My brain keeps changing "Soccer" to "Football"

For some reason, whenever people here in the United States are talking about soccer, I instinctively call it football. While it is a correct name for it, it is not what the sport is called here in the US.

Because I was curious as to why two different sports are called “football,” I looked it up on Wikipedia: football is a family of team sports where a ball is kicked to score a goal (even though an American football is most certainly not a ball shape [Note 1]). Wikipedia also listed the following sports as football, among others: association football (soccer), gridiron football (American and Canadian football), Australian rules football, rugby, and Gaelic football. Who knew [Note 2]?

However, I’m not a fan of football in all honesty. Any of them. And yet, I don’t call rugby “football” - just association football, against the North American norms. That is an odd situation - considering that I don’t live in an area, nor have I grown up in an area, where it would be considered normal to call association football “football.” That leads me to wonder, does anybody else do that?

Please leave a comment if you do and how people tend to react when you do.

Anyway, all of this comes to mind because the Superbowl is around the corner. And I live in the same metro area that the Superbowl will be in [Note 3].

Note 1: It is more of an egg shape. Some people (including me) call the sport “handegg” as a joke.
Note 2: I’m certain that a lot of people knew. I just happened to not be one of them.
Note 3: Superbowl LII will be held at that fucking Jawa Sandcrawler on February 4th, 2018. Run for the hills.

If you like what you read here, and would like to show your support, please consider donating.

I am on Patreon to help fund the work that goes into maintaining a website and creating researched content. Also, it will give me some financial relief as I am also endeavoring to complete a number of science fiction and fantasy stories, and hopefully compile them into zines or collected works. As a sponsor, you'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the benefit of some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work.

It's not always possible to sponsor on a monthly basis. If you would like to do a one time donation, please feel free to use PayPal or SquareCash. Producing content takes time and effort, and any support would be most appreciated. Your donations help me cover expenses and eventually will let me be able to create quality content full-time.

The Superbowl is Coming

NaNoWriMo 2017 is over - back to regular blog posts!

Good afternoon, everybody!

NaNoWriMo 2017 is over, and though I did not meet the 50,000 word goal, I did beat my previous word record of 5,426. So I'm feeling very stoked about that! 5,500 words! I do plan on working on these stories that I've been writing, however, it is time to get back to my regular posting.

Download this song ► http://hyperurl.co/DouglassJefferson ◄ Watch the Behind the Scenes ►https://goo.gl/KsjYcN◄ New ERB Website & Merch can be found at http://erbofhistory.com/ ▼ CAST ▼ ========= Frederick Douglass: JB Smoove http://www.jbsmoove.com/ http://bit.ly/TweetJBSmoove Thomas Jefferson: Nice Peter http://www.nicepeter.com http://www.youtube.com/NicePeter ▼ CREW ▼ ========= Executive Producers: Peter Shukoff and Lloyd Ahlquist Directed

In 3 days is 13th Amendment Day. Ratified on December 6th, 1865, the 13th Amendment slavery and involuntary servitude - however, Black Codes, white supremacist violence, red lining, and other factors have worked to prevent persons of color from having equal status in the United States. The 13th Amendment, though, was the first of the Reconstruction Amendments that began to transform the United States from "half slave and half free" (as Abraham Lincoln put it) to one where constitutional guarantees would apply to all citizens. 
The amendment states: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” Read more about the history here: http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/thirteenth-amendment

I have a number of blog posts that are being worked on. Though my list of posts that are being worked on is available to Patreon Subscribers, I can say that I am still working on follow-ups posts to The GOP is not the Party of Lincoln - A Brief History. Part I: Whigged Beginnings and Sex and Gender Part I: The Structure of Sex. Plus, as MarsCon is coming up in March, and a number of friends and I are preparing panels for the convention, and I will be writing about them as I did for CONvergence 2017 (read Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, and Two Weeks Later). 

And that's some of what is coming up. There is more coming up in the next several days. Stay subscribed for more updates!

If you like what you read here, and would like to show your support, please consider donating.

