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Book Reviews

- The Great Influenza – by John M. Barry
  July 18, 2020Book Reviews / non fictionThe full title of this book is The Great Influenza – The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History. I started reading it during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a book I’d been meaning to read long before COVID hit, and now seemed like a very appropriate time to start. The influenza pandemic happened about 100 years before the COVID-19 pandemic did. There are so many similarities between how people back then reacted to influenza and how people today are reacting to COVID-19. The book is not for everyone, particularly those who are already overwhelmed by everything involved with the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, I recommend the book to those who happen to enjoy reading about science, and health, and history. The book is presented in a way that resembles a narrative. In other words, it is not just a dry pile of facts and figures. John M. Barry did an excellent job of making scientists and doctors who were involved in trying to stop the spread of influenza into relatable, interesting, people. He noted their skill set, their personalities, and their quirks. I learned a lot from this book. It was astonishing how little we have learned between the influenza pandemic and today. “Spanish Flu” The influenza pandemic was, at the time, referred to as the “Spanish Flu”. But, it didn’t start in Spain. Instead, it started in the United States, in rural Kansas. The pandemic started just before the United States got involved in World War I. The governments of the countries that allied with the United States imposed strict rules about what could, and could not, be published in newspapers, played in movie theaters, or sung. The goal was to prohibit anything that might reduce to morale of the troops. Spain stayed out of the war – or, at least, did not join it – for a long time. As such, the newspapers in the country were free to write whatever was newsworthy. Many people first heard about the influenza pandemic after reading about it in Spanish newspapers. At the time, Spain was one of the countries that had been hit by the virus. People (outside of Spain) started calling the virus “Spanish flu”. The book shows evidence that the influenza virus began in rural Kansas, and spread from there to Camp Funston in Fort Riley, Kansas. The enlisted went from there to other camps, some of which were in France. Young men, from different areas of the United States, were packed into quarters that were not designed to accommodate so many people. Influenza spread through the military very quickly. Today, the (impeached) President of the United States calls COVID-19 “The Chinese Virus“, or “Kung Flu“. It is clear that the COVID-19 virus began spreading in Wuhan, China. But, that’s no excuse for the President to refer to the virus in such racist terms. Overloaded Hospitals The hospitals during the influenza pandemic were as overloaded as the ones today that were hit by a surge of COVID-19 patients. In both cases, people did not understand what they were seeing when it started. Back then, the doctors thought their patients had pneumonia, or that it was “only influenza”. They had no way of knowing how bad this particular strain of influenza actually was, but understood that most influenza cases were mild. Today, doctors diagnosed many patients with pneumonia, when it turned out they most likely had COVID-19. Some were turned away from hospitals (in the United States, for sure, perhaps in other countries) because they weren’t considered sick enough for a bed. Access to testing was problematic, and there are many people who had COVID-19 but were never tested. Meanwhile, the (impeached) President Trump has asked his “people” to slow down the testing. Back then, doctors and nurses were dying as they attempted to provide care for overloaded wards of influenza cases. Today, doctors and nurses are getting sick with COVID-19 as they beg their governors, representatives, senators, and (impeached) president to provide them with enough PPE to keep them safe. Sadly, back then and now, morgues were filled to capacity and hospitals had to find other places to store bodies. In both cases, casket makers were unable to make enough to keep up with the need. Then, and now, people were dying at home. In 1918, part of the problem that people were afraid to help neighbors who had influenza. This was especially true in places where there was a high death rate. It should be noted that President Woodrow Wilson was strongly emphasizing that hospital beds should be reserved for the troops. Doctors and nurses were recruited and sent to camps to help treat enlisted men who had caught influenza. The result was that American civilians were dealing with a doctor and nurse shortage. There was also no infrastructure set up to properly remove the bodies of the deceased. Some families placed the bodies of their dead loved one on the porch. Others had no option but to put the person in a corner, or leave them on the bed they died in. Spouses were sleeping on that bed, and I cannot imagine the level of trauma that caused. Today, there are people dying at home from COVID-19. Their family members are calling paramedics, but the person dies before the ambulance can arrive. In 1918, cities sent out wagons which were used to collect the dead. Police came to the door of the houses of the deceased and put the bodies into the wagon. Again, coffins were scarce, so some bodies were in bags. A few were in boxes that were definitely not coffins. Today, there is a man in Houston, Texas, who is collecting the bodies of the dead. He has a contract with the county, the police, and various funeral homes. Mask Slackers The idea of wearing a mask to prevent the spread of a virus seems to annoy some people. That was true one-hundred years ago, and sadly, is true today. Back then, the Red Cross, which was an extremely helpful force in fighting the influenza pandemic, had women make gauze masks. The surgeons at the time wore gauze masks. So, the prevailing thought was the gauze masks would also help other people to prevent spreading the virus. It should be noted that this effort began after the influenza pandemic had spread widely across the United States. Members of the Red Cross set up tables and tried to hand masks to every un-masked person who walked by. Police at the time were allowed to insist that a “mask slacker” wear a mask. Those without masks had to pay a fine, and could be arrested. Today, a quick glance at social media will reveal that we have plenty of “mask-slackers” who like to gather together in large groups, unmasked, and not engaging in social distancing. They are clearly much more aggressive about their resistance to mask wearing than were like-minded people in 1918. To my knowledge, there aren’t any places in the United States today where people can be fined or arrested for refusing to wear a mask. It is possible that some states or counties are considering it. Today, we wear masks when we want to shop at a grocery store. Back then, people stood outside the store and shouted their order loud enough for the shop workers inside the store to hear them. Another option was to write down a list of what they wanted to buy, leave the list near the door, and wait. Science Takes Time The most frightening thing I learned from this book is how long it can take for scientists to develop a vaccine. The scientists of one-hundred years ago had disadvantages to overcome. Few had managed to create a vaccine – for anything. They had to start from scratch while trying to develop an influenza vaccine. Meanwhile, some doctors still believed that it was “only influenza”, and assumed the virus wasn’t very serious. My assumption is, as the death toll rose, at least some of the doctors realized they were mistaken about how dangerous influenza actually was. Shortly before the influenza virus started infecting people, a huge change was made in regards to the determination of who could be considered a doctor. The medical universities in the United States started out as for-profit. Today, we would probably call them “diploma mills”. The purpose of these schools was to create revenue, which was used to pay the professors salaries. Medical students learned from lectures or books, but never once actually saw a patient. Heaven help the first patient those doctors attempted to treat! Those who truly wished to practice medicine in the United States traveled to Europe to attend their medical schools. Those schools actually taught students the knowledge and skills they would need as a doctor. These students worked on cadavers and, eventually patients, before graduating. In short, what happened was the “diploma mills” were examined by someone who not only had plenty of knowledge about medicine, but also had no qualms about giving the schools the bad grades they deserved. Many closed after that, unable to meet the new criteria. Some merged with real medical schools. Johns Hopkins was formed around this time. Today, as I write this book review, we are approximately six months into the COVID-19 pandemic. We have some wonderful doctors and nurses, but they are suffering from not being able to obtain the PPE that they need in order to prevent catching the virus. There are several different companies that are attempting to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Science takes it own time, however, and there is no way to be certain when a vaccine will become available. Meanwhile, the death toll continues to rise. Looking Ahead The version of The Great Influenza that I read was published in 2005. It includes a new Afterword that I found to be extremely informative. It delves into SARS, H1N1, and other corona viruses. In addition, John M. Barry offered advice about what the United States should do in order to be prepared for a new pandemic. At the time, Barry stated that we were not prepared at all. He recommended that the United States start making their own vaccines, and not depend upon other countries to supply us with it. In 2004, the United States was relying on Great Brittan for vaccines, and faced a problem when Great Brittan cut the total doses available outside of their country by 50%. Berry also emphasized “surveillance” in the form of what we may recognize as contract tracing. The earlier we identify a new virus, he wrote, the better chance we have to develop and distribute a vaccine. My hope is that the next President of the United States will take the time to read The Great Influenza and learn lessons from it. There is potential that we could have a new President in January of 2021. That person will have the opportunity to put plans in place to prepare for the next pandemic – while continuing to fight this one. Based on what we have seen, the current (impeached) President has little to no interest in protecting Americans from COVID-19. The Great Influenza – by John M. Barry is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...

