Three things plus

[cimorene]

1. We are watching the developments wrt OTW and AO3 mostly via synonymous and kinda blinking and staring. Obviously everyone has heard and seen stuff about this before but it's sort of a case of simultaneously 'Ah, just as I thought' and 'Whoa, REALLY?' Neither of us has ever worked for OTW, just bought memberships and donated. In fact, we've both wanted to volunteer for a long time but fallen off in the not-good recruitment and on-boarding processes for volunteers. We're gonna vote now, I guess. But it does seem like elections aren't enough - because the whole structure needs to be fixed! - and I'm feeling some anxiety about that.

2. Got my official ADD diagnosis. I've been seeing a psychiatric nurse practitioner to go through the DIVA questionnaire and a long personal history monthly since last September, and we finished about two months ago and then last week I saw a psychiatrist who went through the report and my history briefly and was like, Yep! Well. I have to go to the big hospital in Turku for blood work and EEG before I can get a prescription of any kind, and I'm not going to try any of them during my summer vacation anyway; this Thursday is my last day of work until August 7th. I got distracted and followed the wrong white coat down the hall while the doctor was fetching the bloodwork referral slip for me, so that was amusing. And today I found out that I seem to have mislaid and/or destroyed a key component of last year's accounting report, which is partly on Boss Who Hates Bob for unclear instructions and not checking, but still, like, I honestly thought it was there so it's a bit of a mystery.

3. It's been in the low 80s here, but blah blah Nordic societal infrastructure and nobody has A/C so that's actually quite bad, like, old people keeling over bad. It's in the 80s inside at work, where there's supposed to be a/c but it doesn't work. And it's not just solid infrastructure like the unavailability of window and door screens, box and ceiling fans, etc, it's culture. People don't know to cover their heads, they don't automatically seek shade, they don't know to wear light colors and fabrics. I can't tell you how many times I've been complained to that it's hot by a Finn in all black or long pants or long sleeves. I bought a couple of expensive full below-knee skirts (from emmydesign of Sweden) in cotton and linen with pockets, because that's the most comfortable indoors when it's over 80 degrees: you can tuck the skirt around so your legs don't stick to each other with sweat when you cross them or sit down.

4. Still cat divorced. Tristana's siblings are now cat-shaped, but not quite big enough to leave home; they had some health worries, but they seem okay for now, fingers crossed. Anubis has lost balcony privileges after learning to climb over the tall chickenwire we put on top on the railing and having to be dragged out from under the decking. But the balcony is open to the hall and the wfh office, so he can't be with Wax while she works. He has to spend the day alone downstairs in his bedroom (the dining room and kitchen, so the coolest room in the house, the best sunbeams and the best view of Fledgling TV in our backyard, but he doesn't like being alone). And Wax is sleeping in the coolest room in the house with him, so we can't both just move down there to sleep for the hottest few weeks. I have to sleep elsewhere with Snookums and Tristana.

5. I am getting into kumihimo, Japanese braiding that makes beautiful cords, and also to jewelry making, a bit. I haven't been on Tumblr much because of the cat divorce, and the need to hang out with one cat or the other away from my desktop computer. Wax has more patience for using the ancient 2014 netbook for social media than I do.

Comments

[hebethen]

Congrats on getting the diagnosis squared away!

I can't tell you how many times I've been complained to that it's hot by a Finn in all black or long pants or long sleeves.
...oh, NO.

[cimorene]

It's very much the default color here to the extent that many people seem to regard deviations from it as frivolous, suspect, or needing explanation. I think they're mostly subconsciously conditioned to it, so they wind up just thinking it looks better than the alternatives, and they've definitely never been accustomed to the idea that dark colors might have any down sides. The #1 most popular summer garment here has got to be long black soft viscose pants.

[vass]

Congrats on the diagnosis, and good luck for prescriptions and for cat remarriage.

[yvannairie]

Yeah like my biggest fear is that Legal, already holding all the strings, will simply refuse to cooperate and use the tools that make OTW ridiculously resilient to outsider muckery to deny people on the inside from enacting necessary change.

[cimorene]

That does seem like the default state, and there's definitely at least a bit of malice, but I'm also not sure they even are aware of it or their incompetence because they seem alarmingly sincerely self-righteous and blinkered.

