ChattaCon 2000 Scene Report
Janet D. Miles
Got to see (or meet for the first time) (and please forgive me if I
forgot someone; it was a longish weekend with not quite enough sleep)
(list in alphabetical order, for no particular reason): Anne Marie
Sereg, Badger, Banshee, BarbaraFox, Bill, Carol, CatChild, DemiGod, Dr.
Bill (and Dr. Bill's friend Thorgrim, who really needs to be tracked
down and hauled bodily or virtually into The Place), Jen, Joel, Kat
Dyer, Kate/Weather, Kitten, Lady Cheron, LadyWench, Luria, Mikhail,
Misha, Nerak, Q'vad, Rivka, Robert, Seamus, Skye, StarKnight, TC,
Tirion, Warin. I'm pretty sure I saw someone else from CatChild and
Warin's family, but didn't get a chance to talk with him and don't know
his name :-( .
I arrived late Friday night, and found folks in the lobby, where I had
much fun talking with them. Actually went to bed fairly early, around
midnight or so.
Saturday morning, I woke up early (probably as a result of going to bed
early), and found Kitten & StarKnight & Badger lounging about in the
lobby. We decided to go out for breakfast, and had a very pleasant time
at a Waffle House some distance away.
Saturday lunch was fairly standard for CallahaniFolk: it was like
herding cats. We got a group more or less contiguously gathered, and
set out for Sticky Fingers, a ribs-and-likewise place about a block
away. The food was excellent, as was the service. I took the
opportunity to give Rivka the Thing That Glowed In The Dark, which
turned out, after months of teasing her about it, to be a small plastic
rainbow-colored Slinky. She was amused, I think, and immediately added
it to the head-dress of her Queen Armadillo. No, I'm not going to
attempt to explain that; ask her. Much fun. Dr. Bill is a serious
flirt, by the way, as is Thorgrim.
I went to a panel on Pessimism in SF, which ended up being more about
Pessimism and Optimism in SF Writers, but was kind of cool. Kitten
asked some questions of the panelists and got interesting answers.
There was further hanging about in the lobby and the ConSuite and the
Dealer's Room (which was darned impressive for a small-to-midsize
regional con!). Several people were seduced into buying the incredible
$50 knee-high leather boots. I lusted after the apparently
extremely-well-made bodices, but didn't have upwards of $150 to spend on
one. Plus I'm kind of funny-shaped and would probably need one custom
fitted. I think I've lost weight since I bought the corduroy and
brocade-pattern bodice at Bristol two years ago; it laced up rather more
snugly than I remembered.
Then came dinner. (This is the part that led to my volunteering to
write the scene report.) There were 10 of us. We should have gone with
Kate and DemiGod (did I mention, by the way, that Demi has these
gorgeous long full eyelashes, and looks remarkably good in a long
flowered skirt?), to wherever it was they went, because dinner in the
hotel restaurant was A Disaster Of Not Quite The First Magnitude, But
Damned Close.
Things started out just fine; we were seated and watered ("I am a spider
plant! It is not in my nature to be watered!" "You will be well
watered." "Tal.") Our waiter appeared and took drink orders; after a
bit, he returned and took dinner orders.
In, oh, about 20 minutes, some of the drinks started arriving. The
less-complex ones, like tea (but not refills on water). Perhaps they
needed to send to Columbia for the coffee (tm Robert). About 30 minutes
after that, some of the food began arriving.
Note: some. Robert got a turkey sandwich. Misha's broiled fish had
been pan-fried and was sent back. A couple of other things arrived.
The french fries were cold, and hard enough to bounce. We were hungry;
we ate them anyway.
About 20 minutes later, we realized that *none* of the other food had
arrived (okay, so we're a talkative group). We couldn't attract
anyone's attention. Dr. Bill went to have A Word with somebody. We
were told that our food should be arriving in about five minutes.
It didn't.
Robert suddenly looked up and said, "Wait a minute. Wasn't the Turkey
Manhattan supposed to be a hot, open-face sandwich? This is turkey,
lettuce, and tomato on a croissant."
Banshee replied, "I ordered a turkey BLT -- was that my sandwich?"
Robert checked again. No bacon. And still no other food.
It occurred to somebody, along the way, that once our waiter took our
order, we never saw him again. Hm.
Anyway, Dr. Bill *and* Robert went to Have A Word With Somebody. For
those of you who don't know Dr. Bill and Robert, allow me to digress a
moment for descriptions.
Dr. Bill is large. Not Davo-sized, by any means, but large. He has
these rather piercing eyes. And this smile, which can be delightful or
terrifying, his choice. He's SCAdian, which means he can chew people
out so politely that they don't quite understand what just happened, but
they know they're in trouble. He's military, which means that if the
polite version doesn't work, he has a fallback. And he's a doctor,
which means that he gives off this aura of "you don't want to piss me
off, because I know how to hurt you in at least 13 undetectable ways,
and probably 57 more if I don't *care* whether it shows".
Robert is a near-stereotype: tall, dark, and silent. He does Menacing
extremely well.
I do not ever want either of these gentlemen angry at me.
The manager appeared, and comped our entire table for dinner. And sent
over a bottle of champagne. The rest of the food did eventually arrive;
some of it was even hot. Dr. Bill and Robert finally got their coffee,
too. Joel is an exceptionally good opener and pourer of champagne, with
the full ceremonial aspects.
Best line of the convention: When the manager asked if there was
anything else we wanted, Rivka asked, ever-so-politely, "Would we *get*
it, if we did?"
It being in the neighborhood of 10:00 p.m., we finally got out to the
Masquerade. Whereupon we learned that the entry "Masquerade: 10:00
p.m." in the pocket program meant, "Masquerade pre-judging begins at
10:00 p.m., doors open at 11:00 p.m. or when the judges are ready,
whichever occurs later." Huh? Oh well; we are all resourceful,
intelligent, and creative people; we can find ways to occupy our time
for an hour or so. We decided to go hang out in the bar until about
10:45, then get in line.
Boy, was it crowded in the hotel lobby, as we waited to get in to the
Masquerade. It continued to get crowded, as more people gathered.
A few minutes before 11:00, we heard a calm, firm, just-loud-enough to
be heard voice saying, "Folks, there's a medical emergency, we need you
to move back and make an aisle for the paramedics. Please move back for
the paramedics. There's a medical emergency." People were (in my
opinion, anyway) moving back and making an aisle in good time and good
form; no one was acting panicked. Until some clown decided that a
better way to handle it was to begin shouting "MOVE IT! MOVE IT! MOVE
IT!" For some reason, that seemed to get people milling, rather than
moving all in one direction. Oh well. The paramedics came through;
there was plenty of space for them; and the doors to the Masquerade
finally opened.
I began to worry when I realized that we were missing some folks: Dr.
Bill and Barbara, to be specific. However, if it was Barbara, Dr. Bill
was there; if it was Dr. Bill, Barbara was there; in any case, the
paramedics were there; and it probably wasn't, or someone would have
come to tell the rest of us. I decided not to worry about it.
The Masquerade was, um, uneven. There were some *stunning* costumes
with *fabulous* presentations, there were some really nifty costumes
where the presentation was lacking, there were some great presentations
where the costume was a bit lacking, and there were some that I just
looked at and said, "Huh?" Bill Gawne won "Best Uniform" for his
General Count Piotr Vorkosigon, and Q'Vad won "Best [something I can't
recall at the moment, sorry]" for his scale mail made out of NT and AOL
CD-ROMs.
A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
cattiest.
A-hem.
I think that ChattaCon has pretty much outgrown the Clarion. There were
no, and I mean that seriously, *no* quiet spaces anywhere in the public
space of the hotel after the Masquerade. The restaurant was closed.
The bar was loud and smoky. The ConSuite was *packed*, and loud. The
lobby was packed, and the music from the dance was loud. The meeting
rooms were full of drums and dancing. (Mind you, I'm not complaining
about the dance, or the drums and dancing; I just wanted a slightly
quieter place to sit and talk).
I offered the use of my room, but Nerak was already asleep, so that was
out. Misha and Rivka graciously offered the use of their room, and we
all trooped upstairs, where it was, thank Ghu, quiet. And not smoky.
Conversation, flirting, and cuddling continued until the wee small
hours, and we got to hear the story of the medical emergency
(explanation deferred until the very end of this post, for those who
would rather not know all the details).
We finally broke up around 4:00 a.m. I slept thoroughly until about
9:30 or so, maybe 10:00, then got up and packed and took my stuff out to
the car so Nerak and Tirion could check out and all. A bunch of us hung
out in the lobby, the ConSuite, the Dealers' Room, and so forth, in
varying permutations, until mid-afternoon, with assorted goodbyes and
lots of hugs as people drifted homeward.
All in all, it was a good Con, and I'm glad I went.
JanetM
The explanation of the medical emergency: To avoid the possibility of
libel suits, I'm going to omit the editorial comments as they were
presented, and list just the facts, as best I know them.
A member of the convention, with food allergies from hell and various
other auto-immune disorders, developed an allergic reaction to something
in the hotel restaurant. She used her Epi-Pen, and the reaction did not
abate. Rather than calling 911 from there, since she was already on the
ground floor, she and her friends went back to their room, on the 12th
floor, to see if she could calm down, away from people.
Her condition worsened, and her friends put her into the tub to soak the
hives she was developing, and all of them left to find help.
Dr. Bill and Barbara were in the staircase when the friends came through
crying "Medical Emergency!" Barbara related that she saw, out of the
corner of her eye, Dr. Bill's aura go "whoomp" as he shifted from casual
Saturday night with friends to professional, and I get the impression
that he teleported up the remaining five flights of stairs while Barbara
got to play Border Collie and herd the friends and try to get some
information.
The friends expressed considerable concern, albeit rather ineffectually;
Barbara kept them from getting in the way; and Dr. Bill convinced the
patient that she really did need to let him call 911. The paramedics
arrived, and removed her to the local hospital, where she was apparently
restored to an acceptable condition and kept overnight for observation.
--
Posted by Janet Miles <jmi...@usit.net> <http://www.public.usit.net/jmiles>
"This is Callahan's Place, and it's Callahan's Place because of everyone
who comes in and ensures it stays that way." -- Robert Farquhar, July 15, 1998
Loyal Webcrafter: PenUltimate Productions <http://www.worthlink.net/~ysabet>
Lee S. Billings
>Then came dinner. (This is the part that led to my volunteering to
>write the scene report.) There were 10 of us. We should have gone with
>Kate and DemiGod (did I mention, by the way, that Demi has these
>gorgeous long full eyelashes, and looks remarkably good in a long
>flowered skirt?), to wherever it was they went, because dinner in the
>hotel restaurant was A Disaster Of Not Quite The First Magnitude, But
>Damned Close.
This seems to be par for the course for Chattacon, no matter which hotel it's
in. My advice to people attending is, eat *anywhere* but in the hotel!
>Best line of the convention: When the manager asked if there was
>anything else we wanted, Rivka asked, ever-so-politely, "Would we *get*
>it, if we did?"
<snork!>
>A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
>and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
>a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
>cattiest.
I'd want to know who that went to before I passed judgement; it could have been
snarky teasing between the judges and a contestant/friend who wasn't going to
be hurt by it. That sort of thing has happened at Chattacon before.
>I think that ChattaCon has pretty much outgrown the Clarion. There were
>no, and I mean that seriously, *no* quiet spaces anywhere in the public
>space of the hotel after the Masquerade. The restaurant was closed.
>The bar was loud and smoky. The ConSuite was *packed*, and loud. The
>lobby was packed, and the music from the dance was loud. The meeting
>rooms were full of drums and dancing.
Chattacon outgrew the Clarion about 15 years ago. The problem is, they've also
outgrown (or, in at least one case, been kicked out of) every hotel in the area
that's actually large enough for them, and the Clarion is what they can get. I
used to like to attend Chattacon (except for the smoke problem -- the entire
concom smokes, and they don't give a damn; everything right down to my
underwear would reek by the time I got home!) because of all the friends I'd
see there. For the past few years (even before I moved away) I just plain
haven't wanted to go. It's a shame, because in a better facility it could be a
really outstanding con.
Celine
de Doc
earthlink-hyperspace shunts (For some unknown reason, Earthlink has
decided that alt.callahans doesn't exist. Are y'all feeling ethereal
yet?)... and grins, as he reads...