I am on Patreon to help fund the work that goes into maintaining a website and creating researched content. Also, it will give me some financial relief as I am also endeavoring to complete a number of science fiction and fantasy stories, and hopefully compile them into zines or collected works. As a sponsor, you'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the benefit of some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work.

It's not always possible to sponsor on a monthly basis. If you would like to do a one time donation, please feel free to use PayPal or SquareCash. Producing content takes time and effort, and any support would be most appreciated. Your donations help me cover expenses and eventually will let me be able to create quality content full-time.

A lighter post - my top 10 favorite Science Fiction uniforms, ranked

2017 has been a difficult time for many people, including yours truly, and so I figured that it was time to have a lighter post. Also, as I have said before, I've been focused on NaNoWriMo this month and have not completed any of the posts that I have been working on. 

Sometime earlier in the week, I had the idea to rank my favorite science fiction uniforms from television and movies, and on Wednesday when I was laid-up with a migraine and unable to be creative, I jotted down the uniforms while I was no longer in pain. I decided to go ahead and talk a little about my top 10, and then list more uniforms that I like at the end. I will be getting back into more informational posts soon!

Please feel free to list your favorites in the comments! I would love to hear from you.

2017 Elections Are Even Closer!

2017 Elections Are Even Closer!

As you may have read on a previous blog post (or have seen signs around your neighborhood), it is election time once again. Tuesday, November 7th is the day for elections in the State of Minnesota - not every state has elections this year, let alone every municipality in Minnesota, so please make certain to check out your local Secretary of State (or local equivalent) websites. Minnesotans, for more precise information (including where to vote), please go to our Secretary of State's ballot finder. What I am posting here is very general information, and there will be exceptions. For example, some Eden Prairie, Edina, Plymouth, and Saint Louis Park residents, as well as about half of Golden Valley residents and most of Minnetonka residents will be voting for the Hopkins School Board. At the same time, Minnetonka Schools serves Minnetonka, Chanhassen, Deephaven, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Greenwood, Shorewood, Tonka Bay, Victoria, and Woodland, whereas the Saint Louis Park School District is entirely within the city of Saint Louis Park. So always check the ballot finder first!

Me Too - Stories, Complicity, and Resources [Content Warning]

Content Warning: This post talks about sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Cowriting this piece is Emaelia Norman: I asked her to write with me because I generally present as male, and sexual assault is most prominently an issue for women, AFAB persons [Note 1], and those who are femme presenting. I do not want to distract from the conversation, but rather add to it in a meaningful and honest manner. Emaelia is the creator of the webcomics Death Child and Rowin Redd.

I am a cisgender, bisexual female. I come from a place of privilege as a white, cisgendered, middle-class person. I have however, like far too many people, been subject to sexual violence from a very young age. I’ve agreed to co-write this post with Justin as much to help others to cope with their experiences as to help me cope with my own.

Found on the internet.

For those of us who have endured sexual violence, movements like “me too” give us a chance to share our stories. This is a way for some people to come to terms with how they’ve been hurt, to heal, or just to feel some relief by sharing these moments that make us question humanity. 

The “me too” campaign was created in 2006 by Tarana Burke to help women and girls (particularly women and girls of color) who had survived sexual violence [6], and then went viral on social media in October 2017 when Alyssa Milano tweeted “me too” [2] and encouraged others to write it as their status. The sheer number of people posting "me too" has been to some an unsettling reminder of the staggering statistics already showing that sexual violence is a commonplace reality: “in the U.S., about 1 in 3 women (36.3%) and nearly 1 in 6 men (17.1%) experienced some form of contact sexual violence (SV) during their lifetime” [9] [Note 2]. Burke’s campaign’s motto is “Empowerment through empathy” [3], letting people know that they are not alone and that it is possible to heal. And healing is possible.

Found on the internet.

