2018 Year-End Survey

Here's my year-end survey for 2018!

1. What did you do in 2018 that you'd never done before?

• Went to an engineering design class and a Transportation Supersession.
• Went to a fan convention by myself.
• Went to a family member's funeral (twice).
• Wrote an obituary (twice).
• Took a six-week cartography course (what).
• Saw Deedee Magno Hall in concert.
• Made my own potato chips and homemade mozzarella sticks.
• Received a 10+-page handwritten fan letter in the mail from a stranger.
• Began going to a regular monthly queer event. (It has since dissolved though.)
• Traveled in international waters on a boat.
• Got so close to missing an airplane flight that they were paging me for final boarding. (I was still trying to get through security.)
• Met Victor's family.
• Went to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios.
• Started collecting variant covers for my favorite comic series.
• Got designated Amazon's Top Reviewer for Steven Universe stuff.
• Got an autographed comic book from one of the official comic artists.
• Participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and "won."
• Did my mom's taxes.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

Last year, these were my resolutions, and whether I kept them:

• Actually finish my novel Ace of Arts. [I did not.]
• Be more consistent with Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. [I was not.]
• Lose some weight, for real tho. [Definitely did not.]
• Write two new short stories. [I didn't.]
• Try a new recipe. [I guess I did a lot of this!]
• Redesign my entire website. [Did not.]
• Do cosplay at at least one convention. [Did this!]
• Progress with my ukulele. [Hmm, I guess.]
• Continue reading about a book a week. [More or less, but mostly less.]

Yeah so my resolutions for 2018 were a disaster. I don't think they were unrealistic. But I didn't foresee how distracted and tired I was going to be with other things going on. My mom needed a lot more help this year and I guess that made some of the more long-term creative goals more difficult.

My resolutions this year:

• Finish my novel Ace of Arts.
• Finish my novel In Bloom.
• Discuss my next project with my agent and see if I can get moving on fiction again.
• Complete migration of my art page and my photos page to new subdomains. At least start on migration of another subdomain.
• Publish at least one new short story. (I submitted a few times this past year, but weirdly, got no response instead of rejected.)
• Lose at least 15 pounds. (Don't eyeroll me, I want my clothes to fit.)
• Try to be brave enough to cosplay my favorite character at a convention.
• Be more consistent with my posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr.
• Eat a lot of leafy greens. Health!
• Complete my Steven Universe variant comic books collection!
• Record ukulele songs more consistently.
• Do better at responding to online communication in a timely fashion.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

My co-worker Suma had a cute lil baby named Karthik. Right at the end of the year a high school friend and online acquaintance, Jason, also had a baby named Greyson.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

My grandmother and grandfather both died this year. Wow.

5. What countries did you visit?

I didn't leave the country this year, unless you count the couple of hours I spent in Canadian waters when I was on a riverboat from Detroit.

6. What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?

• A new computer.
• A better diet and better exercise.
• Less family illness, financial hardship, and death please.
• And as always another book deal? Yeah?
• Healthier sleep.
• A thoughtful, open-minded person whom I can introduce to my favorite cartoon and do a blog or podcast discussion with??

7. What dates from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

• January 1: Saw my grandpa for what turned out to be the last time.

• January 13: Had Meghan visit for the entire week and had a huge birthday party for both of us.

• January 17: Turned 40!

• January 24: Got unbanned from Amino because the person who lied about me got caught trying to do it again.
• January 27: Went to a They Might Be Giants concert with Jeaux.
• February 25: My grandfather passed away.
• April 13: Saw my friend Steven for the first time in 18 years--went to a Randy Rainbow concert together.

• May 5: Free Comic Book Day!
• May 19: Attended Jessie's wedding!

• July 20 & 21: Attended Metrocon.

• August 15: Went to Universal Studios with Victor's family.

• October 16: Spoke at Wellesley College on asexuality and the LGBTQ+ community.
• October 20: Had a big Halloween party.

