Something Random

Mercutio said:
Fushigi was probably next door at the Anime convention, now that I think about it.
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I didn't go this year. Nor have I for the past few years. Anime Central had some *issues* during it's formative years, during which some friends volunteered to help out and were treated like s**t. I've mostly avoided it since then. Also, the nature of anime fandom overall and my interest specifically have evolved over the past decade or so. 10 years ago, anime was barely available retail; now it's everywhere. The dealer room at the con was always fun as you'd find stuff you wouldn't find anywhere else in the US; now most anything is available by import if not from a domestic anime retailer. Many of the popular series I either already have or they're kids shows that I'm not interested in.

That said, I had considered going just to see the state of the con, and perhaps some of the guests. I may still hit another local con later this year if the opportunity arises just to see if/how the cons have evolved.
 
sechs said:
I'm not a shy person, and I try to avoid these conventions. After going to a Star Trek convention with some friends in college, I think that I'm scarred for life....
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When I went to a comic convention last year I saw dozens of people dressed up. Y'know what? It was really cool. You can say "Oh, that guy must have an awful life that he put together a Klingon outfit to wear in public", but on the other hand, he's also making a public show of devotion, and he's adding his own bit of fantasy to drab reality. That's something to appreciate.

Uh, also, no one dressed up at the one I went to yesterday. Half the audience was goths, but they dress like that all the time. :)
 
You know what, it's not the wierd people who dress up; my friends are some of those people -- and there weren't very many of them there anyway. It was the commercialism and lack of real content.

Fifty bucks was kind of steep, and while Michael Dorn and Marina Sirtis gave a very interesting talk, mostly it was dealers. And I don't collect the kind of crap that they sell. I spent most of my day there with a friend picking David Prowse-signed Darth Vader figurines.
 
You really can't have a convention without the blatant commercialism. It kinda goes without saying, and in part it's also the profit center that'll bring the con back the next year.

One nice thing about conventions is that the dealers are usually fans of <whatever>, too, and even moreso, they tend to be knowledgeable ones (Star Trek, known for its layers of hopeless geek/fandom, might be different). Anyway, just as I wouldn't begrudge a Sports Equipment store owner his choice to sell sports equipment, nor would I impugn an ardent Baseball card collector his attempt to make a living on baseball cards. That guy is probably trying to live his dream, being surrounded by the thing that he loves, and turning people on to his personal interest.

Far as things go: Comic-book-types and Sci-Fi fans, and the D&D players get looked down on for liking those things. Which is really funny to me, 'cause a lot of more "normal" guys can tell me, for example, exactly what the horsepower rating is for a '78 Gremlin or what Kevin Seitzer's (deliberately obscure reference) batting average was in 1987. That sort of level of enthusiasm has GOT to be on par with the devoted Star Wars fan.

Does that make sense?
 
I don't think that I'm that big of a fan of anything with a convention.

Unless someone knows of a local numismatics con....
 
I went to Jack London's Square in Oakland for a few years for a rather large boat show., and I go to Laguna Seca raceway fairly often for events. I've never been to a golf show, and COMDEX....well, that was work ;)

For the longest time I was (guess I still am) considering buying a nice yacht instead of a home. Here the price is roughly equivalent. Maintenence and depreciation would be far more, but it would hold me over until I decide to abandon the United States.

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And when I sail internationally, you bet your ass there's a gun on board.
 
sechs said:
Unless someone knows of a local numismatics con....
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Where I live there's a coin show three times a year at the county fairgrounds.
... and for you nutcases, I think there's a gun show at least once a month.

Same basic thing, except that sort of geekcraft doesn't lend itself to things like discussion panels. ;)
 
ddrueding said:
And when I sail internationally, you bet your ass there's a gun on board.
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Just avoid the Phillipines Islands/Straits of Mannila (sp?) and you should be fine. You could always go for the high voltage lines around the deck, to prevent boarding in the first place. Crispy fried pirate ayeeeee!

That said I was once on the bridge of a supply ship after it had docked, it had come under .50 cal machine gun fire from a bunch of terrorists. The bullets had gone thru everything like butter. It's a miracle no-one was killed. The rudder was disabled and they were going around in a circle, luckily the Navy got there before the terrorists finished them off.
 
sechs said:
Unless someone knows of a local numismatics con....
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Sechs, I've never been to one, but I know down here in the lower end of the left coast there are some annual numismatics conventions. I used to be interested in those things, until I ran out of my purchasing power. :D I shouldn't necessarily say that I lost my interest, but it has greatly waned. Although coins are nice works of art, I find bank notes much more interesting.
 
Sure that those aren't "shows"; there's a bit a difference.

I'm personally a bill person, but coins have a lot more weight to them -- in many senses. It's also very easy to collect something that you get back as change every day.
 
Presumably, shows are where vendors hock their wares and other people set up interesting stuff to look at. Conventions are where people of like interests get together to meet eachother and listen to speakers.

I'd also say that conventioneers tend be more fanatical than show attendees.
 
Moving to full-time with benefits next week :) No need to hear me bitch about cost of medical insurance in the US anymore, as it's fully paid for.

For celebratory purposes I will be having margaritas in a bag, apparently made famous by a marine in a parachute. Ah yes, Captain Blender.
 
sechs said:
As long as you're not trying to show off your writting skills, it's alright.
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I wouldn't even know where to begin. Writing skills, you make it sound as if there is some assumed talent. The last talent I had was tasting Scotch, but that died along with my liver.
 
Speaking of good writing....I just finished an incredible novel.

It was purchased for me completely by mistake. I rarely read fiction anymore, but when I was younger I was a big fan of Tom Clancy and Dale Brown. So when my father brought me a book by Dan Brown, I was not excited. I thanked him and took the book home, not looking at it for several weeks.

It's now 5:35AM on a workday, and I just finished reading Angels & Demons cover-to-cover. I never even thought of putting it down or noticed what time it was getting to be. An absolutely phenomenal read that I just had to mention here before going to sleep (for an hour or so).

Sorry if I'm raving, but this was really good.
 
Pradeep said:
Moving to full-time with benefits next week :) No need to hear me bitch about cost of medical insurance in the US anymore, as it's fully paid for.

For celebratory purposes I will be having margaritas in a bag, apparently made famous by a marine in a parachute. Ah yes, Captain Blender.
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After a few of those, you may need to use that new medical insurance of yours. :D
 
I'm awaiting the blessed UPS dood who will bestow upon me one of those shiny pda thingymejigs. A Dell X30 with 614MHz processort, 802.11b and Blootooth. A friend told me I will be able to dl pics of upskirt action from Tea, the little tart.
 
i saw 3.. er 4 people when I viewed last night... 1 was pretty much glued to the screen in the background, and then it looked like a couple guys were together, one only showed up as i was leaving. Then there was the guy infront of the camera with wavy hair. He looked like he might be assisting the two guys at one point.
 
Yeah, I'm still getting the things running smoothly. I just jury-rigged it for last night, as that was one of my first nights off. The guy with the wavy hair works for me.
 
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