But we must also heal as a culture. That requires self-reflection and finding the root of the problem. People have said that talking about sexual harassment and sexual assault at the same time conflates the issue to seem bigger than it really is. And sexual violence in every form contributes to rape culture. The repetition of events and ideas normalizes them and leads to more extreme versions of those same events and ideas, which then also become normalized. Every time a man sexually harasses a woman and other men in the vicinity do not speak up about it, they are giving that man permission to do it again. Every time a man sexually assaults a woman and the people she tells do not believe her, they are giving him a way to avoid the consequences of his actions. Every time someone jokes about sexual violence, they normalize sexual violence. 

Found on the internet.

Now, we want to be clear: SEXUAL VIOLENCE CAN HAPPEN TO ANYBODY. We are not ignoring that. However, if the only time you talk about male survivors is when you are interrupting women/enby/femme persons who are talking about their own experiences, then it is not because you care about male survivors. Rather, it is because the rape culture perpetuated by the pervasive sexual violence in our society has conditioned you to dismiss and silence survivors who challenge the status quo.

There is a definite misogynistic component to rape culture - most women and girls limit their behavior because of the existence of rape [5], but many men don’t report being raped because of fear of being outed as gay [1], or out of fear of being labeled as gay [4], or feeling like they have lost their manhood [4]. It comes from the patriarchal idea that men are sexual aggressors and women are inferior to men, which translates into the idea that men who are sexually violated are as inferior as women.

As a society, we need to teach boys and men [Note 3] to not commit sexual violence. We should remember that jokes have great power [8] that reflect what we are thinking and are the basis of the actions that we make. We must stop allowing it to be prevalent in television shows and in pop culture [7]. And we must hold people accountable for their actions.
Children and young men learn by example. 

The best way to support a survivor when they are talking about an assault or other experience is to listen. Don’t give advice unless specifically asked and don’t compare a third party’s experiences. If you’re a survivor and want to share your story online like others, you can tweet or post on your own rather than detracting from someone else’s posts.

Found on the internet from Lindy West.

While we encourage survivors to come forward, we also must hold them under no obligation to do so, particularly in the public eye. Victims are often held accountable for their perpetrator's actions, whether in their own silence or through critical remarks from the public about what they could have or should have done to protect themselves. It is up to the perpetrators to stop perpetrating, not the victims to stop having to live with the consequences of perpetrators.

Notes:

Found on the internet.

  1. AFAB: Assigned Female At Birth. Regardless of one’s gender or sex, a person who was assigned a sex at their time of birth.

  2. The statistic for both women and men was used here intentionally because the Center for Disease Control and Prevention only recorded information as a female/male binary, with no mention that could be found about intersex persons or persons of other genders. Also, it should be noted that the numbers used are for the 50 states and DC, with no mention of the US Territories.

  3. “Boys and men” was intentionally used here, as the NISVS 2010-2012 Average Annual Estimates of Sex of Perpetrator in Lifetime Reports of Sexual Violence say that 97% of female victims were raped by male perpetrators alone, while 86.5% of male victims were raped by male perpetrators alone [9] (meaning that 91.75% of all victims reported male perpetrators alone).

Personal Experiences:
As told by Emaelia:

Me too. I’ve been hurt by men I trusted. I’ve been terrified by complete strangers. It has never had to do with how I was dressed or where I was. It usually happens in public places in broad daylight, when I’m doing something on my own like reading or waiting for a bus.

I was sexually harassed online by a man ten years my senior for over a year when I was fifteen and sixteen. The man groomed me. He made me think he cared about me, and then spent months wearing me down until I gave in to participate in his sick fantasies. It took me years to untangle myself from the confusion he caused me. Facebook recently recommended that man as a friend. I almost vomited. 

A stranger put his hand on my leg while I sat reading in a park in the afternoon, asking me what my plans were for the evening. 

While stopped at a crosswalk on my way to class, a man put his arm around me and asked several times for my number. 

At the train station an old man caressed my arm, followed me to the bathroom, and insisted on kissing me before I boarded the train.

Another man pretended to fall while on the bus so he could “catch himself” on my breasts.