Podcasts

- The Beginning of the End – Episode 089
  November 24, 2021Podcasts / Words of JenFor NaPodPoMo 2021, I decided to do something different than I’ve done in the past. Each episode I release in November of this year include pieces of an old, hand-written journal which I had to create as part of my student teaching experience in 1997. I read “The Beginning of the End” on Episode 089 of Words of Jen (the 1997 series). If you enjoyed this episode please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you! https://media.blubrry.com/bookofjen/p/ins.blubrry.com/bookofjen/woj089.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS...

Diablo III

- Season 25: Not the Cow Level – Torment IV
  March 30, 2022Diablo III / Diablo VideosIn this video, my Monk started with 94 Paragon Points. She unintentionally found the portal to a map where she had to fight with a lot of cows who threw spears and magic at her. When the player finds the portal, and scrolls over it, there is a lengthy “warning” that is there to dissuade the player from entering the portal. The text is a joke that Diablo players will understand. If you enjoyed this video, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...

Diablo Immortal

- Diablo Immortal Closed Alpha – Early Quests
  May 9, 2021Diablo Immortal / Diablo VideosThis is my first video of the Diablo Immortal Closed Alpha. I decided to play a Crusader that looked like the one featured on the Diablo social media accounts. In this video, my Crusader started out at Level 11. I was mostly learning how to play the game. I play a lot of app games, so that made things easier. My biggest problem was that I kept getting stuck in the scenery, and had not yet worked out how to maneuver effectively in order to not be stuck. This video includes The Festering Woods area and Ashwold Cemetery. It also features some quests that involve Xul and Lethes. It ends with my Crusader standing outside Mad King’s Breach. By then, she was at Level 18. I’m not intending to record every little bit of my game play in the Diablo Immortal Closed Alpha, in order to avoid accidentally exposing people to “spoilers”. If you enjoyed this video, please consider supporting me on Ko-Fi. Thank you! https://media.blubrry.com/bookofjen/p/ins.blubrry.com/bookofjen/Diablo_Immortal_Closed_Alpha_Early_Quests.mp4Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: RSS...

Diablo II: Resurrected

- Diablo II: Resurrected – Clips
  August 22, 2021Diablo II: Resurrected / Diablo II: Resurrected Open BetaI had a lot of fun playing the Diablo II: Resurrected Open Beta. There has been a bit of a learning curve as I learn how to use an Xbox Series S controller and navigate the Xbox menus. The game itself, however, feels intuitive and I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to play the Open Beta. One of the cool things that Xbox allows is for players to take short clips of their game play. The clips last for approximately 30 seconds, so you have to learn to time it well. Players can also take screenshots. Both of those things are really easy to do. The difficult part was trying to figure out how to get them off the Xbox S and onto my Mac Mini computer. I’m not adept enough to explain this properly. There is an Xbox app you can put on a tablet. In short, players can use that to view all of their screenshots and clips, and get the option of saving them or deleting them. My husband helped me figure out how to get the Xbox app to let me pull out the screenshots and clips, and stick them into the Photos app on my tablet. From there, I was able to upload them to my Mac Mini. The most difficult part of making a very short video out of clips was finding software that would let me do it. When I record my Diablo III game play, I use a piece of software called ScreenFlow. It will record whatever it sees on my computer monitor after I tell it to start recording. Unfortunately, it is not possible to upload clips from Xbox (or anywhere else) into that software. I ended up having to use iMovie to put together a few clips from the Diablo II: Resurrected Open Beta. Working with iMovie is not at all intuitive. Fighting with it long enough to put together clips that total to about a minute and a half was manageable. Exporting it to my desktop made everything else on my computer run extremely slowly until it was done. Anyway, that’s how I was able to record, stitch together, and create a video of clips from Xbox S. #Blaugust2021 Diablo II: Resurrected Clips is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...

