Points from Ad Astra:

In Chronological Order:

Friday

The flexible highway signs can be wrong
Little invites for parties are handy
So are putting signs in elevators except for attracting mundanes
Everyone likes stickers
Put up signs and then get party ready put early arrivers to work
It was good to see Dave Weil again would like to have seen more of him.
Buy more pop.
I met lots of new people and the party was a good way to do so
Missed the other good parties on Friday except Gord's costumers party
The costumers will be running that con someday soon
This is not necessarily a bad thing
Garbage bags in boxes are your friend

Saturday

Vietnamese brunch was fun and a new idea
Found the long lost Scott Bakker
Went to an interesting panel on where SF readers are vanishing to.
(Do you read SF as opposed to fantasy or horror?)
Hooked up with Kyle and LLoyd and George and Herb and his friend and Dave Clink for jerked supper, very good food and company.
Watched a good masquerade I especially liked the LOTR statues from Motown and Faery Time Stories.
Wondered could it have started at 8 not 9PM?
Fed chocolate cheesecake to a starving orphan for charity
Danced until 3AM, which was 1 hour or more after the consuite closed

Sunday

Another good brunch Japanese tofu this time
Bought way too much stuff inc a good history of the Geminii program and a 'fourth' season original Trek episode done by fans.
Made it briefly to Kelseycon but decided I'd rather drive for 90 minutes and eat a light meal than sit and then drive after a heavier one.
119KPH is moderate on the 401 esp after dark, whoosh!

Observations:

The Ad Astra consuite will be less than good as long as the concom have the green room to hang out in.
The consuite rooms should not be used as crash space by anyone and
it should stay open for at least an hour after the dance ends.
The consuite should be the social focus of the con not just a place to get food and drink.
Panels that have one panelist should be checked for said panelist being there.
Science panels should be Saturday afternoon not Sunday.
10AM PANELS ON A SUNDAY?
There is an art and science to stocking your dealers room.
Sleep is for the weak.
Always test your sound equipment before you leave home.
It helps concoms to see how other, out of town, cons are run.
Navel gazing by concoms is not good.

It was good to see everyone, the best part of Ad Astra is the people who attend it.

(no subject)

This explains alot about what has been happening with SF.

Thanks to supergee, sartorias, and others.
Three articles by Richard Curtis about the world of publishing, its impending doom, and all that:

Part 1: http://www.bksp.org/RichardCurtis1.html
Part 2: http://www.bksp.org/RichardCurtis2.html
Part 3: http://www.bksp.org/RichardCurtis3.html

Sorry for the crossposting.

Welcome the newbie!

David Weil now has an LJ he is theobviousname

One reason why Canada works better than the US

Both countries wanted to recognize soldiers that had been in combat:

The American solution:

http://forums.military.com/eve/ubb.x/a/tpc/f/6121999376/m/915103565

is only for Armour, Artillery and Combat Engineers not MP's or other units who have been doing much fighting in Iraq.

The Canadian solution:

http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dhh/honours_awards/engraph/honour_awards_e.asp?cat=3&Q_ID=112

Is awardable to anyone in the area of operations and there is a support version that civilians can be awarded thus making them more part of the team.

http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/dhh/honours_awards/engraph/honour_awards_e.asp?cat=3&Q_ID=113

The General Campaign Star also looks pretty cool being based on the World War One 1914-1915 Star.