sundries

[rm]

All hail the 80s! Yesterday at Inception we saw trailers both for the Wall Street sequel and for Tron: Legacy. Child of the 80s that I am, I was rolling around in my seat in utter pleasure. Also, The Town looks really good. Of course, we also saw a trailer for Eat, Pray, Love which made both Patty and I want to kill people a lot.

Man stabbed at ComicCon: cue panicked analysis of geek subculture? Or perhaps a discussion about all bloggers being liars? You see, the story at CNN and the eye-witness accounts are really different. Discrepancy story via yendi.

Bird shit drives Kings of Leon from the stage.

Threat Down: Bears - Bear goes on joyride, trashes car.

The Web means the end of forgetting. I haven't read it yet, but expect the usual NYTimes alarmist crap about how the wacky Internet will destroy your life. On the other hand, maybe it will actually explore what nearly unavoidably documented personal legacy means to a culture that venerates self-invention and practically demands everyone have lots and lots of alter egos.

Sissy Bounce in New Orleans -- this article is really interesting, but fair warning as it is about gender, identity and race, among other things, the New York Times is often baffled and condescending.

Shirtless bartenders: tacky, health hazard or targets of homophobia?

Hey, so Target is opening a new store in New York today. It's also been contributing money to an anti-gay politician in Minnesota. So, you know, be aware when you make your shopping choices, because we're not talking just any anti-gay politician here but a guy who likes to hang out with some dude who says that Muslim countries are even more moral than US Christians because they execute gay people.

Target has responded to say they donate political funds solely based on their retail interests and no other issues; seems logical and harmless really, til you think about it. I AM YOUR RETAIL INTERESTS.

We're going to a wedding in August, so obviously we don't feel this way, but keori has a point. Also, especially that thing about having a bachelorette party in a gay bar -- that shit is annoying. At best.

xtricks is is helping fandom understand how "teh butt sex!" really works. Also known as "if you're not willing to shove peanut butter up your own ass, please stop writing fic where someone uses it as lube." (xtricks doesn't quite say this, but that's the message, and yes, I have seen badfic where someone uses peanut butter as lube). Anyway, his post is both useful advice for smut writers and HILARIOUS.

On Buffy, it's time for Buffy and the Slayerettes. Wow, one thing I'll say for this season is there is a lot of great speechifying. One of the things I love in film and TV more than anything are call-to-arms speeches. The thing is, very few actors can pull them off. I get annoyed with the nearly perfect Gangs of New York for just this reason -- I don't believe DiCaprio when he does this. And let's not even get started on Oliver Stone's Alexander.

What's remarkable about these episodes of Buffy is she has two of the speeches in nearly back to back episodes and KNOCKS THEM OUT OF THE PARK. Xander then has a great, tender (albeit slightly over-written) one to Dawn. And I am ALL OVER THIS SHIT, even if lots of other things are going on on Buffy that are annoying right now.

I love Kennedy though (and I think they are doing a lot of smart, subtle things with her -- i.e., the one Slayerette who's actually had decent training is the one with cash; that really says something and speaks to the clearly class-focused world of the Watchers) and Patty reports fandom loathed her at the time for being too perfect and annoying. All I could think really, was "fuck you, Torchwood fandom and your shit about Gwen." I AM SO SICK OF FANDOM'S MISOGYNY. Anyway, I think it's great to see a character who has lost a love to death moving on to a new relationship -- we don't get that on TV a lot.

All the Slayerettes amuse the crap out of me. The southern girl who was really dead and a project on the First Evil was the fuck fantastic -- what does the devil do but tell lies and sow doubt?

Comments

[karnythia.livejournal.com]

There's another story circulating that the guy shoved/hit his attacker first after they had a verbal altercation and the other guy accidentally got him with the pen while fighting back. Which doesn't make it right, but does remove the whole "He tried to blind him over a seat" angle.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yup. So you know, nerds not crazy, just assholes like everyone else.

*sigh*

[karnythia.livejournal.com]

I'm shocked that such a thing could be possible.

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

I've said it before, and I will say it again; THIS is why I refuse to attend Comic-Con. That con is a disaster waiting to happen, based just on the sheer number of people that attend.

And I am perfectly willing to believe there is a percentage of Teh Crazy at Comic-Con. Just like there is a certain percentage of Teh Crazy at your local supermarket.

