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goodnight irene [Mar. 10th, 2022|12:02 pm]
Sel
I don't think there's anyone still reading this, but on the off-chance, I'm entirely over at DW these days and never log in here anymore.

I have a long and old history here - so many people, so many friends who've come and gone - but I guess nothing lasts forever on the intarwebs, and it's been 21 years. (Golly! 21 years!)

Anyway, going to try to migrate this LJ over. It's gotten sparse the last dozen years, but hey, there's some rich history and memories back in the early 00s.
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it begins [Sep. 13th, 2019|10:30 am]
Sel
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Last week, my mother - an Australian citizen for over 50 years and an Australian resident for over 60 years - tried to change her address with an official government organisation.

They told her that neither her electoral enrolment, nor her Australian passport were sufficient evidence that she was an Australian citizen, and she needed her citizenship papers.

AND THIS IS HOW IT BEGINS.

After fifty years, do you think she still has her citizenship papers? And if they still have the records somewhere, do you think that she can get them cheaply and easily? Do you think the process would be simple to go through for someone who, perhaps, doesn't speak good English - ftr, my mother speaks excellent English although she's going a little deaf. My mother may be up to jumping through whatever hoops are put forward - how many others aren't?

And it raises questions, doesn't it?

Am I safe anymore? Is my citizenship truly unassailable if I'm not white? I was born to non-white Australians - one born here, one immigrated and naturalised here - will I get the benefit of the doubt, or will I spend the rest of my life proving my Australian bona fides? The far end of that question is: will I spend part of my life in a camp like George Takei and other Americans like him did - my goods and property and rights forfeit, my citizenship and loyalty in doubt - simply for being born non-white in a time of conflict?

I said a couple of weeks ago that Australians of Chinese descent were far too successful - individually and collectively - for White Australians to let us pass by without them taking a stab at us. I sincerely didn't think it would be this prophetic (or this personal) this soon.
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australians all... [Sep. 2nd, 2019|06:34 am]
Sel
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Yesterday, I went to one of the many rallies for a Tamil family who've been denied refuge (or politically thrown under the bus, take your pick) and are being deported quite viciously back to Sri Lanka.

Priya and Nades lived for four years in a little Queensland community, giving birth to two daughters, raising them in the community, and being involved at every level that they could - working, volunteering, making friends with the people around them.

Eighteen months ago, our version of Border Patrol came for them. They were taken away at dawn to a 'center' where they were more or less left to rot - to be forgotten by the Australian people so they could safely be deported back to Sri Lanka, which is hostile to Tamils at best, and lethal to them at worst.

This is a story that we've seen played out in the US a great deal lately - but it's also happening here in Australia.

The rally yesterday was both to stand in solidarity with the Biloela family (Priya, Nades, Kopika, and Thaarunica) and to mobilise people to act before the final judgement on their removal happens this week.

If you're Australian, and you have time, spoons, and heart for this, there are three offices you can contact, by phone or email, all the way to Wednesday.

PM Scott Morrison - on Friday his parliamentary voicemail was full (2 6271 5111), so also considering calling his electorate office on 02 9523 0339. You can also contact the office of the PM by form - however you'll have to leave your name, email, and street address, which can be confronting.

Also:
Peter Dutton (02) 9523 0339
David Coleman on (02) 9771 3400

You will reach an office worker who'll take your phone call. Be polite, state that you're calling about the Biloela family (Priya, Nades, and their two Australian-born daughters) and how they should be returned into their community and refuge granted to them by special dispensation of the minister. They should only need your name and postcode.
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is it too late? [May. 23rd, 2019|08:25 am]
Sel
[Tags|, ]

To remind UK folks with the ability to vote to do so?

Please?
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thoughts on fortune, wealth, privilege [Dec. 13th, 2018|08:54 am]
Sel
A friend on DW said that she felt bad about sharing good news; that in her midwestern culture it was considered 'boasting' and that it might be highlighting to others what they don't have.

I don't know what the term for that is, but I do feel it quite a lot. Not as much as she does, perhaps, but enough that I think twice about sharing good news or good things.