• November 30: "Won" NaNoWriMo after participating for the first time.
• November 3: Attended Fred and Kathy's wedding in Phoenix.

• November 15: Saw my grandma for what turned out to be the last time.
• December 1: My grandmother passed away.
• December 17: Family arrived from California for a visit.
• December 23 & 25: Holiday gatherings with family.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

• I helped my mom with some stuff I'd never handled before (taxes, pension stuff, Social Security stuff) and I think I did okay!
• I completed NaNoWriMo.
• I passed 3,000 followers on my cartoon blog, which is bizarre.
• Despite many challenges, I still managed to post a new video every month, keep up with a weekly and a monthly webcomic, write up and review all the new Steven Universe comics, books, and podcasts, and maintain an active social and online life.
• Got featured posts 14 times on Steven Universe Amino.
• Took an epic photo of all my merchandise!!!

• Got a raise at work and am apparently doing well at learning to be a utility coordinator and other things.

9. What was your biggest failure?

• Not finishing or submitting any books.
• Not eating well and not getting enough exercise.
• Spending too much time distracted.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

No!

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Probably cartoon toys and comics :D

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

• My dear Meggie. She deserves all the hugs.
• My dad for staying strong through the deaths of his parents.
• My LGBT friends who came out this year, began using self-affirming labels this year, and got gender-affirming surgeries this year.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

• My Amino troll who got me banned from the app and then got caught trying to do it again.
• Donald Trump and his supporters.
• Selfish ass flakes whose obsession with weapons and ignorance of reality has led to gun violence, no solutions to global warming or poisoned water, and increased preventable infectious disease.
• Racists, homophobes, and transphobes who have felt even more emboldened this year to be huge disgusting bigots.
• Whoever programmed the bots that hacked my website and whoever programmed the bots that tried to blackmail me.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Besides rent, it was definitely Steven Universe merchandise and lending other people money.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

Steven Universe, queer kids, art supplies, other nerds in fandom, Rock Potato, cosplaying, goofy recipes, drawing fan comics, my nephew's cuteness, comics.

16. What song will always remind you of 2018?

"Let's Only Think About Love."

 
 

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder?

Cautiously happier.

ii. thinner or fatter?

Fatter, but next year I will answer differently.

iii. richer or poorer?

Richer.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?

Writing fiction.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?

Being distracted or unproductive.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

I went to my mom's with my friends Jeaux and Victor, and hung out with my sister Patricia plus her husband Yusuke and son Ash, and my sister Lindsay plus her husband Mike and briefly her friend Ryan. We decorated cookies, ate a meal, and opened presents. It was pretty great!

 
21. How will you be spending New Year's Eve?

I will watch a new cartoon at Jeaux's house and then hopefully meet up with family for special drinks.

22. Did you fall in love in 2018?

Only with concepts, not with people.

23. How many one-night stands?

???

24. What was your favorite TV program?

Next question

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?

I'm not a hateful person. But people whose actions have disappointed me have earned my wrath this year.

26. What was the best book you read this year?

A Tangle of Gold by Jaclyn Moriarty.

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

I had no significant musical discoveries this year.

28. What did you want and get?

More Tumblr followers, cartoon stuff, comics, fulfilling hobbies, maybe slightly better art skills, a sweet-ass character costume, love.

29. What did you want and not get?

Completed novels, publishing contracts, resolution to problems that worry me, a better website, better time management.

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

I hardly saw any movies! I'll say Black Panther.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 40!! I had a big party for the event, including Meghan whose 42nd birthday was a couple days later, but I didn't have the party on the actual day. I had the day off and Meg and I spent the morning together, and after she left I talked to my family about the outdoor table they were getting for me as a group present, and then Jeaux picked me up later and we ate at IHOP (I had birthday pancakes), and we watched the movie Zootopia.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

If I didn't have to watch my loved ones struggle with health and money. Also, having a different President.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?

