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.

ratzeo's and my new apartment (♥♥♥) is in need of a vacuum cleaner. Since I'll be getting a cat at some point, I'd like to buy a vacuum that works well on pet hair, so I come to the communal expertise of the Internet. Do any cat owners out there have a recommendation for a reliable, not-horrendously-expensive machine? (My coworkers rave about the Dyson vacuum, but those things run upwards of $400, so ...)

I have another question! But this one is less selfish.

Back at the beginning of summer, I set a goal for myself to start making regular monetary donations to worthy causes if I got a promotion/raise. And since I did, I want to make good on that goal. I have a few places in mind already, but I was hoping I could get some suggestions of other places to look into.

I would like to focus my attention on activist organizations that set anti-oppression as an overarching goal for their work - groups that seek to fix not only the symptoms (like providing shelter for people escaping abusive relationships or providing food for the homeless) but also the causes (like rape culture or institutionalized racism). Not that the former isn't vitally important - that would be asinine - but I really want to support organizations that are about dismantling unequal power relationships. CARA is a really excellent example of this strategy.

So if you have any suggestions, that would be great. Especially for places that I might overlook because of my focus on race and gender activism - maybe groups supporting trans youth, homeless families, etc. Give me a shake-up of my own privilege while we're at it, yeah?

x-posted to LJ

Seattle-area folks:

ratzeo and I are in search of a place to live come September. I've been searching for about a month now, mostly using craiglist and Rent.com, with no luck, and I'm approaching the hair-tearing frustration stage ... If anyone has advice about where to look or who to contact, it would be much appreciated.

If it helps, here's what we're looking for: a 2-bedroom apartment or house of reasonable rent (say, $1000ish, depending on the place), generally in the area bordered by Fremont-Green Lake-Wedgwood-Laurelhurst-Wallingford. I'd like it to be a place that allows cats, because I want to get one sometime after the move.

If you can help me find a place, I'll love you forever. (Barring that, if you have any recommendations of where to get boxes or hire movers, that would be great.)

Thanks!

x-posted to LJ

Anyone out there have advice on money matters for international travel?

As some of you know, I'm going to London with zinjadu next month, and I'm trying to figure out how to handle money for the trip. I'm sorting through the options of credit cards, travelers checks, ATMs, plain old cash ... and trying to juggle all that with considerations about conversion rates, overseas fees, and security are making my eyes cross. If anyone out there has experience with international travel (particularly U.S. to UK) and can give me some tips, I would be eternally grateful.

ETA for personal reference:
-Citibank charges 3% on international transactions
-Visa charges 1% on international transactions
-bank charges 1% on international withdrawals and debit transactions
-$2 for using foreign ATM [may be changed in near future]