Pocket Camp

- Animal Crossing Pocket Camp: Gulliver’s Port Resort
  August 11, 2021Animal Crossing Pocket CampGulliver’s Port Resort started on June 30, 2020, and ended on July 4, 2020. The event started like all the other events do. Players had to collect special seeds, plant them in their garden, and hope that rare creatures appeared. Gulliver: Ahoy there! The name’s Gulliver. Gulliver: Maybe you knew that. Maybe we’ve met. You land-legs all look alike to me. I get hit on the head a lot! Gulliver: Anyway, maybe you know I do exports. And I’m known to rustle up some goodies from time to time. Gulliver: Well, it so happens I got my talons on something unbelievable in my last haul – paper-petal seeds! So far, every time an animal friend invites themselves to my campsite, it is because they want something from me. Gulliver usually can be found at Sunburst Island (the one with the bugs). He has his own boat, which he sends to other islands to retrieve things. The player must fill up the boat with items before Gulliver can send it off. Some time later, the boat returns with souvenirs. Each one will cost some Leaf Tickets. Gulliver: These things take me back. I’ve laid eyes on many a scintillating flower in my travels… Gulliver: Yep. Journeying harbor to harbor, seeing the flowers lined up out of port like an array of cannons… Gulliver: Fish-flakes! All that nautical nostalgia’s sailed me right into a brilliant idea! Gulliver: Let’s recreate the maritime magic of a port resort right here and now! Gulliver: You ever heard of dailycrabs? Rare hermit crabs with shells as precious as undersea treasure. Gulliver: They gather around paper-petals, so we wanna track some down… and reel ’em in! Er, with a bug net! Gulliver: Their shells’ll be real nice for our post-resort experience. Sardines! I’ve got some decor ideas already! Gulliver: So, do you know all about how to go about catching these dallycrabs? Orange dallycrab Pink dallycrab Task complete! Gulliver: Well done, generous sailor. The screenshots above pretty much show everything you need to know about how this part of the event works. Gather flower seeds by going around and giving things to animal friends (including those in your campsite). Plant the seeds in your garden. Water them when needed (unless a friend got to it already). Collect the rare creatures. Harvest flowers. Repeat. Here are the rewards I earned for collecting orange and pink dallycrabs: pink paper-petal seeds+ seaside-vacation shades mariner’s anchor The mariner’s anchor items are required in order for players to collect enough to complete the special quests. Collecting mariner’s anchors gives the players special rewards. For example, a starfish hairpin. seaside-vacation dress Task complete! My character is wearing the starfish hairpin and the seaside-vacation dress. seaside-vacation shirt port-resort table seaside-vacation juice A Once you collect up (or craft) certain items that are related to a limited-time event, you can use them to take a class. The concept is a little wonky, but it does give you some good rewards if you successfully complete it. The first class related to Gulliver’s Port Resort event is the one shown above. I had collected the seaside-vacation shirt, and the seaside-vacation juice A. To get the little pot of pink paper-petals, you have to get in your garden and exchange some of those flowers for ones inside a flower pot. Here is what the first class looks like with the required items placed. This the face my Pocket Camp character makes after successfully completing a class. I have reached Amateur Rank 8. Eventually, the game introduces new paper-petal flowers. The new ones are yellow instead of pink. They attract different colored dallycrabs. Gold dallycrab Silver dallycrab Here are some of the rewards for collecting gold and silver dallycrabs: seaside-vacation juice B post-resort lounge chair white resort bench post-resort fence A Here is what the Port Resort Class 2 looks like after the player successfully completes it. Once again, my Pocket Camp character makes that face after successfully completing a class. post-resort fence B post-resort balcony post-resort arch Here is what the third – and final – Post Resort class. The game gives players duplicate items as prizes. The player might need to make use of them in the classes. Here is another view of the third Post Resort class when it is successfully completed. After the player finishes all the tasks, there is a short scene that appears. Here is a view of the Post Resort items in my campsite at night. Here is a view of the Post Resort items in my campsite during the day. Gulliver: Ahoy there, friend. I figure it’s time I weighed anchor and got back to my usual work. Gulliver: Well, shuck my clams! You’ve still got dallycrabs and paper-petals to give away? I’ll take them, of course. Gulliver: You’ll find a reward waiting in your mailbox. Check for it later! Gulliver: See you around! Animal Crossing Pocket Camp: Gulliver’s Port Resort is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...

Other Video Games

- Neko Atsume: Temari Ball
  August 25, 2021Neko Atsume / Other Video GamesNeko Atsume is a game where the entire goal is to attract cats to your home/yard. The only way to do it is to put out items that the cats might be interested in playing with. Some cats enjoy the Temari Ball. The flavor text on the Temari Ball says: Real Temari Balls are fine pieces of Japanese folk art fashioned from layers of fabric. This one’s made for cats. Most of the screenshots in this blog post were taken in 2017. Caramel Dottie Lexy Marshmallow Patches Peaches Smokey Spud Snowball Sooty Neko Atsume: Temari Ball is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...

