The Drink Tank Issue 55 Yet Another Faster than Expected Issue [email protected]

It’s The Second Most Wonderful Time of were there, we saw that Shadow had a lit- tle nook of her own. You see, she’d just had the Year...Following WrestleMania Sea- surgery to repair one of her hips and she son! couldn’t walk much, so Wayne made the front door into a home for her, covered it in That’s Right, it’s the Holidays, when blankets and put water and food within easy Jew, Gentile, Muslim, and even Buddhists reach. She didn’t like it much, but when we have something to celebrate. While Christ- came, after having not seen either of us for mas songs drive me nuts ages, she was very perky. and there are all those an- On Wednesday, we noying specials interrupting went to Palm Springs. Prime Time’s Great shows, You may have read my it’s still fun to watch the issue about Half Moon Christmas hustle going on Bay, well, in many ways, all around and the fun that Palm Springs is a Desert kids have playing with toys HMB. It’s not a bad place, after they’ve unwrapped it’s kinda hot...actually them and before they’ve bro- it’s VERY hot, but they’ve ken them in half. Plus, there got a nice museum and are Holiday parties where Sonny Bono is treated like the lasses dress much like a god, so there’s one thing the one off to the right and it’s got going for it. We there’s always mistletoe to had a quick bite and took be found hanging from the a look at the Palm Springs ceiling. God Bless It! Museum of Art, which is My Holiday Season pretty nice. A lot of great started with a trip to Perris, MesoAmerican artefacts a city which was once large- and a fair modernist col- ly agriculture and is now a lection. breeding ground for planned Mom and Wayne communities and WalMart- had decided that we’d be type stores. It’s also where going to see a show on my Uncle Wednes- Wayne day. I lives with had no Shadow, idea the aging what Dog. We drove down on the the show was, other than Tuesday before Thanksgiv- it was called the Palm ing, missing almost all of Springs Follies. the traffi c that would come Now, the Ziegfeld just a day later. Once we Follies were the most awe- some spectacular in the history of New York Theatre. There were Hepburn and Bette Davis. It was quite funny songs, there was dancing, there were co- at those points. medians and trained dog acts. Well, Palm The only thing I can say was a home Springs is a city...well, village actually, filled run had to be the founder/MC. He was hi- with people of an age that would easily be larious, very Catskills 1970s. He worked a able to remember the Follies, so they have little blue (probably a 5 on a scale of Bambi their own...completely performed by those to The Aristocrats) and had the audience folks of a certain age. laughing a lot. I really thought he was the That’s right, the Follies are performed best thing I saw in Palm Springs. I shook his entirely be performers over the age of 55. hand after and told him that his sets killed. Now, I’m not against...too much, but this He said that I should come back when I’m just creeped me out. You see, most of the older. Agreed. women in the show were in the 65-75 range, The whole thing ended with a Patriotic and yeah, they can still belt a hard hitting send-off that I thought was well-done, but tune and dance a tap dance that’ll known really, it came off a little forced. Go figure. you over, but there’s the fundamental prob- After the show, which lasted, I kid you lem that they have. You see, they do a cou- not, THREE complete hours, we headed over ple of numbers in short skirts and at least to a place called Rubies, a 50s dinner with one or two in Vegas Showgirl-y outfits. I pretty decent food. I liked the Chicken Ten- should not have to say how much this dis- ders. turbed me from beginning to end. Back in Perris, Mom broke the news That’s not to say that the show isn’t that we’d not be doing Thanksgiving at the entertaining, no. It’s old-fashioned and that house, but at an Indian Casino in Temecula. left me high and dry at parts, but there were I had no objections, since there’s nothing some highlights. Like the Dog Act. There’s better than gambling and a buffet. The line nothing like a good dog act. And there was was long, but the food was good and differ- the singer Anacani, who sang some lovely ent. Latin numbers. The impressionist chick They didn’t have mashed potatoes. wasn’t half-bad, though she only really hit They had mashed sweet potatoes. There was the impressions solid when she was doing rabbit, buffalo ribs (which were amazing!), tamales, heaping piles of corn mush- es, elk, venison, and wild turkey and boar. It was a dream, and the fry bread was equally terrific. After that, I gambled. Califor- nia doesn’t allow dice games in casi- nos, and my favourite game is craps, but they do play it by using the cards Ace