Balticon Baby's Unusual Locomotive Process (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

I made this video from a clip at Balticon. Someone must remember the kid's name ("Willow?") as well as the parents. I want to give them credit. Posted in: baby , balticon

Balticon Wrapup (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

SoooOOooo...

Another Balticon has come and gone. This is the first con in a while where I didn't have to work as much, and I wasn't with family. I had a good time mostly, but I missed my wife and son pretty bad at times. I am used to having someone to "report back to," kind of like a home base. So I drifted more.

I would like to point out an error I made, takayla did NOT have a business thing she had to attend on Saturday like I told everyone. She just did not want to go. Having done Balticon night ops for years, she was just tired of the whole thing, and we go to cons for different reasons. But I got communication lines crossed due to a misreading of an IM conversation earlier in the year. It didn't help that we couldn't afford a hotel room, so she would have been miserable. I missed her anyway. So, sorry about that mistake.

Where was I? After being with ironkite and aurienne (thanks for the casserole and pizza, guys), I rode back with saritata and her boyfriend Tim to the con, and got sucked into a Vogon poetry contest with Adrienne. I submitted 5 haikus, and two of them were top "winners," if you could call it that. Ha ha. Take that, Frank and Vinnie's Con suite! Afterwards, I went back to the hotel.

I didn't get to hang out with Peter S. Beagle because he was really busy, but I spent a lot of time talking to his agent Connor, which was very cool.

Monday dawned and made the first 4-day con I had been to since Gencon a few years ago. Usually, I never stay the Monday of Balticon (and when Disclave had that weekend, I rarely stayed after Sunday either). I spent most of Monday hanging out with friends. I sat at Nancy's button table, which was awesome, and got to speak with merchant pals. I got invited to several cons, most of which I declined due to logistic reasons (time off from work, on call schedules, being away from family, and so on). But I found out that I am not going to Gencon or Triadcon this year for the same reasons: each con got bought out by a specific vendor, and those vendors don't want competing systems sold at the cons. So MSD won't go, and thus, neither will I.

I might have a way to Otakon, depending on several issues. That's a new development.

Then I was a "non-judgemental judge" for the Towel Fashion contest, teaming up with Adrienne as we did in the days of yore. By the time 2pm rolled around, tth and aylinn were tired and wanted to go home when their shift at the game room ended. So we left and they graciously went out of their way to drop me off at Shady Grove Metro.

The train left very late, and by the time we got to DC, the trains were over-packed full of Memorial Day tourists and a plethora of workers who don't get holidays off because they work retail, hospital, or otherwise pretty brutal jobs. But since it was a holiday, Metro ran holiday hours, which meant one train every 10-20 minutes instead of 3-5 like they usually do during rush hour. The Blue Line went down at Arlington Cemetery, causing a ripple effect on the Orange line, and some 8-9 year old girl had to hold onto me because the sheer force of the people inside had forced her apart from her parents, and she was too short to reach any bars. She gave me some book recommendations I was looking for for Scarlet, so that worked out for me, but I felt bad that so many commuters completely disregarded her. One guy actually rested his backpack on her head until I told him to stop. Man, she's just a little girl, folks! Have you no sympathy?

When I got home, stayed with Ahfu for a little bit, who is doing mildly better. He's really crabby because of the pain and all. Then I had to unpack, spend time figuring out why the Internet went down over the weekend (the Verizon router was broken, luckily I had a spare Linksys), and try and sort out all the notes and contact info people gave me. I also have a large backlog of books to read. The cats and dogs were happy to see me, and Taboo slept by my head and purred for a little while. I fell into a deep sleep and dreamt some pretty bad dreams, though. I have had a feeling all day like, "A storm is brewing." Posted in: balticon , cons , conventions

Back from Balticon (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

Much to report, but I am safe and at home. I had an Internet crisis I have no resolved by replacing Verizon's busted router with a spare I had.

I'd like to thank a lot of people. First, I'd like to thank maugorn again for the lift, tth and aylinn for letting me crash, ironkite and aurinne for letting me visit, saritata for being who she is best, and daecabhir and his staff for running a good show. I'd like to thank Paul, Venora, Keith, lohquesse, moliarity, Steve, Tim, Kelsi, and Colette at Ops for letting me hang out (plus anyone else I forgot there who put up with my bad jokes).