In article <zriDOPb4b4NCw4iDFUPhDyS++=N...@4ax.com>,
jmi...@usit.net wrote:
> It was a most interesting Con.
well and that it was!
>
> Got to see (or meet for the first time) (and please forgive me if I
> forgot someone; it was a longish weekend with not quite enough sleep)
> (list in alphabetical order, for no particular reason): Anne Marie
> Sereg, Badger, Banshee, BarbaraFox, Bill, Carol, CatChild, DemiGod, Dr.
> Bill (and Dr. Bill's friend Thorgrim, who really needs to be tracked
> down and hauled bodily or virtually into The Place),
well, except for the minor detail that he's in advanced non-com school
for the Army, I s'spect we'll see a goodly bit o him in the future. I
think his attendance at this RS constitutes bodily hauling, certainly...
> Saturday lunch was fairly standard for CallahaniFolk: it was like
> herding cats. We got a group more or less contiguously gathered, and
> set out for Sticky Fingers, a ribs-and-likewise place about a block
> away. The food was excellent, as was the service. I took the
> opportunity to give Rivka the Thing That Glowed In The Dark, which
> turned out, after months of teasing her about it, to be a small plastic
> rainbow-colored Slinky. She was amused, I think, and immediately added
> it to the head-dress of her Queen Armadillo. No, I'm not going to
> attempt to explain that; ask her. Much fun. Dr. Bill is a serious
> flirt, by the way, as is Thorgrim.
Am too.
Are so.
Am too.
Are so...
::grins::
> There was further hanging about in the lobby and the ConSuite and the
> Dealer's Room (which was darned impressive for a small-to-midsize
> regional con!).
Holey smokes it sure was. Mercy!!!! I was multo bene impressed....
>... Several people were seduced into buying the incredible
> $50 knee-high leather boots.
like me. ::smiles::
> Then came dinner.
Oh dear oh me yes....
Hrnggggggg.
> Note: some. Robert got a turkey sandwich. Misha's broiled fish had
> been pan-fried and was sent back. A couple of other things arrived.
> The french fries were cold, and hard enough to bounce.
This is not an exaggeration. They... tinkled... as they bounced off the
table.
It was, in its own grim way, a bit of an epiphany.
> It occurred to somebody, along the way, that once our waiter took our
> order, we never saw him again. Hm.
No, I didn't.
Neither did Robert.
Honest.
;-)
>
> Anyway, Dr. Bill *and* Robert went to Have A Word With Somebody. For
> those of you who don't know Dr. Bill and Robert, allow me to digress a
> moment for descriptions.
>
> Dr. Bill is .....
(snippage of a rather delightful description, to thunderous laughter.)
Janet, may I pull that and post it to a bio on the New, Improved Midnight
Rose site, soon coming to a Galaxy near you (tm)?
With credits and oooglie?
>....He has these rather piercing eyes.
ummm, it's the SWORDS that are... oh, well.
::grin::
> He's military, which means that if the polite version doesn't work, he has a fallback.
\...actually EX Navy now, but oh well. ::smiles::
I kept the... fallbacks.
> Best line of the convention: When the manager asked if there was
> anything else we wanted, Rivka asked, ever-so-politely, "Would we *get*
> it, if we did?"
There was a perilously-close-to-mass kittening at that point.
> A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
> and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
> a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
> cattiest.
>
> A-hem.
s'truth. I really thought that was uncalled for.... Celine may be right;
but it leaves a horrid taste in others' mouths, and is the kind of public
behavior which leads to panels by Costumers' Guild members despairing of
where all the NEW costumers are, since they seem to be scared off by...
something or other.
Hrnggggg.
> I think that ChattaCon has pretty much outgrown the Clarion.
Which is a damn shame. Con hotels which will nonchalantly say "Sure, go
use the parking garage for showing how swordfights are done, thanks for
asking" are not THAT easy to find.
> The explanation of the medical emergency: To avoid the possibility of
> libel suits,
ahem... well... the durn near certainty....
> Dr. Bill and Barbara were in the staircase when the friends came through
> crying "Medical Emergency!" Barbara related that she saw, out of the
> corner of her eye, Dr. Bill's aura go "whoomp" as he shifted from casual
> Saturday night with friends to professional,
Thatb was all the alcohol evaporating...
> and I get the impression
> that he teleported up the remaining five flights of stairs...
I could but only wish. From where I was running it was a LONG trip.
In waistcoat and tight breeches and boots, oh my.
....and all was well, thank the Weaver at the loom.
and despite aura-whooomf, I had a BLAST.
I really REALLY hope I can get to Toronto... there's a hint of a Euro-
trip in the air, evolving, but...
but...
it occured to me that I *really* wish a lot of y'all lived closer.
happy, de DOc
Oh... PS: would any and all who wnated to e-mail me drop me a line at
so I can lock you into the address book?
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Lee S. Billings
>> There was further hanging about in the lobby and the ConSuite and the
>> Dealer's Room (which was darned impressive for a small-to-midsize
>> regional con!).
>
>Holey smokes it sure was. Mercy!!!! I was multo bene impressed....
Something I missed the first time around... I would class Chattacon as a "major
regional". At pushing 2000 members (last I heard), it's bigger than just about
anything else in the Southeast except for DragonCon, which is half media-con.
That may be small-to-medium by East Coast standards, but most of the regionals
in the area (Rivercon, ConStellation, MidSouthCon, DSC, etc.) run more like
700-1000. CoastCon might be bigger, I've never been to that one...
And people go to Chattacon the way they go to Minicon -- that is to say, loaded
for bear -- and the dealers know it, so they fight to get tables there.
Celine
Lissa McCollum
>
> >
> > Got to see (or meet for the first time) (and please forgive me if I
> > forgot someone; it was a longish weekend with not quite enough sleep)
> > (list in alphabetical order, for no particular reason): Anne Marie
> > Sereg, Badger, Banshee, BarbaraFox, Bill, Carol, CatChild, DemiGod, Dr.
> > Bill (and Dr. Bill's friend Thorgrim, who really needs to be tracked
> > down and hauled bodily or virtually into The Place),
>
> well, except for the minor detail that he's in advanced non-com school
> for the Army, I s'spect we'll see a goodly bit o him in the future. I
> think his attendance at this RS constitutes bodily hauling, certainly...
>
in his eye, and heart of gold?
Dr. Bill is a serious
> > flirt, by the way, as is Thorgrim.
>
Got to be the same one. Get him in here. Tell him Gwen says
he can't use her hot tub again until he does. :)
Lissa
(Gwen)
de Doc
> > > ...(and Dr. Bill's friend Thorgrim, who really needs to be tracked
> > > down and hauled bodily or virtually into The Place),
> >
> > well, except for the minor detail that he's in advanced non-com school
> > for the Army, I s'spect we'll see a goodly bit o him in the future. I
> > think his attendance at this RS constitutes bodily hauling, certainly...
> >
> Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr, twinkle
> in his eye, and heart of gold?
tis truth, forsooth.
>
> Got to be the same one. Get him in here. Tell him Gwen says
> he can't use her hot tub again until he does. :)
>
He wants to, Lissa. I just don't know how good his access is whilst in
school....
de Doc, merry
Lee S. Billings
qv...@cdcbetleH.net says...
>
>On 18 Jan 2000 07:12:18 GMT, stard...@mindspring.com (Lee S.
>Billings) wrote:
>>used to like to attend Chattacon (except for the smoke problem -- the entire
>>concom smokes, and they don't give a damn; everything right down to my
>>underwear would reek by the time I got home!) because of all the friends I'd
>
>Sorry, but that's *so* not true. I *know* most of the Board members,
>either personally or by association, and I'd wager that less than half
>of them are smokers. As to whether or not they give a damn, I can't
>really say, but I *do* know that after sitting in on Board meeting
>after Board meeting (around 5 years running now), the smoking issue
>has been a perennial favorite topic of argument.
Well, it seems as if whenever I see a concom member sie has a cigarette in
hand... and favorite topic of argument or no, nothing was ever *done* about the
smoke problem. (It's not the smokers per se, it's that the smoke is inescapable
anywhere in the con -- or at least, that's how it used to be.)
>You might also want to know that the hotel banned smoking in *all*
>public areas of the hotel this year (with the apparent exception of
>the bar) -- and more or less enforced it -- though admittedly the BOD
>had nothing to do with that decision.
I'd heard that. But you're right, that's something imposed from the outside,
not a solution which shows that the concom has given any weight to the concerns
of non-smokers.
>I personally would like to see it moved back to the Read House, but
>better still, to the Convention & Trade Center at the Marriott. Don't
>think that will happen anytime soon, though.
Going back to the Read House would just bring the smoke problem back again --
even if they'd take the con back, after the "radioactivity" incident which was
what caused the hotel to kick them out the last time.
And IIRC, the Convention Center doesn't want the con either -- something about
kids tearing up the elevators the one year it was there.
I hate to sound so negative, but Chattacon is a potentially good con with a
couple of *huge* problems it's never been able to solve. One is the smoke, and
the other is the local high-school kids running wild there. If they could ever
get a handle on those two issues, it would be a lot more fun.
Celine
Janet Miles
> de Doc looks up from under the console of the Rose, muttering about
> earthlink-hyperspace shunts (For some unknown reason, Earthlink has
> decided that alt.callahans doesn't exist. Are y'all feeling ethereal
> yet?)... and grins, as he reads...
Doc, I am *way* too large to ever feel ethereal. But thanks anyway :-).
> In article <zriDOPb4b4NCw4iDFUPhDyS++=N...@4ax.com>, JanetM wrote:
>> Note: some. Robert got a turkey sandwich. Misha's broiled fish had
>> been pan-fried and was sent back. A couple of other things arrived.
>> The french fries were cold, and hard enough to bounce.
> This is not an exaggeration. They... tinkled... as they bounced off the
> table.
Did not. They clanked.
> It was, in its own grim way, a bit of an epiphany.
I don't quite get this one?
>> Dr. Bill is .....
> (snippage of a rather delightful description, to thunderous laughter.)
> Janet, may I pull that and post it to a bio on the New, Improved Midnight
> Rose site, soon coming to a Galaxy near you (tm)?
> With credits and oooglie?
But of course! And thank you. And glad you weren't offended :-) . Um,
what's an "oooglie"?
> so I can lock you into the address book?
Done, under separate cover (no, dammit, that's *not* what I meant! <grin>)
JanetM
--
Posted by Janet Miles (jmi...@usit.net) <www.public.usit.net/jmiles>
Loyal Webcrafter: PenUltimate Productions <www.worthlink.net/~ysabet>
and SSBB DC <magenta.com/lmnop/users/xlator/ssbbcorps.html>
Member: SSBB Diplomatic Corps -- East Tennessee
Bill Gawne
Celine:
> >This seems to be par for the course for Chattacon, no matter which hotel it's
> >in. My advice to people attending is, eat *anywhere* but in the hotel!
Q'vad:
> Yup. She's right there. I've *never* had a good eating experience in
> the Clarion's restaurant...
We did, last year. Which made this year that much more disappointing.
> and there's a *lot* of alternatives within a short walking distance.
Which is fine for those who can walk those short distances. Problem
is that Skye, for one, can't. If the hotel resturant can't be depended
upon for decent food, served in reasonable time, it's a major reason
for us to give it a pass in the future.
> >>A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
> >>and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
> >>a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
> >>cattiest.
>
> >I'd want to know who that went to before I passed judgement; it could have been
> >snarky teasing between the judges and a contestant/friend who wasn't going to
> >be hurt by it. That sort of thing has happened at Chattacon before.
>
> No one I recognized, which isn't exactly saying anything.
She was not a friend of the judges. She was standing near me, and I'd
been complimenting her on that beautiful batik and velvet cloak she
was trying to present. The award was just plain mean, and I was sore
tempted to give her mine and then walk off stage. I didn't, but I'm
not sure now if I made the right decision or not. Somebody should have
done something immediate and unquestionable to make clear that kind of
nastiness was uncalled for.
For myself, I won't be participating in another Chattacon masquerade.
--
Bill Gawne, in Callahan's as in real life. <ga...@abs.net>
Astronomer at Large - Retired Master Sergeant USMCR - Nothing I
post represents an official position of any organization.
