Your Papers Please.

[Editorial]

Travel in the U.S. is so simple: you get into your car and drive… drive down the street to the corner grocer or drive across the country. You don’t need travel papers to do it.

But under the Republicans, all that has changed! You want an abortion in a state where it is legal? Well, they’re watching you! Drive to a legal abortion clinic, and the eyes of Texas are on you!

In states without strong protections on ALPR data, Texas can request—or, in some systems, directly search—license-plate records showing Texas vehicles at an abortion clinic in another state. (Note: States like Connecticut have passed laws limiting access to ALPR data, but those provisions go into effect on Oct. 1.)

Note: I am using abortion clinics instead of trans clinics because the Trump administration has effectively shut them all down by threatening to withhold Medicaid funding.

But with Texas, they want to control your lives so you grow up to be just like them…

So who can they arrest?

Well, it is tricky, but it basically boils down to anyone who helps facilitate the abortion: You drive them out of state… Bingo! You make the arrangements for them to get an abortion out of state… Bingo!

But if you do it all yourself, they can’t currently do anything to you simply because you obtained a legal abortion in another state.

A caveat: As a lawyer friend likes to say… these are all legal opinions. It’s not final until the last judge bangs their gavel.

Suppose a 25-year-old Texas woman drives to New Mexico, where abortion is legal, gets an abortion, and returns to Texas.

Nope. Under current Texas law, Texas cannot simply prosecute her for having obtained a lawful abortion in New Mexico.

Texas cannot simply say, “You are a Texas resident, therefore Texas law follows you across the New Mexico border and you committed a Texas crime by receiving lawful medical care in New Mexico.”

Now suppose a friend drives a 25-year-old Texas woman to New Mexico, where abortion is legal. She gets an abortion, and they return to Texas. Can Texas do anything to either of them?

Probably not simply because of the trip and the abortion. However, Texas could make their lives miserable by investigating the trip. Prosecutors could examine who paid for the trip, who made the arrangements, and whether anything else occurred that they believe constitutes aiding or abetting an offense under Texas law.

What does all this mean?

Nobody really knows. This is something relatively new. There has never been a way to track people's movements so thoroughly through ALPRs, airport surveillance, and even things like E-Zpass. You can still legally cross the state line—but the government may increasingly be able to know that you did.

[/Editorial]

Socialism!

[Editorial]

The Republicans can’t say it enough times and the Democrats wave it like a banner. SOCIALISM!

So what is socialism? The classic definition is:

socialism

noun

: a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government rather than by individual people and companies.

Okay, many Democrats are labeling themselves as socialist, and many more people do not have the foggiest idea what socialism is.

Trump is throwing out the communism and socialism insults because most people don’t know what they mean. However, what the right labels as socialist are programs like the laws used to bust up the monopolies of the 1890s.

We saw “socialism” under the New Deal with programs like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), the Civil Works Administration (CWA), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and many other programs. We saw the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Social Security Administration (SSA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and many other programs.

Then we had the rash of agencies created under the Johnson administration like HUD, Head Start, and the EEOC, the momentum that even bled over into the Nixon administration with programs and agencies like OSHA, the EPA, WIC, and SNAP (Food Stamps back then).

These are the programs the Republicans are calling “socialist,” but they look the other way when Trump orders the government to buy private businesses, as the Council on Foreign Relations reported…

Washington’s latest and boldest experiment in industrial policy is a renewed willingness to take equity stakes. Since January 2025, the U.S. government has announced investments worth $27.6 billion across thirty-seven deals involving direct ownership, broadening a toolkit that has traditionally focused on grants, loans, and tax incentives. The Department of Commerce leads the way with twenty four announced deals, including taking a 10 percent stake in Intel. The Development Finance Corporation, the United States’ development bank, has pledged six equity transactions in critical minerals, energy, and infrastructure. The Department of Defense has disclosed seven deals, and the Department of Energy has participated in two.

That is the definition of “socialism” see above!

