[Weekly Words on Women] Watching the World Turn Upside Down

As most of you know, I don't tend to get passionate about a whole lot. I try pretty hard to be even-natured and talk about things in a fairly rational way. I don't let too much rile me up, and I avoid the shenanigans you can count on from my co-author, SinSynn.

I'm going to play by some different rules for this series, which I had planned and sketched out well before last week's web explosion on gender, bias and sexism.


Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at access and control some more, along with the gaming community and how women are viewed and treated. I'll probably discuss how we got to where we are today, and ask a lot of questions. 

Last time, I talked about control and access in regards to women's sexuality. This time, - let's talk about women's rights. I'm specifically looking at the way the world is changing and how control and access is being challenged, especially via religion and politics (at least in the US).

[Blogging] Music

Over my head, I hear it loud and clear
Music, music, over my head, I hear music- King's X, Over My Head
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My recent post asking for advice on a gift of music for TheDude has pushed me to post something I've had in the "rumination stage' for well over a month; a post about music.

I've meant to talk about the sounds in my head (no, I'm not crazy!) as well as tell you that every lyric, quote and riff I put on here is for a reason. I try to create a mood, evoke an emotional response, or offer something relevant to the content of the post when I put quotes up- and I hope you enjoy.

The fact that talking about music inspired TheDude to comment on my blog for the very first time does have a little to do with this decision, but not a huge amount. [Hey you!]

When talking about music, it's important to note that TheDude & I have some pretty different tastes. I swear, that man loves anything loud, crass, tasteless and offensive- just because it is all of those things. In addition to loving punk and metal (which are generally loud, rude, crass, offensive and/or tasteless), he's a HUGE GWAR and ICP fan and searches out the Psychopathic Records stuff on a fairly regular basis. And, as Christian can attest- his biggest "failing" (at least in my book) - he loves DEVO. (Someone take pity on me, please. It's terrible.)

He's also something of an amateur rock historian, so he has some very strong roots in old school stuff. One of his favorite "joke Jeopardy" categories is "musical trivia only I know for $800, Alex". The man is amazing when it comes to knowing who played in what band when and where they went after that. He knows the names of SESSION players.(For real- who does that?)

Our first date involved music very prominently. We went to all three of the local CD vendors- a pretty standard afternoon for the two of us. He wound up buying several CDs (again, pretty standard-he'd often drop half his paycheck at the CD shop). One of them was 247 Spyz Gumbo Millenium. He read the liner notes while we ate, in a desperate attempt to figure out how to talk to me (his best friend).

For a while early in our dating/marriage history, we didn't go on dates, we went to concerts. For my high school graduation present, we went to Queensrych, with Suicidal Tendencies opening (THAT was a crazy show). My earliest "scrapbooks" were ticket stubs from all the shows we saw.

We took TheBoy to see Weird Al as his first concert. His second? Judas Priest and Anthrax with the classic lineups as a Boy/Dad only affair. The kid was 10, 11 and we made sure he was exposed to Halford.

When we got a dog, we decided to name him after someone or something musical, and among the possible names were Joey, Mastadon and Cash. We named our dog after The Man In Black, folks.

I am still thinking of what to get The Dude for Christmas, as he's dang near IMPOSSIBLE to shop for anymore. Any time I think I have an idea, he's already scored whatever I wanted to get him. So I'm thinking music. I know he likes it, and I know what he does (and doesn't) have very well.

[WOD] Supernatural- Revisited

[Trying out a new labeling system someone suggested might be helpful. Like I need another reason to be anally organized.=p]

As I started watching Supernatural oh those many years ago, it was pretty easy to imagine it as a WOD Hunter game. I mean, they said it out loud: "We hunt monsters. And then we kill them."

I followed Sam & Dean along their adventures and immediately drew the network of cells in my head. I enjoyed the various and imaginative ways they dispatched the bad stuff. It was pretty cut & dried; this was the best example of Hunter available.

Then  things began to change. Those deals with demons, the Trickster, Chameleon Ruby, intoxicating blood proffering surreal abilities and various other strangeness started becoming regular events, and not just one-offs.

I happened across a rerun of a pivotal episode today; where Dean reveals to Sam exactly what he did in Hell while Crowly encouraged him and showed pride in his talent.

It suddenly struck me that Supernatural was no longer a Hunted game; it seemed quite obvious to me that it had passed into Changeling: the Lost.

Dean- "Time's different there. It might have been four months, but there it was more like 40 years."

[Sounds like Arcadia to me]

Followed by

Dean- [they tortured me] "Until there was nothing left- and then suddenly, I was whole again so they could start all over. It was almost like Magic"

[Durance, anyone?]

Combined with them running from the very worst things they could imagine [Keepers/True Fae], but trying to kill the Overlord in order to break a destiny cycle and save the world.(It  IS a hopeful game, after all)

I kept wondering why there were no ways out of their predicament- the amount of Glamour and Wyrd invested in the Pledges that bound them to begin with would have cracked the world if either end didn't keep their promises- made willingly or not.

The end result of their adventure was pretty rewarding, but not necessarily a "happy ending".  Sam wound up getting his whole Willpower pool back by sacrificing himself for Hope, and Dean's Gluttony seemed finally sated.

I wonder what season 7 will be?