While browsing a local mall (en femme) and minding my own business, I noticed male employees of a T-Mobile kiosk up ahead staring me down with a rather unpleasant look on their faces. There was what appeared to be a customer being assisted at the time, but their focus was on me. From several meters away, I very clearly heard one of them say “There goes a faggot.” It was spoken louder than the rest of the conversation, indicative of his intent for me to hear it.

I would expect this kind of lowbrow behavior from immature kids and street thugs, but not from on-duty employees and representatives of any business, regardless if their own misguided personal views.

As mentioned in my previous account of browsing the mall en femme, I did not allow their bully tactics to ruin my day. They rattled me and gave me a good scare – good for them. I’m sure they’re very proud of themselves for their juvenile display of aggressive behavior toward a completely harmless person. Nothing has changed though. I’m still me, very happy to be who I am, and a little wiser for the experience.

What did you THINK would happen?
The “what did you think would happen going out dressed like that” question that some people may be pondering a load of bull. I didn’t “bring anything upon myself”. I’ve got every right to be out in public as any other law-abiding citizen. I’ve also got the right to personal self-expression so long as my self-expression is not unlawful. In turn, these guys are allowed their opinions, right or wrong. As on-the-clock representatives of T-Mobile however, derogatory comments and acts of intimidation toward the public reflect on the company as a whole.

I’m a human being
It’s sickening how some “people” (and I use that term loosely) are so comfortable going out of their way to make life difficult for others simply because they disapprove of their differences. I understand that many view people like me as “sub-human”. Well, that’s just too bad. I’m not sub-human, and will not tolerate being treated as such by representatives of any company. No one should just put up with such terrible treatment.

Silence is not an option
Staying silent about something like this would be irresponsible on my part. In my opinion, it’s irresponsible for ANYONE to simply put up with garbage like this. It took time and wasn’t easy, but I wrote a letter detailing the incident to the CEO of T-Mobile, Robert Dotson. I didn’t actually expect the company CEO to look into this matter personally, by the way. Not knowing who exactly to direct this to, I understood that his secretary would probably see to it that it ended up in the right hands.

I encourage you to read the letter. It explains the troubling encounter in detail. The link is to an image file or graphic representation of the letter. Some personal and geographical elements of the letter have been obscured for privacy reasons.

• Letter to Robert Dotson, CEO T-Mobile

Disappointing, but expected response
Eight days after mailing the letter (via postal service), I received an e-mail response. It was short, vague, and seemed intended for diplomacy purposes more than anything.

• T-Mobile’s response from Senior Human Resource Manager Stephen Fox

What can be expected to be done?
In all fairness to Mr. Fox and T-Mobile, matters of this nature are anything but simple. From their perspective, what’s to say that someone didn’t just make something up for whatever reason? Fact is: what I detailed in my letter is what took place, but I think you understand my point. One person’s word against another usually results in a stalemate – in other words, if nothing can be proven, nothing “officially” took place.

Bringing out the truth
I pondered whether or not to offer a suggestion in response to Mr. Fox’s e-mail, but didn’t think it would be taken seriously. Few companies would welcome advice on how to “do their job” from outsiders, and that is understandable. Even so, I felt compelled to offer it anyway.

• Follow-up e-mail response to Stephen Fox, Senior Human Resource Manager, T-Mobile

Since replying to his e-mail with my suggestion, I haven’t heard back from Mr. Fox, nor do I expect to. Most companies will not discuss or share information of this nature outside of authorized personnel for numerous valid reasons.

What now?
There is no way (for me) to check on the status of any investigation or even confirm that one has taken place. For all I know, my initial letter was only taken with minimal seriousness by people who might even share the same sentiments about transgendered people as their local sales representatives. Actions taken, if any, may be nothing more than a superficial show of good intent in effort to minimize any potential backlash.

I’d like to believe that my account has been taken seriously, that the investigation is very real, and regardless of their findings, that something is done to let it be known that publicly disparaging people (regardless of personal feelings) is absolutely unacceptable behavior for company representatives to engage in.

It could have been anyone
The behavior exhibited toward me by the T-Mobile sales employees is not unique. I’m well aware of how ignorant people in this town (and abroad) view people with differences like mine. It sometimes feels like the 1950′s and I’m a black person who just walked into a white neighborhood – given a hard time for no other reason than my personal appearance.