Always-chilly chic.

34. What kept you sane?

Cartoons, kind people, distractions, stress cleaning.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

I didn't have one of these this year.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Black Lives Matter, gun violence, and trans rights.

37. Who did you miss?

My grandparents, my faraway friends, my old coworkers and writer friends.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

I guess I'll say Ralph even though I technically was introduced to him at the very end of 2017; I met him in person for the first time in 2018. He investigated my favorite show when I told him I was making recipes from it and became a huge fan (and even called me to shriek about it when he hit the big revelation at the end of Season 1), and he hung out with me several times and talked about awesome adventures and even gave me some good advice. He's a good egg.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.

People who are childlike in spirit can still make damn good adults.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:

"Hit me with your best shot! Fire away!"

Personal Digest Saturday: December 22 – December 28

Life news this week:

• Saturday I did my blogging and wrote a fun post about Jewishness associated with my favorite cartoon. And I watched videos and drew pictures. I had a relaxing but not very satisfying day.
  
• Sunday I went to Sarasota with my sister P's family and we saw my dad and Connie, and met my sister L and her husband there too. We all went to a deli for lunch and hung out at Dad's house, opened presents, and caught up with each other. Then afterwards I went with my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew to a store to try to get the things we needed for cookies and whatnot. When I got home I made a video but I fell asleep before it finished processing.
  
• Monday was a day off! Since it was Christmas Eve I had some free time. My sister P came over and we started to make cookies, but then she found out the zoo was only open until mid-afternoon so she left to go take her son there, and then she came back and finished the cookies (gingerbread and sugar cookies) with me while brother-in-law Y and nephew A played in various rooms. Jeaux came by and watched us, and then after we'd finished everything, he took me to his house to watch THE FIRST NEW EPISODE OF STEVEN UNIVERSE IN MONTHS. It was pretty good but didn't kill me! We ate pizza, talked about the episode, and watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine too. After he took me home I didn't have the energy to make the cake I needed to make for Christmas. Just fell asleep on the floor.
  
• Tuesday was Christmas. I got up early and made my Yule Log cake, plus the icing we needed for cookies. Then I wrapped my presents and my sis picked me up. We went over there and chilled for a few hours until my friends Jeaux and Victor got off work (yes they had to work on Christmas) and they hung out with us. We decorated cookies, watched some cartoon Christmas specials, and played with toys. I made some gravy for the meal. Our mom wasn't doing super well--I think she was exhausted--and she kept leaving the room and falling asleep in her room. We eventually got to eat and open our presents, and dessert was very late. I got some great stuff and really enjoyed watching everyone open gifts!! I didn't get home until just before midnight.
  
• Wednesday was back to work. Not much was happening but I managed to make myself useful. Also made a post that got popular based on something Jeaux said. We decided to do our usual Jeaux Day even though I'd already seen him twice. We ate at Perkins, shopped at Target, listened to Night Vale, and watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine. I fell asleep early.
  
• Thursday was another slow day at work. I wrote a post about haters. And went to the store in the middle of the day because I needed ThINgS. I went home on the bus and talked to Victor on the phone while drawing my comic. I got the whole thing drawn while I was on the phone, which is unusual! But then I fell asleep on the floor.
  
• Friday I spent some time cultivating a 2018 wrap-up post but I'm not done yet. Another slow day at work too, but I was updating some resumes. Got a ride home and dawdled a lot before posting my webcomic and falling asleep early again.

Reading progress:

• Finished this week:  Time for reading was scarce, so I did not read.
• Currently reading: The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca by Kerr Cuhulain.

New singing performances:

This week's karaoke song is "Carol of the Bells," the traditional Christmas carol.




Stuff Drawn:

Hanukkah Steven, just because.

A promo poster I made for this week's new Steven Universe episode, "Familiar."

