Life seems to be overwhelming me at the moment. I seem to be perpetually tired so I'm not writing as much as usual and when I do, I have problems posting because my broadband connection is very intermittent. I've tried contacting my ISP but they either don't get the emails or ignore them.
On Tuesday, it will be the 29th anniversary of my transitioning - well going to work in skirts, then the following one is the first anniversary of my son's suicide. His timing was impeccable.
Sorry, for those who'd forgotten or didn't know, it's the Gabycon weekend. Nine of us assembled at a restaurant in Dorchester on friday and ate and talked and talked and ate, and ate some more. I think I gained two pounds looking at the menu.
I'm half way through writing the next episode of Bike when I suddenly realise I hadn't heard the central heating/hot water boiler light up. It's old and noisy. On checking I find it isn't working. Up in the attic to make sure the header tank hasn't run dry - it hadn't. Looks like the boiler may have died of old age. After swearing at the cats because they wanted to see what was going on but know even less about boilers than I do - which is minuscule - I try the immersion heater, which I kept despite the assurances of the plumber I wouldn't need it.
As we roll on towards 2700 episodes I'd once again like to ask if the readers want me to continue writing this saga. I know some of you really enjoy it, I also appreciate it's become almost a fixture of BC and I get emails if I miss two in a row without stating why.
I presume Erin is happy for me to continue cluttering up her hard drives and I'd like to thank her for her continued support.
Sorry folks got home so late from work tonight that I don't have time to scribble the next episode of Bike - hence the title of the blog. Still, that'll give some of the other authors a chance. Hopefully, things will be back to normal (whatever that is) tomorrow.
This 'sassy' actress seems to turn up on everything, but much of what she says I would agree with. I certainly don't think she needs facial feminisation surgery.
With the Gabycon visiting Dorset again next month, I thought I'd better re read the three books I did about our favourite racing cyclist. I have still to do a concluding chapter for the final one and I'm working on that at the moment.
For those new to my version of the Gabyverse, the first of my books is: Drew Goes South. http://www.maddybell.com/dgs01.htm (Also available in dead tree format as Gaby Heads South, from Lulu)
While the plastic world seems consumed by one celebrity coming out as transgender, the real world still seems a hostile place, especially for transgender women in Egypt. From the Guardian.
A link to an event hosted by the Guardian, chaired by Paris Lees. There were one or two pearls of wisdom and i particularly liked the story on the train in New York with the Indian lady.
Or Totally Insane as the story title says. It's one of my favourites and as I consider it suitable for teenaged or possibly younger audiences, I intend to publish it eventually with them in mind. However, before I do so I wondered if readers here would like one more episode?
Depending upon the response I may well write one in the near future.
Sorry folks, I've been having connection problems for some time. It seems to have given up the ghost entirely tonight, so obviously I won't be posting tonight. I hope for better news tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath.
It's frequently a fantasy of transgender readers to imagine what it would be like to be inter-sexed or androgen insensitive or some other unusual genetic manifestation. On today's Guardian website is an account of a woman who suffers with Swyre Syndrome or XY gonadal dysgenesis which has caused her problems much of her life.
From the Guardian a story about how one parish convinced a diocese to put a proposal to the General Synod of the Church of England about renaming ceremonies for transgender Christians. While I'm unlikely to consider it as an unbeliever, I welcome what looks like the slightest movement of progress for those who do, and I wish Blackburn Diocese good luck with their motion.
Recent research from Edinburgh University suggests that use of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in pregnancy may lead to reproductive problems in male foetuses by affecting testosterone levels causing such things as undescended testes.
Another article from the Guardian about guns. Everyone, should by now, know how opposed I am to them but there are some interesting statistics, especially the increased risk of injury or death to women if guns are kept in the home.
Why am I surprised? Probably because I'm incredibly naïve and don't understand why anyone would want to do it. It's dangerous and pointless. What's the point of bragging rights, which apparently alpha males enjoy, if you cheated to get them? Some people seem to think it's worth it, I'm saddened especially as it's rife in youth cycling. Whoever is responsible should be jailed for a very long time - it's tantamount to child abuse and these are the people we want to develop in fitness, technique and ethics. Winning is not all.
A poorly understood condition in which sufferers dislike or feel something is wrong or ugly with their body and which can have serious consequences for individuals. It has at least one celebrity sufferer.
This is a very interesting article, including a link to the full 79 page report about transgender women working in the sex industry in Shanghai and Beijing by a group called Asia Catalyst, which I found while poking about on the Guardian website. It appears that the Chinese generally are not very accepting of transgender people so treatment to transition and so on is not easily found, plus the establishment while not making it illegal is not very helpful either.
Just done a 12plus hour day, too tired to do very much tonight, hopefully won't be quite so bad tomorrow will try and do more Bike then, but it's going to be a tough week so will have to play it by ear.
A link to the Daily Wail showing some graphic pictures of the brutal treatment of a transgender prisoner by Brazilian police, who have a reputation for being rather violent. Like all violence it seems pointless.
We all remember the pictures of Mikki in her pink wig and PVC dress winning the UK Scrabble championships and wondering if it was just a joke or was she transgender. It seems she was the latter and she suffered abuse from the public in Carlisle where she lived.
It appears she was very unhappy and took her own life last November. I hope she is at peace now.
I was appalled to see this on the MSN website, especially from someone who should know better. Even if there was a local problem with feral cats, this behaviour is unacceptable. It seems the ladette culture isn't confined to Europe and the offensiveness is primarily about the bragging by this nasty female of an act of cruelty.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
