HAR1F - What Made Us Human?

From CBS :

Scientists believe they have found a key gene that helped the human brain evolve from our chimp-like ancestors. In just a few million years, one area of the human genome seems to have evolved about 70 times faster than the rest of our genetic code. It appears to have a role in a rapid tripling of the size of the brain's crucial cerebral cortex, according to an article published Thursday in the journal Nature.

Study co-author David Haussler, director of the Center for Biomolecular Science and Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said his team found strong but still circumstantial evidence that a certain gene, called HAR1F, may provide an important answer to the question: "What makes humans brainier than other primates?" Human brains are triple the size of chimp brains.

Looking at 49 areas that have changed the most between the human and chimpanzee genomes, Haussler zeroed in on an area with "a very dramatic change in a relatively short period of time."

That one gene didn't exist until 300 million years ago and is present only in mammals and birds, not fish or animals without backbones. But then it didn't change much at all. There are only two differences in that one gene between a chimp and a chicken, Haussler said.

But there are 18 differences in that one gene between human and chimp and they all seemed to occur in the development of man, he said.
...
And it's not just that this gene changed a lot. There is also its involvement with the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for some of the more complex brain functions, including language and information processing.

"It looks like in fact it is important in the development of brain," said co-author Sofie Salama, a research biologist at Santa Cruz who led the efforts to identify where the gene is active in the body.

The scientists still don't know specifically what the gene does. But they know that this same gene turns on in human fetuses at seven weeks after conception and then shuts down at 19 weeks, Haussler said.

Just when the neural development starts up. Now it's by no means proven, but yes, it looks a reasonable hypothesis.

Now why did it change? And how stable is it? These and other questions to be answered in the next century or so. Maybe. There's so very much about the brain we don't know, after all.

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 21st Edition

An explanatory (and apologetic) call from the Australian Passport Office, early this morning. The situation as they saw it was that I had been informed over the phone that my passport application was going to be rejected, and that the APO were working on the formal letter to that effect. Accordingly, my application had been withdrawn.

However.....

It seems that there is now a thing called a "Ministerial" in play now. Exactly what a "Ministerial" is, I'm not sure. Whether it is a Ministerial Query, a Ministerial Pronunciamento of new policy, or just a Ministerial determination of a particular case, I have no idea. I suspect just a simple "please explain" from On High. But the effect is as of a Demon King appearing amongst the Fairies, and there were profuse apologies for withdrawing my application.

The application been re-instated, and they never, ever, ever would have thought of withdrawing it if they knew a Ministerial was involved, oh my word, no! It didn't take Mandrake the Magician to detect more than a mild overtone of Panic in the APO.

Well, I did tell them I'd written to the Minister.

So the current state of play is... that I have no idea. But the Minister for Foreign Affairs, in addition to looking after multi-billion dollar trade negotiations and peace talks about the War in Lebanon, is finding a few seconds to cast his jaundiced eye on the situation. It looks like the Policy Section hadn't been keeping him as informed as they should have, and what I thought might have been the result of Ministerial direct intervention, wasn't. But who knows, it is, after all, the Public Circus Service. Guesses, Conjectures and reading Tea Leaves is no substitute for knowing the facts.

I don't expect a quick answer. I now have just over 80 days before leaving the country, and it's doubtful it will be settled before then.

Now would be a good time to say that I really, really don't need this stuff.

Problem Solved.

Continuing from a previous post, the latest news from The Independent :

A transsexual business executive claiming damages of £500,000 for discrimination at work has been ordered to leave the country by the Home Office.

Jessica Bussert, 41, has been told her work permit is no longer valid and she must return to the United States this week.

The senior IT consultant has claimed damages from Hitachi Data Systems at an employment tribunal for discrimination in what could prove a test case for transsexuals everywhere. But after she filed a claim for constructive dismissal she received a letter from the Home Office saying her work permit was no longer valid and she had 28 days to leave the country.

Here's what they did to her: From UK Gay.com of all places.

Jessica Bussert, who has filed the largest ever claim for sex discrimination against a transsexual, has recently been informed by the British Home Office that she and her spouse must leave England by August 21.
...
Ms. Bussert has filed an appeal citing UK and EU legislation supporting her position, but the Home Office has yet to reply.
...
Concurrent to this action, Ms. Bussert has also recently learned that her tribunal hearing has been delayed once again. Originally scheduled for May 22, the hearing was later rescheduled for August 10.

In a recent ruling, the Reading Employment Tribunal has decided to reschedule the hearing to an unspecified date following a request for additional time from the respondent, HDS.

So out she goes. Delay enough, and Problem solved.

But maybe not.

Ms Bussert, whose wife Sharon will also have to leave the country this week, said she would continue to fight her case and would fly back to Britain from Indiana.

Of course that's going to be as difficult for her as fighting any Administrative Appeals Tribunal case from the UK would be for me.

Things like that happen to people like us.

Amateur Chilli Tasting

I'm on many TS support groups, ranging from experts discussing hormones, surgical evaluations of facial and other surgery, all the way to sites providing both information and emotional support.

They all are essential. The latter is particular can be a literal life-saver.

Another thing that is essential in all this is a sense of humour. Here's a recent post on one of those "emotional support" sites. Sometimes it helps to lighten the atmosphere, life's far too important to take too seriously.

Oh yes : a Drink Warning is In Effect.

Notes From An Inexperienced Chili Tester Named Frank, who was visiting Texas from the East Coast:

'Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking directions to the beer wagon, when the call came. I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy, and besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted.'

Here are the scorecards from the event:

________________________________________ __________________

CHILI # 1 MIKE'S MANIAC MOBSTER MONSTER CHILI:

JUDGE ONE: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.

JUDGE TWO: Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

FRANK: Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.

________________________________________ __________________

CHILI # 2 ARTHUR'S AFTERBURNER CHILI:

JUDGE ONE: Smokey, with a hint of pork. Slight Jalapeno tang.

JUDGE TWO: Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

FRANK: Keep this out of the reach of children I'm not sure what I am supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

________________________________________ __________________

CHILI # 3 FRED'S FAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILI:

JUDGE ONE: Excellent firehouse chili! Great kick. Needs more beans.

JUDGE TWO: A beanless chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers.

FRANK: Call the EPA, I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back; now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all the beer.

________________________________________ ________________

CHILI # 4 BUBBA'S BLACK MAGIC:

JUDGE ONE: Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

JUDGE TWO: Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it, is it possible to burnout taste buds? Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills; that 300 lb. bitch is starting to look HOT just like this nuclear waste I'm eating. Is chili an aphrodisiac?

________________________________________ _______________

CHILI # 5 LINDA'S LEGAL LIP REMOVER:

JUDGE ONE: Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very Impressive.

JUDGE TWO: Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

FRANK: My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage, Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from a pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off? It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks!

________________________________________ ________________

CHILI # 6 VERA'S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY:

JUDGE ONE: Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spice and peppers.

JUDGE TWO: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.

FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shit myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone!

________________________________________ ___________

CHILI # 7 SUSAN'S SCREAMING SENSATION CHILI:

JUDGE ONE: A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

JUDGE TWO: Ho Hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. I should take note that I am worried about Judge Number 3, He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

FRANK: You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a damn thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava-like shit to match my damn shirt. At least during the autopsy they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing, it's too painful. Screw it, I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

Yes, that one was courtesy of one of the few boys on the list, I guess that shows. He had his hysterectomy recently.

Charlie Foxtrot in the Lebanon

No battle Plan ever survives contact with the Enemy. But going in without a cohesive plan is a recipe for, well, this.

When dusk fell, we again geared up. The officers were determined to carry out the mission without further delay, but we were down to our last drops of water. Over the radio we learned that the bodies of the helicopter crew had been recovered. The officers decided to divide the unit into two task forces; one to evacuate the wounded amongst us: three soldiers who had broken or sprained ankles and legs in the previous days' frantic marches over the harsh terrain. They would be airlifted along with the remains of the helicopter crew back into Israeli territory. The second unit was to search for the water that had been dropped from airplanes the night before. After, we were to reunite and make our final push to the mountain slope to put an end to the firing of rockets from that area into our cities in the north.

I was placed in the squad to evacuate the wounded, and as we made our way to the landing site carrying the stretchers, a call came over the radio. A General Staff order was made to all forces operating in the area: immediately stop all proactive measures in observance of a cease-fire, a cease fire that we had no idea was even in the works. Just like that, the war was suddenly over, for now.

For Now.

From Normblog

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 18th Edition

Just out of curiousity, I phoned up the Passport InfoLine again, to see what, if anything, was happening regarding my passport application.

It turns out it had been marked as "awaiting further documentation", with a later note to say that the documentation (whatever it was) had been recieved.

The application had also been withdrawn.

The consultant was, um, nonplussed at this.

Later on in the day, a voicemail on my mobile said that the application had been re-instated.

Verily, not only does the Left Hand not know what the Right is doing, it appears it doesn't know what the Left one is doing either.

