Your Logic is Not like Our Earth Logic

JoCo Cruise - I feel a bit boaty

fresne — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 17:32:15 GMT

Just got back from the amazing Joco Cruise. This year it left from San Diego and went down Baja California. A cross between a cruise and a convention.

Gaming convention. Yes, there was that. Mind you, it was odd to walk through the "casino" every day and see the people working there waiting for gamers who weren't going to show up. Everyone was too busy playing board games. I spent an enjoyable 5 hours playing Viticulture, a game about creating your own vineyard, while drinking wine and whale watching from Ten Forward (so dubbed cuz we're geeks). I also played Marrying Mr. Darcy while drinking tea. Okay, and also at the airport, while waiting for our plane. But really, watching whales. Drawing out the game, until it was time for a voice actor's panel and we'd whisper as we'd go through the rounds.

Nerdy Music festival-ish. Sure. There was a concert most nights. More impressively, the boat stopped in the little town in Loreto, Mexico. It's this quiet little place. Has the first of the missions of the Californias – Pre-Junipero Sera. Clearly has a large expatriate community. Joco took over the little town square and threw a free concert to anyone who wanted to attend. Mostly us, because that's what we were there to do, but there were plenty of locals (Mexican, US Expat, and some very surprised Basque tourists whose car had broken down). I think we kind of threw them for a loop, but in a good geeky way.

Nerd comedians, which hey, it's great to hear jokes about social anxiety, reading all the time, etc. You know, stuff that's A short show for Welcome to Nightvale (Street cleaning day with variations for the voice actors who were on the ship). Drunk history while having a drink.

Holding my own panel, because anyone could apply to have a shadow cruise event, on Transformative Works. Last year there weren't a lot of panels about fandom and fan activities. Good discussion. Lots of exchanged fic/podfic/artwork/discussions. Actually handed out calling cards.

Now I'm just a bit boaty as the ground beneath me isn't firm. Alas, no land whales. But the interwebs, that sea is full of fic. And with the Buffy 20 year behind me, there's always a singalong in my car.

For those who want to get political about it

fresne — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:20:22 GMT

My preference is to bundle this stuff up into some sort of narrative rather than reposting articles. For that matter this is a repost from Facebook.

Lots of articles. That said, if there's one article from what I've read that you look at, it's this one.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/feb/26/robert-mercer-breitbart-war-on-media-steve-bannon-donald-trump-nigel-farage

It's an absolutely chilling (and incredibly researched) piece on the way data analytics are currently being used to tailor news to reinforce certain viewpoints (and came into play both in the Brexit vote and during the US election. Basically, the weaponized information propaganda tactics from Russia being run by a US big data firm. Reminds me why the top Sci Fi book on sale right now is 1984.

With this article on non-violent resistance on the other side of the equation.
https://www.thenation.com/article/how-to-topple-a-dictator/

That said, climate change was on my mind this week what with Oroville dam in jeopardy and areas in San Jose flooding.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/12/13/these-are-the-climate-myths-guiding-trumps-epa-team/?utm_term=.c49fc9253cf0

I expanded contacting government officials to also call my state officials, which BTW, they call you back, which tells me they aren't getting enough calls yet. Just saying.

Mind you, emailing was actually slightly more articulate. All the better to send them this link
http://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Dams-remain-in-line-for-bulk-of-funding-over-10946521.php
And ask that they consider cheaper alternatives to building more dams with methods that may help that restore our aquifer in the years we actually do have rain (thanks Naomi for the idea). Along with requesting that Water Management do the same.
Website: https://cwc.ca.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

But it's practically a Christmas/New Year's tradition to walk along the recharging pools along Los Gatos Creek every year. It's is my favorite rainy time of year walk because it's close and the trail is paved. I must admit to thinking of those pools when some areas of San Jose flooded
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/02/24/san-jose-flood-catastrophic-flooding-wasnt-from-creekbanks-giving-out/
I emailed info@valleywater.org rather than called 1-408-265-2600 the Santa Clara Water District, to ask if Coyote Creek has /plans to have similar charging pools.
Since reading over this,
http://www.scvurppp-w2k.com/pdfs/0102/Coyote_Creek_task2-0.pdf
I didn't see anything (I could have missed it) of that nature.

I also called/emailed about a few other local issues.

As it turns out my Senator (Jim Beall) is supporting highway infrastructure spending Senate Bill 1, which given all the bridges and road damage is a good idea.

On a less local note, after a bit of digging to figure out the addresses, sent some
Heart postcards printed from this picture
https://untappedcities-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/us0.jpg
To various Jewish community centers, who have been getting bomb threats and cemeteries vandalized. Sending a little support out into the universe.

Monday, I spent my President's day off making a dress (it's not all politics) with a Star Trek print & space print that I ended up completely reworking (sometimes it's like that in sewing. Things don't work, so you take them apart and put them back together so they work).

I also spent 4 hours in the afternoon (while the rain deluged outside) writing comments for this regulation that would affect ACA.
https://www.regulations.gov/searchResults?rpp=25&po=0&s=CMS-9929-P&fp=true&ns=true

When someone submits comments for a regulation, the government has to examine them and take them into account. Even if they decide the content isn't relevant, these comments can be taken into account into later lawsuits if it turns out whatever you said might happen does in fact happens. BTW this works better if they are substantive and not just, "I don't like this."

This was from a call to action in this article
http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/administration-moves-block-access-health-insurance

Since I live and breath documentation, while the regulation is kind of boring and dry reading, I am perfectly capable of writing 6 pages of comments that ranged from:
- This term is non-specific and can be reinterpreted in these ways. Please be specific.
-The document you reference as proof states that its findings can't be used as that kind of proof. Do you have other proof?
-Your budget isn't taking into account these factors, which should be counted when calculating how much this change will cost. Please adjust your expected budget accordingly. I mean seriously, they acted like the only cost for employing people was hourly pay rates.
-This statement here is directly contradicted by this other statement here. They can't both be true.

This action per the suggestion from this article that one way to gum up the works is to add comments to relevant regulations.
https://thinkprogress.org/a-simple-guide-to-how-you-can-throw-sand-in-the-trump-administrations-gears-64843da93664#.n331u0yag

Now I just need to find more regulations. Not all actions need to be marching and calling. Admittedly, posted on social media right now being crawled by bots.

But, there is the other side to data mining. Crowd sourcing and I'll leave it there.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/25/technology/data-refuge-saving-data/

Since I made this suggestion in someone's DW/LJ

fresne — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 14:27:47 GMT

I'll make it here.

Today is the first day of February. A month with a largely manufactured holiday that is about love. There's a lot of pain and despair in the world right now. I'm thinking of buying a few stacks of the cheapest Valentines day cards. Maybe just postcard like things. Enough so that on days when I can't get something done, I can write a "Thinking of you," and mail it to some organization or person who is under particular attack.

The message I took away from the protests, the support rallies outside of mosques, is that support is so important right now to let people know that they are not alone.

#Edited to say, or as it turns out I can print pictures of the heart statues of SF (look it up on the internet if you don't live here) that often have pictures of the Golden Gate bridges on them. So that's just the cost of a stamp and some card stock.

Hours at SFO airport, but not for the normal reason

fresne — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 14:15:57 GMT

I have been to SFO airport many times, but never for the purpose of shutting it down.

And that wasn't even where I started the weekend. I started the weekend with girding myself for my out of town (conservative) relatives. To thread that needle of being honest about what I think is going on, but not Charybdising the discussion.

I felt like I planted some seeds. We'll see.

I stayed over night. The next morning headed down to church. The visiting minister (the regular minister is on sabbatical) gave an amazing sermon on the theme of when good people can no longer remain silent.

The reading was this famous reading,
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

He then told us (since he's Baptist) that in his tradition he was used to a little more reaction from the audience. So, we should clap, say Amen, respond, as the spirit moved us. He then gave a sermon on Esther, which since I've written a short story about Esther, was particularly interesting. He highlighted a few moments in that tale. That Esther was part of a displaced people, but had risen to a place of privilege, to be Queen, but it was a privilege that could be taken at any moment. The last Queen after all had lost her position. Now her people were to be killed. Haman would give money to the king's treasury. So, we had prejudice and money at stake.

Esther has a choice. She can go to the king, unsummoned and perhaps die. Or do nothing, see her people die, and die anyway, because her position won't necessarily save her. The way the minster describes Esther preparing to go to the king. If this was to be the last garment that she would ever wear. As she looked her servants, friends, if she would see them again. Then she went. She saved her people.
This is a happy story with a happy ending. But as the minister reminded us, not all stories end happily.

Still, what circumstances will bring us to speak?

It was the sort of sermon that left a soul fired up.

I went to Facebook to see if there would be a rally in San Jose. After all, that's where I was already. But no sooner had I expressed an interest in the rally there, I got a ping from a friend saying they were making signs to go to SFO.

There were people, detainees, trapped in SFO by Trump's capriciously worded and timed order. The objective of the protest in SFO was to ensure that everyone got a lawyer to speak for them and got out. I never would have known about the protest or that my friends were considering going without Facebook. I don't know that I would have gone on my own even with that sermon.

I joined my friends.

As we parked in the parking lot, I had a strange sense of déjà vu. As we passed people with signs, clearly leaving the protest, as we walked into a building I have been to many times, but never for this purpose. There was a solid wall of people marching up the escalator. We passed a woman with a sign that read, "Lawyer. Family Members Detained? Legal Help Here."

I smiled at her and went upstairs. The environment was definitely more tense than the previous weekend. Cops in riot gear with their face masks down will do that. It was also a strange party in the face of that. There was a brass band playing. Trumpets and tuba. They played a sort of jazz rhythm that either gave back up to the voices of the people chanting various things. "There ain't no power, like the power of the people. Power of the people go stop!" "No ban, no wall, sanctuary for all." "Moove Trump, get out of the way."

It was as the crowd was chanting, "No hate. No fear, refugees are welcome here," I made eye contact with two women in hijabs. One of the women was almost in tears seeing the crowds. She hugged me. I gave her and her friend some lemon cough drops, and kept chanting. Waving a sign.

We were being led in the chants by a group of women of colour, who told us we were in this mess because we hadn't trusted the leadership of women of colour, but that we should trust that they knew what they were doing. They gave us a URL – at a point nothing was going on – but it hasn't resolved into an address. So perhaps I misunderstood it.