Out of Spoons (Chronic Illness)

- Alabama’s Anti-Trans Health Care Bill Failed
  June 18, 2021Out of Spoons / Public Healthphoto by Sharon McCutcheon on Pexels Alabama’s anti-trans bill that would have prevented young trans people from receiving necessary health care failed. This is excellent news for young people who are transgender. It means parents will be the ones to make decisions about the healthcare their transgender child or teen receives (not members of Alabama’s legislature). Alabama House Bill 303 (HB 303) was introduced on February 20, 2020. The summary of the bill was: “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, prohibits gender change therapy for minors, prohibits withholding of certain related information from parents”. It was sponsored by Representative Wes Allen (Republican). HB 303 was read for the first time on February 20, 2020, and referred to the House of Representatives committee on Health. Synopsis: This bill would prohibit the performance of a medical procedure or the prescription or issuance of medication, upon a minor child, that is intended to alter the child’s gender or delay puberty, with certain exceptions. This bill would provide for the disclosure of certain information concerning students to parents by schools. This bill would also establish criminal penalties for violations... It is worth pointing out that whomever wrote the bill doesn’t understand what transgender means. According to Merriam-Webster, transgender means: of, or relating to, or being a person whose gender identity differs from the sex the person had or was identified as having at birth. Merriam-Webster continues: especially: of, relating to, being a person whose gender identity is opposite the sex the person has or was identified as having birth. If you’ve been paying attention, you likely noticed that the language in anti-trans bills is incredibly similar, regardless. It is not a coincidence. The New Republic posted an article titled: “The New Anti-Trans Culture War Hiding in Plain Sight” on February 11, 2020. It was written by Sydney Bauer. From the article: …The text from these anti-trans bills varies slightly from state to state, but it’s easy enough to spot the borrowed language when they are viewed together. Many of the bills define sex in familiar anti-trans terms as “the biological state of being female or male based on sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous hormone profiles.” They criminalize prescribing “puberty-blocking medication to stop normal puberty; supraphysiologic doses of testosterone to females; or supraphysiologic doses of estrogen to males.” There are “no mysteries” to how these bills move from well-funded conservative groups into the hands of lawmakers across the country, Heron Greenesmith, a researcher for Political Research Associates, told me. “That’s a direct route for introduction of legislation.”……The organizations behind the bills aren’t exactly trying to hid that, either: Stephanie Curry, policy manager at Family Policy Alliance, told me that the group “works with legislators all over the country” and confirmed the practice of model legislation, which she said was not a ‘unique practice in any sense’ across the political spectrum. (The Heritage Foundation did not return requests for comment). The Family Policy Alliance crafts legislation, she added, but “ultimately, it is up to individual legislatures” to decide what approach to take, “whether it is banning such procedures or penalizing doctors.”… The OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (OHSU) provides some really good information about puberty blockers. It is from their Gender Clinic, and it starts by explaining the changes that a young person’s body goes through during puberty. After that, it explains puberty blockers: What are puberty blockers?Puberty blockers are medications to stop changes from the puberty you were born with. These changes make you look physically male or female. For example, they can make your breasts, testicles and penis stop growing larger. Testicles might get smaller.Puberty blockers do not stop all the changes of puberty. For example, they do not help acne or stop armpit hair from growing. They also will not reverse changes that already happened. If you start taking them late in puberty, the earlier changes will not disappear. But the medications can keep further changes from happening.Puberty from gender affirming hormonesIf you take gender affirming hormone medications, you will receive hormones for the gender you identify with. You will go through puberty related to the gender you identify with. The puberty blockers only block changes that do not match your gender identity.Why take puberty blockers?Going though puberty that does not match your gender identity may cause stress and concern. This can be severe for some people. Taking puberty blockers can stop the process. This can give you time to think about making more permanent decisions about your body. We sometimes say that taking these medications is like ‘pushing the pause button on puberty’. If you use puberty blockers early in puberty, you may need less treatment or surgery later. For example, if puberty blockers keep your breasts from developing, you would not need surgery to remove them later….…Do puberty blockers cause permanent changes?Puberty blockers do not cause permanent changes to the body. And you can stop taking them at any time. If you decide to stop taking puberty blockers and did not take hormone therapy, your body will go back to the puberty that had already started… In other words, puberty blockers pause puberty. A young person who is taking puberty blockers can choose to stop taking them. If so, then their body will continue to go through puberty. The purpose of puberty blockers is to prevent a transgender child or teen from having to experience puberty that does not match their gender identity. It is that simple. Alabama’s anti-trans bill is intended to prevent a transgender child or teen from receiving “medication…that is intended to alter the child’s gender or delay puberty…” Ironically, the medication they are targeting – puberty blockers – does not change a child’s gender. Whoever wrote this bill is ignorant about puberty blockers and how they function. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of nonsense in Alabama’s HB303: “There are no rigorous studies that show that gender changing therapies performed on children, including the administration of puberty blocking medications, the administration of opposite sex hormones, or surgeries intended to approximate the appearance of the opposite sex have any long term beneficial effect, including a reduction in suicide risk. To the contrary, such interventions carry elevated risks for sterility, lost of sexual function, bone fractures, thromboembolic and cardiovascular disease, malignancy, and may even contribute to mental illness and suicide.” Fact: A study published on April 28, 2021, in JAMA titled “Association Between Gender-Affirming Surgeries and Mental Health Outcomes“. The question the study answered was: Are gender-affirming surgeries associated with better mental health outcomes among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people? The objective of the study was: To evaluate associations between gender-affirming surgeries and mental health outcomes, including psychological distress, substance use, and suicide risk. Yes, this study was published after Alabama’s HB303 was written. The study is still completely relevant because it was based on data from the 2015 US Transgender Survey, “the largest existing data set containing comprehensive information on the surgical and medical health experiences of TGD people”. The data was collected from adults who filled out a survey from April 19, 2015 to September 21, 2015. The data existed long before HB303 was written. The data from the 2015 survey was analyzed by