Whisky Tango Foxtrot Interrogative

I've decided to be amused at this. I'm also eagerly and with much anticipation awaiting the reply in writing from the Director of Passport Operations explaining their actions. Who knows, I might be able to show them the replacement Citizenship certificate before then, which may just provide them with an excuse to act sensibly.

Breath-holding though is contra-indicated.

How to Fly in Safety

Stay at home, and do it virtually. And if you don't like the choice of starting locations, make your own.

Curtsey to Utterly Boring

Lost, Stolen or Strayed : Part of Our Heritage

<sarcasm>Nothing very important.</sarcasm>

From Space Daily :

NASA no longer knows the whereabouts of the original tapes of man's first landing on the moon nearly 40 years ago, an official of the US space agency said Tuesday. "NASA is searching for the original tapes of the Apollo 11 spacewalk on July 21, 1969," said Ed Campion, a spokesman for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, a Washington suburb.

The tapes record the famous declaration of Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, as he set foot on its surface: "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind."

The original tapes could be somewhere at the Goddard center or in the archives network of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Campion said.

The search for the tapes began about a year and a half ago when the Goddard Space Flight Center's authorities realized they no longer knew where they were after retired employees asked to consult them.
...
The original tapes of the Apollo 11 mission were recorded at three tracking stations: Goldstone in California and Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station and Parkes Observatory in Australia.

They were then sent to the Goddard Space Flight Center, which transferred them to the National Archives in late 1969. Later, NASA asked to recover the tapes and that is where the trace disappeared.

"A search is being planned, aimed at finding what happened to the Goddard-recalled Apollo 11 mission data tapes," Campion said.

What we have still extant are poor-quality videotapes taken by pointing a video camera at a monitor.

Human Evolution

From LiveScience :

A comprehensive scan of the human genome finds that hundreds of our genes have undergone positive natural selection during the past 10,000 years of human evolution.
...
Researchers from the University of Chicago analyzed the genomes of 209 unrelated individuals from three distinct human populations: East Asians, Europeans and Yorubans from Nigeria. Each population contained roughly 250 positively selected genes; however, most of the affected genes differed depending on the group.
...
The new study links genetic changes to major events in the history of our species.

“There have been a lot of recent changes—the advent of agriculture, shifts in diet, new habitats, climatic changes—over the past 10,000 years," said Jonathan Pritchard, a human geneticist at the University of Chicago who led the study.

Many genes were found to be evolving in all three of the human populations studied. The specific functions of many of the genes are not known, but the researchers were able to separate them into broad categories. These categories include:

• Olfaction: the researchers found many genes important for taste and smell
• Reproduction: involved in things like sperm mobility and egg fertilization
• Increasing brain size
• Bone development and skeletal changes
• Carbohydrate metabolism: positive selection was observed for genes involved in breaking down mannose in Yorubans, sucrose in East Asians, and lactose for Europeans. (Mannose is a sweet secretion found in some trees and shrubs, sucrose is common table sugar, and lactose is a sugar found in milk.)
• Disease resistance and pathogen protection
• Metabolism of foreign compounds, such as exotic plant proteins or animal toxins

The researchers also found positive selection in four pigment genes important for lighter skin in Europeans that were not known before. Scientists think humans evolved lighter skin in Europe as an adaptation to less sunlight.

And in East Asians, they found strong evidence of positive selection in genes involved in the production of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), a protein necessary for breaking down alcohol. Many East Asians can't metabolize alcohol because they carry a mutation that prevents them from making ADH. The new finding suggests that the mutation may confer some currently unknown additional benefit.

The study, which used data collected by the International HapMap Project, is detailed in the March 7 issue of the journal Public Library of Science-Biology.

As a species, it looks like we mutate at the drop of a hat, very unstable genetically compared with most species of our size.

I wonder why?

The Female Brain

Read The Whole Thing

Sensational Stuff

And troubling too.

I first blogged about Dr Potter's experiments with laminated mouse brains foetal rat tissue in Cyborgs, Hybrots and Borg, Oh My! back in July, 2003. Over 3 years ago. Well, there have been a few changes since then...

From Wired :

The first generation of animats performed simple tasks. The virtual mouse tended to move in one direction (right). A dish-brain-controlled robot did manage to stay away from a moving target -- impressive-sounding perhaps but not particularly complicated. A robotic arm holding a set of pens and attached to a clump of neurons created art -- albeit in the eye of the beholder.

Researchers have found that lab-grown neuron cultures tend to fire in bizarrely synchronized, dishwide waves, eerily echoing the neural patterns seen during Alzheimer's disease.

"It's possible that this is a state of arrested development," Potter said, "or that the networks are asleep because they're missing the parts (humans) use to wake up. It's (also) possible that the networks are in some sort of epileptic state."

The repeated firing may have wiped the animats' memories, Potter said. His group has since learned to reduce the bursts with electric stimuli, which acts as a massage to ease the dish-brain's stress.

While he's quick to disavow any comparisons to Dr. Frankenstein, Potter admits the clumps have a certain amount of awareness.

"Since our cultured networks are so interconnected, they have some sense of what is going in themselves," he said. "We can also feed their activity back to them, to mediate their 'sense of self.'"

The next phase of animats will likely have an even keener sense of self.

"In the next wave, we hope to sequence behaviors." Potter said. "The sensory input resulting from one behavior will trigger the next appropriate behavior." In other words, he hopes the animats will learn.

Time to quote from another article of mine, back in October of the same year.

The problem of Animal Rights becomes acute and immediate when we consider the experimentation currently underway with Hybots. It can be persuasively argued that experimentation with primitive organisms like lampreys (Gugliotta 2001) and spiny lobsters(Aguilera 1999) do not involve "thinking creatures" as such. The fact that some of the neural processing can be replaced by an absurdly simple inorganic equivalent is strong evidence of this. A lamprey or a spiny lobster, despite being organic, may in fact be no more than a self-directing robot. The situation described by Graham-Rowe 2001 is less clear : only a few thousand neurons are used, and from Rat foetuses rather than the fully-developed animal, yet it is this very plasticity and higher level of development that leads one to suspect that the result may "think" in an animal fashion rather than merely be a robot with organic parts. Should such a Hybot be able to navigate a maze, then very troubling ethical issues arise regarding cruelty. We can plausibly avoid the issue when dealing with a non-organic artificial intelligence with the same external behaviour, but we know Rats think. And the situation regarding fully inorganic artificial intelligence is not as clear-cut as it once was, given the experimentation with Cyborgs and prosthetic brain parts. There is potential for suffering on a scale undreamt-of, and for very much longer than a normal lifespan. Call it Hell on Earth. Conversely, there is the possibility that we might fully understand the nature of thought, and resolve the issues of how we should treat animals. We may even be able to augment ourselves to become, if not Gods, perhaps a little more wise as well as intelligent. Call it Heaven on Earth.

As I said, troubling. With the pace of development, the time to think about ethical issues raised by this experimentation is now, not ten years hence.

My New Career

My latest blood test results are in. Normal, except in the area of hormones and cholesterol. As always.

Oestrodiol level is a record high, 241 PMol/L! Of course, with the dose I'm on, anything less than 400 is distinctly odd. I know a woman on a similar dose of hormones whose level is 450, and she's having problems because of that. Most people would have 900-1200 at least. And I did have 195 pMol/L before HRT, so it's not exactly a huge increase, just over statistical signifcance in fact.

SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) down, when it could be expected to be up. Prolactin down too, which is sorta good as too much is dangerous, but indicates that the HRT isn't doing quite what it should to my pituitary.

Testosterone now at midrange of female levels, very good since LH and FSH hormone levels indicate zero testicular activity. So I won't need T supplements when I'm post-op, and may indeed need anti-androgens.

Cholesterol.... not good. Pretty woeful in fact. The protective HDL is down from an already abnormally low 0.8 to 0.7, the dangerous LDL up from 2.2 in January to 4.1 now, definitely dangerous. Total cholesterol 5.2, double what it was before HRT began, but still a tadge lower than it was before the metabolic storm hit.

All in all, it looks like the matebolic storm is over, and my system is back to pre-storm levels, only modified by the HRT I'm on. I'd say "normal", but there's not much normal about it, it's normal for me, which is to say, as odd as it's always been. Bad inasmuch as feminisation will now be at the usual glacial rate for someone in their 40's, good inasmuch as maybe things will be more predictable, and the time before surgery when I have to discontinue HRT won't be the Hormone Hell that I experienced in May-July 2005, just before HRT.

I'm now in a pre-approval test programme for a new anti-cholesterol drug not yet available in Australia, which specifically targets LDL levels.

My new career? Experimental Animal (Voluntary)

Multimedia Personality

I appeared for the first time on Radio last night. On 2XX Community Radio's fortnightly "Q-Radio" programme, with Steph and Tiffany.

Steph I'd known for years in her previous incarnation. Another Wargamer. I didn't know she'd transitioned until about 6 months ago though, and she did it years ago.

