Was I drunk at the time?

Books make me happy. I love reading - and more recently I love my Kindle for making reading so much easier (in the sense that I end up carrying around multiple books and having them all in one lightweight, brilliant device makes it SO much easier).

And, if you know me, you know that of all the books, Sci Fi and Fantasy make me the happiest. There's just something I totally dig about the creation of a new world from someone's imagination. Imagining the future, or an alternate now. Or another world entirely where there is magic. Etc. If it's well written and well thought through? It is love. Especially if it's also epic. Nnnnrrghhh.

So anyway - on that note:

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Oh man - doing this meme just made me want to go on an epic re-reading spree.

And I back up this entry with a rec that was recced to me by [Bad username: catwalksalone"]. "The Stepsister Scheme" by Jim C Hines. Brilliant book about Cinderalla post-marriage where she is struggling to get used to being a princess and ends up going to try and rescue her prince with the help of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. Because fairy tales are actually nicer versions of much creepier stories and princesses don't usually get to actually do much in them apart from be "rescued". Well worth the read - amusing and fun.

So some of you may be aware that one of the reasons that I haven't been about is because I've been working on pre-production of a music video for a local band. We were due to shoot this weekend with approx 30 friends/family volunteering to be in the video.

Now, NK has done a number of professional shoots so this one was being run properly. He was producing, I was director and he (due to where he works) had access to a proper film studio and tens of grand worth of equipment. And why did the band warrant this? Because Jac's (my sister's) boyfriend Dan was the bassist in the band. And they were pretty fucking good, ngl.

Anyway - we had a meeting with them on Friday night to finalise some of the details and all seemed well until yesterday when I got a phone call from Jac. Now, anyone who knows Jac knows that she can be a bit brash when she doesn't know people. She's shy and introverted, but once you get past that, she's awesome. Now two members of the band (but the vocalist in particular, Micky) didn't want to get past the initial brash stage and decided they don't like her. Fine. She doesn't care and I won't get involved. It hasn't troubled the shoot plans and process at all.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday things went from fine to the whole thing being cancelled, all because Micky "found out" that Jac was being my Assistant Director (which had been planned for a WHILE and included in emails sent to him). I swear to god. He blamed Dan for "letting" Jac be involved (it was my decision) when they have a "no girlfriends involved in band business" policy and it's ended with the shoot being cancelled and Dan leaving the band. HONESTLY!

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That email felt SO GOOD to write. I mean, are you kidding me? He never once spoke to me, the person who had made the decision, and basically threw a tantrum stating that he wouldn't have Jac working on "his" video. And the thing that Jac did that was so heinous? Disagree with him when he ASKED her for her opinion on something to do with the band. And then, when he got aggressive with her (in her own house), threw him out of the house. That's it. She didn't kill it first-born or piss in his cornflakes - she stood up to him.

So there we are. Instead of filming this weekend we have a tonne of make up, fake blood and a film studio with nothing to do with it. I, for one, am going to get drunk and relax instead. And maybe start planning our next filming project. :D

I haven't been posting much at all because, well, I haven't had a fandom. And, well, who wanted to hear about my day-to-day life? *Shushes the people who pointed out this weekend that THEY do*

Anyway - something occurred to me recently. All this time I thought that I a) didn't have a fandom and b) was just happening to play a lot of computer games. Yeah. I'm a fool. Because seriously - computer games ARE my fandom! It just hadn't clicked because I'm used to my fandoms being more, well, media-based. But then, if you think about it, each major fandom I've had has been different to the last. Harry Potter - book based, SGA - TV based, Bandom - RPS.

So having been schooled by people this weekend about posting more and posting about my fandom, I'm going to look at doing more.

Games I have been playing:

The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion
Batman Arkham Asylum
Assassin's Creed
Fallout 3
Portal (Physics!!!)
Bioshock

Anyone played any of these? Come and talk to me about computer games, people!

You guuuyyyyys. I need to talk about this game I'm playing at the moment because OMFG it's making me SO HAPPY. You can tell how much happy by ALL THE CAPS EVER.

And why? Because it's isn't all FAILY. Man, I love me some TV and films and books and the like, but it's tiring having to constantly try and enjoy some things IN SPITE. You know what I mean?

- I love this show! In spite of the fact that there aren't any well-written women

- I love the film! Except how there's yet AGAIN the token muscular character of colour who dies in act two so that the white protagonist has angst

- I love this book! But it's the future and everyone is straight. WTF?

- I love this thing, but hi - it's bisexuality invisibility day. AGAIN

And just, I've been playing this game and getting MORE and MORE excited by it. And it's kind of sad that every time it doesn't fail, I get more excited. (Hi, bar set too low :P)

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In conclusion: Fable II wins at my life.

Hi all!

So remember the knitting/crocheting exchange? The time is about upon us to get with the sending out of the creations. I figured that setting a date of about April 15 to post sounds about right from what people have told me. Can those of you participating confirm for me that you will be able to post out on that day?

Also, because we need to get addresses to post to, can you please email me with your addresses, that I may pass them along to your creator-person?

\Knitting/

Our internets AND phone AND TV died. A LOT. Seriously. I'm going to call Virgin and totally make them refund us days and days and DAYS of money.

Consequently, I am many, many, many days behind on LJ so please let me know if anything really major happened as I don't think I'll ever get all caught up.

So! A couple of things:

1. So hi! Remember the knitting exchange that's due to come to a close at the end of this month? Yeah! So how's that going? I'm done with mine and I'm hoping that everyone else is pretty close to being done too? Can you give me a little update on how things are going for you guys? Able to do the end of March as planned?

