Their price was spent in merriment and revel at Whitehall

[sovay]

Tonight I roasted a chicken with apricot jam and made a sauce out of the pan juices by deglazing the roasting pan with the only potable form of alcohol we had in the house, i.e., whisky, and served the whole thing over rice. I feel very smug. Also, full. It was a larger chicken than it looked when I bought it. There are leftovers. Choice bits were given to patient little cats as a treat (and even impatient ones, like Autolycus who tried to introduce himself at every stage of the process, from the initial rubbing with butter, pepper, and salt through the basting with pan juices and spiced jam to the carving and serving, which had to be conducted in the dining room to be sure of keeping an eye on the carcass). Now I want to bake something. [edit] I just made some cinnamon Rice Krispie treats instead, because spite dessert never gets old.

1. yhlee has sent me a copy of Neat Sheets: The Poetry of James Tiptree, Jr. (1996) and a selection of international stamps, including a magnificent underwave mermaid that turns out to have been done by Dave McKean.

2. I didn't even realize we were getting a new gold coin this year—much less with an unambiguously Black representation of Liberty on the obverse—until a predictably racist controversy blew up around it. I think my only complaint is that I don't have a hundred dollars to trade in for one at this time. I've been carrying a Sacagawea dollar in my pocket for some time now, but the MBTA used to dispense those as regular change.

3. Following the SFPA's removal of Tlotlo Tsamaase's "I Will Be Your Grave" from consideration for the 2017 Rhysling Award after listing the poem online among the nominees and the outcry this decision reasonably provoked, I am now hearing that the poem has been reinstated and will appear in the Rhysling Anthology. I am glad. As the editor who accepted it for publication in the first place, I have obvious opinions about its speculative-ness and its right to be in the running for the only poetry award in our field. In the meantime, a new poem by Tsamaase will appear in Strange Horizons later this week, as part of our special issue on resistance that I would have announced earlier if I hadn't been flat on my face catching up on sleep.

These are good things and provide some fortification against other facts of the world, like derspatchel playing me Betsy DeVos' claims that grizzly bears are a good reason not to restrict the availability of firearms in schools or strange_selkie breaking it to me that Trump will lead an invitation-only prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral on Saturday and presumably not explode in a rain of sulfur as soon as he crosses the threshold or opens his mouth. Personally, on Saturday, I will be joining rushthatspeaks and Fox and I should hope a great many other people for the Boston Women's March for America. Who else can I expect to see there, or at least miss meeting up with in the crowd?

Comments

[movingfinger]

"Hello chicken! Let's be friends!" --Autolycus introducing himself. "Let me take you away from all this!"

That chicken sounds perfectly delicious.

Mom used to give our cat poultry necks---after boiling them for the gravy stock. I don't think that's in line with modern vet advice!

[sovay]

"Hello chicken! Let's be friends!" --Autolycus introducing himself. "Let me take you away from all this!"

He would very happily have done that, yes. He may still try when the leftovers come out.

That chicken sounds perfectly delicious.

It was! I don't blame Autolycus at all.

Mom used to give our cat poultry necks---after boiling them for the gravy stock. I don't think that's in line with modern vet advice!

With all the small bones, probably not! But chicken necks are so much fun to eat, I understand the impulse.

[genarti]

I will be at the DC march instead, but waving Bostonward!

I hadn't heard about the new gold coin either, but it delights me. I haven't bought any of the gold coins and I have no use (or budget) for one now, either, but this one I would like to have anyway.

[sovay]

I will be at the DC march instead, but waving Bostonward!

Fantastic! Please let me know what it's like.

I hadn't heard about the new gold coin either, but it delights me. I haven't bought any of the gold coins and I have no use (or budget) for one now, either, but this one I would like to have anyway.

I wonder if there's any point in saving up for a commemorative coin. I might try it anyway.

[choco_frosh]

It's a $100 coin. wow.
I kinda wish that, if they were going to do a commemorative coin, that they'd create something actually usable, though. Maybe temporarily revive the Eagle.

(That chicken sounds delicious.)

[sovay]

I kinda wish that, if they were going to do a commemorative coin, that they'd create something actually usable, though. Maybe temporarily revive the Eagle.

I could cheerfully get back into $10 or $20 coins! I think cashless societies are terrible ideas, anyway, so we might as well make money artistic and fun to use.

(That chicken sounds delicious.)

I got really tired of not having cooked anything serious at home since the Christmas season.