They certainly were well organized. Asking 50 people to move to various locations every now and then as some area of the crowd grew thin and the protesters in a location were being intimidated by cops in riot gear. More people, no intimidation. They would periodically call, "Sound check," the sound of it echoing through the crowd. Then tell us what they knew. Someone had been released. Cheers. That there were people still being detained. That we had shut the international terminal down. That JFK was shut down. That we weren't leaving until the people being detained were back with their families and communities.

At one point, one of the women, read a poem about her dream of freedom. Equality. We repeated her words back to her. They echoed down the long concourse of the terminal. When she was done, she turned away. I think she was crying in that moment. Behind these young women, men in riot gear stood silently watching.
Sometimes, they had us sit down to help chill everyone out. But there was an unexpected amount of dancing to that brass band. Definitely a more diverse crowd than the women's march the weekend before.

Finally, exhausted, we decided to go, but with that strange guilt because the task wasn't done.
But as we left, there were people still streaming in. About an hour later, we got word the last detainee was released.

My voice is hoarse. I feel drained, and remind myself that pacing shall be important in the new reality, but was glad that Facebook of all things (I'll have to think about how to reframe this post for there) was able to help me know where to go, and go with friends. As it happens, it's hard to be Esther on your own. Much easier when the power of the people go, "Stop," together.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/01/29/sfo-protest-detainees-released-travel-ban/

fresne — Thu, 26 Jan 2017 14:54:19 GMT

I was at the Women’s March San Francisco last Saturday. I’ve been pondering what to say about the experience.

I went for so many reasons. My initial reason is that I felt the November election like a blow. I don’t feel like relisting all the reasons. See previous posts.

Senator Feinstein wanted anyone from California who marched to send in their reasons in a 2-3 sentence statement for possible reading on the Senate floor.

Here’s what I sent.

I marched for the women so immersed in rape culture that they claimed to be just fine even as they breathed in oppression like summer smog with the forests on fire. I marched for the mocked disabled, for the immigrants who have always made this country great, for my share of benefit from slavery’s burden, and for the very earth I was walking on. I walked because I’ve been quiet and polite, and it is far past time I used my white privilege to speak out.

That first sentence is actually a good turning point. I heard so many women on NPR and in print brush off Trump’s remarks as normal. Just a joke. That they’d be happy to be grabbed. That they don’t “feel” disempowered by his words. His physical looming at the debates. His repeated positioning of a woman’s value as based on her body. On her value in his gaze.

The continuous gaslighting that went on before the election and certainly has framed most Republican responses when talking about the march and women. Men who are only too happy to talk about the “Sanctity of Life”, but by “life” really mean “birth” given they won’t fund/support the health care and programs that actually support life.

Every time I’d hear that I should give Trump a chance, I’d look at that list of his cabinet nominees and think, he’s already acting against what I believe are fundamental American values by picking billionaires, who are actively against the very departments they want to lead. I mean, it starts with a racist chief of staff. A head of energy, who once said it needed to be eliminated. A Climate Change denier in the EPA. Health Department, who arguably has a history of profiting from health companies. Dept of Education who thinks charter schools don’t need to be accountable to the Fed if they get money from my tax dollars. I went to a religious school. I got many benefits from it. They also taught me that evolution was fake, which admittedly I took to mean all information presented to me must be rigorously reviewed until accepted. I don’t think they meant to turn me into progressive Christian, who questioned the literal truth of what I learned in Bible class (it’s why I like metaphors), but not everyone is like me. Want to make America great. They we need science. Where do we get new scientists? School. Unless they immigrate here. Except, they don’t want immigrants either.

Which leads me to the last sentence.

Before the march, there were a lot of facebook posts going around telling people how to be safe in case of arrests, know our rights, etc. What happened was what I suspected was the case. White women have inequities, but we have privilege. While not every white woman has had a positive relationship with police, on the whole white women have a very different relationship with police than people of color. I thought it was likely to go as it did, although I had no idea it would be so vast.

I’m glad. We needed that day.

Because that day was the start of other days.

Every speech at the San Francisco march (where the speakers were entirely women: black, white, asian, hispanic, transgender, dealing with stage 4 cancer, and on) repeated over and over that this was a start. A battery charge to look around and see a sea of the like minded. We are not alone.

Yes, primarily white women who don’t need pundits to tell us that we’re going to need to show up to support not only our own rights being taken away, but to speak out for the more vulnerable members of our society.

There were a lot of signs that - correctly - noted that white women voted for Trump. That was the subject of that first sentence. There’s also the reality that first wave and second wave feminism has not done well with including people of color and other sections of the disadvantaged. Despite the reality that we are the one minority, who are not actually a minority.

The past is prolog. As much as Trump wants to relitigate the legitimacy of his own election, what matters now is how we go forward.

At that rally, we were (in various ways) told that we’re going to be gaslit. Trolled. Mocked. Called snowflakes. While yes, I like the sign, “I am a snowflake and winter is coming,” it belies the central threat that an unstable narcissist with no grasp on facts and his coterie of swamp crocodiles present to women, minorities, the disabled, immigrants, the marginalized, the poor, civil liberties, freedom of religion, a free press, and as always I must end on the planet. Actually, the planet will be fine. The sanctity of life however, that may have some problems if we ignore the reality of climate change. So, yes, also white middle class voters, who are hurting.

Every sign and speech was a rejection of the idea that Trump is normal. That being a sexual predator is okay. That attacking LGBTQIA is okay. That the way to deal with climate change is to block scientists from publishing and sharing information.

It was like no protest I have ever been to. It was like no march. By which I mean I mean a few hundred students or UU or whatever isn’t even remotely like being surrounded by probably 100k people. Reports vary, but I tend to believe 100k given what I know about the size of the space filled and just how packed we were. Knowing that around the globe, the same thing was happening again and again. Knowing that for every one of us there, we each had people who couldn’t be there because of family or life responsibilities.

It rained. Poured. Our many colorful umbrellas came out and they were so interlocked they formed a sort of drippy ceiling. Not really keeping out the rain, but like standing under a tree kept us all from getting completely soaked. When a hip hop artist came forward, our umbrellas bobbed and danced. When a speaker, led us in question and response, we roared our damp responses. Which is why my voice is still a bit hoarse.

Unlike those Trump supporters who wore red hats made in China, hatted marchers made their own damned hats. Thus all the craft stores running out of pink yarn. The sheer variety of signs and concepts. Like our umbrellas, even the things we printed had variety.

And yes, the event was an acknowledgement that we’re, by which I mean I, are going to need to show up in a way I haven’t before. Which I’ll admit I’m still trying to figure out what that means. But the call to action I felt after the election hasn’t faded. If anything it’s increased with every action that Trump takes.

Which it’s own danger, because as everyone at the march said, the problems that have been highlighted by the Trump election are not new. He didn’t create them. He and others like him are merely highlighting what was always there. Sharpening the danger until it feels like there is no choice to act.

With so many directions to go, it will be difficult to keep from running in all directions.

On that day, Joan Baez played us out of the plaza, some people so far back they couldn’t even hear what was happening on the stage. We somewhat dangerously scrambled across the wet concrete. Trying not stab each other with our umbrellas when we had to climb down cement drops.

I put away my umbrella and raised my sign. As per what I’ve done for years at Comiccon, I had made our signs like Roman blinds out of fabric with iron-ons. We raised them on fishing poles. The rain fell on me and I grew more and more soaked. Sturdy in my hiking boots. Calling back to the people behind us as we came to a particularly deep puddle or pothole.

Chants would flow down the march as we walked down Market St. “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Trump has got to go.” “We need a leader, not a pervy tweeter.” “My body, my choice. Her body, her choice.” I can’t actually even remember all of them. They are marked on my vocal chords.

As I’ve watched the responses to the march over the week, I think we badly needed the march as a strong show of force as an opening salvo. The sheer diversity of positions showing support for other marches. Other organizations. Movements.

And by the way I’m listing things in the order of local SF Bay Area planned marches I know about. I’m not going to be able to go to all of them either.

Black Lives Matter (Oakland 1/28)
This one I know about through SURJ.
I didn’t feel like the Women’s march was really about creating new movements, but about saying, “We’re worried about all the things,” adding fuel to existing movements that have always needed help and could certainly use this new infusion of energy. Here I’ll mention, I did hear of some after the event examples of white marchers not being aware of their own privilege. This needs must lead into some uncomfortable conversations. People don’t like discomfort. We’ll see how that plays out. But as I said, Trump raises the tension on the other side so high, silence becomes unacceptable.

Planned Parenthood (2/11)
Pro-Birth (I won’t call them pro-Life until they support health care for all) advocates are planning Defund Planned Parenthood marches. There are Support Planned Parenthood marches being planned for the same day. For several years, PP was the only way I received any healthcare. Like ACA, I sometimes feel like PP’s problem is people don’t realize just how much value PP provides.

A scientist’s march (still in the works, but the rogue twitter accounts are mind boggling as a social phenomenon)
“Both climate activists and scientists said they were bolstered by the Women's Marches, which drew millions of women and men around the world, from Washington down to Antarctica.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/d-c-march-science-most-191954246.html
Climate change is very real and very dangerous and alternative facts won’t keep

Tax Day March (or the weekend around Tax Day)
Yes, I very much care about Trump’s taxes. Who does he owe money to? Does he have foreign investors? If yes, how much? Does he even pay federal taxes? Does he give to charity and if so which ones? Based on the Washington Post’s excellent investigative journalism, we know that contributors who donated to Trump’s charity received “benefits” from Trump’s properties. I want forensic accountants pouring through those tax returns. Which he’ll never do because he isn’t under a legal obligation to do so, but I need him to know, that yes, I do care and yes I did vote.

Actually, too many marches. I’ve been calling my Congress Critters every morning. I’m thinking of expanding weekly postcards to bolster the few Republican Senators, who at least seem to have a conscience. Then acknowledge that there are four years of this and pacing is necessary.

https://medium.com/the-coffeelicious/how-to-stayoutraged-without-losing-your-mind-fc0c41aa68f3

So, tonight/tomorrow/weekend, I hope to work on the on-line version of my New Zealand photo album. So, that my next post is about a lovely country on the other side of the world. Although, yes, the comments for some pictures will probably talk about Climate Change.

MLK weekend reflections

fresne — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 20:12:15 GMT

MLK weekend. Time to reflect on giving. Action for social justice.

The last weekend before a man I wouldn't want to be alone in a room with, much less have as a president of the USA, will assume the highest office in my country.

Thus far my direct action in response has been not quite what I was thinking a month ago. Two months ago. I think it's still evolving.

This by the way isn't meant as a look at me and my social action. But rather than posts urging other people to do things, I want to commit (at the very least on a weekend celebrating a man who worked tirelessly for civil rights) to periodically write down what I'm doing.

