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magentaWe are back from Wiscon, where we had a good if very tiring weekend.
We did many of our usual things: Thursday night dinner at Himul Chuli, Friday morning breakfast at Sunprint Cafe, Friday night dinner at Wasabi. We spent more time helping with setup on Friday; I wandered into the Art Show to say hello to Katie, and she said "Help!" so we did. I did Tarot readings at The Gathering, as I have for several years. I need to practice before I do that many readings; it was a strain, and some were not very good readings. The Tower turned up more often than I think it should have. Also, the deck had gotten damp. I put some things in the car the night before, and it rained, and water got in. a few cards were damp, and the pouch was damp and bled on the canvas bag. I laid out cards and pressed them, and washed the reading cloth.
I went to hear a panel on asexuality in SF/F, but it turned into a discussion of asexuality, and two panel members came out. I wanted to hear discussion on Sheldon, which was only a few sentences. And it got into a Moffat bashing, because of something he said about “Sherlock”. What he said was rash and obviously offended many people. However, our understanding of sexuality has changed immensely over the last 100 years. I think what is now understood as asexuality was considered unremarkable even 50 years ago. I wasn't clear how much of the discussion was about the current TV show and how much about the original Sherlock Holmes. I realized I was tired from doing all the readings, and left to have dinner. Parties in the evening, Circlet Press, LJ, few others, fun but I needed an early night.
Saturday morning it was raining, but I went to the Farmer’s Market anyway; bought a couple of gluten free goodies for Martin, and cheese curds for myself. Came back, changed clothes because I was damp in places, and went to “Designing a Magic System”. That was an interesting discussion. There is a better summary than I could give: http://cathschaffstump.com/archives/2012/05/31/wiscon-day-2-designing-a-magic-system-panel/
After the lunch break, I was on the panel "Who owns the Spoons". It went pretty well, and had some interesting comments and questions. We talked about the spoons metaphor, and how it was useful and how it wasn't, on the concept of "passing" and also a little about "coming out". One side note I want to think about - the term "able-bodied" perpetuates the mind-body dichotomy, and also is unfair to people with mental, emotional, or neurological disabilties. Depression, for example, can be as great a barrier as a strictly physical handicap. Pain as disability was also mentioned.
I went to the panel on Elder Care, but it turned into a personal story session, instead of discussing the issue as a community problem. Naomi made a good comment – she can find plenty of help with other parents on raising kids, but very little on caring for parents. I left half way through because it was not at all what I wanted to hear or talk about or anything. I really need to organize a local meeting and get people talking; this needs to be done on a local level right now.
The Tiptree auction was fun, as usual; I didn't buy anything but I contributed to buying the Andrea Hairston bobble-head for her to keep. The Hogwarts Alumni party Cecelia Tan put on was fun, and we wore costumes. Martin and I were both given prizes. He looked great in the black velvet robe and the wizard’s hat. She posted pictures to her journal: http://ceciliatan.livejournal.com/350170.html?style=mine#cutid1
Sunday morning I woke up very early, and went and got breakfast at the restaurant, excellent French toast. The silver lining of being awake too early was that I could go to the food and fandom panel, which was interesting and not at all about SF. But we all eat, and some of us are foodies, gardeners, or both.
Sunday afternoon were the two panels I enjoyed the most. "It’s hard to rip a bodice" was about historical research and accuracy, with authors who do extensive research for their novels – one of the questions is how do you know you’ve done enough research. There was a bodice to show as well – they are sturdy, but of course, women didn’t wear panties, so you just fucked with clothes on if the occasion, uh, arose. I wrote down the quote, "History doesn't have an arc until we impose one on it," but I don't know who said it. History is very much what someone has bothered to record.
After that was the Baba Yaga panel, which was joined in progress by a woman from Russia, lots of interesting information and speculation. I have lots of notes from this one. Major points were that Baba Yaga is very popular in Russia, She is perhaps a demi-goddess or a retired Goddess. She is ambiguous, neither good nor evil, very unpredictable. Mary Poppins was also mentioned as a a powerful but ambiguous figure (in the books, not the movie).
