this is my day, this is my song

I am attending this conference soon because I am a giant nerd (OK, because my MOM is a giant nerd and wants someone to go with her while she gets her Ye Olde Norse Things problems on) and I just spent the last hour or so going through the catalogue of sessions they sent us putting sticky tabs in and *____* HOW AM I GOING TO CHOOSE, OMG.

THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD THINGS. Seriously IDK how I am ever going to pick between all of the gender studies, queer studies, disability studies, THINGS ABOUT DISEASES, things about Jewish and Islamic perspectives (of the crusades and in general), THINGS ABOUT TEXTILES AND COSTUME, medieval theatre, I… COULD GO ON. Too many options ;___;

The only things I am NOT terribly tempted to go to are the sessions on specific language translation and all the ones about Chaucer/Tolkien/CS Lewis >:T Seriously those guys can go suck a bug. I chewed on the pad of post-it notes in anger when I kept seeing CS Lewis's name (but my lip didn't start bleeding so I guess I didn't get too angry)

I’m still kind of iffy about some of the ones that are about Hell, as well, because WHILE I FIND THE IDEA of Hell interesting, especially in medieval times, I also find it really bewildering and troubling o_o And given the choice I guess I would rather hear people talk about how horribleterrible the crusades were (and why people making light of them or glorifying them is REALLY BAD) because that is more relevant to my interests … augh ;_; Why don’t I have a time turner*???

*There are also sessions about medievalism in Harry Potter. I am totes going to those jftr.

hello chums, how are you all doing

here, have some Ye Olde Jewish Anarchists singing ye olde "fuck the police"



Man, how much do I need to learn Yiddish??? SO MUCH.

HI GUYS sorry I haven't been around much K is still here and Squeak just arrived and we have been doing many exciting activities such as playing 1776: the board game (which I guess is from the bicentennial??? AND IS THE MOST BORING GAME EVER) and watching Robin Hood With Furries. TOMORROW WE ARE SEEING LES MIS! :D Also I guess we went out to get tea and accidentally a whole art supply shop as well. Oops.

I AM CERTAIN I WILL BE MUCH MORE AROUND AND TALK-Y IN ABOUT A WEEK JSYK oh and also Bees we totally got your package thank you! I put the Fluttershy toy next to my Oscar Wilde action figure on my bookshelf. They are totes bffs. 8)

I guess this post mainly serves two purposes, 1) to tell you all I am still alive and 2) to share the following anecdote:

Yesterday morning I woke up like FREAKING OUT! Because I had had a really alarming and realistic dream where my parents had told me that my grandfather had died :( And I was having a big DREAM PANIC about 'omg omg no I never got to tell him how much he meant to me omg' and stuff and it was really awful! And then I woke up and checked my e-mail and I had a message from him. Which...

...Went like this:
"Yppah Lirpa S'loof Yad, Dnarg Rethgujad! Evol, Spmarg"

SO NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT THERE. EVERYTHING IS PROCEEDING NORMALLY. \@_@/

Wow hi everyone gosh it has been a while since I posted a thing? I guess because I have mostly been on tumblr posting pictures of eels and... trying to clean my room up and sort things out (I LAUNDERED MY LOBSTER AND NOW ITS FEELERS ARE ALL CURLY) before K gets here! WHICH IS IN LESS THAN THREE DAYS EEEEEE

Less than three 8)

<3

That goes for all of you who said nice things at me for the last couple entries! I am lucky to have so many great friends :3 I have been feeling a lot better the last couple days and I hope it will stay this way! At least for a while I mean. I have my ups and downs. But yeah thank you all <3 As a gift here is a photo of my cat making herself very small and round on a pillow.

guys I got a tumblr! :O i'm a little bit afraid of it but I am having fun so far 8) if you have one you should totes add me!

http://poblet.tumblr.com !!!