The programme (as you can gather) is for the Queer Community, whatever that is. LGBITQ etc etc. Last time, they had someone from Press For Change, trying to educate the LGB community at large about the legal and medical problems faced by TS people. The Theory, the "Big Picture".

And now a concrete example. Moi. If the APO continues to be intransigent, this could be a regular feature : "The Perils of Pauline Zoe, and her Battle with Bureaucracy". I must be careful to give credit to helpful bureaucrats where I can, remember 80% of the audience are Public Servants themselves....

As far as I know, the programme's not recorded. Such things as recording equipment or CD burners are well beyond their means. 2XX is run on a shoestring, and has some equipment that must be worth a fortune now, in a museum of antiquities. Possibly older than I am.

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 8th-10th Edition

A phonecall from DIMA while I was on the bus, going to Sydney for the usual quarterly Endocrinologists appointment.

With a doctor's letter stating that I'm transitioning, and intend to live the rest of my life as a woman, then I can get a new Citizenship certificate, with a new name.

That means I could re-apply for a passport with no telltale evidence that I ever looked male..... and if they made a fuss, then I'd point out what it says in the MAPI, and ask why other women submitting exactly the same evidence are treated differently.

So it's now the 10th, I have the form filled out, the photo countersigned by a chartered engineer who's known me for more than a year, and I'm about to go to DIMA's ACT regional office to put the form in.

Another piece of good news : Prof Steinbeck is still registered by the UK GMC, and is a Gender Specialist. So I might be able to get my UK Birth Certificate changed, assuming they change the law. Probably not before 2020 at the earliest, but you never know.

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 7th Edition

In order to get an application for a visa for my UK passport processed, it would be very helpful if DIFA, that is, the Department of Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Indigenous Affairs had my records updated. Starting with my name.

You see, every Government Department has its own little database, and it hadn't ocurred to me that as I wasn't born here, I'd need to update my records at DIMA too.

The ACT Branch office, as I said in the August 4th post, were very helpful, got me the forms, photocopied and notarised the documents, they were great.

So I dropped into the DIMA head office, and hand-delivered the form to save time with postage delays. I'm told that in 2, 3, or perhaps 6 months, a case officer will eventually get to look at the application, evaluate it, and then in due course, a change may possibly be made. That takes a while. But it won't even be looked at for months, certainly.

*Sigh*

I was told a letter asking them to expedite the process may help, once someone gets to evaluate that. That could take some time too. It would happen in the fullness of time. When the moment is propitious. So I better get writing, and hand-deliver that one too. I only have 96 days before I have to travel.

Onto the other front, trying to trace the latest edition of the Manual of Australian Passport Issue. The one at the National Library was dated 1994, and as it turns out, so is the one at the DFAT Library. Finding that out took a phone call to the Librarian.

The H V Evatt Library is located within the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
..
Public access to the library's resources is through the Australia wide interlibrary lending scheme. The Library's holdings are listed on the National Bibliographic Database and can be borrowed by other libraries. Researcher and post graduate student access will be granted if the H V Evatt library is the only library in Canberra holding relevant material. This must be arranged prior to any visit.

The Library is open Monday to Friday between 9.30 and 5 pm. The H V Evatt Library is not open to members of the public.

Hmmmm... so where CAN I find the latest edition? I know, ring up the Passport InfoLine.

They were very helpful. The first operator seemed to think that it wasn't actually available to the public, and she may even be right. She called in a Senior Operator anyway, to try to help me.

Then came a very interesting conversation. I never did find out how to get to the latest MAPI, but I did find out that my application hadn't been closed after all, but had been sent to "Policy" yet again, without my requesting it, or even knowing about it. This makes a Third time. Now with a notation that I be given a formal answer in writing.

The Senior Operator agreed that, from what I'd told her, my situation didn't fit in the box they were trying to put me in, and hoped that, and I quote, "Common Sense would prevail."

I have my doubts, but Hope springs eternal, and all that.

I hope to be able to do some work on my PhD research one day, instead of driving round Canberra, hand delivering forms, and speaking with bureaucrats, some very helpful, others who have been in the Public Service too long, if you get my drift.

Israel Under Attack

The immediate threat : over 10 THOUSAND rockets, each quite capable of demolishing small buildings and killing all those inside. Mostly 122mm in calibre, the same sort of warhead as on a 5 inch Naval Gun, rather larger than the 105mm howitzsers standard in WW II, and many times heavier than the 75 and 77mm guns of WW I.

And of course, some are much larger, the size of telagraph poles, and carry a half ton of high explosive, more than the largest bombs in the Israeli inventory. Those weigh a tonne, but must of that is the weight of the casing.

And these weapons, according to the people who launch them, are specifically for usie on civilians. They're proud of the fact, they just want to Kille Jews.

From Politics Central :

8:23 AM
Eugene: siren

………… [Silence] …………

8:24 AM
Van der Leun: you okay?

8:24 AM
where are you now ?

8:28 AM
i take it you are off the air for a bit ?

8:30 AM
Eugene: Back

8:30 AM
don’t worry if I sometimes have a siren during chat

8:30 AM
it’s common, most of the time its false

8:30 AM
Van der Leun: how do you know the difference?

8:31 AM
Eugene: like this….

8:31 AM
no booms, false alarm

8:32 AM
you wait a few minutes and they tell you

8:32 AM
Van der Leun: how do they know to sound the siren? radar? watchmen? ground observers?

8:32 AM
Eugene: probably all of the above

8:33 AM
Van der Leun: Is there a network of sirens all around the region? or just in the city?

8:33 AM
And how loud are they, really?

8:34 AM
Eugene: varies

8:34 AM
sometimes it’s so faint you don’t even know unless the TV is on

8:34 AM
sometimes its London WWII loud

8:35 AM
Van der Leun: Humm, don’t quite understand why that should be so. I mean, is it a case of a distant siren in some other sector

8:35 AM
Eugene: region is divided into sectors, each have their own sirens.

8:35 AM
Van der Leun: oh i see

8:35 AM
Eugene: it’s not a full proof system

8:35 AM
Van der Leun: But seeing as how the aim of these rockets is not that precise, isn’t there a risk that people will, hearing the faint siren, conclude that they are in no danger?

8:36 AM
Eugene: NO. The RULE is: siren, bunker. no questions.

8:38 AM
Van der Leun: what’s the record time for Siren/Bunker so far?

8:39 AM
Eugene: How fast I got down there? Few days ago — 5:39AM — siren sounds after a brutal day in Haifa….

8:39 AM
40 seconds later and I’m down there with my brother, fully dressed.

That graphic sent to me by a friend and ex-colleague of mine. His family is in the Hezbollah target area according to Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. His son is an IDF reservist, and his daughter is about to join up. They're all Israelis, and thus targetted for enslevement or extermination by Hamas and Hezbollah anyway they can accomplish that.

The second, and more deadly threat in the lomg run : Pallywood, and the manipulation of the media. It's quite simple: play along, and get access. Don't play along, and they "know where you live". The Threat Simple.
From NRO

CNN senior international correspondent Nic Robertson admitted that his anti-Israel report from Beirut on July 18 about civilian casualties in Lebanon was stage-managed from start to finish by Hezbollah. He revealed that his story was heavily influenced by Hezbollah’s “press officer” and that Hezbollah have “very, very sophisticated and slick media operations.”

When pressed a few days later about his reporting on the CNN program Reliable Sources, Robertson acknowledged that Hezbollah militants had instructed the CNN camera team where and what to film. Hezbollah “had control of the situation,” Robertson said. “They designated the places that we went to, and we certainly didn’t have time to go into the houses or lift up the rubble to see what was underneath.”

Robertson added that Hezbollah has “very, very good control over its areas in the south of Beirut. They deny journalists access into those areas. You don’t get in there without their permission. We didn’t have enough time to see if perhaps there was somebody there who was, you know, a taxi driver by day, and a Hezbollah fighter by night.”
...
Another journalist let the cat out of the bag last week. Writing on his blog while reporting from southern Lebanon, Time contributor Christopher Allbritton, casually mentioned in the middle of a posting: “To the south, along the curve of the coast, Hezbollah is launching Katyushas, but I’m loathe to say too much about them. The Party of God has a copy of every journalist’s passport, and they’ve already hassled a number of us and threatened one.”

Robertson is not the only foreign journalist to have misled viewers with selected footage from Beirut. NBC’s Richard Engel, CBS’s Elizabeth Palmer, and a host of European and other networks, were also taken around the damaged areas by Hezbollah minders. Palmer commented on her report that “Hizbullah is also determined that outsiders will only see what it wants them to see.”

Card courtesy of Little Green Footballs, and no, it's not a fake.

A few amateurs, with no pressure to retain the "access" which their MSM competitors have, have managed to smuggle out a few photos contradicting the Hezbollah line.

Bloggers have pointed out blatant lies in stories that MSM has swallowed whole.

Hezbollah has masses of testimony, including those of UN officials, that there were no Hezbollah forces anywahere near Qana. This has been shown many times on MSM outlets, noticeably the BBC.

