I lust after androids

This Eastercon was an interesting experience for me, I spent a lot more time socialising than going to panels this year, which is pretty opposite to what I normally do. I also did my very first panel \o/ That was pretty exciting, if also slightly terrifying. As with all things, it wasn't quite perfect, and I'm gonna speak a little bit about that later on.

( Friday, Friday, Friday, I got down on Friday. )

I'm not sure what I did for much of Saturday morning - I think it involved a lot of sleeping and a visit to Tescos. Natch.

( Saturday, the day my brother appeared! )

So, as you might suspect, Sunday swiftly followed Saturday and with it came the excitement of being on a panel! For the very first time! In front of actual people! Gad.

( Sunday, which is a day dedicated to celebrating a zombie* by eating chocolate. )

Clearly, Monday happened.

( It wasn't, as it happens, particularly manic. )

So that was pretty much my highlights! Now for some general observations, I guess.

To me, this con was certainly fun, but a surprising amount of the programme items didn't interest me. Luckily, there are more than enough fabulous people there to talk to in the bar that this didn't feel like a genuine problem. Additionally, plenty of con reports and tweets assert that people had a wonderful time and found the programme items a lot more engaging than I did, so I think it's fair to say that this Eastercon really did have something for nearly everyone!

Apparently, I've gained enough social skills in the past year to actually manage to chat and talk to people! I was pretty surprised by this, since most of the time I spend a lot of con time trying to figure out how the hell to even say hello to someone interesting, even if I've met that person before (does anyone else feel like they're instantly forgettable? I know my hair is a bright colour, but other than that I'm pretty sure I don't leave much of an impression because I'm really boring). So it was really neat that time not spent in panels could be spent talking to aforementioned interesting people.

There was a lot of talk about panel parity this year. Partly this is great - because yes, we do need to have fewer male voices and more non-male voices heard. Partly this was a little disturbing - it's so binarist, and I don't know if anyone's addressed this? I'm pretty sure I don't need to go over how exclusionary a policy of equal male to female participants inherently is, and I hope this is something that's considered in the future. Also, there are some cases where one gender's voice should be heard without giving equal weight to another's - if I want to hear about how female writers feel in a male dominated field, I actually don't want to hear a male's opinions, because it wouldn't be about them. In general though, I am in favour of it, and overall I feel Eastercon did well in trying to ensure non-male voices were on panels.

Eastercon is still a really white, mostly middle-class or above space. This is not necessarily a criticism - it's not anyone's fault that lots of white people turn up, but it would be nice to see future Eastercons with more diversity - perhaps by reaching out to Uni's and widening their advertising pool (I don't know if that could be reasonable considering the cost of advertising though).

God damn but there are a shit ton of iPads in the hands of Eastercon goers.

I feel like this post was really text heavy, so here's a picture of Mum and me taken over the weekend:



In summary: Good Eastercon! I'm really looking forward to next year's!


_{It is actually nearly 6am and I think I've been writing this since 6pm, so I am going to stop here, even though I can think of about a thousand more things to say.}


*Is Jesus actually a zombie if we eat His flesh and he doesn't crave ours?

Help me, o FListies! I can't stop buying comics (I spent like maybe, £50 on them today? FIFTY WHOLE POUNDS, MY GOD). I just... I try to stop and then I don't and I DON'T EVEN FEEL BAD.

I've kind of had to stop buying so much in the way of coke and chocolate and crisps, so I guess technically I'm being healthier? That's good?

UM.

Anyway I had a telephone interview today! I passed it! So that means I get to go to a group assessment! And then maybe I'll get a job, and if you need to phone a helpline about Student Loans, you'll be hearing my dulcet tones over the phone. Who knows? Fingers crossed though!

Er, what else... Oh, I volunteered to be on a panel at Eastercon! I'M REALLY KIND OF NERVOUS but also excited. It's about the New DC 52, which is something I'm really interested in! (I would say, see previous FIFTY WHOLE POUNDS spent on comics, but I wasn't even buying DC stuff today! AK:SDJFL:ASF) I'm kind of hoping it's going to be ok? I mean, in general the people who talk about comics at Eastercon are neat people, so I don't think they're going to make fun of me and make me cry, BUT I MAY DO THAT TO MYSELF. I will just sit there blubbing into my free drink, and every time someone asks me if I have an opinion, I will tearfully reply, "I'm not even here, you're drunk and imagining me! WHY won't you stop imagining me so I can crawl out of here like a wounded kitten."