Regardless of what it could have been, it was what it was. Local representatives of T-Mobile made it clear that and displays of intimidation and openly referring to shoppers as “faggot” is acceptable behavior. If nothing is done about this, then they’re right, it is acceptable behavior.

Do you do business with T-Mobile?
I’m not a T-Mobile customer, but I wonder about their numbers. Statically, how much of T-Mobile’s business comes from transgendered people? Additionally, how many T-Mobile customers are gay? Though in the minority, the two groups together represent a significant portion of the human population. That’s a lot of consumer dollars up for grabs.

About the photo
The photo above is of the actual T-Mobile kiosk this took place. I went back the next day (in guy-mode), observed for a while, and took a picture. I do not imply that the employees seen in the photo either are or are not the same as those who behaved poorly toward me the previous day.

Stay silent, and nothing changes
Tired of being disrespected for no other reason aside from being yourself in public? Do you just accept the dangers involved in public shows of self-expression? You’d better speak your mind, friends. The bigots and haters have, and will continue to speak their minds and make life difficult for us if you do nothing.

Why don’t you start by speaking your mind here – share your thoughts in a comment.
 

Related content: crossdressing in public

Yesterday my latest package of mail-order clothing arrived. After arriving home from a long day at work, I quickly got out of my man-clothes and tried everything on. One garment at a time, my disappointment grew as I discovered nothing fit me. My lovely wife, on the other hand, ended up with a new elegant yet sexy little black dress and attractive bell sleeve top. She looks mighty fine in them, too, I must say. Finding female clothing items in my style and in my size often seems like a cruel exercise in futility.

Of the four items ordered, two have ended up in my wife’s already bursting closet, and two were shipped back to the online retailer. As for me, the one who desperately needs flattering tops that fit well and hide my not so feminine shoulders and arms – I get to pay more shipping fees and end up with nothing for my troubles.

It’s always a gamble buying clothes online… or at least it has been for me. I have yet to order a single item of clothing that actually fits. My upper-body is the problem area. Tops never seem to fit my broad shoulders and they’re always too short… or end up being too big all around, depending on size ordered.

I’m pretty choosy when it comes to clothing style. There are only a few general styles that I really enjoy – both on myself and to see other women wearing. Unfortunately, with the ever changing fashions each season, my preferred (generally form-fitting) clothing styles are not always in style and therefore not available in local women’s clothing stores. Even when things are purchased from local stores, they often don’t fit when I get home and try them on.

If you’re thinking my shoulders and arms don’t seem disproportionately large (for a lady) in my photos, that is because I’ve taken steps to minimize their appearance – both in the way I pose for photos and also the lighting utilized. In person, I look a little more like Gabrielle the pro-wrestler… at least in the few tops I currently have that fit semi-decently. Sleeveless tops fit best, but they also expose my well toned, somewhat muscular arms – not very flattering for a lady and nothing I’d be comfortable wearing outside the house.

My wife and I have been trying to find styles that are form-fitting, and yet would also minimize the appearance of my shoulders and arms. In our searches, we’ve come across some attractive clothing items in styles we both like, but nothing ever seems to fit. Sweaters are the exception, but it’s summertime and rather warm outside in my area.

There are several locally owned, less mainstream stores that I haven’t looked into yet. Because they’re not big chain stores, the clothes are more expensive and their return policy a bit more strict. Even so, perhaps I’ll have better luck in one of them.

It’s not easy being a crossdresser. I know I limit myself in the styles that I want to wear vs. what is available, but I can’t help it. I like what I like. My style may not always be in vogue, but it’s always my style.

This myth is fairly common among (unaccepting) loved ones of crossdressers and subsequently many crossdressers themselves. In online transgendered communities, countless times crossdressers have expressed guilt about being themselves sighting this exact myth as the source of their guilty feelings.

Myth: Crossdressing is a purely selfish act and the time spent crossdressing could be better spent doing more productive things. Fact: Crossdressig is no more selfish than time spent reading a good book, watching TV/movies, exploring a personal hobby, or any other activity of personal interest.

We’ll start out by examining the meaning of the word “selfish” and then get into why there is little merit to this myth.

Marriam-Webster definition:
Selfish (adjective):
(1) concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself: seeking or concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others
(2) arising from concern with one’s own welfare or advantage in disregard of others: a selfish act

Dictionary.com definition:
Selfish (adjective):
(1) devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.
(2) characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself: selfish motives.

