Shore Leave
Jul. 13th, 2008 05:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
neadodsMy brain is not entirely recovered, so this is more of a series of strobe-lit images than a flowing essay.
First: My review for French Pressed is up on Reviewing The Evidence. It contains a pithy statement about a particularly annoying cozy cliche. RtE is then planning on taking a 2-week break.
Second: My apologies to everyone who responded to the previous post with "Let's get together!" I did not have my laptop or time to get online all of yesterday or until I got home today. (Also, at Shore Leave in particular, I'm running around like a crazed weasel. I would love to meet people, but the best way of meeting me is to catch me coming out of a panel and introduce yourself in small words. By this afternoon, I'm faintly surprised I was speaking coherent English. If I even was.)
I did want to meet y'all, and I regret that I wasn't able to. Hopefully, that can be rectified!
Third: It was good to see everyone I know but don't see often enough. It was great to meet new people, especially you, Mr. Drew (if you're reading this) and you,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jmswallow (I hope you are reading this). persiflage_1 - this is the J. Swallow who wrote Peacemaker, if you want to drop a link to your "I love this book!!!!" post in the comments.
I was usually in and out of the main star speeches, but I did write down a particularly pithy comment from each one:
Malcolm McDowell, on a job he loathed: "Nine months of my life that I have completely obliterated from my memory... mostly due to alcohol poisoning."
Morgan Sheppard: "I've watched Doctor Who go from the show that meant you were at the end of your career to the show that people would kill to get on."
Kate Hewlett, butting in when her brother David was asked if he'd ever end up cross-dressing on Atlantis: "He's acted like a woman... every episode."
The masquerade was kinda thin this year. 23 entries, and only a couple really stood out for me. One was best in show, a girl, looking to be about 8-9 years old, who was modeling an AMAZING Wonder Woman outfit. Celebrity judge W. Morgan Sheppard was so blown away that he especially asked to be the one to give her the award. This is the first time little Ms. Santiago or her costume designer (a relative, I missed the exact connection) has entered the contest, and I hope it's the beginning of a long run.
My personal favorite was the dating service "Eye of Harmony.com" which matched up the Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth Doctors. Six threw a woman in a red shirt over his shoulder (I don't know who she was supposed to be; the two are somehow connected in real life.) Ten went down on one knee and offered a ring to a blonde in a Union Jack T-shirt. That got the audience howling. But they really shouted the roof down when a big man in a WWII coat strode out to Nine... and they went into a long clinch-and-smooch, complete with Captain Jack kicking up one leg behind him.
Apparently the kiss was added in at the last moment to make their presentation beat the crossover combo "Bear in a Big Blue Phone Box." It was the right choice, although the audience then *insisted* that they kiss again after getting Most Humorous Presentation.
Panel-wise, there were 3.5 I went to. (I'd been slated to be on Fannish Fiber Arts, but I gave my bit about knitting in an extended breath and ran to the Boogie Knights concert, as I had not missed one of those in nigh onto 15 years. Made it just in time to hear the new song.)
Qualities of Leadership was a cast of 1000s, as it was all of the authors in it in attendance discussing the book and our stories. (Afterwards, we had a circle signing of all of our own copies.) Two hours was a bit long.
Today started with the Torchwood and Sarah Jane and Doctor Who general discussion panel. I'd arrived early and so did a couple of audience people, so I was already explaining the difference between Big Finish and the BBC when the official panelists, most of the audience, and our moderatorpuppetmaker40 came in. Discussion of old and new Who, of which of the spinoffs were the panelist's favorites, which of the individual episodes were panel favorites - that was particularly interesting, because one person's best was the next person's "You have GOT to be kidding me! Ew!" - James Swallow talked a little bit about writing Peacemaker, and there was a poll of our thoughts when we heard about the SJA. We were in one of the smallest rooms and it was standing room only; we'll have to see if we can get a bigger one next year.
The last panel, and the last thing I did before leaving, was the Morality in Who panel. That was hopping! No particular revelations and we cut off discussion of this season at Midnight, but there was still plenty to talk about, including getting everyone's opinions on:
Doctor vs Harriet Jones in Christmas Invasion. Who was right? (Only about five people held up their hands on a vote each way, but opinions were still pretty firm. If only she hadn't shot them in the back. That was a major crime. That was self-defense.)