Okay so these are actually Glee Thoughts Links to things other people have written about Glee feel free to skip obviously if you don't care about this shit or are tired of my RARGHH REPRESENTATION!!!! rants or wev. Buuuut I think a lot of this is quite informative and helpful for understanding why there are people who don't like Glee and/or feel pretty hurt by it.

NOTE: This is by no means a comprehensive list of things I personally find bothersome about Glee, nor is it a comprehensive list of things OTHER people find problematic about Glee, nor is it meant to somehow ~shame~ people who are able to enjoy Glee despite its failings, nor is it meant to be some kind of attack on the aforementioned people. It's just some thoughts on Glee written by various people from various perspectives most of which I agree with and/or think are important. That's all. Some of these reviews were written as criticism of the pilot or older storylines and some are more recent. I don't agree with every word in every article, but. You get the idea. Also: these points aren't intended to say NOTHING GLEE EVER DOES IS GOOD OR RIGHT. Also ALSO: Yes, Darren Criss is a charming-ass motherfucker. No, this does not have any bearing on the following criticisms.

http://hoydenabouttown.com/20090520.4998/new-tv-show-glee-does-crip-drag-very-very-badly/
"Glee is the story of a high-school glee club full of “losers” who undergo growth and transformation and shit after a gorgeous white-boy footballer and a gorgeous white-boy teacher report for saviour duty."

( AND MORE UNDER THE CUT )

...I swear I'm going to post about something that isn't 1. my own disabilities or 2. being enraged about ableism AT SOME POINT here, guys. I SWEAR.

Disclaimer: I understand there are many reasons why people choose not to participate in various holidays and respect that. This is not intended to convince people who don't celebrate Valentine's Day for whatever reason, but to present an idea of it that is inclusive IF people want to participate but feel that they are not "allowed" to.

SO, VALENTINE'S DAY. I HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T ENJOY IT.

That's cool. I mean, I don't enjoy all holidays. I don't celebrate the same holidays as a lot of people, either! And I totally get that most holidays have really problematic aspects to them.

But I love Valentine's Day. And here is why!

I was pretty lucky as a kid in a lot of ways. One of these ways is that for the most part my family was a good family, and they loved me, and a lot of the things my parents did and taught me when I was small have affected how I see things now as an adult. I guess Valentine's Day is one of those things.

When I was a kid, Valentine's Day was never about just romantic love or sexual love, at all! For as long as I can remember, my dad would hide little notes and chocolates around the house for me and my mother to find. In the morning we all opened cards from everyone, my parents and my grandparents both. My grandfather always sent us chocolate. I realize that I was and am really privileged to be a part of a family who is able to do that kind of thing, and I think the main idea that I took away from it was: this day is about love.

It's not about an exclusive kind of love that huge swathes of people are left out of because they don't somehow qualify as being allowed to celebrate. It isn't about the people who are dating or married one person. It's about everyone. It's about me, and you, and the people who care about and support and love all of us.

I realize I am somewhat... unusually keen on Valentine's Day (possibly this is an understatement)! I don't ever expect everyone else or even most other people to be as excited about it as I am, or excited about it in the same ways I am! That would be silly. But I think we get sold this idea of the holiday that is extremely narrow and leaves many, many people feeling left out and upset, and I think that there are ways to think about it which solve that problem.

So yeah, we all know the most common Valentine's Day narrative: it is for young heterosexual couples who are in love and having sex! To ply each other with overpriced gifts! Buy your ladyfriend a diamond and she'll put out! Etc, etc. I absolutely think that the gender-essentialist and heterosexist undertones we're commonly presented with are harmful (and stupid). And I absolutely understand the resentment a lot of people feel towards a lot of the commercialism of the holiday, for sure.

But! I don't quite understand rejecting the entire day and dwelling in bitterness because of it! Many, many potentially enjoyable things are commercialized in problematic ways. There are still ways to enjoy them and buying into the packaged and marketed and sold idea of what Valentine's Day SHOULD look like is only one of the near-infinite ways to participate.

