sundries

[rm]

Patty and I had a lovely outside dinner last night, but then stayed up too late because work caught up with me. Boo.

Today my face hurts in a massive, horrible sinus way.

I posted my Dragon*Con schedule last night!

We're expecting a lovely fucking hurricane over the weekend that should make Dragon*Con related travel slightly annoying.

Dragon*Con people, there's a fake Irish pub near the hotels that has video trivia and tends to be Not Fucking Annoying on Thursday night. But I can only recall its location by sight in my head. This does not help me tell other people where it is or what it is called. Anyone?

Rather unexpectedly, won writerinadrawer Round 4. If you weren't following along, do go back and read the stories. Many, many people turned in at least one that was some of their best work, and I'm pretty sure we all embarrassed ourselves at least once (I feel like I can count at least four on that score (the embarrassment score) for me). In the end (and arguably through the whole thing, since exercises like this are weird), it certainly didn't come down to quality, but what happened to be to the tastes of whoever was voting in a given week. Also, while I could often tell who wrote what, I pegged something for cruentum that I still can't believe was misswinterhill a few rounds back, so that sort of wacky surprise was fun, but since everything is revealed now, a bit too late for you. Anyway, everyone, and most especially our host, thefannishwaldo, deserves a round of applause for Getting Through This Thing. I found this _much_ harder work than therealljidol.

30 mosques in 30 days.

Ad campaign to counteract anti-Muslim sentiment.

Extreme Dog Grooming.

Plato's pop-culture problem and ours.

The politics of "ma'am" I about fell over laughing at "Because it amuses me."

The Advocate has a point. As more conservative Republicans call for same-sex marriage, what does Obama achieve by opposing it? The people that wouldn't vote for him over this issue, already wouldn't vote for him. Right?

Interesting-and-a-half that pressure for marriage equality in Australia is now coming from a Tasmanian independent.

Are you fucking kidding me? Emergency message about crashing into the sea played to passengers by mistake. Mercury retrograde, we are done!

Comments

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

I was taught to use "sir" and "ma'am" as a kid. These days, I use them most often in conjunction with "excuse me," namely when people whose name I don't know leave something behind and I have to be like, "Hey person who looks male/female! Come back! Pick up your stuff!" (Because somehow gendering it narrows down who I might be yelling at by 50%? IDK.)

I also used "sir" and "ma'am" while I worked at the library with faculty/old people who looked like they might die and give the university money imminently. They seemed to appreciate it.

When I was eight, I had to explain to my dad that "ma'am" was not spelled "mam." That was awkward.

[weirdquark]

I work in a library in Texas. The students tend to call all female employees ma'am, including the student workers. Especially the core of cadets and the international students who are even more polite than your average student.

[azn-jack-fiend.livejournal.com]

I loved a lot of your fics during the contest, but my absolute favorite out of anyone's entries is still "From The Underground Kingdoms". I've never read anything like it, and it perfectly encapsulates my Torchwood objects of obsession.

Where I live ma'am is basically obligatory! But I enjoy the common variant, "miss lady", a lot more.

I don't like Plato's approach to human nature or to art. It's just weird and anti-human. Aristotle, on the other hand, had some amazing insights about art that are so simple but profound that people keep discovering them over and over again... even really not-obvious stuff, like an answer to the question of why audiences like torture porn movies.

Faux Irish pub

[count-to-seven.livejournal.com]

I believe you are thinking of Gibney's.

Re: Faux Irish pub

[rm.livejournal.com]

YOU ARE AWESOME.

Red facade?

[neifile7.livejournal.com]

Congrats on WIAD!! What a final round -- but that's exactly what one hopes for. Agree that people wrote AMAZING stories for this, and what a treat watching it unspool week after week. It always seems to stretch everyone in good ways, and I love it that writers I know well still surprise me.

Time for annual wi(ad)thdraw(er)al -- thank goodness for D*C!

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

One of my favorite aspects of the BSG reboot was that everyone, regardless of gender, was given the honorific of "Sir."

Roslin was often referred to as "Madam President," but she was just as often told, "Yes, sir."

[rm.livejournal.com]

Word.

[dremiel.livejournal.com]

Mazelt Tov on WIAD. I enjoyed the entries this round and was particularly moved by many of yours. Enjoy your well-deserved honor as it was a tough pack to run with the last few weeks!

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

Hurricane? Ouch, good luck....

And am I getting a skewed perspective or do you have the worst possible luck when travelling? Maybe alerts should be sent on ahead "Rachelline has entered the transport network... gods have mercy on us all"

[rm.livejournal.com]

It never quite used to be like this, but it's getting ridiculous.

[goseaward.livejournal.com]

The ma'am thing is funny for me--suburban Midwest, I was getting ma'amed before I was out of high school, maybe even before I entered (I've always looked older than I am, which is part of that, but still). And I find it's my default if I have to get a woman's attention, although I wouldn't use it in any other context, I think.

[sociallyawkrd.livejournal.com]

The hurricane stands to complicate our travel to Miami as well. Which would suck because it was just the two of us, sans child for a romantic quick cruise.

[lady-death.livejournal.com]

I remember when my family moved to Florida from Connecticut being "ma'am"'ed in a gas station at twelve-years-old. At the time I was horrified thinking, "But I'm not that old!" Now after spending the past decade in the South I would think someone is being rude if they didn't use "ma'am." It was an extremely weird perspective shift as my culture became less Northern and more integrated in the area where I live.

