The Black Horse of the Blog World

Week 1 of parenthood was filled with an unexpected amount of time at the hospital, replete with the scares and concerns and adjustments. All of which were extensively detailed in Amanda’s last post.

Week 2 has presented new challenges. There were some truly fussy nights, and he still becomes very vocal any time we set him down for longer than three minutes. He isn’t gaining weight as much as everyone would like, so we’ve been changing up the pumping routine and giving him more of the results via bottle. Fortunately, just in time for me to go back to work, Amanda and Jaegermonster came to some new conclusions in the feeding process, and the stress and pain levels were mitigated. Amanda was completely in tears a few times.

He currently nurses for about 45 minutes every two hours, and then there’s either pumping or bottle feeding along with that, plus washing things out and changing diapers more or less each time as well. So Amanda is definitely feeling a bit like a cow, and has to spend almost all her time and attention on him. Thanks to all the support and help we’re getting, and to everyone who emails or calls her to remind her that she is an adult human, and not (just) a baby feeding machine.

Also, also, we’re not big picture takers, but we have been remembering to take a picture or two at every week marker, and I’ve been adding those to the gallery. The latest pictures include a couple from his first real bath, as opposed to the sponge baths he’s gotten so far.

So, hot on the heels of the last post, our little jägermonster (the nickname is an online handle, and those of you who know his actual name can probably see the alliterative connection) entered the world Tuesday morning around 7am.  Baby and parents are doing fine, and family has started coming to meet the new one. Longer posts to follow, but the first round of pictures are available at http://gallery.lebor.net/index.php/Jagermonster , look for more pictures there in the days and weeks ahead.

So, as you probably know, Amanda is due any day now, and we’ll be very soon experiencing the joys and frustrations of going to the hospital and coming home with a bundle of ‘change your life’.  In this context, I’m going to open a few channels and close a few as well.  For starters, I’m putting together a mailing list for communication only on this topic.  Rather than post all over the public web.  Please let me know if you would like to be on this mailing list.  We’ll be sending out news and announcements as well as calls for help.  Because there’s a strong chance we’ll want or need help.  Some of you are already on the list, whether you know it or not.

Along those lines, one of my jobs as Dad is to be the gatekeeper. I’ll be the one who has to tell people that they can’t come over, or that they have to leave.  Don’t take it personally.  Also, we know you’re going to want to see the new youngling, but it would be -really- helpful (and more likely to get me to say yes instead of no) if you can also offer some support in visible or tangible forms. Anyone who brings us a meal, offers to mow the lawn, wash the dishes, do the laundry, or otherwise do a small or not so small errand is going to receive eternal gratitude and more time with us.

Fall, Mortality, and the Machine: Tolkien and Technology – Alan Jacobs – The Atlantic.

 

The above link is to an article discussing one of Tolkein’s enduring bequeaths to Fantasy literature – that technology is the enemy.  This still plays out in literatures and stereotypes today.  How many boffer larpers talk about what they do as a chance to escape modern technology? The SCA has more right to aim for this ethic, as it aims to tackle things from a historical bent, but again there are lots of people who describe it as their opportunity to escape the computers and cell phones, and to portray a fictional character. The dominant element in almost every Fantasy setting (in fact, one of the usual defining elements of the genre) is a world without technology. Not that all fantasy worlds are pastoral and idyllic (Lieber and Martin are clear examples of urban and gritty works), but that somehow, if you include technology you are either ‘Urban Fantasy’ or ‘Sci-Fi’. Or perhaps, ‘Steampunk’ depending on the technology in question.

So, I ask you, help me make a list of Fantasy genre items where Technology is not a banished evil or a hallmark of the enemy.  Off the top of my head, Pratchett’s Discworld embraces technology, although in his characteristic tongue in cheek nature.  Rosenberg’s Guardians of The  Flame starts in a standard world, but with the element of ‘Mundane transported to fantasy world’ addresses the introduction of modern sciences and technologies to a fantasy setting.  Stasheff layers a fantasy world on top of a sci-fi universe in the Warlock series. Piers Anthony has mirrored (almost literally) sci-fi and fantasy worlds in the same books, but in many ways this only serves to reinforce the ‘technology bad, pre-industrial good’ vibe.  Harry Potter likewise uses the notion of pre-industrial/post-industrial as a separator and implies that the post-industrial world is inferior.

Where are the things that can be definitively lumped as Fantasy, but don’t try to claim, outright or through inference, that ours is the wrong world to live in, and that technology is the ruin of all?