Monday

[coalescent]

Monday was pretty relaxed. People were leaving, the con was winding down. I had two more panels: new sf tv, on which I argued with Paul Cornell about Doctor Who, and The Future of Fandom, in which the future of fandom arrived and beat the panel with sticks.

Time for a last pass around the dealer's room (didn't buy anything, but picked up some review copies for Strange Horizons, plus was given a rather fab Magic For Beginners tshirt by Kelly and Gavin), then I helped pack up the Foundation stall. Went out for dinner with Andrew, Liz, Mattia, Rachel, Zoe ... and Nat, yay! We phoned Dan and made him sing down the phone at us because the music in the restaurant was so bad.

Stopped in at the dead dog party, but was too dog-tired to stay for long. Today we've mooched around Glasgow a bit, and now there's just the long train ride home. I can't believe I'll be back at work tomorrow.

It makes me happy that Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgemallow delights now exist. They are so very tasty.

Comments

[nwhyte]

Monday was pretty relaxed. People were leaving, the con was winding down. I had two more panels: new sf tv, on which I argued wi ...and were so busy you couldn't finish the word, let alone the sentence!

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

Curse your rapid comment reflexes!

[immortalradical.livejournal.com]

We phoned Dan and made him sing down the phone at us

You forgot "... and it was brilliant."

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I must have left that off because it's such a fiddle to type entries on my phone.

[immortalradical.livejournal.com]

THAT MUST BE WHY.

[azureskies.livejournal.com]

It makes me happy that Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgemallow delights now exist. They are so very tasty.

I agree. It would have been so easy to bring out a bar that was just a bit crap under that name, but they seem to have made an effort to make them taste as nice as the name suggests. The wrappers are also fantastic.

Shame they're a bit expensive, but you can't have everything.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

They really DO?

I wish wish wish I'd seen the YAFA invasion..

[hawkida.livejournal.com]

Pictures coming later.

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I think this is a good thing ...

[hawkida.livejournal.com]

They are largely of YAFA kids doing YAFA things and not a whole lot else, actually.

[white_hart]

Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgemallow delights now exist. They are so very tasty.

But they're made by Nestle, so I can't buy them. Which is so unfair, because I'm quite sure that Willy Wonka would have been an ethical businessman if he really existed...

[ex-susumu64.livejournal.com]

I actually don't like them very much, so you're safe. Far too sickly :(

[white_hart]

That's good to know. I probably don't really mind, then, as I only really like the 80% cocoa solids dark stuff...

[wishus.livejournal.com]

Mmmm - I was halfway through eating one when I realised.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Since when did drowning children in vats of chocolate become ethical?! ;-)

[white_hart]

Yes, but they *deserved* it; if they'd done what they were told they'd have been fine. Roald Dahl's stories do tend to be terribly moral. And there's no suggestion that Wonka exploited the Oompa-Loompas, or cut-and-burnt rainforests to set up cocoa plantations, or was cruel to the squirrels, or flooded developing markets with cut-price confectionery to undercut local producers before whacking the prices up once he had a monopoly, is there?

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

Deserts are subjective, surely ;-)

Anyway, I always thought the Ooma-Loompas were slaves!

[white_hart]

Deserts are subjective, surely

I think Dahl makes it pretty clear that you are supposed to find Augustus, Mike, Violet and Veruca deeply rebarbative and to feel that they deserved everything they got. After all, each one's sticky end is nicely linked to their faults. A little harsh, perhaps, but nevertheless.

I always thought the Ooma-Loompas were slaves

I thought that they willingly pledged their loyalty and labour in return for being saved from a life of terrible misery and destitution, or something. Weren't they being preyed on by some one, or something? Rather colonial, but certainly not slavery.

Admittedly, I haven't read the book for a good twenty years, probably closer to twenty-five, so I can't guarantee that my recollection is accurate. But I certainly recall Wonka being characterised as benevolent if eccentric and unpredictable, and I'm quite sure there was no suggestion of slavery.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

But I certainly recall Wonka being characterised as benevolent...

Only because the AHA were watching! ;-)

[truecatachresis.livejournal.com]

ethical businessman

Yeah, because firing all your staff, importing immigrant labour, paying them only in cocoa beans and not letting them out of the factory is extremely ethical.

Not to mention not letting any safety inspectors in, which might have prevented the multiple industrial accidents.

[grahamsleight.livejournal.com]

What did The Future of Fandom actually cover, apart from the fact that sticks hurt?

[snowking.livejournal.com]

They didn't hurt much as they were foam or inflatable sticks.

[grahamsleight.livejournal.com]

How profoundly disappointing.

Great to meet you, BTW!

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Likewise.

I'm sure when I get the video of the attack online, there will be no disappointment. Sadly, I didn't catch the one girl attacking Niall over and over with a foam lightsabre. I might have been too busy laughing my arse off.

[ajr.livejournal.com]

Sadly, I didn't catch the one girl attacking Niall over and over with a foam lightsabre. I might have been too busy laughing my arse off.

That was so ace I nearly cried. Especially the way he kept trying to back further into the corner.

Unlike you I didn't have the presence of mind to switch from camera to video, so I only got still pictures of the invasion, of which only one wasn't just a blur. Verily I am a fool.

[flickgc.livejournal.com]

The same usual boring stuff that's always covered on panels with that name. Deliberately, on the part of the panel. Sadly less so ont he part of the audience, who took it upon themselves to carry on having the discussion after the panel quit and ran off to join YAFA.

So we sent YAFA in to attack them again....

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

I would say that was an entirely justified course of action. :)

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

It makes me happy that Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgemallow delights now exist. They are so very tasty.

I want one. NOW. Although, given the name, they're probably not vegetarian are they? *cries*

[veggiesu.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad I was wrong :-)

[zihuatenejo.livejournal.com]

From the vegetarian list: CHILLED MEATS/ CULINARY - No suitable products! I'd be very worried if anything was suitable.

[snowking.livejournal.com]

Nyah nyah wifi train!

[coalescent.livejournal.com]

HATE.