Meanwhile, Trump is cutting the programs created back in the Johnson administration to pay for his tax cuts for the billionaires and his endless war!

So who’s the real “socialist”?

[/Editorial]

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I have company at the cottage this week so I might miss a few posts.

Nature/Nurture

The debate continues in earnest, the two schools of thought butt heads at time sometimes when trans people get on the topic of why we’re trans. It sounds like the battle of Katydids: Katie Did!… Katie Didn’t but instead it sound like: Nature! Nurture! Nature! Nurture! So what really is the cause?

Well it is funny that our first lead into of it is nature is Nature.

A sex difference in the human brain and its relation to transsexuality

Jiang-Ning Zhou, Michel A. Hofman, Louis J. G. Gooren & Dick F. Swaab 

Nature volume 378, pages68–70 (1995)

Abstract

TRANSSEXUALS have the strong feeling, often from childhood onwards, of having been born the wrong sex. The possible psycho-genie or biological aetiology of transsexuality has been the subject of debate for many years. Here we show that the volume of the central subdivision of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTc), a brain area that is essential for sexual behaviour is larger in men than in women. A female-sized BSTc was found in male-to-female transsexuals. The size of the BSTc was not influenced by sex hormones in adulthood and was independent of sexual orientation. Our study is the first to show a female brain structure in genetically male transsexuals and supports the hypothesis that gender identity develops as a result of an interaction between the developing brain and sex hormones.

Wow! That is pretty good! And in a PubMed research paper…

Brain research, gender and sexual orientation

D F Swaab 1, L J Gooren, M A Hofman

Affiliations Expand

PMID: 7560933 DOI: 10.1300/J082v28n03_07

Abstract

Recent brain research has revealed structural differences in the hypothalamus in relation to biological sex and sexual orientation. Differences in size and cell number of various nuclei in the hypothalamus for homosexual versus heterosexual men have recently been reported in two studies. We have found that a cluster of cells in the preoptic area of the human hypothalamus contains about twice as many cells in young adult men as in women. We have called this cluster the sexually dimorphic nucleus (SDN). The magnitude of the difference is the SDN depends on age. In other human research, two other hypothalamic nuclei (interstitial nuclei of the anterior hypothalamus [INAH] 2 and 3) and part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) have been reported to be sexually dimorphic in the human. Sexual differentiation to the human brain takes place much later than originally claimed. At birth the SDN contains only some 20% of the cells found at 2 to 4 years of age. The cell number rapidly increases in boys and girls at the same rate until 2 to 4 years of age. After that age period, a decrease in cell number takes place in girls, but not in boys. This causes the sexual differentiation of the SDN. This postnatal period of hypothalamic differentiation indicates that, in addition to genetic factors, a multitude of environmental and psychosocial factors may have profound influence on the sexual differentiation of the brain. No difference in SDN cell number was observed between homosexual and heterosexual men. This finding refutes Dörner's hypothesis that homosexual males have a "female" hypothalamus. However, in a sample of brains of homosexual men we did find that an area of the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) contains twice as many cells as the SCN of a heterosexual group. A recent report by LeVay claims that another nucleus, INAH-3, is more than twice as large in heterosexual as in homosexual men, whereas Allen and Gorski found that the anterior commissure was larger in homosexual men than in heterosexual men or women. Preliminary research on male-to-female transsexuals is also discussed. The functional implications of these findings in determining adult sexual orientation are as yet far from clear.

There sure does seem to be something going on in there!

What about those who say it is nurture, but anything on that is harder to fine… however, there’s showing it isn’t. The only study that I could find was a study with twins, also from PubMed.