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

Trump's basically not deep enough to be spiritual, but he has regularly gone to a basically Presbyterian Church for a long time. (Or, I guess, Reformed? Whatever Norman Vincent Peale was.)

Anyway. I'll be at the Saturday shindig, mostly with my church, but I'll keep an eye out for Rush's hair. (And see if I can manage to say hi, was the point there.)

[sovay]

Trump's basically not deep enough to be spiritual, but he has regularly gone to a basically Presbyterian Church for a long time. (Or, I guess, Reformed? Whatever Norman Vincent Peale was.)

He likes the deep philosophers, like Norman Vincent Peale That's the Reformed Church in America. Interesting. I knew he had to be some kind of Christian by birth or the evangelical community wouldn't have thrown their weight behind him, but I did not realize Trump was actively affiliated with any religious group; I couldn't see either the principles or the community mattering to him. I still think, based on intentions, by all metaphysical rights he should explode.

I'll be at the Saturday shindig, mostly with my church, but I'll keep an eye out for Rush's hair. (And see if I can manage to say hi, was the point there.)

Cool. If you're within range, please do!

[juliansinger.livejournal.com]

The article I read on it before the election (which I can't find right now, oh well) showed the extreme lack of depth to his theological thinking, yes. To call the man shallow is a bit of an insult to puddles.

Basically, he went to Peale's church because his father did, and then stayed there, because really, the success gospel is made for him. (But seems to identify, himself, as Presbyterian, since he was confirmed with them.)

One article I may have been thinking of: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/06/nyregion/donald-trump-marble-collegiate-church-norman-vincent-peale.html?_r=0

[teenybuffalo.livejournal.com]

I'll be there. Leaving from Somerville along with several other people, some of whom are coming from a distance. I understand that huge crowds tend to make it impossible to use cell phones, so I'm just going to appoint a meeting place for late in the day and leave it at that. I'll be glad to see you as and when I do see you.

[sovay]

I'll be there.

Honestly, unless you were going to be out of state, I would expect you to be.

I understand that huge crowds tend to make it impossible to use cell phones

One of my proudest technological moments to this day remains finding quite possibly the last working payphone on the National Mall in order to call a friend after the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear flattened D.C.'s cell networks in 2011. Nobody else seemed to have the same idea!

I'll be glad to see you as and when I do see you.

Likewise! I have no faith in our ability to find anyone short of accidentally running into them, but I figured I'd like to know just in case.

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

I followed your link to read about the 2011 rally - fascinating!
And also disquieting, about the cell phones not working in a large crowd. Good for the museum, for still having landline payphones. (But I'm grimly thinking that such facilities will soon completely disappear.)

[sovay]

I followed your link to read about the 2011 rally - fascinating!

It was definitely worth doing. I'd hoped to march on Saturday in D.C., but it turned out that I can't afford to travel out of state twice in one month. So, Boston it is.

And also disquieting, about the cell phones not working in a large crowd. Good for the museum, for still having landline payphones. (But I'm grimly thinking that such facilities will soon completely disappear.)

And shouldn't be allowed to, if it's known that crowds overload cellphone coverage, because people still need to communicate! But I have no idea if the payphone I used in 2011 is still there. I hope so. It was very useful.

[adrian-turtle.livejournal.com]

I remember a deliberate effort to remove pay phones from the public places of Michigan, back in the 1990s. It was thorough enough that I was startled to see they were still allowed in the airport. It's been a long time, of course, and the War On Drugs may have changed enough to no longer think of pay phones as tools of the enemy.

And shouldn't be allowed to, if it's known that crowds overload cellphone coverage, because people still need to communicate!

It's odd how standards change about how much people need to communicate. How fast the standards have changed.

I'm planning to be at the march with Redbird and Cattitude, but only if I can collect enough spoons before Saturday. I left a lot of them at Arisia.

[gwynnega]

I'm very glad to hear "I Will Be Your Grave" has been reinstated.

How did I not know there's a chapbook of Tiptree's poetry?

I'm planning to take part in the Women's March in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. I've been trying unsuccessfully not to think about the inauguration.

[sovay]

I'm very glad to hear "I Will Be Your Grave" has been reinstated.

For a whole host of reasons, it should never have been pulled.

How did I not know there's a chapbook of Tiptree's poetry?

I didn't, either, until Yoon mentioned it! It's worth reading, although I like the less formal pieces best. Yoon has reviewed the whole thing in more detail.

