Hiding fandom in the underwear drawer since 1977

As someone who gets a lot of political news, reads a lot of political news, is married to someone who checks Real Clear Politics every day (spousal unit is far more conservative than I am and he's not having a good day), and who has sat in on dozens of meetings with highly paid political consultants going on and on and on (and on and on) about the red wave, I was happy with yesterday's results, even if I continue to be horrified that a full 49% of the American electorate are .... ahem... do not see the world as I do. Thank you Gen Z and I continue to be deeply embarrassed by white women generally and especially those in my age cohort. Old white lady Privilege. It's a helluva of a drug.

Why do people not yet realize 1) Rs are lying in their fake polls and 2) a significant cohort of the electorate will not answer phone calls even of people they know! Stupid polls.

I wish the Ds could have held onto the House but give the rampant gerrymandering that wasn't going to happen. I was very pleased to see Fetterman do so well and really wish that Senate wins could have been pulled out in WI and OH. Vance? Really? WTF? And I'm very sad for Texas and really wish that Stacey had been able to beat that snake Kemp.

Also, I'm shocked, really shocked that adult recreational use didn't pass in North and South Dakota or ARK.  I'd given several speeches predicting passage.  Oops.  I"m wondering if we're seeing the State Farm bureaus finally get organized.  Weed legalization ignores typical political boundaries.  It's hugely popular and SD had passed it in 2018 but then the bat shit cray Governor sued to stop it.  ND had a similar measure pass its lower legislative body.  So, I dunno.  But maybe it's a bit like what you see in Kentucky and Senator Mitch McConnell -- they don't give a damn about cannabis unless it's hemp -- they LOVE hemp and hemp derived cannabinoids.  However, due to poor cultivation practices, States like KY have a HUGE problem with "hot" hemp crop -- it's too high in delta-9 THC to be legal hemp (0.3% or less on a weight basis) but too low in THC to be marketable as marijuana.  it's basically just crap marijuana.  (I do a LOT of weed work).

In any event, I guess Elon Mush has been blathering in a Twitter thing all afternoon in a desperate attempt to keep advertisers. There's a whole thing where maybe you'll have to pay $8 a month for people to see your Tweets? Whut? I dont' even know. And now apparently they've decided to turn Twitter into... yes... a crypto Paypal or Venmo? But they promise returns! Fantastic returns! And debit cards!
I'm not a banking regulator -- but there's like -- A LOT.  Apart from the SEC, FTC Financial Services, Division and CFPB (you wanna bet Director Rohit Chopra has got staff on it already) and the assortment of federal and state banking authorities... I can't even imagine what this mess looks like.  Ponzi scheme comes to mind.  LOL.  it's pathetic.

Yeah Covid sucks.  but hello!  How are you?
I've not been this busy with work since the days when I was a baby person doing litigation from the late 80s to early 90s.  Damn. 

Anyway, my spawn has graduated college and my spousal unit has retired. 

The Narnia Fic Exchange is live and the collection is really really amazing this year.  I have one story in it I picked up as a pinch hit and reveals will be on Sunday.  I'd rec some things but I've not been able to go through the collection yet and everything I've read so far has been terrific and I'm just going through it i the order they are posted.  So, just use that handy filter or read the summaries and dive in.  It's so superior to practically anything.

I haven't had time to do more reading because all week I've been trying to mentor a baby hire in How To Write.  My goddess, babies don't know anything even if they have had 4 years of college, 3 years of law school, and a specialist degree on top of that.  How do you teach writing?  I mean really, really teach someone to do it well?  This isn't an entirely rhetorical question.  I've got a BIG Milestone birthday this week.  Like humongous.  As in, OMG, aren't you grandmother yet?? People keep telling me I don't look a day over ... gasp choke... 50 so yeah.  Do the math.  Anyway I have an idea for a birthday gift to me.  I'll post more this weekend. 

Black Widow! Shang-Chi! The Expanse!  Star Wars Visions! Falcon and Winter Soldier! Loki! Wandavision! Leverage Redemption! Fall baking shows! Top Chef! What have you binge watched and loved?  What have you read and loved? What have you baked and loved?  I've personally seen The Old Guard about 8 times. Before Delta hit, were you able to do something super fun?

I hope you are healthy!

Thanks so much to everyone from my last post.  Good news.  The shipments were slowly released, one on Sunday, one and Monday and the last one about 11 PM last night.  I refreshed the shipper website and saw CLEARED with a delivery of 10:30 this morning.  So, phew, masks on their way to an assisted living facility and I did sleep better last night.  So it's all a hot pile of flaming dumpster but this, at least, got done.