Genetic and Environmental Contributions To Gender Diversity: A Systematic Review of the Twin Literature

Will Conabere 1 2, Louise Bourchier 3, Sue Malta 3 4, Anja Ravine 1 2, Ken C Pang 5 6 7

Affiliations Expand

PMID: 40938572 PMCID: PMC12494644 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-025-10231-3

Abstract

Amidst growing visibility of gender diversity, the aetiology of gender identity has become a subject of increasing public interest. Prompted by the growing public debate, we review here the extant twin literature regarding the origins of gender diversity. Literature was reviewed systematically, searching Medline, Embase and PubMed databases. Studies were deemed eligible if they: (i) conducted a twin study, (ii) investigated gender identity or gendered behaviour, and (iii) provided an estimate of the magnitude of genetic or environmental contribution. After screening 290 non-duplicate titles and abstracts, 16 articles were included in the final review. Most eligible studies provided evidence of both genetic and environmental contributions to gender identity and gendered behaviour. For gendered behaviour, genetic contributions ranged from 0.10 to 0.77, non-shared environmental contributions ranged from 0.15 to 0.75, and shared environmental contributions ranged from 0.00 to 0.49. For gender identity, genetic contributions ranged from 0.00 to 0.84, non-shared environmental contributions ranged from 0.15 to 0.96 and shared environmental contributions ranged from 0.00 to 0.70. Given the variability in results and methodology between studies, the true magnitude of these contributions remains unclear. No consistent differences in contributions were identified between assigned males and assigned females. While there is also recent evidence that prenatal hormone exposure may contribute to gender identity, the overall evidence from the literature is inconsistent. Twin studies indicate both genetic and environmental contributions to gender diversity. These results are important to inform ongoing public debate in this area and highlight the complex interplay of both genetics and environment.

Okay what is the bottom line?

That no one knows what really causes gender dysphoria. But no one knows why people are left-handed. You can see the difference in the way the brain is different for left-handed people but no one knows why? But people are left-handed.

The same holds true for trans people. No one knows exactly why we’re trans, and there may be more than one way that someone becomes trans. But we can see differences in the brains of trans people, including differences that have been observed in people who had not undergone hormone treatment.

However, does it really matter what causes it, or whether there is more than one way that makes us trans?

It doesn’t matter. What matters is that it is real and how you treat us.

"Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!"

I just saw something... NASA wants to land on the moon in 2028!

That year rang a bell... Hmm...

Naw... it couldn't be for that reason. Now could it? No not possibly... no.

NASA Administrator ‘extremely confident’ in Artemis 3 mission in 2027

Space Flight

August 14, 2026

NASA is potentially less than a year away from the trio of rocket launches that will encompass the Artemis 3 mission and the agency’s leader said he is “extremely confident” that the mission will happen in 2027.

Isaacman made the statement alongside Brian Hughes, the Kennedy Space Center director, as well as members of the Florida congressional delegation on Friday. He was there to announce a new NASA-supported, privately run air and space show, called “Max Power” taking place in early November.

“I’m extremely confident that we are we are going to be able to launch Artemis 3 next year. That’s why we stepped into stacking operations,” Isaacman said, referring to the assembly of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket happening in the Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC.

[...]

“I had a chance to visit with the Blue Origin team earlier, walked the assembly line floor today, looking at components that will make their way into the Blue Origin test lander that we will be rendezvousing and docking with,” Isaacman said. “And I’ll tell you, if you spoke to Blue Origin, they would say the same thing. What we are going to learn from that mission, the amount of risk we’re going to be able to bring down in advance of Artemis 4 will be significant.

“I think in fact, if you coupled that with the uncrewed landing demonstration, you’d be very confident in what they’re going to be able to achieve potentially in 2028.”

Back on the moon! In 2028... there's that year ago.. why in two years... that seems pushing it.

Naw it couldn't be because Trump wants to stand next to the astronauts and bask in their glory as his own... naw. it couldn't be that! 

Reuters reported...

Trump urges 2028 astronaut moon landing in sweeping space policy order

By Joey Roulette

December 19, 2025

President Donald Trump enshrined the U.S. goal to put humans back on the moon by 2028 and defend space from weapon threats in a sweeping executive order issued on Thursday, the first major space policy move of his administration's second term.

[...]