On the web: http://www.pha.jhu.edu/~gawne
Bill Gawne
Q'vaD:
[about the Masquerade starting late]
> Welcome to Chattacon programming. }}:->
Bill bites back his initial comment, and instead asks "How might I
most effectively contact the comcon? There's no point in subjecting
you to our collective ire, but the more I think about it, the more
peeved I get about this past weekend."
[...]
> >A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
> >and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
> >a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
> >cattiest.
> Probably an inside joke.
A damned inappropriate one, all things considered.
> You also have to remember that the MC, one
> Charles L. Grant, tends to add his own ad-libbed comments, independent
> of the judges...and he tends towards the sarcastic.
Sarcasm is a fine art. Perhaps it's time for another announcer?
Then again, what do I care? I won't be dealing with him, nor with that
passel of yahoos. But I suppose it would be nice for whomever does,
in the future.
> I think the reason the rest of the hotel was so packed and noisy was
> that there was no place else for them to go. The consuite layout this
> year was, IMO, horrible.
I'd agree. It was.
> I won't go into the different reasons why it
> was laid out the way it was (insomuch as I know, mostly it was
> hearsay), but there simply wasn't enough room for all the people who
> would normally have been hanging out there.
Not only that, but access was wretched. You couldn't get into the
room without having to push through a mob, and then you couldn't
get out again. No thanks.
> I really miss the earlier years -- both at the Read House and the
> Clarion (when we had use of the college next door) -- when the
> consuite was one big room...and the ceilings were high enough and the
> ventilation good enough to keep both the smokers and nonsmokers
> reasonably happy.
Well, if they ever get something like that again, maybe some folks
who've decided it's not worth it anymore will be back.
Considering the expenses involved, it is a whole LOT of annoyance for
me to put up with. There are a lot of people I see at Chattacon whom
I like, and I'll regret not seeing them, but right now I just can't
quite see the point of spending a long weekend travelling that far,
and spending that much, for what we got.
Lissa McCollum
> > Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr, twinkle
> > in his eye, and heart of gold?
>
> tis truth, forsooth.
>
> >
> > Got to be the same one. Get him in here. Tell him Gwen says
> > he can't use her hot tub again until he does. :)
> >
> He wants to, Lissa. I just don't know how good his access is whilst in
> school....
>
> de Doc, merry
No problem. I don't expect him back out Phoenix way until
Estrella 2001, so I'm giving him plenty of leeway. But the
threat ought to make him smile at least.
Lissa
(Don't cross me...*I* have a hot tub!)
de Doc
> > >>A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
> > >>and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
> > >>a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
> > >>cattiest.
> >
> > >I'd want to know who that went to before I passed judgement; it could have been
> > >snarky teasing between the judges and a contestant/friend who wasn't going to
> > >be hurt by it. That sort of thing has happened at Chattacon before.
> >
> > No one I recognized, which isn't exactly saying anything.
>
> She was not a friend of the judges. She was standing near me, and I'd
> been complimenting her on that beautiful batik and velvet cloak she
> was trying to present. The award was just plain mean, and I was sore
> tempted to give her mine and then walk off stage. I didn't, but I'm
> not sure now if I made the right decision or not. Somebody should have
> done something immediate and unquestionable to make clear that kind of
> nastiness was uncalled for.
sigh. The problem is that this kind of wretched rudeness is just...
well... shocking. It takes one aback.
>
> For myself, I won't be participating in another Chattacon masquerade.
Oh dear. That'd...
damn.
de Doc
Lissa McCollum
>
> >Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr, twinkle
> >in his eye, and heart of gold?
>
> >he can't use her hot tub again until he does. :)
>
>
> Thane Dawson
> s.k.a. Master Thorgrim Steinarsonn, O.P.
> Provost of the Royal Guild of Fence, West
> and Provost of the Black Wing Company, Artemisia
*POUNCEhugsnugglewriggle!!!*
Glad you made it. You are now back in good
hot tub graces. :) Buy you a drink?
Lissa
Neil
>It was a most interesting Con.
That it was!
<snip>
>Then came dinner. (This is the part that led to my volunteering to
>write the scene report.) There were 10 of us. We should have gone with
>Kate and DemiGod (did I mention, by the way, that Demi has these
>gorgeous long full eyelashes, and looks remarkably good in a long
>flowered skirt?), to wherever it was they went, because dinner in the
>hotel restaurant was A Disaster Of Not Quite The First Magnitude, But
>Damned Close.
Kate, DemiGod, Demitri and I went to a Chinese/Japanese
place a few blocks from the hotel. The only spot to stand while
waiting for a table (about 25 minutes) was right in front of the
doorway, but it was fine otherwise.
>I think that ChattaCon has pretty much outgrown the Clarion. There were
>no, and I mean that seriously, *no* quiet spaces anywhere in the public
>space of the hotel after the Masquerade. The restaurant was closed.
>The bar was loud and smoky. The ConSuite was *packed*, and loud. The
>lobby was packed, and the music from the dance was loud. The meeting
>rooms were full of drums and dancing. (Mind you, I'm not complaining
>about the dance, or the drums and dancing; I just wanted a slightly
>quieter place to sit and talk).
I went to what was supposed to be the filk session. Someone had
the bright idea of putting the filkers (most of whom specialized in
quiet Celtic styles) and the drum enthusiasts in the SAME ROOM,
with a retractable partition down the middle.
We moved the partition aside, and tried to combine events,
alternating song and drum sets. The drummers wound up
carrying a beat during the songs, which ranged from an
interesting effect to a bloody nuisance, depending on the
strength of the singers' voices. I left early.
>All in all, it was a good Con, and I'm glad I went.
Same here; I was glad of the chance to meet so many folx in RL.
Luria
(Remove <ical> to E-Mail)
____________________
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds
new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny..."
- Isaac Asimov
Thane Dawson
Rebecca Schoenberg
: Janet wrote:
:>It was a most interesting Con.
: That it was!
"Seconded, or thirded, or wherever in the list I happen to be.
"I've noticed a few people pointing out the problems with the con, and I
agree that it wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination.... one
particular scene of being half-chased through the consuite by a drunk guy
waving a purple wax dildo and shouting 'Oh no, another redhead, grab her!'
springs to mind....
"But all in all, I didn't exactly go there for the con itself. I went
to see friends that I don't get to visit near often enough, and to find
new friends, and generally run away from the outside world for a little
while to revel in a place where I can be as I please without having to
worry about dress codes and homework and schedules and deadlines.
"And, for that, I had the time of my life. I'm so glad I went, and I owe
Luria several songs of praise for posting in time for me to figure out how
to get there, and for ferrying me down (not to mention also for having a
very comfy sofa, a book collection that strikes awe into my heart, and a
wicked sense of humor).
"I spent way too much money in the dealer's room. I flirted with strangers.
And friends. I danced to some truly wonderful music, with even more
wonderful partners. I got the only hot french fries at dinner. I spent a
wonderful weekend. And while I could have done that without the con, maybe,
I'm glad it was there."
-banshee, wondering if maybe trying for an a.c gathering at Arisia
next year might be a valid alternative if the problems are too...
problematic at Chattacon
Rebecca Schoenberg
: >Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr, twinkle
:>in his eye, and heart of gold?
:>Got to be the same one. Get him in here. Tell him Gwen says
:>he can't use her hot tub again until he does. :)
: Already here!!! Hiya Gwen!!
A small elfin girl dressed in patchwork velvet looks up from a stack of
Microbiology notes (damn reality intervening in my fun-time!) and grins
happily. "Hi! I'm glad you made it here - I think you'll like it a
lot...."
-banshee, still readjusting to reality
pleasereadthesig@thebottomtoreply
>It was a most interesting Con.
"You got that right." The grizzly grins wide enough that his*tonsils*
show -- never mind the back teeth.
>Got to see (or meet for the first time) (and please forgive me if I
>forgot someone; it was a longish weekend with not quite enough sleep)
>(list in alphabetical order, for no particular reason): Anne Marie
>Sereg, Badger, Banshee, BarbaraFox, Bill, Carol, CatChild, DemiGod, Dr.
>Bill (and Dr. Bill's friend Thorgrim, who really needs to be tracked
>down and hauled bodily or virtually into The Place), Jen, Joel, Kat
>Dyer, Kate/Weather, Kitten, Lady Cheron, LadyWench, Luria, Mikhail,
>Misha, Nerak, Q'vad, Rivka, Robert, Seamus, Skye, StarKnight, TC,
>Tirion, Warin. I'm pretty sure I saw someone else from CatChild and
>Warin's family, but didn't get a chance to talk with him and don't know
>his name :-( .
"We actually had several members of the family there, including
Catchild's heartsister -- and if anyone at the con heard her name,
please don't repeat it on the newsgroup, as she is in the process of
filing for divorce and *doesn't* need the headaches -- Catchild's OSO,
who goes by Ebon at most cons but, for reasons known best to him, as
Darken at this one, and Ebon's roommate Dragon, who had the digital
camera -- and of course, it had dead batteries the only time Banshee
had on the Infamous Chainmail Bikini." <nudges Banshee> "See, it's
not just my camera."
>dinner in the
>hotel restaurant was A Disaster Of Not Quite The First Magnitude, But
>Damned Close.
"Things didn't improve much from lunch, I take it. I had to ask twice
for lemon wedges for water, mustard for a sandwich, and fries that
should have been on the plate *with* the sandwich -- and that was just
me out of a party of five, and for a simple lunch when the restaurant
was nearly empty."
>Boy, was it crowded in the hotel lobby, as we waited to get in to the
>Masquerade. It continued to get crowded, as more people gathered.
"It was crowded in the hote, all weekendl, nevermind the lobby before
the Masquerade. I didn't do a lot of 'con stuff -- I was too busy
doing a lot of friend stuff -- but I noticed enough that I avoided the
elevators at peak hours, and I was staying on the twelfth floor."
>I think that ChattaCon has pretty much outgrown the Clarion. There were
>no, and I mean that seriously, *no* quiet spaces anywhere in the public
>space of the hotel after the Masquerade. The restaurant was closed.
>The bar was loud and smoky. The ConSuite was *packed*, and loud. The
>lobby was packed, and the music from the dance was loud. The meeting
>rooms were full of drums and dancing. (Mind you, I'm not complaining
>about the dance, or the drums and dancing; I just wanted a slightly
>quieter place to sit and talk).
"Unfortunately, 'con' to a lot of people means 'place to inflict one's
kinks on others, whether the like it or not.' The next apartment over
from ours turned into, as someone put it later, 'Ass-Whipping Central'
at about four a.m., which was not the most pleasant way for Catchild
to wake up.
"I should stress that the excesses and inconveniences that I, and I
think that Janet, have mentioned, are not indicative of the way *most*
of the fen behaved. Nevertheless, I would rather meet friends outside
a 'con context, under the circumstances."
>All in all, it was a good Con, and I'm glad I went.
"I'm glad you went too, and I'm glad I went as well."
Warin (boyohboyohboy am I glad <vbg>)
--
Warin the grizzly bear and Catchild the smallish black panther
If you want us to see your e-mail, send it to:
castillano*at*mindspring*dot*com
Remember -- only YOU can prevent spamfires!
Thane Dawson
>wonderful partners.
As one of those partners, I have to agree with the above statement....wonderful
music and a truly wonderful partner!! =)
Thane Dawson
>for the Army, I s'spect we'll see a goodly bit o him in the future. I
>think his attendance at this RS constitutes bodily hauling, certainly...
For those who are interested, I'm a Sergeant First Class in the Army, and I'm
currently at Ft. Gordon, GA for ANCOC...Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer's
Course (Telecommunications Systems Chief - 31W).
>Dr. Bill is a serious
>> flirt, by the way, as is Thorgrim.
That's me!! ::grins::
> Several people were seduced into buying the incredible
>> $50 knee-high leather boots.
>
Ditto!! They're great!
>...actually EX Navy now, but oh well. ::smiles::
We won't hold that against you, Doc!!
>hich is a damn shame. Con hotels which will nonchalantly say "Sure, go
>use the parking garage for showing how swordfights are done, thanks for
>asking" are not THAT easy to find.
Ain't that the truth!! The fencing was great, even the two wonderful bruises I
have to show for it!!
I had a great time at the con, which was my anniverery con (first one was in
1987). Didn't have my usual con costumes with me, but no matter! I was warmly
welcomed by members of Callahans and can't wait to see you all again!!
Gotta close now...need to get some sleep...PT formation is at 5AM.
