Anyone know if Beams will be available?

I'd like to attend. I'm going to be working at the Access desk a lot, but not as much as last year. Just don't make it during the WSFS business meeting.

:-)

Anyone know if Beams will be available?

I'm really not allowed to bring any from my workplace. We try not to let them go offsite.

Well, except for the neutrinos. Some go to Minnesota, most go to interstellar space.

<gd&r>

(With apologies to those who dislike Henry John Deutschendorf's music)

In particular, I am lecturing at 9 pm on Wednesday and Higgins and I have a kids' program at 7 pm on Friday, but my other evenings look free. (Well, there's that Hugo thing, too.)

I will make time to follow the light...

*wide-eyed, innocent look*

For people interested in dinner and/or an afternoon meetup at Sasquan, I can try and facilitate that. I'd like to do one of each.

People have diverse interests and commitments, and no time slot will be good for everyone to attend.
Personally, I don’t want to conflict with the morning business meetings, the Hugo ceremony, and a couple of particular panels. But other people will have different priorities.

I’m going to propose a couple of times that work for me, and ask you to let me know if you’re interested in joining me. But if you can’t, and want to volunteer to host a room party/meet for lunch/drink a beer at a different time, please post that too. I believe multiple opportunities for fun are a good thing.

So my two possible events are:

Thursday dinner – 7 pm or a bit later (so as to give the dealers time to pack up after the 6 pm close)
At a restaurant within walking distance (six blocks or less) of the convention center, destination to be finalized later.

Friday afternoon meetup, 2-4 pm
Hall C social area
Drop by when you can, BYO beverages, snacks, handwork, colouring books, etc.

Please let me know if you are interested in Thursday dinner, Friday afternoon, or both.

Oh, and a bit about me: I was active in Western Canadian fandom in the '90s, mostly conrunning, plus back of house support for On Spec magazine. These days I play in the SCA where my passion is renaissance dance. In my day job I herd cats and organize stuff.

Friday afternoon should work, I hope.

Thanks for arranging the chairs, Cath!

The Friday afternoon doesn't conflict with any of my personal scheduling. (I haven't even begun to think about what else I might want to attend.) And since it would fall shortly after my Kaffee Klatch, there just might be leftover genuine Alpennian Almond Cake available.

(It had occurred to me to wonder whether anyone might be interested in an alternative-to-the-Hugos hanging out session, for those who don't like watching train wrecks.)

Most of the time I can be found hanging out in the Lost World Fanzine Lounge. Technically I'm working there. Drop on by! It's next to the bar.

I won't be there, alas - but it was good to meet various people at the GoL and else-con during last year's Loncon.

There will also (probably) be a gathering early in the con specific to the E Pluribus Hugo effort, which will be planned in the EPH planning thread. In addition to the usual gathering business (finally putting faces to screen names!), we'll be doing final coordination for the business meetings, and distributing ribbons and t-shirts (see the other thread if you want a t-shirt!).

I'm glad to hear expressions of interest for both Thursday and Friday. I will be offline until Saturday night, but when I get back in town I'll post a summary list of names who replied to each event. (Emulating iamnothing's process from last year.)

I hope you all have a lovely time at Sasquan and at the Gathering(s) of Light.

I should be available most times -- I have a couple of panels, but don't remember when offhand.

I could bring assorted beams and many, many photons, but, alas, most of them are not housebroken and it would be unwise to let them loose even (or especially) among friends.

Thursday dinner
Cath
Bill (my partner)
Lee
TomB

Friday meetup
Cath
jonesnori
Heather Rose Jones

General interest
Elise
Tom Whitmore
brotherguy
Xopher
Steven desJardins
Annie Y
Chris Battey
Ingvar M
Dori
Tom
Jordin

I have assumed that every name on each list is tentative at this point. I understand that people are still checking schedules.

Keep on posting for all three, but henceforth I will just track and update the dinner list. It's where I will eventually need a firm head count, so I can book a table. I'll ask for confirmations the Monday or Tuesday before Sasquan.

Speaking of dinner, I'd appreciate your input on where to go. I don't have time to read all the reviews, so suggestions toward a shortlist would be good.

Here's the kind of place I'd like to go to:
- Near the convention centre
- Accessible
- Not super noisy - no sports bars
- Mid-range prices ($10-$15 entrees)
- Menu has GF and at least vegetarian if not vegan food

Is there anything else we should take into consideration?

It might not be possible to meet every single condition, but wherever we go, I'd like to have info available in advance so individuals can decide if it's a good fit.

I went to the Sasquan website and looked at the list of places within two blocks. The first one I clicked on was Saranac.

