well mannered frivolity is my middle name

Stuff I could share/post?

2020-12-05T20:36:46Z

Things I have recently typed up in emails for other people:

A Taemin (of SHINee) starter pack of music video & fannish links
A Thai BL Dramas starter/recs list
An EXO (very Kai-centric) starter pack of music video & fannish links

Would any of these be of interest to DW? Should I post them here?

VOTE!!!

</poll-24944> This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

Looking for me? I'm on Twitter. A LOT.

2020-12-05T04:40:43Z

Hi all. I've been thinking wistfully about DW lately and wondering what life was like over in these corners of social media. I wanted to wave hello.

I have to confess, the fannish version of me is pretty much living on Twitter these days. Who knew?! I thought I hated Twitter version of fandom, but then I didn't? I'm also over there as "paintedmaypole," if you're looking for me.

Fair warning, my life on Twitter is about 85% k-pop, 5% Chinese dramas with queer subtext, 5% other BL dramas, and 5% random chaos.

(Those numbers are wildly inaccurate and nonscientific. But, there's definitely a lot of k-pop in there.)

I'm also having thoughts about what its like to be fannish on Twitter vs. DW vs. Tumblr:

On Tumblr, I never felt connected to anyone. It was just an endless sea of reposted content. And, only about 45% of it felt like content I actually wanted to see. However, it was far easier to share and enjoy certain types of information. (Mainly, things that weren't text.)

On Twitter, I feel much more connected to people. And, I'm not sure there are that many real reasons why I should feel more connected to people there? Something about the interface and the use of text contributes to this, but I suspect a big part of it is that people are posting their own content so much of the time. Even when retweeting, when they add commentary the interface makes that commentary the first thing I see.

However, while I feel somewhat more connected to other users, I also keep my account public. Which means there are all sorts of things I never talk about. Or, if I do, it's information shared in the vaguest of ways.

The whole threaded tweet culture has definitely made it easier to have a slightly more nuanced conversation and it feels more organized and coherent than when we tried do have conversation on Tumblr. It's still imperfect though.

On Dreamwidth, obviously, you can talk in much longer batches. The interface makes it easier to start thinking things out with more care. And, of course, there are the comment threads, which allow for a more organized conversation in response.

There's an energy that's missing though. I'm trying to figure out what that is. I don't think it's simply a matter of the smaller social network and the quieter pace. That plays a role, is that all of it? I'm not sure. It could also have to do with the way that social networking sites like Twitter automatically add various types of news and events infiltrate your feed?

Or, maybe it has something to do with how specifically fannish my own DW network is. On Tumblr, a great deal of the energy on the platform also came from the mix of people/interests that would make their way into your dashboard. There was a greater element of productive chaos... if that makes any sense.

Having said all that, I also think there's a key outside factor influencing all my fannish social media use: Life, work, and actual down-time.

It can't be an accident that the moments when I think about and find time to come back to Dreamwidth are always the moments when I'm on break or nearly on a break from work. I seem to only be able to come back to DW in those moments where life starts to genuinely slow down and give me more time to breathe. Like right now, when the semester is starting to wrap up: Voila! A k8 appears! This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

How are you managing your audiobooks and podfic?

2020-04-06T03:23:06Z

In the past 1-2 years, Apple did a massive overhaul of iTunes and split off all the mechanisms for managing audiobooks into their Books app. For people who only ever buy audiobooks from the Apple store, this is probably fine-ish. (I have no idea. I'm guessing. I don't buy files from Apple.) However, the Books app is godawful for anyone who wants to listen to podfic or any kind of DRM free audiobook file.

With this change, iTunes won't even acknowledge my audiobook files anymore. I have been searching for a new way to manage my audiobooks and podfic for ages and I still haven't found a decent option. Does anyone have an audiobook manager they can recommend for Mac users? I need one that will let me manage the file metadata and that will connect with my iPhone. Essentially, I want something like Calibre or the Marvin app, but for audiobooks.

Alternatively, for anyone using the Books app, have you found a way to hack into it so that a) you can edit the file metadata and b) you can make it stop creating duplicate copies of each file in the Hidden Mac Library folder? Because, if I could figure out a workaround to these two things, I might be able to tolerate the Books app.

UGH. All of this is super annoying bullshit and it makes me hella grumpy. Everything worked fine before and now trying to listen to an audiobook has become an epic and annoying trial.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

paintedmaypole @ 2020-03-23T23:30:00

2020-03-24T03:51:07Z

Okay, stole this meme from jo_lasalle. :)

FIFTY QUESTIONS!