I've been on travel and gearing up for presentations the last month.  Yesterday,  I was on the way to another conference when it was cancelled 2 hours before I would have boarded a plane. So suddenly, yesterday at 4 PM, I had nothing to do.  I binged 4 episodes of Project Runway (Don't tell me how it ends but I've been very amused by Victoria from Moldova -- I've been to the Moldovan part of Romania in the 90s). 

And now I've attempted to tackle a backlog of hundreds of three sentence fics and my DW notifications -- I've got well over a thousand separate entries and emails ... it's not happening. 

So, alas, dear F-list, if something important or terrible or wonderful has happened and I've not seen it or responded, by deepest apologies.  Please share what's happened in the last month if you are so inclined.

For me, it's all been work -- so much work.  Weed -- specifically cannabidiol or CBD and prescription drug importation have taken over my life.  I won't bore you with the details but my powerpoints are gorgeous.  I warn you, I'm not kind to either CBD (mostly fraud, lotsa bad data, the placebo effect is profound and if it works, it's probably the THC) or importing drugs from Canada (leave the drugs in Canada, import the pricing model and repeal the non-Interference clause) and I'm very sad I never got to vote for Warren, Harris, Klobuchar, or Gillibrand.  Oh look, another old white dude.  But god this is all for nothing if we don't take the Senate.

And as for COVID-19, well, our health infrastructure is shit and even being well off and well insured won't protect you.  Millionaires will have to wait for hospital beds too.    I'm not panicking for myself or my son who is traveling on spring break.  We both have robust immune systems and practice good hygiene.  My spousal unit, on the other hand, has the immune system of a 90 year old, is vulnerable to respiratory disease due to pneumonia 2 years ago,  does not have the spoons to remember things like washing his hands and would never, ever deign to use hand sanitizer.  Stress induced memory loss and depression is a thing and wow, I just hope he doesn't get too close to people on public transit.

I think the product sourcing from China is going to be an issue -- so many raw materials are sourced there -- not just pharmaceuticals and medical devices but lots of food ingredients too.  I'm very amused that Campbell's Soup is seeing a big surge -- they source about 90% of their ingredients in the US -- or maybe Mexico and Canada as part of NAFTA. This will likely spur a long overdue and important conversation about supply chain resiliency -- it had begun in the pharmaceutical space last year and I see it expanding which would be a very good thing for U.S. workers. 

So, I'm going to head to the grocery store and pick up a few things, maybe another can of tomatoes and some frozen things.  Can I get you something? 

How are you?

 

Woops, long time no post.

Brief info about what I’ve been up to. Move to the next post if you're here for fannish content.

It’s been super super busy with spawn home for Spring break, spousal unit flanking appearance on CSPAN (think Imperial Guard rather than Emperor himself)



and federal cannabis policy and opioids taking over my life. No, really, they are. In the last 3 weeks, I’ve been to Florida and Palm Springs via San Francisco for presentations wherein, for one presentation, I compared preparing for federal inspections to the Fellowship scene in Balin’s Tomb… “They are coming.” I hope the FDA doesn’t find out I compared them to a cave troll…

I leave for California, again, on Monday, making two trips to CA in 2 weeks for a total of 4 overnights.

Also, after years of working out successfully on treadmills, I’ve now developed something called a plantar plate injury and am now in a boot, with an MRI scheduled, prescription strength ibuprofen, prescription custom orthotics and the order to never get on a treadmill again. Which is a problem as it’s been how I’ve kept my bone density from declining due to osteopenia. So, yeah, gotta figure that one out.

 

Also, I’m weirdly ambivalent about going to Star Wars Celebration. With everything going on, it makes me sad that I’m not more excited because I’ve never been to Celebration and it just looks like it’s going to be insane and not in a good way.

 

On the plus side, I did not have to make a vegan, gluten free, no nuts St Patrick’s Day Party. OTOH, I have many, many family members coming in April. My cousin and his wife, their daughter, her husband, and their 6 year old Star Wars mad twin boys in April right before I leave for Celebration. Then, the week after I get back, my other cousin and her husband, and then my mother in law, two sister in laws, their husbands and their 4 children all under the age of 14 arrive for Easter.

 

And we have a new dog. Did I mention the new dog? Komo? Dumb as a box of rocks. He loves watching screens.







Here he is watching Lion King,

Also this whole thing involving white male pro author writing a Narnia fanfic and the Guardian making a big deal about it has pissed me off no end. So, that’s for the next post.

Because all the cool kids are doing it and it seems like fun,


Day 1 - Talk about your Happy Place - the things that give you joy, calms you or keeps you sane.

