A proposal for ALFers
Allen Kitchen
conventions and return with the "Con Crud." Every event is marred
by people getting ill either before or after the con. And yet, for
all the warm pats on the back, nobody has tried to do anything about
folks getting sick at furry functions.
I'd like ALF to try to change all that.
It doesn't take much to stay healthy at a con. I usually
take Centrum Multivitamins every day, and drink orange juice
whenever I can. Such a simple thing, but it certainly helps me.
So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
the con crud down to reasonable levels.
Why us? Well, I see health and wellbeing as a lifestyle matter.
And besides, it would do us some good to show our helpful and constructive
natures to the fandom at large. It certainly couldn't hurt.
What do the rest of you think?
Allen Kitchen (shockwave)
http://www.blkbox.com/~osprey/
Rust
idea. It -does- send a warm fuzzy image, doesn't it? Plus, it's a way
to be involved... for me at least, that's important. Not, mind you,
that I've ever been to a con, or likely will be for some years yet.
-Rust
--
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Remove ".netspam" from my address to reply
David Perkins
news:8E45CF741far...@news.fysh.org...
> Allen Kitchen wrote:
>
> >So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
> >a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
> >the con crud down to reasonable levels.
>
> pseudomedication, it's not something that you'd want to "pass around".
>
> We'd be much better off distributing fruits and vegetables. Apples,
> oranges and carrot sticks would be cheap, easy to distribute and keep
fresh
> reasonably well. They don't need any preparation beyond washing.
>
> Lots of hungry furs would thank us.
>
My colon votes a hardy YES!
Looking forward to Midwest Furfest in 2000. My first chance to meet Furrys!
--
"Stay frosty!"
AKA the Arcainine of FurryMUCK
Cerulean
>So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
>a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
>the con crud down to reasonable levels.
SoBe's "Lizard Blizzard" has a cool anthro-looking label, and it is
fortified with C, zinc and echinacea to fight colds. It is also darned
expensive because it's a new-age yuppie drink, but such is life. Oh,
and you sort of have to like the taste of coconut. Just a thought.
--
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/ (7 ( h+a!)oS uo!+ewJojuI - ,,Japuom o+ j7asJnoh 77aL,,
Farlo
>So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
>a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
>the con crud down to reasonable levels.
Although the OJ is a great idea, IMO the vitamins aren't - being a
pseudomedication, it's not something that you'd want to "pass around".
We'd be much better off distributing fruits and vegetables. Apples,
oranges and carrot sticks would be cheap, easy to distribute and keep fresh
reasonably well. They don't need any preparation beyond washing.
Lots of hungry furs would thank us.
--
Farlo
Urban fey dragon
"Worship my magic space monkey or he'll napalm you."
"Yes, my e-mail address is valid. It just doesn't look valid."
Atara
>
> Allen Kitchen wrote:
>
> >So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
> >a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
> >the con crud down to reasonable levels.
>
> Although the OJ is a great idea, IMO the vitamins aren't - being a
> pseudomedication, it's not something that you'd want to "pass around".
>
> We'd be much better off distributing fruits and vegetables. Apples,
> oranges and carrot sticks would be cheap, easy to distribute and keep fresh
> reasonably well. They don't need any preparation beyond washing.
>
> Lots of hungry furs would thank us.
I totally agree. Vitamins might cause problems, but OJ and fruit is a
great idea, especially in the morning.
The only thing we might want to check out (for each con) is the hotel
regulations about food. Food (or juice) as a consumable product is
subject to regulations and mucho problemo. The hotel might not
appreciate us passing out food right next to (or down the hall from)
their restaurant. (And this is for free, right?)
A good idea, tho. =)
--
Atara
"I've got a pantheon of animals
in a pagan soul..." -Rush
http://www.FurNation.com/Atara/
Tim Gadd
> What do the rest of you think?
Having healthy foods available at a SIG sounds like a good idea to me.
Mind you, I've never gotten sick at a con, and wasn't aware that it
was a common effect. OTOH I already take vitamins and eat fruit every
day as it is.
--
Tim Gadd | fluke .com
Hobart, Tasmania | @southcom
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/1161/
"Until we have drawn the animal into our circle of happiness,
there can be no world peace."
- Albert Schweitzer (1923)
Perriloux
>> Lots of hungry furs would thank us.
