Not Really Catching Up
Jul. 16th, 2010 12:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greygirlbeastSpooky's getting ready to take Sméagol back to the vet, because the abscess on his foot has turned into cellulitis. He's spry and eating, no fever and seems to be in no pain, but obviously we're worried (and never mind the damned vet bills). Oh, now Spooky's gone. Well, there you go.
The last couple of days I haven't been in that blogging frame of mind, whatever that blogging frame of mind might be. I think there was a post con crash, which happens sometimes. I'm on for three days, then suddenly I'm off. I'm surrounded by people for three days, then suddenly I'm my old reclusive self again. It didn't help that the last panel I had for Readercon 21, the "Gender and Sexuality in F/SF" late on Sunday, left such a bad taste in my mouth. I keep thinking of things I wish I'd said to the idiot who accused us of being "selfish" for not taking the feelings of readers into account when writing taboo subjects (lesbianism, it seems, is a taboo subject). I wish that I'd said, "Look, asshole. I will never make enough money to own a house. My teeth are shot. I can barely pay my bills. I have no health insurance, and I'll never be able to retire, ever. Writing almost every day for eighteen years has left me with a wrecked body and shot nerves. I need new glasses and can't afford them. The stress of this life led to seizures that have led to the need for medications I can't afford, but have to have, regardless. So, shut the hell up, you tight-assed little twerp, and let me write whatever it is I need to write. It's the only solace I have in this shitty job. I spent four hundred dollars I haven't got to attend this convention, and I'm not paying for the privilege of being called selfish by fools like you." Or something like that.
And I'm not going to start in on the two or three people (all female) who thought books need "warning labels," like "the ingredients list on food," so they wouldn't come upon a scene that offended their precious, fragile sensibilities. And why the fuck am I on about this again?
---
A good writing day yesterday. I did 1,644 words on the Next New Novel, beginning it for the third time. I'll say more about this situation in a few days, when I feel a little more self confident.
Later, we stopped by the farmer's market at the Dexter Training Grounds for fresh corn, and I finally got a new office/writing chair. The one I've had since 2003 or 2004 was, literally, falling apart, and doing horrible things to my back. And by the way, I'm going to make an effort not to talk so much about health and money problems here. It's something I personally find gauche, and would prefer not to ever do. There's just been so damn much of it lately.
Spooky has begun a new round of eBay auctions, which are important, as we have to cover the cost of Readercon and Sméagol's vet bills. So, please have a look. Bid if you are able. In particular, there's the Salammbô T-shirt (art by the astounding Richard A. Kirk), one of the last from the batch of 500 that were printed in 2000 to promote the original release of Tales of Pain and Wonder. We only have four left. We began this auction a couple of weeks ago, then ended it, because I didn't really have time to promote the item. If you're interested in rare stuff related to my work, this is one of the rarest you're going to come across, ever.
---
The last few days, besides writing and house cleaning and cat doctoring, we've been watching Season Two of 24 and Season One of Nip/Tuck. I've been reading Angela Carter's exquisite Wise Children (1991; Kathe Koja's Under the Poppy is next). We've played a little WoW, still trying to get Shah and Suraa through Icecrown. I've been making my way through the latest Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, and read "Tetrapod fauna of the lowermost Usili Formation (Songea Group, Ruhuhu Basin) of southern Tanzania, with a new burnetiid record" and "A new and unusual procolophonid parareptile from the Lower Permian of Texas." I've mostly been sleeping well.
Yesterday, there was cautious relief at the news that BP's latest cap tests have temporarily staunched the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. But I get the impression a lot of people think this means the oil isn't going to start flowing again (though even BP has stressed that it will). And, of course, even if no new oil were to enter the Gulf after today, there's presently almost 200 million gallons of oil befouling the area affected by the petrocalamity.
---
On Tuesday, we took in a matinée of Nimród Antal's Predators, which Spooky and I both enjoyed very much. My complaints are few. I would have liked it to be maybe half an hour longer, as it seemed a little rushed. But the creatures SFX were very good, and I can't get enough of Adrien Brody. John Debney's soundtrack was quite effective. Definitely a film that needs to be seen on a big screen. It's great fun, and I was in need of a Big Monster Movie that's great fun.
We also finally saw the Doctor Who "The End of Time" episodes. I thought the first half was a bit silly, but loved the second half. Has a doctor ever before refused so vehemently to go quietly into that gentle night? I'm going to miss David Tenant something fierce.
Okay...far too long an entry. The platypus says no one's going to read all this. I replied that I will, one year from now.
