text:
by MonicaS <email@example.com>
I was woken by the doorbell at 6:30 a.m. on that Sunday in November 1997 which changed my life completely. I was in my senior year in college then, majored in business and expected to graduate in summer. I lived on my own in a small apartment. At the door was my 19 years old sister, Rebecca, and she was very nervous.
"Sorry that I disturbed your sleep, but I couldn't wait," she said when she came into my apartment. "I had a vision."
"About me?" I asked a little worried and she nodded.
I wasn't that surprised that Rebecca had a vision, she has them quite often. But it must be serious if she's so nervous and has to come to me this early in the morning.
My sister has had visions since she was a little girl and they nearly always come true. Well, one part of the visions at least. Her visions always consist of two parts and only one of them really happens. For example she once saw Mom sitting in the park feeding ducks and a robber stealing Mom's handbag. Rebecca was still very young then and we didn't believe im her visions yet. Besides not everything she saw came true after all. So a few days later Mom went through a park while shopping and thought about feeding the ducks, but then she decided she hadn't enough time and so continued shopping. Well, a short time later a robber grabbed her bag and took off with it. If she had spent some more time in the park the robber probably would have stolen some other bag. After that event we recognized the pattern and usually avoided the worse part of her visions.
Some very few times we managed to avoid both parts of Rebecca's visions, at least we think so. For example my sister saw a dog getting killed by a car and then that we took the dog home and kept it. A few days later we really saw a lost dog and debated what we should do. It would be hard to care for it as we all were quite busy and we didn't have any garden. We knew though that if we'd do nothing the dog would be killed with high probability. So we actually took the dog home but then brought it to the animal pound so that either the real owner or a new home could be found. Some months later we checked on the dog and found out he had a new home and was still alive.
And now my sister had had a vision again and it seemed to disturb her very much.
"What did you see?" I asked her when we sat down in my living room.
"I'm sorry, but I've seen your gravestone. It said Dennis L. Wagner, born 14th February 1976, died 3rd November 1998. Mom and me stood at your grave and mourned you."
"Oh no!" That was a schock. "What was the other part?"
"It was a Christmas scene, you, Mom, me and another woman sitting at a Christmas tree. But you were not a man but a woman."
"A Woman? Did I dress up as a woman for Christmas?"
"No you weren't just dressing up. You looked, moved and behaved like a real woman. Much more feminine than you could ever be now."
"But how? I'm a man after all and never even dressed up as a woman."
We drove together to Mom who lived one hour away to discuss this with her. It was certainly serious and it would be better to get all the input possible.
Mom was shocked too of course when she heard about Rebecca's vision. She had lost Dad only a year ago and the concept of losing her son too now was nearly too much. But I had a way out at least, even though I didn't know yet how to manage it.
We all had heard about transsexuals, so there was a possibility to become a woman. But that certainly wouldn't be easy and not possible to do until Christmas which was only a few weeks away. But the second part of the vision didn't have to happen that year, after all the first part would happen about a year later too. So we all agreed that it would be enough to be a woman on 3rd November 1998. We briefly thought if I could somehow get out of it like we did with the dog some years ago, but we saw no possibility and the risk of dying was too big anyway. Better to be an alive woman than a dead man.
So I had nearly a year for me to become a woman, but we decided it would be best to start as soon as possible. I would research about transsexuals as I had done quite some research on the Internet already. My sister thought that I should do something more practical too. She wanted me to dress up as woman right away, so that I would get used to it. Reluctantly I agreed, after all she was right.
Rebecca started right away by getting a tape measure, ordering me to disrobe and taking all kinds of measurements.
"Good," she said, "you're not much taller than me, only a little wider at waist and chest and a little narrower at the hips. Quite some of my clothes should fit you. Now go into the bathroom to shower and shave your beard and legs."
"Shave my legs?"
"Sure, pantyhose doesn't look that good on hairy legs."
"Yes, better get used to them right away."
Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound. So I did as I was ordered. While I was busy Mom and Rebecca selected clothes for me to wear from those my sister left at Mom's while she was studying in the city. So when I came out of the bathroom I stood in front of a pile of female clothes.
With some help I dressed as a woman: panties, bra stuffed with some socks, tan pantyhose, a short black skirt and a red sweater. I had no shoes though as my feet were too large for either Mom's or Rebecca's shoes. My hair was too short for a woman and I had no makeup either, but that was soon corrected as I was directed to the vanity. My mother and sister showed me how to apply makeup, but insisted I do the actual applying myself, after all they wouldn't always be around to do it for me. After many corrections they finally approved of the result for now.
When I looked at the result in a full length mirror I was disappointed though. I didn't see a woman, but a man in women's clothes and with makeup. This certainly needed a lot more work. But then I had nearly a year left to get perfect. And the short hair certainly didn't help.
Mom saw my disappointed look and said, "Don't worry, this is just the first try, and with a wig it'll look a lot better anyway. Besides you don't wear any jewelry either."
"Ah yes," added Rebecca, "You'll have to get your ears pierced so you can wear nice earrings."
"Oh yeah, what else will I have to do?" I replied.
"We'll see as you go on. Ah yes, you need a female name."
"Hmm, I don't know. Mom, what name would you have given me if I'd been born a girl?"
"We didn't select any female name because we knew you're a boy before you were born," Mom said. "But how about 'Denise'? It's close to your male name."
"Yes, I like 'Denise' too," Rebecca said after a little thinking.
"Okay, sounds good. So I'll be Denise," I agreed. "Well, I guess I can remove this all now then." Somehow I was uncomfortable in this outfit.
"Oh no, Denise, you're far from finished yet," my sister replied. "You have a lot to learn still, like how to move like a woman. And besides it's best you wear women's clothes as much as you can so that it feels natural soon."
That resulted in practicing sitting, standing and walking like a woman, and I was happy I didn't wear heels yet like my sister told me I'd do soon. Finally it was time to go back to the city though, so I removed the makeup and clothes and dressed as me again. Rebecca packed quite some of her makeup and clothes including some nighties though, so that I could dress in them when I was at home.
I was glad I lived alone, because I must have looked hilarious in my nighty the next morning. But soon I was dressed in male clothes again and on my way to college. When I had some time I searched for transsexual resources on the Internet and got overwhelmed. There were thousands of pages and I had a hard time to find those who really had information I could use. I learned quite a lot about transsexuals anyway.
When I came home I didn't really want to dress up again, but I knew it was necessary. So I selected what seemed to be an acceptable combination of clothes and dressed in them. Then I used some makeup too which took much more time than I liked. After that I spent the rest of the evening as a woman, well, as close of an approximation as I could, but I hardly felt like a woman.
The next day Rebecca took me shopping. First we went into a wig shop where we were served by an older lady. When I told her nervously that I looked for a wig for me she reassured me by saying that quite some crossdressers and transsexuals were buying wings at her shop. It was quite worth the little embarrassment to go there, because they had a big selection of good wigs and I could try them on to find one which really was right for me. It was the same blond as my own hair and shoulder length.
Next my sister took me into a shoe store. Here we were not the only customers though. But then I had to get used to that. I didn't expect to be able to become a woman without a time of being in-between, where I would be recognized as a man wearing female clothes. So when a young saleswoman approached us and asked if she could help us I nervously told her I'd need women's shoes.
"Women's shoes for you, sir? Umm, sure. Do you know your size?"
I wasn't sure, so she measured my feet and declared me a size 10. She asked me what style I wanted and Rebecca told her I'd need a pair of casual flats and some more dressy pumps, both black. The saleswoman then showed us several shoes.
"Um, may I ask why you need women's shoes?" she asked me while I tried them on.
"Well, I'm a transsexual and I want to become a woman," I replied. That was close enough to the real truth.
"Oh, that must be hard. I saw some report on TV about transsexuals. But you're cute, you'll make a pretty woman," she said smiling.
"Thanks, you're very nice. Somehow I expected a lot worse reactions."
Just at that moment a man walked by and mumbled "Damn fags!" when he saw me trying on women's shoes. So much for good reactions. Besides I wasn't a homosexual anyway.
"I'm sorry, some people are just stupid. Don't let that get to you. You're always welcome here. By the way, my name is Emily."
"Thank you, I'm Dennis. Well, soon Denise. And this is my sister Rebecca."
Emily seemed genuinely interested and asked a lot questions about what I had to do to become a woman. I told her that I was just starting and still researching and probably needed a lot of practice before I could go on the street as a woman. And then she offered to help me. I liked Emily and so I accepted. We exchanged phone numbers and agreed to meet on Sunday.
I finally ended up buying 3 pairs of shoes: flats, low heeled pumps and 4" high stiletto heels. I was very wobbly in the high heels and nearly fell over when I tried to stand up, but Rebecca said I'd get used to them.
The following days I researched on the net again and dressed up at home in the evenings. Twice my sister came over to help me, but she had her own life too. With the wig I looked much more womanly and I didn't feel so ridiculous anymore.
* * *
Sunday I was very nervous. It would be the first time somebody besides my family would see me in women's clothes. I debated if I should receive her dressed as a woman, but I thought she'd like to see each step of the transformation. When Emily arrived we didn't start right away but first talked for some time. After all we didn't know much of each other. She was actually a year younger than me and still lived with her family. She didn't have the luck to have rich parents like me and so couldn't go to college full-time, but she took some evening courses. We found out that we had quite some common interests and I liked her more and more.