1. What is the colour of your hairbrush? I do not own one! I do have a purple comb that I never use.
2. Name a food you never ever eat? Lima beans.
3. Are you typically too warm or too cold? Too warm. Perpetually.
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Answering work emails and attempting to calm down students.
5. What is your favourite candy bar? Does a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup count?
6. Have you ever been to a professional sports event? Several.
7. What is the last thing you said out loud?
8. What is your favourite ice cream? Oreo! And, Ben and Jerry is making a non-dairy version that's really good.
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Vanilla Cream Ale
10. Do you like your wallet? I adore it. It's Korean and totally wacky and it will die one day and I WILL BE SO SAD.
11. What was the last thing you ate? Leftover pizza.
12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend? Nope.
13. The last sporting event you watched? Hmm. I watched my partner watch college football a little while ago. Does that count?
14. What is your favourite flavour of popcorn? Kettle corn!
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? My partner. Who was in the other room. LOL.
16. Ever go camping? When I was younger I went camping all the time! I miss it a lot.
17. Do you take vitamins? I do, because I never get enough daylight and its bad enough that my doctor tells me to.
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? No. I did when I was a kid, but then I went to college and became an atheist.
19. Do you have a tan? I used too when I biked all the time! Now, alas, I do not.
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? I like both, but I like Japanese and Korean food more than either.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Not really a soda drinker, unless its tonic and involves gin.
22. What colour socks do you usually wear? My sock collection has gotten totally bland! It seems to always be grey, black, and navy these days.
23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit? Heh. I do not drive. So, no.
24. What terrifies you? Having to taking care of my dad as he declines.
25. Look to your left, what do you see? A beige colored wall with art on it.
26. What chore do you hate the most? Cleaning the bathroom.
27. What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent? Daisy Wentham!!
28. What’s your favourite soda? Birch Beer
29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Typically, I go in.
30. What is your favourite number? I... do not know! I've never thought of this. 3? 3 is a nice number!
31. Who's the last person you talked to? The Robot. (aka my partner)
32. Favourite cut of beef? Lol. I have no idea. Whatever kind they serve at good Korean barbecue
33. Last song you listened to? Taemin, "Sayonara Hitori"
35. Favourite day of the week? Saturday.
36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Dear lord. No.
37. How do you like your coffee? Hipstery, over priced, and with almond milk and sugar.
38. Favourite pair of shoes? I've got a pair of Clarks at the moment I'm pretty happy with.
39. Time you normally go to bed? 12am - 2am.
40. Time you normally get up? Depends 7am - 11am.
41. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets? Sunset!
42. How many blankets on your bed? Depends on where I am and what kind of blanket. I'm always too warm at night, but I also like weight on me.
43. Describe your kitchen plates? Fiestaware!
44. Do you have a favourite alcoholic beverage? Gin and tonic. Or, moscow mule.
45. Do you play cards? I mean... does playing Exploding Kittens count?
46. What colour is your car? I have no car. But the car of my heart is the batmobile. So, black with red pinstripes.
47. Can you change a tire? On a bike!
48. Your favourite state city? Tokyo and Kyoto are pretty amazing. I also really like Boston.
49. Favourite job you’ve ever had? Being a camp counselor was pretty fun. I'd love my current job, if it wasn't also exhausting.
50. How did you get your biggest scar? Getting a large birthmark removed badly.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

k-pop binging: 2010 - 2020 (p3 of 3)

2020-01-04T05:56:58Z

Okay! I posted part one and part two last week (ish), now on to part three.

This part almost feels unfair to me. Basically, this is a wall of recs from 2017-2019. Also, I'm incapable limiting my Taemin recs. Yes, there are things that I love from 2017-2019 that aren't on here, but I suspect these tracks also bumped some earlier stuff off the list unfairly. It's just that THEY ARE SO GOOD. I'm sure I feel that way, in part, because they're just more current and I definitely have a "type" of pop music I'm into at the moment and these reflect that. However, I also think it's just because the production for k-pop has just gone up and up in recent years.

So, here they are, the last batch of k-pop tunes that I listened to on repeat, incessantly, over the period of 2010-2020. (Again, with apologies to the artists who got crowded off the list due to all these recent/amazing tunes.)

Favorite K-Pop songs of 2010-2020, part 3 of 3 (in semi-chronological order):

Eighteen: TAEMIN EVERYTHING!!!
I'm just going to start by saying that, seriously, I rec everything Taemin does solo. These songs are amazing. His dancing is amazing. His voice is amazing. I am ridic crazy about this dude. However, if I was forced to limit my recs to 4 and put them in order, I would state the following. (Please note: 2014's "Danger" is the track that made me fall in love. It's also what made me finally pay more attention to Shinee.)

TAEMIN 태민, "MOVE" (2017)

Bonus rec: Check out the alternate performance version of "Move" that he does with choreographer Koharu Sugawara. Holy shit. That woman is stunning. The two of them together makes my brain stop working.)

TAEMIN 태민, "WANT" (2019)
JFC, this boy wants to kill me.

TAEMIN 태민, "괴도 (Danger)" (2014)
This is the song that made me fall in love. Hard. I have danced around the apartment to this song approximately a gazillion times.

TAEMIN, "Famous" (2019)
If you think this sounds like Japanese and not Korean, you are correct! This is from one of Taemin's Japanese albums. Because, if you're a mega k-pop star, you speak multiple languages and have Japanese albums.

Okay, I will force myself to move on now. Just know that it's hard for me.

Nineteen: BTS (방탄소년단), "DNA" (2017)
I never disliked BTS, but I wasn't crazy about them the way some others were. Their singles didn't make it into my regular rotation until "DNA" came out.

Honorable Mention for BTS: BTS (방탄소년단), "Make It Right (feat. Lauv)" (2019)
I could rec "작은 것들을 위한 시 (Boy With Luv) feat. Halsey," but honestly no. This is song I adore from this album. Also, random aside, there are multiple versions of this song where they have varying balances of English and Korean lyrics. If you hear this song other places, try and listen to see when/where they use English or Korean. The variance is fascinating.

Twenty: TVXQ! 동방신기, "Truth" (2018)
I could rec a lot of different TVXQ tracks. (They've been around for 15+ years!!) Their earlier stuff is gloriously over the top and I adore it. But, man, the newer releases have been amazing.

Bonus rec: U-Know's "City Lights" is an amazing slow-jam.

Twenty One: 1TEAM, "Make This" (2019)
1TEAM is brand new. They formed in 2019 and this is one of their first singles. It is SO FUCKING GOOD.

Twenty Two: 강다니엘 (KANG DANIEL), "뭐해 (What are you up to)" (2019)
Kang Daniel is really interesting. He managed to get out of his contract with LM Entertainment and formed his own company, Konnect. I'm really curious to see where he goes in the next few years.

Honorable Mention for Daniel Kang: 강다니엘 (KANG DANIEL), "TOUCHIN' (2019)"

Twenty Three: MAMAMOO (마마무), "HIP" (2019)

Twenty Four: TXT (투모로우바이투게더), "Cat & Dog" (2019)
Tomorrow X Together are babies. They jusssst debuted this year. This song is addictive though.