As these definitions indicate, being selfish involves a certain level of disregard for the welfare of others. How exactly does crossdressing interfere with or show disregard for the welfare of others? The short answer is: it does not.

Crossdressing requires an investment of time and money. It varies from one person to the next depending on personal style, depth, and duration of time spent crossdressed. Some crossdressers do so openly in the company of their spouses and/or families, and sometimes out in public. Some choose to only crossdress in private.

Now I’m going to repeat the same general paragraph, substituting crossdressing for a model train enthusiast. The point I’m making should become clear.

Building a model train set requires an investment of time and money. It varies from one person to the next depending on personal interest, depth, and duration of time spent with the model train set. Some model train enthusiasts do so openly in the company of their spouses and/or families, and sometimes at public at shows/events. Some choose to only indulge in private.

The father of one of my childhood friends was a very serious model train enthusiast. He had quite an elaborate set up in his basement, complete with a miniature town, buildings that had working lights, moving railway road-block arms, detailed geography, grass and trees, and the train even blew smoke out of its stack. The model trains themselves were rather impressive chugging by with their intricate wheel mechanisms, functional train-whistle, and passenger cars that also had working lights. The whole set up was enormous and filled up about a third of the entire basement (in a closed off room). This was 30 years ago, mind you. Some pretty serious electronic technology of the time was being utilized. I can only imagine how many hours were spent assembling everything and time necessary to maintain the the small, intricate moving parts, let alone the cost of it all. It must have been very expensive because he protected the set up with a vengeance. We weren’t allowed near it without him in the room… and he reminded us of that every time we went in the basement to play Atari (old school gaming, for you younger folks).

I was just a kid at the time, but I think it’s safe to say that no one questioned this man’s love and enthusiasm for his amazing model train set and collection. The time devoted to his hobby was probably not considered a “selfish act” by his family or friends. I wonder if his wife ever had a problem with the amount of money spent on it.

The rules are very different for crossdressers though. The time spent crossdressing is often considered a “selfish act”. Why is that? Money spent on acquiring female clothing, makeup, and accessories is often seen as part of the selfish act because it might have been “spent more wisely on other things”. Does this same logic apply to the purchase of expensive model train components?

The general reason one is considered “a selfish act”, and the other not, is because many people are uncomfortable with the idea of a man crossdressing in female clothing. People are taught to be uncomfortable about this from a young age because it does not conform to currently acceptable social norms. It’s a bit like sex – most parents are embarrassed to discuss the subject of sex with their young children. Kids are taught not to ask about or even mention it, often in a punishing tone. This embarrassment was taught to them by their own parents (and other grownups) when they were kids, because their parents were embarrassed by the subject as well. It works much the same with crossdressing – the discomfort and detest is taught and passed down from generation to generation. Unlike the subject of sex, with crossdressing there is often no “acceptable age” at which time it becomes ok to discuss or acknowledge as a normal human trait. Instead, it remains a problem with many people. The reason has a lot to do with the lack of knowledge about and social stigma attached to crossdressing. It’s a lot easier to perpetuate the negative stigma than it is to acknowledge the truth and reality.

Truth be told, some crossdressers are in fact selfish – at least in some aspects of their lives. It has little to do with their crossdressing however, but rather the kind of person the are. The same can be said about many non-crossdressers as well. The world is full of people who do selfish things. Some happen to be crossdressers. Some happen to be model train enthusiasts.

If you think it’s ridiculous to compare crossdressing with being a model train enthusiast (in this context), please enlighten me as to why by leaving a comment below. I think it is ridiculous how society treats and vilifies such harmless and perfectly normal activities as crossdressing.

I know, most people do not consider crossdressing “normal”. There was also a time when most people did not consider being left-handed “normal”, or blacks drinking out of the same drinking fountain as whites “normal”. Luckily, most people have realized how idiotic those notions are. Society has, in many ways, become more enlightened and grown up. There is a long way yet to go, however. How much more growing up do you need to do?

I’ve often thought about the unaccepting families and loved one’s of crossdressers as being selfish when they ask their loved ones to stop crossdressing. It is selfish to ask someone to change who they are for you own personal benefit – in this case to ease your discomfort and/or embarrassment about their crossdressing. It displays disregard for the welfare of the crossdresser’s personal happiness. We are all entitled to the pursuit of happiness in life. There’s nothing selfish about that.

