Mailbag

Sorry ducks--it's the doldrums here, where I try to not flip on the a/c even as it gets warm again, my PHP website continues to progress PHPfully--that is, in fits, starts, and inexplicable error messages--and the rest of my hilariously-titled "free time" is eaten by aikido.

So that's for me, why I've not been writing more (I do have something I want to get down about "Johnny Guitar", which I watched last weekend and was tickled rainbow about, but that will have to wait.) Fortunately, you have been writing here, so...to the mailbag!

First, about the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival: Sal writes

Whilst a trans woman, and feminist, I'm not that bothered over the whole Mich controversy. It's just one festival in the world which has a slightly strict (and from what I can gather, over the years difficult to even enforce) policy. If they want to try and define that someone like myself can't be female by their definitions despite that I've been post-op since 18, well, meh. I say just let them get on with it and I'll happily be at Glastonbury instead!

Well, said! However, I do still think it is important to continue to raise consciousness about MWMF, because it is a very influential event for many in both lesbian and feminist circles. So, I'll keep talking about it, even though you'll likely never see me at one--because three days in the mud only sounds good to me if it's the hot mud treatment at a spa, decadent capitalist that I am!

There were a lot of good responses to my "How to be alone" post (and one slightly clueless--you know who I'm talking about.) Friend of the blog Spatula
had some very interesting things to say about the dimensions of the problem:

You know, maybe setting up the whole thing as "enlightened me vs. barbarous them" is not the only way... I'm starting to see the whole calling-out-and-being-called out as a collaborative figuring-life-out-together thing. I'm muddling through my own thinking and perceptions and how to deal with situations, and so is everyone else.

And while I agree with that wholeheartedly, the thing is--some of these issues have taken on a moral dimension to me, and that makes it hard to not respond forcefully, albeit there need to be ways to temper the insta-crush reaction that you develop online. I think, ultimately, the way forward will be to continue to try and live up to my own ideals: to listen more and talk less, to teach and educate...but also to be willing to take a stand, even when it's not popular.

Also, aikido. Lots of aikido. At the very least I'll be too tired to argue.

Finally, as I expected, my post on video gaming got a bunch of comments. Thank you all, especially VM & feministswithfsd, a blog I really oughta take a look at since there are certain issues we may have in common. I guess I'll update you: I blew up Kilrah, finally, and with fewer qualms than I thought I'd have--I got frustrated at having to fly the mission over and over again until I finally figured out that the Big Bomb would indeed lock on even while I was cloaked. I still have the WC games kicking around on my PC (WCIV plays beautifully and still looks good--twas ahead of its time) but I haven't done much, maybe because I've actually finished those games in the past. And have I mentioned I'm busy?

Speaking of which, I'm late to get picked up and thrown around. Also, I have to go to aikido! More new stuff soon, I promise.