We've seen the worst of the Internet; let's show everyone what the best looks like
You know what? I look pretty damn cute in the pictures of me that got uploaded to the SASS thread. Indeed, I love what K. Tempest had to say:
I was scrolling through the thread and looking at the pictures and, instead of being ashamed that I associate myself with such people (horrors!), I couldn’t help but think of how beautiful all those images are. They are pictures of beautiful women of all sizes smiling, having fun, loving where they are and what they’re doing. These are the poeple I go to WisCon to be around. And nothing those half-brained monkeys on that forum say can make me feel any different. You wanna call me out as a fat loser? You go right ahead. But it’s plainly evident that I not only have more class than you, I also have a better life and better friends. All the evidence I need to support that statement is my lack of time spent on the internet trolling for pictures of people I don’t know in order to make fun of them for arbitrary reasons.
Get a life, you losers. And coming from a Star Trek fan, that’s fucking sad.
Panel 191 Report: Last time, on Battlestar Galactica...
Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Sunday, 11:30-12:45 A.M. ♦ Senate A
We saw the first part of Season Four, let's talk about it. Where is the series going? Let's speculate on the ramifications of the final five Cylons, Roslin's reoccurring cancer, and all the good stuff in the rest of Season Four.
M: Ben Burgis, Maddie Greene, JJ Pionke
This panel began at 11:30pm. Most of the panelists were drunk, as was most of the audience. This was hands-down the most hilarious panel I attended during the entire convention. I don't even remember what we talked about, and I didn't even drink. Cracktastic Cylon theories and references to Ikea planets were made. It was the just-perfect combination of people making insightful comments while also being drunkenly cheeky. I think my favorite moment (aside from Starbuck's white viper coming from Ikea) was heyiya's "I have a really complex and insightful theory, but I've had a few beers and I can't complete this thought process!" I had so much fun that I didn't take any notes.
I didn't attend the "Is Racism Inherent in Fantasy?" panel, but I have heard a lot about it from friends (whose brains were broken). badgerbag has video responses from people who attended the panel. My friend brdgt is "Bridget" in three of these videos, and you have the opportunity to see how hilarious she is.
coffeeandink has has posted about the "Can Internet Drama Change the World?" panel, posting a mostly-complete transcript of the panel. I attended this panel, and intend to post my own notes later, unless I decide that I don't have anything else to say. The consensus, though, was "Yes, Internet drama can change the world."
The Sign-Out
I was so excited and gleeful that I completely overcame my shyness/awe of Wiscon people, and was running around cackling and talking excitedly about these authors.
I happened to find Maureen F. McHugh in the Dealers' Room. brdgt told her that our book club loved her book China Mountain Zhang, and whatever others might say about the ending of the novel, we loved it and found it appropriate. Then, I asked her to sign my copy of China Mountain Zhang and said, "Also, I think it's totally cool that you referenced Scott Pilgrim in the short story you read out loud Thursday night!" And she totally freaked out with glee, saying, "YAY, I'm so glad that someone caught the reference! I really just wanted to make her [the protagonist] a real person, you know?" I really like Maureen McHugh as both an author and a person, and I look forward to reading her other novels and more short stories.
I had Sarah Monette sign Melusine for me. I didn't have much to say because I haven't actually finished it yet, and was chatting a lot with people in line next to me.
I had Tamora Pierce sign my copy of In the Hand of the Goddess. She's so down-to-earth, and practical, but well-spoken. I was actually halfway through the second panel with this insightful audience member before I put my hand over my mouth and went, Holy shit, that's Tamora Pierce! We chatted about our mutual awe for goldjadeocean.
I still haven't read Patrick Rothfuss's In the Name of the Wind, but he's friends with were_duck, and he treated us to dinner on Sunday night. It was pretty hilarious, because I took my copy of the book to him and said, "Not only am the asshole who hasn't even read your book yet, but this copy is also already signed by you. I was just wondering if you could personalize it." He eagerly accepted, but then said that he suffered from "performance anxiety," thinking that because we had eaten dinner together, he should be able to say something exceedingly meaningful or hilarious. Giving up, he instead opened to a blank page and did spirograph. Patrick Rothfuss is funny, intelligent, and ready to mock everything, including Wiscon itself (in a respectful way - please totally have him come back next year!. I really look forward to reading his book.
Yesterday was work and grocery shopping, but sasha_feather and I had time to eat dinner together, and I then showed her the first two episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist. She is pretty new to anime (I think she's only seen Cowboy Bebop?), so I cackle with the glee of corruption. She hopes to reciprocate by getting me to read slash fanfiction.