OMG, I'M DONE. (Here are links to part one and part two.)

You know what's not anywhere on this list? Jopping. OMG, I haaaaaaaate that song. How can they put Taemin, Kai, and Ten in the same "super group" and then make that the first single?! UGH.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

k-pop binging: 2010 - 2020 (p2 of 3)

2020-01-04T04:02:40Z

Okay! I posted part one last week, now on to part two...

Here are the k-pop tunes I listened to on repeat, incessantly, over the period of 2010-2020. With apologies to the artists who got crowded off the list due to a bevy of recent and amazing tunes.

Favorite K-Pop songs of 2010-2020, part 2 of 3 (in semi-chronological order):

Ten: EXO 엑소, '으르렁 (Growl)' (2013)

Honorable mention for EXO: 'CALL ME BABY' (2015)

Eleven: 4MINUTE, 미쳐(Crazy) (2015)

Twelve: GOT7, "If You Do(니가 하면)" (2015)

Thirteen: SHINee 샤이니, 'View' (2015)
OH GOD. Picking a single Shinee song WAS SO HARD. And yet... not that hard? My criteria for this list was it had to be a song I listened to incessantly over the past 10 years. As much as I love other Shinee songs,* this is the one that was forever on repeat.

Fourteen: Wonder Girls, "Candle" (2015)
My favorite Wonder Girls song never got a music video. There were some live performances recorded, but they don't sound nearly as good. So, this is just the audio track. It's so retro-80s and SO GOOD.

Honorable Mention for Wonder Girls: "I Feel You" (2015)

Fifteen: BLACKPINK, '휘파람'(WHISTLE)' (2016)

Sixteen: JONGHYUN 종현, '좋아 (She is)' (2016)

Honorable Mention for Jonghyun: '빛이 나 (Shinin’)' (2018)

Seventeen: MOBB, '빨리 전화해 Feat. KUSH(HIT ME)' (2016)
It's just. So. Damn. Bouncy. I. Love. It.

That's part two! Links to: Part one and Part three.

*Okay, I'm sneaking in a plug for Shinee's "Married to the Music" (2015). This music video is so wackadoodle and amazing.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

It is December and I have fallen hard, so hard, down the Untamed rabbit hole.

2019-12-21T22:31:19Z

For those of you who aren't following me on Twitter,* my life has basically been taken over by The Untamed. Like, oh, A LOT of other people in fandom.

Seriously, if you haven't watched this Chinese Drama, you should really consider it. (It's on Netflix!!) The production value on it is notably high too, which might make for a smoother transition for folks who are new to Asian dramas or who tried them previously and didn't quite like it.

(Although, to be fair, the production value for k-drama has been way higher for a while. I feel like it's more that the c-dramas seem to be catching up fast right now. )

Also, for the record, arallara has gotten totally obsessed with it now too. Which just makes me cackle with glee every time I think of it. (Can I take responsibility for her fall? I think I can? But I'm not sure. Others may have helped.)

I'm also trying to vid The Untamed and this is my first time working with a TV show, let alone a TV show with 50 episodes. Making the clips is taking F.O.R.E.V.E.R.

My life is basically 90% work and then the rest is me collapsing in a heap with wine (or a gin and tonic) and watching The Untamed. It's a life. I'm not sure its the best possible life, but it's working okay for me in the short term. ;)

* or Tumblr, but I'm there a lot less.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

k-pop binging: 2010 - 2020 (p1 of 3)

2019-12-21T22:30:53Z

A few weeks ago, when Spotify put out its cute little year and decade in review recaps for Spotify users, a GRIEVOUS OMISSION OCCURRED. Spotify neglected to note my k-pop listening anywhere on my decade in review lists!!

Out of irritation, I immediately vowed to listen to nothing but k-pop for the rest of December. (Or, more accurately, I started listening to my k-pop playlist on Spotify, fell down an epic k-pop rabbit hole, and realized I was going to be listening to nothing but k-pop for the rest of the month.)

I also decided to put together my own k-pop favs of 2010-2020 list. Which has proven complicated.

Big Bang, 2NE1, Epik High, and Wonder Girls got me into k-pop. However, some of these tunes have not aged well and, while I have deep affection for them, would not go on my "best of" the decade list.*

GD&T.O.P.'s album is still a number one fav, but most official content has been removed from the internet due to a copyright fight with Playboy and content censorship.

In the past 3-5 years, k-pop has gotten really really really good. Like, how can 2010-2015 compete when you've got so much more production money flooding into k-pop now?

I want to try and limit myself to 10 tracks, but it's literally impossible. It is also impossible for me to limit myself to only one Taemin or Kang Daniel rec. So, the list is proving much larger than originally intended.

But, with those disclaimers in mind... Here are the k-pop tunes I listened to on repeat, incessantly, over the period of 2010-2020. With apologies to the artists who got crowded off the list due to a bevy of recent and amazing tunes.

Favorite K-Pop songs of 2010-2020, part 1 of 3 (in semi-chronological order):

One: GD&TOP - "High High" (2010)

Honorable GD&TOP mentions:
"Don't Go Home" aka possibly the cutest music video to ever be banned for immoral messages. (2010)

"Knock Out" (2010)

Two: 2NE1 - "내가 제일 잘 나가(I AM THE BEST)" (2011)
I can't tell how well this ages, I still love it though.

Three: Trouble Maker - "Trouble Maker" (2011)
This single was part of a brief but awesome collaboration between Hyunseung and Hyuna.

Four: Ailee - "U&I" (2013)
Ailee's voice is amazing. She's a Korean-American that went to try her luck in South Korea's music industry.

Five: Sunmi (선미) - "24 hours (24시간이 모자라)" (2013)
Oh this song. I was obsessed with it for most of 2013-2014. This is a bop.

