The Antisocial Socialist

As promised/threatened, I want to start a discussion about dealing with people in activist organizations and communities that make life difficult for everyone. It's not, of course, just about activists. Toxic individuals surface in every community. In my second home, geekdom, there's just as much if not more problems in this regard. But activism is a space where your sole purpose in functioning as a community is about making the world a better place, and thus it's doubly frustrating when someone's behaviour or person interferes with that.

Our troubled hypothetical activist group is above ground and not engaged in any sort of illegal or clandestine activities, but is nevertheless monitored with intermittent interest by the authorities. It is a small group, with no controls right now on membership because it's trying to grow and reach a wide audience. It doesn't operate on consensus, but votes only happen after long periods of protracted, often pointless discussion.

In an attempt to avoid singling out any one group, cause, or individual, I'm just going to go ahead and use the names of aliens from Babylon 5 to talk about the kinds of tensions that arise.

( scenarios )

On a quasi-related note, interesting discussion about Readercon and what happens when someone you like does awful things.

The penultimate B5 post! I can hardly contain my excitement.

( these episodes were mostly great )

Delayed due to IRL having a life and the second season of Game of Thrones. Which is fantastic. Especially the breathtaking penultimate episode that broke the internet last week. Anyway, if you want to geek out about GoT with me, I'm now caught up and currently reading the second book.

But back to B5. A favour, folks? Could we keep the spoilers down a bit? I am almost done but there is still the odd good part and I’d like to be surprised. I am guilty of soliciting spoilers with my wild predictions and begging to know if the show ever gets better, but you must all be strong and sit on your hands for just a bit longer.

Here’s a needlessly gory guide as to what is and is not a spoiler:

Not a spoiler
“Byron sucks! Fortunately, you don’t have to endure him for much longer. You’re going to love how this storyline ends.”

A spoiler
“Bester captures Byron in the next episode and transports him back to PsyCorps headquarters, where he proceeds to dissect him alive, starting with his tongue so that he can’t annoy sabotabby with his godawful dialogue. I particularly love the bit where his eyeballs go squishity-squoosh! I wonder how they got that sound effect.”

Anyway!

( not everything is entirely SFW, depending on how prudish your workplace is )

Under the cut: Horrendous working class stereotypes, altogether too much space hippie, probably too many Star Trek references, and a poll about how Byron should die.

( my thoughts on B5, let me show you them )

Hey everyone did you miss my B5 reviews? Lie to me if you must. Seriously, I did not intend to take such a long hiatus, but at first I was in too much pain to watch TV, and then I caught an episode of Fringe, and then I felt compelled to catch up on Fringe, and yeah. But I’m back now.

( Return of the Recaps )

Wherein there are excessive plots, macros, and political commentary. Also someone gets an award.

( just kidding, there is no such thing as excessive macros )

The last few Shadow War episodes and the first whatever-the-next-arc-is episodes, here we go! Warning: This is long, image-heavy, and incredibly silly.

( someone make me a gif icon of Vir waving )

Annnnd it’s the end of Season 3! I love season finales because I’m a sucker for the Big Dramatic Reveal. Also epic space battles.

( the thrilling conclusion )

Marking or Season 4? I can't decide.

Episodes 16 and 17, for those of you who requested that I watch War Without End before going on hiatus. (For a week, people! I don't even post these every week!)

( still, I can see why )

In which I get excited because there's a three-part episode and also centipedes.

( Centipedes? In MY station? It's more likely than you think. )