A man pinched my butt three times in a row while on a crowded metro, only stopping when I turned around and audibly growled at him, making everyone else stare. 

Me too.

Once, while on the train, riding home one night, a man started to harass me. I had accidentally made eye-contact, which he took as an invitation to talk to me. I tried to be polite. He was a large man and the train was nearly empty. For what seemed like ages but was only about two minutes, this man stood over me and tried to flirt. I tried to oblige, visibly terrified. The only other person on the car was another man. He noticed my distress and intervened. He starting chatting up this other man just as the train pulled into a stop. Relieved, I jumped off. I don’t know that the larger man would have hurt me. I will never know that. But I do know that I felt much more at ease knowing that another person had my back. That other man saw my distress and helped in a way that put no one in danger. 
Men like that give me hope. It was a small act of kindness, but it helped.

As told by Justin:
Me too, and I'm complicit, and I've joined in. All three.

When I was 5, there was the rich white boy in class whose mom wanted him to have some Black Friends. I was nominated. One day, my clothes got soaked (nearly drowned - different story), and his mom gave me some of his clothes to wear. He kept watching me change, which made me uncomfortable, but she wouldn't do anything about it. My options were to change in front of him, or to change in the dark closet.
Me too.

In middle school, some boys were chanting something about one of the girls in a day camp I was at, and I was halfheartedly going along with it because I was afraid.
I did.

When I was in high school, one of the guys called me over to him and asked me to turn around. "See ladies," he said, "that is a Black butt." I was shocked and confused and didn't say anything.
Me too.

In high school, same boy was showing pictures of girls, friends of his, in their underwear around without their permission. I didn't tell him that it was wrong, though I felt uncomfortable.
I'm complicit.

In high school, someone slapped my butt without my consent. I told him that if he ever did that again that I would report him. He did it again, and so I reported him.
Me too - but this time I also had enough energy to stand up, and enough fortune to be believed.

In my twenties, friends of mine were dancing, and strange men started getting close to them. I did not recognize what was happening until other friends intervened.
I'm complicit.

Found on the internet

In my thirties, some guy started touching me because he liked the clothes that I was wearing. I gave him such a look that he instantly backed off.
Me too - though my size and perceived gender had given me an advantage.

In my twenties, I was hurting and reached out for comfort, but I did not make certain that my friend was in a position to help me.
I did.

In my thirties, a drunk fellow whom I had never met before started groping me. He was friends with friends of mine, and I was shocked into not saying anything. And so I didn't.
Me too.

In my twenties, I bore witness to street harassment, and said nothing.
I'm complicit.

In my twenties, I gave consent to sex and later discovered that I only gave my consent under false pretenses. Multiple times.
Me too.

I can't say that I'll never freeze up again. And I can never pay back the pain that I've caused. But I can take forward action and not be complicit. I can use the advantage of my perceived gender and call out harassment when I see it, intervene when people need help. I can continue to believe those who have been harassed, teach others not to harass, and be a force to be reckoned with.

If you like what you read here, and would like to show your support, please consider donating.

I am on Patreon to help fund the work that goes into maintaining a website and creating researched content. Also, it will give me some financial relief as I am also endeavoring to complete a number of science fiction and fantasy stories, and hopefully compile them into zines or collected works. As a sponsor, you'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the benefit of some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work.

It's not always possible to sponsor on a monthly basis. If you would like to do a one time donation, please feel free to use PayPal or SquareCash. Producing content takes time and effort, and any support would be most appreciated. Your donations help me cover expenses and eventually will let me be able to create quality content full-time.

Works Cited:

  1. Eastmond, Dean. “I was raped by another man. Heres why Ive decided to write about it.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 7 Dec. 2015, www.independent.co.uk/voices/why-ive-decided-to-talk-about-being-raped-by-another-man-a6730586.html.

  2. Gilbert, Sophie. “The Movement of #MeToo.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 16 Oct. 2017, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/10/the-movement-of-metoo/542979/.

