OMG oMICRoN 01.03.2022
The Virus Joined Us at Last Monday’s Mudditor Meeting
Books & bits & bobs but no butts or boobs for once
Susan Brearley was sick — in bed for 3 days — but posted on Slack that she’d open the Zoom so we could talk amongst ourselves. She suspected COVID. COVID was confirmed a few days later. Somehow, an unvaxxed & ill guest slipped through her prophylactic Airbnb policies.
‘What’s past is prologue’
We talked about ourselves. I realized only recently that Amy and BOF weren’t ancient Marin — umm, Mudditors. Rachael has been with Susan almost since MuddyUm set sail. We compared notes on how long we’d been Muddy and wondered about former editors. I opined that MuddyUm started in 2019 and yes indeedy, per this story I rounded up as a newbie absorbing the Outlaws tab,
Our publication birthday was September 19th, 2019.
Should’ve remembered it — I’m a Virgo too. MuddyUm’s original crew either walked or was forced off the plank. A cease and desist order threat was involved. Ancient history.
Comedy Camp Arises Again
BOF needs to find a different platform for our Comedy Camp website. I reminded folks that Susan suggests trip insurance. Who’s on the Comedy Camp subcommittee? Is it BOF, Susan, Sarah Paris, Amy Sea?
- Susan says Ashokan sent a rates sheet. The deposit is substantive.
Miller Analogies Test (MAT)
Gary mentioned this test, which he loves and I’d never heard of. Sounds fascinating. Just ordered Barron’s Test Prep MAT manual as a cheap way to determine whether to spend money on taking the MAT. Per Wikipedia,
The test aims to measure an individual’s logical and analytical reasoning through the use of partial analogies. A sample test question might be:
Bach : Composing :: Monet : a. painting b. composing c. writing d. orating
This should be read as “Bach is to (:) Composing as (::) Monet is to (:) _______.” The answer would be a. painting because just as Bach is most known for composing music, Monet is most known for his painting. The open slot may appear in any of the four positions.
Old Stories Made New
Is it kosher to delete a published story then republish the same story? BOF had been advising writers to delete self-published stories then resubmit unpublished versions so they won’t be buried lower in MuddyUm’s feed.
Short answer: N O, No
BOF cares passionately about Outlaw writers, especially newbies who’ve self-published by accident the first time they get Muddy so lose their place in the sun. He wants you to shine in the sunspot to which you aspire and is mulling over his response as we speak.
BOF told a strange but true tale of delisting, deleting, and destroying his rule-breaking COVID rant, yet it would not die. He continued to be paid for reads.
The Captain was an unseen auditor to our first 20 or 30 minutes of rapping until, finally, she could keep quiet no longer and joined us onscreen. Bed head, bleary eyes, and all. You’re my hero, Cap’n.
Susan confirmed MuddyUm’s birth year and talked about prehistoric times when writers deleted and republished at will after slight tweaks, such as a new title. Then Medium cracked down.
- changes must be substantive
- substantive is subjective
Blah Blah Blah
Type forms? What’s that? Something about quizzes. Gary appeared to follow Andrew’s remarks.
Susan’s son
is sick too — confirmed COVID. He won’t take care of her, but he’ll watch her. Just having him there gives her something to live for.
Wish I’d gotten further than this before my woww, man Euphorium edible kicked in. It’s Sunday night. NEXT MEETING TOMORROW 8a MY TIME. Go Editor Fairy.
‘What’s done is done’
- Andrew suggested a boyfriend/partner prompt for Rachael, apropos of Rachael’s promise to do the New Year’s newsletter that day. Perhaps what do you call your significant other? None of your beeswax, Rachael rapidly riposted
- I’m writing about eyebrows! she then enthused excitedly
- I’m writing about the unibombing unibrow/unibrowing unibomb! Andrew conflated pedagogically¹
- What decade was the Unibomber? Who knows about him? Rachael pondered
- Other notable facial hair. Hitler mustache. Andrew looked up the Unibomber on Wiki?
- Someone IRL was named Hitler as a first name, Andrew informed us
Were the rest of us napping? Susan roused and made an announcement — she applied for a job at Funny Times. Real money with benefits and shit, stated Susan solemnly through her sniffles. Maybe she’ll hear back sometime.
- Gary has an adjunct professor position. He’s an — Ethical — Assessment Expert
Fascinating! I’m picturing Gary stooping like a velociraptor on — Ethically — Assessable story issues and leaving notes à la the editor fairy, e.g., “Never fear, Ass. Expert here! Did you say POOP on purpose, or did you mean EXCREMENT?” That was funnier before I discovered from BOF’s notes that mine omitted the keyword ethical.
Bumps & Books & Bits & Bobs But Me No Butts Nor Boobs This Week
- Gary and Andrew informed us that the attribute IQ tests measure is rising. Psychologists wonder why — and people’s cognitive abilities have changed.
- Standardized testing — village against village — industrialization. This was Susan, I think. She mentioned Range and Mine!, both of which have come up before and are on Slack under #books
- MAT resurfaced. Susan praised NeuroTribes by Steve Silberman
- Andrew recommended science fiction author Ted Chiang
Eugenics history something something then
Susan is working with a PhD on support for neuroatypical people at a mainstream school. NSF is giving billions of dollars in research money on high-functioning neuroatypicality. She says AI is frightening. Her two recent papers are about AI and ethics.
Weaponizing fake news isn’t new. Algorithms can write algorithms now; what’s next? “The problem with capitalism is that money is the ethic.” “If you choose not to see the reality, you’re part of the problem.”
After bumming us out, Susan reflected on how our MuddyUm group meetings feel and operate in comparison to worker bee meetings.
- it’s hard to grow trust without laughing
- in large groups, it’s challenging to freely talk and laugh
Then — after BOF left the meeting to do guy stuff, I think — the Cap’n quoted from her journal:
True vulnerability does not happen without boundaries.
We share our stories with people who have earned the right to hear them in spaces that are safe enough to protect our autonomy.
¹ Thanks to the pedagogiphile PedaGod in our midst, I goggle now whenever that word comes up in a meeting. I’ve googled it 42x. Still can’t reliably define or pronounce it. Why can’t I glom onto it? I blame Gary. Usually Holly : Vocabulary :: Gary : Accordions.
I’m feeling philosophically wordy
In the past, maybe I simply forgot to remember to learn word, at least until the next time word popped up. Out of the greatness of his heart, maybe Gary uses that educational word so often to teach me a lesson.
Attendees besides Susan and me were BOFace, Rachael Ann Sand, Gary Chapin, Andrew Rodwin — and I’m tagging Lucia Siochi too since BOF did.
Szczęśliwego Nowego Roku, przyjaciele! Past meeting notes are here:
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