kathleen_dailey

-- Turkey City Lexicon. A very oldie but a very goodie. Originally compiled for SF writers, it should be required reading for fic writers.

-- Maru's 18th birthday party. I've been following Maru's blog since day one, and he makes me happy all the time. Happy birthday, dear Maru.

-- What a way to start off Pride Month in Toronto: Google and Home Depot pull Pride Toronto sponsorship. Executive director Kojo Modeste is upfront about the connection with the US backlash against DEI initiatives: "The individuals and institutions we believed were committed allies to our community have shown themselves to be, at least in part, swayed by external political pressures." Other corporations have ended or reduced their support--Merck Canada, Adidas, Nissan Canada, Tim Hortons. I guess no one should be surprised: corporate support of Pride has always been opportunistic, and so is the withdrawal of support.

-- I wrote a filk of "Threes" for the first Beta Reader Appreciation Day in 2000 and recently found a copy of it. Lyrics are below the cut, with a couple of explanatory notes for those who weren't active in Trek fandom at the time. The best I can say about it now is that it was heartfelt!

( Threes--The Beta Version )

For the music (by Leslie Fish) and lyrics (by Mercedes Lackey) of the original "Threes" filk, here is Julia Ecklar's classic performance.

Carl Wilson addresses the history and future of Toronto arts criticism.

"Toronto once had a thriving ecosystem of cultural critics who prodded, inspired and annoyed both readers and artists. As the media sheds its arts writers, what does a city lose?"

A recent Reddit posting asked "what makes you kudos [sic] a work?"

( Clicking the kudos button )

I had more or less resolved to stay off my Trek hobbyhorse of "please don't ask me to believe in characters who would never be chosen to serve on an interstellar mission if their AO3 tags actually appeared in their Starfleet psych profiles." But then I came across the extract below on Diane Duane's Tumblr. A reader complimented her on McCoy's characterization in Doctor's Orders. She responded in part:

The rest of McCoy’s characterization, though, was based on the continuous intention to write these characters as if they were the professionals that they would honestly have to be. [Emphasis in original.]

That's the type of characterization that I find the most credible, engrossing, and satisfying to read, both in fanfic and in profic. I wish that more of the current crop of TOS fan writers would consider taking a similar approach. (And I'm hugely appreciative of those few who already do.)

Deadlines met, appointments kept, obligations fulfilled, doomscrolling paused. All of those things are certain to recur, but for now... Well, sufficient unto the day, etc.

( Six non-stressful things )

And this particular day is evidently called "Spy Wednesday." Huh. Although I was Catholic-schooled for many long years, I never once heard the day referred to by that name.

Honestly, I have no idea why this is the working production title for Strange New Worlds (maybe just to keep fangirls like [younger] me from hanging around locations), but season 4 has been shooting right outside my living room window, and all around the immediate neighbourhood, for the past week and a bit.

Some of the interiors are being shot in the office building immediately across the road (probably because there's lot of empty space available). I think the little indie coffee shop on the first floor must be doing fantastic business, judging from all the crew members who are coming and going.

Now if only some finished SNW would turn up on my TV screen soon!

I was sad to read of Michelle Trachtenberg's death at the age of 39. Even though the character as written was never my favourite on BTVS, I thought the actor herself did an outstanding job (despite, as we learned much later, a cruel and traumatizing work situation with Whedon). Brave girl.

Another colleague gone too soon.

( Cut for length )