>
>I totally agree. Vitamins might cause problems, but OJ and fruit is a
>great idea, especially in the morning.
I agree too but there is a possiblity of a lawsuit if somefur got sick
on a vitamin. The fruit deal sounds great tho.
I've been to 3 cons and have never gotten the "Con Crud",
thankfully, and do take my vitamins everyday.
--
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Sidhain
> conventions and return with the "Con Crud." Every event is marred
> by people getting ill either before or after the con. And yet, for
> all the warm pats on the back, nobody has tried to do anything about
> folks getting sick at furry functions.
>
> I'd like ALF to try to change all that.
>
> It doesn't take much to stay healthy at a con. I usually
> take Centrum Multivitamins every day, and drink orange juice
> whenever I can. Such a simple thing, but it certainly helps me.
> a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
> the con crud down to reasonable levels.
>
> And besides, it would do us some good to show our helpful and constructive
> natures to the fandom at large. It certainly couldn't hurt.
>
Good idea I hope ye can implement it--Not that I will ever get to goto a con
*sighs*
David Formosa (aka ? the Platypus)
> Much has been said about those who go to furry and SciFi
>conventions and return with the "Con Crud." Every event is marred
>by people getting ill either before or after the con. And yet, for
>all the warm pats on the back, nobody has tried to do anything about
>folks getting sick at furry functions.
I think the problem is that meany people from meany places are
bringing there viruses and bacteria to the one place. So people who
don't have immunities to the strain from the other side of the
countrie.
--
Please excuse my spelling as I suffer from agraphia. See
http://www.zeta.org.au/~dformosa/Spelling.html to find out more.
MegaDog the Nettweiler
s.net>, Allen Kitchen <all...@blkbox.com> scrobe:
> Much has been said about those who go to furry and SciFi
>conventions and return with the "Con Crud." Every event is marred
>by people getting ill either before or after the con. And yet, for
>all the warm pats on the back, nobody has tried to do anything about
>folks getting sick at furry functions.
>
>
> It doesn't take much to stay healthy at a con.
Rather than seeking mass-medication, why not try to get the
venue-operators to guarantee at least 20 changes of the air per
hour in the public areas? Many large areas that are not usually
crammed with bodies have very low air-circulation rates; if
the population-density is upped, you get stagnant air which is
the ideal environment for propagating bugs.[aAfter all, you don't
want to be breathing the same air that half a dozen others have
just breathed...]
Same's true of airplanes: in "economy[1]" the air-change rate
is something horribly low - only "business" and "club" class get
the ventilation you need to stay healthy. No wonder the people in
economy look such a mess after even short flights.
Ventilate, don't Medicate!
[1]a.k.a. "cattle-truck class"
--
!Raised Tails! -:MegaDog:-
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"I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult"
Robert D. Parish
>Rather than seeking mass-medication, why not try to get the
>venue-operators to guarantee at least 20 changes of the air per
>hour in the public areas? Many large areas that are not usually
>crammed with bodies have very low air-circulation rates; if
>the population-density is upped, you get stagnant air which is
>the ideal environment for propagating bugs.[aAfter all, you don't
>want to be breathing the same air that half a dozen others have
>just breathed...]
Excellent idea. Also heaters and airconditioners should work. I
remember having a bad bought of the "ConFluence" flu at CF8 and the
room had NO HEAT. After 3 hours of waiting for some relief, a Mexican
guy came up who seemed to have no idea how to actually fix anything.
Whi diddled the dials and banged on it cussing at it in Spanish then
walked out the door LEAVING IT WIDE OPEN. I hate that hotel! I
caught Confluence again at CF9. That's one reason I do not do
ConFurence anymore.
>Same's true of airplanes: in "economy[1]" the air-change rate
>is something horribly low - only "business" and "club" class get
>the ventilation you need to stay healthy. No wonder the people in
>economy look such a mess after even short flights.
Hmmm... flying six hours to LA from the Midwest US may have been part
of the problem too. Probably would have been something I could have
recovered from if not for the crowds at the con hotel.
>Ventilate, don't Medicate!
I think that some thought could be put in to a choice of venue if
there were more choices. Given many people in this fandom are short
of money, we are not the best choice for a hotel to take either. Plus
we do not drink as much booze or eat the expensive hotel food as much
as they would like -- there's more money for the hotel in other kinds
of conventions.
