The Public Life of a Public Librarian

One thing I have learned hosting is that you have to be sure that people know you are with your con not the con you are at.

Also the gopher factor.

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I plan to go again as a cheesecake girl :)

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jackspryte.livejournal.com

I heard about the going dry but what is this about "crash space for gophers?" Is this a matter of them getting really cheap?

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Well it's not necessarily going dry. The announcement says "This party also takes responsibilities if alcohol is being served that each person is of legal drinking age in Canada." So essentially, it's up to whomever they get to run and stock the consuite for them.

I am amused that they not only expect other groups to take over the consuite for them but intend to charge the groups a $10 fee just to mention it in the program book.

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jimhines.livejournal.com

I'm going, mostly because I had so much fun last year. I don't drink, so I hadn't really noticed the alcohol controversy...

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tlatoani.livejournal.com

Are they in financial trouble, or what?

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They want other people to run the consuite but when gophers want to crash there they have to accomodate them sleeping where ever whenever the volunteer wants to crash.

This is instead of providing a separate gopher hole hotel room.

So they are saving two room nights for something or someone else.

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This is from the main homepage:

"Latest News!!
Please be advised that the ConSuite will be Dry. No Alcohol will be served."

http://www.ad-astra.org/index.php

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Ad Astra is very friendly to authors and other pros, not so much to the mainstream fan.

Which does beg the question are there any mainstream literary/social fans still going to Ad Astra?

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I have not seen any paper work, and its also a question of how they spend what money they take in.

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OK there is one good incentive!

What is your theme for this year?

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A con mostly for authors that's dry! Wow! One of the main planning points for BoucherCon and World Fantasy (two big pro cons) are: how big is the bar and how soon does it open?

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dagibbs.livejournal.com

I plan to go, because there are people I see there that I've known for years and that I see nowhere else.

I continue to shake my head and wonder at how Ad Astra is run, and the decisions they make about some things. I think, though, their priorities and my priorities are not the same. And are not the same as they were when I started going to Ad Astra. Eventually I may give up on them, but I haven't yet.

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The authors and con staff have had a wet Green Room with longer hours than the consuite to hang out in.

Maybe because no gophers are randomly crashing in it.(;

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Seeing people is the main reason I go, although I see less of them as the years go on and I am meeting fewer new people.

Finding a good place to go for dinner is getting difficult too.

I go to cons for GOHS but this year it does not have I am really interested in.

Hopefully there will be some interesting panelists.

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You could ask them why they did not have a con in 1999 and why they switched from June dates to Feb., March and April since then.

Notably their first two fan GOHs were Steve Simmons and Ro Nagey back 1981 and 1982.

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Con suite that's also a gopher hole doesn't seem logical.

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I was looking at ConFusion and it's Toastmaster is ArmadilloCon's GOH. Of course, last year, ConFusion had two Central Texas writers that I see all the time.

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Our masquerade director is Kim Kofmel of Houston so we have another Texas connection.

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To you and me yes but to them apparently not.

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I know Kim, she's here often.

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jackspryte.livejournal.com

What!!!? That's just plain weird IMO. That would discourage me from volunteering at all.

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Hahaha...

not too sure yet! I have been thinking about it. I hope it will be something simple to make, as I am working 40 hours a week and in school (and then will need to outfit myself in a new cheesecake costume, and hopefully make a complimenting beefcake outfit for my other half) hehe!

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Superman and Wonder Woman!

Can you tell I just finished reading "Kingdom Come?"

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No kidding!

Reminds me of another convention I used to volunteer for...

pretty much I think the fanrun cons have too much power, and not enough brains to use it properly.

They expect to treat the volunteers like shit, and have them come back again!

Pfffft, yeah right. Most of the stuff a volunteer does is unappreciated....unless of course you are in close with the rest of the clique.

And they all wonder why they lose #'s of volunteers/attendance. Its because we're all flocking to SFX to be treated like fucking cattle instead.

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What out of town cons have you been to?

All fan run cons are not created alike!

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I'm sorry you've had such horrible experiences. But honestly, most fan-run cons do appreciate their volunteers very much; maybe you've been attending the wrong cons.

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Interesting. Does that mean that groups taking over the consuite can't serve alcohol, or simply that the consuite itself isn't going to provide any?

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What

marahsk said. I've done extensive volunteer work at fan run cons and I've almost always felt well appreciated and come away feeling very positive about the experience. I also suspect you've been to the wrong cons.

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Okay I hadn't seen that, just the consuite page. I'm ambivalent about serving alcohol in the consuite to be honest. Cons I love do so and it works for them, but I don't think it's necessary for creating a sociable atmosphere. (Not charging for no name pop on the other hand is a good start...)

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I could be reading it wrong but I interpret the consuite page as saying the consuite itself won't be providing anything at all, the group that signs up to host it during the allotted hours will provide whatever is served. Thus saying that the consuite is dry on the main page is saying that the group taking over can't serve alcohol. Again I may be interpreting it wrong, since this does appear to contradict what they say on the consuite page.

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avt-tor.livejournal.com

Ad Astra usually has a good literary program, but it's kind of a stretch to say it's "mostly for authors".

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avt-tor.livejournal.com

I agree with you. Not that I object to alcohol as such, but usually the number of people who drink are a minority being subsidized by the whole community, and in cases where people who drink in the con suite actually constitute a majority of the convention, it tends to be one of those loud party cons where not much else happens.

It's not a major point for me; whatever the community wants is okay by me.

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Either it's the former, or they decided against alcohol but didn't update the consuite page.

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I say, go completely crazy, and serve real Coke instead of no-name swill, but that's me...