I will be attending one of the Women's marches next weekend. Either in San Francisco or San Jose. Mom wants to march with me. While I realize the organizers have not been as transparent or as inclusive of racial diversity as I'd like, and claim this isn't a protest march (a ridiculous claim), that doesn't mitigate what I will be marching for: women, people with disabilities, racial justice, civil liberties, pro-choice, LGBTQIA, immigrants, Muslims & freedom of religion, health care, and oh, this little thing called our planet. If that can fit all on a sign, great.

https://womensmarchbayarea.org/san-francisco-march/

I've become a monthly donor to:
Planned Parenthood - They were my sole source of health care for the three years that I had no health insurance and provided free (based on my income at the time) screenings and exams. Republicans talk a big game about "Pro-Life", but are unwilling to fund the programs that support women's health, family planning, pre-natal care, education, etc. type programs. It was time to give back in a more concrete and regular way to a resource that is critical to so many.
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/

American Civil Liberties Union & Southern Poverty Law Center - I don't even know where to begin what the both the president and his possible Sec of State ties to a dictator in Russia, climate change denier EPA head, inviting vaccine deniers to talk about debunked theories that will destroy our herd immunity if followed, belief that sexual assault is just A-OK for famous people, that people of color are variously criminals in slums, attacking US core principles freedom of the press and freedom of religion… look I'm not made of money, but I can give to two organizations that have a track record of fighting in the courts for values that are what actually make America great.
https://www.aclu.org/
https://www.splcenter.org/

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe -
Because water is life. I have been conscious of saving water and treating water respectfully my entire life. My Republican father has only himself to blame for all those trips to the desert. Plus, California's tendency to prolonged droughts. Oh, growing up along a coast with tar in the water from off-shore drilling in So. Cal. It's not a question of if, but when and how bad the spill will be once the pipeline is built. I was already giving to the UULMCA, which has one of its focuses on water rights. http://uujmca.org/our-mission/ However, the Standing Rock struggle is at this point, emblematic of water rights, human rights, our charge to care for our world and our fellow human beings.
https://www.facebook.com/Standing-Rock-Sioux-Tribe-402298239798452/
You can also get them some firewood for the protesters here:
https://www.gofundme.com/StandingRockStoves

In that area, I called this number 202-761-8700 (Exec Office Army Core of Engineers) Monday to request that the Army Core of Engineers log its intent to conduct an Environmental Impact Statement of the Dakota Access Pipeline. I asked for a written response (per the recommendations on the website, which means they have to log and count the call.
You can also call Omaha District Public Affairs: 402.995.2417
Signed up for the daily text alerts described in this article:
http://www.vogue.com/13512847/daily-action-alerts-cell-phone-fight-trump/
It's been a bit mixed so far. Since I am from California, my reps are already fighting for what I want. But it directly connects you to the relevant Rep's phone number. At least once now, it was useful for calling a rep on a specific review board rather than someone from California.

I'm still looking into an organization that I can volunteer with that makes sense for my schedule.

Through here: http://www.holyfucktheelection.com/
I filled out the survey for Campaign Zero, which is an organization focusing on racial/social justice. We'll see if there's something useful for me to do. There was an option for policy review that is right up my skill set. Mind you, I didn't go to the Jan 12
http://www.sivicouncil.org/blog/event/beloved-community-dialogue-action/
As I had initially planned. I'll just have to keep tracking these things and nudge myself into more action. But by the time I left work, it was already well under way.

For those in the bay area, here's some of the links I got from a friend, that I've also been eyeing:
http://www.surjbayarea.org/
http://www.3street.org/
http://www.uua.org/immigration
https://uujmca.org/training-education/experiential-learning/uu-borders/
http://www.ufw.org/
http://www.farmworkerfamily.org/events/
http://www.cet-icp.org/

However, I none of them have quite worked yet with what hours/etc. I have to give. We'll see.

For solstice, I attended a ceremony for what we were letting go of and what we might take up. There are so many things under threat with Trump's assumption of power. We talked about that frantic desire to protect all the things, which isn't possible. But perhaps if we are in community, digital or remote, then perhaps it becomes part of an interconnected web (sorry, but I am UU) of support.

So, that's what this is. We'll see if I just keep posting the same thing over and over, or if I have something new to say in upcoming months.

12 Years of Yuletide

fresne — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 22:57:53 GMT

I realized the other day that I've been participating in yuletide for 12 years.

Over the last few years, I've had less and less time to write my rec posts. Darthlife and all that.

But I wanted to do something a little different when talking about the story written for me. Stories. I revisited past gifts.

Revisiting gifts like this is fascinating because the styles are so different, but unlike a horizontal read through yuletide it feels so much more personal. Each capturing the sense of what I asked for in that moment of my life and some stranger (and a few people I know) being matched to give that very thing. A few treats along the way.

So here goes…

2016 (12) - The Spoils by Fells, Fandom: Huntsman, Gen, Teen and Up, 5398

I had reason to go look at my yuletide letter and I realized just how perfectly my gifter this year had met the somewhat scattered ideas from my yuletide letter. I asked for more about Freya and Ravenna. I wanted more about their history. Ravenna in the mirror. I also asked for scenery chewing. All the scenery chewing that the movie promised but somewhat denied me.

This lovely work alternates between Ravenna and Freya's viewpoints. Ravenna's sections are in the past and provide a really interesting look at their people. Children assigned witch mothers. Ravenna and Freya as sisters in power, but profoundly different. Freya's sections follow the end of the movie as she recollects the pieces of her shattered self. As she goes to face her sister by the remnants of that mirror.

The prose is simply gorgeous.

"Truths bound by magic, skinned from the flank of an unknowable elsewhere."

There's a lovely extended metaphor around water that works very well with both Freya as a Snow Queen and Ravenna's fluid nature.

Really, a delight to read and something I'll be rereading in the years to come.

+++

2015, El niño Estrella by navaan, Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015), Gen, Teen and Up, 4135

His mother calls him her niño estrella, but only when they are alone. Only when there’s no-one around to hear. It’s her secret name for him and he loves it. It’s theirs, only theirs and nobody can take it away from them.

Hernan Guerra becomes Superman. But that's neither the end nor the beginning.

This story takes what's already a fairly powerful narrative from the source material and extends it.

Statements like this,

But some people always feared him, the child of immigrants come to take his place in a society not his own, even where others had accepted him, because his English was flawless and his skin the right shade of pink or sometimes even because they truly believed that all humans were equal.

Hernan's memories of his adoptive parents are particularly powerful. It's fascinating to see him meet the other neo-gods of this new Justice order. The discussion of who and what gets to decide who is a monster. How we define ourselves whether in fortresses of solitude or in the maddening crowd.

+++

2015 - Drunk Historians Through the Centuries by storiesfortravellers, Drunk History, Gen, Teen and Up

Thucydides, bard singers, and Robert Louis Stevenson are the featured speakers on Drunk History.

I got not 1, but 3 treats in 2015. Huzzah.

This story pulls off three… four separate drunk POV. Okay, Stevenson was high on cocaine. I want to say my favorite is Thucydides, because I actually think this is what drunk Thucydides would say. But, how can I not love drunk lady talking about Mulan and miming beating people up with her breasts. I've just watched more drunk history since 2015. That was so 2015 ago. The range of expletives for fucking King Arthur was fucking impressive. But seriously, wrapping up with high Stevenson was pretty genius.

+++

2015- Same New Stories by misura, Mulan, Gen, Gen, 823

"You know where this is going, right?" Mushu asked.

A post movie fic. What hit me this time is Mushu's proposed scenario of a man pretending to be a woman juxtaposed with the roar of Mulan's future fears. Her resolve to show everyone. Perhaps even to herself. She's been so many people to the people around her, and to herself. Fascinating to see her in armor that accommodates her body and figure out the shape of her latest role in life.

+++

2015 - The Drunk History of the Australians' Underarm Problem By redsnake05, Drunk History, Gen, Teen and Up, 1455

Rivalry, beer, moustaches and treachery. It's 1981, and a cricket game between New Zealand and Australia is going to take a distinct turn for... something. A big word, I think. Where's my beer?

This is… it's hard to even get across how funny this story is. Especially given all the links to such hilarious videos. Some of which I can never unsee. I'm looking at you stubies!

Seriously, the epitome of hand me my beer, except that might be the Australians. Because of the mullets and the underarm problem. Seriously, I know nothing about cricket, but I spent the whole time reading it chortling in the library. With my pinkie out. While drinking tea.

+++

2014 - all hands bury the dead by Sathanas, 300: Rise of an Empire (2014), Teen and Up, Artemisia/Gorgo Queen of Sparta, 1351

Artemisia sees the sky in the water.

When I finished watching 300: Rise of Empire, all I wanted was this. Here was a setting with two powerful women warriors and the movie never had them fight. Two powerful women played by Lena Headey and Eva Green. It was crime against femmeslash. Thankfully Sathanas and yuletide stepped in.

This story is full of gorgeous prose like this,

The clash of her metal bangles and armour and blade announce her presence, a fell ringing of chimes that swoops louder and louder as dying sighs drift away.

It delivers a fierce battle of great warriors. Queen and Admiral. It is beyond fierce in prose and spirit. Sexual and sensual. As far as I am concerned, this is how the end of the movie went.

+++

2014 - Finding Normal by Azar, Now and Again, Teen and Up, Lisa Wiseman/Michael Wiseman, 8757

Normal is relative. When the relative in question is basically Frankenstein's monster and the US government wants him back, sometimes normal has to be redefined altogether.

Gibbers even years after the fact with the joy getting this fic gave me. Basically, for the previous… oh, possibly every yuletide, I asked for this fic. Because when Now and Again ended so abruptly, I wanted, nay needed, a conclusion fic. Something to wrap everything up. This does that splendiferously.

I feel like I should say more or something, but it's the perfect fictive closure. Sweet and sexy. There's some great interaction between all the Wisemans, Heather included. Sweet-sweet closure. I stopped asking for this fic after 2014 year because I had gotten what I wanted.

+++

2013, Destiny Arcade by Yukito, Stargate Universe, Gen, 1369

What happens when you want to keep people entertained on a new planet?

This fic does a lovely job capturing the characters at their basic characteristics. Eli is an emotional caregiver. Thus his relationship with his mom. He wants to bring joy into the lives of the people around him.

Camille was always one of my favorite characters. While on the surface this character is cold, she cares so deeply for the people around her.

I enjoy stories that about talk not just about the labor of life, but of people who labor to give other's joy. Well, that's what yuletide is all about.