Finally we started my transformation. Of course putting on clothes wasn't that special, but she had some makeup tips that my Mom and sister didn't know of. She helped me selecting accessories which improved my outfit a lot in the end. So finally I stood in front of her in a blue dress, dark hose and my black pumps. A wide belt, a silk scarf and some bracelets completed the look.
"Denise, you're really pretty," Emily said and then hugged me.
I blushed and then hugged her back. "Thank you, but ..."
"No 'but', you are pretty."
And then she kissed me. Not only a peck, but a really intimate kiss. And I kissed her back.
When we separated we were both a little embarrassed, but I didn't regret it at all. We were getting hungry and so we ordered some food. It was a romantic dinner with candlelight and wine. With her smiling at me I felt comfortable in female clothes for the first time.
After dinner I modeled some more of the clothes my sister had given me. Even though Rebecca had tried to select clothes which would fit me some of them didn't look that good on me, and they were all used of course. So Emily suggested that we go shopping the following Wednesday as that was her day off. Then it was time for her to leave and we kissed again as good-bye.
* * *
Shopping with Emily on Wednesday afternoon was nice. I was less nervous this time as I didn't have to try on all the clothes, because I knew my sizes from the clothes I had already. The few clothes I had to try on I snug into the changing cubicle and only wore there, with Emily looking in of course. Then she led me into the lingerie section. I needed more underwear too of course, but she insisted on buying lacy bras and panties and even garter belts and stockings. She said she liked her girlfriends to be sexy and winked at me.
After our shopping spree we ate a little at a restaurant, but then it was time to say goodbye. We agreed to meet again on Sunday though.
At home I changed into my new clothes, but when I wore the lacy lingerie the look was disturbed very much by the socks I used as false breasts. On the net I had read about silicone breast forms and found a shop in the city that catered to crossdressers and transsexuals, so I decided to go there the following day.
I was shopping alone this time, but then this store would be sympathetic to my needs. The shop assistant actually was very nice and showed me the breast form models they had. After I selected a pair I asked if they had something to reduce the bulge in the crotch area and got a gaff for that.
The next Sunday I surprised Emily by greeting her in my most sexy outfit, a red top and, tight black miniskirt, black stockings and my 4" heels. I had practiced a lot so that I could walk quite fine in the stiletto heels. Emily was pleasantly surprised and we couldn't stop kissing each other. Then Emily surprised me by pulling me into my bedroom and saying "I want you! Right now!"
Soon I was laying on the bed and Emily removed my skirt and top. Then she had another pleasant surprise when she saw my smooth crotch and well formed breasts in my lacy, black underwear. I removed her clothes too and we made love like two women. We kissed us everywhere. I removed her panties and kissed her pussy too. Finally she turned around, removed my panties and the gaff and then she took my cock into her beautiful mouth. We were pleasuring each other until we both had a wonderful orgasm.
"I love you," I told Emily.
"I love you too," she replied and then we kissed each other for the longest time.
After we regained our breath Emily suggested to go out, with me as woman. I didn't feel ready for that yet. My girlfriend, and Emily certainly was my girlfriend now, persuaded me to go for a walk at least. Besides it was getting dark anyway and nobody would recognize me. So I dressed in some casual clothes and we went for a stroll through the neighborhood. I was nervous of course, but after several people walked by and didn't notice anything special I felt better. We were holding hands and even kissed each other when nobody was in sight.
I was so happy that I had done my first steps as a woman in public, because it increased my confidence a lot. I felt a little more comfortable in women's clothes now too, but my girlfriend's acceptance and love certainly helped a lot there. I was still worried if I could survive as a woman, or if I'd miss being a man. And I didn't want to lose my cock either. But that wasn't really necessary. Many transsexuals lived as woman with a cock and I doubt that that little detail would be important in Rebecca's vision. Besides I had read that one whole year of a so called Real Life Test had to be absolved before a transsexual could get a sex change operation, and I didn't have a year left.
For now I was happy, and I showed it to my girlfriend by pulling her into the bedroom for another round of sex. The evening was over much too early though and Emily had to go home again. But not without a big kiss and a promise from me to go out somewhere the next Saturday.
* * *
On the Internet I had found a list with support groups for transsexuals and contacted one that met in the city. They had meetings on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. The next one was the following week and I decided to go there then.
Another thing bothered me: my voice. It certainly wasn't female. Fortunately I found a voice training tape on the net and ordered it. There were some samples and I downloaded them to start my voice training as soon as possible.
On Saturday I prepared myself to go out as a woman at first, but then I got big doubts. Last Sunday I had been in the dark always, but this time I'd be in lightened rooms. And there'd certainly people who would recognize me as a man and some of them might react badly then. And I didn't know where I should go anyway. I couldn't go to my usual hangouts of course, as I wasn't ready to out myself yet. So I called her to cancel, but she was on her way already.
When she arrived she was disappointed of course, but she said she could understand that I was afraid. Then she suggested we go out anyway, but with me as man. I was glad that getting ready to go out didn't nearly take as much time for a man as for a woman, so that my girlfriend didn't have to wait long and we were on our way for a fun night out.
When we came home we went straight into my bedroom. Emily had packed a bag to stay over, so we had all night. But when I wanted to make love to her she wasn't as enthusiastic as the week before. Only when I put on my wig, female underwear and breast forms did I see that glow in her eyes again. And that glow was well worth it.
* * *
Sunday morning was the first time for much too long that I didn't wake up alone. I dressed as a woman again of course, but casually in jeans and sweater. We spent the whole day together, snuggling a lot, and making love too. Emily even managed to get me out for a stroll before it was really dark, which was a confidence booster as it went all fine.
Of course the day was over much too soon. But at least my girlfriend had agreed to come with me to that support group meeting the next Thursday, so we would meet again soon.
* * *
Tuesday the voice training tape arrived and I spent quite some time using the lessons on it from then on.
In the evening the doorbell rang suddenly. I was dressed as a woman as usual now. My friends usually called when they wanted to visit me. I was very worried if I should open the door. Finally I said to myself that at some time it would come out anyway. When I opened I was very glad that it was my sister though.
Rebecca complimented me on my look and then I had to tell her everything that happened the last two weeks. Well, I didn't actually tell her I had sex with Emily, but I think she could guess. She was glad that things progressed well and offered her help again, but at that moment I had all the help I needed.
* * *
Finally it was Thursday and I had to get ready for the support group. I chose a casual dress and the low heeled pumps. I wanted to appear feminine, but not overdo it. Emily liked my choice.
When it was time to leave I got nervous again. I'd have to go out in bright daylight and then I'd have to meet several people as a woman and talk with them with my deep voice. But they would be sympathetic of course, as they had the same problem as me. Well, mostly. They didn't have a vision that said, "You'll die if you don't become a woman." But then I had read that transsexuals often committed suicide, so it was a matter of life or death for some of them too.
I got into the car without being seen and we were on our way. Emily had to hold my hand to calm me down though when we reached the destination and I had to go into the meeting room. There were several women and a few men there already or arrived shortly after us. A lot of the women were recognizable as transsexuals (or crossdressers) and most men looked rather boyish. The clothes ranged from casual to evening wear and the age from about 20 to 50.
One woman approached me. "Hello, you two must be new here," she greeted us. "My name is Hellen Francis and I'm the president of our support group. Welcome here."
"Thank you," I said in my not so female voice, "I think we phoned last week. I'm Denise and this is my girlfriend Emily."
"Yes, I remember you. Well, as you can see we're quite a mixed crowd. Today we first have a lecture about the different methods of beard removal, then some general discussion and after that most of us go to a bar for a nice evening among friends."
She then gave me some information material and a membership form. After that she introduced us to some other members of the group. They all made me feel welcome and we chatted a little. Then it was time for the lecture.
The lecture had quite some useful information. It seemed traditional electrolysis was still better than the new laser treatment. I got some address for a good and cheap electrolysist too.
After the formal part was over we joined the members who went to a nearby bar. In the group I felt comfortable and secure, even though I knew that I'd probably be recognized as a man, especially if I said something. But the people here must be used to transsexuals and crossdressers by now.
The chat with the others was nice and informative. I got recommendations for a shrink and endocrinologist (that are the doctors who administer hormones) and some other places to go out to. I even got invited to join some of them on Saturday. Emily and me accepted and this time I'd really go out as a woman. After all I was out as a woman now already and I had got quite some compliments on my looks.
The next day was a workday, so the evening ended quite early. The next support group meeting would be in four weeks as it was Christmas in two weeks.
* * *
Friday I made appointments with the shrink and electrolysist whom I got recommended. The electrolysist had time the next Wednesday because of a cancellation, but the shrink was busy until 5th January. Well, Christmas was probably a bad time to start.
Saturday the evening out as woman was nice, but when I left my apartment I met a neighbor on the stairs. He looked strangely at me but didn't say anything. Well, that was supposed to happen at some time.
I spent Sunday with Emily again and she pulled me out for a walk again. When we were at a cinema she saw that a movie she'd like to watch showed there. Well, it is dark in a cinema anyway, so I agreed. Of course I forgot that there is a lot of light before the movie begins. But then I'd have to learn to be in public. Emily told me that I looked just fine and nobody would guess I'd be male. And really, nobody noticed.
Wednesday I had my first electrolysis setting and I experienced why the other transsexuals called it zapping. Ouch! And I would have to do that every week for at least 2 years.
It was Thursday, only one week before Christmas, when my sister visited me again. We chatted a little and then she suddenly got serious.
"Does Emily's family know about you? Did you see them already?" she asked.
"No, I didn't meet them yet and they don't know about me, at least not about Denise. Her parents know that she has a boyfriend though."
