Cuddle Party

Everyone needs contact comfort sometimes. Not everyone has ample opportunities for this in facetime. So here is a chance for a cuddle party in cyberspace. Virtual cuddling can help people feel better.

We have a cuddle room that comes with fort cushions, fort frames, sheets for draping, and a weighted blanket. A nest full of colorful egg pillows sits in one corner. There is a basket of grooming brushes, hairbrushes, and styling combs. A bin holds textured pillows. There is a big basket of craft supplies along with art markers, coloring pages, and blank paper. The kitchen has a popcorn machine. Labels are available to mark dietary needs, recipe ingredients, and level of spiciness. Here is the bathroom, open to everyone. There is a lawn tent and an outdoor hot tub. Bathers should post a sign for nude or clothed activity. Come snuggle up!

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Birdfeeding

Today is mostly sunny and mild.

I fed the birds.  I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches, a grackle, and a blue jay.  The blue jay sounds odd, more like "cheerup" than "thief" but I saw it fly and there's no mistaking that color.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 4/16/25 -- We cut brush along the path toward the east edge of the yard.

EDIT 4/16/25 -- I planted a Pagoda Dogwood in the forest yard, covered it, and spread topsoil around it. 

EDIT 4/16/25 -- I put mulch around the Pagoda Dogwood.

I've heard more blue jays and think there are several around currently.

Crabapples are blooming in the forest yard.

EDIT 4/16/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

I've seen a blue jay, a brown thrasher, and a robin in the forest garden.

In other news, we're getting the outdoor spigot replaces, so we'll have an outdoor water source again. :D 3q3q3q!!!  I'll need to research what kind of hose I want to get.

EDIT 4/16/25 -- I planted the American plum along the north edge of the prairie garden.

EDIT 4/16/25 -- I put mulch around the American plum.

EDIT 4/16/25 -- I planted a downy serviceberry along the north edge of the savanna.  I spread topsoil around it, covered it, labeled it, and mulched it.

I watered the newly planted things.

I've seen a fox squirrel at the hopper feeder.

As it is now dark, I am done for the night.
 

Transgender

UK Supreme Court says legal definition of ‘woman’ excludes trans women, in landmark ruling

The United Kingdom’s highest court ruled that the legal definition of “woman” excludes trans women, in a case with sweeping consequences for how equality laws are applied.

Britain’s Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the definition of a woman in equality legislation refers to “a biological woman and biological sex,” sparking celebrations outside court among gender-critical campaigners but warnings it was a “worrying” development for transgender people.


Aside from the obvious abuse of transfolk, this also raises issues because biological sex is not binary. There's a whole handful of intersex conditions where outward appearance does not match chromosomes, hormones, etc. So exactly which part of "biological" do they mean, and what will they do when the parts point in different directions? Since they've just decided that a gender recognition certificate is irrelevant.

Success!

One of the rarest parrot species in Brazil doubles in population: 'An unlikely comeback'

Habitat loss and the illegal pet trade drove the red-tailed amazon (Amazona brasiliensis), endemic to the southeastern Brazilian coast, to fewer than 5,000 individuals by the end of the 20th Century
Thanks to a project to install artificial nests on an island on the Paraná coast, the number of parrots almost doubled in 20 years, taking the bird from “endangered” to “near threatened” status, the only case of its kind in Brazil.

It's good to see this kind of success story. \o/

Gilda and Meek and the Un-Iverse

This quirky webcomic is free to read.

t's a story of a Lucky Universe in a Multiverse teeming with Unlucky Ones and how our hero navigates that to her own advantage. It's a funny animal book that bit by bit reveals a huge fantasy and science fiction underpinning, much like Bone. It starts off as an erstwhile comedy until you realize it's actually been a drama the entire time.