sundries

[rm]

It's cooler today, but about a 100 times more humid. It's truly, truly disgusting and like living on a planet with unscented pea soup for atmosphere.

Today's goal: Letting a bunch of anger go because it doesn't matter if it's right or justified or if I'm entitled to my emotions. It's not solving anything, it's not going to solve anything, and it's just distracting from pretty much everything else in my life. Ah, parents.

Another hard day of work today, but then things ease up and Patty and I have dance tickets tomorrow and there's a vintage beach thing we're going to on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Last night Patty and I had a hilarious and sort of bizarre conversation about how Cardiff will be good for her career as a pirate.

In the UK does anyone have a feeling about Easy Hotel vs. Travelodge?

Having done a bit of reading on Tomorrow's Joe yesterday, I think I'll be able to manage writing my proposal for the D*C academic conference today.

Also, this just crossed my radar. There's adapting the death stuff (current paper isn't just about Ianto at all, but there's plenty of room to do something on death and mourning across DW properties, because yo, regeneration), and there's the deromanticization of immortality across Jack's arc thing I've been screwing with. I'll come up with something.

I'm also being a responsible person and joining The Popular Culture Association (today) and The Science Fiction Research Association (actually in 2011, since they run their membership by calendar years and it's stupid to join now, grrr). 'Cause like I should, or something.

A non-scientific poll on body image and geek events. One thing that popped out at me: over 40% of respondents (who are overwhelmingly female) report having experienced unwanted touching at cons. Check it out.

Anti-Muslim hate on NYC buses. via redstapler.

A man who sleeps with a prostitute is not allowed to donate blood for one year. A gay man may not donate blood ever. Debate on blood donation rules heats up.

Lt. Dan Choi is starting a hunger strike in response to DADT.

Apple surpasses Microsoft in tech. The dreams of my 80s childhood, vindicated!

A horse is not a car: tales of the mounted police.

Last night on Buffy: I'm so glad that Dawn shoplifting thing is finally out. Because that was so awkward and looming. Not sure how I feel about Willow refusing to do magic when it was a pragmatic solution to a potentially life and death problem. And then fucking Riley comes back! Like the wife. Riley's still boring. Spike is "the Doctor?!?" I like Buffy's acceptance that dumb-ass schemes are just part of who Spike is. Love her calling him William. Don't necessarily believe she was just using him or that I would have written her walking away there and in that way. Was grateful for the break from Evil Nerd Conglomerate.

Comments

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

Posted this on the poll's comments:

I know this is kind of a strange point to raise, but I can't think, in 33 years of congoing, of any unwanted touch.

And now I'm questioning it: do I not remember? did it not happen? do I project a radioactive field to people I don't want to be touched by? or am I just more willing to be touched?

I do remember uncomfortable come-ons, just not touch.

P.S. - my shiny happy employer thanks you for your love of our products. :)

[rm.livejournal.com]

I dislike casual social hugging. This is rarely respected at cons, so at cons I experience tons of unwanted touch, and the fact that it is not intended to be sexual or creepy doesn't make it less unpleasant for me. I suspect many, many people have this experience at cons. There's this attitude that you're not being a Good Happy Nerd if you don't engage in social touching.

Additionally, costumes make people touch, a lot -- and I don't mean touching the costume, either. You may have also seen my comment about what happened at Dragon*Con last year.

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

Ahh, I like casual social hugging. If it's not someone whose boundaries I know, though, I ask, or at least gesture that I'm interested. I've even buzzed by a couple of Rule 6 parties (don't know if they have them back east), though I never stay long, and usually it's about being held for a few minutes.

Then again, I tend to dress fairly modestly and I'm fat, so I'd expect I'm treated differently than, say, if I wore a corset and of a more generally idealized shape. It'd almost be worth wearing a corset just for the sociological aspect (I was considering getting one, but not necessarily for con wear).

I appreciate a good costume, but I'm not a costumer. I can't recall even attempting a costume, ever. Funny. I have a cloak that I bought at a con and I've never worn it at a con....

Yes, I saw that bit about Dragon*Con. I would have been seriously pissed as well.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Most people gesture/warn/ask re: hugs, but a lot of people don't. I think it may be more of a problem on the East Coast, where people have picked up the idea that fandom is a different space in terms of physical contact but not the responsibilities that come with it.

Are Rule 6 parties those pajama/hug/cuddle party things? There are like five minutes out here where there were some that made the news as a new trend, and I'm sure they still go on, but as a rule, New York rolled its eyes. We get enough stranger touching on the subways, I suspect.

I am, at least in recent years, pretty well covered at cons, but if my attire isn't masculine, then crap will still happen. I've noticed it happens more based on the level of restriction in the attire, as opposed to the level of revealingness (the fashion show piece involved a corset, but that was worn over many other pieces and I was mostly covered), which is CREEPY.

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

Yes, Rule 6 parties are the hug/cuddle parties, though not necessarily pajama parties. They started a local con to me because of a list of hotel "rules" one year. I wasn't there, but Rule 6 parties live on.

Level of restriction is kind of an interesting point, and, as you say, creepy. :(

[rm.livejournal.com]

Of course, the restriction issue could just be that it feminizes my body language and therefore makes me vibe less "get the fuck away from me" as opposed to "ooooo, target".

[dsmoen.livejournal.com]

I'm going to a con this weekend, and I'm going to be paying more attention to body language. As a writer, I should anyway. :)

You're right, it could be a body language change. Hard to say for sure, though.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

It was interesting to read the poll and your discussion of it. Timely as well as I'm going to my first large sci-fi convention (as opposed to Costume Con & Gaylaxicon) this weekend and am frankly hoping that a combination of age (37) and wearing men's steampunkery will translate to my just not being very interesting to the creepy sorts.