Then there is always those notorious rooms where 9 guys are trying to
camp out in: a sure breeding ground for disease, especially when the
tub is another "bed" and no one washes.
-- Robert "Four-eyes" Parish
PLEASE NOTE NEW URL: Home Page http://catsden.net/~rdp/foureyes.html
"Totem Animals & Therianthropy" http://catsden.net/~rdp/totem.html
"What is a shaman?
He dreams like all men do
But he remembers" (RDP, '98)
Robert D. Parish
>So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
>a table during each and every con?
Another source of illness is through intimate contact. Nothing
replaces discretion in choice of partner as a preventive measure, but
some people make new friends at cons, and... well we all know what
happens.
I think that the artists who put out "the Yiffy Guide to Safe Sex"
would do a wonderful public service if they again published and
distributed that at a con. This was a three-fold pamphlet showing
something you almost never see online: pictures of anthropomorphic
animals engaged in sex. No wait... THAT we see all of the time!
<chuckle!> But in this pamphlet they are using safe sex practices
such as putting on condoms, while the text explains the illustrations.
One picture (I belive by Nakira) even showed one female performing
cunilinguis on another through a thin sheet of Saran wrap. I have not
seen the "Yiffy Guide" since CFE2 though.
Another thought is for condoms to be distributed in the hospitality
suite. In Gay bars I have been to in Louisville, a local AIDS
prevention charity have set up displays where you can get free
condoms, so such a move would not be unheard of. Anytime you bring a
lot of people together who otherwise do not see each other because of
distance, some sexual encounters are going to result. The trick would
be seen to premote responsible sexuality without promoting
promiscuity.
Skytech
>
> I think the problem is that meany people from meany places are
> bringing there viruses and bacteria to the one place. So people who
> don't have immunities to the strain from the other side of the
> countrie.
>
As one tv documentary recently said: "Disease and epidemics spread at
the speed of jets.".
--
---
La gvatanta vulpo (The vigilant fox)
Skytech
^^
<@@>
./
Skytech
>
> Why us? Well, I see health and wellbeing as a lifestyle matter.
> And besides, it would do us some good to show our helpful and constructive
> natures to the fandom at large. It certainly couldn't hurt.
>
>
Before we hand out a 'cure', let's determine what the problem is. Bad or
wrong food? Too much excitement? The hot weather at AC didn't help.
A concession stand selling healthy foods sounds good and promotes a good
image. I don't know if most cons would allow it. They may *especially*
frown on selling anything that looks like drugs. Watch security if you
walk around offering Tic-tacs (little pill-shaped breath mints)
Leonard Lion
<<OJ and fruit is a
great idea, especially in the morning.
The only thing we might want to check out (for each con) is the hotel
regulations about food. Food (or juice) as a consumable product is
subject to regulations and mucho problemo. The hotel might not
appreciate us passing out food right next to (or down the hall from)
their restaurant. (And this is for free, right?)>>
It might cost a little more, but to keep hackles down, it might be worth it to
just buy the fruit and juice from the hotel restaurant. That way they're not
losing a penny.
I heartily endorse the idea, in any case.
--Leonard Lion, owner and proprietor of The Watering Hole
http://members.aol.com/leonrdlion -- My homepage, such as it is
http://www.suburbanjungle.com -- The life, loves, and career of aspiring
supermodel and ferocious predator, Tiffany Tiger.
Tim Gadd
>I offering fruit and vegitable juice and whole fruit is a great idea. The
>vitamins might be problematic for liability reasons. The main problem is
>dealing with the hotel contract regarding food not sold and served by the
>hotel itself. This can be a very touchy subject as hotels expect to make a
>lot of money from all the congoers eating at their mostly overpriced
>restaurants.
I'm sure you're right, but OTOH the spirituality SIG at AC had
mountains of food laid on, and I presume no-one objected, so it
oughtn't make a difference if it were to be chocolate cake or bean
sprouts; or chocolate-coated bean sprouts, or whatever.
Tim Gadd
>Same's true of airplanes: in "economy[1]" the air-change rate
>is something horribly low - only "business" and "club" class get
>the ventilation you need to stay healthy. No wonder the people in
>economy look such a mess after even short flights.
I can assure you any messiness in my demeanour after 12 hours in
economy has about 02% to do with air circulation, and about 90% to do
with the legroom.
