-
“Left of Bang”
The term “Left of Bang” may be familiar to those with military background or experience, especially if that includes experience of the US military. But the concept is simple enough. There’s even a decade-old book all about it with the same title (ISBN-13: 978-1936891306, published June 2014, easily obtainable). What is “Left of Bang”? Once…
-
Remembrance Sunday
On 2025-11-11 it will be 80 years since the end of WW2. And just a little over 107 years since the end of The Great War, later called WW1. It carries dual meaning for me personally; my ancestry spans two very different experiences of the wars. One grandfather was a Major in the Cavalry. From…
-
Film Reviews: Hounds of the Baskervilles
With a name like mine, it’s only natural that I’d be interested in The Hounds of the Baskervilles. Yes, Hounds plural – there have been many over the last years decades century+. And part of me that hates incomplete sets naturally wants to experience them all – the good, the bad, and even the thoroughly…
-
Here comes the Sun, and I say “It’s all right”
It’s three weeks since I wrote about “Stepping into the light”. Since then, I have been having a great time, and introducing Sophie to just about everyone; I’m not hiding her any more, that’s the whole point, and indeed I am actively introducing her to people who know me as Robert but have been as-yet…
-
Croatia Update
Somewhat to my surprise, Sophie feels very relaxed here after all. I’ve had a few genuinely curious glances but nothing offensive or overtly unfriendly. Very pleasantly surprised by this. Maybe this is what it is like in a society where there has not yet been effort expended by populist politicians, the far right, and hostile…
-
BCC2025 Diary – Part 5
Day 3, Wednesday Everyone in București has accepted me just as I am, which is all that I could ever have asked for. Also in Peleș, and even further afield in Alba Iulia, I’ve been treated respectfully across a significant swathe of the country. Slightly more confident outfit for Wednesday, as a result. Two things…
-
BCC2025 Diary – Part 4
Day 2, Tuesday Tuesday began with an early start to get ready. Up at 05:30, taxi booked for 7am, and SO much to do between the two. It’s difficult when separated from one’s full wardrobe for many days and with limited luggage space. All part of the learning experience though. Tuesday’s programme began with a…
-
Supporting Future Leaders and Players in Cybersecurity
There is a significant shortfall in the number of cybersecurity practitioners required across the world, and specifically of concern to me, in Europe[1]. It’s not merely numbers either – we need both greater numbers but also highly skilled and experienced practitioners. These do not grow on trees… they must be encouraged and nurtured, and I…
-
Do you think ransomware is scary? It will be.
Ransomware attacks have been in the news a lot recently; M&S, Co-op, Jaguar Land Rover, Heathrow Airport & other airports. But compared with what I’m expecting to come these are all relatively harmless. Don’t misunderstand me; they all cause harm, and real harm to real people, but this is caused indirectly. My fear is that…
-
Stepping into the light
I’m now in my third week, after packing away my boy-clothes for a while. And I’m absolutely loving it, despite the extra hour each morning getting ready. This is already the longest stretch I’ve ever tried, and it feels sustainable despite some bits of routine that need improvement. Aside from a short visit to a…
-
Climate of Fear
Those who know me will remember this – when my friend Claire was attacked by a group of adult men on her way to meet me at a vigil for the murdered 16-year-old Brianna Ghey. The spreading of hate has real consequences, and for those politicians and others who have done this over the last…
-
Username: admin Password:admin
The thing about security is that some parts of it are obvious, and some parts less so. The doormat photo is obviously dumb, yet stuff like this happens regularly; the obvious bits are often ignored. I stayed at a hotel recently, and this particular hotel, there is a lock with a code to get your…
-
“Interesting Times”
Interesting Times are indeed upon us, specifically upon The US, although the fallout is going to affect many elsewhere too. This is a difficult, and scary, time for many minorities, and the non-binary are under particular threat: right now, increasingly so as we enter 2025, and in ways difficult to predict but unlikely to be…
-
Snowflakes, Snowflakes, Everywhere
Many strange conspiracies gain traction on (anti-) social media. 5G phone masts controlling the microchips we were all injected with in our Covid vaccines is my favourite for sheer brainless non-scientific idiocy. But there are plenty of others. And in these fertile, generally right- to far-right- breeding grounds, the followers mindlessly swallow and regurgitate their…
-
Review: Will & Harper