All Israel has is the video of rockets being fired from there. That's available on the web - if you know where to find it. MSM doesn't want to know, it would contradict their story, and get their reporters denied access.



There's more photos and video available, showing rockets being launched, and the wreckage of some of the ones hidden in damaged mosques and other buildings.

Few have any doubt that a second Holocaust would ensue if Hamas, Hezbollah and their backers got their way.

Stop it Or I'll Meme

Tagged Again, this time by Fred Kiesche of The Eternal Golden Braid.

1. One Book That Changed Your Life

The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis. A Bureaucracy much resembling the APO at times...

2. One book you have read more than once

I read most books more than once. One that stands out as multiply-readable is David Brin's Earth.

3. One book you would want on a desert island

The SAS Survival Handbook. Ever the practical girl, me.

4. One book that made you laugh

The first book that gave me good, honest, innocent laughs was Bennett Cerf's Book of Riddles.

5. One book that made you cry

True Selves. I hadn't realised I wasn't alone, and it's heartwrenching to see your own Life Story mirrored so accurately.

6. One book you wish you had written

Bronowski's The Ascent of Man

7. One book you wish had never been written

Anything by Chomsky. Anything. I was given a book of his to review by a publisher, and felt an obligation to go through it, carefully, cover-to-cover. Never Again.

8. One book you are currently reading

Only re-reads at the moment. Right now, the Illuminatus Trilogy, one of those books you keep on seeing new things in every time you read it. Probably because it's so Chaotic.

9. One book you have been meaning to read

"The Pocket Stylist: Behind-the-Scenes Expertise from a Fashion Pro on Creating Your Own Look" - for me, it's a textbook, there's so much I have still to learn. I've just been a bit too busy living to do it.

10. Now tag five people

Lloyd at It Looks Different From Here
Matt at Entirely Madd
Alan at MythusMage Opines
Morgan at Morgspace
And the incomparable and prolific Ninme

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 4th Edition

Salvo #2, and a formal Declaration of War:

Dear Sir/Madam,

In accordance with ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS (JUDICIAL REVIEW) ACT 1977 - SECT 13, please furnish a statement in writing setting out the findings on material questions of fact, referring to the evidence or other material on which those findings were based, and giving the reasons for the decision not to grant my passport application.

Yours Sincerely

Zoe Ellen Brain, BSc MInfoTech(Distinction)

Note the omissions.

It was my intent to give them another chance, to point out the consequences of their actions to them, to allow them to change their minds before legal action was taken.

But, after taking legal advice, I was advised not to telegraph my punches. There's been no evidence of "good faith" high up the food chain, nor a willingness to do anything other than the absolute minimum. I still haven't been informed in writing of the refusal, for example, so can't use that as a lever to get an Australian Declaratory Visa with Immigration. But thanks to the good offices of the case officer, I now know how to get that, and rather more.

I delivered it by hand at 1530 today, at the Australian Passport Office's head office. The 28-day period for them to reply therefore starts today, rather than in 3 days time.

It was genuinely a coincidence that the people concerned had all left early, and that they won't actually see it until Monday. Well, that's not my fault, I delivered it well before Close of Business.

Now for the flanking attack.

Immediately afterwards, I headed for the ACT regional office of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. I figured a copy of the letter demanding to know the reasons for my passport refusal just might be enough to convince the dreaded Immigration Bureaucrats that they should give me an Australian Declaratory Visa for my UK passport.

Talk about chalk and cheese.

They were helpful, trying to find ways within the labyrinthine Immigration Act to make things happen in my favour. Suggesting things I could do, like getting my Citizenship Certificate changed, they got the right forms, photocopied all the documents needed and certified them so I wouldn't have to... and all late on a Friday Afetrnoon when everyone just wanted to go home. They stayed back late, photocopying, looking up databases, consulting with head office on the phone, and I confess I shed a few tears simply because they were so supportive.

Instead of being treated by the organisation as some sort of subhuman that they just wanted to dissappear, I was treated with extra consideration, as someone who had more difficulties on her plate than most.

That's the Australian Public Service that I know. The APO's mandarins really are some nightmarishly abberant transphobic organ within the APS.

There's many a slip, but it looks like I'll be able to get back into Australia on my UK passport one way or another. The Immigration people even had the imagination to suggest that since DFAT couldn't prove my Citizenship, there was nothing to stop Immigration from giving me a permanent re-entry visa not available to citizens.

I have a backup to the backup as well. The President of the ANU Students Union got involved when I talked with the ANUSU lawyer, and she has some heavy-duty political contacts. She was also present at the presentation I gave about Intersex some time ago to the Ally Network. My bet is that one day she'll become a Minister, like others I have gone to school or University with, like Malcolm Turnbull, or Tony Abbot. I wonder if she'll remember, when I'm 70 years old?

I'll be pursuing the passport issue through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, regardless of my personal ability to return. Someone's got to make a stand, and circumstances have given me a far better chance than anyone else. Much as I'd like a quiet life, looks like it's my turn on the firing line. So be it. I can't stand the thought of someone without my resources being stuck in a similar position. It was bad enough for me, after all.

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 3rd Edition

Well, I've just received another phonecall from the case officer.

As expected, same answer, exactly. No.

At least it was quick. "Policy" ignored the new evidence, just quoted the book, that's it.

Next step : a letter to the Director of Passport Operations. The Case Officer was good enough to supply me the address without me even asking.

In this letter, I'll be doing two things. I'll submit my case (yet again), but I'll also make a formal demand for reasons for the previous adverse decision, in accordance with Section 13 of the Administrative Decisions(Judicial Review) Act 1977.

ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS (JUDICIAL REVIEW) ACT 1977 - SECT 13
Reasons for decision may be obtained

(1) Where a person makes a decision to which this section applies, any person who is entitled to make an application to the Federal Court or the Federal Magistrates Court under section 5 in relation to the decision may, by notice in writing given to the person who made the decision, request him or her to furnish a statement in writing setting out the findings on material questions of fact, referring to the evidence or other material on which those findings were based and giving the reasons for the decision.

(2) Where such a request is made, the person who made the decision shall, subject to this section, as soon as practicable, and in any event within 28 days, after receiving the request, prepare the statement and furnish it to the person who made the request.

I really need to see the Postgraduate Student's Association Lawyer on this one too before I send it. Make sure everything's all squared away, legally.

And while I'm waiting to see him, a letter to the Commonwealth Ombudsman too.

There's still a few rungs on the ladder to go before we start going Fully Legal, but right now, that's the most likely option.

Yet more time wasted when I should be working on my PhD.

OK, here's the Draft letter. The final one I send may be quite different, but here goes. I've included URLs to the legislation involved for those interested in the legalities. Unlike the APO, whose Policy section appears not to be....

To :
The Director of Passport Operations
R.G.Casey building
John McEwen Crescent
Barton ACT 0221

From :
Zoe Ellen Brain
{Address Line 1}
{Address Line 2}

Re :
Rejected Passport Application


Dear Sir/Madam,

In accordance with ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS (JUDICIAL REVIEW) ACT 1977 - SECT 13 and the similar provisions in the ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS TRIBUNAL ACT 1975 - SECT 28, please furnish a statement in writing setting out the findings on material questions of fact, referring to the evidence or other material on which those findings were based, and giving the reasons for the decision not to grant my passport application.

I wish to draw to your attention the ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS (JUDICIAL REVIEW) ACT 1977 - SECT 5, paragraphs 1(e) and 2(f) stating that the exercise of a discretionary power in accordance with a rule or policy without regard to the merits of the particular case is an improper exercise of power.

I also wish to draw to your attention the AUSTRALIAN PASSPORTS ACT 2005 - SECT 7, stating that Australian Citizens are entitled to be issued with an Australian passport, provided only that the application is in accordance with the relevant forms and fee paid, and subject only to section 8 and exclusions from Division 2. The AUSTRALIAN PASSPORTS ACT 2005 - SECT 8, states that the Minister must be satisfied of the Identity of the person, and their status as an Australian Citizen before issuing a passport. Division 2 is not germane to the issue.

Finally, I wish to draw your attention to the consequences of any inability by the Minister to determine my Identity.

Firstly, that I am unable to be issued with any travel-related document whatsoever, because of the exclusion in AUSTRALIAN PASSPORTS ACT 2005 - SECT 10

Secondly, that lacking any travel-related document, and as an Australian Citizen unable to obtain a visa, I would be unable to re-enter Australia should I leave. An inability to prove Identity and Citizenship would cause me to be refused entry should I land here.

Thirdly, because I must shortly undertake medical treatment only available overseas, I will therefore be effectively exiled from my country of Citizenship as the result of this decision.

