medical community, and our allies to ensure that you lose this fight just like you did twice when it came to the unjust SB 6 bill.

These revolting TXGOP developments make it clear what one of our political missions will be for Texas trans peeps in 2020.

We not only must defend Texas trans kids and their parents, it makes it even more imperative that we flip those nine seats and get control of the Texas House in the 2020 election cycle, starting with Matt Krause's and Steve Toth's transphobic azzes.



2019 TransGriot NFL Picks -Week 8

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We are at the halfway point of the 2019 NFL season, and I had a great Week 7 to add to the lead I'm starting to build on defending champ Mr Watts.

The San Francisco 49ers had fun playing in the drenching rain falling in DC to beat Washington and  stay unbeaten.

Boo hiss, so are the new England Cheatriots  Patriots.   And in another example of the NFL rich getting richer, they just acquired WR Mohammed Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons. 

Well, let gets to the picks.    Cowboys and Ravens are on their bye week, so only 15 games to pick this week.  As usual, my picks will be in bold red print with the home team in all CAPS. 
Mike's Week 8 picks will be at this link.

Week 7 Results                               2019 NFL Season Results
TransGriot 10-4                               TransGriot  66-39-1
Mike            8-6                               Mike           61-44-1


Thursday Night Game
VIKINGS over Washington

Sunday Early Games
Seahawks over FALCONS
COLTS over Broncos
TITANS over Buccaneers
SAINTS over Cardinals
RAMS over Bengals
BILLS over Eagles
BEARS over Chargers
LIONS over Giants
JAGUARS over Jets

Sunday Afternoon Games
TEXANS over Raiders
49ERS over Panthers
PATRIOTS over Browns

Sunday Night Game
Packers over CHIEFS

Monday Night Game 
STEELERS over Dolphins

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

WTF? Edward Thomas Convicted Of Misdemeanor Assault

The Edward Thomas trial in Dallas closed after final arguments from the prosecution and the defense in judge Hector Garza's courtroom..

The prosecution was arguing for a felony assault conviction, while defense attorney Andrew Wilkerson kept deploying his reprehensible spin on the trans panic defense by deliberately misgendering Muhlaysia Booker and claiming the fight was between two men.

Looks like it worked. 

After four hours of deliberation, the jury found Thomas guilty of the lesser charge of misdemeanor assault and sentenced him to 300 days in jail.   If he doesn't appeal the conviction, the time that Thomas has already served since April will count toward fulfilling the terms of that 300 day sentence.

Translation:  Thomas will be getting out of jail in four months.

Really?   This is straight up BS.   Thomas was offered $200 to beat Booker, allegedly sucker punched her while using brass knuckles to start the fight  and was videotaped viciously beating Booker to the point she was rendered unconscious.

Booker suffered a broken wrist, and had to be pulled out of the situation by six cis women and placed in a car for transport to a nearby hospital, and all this mofo gets is 300 days in jail for that? 

Dallas trans advocate Mieko Hicks agrees with that sentiment.   She blames Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall and DPD detectives for the in her words botched investigation that led to this verdict.

Thomas should have been convicted of felony assault, and should be doing some serious time for that hate crime.

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But no thanks to Dianne Hardy Garcia and the Lesbian Gay Rights Lobby (LGRL), Texas trans folks were stripped out of our state's James Byrd Hate Crimes Act in  the 1999 and the 2001 Texas Lege session when it passed with sexual orientation but not gender identity as one of the categories eligible for enhanced punishment. .  .    .

I and other trans Texans across the Lone Star State will be working to fix that problem in the 2021 session.    But that doesn't do anything about the anger and disappointment we're feeling right now ,with the verdict and the (in)justice system that produced it..

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Survives To Win A Second Term

We started early voting yesterday in Texas, but the election I had my eye on was taking place north of the border.

 Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
The Canadian federal election happened yesterday, and the Liberals under Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were facing a tight race because of scandals and a blackface controversy during his first term combined with high expectation for his majority government.


Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, who won a contentious race for the leadership of his party, was hopeful they would recapture control of Parliament for the first time since Stephen Harper and the Tories were dealt a crushing defeat after running Canada for ten years.

Scheer tried to portray himself as an 'average Canadian guy', but that effort took a major hit when it was revealed that he has dual Canadian and American citizenship.

The Conservatives had a narrow lead in polling before the election, but were disappointed that despite garnering the most popular votes on this night and picking up 22 seats, it didn't translate (thank God) into a national win for him and the Conservative Party.

You need 170 seats in order to form a majority government in Canada's 338 seat Parliament, and as of this moment the Liberals are projected to have enough seats to form a minority government

The Liberals picked up 157 seats, and have leads in 2 more races. Turnout was 65% in this year's election.  Trudeau, as the current prime minister, not only was reelected to his seat, but will have first crack at forming that new Canadian government.

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In order to form their minority government, the Liberals will need to partner with another party to get the 170 seats they need to form a new government.  That party looks like it will be the Jagmeet Singh led New Democratic Party (NDP).    Singh held onto his seat in his Burnaby South BC riding.

The Bloc Quebecois already declared as part of the Quebec only nationalist campaign they ran in the province of Quebec they will not participate in forming a minority government.

