Eleanor Arnason's Blog, page 24
July 31, 2014
Summer
I did go to the gym to exercise. On the way back I walked through the park.
It's an almost perfect summer day. There are a few high, thin clouds, but the sky is mostly blue. It's warm in the sunlight, coolish in the shade. There's a light breeze. I walked along the artificial stream in the park. It's rushing and bubbling and burbling over its tiny rapids. Grackles are hopping on the stones that line it. (I like grackles. They are not invasive.) A park volunteer is watering the flowers planted along the street, all in bloom now -- hot, mid-summer colors.
It's an almost perfect summer day. There are a few high, thin clouds, but the sky is mostly blue. It's warm in the sunlight, coolish in the shade. There's a light breeze. I walked along the artificial stream in the park. It's rushing and bubbling and burbling over its tiny rapids. Grackles are hopping on the stones that line it. (I like grackles. They are not invasive.) A park volunteer is watering the flowers planted along the street, all in bloom now -- hot, mid-summer colors.
News
Well, I looked at the news. That was a mistake. I am really distressed at the news about Gaza and wondering if the US wants to start a war with Russia over the Ukraine. Granted, a nuclear exchange might stop global warming, and might -- in fact -- be less damaging that global warming. But I am not in favor of it.
The news about Iraq and Syria and Libya is also distressing. So is the news about the kids fleeing violence in Central America. The news out of Africa -- Ebola and Boko Haram -- is not good. There may be good news out of Africa and the rest of the world that we aren't hearing. The US news media are awful.
I am going to exercise at the gym and then go grocery shopping. Maybe I will write to my Congresspeople and argue against foreign entanglements
The news about Iraq and Syria and Libya is also distressing. So is the news about the kids fleeing violence in Central America. The news out of Africa -- Ebola and Boko Haram -- is not good. There may be good news out of Africa and the rest of the world that we aren't hearing. The US news media are awful.
I am going to exercise at the gym and then go grocery shopping. Maybe I will write to my Congresspeople and argue against foreign entanglements
July 29, 2014
Diversacon
I had a very nice time over the past weekend attending Diversacon, a small and friendly local science fiction convention. Talked to people I see rarely, was on a few pleasant panels, attended a few more.
Yesterday, I went to the gym to exercise and did not stretch after. Then I went to the dentist. As a result, I have a sore body and a sore mouth. I figure I will stay home, do a wash and maybe some writing. Tomorrow, I will get back to my ordinary routine.
Talk about a dull post!
In attempt to be slightly less dull, the day outside is bright, with fluffy, white clouds floating in a blue sky. The flags atop a building about a block away are blowing in the wind. Classical music is playing on the radio. I feel pretty good, in spite of the aches.
Yesterday, I went to the gym to exercise and did not stretch after. Then I went to the dentist. As a result, I have a sore body and a sore mouth. I figure I will stay home, do a wash and maybe some writing. Tomorrow, I will get back to my ordinary routine.
Talk about a dull post!
In attempt to be slightly less dull, the day outside is bright, with fluffy, white clouds floating in a blue sky. The flags atop a building about a block away are blowing in the wind. Classical music is playing on the radio. I feel pretty good, in spite of the aches.
July 27, 2014
Diversacon
I've been trying to list three reasons for being happy every day, as a way of reminding myself that my life is pretty okay, though reading the news makes me feel crazy. The following is yesterday's list:
Three reasons for happiness: I went to Diversacon and talked with Timmi DuChamp, Russell Letson, Ceasarea Abartis, Mike Levy, Sandy Lindow, Carolyn Ives Gilman... and numerous others. I think that's three reasons for happiness right there. Did two panels and both went okay. Had dinner at the Vietnamese French Nouvelle Cuisine restaurant. I think I consumed a zillion calories, mostly in the dessert. Got home and Patrick had switched a couple of chairs in the living room. The Adirondack chair is now next to the window and contains Mr. Bear, the gigantic teddy bear Patrick got from a homeless guy. The mission style walnut rocker (which formerly contained Mr. Bear) is now in Patrick's corner away from sunlight and next to the Herman Miller scooter, a very stylish computer table.
The idea is to give Patrick a more comfortable chair, while making sure that Mr. Bear has a chair suitable to his size. He fills the Adirondack chair.
Three reasons for happiness: I went to Diversacon and talked with Timmi DuChamp, Russell Letson, Ceasarea Abartis, Mike Levy, Sandy Lindow, Carolyn Ives Gilman... and numerous others. I think that's three reasons for happiness right there. Did two panels and both went okay. Had dinner at the Vietnamese French Nouvelle Cuisine restaurant. I think I consumed a zillion calories, mostly in the dessert. Got home and Patrick had switched a couple of chairs in the living room. The Adirondack chair is now next to the window and contains Mr. Bear, the gigantic teddy bear Patrick got from a homeless guy. The mission style walnut rocker (which formerly contained Mr. Bear) is now in Patrick's corner away from sunlight and next to the Herman Miller scooter, a very stylish computer table.