I'm planning to take part in the Women's March in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday. I've been trying unsuccessfully not to think about the inauguration.

I think a lot of people have been hoping for some kind of last-minute reprieve and short of a hurtling space rock I don't think there's going to be. It would just have been so nice.

[heliopausa.livejournal.com]

That was interesting, to the extent of startling, about the poem being bounced from the Award nominees. I'm glad it's been reinstated.

[sovay]

That was interesting, to the extent of startling, about the poem being bounced from the Award nominees. I'm glad it's been reinstated.

Me, too. I hope this behavior never repeats in further nomination seasons. It was a bad choice from the start.

[larryhammer]

Tiptree's poetry? Must find STAT.

(Have I ever mentioned my personal connection to Tiptree? Can't remember.)

(Won't be there but at our local march, with TBD holding a sign saying "DON'T BE MEAN" -- assuming we don't get washed out by the inch-plus of rain being predicted.)

---L.

[sovay]

Tiptree's poetry? Must find STAT.

It looks like it can still be purchased from Tachyon!

(Have I ever mentioned my personal connection to Tiptree? Can't remember.)

You have not! What is it?

(Won't be there but at our local march, with TBD holding a sign saying "DON'T BE MEAN" -- assuming we don't get washed out by the inch-plus of rain being predicted.)

Please tell TBD I think that's an excellent sign.

[larryhammer]

My mother was the professor in charge of the rat lab in which Alice Sheldon did her doctoral research.

I've been corrected by text: apparently TBD is now waffling between that and "BE NICE!"

(If it does change, I hope this doesn't affect the household story about what superheroes do, which is to tell bad guys "Don't be mean" and then if necessary stop them.)

[sovay]

My mother was the professor in charge of the rat lab in which Alice Sheldon did her doctoral research.

That's really neat.

I've been corrected by text: apparently TBD is now waffling between that and "BE NICE!"

They're both valuable concepts! Maybe you could carry one sign of each?

[larryhammer]

Since the current plan is for TBD to ride the rain-proofed bicycle-trailer-cum-double-stroller of a friend, two signs would get logistically awkward. I'm thinking front and back.

[alexx-kay.livejournal.com]

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't be mean. You don't have to be mean. 'Cause remember: no matter where you go, there you are."

[sovay]

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't be mean. You don't have to be mean. 'Cause remember: no matter where you go, there you are."

"Why is there a watermelon there?"
"I'll tell you later."

[larryhammer]

*g*

Been too long since I watched that.

[drwex]

I was disappointed that the new coin is only commemorative and very expensive. I realize it's hard to change standard currency but this is WAY THE F*CK overdue, dontchathink?

Pygment might go march - depends entirely how recovered she is from Arisia con crud, which is right now keeping her from normal sleep.

[sovay]

I was disappointed that the new coin is only commemorative and very expensive. I realize it's hard to change standard currency but this is WAY THE F*CK overdue, dontchathink?

I was just saying on Dreamwidth that I would be happy if large-denomination coins came back into circulation. Right now I wouldn't want to pay with one of those $100 gold coins if I could keep it on my shelf with the rest of the shrine materials, but I'd love it if people generally were able to.

Pygment might go march - depends entirely how recovered she is from Arisia con crud, which is right now keeping her from normal sleep.

Tell her I hope she feels better soon!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

That meal you cooked sounds so good that I might just try to duplicate it.

All's well that ends well with "I Will Be Your Grave," but what a misguided effort on the part of the SFPA. Why on earth worry about whether a poem is spec enough? Of all the crazy battles to choose.

Thank you for going to the march tomorrow. Many people I know will be marching either in Boston or New York. I'm very glad.

[sovay]

That meal you cooked sounds so good that I might just try to duplicate it.

I won't try to dissuade you! It made very good leftovers, too.

what a misguided effort on the part of the SFPA. Why on earth worry about whether a poem is spec enough? Of all the crazy battles to choose.

I know! It wasn't even a hill a person could die on, just a hill you could shoot yourself in the foot on and look even more clueless trying get off of.

Thank you for going to the march tomorrow. Many people I know will be marching either in Boston or New York. I'm very glad.

You're welcome. It feels important to me.

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

I'll be at the Boston march. Most likely with the Wellesley crowd.

[sovay]

I'll be at the Boston march. Most likely with the Wellesley crowd.

Cool. I'm glad there's a Wellesley crowd.