( count your blessings name them one by one...Collapse )
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six months in the garden [Mar. 25th, 2017|03:43 pm]
Sel
[Tags|]

September 2016:
Garden, spring 2016


March 2017:
Garden March 2017


Okay, so granted quite a lot of that is summer growth and the verdancy granted by three weeks of near-constant rain in 25-35 degree temps, but still!

I guess the big question will be what it looks like in September 2017... Hopefully it's looking even more crazily growth-fuelled...
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Australians All Let Us Rejoice... [Mar. 12th, 2017|01:37 pm]
Sel
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( about last night, in WACollapse )
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phrases I need to use more [Feb. 17th, 2017|05:13 pm]
Sel
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"It’s not about adding diversity for the sake of diversity, it’s about subtracting homogeneity for the sake of realism."
― Mary Robinette Kowal

--

Yonic: resembling of vulva/labia/vagina

Yonic, from from sanskrit word Yoni

--

In answer to a guy sarcastically saying 'So I can never talk to a woman again?' when someone reprimands them for sexist thinking: "If you automatically think that you are more qualified to speak about a topic than a woman, then yeah, you should probably keep your trap shut when women start speaking."
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last day at work [Jan. 31st, 2017|10:08 am]
Sel
[Tags|]

Mostly it's just trying to make sure that everything is cleared off my HD, including passwords and apps and suchlike, and saying goodbye to people.

I came in at 8am this morning, I plan to be gone after lunch. Must talk to the woman doing my exit interview to check if we can get it done before lunch.

(The woman doing my exit interview is my previous line manager, before they shuffled everything around earlier this year and then I got to get told of my redundancy over the phone through a manager who'd never met me in person. Clusterfuck, much?

And that's not even counting that to tell me that a redundancy might be on my horizon (they hadn't actually made me redundant at the time), they arranged an appointment for 10am Monday morning and told me HR, my line manager, and his line manager would be there, and that I could bring a support person. They arranged this appointment at 10am Friday morning, leaving me 72 hours - including the weekend - to stew.

They're fucking lucky that I don't have anxiety, or I'd have been a mess by Monday. As it was, I contemplated the worst case scenarios, then stressed a little here and there over the weekend, but didn't let it bother me.

So, in conclusion: clusterfuck.)

I'm not sorry to leave the company; it used to be a good little company to work for, before it got bought out by a big Australian tech conglomerate, and then that got bought out by a big US tech-and-business conglomerate, and...wouldn't you know it, this is the company that gave me my first redundancy when they bought out the little company that I worked for from age 18 to age 24! Colour me surprised.

Anyway, mostly, I am scrubbing things from my laptop, and working out how to not only clear but erase my browser history in the shortest time possible. Oh, and must delete my Dropbox connection.

moment of greatest tech hilarity in this morass: Being told by the system that my password is about to expire - YESTERDAY.

One day to go and they want me to change my password? AHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah, no, I didn't bother, and I seem to be okay and in the system right now, so...

I will be sorry to leave the people - there are some really good people here. It's a good place to work. Ah well, my job being what it is, I'm sure I'll encounter them in the future here, there, and everywhere...
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#changethedate [Jan. 26th, 2017|07:50 am]
Sel
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A couple of amusing videos at Junkee about Australia Day. The style of the 'piracy' is particularly funny to Australians because they've been trying to get Australians to stop pirating things the companies wouldn't legally sell us since Day Dot.

I admit, I really like the idea of changing Australia Day to May 8 (MAAAAATE), although it's a pity we can't make it fall somewhere in August so we have a public holiday between the June long weekend and the October long weekend. Come on - that's a four month stint without public holidays! It would be a welcome relief in that long stretch through the middle of the winter/early spring...
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writing groups [Jan. 24th, 2017|10:05 am]
Sel
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Day at work; ostensibly to print things, go through my mail, check my things, and work out how to delete my computer HD when i leave next week...

[community profile] getyourwordsout is asking if people want to be put into 'encouragement groups' for our writing this year.

While my instinctive answer is 'yes', I'm well aware that I should be extremely wary of signing up to be randomly grouped with people that I'll be accountable to for an entire year, and with whom I may or may not have anything in common.

Technically, I have my real-world writing buddies, but that group's more social and less writing these days. The person who organised the write-ins went to Wales for a couple of years and is due back in May this year, and we've become more social, less writing over the last five years that we've all known each other.

