andnowtheyredead

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Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
Columnist and Word Nerd William Safire Dead at 79
Former Boxing Champ Arturo Gatti, 37, Found Dead In Brazil
Don't Fear The Reaper('s Autograph Book From This Week)
Term Limits Are For Suckers
Fine For Parking Under The BQE: Death By Ticketing
She Probably Hated Celine Dion, To Be Honest
Eartha Kitt, Seductress
Why These Rockstar Deaths Are Depressing

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Island of Misfit Toys
09:17 AM

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
I can't imagine how much pain he/she must have been in. Rest in peace, friend.
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BookishLookish
11/28/09

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
Does anyone remember the artist Greer Lankton? [en.wikipedia.org]

Mike's death made me think of her again. She had a sex change at age 21. Greer later said she'd wished she'd been allowed to straddle the line a bit.
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BookishLookish
11/28/09

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
This is very sad. Rest in peace/

Sigh. Becoming a woman practically overnight, that would be one of my worst nightmares. It took me a good ten years to be any good at it, and I'm one of the best, babies.

No lectures on the transgen process, please, I'm well familiar with it.
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plasticene
11/28/09

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
It seems she had difficulties that outpaced gender issues. She thought changing genders would help with that, but sadly, it did not. Docs should do intensive work with people who think undergoing a change will save their lives. I don't know if it will help all the time, but it might. RIP.
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TheSometimesWhy
11/28/09

@plasticene: If you listen to the NPR piece that is linked in this post, you will understand that the medical community has formal standards and tests for people who desire to transition as Ms. Daniels did. What they can't treat is the relentless undercurrent of doubt and anxiety that must have dogged this poor woman from the moment she realized her true gender, well past the time she was able to make a break from her false life as a man to a life that at least paid more than lip service to her true essence.

Listening to that piece, you hear the most touching combination of relief, fear, sadness, hope, and, to my ear, exhaustion. One can't help but think that sense of weariness played a major role in the tragic outcome.

May peace be finally yours, Ms. Daniels...
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MyrtleWilloughby
11/28/09

@plasticene: Suicide is a tragedy, and one hopes that people in great pain can find the care and support they need whatever their situation.

I don't know enough to make blanket statements about gender reassignment but I don't think it's going out on a limb to say that many people in the US, in many different situations could benefit from greater access to mental health care. Just something to keep in mind as the political gears of health care reform are turning.
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SybilDisobedience
11/28/09

@TheSometimesWhy: Well said.

May Ms. Daniels find the peace she didn't find here.
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valet_of_the_dolls
11/28/09

@MyrtleWilloughby: Beautifully put.
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Seeräuber Jenny
11/28/09

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
I wonder what happened. In addition to the difficulty of being accepted in his field, I wonder if his age had anything to do with it. I've read accounts of middle-aged M-T-F transsexuals who said they weren't prepared for the lessened respect they received as women after having had successful lives as men.

This is so sad.
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Lysergic Asset
11/28/09

@Seeräuber Jenny: An excellent point. That says more about ageism and sexism than any GLBT bias, though, doesn't it?
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MissNormaDesmond
11/28/09

@Lysergic Asset: Please let's not have a deck-chair-on-the-Titanic race. All of those things are intimately linked. Trying to rank them is a mug's game. The point is to try to do away with them, not argue amongst ourselves about who's the most oppressed.
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Lysergic Asset
11/28/09

@MissNormaDesmond: Hat tip to you, miss.
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RachelSklar
11/28/09

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
God this is so very very sad. I followed this when it happened and was so amazed and impressed by his candour pre-op and hers, post. In the coming-out LAT article, he describes the struggle to figure out being transgendered: "We are born with this, we fight it as long as we can, and in the end it wins." That takes on such dark, sad new meaning here. RIP.
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Lysergic Asset
11/28/09

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
I hope his suicide is unrelated to his switching genders, but somehow, I doubt it, especially considering his profession.

I hope that someday, humanity evolves enough (in the spiritual/emotional sense) that all people are free to be whomever they want to be, love whomever they desire, worship - or not worship - whomever they choose. It may never happen, but... I can imagine it.
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ms_priestypants
11/28/09

In reply to Mike Penner, Sports Columnist, 52
How sad. I seem to remember he tried to change back at some point? What a difficult situation, regardless, and not one that is very supported in general.
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Seeräuber Jenny
11/28/09

@ms_priestypants: The article I read said he resumed his old byline. Whether he tried to reassume a male identity is not clear.

I found this:

"Penner later took back his original name and resumed living life as a man a year later..."
[www.sbnation.com]
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Edited by Seeräuber Jenny at 11/28/09 3:15 PM Seeräuber Jenny was starred Seeräuber Jenny was unstarred

Aaron Altman
11/01/09

In reply to The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
What this clip reel needs is Captain Terrell phasering himself to death from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan! Or not. #halloween
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Mike Byhoff
10/30/09

In reply to The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
No one has found anything from 'Bad Taste?' It's a Peter Jackson gem! Chainsaw through the body, and when he comes out the other side, he declares "I've been born again!" #halloween
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bens
10/30/09

In reply to The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
You guys missed on the Italian classic "Cannibal Holocaust." It was banned in a bunch of countries because the producers convinced authorities it was a snuff film. People getting impaled, crucified, eaten by piranhas, etc ... what's really creepy is that its shot on 16mm film and it *looks* like how you'd expect a snuff film to look. #halloween
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Spirit Fingers
10/30/09

In reply to The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
Here are two that fucked my shit all up. I give you Leviathan. #halloween
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Spirit Fingers
10/30/09

@Spirit Fingers: And the "Oh, hell, you know something bad is in there." scene from Seven #halloween
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TedSez
10/30/09

In reply to The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
On the other hand, there's the best way: Sexed up by an alien and/or monster disguised as a hot human.
Jennifer's Body
Species
Liquid Sky
etc. #halloween
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Experiment626
10/30/09

In reply to The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
Resident Evil had that grid which sliced a guy into tiny, uniformly shaped pieces. And he fell apart just like that. #halloween
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Trai_Dep
10/31/09

@Experiment626: Well, that doesn't seem very carbon-neutral, does it? #halloween
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CParis
11/01/09

@Experiment626: That was heinous! #halloween
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Airvault
10/30/09

In reply to The Horror Movie Encyclopedia of Awful Ways to Die
How could you forget? #halloween
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Spirit Fingers
10/30/09

@Airvault: Jumpin Josephat Jesus! That movie is on the all time worst way to die list. Just the whole thing. In its entirety. Like for forever. The dogs, the dudes tied together, that guy with the tentacle head, yeah, could. not. sleep. for. two. days. Yearrrhgh. #halloween
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lukeoneil47
10/31/09

@Spirit Fingers: wont open for me. what movie? #halloween
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AmishJohn
10/31/09

@lukeoneil47: Carpenter's The Thing. #halloween
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