Yours Sincerely

Zoe Ellen Brain, BSc MInfoTech(Distinction)

References:
Administrative Decisions Act 1977 Section 5 - applications for review
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/adra1977396/s5.html

Administrative Decisions Act 1977 Section 13 - Reasons for decision
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/adra1977396/s13.html

Passports Act 2005 Section Section 7 - Entitlement to passport
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/apa2005261/s7.html

Passports Act 2005 Section Section 8 - Identity and Citizenship for Passport
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/apa2005261/s8.html

Passports Act 2005 Section Section 10 - Identity for Travel Document
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/apa2005261/s10.html

Passports Act 2005 Section 48 - "Refusal to issue" is a reviewable decision
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/apa2005261/s48.html

Administrative Appeals Tribunal Act 1975 Section 28 - Reasons for decision
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/aata1975323/index.html#s28

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 2nd Edition

It didn't start well.

I phoned my case officer, who'd just returned from Sick leave (and sounded like it).
He was totally courteous, but it didn't take mental telepathy to figure out that he just really, really, really wished he'd never been put in this position, with the Nightmare Client From Hell.

His tones were clipped, monotone, even curt. But under the circumstances, it would have taken someone Superhuman to be bright and cheerful. First day back, still feeling like Used Food, and who should call but the NCFH. I'd be peeved at the Universe too, wishing this unpleasant nuisance would just evaporate and stop making my life miserable. Nothing personal. And I must emphasise, his demeanour was always courteous and throughly professional. Just letting a bit of Humanity show through.

So I went in to the APO.. and this time, I got very quick service, no more long waits, looks like a lot of people had come back from sick leave (a nasty virus is just burning itself out here - I had the same thing awhile ago).

I also got another apology about yesterday's unfortunate events, from one of the counter staff. It really was just one of those things that sometimes happen, primary, secondary and tertiary backups momentarily called away to an impromptu meeting. Basically only a minor example of Murphy's Law, but the counter staff still felt the need to apologise. Such things happen everywhere, but they try to be a bit more professional than that.

She obviously felt as bad about it as I did, and that, oddly enough, made me feel better, which made her feel better, so all was well. Humans are funny creatures.

I was given a choice of who I wanted to see - the Office Manager, or my Case Officer. That was nice of them too, so I left it up to them. The Case Officer it was, the first time we'd ever met face-to-face.

I wasn't what he expected.

That was a middle-aged "Man", just starting transition, and worse, from the APO's viewpoint, trying to Rort the System and being thoroughly obnoxious. Only been on Hormones since about October, there'd be few visible changes.

Instead, there was a plain but utterly unremarkable woman, one who'd had a Bad Hair Day, just so incredibly vanilla and ordinary. Then she addressed him in a normal Contralto voice, the one he'd heard over the phone. Yes, this was Her. Him. Her. Oh HECK!

Again, it doesn't take a mind-reader. One of the many things I like about being myself at last is that Body Language is so obvious now.

So I showed the documentation. The very nice letter from my PhD supervisor that laid it on with a trowel, how overseas travel was neccessary to complete my PhD, that I'd be working on a project that could save lives, etc etc. Too bad I couldn't embed a MIDI of violins playing "Hearts and Flowers" into a paper document, it would have been appropriate.

Then a printout of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme webpage, showing code 1269T and what it meant.

Then the piece de resistance : the letter, with a nice friendly Australian Government - Medicare Australia letterhead. The one addressed to me, and confirming both my sex as F, and that I was being given treatment for 1269T, "Moderate to Severe Androgenisation of a non-pregnant woman".

I mentioned casually (HA!) a few things. That as far as I was concerned, I'd let DFAT and the Department of Health fight it out amongst themselves. I also mentioned that I'd retained my Security Clearance, the Defence Department were happy that they knew my Identity, it might be 2 against 1.

I also mentioned in passing, that on the subject of Clearances, I'd worked on the Australian Diplomatic Communications Network for DFAT, perhaps they could check their own records there.

I pointed to myself, and asked if there was any country in the world whose immigration officers would credit that I could have a valid passport for a 48 year old Male. Even when coming back to Australia, might it not cause just a few teeny problems? Especially when they cross-checked vs the Medicare Data?

The Case Officer rather apologetically pointed out that according to the Manual of Australian Passport Issue (MAPI) they couldn't change gender unless I'd had sex reassignment surgery (SRS).

I replied that according to this official Australian Government document, the only SRS I could have was... Female to Male.

His face fell.

He was convinced. So was the counter officer. She said

"So because you're an Australian citizen, you can't get a visa for your UK passport, and without an Australian passport, you can't re-enter the country. And if you weren't a Citizen, you could.

"That's right", I said, "I can't re-enter because I'm an Australian Citizen".

"When you say it like that.. that's really Crazy."

"Yes, it is, isn't it."

Well, the case officer is going to forward the additional documents up the chain of command, plus some sort of report I should imagine, pointing out the enormous potential for Egg On Face, Inter-Departmental Warfare, and if he has any nous, that the client concerned showed some determination and dogged persistence. She wasn't going to let this go. She couldn't - she had to go overseas soon for medical treatment. Her back was to the wall.

But from the worried look on his face, I don't think he expects any rational or sensible answer. Just a repeat : "No, Never, Under No Circumstances".

He did mention the possibility of a "Document of Identity", a kind of travel document that isn't a passport, but would allow re-entry. And it doesn't have the gender marked on. On it's own, nearly useless, most countries wouldn't accept it. But in conjunction with a UK passport to get me into other countries, a reasonable compromise.

It would solve the short-term problems, and if this is all they offer me, I'll take it alright. But I'll also start the appeals process going, and maybe we can get the Manual of Australian Passport Issue updated to the 21st century. You see, I have had legal advice (free) through the Postgraduate Students Association's tame Lawyer, and I know just exactly which law it's covered under - the ADMINISTRATIVE DECISIONS (JUDICIAL REVIEW) ACT 1977 - SECT 5 Subsections 1.e and the following from subsection 2:

(2) The reference in paragraph (1)(e) to an improper exercise of a power shall be construed as including a reference to:

(a) taking an irrelevant consideration into account in the exercise of a power;

What my Gender Was, as opposed to Is Now

(b) failing to take a relevant consideration into account in the exercise of a power;

The Medicare Australia letter showing that I'm female, and (what the heck, why not?) my UK passport likewise.

(c) an exercise of a power for a purpose other than a purpose for which the power is conferred;

The Australian Passports Act 2005 allows the obtaining of information for determining Identity and Citizenship. That's all. So the letter requiring the most personal and private gynacological medical data is beyond their authority.

(f) an exercise of a discretionary power in accordance with a rule or policy without regard to the merits of the particular case;

A lay-down Open Misere, I think, on this one. The Defence has always been "we must follow the MAPI, regardless". Well, not according to the Law they don't.

(g) an exercise of a power that is so unreasonable that no reasonable person could have so exercised the power;

I have yet to find anyone who believes the actions of the APO are reasonable. Not even people within the APO now.

Nothing is certain when it comes to Court. And I'd have to extract a decision in writing first, that might be tricky. But I'm happy that I have, not only a just case, but a winnable one, should it come to that.

And if they don't give me a full, 10-year passport, one marked "F", then we shall put it to the test.

Originally, the Manual of Australian Passport Issue's sections on Transsexuals were quite humane. They were the most humane they could be at the time they were drawn up, over 10 years ago, under the law as it stood. But now they have passed their "use by" date, and in conjunction with the laws since then, and (dare I say it), some less than sympathetic "Policy" decisions, have been used to oppress and humiliate Transsexuals and the Intersexed.

As one of the other PhD students remarked to me, "You're hoping they don't give it to you, aren't you?"

Well... not really. As long as I can get into the country without a problem. I'm no activist, and certainly no martyr to the cause.

OK, part of me is spoiling for a fight here. Because it's one I think I can win, and one where my rare medical condition may actually be useful in enabling reform.

But a bigger part of me just wants to be treated as a 2nd class citizen, and not a 3rd. 1st is too much to hope for in my lifetime, but eventually that, too. Me, I just want my passport, the one that the Australian Passports Act 2005 says is my legal right as an Australian Citizen.

It looks like I might be on 2XX Community radio on Wednesday, talking about this and other issues. You see, I'm a Wargamer from way back, and not the only one whose gender changed in the last decade. I had coffee with a woman I'd gamed against in years past, and she runs the regular 2XX "Q-Radio" programme. When I protested that I wasn't an Activist, she said "Yes you are. You're forced to be by the position you're in". And I had no good reply to that.

Changing perceived gender, I can handle. Had anyone told me 16 months ago that I would, I'd have said they were crazy of course. Impossible. But me, an Activist in The Cause? That is several light years beyond Impossible.

Oi Ve.

The Great Passport Fiasco : August 1st Edition

I turned up at the Australian Passport Office's Headquarters at the R.G.Casey building, all the documentation ready, prepared to make sure they got it by delivering it by my own fair hand.

After a 30 minute wait, "Oh your case officer isn't here today, he's on sick leave. I'll get the office manager."
After another 10 minutes "She's not here at the moment, she should be back in 15 minutes."
After another 15 minutes "Sorry, it looks like she's not coming back in today."