through 6. I won a fair amount, and then it drained away. I then went over to Blackjack and on less than ten hands, made up for all but five dollars of my losses. That was a solid. Thanksgiving ended with me heading up to LAX for LosCon. You can read about LosCon in SF/SF and Vegas Fandom Weekly, and I’ll run a review in here at some point, but let me say I dug it the most! G-G-G-Ghost!!!!! A Letter from John Purcell I saw Hello, Chris! one, and in a I just read your 54th issue - the strange place, at special 70’s ish - on efanzines.com, and a strange time. thoroughly enjoyed it. At the time you I wish I had a were born, I was one year into fandom and camera on me, rapidly getting sucked down the vortex of but alas, no. fanac. It was a blast! Yeah, I loved the 70’s I was driv- too, but that was a long time ago. Thanks ing home from for the trip down leisure suit memory lane. the video store down Agnew Rd. It was once a Ah, the one thing I love that has never part of Agnew Developmental Centre, one of returned is the leisure suit. I have photos the most haunted areas in California. I was of me as a four and five year old in one driving and I could see a person walking on and I look great. Of course, at that the road in the darkness. Even though the point, I also had straight hair. road's residential, it’s still not well-lit. I could My minor in college was Russian see the dark shape walking forward and as Studies, which included three years of I turned, my headlights shined on the spot learning the language, of which I still and when they did, no one was there. That’s remember bits and pieces. Way out of right, just gone. I looked in my rear-view and practice, I am, but that’s okay. I still the guy was still walking, though I could have a lot of dictionaries and phrase make out no visible features, just the gener- books on the shelf, and occasionally run al shape. I wash I had this story when I did into a grad student at TAMU who’s from my panel on and the Paranormal at Russia, the Ukraine, or some other former LosCon, but alas, it happened on the Mon- Soviet republic so I can speak what little I day after. remember. I still would love to travel to St. Petersburg, Kiev, or Odessa. Moscow would I haven’t heard from M and Jay since be fun, but I have an affinity for Ukraine; it the last email that I turned (mostly) into the just looks like a beautiful country. article in the last issue. I always worry about I took a little Russian (not to be confused those two, but sometimes I’m right. I did with Lubov who IS a little Russian) when get an email from SaBean (who we all worry I was in High School. Jay speaks it about) saying that she had a plan to go and pretty well. I wouldn’t mind making a visit them ahead of their wedding. Good for trip to Moscow myself, but with my flying her, though since they decided to get mar- fear, it’s doubtful for anytime soon. ried in California (mostly so I wouldn’t have Hmm...Sex in space... How well I remember to fly) she could have waited. howling at Jane Fonda’s zero gee striptease Why am I writing this? SaBean told at the beginning of Barbarella; every me the wonderful news, and the probably move she made should have resulted in the reason that they wanted to get married her spinning off in an opposite direction. in the States, is that M is in fact, two and a Methinks they forgot how Newton’s laws half months pregnant! Yay! operated. space porn is I sent them an email, but as I said definitely a special interest sub-genre if I haven’t heard back. Long ago, when the there ever was one. Maybe M. should write crust was still warm on friendship the three a thesis on this; seems to me it would of us have toiled through, we agreed that be published somewhere. Imagine the the first kid born to one of us would be PowerPoint Presentation that could be made Christopher, and if they don’t make good, I at the annual convention of the Modern swear I’ll take my revenge. Language Association or the National More as it becomes available. Council of Teachers of English. Boggles the mind to think of it. once in a while. I’m fairly certain that M or SaBean could I’m hoping to get 100 articles, and I easily write a thesis from memory on currently have about 25 or so from the usu- SF porn. I know they’ve both watched al suspects (that is Frank Wu, Kelly Green, enough of it over the years, and at the Myself, M, Jay and the like) and a few folks PPP parties in the mid-90s, M would who I’m very glad have said they’d look into usually have one in the VCR, though writing one or two (Jay Lake, Carlos Moreno, most of us were far too busy playing Diana Sherman, Sue Hutchinson). And I still cards to pay any attention. need more. The only requirement is that it I used to like REM until they became be 100 words exactly. If I get 103 words, the too commercial and Michael Stipe wound up last three will be lopped. 