+++

2012 - Leave It To Me By necroNovelist, Static Shock, Gen, 1273

The future Static Shock travels back in time, for assistance from his past self.

A fun play on past and present Static meeting each other. There's some very nice work at balancing the younger Static's way of speaking with a more intense gravity of old Static. Also, the idea of Gear waking up Static via shock box is not only in character, but pretty funny.

+++

2012 - With the roses of the may by mtgat, Static Shock, 954

Virgil wasn't the hot young star any more.

I was lucky enough to get a madness story that year.

This is a nice set piece on Virgil realizing he's not a kid. Not old, but not the young thing anymore. Since I've been in that age set for awhile now, a fun story to read and relate with.

+++

2011 - Nin-Me-Sara by Shine (shinetheway), Akkadian Empire RPF, Gen, 1506

When the words are written, they can't be erased.

"you only live forever in the lights you make" - My Chemical Romance, Kids From Yesterday

It's worth starting with the author's note," To my recipient: I really hope you like this. I had a really great time writing it, and I tried to speak to what you requested--the shared experience of our lives as writers, the physical and mental experience of writing, the history of a woman who was a princess and a priestess, an exile and a returning victor, who wrote passionately about her goddess and then her writings disappeared into obscurity and myth. I wanted to create that sense that, even though millenia have passed, Enheduanna's work is still doing what she meant it to do: singing the praises of her great goddess, in languages and civilizations she never could have foreseen, and that through her writings Enheduanna has not only made Inanna immortal, but herself."

This story resonates with me now as it did then. As reading Enheduanna's words from millennia ago continues to sing on into the future.

Getting a story a woman, this woman, this creator of words, and to have her singing in prose that sings is/was a delight.

The wind sighed, curling around her like a mother holding a child.

The story fully embraces the metaphor of wind, breath, air, and song. That wind and song embody the goddess Inanna, whose story is then carried on Enheduanna's words.

The story carries forward into current eras. That same wind blows on. Lovely.

+++

2010 - Smell Like a Yeti (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Old Spice) By mollyscribbles, Old Spice Commercials, Gen, 1502

Hello, Yuletiders. Look at your submission, now at mine, now back at your submission, now back at mine. Sadly, it isn't mine, but if you sign up for Old Spice Guy next Yuletide, it could be in the same category as mine. I'm writing this summary while riding a horse backwards. Anything is possible when your fandom is Old Spice Guy!

This is complete and utter crack. Like the commercials. Reading it is such a blast of a joyous and hilarious past.

I mean seriously,

As he was putting the finishing touches on the salads he'd made to match precisely each child's dietary needs and personal preferences, the Spicephone rang.

I just want to quote the whole thing. He arm wrestles a Yeti. On the table of Theodore Roosevelt. Ninjas!

Also, it brought me this,

Obama stepped forward, having finished cleaning the remaining ninja blood from his katana.

So, all the Pres. Obama feels.

+++

2009 – Tears of the World by Van Donovan, The Dark Angel Trilogy, Teen and Up, Aeriel/Erin, 2002

Aeriel and Erin set out to rebuild the world together and discover that's easier to do with hope and love.

The story begins immediately after Pearl of the Soul of the World. Aeriel healing from all that she's been asked to do. In that first darkness of grief of expectations. Oddly perfect for this winter's day in 2017 for that message from the past.

The grief,

"Part of her knew that once the daymonth began again her spirits would lift; that it was the long darkness that plagued her with doubts of even finding NuRavenna again, let alone rebuilding it; that dawn would renew her hope. It did not alleviate her concern any more than knowing time would heal the wound left by the loss of Irrylath soothed the pain beneath her breast."

Balanced by the hope of companionship,

"Aeriel rolled onto her back, reaching up to feel Erin's cheek against her palm; to trace the darkness of the skin she couldn't see. It seemed the warmth she felt from Erin was a tangible power pouring from her into Aeriel. It wasn't strength that she felt growing so much as hope, and that seemed the more useful of the two by far."

Into a beautiful and tender love.

There's much of the metaphysical in the books. Here it blooms in a delightful way. Aeriel coming to know her own heart after not having it in her own body for two years. There's a delicious physicality and sensuality to the growing relationship between the two women.

+++

2009 - Whatever a sun will always sing is you by Elizabeth Culmer (edenfalling), The Dark Angel Trilogy, Teen and Up, Aeriel/Erin, 153

Erin is always at Aeriel's side as they build their world and their lives.

That year I was blessed by getting a Yuletide Madness treat as well. This is just a delicate flower of a story. Erin's point of view as she sets aside that flaming sword to build a life and love with Aeriel.

+++

2008 – Telling Little Stories by emei, The Little Princess, Gen, 1752

"Everything's a story. You are a story - I am a story." Sara Crewe during WWI.

Captures Sara's sense of displacement. How her childhood in India, in the attic, and the world out of joint, all serve to make her out of place. A natural storyteller. The little flashes of the growing horror of WWI.

It captures the reason we write. Why a story about a storyteller is so incredibly resonant.

"Everything's a story. You are a story - I am a story. And I'm going to get these stories out for people to read! It'll be my contribution, for the sake of hope."

I suppose this means there must be common theme to what I ask for, or perhaps I've merely been blessed in my matches over the years.

+++

2007 – Off to See by Amilyn, Scarecrow & Mrs. King, Gen, 3672

Lee and Amanda have been married for twenty years, have put in years of service at the Agency. Their lives now are different and, with retirement on the horizon, are about to change even more.

I was obsessed with this show in the 80s and was recently rewatching the show in the 00s. It was an absolute delight to get this 20 years later story. 10 years ago. No edgy spies. No grey. Just characters that I love being themselves.

I love this line,

"There was a muffled moan from the other side of the bed and he felt a bump as the head next to him hit the mattress and heard a pillow plop unceremoniously on top of it."

It completely captures a moment I could imagine Amanda doing on the show.

The quiet sexiness of a couple who has been together for decades in this line,

"You know, I think I miss your old nightgowns," he teased, staring openly as he rested his head back on his hands."

I love the idea of Amanda giving an annual Amanda King Creative Problem Solving Test. The end of the story is sweet and light. I could practically hear the theme music playing in the background. A sweet final wrap up for a series that never had one.

+++

2006 - Across No-Man's Land by Meadow Lion by Meadow_Lion, Queen of Swords, Teen and Up, 1898

Dr. Helm and Colonel Montoya share a mutual understanding: battles can happen anywhere.

Ah, yes, that afternoon fandom of Queen of Swords that brought two of my favorite actors, Valentine Pelka and Peter Wingfield, over from Highlander to snark at each other in Mission/Rancho era California.

Rather perfectly for the Dr. Helm character, the story starts with a war flash back. The fic does an incredible job of capturing the cadences of these characters slightly prickly speech.

"You're injured. As you've so often pointed out, I'm a physician. I would tend to think that means, yes, I'll treat you, Colonel. Even in the middle of the Goddamned night on December twenty-fourth. What the hell happened to you?"

The smile flitting across Montoya's face, though ragged at its edges, is as supercilious as ever. "Ah, but you have just reclaimed your medical qualifications; should you not be quite able to tell me about my own wound?"

There's multiple beautiful turns of phrases like, "the clarity lost to the water has returned to his mind." A pleasure to revisit.

+++

2005 - This is Halloween by dreamiflame, Nightmare Before Christmas, Gen, 1040.

This was my first Yuletide. There was no AO3. We posted on a jenky site, which we crashed a few times. I had no idea what to expect when I requested a fandom. I'd only written in fandom communities and not in some great wild dance.

"The land of Halloween came into being with the first nightfall, and the sudden terrors that the fall of the bright sun caused. Suddenly, the world was there- trees creaking in the wind, shadows both unlikely and normal falling in the light of the slender crescent moon. A graveyard, stone monuments to the dead. A patch of odd round fruit that weren't really fruit at all."

What a great opening. That feeling of reality slipping away with the "normal falling" into a slivered moon.

The story of a land in love with its King. Because Halloween town is animate. Alive. Curling and uncurling to Jack's whim. That mad affair with Christmas. That slightly Fisher King feeling that comes when King and Land are once more in sync. I love the slightly creepy end to this story. Perfectly in keeping with the fandom.

Yuletide Recs Post

fresne — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 16:53:43 GMT

10 Recs for Yuletide fics in these fandoms:

Jeeves & Wooster, Twelfth Night, Vorkosigan Saga, Pounded in the Butt By My Own Butt Series - Chuck Tingle & Savage Love, Hadestown, Greek and Roman Mythology, Ghostbusters & Hamilton, Henry V

I read them before the reveal. Had to laugh as I went back through to see who I recognized.

Suddenly short days

fresne — Mon, 05 Dec 2016 06:51:21 GMT

I had a long post that I was going to make, but alas a restart and the surprise of no auto saved version lost it. I've loaded a lot of pictures on this computer for editing and that does tend to… make the poor dear twitchy.

Anyway, I got back from New Zealand yesterday.

It had been easy to slip into New Zealand time, not so far from our own. Also, the long days of summer.
Harder to return to find the days short. Truncated into shadow.

So, though with photos to edit, I headed to church this morning with shadows on my mind. Since, after the
election, it's been in my mind to make more Sunday morning space for roots in my UU social activist faith tradition.

Watched a child light the advent candle for Hope. Love. Expectation already lit. Listened to a visiting minister (okay Catholic priest) talk about social action. The interdependent web of community. Of how hard it must be for the protesters at Standing Rock, not as elite, or intellectuals, but simply wanting to keep their water clean. Exercising their first amendment rights to be shot with water cannons. Rubber bullets. Of how hard it is to speak out. To act. Again returning to community (well and the committees that UU is prone to).

Came home to my comfortable space to learn that the Army Core of Engineers has delivered some slender stay of execution to Standing Rock. Thought about the polluted water table in my own Central Valley. Of the letter sent to a local Mosque telling the members that they'd be dealt with as Hitler dealt with the Jews. Of the tremendous rise in hate crimes leading up to and post election.

Ate my lunch. Put away laundry.

Thought about Theodore Parker, a UU minister, abolitionist, and transcendentalist, who wrote of the long arc of history and how it tends towards justice. And yet… that wasn't an inevitable trend.
So… someone on circle started a once a week, what did they do for kindness that week.

This week for me, not much. I was vacation.
-I stopped for fellow tourists. Offered to take the picture and get both parents into the picture with their children where I could.
-Gave a little to Second Harvest, our local food charity. I'm thinking of buying cereal from Kellogg and donating it. Since they pulled adds from Brietbart, and I hear while not super nutritional, children in families who get this sort of treat look forward to it. But that's not a thing done. But to do.
-Gave a little to Standing Rock, because they aren't really done. Just a respite.
-Signed up for digital access to the New York Times, because the rise of fake news is worrisome. Not charity, but educational.