I'd like to thank all my panelists, with special thanks to John Henry for his help, Connie Willis for being a good sport and being an intriguing person to chat with, Adrienne Reynolds for the Vogon Poetry and Towel Fashion Show, an agent/publisher named "Connor," for his discussion on humor, and some of the other authors and artists I chatted with at panels, room parties, dinners, brunches, and their merchant tables. I'd also like to thank Nancy Lebovitz for letting me hang out at her table.

ravynmaniac, this is the calmest I have seen you in 3 years! I wonder why... ;-)

Sorry, CJ Henderson, I swear I'll hang out with you next. I know I keep saying that, but you're not only a fascinating fellow, but a great salesperson, and I didn't want to interrupt you while you were busy.

Thank you SUE for all your work. I wished I could work as hard as you.

I had a great time BECAUSE of you all. This is why I go to the conventions in the first place.

See you at Balticon 43!

AVOID THE MOP! Posted in: balticon , cons , conventions

Trojan Horse - The Chaser (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

Being at the Hopkins-Walters house is like a relaxacon. Here's another video they shared with me. "Would anyone fall for a Trojan Horse today?" Well, not the Turks, at any rate, right? Posted in: balticon , cons , conventions , video

Balticon - Day 3 (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

I am at aurienne, ironkite, and lord_zanther's house as I type this. I have already had a pretty exciting day.

Last night, I went to the room parties, which sadly, were pretty pathetic. I am so sorry, but some of those Worldcon bid rooms were as exciting as a VFW on a Saturday afternoon. Old people with caps, drinking, and mumbling about the youth. A few parties had people I was actively trying to avoid, so I stayed to be polite because I don't have it in me to wander into a room, see someone, and turn around going, "Oh good god, no." But I wanted to.

One party was okay. It was called "Bronx Babes," and advertised it as a "Pwarty," because it was done by an artist and an author of, "The Totally Geeky Guide to The Princess Bride," Mary Ann Johanson. I bought a copy of it, and had Mary Ann sign it, because... I am a totally geeky fan of "The Princess Bride." But then someone who talked way too much and was far too insane latched onto me, and well, that was the end of that fun.

I went to bed early, but didn't sleep until 2-3 or so. I have walked a HELL of a lot this con. My pedometer shows 73,000 steps currently, almost 30 miles, which I have tacked on since I left for the Metro Friday.

After spending time worrying, saritata was back today, under meds, and doing okay. She was grading papers, and I got intrigued and so I did some of those dittos myself to see how I'd far when I interpreted poetry. I got a 26/30, which I appreciated the honesty of my answers. It reminded me of when I got homework handed back to me as a teen, and the same familiar, "You missed the point of this question," line came back to me some 22 years later. Hah. Some things never change.

Some of those students, though? Really bad. Some don't get simile at all. One girl, whom I won't name but her name started with an "O" which she made into the shape of a heart, completely missed the point of using words to describe an unpleasant sensation. In fact, along with her dry and technical style of prose, "The girl fell into the mud puddle hard. On her butt," she drew a diagram showing this stick figure of a girl, complete with pigtails and a frown, over a squiggle labeled "mudd [sic] puddle." If you have to draw a picture, you don't get the point of the exercise, hon.

The highlight of the day before I got to the Hopkins house was I had a brunch/meeting get together with Connie Willis. Now I was a panelist at her tongue in cheek, "Who Really Wrote the works of Connie Willis?" and I decided to stop by (well, truthfully, I was invited) to complement her on being a good sport. And you know what? She *IS* a good sport, and a wonderful, entertaining person to boot. I spent almost and hour with her in the Podcast room, talking about writing, Hugos, cats, dogs, and being a female writer. IUf anyone gets a chance to speak with her in a small setting, I'd highly recommend it. She reminds me of Katherine Kurtz, in a way, when it comes to personal anecdotes. I hope I cross paths with her again.

Side note, I hope *I* get to the point one day where I can casually say, "I am Guest of Honor at three cons this year..."

I am spending the day with aurienne, ironkite, and lord_zanther, and perhaps later, Peter S. Beagle, his agent Connor, and hopefully saritata. Posted in: balticon , cons , conventions

Balticon - Day 2 (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

So where was I? I keep getting interrupted.

