Lyda Morehouse's Blog, page 10
May 13, 2016
Overdue Captain America: Civil War Review
I'm here in a Starbucks in Chicago, waiting for the SFWA Nebula Conference to wake up, so I thought I'd finally write down a few thoughts about Captain America: Civil War.
Generally, I liked it. There are a few things I think I can say about the movie 'above the cut.' as it were. Without spoiling, I want to talk about one of the fundamental differences between the movie and the comic book arc. In the comic book, like the movie, there is an event that triggers a public outcry about the unchecked destruction that superheroes cause when they come blundering into situations, do their best, but sometimes civilian lives are lost. In the comic book arc, the difference is that the destruction is caused, quite accidentally, by random "new" superheroes. That's to say, "powered" people who have no affiliation with a superhero group like the X-Men or the Avengers. As a result, part of what the public demands is a "superhero registration act" which not only requires any people with powers to offer themselves to the government, but ALSO requires long-standing superheroes to expose their secret identities as part of registration.
I think you can already see why, in the comic book version, someone from World War II might stop and say, "Uh... wait a minute... You gonna ask us all to wear stars next?" (He had other really amazing observations which really resonated with everything that was happening during the time Civil War was written, which was during the Patriot Act, which DIRECTLY commented on things happening in the US.)
In the movie (and this isn't much of a spoiler, because, in many ways the movie is actually about Bucky's past), the accords only require the superheroes to subject themselves to oversight. Now, the question is a lot more nebulous: who is in charge, what decisions do they get to make... ?
But, what's missing in the movie is Captain America being far more articulate and CLEAR about why he, specifically, finds this situation squicky. The thing that drove me absolutely buggy (later... because during the movie my only thoughts were: bam! crash! zap!) was that it was certainly all set up in the previous Captain America movies. All we would have needed is, during the scene where the gathered Avengers are looking over the accord (I do love that it's clear Captain America read EVERY PAGE) to have Cap say, "Guys, really? We're going to put our trust in a governing body... WHEN HYDRA WAS SECRETLY IN CONTROL OF S.H.I.E.L.D. FOR THE PAST FIFTY YEARS??"
MCU Captain America has a LEGIT reason not to want to sign something that gives away his decision making power to an organization he knows nothing about.
But, so. like, *I* thought of that, but it was _never_ said out loud by ANYONE in the movie.
Which to me, made Captain America seem like a war-mongering vigilante.... which is... super not Captain America.
That's not to say there weren't things I loved. Again, no spoilers, but I thought Black Panther moved EXACTLY RIGHT. I was having flashbacks to comic books I barely remember reading every time he did a jump or a four-point landing or a swipe with his vibranium claws.
Also, I loved Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Okay, a couple things I can't say without a spoiler block...
OMG I nearly died during the first Easter Egg. I might have been the only person screaming: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME, MARVEL??? THE SAVAGE LAND!!?" And I was made so happy I nearly died. The only thing that would have made it more perfect was if some dinosaur would ave roared in the background.... because WTF Marvel MCU, do you have no shame? After the talking raccoon, the Savage Land is almost literally the cheesiest thing you ever created. A dinosaur preserve under the crust of the earth.... the fuck. Also: YAY! SO HAPPY! </p>
Generally, I liked it. There are a few things I think I can say about the movie 'above the cut.' as it were. Without spoiling, I want to talk about one of the fundamental differences between the movie and the comic book arc. In the comic book, like the movie, there is an event that triggers a public outcry about the unchecked destruction that superheroes cause when they come blundering into situations, do their best, but sometimes civilian lives are lost. In the comic book arc, the difference is that the destruction is caused, quite accidentally, by random "new" superheroes. That's to say, "powered" people who have no affiliation with a superhero group like the X-Men or the Avengers. As a result, part of what the public demands is a "superhero registration act" which not only requires any people with powers to offer themselves to the government, but ALSO requires long-standing superheroes to expose their secret identities as part of registration.
I think you can already see why, in the comic book version, someone from World War II might stop and say, "Uh... wait a minute... You gonna ask us all to wear stars next?" (He had other really amazing observations which really resonated with everything that was happening during the time Civil War was written, which was during the Patriot Act, which DIRECTLY commented on things happening in the US.)
In the movie (and this isn't much of a spoiler, because, in many ways the movie is actually about Bucky's past), the accords only require the superheroes to subject themselves to oversight. Now, the question is a lot more nebulous: who is in charge, what decisions do they get to make... ?