It looks good to me, assuming it passes the accessiblity check. Thoughts? Other suggestions?

Side note: You're all invited to the File770 gathering, Thursday at 530 PM--I officially requested a room from Sasquan, but I don't know where they stuck us. Will report back as soon as I know. :-)

I can't do Friday afternoon (getting workshopped: the first 3500 words of "A Treatise on Hot and Cold: Book 1: A Lot of Deaths," woot!) but please add me to the general interest list as well.

Great poem, Abi!

My question about Saranac would be, is it a sports bar? There are certainly plenty of things on the menu that I would eat; if it passes your criteria, I have no objections.

Saranac sounds lovely, if it meets our accessibility needs.

I've posted a Sasquan schedule blank. Download, open in your image manip of choice, black-out the times when you're not available, and email back to me at the address at the bottom of my linked web page.

I will then collate into one image (where the most available spots will be the clearest), and re-upload to my Flickr account.

(Since I can't be there, even virtually, I gotta do something, right?)

~ Gathering Light ~

Gather your friends, made of light,
around a fire, for warmth, is light.

Tacky-sweet pine, made of light -
a seedling's trove, of air and light.

Feel Summer Suns, white-hot light,
from fusing ancient's flickered light.

Flowing through dark, stirred by light,
born long ago, in brightest light.

Here gather friends, making light -
the light of warmth, and warmth of light.

Radiated heat is a color of light. With a thermal infrared camera, you can see a cat's warm paw prints across cold floor, and you can paint walls with hot and cold water.

Wood stores sunlight. A tree is made of CO2, water, light, and a bit of ash. When you burn the tree, you get them all back. Though the light is redder.

Sunlight is the marriage pyre of primordial Hydrogens. The Sun is hot. Hot stuff glows. That's sunlight. The Sun hasn't (yet) slowly cooled, because deep inside, some of its Hydrogens have merged, in three-way collisions, as Helium, each releasing a heating flash of light. Those Hydrogens, created shortly after the Big (bright) Bang, variously floated around for ten billion years, before gathering as the Sun.

Almost all Hydrogens were annihilated by their anti-particles shortly after the Bang. All atoms are made of the gathered few survivors.

So in the flash and warmth of a match, you are feeling gathered Summer Sun on a tree, and the gathered sacrifice of (many tons of) objects born when the Universe was still a blaze of light.

And welcome! You've clearly answered the Obligatory Question!

*applause*

At the risk of incurring the wrath of The Spam Correction Examiner, would it be appropriate or permitted for me to mention here that today I am printing a small quantity of T-shirts with a design featuring the letters SJW and the motto "Proudly working towards a better world" inside a vaguely diamond-shaped shield very similar to one most often associated with a certain superhero who wears his red undies on the outside of his blue tights? And that the plan is to make these available at Sasquan? And that those canny enough to mention that they saw this on ML will get a better price than those who fail to do so? And, last but not least, that if sufficient expression of desire for these is received, the quantity available can be increased a bit? (If someone were to ask, I could provide a URL for a mockup of the design; no photos exist yet because the shirts don't either.)

Here's a link to the image (not an actual photo, but showing the color; they will be printed on black shirts).

The planned print run will be small unless greater interest is expressed. Speak up or risk having to wait for a reprint that won't happen until after Sasquan. This includes mail-orders; we will print enough to cover any interest expressed here plus a short stack for general purchase. Please note whether or not you'll be wanting to pick yours up at the con.

No decodings of SJW will be proposed on the shirt. You may claim the one you prefer, without fear that the shirt will contradict you. And since it will presumably be *your* shirt under discussion at that point, I am loathe to grouse or grumble.

When they first did that, I thought it would be hard to get used to. Somewhat to my surprise, I find that the thing I most miss is the spitcurl. ("It's just not him without that!" says the backbrain.)

That much variance from canon makes a new canon without invalidating the old one. That's not the real Supe. That's Supe Lite, or SmallvilleSupe, or something. And every poster I saw for Supe at GenCon had him in the traditional garb. In a couple of instances, with addition of details that would never have made it past the Comics Code folks. (And these were people with licensed content to peddle, too.)

Again, there will be some shirts available for general sale at the con, so if you don't see this until after the deadline, you're not necessarily hosed, but we can't guarantee you that your size will be available unless you pre-order. Just mention ML and you'll get the same deal.

One men's 2X, please.

One each: Mens XL and 2XL, please.

(The moose is trying to lose weight and 2XL may be big enough to camp out in if all goes well.)

Will need shipping to .uk as I will not be at the con.

That suits me to a T.

I am an XL.