Nitey-nite!
bet...@earthlink.net
> Got to see (or meet for the first time) (and please forgive me if I
> forgot someone; it was a longish weekend with not quite enough sleep)
> (list in alphabetical order, for no particular reason): Anne Marie
> Sereg, Badger, Banshee, BarbaraFox, Bill, Carol, CatChild, DemiGod,
Dr.
> Bill (and Dr. Bill's friend Thorgrim, who really needs to be tracked
> down and hauled bodily or virtually into The Place)
I missed Thane (Thorgrim)?????? Hellfire, damn and spit! If'n I'd
known da boy was gonna be dere, I woulda gots myself a plane out there,
I woulda!
> Dr. Bill is a serious flirt, by the way, as is Thorgrim.
Yes. They. Are. (fondly remembering the hug/kiss/earpurrs/backscritch
she got from Thane when she left Great Western War. And the lovely rose
favor as well....I regret I could not stay for the bouquet tourney he
was sponsoring)
> There was further hanging about in the lobby and the ConSuite and the
> Dealer's Room (which was darned impressive for a small-to-midsize
> regional con!). Several people were seduced into buying the
incredible
> $50 knee-high leather boots.
Go ahead, Dr.Bill, say it -- "How come you gals get all the COOL boots?"
> Dr. Bill is large. Not Davo-sized, by any means, but large. He has
> these rather piercing eyes. And this smile, which can be delightful
> or terrifying, his choice. He's SCAdian, which means he can chew
> people out so politely that they don't quite understand what just
> happened,
> they know they're in trouble. He's military, which means that if the
> polite version doesn't work, he has a fallback. And he's a doctor,
> which means that he gives off this aura of "you don't want to piss me
> off, because I know how to hurt you in at least 13 undetectable ways,
> and probably 57 more if I don't *care* whether it shows".
That wraps it up and sticks the bow on top! :>
> Dr. Bill and Barbara were in the staircase when the friends came
through
> crying "Medical Emergency!" Barbara related that she saw, out of the
> corner of her eye, Dr. Bill's aura go "whoomp" as he shifted from
casual
> Saturday night with friends to professional, and I get the impression
> that he teleported up the remaining five flights of stairs
Been there. Seen that. Glad not to see it terribly often.
Glad everyone had a great time!
BetN...grumph...I missed Thane...grumph....
--
BetN -- NEVER parry with your head
bet...@earthlink.net
Lissa McCollum <lis...@primenet.com> wrote:
> Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr, twinkle
> in his eye, and heart of gold?
DAMN! Lissa, you and I have some bizarre SCA Sixth Degree of Separation
Thang goin on here.
Jay (Johannes)
Gary (Giacomo)
Thane (Thorgrim)
Dat's three for three! You and I have GOT to meet sometime to swap
stories in person!
> Dr. Bill is a serious
> > > flirt, by the way, as is Thorgrim.
> Got to be the same one.
I can assure you it is, having been a purr recepient on several
occasions.
> Get him in here. Tell him Gwen says
> he can't use her hot tub again until he does. :)
Oh, she outranks me! I don't yet have my hot tub.
BetN, laughing at how the UNIVERSE IS SHRINKING...
--
BetN -- NEVER parry with your head
de Doc
> > There was further hanging about in the lobby and the ConSuite and the
> > Dealer's Room (which was darned impressive for a small-to-midsize
> > regional con!). Several people were seduced into buying the
> incredible
> > $50 knee-high leather boots.
>
> Go ahead, Dr.Bill, say it -- "How come you gals get all the COOL boots?"
Not this time.
They had some that fit me.
::smug::
de Doc sartorial
Rebecca Schoenberg
:>I danced to some truly wonderful music, with even more
:>wonderful partners.
: As one of those partners, I have to agree with the above statement....
: wonderful music and a truly wonderful partner!! =)
"Why, thank you, kind sir! You know, MarCon has some of the best dances I've
seen at cons, and it's right over a vacation weekend....."
-banshee, also desperately on the lookout for SCA dancing events....
it's been too long....
Barbara C Bell
>Already here!!! Hiya Gwen!!
>
And BarbaraFox lets out a shriek of glee.
She launches herself with deadly precision
and friendly intent towards Thane.
The Raven Haired One administers a
Plus Five Hug of Wenchly Welcome.
"This is the Place... one of the finest
hangouts in the Multi-verses. let me get you a drink while you look around...."
posted and emailed
"...for there is hope in two women, help in three women, strength in
four, joy in five, power in six and against seven, no gate may stand."
Sheri S. Tepper "Gibbon's Decline and Fall"
Janet Miles
> "But all in all, I didn't exactly go there for the con itself. I went
> to see friends that I don't get to visit near often enough, and to find
> new friends, and generally run away from the outside world for a little
> while to revel in a place where I can be as I please without having to
> worry about dress codes and homework and schedules and deadlines.
Good point. What she said. Well, except for the part about a dress code;
fortunately, that's not a problem for me where I work.
> -banshee, wondering if maybe trying for an a.c gathering at Arisia
> next year might be a valid alternative if the problems are too...
> problematic at Chattacon
"Ooooh," says Janet, as her eyes begin to glow happily. "Arisia..."
JanetM
seeing a possible way out of a potential scheduling conflict, here
--
Bernadette Krebs-Crumb
wrote:
SNIP
>"I should stress that the excesses and inconveniences that I, and I
>think that Janet, have mentioned, are not indicative of the way *most*
>of the fen behaved. Nevertheless, I would rather meet friends outside
>a 'con context, under the circumstances."
One convention that I highly recommend for friend contact is Darkover
Grand Council held in Timonium, MD over Labor Day weekend. It's not a
stresser convention at all... while there is programming and author
talks and a masquerade and dance and lots of huckstering, it's not a
"crowded" convention in terms of numbers or scheduling. It was the
first con I've gone to in over 20 years of attending cons that I came
home less stressed than I arrived. In fact, it was so good that I got
comments on my obvious mental well-being for two full weeks
afterwards. :) (Of course the mental and emotional high of singing
soprano in the Halleluia Chorus might have had something to do with it
too!)
And best of all, I got to meet Bill Gawne while I was there, and first
encountered a Goodwench in the hallway. :)
THAT'S why I showed up here when I did. :)
Bernadette
The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking.
-- Christopher Morley
Solomon Fernblatt
of
what you did at Kelda and my wedding party should you have not shown
up here on AC.... LOL you adorable blonde with the twinkle in your eye,
you...
Tom/tomo/badger/fernblatt
( pick a name any name )
By the way, I wouldnt dare tell that story here, since most of the folks
that
have made it to the Nashville area RS's have heard it dozens of times
anyway.
*giggle*
> >Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr, twinkle
> >in his eye, and heart of gold?
>
Bill Gawne
> One convention that I highly recommend for friend contact is Darkover
> Grand Council held in Timonium, MD over Labor Day weekend.
Thanksgiving weekend, actually. But do go on...
> It's not a
> stresser convention at all...
Well... not for most people. We had a few exceptions to that this
year, but fortunately it seems to have been pretty well contained.
> while there is programming and author
> talks and a masquerade and dance and lots of huckstering, it's not a
> "crowded" convention in terms of numbers or scheduling.
That's due, at least in part, to Jaelle's insistance on selling only
600 memberships each year. Keeps it from getting overcrowded.
[...]
> And best of all, I got to meet Bill Gawne while I was there, and first
> encountered a Goodwench in the hallway. :)
>
> THAT'S why I showed up here when I did. :)
So, I guess that means I'm responsible for you being here?
Honored ma'am.
Bill Gawne
Banshee:
> "I've noticed a few people pointing out the problems with the con, and I
> agree that it wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination....
"True... and as I said in my first response to Q'vaD, there was a lot
of good stuff that happened for me this past weekend too." Bill
assures his favorite technicolor goth elf.
> "But all in all, I didn't exactly go there for the con itself. I went
> to see friends that I don't get to visit near often enough, and to find
> new friends, and generally run away from the outside world for a little
> while to revel in a place where I can be as I please without having to
> worry about dress codes and homework and schedules and deadlines.
"Yep. Yep yep yep."
> I flirted with strangers.
> And friends.
*Grin* "Why yes, you did."
> I danced to some truly wonderful music, with even more
> wonderful partners.
"This dance partner was delighted to have the opportunity. Dancing
with you is a great goodness."
--
Bill Gawne, in Callahan's as in real life. <ga...@pha.jhu.edu> |
BlkDragyn
I'd hafta agree here, Doc.....We won't hold it against you, but I imagine some
of the ladies will......<EG>
Freyja
Bernadette Krebs-Crumb <kere...@ptd.net> wrote in message
news:38864c9a...@news.ptdprolog.net...
| One convention that I highly recommend for friend contact is
Darkover
| Grand Council held in Timonium, MD over Labor Day weekend. It's
not a
| stresser convention at all... while there is programming and
author
| talks and a masquerade and dance and lots of huckstering, it's not
a
| "crowded" convention in terms of numbers or scheduling. It was
the
| first con I've gone to in over 20 years of attending cons that I
came
| home less stressed than I arrived. In fact, it was so good that I
got
| comments on my obvious mental well-being for two full weeks
| afterwards. :) (Of course the mental and emotional high of singing
| soprano in the Halleluia Chorus might have had something to do
with it
| too!)
I thought I saw you in our section! Great acoustics around the
pool, yes?
(Note to self: scan the fragging pics now that the film's been
developed!)
--
Freyja the NurseWench
(de-spam e-mail)
http://pagina.de/eclecticeel
ICQ:9582706 AIM:FreyjaNurseWench
BlkDragyn
I have seen the outfits in which you clothe yourself, and I doubt that they
would ever be called patchwork..=:)
FruWench
ladywench
*going back into hiding*
"Music not danced to is music wasted." - Eileen Ivers, PFF 38
FruSpace - We came, we saw, we slept on the floor . . .
Rebecca Schoenberg
: Rebecca Schoenberg wrote:
:>
:> MarCon has some of the best dances I've
:> seen at cons, and it's right over a vacation weekend.....
: "When is it, pray tell? I managed to miss it last year, and it's
: practically in my back yard."
"It's... um.... Whatsis Weekend." The small elfin girl pauses for a moment
to flip through her Weekly World News page-a-day calendar. "Memorial Day
Weekend. I'll be in clinics, but it's close enough to school that I can
still go, even if only after I'm done for the day..."
: C-Hawk
: (who still needs to get around to actually meeting Banshee one
: of these days....)
"Actually, I'm just a figment of all of your collective imaginations...." :)
-banshee, who figures y'all are creative enough that this just might
be possible
Rebecca Schoenberg
:>A small elfin girl dressed in patchwork velvet
: I have seen the outfits in which you clothe yourself, and I doubt that they
: would ever be called patchwork..=:)
Banshee quirks an eyebrow at the gentleman, then stands up, stretches, and
moves to stand under the Light of Reality. The points fade away from her
ears and teeth, revealing a smallish human girl of slight build, dressed
in a black velvet bodysuit and an ankle-length skirt of rainbow-colored
patchwork velvet and brocade.
"You saw my con costumes. I can't dress like that every day; if nothing
else I'd freeze to death. Besides, what's the point in dressing up when
there's no audience?" :)
-banshee, who also feels that some costumes lose their impact
when overused....
Rebecca Schoenberg
: Janet Miles wrote:
:>
:> > -banshee, wondering if maybe trying for an a.c gathering
:> > problems are too... problematic at Chattacon
:>
:> "Ooooh," says Janet, as her eyes begin to glow happily. "Arisia..."
: "Oh, my, yes! Could I put in my vote for Arisia, too?"
: C-Hawk
: (but only if the folks I wanted to see at Chattacon are going)
"Well, I for one adore Arisia and miss it desperately. And if there's going
to be a concerted effort to go there, I may be able to wheedle the time out
of clinics to get there. No promises, but I would dearly love to be able to
go again...."
-banshee, who thinks Arisia is the best con she has ever been to,
with the possible exception of WorldCon
Thane Dawson
>of
>what you did at Kelda and my wedding party
So NOW I understand why everyone was telling me that they had heard of me!!
I didn't even know that you were part of Callahans!!! Well..I guess I'm here
now, so when are you gonna buy me a drink!!!
Thane Dawson
>600 memberships each year. Keeps it from getting overcrowded.
Is this the same Jaelle who is associated with Baroness Nataliia???