What gives the Doctor the right to speak for humanity? Protecting a lesser race or meddling where he doesn't belong? Are his decisions going to be the right ones, considering that he was instrumental in creating Torchwood and in creating the power play that brought Harold Saxon to power? (My "Vote Saxon" bag was once again popular, BTW.)
Jack and retcon: for someone who lost two years of his memories, he throws retcon around an awful lot. Too much? Too little? The right and merciful thing to do? Is losing just a day or two "okay" but more than that not? Does it even make sense to retcon people for learning about Torchwood when it's etched into the car?
Gwen and retcon: Nobody would defend her confession-and-retconning of Rhys, but it still juiced a fair amount of discussion about the health of a relationship.
Sarah Jane, letting the Slitheen boy die. Again, wrong, self-defense, or just locked by fear on her part? (Someone said she'd stopped watching the show because of that.)
And afterwards I was complimented on the panel and how I ran it, which is always nice to hear!
Finally, just as I seem to be the only knitter who numbers my needles and everybody thinks it's a good idea, I seem to be the only panel moderator who uses this technique and, as I've been complimented on it more than once, I shall describe it for anyone who wants to adopt it:
I like to throw out a discussion topic, have my say, and keep an eye on the audience. As hands go up, I'll point to the person with a nod, and holding up fingers to show where they are in the queue. (My mental buffer won't hold more than 5 anyway.) Then each of them gets their say, and if I or another panelist wants to interject, we do so before the next audience person gets to speak, but then we *do* make sure to go back to right where the queue was broken. (Which I often mark by just pointing to them in order saying "One, two, three, you start.") Take a couple of audience rounds that way (a juicy topic will feed two or three rounds of hand raising) before saying "okay, and now let's move on to..." and repeat the whole thing.
People know if they've been seen or not, they don't have to have their hand up forever, they do get their say, and it tends to keep too many people from just blurting out. The downside is that it really only works when I'm either the only one on the panel or the most talkative panelist (not thattiggerallyn and terri_osborne didn't get their $.02 in!) But the key is that it *works* and works well on contentious panel topics.
Oh - and apparently out there somewhere is a parody of the "He's like fire and ice and rage" speech, and I would love to see/hear it all the way through. All I can remember being told is "fire and ice make tepid water."
First: My review for French Pressed is up on Reviewing The Evidence. It contains a pithy statement about a particularly annoying cozy cliche. RtE is then planning on taking a 2-week break.
Second: My apologies to everyone who responded to the previous post with "Let's get together!" I did not have my laptop or time to get online all of yesterday or until I got home today. (Also, at Shore Leave in particular, I'm running around like a crazed weasel. I would love to meet people, but the best way of meeting me is to catch me coming out of a panel and introduce yourself in small words. By this afternoon, I'm faintly surprised I was speaking coherent English. If I even was.)
I did want to meet y'all, and I regret that I wasn't able to. Hopefully, that can be rectified!
Third: It was good to see everyone I know but don't see often enough. It was great to meet new people, especially you, Mr. Drew (if you're reading this) and you,
jmswallow (I hope you are reading this). persiflage_1 - this is the J. Swallow who wrote Peacemaker, if you want to drop a link to your "I love this book!!!!" post in the comments.I was usually in and out of the main star speeches, but I did write down a particularly pithy comment from each one:
Malcolm McDowell, on a job he loathed: "Nine months of my life that I have completely obliterated from my memory... mostly due to alcohol poisoning."
Morgan Sheppard: "I've watched Doctor Who go from the show that meant you were at the end of your career to the show that people would kill to get on."
Kate Hewlett, butting in when her brother David was asked if he'd ever end up cross-dressing on Atlantis: "He's acted like a woman... every episode."
The masquerade was kinda thin this year. 23 entries, and only a couple really stood out for me. One was best in show, a girl, looking to be about 8-9 years old, who was modeling an AMAZING Wonder Woman outfit. Celebrity judge W. Morgan Sheppard was so blown away that he especially asked to be the one to give her the award. This is the first time little Ms. Santiago or her costume designer (a relative, I missed the exact connection) has entered the contest, and I hope it's the beginning of a long run.