OK, so maybe they could photocopy the data, certify it as a true copy, and insert it in the file, for when someone who knew about the case was available.

Except they refused to accept it. You see, some of the medical data is classified, and officially marked as such because it comes from a Government Department. Not "Highly Protected", nor even "Protected", but merely "In Confidence", the lowest level there is. No-one was there who was cleared for it. Yeah, Right. I mean, this is the Head Office.

Could I come in tomorrow? Maybe there would be someone there then. But maybe not.

I left the building before I started to cry.

This round to DFAT.

That I've started to see it as an adversarial, rather than co-operative, relationship is sad, and I'll try to change my view. The trouble is, there's now a lot of evidence pointing to that, it's difficult to ignore it.

Ah well. I've just come back to the ANU, and after a good vent and a minor blub to a sympathetic colleague who's ex-DFAT, cleared it so I can go in every day for as long as neccessary, at least for the time I don't have teaching commitments, or medical appointments.

Lots of the latter: next one tomorrow at 1215, then a blood test, then off to Sydney to see the Prof next Tuesday.

I'm also logging - by blogging - the whole sorry mess, as it happens. Just in case I need to show somebody, say, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, that I've taken all reasonable, and some downright unreasonable, steps to remedy the situation.

This is not helping my PhD progress at all. But I need an Australian Passport to complete it (and yes, I have that in writing from my PhD supervisor), so this whole Farce has to be gone through.

It just seems all so...un-neccessary.

Four Pieces of Good News

The first : Medicare Australia came through, and I now have documentary proof of my medical sex, and also that I'm being treated for medical code 1269T. Which is to say, "Moderate to severe androgenisation in non-pregnant women (acne alone is not a sufficient indication of androgenisation)." And that Authority is required for this one, it's not a common-or-garden prescription, special authority has to be granted for this diagnosis by the Health Authorities.

I'm conveying the original by hand, along with a helpful letter from my PhD supervisor stressing the neccessity of international travel in the course of my studies, to the Australian Passport Office tomorrow. That should cause a feline-avian mixture.

The second : Some searching of the phrase "Manual of Australian Passport Issue" on Hansard brought me this little gem, from a senate committee back in 1996. :

CHAIR
...
Section 724 of the *Manual of Australian Passport Issue* refers to a letter that was sent to transgendered people. You have enclosed an extract from that letter in your submission to us, and I thank you for that. It is the letter sent to people who have the gender identity on their passports changed. You indicated that this letter was prepared on the basis of advice from the Attorney-General's Department. Is it possible I could have a copy of that advice?

Mr Hamilton —It is in theory, but never underestimate the capacity of a system to lose a piece of paper! I am sure we will not lose it on purpose. We will get it for you.

CHAIR —The letter indicates that the issuing of the passport does not indicate the government's view of the general legal status, but it is done as an administrative matter. Who made the administrative decision? What level was it made at? Was ministerial approval sought in making the decision?

Mr Hamilton —I am going to have to check the file. The ministerial submission does not cover that. These go back some years, I believe.

So it doesn't appear to be Subordinate Legislation with the force of Law, it's merely custom, tradition, and dates back over a decade. And based on what the Attorney-General's opinion of what the law probably was at that time.

There have been some significant legislative changes since then, not to say the Re Kevin decisions that make the whole thing hopelessly obsolete.

They're bound by the Law, and what the Law says is that they can ask for data to determine my Identity and Citizenship, and that's all.

The third : I managed to get my Laptop connected to my home broadband connection, rather than having to rely on the Wireless network at the ANU. This means I have Skype and other XP-only goodies available at home now, but there's something far more important. You see, the post-surgical gynacological exercises after the genital reconstruction surgery I'm getting are rather rigorous. In fact, 2 sessions of 2 hours per day. Very undignified, and requiring privacy. I can't afford 4 hours taken out of my day, so having a laptop to work on while, um, "dilating" will mean I can work as well as, well, not play, but.... I think I'll leave it at that. Biological dilation is recommended, but I won't be ready for that for some time, if ever.

The fourth : Is this. I'll quote it in full.

Venus, Mars, an Australian Passport, and Belgian Chocolate

Congratulations to Zoe, the brains behind A. E. Brain, on the first anniversary of her transition. You go girl!

Go check out Zoe's blog. Liberal, pro-Bush, and a space geek ... what's not to like?

I'm fighting legal battles, I'm making preparations for major surgery, I'm doing my PhD and being a parent, I'm continuing the process of Transition, and with all of that on my plate, something like this really makes a difference. I've had far too many e-mails and messages of support in my travails to enumerate, and this kind of thing really boosts my morale. Thanks. Thanks one and all.

Requiem for JAEsat

From Space.com :

A civilian Dnepr rocket built from a modified intercontinental ballistic missile failed to carry a clutch of small satellites into orbit Wednesday as it crashed just south of its Central Asian launch site, according to Russian wire reports.

The Dnepr’s engine apparently shut down prematurely just after rocketing spaceward from its Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan, Russian space officials told the Interfax News Agency. The rocket was scheduled to launch at 3:43 p.m. EDT (1943 GMT) and reach orbit a short time later.
...
Today’s unsuccessful launch was slated to orbit a fleet of 14 CubeSat microsatellites built by 10 universities around the world. Additional payloads reportedly included a pair of satellites dubbed JAEsats, as well as others called BelKa, Baumanets and UniSat 4.

JAEsat. Otherwise known as the Joint Australian Engineering satellite, one of the three viable projects resulting from Australia's short-lived second space programme.

From Journal of Global Positioning Systems (2005) Vol. 4, No. 1-2: 277-283 :

JAESat is a joint micro-satellite project between Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australian Space Research Institute (ASRI) and other national and international partners, i.e. Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Satellite Systems (CRCSS), Kayser-Threde GmbH, Aerospace Concepts and Auspace which contribute to this project. The JAESat project is conducted under the leadership of the Queensland University of Technology.

The CRCSS lost its funding some time ago, as I've already blogged about before. ASRI is an all-volunteer group, funded by a single minor corporate sponsor, and many private donations from individuals, most of whom aren't exactly well-off.

The JAESat mission outlined in Enderle (2002, 2004) will ultimately consist of two micro-satellites (see Figure 1) which will fly in a formation. The JAESat micro-satellite itself will have two components, a master satellite and a so-called slave satellite. The components of JAESat will be attached to each other during the launch phase and will be separated in space, after the release of JAESat from the launcher. The JAESat mission is designed to conduct a variety of experiments based on the mode of interoperation between the payloads on-board the two satellites. A communication link between the two satellites will be established in the form of a RF Inter-Satellite Link (ISL). It is anticipated that JAESat will be launched in 2006. Negotiations with a launch provider for a piggy back launch are ongoing. For this reason the final orbit is not definite yet. However, it is intended to have a circular, nearly polar orbit with an orbit altitude of about 800 km. The operational life time of JAESat is expected to be round 12 months. After the separation of the slave from the master satellite the two satellites will drift away from each other with a low drift rate.

But no more. Hundreds of person-years effort, blood, toil, tears and sweat, and now nothing to show for it but a lot of training in skills not valued in this country. Not much money wasted though: it was always been done on a shoestring, a second-hand shoestring, mended and patched and cobbled together by people working long hours without pay.

Of course, none of this made the papers. Neither did the efforts of a dozen Universities around the world who constructed the other, less ambitious satellies, the CubeSats.

The thing is, this was fully one-third of our space effort, second only to FedSat, and even longer in gestation. The other programme, Bluesat, is a simple student project, and even shorter of funding.

This is no way to run a Space Programme. We have the technology, the imagination, the engineering excellence. We even have the dreams, though currently a lot of those are in a crater in Kazakhstan.

Ah well. Better Luck next time. For there will be a next time, funding may come, funding may go, but the Dreams never die.

It would be nice if the heroes and heroines of this project were recognised in their own country though, instead of having to go overseas for their skills to be made use of.

They're Hiring

ARES Corporation that is.

If I wasn't doing a PhD, I'd be sorely tempted to send them my CV.

If I remember correctly, the last time I saw ARES corporation was in the old SPI game, Battlefleet Mars :

Simulation of interplanetary conflict in the Solar system during the late 21st century. Earth is dependent on extra-terrestrial resources, teh procurement of which is managed, executed, and controlled by privately owned conglomerates.

The game concerns an attempt by disenchanged employees of the corporation living in space and on Mars to seize the means of production to gain autonomy.

From a review:

You win the game by pushing the other sides Morale down so far that he
cannot fight on. This is done by winning battles, as well as sabotage and political interaction. Once per turn, each player rolls on the morale table. This gives a variety of results, including depressing the other side's Morale table, sabotage attempts (rolled for on a separate table), assassination attempts, truces and WORD support for Ares Corporation (Ares Corporation is the firm which owns and is supposed to control the revolting ships and planets). WORD (World Organisation forResource Development) is a sort of Earth government. Morale is also affected by control of Asteroids, the opposition's home planet and other strategic planets (like Jupiter). The map covers the Solar System from Jupiter inwards.