But, what's missing in the movie is Captain America being far more articulate and CLEAR about why he, specifically, finds this situation squicky. The thing that drove me absolutely buggy (later... because during the movie my only thoughts were: bam! crash! zap!) was that it was certainly all set up in the previous Captain America movies. All we would have needed is, during the scene where the gathered Avengers are looking over the accord (I do love that it's clear Captain America read EVERY PAGE) to have Cap say, "Guys, really? We're going to put our trust in a governing body... WHEN HYDRA WAS SECRETLY IN CONTROL OF S.H.I.E.L.D. FOR THE PAST FIFTY YEARS??"
MCU Captain America has a LEGIT reason not to want to sign something that gives away his decision making power to an organization he knows nothing about.
But, so. like, *I* thought of that, but it was _never_ said out loud by ANYONE in the movie.
Which to me, made Captain America seem like a war-mongering vigilante.... which is... super not Captain America.
That's not to say there weren't things I loved. Again, no spoilers, but I thought Black Panther moved EXACTLY RIGHT. I was having flashbacks to comic books I barely remember reading every time he did a jump or a four-point landing or a swipe with his vibranium claws.
Also, I loved Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Okay, a couple things I can't say without a spoiler block...
OMG I nearly died during the first Easter Egg. I might have been the only person screaming: "ARE YOU KIDDING ME, MARVEL??? THE SAVAGE LAND!!?" And I was made so happy I nearly died. The only thing that would have made it more perfect was if some dinosaur would ave roared in the background.... because WTF Marvel MCU, do you have no shame? After the talking raccoon, the Savage Land is almost literally the cheesiest thing you ever created. A dinosaur preserve under the crust of the earth.... the fuck. Also: YAY! SO HAPPY! </p>
The second Easter Egg made me wonder if the MCU was going to echo that moment in the Civil War comic book arc where Iron Man makes a suit for Spider-Man.. and builds in backdoors in order to shut him down (because Tony is both smart AF and a control freak and know that Peter is likely to shift to Cap's side). Anyway, the fancy wrist thing doesn't seem like Parker Techology (tm)--it's too slick. I mean, obviously this was really just a "Hey, movie-goers, there will be a Marvel sponsored Spider-Man movie!" but I wondered if it was doing double-duty.
Speaking of screaming... I was decidedly less okay with the violence in this movie than I expected. I mean, I realize that's kind of the point. It's different when people are hitting their friends. AS IT SHOULD BE. But, when Steve slammed the shield into Tony's chest plate over and over, I literally shouted, "NO! STOP! YOU COULD KILL HIM!" because I felt like, there, once again, there should have been an "out loud" moment in the movie where someone, maybe even Steve himself should have said as soon as that chest plate started to flicker, "Oh god, Tony. I'm sorry. Your heart...." because that thing doesn't JUST power the suit, it LITERALLY KEEPS SHRAPNEL FROM TONY'S HEART
And it seemed out of character that Steve didn't seem to remember that... or worse, seem to care.</div></div>
April 26, 2016
Reading Tomorrow (Wed. April 27)
So, if you're local to the Twin Cities, I'm going to be at Dreamhaven Books & Comics tomorrow night starting at 6:30 pm. I'll be there not just for shopping (though I'm sure I'll do some of that), but also to read to anyone who shows up from Sidhe Promised (my newest release from Tapas Media) as well as my current work-in-progress.
It'd be cool if you could come.
It'd be cool if you could come.
April 11, 2016
NEW BOOK OUT TODAY!!
So... I have a brand-new book out! It's called Sidhe Promised, and it's available through https://tapas.io
The way Tapas Media works is that you download their free app, and then, from there, you can sample all of the novels and other works they have available. Search for me, and you should be able to start reading right away!
"I'm a dyke, not a fairy!"
"When a lesbian college student is magically transported to a fairy-tale Ireland full of mythic creatures, mystery and intrigue, she discovers the boundary-crossing nature of love that respects not the limits of gender or sexuality."
Go! Go get it!
*kermit flail*
March 9, 2016
What's The Point...
...of being nearly 50, and still being surprised by my period.
Happy International Women's day (belated), everyone.
Happy International Women's day (belated), everyone.
March 7, 2016
Fandom, THIS is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
So... my big plan to talk up MarsCON?
I CAN'T DO IT NOW, NOT WHEN CRAP LIKE THIS HAPPENS: https://www.facebook.com/MariePorterCostuming/posts/528923627286996
Seriously, how can any of us wonder why it's so difficult to get women and PoC and NEW BLOOD to come to conventions, when an emcee decides that not only is the costuming contest all about him, but also is an opportunity to drag out all the sexist, sexualizing "jokes" that stopped being funny in 1983.
I CAN'T DO IT NOW, NOT WHEN CRAP LIKE THIS HAPPENS: https://www.facebook.com/MariePorterCostuming/posts/528923627286996
Seriously, how can any of us wonder why it's so difficult to get women and PoC and NEW BLOOD to come to conventions, when an emcee decides that not only is the costuming contest all about him, but also is an opportunity to drag out all the sexist, sexualizing "jokes" that stopped being funny in 1983.