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

the usual NYTimes alarmist crap about how the wacky Internet will destroy your life. -- The lede boils down to, "If you've ever been photographed drinking, kiss your career hopes goodbye. (If it's anything worse, God help you.)" However, the pieces ends on a note of cautious optimism:

[Samuel Gosling, a University of Texas, Austin, psychology professor] suggested that as all of us have to merge our public and private identities, photos showing us having a few drinks on Facebook will no longer seem so scandalous. “You see your accountant going out on weekends and attending clown conventions, that no longer makes you think that he’s not a good accountant. We’re coming to terms and reconciling with that merging of identities.”

"There's a bear in the car. Who are you gonna get mad at?" -- I have found my new mantra.

ETA: Ooh, thanks for the head's up re: Target's donation policies. *scratches plans to check out the new store*

[rm.livejournal.com]

Clearly, I am doomed.

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

Most appropriate icon ever!

You're probably fine as long as you don't plan on working around teenagers, which was Drunken Pirate-lady's problem: "Drinking and wearing a funny hat? This is not a good example for your students!"

[marcmagus]

Dammit, we've been shopping Target preferentially to Wal*Mart for explicitly political reasons including that the research I did found Target not doing anything especially awful at a corporate (rather than individual store) level. So much for that one. Thanks for the heads-up.

[marcmagus]

[Can't edit to add] Quick correction: according to the article it's the politician's musician buddy that made the statement about Muslim countries, not the politician himself. Which, y'know, doesn't make the politician ok at all, and there's that whole thing about knowing people by the company they keep...

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh, Advocate and your tangentialness. *sigh*

But yeah, still. I just sent Target a nastygram.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Also, as I said elsewhere in comments, I think, in the scheme of things Target is the lesser evil if you can't shop at smaller, non-chain stores for whatever reason. They do give money to pro-LGBT causes as well and do not have the same really alarming, potentially deflationary, impact on both wages and the price of goods. Basically when Wal Mart comes to an area they start a process in motion that makes it increasingly difficult for anyone to be able to afford to shop anywhere else. That's not just ethically crap, but is really bad for the economy.

[eredien]

Me too. *sigh*

Now there is no big department-type store in my hometown that I can go to which does not somehow support bigotry. I see another fight with my parents in my future; great.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Target is definitely the lesser evil as they also give money to LGBT causes and have a less deflationary impact on the economy. If you can't avoid these large chains, it's the better option. Living in NYC, I can opt out of Target.

[matthewwdaly.livejournal.com]

There was a stink about five years ago that Target would not insist that their pharmacists honor prescriptions for birth control, and I decided at that point that was a deal-breaker for me (which broke my heart, because they're otherwise a great store), and I've never been able to find evidence that they've changed their policies so I have yet to return.

[newsbean.livejournal.com]

(Data Point: When I was applying for a job in the pharmacy at Target, this was explicitly not the case. This was circa 2003/4 so I'm not sure if it's changed since then. But I had to say I was OK doing it.)

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

The most interesting part of the NYT article, to me, is that Tiger Woods and the teacher drinking in the pirate hat are both mentioned, and in our society, we do give celebrities second chances. Tiger's career isn't ruined at all. We accept it when famous people have some sort of indiscretion but a picture of an of-age person having a drink at a party derails her graduation/career?

That's incredibly screwed-up.

[marcmagus]

[Next time I'll wait to comment until I've finished reading...]

One of the things I love in film and TV more than anything are call-to-arms speeches.

Have you seen Babylon 5? This is one of the things I've always felt it did really well.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Not since it aired, but yeah, it was awesome.

[rednwhiterose.livejournal.com]

As a child of the late 80s/early 90s, the Tron previews have me squeeing something fierce.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

It's a terrible thing for an 80s geek to admit, but I never saw Tron.

As I recall, Kennedy was hated because people saw her as an attempt to replace Tara. I kinda liked her. Not as much as Tara, but she was all right.

[nicoli-dominn.livejournal.com]

I spent most of my time reading the NY Times internet article wondering if they were going to approach the issue of empathy, and I was glad they finally did on that last page.

It's all very well and good to warn people to be careful what they and other people post on the internet about themselves, and to explore the possible invasions of privacy committed by various social networking sites, but I think the underlying issue is the most important: people judge other people more quickly based on their flaws than on their virtues in our society. It's the same thing when people remember relatives or acquaintances with whom they've had conflicted relationships: it's the conflicts that stick out in one's mind, rather than the times when they might have gotten along with one another.