"But do you intend to visit them soon?"
"Hmm, yes, we talked about that. Her parents are curious and want to meet me, and we thought Christmas would be a good time."
"Okay, but go as Dennis and not as Denise. And better don't tell them about Denise yet."
"I had a vision again. First you as Dennis and Emily meet some older people, I assume her parents. Then Emily is thrown out by her parents. Emily still lives with them, doesn't she?"
"Yes, she does. So you think her parents won't accept me as Denise?"
"Yeah, I don't see what else is significant about you visiting them as a man."
"You're probably right. But at some time they will have to know about me. So they will just throw her out at a later time."
"Perhaps, but perhaps it's just the wrong time now."
"I hope so."
* * *
Emily and I spent Saturday evening and Sunday together again. We talked about visiting our parents too. My mother had invited us for Christmas Eve and her parents for the next day.
"I think you should meet my parents as Denise," my girlfriend said. "You seem to be quite comfortable as a woman now and I don't want to hide you from them."
"No, I can't. I don't think your parents would react well on me this way."
"Why do you think that? You don't know them. I love you so much, they just have to like you too."
"Parents sometimes have strange ideas whom their children may love."
"So you think may parents are some rednecks who tell their daughter whom to love and whom not?" she replied annoyed.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't be the model husband in their eyes."
"If you think that, why do you even want to meet them at all?" She was really angry now and I didn't know how to calm her down again, except to tell her the truth.
"Okay, I'll tell you something now. You might not want to believe it, but it's true anyway. Please calm down and listen."
"Hmm, okay, go on."
"Well, my sister is psychic. She has visions sometimes and nearly always they come true. Some weeks ago she had a vision that I have to become a woman or I'd die. That is the reason why I do all this. I'm not really a transsexual in the sense that I feel to be a woman inside, but just like them I have to become a woman."
"And what does have to do with my parents?"
"My sister had another vision this week. She saw that if I don't visit your parents as Dennis then they'll throw you out."
"That is thick."
"I know it's hard to believe, but why should I make this up? I love you and I don't want to lose you, and I don't want you to get problems with your parents either. So even if you don't believe me, could we keep Denise secret for now, just to be on the save side?"
She wasn't persuaded yet, but after I told her more about Rebecca's visions she finally seemed to believe me. At least she agreed to visit her parents with me as Dennis and not to mention my female side.
* * *
As Christmas Eve was a Wednesday Emily didn't have to work that day fortunately. So we drove to visit my mother early in the morning. As I really was quite comfortable in female clothes now and Mom certainly would want to see how I managed now I chose to go as Denise. I wore a nice dress with a floral pattern, tan hose and my 4" heels and Emily wore a dress too, even though she was usually a jeans and sweater girl.
When we arrived Mom and I hugged each other, which we didn't do often before. She liked what she saw and complimented me on my looks. Mom was glad to meet my girlfriend too and they hit it off well. My sister arrived a little later and we spent a nice day with each other. Mom was very happy to have three daughters now.
"So, Rebecca, is this the scene you saw in your vision?" Emily asked when we all sat beneath the Christmas tree.
"You know?"
"I told her about your visions," I explained.
"Hmm, it was quite some weeks ago already," Rebecca said, "but I think it's not quite right. You are the fourth woman whom I didn't know then. But Denise isn't as feminine yet as in the vision. But that doesn't matter, we expect the vision to come true next year anyway."
I really hoped it would come true, because that would mean I'd stay together with Emily too, and I was very much in love.
* * *
The next day I finally met my girlfriend's parents. But as we agreed we kept Denise a secret. It was actually quite fun to talk with them, but I just hoped they could somehow accept me as Denise too. Fortunately Rebecca had had her vision or we probably wouldn't have sat there happily in their living room. For now they seemed happy that their daughter had found a boyfriend.
On Saturday after Christmas Emily and I went out to the transgender friendly bars and met our new friends from the support group again. This actually became our usual activity for Saturday nights. Some men tried to pick me up at the bar and this made me feel good even though I had no intention to ever date a man.
I was finally comfortable enough as woman that I dared going shopping in bright daylight, first only with my girlfriend, but then alone too. And it seemed everybody accepted me as a woman even though I got probably read as a man sometimes. I had spent most of my time at home in female clothes in the last weeks, but now I started to appear in public as woman often too.
I met some more neighbors on the stairs. Most only looked and said nothing for now, like the one whom I had met before, but one woman congratulated me to my courage.
And then came the appointment with the shrink on 5th January of the new year. I had read a lot about transsexuals by then and even talked to a few who had visited exactly this shrink, so I knew what kind of question to expect and what she wanted to hear. I wanted to get my recommendation for hormones as quickly as possible. And appearing comfortably as woman was probably a big factor too. So I dressed in a stylish business suit and high heels for the meeting.
I was nervous when I met her at first anyway, but soon she managed to calm me down, telling be how she was here to help and not to judge me. I told her actually the truth about me, except for the reason why I needed to become a woman. As I was slight of built I had really had some problems with bullies in school and I had kept to myself like many transsexuals for example. I just added that I felt that I didn't fit in and that I finally found out why. And that I felt much better since I spent more and more time as woman. That I had to become a woman was the truth again.
She seemed impressed by my natural appearance and my determination. She liked the support group, the electrolysis, the support by my family and girlfriend and my plan for transition. I didn't appear to be psychological unstable or deluded and so she okayed hormones right away. I didn't expect that, but was happy about it of course. We made an appointment for the 9th February for the next consultation and she wished me much luck on my way.
On the next day I had my second electrolysis session, which would be a regular date on Tuesdays and Saturdays from then on. I went there as woman too.
Thursday was a support group meeting again and I met most of my new transgendered friends. Four weeks before I was still doing my first steps as a woman in public, but I had changed a lot in the meantime. And a lot of people told me it was visible for them too. Even though I didn't seem to need that much support anymore I'd continue to go to the meetings, to meet my new friends and perhaps give support for my peers too.
The Tuesday of the following week I saw an endocrinologist about the hormones. He took some blood sample and if everything would be okay I'd be getting a prescription the next week. So on Monday the 19th I had the first prescription of Estinyl in my hands. He would have prescribed an anti-androgen too, but Emily and me liked it when I penetrated her and with estrogen alone I'd get the feminizing affect and had a chance that my cock stayed functional.
The hormones would make me infertile soon though, so I had actually deposited some samples at a sperm bank in case we wanted children later.
* * *
It was finally time to tell my friends. I had seen them less in the last time because of Emily and because I spent most of my free time as woman now. Some had met Emily already and so thought that she was the reason. So when I finally told them of the real reason they were all quite surprised. Most of them were okay with it, but a few rejected me for my decision. Well, there's always some loss. I could live with it, even if it was sad.
As I didn't want to live two lives I intended to transition at college as soon as possible too. One step in that direction was to give a transition party for my friends, so that they could get used to see me as woman before they saw me that way in college. I didn't have enough room to host it myself, so I invited them to a bar and would pay the first two rounds of drinks. And as my birthday happened to be soon I chose that date to be my transition date and combine my birthday and transition party.
From the 14th February 1998 on I would appear as woman full-time. It would be the official begin of the Real Life Test, but then that didn't matter as I didn't intend to get any surgery.
A few more things needed to be done. First was to change my name legally. That was actually much more easy than I had thought. I just went to the DMV and had to fill a form. I had got a letter from my doctor that I was undergoing treatment for gender dysphoria and needed to live as a woman for that which I added to my request and they said I'd get my new driver's license in four to six weeks. I'd have to wait that long before I could change my other documents.
I talked with the student counselor at college and he said it would be no problem. I seemed not to be the first student who transitioned. I'd have to wait for my driver's license to change my records, but I could attend the classes as woman before that. To be on the secure side I told my teachers about my upcoming change too.
On 9th February I had my second session with my shrink. I just reported how my life went and of my upcoming transition at college. As I didn't really have a need for another session we agreed that I'd see her next in about 6 months.
Finally it was my birthday. I was woken by Emily with a kiss and then she served me breakfast in bed. Usually she would have to work on Saturdays, but she took the day off, so we could celebrate. After I had finished my meal my girlfriend gave me my birthday gift and told me to open it immediately. It was a very sexy set of lingerie, a beautiful red teddy with black trim and garters, matching panties and black, seamed stockings. Emily demanded that I wear it on my birthday. I actually put it on right away and then I pulled her back into the bed and showed her how much I liked her gift. It was a good start into the rest of my life as woman.
At 4 p.m. I had an appointment at the beautician. My hair had grown long enough meanwhile so that it could be cut and styled femininely, even if it was still quite short. Then I got a professional makeover including nail extensions. Even though I was quite accomplished in doing my makeup by now, a professional still could do it much better. I was beautiful when I looked into the mirror before I left.
For my party that evening I wore my new lingerie including the seamed stockings, a tight, black dress that only went to mid thigh and my 4" high black heels. I wanted to impress my friends and I seemed to be successful. Many of my male friends stared quite unashamedly at my features when they saw me. And the female friends congratulated me on my looks too. Only a few had seen me before when they visited me at home in the days after my coming out, but I was dressed casually then.
My friends actually related differently to me now. I was a buddy for the men before which I actually would have liked to stay, but somehow most couldn't and instinctively treated a woman differently. With the women the change was more positive. I was accepted as one of them by most and we got much closer than before.
I had invited a few new friends from my support group additionally and was glad they were accepted by my old friends too. It was especially nice how one cute transsexual and one of my male friends got close and finally even kissed each other. The evening stays as one of the best in my memory.
