Zero tolerance should be ZERO.

Readerconfail is what people are calling it.  I wonder why??


Genevieve Valentine on the verdict. Her friend's report from 2008.  Ekaterina Sedia's thoughts. 


Note that I tagged this under "rape" because sexual predation includes rape, just as sexual harassment is included in sexual predation.  I've had experiences along the whole damned spectrum -- which I'm stating as a fact.

It is not because I wanted any of them. 

This makes me wonder about Readercon.  I've been harassed at local cons.  I wouldn't know as many people if I needed help -- not people I know well, that is, who've known me for years.  So... they're still on my cons I'd like to attend.  But this has raised reservations.  :(

ETA 3.05pm:  Genevieve's other post about this matter.  [Update 18-Feb-2017: CRAP.  She doesn't have that account anymore, so that great post is gone.]

Seriously, for any guy who may think he is "just apologizing" or "she made me do this" or ANY of that unacceptable crapola -- read that post.  If someone's ever done this to you, read it.   If you wonder what we're talking about, read it.  If someone's said to you, "This guy..." then definitely read that post.  It is about boundaries and smashing them and tolerating rapists, predators, and all their ilk.

And as The Gift of Fear would rightly point out, those are indicators.

ETA 31-July-12 12.36am:  Ann Leckie, bless her, also brought up some other important things, like the problem with people who say "Oh no! You will outlaw flirting!" when that is not what this is about.  Do read her post.

Thanks to Aliette de Bodard, who posted this on Twitter.

Variety pack of links.

Nifty links found during research:

Forbes on leadership.  Fascinating.  Do note the bits about hubris!

Two cool links about Bangkok:  24 Hours in Bangkok and, from the Sydney Morning Herald's Traveller section. 

The Online Etymology Dictionary on [executive] washrooms... and tasers.  It was the taser bit that drew me, although I really was looking up "washroom" right then.

How Stuff Works explains biometrics. 

Other links of interest:

Carol Pearson, author of The Hero Within, a favorite nonfiction book of mine, and her website. 

A collection of Firefly links sent to me on Twitter. 

Related to Worldcon, for Chicon 7 is nigh:

Their writing workshop is taking reservations. 

Also, if you need a cheap ride from the airport to the con hotel, the Hyatt, check out Groupon.  Groupon's last deal ended two days ago, but you never know.

Yes, I'm all Worldcon-is-coming now, of course.  Aren't you?  :D

A break for links.

Since I haven't done links in a while... have a short variety pack.  First, a funny from the ever-lovely Cracked.com, who have helped me with work research many times.

Really, they have.  You would be amazed at the serious links inside some of their funny essays.  Particularly for Hollywood physics.  


6 Classic Movies (That Narrowly Avoided Disaster)

Working on the Death Star

Antisocial Networking

Like Charlie, I managed to resist SNS for quite a while.  Then I got on Twitter.  I still complained about Twitter -- until I couldn't Tweet for a time, about a year ago.  And I realized that I missed Tweeting with my friends so much!

Because Twitter had become something that replaced the newsgroups and Mucks and BBSes.  The virtual hangout that filled a need in me.  :)

Friendship: a gift.

I have the coolest friends all over.  I really do.  Twitter friends last night hugged me because I mentioned Arnie's loss...

Arnie himself would be pleased because his line about being a "frail delicate flower" was well received.  That would tickle him, I think.


I know so many awesome people.  Everywhere.  Thank you all.  For being my friends.  I mean that.  When I was a lonely teenager I wanted heaps of friends.  Legions.


And I have them now.  Life is good.  There are tears in it, and laughter, as always.  That's life.  It shapechanges, always. 

But the friendships... those are some of the very best things offered to you by Life.  They're gifts.   

I never imagined then that I would know people all over the world.  I never imagined a lot of things.  Sometimes being open to surprises is the very best thing.  Then along comes another surprise.  <3

Love you.

me*---

Straight from my heart: goodbye, Arnie.

Today I found out a good friend of mine passed away Sunday.

Arnie, you are a brightness, and the world is lesser for losing you. Those words just don't seem enough, but words are all I have. 


In the SCA, you were Arnolde "Slyme" Fredrickson.  I have so many memories of you, my friend.  Little moments.  Life is all those little moments.

Arnie saying, with delight:  "Oh, you're a left-handed fencer!"

Speech tags: volume 2

So why don't action tags replace speech tags?

Because what you do isn't what you say.  Plus, action can happen at the same time as dialog, and frequently does.  Just to make things more exciting.  :)

When I'm working, or even talking about them, I tend to divide books into two categories of What Characters Do.  This might be a holdover from reading lots of dramas, possibly -- but if you think about it, that's how plays are.  Action or dialog.  Doing or speaking.

There's actually more categories, but as I haven't got OSC's writing book handy, you're stuck with my categories today.

Two differences in today's world.

Or, if you like, Things We Really Maybe Didn't Expect.  YMMV, of course.


There's Klout, which I'd heard of, but saw featured on tv yesterday.  Mom opined that I must have ninety-something as my Klout score.  I don't, but it's not bad for someone who mostly Tweets for my SNS.  :)  Rather higher than I should've expected.  


How to Increase Your Klout Score

Active Twitter Users Have Shorter Relationships [STATS]


Then there's Twitter.  Upon which I tend to be, well, very talkative.  Twitter really was made for the chatterbugs, I feel.  ;)

Twitter's well named. 

I'm curious if OkCupid will do -- or has done -- a survey on how many nonsexual relationships Tweeps have and how often those go pear-shaped...