Andrea Hairston's GoH speech was excellent; she has theater background and she was inspiring and evocative. The closed captioning was distractingly inaccurate, but they tried. I hope it works better next year. We went to parties for a while, then Martin went to the genderfloomp dance. I went with him, but left after a while, because I couldn't dance and it was frustrating. I hope I can dance next year.
Sunday morning we both went to 10 am panels. The “Religion, Science, Magic etc” was okay, and now have a couple of new ideas and books to read. The comment was made “Science answers the questions that can be answered, religion answers the questions that can’t.” Glib, but useful. Martin went to a panel on Muppets that he thought was the best panel he attended.
Finished packing and went to the Sign-Out to get "White Sands, Red Menace" signed. We left relatively early, but only drove part way home, because I wasn't doing very well. The Arrowhead Motel in Black River Falls is very retro, 1970's or earlier, and comfortable and the Orange Moose Bar and Grill has good bar food. Good stopping place on I-94, and they provide a free hot breakfast in the morning.
Since then, it has been unpacking, laundry, and catching up. I seem to have lost one green sock of the pair I took. One of my favorite pairs, though quite old. I cannot find colored cotton socks at a reasonable price any more. I looked in my pile of mending and other odds and ends, and found another green sock, that one a single because of a large hole in the other one. So I have a pair of green socks still, but only the one pair. If anyone knows where to get women's cotton socks in medium or dark green, or for that matter, purple or turquoise, let me know. The only ones I've seen are organic cotton with natural dyes at the Seward Coop, and they are expensive, and I don't like the colors. I may have to get a large package of white socks and dye my own.
We did many of our usual things: Thursday night dinner at Himul Chuli, Friday morning breakfast at Sunprint Cafe, Friday night dinner at Wasabi. We spent more time helping with setup on Friday; I wandered into the Art Show to say hello to Katie, and she said "Help!" so we did. I did Tarot readings at The Gathering, as I have for several years. I need to practice before I do that many readings; it was a strain, and some were not very good readings. The Tower turned up more often than I think it should have. Also, the deck had gotten damp. I put some things in the car the night before, and it rained, and water got in. a few cards were damp, and the pouch was damp and bled on the canvas bag. I laid out cards and pressed them, and washed the reading cloth.
I went to hear a panel on asexuality in SF/F, but it turned into a discussion of asexuality, and two panel members came out. I wanted to hear discussion on Sheldon, which was only a few sentences. And it got into a Moffat bashing, because of something he said about “Sherlock”. What he said was rash and obviously offended many people. However, our understanding of sexuality has changed immensely over the last 100 years. I think what is now understood as asexuality was considered unremarkable even 50 years ago. I wasn't clear how much of the discussion was about the current TV show and how much about the original Sherlock Holmes. I realized I was tired from doing all the readings, and left to have dinner. Parties in the evening, Circlet Press, LJ, few others, fun but I needed an early night.
Saturday morning it was raining, but I went to the Farmer’s Market anyway; bought a couple of gluten free goodies for Martin, and cheese curds for myself. Came back, changed clothes because I was damp in places, and went to “Designing a Magic System”. That was an interesting discussion. There is a better summary than I could give: http://cathschaffstump.com/archives/2012/05/31/wiscon-day-2-designing-a-magic-system-panel/
After the lunch break, I was on the panel "Who owns the Spoons". It went pretty well, and had some interesting comments and questions. We talked about the spoons metaphor, and how it was useful and how it wasn't, on the concept of "passing" and also a little about "coming out". One side note I want to think about - the term "able-bodied" perpetuates the mind-body dichotomy, and also is unfair to people with mental, emotional, or neurological disabilties. Depression, for example, can be as great a barrier as a strictly physical handicap. Pain as disability was also mentioned.
I went to the panel on Elder Care, but it turned into a personal story session, instead of discussing the issue as a community problem. Naomi made a good comment – she can find plenty of help with other parents on raising kids, but very little on caring for parents. I left half way through because it was not at all what I wanted to hear or talk about or anything. I really need to organize a local meeting and get people talking; this needs to be done on a local level right now.