The idea is to give Patrick a more comfortable chair, while making sure that Mr. Bear has a chair suitable to his size. He fills the Adirondack chair.
July 24, 2014
Note
I apologize to people outside the fan community for the long post on the Wiscon brouhaha. It must sound both incomprehensible and strange. I will try to stick to photos of Iceland in the future.
Sheep
From the Guide to Iceland facebook site. Because I don't have enough images on this blog.
Writing
I am currently printing out and proofing fiction: a short story due to be published soon and two out-of-print novels, which are going to come out in ebook editions. After I finish this, I have to get back to the hwarhath short story collection and the sequel to Ring of Swords and half a dozen stories in various stages of completion. I figure I have enough writing work to keep me busy through the rest of the year and into 2015.
This is good. I didn't want to spend my retirement years doing volunteer work, after having worked for years for nonprofits. And I didn't want to do nothing and get bored. I don't have enough money for world cruises. Writing is a good solution.
This is good. I didn't want to spend my retirement years doing volunteer work, after having worked for years for nonprofits. And I didn't want to do nothing and get bored. I don't have enough money for world cruises. Writing is a good solution.
July 23, 2014
Wiscon
At this point, the whole world has probably heard about the Wiscon brouhaha. Do I want to go into it? Not much, but here goes.
There were two complaints of harassment after the 2013 Wiscon, both involving the same person. The con committee dropped the ball on both. Briefly put, information was not transmitted through the con committee, so committee members were not aware the person had been involved in two alleged instances.
The instances were groping one woman and throwing a book at another women. They were not rape, attempted rape, murder or felonious assault. (Well, the book throwing might be felonious assault. -- I just looked the term up. -- It depends on the size of the book.) But they were the kind of behavior modern cons do not want.
The accused person was allowed into the con this past year (2014), though he was not permitted to do programming. A lot of people got very upset about this. The con committee apologized and explained that they had not realized there were two complaints against the guy when they admitted him to the con. They then set up a special subcommittee to decide if more sanctions were required -- and to look at another complaint of harassment, this one against a woman who had read a poem at an open mic poetry reading several years back. The person bringing the complaint felt the poem was aimed at her and constituted harassment.
Okay, is it clear to you?
The subcommittee has now decided to ban the guy for one to four years, depending on his behavior. If he can show evidence of reformation, he will be able to come back earlier. This decision has made a lot of people very angry. The second case -- harassment by poem -- has not been decided yet.
I should add that the woman who was groped complained both to the con and to the guy's employer. (He worked in a business with strong connections to the science fiction community.) He ended by losing his job. In addition, he has had his name plastered all over the Internet as a sexual predator. Getting banned by the con strikes me as trivial in comparison, whether the ban's for one year or life.
(There is more to this story. I'm giving you the brief version. You can find the rest on the Internet, if you really want to.)
It seems clear the guy behaved badly. There were consequences for him. I find the idea of being middle aged and unemployed horrifying, at least in this economy. Maybe the con subcommittee should have banned him for life. If they had been looking out for the best interests of the con, they would have done so to placate the people who are angry.
It's also clear, I think, that the con committee has handled the situation ineptly -- both in terms of PR and in terms of having a process they could defend. I think they should have consulted a lawyer and maybe found an organization that advocates for women to give them some advice. As far as I know, they didn't.
However, I am willing to give Wiscon another chance. Why? Attitudes in the SF community re what is acceptable behavior are changing. SFdom used to be really tolerant of behavior we now call abusive: groping women, following them around, making indecent suggestions to them... Now the community has the job of changing the rules and making it clear to everyone that the rules HAVE changed.
Cons are coming up with new harassment policies and new procedures of handling complaints. I figure mistakes are going to happen. Readercon bungled a harassment complaint a few years back and got egg all over itself.
People are saying Wiscon should be burned down. People are saying they will never attend Wiscon again. I think I am going to lose friends over this.
What I find especially disturbing is the intensity of the anger. It doesn't seem appropriate to the situation. The people involved seem to exist in an echo chamber of rage, bouncing angry messages back and forth. I get the impression that they enjoy being furious.
People disliked what Wiscon did. They have made this clear to Wiscon. It's now up to Wiscon to respond. I am not unhappy with the one to four year ban. I would also not be unhappy with a lifetime ban.
In any case, I plan to continue going to Wiscon. It's the only feminist SF convention in the world and, with all its failings, it's my favorite con.
There were two complaints of harassment after the 2013 Wiscon, both involving the same person. The con committee dropped the ball on both. Briefly put, information was not transmitted through the con committee, so committee members were not aware the person had been involved in two alleged instances.
