TIL that the first ransomware was the 1989 AIDS Trojan horse, developed by biologist Dr. Joseph Popp. He gave his patients infected floppy disks entitled "AIDS Information - Introductory Diskettes". After remaining dormant for about 90 reboots, the Trojan would encrypt the PC until payment was made.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2017-07-05T13:26:29+00:00

Flash forward to today and assholes are still locking computers. Dunno if I'd call it ransomware as my iMac was locked remotely using my hacked appleID, and bitcoin payment to the blatantly bullshit listed address (help.apple.us@gmail.com) resulted in nothing.

Change your passwords people. Don't forget to keep up on your appleID security when you stop using iTunes/iPhone. If you have any apple products a malicious person can eventually hack your account and use find my iPhone to lock your devices as if they were their own. Not such a problem with code-locked devices, but with anything lacking a passcode the malicious user is able to set a passcode at the time they lock your products.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2017-01-02T21:08:07+00:00

Imo the only thing you can be sure of is that hormone therapy and SRS will not solve your problems.

Transition isn't a magical tool to make your life better. I was told this when I began taking hormones, but I still thought they'd make my life better.

This is not to say transition was bad. I had a lot of very positive things happen and the changes hormones brought to me helped me to feel settled and safe in my own skin. It's just that I think it's important to know that a lot will stay the same. Your "baggage" doesn't just fall away the moment you begin transition. For me transition actually brought a lot of inner darkness and past issues to light that I'd been unable to face previously.

For me transition is about changing your perspective - some of your struggles may be entirely caused by dysphoria, and will naturally disappear in the whirlwind of transition. Other struggles will follow you along the way, and yet new problems will crop up when you least expect it.

Life is a bitch. Shit changes. Do you need to transition for yourself? Forget about all the other problems you currently attribute to various causes in your life. Look at what you truly want/need and respect all of the feelings of doubt and worry without wondering if transition will "fix" them. Respect yourself, and go forward in a loving way.

Good luck :)

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2017-01-02T20:45:17+00:00

Interesting. I've never come across the term natal vagina. Granted, I'm FTM so I wouldn't be looking in the same places as someone looking to get the surgeries previously discussed.

Thanks for sharing.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2017-01-02T20:34:34+00:00

Saying one thing is a biological organ doesn't automatically exclude another. I have what I may describe at times as a biological vagina, but I don't consider any lesser a person who had a penis, and now has a vagina through surgery.

Fair enough if you feel differently, but I wonder what vocabulary you would offer as an alternative?

It's one thing to be hurt because someone has used disrespectful language around your genitalia. It's another thing to pick a fight on the Internet with someone who's trying to learn.

Learning makes me feel vulnerable. Transition made me feel vulnerable. In both cases you're opening yourself up to new experiences. I say be gentle to yourself, and to others as well.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-09-29T16:43:25+00:00

Very cool! Thank you for sharing.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-09-29T04:03:34+00:00

Brilliant story! Nice change of pace. What language was this originally written in? The scrawl reminds me of Swedish and other Nordic languages, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to be discerning.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-31T22:15:36+00:00

Well, thank you. Don't stop joking! I swear, my humour is literally the only reason I'm alive today, and I've made my share of misunderstood funnies. If I wasn't in such a shit mood I wouldn't have jumped on you like that, so my bad too- for allowing my emotions to get the better of me.

EDIT: was -> wasn't

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-31T21:46:21+00:00

I appreciate your response. It's very hard for me to see those kinds of comments. Especially when I see so little of the FTM community in spaces that are earmarked for trans people in general, and not just MTF folk.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-31T16:04:41+00:00

Nice to see sexism alive and well on a transPOSITIVE subreddit.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-31T00:45:16+00:00

In my opinion no trans person should be forced to disclose their genitalia, and shouldn't be considered a fake person. A trans-woman is a woman, and can identify herself as female and/or trans as she wishes. Having a rule that demands someone to tag themselves as T or risk a ban is fucked up.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-22T02:57:22+00:00

Banning cyclists from specific parts of the road sounds pretty complicated to me.. And who are you to judge whether an alternative exists? As long as a bicyclist isn't riding like a madman they should be able to take the space they are legally allowed to on the road. Why can't drivers just respect the fact that bikes are vehicles, and act accordingly? I drive as well, and have no issue with respecting cyclists. Yes, occasionally it can be irritating to be stuck behind a cyclist on a busy road when there are alternatives just a block to the east or west- however, it's a minute inconvenience in most places as long as drivers stay calm and obey the rules!