 
Related content: Crossdressing Myths

 

What exactly is normal? Being a crossdresser, most of society would consider me to be anything but normal. Sadly, that assessment is entirely based on my preferred choice of outward appearance. Compared to the Cleaver family of 1950′s sitcom “everyday normal family” fame, do I really look so terrible?

We live in a society that preaches “don’t judge a book by its cover” and tells us diversity is a good thing, but there are widely accepted limits to both. I’m not sure exactly where the line is drawn, but it falls well short of accepting someone like me as “normal”.

The title of this post is not directed toward mainstream society, but rather to my sisters in the transgendered community. You may be thinking: of course they think I’m normal. After all, they’re “freaks” too, right? (note the quotes)

Truth be told, there are indeed plenty of transgendered freaks out there. I think their numbers pale in comparison to non-transgendered freaks, but I don’t have the statistics on that. We know they’re out there because they’re easy to find: people who are all too happy to show you their exposed body parts and exactly what they do with them. Some of these genitalia-showing photo-freaks even happen to be crossdressers. You didn’t think I was talking about crossdressers alone, did you? Funny how only the crossdressing freaks seem to leave a lasting negative impression on people. If a “regular” non-crossdressing man shows off his manhood on the internet, people don’t usually label all non-crossdressing men as freaks, do they?

For the record, I don’t have a problem if people want to show off their body parts in a sexually explicit manner. I sure as hell don’t want to see it, but people should be free to do as they choose in terms of self-expression in pictorial and video form (with some obvious exceptions).

Here I am though, sharing myself with the world through my website, writing, photos, videos, participation in online transgendered communities and even in an occasional “normal” community. I’m not afraid of what people are going to think of me and I never lie about who I am when presenting myself in feminine form online.

I’m pretty normal even though I wear women’s clothes, makeup, and act feminine at times. I understand that completely negates any normality about who I am in the eyes of many people. My intelligence and creative talents don’t mean squat because I break the “gender rules” as a crossdresser. The help and understanding I offer people is all bogus because I’m a part time t-girl. My very happy and successful marriage is a crock because I often dress the same as my wife. I should probably be fired from my job because of how I look off-hours too, right?

Maybe I’m not very normal. I do have some issues that need working on – things that have nothing to do with my crossdressing. Doesn’t everyone though? Who doesn’t have room for improvement?

To those who have thanked me for being “normal” and for sharing all that I do on my website and in online communities – I want to thank you in return. Thank you for choosing to be yourself and embrace your feminine side as I do. It is very normal to be yourself. It is not normal to live a lie and trying to constantly suppress who you are. This society often seems more concerned with how we’re dressed rather than the good people we are, which is very sad. Thank you for being true to yourselves given all that is stacked against you (against all of us). Show society that you are indeed normal, too. Maybe then we can get out of the Leave it to Beaver facade of normality that so many people still cling to.

Unfortunately, many of these sexy styles gave way to far more conservative fashions. Somehow “sexy” became almost synonymous with “slutty”. This is especially problematic for me because I really love dressing sexy. To the right there is an example of how I like to dress. I really love that outfit. It’s comfortable, I look good in it, and feel absolutely great about myself when I dress that way.

So how exactly did attractively “sexy” become cheap and “slutty”? There seems to be this notion that if a woman dresses too sexy, that she’s just trying to get guys horny, or she’s a slut, or prostitute. There’s a shame factor in dressing too sexy now. Why is that? Who cheapened sexy to slutty? Was it the fashion industry just wanting to sell more conservative styles? Was it insecure women constantly putting down other women who they felt looked better than they did by calling them sluts and whores? What happened?

If I choose to dress how I prefer to dress and leave the privacy of my home, I’d draw a lot of unwanted, negative attention. In order for me to blend in, I have to dress conservatively, or as I call it “femme-drab”. I really don’t like the whole conservative look. I exercise my ass off to look good and I sure as hell don’t want to have to cover it all up or dress in styles that I don’t find appealing. I won’t look good forever – let me show off what I got. What’s wrong with that?