March 6, 2016
MarsCON Report
This weekend was MarsCON.
As I mentioned earlier this week, I was a bit of a last minute addition to programming this year. MarsCON kind of snuck up on me, and despite getting all the appropriate emails, I almost didn't make it this year.
Generally, I had a good time. It was noticeable this year, however, that I was the only woman on a couple of panels (which, given my last minute volunteering makes this phenomenon, perhaps, more notable. Because had I NOT signed up late, there would have been NONE.)
The first one was the Marvel Cinematic Universe panel. I thought we had a great discussion, and it was a fun panel, in general. But it's sort of fascinating that my final panel was "The Rise of the Female Superhero," which had a very decent crowd for late Sunday, and the audience was was JAM PACKED with extremely knowledgeable, funny, well-read (younger) female comic book fans... and yet somehow MarsCON couldn't find more than one woman to fill a seat on the MCU panel? Given what I see on Tumblr and fan fic sites, women seem to make up a fairly large percent of MCU fandom.
The other one I really noticed the gender disparity was the Cyberpunk panel. Again, I have nothing but nice things to say about my fellow panelists. I really enjoyed our discussion. To be fairl, cyberpunk has always had a problem when it comes to women... which is to say, Pat Cadigan is _not_ the only female cyberpunk author to have ever lived, but many people seem to have no idea that plenty of women not only have written cyberpunk, but also really enjoy it.
I would like to think that mine was an isolated experience, but I heard from another female panelist that she ended up being the only woman on at least one of her panels, as well.
This is not a prelude to bashing MarsCON or its organizers in any way, shape, or form. I've been very proud and honored to have been one of their guests of honor, not once, but twice. I love the organizers and the programming is often quite spectacular. However, this is still a problem... and I feel like it's a problem that could get worse over time. Given the recent kerfuffle at CONquest with Mark Oshiro, I feel like one of the big issues at stake here is how do we cultivate "new talent" and guarantee the survival of con culture.
One way is getting new and different faces on panels. We need more women, more PoC, more queer and non-binary folks, and more diversity of all stripes.
Of course, that's easy to _say_. This is why I don't feel like the blame can fall on programming. I'm absolutely sure that programming does the very best it can with what it gets. The problem, of course, is actually getting people to not only volunteer panel ideas, but also then follow-up and volunteer to actually be on the panels themselves.
This is an open process, but I don't now if people know how it works. Thing is, one of the reasons I nearly missed this year is that it's easy to miss deadlines for proposing panel ideas, and the deadline for volunteering for programming. You kind of have to follow a particular con fairly closely to know when to put in ideas, etc.
I wish that I had taken down some of the names of the interesting people in the audience of my "The Rise of the Female Superhero" and, like, actively recruited them to be on paneling next year. The thing about MarsCON panelists is that they're all volunteers (this is actually true at most cons). There is, as far as I know, no other requirement. You don't HAVE to be a pro writer or a pro anything, you just have to be willing to sit in front of other people and talk about the stuff you love. The thing that's nice about MarsCON is that it's not going to be a room of two thousand. The audience is usually moderately sized (sometimes even 'intimate,' as in only a few other folks). So, you don't have to even be HUGELY extroverted, just... enough.
But, probably, if a random person volunteered for programming they might get a bit of the "and... you are?" blowback--like what I got from WorldCON, which is legit to some extent because panelists are, in essence, the entertainment during the daytime hours, at any rate, and there should be some kind of vetting of expertise, etc. To counteract that, I would, in point of fact, be very happy to vouch for anyone reading this who wants to be on paneling at MarsCON in the future. You don't even have to be female, a PoC, or queer... so long as you're new, I'd be happy to help you figure out how to be on paneling.
Maybe I just need to get out there and talk up MarsCON more, you know? There are a lot of cons in the Twin Cities, so it may just be that people are choosing to go a different con. Given its musical bent, I suspect MarsCON will always survive, but, I'm not a big music fan, so I'd like the programming to continue to be vibrant, exciting, and relevant as well.
Perhaps this is a problem specific to MarsCON, since CONvergence certainly seems to have less trouble drawing in talent. On the other hand, I was also once the only woman on the Marvel Movie panel at CONvergence, too. So some of the problems are there, too, despite the size difference.
So... um, please come to MarsCON next year? Pretty please???
As I mentioned earlier this week, I was a bit of a last minute addition to programming this year. MarsCON kind of snuck up on me, and despite getting all the appropriate emails, I almost didn't make it this year.
Generally, I had a good time. It was noticeable this year, however, that I was the only woman on a couple of panels (which, given my last minute volunteering makes this phenomenon, perhaps, more notable. Because had I NOT signed up late, there would have been NONE.)