Locandez
<sky...@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
>Before we hand out a 'cure', let's determine what the problem is. Bad or
>wrong food? Too much excitement? The hot weather at AC didn't help.
Not enough sleep (oops, typoed 'sheep' there...) for some folk?
Locandez
(TicTacs are made by the same company that produces Nutella...)
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Locandez
Parish) wrote:
>
>I think that the artists who put out "the Yiffy Guide to Safe Sex"
>would do a wonderful public service if they again published and
>distributed that at a con. This was a three-fold pamphlet showing
>something you almost never see online: pictures of anthropomorphic
>animals engaged in sex. No wait... THAT we see all of the time!
><chuckle!> But in this pamphlet they are using safe sex practices
>such as putting on condoms, while the text explains the illustrations.
>One picture (I belive by Nakira) even showed one female performing
>cunilinguis on another through a thin sheet of Saran wrap. I have not
>seen the "Yiffy Guide" since CFE2 though.
Captain PackRat has it on his website, as a Zip file which explodes into a
Word document. I don't know if anyone still prints/distributes it at cons
but it's laid out in such a way so it can be printed out at home anyway.
http://captainpackrat.dynip.com
Locandez
Kimba W. Lion
>It might cost a little more, but to keep hackles down, it might be worth it to
>just buy the fruit and juice from the hotel restaurant. That way they're not
>losing a penny.
Depending on local regulations, it may be a problem to gather and
re-distribute food and drink outside of the designated eating areas in the
hotel. It may be best to arrange with the hotel restaurant(s) for us to
distribute pre-paid coupons for juice, fruit, whatever.
But these are details that can be worked out when a specific time and
place is picked. I'd support the idea.
Kimba
Kimba W. Lion
>I'm sure you're right, but OTOH the spirituality SIG at AC had
>mountains of food laid on, and I presume no-one objected, so it
>oughtn't make a difference if it were to be chocolate cake or bean
>sprouts; or chocolate-coated bean sprouts, or whatever.
Actually, there was some ruffled fur that had to be smoothed down because
of that. Mostly because it was a spontaneous thing, tho. If the plan can
be worked out in advance with the hotel, it shouldn't be a problem.
Kimba
Richard Chandler - WA Resident
> The only thing we might want to check out (for each con) is the
> hotel regulations about food. Food (or juice) as a consumable product
> is subject to regulations and mucho problemo. The hotel might
> not appreciate us passing out food right next to (or down the hall
> from) their restaurant. (And this is for free, right?)>>
So you have it as refreshments at a room party, just get some OJ instead of
one bottle of Soda.
--
The greatest tragedy is that the same species that achieved space flight,
a cure for polio, and the transistor, is also featured nightly on COPS.
-- Richard Chandler
Spammer Warning: Washington State Law now provides civil penalties for UCE.
Robert D. Parish
> Captain PackRat has it on his website, as a Zip file which explodes into a
>Word document. I don't know if anyone still prints/distributes it at cons
>but it's laid out in such a way so it can be printed out at home anyway.
> http://captainpackrat.dynip.com
Ah... excellent. Thanks for the tip. I'm glad to see it has not been
withdrawn from circulation after all. I will put a link to this site
on my web page.
Duncan da Husky
>Depending on local regulations, it may be a problem to gather and
>re-distribute food and drink outside of the designated eating areas in the
>hotel. It may be best to arrange with the hotel restaurant(s) for us to
>distribute pre-paid coupons for juice, fruit, whatever.
>
>But these are details that can be worked out when a specific time and
>place is picked. I'd support the idea.
Or you could use the area designated by the convention for food and drink! At
Mephit FurMeet, my boyfriend and I origanized "Brunch with Midwest FurFest."
With the kind permission of OtterKid and Growltiger, we took over the
"Horsebrutality" Suite for three hours on Sunday morning and served
free breakfast to all comers (whilst trying to drum up memberships for MFF,
of course :-) Scones and banana bread and muffins and coffee and orange juice
- no one went away hungry.
Now, I know not all cons have con suites, but MFM does, AC did (though one
had to hunt for it), and MFF will. I also know that the con suite can be a
big drain on money and manpower for a convention - if someone were to
volunteer to provide food and staffing for the con suite for some period of
time, I should think the organizer would be *very* interested in hearing
about it. The only caveat is that if such a thing is proposed, do it a good
while (a month or two, at least) before the convention to the con suite
organizer can figure in the time and food to be donated when shopping for the
convention.