Earl P. Jones
>
> -banshee, also desperately on the lookout for SCA dancing events....
> it's been too long....
Well, Meridies has Saltare coming up next month, but somehow I suspect that
making it down to Birmingham, Alabama might require more than mere
desperation.
Owen ap Morgan
Thane Dawson
>> -banshee, also desperately on the lookout for SCA dancing
>events....
>> it's been too long....
>
>Well, Meridies has Saltare coming up next month, but somehow I suspect that
>making it down to Birmingham, Alabama might require more than mere
>desperation.
As long as I don't end up working that weekend, I should be attending
Saltare...I was a Journeyman prior to my moving out west.
If you don't make it, Banshee, we'll know that you are there in spirit!
Rebecca Schoenberg
:>> -banshee, also desperately on the lookout for SCA dancing
:>events....
:>> it's been too long....
:>
:>Well, Meridies has Saltare coming up next month, but somehow I suspect that
:>making it down to Birmingham, Alabama might require more than mere
:>desperation.
: As long as I don't end up working that weekend, I should be attending
: Saltare...I was a Journeyman prior to my moving out west.
: If you don't make it, Banshee, we'll know that you are there in spirit!
"Thank you... while it would be wonderful, Alabama is a bit of a hike, and
Chattacon was my official One Slack-off Weekend that I allow myself each
quarter. Oh well....
"What sort of event is it, IYDMMA? If I'm going to not-go, I might as well
know what I'm not-going to....."
-banshee, mourning the fact that the one local event she knows about
is the same weekend as the Regional Veterinary Medical Conference
Bill Gawne
Me, earlier:
> >That's due, at least in part, to Jaelle's insistance on selling only
> >600 memberships each year. Keeps it from getting overcrowded.
Thane:
> Is this the same Jaelle who is associated with Baroness Nataliia???
Likely so. Very large lass, with long black hair and brown eyes?
Laurel Herald?
--
Bill Gawne, in Callahan's as in real life. <ga...@abs.net>
Bernadette Krebs-Crumb
That's what I get for trying to read and respond in here and cook
dinner at the same time! :)
Beth Jackson
>>>>wondering if maybe trying for
>>>>an a.c gathering at Arisia
>>>>next year might be
>>>>a valid alternative if
>>>>the problems are too...
>>>>problematic
>>>>at Chattacon
>>>"Ooooh," >>>says Janet,
>>>as her eyes begin to glow happily.
>>>"Arisia..."
>>"Oh, >>my, >>yes!
>>Could I put in my vote for Arisia,
>>too?"
>>
>>C-Hawk
>>(but only if the folks
>>I wanted to see at Chattacon
>>are going)
Canary blushes her admitted ignorance:
Ummm... err... oh, all right; <sigh> {{:-\
Where *is* Arisia, anyway?
Is it closer to North Carolina than Chattanooga is (where, I suspect
strongly, "Chattacon" was held...;-) ?
--Canary,
who admittedly goes to **very** few 'Cons
{:-\
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the Canvas Canary
(Visit my website:-)
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/canvascanary/
DJ
[]--Canary,
[] who admittedly goes to **very** few 'Cons
[]{:-\
I go to very few as well. I've been to one WorldCon where I met
kitten, and a few dozen other folks. And I've been to Disclave once.
Relaxacons aren't exactly my thing. And while I've been to CoastCon,
in Biloxi, MS, off and on since 1982, I'll probably give it a miss
this year, even though we do have, according to the unofficial
mailing list, some fine guests.
D.J.
--
D.J. as djim55 at datasync dotty com Disclaimer: Standard
No boing in replyto. Updated Web pages January 19, 2000:
http://www.crosswinds.net/~djim51/
mirror site: http://www.datasync.com/~djim55/welcome.html
Lee S. Billings
canvas...@webtv.net says...
>Canary blushes her admitted ignorance:
>
>Ummm... err... oh, all right; <sigh> {{:-\
>Where *is* Arisia, anyway?
>Is it closer to North Carolina than Chattanooga is (where, I suspect
>strongly, "Chattacon" was held...;-) ?
Arisia is in Boston, usually the first or second weekend in January.
Celine (HTH!)
Bill Gawne
The Canvas Canary asked:
> Where *is* Arisia, anyway?
The Marine at the end of the bar looks over at the tall redhaired
woman clad in grey leather, and they exchange smiles.
"The convention called Arisia is in Boston." Bill answers,
to address the intent of the Canary's question.
"But Arisia itself," Connie Kinnison adds. "Even the best minds
of the Galactic Patrol never quite knew exactly where to find
it. The Arisians would call us there, and give us coordinates,
but memories were vague and conflicting afterward."
She looks around, noticing that some few people are listening.
"The Arisians were the race, old in our reckoning even when this
Earth was young, who developed humankind into the race that
produced my parents, Kimball and Clarissa Kinnison." she says,
looking off into some far distant place.
"Edward Elmer Smith, may he rest in peace, wrote of them. His
stories were idealized. Sometimes even quaint. He saw my parents
in a kind of golden heroic light that nobody could ever really
maintain - though I think they came closer than most." her voice
catches a bit, and for a moment some flicker of a much younger
girl seems to be there.
"So, if you would seek Arisia, you might want to read those
books - called by some The Lensman Series, and by others The
Chronicles of Civilization." Connie explains.
Then she turns back to the bar, picks up her drink, and sips
quietly. Her thoughts years and parsecs away...
--
Bill Gawne, in Callahan's as in real life. <ga...@pha.jhu.edu> |
Barbara C Bell
>
>C-Hawk
>(but only if the folks I wanted to see at Chattacon are going)
BarbaraFox says quietly, "If it conflicts with
Chattacon, we will not be there. Chattacon is our one chance a year to see some
of our fen-friends. I have been to the last 6 or 7 Chattacons and other members
of our
family have been to more than that. So,
if a RS at another con goes on the same weekend... well, ya'l have fun, and I
will
miss you."
She sighs and shrugs, "I know it wasn't
perfect but I do think that its hardly the only con I have ever attended where
there were
some problems. Hell's bells, ya'll... I worked concom for the CoastCon that
shared convertion space with the Van Halen concert. I survived NolaCon. This
was piddly stuff."
Dave Kifer
...in a very good place. I was most pleased to discover that I could
replace those very old, very ragged, near-destroyed paperback books with
a brand-new hardcover 2-volume collection of the entire E.E. "Doc"
Smith "Lensman Series" from the Science Fiction Book Club. If you're
looking to replace old books, or want to read them for the first time,
try the SFBC. They're online at:
http://www.sfbc.com/
Disclaimer: I'm just a very happy customer, nothing more.
Dave [p&e]
"Tam multi libri, tam breve tempus!"
(Et brevis pecunia.) [Et breve spatium.]
Lee S. Billings
qv...@cdcbetleH.net says...
>>She sighs and shrugs, "I know it wasn't
>>perfect but I do think that its hardly the only con I have ever attended
>>where there were some problems. Hell's bells, ya'll... I worked concom for
>>the CoastCon that
>>shared convertion space with the Van Halen concert. I survived NolaCon. This
>>was piddly stuff."
>
>True enough. I think that when you get to talking about a thing, it's
>fairly easy to forget the good when the focus of discussion is on the
>bad. Not to make light of Badger's run-in with the drunken biter, to
>be sure...Chattacon gets their share of assholes, just like any other
>con.
From where I sit, it has often felt as if they got *more* than their share. It
was at a Chattacon that someone drew steel on me some years back, and that has
*never* happened to me anywhere else.
Every con has its own atmosphere... and the atmosphere at Chattacon, as I've
seen it over the course of some 20 years of off-again-on-again attendance, is
harder and edgier, less friendly, than any other con I've been to more than
once. I stopped going for about 5 years once after having a not-fun time at
three in a row; went back after a while, only to be driven away by the smoke
levels. Haven't been there since they moved back to the Clarion. But at this
point, I'll take GAFilk, or even fly up to Arisia, over Chattacon. I don't feel
as if I get enough out of it to justify the costs. Mileage obviously varies.
Celine
Lissa McCollum
>
> In article <38849A5F...@primenet.com>,
> Lissa McCollum <lis...@primenet.com> wrote:
>
> > Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr, twinkle
> > in his eye, and heart of gold?
>
> Thang goin on here.
>
> Jay (Johannes)
> Gary (Giacomo)
> Thane (Thorgrim)
>
> Dat's three for three! You and I have GOT to meet sometime to swap
> stories in person!
Lissa laughs. "I might have known! Are you going to be at
Estrella this year? Thane can't make it," she turns to
pout in his direction, "and neither can Jay, but you and
I can sit around the fire and tell stories behind their
backs." She grins mischievously at Mr. Cloak & Boots before
she remembers how much dirt he has on her as well. "Umm...
*nice* stories, of course. Really."
>
> > Got to be the same one.
>
> I can assure you it is, having been a purr recepient on several
> occasions.
Lissa smiles, and shakes her head. "I don't know quite
how he does that...but I *like* it."
>
> > Get him in here. Tell him Gwen says
> > he can't use her hot tub again until he does. :)
>
> Oh, she outranks me! I don't yet have my hot tub.
"Yes, but you have more sharp pointy objects than
I do. It just depends on which form of relaxation
he is in the mood for."
> BetN, laughing at how the UNIVERSE IS SHRINKING...
"The SCA is a small small world! I admire your
taste in friends."
Lissa
(who would rather have the hot tub than the sharp
pointy objects anyway :)
barbara trumpinski-roberts
> It being in the neighborhood of 10:00 p.m., we finally got out to the
> Masquerade. Whereupon we learned that the entry "Masquerade: 10:00
> p.m." in the pocket program meant, "Masquerade pre-judging begins at
> 10:00 p.m., doors open at 11:00 p.m. or when the judges are ready,
> whichever occurs later." Huh? Oh well; we are all resourceful,
> intelligent, and creative people; we can find ways to occupy our time
> for an hour or so. We decided to go hang out in the bar until about
> 10:45, then get in line.
[ ]
> I offered the use of my room, but Nerak was already asleep, so that was
> out. Misha and Rivka graciously offered the use of their room, and we
> all trooped upstairs, where it was, thank Ghu, quiet. And not smoky.
> Conversation, flirting, and cuddling continued until the wee small
> hours, and we got to hear the story of the medical emergency
> (explanation deferred until the very end of this post, for those who
> would rather not know all the details).
kitten waves to janet and sniffs......"i SLEPT though all the cuddling.
*POUT*
it was my own fault...i was down in the lobby a little before 10 and it
was just too crowded, so i went up and curled up next to starknight...(he
doesn't like crowds) next thing i knew, tc and lady c had come back to
crash and it was sometime in the middle of the night.
i enjoyed where i was......and never turn down a chance to snuggle
starknight...but i wish we had joined the cuddle fest (the three of us and
lady c had our own cuddlefest (got 1 kingsize bed rather than 2 doubles
and it was very nice and cozy).
i agree with janet...the hotel was not quite big enough."
/\ /\ 'if the goddess is a verb, she is best honored
{=.=} in action' patricia monaghan
~ kit...@uiuc.edu smotu
http://members.tripod.com/~barbarakitten
Bill Gawne
Lissa:
> "The SCA is a small small world! I admire your
> taste in friends."
>
> Lissa
> (who would rather have the hot tub than the sharp
> pointy objects anyway :)
Besides, with the hot tub, you seem to attract all the folks
with sharp pointy things anyway. Or at least the better sort
of them.
(And it's a very *NICE* hottub too.)
The Trinker
Bill Gawne wrote:
>
> [p&e]
>
> Lissa:
> > "The SCA is a small small world! I admire your
> > taste in friends."
> >
> > Lissa
> > (who would rather have the hot tub than the sharp
> > pointy objects anyway :)
>
> Besides, with the hot tub, you seem to attract all the folks
> with sharp pointy things anyway. Or at least the better sort
> of them.
All the folks in the SCA have *sharp* pointy things?
Huh. Kudos to the wenches are in order, I suppose.
YEOWCH!
<GRIN>
The Trinker
a sassy lass
--
spam filtered. To send e-mail remove the spamtrap.
Rebecca Schoenberg
:>>>"Ooooh," >>>says Janet,
:>>>as her eyes begin to glow happily.
:>>>"Arisia..."
:>>"Oh, >>my, >>yes!
:>>Could I put in my vote for Arisia,
:>>too?"