Am trying to decide about the Women's March (in SF). I've been hearing questionable things about the organizers inclusion and yet… at its heart its grass roots. An urge to do… something. Walk. March with signs. It's the same day as a Pro-Life march, also SF. Maybe go for a two in one. Do a lot of walking.

That's the future again. Now, it's time for bed. Work beckons. Trying to figure out how all this fits into a long road. Plus, you know, photos. Life. Yuletide.

fresne — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 09:36:36 GMT

We're past the mid-point on our New Zealand trip, but with still a few days to go. Really a beautiful country. Plus, Mom and I have listened to quite a few History of English, Beowulf Explained, and History of the Alphabet, so we're also more informed.

The election has… shall we say dominated non scholastic discussion.

But… let this not be of what is to be, but now. There's been pristine beauty. Looking at the path the Maori took to get here, I can't wait to see Moana (the name of the magical hostel BTW). Seeing the volcanic pools and a frankly wild surf off the Tasman Sea. Staying at a cabin in the midst of the Alps and watching rainbow after rainbow roll into the valley.

Not yet done with the trip, but I want to relate last night.

So, I caught a cold on this trip. Which has now descended into coughing. We were staying in a small one room cabin off of Fox Glacier when I woke in the middle of the night with a coughing fit. Since one room doesn't leave a lot of room to hack out ones lungs, I slipped into my shoes a couple of coats and went outside. To find that the rain and sleet (and hail and snow) of the previous day had given way to perfectly clear sky. Above me, the Milky Way spread out. The cold night air oddly enough bracing phlegm into submission, I walked through the grounds until I came to an octagon table away from the lights. I put my rain coat on the seat and sat. Leaned back and looked up at the night.

Shooting stars flashed across the sky.

The Southern Cross was there too.

Then, as if a layer of gauze was drawn over the whole affair, a thin layer of clouds covered the stars.
Remembering that it was 2 am and perhaps not the best thing for me to be doing (though I hadn't coughed most of the time I was out there), I made my way back to our cabin. If not entirely to sleep deeply, to sleep.

Now that I've had time to think about the election

fresne — Tue, 15 Nov 2016 14:42:19 GMT

And for that matter posted the exact same thing on facebook, but... in this case I'm going to cross post.

Hmm… you kept on with the post.

Well then.

I suppose this post is dedicated to a sobbing woman in 2008.

Obama had just become president. I had the odd pleasure of celebrating that my country had elected Obama to be my President, while simultaneously mourning that my California passed Proposition 8 – banning Gay Marriage in California. Yes, if you’ve looked at my profile picture, you perhaps know that I have certain political views.

Anyway, this unnamed to me woman was on the news weeping in the midst of a mournful crowd because Obama’s win meant, "This wasn't her country anymore." I doubt I could find all the images that came up at the time of similarly unhappy people.

But oh, nameless woman…

First let’s differentiate between being disappointed when a candidate I supported loses and whatever this is. The first is life living in a representational Republic, ballot measures that directly affect me pass or fail. Candidates win or lose. This isn’t that.

This election is a case of creating the peace that follows in the wars we fight. Trump beat the drum. He gets to deal with that just like everyone else. He wanted the job of President, now he’s got it. This is what that job comes with. His every word has consequences.

There’s talk about "Giving Trump a chance," but the marginalized and historically targeted can't actually afford to give someone "a chance". They have no chances to give.

Whether whoever is reading this acknowledges this or not, America has always had ugly aspects. Trails of Tears, Broken treaties, Slavery, Jim Crow, Lynchings, Sundown towns, Internment camps, Segregation, McCarthyism, parishioners studying the Bible at a Black Church gunned down, a Sikh man attacked because he’s wearing a turban, I could go on, but you get the idea. Or you won’t.

Perhaps, you’ve never come into your place of worship/spiritual refreshment to be greeted by the news that someone walked into one your fellow congregations and opened fire.

I have.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knoxville_Unitarian_Universalist_church_shooting

But, let’s not dwell.

America has beautiful aspects. I am free to speak. To assemble. To practice my religious beliefs. To pursue happiness. To wear a costume at Comic-Con that says, “Hey, have a great day whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving, ours is no caravan of despair.”

The reason I didn't sleep all last week after the election was because I was preparing for a conversation on Saturday with my Father. Because after the election, I realized I had done my father a disservice for the last 30 years. When I called this or that person a misogynist, when I called Trump a misogynist, that’s not what I meant. I protected him from certain truths of what life is like as a woman. I let him wrap himself in Patriotic Correctness. Because what I meant was a sexual predator. A misogynist acts like I’m an idiot. A sexual predator is unsafe to be alone with.

So, whatever the reason a person gave themselves for voting for Trump, they were also voting for man who openly boasted in a public work space about being a sexual predator. That he can (and if I never have to say the exact words to my father again it will be too soon) assault a woman because he’s famous. Whether or not you judge those words were important or not, locker room or not, those words, that vote, just told the sexual predators out there that this is not only okay to say or do, but saying and doing it will result in becoming president.

Things were already bad enough.
https://www.rainn.org/statistics/victims-sexual-violence

Even worse, if one in six women in America has been sexually assaulted (and that’s just what’s reported), that means that one in six of the women who voted for Trump have been assaulted. Leading into the election, I heard women who supported Trump dismissing the importance of their own assault. Normalizing it. Talking about it as if it were okay. Which… however they voted, makes me profoundly sad that as a society we’ve failed these women and failed to acknowledge that what they’ve been through is not okay. Because that is not my America.

Or rather, it’s not who or what I want America to be.

We've just elected a man who ran on a campaign platform that resulted in him being endorsed by the KKK and other white supremacy groups. That a key member of his campaign and now his chief strategist in the new administration openly promotes white supremacy. And I'm saying "White Supremacy" deliberately right now. Let’s not sugar coat this as “mere” racial bias. Trump banged the lid on the hornet’s nest. The nation’s answer was to open it up. I'm not okay with that. That is not my America.

That’s certainly not why my father and many people I care about voted for Trump, but not facing that there has been an increase in hate crimes won’t make them stop.

My parents told me to ignore bullies as a child. I’ve got to say that never actually worked. They just escalated.

This is BTW all without Trump needing to deliver on a single campaign promise. If he does net zero as president, he’s already accomplished this.

So, that's the reality. There's more I could list about future fears, but those are vapor that may or may not come to pass. But sobbing woman in 2008, I get you. You were scared. So am I.

But I'm not ending this post there. Because on Sunday, I went to church. I'm a UU, who have a long history of social justice work so...

For a variety of reasons, I visited my old congregation. Yes, it was on my mind that this was the same place that grieved for our fellow congregation in 2008.

There were hugs from people who still remembered me after all this time. There was a room full of people feeling the same grief that I was feeling. Comfort in the face of very real fears. That bad times may come, but there is still community. We, I, don’t have to consider myself alone.

Then the minister spoke. Someone different than when I was there. It has been five years. But she spoke my grief. More importantly, she spoke about how she now understood her calling to minister to this congregation.

Because in the midst of all the social media posts urging people to action, this or that petition, I've been pondering what action my God is calling me to make. (Yes, I claim a State, a Nation, a President and now God - what? These are personal relationships and need not impinge on your relationships). Because I have felt such an incredible call, but with no real sense of what that action needs to be.

For me, the first step was going to church. To clarify.

That after eight years of my President asking me to volunteer, be engaged, I'm oddly enough finally once again in a space where I have the time and mental space to volunteer.

In the short term, I think I'll once again check out the UU church in my city (well, after a vacation with Mom, because timing is a thing). Reroot myself in a community and faith tradition that supports the values I believe in and has a long history of peaceful agitation for them.

I'll be in SF for my work Christmas party. I'm thinking of spending the day volunteering at GLIDE.
So simple actions for right now. Maybe take off the day of the inauguration and volunteer at a local Food Bank like Second Harvest. Deeds and acts I can just walk into. Something that I know will help someone.

I can't speak to anyone else's call to action. Right now there’s a lot of agitation. I’ve read articles saying it will die down. Maybe it will. But… bullies don’t go away when you ignore them.

I don’t know if that grieving woman went on to join the Tea Party. Join the Alt-Right. Or if she went to church, cried a bit, and volunteered at a local charity to help people who’d lost their homes in the housing crisis. I don’t (and possibly will never know) what her call to action was. Or if she even answered it.

Just as I don’t know if I’ll fail this call. Let it fade. This post being its only sign. Decide Nineveh’s too rough a town. Get swallowed by a giant fish. No fire in its belly. Or if what will come of this be as simple as a greater engagement in my local community. Sort cans at a food bank every now and then. Be a drop of water. All the while waiting to see if it’s about to rain.

Okay then...

fresne — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 00:49:47 GMT

So, yeah, that US election just happened.

For the last several years, every year for the festival of EID at the end of Ramadan, I write a short fantasy or sci fi story with positive representation of Muslim characters. I have about 19k of material at this point. Some better than others were.

As I was walking to work this morning, I wondered, would there be any interest in anyone participating with me (to be clear contributing a story) on a project to publish an Amazon/e-book (Smashwords and Kindle) of short stories that show positive representations of non-copyrighted Muslim characters by say the end of Trump’s first 100 days? (Well, I’d like to do it by inauguration day, but I don’t think that’s quite doable).

I’d like to get up to 40 to 60k in content. Ideally, a higher percentage not written by me than written by me. I mean, I’m nice and all, but… I’m not Muslim. I don’t represent. I just believe in representation.

I was thinking whatever profits (hopefully there would be some sort of profits) from this could be donated to some reasonably vetted anti-Islamaphobia in the US organization. Obviously, this needs a bit more meat to the idea. But… umm… any interest? If there isn’t, I’ll just look into who I should donate to. If there is, I’ll do some more research on what needs to be done to make this happen, and post further information.

I hardly know what to say this morning.

fresne — Wed, 09 Nov 2016 14:08:53 GMT

What to think.

I voted. I did my part. I talked with solidly red relatives about all the dangers of Trump. Not that they listened, clearly. I donated what I could spare, which wasn't much given the whole job change/out of work for several months.

