Sakura of DOOM

Back from Wiscon

Wed, 29 May 2013 19:03:06 GMT

I was at Wiscon! I think I go to fewer and fewer panels every year but hang out with more people. This time, I even convinced people to go to parties to find other people! CB laughed so hard when I told him that: "Whoa, you are being social and getting other people to do it too!"

( Read more... )

And: Hello everyone I met! Post-Wiscon exchanging of pseuds and whatnot highly welcome!

Also: Anyone want to brainstorm panel ideas in the comments? And do people have AMV recs? Anything is good, no matter how old; I've been out of the loop for a really long time.

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Wiscon!

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:48:24 GMT

I am really not prepared, due to the events of the past few weeks.

Must remember to pack HDMI cable.

Anyway, I will be arriving Friday afternoon and leaving Monday night. Anyone still around for an early Monday dinner? I have made vague flailing attempts at meal planning.

I like texts MUCH more than phone calls (and for some reason, my phone doesn't always ring when people call), and I should have my iPhone with me most of the time, so I'll have access to email and Twitter messages and etc. PM me if you want my number!

Mostly hoping I will appear semi-intelligent on my panels and that there will be no flight delays. *knock on wood*

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My Wiscon schedule

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:58:37 GMT

Finalized schedules are up, whoo!

The Xenogenesis Panel
Sat, 1:00–2:15 pm
Moderator: Janet M. Lafler, Scott E. Gould, ANONYMOUS, Victoria Janssen, Oyceter

Octavia Butler's groundbreaking Lilith's Brood trilogy (Xenogenesis) explores many issues, in both science and social realms. The exploration of genetic engineering and medical enhancements in sexual and reproductive technology is remarkably prescient. These books also address sexism and racism, among other issues.

(I am really looking forward to this. I should remember to check out more in-depth looks at an author or a work for panels, and I should probably also suggest ones based on anime/manga too.)

Cultural Appropriation: The View From Outside the West
Sat, 4:00–5:15 pm
Moderator: Daniel José Older, Zen Cho, Na'amen Gobert Tilahun, Oyceter

Let's discuss cultural appropriation from a more global perspective, from people who belong to non-dominant cultures (i.e., not the US, Canada, Western Europe, or Australia) and cultures for which Western culture is a colonizing influence. From the outside, a culture tends to be perceived as monolithic, whereas from the inside it is usually more fractured. How does this affect our views of cultural appropriation?

(Not actually sure where this one is going to go... Will be interesting to see how the mod wants to define stuff. I was noodling a bit with hyphenates borrowing from sourcelander things.)

Anime & Manga 101
Sun, 1:00–2:15 pm
Moderator: Andrea Horbinski, David Emerson, Jackie Lee, Megan, Oyceter

Do you feel like you might like anime & manga, but feel overwhelmed by the hundreds of titles and some of the terminology? Come to this panel prepared with your storytelling likes/dislikes and a few questions, and allow our panelists to give you advice and recommendations.

(And this is my panel for fun and relaxation! Hopefully me being a few years out of date will not be too detrimental.)

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Wiscon 2013 programming, first look!

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 21:56:23 GMT

I blame kate_nepveu. Also, so much love to laceblade for probably doing a lot of the anime/manga panel descriptions and nominating!

( Panels I am considering being on )

Apparently, I really want to talk about romances.

( Panels I want to attend )

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N things make a post

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 21:53:40 GMT

Sigh, cannot make it to Wiscon after all ;_;. I originally thought I could after getting a refund for taxes, but I just got an invitation to a family friend's wedding on the East Coast. So... there goes that. I am especially sad because I really want to go and support the increased number of anime/manga panels! (And by support, I really mean ramble on about Princess Tutu and Utena...)

In other news, California seems to be trying to cram three months worth of winter into April. It has been pouring for the past few weeks, and yesterday brought on a lot of thunder and lightning as well. And! I am almost done assembling all the furniture and whatnot for my kitchen, which means I can soon start doing things like stocking up on the fridge and pantry again.

I have started to read again! This is a relief! Now let's see if I can manage to write something up...

Also, I caved and am now on Twitter as ActuallyOyceter. Right now it's mostly Echo Bazaar stuff. I think I'm also oyceter on Tumblr but I don't post and I haven't checked Tumblr for a year.

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AKICODW/LJ

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:49:53 GMT

Gah, I just realized FOGcon is only a week or so away!

And since I have profited greatly from posts like this in the past, help me think about what to say at my panel!

Gray is the New Purple

Aging isn’t for the weak of heart. What sf/f works deal with the topic of aging, either positively or negatively? Who gets it right and who should do some homework?

Moderator: Madeleine Robins
Panelists: Phyllis Holliday, Oyceter, Erin Hoffman

I can think of Tehanu off the top of my head, and I remember someone asking for representations of older women in SF/F, not counting immortals, people who do not physically age, and etc., and the list was fairly scanty.

I love DWJ's Howl's Moving Castle, but I've always thought it was odd how Sophie suddenly begins to think like an old woman and how there is no disparity between her own self image and her changed physical image. Maybe this is particularly interesting because I feel we see more of the opposite situation in SF/F: old people in young bodies, thanks to magic/science/alien technology/plot point/etc.

I really like how A:TLA includes multiple kickass old men, but I really wish there were awesome old women as well. The only few we see tend to be on the creepy side, and there's definitely no equivalent of Uncle Iroh.

I wonder how much of A:TLA's old people kicking ass has to do with its martial arts heritage? I think several of the older women I've seen in wuxia movies tend to be the villains, but they have a much greater presence than what I've read in English-language SF/F. Possibly this has to do with the greater number of female martial artists and the whole cameo thing?

Thoughts? Ideas? Anyone?

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Con or Bust!

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:09:57 GMT

con_or_bust is still going, and bidding closes on Sunday Feb. 26. And, more excitingly, they are trying to raise more this year because they are widening the scope to send fen of color to all fannish SFF cons, not just Wiscon! This potentially includes non-USian fans and non-USian cons!

Also, there is some really cool stuff up to bid on. I, alas, am going to be entirely selfish and only link to things I have been outbid on. But check out this gorgeous robot palm leaf engraving! And signed copies of a comic about beautiful women and monsters! (The Attack of the Alien Robotsaccount of how deepad got them for the auction is pretty awesome too.) Or tuckerization in the fourth Sarah Tolerance mystery!

I am offering a used Alex ereader. It is very lovely, and the only reason I am giving it up is because CB gave me a Nook Touch a few months ago.

And as to "Why help?" this is how Con or Bust has affected me.

( My story )

So that's why I'm pitching in.

And here are some other stories:
- deepad on expanding Con or Bust
- fantasyecho's experience

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