It's now much later. Past my last panel of the weekend.

Anyway, Maug gave me a lift, and then I arrived to meet MSD (tth and aylinn). I found out that there was no MSD table, and my weekend got even more free. I am staying with them in a suites hotel down the road a bit.

I wore my propeller beanie, and I had a matching one for CR, but he did not come.

I went to Opening Ceremonies, because they said that I'd be mentioned. And I was. As a kind of "A - Z" listing of celebrities that went like this: "Guest of Honor... [Connie Willis speaks then leaves] ...blah blah Guest Artist... blah blah... Ghost of Honor... blah blah... and a lot of other panelists from So-and-so to Grig Larson over there..."

"Yeah!" I said.

And that was that. :) They had belly dancing for OC, and so it reminded me a lot about FanTek cons where I was Emcee. I remember introducing Miraj, Amira, and a few others from troups. Then I went and had steak and potatoes with the Kaese clan, and then had my last panel, "Ghostbuisting 101," which was my big panel for the con.

I shit you not, guess who showed up? Adriene Reynolds! She came down from Joisey to represent Douglas Adams, having interviewed him in 1991? 92? Something like that. She carried a cup around with his "ashes" (some kind of colorful spice), and people kept putting stuff in it to honbor him. At the panel, it had some pins, a patch, and some Pixie sticks. You an FanTek may remember Adriene as the "podium" Costume Call Emcee who would take people (usually men) from the audience where they would be her podium for notes, hold the microphone, and so on. She was also the cheif editor for Gateways Magazine, the last magazine I have had a publsihed story in (to date).

Hey, as I type this paragraph? A cadre of female teenaged lacrosse girls are sitting around me. They like my hat. [giggle]

I didn't sleep well. I was in a couch a little short for my length, and it was hard to curl up. I fell asleep off and on from about 2am to 4am, and then finally got some deeper sleep until I woke up groggily at 7am. I had coffee and crumpets with clotted cream and lemon custard. That was f'n good, let me tell you.

BTW: According to Mike Brill, he has NOT been in a car accident, nor has he ever had a head injury (I was told he was in a massive car wreck in the early-mid 90s to explain his behavior). Both is parents died last year, however. That is sad, since he's an only child. And a die-hard BG (old series) fan. And thinks that the lack of moon landings since the 1970s has been the result of non-progressive thinking. I can't seem to sit anywhere without him coming up and talking to me. He has Apergers (according to him, which I kind of assumed). I heard his arguing down the hall a while ago about Star Wars and how the popular media ruined George Lucas.

Paul Fischer wants me in one of his podcasts after Balticon. Neat!

So anyway, I got to the con around 10 or so, and tried to get Internet access, which as you can see, I finally got due to the Hunt VALLEY Inn's poor password security. I did the meet and greet, trying to figure out what happened to saritata, since the night before she was rushed to the ER. She's recovering; she had some internal issues, and may return tomorrow (hope hope hope).

Now as I type THIS line, 6 or 7 year old girl, dressed as a goth fairy, just came up to me as said she liked my hat. She then told me her parents told her to meet them here. She is SO adorable, I took a picture. Later, I find out the picture is hopelessly blurred. I hate this camera.

I then was on a panel with John Henry (aka John Campbell), Bud Sparhawk, and a woman (I think an Editor of Weird Tales) replacing Jeff Lyman. The panel was called, "Who Really Wrote the Works of Connie Willis?" Connie is the GoH, and until Sue said I was on this panel, I must confess I never heard of her. I had to look her up on the Wikipedia, and that's when I realized I HAD read part of one book she wrote some years ago, "To Say Nothing of the Dog," which I considered rather dull and pointless that I stopped reading about 5-6 chapters in. CRAP! So I got some other books of hers to study. John Henry wrote me, saying Sue mistakenly thought he was the moderator, but assumed the panel would be a light "roast" of sorts. Then he sent me an e-mail later on in the week saying he found out he WAS the moderator, and thus would continue on the "roast." Having done roasts before, I had kind of done it in the light of she would hear about it if she wasn't there. So when she showed up in the audience, I didn't blink. But the other panelists had difficulty slamming this nine-time Hugo award winner in her presence. Connie is a good sport, and she was flattered, funny, and thank GOD she was there, because the four of us had maybe 10 minutes of material at best. It sort of morphed into a "mock Connie, claim she didn't really exist, while asking her questions" panel, which was fine, really.