It's a common human trait, but I don't think it has to be permanent, especially when people are forced to look at others and weigh the 'good' against the 'bad' to decide a final verdict on whether or not those people are to be accepted for whatever purpose.

[elisi]

What's remarkable about these episodes of Buffy is she has two of the speeches in nearly back to back episodes and KNOCKS THEM OUT OF THE PARK.
I can finally use this icon! \o/ This is one of the reasons I love Buffy quite unreasonably - she wins through sheer determination, because she refuses to be the victim, refuses to accept that something's impossible. It's a fantastic message.

I love Kennedy though (and I think they are doing a lot of smart, subtle things with her -- i.e., the one Slayerette who's actually had decent training is the one with cash; that really says something and speaks to the clearly class-focused world of the Watchers)
Yup. As other have commented, people disliked her because she was 'replacing' Tara, but also because she wasn't afraid to speak her mind or disagree. (Which funnily enough ties in with the whole 'No One Is More Important Than The Core Scooby Gang' - Kennedy got a free pass into the inner circle, as it were, and fandom resented the hell out of it because all she'd done was to shack up with Willow rather than *earn* it. So - complicated. Just put Ianto's 'replacement' in that role, and go from there.)

what does the devil do but tell lies and sow doubt?
Indeed. A lot of people dislike The First Evil because it's so... vague, but I always thought that it was a fascinating villain. How do you fight something without a physical form?

Bears

[newwaytowrite.livejournal.com]

It makes me happy that the responding police officers had a brain and the animal was released. Lately on the island I live on they have shot two bears (so called garbage bears) for coming into people territory. Then just less than a week ago two people were attacked by a bear in bear territory and the bear was shot.

Where the fuck are the bears suppose to be?

[hoyland54.livejournal.com]

And, as far as I know, Target gives larges sums of money to Twin Cities Pride. The hypocrisy is bothering me more than giving money to Emmer.

(Though, in Target's defense, I'm assuming they'll give money to a Democrat as well, as that's what corporations do. Except that for some reason I don't understand, the DFL don't pick their candidate until after the primary in August (though there was a caucus months ago), so there isn't a Democrat yet.)

[riverrocks.livejournal.com]

I think letting Target know what you think is a good thing. They do have a history of making a point of spreading funds around pretty well and their hiring policies are pretty GLBT friendly. Not saying boycotting them is wrong, just pointing out the grey spots. It's totally possible that in the name of "fairness" (which is a tricky, slippery thing sometimes) their plan was to support some folks on the republican side and some folks on the democratic side, but the republicans here have chosen a rather frightening (and somewhat off the wall) candidate and the democrats are still figuring things out (and won't decide until mid august.

The whole thing is about money and who gets it and who doesn't. Target didn't give it directly to the politician in question (Emmer), they gave a grant to an organization who then bought tv adds supporting him. And my problem with the music buddies (besides the fact that they have song lyrics that espouse executing gays) is that Emmer gave them money to support the distribution of their work, which is clearly racist and homophobic.

and the problems with Emmer include but are much broader than being anti-gay. This big fuss about him right now in Minnesota is that he wants to reverse relatively recent changes to state wage laws so that people who earn tips (restaurant servers, bartenders, etc.) can be paid less than minimum wage (way less, like half of it). There was some convoluted way that this was going to help solve both the state's budget deficit and the economic downturn, but I couldn't follow it. But then he seemed to be under the impression that all servers who earn tips are making more than $100,000 a year. His math, I think it comes from another dimension.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I wrote them a letter, yeah, and they are certainly the lesser evil with Wal Mart on the scene which has such a negative, scary impact on the economy.

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

This big fuss about him right now in Minnesota is that he wants to reverse relatively recent changes to state wage laws so that people who earn tips (restaurant servers, bartenders, etc.) can be paid less than minimum wage (way less, like half of it).

*eyes bug out of head*

I'm stunned by that, and not for the reason you're probably thinking. I worked as a waitress for years (in MA), and the idea of making minimum wage in addition to tips is almost completely foreign. (Almost, because in CT, I worked in a diner that did pay minimum wage in addition to tips, but mainly because there wasn't all that much tipping happening.) I remember earning something like $1.65/hr when minimum wage was $5 or so. It wasn't at all unusual to have paychecks that were in the negatives because there wasn't enough there to cover the taxes on the tips.

