sundries

[rm]

Welsh cakes for breakfast.

We're thinking of going to see ENRON here. Anyone know if it's worth the hassle and price (tickets aren't that widely available so it's pricey and a hassle to get tickets for)?

You may have caught this several days ago (when it was first sent to me, but I was on the road to the UK and sort of spaced it until now): It's about being trans in fandom and addresses a lot of things, including what all those genderswap fics that go around during lgbtfest are, and are not. Good reading for all.

I still need to write about our visit to Kensington Palace, but it deserves as much narrative ability as our trip to Cardiff, and I'm waiting for the inspiration to strike.

Yesterday the inn we're staying at in CT next month called, because they couldn't run my card for a deposit, since it got canceled when I lost it. The whole conversation was surreal, because I was totally startled by the American accent and the person who called couldn't understand the current state of my accent, and the whole thing was complicated besides. But it's amazing how much people are happy to wait a week for their money if you sound like a moneyed world traveler.

I keep meaning to mention I ordered the set of Torchwood-inspired perfume oils from Rosemary Grace, and they're rather remarkable. I'll have to confess to Patty tonight that that's what they are, but I've been enjoying her reaction to them without the context.

What's new, not necessarily useful tech for? Cats! First the cats rode the Roomba, now they play with the iPad.

Sometimes, I miss experiencing media without expertise, but the truth is, I've never been without it. Dad's in advertising. I'm always seeing the angle. *sigh*

Secret: We've been watching Buffy and Angel before bed here. I am behind on episode recaps. Wesley is breaking my heart.

Less secret: I've now seen half of the first Eleven episode. I LOVE IT.

We ate at a pub last night and a pack of very drunk boys came in. I leaned over to Patty and said, "It's odd, in the States, I'd be worried they'd hit on us, here, I just assume they'll drunkenly climb on each other's shoulders, steal a bicycle and crash it into a wall."

Meanwhile, there's a big news controversy here about padded bikini tops for seven-year-olds. Primark has just decided to withdraw them from sale.

Dear BBC News: I NO LONGER CARE ABOUT THE RATS OUTSIDE THE TENT AT THE TORY MANIFESTO LAUNCH. Raaaaaats. Raaaaaaaaaats!

I'll add interesting news as it comes in.

Comments

[elisi]

It's about being trans in fandom
Oooh thank you! *bookmarks*

Wesley is breaking my heart.
*zips up mouth and walks away* (How far are you? /curious)

Less secret: I've now seen half of the first Eleven episode. I LOVE IT.
*beams* (I've had this icon for more than a year. Not because I didn't love Ten, but because I figured the boy got the role for a reason. *g* I am very pleased to have been proved right.)

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

You've been dabbing some 51st Century Pheromones haven't you? :)

[pocketmouse]

I know someone who went to see Enron and she said that NYC audience might find certain things (especially the 9/11 aspects) problematic, and linked to this article, which I haven't read, but there's some info for you.

[nekosensei.livejournal.com]

You've seen this cat versus computer video right?

[ladykorana.livejournal.com]

OMG, how did I not know there were TW perfume oils?! And Middle Earth ones too...my wallet is doomed.

I'm a BPAL addict, and I'm so getting these, right now! Might have to get two of the 51st century pheremones, just because. :)

Thanks for the linkage.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

I saw ENRON in New York, and left with the distinct impression that I would have found it funnier if I were British. I think that seeing it surrounded by a British audience is probably the next best thing, so I would definitely say that if you plan to see the play at all, see it over there!

[austengirl.livejournal.com]

Am loving your posts on how you find the UK and looking forward to the Kensington Palace installment. I very much wish I could meet up with you, but sadly, I think I'll be arriving into London Sunday morning as you're preparing to depart. Another time perhaps.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

So how do you feel about the padded bra bikini argument?

I'm curious because I definitely have mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I like to say that a kid should be able to wear whatever a kid wants, but on the other hand, I am wary of the role models some young children try to emulate when they're dressing themselves up. Our world is definitely not a sex positive one. It is still very much a world of sexual objectification, and I'm not sure children could necessarily understand that unless someone is there to tell them. Even then, it's the sort of thing they might not really comprehend until they're older teenagers, simply because of the realities of cognitive development.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think the padded bikini tops are bad, not because of sexualization but because it's giving idealized body messages that can lead to toxicity: "you're only pretty if you have big tits; better get help with that."