The Conservatives hold 121 seats and will be the Official Opposition after their dominant showing in the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. 

The Tories blue tsunami flipped two of the three ridings they didn't control in Alberta, and those were Liberal held seats in Calgary and Edmonton .  The lone one they didn't flip is the Edmonton-Strathcona one held by the NDP.   MP Linda Duncan retired, and Heather McPherson fought off a strong Tony challenge to keep the seat in NDP hands.

The Tories also captured all formerly held Liberal seats in Saskatchewan.   But they failed to gain any seats in the greater Toronto area (the GTA) and in the Montreal metro area.

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The NDP holds 24 seats, but lost ground in Quebec to the Bloc Quebecois, who will have a larger mischief making say in the 43rd Parliament with the 22 seats they picked up.   

The Bloc Quebecois now holds 32 seats, up from the ten they held in 2015.

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The Green Party had a historic night by picking up their first riding in Atlantic Canada.  Jenica Atwin picked up a seat in Fredericton, New Brunswick to raise their total to 3 seats.  Green Party leader Elizabeth May was reelected to her Saanich-Gulf Islands riding in BC

But despite running candidates in all 338 ridings, and  record breaking fundraising numbers for them, the Greens fell way short of getting the twelve seats they needed to get official party status in the House of Commons.

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The other good news out of Canada last night was that Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People's Party of Canada (PPC), lost his Beauce, Quebec riding to Conservative Richard Lehoux.   

Bernier was a wildly popular Conservative who had won that riding in four previous elections in 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2015.   His father also represented that riding that extends from the outskirts of Quebec City to the border with Maine .

Bernier narrowly lost the Conservative Party leadership race to Scheer, and left the party to form the far right PPC in 2018.   The PPC ran over 300 candidates across Canada in this election cycle, and they thankfully failed to win a single seat or hold onto the one House of Commons riding they had.

The PPC was known for not only having racist and anti-immigrant views, but was accused of having ties to a neo-Nazi group in the US and Canadian far right groups like the Soldiers of Odin and Pegida Canada.

Canada's voters sent a message that the far right populism polluting American and British politics and much of Europe doesn't have a home there for now. 

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Trudeau has won a second term, and peeps on both sides of our shared border are exhaling.

Melania is probably happy about that, too.

Trans Canadians are especially thankful in this post Thanksgiving Day month that they have something else to celebrate.


Sunday, October 20, 2019

Astros Win 2019 ALCS On Dramatic Walk Off Homer

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That breeze you felt close to midnight Central time was the entire city of Houston collectively exhaling after Jose Altuve's walk off two run homer that clinched the Astros second American League title in three years and punched their ticket to another trip to the World Series.

And it's always fun when you knock off the Evil Baseball Empire to do it.




After a tense Game 6 in which the Astros took an early 3-0 lead on Yuli Gurriel's 3 run homer in the bottom of the first, the Evil Baseball Empire kept chipping away. 

They got a second inning run after Didi Gregorius doubled and Gary Sanchez singled to cut the deficit to 3-1.   In the fourth a Gio Urshela solo shot into the bullpen trimmed the Astros lead to 3-2.

The Astros got one back after Alex Bregman hit into a fielder's choice to bump the lead to 4-2   

After the Yankees DJ LeMahieu hit the tying two run homer off Astros closer Roberto Osuna into the right field bleachers just inches past the glove of a leaping George Springer to tie the game at 4-4,  the Astros had the daunting task of facing Yankee closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth.

Jose Altuve hit a two-run walk-off to win Game 6. The Houston Astros will face the Washington Nationals in the World Series. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)
Chapman hadn't given up an earned run in 4 2/3 postseason innings, but gave up a two out walk to Springer to set up the dramatic showdown with Altuve.




After taking two Chapman fastballs for balls and a slider for a strike, Altuve blasted an up in the strike zone slider over the wall in left center field for a series clinching 6-4 win that gave the Astros their second American League title in three years and their third World Series appearance as a franchise.

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Don't think we Astros fans didn't hear your foul ''Eff Altuve'  chant at Skankee Stadium aimed at him last night.   Altuve got the last laugh last night and the ALCS MVP trophy to go with it.

This just in.  The paternity test came back.  The Astros are the Yankees daddy. 

The Astros have faced the Yankees in the postseason three times (2015,2017, 2019) since joining the American League, and beaten them all three times.    Beating the Yankees tonight also meant that this is the first decade since the 1910's that the Yankees have failed to make it to the World Series.

Speaking of the World Series, that starts on Tuesday with the Astros facing the Washington nationals at Minute maid Park.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Sarah McBride TEDx Talk

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I met Sarah McBride during the 2012 NBJC Out of the Hill conference when she was a White House intern and I was there for a policy briefing being conducted by the Obama Administration.

I remember saying to Laverne Cox and Janet Mock that day this young woman was going to do great things for our community, and she has lived up to that prediction.

She now running for a seat in the Delaware State Senate, and if she's successful next year, she will become the first out trans person ever elected as a state senator.

This is a 2016 TEDx talk she was part of in which she expounds on the subject that the gender assigned to us at birth should not dictate who we are.