Connie told us tales about a Hugo Award that fell apart and a company that wanted her to write in a compilation of "War of the Worlds," and do the short story, "as if it was written by Laura Engles Wilder," whom some guy may have never read, but some of you gals probably did as kids. She did, "Little House on the Prairie." I have no idea why Connie declined, I'd consider that a challenge. I might do it myself!

Anyway, Connie is pleasant, modest, and fun to have in your audience.

I spent some time with ninjacooter and her boyfriend, hung out with Ops for a while, hung out with Adrienne who wanted some modeling advice. As I type this LINE, I am at Volunteer central, stealing there electrical supply for my own selfish laptop battery charging needs.

I am having fun. There's a series of room parties tonight I will be browsing. I hope they don't suck, it's been AGES since I have been to a room party, and I want to see if they still give out stickers (back in the day, we covered the "clipped corner" of badges that showed we were underage). Posted in: balticon , cons , conventions

Balticon - Day 2 (with Day 1 additives) (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

Before I start:
Why are you not at Balticon???
Please disregard this if you are at Balticon

What happened with Day 1? I didn't have Internet access until now, and I'd like to graciously thank a Katsu staff person who let me have their access today.

My adventure started Friday morning when a 40 minute Metro ride took almost 2 hours. Luckily, maugorn was late, too. He gave a lift there in his +2 Van of Driving, which should be listed in the DMG as an "artifact." I think many people would be daunted by riding in a tan van that reminds one why the 1980s were not good years to buy American vehicles, but this... this was a musician's van, and I saw it as a work of art, with happy memories of the past.

When the last time any of you had to "roll down a window?"

It was a massive thing where the interior had been stripped bare. I pictured this kind of van at Renn Fests and Pagan gatherings, as places to sleep, stay out of the rain, and just generally be all hippie like. It was a fun ride, and Maug and I spoke of music, Faerie festivals...

Man, Mike Brill is constantly talking and I can't type. I have to move somewhere else, and finish this later. I think I'll take a picture of this guy, because those who have not met him... he's a sight to behold. Posted in: balticon , cons , conventions

Arg, need ride to Balticon! (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

I had a ride to Balticon, but they canceled on me due to financial issues.

This is the deal, there's only me and two pieces of luggage. I can be picked up at any DC Metro station. I need to be there by Friday early afternoon.

Anyone going my way? Posted in: balticon , metro

Rereading Beagle (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

You know, there's a chance I might get to Peter S. Beagle Balticon weekend on a less mass scale than I am used to meeting authors. I have been invited to the place he's staying at over that weekend, and maybe he'll be there, and I sort of felt bad if I hung out with him and I was all, "I only know one book you wrote, and I was 10 when I read it." So I bought a copy, and started reading it last night. I mean, sadly, he's not the REAL reason I am going, it's to see two dear friends who I haven't seen in ages, but if Peter is there, I'd like to at least know about him more than "You're the guy who got shafted by Bankin Rass, right?"

I am finding there's a certain... flavor, older fantasy has. I haven't quite nailed it down, but it reminds me of a more obscure time when fantasy books had watercolor front cover illustrations, or pen and ink over a watercolor background. It was written the year I was born, 1968, and so while it's a little younger than Madeleine L'Engle's "Wrinkle in Time," it has that same feel. Like a junior adult fiction on a spinner rack. Back when sci-fi and fantasy were pulp paperbacks, and riding that edge of being for adults and for children.

I only vaguely remembered the plot. I don't even remember the ending exactly, which is good, because it's like reading it for the first time, only invoking old, old memories of, "Oooohhhh... that's where I got that concept from." I vaguely recall it ends on a depressing note, but then again, I found so did "A Wrinkle in Time," and apparently I had a very bent way of looking at things because I don't think that has a depressing ending now. Meg lives! So does her dad!

We shall see. Posted in: balticon , last unicorn , peter s beagle

Shameless self-promotion (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

COME SEE ME AT BALTICON

And take pictures. I really don't have many pictures of me doing anything fan related since FanTek, really. Seriously, if you have pictures of me from Balticon, Katsucon, or even FanTek (I love nostalgia), I'd like copies!

