May 3, 2007

I have spoken often of my fond memories of The Washington-Baltimore Alliance, formerly The National Alliance. I received the email last week that I was afraid would soon come.

The WBA has officially disbanded as of the end of April. In one sense, it's the end of an era. Logically, we know all things change and evolve. The area is well served by TGEA and other groups. Of course, logic does not always determine how the heart feels.

I have a file cabinet full of letters and newsletters from that era of community development. They just became a lot more valuable to me personally. The former leaders of WBA will leave the website active with occasional postings of community events. I'm glad I was able to maintain contact with them as my own journey continued.
http://www.transgender.org/wba/

The Zoe character has not been on All My Children the past week. I heard the actor's contract ran out, although Zoe is still shown in the promos. I continue to DVR the program to watch in the evening. I'm only watching to see when Krystal finds her baby. It's not like I'm hooked on it, or anything. heh heh

Last weekend was one of the more interesting I've had in some time. I took part in an all day Saturday workshop presented by the leading manufacturer of laser technology. I am familiar with the principles of electrolysis, but much of laser theory is new to me.

The series of lectures were extremely interesting, and presented from the standpoint of those already in the field. Thus, it was an opportunity for education from a different perspective than I may normally be afforded.

Late in the day, we participated in hands on demonstrations. Laser is much more than hair removal, although it is naturally the focus of interest for most in the TG community. Certain machines serve different purposes. I was extremely impressed with the treatment of spider veins, as well as a skin tightening technique that is on a par with Thermage. Neither is equal to a surgical facelift, but for someone with no advanced signs of aging, it could be economically and aesthetically beneficial.

Insofar as hair removal, I remain with the opinion that electrolysis is more effective for the long term. As many know, the debate is sometimes heated. It has become clear that laser is here to stay. I found myself wondering how the technology will evolve during the next decade.