Women’s styles have gone from ultra-girly and sexy to not-so-girly and conservative. Even today’s clothing that does reveal more skin still seems pretty unappealing, at least to me. Instead of showing off a woman’s beautiful figure, many of today’s styles effectively hide it. The whole “maternity” look is in style now. I keep waiting for it to go away, but it just keeps coming back in greater force each season. What happened to the waist line being… well, at the waist? Now the “fashionable” tops and dresses are draped like curtains from just under the breast-line and completely cover and hide the waist like a maternity top or dress would do. Yuck! I refuse to wear any of these styles. I don’t even like when my wife does, which luckily she doesn’t very often. It’s very unflattering and gives the illusion of a larger belly and wider hips, but most women seem to just eat it up. I don’t understand why, other than they simply follow the latest fashion trends, period. I’m not picking on anyone who actually enjoys this look, I’m just not a fan of it at all.

The increasingly popular women’s conservative look seems to be mostly confined to America (USA). Sometimes I watch the Spanish-speaking television network Univision. Their news broadcasts and TV shows are bursting with beautiful women, often dressed very sexy. You won’t find an American news broadcast featuring a gorgeous hostess wearing a low-cut minidress. Check out that comparison photo of a morning Spanish TV show (top) vs. a morning American TV show (bottom). Notice the difference in the women’s styles? Watch a newscast or telenovela (soap opera) on the Univision network and you’ll (usually) find very attractive women showing plenty of skin wearing sexy clothes. And guess what: it’s NOT considered slutty or inappropriate in their culture! So why then is it in the American culture? Sadly, I am starting to notice that maternity fashion spilling into women’s styles seen in the Spanish TV network. I’m hoping this trend will not continue.

The main point is: in (western) non-American cultures, “sexy” isn’t seen as a bad thing at all. If a woman dresses sexy and shows a lot of skin, it doesn’t mean that she’s “sending out the wrong message”. It simply means that she likes to look good, period. There’s nothing wrong with looking good… unless you’re a conservative-fashion, maternity-style loving American woman who sees “sexy” as “slutty”.

The miniskirt is certainly not dead in America. There are still beautiful women wearing tastefully sexy clothes and revealing plenty of skin, though not in the numbers there used to be. For the most part however, sexy is viewed as a bad thing and women tend not to dress as sexy anymore. Sexy and girly is out, conservative and femme-drab is in. Regardless of the current fashion trends or styles, I love to be girly and sexy. Unfortunately I’m likely to draw negative attention to myself in the sexy way I prefer to dress, and without good reason.

When I dress sexy, it does not mean, “hey – I want to get everyone horny because I’m an easy slut”. It only means, “I feel good about myself and like how I look when dressed like this.” Do I want to be admired for dressing sexy? You bet I do! Do I want to be lusted over? Uh… no. I dress to impress, not to arouse. The same was true when my wife used to frequently dress sexy. She loved how she looked and was not trying to attract men with it (as in, that was not her intent). She often got hit on for doing so, but she’s a tough woman and made it clear to men to leave her the hell alone.

I understand that there is a time and place for dressing certain ways. We dress differently at work that we might at home, or out with our friends. That’s fine for the most part. If I want to dress sexy in public on my time, there should be no problem with it. No one should be given a hard time for dressing sexy while doing their own thing. I also understand that not everyone wants to dress sexy or has a different opinion of what sexy is. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The point is we should all be able to dress however we choose without being seen or labeled in a negative light for doing so.

I’m tired of the sexy look being translated as “hey – I’m an easy slut!” I’m tired of sexy being viewed as bad, improper, wrong, and all the other negative garbage people associate with it (mainly in America). Having to dress in a way I do not find flattering just to blend in and be left alone when in public is dull, boring, and constricting. “Slut” is an attitude and behavior, NOT a look. It’s time to make “sexy” acceptable again. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sexy. If you think I’m an ugly t-girl from fashion-hell, ok – you’re allowed that opinion. If you think I’m a slut or look cheap because of the way I like to dress, then you’ve clearly got a problem and might benefit from seeing a therapist to address your insecurities and ill conceived opinions.

It’s bad enough I take flack simply for being a crossdresser. I don’t need any additional problems just because I like dressing sexy too. I may not truly pass as female in person, but I certainly don’t look bad the way I dress… not as bad as a lot of genetic women in my town might if they dressed the same. ;)

What’s your take on this? Have you made similar observations in women’s styles and fashions and how they are perceived by others? Do you like to dress sexy too, but fear what others will think or say if you do?

 
Fun fact: The word “sexy” appears in this write up a total of 36 times, including this fun fact and the title.

 

The IT department recently distributed and set up new computers for us at work. My old computer really wasn’t all that bad, but the new computer is more powerful and allows me to multi-task a little better. It’s not uncommon for me to have several windows open on my work computer at any given time, so the extra processing power really helps.