Day 2 - Rec at least three fanworks that you didn’t create.

Day 3 - Share a favorite piece of original canon.

Day 1 -- Happy Place
My spousal unit grills me on this all the time, in the form of, where do you want to retire. My happy place involves four things: reliable internet access and my computer; dog; a well stocked and supplied baking kitchen; and some place with natural beauty and abundant wildlife. My favorite places in this regard are the areas around Grand Teton National Park and parts of Yellowstone (without all the people), Hatteras National Seashore, and the deserts of Joshua Tree and Anza Borrego.

Day 2 Recs --
This is so hard. Basically I have to rec all the fics that are posted in the annual Narnia Fic Exchange, such as these amazing Susan stories by a writer that I've followed for 10 years.


Also, this amazing Killjoys vid,
Level Up [vid] (270 words) by Scribe
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Killjoys (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Dutch (Killjoys), Johnny Jaqobis, D'avin Jaqobis, Pree (Killjoys), Alvis Akari, Pawter Simms, Fancy Lee
Additional Tags: Fanvids, Festivids, Team Feels, warning: physical triggers (flashing lights), Video Format: Streaming, Download Available, Video Format: MP4, Author's Favorite, Vidder's Favorite
Summary:
Team Awesome Force goes to war.

I"ve also received some pretty spectacular gifts.


Day 3 - Share a favorite piece of original canon.
I'm not sure why this one is so hard...I'm going to go with Star Wars.  I'm pretty happy with Luke's recognition in TLJ that the Jedi Order contributed significantly to its own demise through arrogance and blindness.  They are AWFUL in the prequels and I liked someone actually acknowledging it. I also like how the prequels seem to get so bogged down in dumb plot -- trade negotiations, really? Clone army?  what?  where?  Why?  Who?  Except that it is all part of Palpatine playing a very long game to manufacture the pretext for a war (that also marginalizes non-humans), then creates an army in order to fight that war, then isolates the Jedi who must lead that war so that no one can defend them when they are surrounded by and murdered by their trusted troops and then uses that pretext to declare himself Emperor.

I liked that everyone in Rogue One died and that Rogues became Rogues thereafter to honor that sacrifice.  In the same way, I'm still pretty pleased that Vader killed the younglings in the Temple  and I really thought that George wouldn't go there.  And that it's all Obi-Wan's fault and his a rat bastard liar. 

Also, it's Legends, so technically only EU canon but Mara Jade.  She's awesome in her very first incarnation and nothing every really improved on Mara in the first Thrawn trilogy.  Mara is an icon for self-determination and agency and I'm the person I am today, with the friends and hobbies and life that I have due to Mara Jade. 

We returned from the not all frozen North where I managed to squeeze in lovely visits with syrena_of_the_lake and psyche29 . I just adore meeting imaginary friends in Real Life and we've known each other through fic for a very, very long time.

If you did Yuletide, I hope you loved your gift and that your gracious recipient loved yours. It did seem there was more than the usual pinch hit scrambling.  What those admins can pull together every year is astounding. If you see a good story, rec me, OK?

We picked up McKinley at the hospital yesterday. I'm glad she can be at home for whatever time is left to her. Thanks so much to all of you for the kind thoughts.  This is a better, though very, very costly, outcome than I'd expected a few days ago.  She was thrilled to be home after over a week in the hospital.



She has lots of pills -- for pain, nausea, and high blood pressure and has become very resistant to pilling. Anyone have any ideas? I'm used to a dog taking your fingers off so this is a new problem.  I think we might need to go the meat route -- I remember liverwurst growing up?  Maybe there's something at PetSmart?

Also, SEE WHAT I GOT!! My spousal unit managed to track it down and I'm pretty excited.



Have you been to see any movies?  What's your favorite?  Mary Poppins?  Bumblebee?  Aquaman?  Spiderverse?

Also, wow the government shutdown sucks.  Although, the pre-published Federal Register just came out and a few folks are in if funded by non-appropriated money -- and others are supposed to trundle in for an orderly shutdown.  Ugh.  I'm sorry if it's you.  I  know this is super stressful.

So, today, I was at a meeting all day long and the subjects were very intense, emotions were high, and words like, "well, it's a problem with tone" came up a lot.  It was partially addressed at me, partly at my client, and we had to sit and politely take it because well, we do.  (Not sexism, by the way, or misogyny, just beastly internal politics).  The words no good deed goes unpunished came up a lot.  yeah.    You tried but everyone thinks you fucked it up so we're taking it away and giving it all to someone else. 

