The Cogitation Zone

These middle days of our trip were the meat of it, when we actually explore the city. We had a tour guide every morning who was fine, but who I suspect gives the same tours and tells the same jokes twice a week -- and who likely gets a kickback or two. Not that I'm cynical. We toured the historic sites on the Plains of Abraham (but, to my surprise, didn't see the fort) and drove around the old city. I bought a card at an art store.

Dear Parents idling in your cars outside the temple:

Would it have killed you to park and come in for half an hour for Purim? Instead you sat there in your SUVs and BMWs and Audis, engines running on a warm day, and showed your children your hypocrisy. Do you think the children don't notice that there were about 40 kids, and only 3 adults not associated with the religious school? Do you think that they will grow up caring about their religion? This is how a temple, a community, a religion dies.

Angrily Yours,
A Jew who cares

So last night I was at an Arisia Town Hall discussion on increasing diversity. On of the things Arisia is doing this year is creating a "PoC Lounge" where People of Color can go and hang out with other PoC, connect, and maybe vent. (This is, IMO, a good thing, if we can afford it.) At the end of the town hall, I turned to the friend I was sitting next to, an Orthodox Jew, and asked him, "So, are we white?" It seems to be a question Jews all over are asking themselves. "After all," I said, "our ancestors are, literally, from the Caucus Mountains."

He thought a minute, and then said, "It depends." He felt it would be wrong to use the PoC Lounge at a con because there are so many Jews in fandom that we don't need a 'safe space.' But he'd been other places where Jews were a minority, a rarity, an exception, and there, having some place like this, where he would have been supported, would have been a benefit. I agreed.

And this morning, it occurred to me, this is what the Jews in Germany in the mid-30's must have felt. They had fully integrated into society; they thought of themselves as Germans first. Many weren't fully Jewish, weren't practicing, maybe only had a Jewish grandparent. And this is the modern world, they told themselves; surely nobody would take this fascist rhetoric seriously, it doesn't stand up to facts.

After the election, a friend (who is not Jewish) said, "You must be scared." I just shrugged. Honestly, I've never been not scared. In some ways, the enemy you can see is better than the one you can't, even when you know they're there.

When I read through my online feeds, it seems that conservative-bashing is the rule. People rejoice at the death of Roger Ailes or call for impeachment or post in support of science, women, animal rescue. And to me, yes, these are all good things. But I often wonder, where is the other side?

I live in Massachusetts, inarguably one of the bluest of blue states. Solidly Democratic, a party pillar. And yet, over a third of the people in my state voted for our current president. I drive down the road and still see yard signs, bumper stickers, and flags. Yes, it is a proud and lonely thing to be a Republican in Massachusetts, so I can understand the need for such displays. But surely these people are not stupid. Surely they are not seeing the same news I am?

Of course they aren't.

When Amazon was just books, it got to know your buying habits. Getting a cookbook for a friend? Suddenly, the Amazon book recommendations were all cookbooks. It was, at the time, a bit creepy. But now we're used to data analytics and big data. Not only do you get cookbooks suggested, you get ads for cooking classes, news about celebrity chefs, a listing of what's on the Food Network, and so on. And we now don't find it creepy at all; it's just the way the world works.

When it comes to news, we're all living in that same echo chamber. I see the liberal/SJW news because I see the liberal/SJW news. I see myself reflected back at me, making me more of myself. The colors intensify. I don't see the other side; there is only bias.

So here's what I urge you to do: go seek out the other side. If you're a liberal -- which you probably are, given you are reading this -- start reading those conservative sites that make your skin crawl. (Maybe start with the Boston Herald, if your stomach is weak.) And if you're a conservative, read that liberal media. Think the other side is the enemy? Then get to know your enemy. And remember that the truth is somewhere in between.

My phone is rather old, but I like it. Unfortunately, it's developed a problem where when it connects to the wireless at work, it reboots. Sometimes I get to log in before it reboots; sometimes it will stay logged in for a while before rebooting. Sometimes it has to reload all my apps (there's over 200, so it takes half an hour). These spontaneous reboots always come at the most inconvenient times; twice I've had to apologize to my family that I didn't just suddenly hang up on them. Recently, these resets have been effecting my phone such that it won't connect to my home wireless, which means I'll burn through data. It won't accept the password no matter what (we haven't changed it, and it works for every other device). We suspect a virus.

