rivers_bend

YOU GUYS, I AM IN LOVE. Not that I was under any delusions otherwise, but ZOMG FANGIRLS ARE THE BEST EVER FOR SERIOUS. I am having the most amazing time since the last most amazing time. I've caught up with lots of people I know and love, and met several new and amazing people who I didn't know at all or had only interacted with a little bit on line, and just... HOW ARE FANGIRLS SO AMAZING?

Also, last night I got tipsy and watched SPN with a room full of people I adore, and cuddled with drvsilla and beckaandzac who are awesome, and then we all flailed about things until the woman in the room next door asked us to go the hell away, so we went to the con suite and puppy piled on the bed, and I discovered that eliza_jane has the same writing method as I do, and I've never met anyone else like that, and we need to talk more about it, and before all that dauntdraws drew me a gorgeous picture of Adam Lambert, and also nola_rue is adorable and awesome and in addition came into the restaurant just as I was about to put the enormous second half of my nachos into a togo box more out of guilt over wasting food than any notion that cold, left-over nachos were going to be good later, and wanted nachos for lunch, so I got to share, and JUST I LOVE EVERYONE OKAY?

( my thoughts on SPN 6.04 )

BREAKFAST TIME NOW.

I have (for the most part) not been commenting on people's posts about the situation wildfiring through SPN fandom at the moment. It is not because I don't care, but because I care too much. And because I am extremely uncomfortable with my comments being screencapped and used by people I do not know (or do not know if I know or not, because they are anon) for their own purposes.

Sometimes when we have strong feelings about something it makes us brilliant and articulate. Sometimes it makes us broken and dumb. I am feeling more the latter than the former, but I also feel like I cannot keep silent regarding something I feel so strongly about. The parts of this I cannot find words for have been discussed by some of those brilliant and articulate people. I hope very much that they won't mind if I send you in their direction and let what they have to say about victim-blaming, knee-jerk reactions, and cultures of violence speak for me.
brihana25's post which is a sort of open letter without naming names.
kroki_refur's post which is the one that made me feel like I could corral the frenzy of discomfort in my head and actually breathe again.
drvsilla's post which speaks to how I can have genuine sympathy for everyone concerned and still feel violated and horrified by how this is playing out. (and I do not mean to put words in Dru's mouth wrt feeling violated and horrified. those are MY feelings. I'm sure she has her own.)
and sparkymonster has a post about rape culture and how that is contributing to the situation.

Thank you, ladies, and all the other people who found themselves able to talk about this issue in a calm and clear manner, in a way that I cannot.

What I can talk about is Wincon.

I LOVE Wincon. I love the women who work so incredibly hard to make Wincon the amazing and wonderful place that it is. I love the fangirls who are crazy and diverse and wacky and wild and wonderful. I was at Baltimore in 2008, and I was at Denver in 2009, and I will be in Chicago in 2010 (I bought my ticket before the last con was even over).

There were problems in Baltimore. Not just the problems that have suddenly come up in an inappropriately public way* via the anon meme and the response to it, but problems with the hotel and getting food and some of the rooms. And coiledsoul and ethrosdemon did AMAZING and WONDERFUL things to make sure those problems were solved. Things that happened behind the scenes, that none of the con-goers had reason to know about, but that ensured that we got fed in Baltimore anyway and when we arrived in Denver there was food and drink and internet and awesomeness in the extreme. These women and all the women who helped them, who contributed time and energy and effort, did it because they love fandom and they want Wincon to be an amazing experience for people as much as possible. But they don't just care about breakfast tickets, and hotel liaison duties, and event planning. They care that people are having a good time. They ask and if there is a problem or something that needs to change, they address it. Even when it's hard. Even when it's uncomfortable. Even when it's not popular.

They do it quietly, and straight up, and on behalf of people who feel like they can't do it themselves for whatever reason. They are amazing, and they are advocates, and I really do not have words for how much I admire them. It's unfortunate in the extreme that the anon discussion and the response to it is getting conflated with their appropriate, and behind-the-scenes (so far as they were concerned), actions.

I've been going back and forth for two days, and all the while writing this, as to whether I would post it public or not. As I said, I am extremely uncomfortable with the manner in which this situation is being "recorded for posterity". But I'm a hell of a lot more uncomfortable with a lot more than that, and I think my screencapping discomfort pales into insignificance in the face of that.

