What's right and fair?

[derien]

I blush to admit how badly I did on Guess That Friend.  eor was doing it, and I just had to, it looked like fun.  He guessed 24 of the 25 people on his list correctly - he really reads his f-list.  He cares.  And apparently, I don't.  (Although some of you are inundated with my comments to a mad stalker extent - you know who you are.)  It's not at all fair that people read my journal and comment on things (though not much) and yet don't read his.  It's probably not fair to the people I list on my f-list, and yet don't read, that I've got them listed.  F-lists are a source of great angst, and should be abolished. 

In other news - I was reading in a Smithsonian magazine that a book came out about women who disguised themselves as men and fought in the Civil War.  Seemed a little odd you'd bother to write a book about something that seems so ... well known?  But I don't know how old that edition of the Smithsonian was - the magazine table at the laundrymat often has things that are 30 old on it. 

Now to make the grocery list.  I want to get everything done so that I can make up my mind whether I want to go to King Richard's Faire tomorrow and walk around in the rain, or whether I'd rather stay home and drink lots of tea and be happy that I'm not wet.  Also in favor of not going to the Faire - that's a three hour drive (each way) and I'll be dead tired on Monday.  Normally I'd just be in baggage and able to be braindead with no problem, but this week I'm going to be in a class (getting trained on new techniques for work) so will need the brain to be in working order.  Point in favor of going to the Faire would be getting to dress up in a totally non-period costume involving the 'lace' chainmaille skirt eor made for me.  (I'm sure purists like barbarian_qulan hate those of us who like to dress up all dorky and don't make any effort to be in any period, but it's fun. :))

Comments

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

I have no problem with people who don't make an effort. I have a problem with people who claim until they're blue in the face that totally non-period things are period and make up weird convulted explanations of why their persona would be wearing ATS bellydancing clothing.

Anyway, Faire has never been for authenticity, although some people do make an effort. I discovered, going to the Faire in my Elizabethan, that dressing authentically causes idiot teenage boys to mistake you for staff and harass you (staff aren't allowed to be insulting back).

*shrug*

I think period stuff is fun, but it won't stop me from getting together an ATS kit someday, although I don't know if I'd wear it to SCA events.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Staff aren't allowed to be insulting back? At King Richard's they seem to specialize in insulting people - wittily, though. :) That's what makes it fun. :) But, I'm no good at being wittily insulting, so it's probably a good idea if I don't get mistaken for staff.

What is ATS?

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

Around here, they're not. I was chatting with a fellow Scadian who was working there last summer, and a few teenage boys came up and were obnoxious at us. Once I told them I wasn't staff, they ignored me. I sort of feel like I should've been ruder to them, since I was allowed to. They were quite horrible.

ATS = American Tribal Style. It's the style of bellydancing costume with the ghawazee coats (Egypt, 1800s, iirc), usually harem pants (Turkish, post-SCA period), choli tops (India), loads of Afghan tribal jewelry, turbans (never very popular/socially accepted for women in the Middle East), skirts, etc. The combination is native to one place and culture: 20th century American bellydancers.

I've heard some awful excuses from people for why their persona is a mishmash of ATS (I think my favorite was "travelling gypsy dancer," which is historically inaccurate on just about every level. Besides, they'd have to be a travelling gypsy dancer with a time machine).

I like ATS and don't mind it at SCA events; it's pretty and not obviously non-period to people who don't know anything about Middle Eastern clothing history. But I hate it when people a) try to claim it's period or b) tell me that no one should bother with period Middle Eastern clothing because ATS is "prettier" and "more fun" (I did in fact have someone tell me this; either they can't bear the thought of a top without cleavage or they'd never seen well-done period ME).

/rant

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

Also, just because people know women disguised themselves as men during the Civil War doesn't mean there aren't plenty of specific untold stories and details that could make up a book.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Well, that's quite true. Specific stories would probably be cool to know about, and I'd probably enjoy the book.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

ABOLISHING F-LISTS?!?!

.... I -- I don't know you anymore! BACK, BACK YOU FIEND!!!

*bravely runs away*

[derien.livejournal.com]

I've always thought f-lists were a cause of great angst. People notice if you unfriend them, and they're hurt by it, and I don't want to hurt people, so I keep all kinds of people who I don't read on my list just so they won't be hurt.

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

I cannot get Guess That Friend to work -- it gives me only one choice, sometimes right, sometimes wrong, and then keeps accusing me of cheating. Grr.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Oh, boo, hiss! I wonder if it's overloaded?

[holyschist.livejournal.com]

More likely I don't have the right version of Flash or something. Meh.