the authors of the 2021 study between November 1, 2020 and January 3, 2021. The Conclusion of the study stated: “This study demonstrates an association between gender-affirming surgery and improved mental health outcomes. These results contribute new evidence to support the provision of gender-affirming surgical for TGD people.” On May 1, 2021, NBC News posted an article titled: “Gender-affirming surgery linked to better mental health, study finds.” It was written by Dan Avery. From the article: Transgender people who have access to gender-affirming surgery report better mental health outcomes, according to a new study. The report, published Wednesday in JAMA Surgery, compared the psychological distress levels, suicide risk, and substance use in trans and gender-diverse people who had undergone gender-affirming surgery with those who wanted such procedures but had not yet had them.The researchers found that subjects who had not received the surgical interventions they desired were nearly twice as likely to report severe psychological distress and suicidal thoughts, and reported higher incidences of binge drinking and tobacco use, as well……The new report, however, represents the first large-scale controlled study of the relationship between gender-affirming surgery and psychological well being. It uses data from nearly 200,000 participants in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality… You may have noticed that the study regarding gender-affirming surgery only included adults. Alabama’s HB303 focuses on children and teens who are transgender. There is no data on children or young teens who have had gender-affirming surgery because that type of medical care is not provided to children or young teens. Politifact provided clarification in a fact-checking article that was posted in 2019. The fact-check was in relation to a situation in Texas where one parent of a transgender girl affirmed her gender, while the other parent did not. From the fact-check: …There are absolutely no medical interventions or surgical interventions on any prepubertal child,” said Colt Keo-Meier, a Texas-based psychologist and author who specializes in gender and sexual health. “That is not happening.” The widely accepted “Standards of Care” maintained by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health also emphasize this point.“Before any physical interventions are considered for adolescents, extensive exploration of psychological, family, and social issues should be undertaken,” the standards read. “The duration of this exploration may vary considerably depending on the complexity of the situation.”……The World Professional Association for Transgender Health outline minimum criteria that must be met before a child can receive puberty-suppressing medication, including that the child has demonstrated a “long-lasting and intense pattern of gender nonconformity or gender dysphoria” and that it “emerged or worsened with the onset of puberty.”Other interventions like hormone therapy (partially reversible) or surgery (irreversible) won’t be considered until a patent reaches adolescence.Even then, the Standards of Care stress that certain procedures should not be preformed until a patient is old enough to consent on their own (typically 16-18 years old) and others should occur only once a person has received other treatments for a specific time period… It is worth noting that Alabama’s HB303 claims that there is evidence that children and teens who receive gender-affirming surgery does not reduce the risk of suicide. That claim has been debunked by the 2021 JAMA study. Alabama’s HB303 also claims: To the contrary, such interventions carry elevated risks for sterility, lost of sexual function, bone fractures, thromboembolic and cardiovascular disease, malignancy, and may even contribute to mental illness and suicide.” It is impossible for the writers of Alabama’s HB303 to make this claim because there is no evidence that any child or young teen has been given gender-affirming surgery. More nonsense from Alabama’s HB303: “The continued performing of these therapies upon children constitutes a public health risk“. As I’ve already made clear in this blog post, puberty blockers are not a public health risk. Gender-affirming surgery is not a public health risk either, and is irrelevant within the context of HB 303 because no children or young teens receive gender-affirming surgery. More nonsense from Alabama’s HB303: SEX. The biological state of being male or female, based on the individual’s sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous hormone profiles. The writers of Alabama’s HB303 are confused. They appear to believe that the word gender, and the word sex, are synonyms. That’s not so! Pediatrics, the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, posted information titled: “Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents”. From the information: …Gender Identity is not synonymous with “sexual orientation,” which refers to a person’s identity in relation to the gender(s) to which they are sexually and romantically attracted. Gender identity and sexual orientation are distinct but interrelated constructs. Therefore, being transgender does not imply a sexual orientation, and people who identify as transgender still identify as straight, gay, bisexual, etc. on the basis of their attractions……Gonadotrophin-releasing hormones have been used to delay puberty since the 1980s for central precocious puberty. These reversible treatments can also be used in adolescents who experience gender dysphoria to prevent development of secondary sex characteristics and provide time up until 16 years of age for the individual and family to explore gender identity, access psychosocial supports, develop coping skills, and further define appropriate treatment goals. If pubertal suppression treatment is suspended, then endogenous puberty will resume… The next part of Alabama’s HB303 attacks doctors, for the purpose of preventing them from providing puberty blockers or gender-affirming care to patients. (NOTE: As I’ve already mentioned, children and young teens are not provided with gender-affirming surgeries.) Except as provided in subsection (b), no person shall engage in, counsel, or make a referral for any of the following practices upon a minor, and no person shall cause any of the practices in this subsection to be performed upon a minor if the practice is performed for the purpose of attempting to affirm the minor’s perception of his or her gender or sex, if that perception is inconsistent with the minor’s biological sex as defined in this act: 1 Prescribing, dispensing, administering, or otherwise supplying puberty blocking medication to stop or delay normal puberty. 2 Prescribing, dispensing, administrating, or otherwise supplying supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or other androgens to females. 3 Prescribing, dispensing, administering, or otherwise supplying supraphysiologic doses of estrogen to males. 4 Performing surgeries that sterilize, including castration, vasectomy, hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orichiectomy and penectomy. 5 Performing surgeries that artificially construct tissue with the appearance of genitalia that differs from the individual’s biological sex, including metoidoplasty, phalloplasty, and vaginoplasty. In short, the writers of Alabama’s HB303 want to prevent children and teens from receiving puberty blockers. The writers are also trying to prohibit older teens and young adults from receiving hormones. There’s also a whole lot of surgical procedures that are being prohibited – which don’t typically happen to children or young teens. 