May 23-26, Memorial Day Weekend
Marriott Hunt Valley Inn
Near Baltimore, Maryland

Tell Nora and Greg I sent you! Posted in: balticon

I got my My Balticon Schedule (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

My Balticon schedule is pretty light this year. I am really getting a badge to goof off, which I know is the case every year, but I always thought of panels as a way of them keeping tabs on me. I think I may help volunteer some, just so I won't feel bad. I am only asked to verify I showed up three times.
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Fri 8 pm: Ballroom: See me at Opening Ceremonies, where I am sure they will just ask me to stand up and point me out with like 30 other people. They do this just for me, you know, so I won't be mobbed my a plethora of adoring fans (I can't say that with a straight face).

Fri midnight: In the "Derby" Room: Ghostbusting 101 - Moderator. You're kidding. I had a dream about this, and it seems my psychic lessons are sailing forward by looking at my past. That's no way to steer a ship!

Sat 1 pm: Garden - Who really wrote the works of Connie Willis? Wow, I better find out in two weeks, let me tell you. Considering she's the GoH, I better get cracking on that investigate to expose the fraud that she is. Hugos and Nebulas. Hah! I won a Huggo and Nebulous Award.
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Come see me! Come buy my book from the MSD table. I'd do a signing, but they never have room... so come see me anywhere, and I'll sign your book, arm, boob, whatever.

Yes, stodgycat, I'll sign your boob. Posted in: balticon , con , convention , panels

So, the Balticon Programming Schedule is a little blank... (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

I got a call for program ideas from Balticon programming (well, she's calling on everyone, not just me). They are mostly dead for Friday, Monday, and need more "fannish programming."

I could suggest my staples, but what would YOU guys want me to talk about?

Keep in mind, I only feel comfortable about subject matter I actually KNOW, but that hasn't stopped me in the past. I once hosted a panel on Heinlein, and I hadn't actually read any books of his since high school, and I didn't like what I read. So I sat up there and challenged anyone to know more than me about Heinlein than me to come up and prove it. And they did. I didn't have to do anything but moderate and ask random questions to my new panelists.

They don't call 'em "cons" for nothin'... :) Posted in: balticon , programming

Some random w00t! (Punkadyne Labs (Punkwalrus))

Balticon
Balticon invited me to come back. Sue Wheeler e-mailed me, "You coming? Are you going to respond to our invites?" and I thought, "what invites?" I am guessing they got eaten by the spam filters. I do plan to attend, and I do plan to do programming again. I also plan on shifting gears and being an obnoxious guest this year. I will insist on only speaking directly to the con chair, whom I will call "Squeaky" and never tell anyone why, with all my impossible needs:

"What do you mean I can't have a live camel, Squeaky? I thought it would come with the audio/video request package!! I bet you'd do it for Hal Clement if he was still alive...! Yeah... I see how it is for ol' Punkie..."

Futurama
I found, while looking up Phil Lamar's credits, that there will be at least 3 more Futurama movies. "Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (2009)," "Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008)," and "Futurama: Bender's Game (2008)." I liked, "Bender's Big Score," so I am looking forward to a good year of Slurm and Hypnotoad.

SETI
I have been a part of the SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) distributed computing program since 1999, and today I crossed over one million credits, ranking me in the 4700s for the whole world, the top 0.5% percentile, and one of the FEW single individuals with that many credits (most are companies like Sun or HP). And at an average of 1600 credits per day, I am still searching for aliens. Woo!

Lego Killing Machines
When I was a kid, my friends and I used to lament that Lego didn't have any real army men or tanks or any Lego sets where we could wage an interlocking brick horror upon the helpless mini-figs we delighted in torturing. Of course, we made our own (usually in the form of marauding spaceships), but they never seemed as cool as a real set. Lego's stance on this was they wanted to promote peace and love and creativity and... they just didn't know boys very well.

Where was this guy when Andy Oman and I were looking for mechanized juggernauts to bring a mini-fig holocaust? Holy tentacled plastic death carriage, man! The video is ever so worthwhile to see mini-figs chopped and flung aside like the helpless, frozen-smiled victim sheep they are. Mua ha ha! Posted in: balticon , boinc , futurama , lego , seti