The last couple of days I haven't been in that blogging frame of mind, whatever that blogging frame of mind might be. I think there was a post con crash, which happens sometimes. I'm on for three days, then suddenly I'm off. I'm surrounded by people for three days, then suddenly I'm my old reclusive self again. It didn't help that the last panel I had for Readercon 21, the "Gender and Sexuality in F/SF" late on Sunday, left such a bad taste in my mouth. I keep thinking of things I wish I'd said to the idiot who accused us of being "selfish" for not taking the feelings of readers into account when writing taboo subjects (lesbianism, it seems, is a taboo subject). I wish that I'd said, "Look, asshole. I will never make enough money to own a house. My teeth are shot. I can barely pay my bills. I have no health insurance, and I'll never be able to retire, ever. Writing almost every day for eighteen years has left me with a wrecked body and shot nerves. I need new glasses and can't afford them. The stress of this life led to seizures that have led to the need for medications I can't afford, but have to have, regardless. So, shut the hell up, you tight-assed little twerp, and let me write whatever it is I need to write. It's the only solace I have in this shitty job. I spent four hundred dollars I haven't got to attend this convention, and I'm not paying for the privilege of being called selfish by fools like you." Or something like that.
And I'm not going to start in on the two or three people (all female) who thought books need "warning labels," like "the ingredients list on food," so they wouldn't come upon a scene that offended their precious, fragile sensibilities. And why the fuck am I on about this again?
---
A good writing day yesterday. I did 1,644 words on the Next New Novel, beginning it for the third time. I'll say more about this situation in a few days, when I feel a little more self confident.
Later, we stopped by the farmer's market at the Dexter Training Grounds for fresh corn, and I finally got a new office/writing chair. The one I've had since 2003 or 2004 was, literally, falling apart, and doing horrible things to my back. And by the way, I'm going to make an effort not to talk so much about health and money problems here. It's something I personally find gauche, and would prefer not to ever do. There's just been so damn much of it lately.
Spooky has begun a new round of eBay auctions, which are important, as we have to cover the cost of Readercon and Sméagol's vet bills. So, please have a look. Bid if you are able. In particular, there's the Salammbô T-shirt (art by the astounding Richard A. Kirk), one of the last from the batch of 500 that were printed in 2000 to promote the original release of Tales of Pain and Wonder. We only have four left. We began this auction a couple of weeks ago, then ended it, because I didn't really have time to promote the item. If you're interested in rare stuff related to my work, this is one of the rarest you're going to come across, ever.
---
The last few days, besides writing and house cleaning and cat doctoring, we've been watching Season Two of 24 and Season One of Nip/Tuck. I've been reading Angela Carter's exquisite Wise Children (1991; Kathe Koja's Under the Poppy is next). We've played a little WoW, still trying to get Shah and Suraa through Icecrown. I've been making my way through the latest Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, and read "Tetrapod fauna of the lowermost Usili Formation (Songea Group, Ruhuhu Basin) of southern Tanzania, with a new burnetiid record" and "A new and unusual procolophonid parareptile from the Lower Permian of Texas." I've mostly been sleeping well.
Yesterday, there was cautious relief at the news that BP's latest cap tests have temporarily staunched the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. But I get the impression a lot of people think this means the oil isn't going to start flowing again (though even BP has stressed that it will). And, of course, even if no new oil were to enter the Gulf after today, there's presently almost 200 million gallons of oil befouling the area affected by the petrocalamity.
---
On Tuesday, we took in a matinée of Nimród Antal's Predators, which Spooky and I both enjoyed very much. My complaints are few. I would have liked it to be maybe half an hour longer, as it seemed a little rushed. But the creatures SFX were very good, and I can't get enough of Adrien Brody. John Debney's soundtrack was quite effective. Definitely a film that needs to be seen on a big screen. It's great fun, and I was in need of a Big Monster Movie that's great fun.
We also finally saw the Doctor Who "The End of Time" episodes. I thought the first half was a bit silly, but loved the second half. Has a doctor ever before refused so vehemently to go quietly into that gentle night? I'm going to miss David Tenant something fierce.
Okay...far too long an entry. The platypus says no one's going to read all this. I replied that I will, one year from now.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 04:35 pm (UTC)I dunno how people do it. Dealing with readers/consumers/fans. I'd go nuts and throttle someone.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 04:37 pm (UTC)I dunno how people do it. Dealing with readers/consumers/fans. I'd go nuts and throttle someone.
I fear I would have Sunday, had I not been to tired to bother.
Three things make a comment.
Date: 2010-07-16 04:47 pm (UTC)Best of luck to Sméagol. Poor guy.
Going to see Predetors tonight. I suspect it will be a good time.
Re: Three things make a comment.
Date: 2010-07-16 04:51 pm (UTC)I'm still on about it, too; I think, for me it's because entitlement gets on me and does not let go.
I have to try to let it go, as crap like this just locks me up; my constant level of "background anger" is bad enough, as is.
Best of luck to Sméagol. Poor guy.
