I'll be at WisCon over Memorial Day weekend. I'm currently scheduled to be on three panels:

	As	Schedule	Location
Disability Representation In TV And Film (scheduled)	moderator	Sat, 1:00–2:15 pm	Capitol A
There's been increasing talk lately about abled and hearing actors taking on disabled and Deaf roles and what it means when this happens. How does ableism play a role in the casting of, as well as in the reception of, characters who are disabled or Deaf? What about casting disabled or Deaf actors in roles not originally meant to be disabled or Deaf—how often does this happen? What are some shows and films with disabled or Deaf actors and/or characters that we love?
Found Family (scheduled)	participant	Sat, 2:30–3:45 pm	Assembly
Found family is a common trope in many genres, SFF included. It's also a very commonly lived experience for people in various marginalized communities, such as queer folk and people with disabilities. People who tend not to receive acceptance and understanding from society often find it in one another. This panel will discuss both the fictional trope and the lived experience of found family, especially in regards to what it means for marginalized people.
"Queer" As In... (scheduled)	participant	Sun, 10:00–11:15 am	Wisconsin
The word "queer" has been extensively reclaimed over time, to the point where it has whole academic fields dedicated to it. Suddenly, online discourse has been trying to take that reclamation back, calling the word a slur and getting it banned in some spaces. What happened? What are some of the historical, political, and cultural significances of the word queer? Why and how was it reclaimed; and why and how is it being defamed now?

I suppose I should actually use this journal for something other than reading other peoples' posts. So I'm going to try returning to something I did occasionally long ago when I had reliable income: Reporting on the cheese samples I pick up at places like Whole Foods and Lunds/Byerly's. Today's roundup:

Cromwell Somerdale England - This tastes like a dry, herby cheddar. I couldn't quite place which herb, but reading the label reveals that it's dried chives. A bit crumbly in texture, but the chives give it a nice touch.

Cordobes Spanish Sheep Milk Cheese Mitica - a fairly generic goat milk cheese. Pleasant but not memorable.

Sriracha Gouda Emmi Roth Wisconsin - A Emmenthaler family cheese, with a thin red rind that I recommend slicing off. The Sriracha aroma comes through quite clearly, and the cheese + spice combination works. If you are a fan of Sriracha (as I am), you will definitely enjoy this cheese.

Rose Lemberg has written an essay, On the pitfalls of “merit”. I have Feelings about two Hugo nominees in particular (Vox Day and Brian Sanderson), and the essay echoes some of my own thoughts on the subject.