The keyboard it came with is pretty nice, too. It’s comfortable to type on, the keys are quiet, and I almost always hit the right key when I’m typing. Almost.

Some keyboard designing genius decided that the company logo should go where print screen, scroll lock and pause/break buttons usually sit. To accommodate, these keys have been relocated just above the numeric keypad, about 3.5 inches (8.5 cm) further to the right. Because I use these keys often, I tend to fumble for a moment when trying to hit them without looking. Why couldn’t the Dell logo just go in the right corner and leave these keys where they’ve always been?

I’ll probably get used to it in time, but that may cause other problems. I use multiple computers at work but not all of them have this odd key configuration. Once I get used to reaching further for the desired keys, I’ll probably start to fumble on the keyboards that have them in the correct location. They did this for the placement of a stupid logo. Does anyone really care about the logo? Ok, Dell probably does, but how does shifting the keys over benefit the consumer? Every time I reach for the keys without looking, they’re not there!

I’m not sure if Dell had these keyboards specially made for them, or if they’re just keyboards made by company X for any computer companies with their respective logos to be located there. Regardless, it’s a stupid move. Overall, the keyboard is great, but this one annoyance is pretty irritating. It’s a keyboard, people. It’s used to help me get work done for my employer. Functionality OVER logo placement, please. That is the key to a good product. Thank you.

My wife and I watch a TV show or movie together on DVD a few times a week. DVD players are great, aren’t they? You just pop in the disc and can immediately skip to anywhere in the production or fast forward or fast rewind or whatever – all with the push of a button or two. So much easier to navigate than those clunky VHS contraptions were, right? Except… every time I put in a DVD and try to skip to the content, I get this annoying message!

Wait a minute – MY DVD player, MY remote, MY house, MY TIME! Who’s brilliant idea was it to take control away from me, the paying customer of the DVD player and rental DVD, and force me to wait an extra 20 seconds for the stupid FBI warning and then another 20 seconds for the production studio’s animated logo… and often another animated logo or two before I can watch the main attraction? This ain’t some movie theater where they can stick in 20 minutes of movie commercials (trailers) before showing the movie I just paid to get in and see… this is my house, my equipment, and MY very limited time!

There was actually more control with a VHS player. I had it worked out to a science – pop in rental movie, fast forward to the 6 minute mark, and then play. It was always the start of the movie on the tape – right there, 6 minute mark every time. No waiting for this or that. No being forced to watch FBI warnings or animated logos – just me choosing to do what I want and watch ONLY what I want. The fast forwarding took about 10 seconds, true, but that’s a bit more palatable than 40 or more seconds of warnings and studio logos.

Some of you may be wondering what’s the big deal. What is but one minute of my day, right? The point is not that they cost me the better part of a minute, the point is that some munch-head decided it was best to remove control from me, the paying customer, and stick me with with FBI warnings and animated logos that I don’t care to see. I’m well aware of the FBI regulations and fines and I don’t care how wonderfully animated studio logos are. I don’t want to see them. I don’t want to sit there waiting for them to finish. I want to press a button on my remote and get the show started. That’s why I paid money for the DVD player. That’s why I rented the DVD.

What gets me more is that some DVD’s will actually cut back to the FBI warning and animated logos and play them again if I continue pressing the menu button repeatedly – like it’s some kind of punishment for trying to get right to the content I paid to see. I swear I’m going to embed one of my heels in the TV one of these days. It really is irritating… over and over and over and over and over on every DVD every time all the same garbage. FBI warning… animated logo… another animated logo… and oh – FINALLY, I get to start watching the feature. Good thing they play that FBI warning because I’ve never ever seen it before in my life. Good thing I couldn’t fast forward through it for my own good, right? Good thing. Yeah.

Ok, so I’m just a tad annoyed about this. I doubt I’m alone though. Maybe you don’t get as annoyed when you get slapped with the annoying FBI warnings and animated logos each and every time, but I bet you’d rather just get to the main feature, wouldn’t you? You enjoy other people telling you how you can control your own devices in your own home?

Maybe it’s just my DVD player. It’s a Sony. If this is just a Sony thing, I’m SO done with Sony! Does your DVD player do this too? Who made yours?

I don’t have a Blu-ray player yet. Not in any rush to get one. Please tell me they didn’t pull the same garbage with those things.