Yeah, since the invite says you don't even have to be there to fulfill the requirement, or do anything while you're there...just point them at a web page and you're done. You wouldn't' even have to post anything new. Easy McPeasy. It's totally the best "let's all play!" invite I've ever seen. Since I've managed to expand my performance level skills from "hit people" to "teach people to hit people" "argue harder" and "draw porn" I'm really in high demand at parties. My sister's birthday weekend will be killer.

Yeah, my immediate reaction was NO too. That's usually my reaction to anything I'm told to do because It Will Be Fun!!. If I were going to such a party, I'd do a striptease. F U, that's my talent. So what if I'm fat now? Your invitation didn't say you had to enjoy it.

But seriously, Tom. Don't do it if you don't want to. If you do want to, take a bunch of your photos and show 'em off. You could even wear a t-shirt that says I Am Not A Photographer, which will satisfy your imposter syndrome and also confuse people.

*Everyone* has imposter syndrome. I swear. Okay, maybe not everyone, but an awful lot of people. "Yeah, I'm making it up as I go, I'm waiting for them to find out I have no idea what I'm doing and fire me." Me too. My degree is in anthropology! I'm a lazy antisocial scatterbrain! Why did they hire *me* to keep track of hundreds of different projects and soothe fretting professors? I have no idea what I'm doing here.

I would just bring a pie to that party.

That imposter is a hell of a photographer

Yes, this. I have one really good photo of TNG, and that's the one that Tom took. I need to get it printed at some point.

"draw porn"

I can tie really great rope corsets on people (they look super cool, seriously). And yet I think that might be the kind of party where the explaining would be...awkward.

Better improve my poi-spinning skills. (Does "hitting myself in the head without concussing myself" count as a skill?)

*Everyone* has imposter syndrome. I swear.

I have imposter syndrome about my professional stuff, but in fandom I have, in defiance of Dunning-Kruger, determined that I'm a pretty good writer. This does me no good in my life outside fandom, except that I've learned to take editorial critique with a modicum of grace.

Oh, and my boss actually said in a meeting the other day that I was a better writer than he is! Which is very nice to hear, but then I've got probably fifteen years on him, so it's not actually a surprise.

My co-workers (up through CIO) think it's worth remarking on how well I write and present most business docs (it seems to also be remarkable about the ones I fumble, unfortunately). Uh, no--I think I'm pretty damned good in general at those, actually. We can take that for granted and move on to why I keep fucking up the other ones--what is wrong with me there? Requirements? Expectation? Framework? Subject matter? I need to see if there's a common ground before the next occasion...

Steph, I would love a party at which someone without context and unkinkily tied rope corsets. Fuck explanation, that's just so cool. I still haven't managed to find a group for that closer than San Diego, or maybe Pasadena, maybe.

I feel I should decide on one or two yellow belt techniques in case I'm ever asked to "teach krav" on demand.

Because...that could happen, right? Any time now.

Unrelatedly, I was kinda histrionically accused of being stupid and male and not personally familiar with sexual assault the other day. I forgot I hated gawker. But I wasn't on jezebel! I didn't see that coming. I was sarcastic to a guy downplaying the incidence of rape, and got taken seriously and she just went off. Like, based on my first sentence she had a whole riff that ignored the part where my last sentence said I was a woman.

Sometimes this internet addiction gets exhausting.

I think most people have imposter syndrome about at least one part of their lives, don't they? I mean, everyone I know does. I thought the invite gave enough outs that non-performers did not have to. I'd go and DEFINITELY share photos, Tom. Either bring a slide show on an iPad or something or hand out links to your tumbr.

Steph, I would love a party at which someone without context and unkinkily tied rope corsets. Fuck explanation, that's just so cool.

Me too!

I still want to get a corset to help make my belly smaller, but I'm embarrassed to even go looking for one.

well, gawker media's Web sites are toast today.

Steph, I would love a party at which someone without context and unkinkily tied rope corsets. Fuck explanation, that's just so cool.

Me too!

They're really easy to do. If I ever make it to another F2F, I will gladly bring rope and tie corsets for people.