Religion, on the other hand, is pushing it.
Hmm. I learned something from my last post that I wasn’t expecting to learn, which is of course more fun that way.
It seems that most of the people I know would put themselves somewhere between “Way of Life” and “A Nice Hobby” on the fandom scale, so apparently we do need another node for the 21st century.
Or do we? I think perhaps I should have stressed more that FIAWOL does not necessarily mean “shallow, pasty, anti-social nerd with nothing to look forward to in life but the next Stargate: Atlantis episode.” I answered FIAWOL for myself because fandom touches almost every part of my life, even when I’m not specifically geeking out. Just to name two examples, I got my first job in Hampton Roads because of miniatures gaming; and my significant others have all been fans, and we’ve had some good times because of it.
When you’ve got a closet of costumes, a vast library of genre media, at least three devices on which you play video games, have extensive convention staff (or even chair!) experience, and can put Chris Pike and Jon Archer in either chronological or created order… you might just be a Way-Of-Lifer. (I’m not referring to anyone specifically. If you thought I was referring to you… then that perhaps should tell you something.)
But really, you know, that’s okay. As long as the bills get paid, the bosses stay satisfied, friends and S.O.s get the attention they deserve, and we get out into the sunlight on occasion, FIAWOL is an entertaining way to spend the days.
EDIT: jdunson suggests that the “F” in each refers to an outdated type of fandom prevalent in the 60s and 80s, and that the fan culture most of us currently inhabit is a different beast completely. (I paraphrase heavily.) Interesting concept, and I believe I can see his point. Thoughts?
Brief updates
- 10:18 Ouch. Had to pass on awesome con costume which didn’t fit my waist. I can no longer pretend that my spare tire doesn’t bother me. #
Sent subspace radio by LoudTwitter
Acronym Fandom
The other day, I read that someone had “GAFIAted”, and it reminded me of the old fandom lifestyle acronyms, including FIAWOL and FIJANH. For those not steeped in the lingo, a quick review:
FIAWOL represented the “Fandom Is A Way Of Life” faction, those who eat, drink, and breathe fannish activities (fanac). Not necessarily ‘the basement geek’ of easy comedy – many in this category lead fulfilling lives.
FIJANH acronymed “Fandom Is Just A Nice Hobby”, the folks who spend plenty of their leisure time doing things unrelated to the fan world. Some folks use coarser language than “Nice”, with different initials.
GAFIA is “Getting Away From It All” – leaving behind the drama, expenses, sleepless nights and other trials of the subculture for a quieter, more mundane life.
So where do you fall in this list? It’s a spectrum, not separate groups, but if you had to pick one banner or another, which one would it be?
Darkness and Light
Conflicting emotions fight for possession of my journal this morning.
This is, of course, the one-year anniversary of a fool at Virginia Tech deciding that since his life wasn’t working out right, random strangers should be made to suffer. NASA Langley will “share a time of reflection with the Virginia Tech community” today, according to our website. The friends, families, and fellow students involved will certainly be in my thoughts today.
On the other hand, last night the Discovery Channel ran the most hopeful, joyful television commercial I may ever have seen, reminding me that the world is grand, and complex, and beautiful, and that for every nihilistic Greyface out there, there’s someone trying to make our time here better and happier. I can’t believe I’m feeling the urge to thank a media conglomerate for their advertising.
Boom-dee-ah-da.
Some things are fixed, some things are in flux
The latest Who made me happy for the second time in a row, hitting all the right notes. Not only was the script intelligent, irreverent, and snappy, I didn’t have to sit through any groaningly silly pseudoscience. Plus, we got a quick shout-out to a First Doctor story – now there’s research!
And Donna’s honestly winning me over: anyone who can give her captors a tongue-lashing while tied to a sacrificial altar is worthy company for the Doctor. And she once again shows him, in the climactic scenes, exactly why he’s taken her aboard. I wanted to cheer for both of them.
Next week we get the return of the evil (misunderstood?) Ood from Series 2. I can’t honestly say I’m thrilled… but then, I couldn’t say I was eager to see the Ferengi on their second appearance, so I’ll give the writers a chance. Perhaps I’ll get three for three.
Smartocracy
It’s complicated, but much against my will, I didn’t get any sleep on Saturday night. I spent much of Sunday watching myself do things, and even today. my head (while clear) is certainly in a lower gear than usual. With luck I’ll be at my usual level of coherence by tomorrow.
This weekend Starr and I watched some television programs on high-technology of the ancient world, most of it lost forever because some dictator or another felt it didn’t fit in his grand scheme. We mused that those in power over the centuries have rarely been fond of the intelligentsia, sometimes going so far as active bloody purges.
We wondered, is the animosity due to perceived threat – worry that the next revolution will come from that sector – or an insecure need to prove that the dictator’s might is greater than the thinker’s knowledge? Or might other factors be involved?
The only nation Starr and I could think of in which an enduring government has been established by (part-time, at least) scholars and philosophers is the United States; even those folks didn’t get everything right, and some would debate how well those high-minded ideals have survived the centuries. What other societies of that stripe did we miss?
Sanity Clause?
H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society SaniTest – How Insane Are You?
Your SaniTest(TM) Results – Your score is: 103
INSANITY INDEX 5.24 Thank you for taking the SaniTest(TM). Your score suggests that you are phrenetic. Easily startled and prone to overreaction, it may be due to excessive exposure to unnatural stress and morbid imagery. Other people probably refer to you as ‘twitchy’ behind your back. Other notable people who scored at this level include PLO chairman Yasser Arafat and inventor/educator George Washington Carver.
Brief updates
- 16:17 A Sherlock Holmes story by the staff writers at “Lost”: tinyurl.com/2nq86b – heh. #
Sent subspace radio by LoudTwitter
Parthenogenesis is an Athenian Prog Rock band
Back on the fandom front, I finished watching the Series 4 premiere of Doctor Who last night. I have to say I was enormously pleased. I have learned to stop worrying about the comic-book science of the new show, and was able to focus on the acting and writing, which satisfied me fine.
David Tennant’s mentioned that his favorite Doctor was the Fifth, and his version shares a certain tendency to be swept along helplessly by events. It’s no coincidence that his catch phrase is “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.” as he observes another loss he could not prevent. The Tenth Doctor rose above that in this story, and I hope he’ll continue to do so in this year’s plots.
The Doctor’s at his best when he’s facing down a villain and stating, sociably, “I’d advise you not to be fooled by your first impressions of me. You’re hurting innocent sentients here, and I’m going to ask you nicely, once, to stop.” Tennant nailed that note this episode. spoilers approaching