97 words, and I’ve being a perpetual mourner of Kurt Cobain. got a plan to pad it out. I’m excited as the Loved their early stuff. stuff I’ve already got ranges from truly de- They did manage one really good pressing and impactful (SaBean’s pieces) to after 1992, but only one. They were so very funny (a thing called Never Sicker) and great when they were the darlings of a few fun ones from other folks. 100 word College Radio. reviews would be nice, and I’ve got a promise Pastafanarianism: now here’s a of one, and a couple of strange recipes have religion I could sink my teeth into! I like already floated by that fit the bill. Odd stuff this idea a lot; a faith that comes complete indeed. with your choice of sauce. But I foresee Anyone else wanting to contribute, I’d a problem: some day a split will emerge like to have things in hand by the first of the between the red saucites and the alfredoites, year (except for a few that I know have to and the fight that would ensue would be wait, like Kevin Roche’s FurCon review!) messy. I certainly hope they take steps to avoid such a conflict. First off, that was a terrible pun. In BASFA, that would cost you 25 cents. The Alfredoites would have a certain disadvantage, as the Reds act more like a community then the white sauce folks. The Reds are always sharing and giving speeches and rallies... Thanks again for an enjoyable zine. I’ll be looking forward to the next installment. Speaking of which, attached is my latest IN A PRIOR LIFETIME. Fantastic! Always good to get another zine! All the best, John Purcell

NOMINATECHRISGARCIAFORTHE� HUGOAWARD

The Issue that I’m focusing a bit on right now is the issue I’m calling ‘100’. It’ll be all 100 word articles (save for two introduc- tions). It won’t be out until January, and it’ll be one of the print + web versions that I do Introducing The HorrorPops!!! I have a long tradition of loving When I started looking at the other members strange, strange music. There’s my love of of the , and that took a little time since Science Fiction Surf Rock, or horror-stained there were a lot of photos of Patricia around) , of all sorts of weirdness music like I realised that this was a band with a strong- BloodHag and GhoulTown and The Aqua- er -otic line-up. bats. Well, here’s another one for the books: The guitarist, who also spends a lit- The Horrorpops. tle time on Bass, is called Kim Nekroman. The HorrorPops are a band with an He’s better known as the bassist for the incredibly hot lead singer. There’s no way band The , the loudest psycho- around it, they’ve made themselves into a billy band and the one that has the coffin- band that uses the sex appeal of the lead shaped bass. The HorrorPops came together singer/upright bassist (the hottest possible when Patricia’s former band, Peanut Pump combination) to get folks listening. It worked Gun, opened for the Nekromantix and the with me, as soon as I saw the album cover two of them traded the secrets of the guit- (which is up top to the right) I bought the box (Patricia to Kim) for the secrets of the CD, headed home with it in my car stereo big standee bottom (Kim to Patricia). This and did the requisite Googling on the name. all happened in Collonge, , by the It came up with their de- way, as the HorrorPops are lightfully wicked and well- actually a Danish band. covered with photos site, They must have been some www..com. lessons as the two of them The lead singer, eventually got hitched. Patricia, is lovely, and The band started she’s got that , playing as a real band ‘she might just bite your in 1998, with Kim, Pa- head off if you give her the tricia and Neidermeyer chance’ look down cold. on Drums. The set-up worked, but they needed like Cool Cool Flattop) to a stage show, so Patricia good old-fashioned ska got two of the girls who (Girl in a Cage) to flat-out worked at the piercing psychobilly (Ghouls) and shop she worked at to be- they are all played with come their go-go dancers. Patricia’s beautiful growl This was a good thing as in the front. The it really helped liven up work is very strong, as the stage performance, as is the bass work. For a well as up the sexy factor girl who wasn’t a bassist a notch or two. before she started with The HorrorPops the band, she’s come a became big in long way and at times and when you’re big in seems to be as strong Europe, American acts as the best, including who tour will hear your Jimbo from The Rever- CD and bring you to the end Horton Heat. The USA. This is what hap- album, released in 2004, pened with our good flows well and even has friend Tim of Rancid. an instrumental track to Lars saw them and asked showcase Nekroman’s them to tour with Rancid guitar. The drumming is on one of their last tours. competent and the entire The HorrorPops did so effect is something that a well that