Good on MN for not going there until now at least. I fail to see why/how they think this would be a help to the economy somehow, but undoubtedly they've decided since other states do it, there must be some benefit to be had.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in NYC I think servers get like $3/hr with tips presumed to make up the rest.

[matthewwdaly.livejournal.com]

FTR, the New York State minimum is $4.60, and it actually is contingent on being a position where the server gets $2.55 (the difference) per hour in tips.

I've delivered pizzas in both sorts of states, and I agree that it can be (pleasingly) boggling to get paid minimum plus tips. For instance, when I was an assistant manager in California doing mostly delivery, I was offered a promotion to manager (of an unprofitable store) and turned it down because it would have doubled my stress and nearly halved my income.

[riverrocks.livejournal.com]

In the 80's and 90's servers in the restaurants I worked in earned $2.25 an hour when the minimum wage was $4.25 and later still $2.25 when minimum wage was $5 (I was washing dishes for minimum wage). Then the government started taxing tips. There's something very bitter about spending all day on your feet serving people to get a paycheck that taxes you on tips that weren't nearly as good as the government assumed they were. Then, not that long ago, they raised the minimum wage for everybody, and everybody actually included workers who make tips. The reasoning Emmer was giving (before he decided he probably shouldn't talk about it at all for a bit) was that he didn't think it was fair for the people who owned the restaurants to be taking home less pay than the people they employed and he didn't know any restaurant or bar owners who were making $100,000 a year, but that's what full-time servers made if you included their tips. I don't know where he's eating/tipping, but it's not in any of the places I ever worked.

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

he didn't know any restaurant or bar owners who were making $100,000 a year, but that's what full-time servers made if you included their tips.

Dude, casino workers don't make tips like that, much less waitstaff. What an idiot!

[kel-reiley.livejournal.com]

xander's speech to dawn makes me cry EVERY SINGLE TIME! and the "welcome to thunderdome" speech is one of those times where you really want to stand up and cheer :)

re: kennedy - i wasn't "in" fandom, never even knew about it, but i couldn't stand kennedy and i still don't like her on rewatch

it had nothing to do with willow (i don't know if that's why ppl didn't like her, but i loved that willow was able to move on and be happy again)

kennedy was just annoying as all hell, and not the type of person that i like, it wasn't anything specific about her, just all of it together - she didn't interest me, i didn't feel any type of empathy with her character, BUT! i did appreciate that she challenged those around her, especially the ppl "in charge", i just didn't like her

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

Oh, Target, you have got to be kidding me. And here I've been so happy for the past year that I finally, finally had someplace other than WalMart in the area, and have chosen Target over WalMart fairly consistently during that time explicitly because I felt their politics and ethics were better.

Am going to have to send them a nastygram. And figure out what other viable options exist, considering these two have pretty much put all the other lower-cost department stores out of business, at least in this area.

ETA: I never really got the Kennedy hate. I mean, yeah, she's not Tara, but no one could be, and she's pretty damned awesome in her own right. Also, she kind of helped shore up one of the running themes about relationships and balance of power, I thought.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think, in the scheme of things Target is the lesser evil if you can't shop at smaller, non-chain stores for whatever reason. They do give money to pro-LGBT causes as well and do not have the same really alarming, potentially deflationary, impact on both wages and the price of goods. Basically when Wal Mart comes to an area they start a process in motion that makes it increasingly difficult for anyone to be able to afford to shop anywhere else. That's not just ethically crap, but is really bad for the economy.

[firefly124.livejournal.com]

Basically when Wal Mart comes to an area they start a process in motion that makes it increasingly difficult for anyone to be able to afford to shop anywhere else. That's not just ethically crap, but is really bad for the economy.

That pretty much describes what has happened around here. When we moved to CT in 1999, there were loads of little independent shops and a few of the basic chain stores that most New England towns had, such as Ames and Caldor. Caldor was gone very shortly after we got here. Ames held on another couple of years. Then WalMart moved in. Even without the pricing business, they were bound to take over just by being a 24hr store in an area where the main employers are the casinos and hospitals, hence lots of shift workers thrilled to be able to shop at strange times, me included, unfortunately.

So going back to WalMart because Target pulled this wtfery would make my skin crawl and won't be happening, but I'll be making more of an effort to find other options, wherever they may be hiding.

