Anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

I just finished reading Octavia Butler's short story, "The Evening and the Morning and the Night." Why have I not read more of her stuff? I read one of her books a few years ago -I think it was "Parable of the Sower"- and enjoyed it immensely, but it was just at the time I was getting heavily into online fandom, and I wasn't reading many books. Butler has a way of taking some not very highly valued quality associated with femininity and raising it up to superpower status. How much do I love that? Lots. I'm a sucker for destiny and secret abilities and world saving and all that, and she brings it for women in a way no one else I've ever read does, not just copying off male writers, but making something new and fresh.

I've started watching Carnivale, now that everyone else has seen it. I'm about halfway through season one, and having very mixed feelings about it.

( spoilery for first half of season one )

One more thing about the finale

( spoilers )

Just a little historical embroidery picspam

( Eight examples under the cut )

Just a few random thoughts about last night's episode.

( Spoilers )

Just a few things before I put up the community.

First, enough people expressed concern about the length of time their content would be tied up that Six Weeks for Dreamwidth is now Three Weeks for Dreamwidth.

Tentatively, the start date for the fest is Monday, April 26.

Just to make sure it is clear, anything that you choose to create and offer for this festival is with the understanding that it be posted only on Dreamwidth for three weeks from the date you post it, with the intent of stimulating conversation and connection here at home. After three weeks, you may post the content anywhere you wish. During the time that the festival is running, you are free to post other content anywhere you like, converse and interact with people, and do exactly as you would normally do, except as regards content you have created specifically for the Three Weeks for Dreamwidth Anniversary Festival. Only content created for and entered in this fest must remain on Dreamwidth.

People who are concerned that their content is available by feed. I am not going to worry about it. If you post to Dreamwidth and some people can access that content by feed, that is not a huge deal.

I hope to spotlight some of our communities here, but since it is clear that some people will not want to be involved in this fest, I feel I need your express permission in order to talk about your community. Community maintainers, if you wish to be mentioned on the main festival comm, please let me know in comments, by pm, or anyway you like.

There will be at least one friending meme. We will be using one main comm to link things, and emphasizing posting to existing comms. We will be including both fannish and non fannish content. There will be totally awesome memes in private journals.

Does anyone know if there is a community where we can begin dropping prompts so that people can think about/start working on them? I know of several comms that offer prompts, but are there any that accept prompts? Alternately, I like the idea of an exchange, but only if I have someone else to run it.

Also, about the tag feed. I think a tag feed is a good idea, but I do not feel comfortable pursuing it. Would someone like to volunteer to look into this?

Please, please, unless your dwircle is identical to mine, give me a signal boost. This will not be successful if I can't reach people.

ETA: the festival community is here