Six: Miss A - "Hush" (2013)

Seven: Orange Caramel - "까탈레나 (Catallena)" (2014)
The world needs more Orange Caramel. Just watch this and feel happy. Yes, they are dancing sushi. GO WITH IT.

Eight: Hi Suhyun (ft. Bobby) - "나는 달라 (I'm Different)" (2014)
Another brief collaboration. This time between Lee Hi and Lee Su-hyun (from Akdong Musician). This song is adorable.

Nine: Amber (Feat. 태연 (소녀시대)) - "Shake That Brass" (2015)
Even if f(x) didn't make it onto my favs list, Amber had to go on it somewhere! Amber is Taiwanese-American and also made her way into k-pop.

Links to: Part two and Part three.

*Mostly, I mean 2NE1 and Big Bang didn't always age well.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

Endgame: Vague Thoughts/Reactions/Enthusiasm

2019-04-30T10:39:23Z

OMG! MOG! GMO! OMG!

SO MANY AVENGERS ENDGAME FEELINGS!!!!

First, to get the important things out of the way.
1) I LOVED IT.
2) Yes, fat joke with Thor was stupid and annoying.
3) My only other gripe is that Coulson wasn't at the funeral.
4) Otherwise, I LOVED IT.

I'm actually a little afraid to check in with other fans about Endgame, particularly slashers. I have a feeling that a lot of Bucky fans aren't going to be as happy with this movie as I am. It's like the divide between fans who enjoyed Civil War and the fans that didn't. I loved Civil War, but I know a lot of Bucky/Stucky fans who were less than pleased with it.

So, with that disclaimer regarding other people's feelings in place, here are my current thoughts/reactions...

The thing is, there was a really predictable route to this movie. It was: Fight to get the stones back, follow the classic 3-act/escalating conflict movie structure, then get the green time stone and use it to reset and save the dead people.

I think a part of why I so enjoyed this movie was that it actually managed to surprise me! Yes, at its core, it was still basically a fight to get the stones back. However, I genuinely was not expecting all that time travel. Or, for the time travel to not simply be related to the getting green power stone.

Maybe that's silly on my part, but using the green/time stone seemed like such an obvious route and I figured they'd just do that. Instead, we get the rat that saved half the universe bringing Scott Lang back! We get Tony, Pepper, and Morgan Potts! We get... I love you times 3000.

I just feel so relieved and kinda touched by the way they managed to wrap this up. The way they handled the time travel did such a lovely job at being retrospective and giving fans a taste of the past moments/arcs. It was so nice to revisit Manhattan and to go back to Thor's mom and Jane. It really felt like everyone had their moment of wrap-up/resolution. Hawkeye continues to be massively underserved by the MCU, but his story mattered in the sense that it mattered to Natasha and got us to that gut-wrenching fight at Vormir. I live in hope that the Hawkeye TV series may actually resemble the Matt Fraction and David Aja run of the comics.

Ultimately, I just felt really satisfied by the way they a) wrapped up Natasha, Steve, and Tony and b) set up for Sam. And, let's be real, other than the Clint/Coulson ship in my head, those four (and maybe Darcy) have always been the characters I connected with the most.

The other thing this movie helped me to remember was where this franchise began in "phase one." In particular, it helped me remember that all this began with Tony Stark. When this franchise began I was two things: 1) a clint/coulson shipper and 2) a steve/tony shipper. When Bucky came back in Winter Soldier, we were in the phase one to phase two transition. It was an interesting moment in fandom and in the franchise. That Steve/Tony vibe just went away. At that point, we'd had the three Iron Man movies and the franchise was moving on. Equally important, we'd just been through a major economic recession. Technically, it was over in 2009, but most people were (are!) still dealing with its effects. At this point, I think Tony's excess and bravado was a lot less palatable and, with Nationalism, paranoia, and Trump-politics on the rise, Steve's earnest patriotism was very appealing.

In phase two, the emphasis was much more on the interplay between Steve, Natasha, Sam, and Bucky. Tony absolutely showed up and played an important role, but Steve took on the leadership role, both in the Avengers and in the franchise. During phase two and phase three, Tony became more of a foil for Steve and his priorities.

Now, here we are at the end of phase three, and Tony is back at the center of the action again. Only, he's also back as the hero making the sacrifice. And, that just feels right to me. It feels right on a practical level (aka RDJ getting old) and on the level of story (aka, bringing the 22 movie arc back, full circle, to Tony).

For Steve, his ending didn't feel quite as tidy to me, but I thought it worked at that it made sense. He's already "died" for the cause. It feels right that his ending is that he gets to live into old age. I didn't love the way they just brought Peggy back as a love-interest/bonus gift, but I'm resigned to it. I'm not shocked that they couldn't manage more there.

I have to say, I went to the movie and sat through it just fine-- perfectly stoic, no tears!-- until one critical moment. When Steve hands Sam the shield, the tears just started flowing. SAM! The SHIELD! And, OMG Sam's BEARD?!?!?

Other things I loved:
Steve + Thor's Hammer
AMERICA'S ASS
Jarvis cameo!!
Natasha and Clint at Vorimir
"I can go all day." "I know."
LOKI!
Fully actualized Bruce "The Hulk" Banner.

My main gripe:
Wait... you could get the kid from Iron Man 3 back for the funeral, but you couldn't get Coulson?!?!?!?

Those are my current and fairly disorganized thoughts on the film. I need to see it again. Multiple times.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

fun with fanvids

2019-03-29T05:57:22Z

Oooooo. How did I miss this when it first came out?!?! There are some gorgeous edits in this.

Dangerous by gwyn [DW Post, AO3 link]
Fandom: MCU, bucky/steve
Song: "Dangerous" (Sebu Remix), Big Data

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

my fannish weaknesses

2019-03-27T07:30:10Z

There was a conversation at Escapade this year about the diminishing use of the term "slash." (See link for a recap.) In this and another panel, there were conversations about what identifying as a "slasher" has meant at various times across the past 40+ years.

