Midweek blort of random stuff

This weekend
There is one thing the Bush Administration has inaugurated that is totally, unarguably, cool, righteous, and good for the country: The National Book Festival. Yes, it's sponsored by the Library of Congress, but check the dates of the previous events - this is a Laura Bush pet project. I hope future first ladies will be sensible and continue the tradition. My sole complaint is that I have my choice of getting books signed by David McCullough *or* hearing Neil Gaiman speak. Probably going with McCullough, as I have already heard Gaiman and read his blog off LJ anyway.

Saturday being a busy day, I also have the option to renew my pinko liberal bleeding heart credentials and either join the Planned Parenthood booth at the Convention Center or join the anti-war march that will be going on just a couple of blocks away from the book festival. (Won't THAT be fun, esp. with Mrs. Bush running around? Note to self: Pay attention to anyone wearing a suit and sunglasses in that heat. Do not piss them off and do not make sudden moves around them. Second note to self: 'Tis probably nobler in the mind to start at the books and move towards the march because they're going to be paying particular attention to anyone who starts at the march and moves towards the books, youbetcha. Or hit the rally early & fast, bury anything I pick up deep in my bags and then duck up several blocks or even metro and then come back to the Smithsonian for a different angle to see the festival. Cheezewhiz, this is like trying to figure out how to get to work when the President of Russia was staying in the next building.)

Life in the capitol of the Land of the Free can be... strategically interesting.

Sunday I get to head back to the Rennfaire to enjoy Pirate Weekend. The Corsairs will have docked and have a concert or two which I want to see, and I've already made plans to pick up the RESCU pin and CD. Plus, Tee Morris, author of Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword will be there, and I want my review copy signed.

Fic Rec
terri_osborne found it first: Blackadder of Starfleet.
BLACKADDER: About this database of personnel about to graduate from the Academy…?
BALDRICK: Yes, Mr. Blackadder, I thought it would be convenient to you to have the whole graduatin’ class’ vital statistics readily available.
BLACKADDER: Except you didn’t say ‘convenient’ in your cover letter, Balders, you indicate the purpose of compiling this collection of trivia as being for my ‘connivance.’

Media Rant
Someone on my f-list linked to a Washington Post article that I had skimmed in the regular paper, about the misogyny in this season's TV in particular. Fair enough, considering that Supernatural plasters two women to the ceiling and then burns them alive. But the article blamed CSI for starting "the trend" and there I cry foul. First, that "trend" has been around forever and a day, starting from the first silent movie where Pauline got tied to the railroad tracks. Second, it's disingenuous to blame CSI for having violence in it considering it's a show *about* crime, and they have been pretty even-handed about making their victims and their culprits male and female, young and old.

But finally - while a spike of shows about violence against women is a legitimate topic, why not also write about the more subtle degredations of women? Because to my mind, it's a great deal less horrific to watch a murdering rapist be caught on CSI than it is to watch Rory Gilmore throw her future away with both hands episode after episode. Gilmore Girls used to be about her bright future and her indomitable goals, and now she's dropped out of college and has a police record. At least CSI is about catching the criminals and ending the crime, not digging a bright light deeper and deeper into a self-made hole of boycraziness.

Rory Gilmore. Laura Holt. Caitlin from Airwolf. Even Amanda King, who was brighter than she came across. All strong, smart, determined women. All slowly intellectually strangled and subordinated to the whims of the men who breezed into their plotlines - often by their own choice. (Note that Stephanie Zimbalist - who fought for Laura Holt all the way - doesn't even appear on the covers of the Remington Steele DVDs!)

At least when you pin a woman to the ceiling and burn her up, the violence is obvious. And she didn't choose to do it to herself.

Totally random LJ comment
Watching the LJ meme grow is giving me ideas for stuff that I should probably be adding to my own interests list. Hm.