I was scrolling through the thread and looking at the pictures and, instead of being ashamed that I associate myself with such people (horrors!), I couldn’t help but think of how beautiful all those images are. They are pictures of beautiful women of all sizes smiling, having fun, loving where they are and what they’re doing. These are the poeple I go to WisCon to be around. And nothing those half-brained monkeys on that forum say can make me feel any different. You wanna call me out as a fat loser? You go right ahead. But it’s plainly evident that I not only have more class than you, I also have a better life and better friends. All the evidence I need to support that statement is my lack of time spent on the internet trolling for pictures of people I don’t know in order to make fun of them for arbitrary reasons.
Get a life, you losers. And coming from a Star Trek fan, that’s fucking sad.
Panel 191 Report: Last time, on Battlestar Galactica...
Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy ♦ Sunday, 11:30-12:45 A.M. ♦ Senate A
We saw the first part of Season Four, let's talk about it. Where is the series going? Let's speculate on the ramifications of the final five Cylons, Roslin's reoccurring cancer, and all the good stuff in the rest of Season Four.
M: Ben Burgis, Maddie Greene, JJ Pionke
This panel began at 11:30pm. Most of the panelists were drunk, as was most of the audience. This was hands-down the most hilarious panel I attended during the entire convention. I don't even remember what we talked about, and I didn't even drink. Cracktastic Cylon theories and references to Ikea planets were made. It was the just-perfect combination of people making insightful comments while also being drunkenly cheeky. I think my favorite moment (aside from Starbuck's white viper coming from Ikea) was heyiya's "I have a really complex and insightful theory, but I've had a few beers and I can't complete this thought process!" I had so much fun that I didn't take any notes.
I didn't attend the "Is Racism Inherent in Fantasy?" panel, but I have heard a lot about it from friends (whose brains were broken). badgerbag has video responses from people who attended the panel. My friend brdgt is "Bridget" in three of these videos, and you have the opportunity to see how hilarious she is.
coffeeandink has has posted about the "Can Internet Drama Change the World?" panel, posting a mostly-complete transcript of the panel. I attended this panel, and intend to post my own notes later, unless I decide that I don't have anything else to say. The consensus, though, was "Yes, Internet drama can change the world."
The Sign-Out
I was so excited and gleeful that I completely overcame my shyness/awe of Wiscon people, and was running around cackling and talking excitedly about these authors.
I happened to find Maureen F. McHugh in the Dealers' Room. brdgt told her that our book club loved her book China Mountain Zhang, and whatever others might say about the ending of the novel, we loved it and found it appropriate. Then, I asked her to sign my copy of China Mountain Zhang and said, "Also, I think it's totally cool that you referenced Scott Pilgrim in the short story you read out loud Thursday night!" And she totally freaked out with glee, saying, "YAY, I'm so glad that someone caught the reference! I really just wanted to make her [the protagonist] a real person, you know?" I really like Maureen McHugh as both an author and a person, and I look forward to reading her other novels and more short stories.
I had Sarah Monette sign Melusine for me. I didn't have much to say because I haven't actually finished it yet, and was chatting a lot with people in line next to me.
I had Tamora Pierce sign my copy of In the Hand of the Goddess. She's so down-to-earth, and practical, but well-spoken. I was actually halfway through the second panel with this insightful audience member before I put my hand over my mouth and went, Holy shit, that's Tamora Pierce! We chatted about our mutual awe for goldjadeocean.
I still haven't read Patrick Rothfuss's In the Name of the Wind, but he's friends with were_duck, and he treated us to dinner on Sunday night. It was pretty hilarious, because I took my copy of the book to him and said, "Not only am the asshole who hasn't even read your book yet, but this copy is also already signed by you. I was just wondering if you could personalize it." He eagerly accepted, but then said that he suffered from "performance anxiety," thinking that because we had eaten dinner together, he should be able to say something exceedingly meaningful or hilarious. Giving up, he instead opened to a blank page and did spirograph. Patrick Rothfuss is funny, intelligent, and ready to mock everything, including Wiscon itself (in a respectful way - please totally have him come back next year!. I really look forward to reading his book.
Yesterday was work and grocery shopping, but sasha_feather and I had time to eat dinner together, and I then showed her the first two episodes of Fullmetal Alchemist. She is pretty new to anime (I think she's only seen Cowboy Bebop?), so I cackle with the glee of corruption. She hopes to reciprocate by getting me to read slash fanfiction.