A messy dressed-up Steven I drew with Ash's crayons

Webcomic Negative One Issue 0711: "The Peace She'll Need."






New videos:

Letters to an Asexual #64 is about The Football Analogy--HEY IF I DON'T LIKE FOOTBALL DOES THAT MEAN I NEED A WHOLE CHANNEL ABOUT WHAT I DON'T LIKE??? But it's mostly just a response to the same jerk as last month's.




New photos:

Mike is the ice cream champion

You Really Can't Tell but Ash is very excited about Legos

Look at those sisters unwrapping gifts

Mike's a good Lego builder playmate

The Jamming Boys room

A horrible photo of me drinking Guacola

Patricia and Ash decorating the gingerbread house

Cookie decorating nerds!

Completed gingerbread house

Some decorated cookies!

Ash in artistic decorating mode

My friends decorating cookies

Uh-oh, gift time

I got P a pour-over coffee thing and Y a drum pad.

Jeaux and Ash building together.

Who wants dessert??

Ash is enjoying his cookie.

And I am glad Ash is enjoying his cookie.

Social Media Counts:

YouTube subscribers: 5,236 for swankivy (lost 3), 678 for JulieSondra (no change). Twitter followers: 967 for swankivy (1 new), 1,347 for JulieSondra (lost 1). Facebook: 294 friends (no change) and 209 followers (1 new) for swankivy, 653 likes for JulieSondra (1 new), 61 likes for Negative One (no change), 146 likes for So You Write (no change). Tumblr followers: 2,513 (2 new). Instagram followers: 165 (no change).

Wednesday Factoid: Others' Obsessions

Today's Wednesday Factoid is: What is something that a ton of people are obsessed with but you just don’t get the point of?

Alcohol.

I don't look down on people who drink of course, but I do think the obsession with drinking culture in this country is troubling. There's so much fixation on alcohol as a REQUIRED part of having fun in so many social scenes, and it irritates me that my choice to mostly abstain from it is so instantly offensive to some other people.

First: my policy on alcohol.

I don't have any policy against drinking it. Sometimes I drink it when it's offered to me or when it's considered polite to participate in a toast or a ritual or something. In general, I don't seek it out, nor do I go out of my way to avoid it, but I do start to object to it if people use it as an excuse to act irresponsibly. 

Second: my reasons for not drinking it.

• I don't think it tastes very good. If it tastes very close to juice, I might like it a little.
• I don't like being drunk.
• It's expensive.
• It's high calorie and some kinds aren't that good for you. 
• Many of the settings where drinking is encouraged are coupled with other things I don't care for (smoky settings, loud music, or socializing with romantic/sexual intent). 

Third: my history

I've been drunk maybe twice or three times. I mostly just feel crappy and go to sleep. I don't think it's fun, and furthermore, I am not actively looking for ways to find something that will give me a drunken experience I'll like. You know, like, I'm good, y'all. 

Again, I'm not totally against it, and if someone thinks something is good I am usually open to at least giving it a try, but I'm pretty wary at this point since there is SO MUCH about alcohol culture that reminds me of how sexuality is handled in peer pressure situations (i.e., you're stuck up, moralizing, uptight, humorless, and unnatural if you don't partake, and your personal choices are interpreted as judgment of other people, along with the consistent experience of having other people ask you to defend how you feel, tell you you must feel the way you do because you haven't given THEIR way a proper chance, and inappropriate fixation on trying to change your behavior with peer pressure and nagging). 

I once wrote about a few of the bullet points in section two above and the personal essay was shared to some Reddit thread where people basically judged me intensely for my statements, saying such lovely things as I was probably really ugly and didn't like to go to clubs or get drunk because I was sad no one would ever hit on me or buy me drinks. They suggested my attitude was born from bitterness, that I was judgmental because I didn't personally participate (you know, and therefore must be judging them for partaking even though I said otherwise in the same essay), and including all sorts of creative ways of calling me a loser. They felt very strongly that I could not have this opinion about alcohol or club culture unless I was personally a pathetic failure who only held these opinions because I couldn't be included even if I wanted to.

