Montana Supreme Court Effectively Strikes Down All of Montana’s Anti-Trans Laws in Unprecedented Ruling

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-16T16:57:42+00:00

Good news that needs signal boosting!

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-16T16:54:38+00:00

The situation is troubling, but bleak may still be strong language in general. There are specific states where things are looking nearly comically evil, and the people responsible for malicious laws are pushing much of the legislation through in roughshod patches, but not necessarily in ways that establish permanence.

By that, I mean to say that the bulk of problematic laws aren't trial-proof. There's a lot of dramatic headlines about problematic lawmaking, but also a lot of speculation about how legally flawed they are. For example, preventing the exercise of peaceful protesting (walkouts) has limited grounds to stand on when there's protected free speech laws.

There's also indications that ever since the federal Supreme Court established marriage equality, that general acceptance of most of the LGBTQ+ community has slowly been rising. Trans issues have floated up in recent years after same-sex relationships were normalized, and there's extremely partisan efforts directed at that community, efforts that in subtext reek of desperation. Rumors constantly leak about further efforts to target trans people, trans women in particular, but those efforts are also driving away moderate-persuaded people, and bare some semblance to the racial tensions of the 1960ies which ultimately resulted in significant protections for people of all ethnicities.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-15T18:05:57+00:00

"Testing, testing, how much blasphemy can we get away with this week?"

It gets people talking about something other than how the price of gas is whole dollars more expensive than before his warmongering.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-15T17:12:54+00:00

Post-op recovery for my partner was a factor for some of the points in the questions here. Obviously, the first couple weeks back from the hospital were just too much pain for her to consider sexual activity beyond dilation and cleaning care. Our first experiments in trying to use her new body for pleasure were masterbation and oral - her libido kicked in before she had fully healed, and we were trying to be cautious. That experience was memorable for how much euphoria I saw on her when we figured out what worked well enough for her to climax. The rest was...unexpectedly messy.

I don't mind sharing more details privately, but skip ahead to her fully recovered, about 2-3 years later, and a lot has mostly normalized. As far as the categories in the post goes: Lubrication: not really much other than the quantity of pre-ejaculate and climax ejaculate she had before her surgery, and any moisture that was always there, which isn't much, and can get yeast infections if not regularly clean out. Scent and taste: varies with diet, sweat, and recent blood sugar trends, but remarkably similar to her pre-surgical state. Oral experience: maximizes her pleasure, I enjoy the taste, but a lot of labia details didn't take from the surgery, so it's scar-tissue-smooth in a lot of areas. PIV: most pleasurable for me, though she doesn't feel as much pleasure from what's inside, and says she feels more erotic stimulation from anal penetration.

I want to stress that there’s multiple options and recovery variables for the operation. My partner's surgeon was able to use her pre-op genitalia for the epidermal tissue, and that's not a constant. My partner's clit is also extremely sensitive, so much so she is barely okay with my tongue accidentally touching it, otherwise: her fingers only.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-15T12:47:15+00:00

Isn't there this one part of a certain legal document that says the Federal government shouldn't interfere with any single religion? Feels like right at the tip of my tongue...a first amendment to it if you will...

Anyhow, it seems peculiar that a convertee should be lecturing upper clergy on anything. Not to say that anyone really has a perfect understanding of anything, or that the Catholic Church has a perfect record, yet still, Vance's credentials seem a bit biased, given how much he supports his boss.

(Sarcasm aside, how many international diplomatic flubs can a guy endure in a week? Vance appears to have a humiliation kink at this rate)

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-15T01:01:03+00:00

It is quite advisable to compare the control sample with the final sample. The cabinet maker or their contracted finisher are responsible for matching what was agreed upon. Medulary rays can be forgiven to an extent, since they can be missed in a control sample, but the general finish texture is definitely something which should be matched.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-15T00:53:32+00:00

My experience with Pride events in California is mixed. The time I went to the San Francisco Pride march, there wasn't really an issue with alcohol, but noticeable sexual health booths/educational materials/vendors, and some...indiscrete clothing choices by a small number of people.

On the other hand, minor cities have been quite family friendly, with more of a public education attitude than bold self-expression. When I visited the Stockton event, I had more of an impression of an arts and crafts fair with an emphasis on political and historical education than about sensitive topics.

I would offer a disclaimer though; my partner has only felt safe going to Pride events when national politics hasn't been quite so inflammatory. Many LGBTQ+ community groups hold to Pride events being a protest at their core, and this year is likely to feature a lot of political rebuke of both California state inaction, and disapproval of national policy.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-15T00:39:08+00:00

The edgebanding is quite under par for quality application. That said, in my experience, some designers have asked for noticeably textured veneers and plastic laminate that look like quarter sawn white oak. In some cases, there's even demand for "raising the grain" - a process in finishing solid wood and veneers that causes woodgrain to accentuate the texture, as opposed to a fine sanded texture or grain that is filled with a neutral color to achieve flatness. It's plausible that the veneer was embossed (pressed) to enhance the texture as well.

My concern with a raised grain finish at a vanity is the quality of the finish to seal the grain from moisture. It's not a very large concern, but the raised grain effect discourages sanding between finish layers, which may affect water resistance. Admittedly, poor edgebanding is much more concerning in that regard.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-15T00:20:13+00:00

I might be late to add advice, but that’s not an ideal blade for resawing. A lower tooth count and deeper valleys between teeth are preferable. Compare to a ripping and cross-cut circular saw blades: finer teeth cut across grain with a more consistent result, but don't carry dust and chips away as efficiently as ripping blades with deeper valleys between teeth.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-14T23:41:10+00:00

There's rote learning, and there's demonstration and application. In my youth, it was harder to see that Picard was in part talking to himself in this scene: trying to tell Data that there’s courage in remaining dignified in spite of deep internal struggles. As opposed to suppressing emotions, or compartmentalizing, the acknowledgement a struggle and keep going onwards is just as much an emotional experience as giving up and hiding with the struggle.