  3. Hill, Zahara. “Black Woman Tarana Burke Founded The "Me Too" Movement.” EBONY, 19 Oct. 2017, www.ebony.com/news-views/black-woman-me-too-movement-tarana-burke-alyssa-milano#axzz4wApw9rR3.

  4. Johnson, About Danica. “5 Reasons We Need to Stop Making Jokes About Men Who Have Been Raped By Women.” Everyday Feminism, 24 Sept. 2015, everydayfeminism.com/2015/09/stop-joking-about-men-raped-by-women/.

  5. “Marshall University.” Womens Center, www.marshall.edu/wcenter/sexual-assault/rape-culture/.

  6. Ohlheiser, Abby. “The woman behind ‘Me Too’ knew the power of the phrase when she created it - 10 years ago.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 Oct. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2017/10/19/the-woman-behind-me-too-knew-the-power-of-the-phrase-when-she-created-it-10-years-ago/?utm_term=.0c9eb6058656.

  7. Wahl, Madeline. “How Rape Jokes Contribute to Rape Culture.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Apr. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/madeline-wahl/how-rape-jokes-contribute_b_5240592.html.

  8. Weems, Scott. “Why Offensive Jokes Affect You More Than You Realize.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 11 Sept. 2014, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/what-s-so-funny/201409/why-offensive-jokes-affect-you-more-you-realize.

  9. “Welcome to CDC stacks | National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) : 2010-2012 state report - 46305 | Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/46305.

NaNoWriMo is upon us!

NaNoWriMo is upon us. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a 30-day event in November where people attempt to write a 50,000 word novel. Their Mission Statement is:

“National Novel Writing Month believes in the transformational power of creativity. We provide the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.”
— https://nanowrimo.org/about

I have been participating in NaNoWriMo since 2011. In that time, I have tried my hand at various Science Fiction and Fantasy tales. This year, as a motivator, I am going to try something different: you all will have the opportunity to see my progress as I go. As I'm writing, I will be posting what I am writing to my Patreon for $1+ sponsors. If I complete stories, they will be available for early download for $10+ sponsors.

I will be dedicating a good deal of my mental resources towards writing for NaNoWriMo throughout November. There will still be blog posts, of course, but they may be shorter than usual. But this will be a fun time! Check out my NaNoWriMo page here: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/justin-grays

If you like what you read here, and would like to show your support, please consider donating.

I am on Patreon to help fund the work that goes into maintaining a website and creating researched content. Also, it will give me some financial relief as I am also endeavoring to complete a number of science fiction and fantasy stories, and hopefully compile them into zines or collected works. As a sponsor, you'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the benefit of some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work.

It's not always possible to sponsor on a monthly basis. If you would like to do a one time donation, please feel free to use PayPal or SquareCash. Producing content takes time and effort, and any support would be most appreciated. Your donations help me cover expenses and eventually will let me be able to create quality content full-time.

Sex and Gender Part I: The Structure of Sex

There is a distinction between sex and gender: sex is a categorization that is determined by the  anatomy of one’s reproductive system, chromosomes, genitalia, hormones, and secondary sex characteristics, whereas gender is a social role based off of the sex of a person or their own identification through self-awareness. Both are constructs, malleable, and are subjected to societal standards, but they are not interchangeable. This post will talk about sex and how it is a construct.

A little self-promotion

Hello, everyone.

Please forgive the bit of self-promotion - I promise you that more regular blog posts are coming soon! If you like what you read here, and would like to show your support, please consider donating. I am looking to expand what I do to include instructional videos and podcasts, and so I will need help in getting the resources to make that happen.

To help me create quality content and have the resources for research and exploration, I have created a Patreon. I would love to be able to do this as I feel that this helps put some beauty into the world. Some of these posts have helped people figure out things happening in their lives. Others have gained a deeper understanding of topics that they were curious about. Some just learned something new. And I find it to be quite rewarding, myself. As a sponsor, you'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the benefit of some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work.

