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.

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/may/21/proposal-for-...

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.

For those interested: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/18/gun-violence-wa...

Please keep the responses civil.

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.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/09/body-dys...

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.

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.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3054222/Images-trans...

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.

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/transgender-woman-kille...

A variety of distractions seem to have conspired to prevent me scribbling tonight, phone calls, puter problems - hopefully sorted but very time consuming. It seems the closer I get to retiring the more life throws at me and usually the more stressed I get. Oh well, tomorrow I hope will be more normal but at least I did get a bike ride this morning (on the bike shown below) and a toasted teacake.

Twice I've been distracted while writing by having friends phone who needed to talk, tonight was the second. I'm sorry but I've run out of time - a combination of working too many hours and being a good listener (when awake). I shall endeavour to get back into normal production over the weekend. I'm also hoping to get back on a bike as I haven't ridden for about a month.

Thanks for your patience, I hope it will be worth it.

I watched this programme which I thought was done in a positive way for the most part. I had a mixture of emotions about some of the contributors, fearing for some and knowing others had the best chance possible because their parents were 100% behind them.

If I have a criticism, it's that the whole transgender thing seems like a conveyor belt industry and I wonder how many rushing to get surgery or hormones will live to regret it. I hear all sorts of statistics and don't believe any of them.

This site which appears to be free has illustrated fiction and comics, some of the comics go back to the 1940s

http://sixpacksite.com/Six_Pack_Site/Home.html

Ever since St Augustine suggested that humans had free will ( he had to or it implied his god was responsible for everything) there have been others who argued that we didn't. The evidence is mounting to show that we're a mass of influences beyond our control from our genes to our environment, culture and almost anything else you care to name.

This lengthy article is worth the effort to read.

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/mar/19/do-your-genes...

As we approach 2600, I'll ask my customary question, do readers want us (Bonz, Whizz and moi) to continue writing this tale of convoluted undulations? I might add as far as I know the writing team is happy to continue if the answers are positive and our gracious hostess is happy for us to fill up her servers with such tosh.

A, B & W.

The recent best actor Oscar winner is starring as Lili Elbe the pioneer transgender woman who died attempting to have a uterus transplanted. If this film wins an Oscar will it be as best actor or actress?

http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/feb/27/eddie-redmayne-t...

Gosh, they've remembered the T in LGBT. I suppose this is a good thing as they have lots of experience and expertise in campaigning for equality. At the same time, I've never been happy with including the T with the others, as I see my previous transsexualism (now cured via surgery and Gender Recognition Act) as relating to my gender identity not sexual orientation - precisely the matter which kept Stonewall and transgender apart previously.

According to the Observer a trans samba dancer was murdered in Rio, they also suggest the crime might be a hate killing as they have a pretty awful record with a trans, gay or bi person being murdered every 28 hours.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/08/rio-de-janeiro-...