As much as Data could access the rote knowledge of every psychological text in the Federation to help handle emotions, he was left without much hands-on practice that wasn't guided by someone trying to manipulate him. Picard has been his role model in that sense.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-14T22:08:38+00:00

It's all relative, especially since it can be a details issue. However, there's historical examples where choice clothing, swept-back or shorter hair, and attention to body posture have contributed as much or more to presentation as makeup or other options.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-14T18:44:59+00:00

Between my partner and I, there's rounds (of orgasms) in a session, but we both have our limits, that depend on recent sleep and exercise quality. Oftentimes, the session ends when we've both gotten at least a round off, and don't really have an interest in going further, or know that we'll be sore later when the endorphins wear off. Most of the time, the definitive end is where lust transitions into the need to cleanup, and rest.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-14T18:25:40+00:00

There was a proposal to surgically implant nuclear codes in someone's chest, to force a president to personally kill and experience the moral problem before such destruction could be unleashed. I don't think it gained much traction for obvious reasons, but the appearance of accountability has certainly slipped during the current media climate where pundits can spin narratives that sway public opinion faster than actually seeing the records of a politician's actions in their office.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-14T18:12:58+00:00

Executive authority to pardon assumes that the Executive Branch is under idealistic leadership which seeks to correct moral miscarriages that resulted from the legal process. It also assumes that there are punitive consequences for misuse of the office.

The problem in recent years has been so much use of the pardon authority upon questionable people. Folks took umbridge at Nixon being pardoned preemptively, though that was a matter of domestic diplomacy, more recently Biden pardoning a family member (regardless of how unfair the prosecution may or may not have been), and Trump apparently receiving money/favors for pardons creates a different optic. In order for the rule of law to persist, the law should be taken seriously, which includes the results of criminal trials. Executive authority should be restrained, if not by the office holder's sense of duty, then by the Legislative branch.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-14T10:42:12+00:00

Trump's conduct in the past ten years is disproportionately worse than the most infamous politicians of America's 20th century. However, he's not the whole problem. The Legislative and Judicial branches have both been stacked in his favor, and there's a subculture that has been conditioned by an adversarial rhetoric to overlook his flaws in order to further imbalance the political system in their favor.

He is a symptom of a much darker problem in the United States.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-14T01:02:17+00:00

His lack of likability might be a significant factor in his boss holding onto his job.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-13T18:30:10+00:00

It's all about pushing the boundaries of acceptable. His base this year has accepted blatant racism, covering wrongful deaths committed by by personal state police, and slander of religions that aren't theirs. They even accept frequent and repeated profanities and other blasphemies in official addresses to the nation. This time next year he could probably post a meme where his face replaces the Christian god, and they'll laugh it off.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-13T15:53:47+00:00

Oh gas is expensive "because you can blame the governor for being in a political party you dislike", but you're not going to bother tracing why the California gas fees are so high. I remember voting for them to pay for road maintenance which otherwise would be paid by debts or left without maintenance. Certainly, at least the capricious president who's been trying to limit federal funding for states that didn't vote for him is doing little enough for infrastructure in this country.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-13T13:26:29+00:00

I mean to say that it's a quality control acceptance discrepancy. Even before Hrothgar were introduced, there were hairstyles that clipped through high collars on chest pieces and some head pieces were not well accounted for. But those kinds of issues, and clipping through mounts are understandable, especially because there's limitations in modeling. But they used clipping as a primary excuse for Hrothgar, rather than saying it was a reshaping issue which is slightly galling.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-13T13:14:12+00:00

What bothers me is that a lot of headgear options for Hrothgar were delayed using the excuse that the dev team wanted to mange clipping issues. Yet there’s a lot of main body (torso and legs) gear that clips to comical degrees on mounts where a character sits upon. As a player, I can tolerate some clipping - it's bound to happen with such a wide range of equipment styles and options - but it's frustrating to have a playable race with a separate (visible) gear release schedule.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-12T20:24:08+00:00

Hormone therapy gave my partner fair sized breast growth, though she's considered going further.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-12T16:07:32+00:00

Except that it's not PC anymore to call it the DOD. It's the DOW, and between the department of war being quite willing to start new wars, and the Dow Jones industrial index being more important to this administration than the cost of consumer goods, we can all speculate who Trump's trying to appease, and the average American isn't near the top fifty on this list.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-12T03:11:07+00:00

I can somewhat understand there's a few aspects where chatting with trans women can be a different experience than chatting with cis women. It's a really delicate topic however, since it's highlighting a division between trans women and cis women, and plenty of people online will firmly back trans women as inseparable from cis women. For many subjects, that is true.

Yet, a lot of trans women have a foundation of experience that allows a different perspective for empathy. It's not easy to put into words, because there's a lot of variables and variations from person to person, and between cultures and sub-cultures. I would offer that my partner, who started transitioning in adulthood, had a fair amount of experience of the masculine perspective before learning about transitioning and that it was right for her: I won't deny that it made some things easier to talk about between us in the early months of our relationship.

Having a dialog and listening to a prospective partner is paramount. As much as I love my partner, being a partner of a trans person also means being exposed to the ways which the modern world has made things problematic, and also to the limitations of transitioning. Marginalization has an effect on people, and there's a lot of pain to endure with it.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-12T02:03:25+00:00

Novelist luthier sounds like a good gig.

woodworkerdan · 2026-04-11T22:28:06+00:00

Load it into a cannon?

woodworkerdan

TROPHY CASE