2. My dad's operation was yesterday. They are pretty certain they got all of the cancer and he needed only a little bit of reconstruction. He didn't even need a skin graft (because he apparently he has stretchy skin. Who knew that was a good thing?) He was out in one day and, while in some pain, he's doing ok. \o/\o/

No, actually, that deserves more...

\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/\o/

I've mentioned my friend Rosey on here before. The other day I was having a few drinks with her and she told me about this conference that she was helping to set up at the University of York about Women in Popular Culture.

Now Rosey and I have loads of interesting discussions about slash and the whole community surrounding it and I mentioned that some slash fangirls were also academics. I also talk about slash in the media, which is a subject dear to my heart as the misrepresentation that happens really pisses me off.

Anyway - Rosey asked me to pass on the info below to any academics (or non-academics! She also said that if I wanted to present something, that would also be great) and/or to anyone who would be interested in attending.

"Not PowerPoint Again! Presenting research on women in popular culture differently.

University of York, 2nd July 2010

Are you bored of the traditional conference paper? Tired of watching a presenter stand and read off a script while pointing to an ill thought-out PowerPoint display? Nervous of presenting in a way that feels alien or doesn't support your research?

Then come along to our Day School where we are experimenting with different and alternative ways of presenting research.

Our aim for the day is to encourage participants from all disciplines to deliver research in inspiring ways. By thinking of different ways to present our research we can spark new perspectives, imagining different angles and approaches that we may never have considered before. We hope to attract presenters from a range of disciplines and thus intend to question the rigid lines of disciplinary thought that we so often become constrained by. The day school will facilitate this interdisciplinary integration by providing an atmosphere of experimentation and questioning.

We want to encompass presentations from as many disciplines as possible; the topics may include, but are not limited to:

* Music
* Sporting women
* Representations of weddings, marriage and divorce
* Women on film and TV
* Magazine culture
* Books
* Gardening
* Representations of religion
* The Internet

We hope to encourage discussions around how presenting differently may lead to thinking differently about research in academia; how presenting differently helps the researcher and the audience to engage with 'papers'; and whether experimental presentations really can have a place in traditional academic circles.

As the day is geared to presenting in innovative and engaging ways you may wish to present your paper using, for example: performance art, workshops, short films, live experiments, music, dance or other interactive methods. The design is entirely up to you.

To take part in this Day School please submit a summary of your presentation or a Storyboard (both of which must outline your proposed topic, the mode of your presentation, how long it will take, and what equipment you will need) to notpowerpointagain@yahoo.co.uk by 12th April 2010.

For more information and to view an example storyboard please visit http://notpowerpointagain.blogspot….

We look forward to seeing you there!

Julia Carter and Rosemary Hill
Centre for Women's Studies
University of York"

Pretty fab weekend, even if it did involve falling out of bed this morning at 6am and hurting my back on the radiator. Ow.

I had a catwalksalone visiting, which was fab as I haven't seen her in aaaaaaages. I got to show her Star Trek for the first time and also, on Saturday, go to meet new fangirls as wildestranger was going to watch Cobra Starship with them. As ever, Travelling Man plus fangirls equals houuuuuurs of fun. And coffee/sugar highs from the mint mochas. Boy howdy!

There were some adorable boys who were all hair-over-one-eye and were clearly wanting us to clear out so that they could sit and play. It wasn't our fault really - if the staff hadn't used a load of the tables to display their wares then there would have been room for everyone. As it was, though, the boys kept leaving and then coming back half an hour or so later to "subtly" check if we'd left. Bless.

When we were 15-30 mins from leaving (to go get some all you can eat Chinese for £5.90 - nom) they came back. I decided that we should help them out and let them know we'd be leaving soon. I effected this by saying "Maybe I should say 'WE'RE LEAVING IN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR' to them? So they know that WE'RE LEAVING IN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR." Heh. They got the message and stuck around.

We got to the Chinese place and were seated, but the waiter seemed to be asking us for £10 each. I was all confused because the menu said £5.90 until 4pm. Plus, his english was not so great. Ok, so it was pretty awful (still, of course, better than my mandarin...) but I figured that he was trying to say that, no no, it was £10 on a saturday. Now, while I was happy to shell out £5.90 for all you can eat, call me cheap, but I was not handing over a tenner when there were plenty of other places to go. We got up and began the process of leaving, only for the guy to suddenly click, check the menu and call us back, assuring me that he was mistaken and it was £5.90 after all.

We all sort of forgave him for the price fail, though, as he was so damn precious in his efforts to understand us and allow us to understand him. He had a continual expression of mild confusion at all times. We sort of loved his efforts, even if they did cause us to look slightly like cheap idiots by getting up and down.

This morning Cat and I made some reservations at the con hotel for connotations quite simply because we were checking out the hotel and thought "Why not!" Now that is planning.

Now I'm off to bed to have my boy read another chapter of "The End of My Y" to me. Hopefully I can refrain from throwing myself from the bed.

I don't do these because, well, I have this thing where I feel guilty about "forcing" people to say nice things about me.

But fuck it, I had a stressful day so I'm late to this party but Liz tells me it's not too late.

So I'm here on the Love Meme. :)

*Drinks her well-earned beer*

So, because I've had an awesome weekend (my boy made me chocolate cake because I was craving cake, then we played gin at my parents house with alcohol and today was SO RELAXING and included home-made fish pie):

Reply to this post, and I'll tell you one reason why I like you. Then re-post this and spread the love.