Yeah. I wasn't really worried until the past few days.
Going to see Predetors tonight. I suspect it will be a good time.
It really was a lot of fun.
Re: Three things make a comment.
Date: 2010-07-16 04:55 pm (UTC)Re: Three things make a comment.
Date: 2010-07-16 05:05 pm (UTC)Also, if you need any other office type chairs in the future, there are literally dozens floating around here at my office, and I grabbed two or three of them when they were going to throw some away. All of them are in pretty good shape.
Thank you. I will certainly keep that in mind.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:02 pm (UTC)"might make you think for yourself for a change"
hope that Smeagol has a relatively affordable treatment, and home soon.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:05 pm (UTC)hope that Smeagol has a relatively affordable treatment, and home soon.
He's already back, with new drugs.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:19 pm (UTC)Prednisone for his "spongy" paws. Turns out it's a chronic thing that resulted in the initial infection.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:37 pm (UTC)From what the vet told me, cats tolerate it a whole lot better than people, and even dogs. He gets it daily for a week and we're going to taper off to nothing, depending on how quickly his body responds to treatment.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:22 pm (UTC)That's like yelling at water for being wet.
Bingo.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:33 pm (UTC)I, for one, humbly realize all that you do in order to share your brilliant stories. If I ever hit the lottery, I shall enter into the world of supreme Patron.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 06:10 pm (UTC)If I ever hit the lottery, I shall enter into the world of supreme Patron.
And I would be a grateful beast.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 05:34 pm (UTC)I read aloud the bit about Readercon to my husband - I like to remind him every so often what he's gotten himself into when we decided I could devote a real amount of time to writing instead of spending that same time as an office monkey. I keep being surprised that anyone cares what sexuality people are anymore. I understand the urge to rate books like movies, and declare one "R" because there's sex and stuff in it, though I don't like the idea. But suggesting that a lesbian's relationships are "taboo" topics is like saying, "We have to keep an eye on those coloreds, and let's not be allowing your sister to marry one". Ridiculous.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 06:13 pm (UTC)But suggesting that a lesbian's relationships are "taboo" topics is like saying, "We have to keep an eye on those coloreds, and let's not be allowing your sister to marry one".
It's even worse. Or seems so to me. It's not so much baldfaced bigotry, but something more subtle and insidious. Like, "I have no problem with lesbians, BUT it really squicks me out when I'm reading a book and suddenly lesbians are having that awful lesbian sex, and I have to read about it, and no one's even warned me so I can skip ahead. Or so I could have not have bought the book in the first place. I only read what doesn't make me uncomfortable. Lesbian sex makes me uncomfortable. Please don't make me uncomfortable."
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 10:36 pm (UTC)THIS. Exactly.
I had a seminar with a girl who terribly taken with GaGa who, when the video for Telephone was released, explained that all of the lesbianism made her extremely uncomfortable -- until she realized it was 'all saying something else.' But it was only okay when the queerness was a stand-in for something entirely different. This was after weeks of the very same girl explaining that GaGa did wonders for increasing queer visibility, for furthering the discussion of sexuality. When it came down to it, however, two girls kissing was still ick-worthy.
Absolutely infuriating. And depressing.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 02:05 am (UTC)I had a seminar with a girl who terribly taken with GaGa who, when the video for Telephone was released, explained that all of the lesbianism made her extremely uncomfortable -- until she realized it was 'all saying something else.' But it was only okay when the queerness was a stand-in for something entirely different. This was after weeks of the very same girl explaining that GaGa did wonders for increasing queer visibility, for furthering the discussion of sexuality. When it came down to it, however, two girls kissing was still ick-worthy.
Er...
(This is me, pretending to be speechless, because it's a pleasant fantasy, to pretend there are still things that can shock me into silence.)
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 06:03 pm (UTC)And I'm not going to start in on the two or three people (all female) who thought books need "warning labels," like "the ingredients list on food," so they wouldn't come upon a scene that offended their precious, fragile sensibilities.
I blame other mass media, which all has ratings and warnings these days, and fanfic culture, which insists on warning and disclaimers before stories because of all the people who love reading about Harry Potter as a child getting assfucked, but only if it's consensual.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 06:15 pm (UTC)I blame other mass media, which all has ratings and warnings these days, and fanfic culture, which insists on warning and disclaimers before stories because of all the people who love reading about Harry Potter as a child getting assfucked, but only if it's consensual.
Yeah. I thought about the fanfic thing (which, of course, has also resulted into the bleed over of the horrid term "Mary Sue" into non-fanfic criticism).
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 06:42 pm (UTC)Gah, a woman used that term with me the other day. We were talking about Heinlein's "Friday", and she accused it of being classic "Mary Sue". I didn't know what it meant and had to look it up.