6 Removing any healthy or non-diseased body part or tissue. Surgeons don’t remove healthy (or non-diseased) body parts or tissue. They remove parts that are unhealthy, severely damaged, or diseased. I suspect the reason that part was put into Alabama’s HB303 is to further emphasize how badly they want to prevent children and young teens from having gender-affirming surgery. Again, no one is preforming gender-affirming surgery on minors, so there is no point to that part of the bill. That said, Alabama’s HB303 does allow certain kinds of surgeries for children or teens who are not transgender. This is discrimination. From HB 303: Subsection (a) does not apply to a procedure undertaken to treat a minor born with a medically verifiable disorder of sex development, including either of the following: 1 An individual born with external biological sex characteristics that are irresolvably ambiguous, including an individual born with 46 XX chromosomes with virilization, 46 XY chromosomes with under virilization, or having both ovarian and testicular tissue. 2 An individual whom a physician has otherwise diagnosed with a disorder of sexual development, in which the physician has determined through genetic or biochemical testing that the person does not have normal sex chromosome structure, sex steroid hormone production, or sex steroid hormone action for a male or female. A violation of this section is a Class C felony. The next part of Alabama’s HB303 attacks transgender children and teens by requiring school personnel to tell a parent of a transgender student that their child is transgender. Doing so could, in at least some cases, cause harm to that child or teen. This part of the bill could cause teachers and other school personnel to have to choose between losing their jobs or putting a transgender student into possible danger from family members. Section 5. (a) No nurse, counselor, teacher, principal, or other administrative official at a public or private school attended by a minor shall do either of the following: 1 Encourage or coerce a minor to withhold from the minor’s parent or legal guardian the fact that the minor’s perception of his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with the minor’s sex. 2 Withhold from a minor’s parent or legal guardian information that is relevant to the physical or mental health of the minor, including information related to a minor’s perception that his or her gender is inconsistent with his or her sex. A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor. The rest of Alabama’s HB303 bill puts in place disclaimer: “If any part, section, or subsection of this act or application thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect parts, sections, subsections, or applications of this at that can be given effect without the invalid part, section, subsection or application.” It also declares that this bill is excluded from further requirements from some other parts of Alabama law, and requires the bill to become effective 30 days following its passage and approval by the Governor, or its otherwise becoming law. On February 26, 2020, the Alabama House of Representatives Committee on Health amended HB 303. On page 7, lines 6 and 7, delete the following: “that is relevant to the physical or mental health of the minor, including information” On page 7, line 10 and 11, delete the following: “A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor.” The first amendment changes this part: 2 Withhold from a minor’s parent or legal guardian information that is relevant to the physical or mental health of the minor, including information related to a minor’s perception that his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with his or her sex. The result of the change would be: 2 Withhold from a minor’s parent or legal guarding information related to a minor’s perception that his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with his or her sex. The second amendment changes this part: A violation of this section is a Class A misdemeanor. It removes that part of the text entirely. On February 28, 2020, Alabama Political Reporter posted an article titled: “ACLU of Alabama condemns bill banning transgender treatment for minors”. It was written by Jessa Reid Bolling. From the article: The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama has condemned a recently approved bill to prevent doctors from providing hormone replacement therapy or puberty suppressing drugs to people younger than 19 who identify as transgender……The Alabama House Health Committee and the Senate Health Committee approved the bill on Wednesday in separate hearings, both drawing overflow crowds. The committee approval moves the bill in line for consideration by the full House.The ACLU of Alabama said in a statement that the bill targets transgender youth and puts their academic success and health in danger.“Transgender girls are girls, and transgender boys are boys,” said Dillon Nettles, policy analyst at the ACLU of Alabama. “Alabama lawmakers are considering legislation that runs counter to medical science, prevailing standards for the treatment of transgender youth and basic human dignity.“The government shouldn’t threaten medical providers with jail for treating transgender kids and schools shouldn’t discriminate against them when it comes to participation in school sports. HB303 and HB35 are dangerous, discriminatory and put kids at risk.”Multiple women’s sports advocacy organizations, including The National Women’s Law Center, the Women’s Sports Foundation, and Women Leaders in College Sports, support trans-inclusive policies and oppose efforts to exclude transgender student from participating in sports… What happened to Alabama’s HB 303 bill? Ms Magazine provided information about that: …In 2020, Alabama legislators pre-filed their first house bill of the season – HB1 – which, if passed, would prohibit trans minors from receiving life-saving transition-related health care by making it a crime for doctors to provide it. The bill would also “provide for the disclosure of certain information concerning students to parents by schools” – essentially allowing schools to “out” young trans people to their parents… …The bill was previously introduced as HB303 in the 2020 regular session, where it died. The legislature is set to convene for its 2020 session in February. Alabama’s tireless lawmakers have also introduced a nearly identical bill in the state’s Senate – SB 10, also known as the “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act” – which, if passed, would essentially have the same effects as HB1, prohibiting health care and allowing for trans kids to be outed. SB 10 is what I like to call a “zombie bill”. It had a life as HB303, died, and returned from the dead as a zombie. Alabama’s SB10 was sponsored by Senator Shay Shellnutt (Republican). The bill was first read in the Alabama Senate on February 2, 2021. The title of SB10 is: “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act.” Here are some key points from SB10: …Relating to public health; to prohibit the performance of a medical procedure or the prescription or issuance of medication, upon or to a minor child, that is intended to alter the minor child’s gender or delay puberty; to provide for exceptions; to provide for disclosure of certain information concerning students to parents by schools; and to establish criminal penalties for violations… …Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act Section 2. For the purpose of this act, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 1 MINOR. The same meaning as in Section 43-8-1, Code of Alabama 1975. 2 PERSON. Includes any of the following: a. Any individual. b. Any agent, employee, official, or contractor of any legal entity. c. Any agent, employee, official, or contractor of a school district or the state of any of its political subdivisions or agencies. 