I may or may not be answering comments on this post. I may end up breaking my rule against answering some comments but not others. I apologize in advance for that, but as may be clear, I'm having trouble talking about this, and I am not willing to add to my own discomfort by engaging just to be polite.

please let me clarify: I do not believe that it is inappropriate to discuss issues of being made to feel uncomfortable or anything related to coercion etc. in public. I do not believe it is inappropriate to do so anonymously. I do not believe those things even a little bit. But I do think that there have been a lot of things said publicly that should have been kept private, and a lot of things said publicly without appropriate context, and that people are being hurt. Very, very hurt, as a result.

Just for today, you can get con tickets to Wincon for only $90!

Did you know that starting this year Wincon is no longer just about the Winchesters? It's going multi-fandom, so you can come squee about slash dragons or vampires or comics or people getting space married or glambulges and guyliner even if you couldn't care less about two brothers in an Impala.

Wincon is a by the fans, for the fans operation. Our goal is to provide an annual multifandom gathering for fanfen and provide a safe space for women and under-represented fans of pop media in all it’s infinite varieties (just like us) to come and meet, hang out, discuss their shows or fandoms, the fic written about them, the fanart made for them, party and have a good time. In other words, a giant slumber party where we can all do the fannish things we do online in person and in our pajamas (or whatever you feel like wearing!) No official personnel from any show or fandom is affiliated with this convention, nor will there be any appearances by any show actors, celebrities, writers, or other personnel.

This year it's in Chicago, and the hotel is rumoured to be awesome! I've been the last two years and had an absolutely amazing time. I cannot recommend it enough. If you've been thinking about coming, today is definitely the day to get tickets. And if you haven't thought about coming, you definitely should! Poke your friends. Get them to come along. It's amazing.

It seems somehow appropriate that my 2000th post is my Wincon report. This weekend has been all about fangirls, and fangirls are the very best part of livejournal. I'm on the airplane right now, feeling sad to be going, but also looking forward to getting back to my own bed and my cat and my kitchen. It was an amazing weekend and I got to spend time with a lot of truly awesome people. It was long enough that I will cut for the sake of your scrolling finger, though.

( It snows in October in Denver, CO )

Now to figure out how I am going to see the 11 shows my DVR completely failed to record while I was gone. I don't understand what happens EVERY SINGLE TIME I go out of town that it stops recording, but it's clearly something. It for some reason didn't want to record House or Heroes tonight either. Really, though, it's hard to care as much as I would had I not been spending all weekend with such awesome women. I love Wincon so so much. I've bought my ticket for next year already. More on next year later.

BEST PROM EVER.

Everyone looks amazing whether they are in elegant dresses or dressed like zombies, or both.

Why wasn't high school like this?

( I have a crap memory, and I hardly drank any alcohol at all )

NOW I HAVE WITHDRAWAL

pee ess, I feel like complete crap and emailed in sick for class tonight. I feel bad, but not bad enough to drag myself in.

I managed to forget my powercord for my laptop, so I will be almost entirely MIA this weekend. fortunately I will be at an SPN con and not a family wedding or something. But I am still very sadface.

However. I got to watch tonight's episode with runedgirl (both of them) and I am SO SO SO HAPPY FACE about that. I have never seen an ep for first viewing with someone else before. AWESOME.

I have heard about wank, haven't seen anything about it though. I will say about it, Jared is an ACTOR not a writer.

I have comments to reply to, but little battery, so I might not get to them until Tuesday or Wednesday. But I love you all *g*

I can't wait to get to Baltimore and see everyone tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yours in glee and sadness,

river
xxx

I have checked in for my flight (on line, it's not until tomorrow), and packed more clothes than I could possibly need, but hopefully not fewer clothes than I will actually want, planned my plane lunch (though damn, that was easier before the whole liquid thing), and am currently waiting for Mom and Dad to come and pick up Inigo.

I have a pot-luck for class tonight, which I totally don't want to go to, and I've made a really good start on next week's homework, and can probably get the rest done on the plane.

I can't believe it's finally here!

So somehow I failed to understand that the Con wasn't going through Sunday, and, after the irritation of having to leave Creation Con before it was over, I didn't book a flight home until Monday lunch time. Is anyone else going to be in Baltimore on Sunday? Will there be fangirls to hang with?

anyone? Bueller?

My DVR didn't record SPN tonight. I dunno. I guess it decided since I have 'Mystery Spot' on there from the first time it aired, I didn't need it again. But now I'm hearing it's not the same? That things were CHANGED???

I need more information! I need a DVR that just does what I tell it and doesn't try to make decisions for me! Why didn't I watch it? Bugger.

ETA on a tangentially related subject, I just wrote out a cheque for WinCon 08. I will post it tomorrow. I'm excited. SO MANY FANGIRLS IN ONE PLACE!