Utterly, utterly baffling.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 06:55 pm (UTC)You seemed to enjoy some parts of Readercon though?
I know the hotel room is a major part of the expense.
It's possible to buy Marriott points for other people, if you know their rewards number...
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 08:07 pm (UTC)You seemed to enjoy some parts of Readercon though?
Oh, yes. Lots of it was enjoyable. It was, in fact, mostly enjoyable. But I was tired the last day, and not happy with how my reading had gone. So, I wasn't in the mood for the more outspoken members of the audience at that last panel.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 08:33 pm (UTC)I hope Sméagol is okay.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 08:46 pm (UTC)Warning labels on books??? What, because people are too goddamn lazy to turn the book over or look at the inside of the jacket to see what it's about??
Oh, but those jackets and blurbs can be so deceiving!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 09:00 pm (UTC)I still would like to chew those jerks out. You handled yourself with grace. One day I hope to be lucky enough to meet you. It is rather difficult to not be a fangirl first even here. So I try to act normal - cool was never an option. Ok normal isn't really either.
You are amazing. Part of my world would be lost if you couldn't write what you want since write you must.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 09:27 pm (UTC)I'm still agog at the Shrinking Violets of Fandom report; I thought frisson, voyeurism and sexual-tourism-by-proxy was what the pukes were into genre fiction FOR? Entitlement or whatever, well -- whatever; all of us have entitlement issues, especially where commodities are concerned. (OK, I'll vent my Marxist spleen *internally*.) It's the hypocrisy of these pissants that gets me blood up.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 02:04 am (UTC)the Shrinking Violets of Fandom
And now they have been named, once and forever more.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 10:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 02:03 am (UTC)Writing is a very selfish act, and anyone who doesn't realize that is too dense for words.
I may quote this tomorrow. It's not so much profound, as it's just an excellent summation of the obvious. It's like when I'm called "self-indulgent," and I have to point out that writing is, by definition, self-indulgent.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 10:54 pm (UTC)Yay!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 02:01 am (UTC)Yay!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-16 11:46 pm (UTC)I agree with them, actually. It's long been my conviction that Bibles, like packs of cigarettes, should come with warning labels identifying the contents as potentially hazardous to one's health.
Idiots
Date: 2010-07-17 12:40 am (UTC)Re: Idiots
Date: 2010-07-17 02:01 am (UTC)This was my impression.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 04:37 am (UTC)I've encountered the genus before. Get them in class too, and they're often a pain to teach.
To my mind, there's a couple of classes of readers - call them extrovert readers (extroleggeres?) and introvert readers (introleggeres?). The first class reads to be taken outside of themselves and experience ideas that clearly originate elsewhere, while the second class reads mainly to reinforce what's already present within themselves. The first wants novelty, the second wants reassurance. Most genres can accommodate both classes, but almost by definition the genres considered to be more speculative by nature will attract the former and upset the latter. However, usually the intros aren't so clueless as to voice their issues quite so blatantly...
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 05:07 am (UTC)Very interesting.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 07:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 04:53 am (UTC)The very first thing they tell someone who wants to write it to 'write what you know'. If readers aren't ready to read about someone else's experience maybe they should try something else...oh wait, all art shows us somene else's experience so I guess they are screwed (but unlikely to ever be screwed by anyone with sensibilities) to be perfectly vulgar. People are getting far too nanny-ish lately. Grown-ups don't need their media filtered and all of their choices made for them, that's why they are considered grown-up.
BP has my BS detector pinging and has had from day one. I haven't heard but shouldn't the EPA be sitting on them like a particularly broody egg-layer (or a hungry carnivore waiting for dinner to make the move that will put it in dining range?)Big business is where we need nannies...maybe we can send the whinge pots over there to keep an eye on what they are doing. I am sure they can nit-pick just as well over how to tighten a bolt or present a spread sheet.
And
I hope you enjoy your new chair, Smeagol gets better and better and your fresh produce is yummy.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 05:09 am (UTC)Platypus made an error in judgement...it happens.
Sheheit is not a perfect monotreme.
Grown-ups don't need their media filtered and all of their choices made for them, that's why they are considered grown-up.
So...where will the grown-ups be soon?
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 06:07 am (UTC)The same place we seem to be now...in ever smaller cages fighting to get out.
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 11:24 am (UTC)"Warning: This novel contains language that would knock a buzzard off a shit wagon. Women make out, someone flips off a baby, a horse is anally violated both before and after its unfortunate death, and your mother makes a brief appearance. We're pretty sure the physical book was put together at a factory that supports child labor. The ending is depressing."
no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 03:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-17 08:32 pm (UTC)I'm amazed that some people who are happily able to imagine the possibilities of dragons or ghosts or elves are seemingly unable to imagine the possibility that two consenting adults of the same sex and/or gender might fall head over heels in love with one another.