3 SEX. The biological state of being male or female, based on the individual’s sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous hormone profiles... Section 3 is a “copy – paste” of the portions of HB 303 that prevent doctors from providing puberty blockers, hormones, or surgeries to transgender minors. It also includes the exceptions for minors who are not transgender (under certain circumstances). Again, this is discrimination. The part that reads: A violation of this section is a Class C felony remains in SB10. So does the part from HB 303 that requires school personnel to “out” a transgender child or teen to their parents. On March 2, 2021, the Alabama Senate held a roll call vote on SB10. The purpose of this vote was to read the bill a third time and pass adopted Roll Call 331. Here is how the Senators voted: Greg Albritton (R) – YEAGerald Allen (R) – YEAWill Barfoot (R) – YEAWilliam “Bill” M. Beasley (D) – NAYTom Butler (R) – P (either not voting or not present)Clyde Chambless (R) – YEADonnie Chesteen (R) – YEALinda Coleman-Madison (D) – P (either not voting or not present)Priscilla Dunn (D) – P (either not voting or not present)Chris Elliot (R) – YEAVivian Davis Figures (D) – NAYSam Givhan (R) – YEAGarlan Gudger (R) – YEAJimmy Holley (R) – YEADoug Jones (R) – YEASteve Livingston (R) – YEADel Marsh (R) – P (either not voting or not present)Jim McClendon (R) – YEATim Melson (R) – YEAArthur Orr (R) – YEARandy Price (R) – YEAGreg Reed (R) – YEADan Roberts (R) – YEAMalika Sanders-Fortier (D) – P (either not voting or not present)Clay Scofield (R) – YEADavid Sessions (R) – YEAShay Shelnutt (R) – YEABobby Singleton (D) – NAYRodger Smitherman (D) – NAYLarry Stutts (R) – YEAJ.T. Waggoner (R) – YEATom Whatley (R) – YEAJack Williams (R) – P (either not voting or not present) On March 2, 2021, the Associated Press posted an article titled: “Alabama Senate approves treatment ban for trans kids”. It was written by Kim Chandler. From the article: Transgender youth in Alabama would not be able to be treated with puberty-blockers, hormone treatment, or surgery under a bill approved Tuesday by the Alabama Senate, as parents and trans youth rallied outside the Statehouse in opposition.Senators voted 23-4 to approve the measure sponsored by Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt of Trussville. The bill now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives where a committee has approved a nearly identical bill. The bills would make it a felony to use puberty-blocking drugs, hormonal therapy and surgery to treat transgender minors. Violators could face up to 10 years in prison……Dr. Monica Ladinsky, a pediatrician who has treated multiple transgender youths, told a Senate committee earlier that genital surgery is never performed on children, and puberty blockers and hormonal therapy are used only used after lengthy informed consent, mental health oversight and subspecialized medical care… Also on March 2, 2021, Montgomery Advertiser posted an article titled: “Alabama Senate approves bill banning transgender youth treatments amid protests at state Capitol”. It was written by Bryan Lyman. From the article: …”I currently am not comfortable in my own skin,” said Smith, a high school sophomore from Jacksonville who is a transgender teen. “But testosterone and hormone treatments and all of these gender-affirming surgeries, for some it means life or death.”It was a story repeated by about 40 protestors who traveled to Montgomery to protest two bills: one from Sen. Say Shelnutt, R-Trussville, that would ban transgender youth from receiving puberty blocking and hormone treatment, and a second from Rep. Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, that would ban transgender youth from playing public school sports for the gender with which they identify.Shelnutt’s bill passed the Senate 23-4 Tuesday afternoon. The bill moves to the House. A similar measure was sponsored by Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, passed out of a House committee last week. The House adjourned on Tuesday evening before taking up Stadhagen’s bill……Parents of transgender children and doctors who work with transgender children say the treatments have positive psychological impacts. In testimony before several legislative committees, parents and doctor said genital surgery does not take place on minors…On March 2, 2021, Human Rights Campaign tweeted: “SB10 has passed the Alabama State Senate. The companion bill, HB1, has not yet passed the House. We need everyone to speak out before Alabama criminalizes gender-affirming care to trans kids. If you live in Alabama, please call your legislators and tell them to vote no on HB1”. On March 3, 2021, CBS News posted an article titled: “Alabama Senate votes to make hormone therapy and surgery for trans youth a felony”. It was written by Sophie Lewis. From the article: …The two bills would make it a felony for medical professionals to treat transgender minors under the age of 19 with gender-affirming care. Violators could face up to 10 years in prison or a $15,000 fine.The bill also requires school staff in the state to disclose to parents that “a minor’s perception that his or her gender is inconsistent with his or her sex.” Essentially, teachers would be required to “out” transgender students to their guardians – regardless of whether they are ready to do so……While similar measures have been considered across the country, Alabama would be the first state to pass such a bill. Parents, members of the transgender communities and medical experts opposed to the bills say it is dangerous, and that lawmakers do not understand the already difficult process to receive gender-affirming care… On May 18, 2021, Alabama Political Reporter posted an article titled: “Bill to ban treatments for transgender minors dies before coming to the House floor”. It was written by Eddie Burkhalter. From the article: A bill that would have banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth didn’t make it to the floor of the Alabama House on Monday, the last day of the session. The bill’s quiet death surely saved young lives, opponents of the bill say.The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Shay Shelnutt, passed the Alabama Senate 21-4 on March 3, but did not make it to the House floor on Monday. The bill was the last of eleven on a special order calendar brought up late Monday night, but House Democrats just before 11 p.m. Monday ran the clock out, ensuring an end to the bill… On May 26, 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alabama posted information titled: “Our Summary of Alabama’s 2021 Legislative Session”. It was written by Dillion Nettles. From the information: …Meanwhile, we are always on the defensive when it comes to legislative attacks on our civil rights, whether abortion access, trans rights, voting restrictions, or free speech. This year was no different, with bills filed to ban healthcare access for trans youth, ban curbside voting, attack protester rights, and more.While the bills to ban cubside voting and to and to ban transgender youth from competing in student athletics both passed and were signed by Governor Ivey, we are relieved to report that HB 1/SB 10, the companion bills that would have criminalized healthcare for trans youth, died as the House adjourned before taking a vote. As we embarked on this session, we knew we would have to defend the rights of trans youth and their families, as we had already seen the “Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act” filed in 2020, and you know that it will likely reappear next year, too… Alabama’s terrible bills that would have prevented transgender youth from receiving appropriate health care did not become law. This means parents, in consultation with doctors, will be the ones to determine what kind of health care their child or teen receives. Parents of transgender children or teens in Alabama now have the same rights over health care choices for them as do parents of cis-gender children. Alabama’s Anti-Trans Health Care Bill Failed is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...