[yvannairie]

And the thing is, much of fandom is in a "where else would we go" kind of situation, as far as the knowledge and ability to form communities goes. Ao3 is as good for ignoring stuff as it is for finding it, and the general polarised, angry state of every online community right now doesn't make starting an alternative platform a fun prospect. I don't want to start a community just so sex-negative little gremlins who will pedojacket anyone they don't like to show up and think that just because I'm not okay with any of this and feel let down and betrayed by OTW that I agree with them about.... anything, really.

The inertia might keep them safe but I'm just... afraid of what this will do to our ability to do fandom in general, since it so conveniently intersects with the preferred tactics of malicious queerphobes everywhere. The people blowing the whistle on this are right to do so -- what else can they do, tbh, lest they also be complicit -- but I also don't know enough about the people involved to know if they would rather take the fall on this and maintain the principles of the community they set out to create, or if they'll double down on this being yet another arm of the ongoing moral panic.

[cimorene]

👌👌👌

[phosfate]

Trying to get involved with AO3 aside from posting fic and donating has always been like climbing a razor wire fence. Even trying to read the aca journal is difficult. There's really not much to be done from the outside. I have everything I've written backed up in several places, and any fic I love is saved to my Kindle library or occasionally hard copy.

I think the important thing to bear in mind is that it doesn't take actual malice to fuck up very, very badly.

[cimorene]

Yeah, never ascribe to malice etc etc incompetence. And when it comes to organizational structure, the social psychology and effects have strong tendencies to produce incompetent structures without incompetent individuals, as long as they're not smart and expert specifically in organizational structure, management, etc. There's a robust resistance to easy influence from without which is necessary to protect a volunteer org to some extent! But it has evidently in this case led to, er, rot and mildew, analogously speaking.

[devon]

Congrats on the ADHD diagnosis, meaning I think it will help you manage things better in the long run, not that I'm glad you have it. I discovered just last year that I'm ADHD in addition to being Autistic. Double whammy, but there are a number of overlaps, so it's taken some time with my new therapist to tease things apart. It took me over a year to find someone who specializes in Autistic (and ADHD) adults, but he's been very helpful. He thinks I'd do well on meds/stimulants, to the point where he gave me the names of some doctors. However, I've been dealing with a ton of other health crap, so I put it off. See how well I procrastinate! :D :D

good call on the skirts. I like flowy skirts for that reason. there was a horrible time when A-frame skirts were out of fashion or some shit, and they were hard to find.

[cimorene]

Oh yeah, I remember that time! And these skirts are actually not unlike some fast fashion versions I've seen but they are pure linen on one and 95/5% cotton/elastane on the other, with roomy pockets, proper waistbands, and generous length, so I decided the expensive ones were worth it anyway.

I understand adhd/autism are often comorbid and are similar in the brain so that some people suspect they may later be discovered to be the same phenomenon underneath. I definitely find a lot to relate to in both.

[cathexys]

Yeah for diagnosis and Im' so sorry the cats still don't play well together. That's tough!!!

[cimorene]

And otherwise they're great cats so the idea of having to give him up if it doesn't work out is heartbreaking!!

[which_chick]

I am on board with any kumihimo posting! I have a book on same (Twist, Turn, and Tie by Beth Kemp) sitting by the couch AT THIS MOMENT that I have yet not ... explored. But I am interested.

I am sorry about the heat. Here, the temperature is moderate but we are in desperate need of rain and the air quality is... regrettable because apparently Canada is on fire and we're getting their smoke.

[cimorene]

Ooh thanks for the book rec! I just ordered a kit. 😊

[torachan]

Congrats on getting the diagnosis!

[laurenthemself]

Yay for the diagnosis and I hope that whatever prescription you get helps, when it comes time to give it a try.

I hope that the cat divorce doesn't last too much longer. I know the reasons for it but don't recall if you ever mentioned an anticipated timeline.

I don't know what to say re: AO3/OTW. There's so much to go through. I'm going to have a go at downloading my fics and bookmarks at least, but I keep thinking about all my comments, and of course my simple anxiety over losing content doesn't hold a candle to the underlying issues. As you say, the whole structure needs to be fixed.

[cimorene]

I haven't started to do any backups. I do have all my originals, but when I'm reading and spot a typo I tend to fix it on the online version and not the original.

[cimorene]

The timing is a bit up in the air. Currently they have agreed to Wax's suggestion to re evaluate Anubis's suitability for breeding once the new kittens have moved out, so that is late summer probably. Then the process of trying to breed him could last months because it's best to try several times to increase the odds of them being able to get a good quality daughter.