-Duncan da Husky, who reminds everyone that the special pre-registration rate
for Midwest FurFest of $25 expires on September 30, 1999 - after that, it
goes up to $30. Get you registration form now at http://www.furfest.org
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Brady dun...@uncia.com http://www.technomancer.com/~duncan
Furry: Duncan da Husky SCA: Duncan MacKinnon of Tobermory
"It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for
what you are not." - Andre Gide.
Smrgol
My thoughts are that "ConCrud" is not necessarily from any one source,
probably a combination of all the things mentioned, travel, lack of sleep,
missed meals, crowds etc. These all will help to tire you, making you more
susceptible to infection.
So the bottom line is probably to pay more attention to keeping rested, etc.
(As if THAT would happen <g>)
Smrgol
--
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Ion Otter
"Kimba W. Lion" wrote:
> Actually, there was some ruffled fur that had to be smoothed down because
> of that. Mostly because it was a spontaneous thing, tho. If the plan can
> be worked out in advance with the hotel, it shouldn't be a problem.
I hope you're not refurring to my smearing peanut
butter-double-chocolate-nutella fudge on a double-stuff oreo?
*BzzzzZZZzzzzzZZZZzzzz ZOOM-ZOOM, ZIG-ZAG- ZAP!!!*
=================O <==[IonOtter, LogOut]
Ion Otter
Allen Kitchen wrote:
>
> Much has been said about those who go to furry and SciFi
> conventions and return with the "Con Crud." Every event is marred
> by people getting ill either before or after the con. And yet, for
> all the warm pats on the back, nobody has tried to do anything about
> folks getting sick at furry functions.
>
> I'd like ALF to try to change all that.
Okay, here's the number one causes for getting sick at Cons, or any
gathering.
1. Disruption of your natural rhythms. It's not some mystical
stuff, it's your day-night, sleep-active, eat-expel, drink-urinate
cycle, otherwise known as "Your Life".
When you go change your schedule in any way, you are sure to disrupt
your natual cycles of sleeping, eating and elimination. This has a
profound effect on the immune system. To make matters worse,
everyone at such events is hyper-active themselves, and your body
picks up on these cues to boost your own stress hormone levels.
It's a stem from our past, where when Glog the Caveman would come
running into the cave screaming that the Bragga Tribe was coming
across the mountain to kill them, and they'd have to leave, like,
NOW! Everyone gets super-charged with adrenaline and other stress
chemicals, runs around like a chicken with it's head cut off for a
few days and then pays a terrible price once they are relaxed again.
So, here's a few tips on keeping your rhythms somewhat stable. If
you can keep them from flucuating too wildly, you will be much
stronger and able to fight off infection.
1. Establish a definite schedule for the elimination of bodily
wastes. When you first get up is a good idea. In fact, make getting
up in the morning a whole toilet, or cleansing ritual of sorts.
Rise, sh*t, shave and shower. Do the same before you go to bed.
1a. Do *NOT* ignore any "requests" from your body to eliminate!
Obey them as soon as you can, and I guarantee, you will be *MUCH*
more content. I don't mean running out of your SIG at the speed of
light, but *DO* go as soon as you are free.
2. WATER. AQUA. WAI. H2O. DI-HYDROGEN MONOXIDE. FLUID.
HYDRATES. MOISTURE. I CANNOT STRESS THIS *ENOUGH*. YOU PEOPLE (as
in humanity in general) CONTINUOUSLY <*INSIST*> ON DRINKING ALL KINDS
OF ALIEN CRAP, BUT REFUSE TO DRINK WHAT YOUR BODY <*needs*> TO
SURVIVE!!!! AARRRRRRRRRGH! BLAAAGGH! RRRGGGH!
*whew!*
Okay...water. Lots of it. If you are hydrated properly, then your
body will be FAR more relaxed than it would be if it were not. Not
being properly hydrated means that ol' Glog the Caveman is on the run
again, and all resources are being hoarded. This includes all
*WASTES* too!
Yes, I know this means more trips to the head, but if you start a few
days before the con, your bladder will get used to the extra volume
very quickly. Get yourself a 1.5 liter bottle and tie a string
around the neck and body, then sling it over your shoulder. Voila!
Instant disposable/refillable canteen!