( stuffCollapse )

I'm not sure what I want in a writing group, I guess. I'm bad at reading other people's fic, TBH, so I'm not good for feedback. I guess I want people to write with, and talk with about my fic, or my original ideas, and possibly to be accountable to...

IDEK.
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halfamoon - 14 days of fictional women [Jan. 19th, 2017|08:51 pm]
Sel
[Tags|]

Every year for the last dozen or so, the [community profile] halfamoon challenge has run from the 1st-14th February, encouraging people to focus on fictional female characters that they love.

There's everything from daily prompts to a friending meme to opportunities to meta...whatever you wish. Themes are offered but don't need to be rigidly adhered to - pretty much we encourage you in anything positive you wish to do or promote regarding any fictional female character, or just female characters generally.

There's a corresponding comm on LJ Imagehalfamoon, and you can post to either or both.

I'll be assisting in running it with [personal profile] tamsin - does anyone have ideas, or a willingness to help?
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things [Jan. 16th, 2017|03:15 pm]
Sel
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My Marvel diorama, a.k.a. "A Version of Civil War That Addresses The Question 'Does Great Power Really Come With Great Responsibility Or Just A Moral Free Pass?'"

( happens to involve Maria and PepperCollapse )

Anyway, I set all this up because I went to look at the review of the Maria Hill doll and found no comments and the guy said "Maria won't be the centre of anyone's Avengers toy display" and I said, "Hold my drink".

--

Let's say there's a disease making the rounds. You can get a vaccination for it, but there are side effects - dizziness, nausea, exhaustion for a while before it kicks in and you're generally okay after, sometimes there's mild scarring at the injection site.

The disease is...well, it's been known to be deadly, or very close. At the least, it's debilitating, the symptoms last for years, and it's contagious.

Let's assume that the vaccine is free: would you take it and risk the side effects?

--

Clearing out the quilting room has resulted in the discovery of a great many things that I'd kind of forgotten I even had...

I think I might need to have a goal of at least 1 quilt top a month, and at least 6 finished quilts by the end of the year - not counting my show quilts (at least 2).

And no more fabric purchases...

--

Dammit. I may have to go to the big hardware store AGAIN after going every day for the last four. But I fear I really do need the watering system in before tomorrow's heatwave. My back garden is not doing so well (and neither is the front one, but at least there's a watering system in).

--

Went to the gym for the first time in a year. I'm going to try to get back to going regularly this month, before I cancel the membership when I'm made redundant... I just realised it's been about 5 years since I regularly went to the gym (as in religiously, week in, week out) and all that time I've been paying a chunk of money for a gym membership.

I'd like to boost my muscle, make my metabolism work better, and redevelop my fitness. I may have to accept that I will never be as fit as I was at 24, or even at 34, but I can damn well not be down for the count at 44...
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Snowflake Challenge 2017: what I like about me [Jan. 9th, 2017|04:56 pm]
Sel
[Tags|]

Day 8: In your own space, make a list of at least 3 things that you like about yourself. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

This is a difficult one to answer. I don't know. Everything?

I like my writing - even my mediocre fics are pretty good (once I've gotten a bit of distance from them).

I like the way I see the world - a blend of conflicting ideas: that Christianity is best when it's not the official religion, that women and what they do are worthy of being celebrated even when men and other women don't see that or can't celebrate that, that a good society both gives the individual the ability to achieve and excel and be marked out for it, but also requires community and social capital to keep everything running smoothly.

I like myself.

It's not the done thing to like yourself. We're supposed to pick at our faults, expose our weaknesses, be self-deprecating.

The truth is...most of the time, I think I'm pretty hot stuff. Okay, maybe not hot stuff but I'm someone that people like being around. I'm someone that people like talking to. That people like listening to. I hope I'm a good listener (truthfully, that's probably something I'm bad at - I struggle to remember distinct things about people, particularly on social media when I haven't met them or interacted much with them).

I like myself. And I like that I like myself. It's a good position from which to start: the assumption that you are the good stuff and that people want to know you and will be enriched by knowing you.