It's weird the hoops people will jump through to recontextualize other people's choices as pathetic just because they feel insecure about their own.

I would be lying if I said I had no negative feelings about alcohol, but it's all attached to how some people insist on mistreating me for abstaining. I am able to separate that reaction from alcohol itself and from people who choose to drink without judging me. At this point, as soon as someone assumes I of course drink socially and I have to inform them I do not, I am expecting a negative response. I am expected to be shamed or cajoled, because that is FREQUENTLY what happens. If someone responds neutrally as if I just said I don't like guava juice, I actively feel warmly toward them, assuming they're probably a pretty non-judgmental person who isn't insecure about their own choices, doesn't expect me to judge them for theirs, and doesn't process everyone else's choices for themselves as if it's a judgment of them. My friends in college were mostly like this, and my friends as an adult are all like this. I don't keep friends around who badger me to drink or treat me like my lack of interest in it is a personal flaw or indicative of an inability to have a good time.
 

Personal Digest Saturday: December 15 – December 21

Life news this week:

• Saturday I slept late and wasted time. I guess it was an act of self care? But I still felt shitty about it?? I chatted to a friend online, did some laundry, did my blogging, and went to Drink and Draw. It was nice to see Joy and some of the others! I drew a comic and got a sketch done.
  
• Sunday was pretty productive. Dishes, bed-making, karaoke, and redecorating for the holidays! Then I had my friend Kari over and we had some pizza and just chatted--didn't watch any cartoons. I fell asleep early after she left.
  
• Monday I worked, drew a funny picture with highlighters, and got picked up by my friend Ralph (and his dog Chester!). We prepared a tofu and peanut butter/soy dish and ate it, and watched some cartoons. (Ralph likes Steven Universe but had not seen any of the shorts.) After he left I posted my silly drawing on Amino and went to sleep. This was the day SU came back to TV, but since it was an episode I'd already seen, I did not care. Also my sister and her family arrived and stayed at Mom's, but I did not see them.
  
• Tuesday I didn't hang out with Arthur because I got invited to my mom's for a hangout. After work, I bought some stuff at a grocery store and my sister P picked me up and took me over there. We hung out for a while and ate a good soup and tofu and stuff. My nephew is a big kid and was very enthusiastic about playing with me!! Came home, showered, and fell asleep early again.
  
• Wednesday I read a new comic for Steven Universe on the way to work. Spent the day at the office until Jeaux picked me up. We bought comics, picked up my contact lenses, and went to the movies to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which was great. We had food at the dinner theater too, and then went to see the family at my mom's house because it was Ash's birthday and we wanted cake and to give him presents. We had a good time and then went to Target and home for sleeping.
  
• Thursday was more work on an extremely rainy day. Had to finish some important stuff and then shortly after noon I was able to meet my dad, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew in a nearby café for lunch! We ate together and had a good time, and I played with Ash and his robot. He turned five and it's so cool! After the left I went back to the office and finished out the day and got a ride home with a co-worker. Then I chatted with Victor on the phone and drew comics. Also! I received my cool autographed comics.
  
• Friday I did Lyft to work because of rain. There wasn't much going on. After work I got my comics posted and enjoyed posting some comic images on Amino. Sleeping is a good thing and I'm doing too much of it this week.

Reading progress:

• Finished this week:  No books but I did do a Steven Universe comic: Number 23. Five-star review.
• Currently reading: The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca by Kerr Cuhulain.

New singing performances:

This week's karaoke song is "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams.




Stuff Drawn:

It's a spaceship. I swear.
Don't ask me why Pink Diamond's ship is a pair of legs and a butt.

Webcomic So You Write Issue 91: "Too Hard."