they got inter- new comer to Psychobilly viewed by Vogue and did would find more palat- a fine interview that was able than most of the very memorable. They did bands that are out there. so well, and the Nekro- The stage show mantix were getting such they put on should be a great US response, that seen. The music actually they relocated to the US. suffers a bit live, which They had brought on a isn’t that unusual, but guy named Karsten to add in the dancing and play backing guitar, but the way Kim and Patricia he ended up leaving the rock off each other and band and being replaced the crowd and you get an by the husband of one of amazing experience. the Go-Go dancers. Go The HorrorPops figure. have a second album, re- The first album, leased in September, that Hell Yeah, is a great little I haven’t heard yet. The Psychobilly/pop album. cover has Patricia stand- Not nearly as fast and ing with her bass that abrasive as The Nekro- she seems to have gone mantix or someone like all Pete Townsend on. It’s the Phenomenauts, they a great photo, but if they are solid with catchy really hurt that marve- songs that range from lous bass, there should 1950s rockabilly (a song be a giant funeral! A Letter from Ed Meskys! the light rail.) I rode the short Newark Peter Sullivan sent me another DT, NJ subway, and the new light rail from the first in a few weeks. We can’t keep up Hoboken to Bayonne. Would the Hudson woith your frequency. He says that I should Tubes/PATH between NY and Newark count try opening a newer ish as Acrobat seems to as a subway? work better now at converting pdf to text. I Hmmmm...I don’t know. I’ve never ridden am working on my next Entropy but when the Hudson Tubes. I guess it would I can take a bit of time off I will try another depend on wether or not they actually ish. Today I saw the announcement that #54 went underground. is ready. In Europe I rode the subways in Yeah, I get that a lot. I’ve slowed down a Glasgow (a simple circle) and , open bit, I mean it’s more than a week since I cut commuter lines in , elevated last put one out! Can’t wait to read the trains in , and the subways in next Entropy. Paris, including the line with rubber tired Tube poker sounds like an amusing trains. Oh, and back in North America the pastime while rideing on a train. Of course subway in Toronto. I have never visited to play I would need sighted help. Montreal, but if it wins the 09 worldcon I I was an enthusiast of rapid transit even will get to try their line. when I was sighted and could drive. I grew When I was in Frankfort in 1965 the up in NY City which has one of the most subway, or U-Bahn, was under construction extensive systems. and no part was open. Yeah, I’ve gotten word that there are a Montreal is my favourite Subway system. few people who play on NYC Subways, No question. Clean and fast and with but there are few 5-across seats. every station in a useful location. It’s When I lived in the BArea BART wasn’t one of the reasons I’m so much behind yet built and the trains which used to use the Montreal bid (that and the access to the lower lever of the Bay Bridge were long Spruce Beer and Ice Cider) gone. I did rely heavily on the SF Muni and A good friend is a wrestling fan and I have AC Transit, and used Greyhound to travel forwarded him your zine. between Livermore and SF/Oakland, and Thanks much! Always glad to have more Peerless Transit between Hayward and Palo ‘rasslin’ fans readin’ Alto. (It crossed the Dumbarton Bridge.) I have returned to the BArea and have Some Notes on eMail. ridden the Muni Metro and BART. Oh, I had I’ve now had Garcia@computerhistory occassionally taken the train between SF .org for more than 7 years. It’s a fine edress and Palo Alto, where my co-editor of NIEKAS and one that I plan on keeping for a long lived. time. I hadn’t done a check in a long time, Ah, Shallow Alto. Lovely city, though but I looked into how many emails I’ve re- massively over-priced, though in those ceived over the last 7 years. Now, the fur- days it wasn’t so bad. You know, I’ve thest back I could go was 4 years (for some lived here all my life and I had no idea reason the rest are gone daddy gone) but that trains ever ran on the Bay Bridge. even in that amount of time I’ve got 128,693 I was also shocked when I learned that emails and sent 12,039 emails myself. you had worked at Livermore Labs. The That’s a lot, about 6 a day on average, it museum has most of Livermore’s old would seem. , so I’ve visited the lab more I wonder what would happen if I were than a few times. to lose the address altogether. Would I still I have ridden the subways in Chicago, get such huge amounts of mail? Would I still Philadelphia, DC, and Atlanta oh, and be able to count on getting Gevalia ads every in Baltimore. (Both the real subway and day? I wouls miss them so... I’ve been reading. She