Updated This week in The Slacktiverse, September 15/16 2012

The Blogaround

Nick Kiddle reports: Two pieces on the Iron-On Line this week: Resolved about my latest commitment to baby steps in the right direction (vague talk about depression) and A Scribble or short worldbuilding sketch.

Also potentially of interest to slacktivites: I've just booked my flights and will be spending 16 days in the USA next month. If anyone in the Philadelphia/NJ area wants to see me (but alas, not xCLP) in the flesh, now's the time to say the word.

In Ride Report: A Ride this Good Only Comes Around Once in a Blue Moon, Storiteller talks about participating in a second anniversary ride for her favorite bike store, complete with glowsticks and a beach bar in the middle of D.C. In Squash Invaders, she describes her fight (eventually unsuccessful) at keeping her squash plants free of the insect menace

This week Ana Mardoll posted:
Twilight: Pride and Prejudice
(Content Note: Marginalization, "Reverse Racism)
We know that Charlie is angry at Billy. And we know that anger is based in the fact that some Quileute people -- probably including Billy himself -- have refused to go to the hospital once the Cullens moved into the area. And we know that it is Charlie who is carrying all of the anger in this disagreement that has nearly resulted in complete estrangement; Billy by contrast is doing whatever he can (shy of tolerating the Cullens) to mend the rift in their relationship.

This week Ana Mardoll posted:
Narnia: Playing for the Patriarchy
(Content Note: Prejudice, Social Punishment, Bullying)
I didn't devote two entire scenes to explaining why giants and centaurs are acceptable to have as companions in public because they are Big and Manly and why bears and mice are not acceptable to have as companions in public because they are Small and Not Manly. I didn't spend over 600 words (the Marshal scene alone is 609 words) is on this Very Important Point in a chapter that is only 2,600 words long. But I can sit here and point out that this theme -- the theme that there is an approved way to look and act and a not-approved way to look and act, and that it is and should be the patriarchy that determines these things -- runs thick and fast through this chapter, and indeed through the entire series.

chris the cynic reports: In the past week I've written a few pieces of flash fiction: the beginnings of attempts to get the word out in a story where the Tribulation Force is interested in saving lives other than their own (Skewed Slightly to the Left), a way to have the Tribulation Force broadcast Nicole's secret war plans and still have Nicolae come out on top (NRA-The Wages of Peace), the beginning of an original story about a princess (Princess Story, Part 1), Bella Swan thinking over the meaning of “want” (Snarky Twilight—Badminton) in an installment of Snarky Twlight, and what a recap paragraph from ordinary Left Behind would look like if told from Verna's perspective instead of Buck's (Verna's perspective) which ended up quite a bit longer than a paragraph.

I also wrote a post that was an idea for an entire series of bad creature movies which prompted redsixwing to write:

Who's a transgenic hyperintelligent regenerating impossible hybrid?
YOU'RE a transgenic hyperintelligent regenerating impossible hybrid!
*tickles chins*

(Content Note: talking about depression, some swearing) And a post that was a strange combination of venting, talking about depression, and a describing a dream I'd had the night before.

Finally I wrote: .hack//Sign: Bad Therapy(
Shorter than my usual .hack posts,
Mimiru is down, BT comes instead of Bear, I think it probably begins (just begins) to show why I tend to think of BT as a not nice person. Also, apparently “Rocks in your head” is an English language idom. Did not know that.

Michael Mock writes: First up, I'd like to remind anyone near the North Dallas area that I'm arranging a get-together on October 13. On the parenting front, there is a stuffed Kangaroo in our living room, and watching endless hours of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse prompted me to write A Cartoon Janitor's Lament. The rest of the week was mostly random filter, so read at your own risk.

Last weekend chris the cynic posted this piece:
.hack//Sign: It's all ice cream and lollypops ... and dead people
Tuskasa is in Aura's domain wondering what will happen if he imbues her with his own color as he's been told to. DVL promises Tsukasa that a wondrous future awaits the three of them and then makes a very false claim as to her identity. I quote "Me and Bobby McGee" and talk about my intense dislike of "You should (already) know," statements.

Last week Ana Mardoll posted:
Twilight: Cloudy With A Chance of Rape Culture
(Content Note: Rape Culture, Examples of Misogynistic Language)
Rape culture isn't just that I instinctively blame Bella for things that are not her fault. Rape culture is that Bella instinctively blames Bella for things that are not her fault.

Last week Ana Mardoll posted:
Deconstruction: Your Inevitable Buffy Thread
(Content Note: Rape, Rape Culture, Gender Essentialism, Ableist Language)
These characters were written to cover up sexual assault, to erase it from history, because it made them uncomfortable. I get that; I understand it. But it probably makes Buffy and Willow uncomfortable too. And instead of giving them the tools to make it better according to their needs, the male characters were written such that they applied social pressure to convince the girls to erase history and smile and pretend it never happened whether that was beneficial to them or not.