Two days later was my first time time as woman in class. Most who knew me had already heard about my change, so it was no surprise. I wasn't dressed that differently than before, in jeans, sweater and flat shoes, only that my clothes had a feminine touch to them. Of course my face looked different with my new haircut and a little makeup. Fortunately that day was quite uneventful, I was just another young woman now.
It was March and the only time I still appeared as a man was when I visited Emily's family now, as we still had seen no way how to tell them about me. That vision about them throwing her out couldn't come true anymore, but then Emily didn't really live with them anymore as we spent most of our time together and she usually slept in my apartment too.
Then Rebecca visited us with another vision. It was embarrassing for her to tell us, but she had seen us having sex and I was using a condom. The alternative was Emily with a big belly.
We were not ready for a baby yet and Emily took the pill therefore. But my sister's vision indicated that somehow that wasn't enough. Well, so I used a condom from then on when we had sex, even if I didn't like it. Unfortunately a few days later we had a night of hot sex and I somehow forgot the condom on the second round. When I had just finished pumping my sperm into Emily I realized what I had done, but it was too late.
Oh well, so much for family planning. And the pregnancy test a few days later showed that we were getting a baby too, due the 14th December.
I had wanted to do it anyway, but now I had an additional reason. I asked Emily if she wanted to become my wife. And she said yes.
We decided that we'd marry on the 20th June, two weeks after my graduation, so that I didn't have to worry about the preparations too much when I had my finals, and Emily hopefully wouldn't show too much yet. On the other side I'd probably show then, after 5 months of hormones. Not that that mattered, as we would both be wearing wedding gowns.
I had got my name changed to Denise, but I was still legally male and even had an 'M' on my driver's license, so I still could really marry Emily.
The only problem left were my future parents-in-law. We had to tell them now. So on the next visit they got to hear quite some news. First about the upcoming wedding which they were happy about as they still thought of me as the model son. Then the baby which made them happy too. And then that I was living as a woman which only stunned them at first. But soon it got ugly and Emily's father threw me out before we could explain. Emily stood by me and left too.
We had hoped that it wouldn't get that bad, that they got to like me and would accept me as a woman too. We tried our best, but had no chance. It made us very sad and we both cried for several minutes when we sat in the car after we left.
* * *
Life went on and we managed to talk with Emily's mother a few weeks later. She could actually accept my change after some explaining, but her husband refused to talk to me at all and wouldn't talk about me with his daughter either.
Meanwhile my breasts started to grow for real and when it was time for my finals I actually filled my A-cup bras. This made wearing the breast forms uncomfortable, so I gave them to a sister in need and used some padded bras for myself from then on.
Two weeks later I had my graduation diploma in my hands, in the name of Denise Wagner of course. I had found a job at a bank that would start on 1st July, which was just right, so that I'd have 2 weeks of free time for preparation for the wedding and then a week for the honeymoon.
The wedding was beautiful, with not only one but two brides. Even Emily's mother came and actually saw me as woman for the first time. And she seemed to accept me fully, even complimented me. The only downside was that my new wife's father still couldn't accept me and even missed the wedding of his daughter therefore.
The wedding night was the high spot of the day. We had great sex, and I was glad my cock still worked after 5 months of hormones even though it took a little longer to get hard. But we weren't worried actually, as we liked non-penetrating sex too. Foreplay and cuddling after sex was always an important part anyway.
We spent a week of honeymoon at the Niagara Falls, but then the seriousness of life got us back. I had to start my new job at the bank soon. Somebody had to earn the money to support our small but growing family after all.
It was that special date, 3rd November 1998, the day I'd die if that part of Rebecca's vision came true. But I was confident that that wouldn't happen. After all I was a woman now and if I'd die my gravestone would read Denise Wagner and not Dennis Wagner.
I was now living as a woman full-time for over eight months and working at the bank for four months. Emily's pregnancy was developing nicely and her big belly was quite a sight. Life was good.
I was just talking with a customer about his investments when suddenly two armed, masked men came into the bank. They disarmed the security guard quickly and then told everybody to stay calm and nothing would happen. I really hoped so, but of course I pressed the silent alarm button. We then had to sit down in a row at a wall while one teller had to collect the money for them.
When the robbers wanted to leave the bank we heard police sirens. They were actually quick this time. Unfortunately the robbers didn't give up, but took us hostage. They demanded an escape car and 2 million Dollars. Of course that took quite a time to organize and the police probably put them off additionally.
As time passed the gangsters got more and more nervous. Finally it was too much for one of them and while talking on the phone he came over to us.
"I bet you don't believe I'll do it. Or why don't you get the fucking money here?" I heard him say into the phone, "I have enough of this. I'll show you I'm not to play around with."
Then he raised his gun and looked into my eyes. I was very frightened that he'd shoot me. But then he turned to the man next to me.
"Stand up!" he told that man and led him over to the entrance so that the cops could see him. And then he shot him.
Then it became clear. He would have selected me. But I was a woman now and he probably didn't want to shoot a woman. I was glad that I was still alive, but now somebody else had to die instead. And I could do nothing.
Then suddenly I heard more shots. But not from the robbers. The robbers were actually hit. It seems the police finally decided to storm the bank as the gangsters were likely to kill more hostages now. After the first robber had shot that man the second one got mad on him and the cops used the resulting confusion to take the gangsters out.
The gangsters were actually dead, but the man they had shot was heavily wounded but still alive. As there was an ambulance already they quickly drove him to the hospital. We others were fortunate to come out of it unharmed, at least physical. The emotional shock sat deep though.
I was glad that nobody had to die for me after all, but I had to assume that if I'd still been a man I would have been shot and probably not survived. Thank God for my psychic sister.
It is Christmas 1998 now and I sit with my wife, my sister and my mother under the Christmas tree, just like Rebecca saw it. And we are very happy. My beautiful daughter is already sleeping in her bed. She was born two weeks early, but has developed splendidly since then. Emily is trying hard to get back to her former weight and will probably soon reach her goal.
My father-in-law still doesn't want to know anything about me, but I hope he'll come around at some time. The relationship with my mother-in-law is much better. She even visits us often in our new home. My small apartment certainly wasn't big enough for three and now we have a three bedroom apartment, so there's space for another kid in case we want one.
The danger of another 'accident' is slim though as my sperm isn't fertil anymore. The female hormones saw to that. Fortunately they didn't stop my erections even though my breasts grew nearly to B-cups, so we can still enjoy sex as before.
As the initial reason for me to become a woman is gone now I could return to manhood. But I actually like my life as it is now and returning would probably be much harder than becoming a woman was. I don't really miss being a man, so I'll stay a woman.
The End
I'd like it very much to get comments on this story.
This Story is © 1998 by Monica S. <email@example.com>. Redistribution permitted for non-commercial purposes only. Please notify me in case of addition to an archive.


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Our belief is that as people choose to serve, whether in one of our churches, in the local community, or around the world, the impact of that service will change lives—for those serving, for the people they serve, and even for those that see them giving their time to help someone else.
It takes almost 1000 volunteers to make Sunday happen. Are you willing to help? Our needs are as diverse as the people who attend our services. Find out how you can get involved and serve others in our church community.
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subset: commoncrawl


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WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross discusses his WWE highlight for 2012 in his latest blog. Here is an excerpt.
"Been asked the highlight of my WWE year and without question it was being afforded the opportunity by WWE upper management to broadcast the HIAC bout at WM28 featuring the Undertaker, HHH and @ShawnMichaels," Ross wrote. "Big time bucket list memory for me and a night that I'll always fondly remember. I'm hopeful that I can call one bout at WM29 just to be a part of the event. Many of us worked some amazing hours over the years to contribute to building this amazing event.
"When I sit back and see where WrestleMania has come since I made my debut in Vegas at WM9, I am honestly amazed. I see continued use of stadiums for future WrestleMania events and hope that I can be a small part of the proceedings for as long as I'm able. It's our Super Bowl and who wouldn't want to be associated with the biggest event in our profession? Old players still like to play."
Jim Ross also talks about Women in the MMA, The Rock & Roll Express and more.


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Head Coaches News Conference -- Texas A&M Coach Kevin Sumlin (Transcripts)
Opening comments: "First of all, thank you Texas A&M is extremely excited to be here at the AT&T Cotton Bowl. I can't tell you after the year we have had to come to Dallas the hospitality has been fantastic at the Anatole. I want to thank our practice facility people at SMU and at Highland Park (High School). Coach (Randy) Allen has put up with us the last couple of days. For our fans, the location, the venue, everything that is going on in our time slot Friday night for viewership nationally, it is going to be a great atmosphere at Cowboys Stadium. We are excited to be here and are looking forward to Friday."
On the recruiting battles between he and Coach Stoops and how that works when they are good friends: "As long as you are not doing unethical, you are friends. It is like playing golf, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You might get upset a little bit, but you come back through it. That is just the way it is."
On whether teams can use extra time before bowl game to insert new things on offense and defense for the game plan: "The time factor with us playing the (Jan.) 4th, I think has helped us with all the award things going on and gave us some time. That four days past New Year's (Day) has helped us just because we had so many guys running around all over the place in early December. I think how you manage that becomes important. The players, which is something I learned when I was at Oklahoma, the later the game if you do things too early the players can get bored. You got to keep them interested. Like I said, the way things are done here at the Cotton Bowl outside of football practice allows you to focus on what you are doing because our kids are having a fabulous time and being treated in a first-class manner so that all fits together."