I hope to be able to get to a place where I can do more, but I need help in getting there. If you feel that you are in a place to become a sponsor, please go ahead! If you can't, please share this with people whom you know! As little as $1/month will do wonders to help me keep https://www.justingrays.org/ running and keep bringing quality content to you. Plus, as a patron, you will be recognized as one of my sponsors. 

It's not always possible to sponsor on a monthly basis. If you would like to do a one time donation, please feel free to use PayPal or SquareCash. Producing content takes time and effort, and any support would be most appreciated. Your donations help me cover expenses and eventually will let me be able to create quality content full-time. Also, you will be recognized as a donor.

By becoming a patron or by donating, we both will be getting something out of this - this is a form of symbiosis. You'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work. Your support helps make all of this possible.

I am confident that some good stuff will come of this. If you can help support this adventure, I will be most appreciative. Stay awesome, everybody!

 

You know, I want to see Cameron Esposito as a starship captain.

I was on Twitter the other day, and I was thinking to myself that I want to see Cameron Esposito as a starship captain - which got me thinking: who else should be in this sci-fi epic? And so I came up with this list:

And Gina Torres as the flag officer aboard whom the exploration group reports to.

Rhea Butcher as the chief engineer, using learned skills from Ohio.

Tig Notaro as the chief medical officer. Perfect dry wit. Has had medical issues, so actually understands pain.

Nichelle Nichols as the President of the Galactic Union. Wise and fair.

Leslie Jones leading as the XO - protective of the CO, commands the respect of the crew. Knows where the good times are at.

Linda Park as the security chief. Can go from sweet to scary at the drop of a hat.

Margaret Cho as the Command MCPO, who knows everything and everyone. All enlisted personnel look up to her.

Emma Watson as the navigator. A polymath and excited to explore.

Zoe Saldana as the helmswoman. Confident, arrogant, excitable, and an ace. Next most senior enlisted after the Command MCPO.

Kate McKinnon as the eccentric tactical officer who loves to blow shit up.

Rosario Dawson as the chief of staff for the flag aboard. The admiral's staff reports to her.

Ariel Winter as the flag lieutenant for the admiral. Young and excited to explore space.

Now, the question is: HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

If you like what you read here, and would like to show your support, please consider donating.

I am on Patreon to help fund the work that goes into maintaining a website and creating researched content. Also, it will give me some financial relief as I am also endeavoring to complete a number of science fiction and fantasy stories, and hopefully compile them into zines or collected works. As a sponsor, you'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the benefit of some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work.

It's not always possible to sponsor on a monthly basis. If you would like to do a one time donation, please feel free to use PayPal or SquareCash. Producing content takes time and effort, and any support would be most appreciated. Your donations help me cover expenses and eventually will let me be able to create quality content full-time.

2017 Elections Are Upon Us!

2017 Elections Are Upon Us!

If you are a Minnesota resident, it is election time once again - Tuesday, November 7th. Minnesota is one of those states that has an election every year, and it is important to vote in those elections. And as John Oliver reported, local governments get more done than the federal government - unfortunately, people tend to not focus as much on what is happening locally. So I am here to help you find out what is on the local elections. For more precise information, make certain to go to the State Secretary of State's website to look at a sample ballot. If you know your address, this will give you all of the information on the ballot itself, including a PDF to download to bring with you.

I'm still here - things have just been hectic!

Good evening, all! Just a quick note to you all before I head off to bed.

My apologies for not posting more regularly as of late - things have been incredibly busy. I have ended one job, started another job, gotten reacquainted with some old friends, helped other friends with their kids, and dealt with a multitude of other things. At the same time, I have begun drafting two blog posts as well as worked more on a science fiction story, so I have not been totally idle on the website end of things! I can't say with 100% certainty when I will have the next post up, but I hope that it is very soon. I am getting settled in on this job, and other aspects of life are smoothing out.

In the mean time, I have done a few things to the website, which some of you may have noticed. First, I have made it possible to subscribe to blog posts! I'm still working out the web formatting, but one step at a time.

