The Times has shown laudable sensitivity to the story of transsexual sports writer Mike Penner making the transformation to Christine Daniels, but not so much the publisher of the Times-owned Daily Pilot in Orange County. Tom Johnson opened and closed his column today about changes at the Daily Pilot by seeming to mock the Penner-Daniels news.

I have to be honest — I began reading a story in yesterday's Los Angeles Times sports section about one of their longtime contributors who has decided to, how shall I say it, change teams.

Now, in sports vernacular, that most often means being traded or signing on with a new team as a free agent.

I guess in this case, the latter would be closer to the truth.

After reading a couple of paragraphs, I found myself returning to the top of the story to begin reading it again, thinking that I had maybe missed something.

You see, longtime Times staff writer Mike Penner announced that he would be taking a few weeks of vacation and then returning "in yet another incarnation" as Christine Daniels.

Mike announced that he is a transsexual.

OK then!

And now for the rest of the news.

Well, here I was going to talk to you today about a few of our upcoming changes and realize that, well, they somewhat pale in comparison.

But here goes.

[skip]

And, by the way, if you hear that I'm vacationing to Ireland in the next couple of weeks, know it's just for some golf and relaxation. I'll still be coming back as the same old Tom Johnson.

Meanwhile, Daniels posts her first blog entry at Woman in Progress on the Times website.

Noted: The OC Weekly blog's item on Johnson is headlined Daily Pilot Dimwit Disses Daniels.