It doesn't have to be about romance or your ~one twuu heterosexual lurrv partner~! In fact, I reject that idea. If that idea was sitting next to me in a James Bond car, I would hit the seat eject button so hard that that idea would be launched into space. NO LIE.

Heterosexual romantic love does not have a monopoly on love.

There are infinite kinds of love and caring and support and relationships humans can and do have with one another. They are ALL valuable and they are ALL worth celebrating.

For me it was about my family, and then later about my friends - the people in my life who I love and care about and who love and care about me. For me, this day is about remembering and appreciating the people in my life and trying to do something to show them that they are appreciated. Does that mean it can't be about romance or sex or couples? Hell no! They can participate too! I am totally making my girlfriend a card covered in love hearts and glitter and sending her some heart-shaped cookies. I'm also making those things for a lot of my friends who I am NOT dating and who I have no interest in dating! Because I love them, too. In different ways. But they are all just as important to me.

When I was working at Bivouac I made cards every year for all my co-workers. When I was a kid I used to draw them for my cats and then tape the cards to their litter boxes! Cats don't appreciate this, or know what Valentine's Day is, because they are cats. But your friends and family and co-workers and acquaintances and anyone who you care about who doesn't fit into those categories... they all do! Everyone likes to be appreciated, in whatever way you choose to show them you appreciate them.

One of the nicest things about spreading the Valentine's Day love outside the expected boundaries of "romantic partner" is that people don't expect it. Yeah, most of our media and society does perpetuate the idea that if you are not in a monogamous heterosexual romantic partnership of some kind you are a failure. So you know what I say? Fuck that! You're not a failure. And the other part to this post is: You're not "single".

Just because you don't have ~a date~ does not mean you are alone. Think about all the people in your life. You have people you love and care about and people who love and care about you! Whether they are your parent(s), or aunts or uncles, or grandparent(s), or friends, you have people in your life. If you are reading this, chances are *I* care about and love you, for one! :D And even though I only managed to send out about 20 cards this year, and there's more than 20 people who I want to reach out to and appreciate, I want everyone to know that I, or someone else in your life, loves you. Fuck anyone who tells you that they don't count because they're not your boyfriend or girlfriend. Fuck anyone who says that you shouldn't be able to participate in this holiday because you don't have the RIGHT kind of love.

All love is the right kind of love. This holiday is for you.

hamdrax: omg my cat is SO BROWN she is like a fancy starbucks coffee drink
hamdrax: and her little white muzzlepouche is the dollop of whipped cream on the top.
hamdrax: SHE'S A CATPUCCINO!!!

Oh my god why am I still not in the UK

I WANT TO ATTEND THIS FUNCTION SO MUCH 8((( SOB!

POST NEWS: Carly and Pura, I got your cards!! THANK YOU. THEY MAKE MORE GORGEOUS. I'm putting the cheerful cartoon animal stickers all over my laptop Pura. AND CARLY THANK YOU FOR THE CD FOR ~YE OLDE LONDON NIGHT LIFE~ or wev, I haven't had a chance to look at them yet but I have a feeling I will be very entertained when I do <3

Also I sent out the boxes of cookies today! So that's for you Bees, and K and Squeak, and Squeak I put in some things for Pura and Gatty too so you have to give those to them whenever you see them next, OKAY.

ANOTHER THING I GOT IN THE MAIL: DAT JACKET. Lucky for me it's hard to tell in this photo how much it DOES NOT MATCH what I am wearing (purple miniskirt and pink floral tights POSSIBLY not the best choice) but its what I was wearing when it arrived, and I was too lazy to change :') BUT LOOK ISN'T IT FABULOUS.

OK, more unrelated MAIL NEWS: I only sent a couple people winter holiday stuff, but in case you dont know, Valentines Day is MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY and it is approaching.... I will put up an official GIMME YER ADDRESS post a little nearer the date, but I'm going to be sending EVERYONE EVER handmade glittersplosion cards for it so. Keep your eye out for that. I make really good Valentines Day cards. Just ask Squeak. :D