Soda, beer, wine, juice and booze are all FINE with meals or
relaxing. Sport drinks are okay for a break. But when your tongue
feels like a hoard of dried gerbils, it's time for good old
fashioned, plain, unflavored, unadulterated, unaltered, chilled, pure
WA_TERRRRR!!!! *NNNNNYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAGH!* (blockbuster tackles
da' fool who drank soda when he needed H2O) *BOOM!*
3. Proper diet. Alright, let's face it. When we are at a Con, a
proper diet will most likely bust our wallets. We can't dine every
night at restraunts that will serve a healthy home-style meal, so we
subject our poor bodies to the likes of McDonalds "You deserve a
brick today", Burger King "Puke it your way", JITB "Jack's Back!",
Long John Silver's "Greasiest fish in the sea!" Pizza Hut "Void the
noid!" and similar ilk.
However, we *CAN* stave off some of the more unpleasant effects of
such a diet with a little forethought.
The fruits and vegetables that everyone is offering to bring is a
abso-frickin-lutely AWESOME idea! Fruit platters are always a bit
hit. You can even include something like a nutella, caramel or
chocolate dip to encourage participation. The hard skinned fruits
are a must. Apples, pears, grapes and plums are great. Peaches,
nectarines, grapefruits, oranges and the like are good for vitamins,
but not too high in roughage or fiber.
If you really want folks to relax, throw a bunch of pommegranates in
the pile! There is nothing quite so relaxing as sitting down to a
good pommegranate for an hour or so. Those things are soooo
engrossing! Messy as hell, though.
When you get a sub, hero or sandwich, ask for anything other than
white bread. White bread is the McDonalds of breads, and should be
avoided.
DO NOT EAT BAGELS UNLESS YOU ARE DRINKING LOTS OF WATER!!!
Doughnuts, cookies and cake do *NOT* count as wholesome bread
products. Sorry.
When going out to eat, try something NEW! Hey, sure it might upset
your stomach because you're unfamiliar with it. But I've often
discovered that the pleasure of a new and novel meal overpowers any
ill effects it might have had on my equanimity. This is a great time
to visit a sushi restraunt with a willing and eager otter!
*HINT*HINT*HINT*POKE*POKE*POKE*NUDGE*NUDGE*NUDGE*NUZZLE*NUZZLE*NUZZLE*
Okay, one last thing on food. Be sure to eat breakfast. I know it's
another expense, but even if you just eat one of those little boxes
of cereal outta the milk-filled box, it's better than nothing. If
you can choke it down, a bowl of some kind of fiber cereal is an
excellent choice. Good luck...
4. Sleep. HAH HAH HAH HAH HAAAAA! WHOO-HOO HOO HAH HAH HAH HAH!
HEEE HEE HEEEE!
Right. Moving on....
5. Re-LAX! I mean it. Just take some time to grab a soft spot and
LIE DOWN. Even if it's only for a fifteen minutes, it's still a
time-out. And it gives you time to reflect on events that are
unfolding around you and think about the best way to respond to
them. Something I often find myself doing in the Navy is running
down to my rack, slipping under the curtain and burying my face in
Selena, my snow-leopard plushie for just a few minutes. Fuzz
therapy, ala Calvin. And it goes without saying that the <*HOT-TUB*>
is a prime relaxation destination.
*HINT*HINT*HINT*POKE*POKE*POKE*NUDGE*NUDGE*NUDGE*NUZZLE*NUZZLE*NUZZLE*
6. Bring lots of underwear and socks. I'm dead serious. This may
sound totally disgusting, but if you change your underwear often,
your clothes will *NOT* get that particular <FUNK> that always seems
to crop up at cons. And if you thought that was bad, let me drop
this one on you: If you are farting a lot, your drawers are gonna
STINK! CHANGE THEM PUPPIES PRONTO!!! Take a shower before bed, too.
You won't feel all sticky during the night, unless you engage in
something that *makes* you sticky while in bed. Don't forget
protection, or the common cold may be the very LEAST of your worries.
6a. Stoping to change your socks midway through a busy day will
give you a MAJOR morale and energy boost. There's just something
soooo wonderful about a pair of nice, warm, smooth, soft, lucious,
clean and dry socks that gets me all....uhmm..."energetic"! Yeah!
That's it..."energetic". Yeah.
7. Plan for your *return* trip as much as you plan your trip *TO*
the con. Give yourself time to wind down, catch up on sleep,
organize your art, gaze over your sketchbook and drop the pictures
off at the developers.
