I have had two reports of bereavement in the last few days with the funeral process tomorrow taking up most of the day. As they say, one sign of old age is going to more funerals than weddings. One is my elderly neighbour, who at 97 years old could be seen as inevitable, the other a good friend and widow of an even better friend, who died some years ago. This good lady died from a stroke, which given my own experience of a similar affliction, makes it even more poignant.

I've been doing some preparatory work/ study for some surveys I'm doing and also some teaching I'm doing next week. As you probably know I have an interest in freshwater macroinvertebrates (Mayfly larvae etc) and I came across TG being used in a dictionary of entomology - it stood for tracheal gills. There will be more of those than transgender people, so should obviously spring to the ordinary person's mind (or what passes for one). I knew you'd be glad to read that.

I'd had never heard of this site before, am I the only one?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/dec/16/transan...

An article in the Guardian - powerful stuff

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/nov/10/argentina-dict...

She hadn't been well for few days, in fact really, I was back and forth to the vet for the last few months. Anyway, my Whizz developed heart failure which worsened over the last couple of days and she stopped eating or drinking so I couldn't get any diuretics into her. We had a lovely afternoon together and she knew something was up as she followed me around the house and sadly I took to the vet for the last time. I then brought her home and buried her in the garden, near to Bonzi's grave.

I think I might have posted this before years ago but it may be of interest how things were 50 years ago, or at least how some people coped with it. Enjoy this trip into the past.
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/jan/31/casa-su...

According to the British Social attitudes survey, except it seems towards transgender people.

'The study notes, however, that attitudes towards transgender people – recorded only since 2016 – appear more volatile, with a recent sharp decline in public support. The proportion of the British public describing themselves as “not prejudiced” towards transgender people fell from 82% to 64% between 2021 and 2022, when the latest survey took place.

I asked my readers if they wanted to me to continue writing and posting Bike. The response was unanimous, they did, so I have obliged them.

It was on this date in 1986 that I went to work as me for the first time, goodness it was nerve-racking and looking back on it, it only seems a short while ago, but with a stroke and ageing plus diabetes, I have slowed up considerably, but I am still going and hope to be for a few more years yet.

There is at least one balanced view on the recent hysteria of transwomen invading women-only spaces, this is well written article quoting evidence to support her view that trans women are likely to be more vulnerable and to have received more abuse than cis gendered women and that instead of being exclusive we should all be supporting each other to protect ourselves from predatory men, which isn't a diatribe against men, just those who abuse and murder all types of women and vulnerable groups.

Do read it, it's really good stuff.

This is the last novel in the Gaby Dorset Trilogy, I think there is something like thirty chapters and like the other two novels, I'll try to post one a week. It gets off to a burning start, so enjoy there will be racing and Gaby's crime-fighting involved. So will she finally deal with Meadows or will he get her? You'll have to read it to see.

So while life is going to be tough for a month or so, I shall endeavour to post if I can. There is a new Bike tonight and I received a lot of support from different readers and one or two who weren't so supportive, but I don't expect everyone to agree with me, if they did I'd have to admit they were perfect too.

I was particularly boosted by other writers who supported my grumble including some very popular ones and also for whom I have great respect and I got some extra comments so I felt happy enough to return.

I wrote about bees as possibly having self-awareness, now these tiny marvels, featured in research by an American scientist, seem to show this in spades leading them to reconsider how the laws in America don't protect these intelligent insects (they don't protect mammals much either compared to the UK) and how they need changing. I read Chittka's book last year, it was fascinating and now this American scientist, Stephen Bucchman, feels the same towards them. The article is interesting and easy to read.

Finally, someone does a survey that iterates what we have been saying for years,

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/24/majority-tra...

as long as you don't want to be an athlete:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2023/mar/23/world-athletic...

Both from the Guardian

That the teenage girl stabbed to death on Saturday in Culcheth, Cheshire, was transgender though they don't believe it was hate crime. Brianna Ghey, aged 16 was found in a park on Saturday afternoon, a boy and a girl both aged 15 have been arrested on suspicion of murder. So if they are guilty, three children's lives have been messed up. It's a sad fact knives are too accessible and a significant number of people seem too quick to use them, like guns in America. Is this a reflection of our times with politicians ignoring the law of the land, so ordinary people copy them?