Cockatiels

- Pinky Climbed to the Top
  September 18, 2020CockatielsAfter sharing the top of the cage with Marvin the other day, Pinky decided to climb up to the top of the cage all by himself. Marvin and Pepper were not yet ready to start the day. Pinky Climbed to the Top is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...

World of Warcraft

- WoW Classic: Harpies
  April 29, 2020World of Warcraft / World of Warcraft ClassicNeverlast and Vaca had traveled together, fighting a wide variety of creatures and turning in quests. They had no idea how difficult it would be to fight a flock of skinny bird people. These screenshots were taken on September 22, 2019. Today started with Vaca and Neverlast fighting a Lost Barrens Kodo. Vaca, being a Warrior, jumped right in and started swinging. Neverlast, a Druid, healed his impulsive friend. The Tauren would soon learn that fighting Kodos was much easier than fighting Harpies. They needed to collect a few more Prowler claws in order to complete a quest. Strangely, it turned out that many of the Prowlers lacked claws. Vaca and Neverlast assumed that the Prowlers were suffering from the same plague that caused the Zhevra’s to lack hooves. Fortunately, this particular Prowler had some claws. The Tauren would be able to turn in this quest when next they visited The Crossroads. Overall, the day was going pretty well, until they encountered Harpies. The Tauren were asked to collect 8 Witchwing Talons. Little did they know that these winged, annoying, creature would be so difficult to kill. “A fine trophy your head will make, Tauren,” the Harpy threatened. Vaca won this battle, thanks to Neverlast’s help and healing. But, it was a much tougher battle than Vaca was expecting against skinny bird people. “My talons will shred your puny body, Tauren,” the next Harpy yelled. Vaca knew she was much stronger and heavier than this little bird person. She wondered what the Harpies thought the word “puny” meant. Neverlast used a spell and trapped the Harpy in place. It was a good idea. This particular Harpy was tougher than the other ones, and both of The Tauren were getting really tired. Eventually, the last Harpy was down. Neverlast and Vaca finally had gathered up the necessary amounts of Witchwing Talons, and could turn them in to Darsock Swiftdagger at The Crossroads. It was time for a moment of celebration! The next thing to do was to hoof it back to The Crossroads. There was time to enjoy the scenery along the way. Vaca wondered what these big skeletons were. She kept finding them scattered across the land. Maybe they were kodos? On their way through The Forgotten Pools, another Lost Barrens Kodo picked a fight with Vaca. There was no choice but to fight back. You can’t talk a Kodo out of a course of action once they have chosen it. When the battle was over, Neverlast was able to pick up some Thin Kodo Leather. Apparently “thin” is a relative term in this case. Back at The Crossroads, The Tauren climbed a tower and spoke with Darsok Swiftdagger. He was the one who gave them the quest to fight Harpies. It would be great to turn that in and forget all about the horrible bird people. Darsok Swiftdagger: Cut up enough of them yet? Keep slicing and taking trophies. I want 8 Witchwing talons. Neverlast and Vaca happily handed over the Witchwing Talons they collected. They each received some silver coins in return. Harpies are tough to fight, but the pay was worth it. Before The Tauren could start their way back down the tower, Darsok Swiftdagger had something else to say to them. Darsok Swiftdagger: Hahaha. Vaca, Back for more? Good, I like to hear that. This time I want you to assassinate some of the harpy lieutenants in the Dry Hills. Only Witchwing Slayers can be lieutenants, and you can tell them apart by the rings they carry. They are a nasty bunch, but they lead some of the underlings in that area. Taking out 6 of them will be a decisive strike against their matriarchy. Make sure they die painfully, Vaca. We want those harpy wenches to know the idiocy of picking fights with the Horde. Vaca wondered why this tough-talking Orc didn’t go out and fight the harpies himself. But then, she thought about the words Darsok was using. He clearly was afraid of the Harpies, whom he hated in part because they were female. Darsok wanted their matriarchy destroyed. Vaca guessed he saw it as a threat to the Orc’s patriarchal system. It took Vaca a moment to realize that Darsok thought she was a small, male Tauren. The first batch of Harpies were exhausting, and this new group was going to be even tougher. Vaca and Neverlast turned to each other, shrugged, and accepted the quest. Neither were looking forward to it. They decided to rest up before taking on more awful Harpies. Hopefully, the money would be worth the effort. #Blapril2020 WoW Classic: Harpies is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!...
- Meipo the Mage – To Level 60!