: Canary blushes her admitted ignorance:
: Ummm... err... oh, all right; <sigh> {{:-\
: Where *is* Arisia, anyway?
"Beautiful, wonderful, splendid, happy, *home* Boston. About a 30-second
walk from the Green Line, and one of the few places in the world that is
accessible by both T and car. There's even an airport shuttle. And it's
big, and friendly, and smoke-free, and has some excellent dances and good
filking and gaming, and it's just marvelous!"
-banshee, kinda fond of it
Bill Gawne
Connie Kinnison was explaining about Arisia:
[...]
> >"So, if you would seek Arisia, you might want to read those
> >books - called by some The Lensman Series, and by others The
> >Chronicles of Civilization." Connie explains.
> >
> >Then she turns back to the bar, picks up her drink, and sips
> >quietly. Her thoughts years and parsecs away...
Dave added:
> ...in a very good place. I was most pleased to discover that I could
> replace those very old, very ragged, near-destroyed paperback books with
> a brand-new hardcover 2-volume collection of the entire E.E. "Doc"
> Smith "Lensman Series" from the Science Fiction Book Club. If you're
> looking to replace old books, or want to read them for the first time,
> try the SFBC. They're online at:
> http://www.sfbc.com/
> Disclaimer: I'm just a very happy customer, nothing more.
Alternatively, you could buy the six volume set re-released by
Old Earth Books last year. They include original illustrations,
and are printed on decent paper. At $15 each for the trade
paperbacks, they are a tad on the pricy side. But I think they're
well worth it.
But either way, it's a great look at space opera before the worn out
themes were worn out. The sheer scope of Smith's vision is amazing,
and the fact that he wrote five books worth of backstory before
finally springing his real story on the world is fascinating.
It's also a fine example of someone who knows his work is being
serialized in monthly installments, and who is drawing it out for
all its worth.
--
Bill Gawne, in Callahan's as in real life. <ga...@abs.net>
Bill Gawne
Barbara Fox:
> She sighs and shrugs, "I know it wasn't
> perfect but I do think that its hardly the only con I have ever attended where
> there were
> some problems. Hell's bells, ya'll... I worked concom for the CoastCon that
> shared convertion space with the Van Halen concert. I survived NolaCon. This
> was piddly stuff."
"Well, I appreciate that it could be worse. No argument with that.
But for the cost involved, and the distance travelled, I personally
put it above my annoyance threshold. In hindsight, I could have
stayed at an adjacent hotel, visited with you and the other Callahans
folks, and had a much more relaxed time." Bill allows.
"For my $35 membership, I got a whopping 1 'free' beer the whole time
I was there. The dealer room was nice, but I can buy from those
merchants other places. And while I appreciate the opportunity for
exercise afforded by a room on the 11th floor and 2 overcrowded
elevators, I have a nice set of exercise equipment right here at
home. Hell, I couldn't even get IN the hotel's exercise room, because
it was closed off for the con."
"Now I understand none of that has anything to do with my Callahanian
friends who were there, and who I went to spend time with. I'm not
trying to slam you, or your choices of cons to attend. But I just
don't happen to find what Chattacon has to offer particularly appealing
after two years of trying it out. Last year was at least marginally
tolerable. This year, the annoyances were just a little too much for
my taste. Maybe next year I'll just stay at the Marriot instead, and
visit y'all in your rooms."
Bill Gawne
Q'vaD
> I'm sure Security would be on the live-steeler
> like a duck on a Junebug. Con rules are *very* clear about
> peacebonding and weapons.
"Too bad they're not so clear about groping, grabbing, and vulgar
harrassment." Bill mutters. "Some of what I heard and saw and
heard _about_ would have gotten people the Bum's Rush out of
Darkover - possibly at the hands of some large and unhappy Renunciates."
> IMO one of the biggest problems Chattacon has is that -- because of
> the reputation they have for having "the best consuite in fandom" --
> it tends to attract local non-fen who hear that they can get all the
> beer they can drink all weekend for $35.
"That would explain it, yeah..."
> Some of them turn into fen
> and behave themselves (for the most part). Others just get tanked,
> ogle the more scantily-clad females, annoy Klingons and other
> costumers with questions like "you're one 'a them Star Wars people,
> aintchya?"
"Or shout Nazi stuff at people in military uniforms... but don't mind,
I'm not bitter or anything."
> and then get bored and go home. A *very* small few get
> belligerent, cause problems, and get their badge pulled.
"Maybe more deserve to have said badges pulled? I don't know.
Obviously the ComCon makes their own decisions about what kind
of population they want to attract. But I'd suggest they
examine who is coming to their Con, and more importantly who
is not coming due to past bad experiences."
> Still, for every asshole, there's at least dozen well-behaved fen.
> That's all I'm saying.
"But y'know, that's not a good enough ratio. Not for a con. If
you have 2400 people and 200 assholes, that's way, WAY too many
assholes. Even 20 can ruin the experience for the people there."
"Of course, the ComCon can adopt a Darwinian approach, and just
promote survivial of those most willing to endure the atmosphere.
But the word gets around, y'know?"
betnoir
> Lissa laughs. "I might have known! Are you going to be at
> Estrella this year? Thane can't make it," she turns to
> pout in his direction, "and neither can Jay, but you and
> I can sit around the fire and tell stories behind their
> backs."
Would LOVE to dish some dirt wit' ya, Girlfriend, but no gonna be dere.... :(
> She grins mischievously at Mr. Cloak & Boots before
> she remembers how much dirt he has on her as well. "Umm...
> *nice* stories, of course. Really."
Oooh, now that's no fun. Gotta have at least ONE good dirty story in there!
> > I can assure you it is, having been a purr recepient on several
> > occasions.
>
> Lissa smiles, and shakes her head. "I don't know quite
> how he does that...but I *like* it."
Don't really care HOW he does it -- just that he DOES it!
> > BetN, laughing at how the UNIVERSE IS SHRINKING...
>
> "The SCA is a small small world! I admire your
> taste in friends."
And I, yours.
> (who would rather have the hot tub than the sharp
> pointy objects anyway :)
BetN, GreedyPyrateBitch, who wants BOTH the hot tub AND the sharp pointy
things...
--
BetN, Goddess of Pith and Vinegar--NEVER parry with your head
'Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the
black flag, and begin slitting throats'--H.L. Mencken
'A little raised number at the end of a statement is not an icon of inerrancy'
-- British Medical Journal
Bill Gawne
"Welcome to Callahan's! And thanks for dropping by to answer
some of our concerns. I don't know what, if anything, you can
do about them... but it's encouraging to see you taking an
interest."
"Buy you a drink?"
de Doc
>..... Maybe next year I'll just stay at the Marriot instead, and
>visit y'all in your rooms."
Mebbe we should volunteer to take over key aspects and Calla-subvert the
Masquerade...?
::pause::
What am I _saying??????_
::smiling::
de Doc
Barbara C Bell
>It
>was at a Chattacon that someone drew steel on me some years back, and that
>has
>*never* happened to me anywhere else.
BarbaraFox thinks for a moment.
"First con I ever found it needful to disarm
a weapon-waving fan.... 1981 or so. Jerks are not a
geographically=specific phenomenon. Course, I was
*working * those cons, and looking for jerk-fen was my
job.">Every con has its own atmosphere... and the atmosphere at Chattacon, as
I've
>seen it over the course of some 20 years of off-again-on-again attendance, is
>
>harder and edgier, less friendly, than any other con I've been to more than
>once.
" This is one of those your mileage moments. I had the time of
my life at a Worldcon roundly reviewed as sucking astral
rutabagas. I hated a particular and very well reviewed RiverCon."
She shrugs.
"I like to dance, to flirt and to wear outrageous clothes. I think
the fact some fen like to be spanked don't make it fannish enough
for me to have it in the public areas of the con. I still drink (oh man...)
but don't smoke. And I think there's a chance for a good or bad time at
justabout *any* con. Its the mix of people and ideas that
is magickal."
I stopped going for about 5 years once after having a not-fun time at
>three in a row; went back after a while, only to be driven away by the smoke
>levels.
"No smoke level issues for the last 2 years."
Haven't been there since they moved back to the Clarion. But at this
>point, I'll take GAFilk, or even fly up to Arisia, over Chattacon. I don't
>feel
>as if I get enough out of it to justify the costs. Mileage obviously varies.
"For us, there are sentimental reasons to do Chattacon. Hell,
I'd do CoastCon again if I could, even if Bobby *isn't* running the
Gopher Squads any more. Arisa sounds great... if it isn't in conflict."
She looks thoughtful, "I think maybe some folks are asking too much. They want
a stellar con, a great hotel (sans a con in the space) experience *and* a RS
with Callahanian ideals. All I know is,
I got to meet Thor and de Doc and that makes weekend."
DJ
JanetM wrote:
[]hotel restaurant was A Disaster Of Not Quite The First Magnitude, But
[]Damned Close.
Ah. A hotel/restaurant that doesn't care about making money or
going broke. How Quaint. Comps alone should bankrupt them.
[]The Masquerade was, um, uneven. There were some *stunning* costumes
[]with *fabulous* presentations, there were some really nifty costumes
That seems like most costume contests I've been to.
[]A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
[]and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
[]a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
[]cattiest.
Response: TaeKwanLeap/Boot to the head.
[]The bar was loud and smoky. The ConSuite was *packed*, and loud. The
I have to have a quiet spot from time to time. I can stand crowds
just so long.
Smokey doesn't cut it. Since I stopped smoking in 1970, I find I'm
allergic to tobacco smoke.
Good Work Dr. Bill.
Too bad I missed so many people, but I'm still recovering from the
'flu.
Rebecca Schoenberg
: ::pause::
: What am I _saying??????_
"Haven't we already, though? You guys were the first thing I saw when I
walked into the lobby, the last folks I saw when I left, and most of
everything in between, guided tours of the dealer's room and all...
"About my only problem with the con was the consuite, and that was solved
by bringing a Big Strong Male escort with me the few times I desperately
needed a soda while I was dancing...."
-banshee, now being torn between Chattacon and Arisia
Janet Miles
> Sorry about the problem with the hotel restaurant. I've found that
> problems tend to follow conventions around. Especially large ones.
You know, it never occurred to me to attribute that to ChattaCon /per se/;
it was included simply as part of the weekend. I figure you guys don't have
any control over hotel staff. Warnings notwithstanding, it's still not your
fault.
>>Boy, was it crowded in the hotel lobby, as we waited to get in to the
>>Masquerade. It continued to get crowded, as more people gathered.
> Tends to happen. Unfortunately...
Agreed. Again, that was intended more as an observation than as a
complaint. Any complaint was directed toward either the judges or the
program-writer (that is, if the program had *said* "10 pm Masquerade
pre-judging begins, 11 pm doors open for Masquerade" I wouldn't have
minded).
[re: "please make way for the paramedics" vs "MOVE IT!"]
> I was in the lobby when this happened and I agree with you. A couple
> of our security people got a trifle bit, shall we say, over-exuberant.
> In the words of Monty Python, those responsible have been sacked...
This is good to know. Perhaps, in future, this incident might be included
in training/briefing for security folks?
> The problem was an allergic reaction to food eaten (off-site) in a
> local restaurant. The young lady affected was taken to the emergency
> room, recovered, and returned to the convention later in the evening.
Ah. Okay, I heard it a bit differently, but still fairly close. Thanks for
the update.
>>A couple of the awards (one for everyone, I guess) were just plain nasty
>>and vicious, though, and I'm not pleased with the judges: "Best Use of
>>a Dress Bought at WalMart" for a vampire sort of thing was probably the
>>cattiest.
> Our judges are given a set of guidelines for awards. Chattacon has a
> set series of awards that it gives out in set catagories. In this
> case, however, the judges apparently circular filed our guidelines the
> instant they got behind closed doors, because what came out ain't
> nothing like what it's supposed to be...
Again, I commend you (the ConCom) for making the effort; you can't control
the judges once they leave the room. Please note, too: I said I was not
pleased *with the judges*; that was not meant as a criticism of the con
itself.
> I agree, but what are we going to do. We've outgrown every hotel
> space in Chattanooga. And we are staying in Chattanooga.
Seriously?
If you've outgrown every space available, and you don't want to move, then I
think your next option is limiting memberships.
And, frankly, I would not be at all displeased if you were to limit the free
beer (I don't object to people drinking; I don't even object to folks
getting drunk. I *do* object to folks being obnoxious, and getting drunk
seems to hit that switch in a lot of people).
