From the Guardian ( where else?) a report of something which many of us dream about.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/feb/14/transgender-...

Or so the saying goes. But after yesterday I am not so sure about that.

Administration to shield health workers who refuse to perform abortions or
treat transgender patients

By DAN DIAMOND and JENNIFER HABERKORN | 01/16/2018 10:06 PM EST

Sad news out of Massachusetts this morning Miss Trans American founder has been murdered by her husband.

I added that it was her husband that was the murderer because it apparently was misconstrued by some that this a hate crime. It may be just domestic violence and not a hate crime but this is still a significant loss for the transgender community.

If anyone watched golden globes last night it was a great night for women’s empowerment and it was all about women. Sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace, gender equality, and the pay disparity were talked about. Oprah’s speech is worth watching

If you are reading this, you survived the challenges and changes 2017 brought. (I think. If any non-survivors are reading this, I hope the afterlife is treating you well.)

It had been a wild and crazy year, but here we are with a new year ahead of us, and I hope yours is as awesome as possible.

Happy new year huggles for everybody!

Good morning everyone. I wanted you all to know I haven’t forgotten about my stories, I'’m just having a hard time working on them with a nasty sinuses infection I seemed to have developed. Once I’m feeling better, I will be catching up on my stories.

From a very cold, bright and yes, in places white Austria!

Indeed as I stand here outside the basilica in Rankweil i'm looking out to the snow clad Swiss slopes on the west of the Rhein valley, the sun glinting off the white edges - a fine place and view to contemplate the events of the last year - there are certainly worst places to be.

So anyway, holiday greetings to one and all, back in 2018 with more blockbusters for your delectation and delight!

Gruss Gut
Maddy

In my continuing reading about Sexual Reassignment Surgery and peripheral matters, I've had a rather astonishing revelation. I was reading an article in "theBMJ" , more correctly "The British Medical Journal", where one contributor stated rather matter of factly that the recipients of SRS surgery routinely had their Prostate removed. This statement illustrated rather conclusively that "professionals" functioning outside their area of expertise sometimes have rather profound gaps in their knowledge base to the point that it is laughable to me.

This amazing medical break through is sure to create a lot of interest on many levels. It should also stimulate CD/TG writer's story-lines. "For the first time in the United States, a woman who had a uterus transplant has given birth. The mother, who was born without a uterus, received the transplant from a living donor last year..."

Well yay for them, after only eight hours the Kindle version of Summer Loving part 4 is out there for you folks to see and if you like, purchase. I've never worked out why it takes Amazon so long to get submitted work up when Lulu can manage it in seconds. Still, it's there now, go into Amazon from any of the links on BC so they get a cut, search for Maddy Bell and not just this latest tome but all my works will appear for your perusal.

Greetings

HRH Princess Anne to attend Remembrance Day commemoration at The Menin Gate Memorial in Ieper Belgium. I found out about The Princess Royal attending tomorrow while waiting to lay my wreath at The Menin Gate Memorial tonight.

Today's election in Virginia is truly historical. The ripple effects of her election will be significant, long lasting and positive. Election is acceptance. "Virginia’s Danica Roem to be first openly transgender person elected, seated in a U.S. statehouse" - The election "... pitted a 33-year-old former journalist who began her physical gender transition four years ago against a 13-term incumbent who called himself Virginia’s “chief homophobe” and earlier this year introduced a “bathroom bill” that died in committee."

The British Artist, Grayson Perry is well known for his alter-ego Claire and her somewhat flamboyant dresses. An exhibition of some of them opens tomorrow at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-41864355

Could be worth a visit if you are in the area.

Samantha

In 2000 I voted for W. My tendencies are quite liberal, but he seemed much better than more Clinton years via gore. This week I was reminded why I thought so highly of W. when he said the following.

"Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone. It provides permission for cruelty and bigotry and compromises the moral education of children. The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them."

We need to demand civil behavior.

Jill

This morning, a part of myself, died. As I awoken to the news that Gord Downie had passed away from glioblastoma (brain cancer), at the age of 53. Just 6 years older than I am. Upon hearing this, I broke down and cried for several minutes, holding Venus, my oldest Queen, to my chest. One way or another, the Tragically Hip have been part of my life, since 1991, when my then roommate introduce me to them, as we were both students at Carleton University, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Just before they released Fully Completely. Hard to believe 26 years have passed since then.

This video blog on the BBC is quite illuminating.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-41502661/100-women-i-tran...

Firstly, the narrator is Transgendered and a PHD.
She talks about the monetary cost of being a woman in business today.
She puts it at $250K over a lifetime. (how much worse will it be for M2F transpeople?)

Well, imagine my surprise to wake up this morning and find out Edmonton suffered an (alleged) terror attack.

Details are still coming in, but so far it seems that no one was killed, but several people were injured including at least one police officer, and a suspect is in custody.

There will be those who use this as justification for bigoted attacks on immigrants or Muslims in general, but I believe most Canadians are smart enough to see through such things.

Still, positive vibes and prayers are appreciated, so keep em coming.

So I noticed something pretty awesome in my newsfeeds today...

https://www.wired.com/story/a-patient-gets-the-new-transgend...

Definitely something I'll be exploring for myself! I expect this will supplant the older surgeries pretty quickly judging by the preliminary results.

Just thought I'd share!

Abby

As tomorrow is the anniversary of 9/11, my thoughts and prayers turn to those who died, and to those who survived but are still processing the trauma.

If you find tomorrow tough, please contact me if I can be a shoulder to lean on.

Yes very bad news - well for me at any rate, I'm sat here at Europoort near Rotterdam, Holland waiting to board my ride back to Yorkshire.

Yep my short sojourn to foreign land is over, i'll be the wrong side of the water in the morning and hopefully meeting Podracer for dinner Monday night.

Nena has been with me so you will likely get words and pictures next week.

So ttfn
Wish me a flat crossing

Mads

Sorry, all, I did not mean to say "square miles" when I said 200 square miles; rather I meant the entire radius of the circle which brings it a lot closer to over 125, 000+ miles.
A close friend of my youngest son figured out the 9 TRILLION feet of rain water thus far, that if laid out "flat', would cover the entire US at a depth of 1.7" of water.