SPI's games were sometimes depressingly prescient. This one was from 29 years ago.

From some of the game's "Fluff" over at ProjectRho :

Violently the ship executed a maximum burn maneuver with her nine and twelve o'clock engines. Some of the datastream elements were now glowing red. "Damage report: two mike hit on plates 1023/24 negative critical. Integrity 80-80."

"Beautiful, Dee, You saved our jewels with that cut."

Ulans tapped his foot reflexively. On the blue cross hair showing on the main screen, a yellow dot bloomed. Six thousand kilometers distant, several people died.

"Gotum! Gotum!" Jacklin screamed in the interphone. "You're writin' the book, Dee baby! Writin' the book!"

What would you know about books Jacklin, thought Dieter -- besides which I do not feel well and have not the faintest idea of what I'm doing. The rest of the crew was shouting over the phones, estatic with victory. Bystanders he thought. Goddamned passengers. Me -- I'm doing it and I don't know it until I've done it.

"17 to main power...16" Jacklin began to recite the seconds remaining until the main laser had built itself a new charge. No sound, mused Ulans, no bang. They should put sound effects on these things so that you could hear a bang when you made a shot. The slight vibration and the glow on the screen wasn't enough. No real way to relate to that. Should be some noise.

Once again, the crew was slammed by heavy G-force as the ship responded to the almost automatic commands of Ulans' fingers. A loud whanging started up in some distant part of the Hercules. He could actually feel the deck rippling under his feet. Not so lucky this time.

"Damage report. Nine mike frontal hit on super B. Partial dislocation on six o'clock. Six isolated. Explosive decom in cell four, five, six, and F-2. Randalls and Chung do not respond. Losing power on three o'clock and associated vanes. Looks bad, Dee."

"What's happening with the rest of the task force?"

"They're 180 on the other side of Vesta doing a job on the remaining Company element. We're being tracked by a triple-A Company police ship -- most likely the transport Des Jardin."

"Can we run for it, Dee?"

Ulans looked through the datavisor at the blue figures on the main screen even though he already knew the answer.

"No chance. We've got maybe one shot as Kolnichok closes. Maybe I'll get fancy and burn him off. At worst, we'll wind up in the Company Can -- after all they don't want to blow up this ship -- they think they own it!" he lied. He knew he was going to die, but the rest of the crew was even more helpless than he so why burden them with reality?

Three little orange dots appeared on the screen. Look at him -- blowing out decoys even though he knows we're out of maneuver -- that Kolnichok, grinned Dieter. So which one is you, Joey, and which are the aluminum balloons? (Seven dots grew on the screen, all had slightly different vectors.) Now you know my heater can take you in one flash and you also know that one zap is all I'm going to get. And if I take it you've got a perfect excuse to blow me up for the honor of the company rather than recapture valuable property for the accountants. So what's it going to be? I think you shot off too many balloons too early Joey -- cause the other ones aren't making the course correction you just did. Ain't that you, Joe?

Ulans squinted and tapped his foot.

Let's hope we have more sense. I wouldn't bet on it though.

One Year of Zoe

It's been exactly 1 year today since I stopped pretending to be a guy. I've never worn male drag since.

GOD it was a relief.

My Secret Weapon

From the UPI :

A team of U.S. and German researchers finds that flavanol-rich cocoa has circulatory health benefits including brain and cardiovascular blood-flow improvement.

Two independent studies, one in a healthy elderly population and another in young healthy women, demonstrate that the consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa can increase blood flow to the brain, according to the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, in a supplement that focuses on the potential health benefits of flavanol-rich cocoa.

The scientists found that the regular consumption of flavanol-rich cocoa resulted in a significant increase in blood flow in hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women, suggesting that this cocoa may improve vascular function in this population with higher cardiovascular risk.

In addition, researchers coupled studies of platelet function in humans with in vitro studies with highly purified flavanols from cocoa. The results of these studies support that cocoa flavanols may have beneficial effects on platelets and that certain flavanols and flavanol-rich cocoa itself may also reduce the cascade of events that can lead to vascular damage.

I confess I used Chocolate Therapy to help me when I got the answer about my passport. Belgian Chocolate Sea Shells to be exact.

One of the more interesting effects of the hormonal change has been my reaction to Chocolate. Before, yes, it was nice, but that's all. Now.... OMG!!!

The Passport War : Return Salvo #1

The first of many Return Salvoes. This one aimed at the Minister.

To:
The Hon. Alexander Downer, MP
MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AUSTRALIA

Re:
Passport Application submitted June 2005

Dear Mr Downer,

I have just been informed via phone that the Australian Passport Office has refused my application for an Australian Passport.

In a nutshell, the problem appears to be the gender on the application - female.

I have provided the APO with the following, all originals delivered by myself direct to the APO Office in the R.G.Casey building in Canberra:

Citizenship certificate in my former name
Name Change Document (showing a male gender as that was on my unchangeable UK Birth certificate) showing both former and current names
Medicare Card in the name of Zoe Brain
Drivers License in the name of Zoe Brain
Photo Student ID in the name of Zoe Brain
Last year's tax return in the name of Zoe Brain
Medical letter stating Zoe Brain is undergoing hormone therapy
Letter from the Federal Attorney-General about my marital status to Ms Zoe Brain
Letter from my former place of work confirming my odd medical condition, and the radical changes that happened before any therapy commenced.
Bank statements in the name of Zoe Brain
Credit card Statement in the name of Zoe Brain
Letter of Offer for my PhD in the name of Zoe Brain
Expired Australian Passport showing a male gender and former name
Current UK passport showing a female gender in the name of Zoe Brain

Plus of course the passport application via Australia Post, deemed to be in order at a passport interview, with signed photograph and referee's declaration.

I have been informed that this data was still not sufficient to establish my Identity to your (that is, your Department's) satisfaction. The application had been submitted to "Policy" and that was their determination.

I will soon be submitting a letter from my PhD supervisor at the Australian National University pointing out the necessity of Overseas Travel for me to complete my studies.

I am currently awaiting documentary proof by Medicare Australia that I am considered medically female, and that I have been authorised treatment for the condition "Moderate to Severe Androgenisation of a non-pregnant female". This will also be submitted.

My condition has arisen as the result of a medical syndrome, and is not the result of surgery. In the words of one of the medical team treating me, I am "endocrinally odd".

In view of the determination by Medicare Australia that I am female - or at least, more female than male - and in view of the recently issued UK passport stating my female gender, and bearing in mind Section 30 of the Australian Passports Act 2005, to wit:

-------
AUSTRALIAN PASSPORTS ACT 2005 - SECT 30
Giving false or misleading information in relation to Australian travel document applications

(1) A person commits an offence if:
(a) the person gives information to another person; and
(b) the information:
(i) is false or misleading; or
(ii) omits any matter or thing without which the information is misleading; and
(c) the information is given in, or in connection with, an application for an Australian travel document.

Penalty: Imprisonment for 10 years or 1,000 penalty units, or both.
------

Then I am unable to apply stating a different gender. Moreover, my travel will involve journeys to the US. Given my somatically female appearance, to attempt to enter the US on an Australian Passport with anything other than a Female gender would invite very unpleasant consequences. If I attempted to enter on my UK passport, they would have to ask for proof of authorisation to return to Australia, and I'd have to show my Australian passport, with the same dire result.

Returning to Australia with a passport marked with anything other than a female gender, while the most superficial check of my Medicare card would show a female gender, may also invite problems.

In view of these facts, I request that you personally intervene, and state that you are satisfied as to my Identity and Citizenship in accordance with my passport application.

Barring that, please send me a letter to the effect that although you are satisfied at to my Identity and Citizenship, it is not feasible for me to obtain an Australian Passport through normal means due to unresolvable questions regarding my gender. This would allow me to apply for an Australian Declaratory Visa from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs.

Mr Downer, I have to travel overseas in November for specialist medical treatment unavailable in this country. Treatment I require to avoid a very real risk of cancer. As it is, I will be unable to return here to my home, and to my 5 year old son.

If the data I have already alluded to is not enough to establish to your satisfaction my Identity and Citizenship, then it is no exaggeration, and no hyperbole, to say that I am condemned to exile. And it's all the data I can provide.

Yours Sincerely,
Zoe Ellen Brain

Still to come: appeals to the Commonwealth Ombudsman, my local member, members of the ACT legislative assembly, I've given up on the Human Rights Commission but might hit them anyway (again), a senator who's a friend of the lawyer I'm getting advice from through the Postgrad Students Association. If I can get the APO to give me something in writing, an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

I've already registered as an Australian Citizen through the Australian Embassy in Thailand, so may get some consular help through back doors. I'll be sending them an e-mail too. Even if I get no joy from the APO, I'll try to pursuade the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs to give me an Australian Declaratory Visa anyway. An e-mail to QANTAS about how to get "permission to board".

More countermeasures as I think of them. Having free legal services through the Postgraduate Students Association is a huge advantage too, it opens up all sorts of possibilities.