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

Also a good point. Ever read "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret," by Judy Blume? I'm still having trouble deciding if it was a bad idea for schools to recommend that on pre-teen girls' reading lists. Or for them to separate reading lists by sex to begin with, but that one, I think, is more obvious.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we had that one. I've actually been meaning to do a post that's tangentally about it for a while.

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

I really sort of wish they'd had a photo of the offending bikini. How padded was it? In what way was it padded?

As a mom of an 11 yr. old girl, this is a mine field I'm having to navigate, now.

How do I balance bras as a way to protect one's modesty (she'll have proper gym class next year; I know I felt much less awkward after I started wearing a bra, even though I didn't really need one) vs. bras forcing premature sexualization on my kid?

[rm.livejournal.com]

At least 11 is close to puberty, where these issues are relevant. This item was for seven-year-olds.

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

I still would have liked to have seen a photo. As someone who has bought loads of young girls' bathing suits in the past decade, sometimes padding is useful as opposed to sexualizing. An extra, thin layer can provide opaqueness that isn't there with white and light colored bathing suits.

A lot depends on the cut of of the top. There are styles that bring more attention to that area and ones that minimize it. And there are some cuts which work better on adult women that are full of fail on young girls. Not just because they are too revealing, but because they hang wrong and gap and show too much because they are ill-fitting because the girls don't have the breasts needed for it hang correctly. We've had to learn that lesson the hard way.

Sizes for girls' clothes are sort of weird. Once they leave the toddler sizes and go into girls' sizes it really is more geared toward size than age. The clothing is targeted to an age range of about 6-early teens. A girl age 7 could be built so that she wears a size 10 or an 11 yr. old can still fit in size 7 clothes.

I'm not saying the bathing suit pulled from Primark wasn't horrid. I would gather it probably was as it takes a lot of complaints to get something pulled. I just would've liked to have seen what the outrage was about, as it's about time to go bathing suit shopping for the kidlet.

[missdeanna.livejournal.com]

Well, that, and what bothers me is the idea that girls want to/should be stylish and live up to beauty standards even in scenarios where you'd expect them to be engaged in play and sport. Maybe I'm showing my age, and kids today don't swim or play in the sand, but when I was a kid and went to the pool or beach, I wanted to run around and swim. Obviously not all kids do, but I'd expect swim suits to be suitable for that, and a padded bikini doesn't seem like it would be that practical. Then again, maybe it's just me. I only wear athletic one-pieces.

[gallo-de-pelea.livejournal.com]

Our world is definitely not a sex positive one. It is still very much a world of sexual objectification

I really appreciate you saying this and making this distinction; I'm tired of seeing "sex positive" used to excuse damaging attitudes about sexuality and self-worth.
(I haven't seen that sort of thing here, but elsewhere on the net...)


edit: apparently I cannot grammar today :B

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

It's all good. I got the gist of what you were trying to say. :-)

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

"It's odd, in the States, I'd be worried they'd hit on us, here, I just assume they'll drunkenly climb on each other's shoulders, steal a bicycle and crash it into a wall."

I'm sure I ought to feel ambivalence about laughing aloud at this, but, um. Yeah. Heh.

I've also been sort of quietly eying those Torchwood oils. They're thematically interesting, but the descriptions also sound like things I wouldn't mind smelling like. Hm.

[smirnoffmule.livejournal.com]

I read iambickilometer as citing lgbtfest as an exception to the usual genderswap issues, rather than a contributor to the problem - I think his point is that it's fics which deal with real trans issues outside of lgbtfest which are the rarity. Certainly that's been my experience; I think the fest produces a very high standard of fic and I wouldn't categorise anything I've read from there as being genderswap in the cracky trope sense of the word. I'm betaing a couple of fics for the fest right now involving trans characters which are IMHO very good indeed (and usually, I can't read genderswap at all because of the problems iambickilometer cites).

Sorry to be nitpicky, but I'm a huge fan of the fest, and I think it's an important and positive thing in fandom :)

[ophymirage.livejournal.com]

cat with iPad video made me awesomely happy over morning coffee. thank you. :)

Also, re ENRON the play, short review from another author I quite like is here: http://shiv5468.livejournal.com/644618.html, if it's useful.

[ab-n0rmal.livejournal.com]

Gluten free Welsh cakes? Keen! </tangent>