Remember when, ages back, there used to be fights over whether something could even be "slash" if the couple was already canon? And now, here we are, watching ship wars fought over what gets to be canon.

Speaking for myself, part of the joy of slash has always been the charge and energy that came with the act of slashing something. Historically, for me, "slashing" implied queering a text, sexing up a text, and playing with a canon. While I never only read fic for pairings that weren't canon, that project of reading into/against a text has certainly been a big part of the fun.

All of this is to say, at Escapade lola conspired to introduce me to Guardian. (Which, I mean, let's be real. I'm a very easy target for that show.) And, of course, in the month since Escapade, I have watched every episode, watched multiple meta and explanatory videos on YouTube, and started reading the translation of the original BL novel on Wattpad.

The thing is, for me, at least 50% of the appeal of Guardian is the fact that the Guardian I'm a fan of doesn't exist outside of fanon. It will always be this censored webseries that references the original BL novel just enough to be both maddening and fascinating. It's like Yuri on Ice, where the show can't actually directly show anything, but everyone making and watching the thing knows exactly what's happening. With Yuri on Ice, I found that experience more frustrating. However, that act of not showing it, the dodge, is a huge part of what makes Guardian so compelling to me.

For me, the next 50% of Guardian's magic comes from the other ways that censorship policies have altered the story. The original novel is about Chinese gods, mythical figures/tropes, and the supernatural. Many of these are things that can't be shown on television. So, instead of ghosts we get aliens. Instead of powerful monks to fight the supernatural enemies, we get scientists concocting things in labs. And, most importantly, we get a whole different context for the first meeting of our two male protagonists.

All of this means that the web series is riddled with holes and inconsistencies. Which means its a brilliant text for fans to work with. There are so many strange gaps to fill or glitches to explain. There are 10,000 years of fictional history to play in and the fact that the canon is a heavily modified adaptation means it is already inherently an AU. It feels tailor-made to be fannish about. At least, it does for me. :D

I'm comparing my experience with Guardian to my experience with my current favorite TV show, The Magicians. The Magicians is queer, it has characters and friendships I adore, but I have no real interest in slashing anyone on the show. If I was going to write fic about The Magicians, it would probably be gen fic exploring things we don't get to see/know. Or epic side-plots where Margo and Elliot go off together and just feel exasperated with everyone and everything in Fillory.

All of this is reminding me how much power there is incomplete and/or unfulfilling canon. I'm not saying I don't want my pairings to be canon-- I have several pairings I follow which are technically canon. However, if I'm going to read/write fic, I think I need the canon to be missing something and for the fic to be filling the gap.

This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

Escapade 2019 Debrief!

2019-03-25T22:57:55Z

Belated Escapade 2019 post! As always, a fabulous time was to be had at Escapade this year. If you didn't come, you should come next time. :)

Alas, life was complicated and I didn't get a vid together in time for this year's vid show. However, there was an ABUNDANCE of vids this year. They coudn't fit all of them into the main vid show! That was awsoeme.

I was a co-mod on three panels this year. As per usual, I'm on a campaign to get everyone to take panel notes in sharable Google Docs and used my modding powers to make this happen! So, instead of trying to write a con report (which my brain is incapable of), I'm going to list the panel descriptions below and link to the Google Docs with the panel notes in them.

Panel Notes Escapade 2019:*

</strong>Fandom Post-Slash?</strong>
Mods: Aral & k8
In an era of "ships" and #pairing #tags on Tumblr and AO3, has the "slash" label lost its meaning? Same-gender pairings are as popular as ever and fans still ID pairings with a virgule between the names, but how many fans still call m/m and f/f slash or femslash? How many fans still identify as "slashers?" Traditionally, Het and slash were opposing binaries which few fans crossed. Are these barriers breaking down? What purpose has the term "slash" served? Has fandom moved past it and, if so, what does that mean?

Is the Fannish Gift Economy Passé?
Mods: Aral, k8, & Megan
One component of the recent AO3 wank involved the idea that fanfiction authors should be allowed to solicit financial compensation through their fanwork pages. The idea of fandom as a gift economy has shaped fan activity and fandom communities for decades, and has been used as part of a justification for fanfiction's legality. But fan artists have also routinely sought compensation for their work during that same period of time, and the internet has only made that easier. Will more and more fanfiction writers also begin writing for commission, or setting up financial support subscriptions? Is the idea of the fannish gift economy becoming passé?

Representation Matters But Purity Wank Sucks
Mods: Aral & k8
The months of discussion during Racefail 2009 helped fandom come to a more nuanced understanding of the politics of representation. We know representation matters, we argue continually for better representation of marginalized identities in our tv shows and movies because we know that the images and stories we consume do affect us and do impact society. But calls to ban underage fic and redefining it as "pedophilia" are the worst kind of purity wank. So can we have a more nuanced conversation about underage and age differences and power imbalances that doesn't rely on denying that art can possibly affect us personally or affect society politically?

Feel free to share these notes and/or leave comments on them. (Particularly if something got mangled in translation.)

*Quick note to our valiant notetakers. Some of you worked INCREDIBLY hard to track the names/pseudonyms of all the speakers, but Escapade asks that speakers not be identified on social media. So, to honor that policy, I went in and cleared out any identifying names. Thank you for your noble efforts nonetheless.

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Voltron amendment #2!

2019-01-10T00:43:43Z

Okay, adding another Voltron amendment.

YOU GUYS! It actually got really good! Seasons 4-8 were totally solid and enjoyable.

So, here's the metric you can use to track my emotional engagement in the series. (At least, this is the metric The Robot has used as he watches me watch the show.) I've been working on puzzles and marathoning Voltron for a couple of weeks.

Stage one (first season): I am so *not* into Voltron that I actively stop puzzling to see if I can just fast forward through episodes and only watch the bits with Keith, Shiro, or Pidge in them.

