A Few of My Favorite Things: The Maryland Renaissance Festival

A plethora of food that is delicious and terrible for you (most on sticks), comedy shows, musical shows, sword fighting, jousting, crazy costumes, crazy people, gard you can wear around muggles and at Faire. Seriously, what is there NOT to love about RenFest?

A Few of My Favorite Things: Conventions

Not in the generic sense of Vegas but the geeky sci-fi, comic, gaming, music, and fandom conventions. You get to meet people with common interests, indie writers/producers/artists/ etc., see crazy costumes, create crazy costumes, meet celebrities from your favorite shows, and more. 

I always find amazing garb at cons and see some really interesting furries. I think it’s one of the few places they feel safe. I’ve discovered some really cool writers, sat in on some really cool panels, and met some really awesome people. I definitely love me some cons.

Baker's Dozen Challenge Book 2

For Shiny I read a shiny new book Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay. Sam, a 23 year-old orphan, has just been given the opportunity of a lifetime. She gets a grant that will allow her to attend graduate school for free but will she be able to succeed. 

I saw it and was immediately drawn to it but didn’t get it right away. It was filed under Christian Fiction which initially turned me off the book. I’ve been preached at by judgmental hypocrites too many times to seek out Christianity. Fortunately it’s a very minimal element of the book. 

Some characters mention being blessed or praying or saying grace but it was never the main character doing it. There were Christian undertones but I never felt hit over the head with it. It was also respectful Christianity rather than the ‘I-go-to-church-so-I’m-better-than-you attitude’ I’ve seen a lot of. The subtlety works for a mainstream audience without being preachy.

Most of the book was about Sam learning to open up and get out of her own way. She was likable but closed off because of her difficult childhood. She grows and develops well as a character. A little bit Austen, a little bit Cinderella story, Sam was consistently naive but was someone I could see being friendly with. If only I had her luck.

I’d file this under women’s fiction and say that you have to like Austen and coming of age stories to appreciate this. I honestly think calling it Christian will hurt sales. When I think of Christian fiction I expect God or Jesus or faith or praise to be on every other page and I’m not the only one. It can be appreciated by a much wider audience but will almost definitely be pigeonholed because of the label on the back.

1) Another World –

2) Learned Something –

3) Movie-Book –

4) Graphic Novel – Fanboys vs. Zombies Vol 1 by Sam Humphries

5) Dust –

6) Nonfiction –

7) Reread –

8) Shorts –

9) Fiction –

10) Shiny – Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

11) Retelling –

12) Wild Card –

13) The End –

Music: Damaged by Love by Tom Petty

Disposable People

My morning has been un-freaking-believable. I get a call from a staffing agency yesterday about how they have a one day and am I interested? Definitely. I get all my things ready to go downtown tomorrow morning.

I woke up at 3:30 and didn’t fall back asleep until I had less than an hour before my alarm so I was off to a great start. I drove my car to metro since a full day at work would have me going straight into my evening plans. I get downtown 15 minutes early. I sat in the lobby for 30 minutes waiting to either be collected or told I could go upstairs.

Normally they collect their temps right away or send them up so this was unusual. Near the 45 minute mark I finally get sent upstairs. I find the office and about 3 seconds after I get there someone comes in and starts talking to the woman who informs me “I need a minute.” You’ve kept me waiting for 45, what’s another one. I wait in the hall until I’m beckoned and introduce myself. She has no idea who I am.

She didn’t check her email after noon the day before (or that morning apparently) and it takes a second for her to figure out why I’m there. Once she does, she tells me that it’s supposed to be the last day for all the temps and they probably won’t need me.

So I had to wait around for 45 minutes and schlepped downtown for nothing all because you can’t check your email? I’m pissed because I came all the way downtown and changed metro lines during rush hour and I’m not even going to get paid. It was the first the staffing agency heard of that need being over.

My options are pay the $5 to free my car from metro or figure out what to do in DC for 8 hours with leftovers in my backpack. I attempted to kill time but finally just admitted defeat and came home in time to watch the US lost to stupid Canada. 

I'm really fucking tired of being treated like I'm disposable. My last full time job made sure we knew we were replaceable. My 'indefinite' temp assignment didn't even terminate my position themselves. The client today couldn't be bothered to check their email or deal with me for the better part of an hour. I'm trying to stay positive but's it's really hard when I keep being treated like I'm someone employers just throwaway. Today ranks pretty damn high on the suck-o-meter.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Face Off

This may be the most interesting and positive reality program on television but it’s not getting the traction it deserves because it’s ‘genre.’ It’s a special effects make-up reality competition where a variety of artists compete for money, a car, and a huge professional opportunity.

One of my favorite things about this show is that it lacks 2 major elements from reality television: schadenfreude and backstabbing.

Contestants on Face Off will rise or fall based on the strength of their concept and execution. Hurting someone else does not guarantee them a win or prevent elimination. They also have to deal with each other once the show is over. Their profession isn’t that big and paths will likely cross. What’s the point in generating bad blood when it gets you nothing?

There’s also no schadenfreude. Most talent shows include a few contestants who have no right to be there. They have no skill and no shot at advancing. They exist solely for the audience to laugh at. Face Off doesn’t do that. Every contestant has a right to be there, everyone has the skills. It’s one of my favorite shows for a reason.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Feminism

I’ve spent many an entry railing against pop tarts and celebrities who bash the very thing that got them where they are. *shakes fist* I owe feminism more than I could ever imagine.

100 years ago, women couldn’t vote. 50 years ago women could only be secretaries or receptionists and weren’t allowed to wear pants most places. If you got married, you’d likely lose your job. 40 years ago, men didn’t have to hide the fact that Steve got promoted over you because he’s a man. It’s also the same reason he makes more money.

Women are still fighting for opportunities but the battle has become more pernicious. Women who benefit from feminism are speaking against it rather than fighting for it. An entire generation who took it for granted isn’t fighting to keep it up because they don’t think it’s a real thing. God bless the internet and social media because women who are feminists are speaking their mind and doing it loudly. #NotBuyingIt is calling out different products and people on its sexism. Miss Representation promotes media literacy and is streaming on Netflix.

Feminism is definitely one of my favorite things and any woman who doesn’t appreciate that hasn’t done her homework.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Dear Prudie

I’m absolutely addicted to the advice column on Slate. Prudie offers good, solid advice on major personal issues (affairs, abusive pasts) and little stuff (menu etiquette for a Super Bowl party). It’s nice to hear about people’s lives that are worse than mine and (mostly) unbiased advice on how to make them better.