Sunday

[clevermanka]

Another important, information-dense post by naye on racism in fandom. Thoughts from someone who stopped volunteering for AO3 because of their resistance to anti-racist policy.

Beauty and noodles. Boy on bike alert.

Zhu Yilong vs. Shen Wei.

Fanart: Sexy domesticity. Sweet domesticity.

HAPPY CHU-GE (now I want to write a laughing Chu Shuzhi in Reconstruction and have ZYL be totally unnerved by it). And today is Jiang Mingyang's birthday!

My kudos emails have been coming less frequently, which isn't surprising since I haven't posted anything since December, but I got one this morning that was shockingly, uh... robust? Made me feel really good. People are still reading my stuff and liking it! Oh wow, and I literally just now got a comment on Binary System! 😍

In other creative news, I did indeed call the Fu Meng Po portrait complete. The person at Office Depot was able to put it through the large scanner so roseconnelly didn't even have to piece it together. Huh-fuckin'-zah! I had a print made as well and I'm pretty impressed with the quality. It's not giclee quality, but it's pretty good!

I picked up some crap knives from a friend to try the knife sharpener and wow, yeah, it sure does work! I'll never have to suffer through cutting onions with a dull knife again. I texted a bunch of people saying BRING ME YOUR KNIVES WHEN WE CAN HANG OUT AGAIN because for what I paid for this thing it's ridiculous for just me to be using it.

After running errands two days in a row, I'm feeling a little drained but! last night I felt good, like really good, for the first time in a long time. I actually danced around my living room for a song and a half. It was wonderful.

Comments

[goss]

The person at Office Depot was able to put it through the large scanner

Excellent! For all the work that you put into the fine details, I'm SO HAPPY that you were able to get a good quality print! :D

YAY, DANCING! \o/ \o/ \o/

[clevermanka]

It did indeed scan better than it photographed, so hurray! I plan to post the scan on AO3 for his birthday (May 13). I'm still not sure if I'm going to send the print to his agency (as I've been encouraged to do by Some People), but I have a copy, at least!

And yes YAY DANCING!

[minoanmiss]

I love that when I get a big kudos email, especially one embroidered with a thread where someone read a bunch of my stories in a row.

Oh, fandom. Oh, AO3. I have been thinking, largely ffruitlessly, about how I can use my voice to encourage AO3 to be better. I don't want it to go down -- it's a unique and largely wonderful place and doesn't deserve to be scarred and damaged by some people's clinging to racism (and we fans don't deserve to be scarred and damaged either). I will figure something out.

[clevermanka]

especially one embroidered with a thread where someone read a bunch of my stories in a row
Yes! I used to be one of those "will this person think I'm weird for reading five of their fics in a row" and now I know the answer to that is a resounding No They Will Not. Such a compliment.

You're very brave and patient and forgiving, wanting to improve a place that doesn't necessarily have your best interests in mind. Thank you.

[minoanmiss]

I think AO3 is a net boon to fandom but it can't exact an Omelas-like price where those benefits are paid for by the pain of fans of color. I'm pretty invested. wry smile

Also hugs you

[naye]

Thanks for signal boosting. ♥ And yeah, given what I've heard about AO3 leadership I am...not surprised they are resistant to implementing anything anti-racist.

YAY FOR ART!

YAY FOR SHARP KNIVES! (We just got new knives a couple of months back and I still go oooh when I use them, because they work so WELL.)

And EXTRA YAY for feeling good - you deserve so so many more days of that.

[clevermanka]

So much yay! (she says a little quietly having just awakened from a nap 😄)

[yaaurens]

Yay for getting art done and scanned in a way that won't end up making extra work!

Yay for knife sharpeners that work!

Yay for feeling GOOD and DANCING!

YAAAAAAY!!!!

[clevermanka]

So much good stuff this weekend I almost didn't know what to do with all of it. 🧡

[yaaurens]

A most excellent problem to have!

[dontfall]

Thank you for sharing the AO3 links! The legit criticism gets buried by the sillier things, but criticism from BIPOC folks need to be elevated and brought to the forefront.

Fanart 😍😍😍😍

I’m so glad you had a good night despite feeling drained, too!!!

[clevermanka]

legit criticism gets buried by the sillier things
Amazing how that dynamic plays out over so many aspects of humanity. sigh

Good nights are so good!!!

[wrote_and_writ]

Bring me your knives -- you're the best :D

[clevermanka]

Knives (literal and metaphorical) are VERY IMPORTANT to me. 😁

[write_out]

This all makes me so happy- sharp knives! fic kudos and comments! feeling GOOD!

[clevermanka]

Feels so good to feel good!

[redheadfae]

Ooh, I have a knife with a damn blunt edge AND a dent in the end. Do you think it can be salvaged?

[clevermanka]

Depends on what you mean by a dent. If the blade is bent, I can't put that through. If it's a chip on the edge, yes, this'll grind it out.

eta: I didn't realize you were still cooking, or I'd have texted you, too!

[redheadfae]

Well, my definition of "cooking"...LOL.
It's my block cheese knife, which is actually a cleaver.
I may have to just replace it, the end does feel burred.

[clevermanka]

Bring it by before you spring for a replacement. If I think I can put it through the grinder, I'll let you know.

[tinny]

\o/

Glad to hear you're feeling better - small steps. <3

[clevermanka]

Baby steps, baby steps, sigh....