The first one was the Marvel Cinematic Universe panel. I thought we had a great discussion, and it was a fun panel, in general. But it's sort of fascinating that my final panel was "The Rise of the Female Superhero," which had a very decent crowd for late Sunday, and the audience was was JAM PACKED with extremely knowledgeable, funny, well-read (younger) female comic book fans... and yet somehow MarsCON couldn't find more than one woman to fill a seat on the MCU panel? Given what I see on Tumblr and fan fic sites, women seem to make up a fairly large percent of MCU fandom.
The other one I really noticed the gender disparity was the Cyberpunk panel. Again, I have nothing but nice things to say about my fellow panelists. I really enjoyed our discussion. To be fairl, cyberpunk has always had a problem when it comes to women... which is to say, Pat Cadigan is _not_ the only female cyberpunk author to have ever lived, but many people seem to have no idea that plenty of women not only have written cyberpunk, but also really enjoy it.
I would like to think that mine was an isolated experience, but I heard from another female panelist that she ended up being the only woman on at least one of her panels, as well.
This is not a prelude to bashing MarsCON or its organizers in any way, shape, or form. I've been very proud and honored to have been one of their guests of honor, not once, but twice. I love the organizers and the programming is often quite spectacular. However, this is still a problem... and I feel like it's a problem that could get worse over time. Given the recent kerfuffle at CONquest with Mark Oshiro, I feel like one of the big issues at stake here is how do we cultivate "new talent" and guarantee the survival of con culture.
One way is getting new and different faces on panels. We need more women, more PoC, more queer and non-binary folks, and more diversity of all stripes.
Of course, that's easy to _say_. This is why I don't feel like the blame can fall on programming. I'm absolutely sure that programming does the very best it can with what it gets. The problem, of course, is actually getting people to not only volunteer panel ideas, but also then follow-up and volunteer to actually be on the panels themselves.
This is an open process, but I don't now if people know how it works. Thing is, one of the reasons I nearly missed this year is that it's easy to miss deadlines for proposing panel ideas, and the deadline for volunteering for programming. You kind of have to follow a particular con fairly closely to know when to put in ideas, etc.
I wish that I had taken down some of the names of the interesting people in the audience of my "The Rise of the Female Superhero" and, like, actively recruited them to be on paneling next year. The thing about MarsCON panelists is that they're all volunteers (this is actually true at most cons). There is, as far as I know, no other requirement. You don't HAVE to be a pro writer or a pro anything, you just have to be willing to sit in front of other people and talk about the stuff you love. The thing that's nice about MarsCON is that it's not going to be a room of two thousand. The audience is usually moderately sized (sometimes even 'intimate,' as in only a few other folks). So, you don't have to even be HUGELY extroverted, just... enough.
But, probably, if a random person volunteered for programming they might get a bit of the "and... you are?" blowback--like what I got from WorldCON, which is legit to some extent because panelists are, in essence, the entertainment during the daytime hours, at any rate, and there should be some kind of vetting of expertise, etc. To counteract that, I would, in point of fact, be very happy to vouch for anyone reading this who wants to be on paneling at MarsCON in the future. You don't even have to be female, a PoC, or queer... so long as you're new, I'd be happy to help you figure out how to be on paneling.
Maybe I just need to get out there and talk up MarsCON more, you know? There are a lot of cons in the Twin Cities, so it may just be that people are choosing to go a different con. Given its musical bent, I suspect MarsCON will always survive, but, I'm not a big music fan, so I'd like the programming to continue to be vibrant, exciting, and relevant as well.
Perhaps this is a problem specific to MarsCON, since CONvergence certainly seems to have less trouble drawing in talent. On the other hand, I was also once the only woman on the Marvel Movie panel at CONvergence, too. So some of the problems are there, too, despite the size difference.
So... um, please come to MarsCON next year? Pretty please???
March 4, 2016
Damn it Feels Like Mercury Retrograde Again
Except it isn't. We're not due for another bout of Mercury Retrograde this year until April 28th, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.
Unfortunately, this means I have no one to blame, but myself.
I had a hell of a day yesterday. It started out quite nicely, but then quickly spiraled into a very retrograde kind of day. The Loft contacted me about teaching a writing workshop on the craft of writing science fiction and fantasy short stories (to adults) in August. (Don't even ask me about how many times I went back and forth with her about the dates, because I apparently am determined to have only MIScommunications with people).
I've had a handful of short stories published, many of which I'm very, VERY proud of, but... you know, I also I happen to be rather close friends with a person who has won the Asimov's Reader's Choice award and who is CURRENTLY UP FOR A NEBULA AWARD IN THE SHORT STORY CATEGORY.