Michael, I'd like to second Bill's statement: thank you for paying attention
to members' concerns, and making an effort to deal with them. He offered to
get you a drink; may I join in that offer?
JanetM
--
Posted by Janet Miles (jmi...@usit.net) <www.public.usit.net/jmiles>
Loyal Webcrafter: PenUltimate Productions <www.worthlink.net/~ysabet>
and SSBB DC <magenta.com/lmnop/users/xlator/ssbbcorps.html>
Member: SSBB Diplomatic Corps -- East Tennessee
Lee S. Billings
>
>Michael Dillson <dillson@nospam_remove.mindspring.com> wrote:
>> Sorry about the problem with the hotel restaurant. I've found that
>> problems tend to follow conventions around. Especially large ones.
>> I agree, but what are we going to do. We've outgrown every hotel
>> space in Chattanooga. And we are staying in Chattanooga.
>
>Seriously?
>
>If you've outgrown every space available, and you don't want to move, then I
>think your next option is limiting memberships.
>
>And, frankly, I would not be at all displeased if you were to limit the free
>beer (I don't object to people drinking; I don't even object to folks
>getting drunk. I *do* object to folks being obnoxious, and getting drunk
>seems to hit that switch in a lot of people).
I think this option would solve most of the problems I have with Chattacon as
well. Limit the memberships to the number the hotel can comfortably accomodate,
and publicize that you're doing so well in advance, the way ConCave does. The
fen who really want to attend would sell you out early, and the "I'm only here
for the beer" crowd wouldn't be able to come in and cause trouble.
Celine
Robert - BadKarma
>Masquerade...?
>
>::pause::
>
>What am I _saying??????_
>
>
>de Doc
>
Yeah......what ARE you saying? ::best attempt at an innocent look:: Like we'd
be able to do something like that?
d_a_h...@my-deja.com
Concave 's hotel does sell out well in advance.. why they went to a
room lottery.
But they dont limit memberships.
The lack of nearby overflow hotels and there the closest city being
30 or so some odd miles away does act to limit the membership though.
I do believe as long as Chatta is at it's present hotel it
would help if they set some type of membership limit.
One of the problems it has had is that it attracts a lot of local kids
who just see it as a weekend party.
now it is good to have a lot of kids... a smaller con could work to
bring them into the fold so to say..
but chatta is so big they get lost in the crowd.
I havent gone in a while ( due to family and financial stuff and not the
con) with some room parties were they do not card or serve their
alocohol responsibly.
pookha
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Rivka
Thane Dawson wrote in message
<20000118203538...@ng-fl1.aol.com>...
>Lissa wrote:
>>Thane? That Thorgrim? Blond with a devastating purr,
>>twinkle in his eye, and heart of gold?
>
>>Got to be the same one. Get him in here.
>
>Already here!!! Hiya Gwen!!
"Thorgrim!" Rivka leaps up, scattering stray internship materials, and
dives for the gentleman who shows every sign of becoming the
GoodWenches' new favorite play toy.
"Welcome to the Place! May I buy you a drink?"
--
Rivka is ri...@iowacity.net and a fifth-year graduate student in
clinical psych.
"There is nothing to bring people together like a common grievance
accompanied by refreshments. " - Miss Manners
Rivka
Robert - BadKarma wrote in message
<20000121115735...@ng-fw1.aol.com>...
>Yeah......what ARE you saying? ::best attempt at an innocent look::
>Like we'd be able to do something like that?
Rivka takes one look at Robert's 'best attempt at an innocent look'
and falls off her chair, choking and sputtering. After some time, she
hauls herself back up, gasping for breath.
"Jeez, Robert, *warn* a girl the next time you're going to do that."
She breaks into a huge grin and offers him a hug. "But welcome to
Callahan's. Buy you a drink?"
Rivka
Rebecca Schoenberg wrote in message
<94824974...@zarathud.3d.gweep.net>...
>Neil <ndav...@aol.comical> wrote:
>: Janet wrote:
>
>:>It was a most interesting Con.
>
>: That it was!
>
>"Seconded, or thirded, or wherever in the list I happen to be.
Rivka smiles. "Fourthed. Funny how, even with all the sleep
deprivation, I found the Con more energizing than exhausting. It was
*so* good to travel to something not internship-related, and to travel
*with* Misha instead of leaving him behind."
>"I've noticed a few people pointing out the problems with the con,
>and I agree that it wasn't perfect by any stretch of the
imagination....
>one particular scene of being half-chased through the consuite by a
>drunk guy waving a purple wax dildo and shouting 'Oh no, another
>redhead, grab her!' springs to mind....
Rivka snorts with disgust. "Shame you don't carry a cigarette lighter,
Banshee, given that those wax dildos were *candles.* I'd have loved to
see his expression as it started to melt."
>"But all in all, I didn't exactly go there for the con itself. I
went
>to see friends that I don't get to visit near often enough, and to
>find new friends, and generally run away from the outside world
>for a little while to revel in a place where I can be as I please
>without having to worry about dress codes and homework and
>schedules and deadlines.
"Yeah, that was good." Rivka breaks into a smile. "I didn't have to
put on my navy blue interview suit all weekend. I didn't have to look
like a rising young academic - I got to wear clothes that made me feel
gorgeous, instead. And I got to see a whole bunch of people I hadn't
seen in ages - Banshee, I don't think we'd seen each other since the
wedding, had we? And I got to cuddle and flirt without worrying that
I'd be mistreated or misunderstood. And I got to see how amazing this
crowd looks in their Congoing gear. Dr. Bill in that silver-buttoned
Regency jacket... Bill Gawne as Count Vorkosigan... Robert apparently
unaware that most people wear something *over* tights... Misha in
tight black leather pants and high boots... and Carol, Barbara, and
Banshee in *anything* they put on." She sighs happily.
"I know there were problems with the hotel and with some of the
programming, although I didn't know that people's dissatisfaction was
as high as it seems to have been. There were *certainly* more drunk
assholes there this year, and I got some gropes and some catcalls I
could've done without. But I'll be there next year, and I hope that
many of you all will be there too."
Robert - BadKarma
>and falls off her chair, choking and sputtering. After some time, she
>hauls herself back up, gasping for breath.
Need a hand there? Or perhaps....<EG>
>"Jeez, Robert, *warn* a girl the next time you're going to do that."
Warnings are for people who never intended to take action...=:)
barbara trumpinski-roberts
bill:
> She was not a friend of the judges. She was standing near me, and I'd
> been complimenting her on that beautiful batik and velvet cloak she
> was trying to present. The award was just plain mean, and I was sore
> tempted to give her mine and then walk off stage. I didn't, but I'm
> not sure now if I made the right decision or not. Somebody should have
> done something immediate and unquestionable to make clear that kind of
> nastiness was uncalled for.
>
> For myself, I won't be participating in another Chattacon masquerade.
"well, tc says he's not going to chattacon again, anyhow. we had an okay
time (the space was too crowded) but....i didn't get to spend time with
the people i wanted to spend time with (and that was the reason i went).
i have to say, i enjoyed the panels...melissa scott is a doll, tara harper
is gorgeous, and bruce stirling obviously wants to be harlan ellison, but
can't quite cut it. except for getting to spend the weekend with cheron,
it was just not special enough to spend that much money when i am going to
capricon two weekends later." kitten MIGHT want to go back next year (for
david brin and to spend time with the people she wanted to spend time with
this year) but probably won't. (it was my own fault....i was in a hidey
kitten mood....and i did spend some time with janet and badger which was
very nice.)
Robert - BadKarma
>unaware that most people wear something *over* tights..
Why bother? I was wearing them to *cover* ME.....evidently, they did a
reasonably good job of it too..<EG>
barbara trumpinski-roberts
> >All in all, it was a good Con, and I'm glad I went.
luria:
> Same here; I was glad of the chance to meet so many folx in RL.
"and it was delightful to meet you....and i have placed the button you
gave me on my button wall." kitten offers luria another hug.
barbara trumpinski-roberts
> One convention that I highly recommend for friend contact is Darkover
> Grand Council held in Timonium, MD over Labor Day weekend. It's not a
> stresser convention at all... while there is programming and author
> talks and a masquerade and dance and lots of huckstering, it's not a
> "crowded" convention in terms of numbers or scheduling. It was the
> first con I've gone to in over 20 years of attending cons that I came
> home less stressed than I arrived. In fact, it was so good that I got
> comments on my obvious mental well-being for two full weeks
> afterwards. :) (Of course the mental and emotional high of singing
> soprano in the Halleluia Chorus might have had something to do with it
> too!)
kitten grins..."only one small correction...darkover is thanksgiving
weekend. tc, starknight and i got married there in 1997."
Thane Dawson
>gorgeous, instead.
You were, hon!
>And I got to cuddle and flirt without worrying that
>I'd be mistreated or misunderstood.
:: just sitting here with a big grin ::
>And I got to see how amazing this
>crowd looks in their Congoing gear.
Didn't mention me!! ::pout::
Just my two cents!! =)
Thane Dawson
s.k.a. Master Thorgrim Steinarsonn, O.P.
Provost of the Royal Guild of Fence, West
and Provost of the Black Wing Company, Artemisia
Thane Dawson
>dives for the gentleman who shows every sign of becoming the
>GoodWenches' new favorite play toy.
>
>"Welcome to the Place! May I buy you a drink?"
:: plucks the diving darling out of the air and spins her around before
pulling her down for a great big hug and kiss ::
Hiya, Rivka!! I would love another drink! (ya know...with all these drinks
coming my way, I should be passed out by now!!)
BTW..I would love to meet all of the GoodWenchs!! As far as being their
playtoy......Ya Sure, You Bet YA!!!
Rebecca Schoenberg
: Robert - BadKarma wrote in message
: <20000121115735...@ng-fw1.aol.com>...
:>Yeah......what ARE you saying? ::best attempt at an innocent look::
:>Like we'd be able to do something like that?
: Rivka takes one look at Robert's 'best attempt at an innocent look'
: and falls off her chair, choking and sputtering. After some time, she
: hauls herself back up, gasping for breath.
: "Jeez, Robert, *warn* a girl the next time you're going to do that."
"Aw, go easy on him - there has to be *something* about him that's innocent..."
:)
-banshee, biting her lip and trying to keep a straight face
Janet Miles
[Referring to Robert]
> "Aw, go easy on him - there has to be *something* about him that's
> innocent..." :)
Um. His left eustachian tube, perhaps?
de Doc
blkd...@aol.com (Robert - BadKarma) wrote:
>>Mebbe we should volunteer to take over key aspects and Calla-subvert the
>>Masquerade...?
>>
>>::pause::
>>
>>What am I _saying??????_
>>
>>::smiling::
>>
>>de Doc
>>
>
>Yeah......what ARE you saying? ::best attempt at an innocent look:: Like we'd
>be able to do something like that?
Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Fast Eddie?
;-)
de Doc
>"About my only problem with the con was the consuite, and that was solved
>by bringing a Big Strong Male escort with me the few times I desperately
>needed a soda while I was dancing...."
Heh heh heh.
Bill Gawne
> > > Lissa
> > > (who would rather have the hot tub than the sharp
> > > pointy objects anyway :)
Me:
> > Besides, with the hot tub, you seem to attract all the folks
> > with sharp pointy things anyway. Or at least the better sort
> > of them.
The Trinker:
> All the folks in the SCA have *sharp* pointy things?
"No no no, dear Trinker. Only us light weapons fighters.
And, well, I suppose I should add that a lot of the Ladies
of the SCA carry sharp, pointy things secreted about their
persons. Little bodice daggers and the like."
> Huh. Kudos to the wenches are in order, I suppose.
"Oh, definitely." Bill grins.
> The Trinker
> a sassy lass
Indeed. And a saucy one too...
--
Bill Gawne, in Callahan's as in real life. <ga...@pha.jhu.edu> |
The Trinker
before baiting the Marine in this manner, but...]
Bill Gawne wrote:
>
> [p&e]
>
> > > > Lissa
> > > > (who would rather have the hot tub than the sharp
> > > > pointy objects anyway :)
>
> Me:
> > > Besides, with the hot tub, you seem to attract all the folks
> > > with sharp pointy things anyway. Or at least the better sort
> > > of them.