Does it need to be leavened with humility? Well, yes. Yes, it does. :)

And yes, a lot of this is because I've had good fortune to be among people who gave value to others - as the challenge post for Day 8 says, "children have such great self-confidence, because they have people in their lives that tell them that they are great, that they have value." And I have had people in my life tell me that I am great, and that I have value - from the God who became incarnate in Jesus Christ, to the parents who - while being entirely human and flawed themselves - have never let me doubt that I am loved, to friends who want to spend time with me, to a cat who is sitting on my mousepad looking adoringly up at me right as I type this.

The truth is that I have been taught that I have value and I have never unlearned it; God willing, I never will.

You have worth, too; you are valuable.
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parental health [Jan. 4th, 2017|11:31 pm]
Sel
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Dad had a bad case of the shakes this afternoon - as in, 1 hour of uncontrollable, full-body shivering. He's been rather less than 100% the last few days, but the shaking freaked me out.

Called Uncle Doctor #1 for a phone diagnosis, he said "get him to hospital", so we got him to emergency.

After 2 hours of waiting to see a doctor, 2 hours of waiting for results to come back, 1 hour of double-checking the results, he's been admitted overnight for observation. Slightly elevated inflammation levels in his bloodwork.

I am le tired, because I was the responsible adult for the afternoon, which involved:
a) keeping my stepmother informed
b) keeping my dad from walking out
c) keeping assorted other parties informed
d) 5 hours of waiting

And now we have stepmother, stepbrother, and step-aunt staying at our place overnight, so the house is pretty much FULL UP in that way which we were trying to avoid by putting dad and the steps in B2's apartment, and having B2 stay here.

Finally, I have an appointment with the dentist tomorrow to discuss the swelling in the gum. Let's hope he listens...
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2016 wordcount [Jan. 1st, 2017|02:56 am]
Sel
426654 words to 95 fanfics that got updated or published (not counting the ones that have been written but haven't yet seen the light of day).

Dats a lotta words...
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things more of life and larger pictures [Dec. 29th, 2016|08:14 am]
Sel
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Starting a local movement. I know at least one woman living in my area who has many FB people who don't like Australia's current stance on refugees.

Job prospects for 2017.

Working out how to minister more to people-who-are-not-like-me and people-who-don't-have-my-opportunities.

Spending more time in contact with my cousin's wife, who is just starting out writing.

George Michael. Carrie Fisher. Vera Rubin.

( epitaphs of heroismCollapse )
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Christmas is full of friends and food [Dec. 27th, 2016|05:26 pm]
Sel
From a couple of friends' yearly Christmas Party, wherein I made Ottolenghi's delicious
Vegetarian Christmas Platter, and ate this utterly amazing watermelon cake (made by a guy who does professional desserts), to the big family luncheon of my mother's side of the family wherein we do our once-a-year catch up.

( Watermelon cakeCollapse )

That's an almond "macaroon" style base, with layers of chantilly cream, watermelon, another "macaroon" layer, and glazed straberries and blueberries on top.

Did I mention it tasted AMAZING? Because it did.

--

Christmas Day this year was quiet. The usual 'relatives bash' was happening on Boxing Day (the 26th) rather than Christmas Day, so the sistren and I went to mum's for a light lunch of Vietnamese rice paper rolls, and bombe alaska.

( Vietnamese rice paper rollsCollapse )

The bombe alaska was my fault - she asked what dessert we should have on Christmas Day, and for some reason, I'd been thinking longingly of bombe alaska.

A bombe alaska is a dessert from the 1970s, that involves ice cream over a cake, covered in meringue and heated long enough to harden the meringue, which then has heated almond liqueur poured over it and is set on fire.

Sounds complicated? It is, kind of. Mostly, it takes timing...

Cake on the bottom, ice-cream on top of that, and berries, with the meringue cover being put on.

Bombe Alaska


Setting it alight turned out to be a bit tricksy, my stepfather boiled the almond liqueur which meant the alcohol fumes all evaporated and the almond liqueur wouldn't set alight! So we had to heat some more and try again...

( video attemptCollapse )

I also learned to play Monopoly Deal (which is Monopoly with cards, goes a lot faster, is a lot more prone to the status quo being upset, and rather more fun as a result).

Gifts were...actually, my sisters and I kind of skipped the gift-giving deal. We're awful at giving each other gifts, mostly because I buy everything that I want when I want it and have the money, and most of the time they would rather me do something for them, or give them money straight out.