[kalichan.livejournal.com]

Why do I always get hurricanes for my birthday?????

[redstapler.livejournal.com]

Because you don't like Long Island Iced Tea.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain. I always get terrible tornadoes.

[billijean.livejournal.com]

The Ma'am thing... I hate it. And I also refuse to be called Mrs Mylastname or even Mrs Myhusband'slastname. Whenever I'm supposed to fill out 'marital status' on something I write in, "None of your business".

But now that I live in India? Wow. I am Ma'am'ed and Madam'ed 100 times a day. It is definitely a class thing here and not about age. My housekeeper is older than I am, a grandmother and she calls me Madam and I still cringe every time. She also makes sure other servants and workers and visitors to my house address me as Madam. The first nanny once called me Ma'am, but there was a definite note of sarcasm to it. The housekeeper came flying out of the kitchen, literally hissing and words flew (not English words so I wasn't exactly following along). The nanny was more respectful to my face after that, but there were other problems so she doesn't work here any more.

I don't think I will ever get used to it. And that the woman who is older, wiser, more experienced at life than I am, and can manage my life way better than I ever have - calls me Madam, make me cringe every time. I call her by her first name. Whenever she says Madam, I have to control my reaction because it makes me really uncomfortable. And whenever I address her, I have to kind of work up to it. She believes (as most do here, I think) that the difference is required for her to do her job well. She doesn't take crap from anybody. She's tough and smart. But, as she explained it to me (because I am unable to not ask, this is probably a character flaw), "Nobody is the boss of me. Not even my husband. I am always taking care of everyone since I was a little girl. But when I come to work, you are the Madam and I am the maid. When the Madam says, "Theresa, do this", then I do it. I work for you, no one else. For you, I do, because you are the Madam".

So I guess it helps her organize relationships? I don't know. It's all so confusing. All i know is, I'm uncomfortable being called Madam / Ma'am. I have a perfectly good name. It's Billi-Jean. And everyone is free to use it.

[idunn.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, what do you call strangers whose names you don't know? Because all I'm familiar with is "Ma'am/Sir" and frankly, without them I'm at a loss. I'm shocked it bothers people, but I don't know what else to use if not that, and I don't want to say "Hey, you".

[billijean.livejournal.com]

Also. Funny Ma'am story.

Once, when I was about nine, i was getting royal shit from mom. In my face, finger wagging and everything. I forget what it was about, but she was seriously pissed. I kept my eyes on the floor and my mouth shut. Then she asked (yelled) if I understood.

I knew from hours I spent reading every day and from watching 'Little House on the Prairie' that the correct response was "Yes, Ma'am", so that's what I said.

WHAT did you say?
Still looking at the floor, I replied, I said, 'Yes, Ma'am".

She hit me so hard I skidded across the floor and up against my bed. My face, where she'd hit me, hurt for days. And I was SO confused. I really didn't get it. By the time I looked up, she was gone.

It was never mentioned again. I think now that it wasn't that "Ma'am" was essentially a bad thing, but that, given her background, it could only be assumed to be said in sarcasm, that I was mocking her, which of course, she wasn't going to stand for lol

[trinker.livejournal.com]

Wow. I'm sorry you had such a violent encounter with the use of "ma'am".

[brightlotusmoon.livejournal.com]

About the Advocate article: I feel the need to say that two of my close friends are gay atheist conservative right wing Republicans living in Virginia -- and some people don't believe they exist. (I call them my unicorn friends.)
One of them is rather misanthropic and full of rage, but he's a sweetheart all the same. His husband is quiet and completely content with life. They don't give a shit what people think of them. They've been together for almost eight years. I'm still wrapping my head around why people doubt their existence. I mean, I can prove it. I have saved chats of our conversations about their older cat who is dying of cancer. They love animals more than they love people, too.

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

I adore it when people call me ma'am, because it's a signifier that they see me as an adult. And I sir and ma'am other adults in turn, because I see that as polite.

[zare-k.livejournal.com]

I find the anti-Ma'am stance puzzling. It's being called "Miss" that I find irritating, because I view it as a term either for girls or specifically for unmarried women. I'm an adult and my marital status is not a matter of public concern. I don't want to be addressed with a term intended for children. So, "Ma'am" it is (in American English, at least, I think "Madam" reads as sarcastically over-deferential).
If one knows the other person's name and title that seems preferable to use (Senator Boxer, Dr. Someprofessor, Ms. Whatsit), but in the absence of such knowledge what are we left with-- "Hey you?" It's unfortunate that we don't have an equivalent of "Ms." for these situations.

[100wordspermin.livejournal.com]

If one knows the other person's name and title that seems preferable to use.

In my cultural experience, too. I tutor, and when one of my students' parents is a doctor, etc., I try to use their title appropriately unless they specifically tell me just to use their first name. After all, they worked pretty damn hard for whatever is it, often.

[tacky-tramp.livejournal.com]

The people that wouldn't vote for him over this issue, already wouldn't vote for him. Right?

I'm not sure about that. The problem, as usual, is the center, which is all mixed up and like WELL I LIKE WATCHING QUEER EYE LOLOLOL but also GAYS MIGHT HARM THE CHILDREN. The center doesn't care about political philosophies like "equal protection under the law."

[rm.livejournal.com]

The center, presumably though can be subdued by "it's the economy, stupid" though. Of course, if the economy is widely considered to be unfixable.