eCube #11 is now online, with updates on the Art Show and the Dealers' Room, a call for articles for the At-Con Newsletter, info on shipping goodies home from WisCon, and an invitation from the AppDev team featuring free pizza!

Last night was a bit of a washout. I got some things done and then health caught up with me. As it does.

This morning, I sorted my scarves and hats and belts. I went through a belt phase in the 1970s and early 80s and a scarf phase from the 70s until the early 90s and the thief spread things all over and I had put them back higgledy-pigglety. Yesterday I spent some of my insurance money on a big plastic tub and I did a big sort. Some of my scarves will go to Folkdance Canberra, and the remaining scarves and belts fit into the plastic tub and are now safely under my bed. The purses and most of my hats now fit on the shelf and I have a drawer for miscellaneous things (a 1960s mantilla, swimming costumes, winter hats). This is as neat as I get, I'm afraid.

Now that's solved, I want to get back to deadline stuff. But I want coffee, first. Before that, though, I have a load of laundry to put on the airer. Today is the day for much housework. If the smoke clears enough, I might be able to put the rubbish out this afternoon. Then my place will be almost inhabitable for a week! Also, I'll have run out of distractions and will have no choice but to work.

Originally published at tansyrr.com. You can comment here or there.

We would like to thank everyone who nominated our “New Who in Conversation” series for the William Atheling Jr Award – it’s a great honour to be on the ballot! Voting for the annual Ditmar Awards (which the Atheling is included in) is open to all members of Swancon 36 (2011 Natcon – Perth) and Craftinomicon (2012 Natcon – Melbourne), and can be done online.

We’re joined today by guest viewer Joanne Anderton, who is discovering New Who for the first time!

“Blink”

Season three, episode ten

Sally Sparrow – Carey Mulligan

The Doctor – David Tennant

Martha Jones – Freema Agyeman

( Read the rest of this entry » )

http://hoydenabouttown.com/20120519.11772/otterday-and-open-thread-174/

http://hoydenabouttown.com/?p=11772

My weekend mornings look a bit like this…

[photo shared on flickr by Mr T in DC]

How’s your Saturday going? Please feel free to use this thread to natter about anything your heart desires. Is there anything great happening in your life? Anything you want to get off your chest? Reading a good book (or a bad one)? Anything in the news that you’d like to discuss? What have you created lately? Commiserations, felicitations, temptations, contemplations, speculations?Related Posts:

• Otterday! And Open Thread. by Lauredhel
• Otterday! And Open Thread. by Lauredhel
• Otterday! And Open Thread. by Lauredhel
• Otterday! And Open Thread. by Lauredhel
• Otterday! And Open Thread. by Lauredhel

I could use on.

On May 18th, 1980, student protesters against martial law were attacked by paratroopers in the South Korean city of Kwangju. This led to a generalized uprising, the repulsion of the troops to beyond the city limits, and several days of radical transformations of urban society—collective meals in the parks, the formation of a people's militia called the Citizen Army, the creation of new newspapers and organs covering both daily life and the establishment of defenses against the military. The new military government responded by sending in Special Forces troops trained to invade North Korea, and the Kwangju Uprising became the Kwangju Massacre. Amazingly, the Wikipedia entry isn't terrible. Also not surprising: the US, of course, had a role in martial law and even the crackdown—the ROK 20th Infantry Division, which had a major role in the massacre, was part of the US-led Combined Forces Command and required US approval for operations.

Over a decade ago now, my friend Kap and I translated and edited a survivor's memoir of the uprising and massacre called Kwangju Diary. It's out of print now, but will soon be available again, thanks in part to the city of Kwangju itself. More news on that soon.



At the risk of tonal whiplash, here is another bit of 5/18 history. Ninety years ago today, Proust and James Joyce met for the first and only time. There are many accounts of the meeting, but here is my favorite:

"I’ve headaches every day," Joyce announced. "My eyes are terrible."

Proust replied, "My poor stomach. What am I going to do? It’s killing me. In fact, I must leave at once."

"I’m in the same situation," Joyce said. "If I can find someone to take me by the arm...Goodbye."

"Charmé," said Proust. "Oh, my stomach, my stomach."

Here's the proof of another great reading at KGB Bar.
http://tinyurl.com/6pyrzlk