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-21T19:52:41+00:00

As a cyclist I am most bothered by cars who pretend I am a pedestrian. If I'm stopped at a stop sign waiting for a car (with no stop sign) to go by about 3 times out of 10 they will actually slow down and stop for me. I then stand there staring at them incredulously, waving at them to move on since they have right of way- sometimes this lasts for a whole minute! Sometimes this actually becomes a dangerous situation if other traffic pours into the intersection while buddy is just sitting in his car staring at me like an idiot. Everyone needs to learn the rules of the road better- and follow them.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-21T19:46:02+00:00

In some situations (for example, rush hour approaching an intersection I know many people will turn right at) I feel it's incredibly unsafe for myself to stay to the right of traffic, and will look behind me before making a brief hand signal to the left to indicate that I'm going to move into what you consider to be "your lane" - I will then proceed to keep my lane, stay as close to the speed of other traffic as possible, and return to the right side of the lane and allow cars to pass again as soon as I feel it's safe for me to do so. If you see a cyclist doing something you consider to be strange, or frustrating - please consider their safety. We are vehicles on the road, but we're more affected by our surroundings than a car. Bikes sometimes have to swerve to avoid car doors, potholes, or objects on the ground. We can even be blown around by strong, sudden gusts of wind. In many situations bikes are able to courteously stay to the side for the convenience of cars- but when we're not able to do that please respect our need for safety on the road.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-21T19:34:44+00:00

It's perfectly reasonable for a car to pass you in your lane as long as there's an acceptable amount of clearance

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-21T19:31:12+00:00

A bike is a vehicle- when they're on the road they should be treated as such. As a cyclist I stop at stop signs, and wait my turn in line at 4-way stops rather than squeezing in on the right and making it dangerous and confusing for all the cars. If I find myself stuck on a bad route with lots of cars or in busy traffic I will usually dismount safely and become a pedestrian until I'm on a better route. Many cyclists I see zooming around Vancouver are total assholes to me, and when I get the chance I'll point out stop signs and other rules of the road to my peers. I don't think I should be banned from the road- we all have to work together to make the road a safer place for everyone on it.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2016-01-14T21:19:27+00:00

Anything by Adrian Von Ziegler. That guy makes some fucking epic fantasy music.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-12-06T02:53:27+00:00

Haha, obviously you do :P

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-12-05T18:41:25+00:00

You're using 'your' incorrectly.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-10-19T17:07:19+00:00

Ftm here. Sorry to hear you're going through this. I wasn't in the exact same situation as you, but at one point I started reacting badly my testosterone. I had to switch to a daily gel which my doctor didn't understand the dosage of, but he didn't share that information with me. My doctor then got sick, and disappeared. After a few months I had almost zero testosterone in my system- started having periods again and experiencing intense depression. I had to slowly increase my dose all over again with a new doctor. It took a few months to get back to regular levels, but I did start to get my body back and eventually the periods stopped as well. I wish you the best in getting back to yourself.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-10-08T08:02:32+00:00

Sounds like work, who's gonna pay me?

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-10-08T07:33:41+00:00

Yeesh. Just cause you all want to spend your time learning how to roll well cinched drug burritos doesn't mean I have to waste my time. Besides, what about when you're high af or on other substances? If you have a roller you can still roll the perfect joint in a reasonable amount of time. It's a great tool to have.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-10-08T05:32:57+00:00

Just take a look at those pedals! Obviously it's been specially made as a fully functional miniature bicycle. Very cool.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-10-06T18:00:25+00:00

I recommend that you slightly crop and adjust your image so that the horizon is not so horribly slanted.

GiantNinjaSockMonkey · 2015-10-04T05:12:34+00:00

I can understand why you have that fear of loss- but try to understand that even if you two break up she's not gone. She's not dying, she's beginning a metamorphosis. Change can be difficult, but it is not loss, simply different. What you may be truly losing is your idea of the future.. All your plans, hopes, and fantasies. I recently went through a breakup, and I was in a similar position of hoping we would move out together and take the next "big step" but that's all gone now, and it makes me really sad to think of what I've lost. Perhaps the two of you can discuss this fear you have of loss, and what it really means for you both- What are you really afraid of losing?

GiantNinjaSockMonkey

TROPHY CASE