7a. Plan to spend fourty hours or more in a building filled with
slobbering, screaming vampire bats determined to suck you dry. Plan
to meet psychotic, computerized automatons with permanent scowls who
are going to put LSD/DMSO on your tickets to warp your brain and make
you jump off a tall building. Plan to eat the droppings of some
huge, slobbering alien that just sucked your brain out of your head
through a straw. Plan to sit next to Bubba from Deliverance and his
pet pig, Priscilla the Squealer. Plan to have your gonads removed
with a white-hot bear-trap. Plan to fall into a pit of liquid glue
and get all your clothes torn off in the middle of a church.
Got your atttention, huh? Good. If you plan for all these things,
you will be very happy and grateful when all that happens is: Your
flight is delayed for three or more hours. Your flight gets changed
more than once. You get served an inflight meal right before they
show "Starship Troopers" or "You've Got Mail". The baby in the seat
behind you is sick and complaining loudly about it. Your luggage
gets misrouted. You get fleeced by the taxi driver. You lose your
credit/ATM cards.
Plan for the worst, be pleased when the worst doesn't happen.
Simple! :)
> It doesn't take much to stay healthy at a con. I usually
> take Centrum Multivitamins every day, and drink orange juice
> whenever I can. Such a simple thing, but it certainly helps me.
8. This tip is as much chemical as it is psychological. It's a
daily ritual that relaxes you and gives you confidence that you are
protecting yourself from outside influences that are normally beyond
your control. Do *NOT* discount that little psychological booster.
A favorite plushie, your ginseng pills, SoBe drinks, Good Medicine
Bag...whatever it is that gives you that little rush of confidence or
pleasure. Do it. Enjoy it. Profit from it.
> So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
> a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
> the con crud down to reasonable levels.
Organized?!? Who the heck are you trying to bullsh*t here?!? ;)
> Why us? Well, I see health and wellbeing as a lifestyle matter.
> And besides, it would do us some good to show our helpful and constructive
> natures to the fandom at large. It certainly couldn't hurt.
Count me in on the grocery run! I worked in the produce department
for four years, and I know all the good stuff! (Pulls open his
drover and exposes a huge assortment of fruit and veggies in
baggies) Hey maaan...want th' good stuff? I got what cha' need
riiight here...first taste is free, man!
This message was brought to you by Ionic Solutions, a Lontran
Company. "Ionic Solutions: We Make Things Flow!" Specializing in
relaxation, Tantric pleasures and the total enjoyment of all of
life's pleasures, no matter what gets in the way.
Aloha Nui Loa, Le'hule'hupa'lupa'lu No Ka Oi! Aiko Aiko Ho'o'one Ke
Ho'aloha!
=================O <==[IonOtter, LogOut]
khromat
kevin...@worldnet.att.net (Cerulean) wrote:
> Quoth Allen Kitchen:
> >So why can't we, as an organized group, offer vitamins and OJ at
> >a table during each and every con? It could go a long way to keeping
> >the con crud down to reasonable levels.
>
> fortified with C, zinc and echinacea to fight colds. It is also darned
> expensive because it's a new-age yuppie drink, but such is life. Oh,
> and you sort of have to like the taste of coconut. Just a thought.
There are many other 'Xgen Drinks' (Sorry, Cerulean, but this ain't
yuppie stuff according to the demographics of who's buying it) that can
be added to the list, including SoBe's Green Tea (with Echinacea) and
Oolong Tea (with bee pollen... us allergy-sensitive types would do well
with that!). Snapple and smaller "microbrew" companies also have lines
that are fruit and/or Tea based with herbs that contain the important
stuff for resisting Con Crud.
On a related note, there's nothing stopping us from making our _own_
concoction. Echinacea, Cammomile, Ginseng and C can all be gotten in
various forms that can be added to a brewing tea to make a nice herbal
iced-tea (or hot tea, if it's a con in a cold area). We've got folks
like Robin in this group who have some knowledge about dosages that
maybe effective -- it is to note that drinks like the SoBe and "Snapple
Elementals" actually have very *little* of the herb's effective dose per
serving from what I've read, and making our own would be a lot more cost
effective as well as storing better than lots of glass bottles.