Stage two (late first season - second season): Fast forwarding is kinda hard and distracting me from puzzles. Instead, I just focus on puzzle number one, let Voltron keep autoplaying, and ignore the annoying Hunk-related fat jokes as much as possible.

Stage three (start of season three): I finish puzzle one and start working on puzzle two just as Lotor is showing up. At this point, I inform The Robot, "I don't think I'd still be watching this if I didn't have a puzzle to work on, but I'm starting to be less and less annoyed by it!"

Stage four (season five): I achieve perfect balance between puzzle #2 and Voltron watching.

Stage five (season six): I'm trying to finish this puzzle, but Voltron keeps distracting me.

Stage six (starting season seven): Okay, let's pause and finish this puzzle so I can watch Voltron.

Stage seven (end of season seven): Maybe I'll just work on this third puzzle a little-- NOPE, too distracting. Puzzles are officially on hold. We are just sitting here and watching Voltron.

In conclusion #1: Puzzles are wonderful, but sometimes you need to pay full attention to what's happening on your television screen.

In conclusion #2: That was DEFINITELY the epic love story of Keith and Shiro. (And why are people kerfuffling about that again? I'm assuming this is another ship war thing disguised as purity wank?) This entry was originally posted on Dreamwidth here and has comments. Feel free to comment in either place.

okay, quick Voltron amendment

2019-01-08T05:20:22Z

I need to make an amendment to my earlier comments on Voltron. Seasons one and two were kinda meh, but things have definitely picked up in seasons three through six. I'm mid-way through season six now, we'll see if this holds up.

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the cartoons, they are calling to you

2019-01-05T21:37:45Z

Much of my holiday break has been focused on rereading whatever bruce/dick fic I can find and on watching various forms of animation. First, The Robot and I started watching She-Ra and Voltron. Then I went with a bunch of folks to see Spiderman: Into to the Spiderverse.

She-Ra and Spiderman are AMAZING and if you haven't watched them yet you are missing out on life. Spiderman is beautifully animated and visually gorgeous. She-Ra is an adorable and wonderful ball of rainbows. Can I be Glimmer when I grow up? Because I want to be her.

I'm having more mixed feelings about Voltron. I'm all the way into season three now. I completely get the slash potential of Shiro and Keith and I am 100% into that. However, the actual show has been kinda disappointing. The story picked up a bit towards the middle and end of seasons one and two. However, the most of the characters are really annoying me. I basically hate everyone except Shiro, Keith, and Pidge. (Sorry, thissugarcane!!!) It just feels like lazy writing a lot of the time. Which is kinda annoying because they have a fun universe to play in and I think they could try harder.

Having said that, I would TOTALLY read the hell out of some Keith/Shiro fic and if anyone wants to send recs my way, that would be much appreciate it.

Please tell me there's a fic out there where Keith and Shiro keep telling everyone in very serious voices that they're going to FORM A CLOSER BOND with their lions when they're actually just going off to bang a lot. That has to exist, right?

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for the honor of greyskull!

2018-12-23T10:24:40Z

OMG, the new She-Ra cartoon is the CUTEST THING EVER.

Princess Glimmer and Bo are kinda my favs and the transformation sequence feels like an epic Sailor Moon homage. Look!

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Fandom Timeline(s)

2018-12-18T10:08:08Z

A bunch of people have been posting their fannish histories. With the help of my Pinboard bookmarks, I'm going to attempt the same. I've always been fairly multi-fannish so be prepared for multiples.

BEFORE THE INTERNET & FIC (aka, pre-1996): Obsessed with Babylon 5, Deep Space 9, Sailor Moon, X-Files, My So-Called Life, Time Trax, Nowhere Man, Highlander, Due South, Forever Knight.

k8 DISCOVERS THE INTERNET (aka, 1996-1997, goes to college, finds fandom online BUT MAYBE NO FIC YET??): Sailor Moon (lots of image downloads of Haruka/Michiru jpegs), possibly discovers alt.xfiles.creative in early 1997. (Unclear, might have been 1998.)

k8 DEFINITELY DISCOVERS FIC (aka, 1997-1998, I have a solo dorm room and college is heavily ignored in favor of fic reading): Sailor Moon (Haruka/Michiru, Kunzite/Zoisite), X-Files (mostly Mulder/Krycek), Highlander (Duncan/Methos), some Voyager (Kim/Paris, Chakotay/Paris) and Due South.

1998: Mostly X-Files, with other things (see above) thrown in. New additions: some Gundam Wing (Heero/Quatre), Homicide (Bayliss/Pembleton), Buffy (Spike/Xander), a touch of Smallville here and there.

1999: I get stoned and write some secret Krycek fic that is never ever seeing the light of day, if it even still exists.

2001: LJ happens. Popslash (lots of Chris/Lance, but lots of everyone else too). I start writing/sharing fic.

2003 (ish): Popslash still going strong, adding in Harry Potter (Remus/Sirius, some Harry/Snape, Draco/Harry), Lord of the Rings RPS starts to bubble up somewhere around here. I'm writing popslash and LotRPS.

2005: LotRPS basically takes over my life. Supernatural (Dean/Sam) is happening too (I write a TINY bit), some Alias (Sark/Sydney-- gasp! het!).

2006-2008: Mostly Stargate Atlantis (McKay/Sheppard), Torchwood (Ianto/Jack), and SPN and Jared/Jensen. Continuing with LotRPS and Harry Potter (adding in Draco/Neville). There's an uptick in batverse (Bruce/Dick) and DCverse (Kon/Tim) fic during this period too.

[Side note: 2000 - 2009, I'm also watching a TON of asian dramas, anime, and bollywood in the background. Just not doing much fic. Also, I start grad school in 2006 and my writing starts to taper off.]

2008: Bandom fic starts to sneak in. Castiel happens.

