sigelphoenix

There's just over a day left in the Royal Archivist funding project. It's over the funding goal, which is fantastic, but I want to give one final heads-up because the more funding it receives, the more art RA can buy (action scenes! landscapes!). Also, the rewards for donating are pretty nifty, so if you want freebies like art-filled version of the universe guidebook (in PDF) or a physical print, you might as well donate now than later.

*I will, no doubt, continue posting requests/PSAs as various RA products come out.

5 days left! $430 to go!

Please consider chipping in! Even $10 will help us get closer to the goal.

(See my earlier entry for details.)

After today's check-up, my vet has recommended that I try to brush Drannor's teeth (he seems prone to gingivitis). It's one of those things that I've heard about doing with cats but never tried myself, because I wasn't sure of the risk vs. reward payoff.

The first attempt went decently well (and then after the fact I did some online research, and saw recommendations to gradually introduce brushing over several days/weeks ... oops). Drannor does not like to be restrained or messed with in general, but he has a "I'll just tolerate it until it's done" attitude for the first minute or so, before he really starts squirming or breaking out the teeth and claws. Since brushing doesn't seem to take that long, I wonder if he'll just let me do it.

Anyone out there brush their cat's teeth or have experience with it? Any tips?

And while we're at it, what about brushing cat fur or trimming their claws? Both my boys are decidedly against the practices, and I haven't bothered because, again, the risk doesn't seem worth the reward. They groom themselves (and each other) and have lovely soft fur that rarely causes hairballs, and they scratch their scratching furniture politely and only occasionally catch us with an errant claw. If that's the case, is there any reason to put them and us through the hassle of grooming and clipping?

In the midst of all the various aggravating or horrific things going on, I'd like to talk about something that makes me happy: Royal Archivist.

Royal Archivist publishes speculative fiction in various mediums set in a shared universe that explicitly invites and is impacted by fan contributions. We see ourselves not so much as a publishing company, but as a storytelling company, producing fiction, setting-expanding guidebooks, sequential art, roleplaying scenarios, regular columns, audio works and more, all tied together by our setting and the contributions of our fans.

We believe that by creating in a wide variety of media, we open the door to both a greater number and greater diversity of contributors. From the beginning, it has been our goal to see our shared universe populated by characters traditionally underrepresented in fiction, speculative or otherwise. Expect to see protagonists who are also people of color. Expect non-traditional gender roles, and non-traditional genders. Expect us to be a place that your story can be told. Join us, and expect more from our world.

In other words, to pull out two examples from their FAQ that appeal the most to me: it's like the Forgotten Realms D&D setting, or DC and Marvel's comic book universes, with the one major difference being that the founding philosophy incorporates anti-oppression as a welcome and necessary component.

Excited? 'Cause I am.

The launch date is March 14, but in the meantime you can sign up for the weekly newsletter and look into submitting your work.

At the moment, what RA needs most help with is their Kickstarter project, seeking money with which to hire artists. They have $1700 of the $2500 goal needed by March 1. If you have any interest in what they're doing (speculative fiction informed by anti-oppression! who doesn't?) and a little cash to spare, please take a look and see what level of pledge - taking note of the rewards offered - you can afford.

Full disclosure: the people behind this company are close personal friends of mine. To me, the only difference that makes is that I've already had the opportunity to see their work in these arenas (fiction, game design, GMing) and know them as trustworthy in regards to issues of privilege and oppression.

Excerpt from the response I received to my second email (see previous entry):

While I am just a Customer Service Representative of this company, I feel like I should share my point of view.

I totally understand where you're coming from as a consumer, and realize the gray area that has been created.

Ultimately, as an employee of the company that created this campaign, I feel honored that we broke the status quo in a sea of other companies that advertise in similar ways. Did it make some uncomfortable? Yes. Did it make some think? Yes. Did it make people act? Yes. Personally, I've been forced to take a look at what I consider the "tipping point" of what action is. How many people does it take to change the status quo? How many have to support a cause before action is taken? I may never know these answers, but I feel like I work at a company that has it's hand on the pulse of questions like this.

Is there any way this doesn't boil down to, "I'm glad we made people think, because clearly no one was thinking about these issues before, and clearly being obnoxious was the best way to do it"?