--

Boxing Day was the big party with relatives - my mother, her brothers, their wives/partners, their kids, their kids' partners, their kids' kids, and anyone else who my aunt and uncle decided to invite.

It was mayhem. Happy, foody mayhem, but mayhem nevertheless.

( groaning tablesCollapse )

On the whole, a good Christmas, except that I have spent most of today sleeping and drowsing and snoozing and not writing my Captain Hill fic which is due in a couple of days...
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Merry Christmas, my dears. [Dec. 25th, 2016|07:46 am]
Sel
[Tags|]

Today, I celebrate the birth of a Jewish man of colour, born to an unwed teenager, who spent his infancy as a refugee before returning to his home country to hang out with sinners and drunkards, and teach a doctrine of love, equality, and forgiveness that included paying taxes, offering healthcare for free, and sharing resources within a community.

When Jesus said the world would hate Him and His, He wasn’t wrong.

O, come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
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week before Christmas [Dec. 21st, 2016|07:02 am]
Sel
[Tags|]

DO ALL THE THINGS!

1. finish YT pinch hit
2. write Captain Hill Secret Santa
2a. try to avoid making it EPIC
3. make gifts for cousins (zipper pouches)
4. make Christmas cake
5. plant potatoes
6. job agency questionnaire
7. drop a few emails
8. finish making a dress pattern I cut out yesterday

And that's on 4 hours sleep.

At some point, I'm going to have to lose some weight, I'm rapidly edging up to the heaviest I've ever been and while it's not affecting my health, it's affecting my ability to fit into clothing which is never a nice or comfortable feeling.

Last card call for 2016: Dreamwidth | LiveJournal
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such an aussie thing [Dec. 18th, 2016|11:56 am]
Sel
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Democracy Roll

"They saw them rolling, but nobody was hating..."

The idea of the architect was that you could walk up the hill and be on top of our representatives in government, and be able to show that this is democracy.

More than ever, right now, we need the reminder that our MPs represent us - that doesn't just mean executing our will for the country, but also that they are the example of us that the world sees.
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goodbye Ky [Dec. 15th, 2016|02:41 pm]
Sel
Imagevenom69, I don't know what happened, but I admired your IDGAF attitude to life and your love for the work you did these last few years.

Rest in peace, hon.
Link

stockings and stuffers and general seasonal links [Dec. 14th, 2016|04:15 pm]
Sel
My [community profile] fandom_stocking: All the usual suspects, plus holiday recipe requests..

My card post: DW | LJ leave your address, and whether you mind a seasonal/religious card or not.

My 2016 wishlist meme: DW | LJ: fic, covers...mostly things I can't buy, like Maria-centric fanworks, or Maria/Steve fic.</a>

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but it's no better insight because it's bloody well 35C with a thunderstorm on the way...

Doesn't scan, but it's too hot to scan right now...
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stick a fork in me [Dec. 12th, 2016|10:36 am]
Sel
For, lo, To The End Of Love is done.

43K, which makes it my longest finished MCU story. I don't guarantee that it's good; just that it's finished.

And now it's time to look to Yuletide, the Captain Hill secret santa, and finishing off 'sedoretu'.
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peaches, fic, and Hans Zimmer [Dec. 9th, 2016|06:55 pm]
Sel
I bought a bag of peaches at the market yesterday and the scent of them is filling the house. I'm going to a friend's place for dinner, but not for a nother 30 minutes and I'm HUNGRY thanks to the smell of peaches.

To The End Of Love is NEARLY FINISHED. I'm trying to decide on whether to do the sex scene or not. Thoughts?

And finally, Hans Zimmer, composer and conductor, will be perform in Sydney in May, and I am contemplating a platinum ticket to go see him...
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meme: friday face [Nov. 25th, 2016|10:36 am]
Sel
From Imagevaleria_sg_1:

When you read this, you're tagged. Take a picture of you in your current state, no changing your clothes or quickly putting on makeup. NO PHOTOSHOP.

( friday faceCollapse )
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seasonal post - letters, cards, anything [Nov. 23rd, 2016|11:38 am]
Sel
If you'd like a letter/card from me, leave your name, mailing address, and what you'd like in the screened comments below.