So, I said to the Loft coordinator: Yes, of course I will teach, but I think the class would be a much bigger success if I can coerce my friend Naomi Kritzer into co-teaching with me. Naomi has foolishly said yes, and yesterday, I went to talk to her about how we might structure the workshop and maybe start figuring out a course description and all that sort of jazz. Anyway, we met up at the Dunn Bro's attached to the Roseville Ramsey County Library. We're talking and all of a sudden my phone rings.
It's my boss at work.
Can I work at the Roseville Ramsey County library today? I think... I guess so, I mean, ironically, I'd have to go home long enough to change into more work appropriate clothes and grab my ID badge, but you know, sure? I mean, part of the problem with saying 'no' too much this month is that I somehow completely spaced on getting any FIRM hours this month. Usually, as a sub, I get both firm shifts, where I know in advance where I'm going and when, and fill-ins, like this one. My boss calls one day a month with a schedule and if I miss that call, I kind of miss getting any guaranteed hours. This would be a bigger problem if we were really hurting for hours/money, but it occasionally happens and I still tend to pick up enough fill-in to make it all work. Anyway, feeling the pressure of no guaranteed hours, I said, "Oh sure, I can work 11 to 3!"
I hung up and instantly had to dial back. Because, somehow, once again, I forgot that I can't teleport. I have to actually BE at Mason's school AT 3... Roseville isn't that far away, I could MAYBE make it in ten minutes, if I broke the speed limits and had perfect traffic conditions, but, yeah, NO. My boss was apparently already on the phone to Roseville, because I rolled into her voice mail. I said that I would talk to the local branch manager and see if it was okay for me to start a little early and end a little early and that she should call me back if that's not an okay thing to do.
I didn't get call back, and so I drove home briefly, and then back to the library. I actually brought Naomi with me so she could see the new kitty, and since I was basically going back to where we were....because, yeah.
I show up at work a few minutes early, make my deal with the branch manager, and go along with my day. When I call Shawn to let her know that I got called into work, she asks, "Uh, so... I should cancel my B12 shot for today at 2 pm?" I'd totally forgotten I was meant to take her to that appointment... so she cancels. AND THEN I SEE THAT I'M ONLY SCHEDULED UNTIL 2. (I figure my boss must have called back and said, "Lyda can only work until 2" but neglected to tell me, figuring I'd figure it out, but that would require me NOT TO BE COMPLETELY STUPID.)
So, yeah... I could have maybe taken Shawn in?
Especially since I ended up arranging to LEAVE EARLY FROM WORK at 2 instead of 3....
Oh my God.
And it was kind of like that all day. I never did entirely recover. *checks Mercury again* *still not retrograde.*
Unfortunately, this means I have no one to blame, but myself.
I had a hell of a day yesterday. It started out quite nicely, but then quickly spiraled into a very retrograde kind of day. The Loft contacted me about teaching a writing workshop on the craft of writing science fiction and fantasy short stories (to adults) in August. (Don't even ask me about how many times I went back and forth with her about the dates, because I apparently am determined to have only MIScommunications with people).
I've had a handful of short stories published, many of which I'm very, VERY proud of, but... you know, I also I happen to be rather close friends with a person who has won the Asimov's Reader's Choice award and who is CURRENTLY UP FOR A NEBULA AWARD IN THE SHORT STORY CATEGORY.
So, I said to the Loft coordinator: Yes, of course I will teach, but I think the class would be a much bigger success if I can coerce my friend Naomi Kritzer into co-teaching with me. Naomi has foolishly said yes, and yesterday, I went to talk to her about how we might structure the workshop and maybe start figuring out a course description and all that sort of jazz. Anyway, we met up at the Dunn Bro's attached to the Roseville Ramsey County Library. We're talking and all of a sudden my phone rings.
It's my boss at work.
Can I work at the Roseville Ramsey County library today? I think... I guess so, I mean, ironically, I'd have to go home long enough to change into more work appropriate clothes and grab my ID badge, but you know, sure? I mean, part of the problem with saying 'no' too much this month is that I somehow completely spaced on getting any FIRM hours this month. Usually, as a sub, I get both firm shifts, where I know in advance where I'm going and when, and fill-ins, like this one. My boss calls one day a month with a schedule and if I miss that call, I kind of miss getting any guaranteed hours. This would be a bigger problem if we were really hurting for hours/money, but it occasionally happens and I still tend to pick up enough fill-in to make it all work. Anyway, feeling the pressure of no guaranteed hours, I said, "Oh sure, I can work 11 to 3!"
I hung up and instantly had to dial back. Because, somehow, once again, I forgot that I can't teleport. I have to actually BE at Mason's school AT 3... Roseville isn't that far away, I could MAYBE make it in ten minutes, if I broke the speed limits and had perfect traffic conditions, but, yeah, NO. My boss was apparently already on the phone to Roseville, because I rolled into her voice mail. I said that I would talk to the local branch manager and see if it was okay for me to start a little early and end a little early and that she should call me back if that's not an okay thing to do.
