Thoughts of the Lady in the Tower

2004-03-13 - 2:04 p.m.

Silverwing's Laws

The interesting thing about Silverwing's Laws is how they seem to change over time. There is some change, but comparing the web site with a copy saved on my harddrive shows only a slight amount of change; most of the change I perceive has come from myself.

Postscript: (or would that be prescript, since I decided to put it at the top where it's more likely to be noticed?). Does anyone have a valid link for The SCAtanic verses?

Gresham's Law applies to the SCA: Bad medievalism drives out the good. SaK & Thos. Gresham

I've seen this in action, but don't even remember it from two years ago (last time I read Silverwing's Laws). It's discouraging to put a lot of effort into re-creation when no one around you is at the same level. But I think the reverse could also be said, "Good medievalism encourages the same." If people see cool stuff and are just being lazy about their own gear, the cool stuff can encourage them to make their own cool stuff. It's the "I want it!" factor.

I don't really have any commentary on this one, but I've tried to repeat it to Richard without remembering the whole thing.

The problem with "The Dream" is not "Dream". It's "The". Adelicia of Gilwell & Robin of Gilwell

This is not the Dream. This is what I do on weekends to have some fun. The Dream involves 4 sets of identical twins, 2 gallons of Cool Whip, 5 quarts of chocolate syrup, 2-1/4 pounds of strawberries, satin sheets, a magnum of champagne, a trapeze, and a python.

Sfi Mordecai ben Yosef Yitzhak

Here's another that jumps out at me more now than it did last time:

Though it be a law of Nature, there will always be someone to dispute it. SaK

Corrollary: No matter what you post, you're going to piss off someone. Just try to make sure it's someone who needs to be pissed off. Goedjn/Azelin/Ralph/Pete Rose

The corrollary is similar to what we've said lots of times about Baronial politics. No matter what you do, 1/3 of the people will agree, 1/3 of the people will disagree, and 1/3 of the people couldn't care less. Sometimes chosing a course of action is just deciding who to piss off.

This one just cracks me up.

(You know someone has become a friend when they use your mundane name and you don't feel vaguely offended.)

The first group I played with, it took a few months for me to find an SCA name, and they never used it. The next group, I decided that I hated being called Denise at events, and I'd start using my SCA name at ALL times, just so I could be Alienor at events. It was weird when they started using my mundane name (I suppose you could call them friends at that point, though I wouldn't now). Now I've switched groups again, and I'm using a weird half-breed. They call me Denise in person, but Alienor on the mailing lists. I do sometimes catch myself feeling oddly uneasy (I wouldn't say vaguely offended, but just uneasy) when they call me Denise.

There were too many mundane names used at KASF, and I'm especially dissapointed in my own slips.

It's not enough to be involved; you have to be committed. Think of a plate of ham & eggs. The chicken is involved; the pig is committed. Martina Navratilova via Robin

I wonder at the context of this one. It's a volunteer organization, why do you have to be committed? Is this one of those "would you rather have an officer who puts his own needs first, or the group's needs?" Cause I'd rather have someone how puts their own needs first, they won't stay past their functioning ability due to "obligation."

Authenticity is like a two-lane highway. If someone is going slower than you, they're a slug. If they are going faster than you, they're a maniac! Thaddeus the Brown, via Avery from the Middle Kingdom

This one reminds me of the stirring that logan did with his complaints about camp chairs. A chair cover wasn't good enough for his sensibilities, but shoe (cleats!) covers and inauthentic tabards are?! I don't expect people to be consistant, but I do expect them not to apply their standards to others. He fell into that trap, and I wonder if it's not part of the reason he burnt out.

Fealty doesn't mean following the King when he decides to gallop over a cliff. It means holding him back. SaK

This one speaks to me about the roles of peers as advisors, not as lackeys; it applies just as well on the baronial level as kingdom level, I think.

Nothing in the SCA is done by a set formula unless the formula is, "Wing it!" Ernst Nuss von Kitzingen

This one especially applies after I autocratted a large (well, by our standards)event. I planned and set up everything that I could, but stayed loose and flexible during the event. I even got compliments afterwards on how calm and cool I seemed to be. It was okay that some things didn't go to plan; my job was to create a new plan on the spot.

The problem with "you play your way, I'll play mine" is that while my "authentic" play doesn't keep you from your "fun" play, your "fun" play does make it extremely difficult for me to do my authentic play. Eleanor fitzPatrick

I got bitched at for repeating this sentiment on the kingdom mailing list once (in private, so it wasn't SO bad). The discussion was over the use of the word troll. I still find it hard to believe that the use of a single word can take the whimsy out of an event. ::snort::