Shipping to the UK is amazingly costly from the US these days. Those two shirts would incur US$17.91 in postage via the least overpriced option; International First Class mail. If you're not utterly dismayed by that, we can set up the details when we get back from Sasquan.

Could somebody maybe update the ML announcement with the time/date/location when it's agreed on? Wading through the inevitable 600 comments in search of the final settled venue may not even be possible given what happens to hotel wifi bandwidth when a worldcon comes to town ...

This moose is permanently dismayed by the high cost of US -> UK shipping but has learned to put up with it. (Though importing heavy pieces of WW2 radio kit are no longer feasible.)

USD18 is not unexpected.

I'll either update the OP or make a new front page post when things are clear.

Also, my brain does not mesh well with social media, but twitter does look like a good way to communicate last minute changes. My knowledge of the platform is sketchy and theoretical at the moment, but I suppose I could set up a temporary account.

I searched and the following hashtags seem unclaimed.

#MLthursdaydinner
#MLfridaymeetup
#MLatSasquan

Would they be useful?

FYI there is a makinglight hashtag but it seems to have nothing to do with this community.

[THURSDAY DINNER]

I have made a reservation for 7:30, Thursday August 20 at Saranac
It is two blocks from the convention centre at 21 W Main. Entrees are $10-$15 with GF and vegan options. The staff person I spoke to tonight told me it's wheelchair accessible.

So far for confirmed diners I have:
Cath
Bill
Lee
KeithS
TomB
Greg M
gaukler

I did not include those who said they may or might be interested. If you are, please confirm as soon as you can. I'll need to give the restaurant a head count on Wednesday, but if you can tell me sooner the more likely I can expand the reservation. Please make an explicit "I am coming to Thursday dinner" comment if you'd like to be added to the list.

If I missed you or misunderstood a prior note, please comment again.

And I hope this does not all sound too abrupt, but I spent all day packing to move my office and am in a frazzled and task-focussed headspace. The good news is, my vacation starts on Monday!

[FRIDAY MEETUP]

Friday afternoon, 2-4 pm
Location is the hall C social area.
Drop by when you can, BYO beverages, snacks, handwork, colouring books, etc.

Not having seen the convention centre yet, I can't be more specific about exactly where. I will take a look on Wednesday, and post a more detailed description. Is there someone here who has seen the layout plans and can make a suggestion?

There will be some kind of banner/stuffed animal/lampstand to identify the gathering point.

Put me down as confirmed as well. I may end up not saying anything during the dinner but I am planning to be there... for now.

If you've already thought about this, then nevermind. :-)

I was thinking the same thing about the reservation :)

As a first pass, I reserved for 12, but I told them I expected more. After I have a head count I will add two, just to be on the safe side.

I have a question about start time, relevant for you as a dealer. Is 7:30 ok? Or is that too long a break? I was estimating half an hour to pack up after the room closes at 6, half hour to collect yourselves and walk to our meet point, then another 15-20 minutes to get to the restaurant.

If 1/2 hour earlier or later would make a big difference to you, please let me know, I can still change it.

At least the clothes-change itself is uncomplicated, thanks to the selection of my day and evening outfits for Thursday. :-)

I believe we are in the same hotel! If I remember correctly, it is supposed to be 20 minutes across the bridge. I will keep the start time for dinner at 7:30 pm.

Thank you for your kind words. My entire program is moving to a different building, so the first thing we all lost yesterday was internet and connection to the client database. The new space has a plumbing issue in the kitchen and the printer stands weren't delivered so the printers are all on the floor for now. But, I won't return until the 26th, so not my problem right now. (Yay!)

[THURSDAY DINNER]
Saranac, 7:30 pm

As of 8 pm MDT Friday Aug 14

Cath
Bill
Lee
KeithS
TomB
Greg M
gaukler
Barbara
Annie Y
Starshadow
Steven desJardins

If you'd like to join the dinner expedition, please post an explicit "I am coming to Thursday dinner" comment by Sunday night.

Whee!

[FRIDAY MEETUP] * location change *

Friday Aug 21, 2-4 pm
CC 201C

The amazing folks at Sasquan have found us a little meetup room. It holds a couple dozen people, and has chairs but not tables. It will change the environment a bit (more closed in) but on the other hand it's a guaranteed space with a definite location.

It is on the program schedule here:
Making Light Meetup

All hail Laurie Mann, Program Division Head and creator of small miracles!

As of 8:30 pm MDT Saturday Aug 15

Cath
Bill
Lee
KeithS
TomB
Greg M
gaukler
Barbara
Annie Y
Starshadow
Steven desJardins
elise
SunflowerP

There are still seats available; come on over to "The empty place is for Bigfoot" to RSVP.