TL;DR: Absolutely fascinating. Joy & pain. Humour & reflection. I found this moving, joyful, and very uncomfortable in places. Much the same range of feelings that I frequently experience in girl-mode, especially when venturing outside of places that I know for sure will be welcoming. Will Ferrell takes a road trip with an old friend…
-
60 Sec Read: Washing My Hair
Sometimes it might be an excuse. But, you know, sometimes she really is washing her hair – and it might take a lot longer than you expect, because there might be more of it by far than you expect. Remember, it’s not only tgirls; there are some undergoing chemotherapy, some with alopecia, and others with…
-
Backlash
How we respond to intimidation and adversity is important. Sometimes it is instinctive. My good friend Claire was attacked on 2024-02-11. She was attacked purely because of the way she was dressed, by a group of 7 physically adult men, less than a mile from the site of the muder of Brianna Ghey, and took…
-
Unfeminine Things
In the early hours of a recent Sunday morning, I was unlucky enough to suffer a catastrophic tyre failure on a motorway on my way home from a night out. Thus I unexpectedly embarked upon a series of unplanned activities for my girl-mode self. It was interesting being propelled suddenly into places where I would…
-
Angry, But Determined
I have had to wait several hours before writing this, to allow my incandescent rage to cool to mere fury. As I write this (although it probably will not be published until the day after), it is Sunday 11th February 2024, the day of a vigil marking a year since the brutal hate-inspired murder of…
-
Stepping Out of the Shadows
As Sophie gradually & progressively steps out of the shadows and into the daylight, she thought it time to give a bit of a shout-out to a few small businesses which have greatly assisted her, one way or another.
-
The Office
The handbags and the gladrags The first time I went for a proper night out in girl-mode was New Year’s Eve, 2019-12-31, accompanied and supported by a close friend without whom I’d never have managed it. I’m going to share a photograph of that night out further down in this article, because it shows such…
-
Luscious Lashes
If the eyes are the windows to the soul, the eyelashes are the… err… curtains? Hmm… Hand me a new analogy, this one seem to be broken. Since friends, family and colleagues are mostly read-in to Project Sophie/Girl-Mode, and I wear nice nails pretty much all the time now, I decided to try out some professionally…
-
Watch Out!
A few years ago, this was probably the most dangerous watch in the world to own and wear – in certain locations & contexts at least – despite being one of the most common watches globally. This is the Casio F91W. Introduced in 1989, still on sale and selling well, costing between £4 – £15…
-
Unintended Consequences
Biting one’s nails is a nasty habit, and even when the habit is broken, it can often be revived by stress. I’ve tried all sorts of things to stop myself doing this, with little success. Even when I have managed to briefly stop chewing them down to the knuckles, they have tended to split &…
-
Standard European English
The “taking back control” aspect of Brexit is, and always was, a load of codswallop. However, I’d be churlish to deny that it does indeed open up new opportunities…. for the EU, that is. English has an unusual position as languages go. And, despite the UK’s departure from the EU, it remains an official EU…
-
Identity, & Face Matching
Google photos is pretty good at picking out faces which turn up in multiple photos. I’ve been impressed at times when it has correctly picked up a face in the background which I hadn’t noticed. You can remove an erroneously identified face from a grouping, and merge groups where the same person has been identified…
-
Colour Matching
There is some truth to the idea that many men only recognise a handful of colours. If we ignore colourblindness[2], then it’s mostly down to psychology[1]. However, it’s not necessarily as subtle as that academic article: in general, men simply don’t care that much. Even if we appreciate the beautiful colour co-ordination that ladies exhibit,…
-
Accidental Shoes™
I seem to have ordered 9 pairs of shoes yesterday. Oops. What can I say. There was a sudden online Sale. It’s an interesting concept, the Sale. In Boy-mode it’s generally something to be avoided in actual shops. And in Girl-mode too! Not through fear of funny looks or ridicule, but mortal fear of being…
-
Sizes. The Bane Of My (Girl-Mode) Life
Sizes drive me round the bend. You wouldn’t think it would be that difficult, right? But it really, really, is. Shoe Sizes Are UK Men’s shoe sizes the same as UK Women’s shoe sizes? Opinions seem to differ. Whilst the length might be the same (but isn’t), the width, or more accurately the width profile…
Trials & tribulations of my increasingly full-time girl-mode.
sophie @ baskerville.net
Sophie Baskerville 