I didn't get call back, and so I drove home briefly, and then back to the library. I actually brought Naomi with me so she could see the new kitty, and since I was basically going back to where we were....because, yeah.
I show up at work a few minutes early, make my deal with the branch manager, and go along with my day. When I call Shawn to let her know that I got called into work, she asks, "Uh, so... I should cancel my B12 shot for today at 2 pm?" I'd totally forgotten I was meant to take her to that appointment... so she cancels. AND THEN I SEE THAT I'M ONLY SCHEDULED UNTIL 2. (I figure my boss must have called back and said, "Lyda can only work until 2" but neglected to tell me, figuring I'd figure it out, but that would require me NOT TO BE COMPLETELY STUPID.)
So, yeah... I could have maybe taken Shawn in?
Especially since I ended up arranging to LEAVE EARLY FROM WORK at 2 instead of 3....
Oh my God.
And it was kind of like that all day. I never did entirely recover. *checks Mercury again* *still not retrograde.*
March 3, 2016
Uh... So, We Maybe Have a New Kitty?
Last night when we came home, a very skinny, friendly orange striped kitten was loitering around outside. We stopped to pet it, like you do,figuring it would head home after a few friendly pets.
Nope.
When we opened the door, the kitty hopped onto the porch like he thought he lived here.
And... I think he might be right.
We let him stay on the porch for a while. Mason kept him company and instantly named him "Buttercup." As the evening wore on, he ended up inside, in our downstairs bathroom, away from the other kitties with food and water (all of which he gobbled up.) I gave him a box and blankets to sleep in, and... our family debated about what to do with "Buttercup." We decided to put out signs letting the neighborhood know we have found a cat. We haven't done that yet, but we will. But, I think it's no coincidence that several weeks ago a neighborhood kid knocked on our door and desperately asked if we would take in the family cat because his mom was pregnant and can't have cats around any more. Someone has also snipped this kitty's whiskers, deliberately. I highly suspect, given how hungry and thirsty this kitten is, he was dumped.
So... I think we have a new kitty. We're trying not to attach, while simultaneously doing all the things you do to slowly introduce a new cat into a pre-existing household of cats. This morning, I've moved Buttercup upstairs to the TV room, and have left his overnight room, the downstairs bathroom, open for inspection by the other kitties. He's basically going to get a tour of the rooms in the house that have doors that close, so that everyone can get used to everyone else's smells. Of course, if he stays everyone goes to the vet. We've been very careful not to let the cats get within nose-touching range (and they were all inoculated against feline leukemia and everything else), but you know, it pays to be careful. Plus, I don't think Buttercup has been neutered yet. He's very little, all ears and eyes at this point.
If he ends up staying, I'll try to post a picture.
Nope.
When we opened the door, the kitty hopped onto the porch like he thought he lived here.
And... I think he might be right.
We let him stay on the porch for a while. Mason kept him company and instantly named him "Buttercup." As the evening wore on, he ended up inside, in our downstairs bathroom, away from the other kitties with food and water (all of which he gobbled up.) I gave him a box and blankets to sleep in, and... our family debated about what to do with "Buttercup." We decided to put out signs letting the neighborhood know we have found a cat. We haven't done that yet, but we will. But, I think it's no coincidence that several weeks ago a neighborhood kid knocked on our door and desperately asked if we would take in the family cat because his mom was pregnant and can't have cats around any more. Someone has also snipped this kitty's whiskers, deliberately. I highly suspect, given how hungry and thirsty this kitten is, he was dumped.
So... I think we have a new kitty. We're trying not to attach, while simultaneously doing all the things you do to slowly introduce a new cat into a pre-existing household of cats. This morning, I've moved Buttercup upstairs to the TV room, and have left his overnight room, the downstairs bathroom, open for inspection by the other kitties. He's basically going to get a tour of the rooms in the house that have doors that close, so that everyone can get used to everyone else's smells. Of course, if he stays everyone goes to the vet. We've been very careful not to let the cats get within nose-touching range (and they were all inoculated against feline leukemia and everything else), but you know, it pays to be careful. Plus, I don't think Buttercup has been neutered yet. He's very little, all ears and eyes at this point.
If he ends up staying, I'll try to post a picture.
March 1, 2016
Terrorist by Any Other Name....
Sometime ago, Shawn and I were forced to join the 21st Century because the ancient TV we got from a friend some time in the 90s finally died. As i'm sure all of you know, TVs today come equipped for 'fire sticks' and other means of watching on-line programming. So Shawn and I have been enjoying curling up on the couch together in the evening and trying out various programs that are on Hulu or Netflix or Amazon Prime. We loved Broadchurch (both seasons), Bloodlines, and River. A few days ago, Shawn noticed that the new X-Files was available.