I don't object to having some alcohol, but I also have no problem with the drinkers having to go to the bar and pay for their own drinks instead of having the membership subsidize them.

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Hahaha, trust me I know :)

I do not judge all fan run cons based on my experience (or else why would I go to AA??)

Its just, after pouring 5 + years into something with much love, only to feel like the rest of your "friends" on concom are not really.....well you know, the same people you trusted reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaallly sucked!

The problem I have with fan run cons is simple:

POLITICS......and people who think they are so fucking high and mighty....you know, a lot of abuse of power in most fan run cons (and I am yet to leave the city to attend one, maybey thats my biggest problem....LOL)

It ruined volunteering for me. Ironic thing is: I am a nerd who is not drawn to cons for what they offer, but for the people and for the experience.
I volunteer usually because I do not care for the other stuff in the con!

Perhaps one day I will venture further than just a cheesecake girl.....it will take me quite a while to heal yet :)

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Fully going to suggest this! Keep ideas coming :)

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Its an author wonderland I think because of the size of the Ontario writing community.

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tlatoani.livejournal.com

Kind of odd and disorganized-seeming, but I know appearances can be deceptive. The Pirates have been considering attending Ad Astra -- what's it actually like, compared to, say, ConFusion?

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Its just, after pouring 5 + years into something with much love, only to feel like the rest of your "friends" on concom are not really.....well you know, the same people you trusted reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaallly sucked!

I understand; and that happens to way too many good people. :(

The problem I have with fan run cons is simple:

POLITICS......and people who think they are so fucking high and mighty....you know, a lot of abuse of power in most fan run cons

That definitely happens, and too often, but I would disagree with "most." I think that when it does happen to you (general "you, not you personally") one horrible experience with one toxic person (or clique) can overshadow many good experiences and many hardworking, good people.

(and I am yet to leave the city to attend one, maybey thats my biggest problem....LOL)

Yes, absolutely. If you've only ever been to cons in one city, you really don't have a complete experience of fandom or conventions. I heartily recommend that you get to some other conventions if you can; many of them are well run. There are conventions all over North America pretty much every weekend, and sometimes when you need to find one that is a better fit for you, it ends up not being one that is local to you. I ended up on the committee for the Seattle NASFiC (among others), because they are awesome people who are great to work with.

It ruined volunteering for me. Ironic thing is: I am a nerd who is not drawn to cons for what they offer, but for the people and for the experience.
I volunteer usually because I do not care for the other stuff in the con!

Perhaps one day I will venture further than just a cheesecake girl.....it will take me quite a while to heal yet :)

Too many good people gafiate because of bad experiences. I really hope you find a (or more) con(s) that appreciates you.

I don't know who you are, so I'm at a disadvantage, but I'd love to recommend some cons that you might enjoy, and even some that would welcome (and appreciate) you as a volunteer.

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I like suggestions! ^^
Of course, assuming I can afford to travel there at the time

I would like to get re-involved again. Volunteering is very fun! I have always liked it.....
If but anything, this whole experience ruined my trust in people more than anything. Friends don't stab you in the back (well not the *real* ones) hahahaha :)

Nice to meet you! (sorry for hijacking your journal btw Jeff!)

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Its not hacking its networking!

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Its different, way more local Toronto authors attend so the literary track is good and many of them congregate in the bar area when not doing panels, others however stick to the Green Room with the concom and you only see them at panels.

The consuite is usually the suck and things look worse this year.

The hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub which we have to share with the public since the con does not sell out the hotel.

The local anime/media fans come so the costumes and masquerade programming is very good. They also enliven the dance on Saturday. Fridays big event is a meet the pros and sometimes there is a book launch too.

There are usually port, beer and scotch tastings for an extra charge to cover matrials.

Saturday night there is the beefcake/cheesecake photo event for charity, you can get your picture taken with a scantily dressed person are get fed cheesecake or both for a local AIDS hospice.

The hotel is far from good restaurants so you have to drive a bit to get to some and its also isolated from good shopping the same way. Its in a oasis of office buildings surrounded by highways and bush.

The hotel is not pirate ship friendly being built on the side of a hill with five levels to the ground floor. Its like the Van Dyke but on uneven ground.

Finally its Toronto so you have to make sure that the hotel knows your car so you don't get towed from the lot or ticketed.

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Apollo and Athena either Greek gods or original Battlestar Galactica.

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Hahaha, those are good too!
Hmn, I'm trying to th ink of stuff which will be, you know, more "skin"
Like Hercules and Xena style (only preferably not leather clad.....I do work full time and go to school full time, AND I will need to make both costumes!) hahaha

He already has some costumes made (batman, superman and spiderman) are the "hot" ones he's got...but even all those cover up oodles of skin! How well can we sell ourselves if we're all covered up! LOL And what would *my* character be to match?? I am such a bad nerd sometimes!

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Windycon and Capricon in Chicago are fun, well-run cons that appreciate volunteers. Ditto Arisia in Boston. Boskone (also in Boston) is also well-run, but is more of a Serious Literary con; from what you've said on this thread it seems like you'd prefer something with more costuming than Boskone offers.

I would also recommend CONvergence in Minneapolis and ConQuest in Kansas City, but since you mentioned affordability, I'm suggesting cons that are within a day's drive.

Please feel free to leave a comment on my LJ or email me if you want to move this out of Jeff's journal.

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bloomdesigner.livejournal.com

Dry? Well they've done that because they can legally sell their alcohol. Is the Green Room dry? Because if it's not, than they are hypicritical.

I suppose it's like the old days except now I can afford to drink at the bar.

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