Specify your preferences, just be warned that I do send out Christmas cards as well as general post, and you might get one if you don't explicitly indicate otherwise.
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well, that escalated fast [Nov. 22nd, 2016|11:03 am]
Sel
[Tags|]

Last week I was studying for Certification.

This week, I'm studying for Certification, working with two different clients, being sent requests for time, assistance, and investigation.

Maybe I should have written my Yuletide assignment earlier...
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monday musings [Nov. 21st, 2016|10:55 am]
Sel
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It's not wrong to prep.

If all the panic is wrong, then sure, prepping for all the things that might happen (and are more likely to happen to people without money, without power, without hegemonic advantage) will have been a lot of effort for nothing.

If the panic turns out to be justified, on the other hand, then at least there'll be plans in place, and after the initial emotional and mental shutdown of "this can't be happening" then there'll be rescue frameworks in place (or the knowledge of how to get the hell out of dodge).

--

I'm rather intrigued by the response to my sedoretu series.

The two pairings I expected to do best - Maria/Steve (for which I'm known) and Steve/Bucky (which is popular) - are way behind the usual hit-to-kudos ratio, as is the Natasha&Steve story (another popular interaction/pairing). Meanwhile, Maria/Natasha is par for the course, and the Maria&Bucky story is going great guns!

I don't think many people are reading all the stories - sedoretu fics are not for people who want to see their OTP do happily ever after.

Come to think of it, if people are reading all the way through, then they probably kudos at the end of the existing set of stories, which would be Maria&Bucky...

--

Tooth is still causing discomfort. I have a new mouthgard which helps at night, but whatever is wrong with the tooth is not getting better.

--

Work has me doing piecemeal right now; they don't have a steady client, so I'm working with a lot of support stuff...
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workplace nostalgia [Oct. 28th, 2016|08:59 am]
Sel
[Tags|]

The client I'm working at now kind of reminds me of my first workplace; it's that same "company that's been around since the 50s, and has kind of upgraded-ish to the 70s in office decor, and has all the necessary IT hardware but a lot of their 'systems procedures' are still kept in hardcopy folders.

The desk I'm at - possibly once a secretary's desk - still has a couple of folders labelled "Corporate Accounts: Information Handbook" and "Cheque Res" on the shelf...

It's that kind of a place, and it's kind of...comforting.
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struggling [Oct. 24th, 2016|09:13 pm]
Sel
[Tags|, ]

Struggling to complete anything of late.

Writing. Quilting. Gardening.

I guess just struggling generally with life, the universe, and everything.
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Yuleswaps! [Oct. 20th, 2016|09:21 am]
Sel
[Tags|]

I joined up for one, and one PH (because I don't need to receive any more in that area), and it's always lovely to receive parcels at this time of year!

Yuletide Swaps!
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that terrifying feeling that you got it wrong [Oct. 13th, 2016|08:15 am]
Sel
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Headaches. I mean, it's not even 48 hours after I got the implant out, but headaches at the right temple.

( stuffCollapse )

*sigh*

--

( we're back in fandom limboCollapse )

--

( workCollapse )

Ugh. Life.
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ugh [Oct. 10th, 2016|02:53 pm]
Sel
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( root canals, teeth, stuffCollapse )
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take it out [Oct. 6th, 2016|11:54 am]
Sel
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( healthCollapse )
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holy cow my life [Sep. 23rd, 2016|09:10 am]
Sel
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Writing things, mostly rambling to myself.

( Dance Me To The End Of LoveCollapse )

I have the ending in place, although there are still a few things in flux...

--

Sharp Evening Stars And Bright Morning Flame is satisfactorily plotted out. Can I write it in the next 3 weeks? I'm doubtful.

I seem to have overreached myself in due dates right now.

There's [community profile] crossovering and [community profile] marvel_poc, both of which have plotbunnies, only they're pretty decently sized ones and will probably be written right up to the deadline.

I signed up for a quilting swap for Marvel characters about a month ago, and am planning to make a polygon hulk shoulder bag. Paper piecing is harder and more intricate than it looks.

And then I signed up to pattern-test a new bag pattern which is due...you guessed it - October!

Summercomp hockey starts up in the 2nd half of October, too.