But, knowing this insane ermine's love of SoBe, if folks do wish to try
opening a 'Healthfur Center' booth at some show and have such drinks
available, I get my SoBe by the case through a distributor so just let
me know what you need. ;3
-- ermine
==================================
home email: KhromatAtInOrbitDotCom
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Tim Gadd
>2. WATER. AQUA. WAI. H2O. DI-HYDROGEN MONOXIDE. FLUID.
>HYDRATES. MOISTURE. I CANNOT STRESS THIS *ENOUGH*. YOU PEOPLE (as
>in humanity in general) CONTINUOUSLY <*INSIST*> ON DRINKING ALL KINDS
>OF ALIEN CRAP, BUT REFUSE TO DRINK WHAT YOUR BODY <*needs*> TO
>SURVIVE!!!! AARRRRRRRRRGH! BLAAAGGH! RRRGGGH!
>*whew!*
>Okay...water. Lots of it. If you are hydrated properly, then your
>body will be FAR more relaxed than it would be if it were not. Not
>being properly hydrated means that ol' Glog the Caveman is on the run
>again, and all resources are being hoarded. This includes all
>*WASTES* too!
>Yes, I know this means more trips to the head, but if you start a few
>days before the con, your bladder will get used to the extra volume
>very quickly. Get yourself a 1.5 liter bottle and tie a string
>around the neck and body, then sling it over your shoulder. Voila!
>Instant disposable/refillable canteen!
I agree with you on this, except that, in my case, I regard the
avoidance of water as one of the main reasons I _don't_ get sick at
cons. For me a con has always been a point during a long series of
stops in various cities/countries, and I learned on the first of these
excursions that my system was almost _certain_ to respond to the local
water supply of any new region with a variety of symptoms, the most
common of which tended to make social life rather awkward. So, might I
just add an addendum that getting in a supply of _bottled_ water is a
wise move, rather than relying on what comes out of the tap (there may
be nothing 'wrong' withit as such; it may simply contain a variety of
organism which your immune system hasn;t encountered before.) This
works for me, anyway.
--
Tim Gadd | fluke .com
Hobart, Tasmania | @southcom
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/1161/
"Hear me! I am such and such. Above all, do not confuse me with another!"
Nietzsche
Vik-Thor Rose
khromat <khr...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
> But, knowing this insane ermine's love of SoBe, if folks do wish to try
> opening a 'Healthfur Center' booth at some show and have such drinks
> available, I get my SoBe by the case through a distributor so just let
> me know what you need. ;3
>
> -- ermine
I also should be able to get these type of things in case lots also.
(Though I shouldn't promice anything right now, since I'm not sure what my
new store's policy would be...)
Snapple, SoBe, some plain bottled water for those who don't like the taste
of local water. Also if we want to go with any vitamins, I'd be able to
get these cheap too. (Store brand with discount is wonderful! :)
Vik-Thor
khromat
Valid point to be made... last year's Further Confusion had only one
problem for me (which is resolved this year) and that was the water
used by the hotel was unfiltered tap and was actually making me *sicker*
and had several other people fall ill from it as well. It caused a bit
of a problem being in the dealers room like that but fortunately someone
retrieved hot tea which helped (ah, boiling leaves in water). :3
Swamp Gator
s.net>, Allen Kitchen <all...@blkbox.com> writes
> What do the rest of you think?
I feel the idea of a copious supply of orange juice is a grand idea
although, as has been mentioned before, there could be a few problems
with giving out vitamin tablets at a con. There is however no problem
with bringing along vitamins for personal use and indeed this is what I
did during AC and other cons. I am of the belief that vit C does help to
combat 'bugs and germs' (sorry about the use of serious medical
terminology here) both in a proactive and retroactive fashion. I
remember that during AC I was taking probably 1-2 grams of vit C a day
and thankfully remained healthy. It must be pointed out though that a
lot of vit C can cause 'loose stools' (so be sure to have plenty of
alternative seating available to combat this, *wink)
I also think that it is a good idea to 'go prepared for all
eventualities'. I was aware that by being in a different country I would
be exposed to things that might upset my system a little and as such I
came prepared with tablets to combat 'con tummy'. Lets face it, if the
worst happens and one does get a dose of 'con tummy' one wants those
tablets to be at paw and not down the road at the pharmacy :==)
Swampy
--
Swamp...@spamoff.epsilon2.demon.co.uk *please remove the spamtrap*
http://www.epsilon2.demon.co.uk/index.htm
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