The goal to land humans on the moon by the end of Trump's second term in 2028 bears resemblance to the president's 2019 directive in his first term to make a lunar return by 2024, putting the moon at the center of U.S. space exploration policy with a timeline many in the industry regarded as unrealistic.

Development and testing delays with NASA’s Space Launch System and SpaceX’s Starship gradually pushed that landing target date back.

NASA's goal had been 2028 under former president Barack Obama.

No, it must just be a coincidence,

Saturday 9

Saturday 9: Blueberry Hill (1956)

On Saturdays I take a break from the heavy stuff and have some fun… 

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title.

1) Fats Domino sings about a hill named for blueberries. According to the Old Farmers Almanac, blueberries can grow just about anywhere in North America, as long as they have plenty of direct sunlight. Do you have a garden?

No I tried a couple of times but I ended up just feeding the wildlife.

2) Blueberries are low in calories and rich in fiber. Are they a regular part of your diet? 

Yes, on the breakfast plate this morning were blueberry pancakes. There are a lot of wild blueberrys on the Cape… the street behind me is Blueberry Hill Way. Of course there are no blueberries and no hill, but it sounded good.

3) They also have a high moisture content. Staying hydrated is important to human health. Do you drink the standard recommended 8 glasses of water every day?

No, but I keep hydrated (My favorite drink currently is 1/3 crushed ice, cover it with cranberry juice and fill the glass with club soda, it is really a cranberry soda.)

4) Fats originally had a big hit with "Blueberry Hill" in 1956, and then enjoyed the record's renewed popularity in the mid-70s, when "Blueberry Hill" was often referenced as Richie Cunningham's favorite song. Without looking it up, do you remember what show Richie Cunningham was on? (Extra non-existent Saturday 9 points if you can also name the actor who played Richie.)

Oo… Oo… I know and I’m very happy to remember, it made my day for both answers… Happy Days and was played by Ron Howard,

5) Born Antoine Domino, he took the name "Fats" not just because of his physique. Growing up, jazz pianist Fats Waller was one of his heroes. If you were to adopt the first name of someone you admire, what would we call you?

Wow, that’s a hard one because I never gave it any thought and I draw a blank.

6) Despite his warm and friendly stage persona, Fats was shy around strangers and hated giving interviews. Tell us about something you did only because it was part of your job, not because you enjoyed it.

Fire people.

Every year at the end of golf season I had to send a technician to detox because of the 19^th hole. He liked his Bourbon. Well one year he said NO! And we had to fire him. I begged for him to go but he said no.

I cried and I cried, we worked together for over 25 years. One of the other techs said he was drunk all the time. Just sits in front of the TV bad mouthing me and the company.

Me… I blame the other three people for always ending their game in the clubhouse bar. For them it was like a joke. He can’t hold his liquor. I found one of his golfing buddies had his license suspended for DWI. It was a habit… play eighteen holes and go to the watering hole.

And I believe alcoholism is a disease, that is what I never wanted to fire him but it was unsafe to work with him. He was a hazard to himself and other, we worked with high voltage.

7) In 1956, when this record was topping the charts, the Olympics were held in Melbourne. Have you ever been to the land down under?

The only “Land” that I have been to is Canada.

8)  The star of the 1956 Olympics was Austrian Toni Sailer, who won all three gold medals in Alpine skiing. Do you prefer snow skiing, water skiing, or just watching other people ski?

Now watching them ski, I used to snow ski and water ski, but at my age now... I watch them on TV.

9) Random question: Do you believe everyone has a jealous streak?

Like all thing… it is relative. Some really have a terrible jealous streak, while others it is only a dream.

Stop And Think For A Moment

When I saw this cover on Facebook the first thing that popped in to my head was... and that is why the Republicans pass "Don't Say Gay" laws.

That is why all the censorship. If we only hear the lies they say, the hate will be passed on down. But if they see they truth they won't hate, if they see the truth they will see it is safe to come out.

We are not "grooming" we are awaking.