[rm.livejournal.com]

That, and because of the wages they pay, they become a major employer with employees who can't afford to shop anywhere else. As other things close, they employ more people -- it's a really, really vicious circle. It's not just that they are effective competitors, it's that like dealing with a predatory, highly mobile, extra-national economy of its own.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

I get annoyed with the nearly perfect Gangs of New York for just this reason -- I don't believe DiCaprio when he does this.

I loved everything about that film except Leonardo DiCaprio, who seemed to wander ineptly and uncaringly through the film. I've seen him act far better than that, and thus have no idea what his problem was, but wow that was some weak acting.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think some of it was the direction which had him go "young" but in stead read "unsure" which didn't work. And I think he's better in more intimate movies and scenes, which oddly enough Inception and Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet both are. I always feel bad about how rarely I enjoy his acting (which was great in Inception, because he's a lovely guy.

[heron61.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. He was also truly excellent in Catch Me If You Can

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

On Buffy, it's time for Buffy and the Slayerettes. Wow, one thing I'll say for this season is there is a lot of great speechifying. One of the things I love in film and TV more than anything are call-to-arms speeches.

We are in Season 2, and the thing we're TOTALLY LOVING right now is Willow verbally kicking people's asses. Most recently the, "If you're not with me 110 percent then GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LIBRARY!" speech made us plotz.

[abnormal-apathy.livejournal.com]

From a person who is getting married in six days (and someone who self-identifies as queer), I can totally see keori's point. However, I seriously doubt that anyone even thinking of asking someone to be in their wedding - straight or gay (remember I live in MA now, so we have that option here) aren't doing so to rub it in people's faces, but because they really want them to be a special part of their day. I can understand how frustrating it must be - I have plenty of friends and family members in the same boat - but taking it out on all straight people everywhere? I don't get that.

Also, from a person who just had their bachelorette party in a straight club, I can totally see the draw of having it in a gay one. I was mauled - men shoving their hands inside my bra, their hands up my dress, attempting to drag me off the dance floor to "talk". There is a definite amount of Safety Factor involved in a group of women going to a gay club and being able to drink and dance and not have to worry about being dragged off to some dark corner for potentially nefarious purposes.

[rm.livejournal.com]

I think when you are a member of a systematically oppressed (and yes, the option exists in MA, but still doesn't give same-sex couples the 1,100+ rights it gives opposite sex couples), sometimes you get angry and you get activist. Different people experience anger and activism in different ways. This is hers, and I think it's perfectly reasonable for her to make that choice for herself, regardless of what anyone else, gay or straight would or would not choose to do in her position.

Just because a gay bar may, for reasons unrelated to catering to women, make it a safe space for women, doesn't mean it's right for people outside of that community to use the space for their own purposes. Especially when lots of hen parties go to gay bars not because it's a safe space but because they want to ogle gay men.

[replicant-rasa.livejournal.com]

There's a bar here in Tokyo that has bartenders not only shirtless, but in nothing but a speedo and sneakers. At first it was just this one guy, and I figured he was showing off his body (he has a sculpted one) and hiking up his tip income. Turns out it wasn't optional -- I overheard a different nude bartender complaining to someone about how demeaning it was, but how he couldn't get a different job due to visa issues. Now I feel bad for having ogled. >_

[kdsorceress.livejournal.com]

Unrelated to anything else, have you seen Jane Austen's Fight Club yet? Because I'm willing to say it is a pretty good blend of Fight Club and Jane Austen, and well worth watching if you enjoy such things.

Clicky for Youtube

~Sor

[viciouswishes.livejournal.com]

Interesting about Target. Especially given I had a friend in college who (at the time of his graduation 5+ years ago), he'd secured a job in marketing at Target corporate and his focus was attracting LGBT shoppers. I haven't heard from him since then.

If I remember right, part of the reason people hated Kennedy so much (besides the general misogyny in fandom) was because of the sainting Tara and the constant rumors that they were going to bring back Amber Benson to the cast.

[hllangel]

Given the way security was behaving at Con today, I'm guessing one of the people involved in the assault had a fake badge. Normally they just glance at the badges, but today they were actually being pretty vigilant in checking the watermarks. If someone was in Hall H on a counterfeit badge and then assaulted someone for the seat, it reflects horribly on the rest of us who go to comic con, love it, and behave nicely.

I'm wondering what is going to change for next year as a result.

In all honesty, though, I think Hall H is overrated. The big movie studios do their presentations in there, but in the four years I've been going, I've only been in Hall H for one panel.

[gwyd.livejournal.com]

I'm with you on Kennedy.