On whether when he arrived at Texas A&M he realized what he had in quarterback Johnny Manziel or did he have to wait until the fall to realize what he could bring: "Well based on the fact we didn't name him the starting quarterback until two weeks before the first game, I don't think in the spring we had any idea. We talked to him in the spring about taking care of the ball. He is obviously very talented, but there were a lot of things he needed to work on from a ball security standpoint. He continued to work through that in the summer and through two-a-days. You never really know, especially with a freshman with so many moving parts going into a game. But the first game, that being a (College) Game day like atmosphere, with everybody there, playing Florida, how he responded early in the game you had to feel like he had a chance to be a good player. As things played out the rest of the year, you never knew that was going to happen. As well as he played, I think he would be the first to tell you that he can improve and work at improving. That is probably his best characteristic that he is honest with himself and he is probably a little harder on himself then we are. He is a great competitor."
On what he needed to feel as far as the culture of past on the field shortcomings at Texas A&M: "The first thing we did was we didn't talk about it very much what happened in the past. It seemed to be what everyone wanted to talk about externally, but internally we just didn't talk about it. I think, any time you have to get over a hump or clear a hurdle, you got to win a game in a certain fashion. The come-from-behind win at Mississippi at Ole Miss I think really helped us. So a lot of those times our seniors guys who had lost a bunch of games like that, to go on the road and win regardless of what you say as a coach, you've got to be in that situation to be successful. I think when that happened, a lot of things changed for our team."
On what you learned from working as an assistant coach with Coach Stoops about day-to-day preparation that has helped you as a head coach: "I think you just heard him (Coach Stoops) talk about it a couple of minutes ago, how you do things day to day, the competitive nature that is in the building, the expectation level, I think I said that two weeks ago when I was talking at the original press conference, you can hear it a couple minutes of go. I think the expectation level of everybody, starting with him, everybody in the building, coaches and players, is a big, big, big factor at Oklahoma. And it starts with the head coach. All that in how you do that with the involvement of your families and your whole lifestyle is a big deal because it is not like that everywhere. To be successful, to have the amount of success he has had and deal with the number of coaches that have come out of the program to become head coaches, the number of families that are still close is a testament to how he does things. Winning game is a big part of that, but the other part of the culture and the relationships that go on there are an even bigger part of really the atmosphere that he created or that he creates now."
On Coach Stoops' preference of not playing against teams coached by friends: "I am with him (on that). When it (the Cotton Bowl matchup) was first announced, I told people, Oh boy. You look at the game, and I think Bob (Stoops) said this too, you look at our game as far as matchups go, as far as excitement for the country and for the region, it is probably as good as game is there is out there during bowl season. I think that has been represented by the ticket sales, how quickly that happened and the time slot we have. Eventually those things happen. I go back to the analogy you had earlier, with the first question, you want to play and we don't make the schedule but that doesn't stop us from being friends. Once the game starts we are both trying to win it and after that we will go back to life as usual. But I think for our fans and our players, for the first year when we have gone to a different league to have this matchup again this quickly, is a great deal."


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Enquire Contact form
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Details2512: DC & IR Passing 2-way Splitter/Combiner The Model 2512 DC & IR Passing 2-way Splitter/Combiner is a bi-directional 2-way splitter/combiner that provides a 1 GHz bandwidth and is ideal for antenna and coaxial cable operations. The splitter/combiner can be used for two applications. It can be used to split a signal from a source or combine signals from multiple sources onto one coax run. Use a DC passing splitter whenever DC IR signals are present on the coax. Available in a 25 pack.
- Specification
1 GHz bandwidth
3.5 dB insertion loss
Passes DC IR signals on the coax
Use as signal splitter or combiner
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Providing your item is in stock, the order is usually dispatched within 24 hours. Please remember that postage and packing is completely free for orders over £50*. Out of stock items will be dispatched as soon as they become available, out of stock items can take between 4 to 21 days for dispatch.
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Katy Perry Has More Twitter Followers Than Lady Gaga!
First Justin Bieber stole Lady Gaga's Twitter crown, notching more followers. Now, her fellow pop diva Katy Perry has cruised passed Ma Monster, pushing her down to the third most followed person. She has officially fallen from Twitter grace.
Gaga has approximately 39,305,376 followers, while Perry has accrued around 39,883,873 followers.
Ma Monster isn't likely to be bemoaning or boo hooing her tumble in the Twitterverse. She has been somewhat inactive on the service, even temporarily shutting down her account in order to make announcements via her Little Monsters social media site, which has been viewed as an 'ARTPOP' marketing ploy.
Plus, her personal social media site is probably more important, since it's expressly her space and digital domain. Twitter is so 2011 for Gaga, ya know?
The Biebs, however, is still owning Twitter, with 42,330,850 followers.
Below are the 10 most followed tweeters! Notice with the exception of the leader of the free world at No. 4, it's ALL pop stars.
We'd also like to mention that the real value in Twitter is not the amount of followers a person has but in how many people react to their tweets in terms of retweets and favorites. Lots of users are inactive, but the ones who are active demonstrate a crazy level of engagement, making the interaction with the tweets more valuable. Jimmy Fallon proved that with a social media experiment relating to the Biebs' tweets.
Top 10 Most Followed People on Twitter:
1. Justin Bieber
2. Katy Perry
3. Lady Gaga
4. Barack Obama
5. Taylor Swift
6. Rihanna
7. Britney Spears
8. Justin Timberlake
9. Shakira
10. Jennifer Lopez


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Print Tips« Back to Ideas Collection
More Print Tips
- • Maximize Your Print Mailing with a Well-Written Cover Letter
- • Love Your Planet with Eco-Friendly Print Practices
- • Is a Bleed Right For Your Print Project?
- • Make a Splash With Creative Overprinting Techniques
- • Perfect Estimates Every Time
- • The Perfect Cover-Up
- • The Difference Between CMYK and PMS Colors
- • 6 Ways to Settle the Score
- • Win Customers With Colorful Packaging
- • 5 Rules for Readability with Type
- • Paper Shifts Color: Orange is the New Red
- • Printing Considerations for Envelopes
- • Be 'Bossy! Stand Above the Rest
- • Nourish Your Creativity
- • Picking the Perfect Paper
- • Perfect Your Proofing
- • Using "Enriched" Black Ink
Signatures Could Save You Money
Of course, we aren't talking about your autograph, but a printing concept. As you may know, we don't always print documents in the one-page-per-sheet way that your office laser jet does. Instead, we may print several pages of material on a single, larger sheet (that's called a press sheet) and then fold it and cut it to get the final finished page sizes.
What that means is that one large piece of paper coming off the press (before it's folded and trimmed) could hold four, eight or more pages of material. That large piece of paper containing multiple finished pieces is called a "signature," and the number of finished pages in one signature is called the "signature unit."
The key to properly planning your multi-page documents is to think about the signature unit. If you have a project that is nine pages long and the signature unit is eight (meaning the signature contains eight finished pages), you would use two signatures: one signature for the first eight pages, and a second signature for that last (ninth) page. But if you were to do a little bit of editing to reduce your document page length to eight pages, you would only use one signature.
By being aware of the signature unit (the number of finished pages that can fit on a press sheet) required for your project, you can remove or add content so that your final product fits the signature, which reduces waste and saves you money.
From Design Into Print: Preparing Graphics and Text for Professional Printing
by Sandee Cohen
Sandee Cohen comes to the rescue, whether you're producing your first newsletter or you're an experienced graphic designer who needs to come up to speed on professional-level printing. You'll learn all the necessary techniques, the terminology, and the rules of printing. It's like having your own production manager standing over your shoulder. The copious information in From Design Into Print will have your designs looking as stunning in print as they do on your monitor.


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Radiofrequency Ablation Is Safe and Tolerable in Treating Pre-Cancerous Anal Lesions Among HIV-Infected MSM, Study Finds
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) delivered in three pulses to 180 degrees of the anal mucosa is safe and tolerable when administered to HIV-infected patients with anal dysplasia, according to a poster presented at IDWeek 2012. Twelve participants took part in the study, which was the first attempt to formally and comprehensively define safety and tolerability of the treatment, according to study presenter A. George Smulian, M.D., an associate professor of medicine and chief of the infectious diseases division at the University of Cincinnati.
In the general population, anal carcinoma has a reported incidence of less than one case per 100,000 persons, but rates in HIV-positive individuals are as high as 70 to 100 in 100,000, according to the poster. RFA, which has been successfully used to eradicate Barrett's esophagus or squamous dysplasia of the esophagus, can also be used to treat anal cancer. "However, the rate of recurrence is as high as 50 to 80% in HIV-positive men who have sex with men [MSM], although most recurrences are not at the same area where you treat the patient," Smulian explained.
"These are precancerous lesions. If had an early intervention, that would be the way to go, because once they present with cancer, they have significant mortality, pain and disfigurement," he continued. "We have very good ways of screening for this condition, although we don't have very good ways of treating it. We know how to treat the cancer, but we don't know how to treat dysplasia before it gets to cancer."
In the phase 1 study, Smulian and colleagues conducted a two-stage, dose-escalation experiment to determine whether treatment of pre-cancerous anal mucosa with three rapid pulses of energy, conducting 12 Joules per square centimeter to 180° of the anal mucosa, was safe and tolerable.
In the first stage, 9 HIV-positive patients with anal dysplasia were treated with one to three RFA pulses to a single, 2 cm. by 1.3 cm. area during anoscopy. Patients were divided into three groups: The first received one pulse, the second received two pulses and the third received three pulses.
