Three Interesting Things

1. Camryn Garret wrote about how getting to see "Hamilton" changed her life, and in particular talked about how the musical speaks to those who struggle with mental illness.  

2. Matt Thompson wrote about how for some of the victims in the Orlando nightclub shooting, this may have been the first their family learned that they were gay.  It is a powerful piece about the first generation immigrant experience and how that can add layers to the process of telling your parents their hopes and dreams for you may turn out differently than planned. 

3. Justin Torres wrote about the importance of Latin Night at the Queer Club. 

14 Things - In Light of Orlando

1. I hate having to cry again, over more lives lost because someone new decided to murder a large group of people.
2. I hate that we are now essentially ranking shootings and massacres as if they are commonplace. I hate that, as several on Twitter have pointed out, this isn't quite the deadliest mass shooting - Wounded Knee is - and this ranking, this categorization, is I know a tactic to distract our brains from the horror.
3. I remember being abroad and having folks ask me to explain the US, explain how Americans made certain political choices. It was hard. It has only grown harder.
4. I hate that once again, the mentally ill will need to clarify that there is no such thing as mentally unstable, that as much as we wish to categorize deadly intent as abnormal, we can do so without further demonizing mental health.
5. I hate that our safe spaces, our places of refuge, be they places of worship, schools, nightclubs, movie theaters, or even work, are attacked.
6. I hate that my friends and followers lists on social media contain so many that have lived through various violent events, I have to think twice about posting things.
7. I hate that folks from Orlando will have to explain that most days you don't die there, after such a deadly weekend.
8. I vote tomorrow. I plan to keep this in mind as I do. And again in November. And to make my thought, concerns, and priorities known to my elected officials.
9. I will donate money, more money, to places working to make the world a better, happier, safer place.
10. I will remember that calling out other people's bigoted statements can be momentarily uncomfortable, it's important. It is better to make it known that I object to such things.  To let those who do not feel safe countering such things, that I am with them, and not just when it's easy.
11. I will remember that there are policies, even about something as simple as giving blood, that eliminate a lot of potential donors and be thankful for those who can and do.
12. I will remember that haters of all stripes rarely represent more than hate, no matter what other mantles they attempt to wrap their hate in.
13. I will remember it is Ramadan and Pride and other sacred and celebratory things. That many, many people gathered in love and kindness yesterday and will continue to do so.
14. I will remember that self care is important. Time with friends and loved ones provides strength and hope so I and others can keep working to make this a better place.

Three Interesting Things

1. This article talked about the resurgence of Hawaiian speakers once it was allowed back in schools. 

2. A monkey caused a power outage in Kenya.

3. I understand that there are people out there who do not adore every opportunity to see cast members singing songs, perhaps, I dunno a cappella, if so, then this video with a sample of "Wait for It" is not for you. (Links to Facebook video.)

Awesome Con

It was Awesome Con this past weekend and I was there.  Overall I had a great time, and I think the closer partnership with NASA and the Discovery/Science channel groups really helped highlight some of the things that the DC area has to offer.  I have been a little frustrated that their website only lists some of the panel members on some of the panels, so, if you are trying to find a guest who is not getting a Q&A, it's really tough to figure out what panel they are on. It also meant I semi-accidentally attended panels with similar guests, or with people who were mostly planning to talk about their new book because the vague description had been unclear.  Most of the panels I attended were good, but in cons one always feels one is making tough choices, I prefer when they are done with the best info available.

Friday I went to Using Comics to Teach STEM*, which was I think geared more towards how educators (there was a power point about growing STEM jobs) could convince their schools to do this and less focused on the actual doing of it. They did suggest using things like a certain infamous comics death via whiplash to discuss things falling at different rates and the various calculations involved in that.  It was also clear the panel members loved their comics.

The next panel was Alternative Careers at NASA and involved a number of folks who mostly loved science but had determined they research aspect was not for them.  So, they had become science educators, science writers, and video producers at NASA.  There was also a panelist who had a degree in Fine Arts, and now worked making thermal blankets for space items.  The panelists really loved their jobs, and were, apparently coincidentally, all female. 

After that I went to the, ahem, adult version of Super Art Fight. They use a Cards Against Humanity based wheel, to have two artists going at once creating an evolving mural.  In their family friendly version, there are topics they shy away from, in the adult version, they do not. 

Saturday, I went to the Outrageous Acts of Science panel, with various Science Channel folks, and they talked about shows where they get to demonstrate science.  And there was a small in person demonstration involving Alka Seltzer that some of the audience got to test out. 

We did some snack hunting and some wandering through the exhibition hall, and then back for the How Women in Nerd Media are Creating a Revolution.  The two main panelist are now collaborating on a series, but there was also some discussion about how for a while the assumption was that men were the ones who controlled the money and so a lot of entertainment was geared towards them, and then it became clear that that wasn't quite correct so there has been some shifting. 

The Nerd Nite DC panel had two speakers, one discussing the reactions of music, with the note that studies have shown that non-human primates aren't really interested in music, but birds and elephants do seem to show interest.  (We watched a clip of a dancing parrot.) The current thinking is that music is meaningful to animals who make use of vocal learning.

After a break for a Batman sound off bee, we had another speaker who talked about fairytales and the possible lessons encoded within.

Sunday, I came back and went to the Cartoonists Against the Holocaust,  which is the title of a book by a Holocaust historian and a cartoon historian that looks at the contemporary cartoons in the World War II era, in the US that referenced the Holocaust. 

Then there was Full Spectrum: Why Comics in Color Matters**, talking about increasing representation in comics, particularly those from independent producers.  They also talked about how - similar to other media - digital comics sales aren't counted in a lot of the numbers used (the money shows up) but it may mean that some stories are doing great with digital readers, but since the ways of counting that differ, it's not being captured in traditional sales.

And finally I attended the second Nerd Nite DC panel.  The first speaker talked about the theft of Albert Einstein's brain.  Which is a weird story that is especially so, because this guy apparently carried the brain around in a mason jar.  The second speaker talked about artificial intelligence, the kinds we have right now, and the rules people are using to train them

And since the rain moved south, I at least made it home before the rain, which made up for the drenching I got on my way there Friday.

I did also pick up some copies of "Princeless", so I can try to convert more folks to the wonder and the awesome. 

*Normally, I would reference the program to list panel members since my memory for this many people is not that great.  But...

**This one does list some panelists in the description, but there are three names in the description and there were five people on the dais, so I give up.

Three Interesting Things

1. Someone crunched the numbers on regular and recurring character death in TV this year.

2. Natalie Luhrs shared a post about her struggles with changes in her periods and the cultural tendency to brush that off.  It reminded me of some of the discussion the folks at Another Round had with Padma Lakshmi about her experience with endometriosis.

3. My feelings about curfews for teens as legislation (rather than parent/guardian determination) are fairly clear, this article takes a look at the work effort involved in one town's curfew enforcement.