I live in California. It was always going to go Blue. Is an example of how liberalism can result in a robust economy and safety nets. But the rest of my country, because this is my country. Mine. I don't want make jokes about moving to Canada or New Zealand. I want... well, apparently not what the rest of my country wants, which was to flip the table. Not caring I guess enough to inform themselves that those jobs aren't coming back. They're done by robots. Mechanization. So, when Trump can't bring them back the natural course of action will be to blame...it'll... I...

I started to list the things that will now pass away, but I can't. I could barely sleep last night. I played pod fiction, but how could it hold my attention enough to drift into sleep?

And the knowledge that this has three more months before the actual ax falls on all our necks. Like a hurricane from which there is no safe harbor.

I got together with friends last night, which I was glad of. We would switch between campaign coverage to watching Better Off Ted. We'd tried some of the comedians, but all their coverage was around the election and it just was too... We took comfort in each other.

Yet, two of my friends' little girl wanted to know if the bad man had been defeated, and I don't even know how they, we, any of us... wow America. Just wow. I feared that this was the way you'd go. Listing for my father all of the things about Trump and having him tell me that he was really voting about strict constructional ism in the Supreme Court, which just... I suppose it's like his fundamental Christianity. He's selectively fundamental, because Freedom of Religion and Freedom of the Press are...

I had hoped, so much hope for this morning. I thought today would be the day I could start writing my yuletide. I write hopeful stories. I wrote a hopeful story for my birthday. To read that this election had the lowest turnout since 2000 and think...

I don't know. Breathes deeply. Considers the dishes I've already washed when I gave up on sleeping. Breathes deeply. There's no good end to this post. So I shall end like so...

Happy Birthday Me

fresne — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 14:54:20 GMT

Thanks for the well wishes.

The mist was soft on the backyard yesterday. I gave myself a birthday morning off from going to the gym. From tasks. Some years I go for a morning hike, but job changes meant that this year I went for quiet reflection and showering in my own shower. Mmmm hot water.

We had spent a lovely weekend up in the Russian River area drinking luscious wine (and taking notes) and eating wonderfully paired food (also with notes/visiting the website - the clam chowder really stood out in retrospect. Some very nice polenta dishes too). It’s been part of the pattern of my life for years now, which is nice. A privilege to be in a position to visit beautiful countryside. Talk to my father over the phone while walking next to a river. Looking at green leaves turning brilliant scarlet.

This morning, I wrote my now traditional short story for my birthday. Adding chapter 45 to “Forty from the Mirror”. This year, Liberty and Justice being much on my mind they went to the bridge and found a wall. Did what Liberty and Justice do. Plus I femmeslash them.

I tend to think of my birthday as the opening of the time of reflective part of the year. Fall as a time for thinking. Writing. Opening myself up to the accumulated thought of the year. Perhaps purging.

I suspect that with this year’s ugly election cycle and the ugliness of 2016, I’ll be thinking about the kyriarchy. I’ve already begun. I’ve tended not to think of myself who has encountered much in the way of misogyny, but I’m coming to the conclusion it was more like smog in the air. Smudging the mountains. But without the obviousness of mustard gas. We all grow asthmatic. Sig alerts driving the young and old inside.

Now I in the middle. Middle age has a sort of stigma as a term. Now admittedly I have every reason to think I’ll make 100 so I haven’t quite hit the middle, but there are no guarantees. The middle not defined until the end is reached.

But I certainly am in some sort of middle. Not Baby Boomer. Not Millenial. Certainly not the iGeneration that follows that Millennial tide. Finding myself more and more defined by my experiences rather than the lack of same. The experiences of those around me. Thinking on the ways I can and can not reinforce the kyriarchy.

Years ago, I went hiking with my father on Mount Baldy in Southern California. Surrounded by pale shale and stunted brush, we climbed in the late summer heat up the mountain side. We reached a vista point and I looked down at Riverside-Ontario-theLAMegalopolis. I saw the smog in the air and commented to my father that we were now above it. We hiked higher through the twisted shrug brush and pale blinding shale. The track switched back and forth until we came to another vista. I looked down and the smog was even denser in the valley below. I remarked that we hadn’t been out of the smog before at all. But now, surely now as I high as we were on the mountain, we were above it all. More track and trail. More twisted brush baking in the sun. A rattlesnake in the distance. Irritated rattle echoing. We came to that next vista and I’m sure you know what I saw. Looked up at the mountain peak and thought that even if we climbed to the top, the air, though thinner, wouldn’t be some imagined clean.

That’s the moment I tend to think of when I think of the ingrained power structures that surround us. Inform the air we breath. Make it hard for hikers to climb and stunt plants. Well, fine, it’s also a desert, so the metaphor break down on the shrubs and yet…

There’s this atmospheric phenomenon in So. Cal called the Santa Anna winds. Positive hot winds blow out of the desert. Making everyone itch. Tempers rise. Snap. Crackle. Pop off.

I think about the Santa Anna that is… not precisely Trump. He’s a human being and gets to own his words. His choices, as I own my words and choices.

I keep thinking of a comment from that trial this summer in which a Stanford swimmer was tried for sexual assault. Convicted. Given a summer’s worth of a sentence. Looking at the way his lawyer framed his bright future and sought to tear down the victim’s past sexual history, someone made the comment that in our society men have future’s, while women have pasts.

This is BTW damaging in both directions. How rudderless to be without past. How anchored as we strive for some future.

I wrote a post on Facebook, pernicious place of reflexive remark, about my dismay about what the current polls for the election has to say about our society. That a man with all the downsides that Trump has, the leaders of his own party hardly seem able to say his name, runs so close against a woman who, twenty years of smearing aside, has dedicated her life to promoting health care, children, families, and yes politics. The grubby work of compromise. It got the response I expected from one of my relatives. Completely missing the point that my point was about my dismay. That I don’t need (nor do I think I could) convince him a negative isn’t true. I could no more prove (as I put in my answer) that I didn’t steal the Apples of Youth from the Asgardians than whatever he believes isn’t true about Hillary. But then, he, I think wants to argue about his anger. When I wanted to post about my own.

Soon enough FB will go back to cat videos (or in my case cow videos taken by mid-west relatives). The Santa Anna of it is fairly pronounced. Yet, strangely addictive going into the wind.

I had a conversation with a friend a few weeks ago. She’s been studying NVC (Non-violent communication). We talked about the privilege distress as expressed by Trump supporters. She talked about how the Left will need to reach out in understanding to help them with their distress. It was very NVC of her, but did lead me to wonder what about the distress of the Liberal.

It perhaps plays into gendered POV, but that does assume that the Left/Liberal needs to descalate the anger of the Right. And yet if we don’t, it’s just everyone screaming. Which certainly feels like what we’ve been living in.

The arc of history is long and certainly things are better than eras when say the VP and the Head of Treasury dueled and the Sec of Treasury was shot. Or spasm, Pres Jackson. Or the presidential campaign where the candidates accused each other of being in no particular order a hermaphrodite and dead. I.e., don’t vote for him, he’s literally dead.

It was one of the pleasures of when my birthday lies that I always feel like I’m voting for my birthday. That this gift, not yet a 100 years old, is for my birthday. Like here, be a citizen.

There’s no mist on the morning here. I suppose I should shower so I can go do that.

Enter November

fresne — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 13:20:30 GMT

Welcome November.

Seems like October went by in a dream. A dream in which I got no writing done, which given how much I wrote in September (and by extension August and July) felt odd. It started out good with on-going work on the Dancing Princesses story, but then other things interfered.

That said, my work on my work Halloween costume felt like the success I wanted, and actually did have a point this year. I (and my new by 2 months co-worker in the tiny Compliance dept) were "A Compliance Nightmare". Basically, I sewed together two T-tunics made up of about a hundred patches of 6" fabric. There were flaps on the front and back that when velcroed to the shoulders showed green systems (okay and some blue, brown, yellow and orange). On them I drew either 1s or 0s or symbols from architectural flow diagrams. Sometimes databases, sometimes servers. Then came the firewalls and routers. But let fall the flaps and chaos!!! Or rather the underside was mostly red (and yellow and orange – I was trying to avoid looking like Christmas) with long streamers of data escaping the system. Some had Personal Information written on them. Some had Confidential. Business Secrets. Data. Code. Art. Dollar signs.

So, yes, this year's Halloween costume was a training exercise in explaining some basic Governance, Risk and Compliance concepts in a funny way. There were also hats with our Compliance Certifications and NIST framework.

All told it took about 40 hours to cut up (because originally these were two Queen sized sheets), dye, draw/paint on, sew back together. Not exactly like my last job's crazy overwork, because I do actually enjoy that sort of thing, but it was a time suck.

There was also the Fox Hollow Halloween Haunt, which was back on this year in full force. An amazing layout this year with the Fortune Teller's tent in the front (she predicts no running, touching, or taking anything). Hopefully, next year we add flash photography. Yesh people.

Then through the swamp, which is now all camouflage rather than the hated (because it got on everything) jute, into a new, small, and really awesome Zombie zone. Basically a sheet with rear projection showing hands and faces mashed into it. Our cast there was inspired in their mad patter asking for volunteers for um… test subjects.

Then up the steps and down the steps (don't break your neck) into the mausoleum, which looked amazing. This small area of trees has tended to be a dead zone in previous years. Moving the mausoleum there and having dedicated people to err… freak people out, really worked. K, P & S's patter was awesome, and given where I was hiding I got to see any number of people freak totally out.

Also, moving the transition to the spider lair was awesome. I really liked the layout of my Spider Queen lair. There were several great spots for victims to distract people while I came out from where I was hiding. And even better, it was a loop so I could get back in easily and get in place for the next visitors.

Well, after following my Mwhahahahaha victims down a corridor past another person to lean out and scare them and into the tunnel. As overheard, there were some teenage boys (normally the toughest sell), who said, "Every year, I love her wicked laugh." That's right people, my laugh is wicked. Well, not my natural laugh, but the one I do as the Spider Queen. I am also just shy of 6" in my 6" platforms and cracking the ground with a wooden staff.

Sadly, the tunnel is still a bit of a dead zone. Although, the heart beat effect was quite nice. From there, to the moved Pirate lair, which also really benefitted from the new larger space. Plus the canon and small play house, which looks pretty creepy with a rum drinking dead pirate in it.

We also had some new crew entertaining the crowd outside in an amazing 9" skeleton outfit and his son in a hunchbacked mad scientist outfit. Both were amazing looking rigs. And you know, singing pumpkins.

I hear tell that people could hear the screams on the next block. You know, in a fun way. It's always lovely when you freak someone out and they respond after with a thank you.

So, yes, October is done. Now on to a Wine and food weekend, actually going back over my Yuletide fandom so I can write it, and oh, yes, a vacation at the end of the month with my mom to New Zealand. Huzah! May the packing/final planning continue.

