Current Post On Trae’s Blog:
So I'm just going to come out and say it: My favorite episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation is "Conundrum." It's episode fourteen of season five, and I just deeply love it.
I don't know if it's because I literally just assumed Erich Anderson's Commander McDuff was a random Enterprise officer of the week (which we saw quite often during the show) when I watched it as a kid during the original run, so the twist actually worked on eleven year old me. I don't know if it's because I just like a good "everyone has amnesia" story. I don't even know if it's just because it's a good Ro Laren episode. I don't know if it's just because we learn that Starfleet doesn't give a crap about lasers.
I just like it. It's neat.
And I rewatched it last night, and feel that it holds up -- which is why I found it deeply weird that the folks who wrote the episode actually think it's not that good. My favorite episode of the entire seven season run of the show was a failure according to the folks who wrote it.
And maybe, as a writer and creator, I should remember that.
Like the hardest part of releasing creative works to the public is that often, after a while, I'll start to judge those things far more harshly than when I first made them. Or I'll compare it to the potential I thought an idea had in my head. And if I don't reach that potential, I'll think of it as "bad" -- when it might just be slightly different than that idea. I have one hundred percent published stories that I thought were just sort of okay and later had someone tell me how much it meant to them to read it.
*cough*I Hate November*cough*
So I should make sure I remember Conundrum. That one of my favorite things to rewatch is considered one of those failures by its creators. That the things I make might have value, just not in the way I originally thought they should.
It's just sort of how things work out.
Remember that on April 5th at 11AM Eastern/10AM Central you can join me for the Critical Thinking Witches' Collective's April Brew virtual event! Attendance is free, and you can register here!
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call it a throwback year
On the good side, some of the purchases and expenditures must have been persistent- equipment and whatnot that will last for a bit. Still, ouchie.
If I understood this correctly, it’s not one-fifth of the total budget, but only a budget one-fifth the normal size for advance funds. The real danger is if anything goes wrong, like a flood or a snowstorm that seriously hurts attendance, then that would also impact the total funds available.
Still, I’d try to ask about those credit card purchases. How can you not know how to contact last year’s treasurer, unless there was a really horrific staff blowup which is not mentioned. Maybe he’s on the run from more than just this con com.
Yeah, the purchases he authorized are final now(though I’d call every dept head and return/hock anything I could get away with), but stuff Gary bought himself? I’d be looking closely at any of those that aren’t absolutely con-related and going after him for every cent. This strikes me as intentional and vengeful on his part, you may as well return the favor.
I heard he got a job with Active Enterprises…
Deep thinking – adds a new dinmseion to it all.
Agreed, some of those purchases should help, but only a bit. Sounds like the Con could use a couple fund raising events.