AND THEN there was a whole other separate thing going on at the same time with a very expensive super smart Batman who had been brought in to save the day about a Thing.  BUT  BUT I had to handle the Thing by myself for months before Batman arrived, and I've been worried I might have done something wrong and Batman would have to clean up my mess and that I might really have caused injury to others.  I don't *think* it was quite that bad, but I'm not sure and that worst nightmare unfolded today too. 

Also, I really really wanted to get a piece of business but I lost it to a man who was also at the meeting today.  Except, the man is nice and smart and extremely competent and thinks the world of my skills and seriously how can you get mad when someone decides to hire Captain America instead of you?  So, you can't get mad, just super disappointed that if it had been any other Avenger except for Steve, you could have kicked their ass and won the business.  Instead you just have to swallow the disappointment and say "So glad it went to you."

Anyway, very uncomfortable day where at various points I just wanted to go into the bathroom and have a good cry and one time I actually did a little bit.

So, I ate a whole chicken salad sandwich from the lunch buffet and a peanut butter cookie.  And I had Ghiradelli dark chocolate salted caramel square for dinner and large slices of watermelon.  If I'd had access to honest to goodness Minnesota Chicken and Wild Rice soup, I would eaten that.  So what about you?  When you have a super stressful day that makes you want to cry in the bathroom, do you have any comfort foods? 

So, to begin, I'd like to share the King Arthur Flour Banana Bread generator, where you can adjust the fats, flours, sugars, fiber and add ins. I thought it was pretty darn cool. I made my usual loaf of quick orange bread last night, which was fine, but in my eagerness to watch the Timeless finale live (OMG RUFUS and Indiana Wyatt Jones and Lucy Laura Croft WHUT?) I managed to omit the baking powder, resulting in lovely tasting brick of lemon poppyseed quick bread.

I fetched the spawn from college over the weekend and got all Mom when ordering his friends about in their own packing and moving out. I got positively twitchy watching one of them incorrectly pack up his minivan. And, I assume this is like all college students, where you send them out with stuff that they promptly forget they had and so they keep buying it. Spawn did say that the isopropyl alcohol I sent with him came in handy when his roommate got drunk (a frequent occurrence) and decided, with his Lacrosse teammates) to give himself a body piercing.

VERY SAD ABOUT THE EXPANSE BEING CANCELLED. GAWD I HOPE IT FINDS A HOME.  And

We went to Mother's Day events at the local Franciscan Monastery for a garden party. This is from the monastery when we took the dogs for the blessing of the animals.  My spousal unit was working to become a lay Franciscsan about 10 years ago (hence why I had so much stuff around the house about Duns Scotus, etc.)  Franciscans are very chatty and they all headed straight for the wine.  We were supposed to wait for the blessing of the food but since all the monks (or brothers?) were loading up their plates at the buffet and going for refills, we didn't wait.    Retired DC Cardinal Ted McCarrick was there and had, no lie, a GIANT stein of beer.  (He's 88).  The beer was amber and frothy and looked very good.  It was hilarious.  I might still be Catholic if he was still Cardinal.




And yeah, I know, it's a day that sucks for lots of people.  I did enjoy going to the grocery store and experienced the full spectrum of the day -- married Indian celebrating the day with his wife, single mom battling cancer, deli clerk missing her own mother who died 3 years ago, and others who don't give a damn, for whom I said simply, I hope everyone is kind to you today. 


And I thought I'd managed to fix the Borked images on Food for Thought but nope, so gotta go back and figure that out.  Ugh.  this used to be so easy with Photobucket.  I really can't figure out the new DW picture loading.  It's terrible and though I've never been good with html I didn't think I was that bad.  It shouldn't be that hard to embed pictures, right?  How are you doing it so easily and seamlessly.  generalleia  I'm looking at you.

I have a whole 800 words in the next chapter of the Star Husband.  Woot.  GO PATHETIC ME -- Peter, Mary, Lucy, and Asim are on their way to Joggins to visit Rita and Lucy is in a tailspin with a bad case of the depression bears.  

( tiny tiny bit gawd writing used to be easy )

I am way, way, way too old to be pulling all-nighters for work.  My only consolation is that Mr. Spock is suffering even more than I am.  Oh, and we returned from a lovely holiday to a busted sprinkler system and 1 inch/2.5 cm of water in the basement and $$$ in ruined carpet and now we have blow dryers and dehumidifiers rented for even more $$$ blowing in the basement 24/7. 

So, I've been having to deal with Work Hell from home whilst making frantic calls to contractors and repairmen.

Blergh.