The patients completed a survey assessing their symptoms after the procedure, as well as a daily symptom survey for 28 days thereafter. They also underwent high-resolution anoscopy two, four and 12 weeks later to evaluate healing. Researchers evaluated changes to their bowel habits, bleeding and how many days they took off work, Smulian said.
The 9 patients experienced a mean procedural pain of four on a scale of one to 10, which was unaffected by the number of blasts they received.
In the second stage, six patients received RFA blasts at the two highest doses to one 180° of the anal mucosa while they were under moderate sedation. Most patients reported no recall of significant procedural pain, and procedural pain and post-procedure symptoms resulted in minimal disruption of daily activities.
In addition, complete healing was demonstrated within four weeks, the poster said. Eleven of the 12 participants enrolled in the study demonstrated mucosal healing within 14 days. While one participant experienced significant pain and developed ulceration extending to the anal verge, the ulcer had healed within 28 days.
The findings of this study may be particularly relevant given the increasing amount of attention being paid to anal health in HIV-infected people. In high-risk individuals, the rates of anal cancer are higher than the general population, Smulian said. "For example, among HIV-positive MSM, the rates are increased 200-fold. Among MSM who are HIV-negative, as well as those who are HIV-positive but who do not engage in anal sex, the rates are between 35 and 50 per 100,000. Among people who receive a renal transplant, the rates are 15 to 20 per 100,000, and rates are also elevated among women with cervical disease," he added.
These sobering facts speak to the need for more effective, tolerable treatments to prevent anal dysplasia from developing. "Anal dysplasia is a field disease; as you chop off the tallest weed, the next one grows up to take its place," Smulian explained. "We were able to use RFA to treat the whole lining without causing strictures, disfigurement, or local problems. Increasing the amounts of energy allows for the deeper destruction of the mucosa; you've got to get to the deeper levels to get rid of the infection."
Smulian and colleagues are now planning a study to more reliably evaluate the efficacy of the procedure. Although the researchers have identified academic centers to participate, they are still waiting for study sponsors and have not yet enrolled patients.


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reviews for three Maynard Moose books, all written by the great Willy Claflin and illustrated by James Stimson. But who is this Willy Claflin, you have no doubt wondered all throughout the series. His website informs us that he was born before television, but I felt certain there had to be more to him.
Willy is a professional storyteller first and foremost, who has only recently ventured in the realm of picture books. For me, that immediately made him interesting, and I became curious about the relationship between storytelling and storywriting.
But first, I thought I'd start with Maynard.
Maynard the Moose has been telling stories to children and adults for the past thirty years. He's very popular at the National Storytelling Festival, even at the late night cabaret; and is always featured in my performances for children. Although I'm not really a puppeteer, I'm a storyteller. They heard Maynard, and came to think of me as a "puppet guy."
Willy is a professional storyteller first and foremost, who has only recently ventured in the realm of picture books. For me, that immediately made him interesting, and I became curious about the relationship between storytelling and storywriting.
But first, I thought I'd start with Maynard.
Maynard the Moose has been telling stories to children and adults for the past thirty years. He's very popular at the National Storytelling Festival, even at the late night cabaret; and is always featured in my performances for children. Although I'm not really a puppeteer, I'm a storyteller. They heard Maynard, and came to think of me as a "puppet guy."
How has he evolved over those thirty years?
Well, the puppet was a lot smaller than the current one. He had a major growth spurt in the mid 90's, when he began performing for larger audiences! And listening to Maynard's older recordings from the 80's and early 90's, I can also hear how his voice grew much deeper as he grew.
His repertoire has also expanded. He used to do only fractured fairy tales; but in the last few years he's taken to Greek Moosology, epic doggerel Mooseboy Poetry, and tales of Moose life in the Northern Piney Woods!
Now how did the notion to do picture books first come about? Was it something that was put forward to you, or something you actively sought?
It was something I'd often thought of, but up until a few years ago, we couldn't figure out how to do it, given Maynard's unusual use of language! Then I teamed up with artist James Stimson, and I felt that he captured Maynard's spirit very well. We decided to add audio CD's, to help the readers understand his personality, and included the Glossary of moose words at the beginning to make his meanings clear. It's interesting to see how James imagines the characters, and the collaboration has been fascinating.
The advantage of having pictures, though, is also the disadvantage. I mean, when you tell a story, everyone in the audience is imagining it in their own way. This is the magic of storytelling: the audience helps create the tale. With books, that particular magic is lost.
Sounds like some real symbiosis. I've heard that in other cases, the writer and the illustrator barely interact.
It is indeed an interesting collaboration, and I am very lucky. He is also helping me see that these tales need to be changed subtly to make them suitable for children's books. The stories have, over the years, become quite ironic, full of adult humor, and often have no conventional resolution at the end. James helped me re-learn what is satisfying to children, especially when it comes to tidying things up at the conclusion, so everyone can live "happily for never afterwords."
In Rapunzel and the Seven Dwarfs you make a very specific point that Maynard can't quite figure out what the moral of the story is supposed to be. It sounds like maybe you yourself were likewise struggling to shape it into a conventional resolution.
Well, Maynard is a very different persona from Willy. Willy is opposed to morals at the end of stories. Rather strongly opposed, in fact. I feel that putting a moral at the end of a tale narrows and limits its meaning.
It seems to me that true works of art, from simple children's stories to great symphonies, express our humanity, in all of its complexity, with all of its contradictions, revelations and conundrums. A moral at the end of a story, from my point of view, turns a minor miracle into a didactic tool, radically diminishing its significance. If you live with a story for years, and revisit it from time to time, new meanings are constantly emerging. In fact, I would go so far as to say that didactic art can't really be art at all. Art exists for the sake of itself, to reveal who we are.
Maynard, however, comes from a Moose culture that highly values moral lessons. According to him, mooses say that "a story without a moral is just mindless entertainment - might as well just stay home and play video games."
So part of the odd humor is the difference between me and Maynard, especially to those who hear us live. The morals to Maynard's stories are always quite bizarre. [For example, the moral of the story Turtle and Bunny from his live CD is: "The fastest person wins the race."]
Except in the case of The Uglified Ducky. In the original oral version, there was no tidy summing-up at the end (everybody is a beautiful something or other, etc.) Instead, it closes with the humorous observation that some us do, indeed, feel as if we've been born into the wrong family.
|Yes, there is a lobster in his pocket.
In other words, I had to drop my focus on an ironic 'adult' sort of joke at the end, and go with something that would give children a sense of closure and fair play.
Do you think there's a sense that the picture book medium – just by virtue of being a physical product - is limiting the story?
It is a little like putting a butterfly in a glass case. Stories are like living things, and the old ones feel almost like autonomous spirits, making their way down through the generations.
I have often thought of jazz and storytelling as very similar in certain ways. Not only are tales and tunes different every time they're performed, but live performance allows for a whole variety of solos. The best tellers, in my book, are the ones who can go off on extended tangential asides--ad lib observations, riffs and extensions of the material, eventually bringing things back to the narrative melody. Obviously, that's lost in a book.
The other issue, of course, is the pictures. It's great to have a talented illustrator - a wonderful thing! But does it compare with the hundreds of individual illustrator/animators in the minds of a live storytelling audience?
But I have finally made peace with what happens when the spoken word becomes the written word. They're just different.
Do the stories you've turned into picture books continue to live and change in your storytelling?
Yes, but they don't morph quite as much with the telling as they used to, and I now even occasionally go back to the book and see if Maynard is telling it "right."
What's the future for you and Maynard?
I've thought of other projects. Worked on a TV pilot, but nothing came of it. I also have a side career as a singer and guitar player: Traditional roots music, especially a capella ballads from the British Isles and Appalachia, which I often sing together with my son. And there are other oddments and detours, some of which are mentioned on my website…
For Maynard, his Piney Woods world will be the entire setting for the fourth book in the series, The Little Moose Who Couldn't Go to Sleep.
Who knows how many Maynard Moose books there will be? There are two dozen tales in his repertoire, so we'll see... The future is impenetrable, as my Buddhist friends say.
Watch Willy and Maynard in action in the video below!
Watch Willy and Maynard in action in the video below!
Part of the Conversations with Storytellers series.


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Pull Down Towel Dispenser
15.99" H x 12.05" W x 10.18" D
Cuts an 11" long towel.
Packaged 1 each
Note: Quantity discounts will be calculated when our sales associate processes your order and will reflect on your final invoice.
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Search Results
There are 19 item(s) tagged with the keyword "Obamacare".
- Displaying: 1 - 10 of 19
- 1. Gruber and the Individual and Employer Mandates
One average American citizen, Rich Weinstein, made a startling discovery. True investigative reporting is dead among the mainstream media. So, without a college journalism degree, he did it himself. He quickly found Jonathan Gruber, the architect of Obamacare. In Jonathan Gruber, he discovered how the Obama Administration deceived the American public.
Since then, the conservative media is uncovering more and more evidence by the trainload. The "mainstream" media continues to ignore Grubergate. "Not since the Kermit Gosnell late term abortion murder trial has the mainstream press labored so diligently to ignore a hot story." (Have you cancelled your newspaper subscription yet?)
In this article published by Daily Caller by Patrick Howley, we learn that during the 2008 presidential campaign, Obama criticized Hillary Clinton's "mandate." He ran an ad that stated: "Hillary Clinton's attacking, but what's she not telling you about her health care plan? It forces everyone to buy insurance, even if you can't afford it, and you pay a penalty if you don't."