2009: Bandom hits hard. SO HARD. Castiel/Dean is raging. Merlin starts to sneak in. I discover that someone has actually written DS9 Bashir/Garak and read basically all of it. Torchwood is still hanging in there.

2010: Star Trek reboot gifts us with an abundance of Kirk/Spock and Pine/Quinto. Bandom, Merlin, DC Comics, SPN, all still happening.

2011: I briefly dally with Inception. Flitting about in Bandom, Merlin, SPN, Star Trek. Suits premiers and I get really into Harry/Mike for a short period, until...

Early 2012: Early in the year MCU happens and Steve/Tony takes over my life. (Some X-Men Charles/Erik and Sherlock fic lurk in the background.) By Spring, I've spent a week doing nothing but read Clint/Coulson fic and am now pretty equally obsessed with Steve/Tony and Clint/Coulson. (Clint/Darcy ain't bad either.)

Late 2012: TEEN WOLF HAPPENS.

2016-17: Some MCU Sam/Steve starts to sneak in. (When I can actually find it and it's not just a tease leading up to epic Bucky/Steve-- which is definitely/mostly not my thing.)

Today: Mostly flailing, reading m/m romance, and missing Derek Hale.

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The Verdict

2018-12-14T21:43:28Z

For the record, the Christmas tree election results came in decidedly ANTI tree. (Although, there were some lovely alternatives offered.) I'm amused. We are all very concerned about cleaning pine needles.

In an ominous twist of fate, the store with the little trees seems to have stopped selling them. I think this means I'm not doing a tree this year. ;)

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paintedmaypole @ 2018-12-11T20:42:00

2018-12-12T07:43:05Z

Do I pay $35 for a small Christmas tree that I'll only use from about now through 12/23? Or, do I save the money?

You can determine the fate of the kinda atheist but still Christmasy spirit of the k8 household!!

View poll: Christmas 2018

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Magicians season 4 trailer!!!!!

2018-12-08T12:04:14Z

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moar on Titans

2018-12-08T10:11:09Z

So, I made it to the Jason Todd episode. And, yes, predictably, I kinda hate Jason Todd on sight. (I know, I know, I'm a terrible person. But at least I'm consistent?)

MORE IMPORTANTLY. Can we talk about jealous ex-boyfriend Dick Grayson and his desperate need to be both away from Bruce Wayne while also not wanting any other Robin to be working with Bruce Wayne?

Because Bruce is all: He's just a sidekick! I will repress these feels!

And Dick is all: Your feeling repression is killing me. And killing us!

[And then at some point they banged, obvs. But that just made things worse.]

And Dick is like: Line in the sand! You will acknowledge this or I will LEAVE. [And then he attempts some sexy seducting.]

And Bruce is all: Oh god, I am THE WORST. You should leave!

[And then there's a sad departure montage as Robin 1.0 leaves and becomes a sad!detective. And Bruce is all ALONE in his mansion OF PAIN.]

[And then there's awkward replacement Robin aka Robin 2.0 aka Jason Todd. But, obvs, it is NOT THE SAME.]

And Bruce is all: Okay, maybe it is just Dick and I'm not a creepy creep but I have actual feelings?? [confused face, Bruce doesn't deal well with feelings.]

But then! Bruce goes to ~~spy~~ ~~stalk~~ check on Dick from a perch on a dark rooftop. And, of course, Dick is looking happy or something (or maybe merrily getting laid with a lady-person?) and then Bruce sees it and is all: I AM TOO LATE.

[But of course he thinks it's for the best and he deserves it, etc. And he just goes back to his batcave of pain and loneliness and attempts to make due with Robin 2.0. Which, of course, is not going to work because obvs only Robin 3.0 aka Tim Drake aka the BEST OF US is able to fix this EPIC MESS.]

SIGH.

Bruce/Dick is this pairing that is embedded so so deep in my heart. There's never been enough fic for it or enough of a fandom to sustain my needs for it, but every once in a while there's a moment where the need just. comes. roaring. back.

[Heads off to AO3 in hopes that something new and over 20k has magically been posted since the last time I looked.]

Actually, I'm also totally down for post-breakup Midnighter/Nightwing fic. Because, that is an amazing rebound pairing for both of them. Also, I like to think that after Midnighter and Apollo get back together-- because obvs the HAVE TO-- that there will still probably be some threesomes. I mean, why wouldn't Apollo want to get in on that?!

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I'm Predictable

2018-12-07T09:16:11Z

Finally caved and started watching Titans. Oh, Dick Grayson. What is this hold you have over me?!

ETA:
1. I'm rolling my eyes hard at this knife fight.

2. Who is this infant and why am I supposed to believe he's old enough to be a police detective?!

3. Wait... Wikipedia says the actor is 29. Does that mean he's actually old enough to be a detective? Also, the fact that I think he looks like an infant means that I'm officially old now, doesn't it?

4. Starfire's been on the screen for approximately 30 seconds and so far she's the most redeeming thing about this show.

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paintedmaypole @ 2018-11-02T16:34:00

2018-11-03T02:34:54Z

Sitting here listening to Panic at the Disco and thinking fondly of all of you. :)

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new vid! k8+therobot - "we're getting there"

2018-02-28T19:06:26Z

“I ain’t got
nothing to be scared of
no”

Beta thanks:
anoel, cathexys, lola, sisabet

Remixed Media:
Blur, “Ambulance,” Think Tank, 2003.
Rogue One, 2016.

Tumblr Reblog: http://apaintedmaypole.tumblr.com/post/171386272802

Second vid! Made for Escapade 2018. Concrit is quite welcome. :)

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Favorite Podcasts of 2017

2018-01-17T03:21:48Z

At the close of the year, I got the brilliant idea to try and compile a list of my favorite podcast episodes from 2017. By this I do not necessarily mean a list of my favorite podcasts. More specifically, I mean the episodes I keep thinking about or returning to.