Last week Ana Mardoll posted:
Narnia: Nikabrikian Heresies
(Content Note: Nazis, Violence, Discussion of the terms "Anger" and "Hate" in the comments)
So we have the curious situation where Trufflehunter has repeatedly and aggressively verbally attacked Nikabrik, accused him of being an information leak, interrupted him, and really -- no pun intended -- badgered him to the point where he raises his voice. And in response to this, Prince Caspian draws his sword at council.

Things you can do

Froborr writes: Sorry I haven't been around much the last week or two, I've been very busy. A big part of that busy-ness is because Viga (my fiancee) and I have a seller's table at the Small Press Expo this Saturday and Sunday (September 15-16) in North Bethesda, Maryland. We'll be selling minicomics by her and a short story about comics by me, and giving away free candy and samplers of her webcomic. We'll be at table W34B if anyone wants to stop by. If you're in the area I strongly recommend stopping by either way; it's only $10 to get into the Expo and it's crammed full of small comics publishers, indy comics, and webcomics.

Nick Kiddle reports: Potentially of interest to slacktivites: I've just booked my flights and will be spending 16 days in the USA next month. If anyone in the Philadelphia/NJ area wants to see me (but alas, not xCLP) in the flesh, now's the time to say the word.

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The Slacktiverse is a community blog. Content reflects the individual opinions of the contributors. We welcome disagreement in the comment threads, and invite anyone who wishes to present an alternative interpretation of a situation to write and submit a post.

Comments

[Nick Kiddle]

Two pieces on the Iron-On Line this week: Resolved [http://ksej.livejournal.com/284655.html] about my latest commitment to baby steps in the right direction (vague talk about depression) and A Scribble [http://ksej.livejournal.com/284676.html] or short worldbuilding sketch.

Also potentially of interest to slacktivites: I've just booked my flights and will be spending 16 days in the USA next month. If anyone in the Philadelphia/NJ area wants to see me (but alas, not xCLP) in the flesh, now's the time to say the word.

[Lonespark]

I am not in the area, not even if I really stretch truth and geography, but I would really like to meet you.

[chris the cynic, who finally has his normal computer back but is no longer used to the size of the keybord]

Farther away than Lonespark, but would also very much like to meet you should ever the opportunity arise. Just won't be this time, barring magic.

[chris the cynic, who finally has his normal computer back but is no longer used to the size of the keybord]

Ana is sick at the moment and which I assume, perhaps incorrectly, is keeping her from making her submission.

It's not my place to make it for her, but for anyone wondering what she's been posting, I think these are three post she would have highlighted:

Narnia - Playing for Patriarchy
(Content Note: Prejudice, Social Punishment, Bullying)
The patriarchal values put forward in this chapter, as well as the fantasy that sticking with them even as they oppress you will one day lead your reward, provides a jumping off point for Ana to discuss not Just Prince Caspian, but also Twilight and A Wind in the Door.

Deconstruction: Your Analogy Privileges
(Content Note: Rape Culture, Homophobia, Racism, Police Metaphor)
Arguments by analogy can actually be super useful at helping people to understand where you're coming from, and I'm not about to take them entirely off-limits as a discussion tool. But your analogy privileges are revoked for the next month while you sit very still and think about why your analogy was less about showing another perspective in a discussion and more about trying to "win" with word games and rampant apathy about things that are life-and-death matters to many of the rest of us.

Twilight: Pride and Prejudice
(Content Note: Marginalization, "Reverse Racism")
I see a privileged person who understands the concepts of racism, but not the practice of it. And I see a privileged person who ultimately perpetuates racism in his supposed fight for 'equality', because he doesn't believe that he needs to listen to marginalized people or understand their history or learn their reasons for their actions. He's too privileged and proud and important for that.

-

So, uh... yeah. Based on the pattern of what she posts here I figure those would be the three, and if she's too sick to use email I wasn't sure if she'd submit them herself, but it would be a shame for people to miss out, so I figured a comment here seemed a good solution. It's not claiming the right to submit to This Week in the Slacktiverse in Ana's place, but it is saying, "Hey, look what Ana wrote."

And on that note, my recommendation is that you don't stop at just three, but read everything Ana writes unless you have some compelling reason not to. (Which there will sometimes be, as for example if she's talking about something you suspect will trigger you.)

[chris the cynic, who finally has his normal computer back but is no longer used to the size of the keybord]

Guess I should have waited for the updated post. Never mind then.

[Nick Kiddle sees spam]

I'm guessing that's automated spam just above me?

[Steve Morrison]

Semi-OT:

Oh noes! Tor.com blogs really does want to kill us with sheep!

[cjmr]

Chris, that's got to be the longest parenthetical I've seen appended to a signature yet!

[chris the cynic]

I, uh, forgot it was on there. Only meant to use it once. Just noticed and reverted to normal in the most recent thread.