Kaisa

@Andrzej You wrote: "I happen to be a cis man, but were I gay, I think I'd like myself in the same suits and jackets, too." I may have misunderstood you, but doesn't that sentence mean that you DO agree with Bill? Despite your se×ual identity (straight, gay etc.), you feel the joy of being a man i.e. your gender (male, female etc.) matches your gender identity. Sorry if I'm oversimplifying this. As Shania Twain put it: Man! I feel like a woman!

@Andrzej Thanks for clarifying your point of view! I've been randomly following the comments here for a short while and knew you to be as kind and just as you are wise. Be it sometimes in your own, unique way. I can totally agree that as a cis woman I'll probably never feel the same level of gender euphoria as trans women, but e.g. for those fleeting moments you described, the feeling is really powerful (hmm, perhaps it's stronger for the ones having suffered from ºppressi0n through ages). And of course, like you said, there are more factors to it. And @bill, apologies for the earlier autocorrected B, I totally respect your only-lowercase-letters identity 😆

@Stephen In keeping with today's theme, I somehow wanted it to be beamer. Here in Finland we call these cars (that for some reason seem to always be missing blinkers), wait for it... bemus.

@Matt It's official! <a href="https://yle.fi/a/3-7555834" target="_blank">https://yle.fi/a/3-7555834</a> Laugh Factory held an open competition featuring comics from across the globe e.g. the U.S., France, China, South Africa, Pakistan and Israel. Fans voted and our guy won by a margin of a hundred thousand votes. Woohoo (I always hear this in Ismo's voice and see his awkward yet lovable gesture of raising hands halfway). I read that the inspiration for the contest came about after Jamie Masada had booked two Arab comedians and a pair of Orthodox Jews to perform at the club, and saw the crowd essentially divided down the middle. When the show was over everyone were talking to each other. There's something really beautiful in wanting to transform comedy into a unifying force for understanding.

@Francis Thank you for this beautiful and soulful comment! Here's a soundtrack for your trip: <a href="https://youtu.be/oFMXNUHuWug?si=_msCVNtoOFFe7wJf" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/oFMXNUHuWug?si=_msCVNtoOFFe7wJf</a> My fellow Finn, amazing Susanna Mälkki conducting BBC Symphony Orchestra and Elysian Singers.

@Matt I know, I know. We're supposed to be a modest, reserved and self-deprecating nation 😄 But we also have an apt saying I'll give you as an answer, literally translated it goes like this: "Who would raise the cat's tail if not the cat itself" (In old finnish: Cuca coiran haͤnnaͤn noſta, jos ei haͤn itze)

@Cat Lady Margaret Thanks for reminding me of the m o s t beautiful lament of all times! Here's a version that soothed my broken heart after the greatest love story of my life ended far too soon. There's something in the mixture of pain and gratitude of having had that experience, that this haunting music is able to express so magnificently. <a href="https://youtu.be/DbXvEWxpKRc?si=7ke2Uq32pkbKcbxV" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/DbXvEWxpKRc?si=7ke2Uq32pkbKcbxV</a>