I um. Probably won't do that though.

In other news, I cut my hair and dyed it green! Because I make excellent life choices.



And finally, on Twitter, I followed Liam Sharp and he followed me back! Which is excellent news for me, since I've had a crush on him since I asked for him to sign something for me at Worldcon.

I've been meaning to post for about a week or so, haha, but I'm lame XD

So I saw this on Tumblr, a noteslate, which pretty much seems like an electronic notepad that does nothing else, except take notes.. I don't even know why I want it so much, and yet I do! I don't even take that many notes, but I feel that if I had a NoteSlate, I might start...

I'm uh, still writing my random_bandom entry (I've got 400 words! There's cuddling!), but I was listening to FOE radio (I admit, I am a complete teenage emo at heart, it is just inescapable fact) and this song popped up, Skin And Bones - Romance On A Rocketship. Makes me think of Chris/Bob, because I'm ridiculous.

I finally got around to listening to PStump's solo song (Spotlight), and Pete Wentz's new band Black Cards (Dominos. Both are pretty damn awesome, who knew? What does everyone else think?

Did anyone else know that Bob Bryar had decided to become a postman? He could deliver his package to me anytime.

( Didn't Tinie Tempah look good at the Brits? )

Annnnnd finally, lookit Bob, Mikey and Gerard having a teaparty XD

ETA Oh, hahaha, I forgot to say! I'm really excited for this week and the next! I'm going to see Rob Zombie and Murderdolls on Friday (I'M SO EXCITED!) and then on Tuesday I'm seeing MCR, and then on Monday (the 28th) I'm flying out to see them in Paris avec Maman! Weeee~!

♥ So I've been intending to do a 3 drummer picspam, of Bob Bryar, Chris Gaylor and the Butcher, but I am really lazy. And also, I think about it? And then I think, "Well hey, Travie's kind of scorchingly hot, he should be in there, even if he isn't a drummer." And then I basically descend into thinking about all the people I've found hot this year, and I am definitely too lazy to do a picspam about all of that.


♥ In the same vein, I thought about posting a mix of songs I've really enjoyed this year - but I can't remember songs that I liked a few months ago, and it would pretty much be made up of bandom and pop songs - which is not necessarily a bad thing? But I think you guys already have all the bandom you need, and I'm not sure any of you actually listen to pop music, ahaha. Maybe I will anyway? Because I like to pretend I'm interacting with you guys by sharing music.

♥ Oh, so, you guys want to know something that's REALLY FUCKING AWESOME?

You do?

I'm going to see Iron Maiden! And Rob Zombie! And My Chemical Romance!!!

I'm going to see MCR TWICE! Once here in Newcastle, which, y'know, yay. The other time?

...

...

In Paris!!!

I'm so excited, you guys have no idea! I don't think I was this excited when I went to see Dir en Grey in Paris, so. Y'know. EEEEE! Perhaps it's the addition of a xaritomene that makes it so awesome?


♥ And I dyed my bangs/fringe greeny-turquoise!

( Have a look under the cut )


♥ And back to fannish things, I really need to finish writing my aar_capslock Secret Santa. I had a lot of fun planning out a couple more bits of it with xaritomene when we met in Newcastle, so hopefully it won't take me too long (haha, it better not, the deadline's the 22nd!). You guys have already seen the Star!AU, there's also a Punk!AU, and a Liquor Shop!AU, and I'm trying to think of two more. I think perhaps a DJ!AU, and then a College!AU? The person I'm writing for doesn't want too much crack, or you can bet I'd be writing about fairies and dragons and vampires, and probably genies and zombies too. Alas, my life, so hard.

♥ Aaaaah, screw it, I'm really in love with Chris right now, so here's a mini-picspam!

( He owns a micro brewery, doncha know? )

So that was uh, a lot less mini than I thought it would be. :D?

Went to Asda, saw this:



Humph.