Also, hopefully, some writing.

Feeling acomplished

fresne — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:29:36 GMT

Behold my triumph… well, not behold, because you can't see me, but yeah verily know that it occurred. Anyway, today I dropped my car off for servicing and rode my bicycle 13 miles to work. Worked. Did stuff. After work, rode home and got my car.

Tomorrow I will no doubt regret that. Currently, feels good. Plus, no more glowy yellow light from my car asking to get a tune up. So, win, win.

Haz Yuletide Match

fresne — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 05:00:23 GMT

Rubbing hands over my matches. Two possibilities, which is always lovely. Choices. Choices.

Time to dive into some canon, stalk my recipient. Good times. I've even updated my own letter and posted to the list.

Dear Yuletide Goat Letter 2016

fresne — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 14:35:36 GMT

I've been a very good fan this year and I would like...

You'd think these things would get easier to write.

What do I like in fiction. Language. Words. Messing around with gender. Women talking together. Playfulness. Fluff. Angst if there's a happy ending. Hope. The good side of people.

Squicks, I don't like people being embarrassed.

Fandom 1: Huntman: Winter's War

Characters: Ravenna, Freya, Eric, Sara

AO3 Category:Movie

What I already said, "I walked away from that movie wondering where my scenery chewing had gone. Freya never didn't seem to live up to her Ice Queen potential. Ravenna was great, but not enough of her.

I would love a story that looks like a wood chipper flying for the scenery chewing. Freya as an ice cold goddess conquering the north with her power. All brute force against Ravenna's more strategic approach. Revising the content of the movie itself is fine. But give me the ladies please.

Not your thing, well, it's hilarious that Freya's lover was the actor who played Merlin. Do something with that. Maybe he is Merlin. Moar Magic ensues.

Basically, anything over the top is fine here."

A few more ideas. Let's see, their youth as young women of their people. I'm actually very curious about the women of this family at this point.

How about the kingdoms they've traveled through?

How about Ravena in the mirror.

Want to write some femslash, by preference, not the sisters. But there are Freya and Sara might be an interesting pairing.

Fandom 1: The Inheritance Trilogy

Characters: Yeline, Nahadoth, Itempas, Enefa,

Sieh, Kurue

Category: Literature

Hmmm… copy and paste failure here.

Grand epic gods being grand and epic gods. Stream of consciousness is fine here. Let loose the language hounds.

Fandom 3: Epic Rap Battles of History

Characters: Abu Bakari vs. Marco Polo, Ching Shih vs. Grace O' Malley, Romulus and Remus versus Hunahpu and Xbalanque, Khutulun versus Atlanta

AO3 Category: Celebrities & Real People

Hmmm… copy and paste failure here.

Abu Barkai ruled a great empire in Africa, but gave it all up to find out what was across the sea. History can't tell us what became of him. He took a thousand ships and never came back. Marco Polo, well, we know a bit more there.

Ching Shih and Grace O'Malley were both lady pirates, yar! Come on, that's all kinds of awesome.

Hunahpu and Xblanque decapitated each other (and brought each other back) as a party trick. Romulus and Remus, well, they um… had issues.

Khutulun versus Atlanta, awesome ladies being awesome. Hmmmm…. Perhaps a different end to a rap battle.

Drunk History

"I got some amazing drunk history fic last year and I'd love some more.

Write me something funny, epic, or local, or random. You choose. History is a big place.

Hmmm... history that I love... that deli San Francisco that used to be a bar where they'd shanghai sailors. How about some Big Four building the railroad across that "mountainous" central valley of California. Silicon Valley shenanigans. Wine country shenanigans. I think they may have done the pig war up in the San Juan's or that might have been a podcast, but it's worth a story.

But seriously, if you've got something you love, tell the tale of the fateful... with some appropriate alcohol."

Hmmm… I just learned how prohibition practically destroyed the Irish Whiskey industry. Also, how the remaining companies merged in order to survive. Perhaps, some drunk history about alcohol. Also, why they don't use entirely malted barley (it's a tax thing). How about pitch in Greek wine. The Algonquin table.

But really, just have fun with this.

A tower of Bs

fresne — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 01:32:34 GMT

I've finished my self assigned project of seeing if I could write 221 stories in the 221b format (221 words, final word starting with b) for Sherlock. Each story set in an Alternative Universes and/or playing with various tropes. Merlock, Faunlock, high school, college, episotolary, etc.

I'll admit there was a point in the middle where I went... uh... so it's not like this is for anything. I just decided to do it. But inspirational second winds are marvelous things. Also, I relaxed that each story had to be a separate universe. Once I started flipping POV on a number of scenarios, then reversing the situation for the characters to do it again but hinging on character differences to change what happens, things hummed along nicely.

While some stories really needed at least two or three entries to actually get to a narrative point. Primarily the more problematic tropes, but there were some I just enjoyed writing too much to stop at 1. Overwrought slightly OOC Naturalist Sherlock/Mer!Jonn I'm looking at you.

Anyway, the entire time I knew I wanted to finish on a story written entirely written in words starting in B. So that all the stories themselves form a sort of replica of the form as a whole. It reads a bit more like a prose poem than straight fiction, which pleases me.

Here it is.

Alternative Universe with 221 Bees

fresne — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 04:06:44 GMT

So, basically the way I interpret this is Pluto gives Charon a hickey. You know over a bazillion years or so.

Ponders what I'll ask for this yuletide. What I'll write

Because these things are related.

Happy birthday!

fresne — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 16:34:29 GMT

ann1962
I hope you have a fabulous day.

San Diego Comic Con 2016

fresne — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 03:50:04 GMT

San Diego Comic Con 2016 has come to an end.

As I sit watching NerdHQs, time to reflect, record, write.

San Diego Comic Con 2016 has come to an end.

As I sit watching NerdHQs, time to reflect, record, write.

Overall it was a warm wonderful buzz, rather an anything with highs and lows.

We flew down Wednesday and wandered the dealers room. Went for dinner in the Glasslamp the only night we could just walk in some place.

I wore my most complicated outfit on Thursday, as it was the day where I'd be in and out of panels. With an unexpected bonus that I'll get to.

Anyway, my first panel was the 1st CAC (academic panel) of the con, The Joker, which surprisingly had a a line. Congratulations CAC! Anyway, I got in. Listened to a facinating discussion about Joker's transformation from pretending to be insane to a chaotic force. That Batman is always Batman, but without Batman, the Joker becomes inert.

CAC: Comics, Place & Space. Most interesting part was the discussion of Superman as a city dweller in a period when urban life was shifting to suburban life. The speaker contrasted Superman with noire tropes.

Star Trek: The 50th Year with Roddenberry Entertainment. The Trimbles, Roddenbery's son and a few others talked about Trek fandom.

Followed by one of the single BEST panels of the con. Bar none. The title doesn't sound like much, "Star Trek: Where Lawyers Boldly Go" was so much fun. It was a panel of lawyers, and cough, a chief justice from the California Supreme Court. They spent their hour talking about the law as it's represented in Star Trek. Court cases that show up in Star Trek. What we can tell about Klingons. Cardasians. Ourselves. What are the legal questions being brought up in Star Trek. Basically, a panel of articulate, educated people used to speaking in front of an audience talking about something their passionate about. Plus, their slides were hilarious.

From there we went to our super secret place for dinner, where there's no crowd. Then went to the Her Universe Fashion Show. A free offsite showing the Her Universe Fashion line. A competition of geek designers showing their pieces. This isn't strictly cosplay. It's fashion based on concepts. The Wonder Woman transforming outfit from office worker to ball gown. A lovely Furiosa gown that evoked armor on top and a sense of churning dust in the skirts. This Tardis dress that embodied the vortex of space with floating chiffon. This dress where the bodice was the leather of an embossed book and the skirts that were the pages. This dress for 42 days later where… the designer had just over come cancer, so she made a dress that embodied her anger about her cancer. Simply stunning.

Okay, and Ashley Eckstein's Lego dress.
https://www.heruniverse.com/fashionshow/

You know what, look at the pictures of the dresses.
http://www.popsugar.com/tech/Her-Universe-Fashion-Show-2016-42032346#photo-42032346

Anyway, one of the highlights of the day was while they were counting the votes for winner, audience members got to walk the runway. So, I got up and got to walk the runway in my fabulous Isis outfit. Which I haven't described. I mean, look at the pictures. But basically, it's ten individual feathers stitched together to form a solid piece under my arms. Then a fan of feathers that I could let drop down or extend out to 28" from my wrist. Gold vinyl fabric painted blue and green. Since they're individual pieces attached with a bolt at the top and ribbons along the length. So, as they move, the feathers move together. Anyway, walking down a runway, hearing people in the crowd saying, "Ooohhh, Isis," and moving my wings was AWESOME!

After that, we headed up to the bar at the top of the hotel, which has a lovely view of San Diego.

Day 2 –

Dressed as La Muerta.

On days when I don't have early panels that require line standing, I like to start my day line monking, which is to say I have a sign that says, "The end of the line is nigh" on one side, "Today is a good day to stand in line" on the other. Then using sort of a Southern Preacher (I know, not right for a monk, but it's what I've got) way tell the people in line how awesome they are for waiting all night and now their long wait is over. Generally, lift spirits. It's intended as an offset for the religious protestors who show up and tell trapped people that they're going to hell. Except this year, they didn't show up.

So, it was all, "You're awesome!" and no hell. All good.

Off to my first panel of the day, Ben Hatke in Conversation with Patrick Rothfuss. A wonderful riff on children's stories. Where the wild things are. I never noticed that while the pictures get smaller again after Max chills, they never get as boxed in as at the beginning. Also, a wonderful discussion about Susan in Narnia. Okay, so there's a lot of controversy in fandom there, but they discussed a letter I'd never heard about, which Lewis said that Susan's story (after the end of the series) was an adult story. So, she had a story, but it was the story of someone, who has lost hope and belief. The journey that she's going to go on wouldn't fit in a children's series.

From there we headed off to Ballroom 20 to camp out. Which meant we saw we saw some Bones (huh, we stopped watching).

The 100 (gah, way behind).

Brave New Warriors, which was a panel of male hotties and an awesome moderator asking them if they had to watch what they eat, and about their clothes. You know, things women get asked. She was awesome at moderating.

Agents of Shield. Adorkable. Fun. There were clips. They were funny. I laughed. I laughed some more.