In his usual bait and switch style, Obama was later "convinced" by Gruber to do exactly that.Click here to read more
- 2. Mainstream Media FAIL: Citizen Journalist Exposes Administration's Deception over ObamaCare
Meet investment advisor Rich Weinstein, one of many Americans who got a letter informing him that his old health insurance policy did not meet ACA standards. It was replaced by a plan that cost twice as much. Obama's words echoed in his memory: "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan, period."
"So I'm watching the news, and at that time I was thinking: 'Hey, the administration was not telling people the truth, and the media was doing nothing!'"
That's when Rich Weinstein put on his thinking cap and did his own independent research. He came up with many pieces of evidence proving that the Obama Administration intentionally deceived the American people, beginning with this:
"This bill was written in a tortured way to make sure the CBO did not score the mandate as taxes," said Gruber. "Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. Call it the stupidity of the America voter, or whatever."
GW Note: Have you figured out that all your local news sources are in the business of shaping public opinion, not reporting the news? Are you still poisoning your brain by watching the mainstream nightly news? Have you cancelled your local newspaper yet? Did you know there are many other alternatives? Look at the GW Home page under "Resources."Click here to read more
- 3. Is Barack Obama the "Abortion President"? Look at his Record
Recently, at the May 1, 2014, National Day of Prayer breakfast, Dr. James Dobson spoke, calling President Barack Obama "the abortion president."
Just days before, U. S. District Judge Robert Blackburn had issued an injunction preventing the federal government from imposing the abortifacient mandate or its penalties against Dobson and his radio ministry, Family Talk.
Stated Dr. Dobson, "He has made it so that every American will have to pay toward the support of abortion," noting the $250 million in taxpayer funds that already goes toward Planned Parenthood's funding.
"The mandate requiring that we provide abortifacients such as the morning after pill would have begun on May 1st. After that, if we hadn't prevailed, fines amounting to $800,000 per year would have kicked in," he said.
"We would have closed our doors."
See Dobson Tears into Obama: "Come and Get Me"
For a look at Obama's record on abortion, see President Barack Obama's Pro-Abortion Record: A Pro-Life Compilation.Click here to read more
- 4. Time to Vote Ann Kirkpatrick out of Office
Ann Kirkpatrick voted for ObamaCare, but also voted to exempt herself from it. Now we know why.Click here to read more
- 5. Payson TEA Meeting on 1/30: An Alternative to Obamacare
Please attend the Payson TEA Party meeting this Thursday January 30, at Tiny's Family Restaurant. Did you know that there are medical plans that are exempt from requirements of the Affordable Care Act? Sue Carol Schuler will present a short video and discuss the Health Care programs "Samaritan Ministries" and "Christian Medishare," which are co-ops for medical expenses as an alternative to the Affordable Care Act insurance. You will want to know about this option for your friends and family members.
The Payson TEA meeting will be held at Tiny's Restaurant, 600 Arizona Highway 260, Payson, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.
See also:Click here to read more
- 6. Misplaced Priorities
by Payson resident Don Cline
(This is Mr. Cline's response to a recent letter to the editor of the Payson Roundup. You can read Mr. Cline's letter HERE.)
Misplaced priorities, according to Larry Brophy, hurts all Americans (Roundup, Jan.14), and he is right. Mr. Brophy illustrates this perfectly, but not in the way he thinks.
Obamacare is the misplaced priority; it is illegal, unConstitutional, incredibly expensive, and has cost thousands of people their healthcare. Thank God for Tea Party Republicans; they are trying to abolish it, and that is the highest priority there is.
The Republicans have been doing something about the 20 million Americans unable to find work; they've been doing everything they can to stop the Democrat spending spree and reduce taxes so the money could be used to build businesses and stimulate the economy. If America has the highest inequality of wealth in history, it's because the Democrats like it that way: They could stop spending us into bankruptcy and let the producers of wealth put the workers to work. It's been proven time and time again: Reducing taxes stimulates the economy and puts people to work. But Mr. Brophy and his sycophants in the White House and Senate will have none of it.
Mr. Brophy thinks 9/11 never happened, Benghazi never happened, the Boston Marathon Bombing never happened, dozens of other terrorist attacks on U.S. soil and elsewhere never happened. We are being attacked regularly; does Mr. Brophy think our enemies will go home and pound sand if we eviscerate our military?
Complaining about corporations is getting old: It's been proven over and over again, corporations pay more taxes than all others combined, and provide the most jobs.
Federal minimum wage? Here's a fact: Workers must produce more than they cost in wages and benefits, or no one can afford to hire them. The bottom 20% of the economy will continue to receive less and less household income the higher the federal or State minimum wage goes.Click here to read more
- 7. State Rep Brenda Barton (LD6) to Speak at 1/16 Payson TEA Party Meeting
Please attend tonight's Payson TEA Party meeting to hear Brenda Barton, Legislative District 6 AZ House member, speak. Ms. Barton will share legislation that she and her colleagues will present at the upcoming Fifty-First Legislature - Second Regular Session. Click HERE to go to the Arizona State Legislature website.
Ms. Barton will discuss the 17th Amendment, education, health care, forest issues, etc. Please hear what she has to say and support her efforts.
Rep. Barton fought valiantly against expanding Medicaid in Arizona. Governor Brewer and 15 Republican legislators conspired with all the Democrats to accept $1.6 billion from the federal government, but only if the state agreed to expand its Medicaid program. As the saying goes, sooner or later the bill is presented. Arizona families will pay for the health care insurance of one-fourth of Arizona's population. See The Magnificent Arizona Republicans. Rep. Barton is the nineteenth speaker.
The Medicaid expansion will also expand taxpayer paid abortions, even though it is against the law to do so. See Arizona Rep. Steve Smith begs Republicans: "Don't Drastically Increase Abortions in Arizona." They didn't listen.
Rep. Barton also stood up to Speaker of the House Andy Tobin, when she wisely pulled a bad bill that he had asked her to co-sponsor relating to water issues. See HB2338 - Regional Water Augmentation Authorities.
The Payson TEA meeting will be held at Tiny's Restaurant, 600 Arizona Highway 260, Payson, from 6:00 - 7:30 pm.Click here to read more
- 8. Andy McKinney Speaks out Against Ann Kirkpatrick and Ron Barber
Andy McKinney, president of the Rim Country Republican Club in Payson, Arizona, was quoted recently in an Arizona Republic article titled Conservative Groups Already Spending vs Kirkpatrick, Barber. This story begins:
"Andy McKinney can't vote against U.S. Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick or Ron Barber in the next election. He doesn't live in their districts. But he hopes to do everything he can to defeat them in 2014.
"The Payson conservative activist said the president's health-care reforms are a debacle, and Democrats who supported the law should lose their offices.
"'The people I talk to are incensed,' said McKinney, president of the Rim Country Republican Club in eastern Arizona. 'Our elected officials must be held accountable for their votes.'"
Ann Kirkpatrick, Democrat, is the current U.S. Representative from Congressional District 1. She has been a strong supporter of Obamacare and abortions. See Project Vote Smart.Click here to read more
- 9. Message to Obama: We are NOT Subjects!
In case you missed it, Laura Hollis has written an excellent article about Obama's imperial administration, focused primarily on Obamacare. Ms. Hollis is an attorney and teaches entrepreneurship and business law at the University of Notre Dame.
The article, titled "We are not SUBJECTS (and other Observations about Obamacare)" recently appeared in Townhall.
It begins:
"The unveiling of the dictatorial debacle that is Obamacare absolutely flabbergasts me. It is stunning on so many levels, but the most shocking aspect of it for me is watching millions of free Americans stand idly by while this man, his minions in Congress and his cheerleaders in the press systematically dismantle our Constitution, steal our money, and crush our freedoms.
The President, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid (with no small help from Justice John Roberts) take away our health care, and we allow it. They take away our insurance, and we allow it. They take away our doctors, and we allow it. They charge us thousands of dollars more a year, and we allow it. They make legal products illegal, and we allow it. They cripple our businesses, and we allow it. They announce by fiat that we must ignore our most deeply held beliefs – and we allow it.
Where is your spine, America"?
Good question.
See Also:Click here to read more
- 10. John H Cochrane: What to do When ObamaCare Unravels
Thanks to Shirley Dye for submitting this article.
Obama's purpose from the beginning of his presidency has always been to "fundamentally transform America." Part of that transformation is to destroy the free market system of health care in America, and turn it into a single payer, government run system. The failure of Obamacare is supposed to lead to just that. When enough Americans scream about losing their health care coverage, or having to pay providers for their deductibles, they will turn to Big Government to take care of them.
According to John Cochrane, the Republicans had better have a better solution. In his article "What to do When ObamaCare Unravels," he identifies a good start.
Some excerpts:
"There is an alternative. A much freer market in health care and health insurance can work, can deliver high quality, technically innovative care at much lower cost, and solve the pathologies of the pre-existing system.
"The U.S. health-care market is dysfunctional. Obscure prices and $500 Band-Aids are legendary. The reason is simple: Health care and health insurance are strongly protected from competition. There are explicit barriers to entry, for example the laws in many states that require a "certificate of need" before one can build a new hospital. Regulatory compliance costs, approvals, nonprofit status, restrictions on foreign doctors and nurses, limits on medical residencies, and many more barriers keep prices up and competitors out. Hospitals whose main clients are uncompetitive insurers and the government cannot innovate and provide efficient cash service.
