Current Post On Trae’s Blog:
My grandmother died last night. This wasn't a shock or a surprise. Her health has been on the decline, and she's been in hospice for the last month. She lived a long life, and in her final days she was surrounded by her three adult children.
My grandma was a kind woman. She wasn't perfect, but I always felt loved in her presence. She was a retired kindergarten teacher, and was still working when I was a kid. I have so many happy memories sitting at her kitchen table, and I'm going to carry those with me for the rest of my life. She was also proof that anyone who claims that you get more conservative as you get older is full of shit, because she certainly didn't.
I think it's interesting how the body processes grief sometimes. I don't know that I'll cry, but over the past month, knowing this was coming, I've felt a tension in my gut. Now that she's passed, instead of relief that tension is replaced by a sense of emptiness. That something is missing that should still be there. Something has been taken away, and I feel it.
Of course, as I wrote that, I immediately started crying... so I guess my body processes grief in pretty ordinary ways too.
I wanted to come up with something profound linking this to Beltane, which we sit in the middle of right now, but it just seemed hackneyed. Like I was trying to dig out some greater significance when the truth is death comes whenever it wants. The only predictable thing about it is that it's the end of all of our journeys. I hope that when I pass I'm so lucky to have lived such a long life with people that I love around me in my final days.
For the record, I will be fine. I just needed to get these words out while they were still in my head. I don't have some rousing conclusion or deep insight to tack on here at the end, just that gut feeling that something is missing.
Because it is.
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I don’t think it’s physically possible to get a (clear) picture of John Barrowman in a hotel lobby. My experience is that he’s surrounded by several concentric rings of handlers, security, and shrieking fans at all times.
Ew, Brew-Con is a nickle-and-diming for-profit con? I can’t stand those kind.
I can understand the no-hallways-photos rule. It can lead to massive backups and blockages and all. But I hate when cons charge you to take photos or get autographs from the guests.
Rhode Island Comiccon is partially there. If you want a photo taken with yourself at a celebrity’s booth, it’ll cost you. And you can’t take a picture of the main celebrities (who get a separate area on a podium!) BUT if you take a picture of a celebrity on the main floor, no one says anything. One celebrity (Vic Mignogna) actually had to have a handler at his table to make certain he charged since he liked posing and would do it for nothing.
Dessa as someone who works very hard at multiple conventions I feel that I can speak as to the charging for pics and autographs. In today’s world it is absolutely necessary as there is no way today to get a media guest without those monies involved.
Nobody stops me from John sexysexysexy Barrowman. NOBODY! *fangirl max level*
But yeah, I seen this rule. It’s very Wizard, isn’t it?
This rule has driven me bonkers for years. Unless you’re a celeb-level guest, and I’m talking HOLLYWOOD HERE, I don’t understand the need of you super-charging for pictures.
Weill wait, if you’re ridiculously popular and get swamped at every con if you don’t, I understand then. There’s such a thing as over working a guest and some cons do the charge-per-autograph with some guests due to their popularity, not necessarily as a overall rule.
Others do it to cover the guests fees. Some are super skeevy about it (hello current con in arch).