We decided to watch it.
I was a fan of the show when it first aired. I wasn't a super-fan. I don't think I saw either of the two movies; if I did, I forgot them. Even so, I was pretty excited to see the old opening credits rolling. I also want to note that, for most of the episodes, I was perfectly willing to suspend my disbelief. In other words: I wanted to believe.
Even though there were a few rough bumps, I was really enjoying even the cheesiest episodes. Then, last night, we hit "Babylon." Shawn and I turned the TV off before we even got to the (in)famous mushroom trip scene. Nope. We quit when it became obvious that the Muslims were being set up as terrorists. Shawn and I kept hoping that there would be a twist, you know, that maybe someone had actually blown up the art museum because it had been featuring Islamic art. But, nope. It was crazy, bomb-building Arabic terrorists. As far as I know, Mulder didn't even stop to wonder which sort of Muslim terrorists we were dealing with: Sunni, Shi'ite, Sufi, Baha'is... (frankly, this is something that is generally making me crazy. Can we all start being more specific when referring to Muslims? Muslim is no more a singular thing than Christian or Jewiish is, and I can tell you that most people in America know there's a huge difference between a Southern Baptist and a Quaker, but no one seems to know there's as huge a gulf between Shi'ite and Sufi) Mulder's complete ignorance on the subject was odd given that he corrected the guy in the previous episode for his misunderstanding of the Tibetan 'tulpa.' I guess Mulder and Scully, as FBI agents, have bought into the idea that Muslim (of any variety) = Terrorist, no need to question that assumption. Nope, nope, you all know how crazy all the Muslims get when you depict Mohammad on the toilet, okay so, can we communicate with the nearly dead?
Honestly, I couldn't even get into the supernatural part of 'plot' because the set-up was so distractingly AWFUL.
A lot of people got up in arms about the treatment of the trans character in the were-creature episode, and I understand why. I rolled with it, because the episode was otherwise charming and retro, and the way I read all that was that Mulder was kind trying to be an ally, but failing. I feel like that's in character for him. But, even so, that's no excuse. I agree that it's long overdue for people to stop treating trans folks and trans issues as punchlines. That was offensive and unconscionable, but I heard so, SO MUCH more about that on social media than I did about this egregious portrayal of Muslims in this episode.
One of the things I used to love about X-Files was that it was a think-y show that often made you question your assumptions. I feel like the show I watched back in the day would have flipped the Muslim = terrorist schtick on its head, like I kept expecting this one would, and so it feels especially heartbreaking that it didn't happen.
Anyone else watch it? What were your thoughts?
We decided to watch it.
I was a fan of the show when it first aired. I wasn't a super-fan. I don't think I saw either of the two movies; if I did, I forgot them. Even so, I was pretty excited to see the old opening credits rolling. I also want to note that, for most of the episodes, I was perfectly willing to suspend my disbelief. In other words: I wanted to believe.
Even though there were a few rough bumps, I was really enjoying even the cheesiest episodes. Then, last night, we hit "Babylon." Shawn and I turned the TV off before we even got to the (in)famous mushroom trip scene. Nope. We quit when it became obvious that the Muslims were being set up as terrorists. Shawn and I kept hoping that there would be a twist, you know, that maybe someone had actually blown up the art museum because it had been featuring Islamic art. But, nope. It was crazy, bomb-building Arabic terrorists. As far as I know, Mulder didn't even stop to wonder which sort of Muslim terrorists we were dealing with: Sunni, Shi'ite, Sufi, Baha'is... (frankly, this is something that is generally making me crazy. Can we all start being more specific when referring to Muslims? Muslim is no more a singular thing than Christian or Jewiish is, and I can tell you that most people in America know there's a huge difference between a Southern Baptist and a Quaker, but no one seems to know there's as huge a gulf between Shi'ite and Sufi) Mulder's complete ignorance on the subject was odd given that he corrected the guy in the previous episode for his misunderstanding of the Tibetan 'tulpa.' I guess Mulder and Scully, as FBI agents, have bought into the idea that Muslim (of any variety) = Terrorist, no need to question that assumption. Nope, nope, you all know how crazy all the Muslims get when you depict Mohammad on the toilet, okay so, can we communicate with the nearly dead?
Honestly, I couldn't even get into the supernatural part of 'plot' because the set-up was so distractingly AWFUL.
A lot of people got up in arms about the treatment of the trans character in the were-creature episode, and I understand why. I rolled with it, because the episode was otherwise charming and retro, and the way I read all that was that Mulder was kind trying to be an ally, but failing. I feel like that's in character for him. But, even so, that's no excuse. I agree that it's long overdue for people to stop treating trans folks and trans issues as punchlines. That was offensive and unconscionable, but I heard so, SO MUCH more about that on social media than I did about this egregious portrayal of Muslims in this episode.