"Only deregulation can unleash competition. And only disruptive competition, where new businesses drive out old ones, will bring efficiency, lower costs and innovation.Click here to read more
- Displaying: 1 - 10 of 19


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Tamper-Proof Snap Frame 20mm Security profile Mitred Corners
Technical specification of product Tamper-Proof Snap Frame 20mm Security profile Mitred Corners
|Packing unit height (mm)
|Packing unit length (mm)
|Packing unit width (mm)
|Length (mm)
|Width (mm)
|Height (mm)
|Dimensions summary (mm)
|Net weight (kg)
|Total weight (kg)
|Corners type
|Aluminum / Plastic PP / Plastic PS
|Own brands possibility
|Doors number of locks
|Front panel
|Antireflex 0,5 mm
|Rear panel
|HIPS 1,1 mm
- High quality snap frame, A1 poster size
- Finished in anodised silver as standard
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- Available in various profiles - ranging from 25mm to 44mm
- Available in Mitred or Rounded corners
- Grey Styrene back wall
- Grey metal back wall available on fireproof and bespoke units
- Bespoke sizes and RAL colours available on request
- All of our Snap frames A1 are individually boxed
- UV stable anti glare front sheet included
Please select a combination of products :
- £23.40 Ex Tax
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- From 10 pcs £21.06
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- From 50 pcs £18.72
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Detail Description Tamper-Proof Snap Frame 20mm Security profile Mitred Corners
The standard colour finish is Aluminium. Snap Frames, A1, are popular for larger displays and where you need to display a wide range of information.
You are most likely to see a Silver snap frame A1 when out and about, as this is the standard finish and are readily available when you need to buy snap frames, A1 poster size.
A1 Snap Frame Dimensions
The standard Snap Frame A1 dimensions are: 872mm x 625mm. Allowing for a large A1 snap frame poster display.
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I have a questions about my order, how can I contact you?
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Hashtags for a Manziel Heisman? That's #innovative
You have to love the giant mural of Johnny Manziel on the side of the building in the middle of Times Square. You haven't seen it? How about Texas A&M's changing his name to Johnny Heismanziel? You didn't hear about that? Tell me you've seen the trading cards with his stats on the back.
If you're not aware of any of that, you're not alone. None of it exists.
Texas A&M's Heisman Trophy campaign for Manziel began Thursday with a much more powerful punch: a hashtag.
You know: #
Cynics might suggest this week's effort by the university - in conjunction with the Manziel family - to trademark "Johnny Football'' was strategically timed to draw more attention to the freshman quarterback a couple of weeks before the Heisman balloting deadline. There is no doubt the legal maneuver attracted national attention.
In fact, the move was necessary to protect a 19-year-old kid's image now and his right to profit from the nickname when he no longer has college eligibility. You can imagine some porn star adopting the name and starring in the sequel, "Debbie Does Dallas With Johnny Football.''
But my cynical side received a Twitter alert Thursday.
Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball on Twitter), the official site for the football program, suddenly began including #JohnnyFootball on some feeds.
Jason Cook, the university's vice president for marketing and communications, confirmed a Heisman campaign has officially been launched.
There is nothing new, or particularly crass, about Heisman campaigns, although most of the more memorable ones weren't successful.
The mother of Heisman campaigns was devised by legendary Notre Dame sports information director Roger Valdisseri during the 1960s, when he persuaded a certain Irish quarterback to change the pronunciation of his family's name from Thees-mann to Theismann. He was no ordinary Joe from that point forward, yet he never finished higher than second in the voting.
The most expensive campaign occurred in 2001, when Oregon spent $250,000 for the mural of quarterback Joey Harrington in Times Square. He finished fourth.
Campaign no sure thing
On behalf of quarterback Ryan Leaf in 1997, former Washington State coach Mike Price had his sports information department collect bags of leaves and send a single leaf to each voter. It would have been more appropriate to send out frosted flakes. Leaf finished third.
Baylor was more successful last year when it occasionally distributed to voters updated trading cards of Robert Griffin III, who won.
A&M has traditionally preferred to sit on the sidelines when it comes to promoting individual players. The Aggies attempted a Heisman campaign once, in 1995 for 'Lectric Leeland McElroy, but it crashed because of injuries.
Coach Kevin Sumlin appeared to share the university's philosophy, addressing Manziel's potential Heisman candidacy as recently as last week by saying, "It's been my experience that these things take care of themselves.''
But Cook said Thursday, "We are embarking on an influencer effort, to reach the right people with the right information to make the right decision.''
Most universities with viable candidates, some even without one, do that. It has forever been Heisman bust or bust for USC. The Trojans began the season with a mobile app for quarterback Matt Barkley - "Project Tro7an'' as he wears No. 7 - but since, like everyone else, have jumped off his bandwagon and onto one, complete with video highlights, for receiver Marqise Lee.
Casting first stones
This is the first time, however, I have seen a university specifically target other players considered contenders.
Like turning plowshares into swords, the Aggies turned the hashtag into a dagger.
They aimed it directly at the heart of Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein, considered the frontrunner by most credible watch lists, although Manziel jumped from honorable mention to second or third after his dazzling performance in the Aggies' victory last Saturday over then-No. 1 Alabama.
One tweet came with an attachment of the two quarterbacks' statistics, with Manziel ahead in every meaningful category.
One pointed out Manziel has faced the nation's second-, third- and fifth-ranked defenses and has, nonetheless, emerged as second nationally in total offense.
The next pointed out that the highest-ranked defenses Klein has faced are 18th, 20th and 22nd.
You do wish the tweeter had at least spelled Klein's first name correctly - Collin, not Colin.
But you can't argue with the facts.
The message is good. Manziel would be a deserving winner. I'm just not sure about the method. If this were politics, it would be interpreted as negative campaigning. Haven't we seen enough of that lately?


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San Antonio Daily Light (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 354, Ed. 1, Thursday, December 30, 1886
Description: Daily newspaper from San Antonio, Texas that includes local, state and national news along with extensive advertising.
Date: December 30, 1886
Item Type: Refine your search to only Newspaper
Partner: UNT Libraries


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Actor Zach Braff has been given the greenlight to start production on his crowd-sourced new movie after securing additional funding to cover the full costs of the project.
The former "Scrubs" star launched a Kickstarter.com campaign last month to raise $2 million for "Wish I Was Here," a follow-up to 2004 comedy-drama "Garden State," about a young man who re-evaluates his life after learning of his father's deteriorating health.
He smashed his target within days, and the money has continued to pour in from fans eager to help the film get made, rising to over $2.6 million with more than a week before its deadline.
Braff has now been given a budget of just under $10 million to play with after attracting the interests of bosses at Worldview Entertainment, who have agreed to make a big investment in the project.
Announcing the news at the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday, Christopher Woodrow, Worldview CEO, tells The Hollywood Reporter, "Zach has proven again that he is a creative force in independent film, and we were immediately drawn to his powerful and unique story."
Meanwhile, Braff announced on Tuesday that he had cast one of his "favorite actors of all time", Mandy Patinkin, as his onscreen father, while on Wednesday he added: "The hilarious @joshgad joins the cast of Wish I Was Here as my brother. Can't stop smiling."


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Tuition and Financial Aid
Refund of Tuition and Fees
Upon notification from the Office of the Registrar of official withdrawal, the Bursar Office shall refund tuition and fees (unless otherwise noted) in accordance with the following schedule:
Separate withdrawal refund schedules may be established for other fees and charges. Refer to the "Other User Fees" section for refund information.
Cash refunds will not be made to students who request refunds; instead, refund checks will be mailed to the address left with the Office of the Registrar approximately four weeks after official withdrawal.
A student who registers before receiving grades from the previous semester, and who is required to withdraw because of failure in the work of the previous semester, will have all fees for the current semester refunded.
No refunds will be granted unless application is made within one year after official withdrawal.
All policies regarding the payment or refunding of tuition, fees, and charges are approved by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System and are in compliance with the Education Code, Section 54.006 of the Texas Statutes. If a person desires clarification of any matter relating to payment or refund of such charges, he or she should contact the office or administrative unit from which the charge or refund originated.
Title IV Programs – Refunding for Students
As an institution participating in programs under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended ("Act"), The University of Texas at Dallas is required to refund unearned tuition, fees, room and board, and other charges to certain students attending the institution for the first time who have received a grant, a loan, or work assistance under Title IV of the Act or whose parents have received a loan on their behalf under 20 U.S.C. Section 1087-2. The refund is required if the student does not register for, withdraws from, or otherwise fails to complete the period of enrollment for which the financial assistance was intended. No refund is required if the student withdraws after a point in time that is sixty percent of the period of enrollment for which the charges were assessed. A student who withdraws prior to that time is entitled to a refund of tuition, fees, room and board, and other charges that is the larger of the amount provided for in Section 54.006, Texas Education Code, or a pro rata refund calculated pursuant to Section 484B of the Act, reduced by the amount of any unpaid charges and a reasonable administrative fee not to exceed the lesser of five percent of the tuition, fees, room and board, and other charges that were assessed for the enrollment period, or one hundred dollars. If the student charges were paid by Title IV funds, a portion or all of the refund will be returned to these programs.
This catalog is a general information publication only. It is not intended to nor does it contain all regulations that relate to students. The provisions of this catalog do not constitute a contract, express or implied, between any applicant, student or faculty member and The University of Texas at Dallas or The University of Texas System. The University of Texas at Dallas reserves the right to withdraw courses at any time, to change fees or tuition, calendar, curriculum, degree requirements, graduation procedures, and any other requirements affecting students. Changes will become effective whenever the proper authorities so determine and will apply to both prospective students and those already enrolled.
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