I had a splendid time participating in Joss in June: A Conference on the Works of Joss Whedon. It was a truly national event, with presenters from California to New York and everywhere in between, and a very well organized and attended one, to boot. The talks were consistently excellent, and in every session I attended, questions/answers and discussion continued well after the presentations. Two thumbs up! I returned with a couple of news items to share:
The Whedon Studies Association wants you! Here's the information: "We invite all Whedon scholars, whether writers or readers, to join the organization. Please send your name and email address to the WSA's secretary/treasurer Tanya Cochran at wsamembers@gmail.com. Those who enroll in the WSA will receive first notice of new issues of the journal; information about upcoming conferences; shared calls for papers for upcoming books; announcements of association meetings; and more. For anyone who can provide monetary assistance, $25.00 is the suggested contribution for those who are employed full-time; $10.00 is the suggested contribution for those employed less than full-time (presumably most students). However, we invite all devotees of Whedon scholarship to join the association, with or without financial contribution.
There's a new kid in town! The brand new Supernatural Studies Association (SSA) is an international organization dedicated to the study of representations of the supernatural in popular culture, including (but not limited to) film, television, literature, and art. Here is the Call for Papers for the inaugural issue of its multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal, Supernatural Studies.
On a personal note, tremendous and heartfelt thanks to all of my friends who have responded to my call for help in navigating the smartphone jungle. Your kindness has been most helpful and most appreciated! You're the best!
Happy early birthday to 
lynn_maudlin, morningapproach, gods_lil_rocker, bouncybabylemur, splix, divadiane1, fungus_files, markbourne, sunshinedew, knesinka_e, ithildyn, melissagay, faramirgirl, arymetore, caster121, syrcleoftrees, ghislainem70, johnjosephadams, and dear agentxpndble. May all of you enjoy a wonderful one and many happy returns of the day!
And now for your moment of zen...