That Was The Week That Was- Part 1

Caregiver Edition.

1- There was lots of Aicardi Conference Planning silliness this week. It was the pretty typical committee breakdowns with miscommunications and misunderstandings. I am fairly aggravated by things at the moment. It will be sorted out in the end, but at the moment it’s just more fodder for me leaving the “organization” after the conference.

2- The City of DeKalb Advisory Commission on Disabilities meeting went well. It looks like the mayor is reappointing me for another two years. We have some great plans for the future. The only crazy thing from this meeting was the commission having to deal with an individual who is going around town pretending to be a member. It wouldn’t be so bad if this individual wasn’t aggressively confronting business owners and landlords and threatening them with his nonexistent power to levy fines. We are tackling this the way every commission tackles issues; we are issuing a strongly worded letter.

3- Caitlin had a good, healthy week. We were even able to go out and walk in Downtown DeKalb thanks to some good weather. We are getting a Tapas restaurant there, which is kind of cool. It was a nice walk, but it is frustrating that a good number of businesses aren’t even remotely ADA compliant.

4- Caitlin’s transition planning has started. Next fall she will be in Kindergarten at a new school. Change frightens me.

5- Caitlin’s OT is also leaving the Elgin Easter Seals. This really sucks. We like her a lot, and she’s been with Cait for years.

That Was The Week That Was- Part 2

The Writing Edition.

1- The penultimate chapter of my first novel is finished. Images that have been lodged in my brain for 10 months are finally on the virtual page. Luckily, I was able to sneak in a couple of writing sessions before I got covered in conference planning crap. I'm still on target for a WisCon completion.

2- I received a personal email from a senior editor at a major SF publishing house. Unfortunately, it had absolutely nothing to do with my fledging writing career. Not that it would have since I don’t even have a completed manuscript. Still, it was kind of cool.

3- I received my preliminary WisCon panel assignments. As always, these are all subject to change. It’s not a bad group of panels. This is my first WisCon, so I am a little nervous about the provocative nature of a couple of these topics. naomikritzer told us that things can get so heated that moderators are given a sheet of instructions about what to do with unruly and abusive people that goes all the way up to calling security. It should be fun. I wouldn’t mind some input from my f-list about these topics. Every little bit helps. :)

Title: Martha Jones: Made of Awesome or Disappointing Stereotype?
"The third series of the new Doctor Who heralded the addition of Martha Jones as the main companion. Fans of color cheered the news and many loved her first the first episode. But as the series went on, some fans found a lot wanting in Martha's character and put the blame squarely on the shoulders of the writers and producers. Now that Martha's Series Three character arc is complete and her guest episodes on Torchwood are also complete, we can examine her role in the Whoniverse. "
" Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy "
Sunday, 10:00-11:15
M: Michael D. Thomas
Joanna Lowenstein
Chris Hill
Marna Nightingale
Ariel Franklin-Hudson

Title: Powerful Protagonists or Fetish Fantasies: Female Roles in Modern SF Television
"This is a panel discussion about modern SF shows with strong female characters such as Xena, Buffy, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, and Doctor Who. We will look at how these shows portray women and debate whether these are truly feminist characters. "
" Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy "
Monday, 10:00-11:15
M: Michael D. Thomas
Allison Morris
Jennifer Pelland
Jorjet Harper

Title: Sherlock Dracula: The Appeal of the Vampire Detective
"Whether it's strictly forensic or mystically motivated, television vampires seem to have a nose for crime-stopping. In Toronto there's Tanya Huff's one-time royal heir Henry Fitzroy of Blood Ties, and actual cop (on the night shift, of course). Then there's Nick Knight of Forever Knight. in L.A. there's brooding Angel of Angel Investigations and now private investigator Mick St. John of Moonlight. Why has the intersection of the detective genre and the vampire genre become so popular? It is all about redemption, or about sexy vampire powers that are good on a hunt?"
" Reading, Viewing, & Critiquing Science Fiction and Fantasy "
Friday, 10:30-11:45
M: Linda McAllister
Michael D. Thomas
Jorjet Harper