Webcomic Negative One Issue 0710: "Compassionate Child."






New videos:

None.

New photos:

My nephew and brother-in-law in similarly patterned shirts!

This here is Jacket Guy. He is invisible, and is not my nephew.
He will sometimes sneak up and eat my nephew's food off a fork
and no one can see him! Also, the Jacket Guy in Florida is a cat.

Big boys also play with Legos! Here's Jeaux.

My nephew is five years old and a robot expert.

Cute Garnet and Opal drawing Grace Kraft did for me in a comic book!

Social Media Counts:

YouTube subscribers: 5,239 for swankivy (lost 4), 678 for JulieSondra (no change). Twitter followers: 966 for swankivy (lost 3), 1,348 for JulieSondra (no change). Facebook: 294 friends (lost 2--I unfriended someone I should have unfriended a long time ago, but I don't know who the other was) and 208 followers (no change) for swankivy, 652 likes for JulieSondra (1 new), 61 likes for Negative One (no change), 146 likes for So You Write (no change). Tumblr followers: 2,511 (lost 6). Instagram followers: 165 (1 new).

Wednesday Factoid: Dream Car

Today's Wednesday Factoid: What is your dream car?

Oh nooooo, I have NO good answer to "dream car." I've never had a dream car. Actually, I was recently discussing that funny thing kids do to predict their futures, the MASH game, and how you had to include three car possibilities in your list. I was confused as a kid as to what to even put in those "car" blanks. I didn't really know types of cars. I didn't care about them and couldn't really tell them apart, so it was a surprise to me that distinctions honestly existed.

I also don't drive so I can't talk about cars from experience. I think, though, if I were to become rich and want to buy a car that someone could drive me around in, I would like a small and funky car--one that is good for the environment (electric car would be nice) and has good mileage stats. I like fun colors, so I would probably be that jerk who bought a pink or bright green car, and I guess I would probably also be that jerk who covers the back in bumper stickers representing my tastes, opinions, and personality. Some people say you shouldn't do that because why tell other people what your values are when they might get mad and hurt you in traffic or vandalize your car, but I don't know how much I believe in that.

I don't know what type or shape I would want! I think the digital display for backing up technology, built-in connection options for music and navigation, and a decent sound system that isn't focused on booming bass would be nice. And I figure as long as the trunk is big enough for occasional groceries and supplies, I am good.

I'd probably put fun decals on the sides too. I am pretty tacky.

What else. Four doors? Not a little sports car but pretty compact. Doesn't need to go fast, just needs to be safe and efficient.

What can I say. I don't dream about cars.

Weird entitlement

Wow, people really think they deserve stuff often, even when they were never told to expect it or even in direct opposition to what they've been told to expect.

I should know this, obviously, as someone who spent six years in customer service. People come in believing they are entitled to a discount, a product, or a perk, and even if they are shown where the mistaken belief came from--even if they accept it was completely their own fault and completely preventable--they will still believe you should do something for them. If they wanted it and didn't get it, they deserve SOMETHING.

So it shouldn't have surprised me that I saw this in two wildly different contexts recently.

ONE:

Okay, so I get a lot of mail. I get it in a variety of places too, from blog comments to soulful e-mails. Today I answered a mail from someone I hope will be a new friend, and I had taken a very long time to reply to him. He'd sent one message making it clear he'd love to hear from me but not pressuring me to answer, and then there was a follow-up a while later not in any way prompting me but adding some more thoughts to his reaction to my content online. When I did write him back, I thanked him for not approaching me with entitlement, and realized how many people I have sitting in inboxes who will now go unanswered because they snotted at me for not replying fast enough.