My personal favorite was the dating service "Eye of Harmony.com" which matched up the Sixth, Ninth, and Tenth Doctors. Six threw a woman in a red shirt over his shoulder (I don't know who she was supposed to be; the two are somehow connected in real life.) Ten went down on one knee and offered a ring to a blonde in a Union Jack T-shirt. That got the audience howling. But they really shouted the roof down when a big man in a WWII coat strode out to Nine... and they went into a long clinch-and-smooch, complete with Captain Jack kicking up one leg behind him.
Apparently the kiss was added in at the last moment to make their presentation beat the crossover combo "Bear in a Big Blue Phone Box." It was the right choice, although the audience then *insisted* that they kiss again after getting Most Humorous Presentation.
Panel-wise, there were 3.5 I went to. (I'd been slated to be on Fannish Fiber Arts, but I gave my bit about knitting in an extended breath and ran to the Boogie Knights concert, as I had not missed one of those in nigh onto 15 years. Made it just in time to hear the new song.)
Qualities of Leadership was a cast of 1000s, as it was all of the authors in it in attendance discussing the book and our stories. (Afterwards, we had a circle signing of all of our own copies.) Two hours was a bit long.
Today started with the Torchwood and Sarah Jane and Doctor Who general discussion panel. I'd arrived early and so did a couple of audience people, so I was already explaining the difference between Big Finish and the BBC when the official panelists, most of the audience, and our moderator
puppetmaker40 came in. Discussion of old and new Who, of which of the spinoffs were the panelist's favorites, which of the individual episodes were panel favorites - that was particularly interesting, because one person's best was the next person's "You have GOT to be kidding me! Ew!" - James Swallow talked a little bit about writing Peacemaker, and there was a poll of our thoughts when we heard about the SJA. We were in one of the smallest rooms and it was standing room only; we'll have to see if we can get a bigger one next year.The last panel, and the last thing I did before leaving, was the Morality in Who panel. That was hopping! No particular revelations and we cut off discussion of this season at Midnight, but there was still plenty to talk about, including getting everyone's opinions on:
Doctor vs Harriet Jones in Christmas Invasion. Who was right? (Only about five people held up their hands on a vote each way, but opinions were still pretty firm. If only she hadn't shot them in the back. That was a major crime. That was self-defense.)
What gives the Doctor the right to speak for humanity? Protecting a lesser race or meddling where he doesn't belong? Are his decisions going to be the right ones, considering that he was instrumental in creating Torchwood and in creating the power play that brought Harold Saxon to power? (My "Vote Saxon" bag was once again popular, BTW.)
Jack and retcon: for someone who lost two years of his memories, he throws retcon around an awful lot. Too much? Too little? The right and merciful thing to do? Is losing just a day or two "okay" but more than that not? Does it even make sense to retcon people for learning about Torchwood when it's etched into the car?
Gwen and retcon: Nobody would defend her confession-and-retconning of Rhys, but it still juiced a fair amount of discussion about the health of a relationship.
Sarah Jane, letting the Slitheen boy die. Again, wrong, self-defense, or just locked by fear on her part? (Someone said she'd stopped watching the show because of that.)
And afterwards I was complimented on the panel and how I ran it, which is always nice to hear!
Finally, just as I seem to be the only knitter who numbers my needles and everybody thinks it's a good idea, I seem to be the only panel moderator who uses this technique and, as I've been complimented on it more than once, I shall describe it for anyone who wants to adopt it:
I like to throw out a discussion topic, have my say, and keep an eye on the audience. As hands go up, I'll point to the person with a nod, and holding up fingers to show where they are in the queue. (My mental buffer won't hold more than 5 anyway.) Then each of them gets their say, and if I or another panelist wants to interject, we do so before the next audience person gets to speak, but then we *do* make sure to go back to right where the queue was broken. (Which I often mark by just pointing to them in order saying "One, two, three, you start.") Take a couple of audience rounds that way (a juicy topic will feed two or three rounds of hand raising) before saying "okay, and now let's move on to..." and repeat the whole thing.
People know if they've been seen or not, they don't have to have their hand up forever, they do get their say, and it tends to keep too many people from just blurting out. The downside is that it really only works when I'm either the only one on the panel or the most talkative panelist (not that
tiggerallyn and terri_osborne didn't get their $.02 in!) But the key is that it *works* and works well on contentious panel topics.Oh - and apparently out there somewhere is a parody of the "He's like fire and ice and rage" speech, and I would love to see/hear it all the way through. All I can remember being told is "fire and ice make tepid water."