Watched TV Guides fan favorites for a medly of tv stars.

iZombie. Really appreciated how the lead actress appreciated being a female lead whose main focus isn't her sexuality. Science. Okay, zombies. Zombie science. The actors riffed nicely. Had some great comradery.

From then it was time for a quick dinner and off to the Sherlocked SDCC party. Moffet was there, answering questions. I had a marvelous discussion about the trend in bing television to tell stories as if they were old style albums. Each song a point in the story. Like Operation Mindcrime, etc. All while looking pretty fabulous as La Muerta. I mean seriously, I was stopped several times on the way back to the hotel for pictures. A lot of fun.

Day 3

Off to line monk as Wonder Woman. I actually walked the entire line to get a sense of the line. Hopefully spread cheer.

Then off to Quick Draw. Awesome as always and the venue where they chose to give Sergio Aragones the icon award. It was wonderful to be a room of people really loving on this amazing artist and getting to be a part of the moment.

From there once more into the Ballroom 20 breach. A bit of Grim and then to the DC block of tv shows.

Supergirl – in a word adorable. Just everyone was so sweet and aware of the importance of showing little girls positive role models.

Legends of Tomorrow – Not sure I have much to say. Really enjoyed it.

The Flash/Arrow – I pair them because… okay, next season is going to be flashpoint and both these shows will feel the affect. Okay, Flash had tap dancing. The Arrow cast sang a song from Hamilton. Pulled us into it. I came away feeling really buzzed about the new season.

A certain amount of crashing.

Day 4

Off to the Sherlock Hall H line at 4am. Yup… there was that. I took my costume in some bags. Then made myself into Medusa. It was a long wait. That I keep forgetting that Sunday is much less vicious day. I probably have gotten away with 6am, but whatever. We had great seats. I mean, they didn't reveal much. That's not the point. The point is being a vast full of passionate people throwing love at the stage. The stage (as expressed by Cumberbatch) throwing the love back. Articulate answers. Great energy. So, glad that was my one big panel of the con.

Went to Cartoon Voices II. They did Rapunzel. It was funny and full of many talented actors spinning through voices.

I went out on John Barrowman: Anything Goes. He came out dressed as Zap Brannigan from Futurama. Got a rainbow tutu. Danced. Was himself. We were fandom. It was a love affair of a panel. The perfect place to end.

Walked the floor for a bit. In my six inch platforms. Sadly closed out the con.

Went to go see Star Trek: Beyond as a chaser. Small theater. Mostly full of con goers. A good Trek movie with a good spread to the ensemble. Felt like Trek. Hopeful. Pulling together to live by ideals. Doing the better thing. Yeah, so glad I got to see it there.

So, here we are. Con is over.

Pictures.
https://goo.gl/photos/fdaoiRBNE83VKRae6

Eid Mubarak

fresne — Wed, 06 Jul 2016 18:24:01 GMT

Here's my annual entry for Eid fic. Red Wool Sky. Focusing on the life/ romance of Shah Hussain and Hadho Lal.

So many sorrows and violence over the weekend. and yet, we sent a spaceship the size of a tennis court to Jupiter. So, there is that.

Feeling acomplished

fresne — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:52:03 GMT

I was thinking about reading fic when I got up this morning and immediately was overwhelmed with Protestant guilt. It is actually a thing. It happens when I don't work on things. Guilt rests her clammy hand on my shoulder.

It's been three weeks since my last day at work. In that time I have:

-Applied for jobs, cuz I need one. Had one interview for a job I don't think I'll get. Very specific questions about the components of Agile, requests for examples of documentation showing I've PMed, which hmmm… the types of docs they were asking for would be proprietary. Considering making some projects up based on the following list. Also, a job I don't think I want. At least one description of controlled chaos when it's not chaos chaos. So, only better than the previous job in that there's no crazy boss. Anyway, good practice. It occurred to me that I haven't actually gone through the interview process in a very long time. As of today, I'll start talking to contracting agencies when they call. But I have some ideas for materials to put together for the lower bar contracting interviews.

-Got a library card and been looking through errr… fun books on Javascript, PMBOK, etc. Okay and one book on Sumerian symbolism.

-Cleaned the garage. That took three days, and on day one I walked 34k steps (because you know tracker). This was the start of the area behind the garage looking like a disaster as I moved things we don't want like extra venetian blinds for the blinds we don't have, or the 24 gallon cans of paint, and 20ish pint cans of paint. BTW none of which were colors in our house. It's just what happens when two color happy people move in with another adult and they bring gallon paint cans with them into a house that already has a store of them in the large garage. I also hung the tools on the tool board. I'm ridiculously pleased about that. Still pondering that the bicycles that are blocking my access to the power tools.

-Donated paint. Turns out that's a thing and I did it.

-Went to the hazardous chemicals dump to get rid of random hazardous stuff (bulbs, paint, how old is this cleaner?, etc.). You have to make an appointment, and go there during the week, which is why we've had stuff sitting in the garage from the last time we cleaned it. We do actually go through a section of the garage each year. This year I was just a bit more in depth and thorough.

-Built some shelves specifically for cook books. Cook books being somewhat taller than your average hardcover, and the previous shelves were built for hardcover height. Now those shelves will move to support craft supplies, which have been sitting on gradually bending plastic shelves. Stained the new shelves to match the room. Moved the books in the morning and then sat there drinking tea to see if K would notice that she can now see her cookbooks.

-Got a new clicker for the front gate. A joint project. With much looking up things on the internet and muttering.

-Cleaned/organized the office. That's largely done, but the shredding is ongoing. We've had a bit of a problem since we moved in that the office was the last space that was filled in and it's been kind of a mess for 5 years. There were all sorts of things that don't need to be in the house. With the garage cleaned, I could move them out to the garage, which is why I started there. All sorts of old papers that need shredding. That I can only do in fits and bursts, as the shredder gets hot and needs a break. In any case, I've gotten to file several things already as they come in. Feels wonderful.

-Cleaned my closet. I just sort of threw things in there when we moved in and it's been a bit of a disaster exploding onto the floor or my room ever since. Here's hoping I can keep my floor. Also one might get the impression I have a lot of shoes. It's just I keep not throwing the dead ones away.

-Arranged for electricians to redo… a bunch of things. Fixing a messed up plug in K&P's room (the impetus of all this. Please to not be burning down the house with old wiring). Grounding. New under cabinet kitchen lights that work as opposed to only providing mood lighting. New lights in the garage that work as opposed to flickering also in a moody way. Working lights are awesome. It meant I could take down the Christmas lights and dangling bulbs I've been using in the garage. The best is the simplest, which we never got around to. Swapping the two switches for the hall/kitchen lights. They never made logical sense and five years in we always would switch the wrong one. We keep laughing each time we flip a switch. This meant clearing things in K&P's room to get access to the walls, clearing the office (already accomplished by organizing/cleaning the room), clearing my room (accomplished by cleaning my room), clearing the kitchen counters (and then got to clean what's under that), and sigh moving all the books in the library. We have… a lot of books. A LOT of books. They are now all reshelved.

-Patched all the holes in the walls resulting from electrical work and gotten a quart can of the paint that is actually on our walls. Painting hasn't happened yet. But it can.

-Sold some books. I know gasp. We did a good pass when we moved here five years ago. But there were still a number of books that on reflection… well, let's just say the non-con phase of 70s/80s Romance novels goodbye. This meant I could move the poetry into the library. Dante Aligheri is on the shelves. Not stuck in the office where I never think to pull him down and just read a bit.

-Also, burned/sold some music CDs, because there are boxes of the things in the garage. Still are, but less of them. The CDs of PC games, not so sellable.

-Arranged for the garage to be tented. There are termites. No structural damage, but termites. So, I climbed onto the roof and clipped all the plants touching the garage. Ah, hanging off the roof of the garage is always its own special delight. On the plus side, great core workout.

-Put a new doorknob on the garage. We haven't had a key the entire time we've been here. We've been locking it from the inside and relied on access to a clicker. This was a joint project, because I always want 3 hands when replacing a door knob. But it's a requirement for tenting that they can prove you can't go in and breathe the gas.

-Once the library was back together, I moved the costumes normally stored in the garage into the library. Technically, I moved them in. Found out there were termites. Moved them out of the way of the electricians (once we decided the time was now) and then back into the library. We'll be going through the costumes soon and eliminating items we haven't worn in a decade (and many pounds) or so. Since we keep adding costumes, they've been bulging at the seams of their boxes for a few years now. Speaking of which,

-Made Isis wings. As in the goddess. When I was at Ashland this last March, I saw an amazing outfit on display for Cleopatra with these awesome wings, which I decided to make. I'll admit, I don't know how I'd have done them if I hadn't suddenly quit my job. They are, shall we say, complicated. There's a reticulated fan part at the wrist so I can extend the wings above my head or out, and feathers that hang down. Each piece is an individual feather, painted with all the various tiny tubs of blue, green and gold we had about. The fan is bolted at the top and then each feather has a spine using those little gardening flags that were in abundance in the garage. You'll see pictures when I'm done. That a on a little then switch to bigger projects project. They look pretty cool thus far. Very swoopy. On one hand, I've wondering about the cultural appropriation and on the other, dammit, I want to part of retaking the name from the thugs that currently get associated with an awesome goddess. In a small, swoopy, SDCC sort of way. I'll ease my guilt by explaining how to build them, maybe. With lessons learned. As there are a few things, I would have done differently if I'd realized. But that's Agile for you. Build. Stop. Analyze. Change the plan. Keep going.

Well, now I feel better. Perhaps I'll go work on a wing. Or read some fic over breakfast.

Also, I've begun plotting my Eid fic, which is good since that's soon. I haven't done much writing in the last month. Too busy organizing. Felt in a lot of ways like throwing away the old job day by day. Reconfiguring. Already loving/using a lot of what I've done.

As to the writing, I may have uncovered a novel length idea. Did you know there was a Mali emperor, who abdicated so he could sail across the Atlantic with 2000 ships to see what was on the other side? I didn't. That's just cool. And epic. So not a little story. I have switched to researching Shah Hussein instead.

Anyways, stopping now. Breakfast and fic awaits.

Super Heroes and other Buffalonious thoughts

fresne — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 00:06:54 GMT

I'm feeling nostalgic. I got into a brief discussion on someone else's LJ about Super Heroes. Supergirl. Buffy. Whether the twain should be considered together in this modern flood of super heroes.

So I went to they gym and typed up several thousand words, which then languished on my computer because *cough* real life. But... now that I am free to go back to it, I've posted on the ATPo Discussion board.

Because that's where meandering philosophical thoughts about Buffy must go to perch like so many cicadas and birds in the forest of thought.