Notices by Juliet E McKenna (julietemckenna@wandering.shop)

Checking a reference for something, I've had occasion to reread Ursula K Le Guin's Foreword to 'Tales from Earthsea'. The following passage struck me forcefully in the light of current international events.

"Past events exist, after all, only in memory, which is a form of imagination. The event is real now, but once it's then, its continuing reality is entirely up to us, dependent on our energy and honesty.

(continues)

No bookshop can stock all titles. No bookseller can keep current with everything that's coming out. If an Amazon discount and next day delivery aren't crucial factors for you, ordering from your local bookshop helps alert staff to new publications.

I ordered this, Compendium of the Occult by Liz Williams. One of the booksellers took a look when it came in and promptly bought their own. Sometimes they've added a copy of titles I've ordered to the shop's stock.

#books

@cstross @murphyslawyer
Ooh, I'll find that web page, thanks.

On balance, I don't think HMRC would ring me to play an artificial American voice claiming I sent an official letter back unopened and legal action will follow unless I press 1 to speak to an advisor. Tax season scam.

The government apparently sees the British Library as a source of leasable data. It's a copyright deposit library. If this means wholesale redefining books, art, movies etc as 'data' handed to techbros, the creative industries and all of us working in them are screwed.

If you have not yet responded to this consultation, you have until 25th February. It's long and in many cases unclear but you can answer n/a to complex, obscure questions. Make your voice heard.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/copyright-and-artificial-intelligence

Dear romance, historical, and other novelists - people writing their own vows simply does not happen in Church of England weddings. The wording is set and it's a legal requirement.
https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/your-church-wedding/planning-your-ceremony/wedding-vows

Now it is actually Wednesday, my apologies to anyone whom I confused yesterday with my #bookqw post. Yes, this is absolutely indicative of the way my week is going as I try to clear the work To Do list and deal with Xmas stuff.

@Dewines @GrahamDowns
In the UK, all a predatory man needs to get access to a Ladies loo is overalls, a bucket and mop.

This whole panic is as artificial and cynical as the 'predatory lesbians in changing rooms' scare of the 1980s - which I remember clearly enough to see the hate rhetoric about trans people is often word for word the same.

It's a divisive distraction being whipped up for political gain.

Your reminder that legislation to curb the rights of trans people to use restrooms or do anything else means everyone's behaviour, clothing etc will be opened up to intrusive and unwanted scrutiny and potential challenge in our daily lives.

This is not a 'them' issue. Trans rights are human rights.

This is completely brilliant.

"When you think of the English tradition of Morris dancing, you might not picture a group of young, gender non-conforming, drag kings who dress like "chimney sweeps" - but that will be because you've not seen Molly No-Mates"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c245nq3r29qo

NB a local Cotswold Morris side of breast cancer survivors perform wearing pink* and raise funds for cancer research.

(*I'm aware there's debate over campaigns using that colour - that's a separate conversation.)

“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.”

You can add your name to this straightforward statement here:
https://www.aitrainingstatement.org/

Why yes, Microbloodysoft, I'm naturally delighted to spend a chunk of my busy afternoon scouring the Internet for the arcane solution to the unexpected horlicks which one of your updates has made of my printer's hitherto straightforward ability to scan documents I need for something important NOT!

I find people's 'my favourite whatever' lists interesting, but I find making these choices impossible personally.

My favourite book? Right now? Last year? Five years ago? As a kid? For plot? For character? For relaxation? For a mental challenge? OK, I've got ten titles for each category, now what?

Oh, and I've just remembered...

This does at least guarantee I'll never use these things as answers to security questions.

Wondering this morning why my recollection of Oasis and the whole Britpop thing is such a blur, so to speak. Then I notice the dates quoted. Ah yes, that's when I was doing babies and toddlers, aka the sleep deprivation years.

Variation on an established theme. Resident Son just got a text claiming to be me (as in 'mum') sharing a new phone number. Being our son, he immediately used an alternate means to contact me to check, being 99.9% confident it was bogus. Sender blocked, naturally. If you have kids living away from home, maybe give them a heads-up?

Installed on the first of today's trains, with another polite young man helpfully hoisting my suitcase onto the luggage rack. After 5 days of a highly enjoyable and therefore tiring #Worldcon2024 I'll take all help that's offered. Now to relax until Birmingham. Phew.

Attempting to find news unrelated to the upcoming UK general election...

"Cow with head stuck in tree freed by firefighters"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy77j7095nno

A study shows over 75% of internal service work in academia is done by women.

Similar findings have been documented in many professions and workplaces for decades now. This contributes significantly to the 'sticky floor' phenomenon that sees women and people in minority groups make slower progress in their careers despite entering on equal terms with white men. Fair recruitment is only the start of equality. 1/2

https://kifinfo.no/en/2024/03/women-end-doing-academic-housework

Earlier today, I won the British Science Fiction Association award for best novel of 2023, for The Green Man's Quarry. To say I was astonished is to strain the word to snapping point. More to follow when I have got my thoughts in order 😁

I reach a good point to stop work for the day, and I find all sorts of social media and online stuff is down? I'll go and read my book then 😊