I had a falling out with an acquaintance over this, and it turned into a huge deal--after she was furious with me for not replying to her un-time-sensitive e-mail within two hours, she cursed me out and called me "a liar" and told me never to speak to her again, only to follow up a couple weeks later begging me for forgiveness. I actually forgave her the first time because I thought she'd just been through something traumatic, but a couple years later SHE DID THE EXACT SAME THING AGAIN and this time I decided to stop being her friend even though I also told her I could forgive her. She wouldn't stop pestering me to talk to her again, for literally years, and she stalked me online for more than half a decade, dropping crappy comments "anonymously" on my content every time I ignored one of her begging mails for too long. This was an extreme case, but it's a good example still: sometimes, people inexplicably think I'm on their schedule and that I have some obligation to prioritize communication with them.

Mostly, though, this happens with people I never get close to because they reveal this expectation early in the game. I get a nice message I was GOING to answer and then the guy follows up with "so do you want to have a conversation or not?" Or I get some nice commentary and don't have time to reply until THE NEXT DAY, and when I log on there's a long paragraph about how I have clearly misrepresented myself as someone approachable and friendly or else I would not simply cast off very good people like HIM. (This particular person loaded up the e-mail with guesses at why he'd been ignored so cruelly for those less than 24 hours since the last time I wrote him, up to and including the accusation that I imagined I was far too smart for him.)

The very best way to get me to stop talking to you is to imply that I owe you my time, or that I am failing as a human being by not centering my communication with you in my life at all times.

TWO:

Weird switch of subject but OK. I like the show Steven Universe. It goes on hiatus a LOT. Commercials have been hyping us up for weeks now saying the show will return with weekly new episodes on December 17th. What aired on the 17th was an episode that most hardcore fans had seen because it had been released through the Cartoon Network app and at a convention, but had never been on TV.

They aired that episode first since it was the TV debut, and it probably was new to many casual viewers.

Those of us who were NOT casual viewers (hi, hello) already knew it was not going to be a new episode to us because we looked at the dang airing schedules. We knew what was coming, we knew why it was simultaneously a new episode and not a new episode, and we accepted that for us, "new" episodes don't start until December 24.

And yet still, there was a HUGE DISGUSTING OUTPOURING OF HATE for Cartoon Network from the fans. Every single place where they promoted the event online has DOZENS of people in the comments using swear words, calling the network "liars," saying they're going to hunt down and kill the creator for "trolling" them, and posting memes and reaction GIFs suggesting that Cartoon Network was delighting in torturing people.

If you didn't view this episode at the convention or on the network's app, you saw it illegally.

The majority of the hardcore fans online have seen this episode illegally.

If you saw it in one of the legal, approved ways, you were made aware it was a special release. So everyone losing their wig over this is pretty much somebody who didn't pay attention, stole the show's content, and then shrieked about how cheated they felt because they didn't do the proper research.

I'm really disturbed by how MANY people there are in these comments (or making individual posts about it) having huge shit fits that sound violent and express how ripped off they think they were by being forced to get excited about the show's return only to see an episode they've seen come on. They are framing it as "a rerun." (It is not. It had never been on TV at all before last night.) They are framing it as if the network drew them in and tricked them for simple evil pleasure. And even though they were presumably tuning in because they love the show and want more, some are even promising that they are DONE WITH THIS SHOW because REBECCA TROLLED THEM.

Uh. . . .

Wow, stop.

No one owes you anything, first of all.

And second, as mentioned, you were given all the tools to know what was coming, and the only way you could be ignorant of this is if you consumed the content in a pirated form. You know what you did, and yet you have no qualms about announcing to the world what you believe you deserved, that someone else denied you. You, who took the show for free and gave nothing back, but still feel that your status as a fan entitles you to content. And you know what? I'm not even mad if some people just plain made a mistake and didn't realize the episode was not going to be new to them. That's cool. Just, like, maybe also just accept that you had a misconception and be quiet about it?

Man.

Entitled people really irritate me. And more often than not, those in a position to satisfy the entitled people will be less interested in doing so if they express ungrateful fury over what they didn't receive.

