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 gotta wonder when was the last time this guy made it into Artist Alley by actually getting a table (vs. just making camp like he did previously)… Cause those display things have been the norm for artists for a few years now… At least they are at the conventions where I’m from.
Although…it’s also possible he’s set up at a table he didn’t reserve yet again.
Yep and I think he chose the table right next to the table of the business whose table he claimed back at the other convention, this should be good.
Holy crap, you’re right! I completely missed that! This just got a whole lot more interesting…
That’s the last thing people like Crazy Paul will ever do….stop talking.
Okay Crazy Paul, I understand you’re crazy, but let’s for a moment assume you’re not. For the sake of argument, let’s say they really did put of an improper display that blocks other tables. You asked nicely, they refused. STOP TALKING. Talking more will not help to any degree. Get a staffer. It’s their job to deal with it. And in this specific case, ‘deal with it’ means ‘deal with you.’
Asking once politely would be within reason, usually. More than that, yeah – you’d be out on your arse for starting crap most places I’ve seen. Hell, been to two where you quite specifically, by contract, were to bring any and all disputes to staff, and not say a single word to the person yourself. Policy derived from dealing with 2 attempted fistfights one year, and a table sabotage 2 years later. They were quite serious about that too – saw one artist get the boot for figuring that rule did not apply to them.
Pushing it beyond an initial “Ok” or “Nope” response yourself isn’t liable to end well in any venue I’ve seen.
Not saying a word seems a bit much, but I can see where it might be for the best. Any place with such a rule would need to make certain there are staffers around, but beyond that, I can see it working.
It was extreme, yeah. Fully admitted etc. when they made the policy, but they were getting rumblings from the venue of “If this kind of crap happens again we’re not gonna be available as a venue next year.” That being the case, they went with “Ok, we’re gonna make REAL DAMN SURE this won’t happen again.” They were not spoiled for choices as to where, bit out in the boondocks so… yeah.
Also, to be fair the 2 near fights involved a lot of loud horrible behavior that was pretty ugly – and the sabotaging actually ended up busting up part of the wall near the table when a monitor smashed into it. Pretty much everyone admitted that it was not unreasonable for the venue – and the con staff in turn – to get draconian.
I totally need to get that “Kikaider” print!