So when my phone misbehaves, I usually go to the Verizon store (the real one, not an authorized reseller), because I use Verizon. After waiting in store for fifteen minutes (there's always a wait, they do it deliberately so you shop), they suggested a factory reset; apparently, it's their fix for everything. I declined to have them do it there, because I wanted to back up the phone at home. So tonight I charged my phone, backed up the photos, moved as many apps as possible to the SD card, and did the reset.

And it still won't take the wireless password.

I think maybe it's time for a new phone.

For those who think I'm unemployed:

This week, I made sure all my art was packed for Boskone, along with bid sheets and a control sheet; ran two kilns; made several bowls; did some glazing/reglazing; finished one "scooter parking" mat, and started another (for Albacon); edited a chapter; laid out a 40-page souvenir book, sent it out for proofing, and did the corrections for Albacon; attended a marketing workshop; updated the MidAmeriCon table kit bag; ferried kids about during vacation; dealt with the usual ton of email; connected with another artist about his wood-fired kiln; found a marketing opportunity; created a art hazards info sheet; updated a website; posted art on Instagram; and reframed some art.

I am so glad I don't have to do anything for Boskone but sit the MAC table, be an artist, and be on program. It's enough!

Still to do: pack the encaustics for my Boskone program item; WASAA meeting minutes; necktie outlines (you'll see); my Albacon art show paperwork; and get the Albacon book to the printer on Monday.

So I have a website -- www.cogitation.org -- through Weebly. It offers site stats. My #1 visitor is a web trading site; why, I have no idea. Most of the rest are Russian (.ru); the next one distinctly American has "porno" as part of its name, and is therefore suspect. So I must conclude my site is only visited by bots. Also, they mostly visit every other day; my visitor stats are on a consistent 2-day cycle.

Sigh. Sometimes statistics can be depressing.

So, as most people in the sf fandom world know, there has been a great outcry regarding this year's Hugo Awards. Many people are looking for a fix; the suggestions boil down to:

a. Narrow the electorate
b. Widen the electorate (or extend the lists)
c. Do nothing; it's a temporary aberration

I have an idea that actually combines some of these: a Hugo Nominating Only membership (HNO).

1. Make it cheap: $5 and $10 have been suggested (about £3-6); 10% to 25% of the current supporting price is also viable, so it can rise or fall according to economic forces.
2. Natural persons of a certain age only: I suggest 12 as a minimum age. Yes, this means you need an ID.
3. Nonrefundable, nonnegotiable, nontransferable, exclusive: you can't upgrade it, and you can't also already have another membership of any type.
4. Only available for a limited time: I suggest 9/1 to 12/31 of the preceding year (i.e., for 2018, 1 Sept 2017 - 31 Dec 2017).
5. You get one nomination per category only. The nominating period remains the same as for all members. So yes, you can get a bloc vote item, but only one per category.
6. No publication rights. Sorry, you will either have to download them off the website or use online forms. Whaddaya want for ten bucks?
7. Your membership expires when the Hugo nominating period closes. After that, you can buy a supporting or attending membership (at the going rate) if you want to vote.

Did I miss anything?

HNO memberships will widen the electorate, narrow their choices, and not be costly to the administering Worldcon. It does require some tracking, and a special ballot. But people are already sent a PIN and link; they'd just get a different one. The hardest part is verifying a natural person of a certain age without a current membership, which is why I had it end before the usual buy-a-supporting-membership-to-vote date (Jan 31). It still allows bloc voting, yes; but last year the electorate showed that they disapprove of bloc items quite vehemently. It would also allow those who cannot afford Worldcon--even the supporting membership--to become part of the Hugo process, and widen the number of items being looked at. It would be a stepping stone toward other Hugos that have been suggested recently (Game, YA). Not that I support those--I'm of the camp that believes we already have too many categories. But I think widening the electorate would bring in more members in the future.

The consequences of good PSAT's: 10 colleges sending my daughter junk mail today alone. Two I've gone to...

Looking for a unique holiday gift? Why not support locals and give something hand-made? Western Avenue Studios in Lowell (free parking, close to the commuter rail) will have open studios next weekend from 12-5 Saturday and Sunday, and also is offering a Shopping Night a week from Thursday on the 18th. Please come check it out.