Secondly, I have a Patreon now - I created it to help fund the work that goes into maintaining a website and creating researched content. For those who want to make a one-time donation, I also have PayPal and SquareCash.

Thirdly, I have created a calendar to show when I am going to be on panels at future events. If you are planning on being at one of these conventions, please feel free to come and check out the panels!

Take care, all. Another post coming ASAP.

If you like what you read here, and would like to show your support, please consider donating.

I am on Patreon to help fund the work that goes into maintaining a website and creating researched content. Also, it will give me some financial relief as I am also endeavoring to complete a number of science fiction and fantasy stories, and hopefully compile them into zines or collected works. As a sponsor, you'll get quality blog posts, early access to completed stories, and the knowledge that you are helping me fund the creative process. I will get the benefit of some stress reduction as I won't have to worry about finances as much anymore, and that will help me be free to create more work.

It's not always possible to sponsor on a monthly basis. If you would like to do a one time donation, please feel free to use PayPal or SquareCash. Producing content takes time and effort, and any support would be most appreciated. Your donations help me cover expenses and eventually will let me be able to create quality content full-time.

The GOP is not the Party of Lincoln - A Brief History. Part I: Whigged Beginnings

The GOP is not the Party of Lincoln - A Brief History. Part I: Whigged Beginnings

Back in June, a friend of mine said “I really think it's time for the Democrats to reclaim Lincoln from the Republican Party.” It was quickly pointed out that Lincoln was indeed a Republican [4], which is factually correct, but ignores the differences in the politics and policies of the Republican Party of the 1860s and the Republican Party of the 2010s. When looking at political parties of any era, especially when comparing parties of said eras, it is important to take into account the political realities of the time, the stances of the parties, the viewpoints of the members of the parties, and what the parties were voting for.

To Survive, Persons of Color are Taught Differently.

Back on 10March2017, I was pulled over by the Saint Louis Park Police Department. The light over the rear license plate was burnt out - the person whom I had borrowed the vehicle from knew that the light was burnt out and told me that she was going to replace it. I was under the understanding that she was going to replace it before I borrowed the vehicle, but she did not get around to it. She's a white ruralite who does not understand the importance of having every part of a vehicle being up to specs at all times. Fortunately, I only received a verbal warning.

CONvergence 2017 - Two Weeks Later

CONvergence 2017 - Two Weeks Later

Since I have returned home, I have not had a change to down the notes that I took on the the other panels that I attended at CONvergence - "Women of Color in Comics: Race, Gender and the Comic Book Medium" and "Latinx Empowerment Through Latinx Heroes" (I also attended "Don't Go There: Taboo Topics and Triggers In Art," but I did not take any notes) - but now I have a moment to get some thoughts down. These two panels do tie into the other panels that I was on (read about Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, and Day 4), and I plan on writing out detailed thoughts about these as time permits.

CONvergence 2017 - Day 4

CONvergence 2017 - Day 4

To catch up on the weekend, here are Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3.

"Steven Universe as Queer Space Opera" was the final panel that I was on - we had great conversations about queer shaped relationships, gender and gender roles, polyamory, and how having a child-orientated cartoon that features these subjects is important.

CONvergence 2017 - Day 3

CONvergence 2017 - Day 3

If you haven't read CONvergence 2017 - Day 1 or CONvergence 2017 - Day 2 already, I would suggest that you read those two entries first - the four panels that I was on, "Speculative Fiction Against Colonialism," "Avoiding Tokenism in Comics & Sci Fi Characters," "Diversity, Class Systems, and Equality in Science Fiction" and "50 Shades of Blackface," all relate to tonight's panel: "Androids, AI, And Gender Theory."

This post will be in three parts: First, a couple of definitions and points - these definitions will be without citation, as I jotted them down in a notebook for reference for the panel, though I do plan on revisiting them in a future post. Second, a listing of media that has to do with stories about Androids, AI, and/or Gender. Third, free-form notes that were taken during the panel that I plan on elaborating on at a later date.