God, this is like the white people who ignore the grief, stress, anger, and depression caused by RaceFail (whatever iteration) and just gush, "I'm so grateful I could learn from this!"

For those who do not watch the Super Bowl, or have not otherwise heard, the deal website Groupon ran a swimming-in-privilege commercial exploiting Tibet. Angry Asian Man includes the form letter they're sending out as a fauxpology to anyone who complains.

I sent my own email to complain and ask for my account to be deleted, and here is the version they sent me:

Thanks for your email.

We certainly don't mean to offend with our advertisements.

I see you've been able to read our CEO's response (http://www.groupon.com/blog/), and I'm sorry you still feel offended. We have moved to action by raising awareness to worthy causes.

We are very informed on each of these issues, and have received some amazing responses from Tibetan Americans, Greenpeace, and others who appreciated us shedding light in places that remain dark to the average consumer.

Wow, what a persuasive response! You're well-informed, really! You have friends who are ______, and they say it's okay! And you're still not sorry. Would you like a Dickwolves shirt with that order of willful ignorance, sir?

I'm going to give it one more shot and explain why none of those things makes up for the lack of apology and action, for what it's worth. I'm sure a lone voice won't change their minds, but hopefully right now they're receiving a loud and un-ignorable chorus that I can add to.

( ETA: my response )

I wish I didn't have to root for the sidekicks so much. Granted, there are ways in which it's easier to make peripheral characters more interesting than the main one(s). Sidekicks can be enigmatic, or pop up occasionally to do something hilarious or awesome, whereas the main character gets the most screen time and we see him in all his mundanity along with whatever awesome he has.

(I remember a comment that Megan Mullally - I'm pretty sure it was - made about the show Will & Grace. Her character, Karen, and a character named Jack were sidekicks to the titular characters, and were more outspoken and flamboyant, major scene-stealers. Someone commented that there should be a Jack & Karen show, and she responded that if there were, there'd be another "Jack" and "Karen" who were more popular than them.)

All that said - in The Cape, I find Max and Orwell much more compelling than Vince, even with the above qualifying information.

Take Max. ( character spoilers through episode 3 )

I've spent my lunch breaks the past two days watching "The Cape" on Hulu. I've heard mixed reviews about it, so I figured I'd see for myself.

On the one hand, after watching the pilot yesterday, I did not feel moved to watch the next episode as soon as I went home. On the other hand, I easily chose to watch the second episode during today's lunch, so I think that's decent for a new series.

Mostly, I think the pilot suffers from the usual first episode problems - trying to establish baselines for the characters while keeping the plot moving so as to be dramatic and exciting. And the plot requires a lot to set up and move, because it's ( spoilers for the pilot from here on out )

( spoilers for episode 2 )

So, overall I like it, don't love it, and I'm definitely going to watch the next episode.

I've really been enjoying Adagio's Foxtrot tea blend, but my bag of it is nearly gone and it's currently out of stock. (Also, I don't want to make an order and pay shipping just for one type of tea. I could make it a full shopping 'trip' and probably hit the free shipping minimum, but the amount of tea I have both at work and at home is kind of indefensibly ridiculous already.)

I decided to experiment - Adagio lists the ingredients of Foxtrot as chamomile, peppermint, rooibos, and vanilla rooibos. I currently have loose-leaf chamomile, peppermint, and almond rooibos, so I mixed all three together, eyeballed it until it looked Foxtrot-ish, and gave it a whirl.

It turned out pretty good, all things considered. I think I put in too much peppermint, and I lacked plain rooibos, which I think gives Foxtrot some body, but the almond is a decent substitute for the vanilla (at least to me, as someone who does not go for very sweet tea). I consider it a success.

(I ... feel like my recent entries have rotated among game fics, link-dropping, and sheer inanity. Which is a fair use for an online journal, I guess, but I swear I used to have more relevant things to talk about.)

Title: Director's Cut
Characters: the full Adamant Company and Garagos
Word Count: ~1400
Summary: When the lights go down on the final episode, what does the cast do?
Notes: Be warned that this is very silly.

( not at all canon )