I recently had cause to review the hard data on Transsexual suicide. All sorts of figures have been bruted about. It's almost an article of faith that 50% commit suicide, and the figures in the 70's were undoubtedly higher than that. It's not that bad today though.

From King County Health

Both suicide attempts and completed suicides are common in transgendered persons. Studies generally report a pre-transition suicide attempt rate of 20% or more, with MTFs relatively more likely to attempt suicide than FTMs. There is some evidence that transsexual people are less likely to attempt suicide once they have completed the transition to the other sex.

Another form of self-harm in transgendered persons is genital mutilation. This is most common among transsexuals, although cross-dressers have done this as well. A 1984 study of a cohort of transgendered individuals who applied for services at gender identity clinics reported genital mutilation by 9% of the biologic males and breast mutilation was attempted by 2% of the biologic females.

From Google Answers:

5% of female-to-male transsexuals and 21% of male to female transsexuals have made a suicide attempt.
-- Source: The Great Divide (How Females & Males Really Differ) by Daniel Evan Weiss, drawn from data originally appearing in Archives of Sexual Behavior, December 1988 issue.

From Wikipedia :

Dutch researcher Peggy Cohen-Kettenis estimates that 40% of untreated transsexual people are either institutionalized or die prematurely.

From HIV Services Planning Council, Spring 2006 :

The medical terminology for transsexualism is Gender Identity Dysphoria, (GID).
As a group, people with GID have depression, low self esteem, high rates of un-employment or under employment, and a 30 to 50 percent suicide rate, one of the worst of any population subgroup in California.

Finally, one of the few pieces of hard data : the Official report Researching Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Northern Ireland :

The study carried out by Youthnet (Carolan and Redmond, 2003), commissioned by the Department of Education, involved a questionnaire survey and focus groups for young people.
...
A significant minority (29%) of young people who took part in the research had attempted suicide, and half of those who identified as transgendered had self-harmed.

More hard data : Medical Therapy and Health Maintenance for Transgender Men: A Guide For Health Care Providers:

Untreated transsexual patients have suicide rates as high as 20% while treated transmen have suicide rates of less than 1%.^89,90 Interestingly, while in the general population, cisgender females attempt suicide more than twice as frequently as cisgender males, studies of transsexual patients show a higher number of suicide attempts in transgender females rather than transmen.⁹¹ It appears that in this psychological variable, transsexual women more closely resemble cisgender women and transsexual men more closely resemble cisgender men.

89 Lundstrom B, et al. “Outcome of sex reassignment surgery.” Acta Psychiat. Scandinavia. 70:289-294. 1984.
90 Kuiper, M and Cohen-Kettenis, P. “Sex reassignment surgery: A study of 141 Dutch transsexuals.” Archives of Sexual Behavior. 17(5):439-457. 1988.
91. Lundstrom, B, et al. “Outcome of sex reassignment surgery.” Acta Psychiat. Scandinavia. 70:289-294. 1984.

Basically the figures for Transsexual suicide rates are as rubbery as they are for the prevelance of Transsexuality generally. But no matter which set of figures you believe, they're pretty darned high. It's a deadly condition.

The thing though is..... if you've survived Transsexuality into your 40's without getting yourself killed, no mere bureaucratic persecution is going to phase you overmuch. Transsexuality may give you more determination, or it it may just be Evolution in Action : the old Nietzche bit, "what does not kill us makes us stronger". At Uni, I've been told that it's amazing how calmly and cooly I'm going about remedying this little problem of mine. I have to tell them that this stuff is nothing compared to living with Transsexuality every day. And it's true. It gives you a sense of perspective.

OK, tears, upset, anger. That's still there. But not enough to deter me from thinking about practical steps to remedy the situation. It's not even a "don't get mad, get even", just a calm, rational attempt at remedying a silly and intolerable situation, knowing that the odds are good, but being prepared for failure anyway.

Maybe we're a bit too calm and rational for our own good. Historically, Intersexed and Transsexed people have tried not to stand out, because standing out is dangerous. Maybe we should make a fuss. But if we did, would anyone care? We're just too embarressing.

Or maybe this is just good therapy, while I'm actually doing something practical to help, I don't worry quite so much.

Whatever. My brain works far better on this hormonal mix anyway, and if there's a way through this mess, I'll find it. You know what really helps though? The support I've had on various lists, in comments on this blog, and even blog articles such as this.

Thanks, everyone.

Three's Company

Three Bloggers that is. On Saturday, I had a very civilised and heartwarming (and only mildly alcoholic) lunch with two friends of mine, Matt and Morgan.

I can recommend the Tak Kee Roast Inn very highly. OK, the decor is typical authentic Chinese Restaurant, as found in Hong Kong, Singapore, Canton and elsewhere. Which is to say, spartan, clean and undecorated. As Morgan said :

A guy at the Kamberra wine-tasting centre described it as the school cafeteria that you’d been trying to put out of your mind.

Well, yes, that too. But the food was excellent and utterly authentic. I had the Roast Pork with Noodles, rather than my regular specialty, the Jellyfish and Pork Trotter. The others had various Laksas.

Happy memories, which I will use to wash out the taste of my recent distressing experiences with the APO. I might add that the case manager at the APO treated me with consideration, it's not his fault. It's Policy.

But I better not think about that too much, I have a 5 year old boy to parent, a PhD to do, an involuntary gender change to complete, and can't afford to break down in tears. Overmuch, anyway.

You know what? Compared to most attempting transition, I'm having it easy. Those who are Intersexed or Transsexed have to expect things like this. This and far, far worse.

Sometimes having a reasonably developed sense of proportion is a pain. Can't even feel sorry for yourself for too long. It's just that I'm not used to being a 3rd class citizen, my expectations are too high at the moment, that's all. I'll get used to it in time, and "getting used to it" doesn't mean passively accepting it without demur or complaint. It means not sitting around saying "poor little me", it means trying to help those even worse off, quietly working for correction of injustice, and living as rich and full a life as I can under somewhat trying circumstances.

Compared to the previous 47 years, it's a breeze. Trust me on that.

A Bit Upset

I've just been contacted by phone by the Australian Passport Office to say that my application for an Australian Passport has been refused.

It was referred to the Policy Section, and the answer came down almost immediately.

I haven't provided sufficient documentation to prove my Identity and Citizenship.

I have provided them with the following:

Citizenship certificate in my former name
Name Change Document (showing a male gender as that was on my unchangeable UK Birth certificate) showing both former and current names
Medicare Card in the name of Zoe Brain
Drivers License in the name of Zoe Brain
Photo Student ID in the name of Zoe Brain
Last year's tax return in the name of Zoe Brain
Medical letter stating Zoe Brain is undergoing hormone therapy
Letter from the Federal Attorney-General about my marital status to Ms Zoe Brain
Letter from my former place of work confirming my odd medical condition, and the radical changes that happened before any therapy commenced.
Bank statements in the name of Zoe Brain
Credit card Statement in the name of Zoe Brain
Letter of Offer for my PhD in the name of Zoe Brain
Expired Australian Passport showing a male gender and former name
Current UK passport showing a female gender in the name of Zoe Brain

I mean, what the heck? How many hundred points of Identification data is this?

It's still not enough. I've also been asked to submit not one but two letters from registered medical practioners detailing the results of gynacological examinations, showing exactly what surgery I've had. None, as yet.

When I do have the surgery, it won't be a normal sex change, as I'm Intersexed, so it's unlikely in the extreme to meet their requirements.

The application is being held open, as I still have to get some documentation from Medicare Australia, proving my verbal statements. Documentation stating that I'm medically female, and have been specially authorised treatment under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for "moderate to severe androgenisation of a non-pregnant female" - something that can only be done on application by a specialist endocrinologist. It will then go up to Policy (ie the Minister) again. I have little hope of success. They already know this data, all this is is confirmatory evidence.

This is ridiculous. I've given them more than the website requires, far more. Yet it's never enough. All thoughts of common sense or rationality have gone overboard.

Quite seriously, common sense would dictate that if I have a Female UK passport, issued by the country I was born in, then on strictly "convenience" grounds I should have the same gender in an Australian passport.

The Australian Passports Act 2005 authorises the APO to determine my citizenship, and my identity. That's all. Not what I had for breakfast, not what surgery I have had, and not the exact configuration of my genitalia. How dare they question the health authorities decision? None of them pretend to any medical qualification.

Oh well. I'll have to send some pictures of my non-standard genitalia to the surgeon anyway, to let him know what he's up against. I might CC them to the APO. If they insist on an obscenely pornographic invasion of privacy, maybe I should give it to them.

Hey, I've already been about as humiliated as it's possible to be, having had to provide verbally intimate details of the most personal and private nature just to get this far. It's not hyperbole, nor exaggeration to say this is Bureaucratic Rape.

Sorry, I'm upset. Angry, hurt, but also determined too. Sorry, tears on the keyboard, more later when I'm a bit more myself.