The instances were groping one woman and throwing a book at another women. They were not rape, attempted rape, murder or felonious assault. (Well, the book throwing might be felonious assault. -- I just looked the term up. -- It depends on the size of the book.) But they were the kind of behavior modern cons do not want.
The accused person was allowed into the con this past year (2014), though he was not permitted to do programming. A lot of people got very upset about this. The con committee apologized and explained that they had not realized there were two complaints against the guy when they admitted him to the con. They then set up a special subcommittee to decide if more sanctions were required -- and to look at another complaint of harassment, this one against a woman who had read a poem at an open mic poetry reading several years back. The person bringing the complaint felt the poem was aimed at her and constituted harassment.
Okay, is it clear to you?
The subcommittee has now decided to ban the guy for one to four years, depending on his behavior. If he can show evidence of reformation, he will be able to come back earlier. This decision has made a lot of people very angry. The second case -- harassment by poem -- has not been decided yet.
I should add that the woman who was groped complained both to the con and to the guy's employer. (He worked in a business with strong connections to the science fiction community.) He ended by losing his job. In addition, he has had his name plastered all over the Internet as a sexual predator. Getting banned by the con strikes me as trivial in comparison, whether the ban's for one year or life.
(There is more to this story. I'm giving you the brief version. You can find the rest on the Internet, if you really want to.)
It seems clear the guy behaved badly. There were consequences for him. I find the idea of being middle aged and unemployed horrifying, at least in this economy. Maybe the con subcommittee should have banned him for life. If they had been looking out for the best interests of the con, they would have done so to placate the people who are angry.
It's also clear, I think, that the con committee has handled the situation ineptly -- both in terms of PR and in terms of having a process they could defend. I think they should have consulted a lawyer and maybe found an organization that advocates for women to give them some advice. As far as I know, they didn't.
However, I am willing to give Wiscon another chance. Why? Attitudes in the SF community re what is acceptable behavior are changing. SFdom used to be really tolerant of behavior we now call abusive: groping women, following them around, making indecent suggestions to them... Now the community has the job of changing the rules and making it clear to everyone that the rules HAVE changed.
Cons are coming up with new harassment policies and new procedures of handling complaints. I figure mistakes are going to happen. Readercon bungled a harassment complaint a few years back and got egg all over itself.
People are saying Wiscon should be burned down. People are saying they will never attend Wiscon again. I think I am going to lose friends over this.
What I find especially disturbing is the intensity of the anger. It doesn't seem appropriate to the situation. The people involved seem to exist in an echo chamber of rage, bouncing angry messages back and forth. I get the impression that they enjoy being furious.
People disliked what Wiscon did. They have made this clear to Wiscon. It's now up to Wiscon to respond. I am not unhappy with the one to four year ban. I would also not be unhappy with a lifetime ban.
In any case, I plan to continue going to Wiscon. It's the only feminist SF convention in the world and, with all its failings, it's my favorite con.
July 18, 2014
Stressful Conversations
I took a long nap yesterday afternoon, after more discussion about race on facebook. I really have to stop getting into these conversations. They are stressful and exhausting, and I have nothing to contribute.
Green Line
I took the new Green Line light rail train to Minneapolis for a Weight Watchers meeting today.
I have lost the weight I gained last week. Now I have to continue losing. Pleasant ride on the Green Line both ways. I noticed a store I had never noticed before. It has the perfect Minnesota name: "Nice Clothing."
There are a bunch of grain elevators near the U. They used to belong to Archer Daniels Midland. (I can make out the faded ADM.) Now, there are large, black, block letters saying, "UNITED CRUSHERS." I have no idea what the company does. But I am not sure I ever want to do business with them.
Most of the ride is along University Avenue, which is both urban and boring. But there are a few spots of greenery, either planted or wild. I especially like the wild areas -- uncut grass and wild flowers blooming white, yellow and purple.
A facebook colleague checked and discovered that "UNITED CRUSHERS" is graffiti -- very impressive graffiti. The letters are huge and way high up.
I have lost the weight I gained last week. Now I have to continue losing. Pleasant ride on the Green Line both ways. I noticed a store I had never noticed before. It has the perfect Minnesota name: "Nice Clothing."
There are a bunch of grain elevators near the U. They used to belong to Archer Daniels Midland. (I can make out the faded ADM.) Now, there are large, black, block letters saying, "UNITED CRUSHERS." I have no idea what the company does. But I am not sure I ever want to do business with them.
Most of the ride is along University Avenue, which is both urban and boring. But there are a few spots of greenery, either planted or wild. I especially like the wild areas -- uncut grass and wild flowers blooming white, yellow and purple.
A facebook colleague checked and discovered that "UNITED CRUSHERS" is graffiti -- very impressive graffiti. The letters are huge and way high up.
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