Just Think About It

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I found another one of the Fantasm buttons a few days ago.  I think it may be my favorite of the bunch, and I've been wearing it for the past couple of days.  I mentioned that some of the buttons are on the edgy side, and this is definitely one of those:

"Klingons don't need ribbed condoms."

Think about it for a few minutes.  And please finish all drinks before you start thinking.  I will not be responsible for anything that might have to be cleaned off your monitor.

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Fantasmic!

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Several years ago, I remember picking up a number of buttons from one table at Chattacon (a convention held in Chattanooga).  This particular table was run by Fantasm, a convention that billed themselves as "the convention your mother warned you about."  (I don't think Fantasm is being held anymore.  If I'm not mistaken, they have been succeeded by another convention called Frolicon.)

The Fantasm buttons were . . . shall we say, just little edgier than most of the buttons you might find at a convention.  And for me, that was part of the attraction.  To give you an example, this one is probably the least edgy of the bunch:

"The gene pool could use some Clorox."

Just imagine what some of the others say.  Or you don't have to; I'll be writing about them sooner or later.

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Neither Has Heinlein, For That Matter

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I came across another button a few days ago, and I've been wearing it.  I definitely need to keep this one close at hand, particularly when I have those occasional bouts of writer's block:

"So I haven't been writing lately.  Neither has Shakespeare."

Unfortunately, no one has done a double take to read this button, at least not yet.  And that's part of the fun of wearing a button like this -- the reaction someone has when they read it.

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The Power Of Imagination

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I've been wearing a button for at two or three weeks now.  I've been meaning to write about it for some time now, but it seems that every time I'm on Blogger, I completely forget about the button, even though it's on my chest.

Well, this time, that's not going to happen.  I've removed it from my shirt for the moment, and sitting on the table right next to my laptop where I can clearly see it.

This is another button that I picked up at a convention many years ago.  And I think what it says is something that just about every fan of SF would readily agree with:

"In the world of words, the imagination is one of the forces of nature."

The imagination is the power that draws us into the genre in the beginning.  What the writer's imagination has produced sparks something in us, and with some of us, urges us into harnessing that force of nature ourselves.

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Whirl Away!

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Earlier this week, I was going by a church near my condo, and I saw the following message on their sign:

"Visualize world peace."

I have seen this sentiment expressed in a number of ways over the years. Besides that sign, I have seen it on buttons, T-shirts, and bumper stickers. I remember that at one place where I worked, a receptionist had the message on her desk. If I'm remembering correctly, it was on a paperweight. I do remember that it was readily seen by anyone walking by her desk.

But I suppose the thing that comes to mind most readily whenever I see that message is something similar that I saw on a button. It was one of dozens upon dozens of buttons that you can find for sale at any SF convention. Most of the messages will, of course, have something to do with the genre -- something like "Captain Archer, why did you just say, 'Oh, boy'?"

But in this case, the message was a somewhat snarky twist on the message above. I will admit, at first, I didn't get it, mainly because I don't think I had seen "Visualize world peace" previously. But the dealer explained it, and I quickly understood. And now, I cannot see that message without this version quickly coming to mind:

"Visualize whirled peas."

Oh, and that receptionist I mentioned? I wrote the alternate version on a sheet of paper, and when I went by her desk, I gestured to her paperweight, saying, "I've got another version of that." I showed her the paper, and she started laughing.

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Way Too Far

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A couple of weeks ago, I found a button that I picked up at a convention . . . well, I'm not completely certain when. Let's just say that it was several years ago. I've been wearing it frequently since I rediscovered it, because it seems rather applicable right now:

"The Bill Of Rights went too far: They should have stopped at 'Congress shall make no Law.'"

As I said, it seems rather applicable, doesn't it?

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What's Really Being Stamped Out?

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Back in January, I wrote about a number of other platforms that just as easily convey the brief sentiments you find in the fortune of a fortune cookie. One of those is the button.

I've picked up dozens of buttons at SF conventions over the years. It's not that hard to do, especially when the dealer prices them like "$2 each, 3 for $5" or some similar discount for multiples. At that point, it becomes a question of how many do I really want to get this time, and once I have a quantity, which ones do I really want?

I was looking through the bag where I keep my buttons, and I decided to wear this one today. It appeals to my admittedly snarky sense of humor:

"HELP STAMP OUT UNICORNS -- walk a virgin home tonight."

The cynical side of me is saying, "Yeah, what are you really wanting to stamp out, pal?" The more or less non-cynical side of me is pretty much in agreement.

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