First, an important podcast alert. A really good podcast serial is about to disappear. Andrew Wheeler's Valentin and the Widow has been picked up by a print publisher. He's going to take down all the episodes at the end of January. If you haven't listened to this serial already, I really recommend going and downloading it now, while you still can. (The website will call each series "audiobooks.")

My 2017 Favs List!!! This will, inevitably, be a very NPR-centric list. And yet, here it is:

Code Switch
Generally, Code Switch gives me hope for the universe. Specifically, this series of episodes was amazing:
- "Raising Kings: A Year of Love and Struggle at Ron Brown College Prep"
  Gorgeous, nuanced, complicated, painful, frustrating, fascinating... These are just some of the adjectives I'd apply to this special series of episodes from Code Switch.

S-Town
An eight part series from folks associated with This American Life. You've probably already heard of it, if you listen to podcasts. But, if you haven't, here are eight riveting episodes about the life of a complicated and fascinating man in rural Alabama.

Dirty John
Another popular one this year. This is a fascinating 6-part series on an abusive con-man and the people sucked into his orbit.

This American Life
Back in the late '90s and early '00s, I'd listen to TAL on NPR religiously. I'd tune in every Saturday afternoon and suck it up like a sponge. It's been on for so long now, and has new episodes so regularly, I'm actually a bit overwhelmed by it. I have a hard time keeping up. I also know the show's format well enough that I get a bit tired of it. (Gasp!) Still, when they're on their game, they're just brilliant. Here are my personal favorites from the past year. If you have recs for other 2017 episodes, I'd love to hear them. I just don't keep track of the show the way I used to and I know I've missed gems.
- White Haze
  A deep dive into Proud Boys and some of the groups/people circling around the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville.
- "The Revolution Starts At Noon"
  The (literal) start of the Trump Presidency. (The segment on the Deploraball is fascinating.)

Embedded
Embedded's most recent season was dedicated to deep dives into the history of Trump and the people around him. All of it was fascinating. Here are my two favorite episodes:
- "6 Lessons About Trump From Season 1 Of 'The Apprentice'"
- "How Steve Bannon's Time In Hollywood Changed Him"

More Perfect
- "Citizens United" - A deep dive into the role of Justice Kennedy in this case.
- Sex Appeal - RBG was awesome well before she was appointed to the supreme court.

Another Round
It's hard to pick individual favorites. I just like listening to Heben and Tracy hang out, be funny, and say smart things.
- "Is Cory Booker The Anne Hathaway Of Politics?" - The lengthiest interview with Cory Booker I've ever heard. Also, enjoyable.

Fresh Air
- "What Is Driving The 'Unbanking Of America'?" - Fascinating and nuanced look at payday lending. Prob my favorite episode of Fresh Air this year.
- "How The Systemic Segregation Of Schools Is Maintained By 'Individual Choices'" - Interview with journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones on parents' choices and the public school system.
- "A 'Forgotten History' Of How The U.S. Government Segregated America" - Interview with Richard Rothstein on his book The Color of Law. Really important history.
- "Author Says Hitler Was 'Blitzed' On Cocaine And Opiates During The War" - What the title said. Crazycakes and fascinating.
- "'What Would You Do?' Author Wants To Stop Sensationalizing The Donner Party" - What the title said. Interesting deep dive into the history.
- "Biden Talks Trump, Faith And Fate In Front Of A Live 'Fresh Air' Audience" - A needed antidote to Trump.

Here are the podcasts I listen to regularly:

More Perfect - Fascinating deep dives into the history of specific supreme court cases. I'm so obsessed with this podcast I gave them money.

The Bright Sessions - Serial storytelling, ongoing. Starts as individual therapy sessions with people with abilities. Gets more complicated. (Shout out to [Unknown LJ tag] for turning me on to this.)

Fresh Air - Fresh Air is a necessity in my life. I get a small 30-45 minute taste of so much good non-fiction research/reporting. I wish I had time to go and read all these books too, but at least this gets me a taste of them.

Another Round - I need Heben and Tracy in my life. They help keep me sane.

Embedded - Never not good.

Homecoming - Serial storytelling with an all-star cast. 12 episodes and counting.

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Aka, the NPR podcast for fangirls.

Code Switch - Another thing that I need in my life to stay sane.

New podcasts I'm trying in 2018:

The Daily - An expanded look into one NY Times story from the day's news.

On the Media Okay, not new to me AT ALL. But I stopped listening a few years ago. Trying again.

Nancy - From WNYC. I need more queer in my podcasts.

Rookie - From Rookie magazine. I want to hear what those kids are up too.

Thirst Aid Kit - I wasn't hooked by the first episode, but I do love Bim Adewunmi. And, if I keep listening, I know an episode dedicated to Chris Evans is coming.

Podcasts I stopped listening to or failed out of in 2017:

Call Your Girlfriend - I just can't anymore. Too much frustration and uncited/poorly researched information. Also, too much love of high priced products I can't afford and don't have any interest in.

2 Dope Queens - Love 'em, but I'm weird about comedy

WTF with Marc Maron - I'll go back if/when he interviews someone interesting. Just don't connect enough to stay subscribed.

Anything Crooked Media/Pod Save America related - Sorry. I know they're beloved by many, but this type of politics discussion does not work for me. (Keep in mind, I won't watch Rachel Maddow either.)

It's Been a Minute - I'm sorry Sam Sanders. You seem like a lovely guy, but the chemistry isn't there and we need to see other people.

Bullseye with Jesse Thorn - Jesse Thorn just... kinda annoys me? His closing thought of the day segment has a level of smug superiority to it that makes me want to throw things.

FiveThirtyEight Politics Podcast - Generally, this is the kind of analysis I'd prefer for a politics podcast, but I'm mixed on the folks that appear with Nate Silver. Also, I just couldn't deal with it leading up to or post election. Maybe I should try it again in 2018.

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