One of the things I used to love about X-Files was that it was a think-y show that often made you question your assumptions. I feel like the show I watched back in the day would have flipped the Muslim = terrorist schtick on its head, like I kept expecting this one would, and so it feels especially heartbreaking that it didn't happen.
Anyone else watch it? What were your thoughts?
February 29, 2016
Last Minute MarsCON addition
Yeah, so... I nearly entirely forgot about MarsCON this year. But, I was saved, last minute, by the lovely and talented Eric Heideman and Krushenko's programming. So, here's my MarsCON schedule:
SATURDAY, MARCH 5
10:00-10:50 AM, KRUSHENKO'S (ROOM 1117). PANEL: WHAT DO YOU LIKE (AND DISLIKE) ABOUT WRITING? Writers discuss what they like and dislike about the process of writing. Some writers love first drafts and hate revising. Others like the third draft much better. With: Eleanor Arnason, mod.; G. David Lordly (and now me)
NOON-12:50 PM, KRUSHENKO'S (ROOM 1117). PANEL: MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE Catch up on all of Marvel films and TV shows. With: Tony Artym, mod.; Aaron Grono, David J Schwartz, (and now me)
4:00-4:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL: DYSTOPIA VS. UTOPIA VS. JUST DIFFERENT Sometimes dystopias hold up a distorting mirror to the place and time they were written, while utopias explore possibilities of what our world could be. And sometimes fiction writers explore other worlds and dimensions not for what they can teach us about our world but for the inherent interest of those worlds, because “what if” is such a fun game, and lets our minds roam. Let's explore all three forms. With: Rick Gellman, mod.; Haddayr Copley-Woods, Naomi Kritzer, David J. Schwartz, (and now me)
SUNDAY, MARCH 6
NOON-12:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL: CYBERPUNK: WRITING AND READING What makes a cyberpunk story? What are the necessary elements? What can come and go freely? What books, stories, and writers have influenced and shaped the genre? Come to discuss the genre that some say we're living in right now. With: David Stegora, mod.; Roy C. Booth, Patrick W. Marsh (and now me)
2:00-2:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL OR DISCUSSION: THE RISE OF THE FEMALE SUPERHEROES Let's talk about some awesome female superheroes who have become bright sensations in recent years! Why do we love them so much, and how can we get more? With: Cynthia Booth, mod. (and now me).
Marscon is this weekend, March 4 - 5, at the Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America. For more information check out: http://marscon.org/2016/
SATURDAY, MARCH 5
10:00-10:50 AM, KRUSHENKO'S (ROOM 1117). PANEL: WHAT DO YOU LIKE (AND DISLIKE) ABOUT WRITING? Writers discuss what they like and dislike about the process of writing. Some writers love first drafts and hate revising. Others like the third draft much better. With: Eleanor Arnason, mod.; G. David Lordly (and now me)
NOON-12:50 PM, KRUSHENKO'S (ROOM 1117). PANEL: MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE Catch up on all of Marvel films and TV shows. With: Tony Artym, mod.; Aaron Grono, David J Schwartz, (and now me)
4:00-4:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL: DYSTOPIA VS. UTOPIA VS. JUST DIFFERENT Sometimes dystopias hold up a distorting mirror to the place and time they were written, while utopias explore possibilities of what our world could be. And sometimes fiction writers explore other worlds and dimensions not for what they can teach us about our world but for the inherent interest of those worlds, because “what if” is such a fun game, and lets our minds roam. Let's explore all three forms. With: Rick Gellman, mod.; Haddayr Copley-Woods, Naomi Kritzer, David J. Schwartz, (and now me)
SUNDAY, MARCH 6
NOON-12:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL: CYBERPUNK: WRITING AND READING What makes a cyberpunk story? What are the necessary elements? What can come and go freely? What books, stories, and writers have influenced and shaped the genre? Come to discuss the genre that some say we're living in right now. With: David Stegora, mod.; Roy C. Booth, Patrick W. Marsh (and now me)
2:00-2:50 PM, RE(A)D MARS II EAGLE'S NEST). PANEL OR DISCUSSION: THE RISE OF THE FEMALE SUPERHEROES Let's talk about some awesome female superheroes who have become bright sensations in recent years! Why do we love them so much, and how can we get more? With: Cynthia Booth, mod. (and now me).
Marscon is this weekend, March 4 - 5, at the Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America. For more information check out: http://marscon.org/2016/
Lyda Morehouse's Blog
- Lyda Morehouse's profile
- 60 followers
Lyda Morehouse isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