>
> The Trinker:
> > All the folks in the SCA have *sharp* pointy things?
>
> "No no no, dear Trinker. Only us light weapons fighters.
So then you're a lightweight?!
> And, well, I suppose I should add that a lot of the Ladies
> of the SCA carry sharp, pointy things secreted about their
> persons. Little bodice daggers and the like."
One knows I've been reading entirely the wrong sort of writing
recently when I read "daggers" and failed to come up with
"small sharp pointy things" as a definition.
> > Huh. Kudos to the wenches are in order, I suppose.
>
> "Oh, definitely." Bill grins.
I will abstain from the Kudos, I think. They're really not my
favorite amongst the granola bars on the market. Coating them
in chocolate is just a waste of chocolate!
> > The Trinker
> > a sassy lass
>
> Indeed. And a saucy one too...
(Now, how would you know about my sauciness or lack thereof?)
The Trinker
--
spam filtered. To send e-mail remove the spamtrap.
Earl P. Jones
>
> :>Well, Meridies has Saltare coming up next month,
>
> "What sort of event is it, IYDMMA? If I'm going to not-go, I might as well
> know what I'm not-going to....."
Back after a brief interlude ... (Last night was dance practice in Grey
Niche, for which I drive an hour and a half each way for three hours of
dancing. Well worth it, IMO, but it does consume all my available free
time for the day.)
I have to confess that all I know about it is the event description and a
few snippets of conversation, since I haven't attended one yet, but it is
billed as Meridies' big annual dance event, with classes, a ball, and
several hundred attendees. To say that I'm looking forward to it is a
rather extreme understatement.
Owen
Lee S. Billings
>
>[maybe I should don armor, or at least some form of protection,
>before baiting the Marine in this manner, but...]
>
>
>Bill Gawne wrote:
>> The Trinker:
>> > All the folks in the SCA have *sharp* pointy things?
>>
>> "No no no, dear Trinker. Only us light weapons fighters.
>
>So then you're a lightweight?!
Well, by fannish standards, certainly! <g>
Celine (noting that T-shirt dealers call size L a "fannish small"...)
Bill Gawne
> >> The Trinker:
> >> > All the folks in the SCA have *sharp* pointy things?
Me:
> >> "No no no, dear Trinker. Only us light weapons fighters.
Trinker again:
> >So then you're a lightweight?!
As Bill smiles, and prepares to say something witty, Celine adds:
> Well, by fannish standards, certainly! <g>
>
> Celine (noting that T-shirt dealers call size L a "fannish small"...)
"Well, I suppose I am a bit on the narrow side by fannish standards,
yes." Bill chuckles.
"Yesterday, I had occassion to get on an 'Aerobicycle' and take a little
10 minute 'fitness test'. First time through, I told it I was a 45
year old male, and at the end of the test it told me I was in first
class shape. No big surprise, especially as I used to score first
class on the Marine Corps physical fitness test as recently as a few
years ago, and that's much more demanding. So then I decided to try the
cycle's program again, this time telling it I was an 18 year old male.
Again, after 10 minutes of simulated hills, it told me I was in first
class physical shape."
"So, yeah... some would call me a lightweight. But I'm not doing too
badly at it. Feels like I'm 18 with 27 years of practice."
(Besides, the assessment of physical fitness that matters most to me
doesn't come from exercise equipment.)
--
Bill Gawne, in Callahan's as in real life. <ga...@abs.net>
Bill Gawne
> >The Marine at the end of the bar waves a welcome to Mr. Dillson.
> >
> >"Welcome to Callahan's! And thanks for dropping by to answer
> >some of our concerns. I don't know what, if anything, you can
> >do about them... but it's encouraging to see you taking an
> >interest."
> >
> >"Buy you a drink?"
>
> Well met, my friend. Thought I'd drop by and visit Mike for awhile
> and see how the ambiance was...
"It's a pretty nice place," Bill allows, while sliding a dollar
across the bar to Mike and indicating the gentleman from Chattanooga.
"Hope you have time to hang around some, and participate in things
besides this one discussion. I know it has to be a little difficult
for you, walking in on a discussion of the shortcomings of something
you hold near and dear. It's awfully good of you to do that."
Bill Gawne
The Trinker wrote:
>
> [maybe I should don armor, or at least some form of protection,
> before baiting the Marine in this manner, but...]
Protection, dear Trinker? You think we're going to need that?
> > The Trinker:
> > > All the folks in the SCA have *sharp* pointy things?
> >
> > "No no no, dear Trinker. Only us light weapons fighters.
>
> So then you're a lightweight?!
"Oh, for some definition of light, I suppose." Bill twinkles.
"But light weapons are the sort favored by those who prefer
speed and skill. And who would rather not drag heavy ones
around."
> > And, well, I suppose I should add that a lot of the Ladies
> > of the SCA carry sharp, pointy things secreted about their
> > persons. Little bodice daggers and the like."
>
> One knows I've been reading entirely the wrong sort of writing
> recently when I read "daggers" and failed to come up with
> "small sharp pointy things" as a definition.
"Oh, and what kind of definition DID you come up with?"
> > > The Trinker
> > > a sassy lass
> >
> > Indeed. And a saucy one too...
>
> (Now, how would you know about my sauciness or lack thereof?)
Bill leans over, whispering into the Trinker's shell like ear.
Nearby patrons might hear the word "Iowa".
Neil
>>If you've outgrown every space available, and you don't want to move, then I
>>think your next option is limiting memberships.
>>
>>And, frankly, I would not be at all displeased if you were to limit the free
>>beer (I don't object to people drinking; I don't even object to folks
>>getting drunk. I *do* object to folks being obnoxious, and getting drunk
>>seems to hit that switch in a lot of people).
>
>I think this option would solve most of the problems I have with Chattacon as
>
>well. Limit the memberships to the number the hotel can comfortably
>accomodate,
>and publicize that you're doing so well in advance, the way ConCave does. The
>
>fen who really want to attend would sell you out early, and the "I'm only
>here
>for the beer" crowd wouldn't be able to come in and cause trouble.
I hope that Chattacon does not limit memberships. I never know
whether I'll have to work on weekends until a few days ahead of
time; I have to plan at the last moment. Usually, this just means
staying in a different hotel.
I'd rather see the con charge for beer. This is just a personal
opinion, of course, and I don't know all the legal ramifications.
Luria
(Remove <ical> to E-Mail)
____________________
The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds
new discoveries, is not "Eureka!" but "That's funny..."
- Isaac Asimov
Bill Gawne
> I hope that Chattacon does not limit memberships. I never know
> whether I'll have to work on weekends until a few days ahead of
> time; I have to plan at the last moment. Usually, this just means
> staying in a different hotel.
>
> I'd rather see the con charge for beer. This is just a personal
> opinion, of course, and I don't know all the legal ramifications.
"Or provide some number of tokens, which can be traded in for a beer
each, along with the membership. Once you run out of tokens, beers
cost $2 each, or some reasonable price. Or, if tokens are a
problem, some other system like scrip or boxes on the badge could
be worked out." Bill allows.
"I should also mention that Darkover does sell day passes, for those
who want to attend just one day and not buy a membership. The day
pass will get you into the dealers room, the art show, and any event
of that day. I'd have to ask Jaelle for numbers, but I think she
allows for a couple hundred day passes too."
Kirsten M. Berry
said:
}> And, well, I suppose I should add that a lot of the Ladies
}> of the SCA carry sharp, pointy things secreted about their
}> persons. Little bodice daggers and the like."
}
}One knows I've been reading entirely the wrong sort of writing
}recently when I read "daggers" and failed to come up with
}"small sharp pointy things" as a definition.
The MouseWench perks a bit. "Sounds like the right kind of 'wrong
sort of writing,' if you ask me...."
--
Kirsten M. Berry, Techno-Dyke at Large ksha...@mindspring.com
http://www.mindspring.com/~kshandra/ Home of the Samurai Webmistress
Once you've come out as a pagan, bisexual, married leatherdyke,
everything else in life is that much easier.
Kirsten M. Berry
}I'd rather see the con charge for beer. This is just a personal
}opinion, of course, and I don't know all the legal ramifications.
The MouseWench, who apparently came across a sale on cans of worms
earlier in the week, points out that West Coast conventions have been
dry since before she was in fandom - and are exceedingly vigilant
about making sure parties that *do* serve booze card everyone who
walks through the door.
K`shandra
who gets carded every year by people she's known since before *any* of
them were old enough to drink....
--
Kirsten M. Berry, Samurai Webmistress - ksha...@mindspring.com
http://www.mindspring.com/~kshandra/
"Expect the best. Expect the worst. Expect a f*cking miracle.
It's always Anything Can Happen Day." -Pamela Des Barres
Rebecca Schoenberg
: Rebecca Schoenberg wrote:
:>
:> :>Well, Meridies has Saltare coming up next month,
:>
:> "What sort of event is it, IYDMMA? If I'm going to not-go, I might as well
:> know what I'm not-going to....."
: I have to confess that all I know about it is the event description and a
: few snippets of conversation, since I haven't attended one yet, but it is
: billed as Meridies' big annual dance event, with classes, a ball, and
: several hundred attendees. To say that I'm looking forward to it is a
: rather extreme understatement.
*SIGH* "It sounds like East Kingdom's Black Rose Ball, another even which I
desperately miss. Classes and, on a few lucky occasions, Bardic Championships
during the day, court in the afternoon, and dancing until the wee hours of
the morning.
"Someday I'll have to get back there...."
-banshee, who scared herself rather badly when she realized she
couldn't remember all the steps to Rostiboli Joyeause
DJ
K`shandra wrote:
[]The MouseWench, who apparently came across a sale on cans of worms
[]earlier in the week, points out that West Coast conventions have been
[]dry since before she was in fandom - and are exceedingly vigilant
[]about making sure parties that *do* serve booze card everyone who
[]walks through the door.
CoastCon in Biloxi, MS, has never served booze in the Hospitality
Suite. Room parties can serve booze because they are private parties.
I think it has to do with the liquor laws. I was startled the first
time I went to a convention and they had alkyhol in the Hospitality
Suite. I didn't care if they had it, just startled they had it.
Wasn't interested in drinking any as I was driving.
D.J.
--
D.J. as djim55 at datasync dotty com Disclaimer: Standard
No boing in replyto. Updated Web pages January 19, 2000:
http://www.crosswinds.net/~djim51/
mirror site: http://www.datasync.com/~djim55/welcome.html
Ali
>"So, yeah... some would call me a lightweight. But I'm not doing too
>badly at it. Feels like I'm 18 with 27 years of practice."
>
>(Besides, the assessment of physical fitness that matters most to me
>doesn't come from exercise equipment.)
The Mistletoe GoodWench grins a little grin and quietly vouches for
the physical fitness of the Marine...
Ali ;-)
Matthew T. Russotto
}
}Bill leans over, whispering into the Trinker's shell like ear.
}Nearby patrons might hear the word "Iowa".
MTR idly wonders aloud if that refers to the ship or the state.
--
Matthew T. Russotto russ...@pond.com
"Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in pursuit
of justice is no virtue."
Indiana Joe
>In article <3889BFDC...@abs.net>, Bill Gawne <ga...@abs.net> wrote:
>}
>}Bill leans over, whispering into the Trinker's shell like ear.
>}Nearby patrons might hear the word "Iowa".
>
>MTR idly wonders aloud if that refers to the ship or the state.
As long as they aren't talking about concrete foists it's ok with me.
(Bill *may* get that, I can't remember if I saw him in s.m.n or
elsewhere on Usenet.)
--
Joe Claffey | "Make no small plans."
jr...@home.net | -- Daniel Burnham
Leonard Erickson
> Yup. There were gripes about that way back when the layout was still
> being decided, but the hotel was adamant that they wouldn't allow the
> consuite in the same place as last time ( B level, where the dealers
> room was this year) as they had just put down new carpet and didn't
> want us mucking it up. Give it a year or so....
Orycon solved *that* problem long ago. I don't know *who* came up with
the idea, but what they do in the consuite is lay down a layer or
layers of what looks to me like the old-style "fiber" carpet padding,
with all the seams overlapped and duct taped. This protects the
carpeting more than adequately. And fen could care less about how the
*floor* looks...
--
Leonard Erickson (aka Nemo) kal...@krypton.rain.com
"Black magic is a matter of symbolism and intent."
- Master Sorceror Sean O'Lochlainn