The Tiptree auction was fun, as usual; I didn't buy anything but I contributed to buying the Andrea Hairston bobble-head for her to keep. The Hogwarts Alumni party Cecelia Tan put on was fun, and we wore costumes. Martin and I were both given prizes. He looked great in the black velvet robe and the wizard’s hat. She posted pictures to her journal: http://ceciliatan.livejournal.com/350170.html?style=mine#cutid1
Sunday morning I woke up very early, and went and got breakfast at the restaurant, excellent French toast. The silver lining of being awake too early was that I could go to the food and fandom panel, which was interesting and not at all about SF. But we all eat, and some of us are foodies, gardeners, or both.
Sunday afternoon were the two panels I enjoyed the most. "It’s hard to rip a bodice" was about historical research and accuracy, with authors who do extensive research for their novels – one of the questions is how do you know you’ve done enough research. There was a bodice to show as well – they are sturdy, but of course, women didn’t wear panties, so you just fucked with clothes on if the occasion, uh, arose. I wrote down the quote, "History doesn't have an arc until we impose one on it," but I don't know who said it. History is very much what someone has bothered to record.
After that was the Baba Yaga panel, which was joined in progress by a woman from Russia, lots of interesting information and speculation. I have lots of notes from this one. Major points were that Baba Yaga is very popular in Russia, She is perhaps a demi-goddess or a retired Goddess. She is ambiguous, neither good nor evil, very unpredictable. Mary Poppins was also mentioned as a a powerful but ambiguous figure (in the books, not the movie).
Andrea Hairston's GoH speech was excellent; she has theater background and she was inspiring and evocative. The closed captioning was distractingly inaccurate, but they tried. I hope it works better next year. We went to parties for a while, then Martin went to the genderfloomp dance. I went with him, but left after a while, because I couldn't dance and it was frustrating. I hope I can dance next year.
Sunday morning we both went to 10 am panels. The “Religion, Science, Magic etc” was okay, and now have a couple of new ideas and books to read. The comment was made “Science answers the questions that can be answered, religion answers the questions that can’t.” Glib, but useful. Martin went to a panel on Muppets that he thought was the best panel he attended.
Finished packing and went to the Sign-Out to get "White Sands, Red Menace" signed. We left relatively early, but only drove part way home, because I wasn't doing very well. The Arrowhead Motel in Black River Falls is very retro, 1970's or earlier, and comfortable and the Orange Moose Bar and Grill has good bar food. Good stopping place on I-94, and they provide a free hot breakfast in the morning.
Since then, it has been unpacking, laundry, and catching up. I seem to have lost one green sock of the pair I took. One of my favorite pairs, though quite old. I cannot find colored cotton socks at a reasonable price any more. I looked in my pile of mending and other odds and ends, and found another green sock, that one a single because of a large hole in the other one. So I have a pair of green socks still, but only the one pair. If anyone knows where to get women's cotton socks in medium or dark green, or for that matter, purple or turquoise, let me know. The only ones I've seen are organic cotton with natural dyes at the Seward Coop, and they are expensive, and I don't like the colors. I may have to get a large package of white socks and dye my own.
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no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 05:09 pm (UTC)I did some Baba Yaga reading years ago while writing "Comrade Grandmother" -- it was clear to me from the Russian fairy tales that she was a holdover from pre-Christianized Russia. I'm too hungry right now to type out my favorite story but remind me later if you're interested and I'll do it.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-31 07:32 pm (UTC)I wish I could have made it to the Baba Yaga panel and the "hard to rip a bodice" panel.
The CART problems made me want to look into learning CART or figuring out some other way of doing live transcription. Although I have a bit of hearing loss myself so I might not be the best person for it.
Have you looked at sockdreams.com and joyofsocks.com?
no subject
Date: 2012-06-01 12:16 am (UTC)"Scandal in Bohemia" is pretty clear as to Sherlock Holmes' asexuality. I don't know which comment drew ire, but I thought that the TV adaptation was very reasonable. Did I miss some throwaway line that was horribly inappropriate?
Thanks for the report! It was fun to read.