I assure you I am never going to answer an e-mail in which someone shames me for failing to respond. I will not apologize for failing to do something I never said I would do. Same goes for network decision-makers, though I very much doubt those upset "fans" and their impotent rage will even be a blip on their radar since they know they released the titles of the episodes they'd be airing and they know they are not guilty of misrepresenting themselves.

Bleh. Just shut up, people.

Personal Digest Saturday: December 8 – December 14

Life news this week:

• Saturday Victor and I got up and went off in search of comics! It was a lovely little journey and even though we didn't find any of what we wanted, we got to eat at Denny's and chill together. I had a great time. Then I came home and did my blogging and drew a cute picture of my faaaaave character Garnet from when she was a baby.
• Sunday the Steven Universe Amino featured my drawing, lovely. It rained all day so I was not able to sit at the outdoor table. I did laundry and talked to Mom on the phone but really got not much done, except I did do some prep work for Mom's taxes that I'm helping her file months late, and I did do karaoke.
• Monday I did timesheets at the office and forgot to eat most of the day. Then after work I went to my mom's house and did most of her taxes but she didn't have a certain form we've been trying to get for a long time and I just couldn't go any farther without the form so I gave up. I finally completed all the filing of her mishmash of files though and was pretty proud of myself. Then pretty much just fell asleep at home. Mom did feed me a really yummy cauliflower pasta thing though.
• Tuesday I found a way to get Mom's form and did the rest of her taxes. But it wouldn't let her e-file because it was so late, so I got the forms together for her to sign and mail in. Then hung out with my friend Arthur after work, eating Thai food and watching Twin Peaks. Was too tired to do anything else after he left except I did read the new Steven Universe graphic novel which was called Ultimate Dough-Down and it was precious.
• Wednesday was a long ass day. I went to the eye doctor in the morning and dumped a bunch of money on new contacts, went to work and had to try to do actual engineering stuff for once while my eyes were still dilated (though my boss was happy to let me not do it if my eyes wouldn't cooperate--I just managed to do it anyway), and then met with Jeaux for Five Guys, shopping, and finishing up She-Ra. I did really like it! Then after he left I spent several hours on a review of Ultimate Dough-Down for the Internet and went right into consuming and writing up the newest Steven Universe podcast (with Estelle as special guest, yay). Didn't get much sleep, dang.
• Thursday I finally finished some other paperwork stuff that Mom needed, and she was going to come over and get it but then she couldn't make it. I talked briefly to my dad and then Victor on the phone while drawing comics. Pretty low-key day, but I was exhausted from not much sleep.
• Friday I worked and Mom was able to come get her papers after work. I finished my webcomic while watching silly videos and was able to post it in time before dropping to sleep like a rock. What a week.

New reviews of my book:

• Rebecca McNutt gave it a four-star review on Goodreads, with some nuanced discussion of how important the asexual perspective is.

Reading progress:

• Finished this week: Steven Universe: Ultimate Dough-Down. Five-star review.
• Currently reading: The Law Enforcement Guide to Wicca by Kerr Cuhulain.

New singing performances:

This week's karaoke song is "I'll Cover You (Reprise)" from Rent.




Stuff Drawn:

Daydreaming baby Garnet is cute.

You should vote for Nanefua as mayor of Beach City.

Webcomic Negative One Issue 0709: "Still Nameless."






New videos:

None.

New photos:

Finally finished organizing Mom's files!

Here I am laughing alone with salad

Social Media Counts:

YouTube subscribers: 5,243 for swankivy (3 new), 678 for JulieSondra (lost 1). Twitter followers: 969 for swankivy (lost 2), 1,348 for JulieSondra (lost 4). Facebook: 296 friends (no change) and 208 followers (2 new) for swankivy, 651 likes for JulieSondra (no change), 61 likes for Negative One (1 new), 146 likes for So You Write (lost 1). Tumblr followers: 2,517 (lost 1). Instagram followers: 164 (1 new).