And a 'proof of concept' has been floated at work, and I got assigned to it. Only I'm the database and the main interface, and I've been working on another project for the last couple of weeks. The UI developer has more or less stepped away from the project in disgust and concern that it's not managed properly, and the project managers are all either really high up, or else in sales and more concerned with whether it's pretty enough and not whether it does anything that the proof of concept is wanting.

Plus, new tech and skills. Always harder to do than just leaping into something familiar...

So I'm a bit stressed right now.

On the plus side, the parentals come home from the US by mid-October, so I get B2 back in the house. It'll be nice to have someone at home to come home to and chat with.
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boiling the hockey frog [Sep. 20th, 2016|03:39 pm]
Sel
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Over the last five years, there've been some slow and steady changes to the club and the players in the club.

When I first joined, the club was smaller. It had a core of old friends who'd played together for a long time, and had young children still in primary school. They were the good-natured ribbing kind of friends, who'd known each other for a long time and were comfortable joking with each other. Now, those old friends are still there, but their kids are teens, in high school; they're held together with fondness, but they're separated by the lives of their children and their own careers.

Over the years, the women who've come in to play are...louder. Rowdier. The kind of women who think that pranking someone so they feel isolated and excluded is funny. The quieter, more...I'm going to say 'more honourable' players, have drifted away - mostly to motherhood, or they left after a rough year and never came back. What we have now is a core of women who don't really care about the rules so long as the system benefits them, who think nothing of calling our opponents names openly in social media, who think humiliation is 'funny'...

There's the old adage of the boiling frog. Dump a frog into boiling water and it'll jump right out. Dump a frog into cold water, and turn up the heat, and he'll sit there and boil to death.

I guess we're boiling to death, then.
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so I guess we are that club and those people [Sep. 19th, 2016|10:01 am]
Sel
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Hockey grand final weekend; we lost the game but went for drinks afterwards.

( tw: possibly triggering regarding mild forms of bullying, exclusion, and gaslightingCollapse )
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links and spiritual life [Sep. 12th, 2016|08:28 am]
Sel
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US Political Action Alert: Refugee Crisis and Prison Sentencing Reform over at [personal profile] beatrice_otter's LJ.

What Religion Would Jesus Belong To?
"Founders are typically bold and charismatic visionaries who inspire with their moral imagination, while their teachings sometimes evolve into ingrown, risk-averse bureaucracies obsessed with money and power. That tension is especially pronounced with Christianity, because Jesus was a radical who challenged the establishment, while Christianity has been so successful that in much of the world it is the establishment."

Anne Frank Today Is A Syrian Girl
"The obstacle was an American wariness toward refugees that outweighed sympathy.

Jim Wright: How The War Against Terror Was Won
"Yes we did. Many times over. We killed them. We killed them all. We killed their families. We killed their wives and their kids and all their neighbors. We killed whole nations that weren’t even involved just to make goddamned sure. We bombed their cities into rubble. We burned down their countries."

On the difference between being nice and being kind
Haven't read this, was pointed to it by [personal profile] colls, but need to take a look. Looks valid and interesting.

--

In other news, I went to a women's weekend at our church, based on the book of Hebrews, about how to be encouraging. It was really good. And all the more to sit in a group of women, with whom I figured I had little in common but our faith, and discover that we have a lot of other things in common: feminism, belief that the church is focusing too much on 'gay marriage' and not enough on compassion for refugees, how to minister to our fellow women when we're all out of emotional spoons ourselves, and many other things, including taking time to self-minister spiritually (something that I struggle with, and I'm a single woman with no partner or children to take my time and energy).

It took up a big chunk of my Saturday, but it was really good and I was going to type up a precis of it, but haven't done it yet. I don't think I stopped on Saturday until around 10:30pm. And then Sunday was nearly as busy!

Tonight, I'm going to dinner with a friend, and another friend (undergoing a messy divorce) wants me to go out with him and others to a comedy club until nearly midnight. Sorry, mate, no.

Finally, I'm over at imzy as tielan.
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Quora snark [Sep. 9th, 2016|07:47 am]
Sel
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I have begun reading Quora answers, because they're interesting, and some of the people put opinions far more succinctly than I ever could.

And the snark is strong with this one:

"Seriously? This is not the hill you want to die on. Move along."
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