came to my I picked up a couple of issues of The place and I didn’t Alien Critic the other day (and the design of touch her, I swear. this issue is inspired by it just a little) and We had a good time I was very happy to get to read one of those the next few months, fanzines that got a lot of attention. I’d say but we broke up for Dick Geis’ best work was slightly earlier, some reason involv- but The Alien Critic was a great read, espe- ing the second wom- cially the issue with an essay on the ways an on the list. in which Theodore Sturgeon basically sabo- Jessie was taged his own career by writing about mat- foreign. She was ters of significance. I couldn’t agree more. stacked. She was Now, Dick Geis is one of the all-time richer than I was greats, and a wonderful writer, but the thing because she came over for a job in the wild that stuck out at me the most was Tim world of art acquisition. We went on four Kirk’s artwork. I met Tim at LosCon and he dates before Cassie found out. I said she was a really nice guy. I’ve seen his work for meant nothing, which she did. Cassie said years, and he won 5 consecutive Hugos for she didn’t care, which she did. We broke best fan artist, and I am sad that we don’t shortly after Jessie and I went to Washing- get to see much of his stuff anymore. I may ton and ended up naked on the couch after have to try and change that... watching a rerun of LA Law. I’m still not sure whow that happened. I confessed and the unusual dating Cassie and I ended while Jessie and I lasted history of the right another couple of months. She was good. What her name meant, I’ll guess lat- honourable rev. dr. er, but she called herself Perfidia(I think michael p.s. swan: 1999- that’s Treachery in Love, though I could 2004 be wrong- cg) and she was pretty and goth Recent History and sexual to a fault. We only went out a says that I’m unlucky couple of times. in love. That is not No girl compares to Laura. She had actually the case if you it all. Sadly, are looking at num- she also had bers instead of heart- something smashing experience. else, a bun in I’ve dated women, in the oven, that the last five years more prevented our than a dozen, but there relationship were a few who drove of going any over me heavy, leav- further than ing deep tracks in my the two dates I muddied heart. arranged. Shit, I’m even talking like a broken- Marcy. hearted chick now. Oh, Marcy. The first girl was Cassie, though I She had something about her that I really always called her Savage. That was her last enjoyed. I’m guessing it was that mouth, name after a brief marriage that left her but I could be wrong. She and I met on wandering and trying to pick up tiny pieces New Year’s Eve, right as the odometer on with less-than-nimble fingers. I found her the Christian era rolled over to 2 thousand- staggering at a show one night, early 1999. zero-zero. She was much older than her face told me she was, and if dealt with a bunch of issues before we part- she were as young as ed again. she looked...well, let’s Too often just say that 15’ll get I’m a sucker for ya twenty, if you know a pretty face. what I mean. 2002 showed me When looks come that I am truly. around in the conver- Her name was sation of my perfect Tabitha, though woman, Marie comes I discovered that up in my mind. she was just an- She was both wicked other Jenn, both in attitude and in reality, and beautiful, a daring combination. I gave only with a much better middle name. her a birthday present and she gave me a Another year and a half. I’m Jenn, though this not sure who made one was much out better on the deal, kinder. If you’d ask since I dropped two me why we broke bills on her corset and up, I’m not sure I she made me move out could answer you of the apartment I’d any better than had since the middle of ‘we just had other college. The sex, while things on our wonderful, was also minds, I guess. frequently withheld as That’s a cop out, a means of negotiation. but it’s also the truth. Someone needs Finally, a to tell me if Jenn is girl I could sink my teeth into coming up behind me. More than likely and she’d enjoy she’d stab first and never bother asking it. Lisa, FI- questions. NALLY a Lisa, Never say and she’s been never because around ever Cassie and I since that day came back to- we met in the cliched laundry station. She gether. Funny, needed soap, I needed her phone number. she was so How does a line like that work? sure she never - Note: This was another article that was wanted to see going to go into Stacked Decks, but since me again, but we’ve decided to not do the beast again, that was a I’m running it here. different mil- lenium. She A letter from Peter Sullivan of the UK stayed a few weeks, wrecked I appear to have gotten way behind she had been with my Drink Tank loc-cing, so I guess by me and an- there’s nothing for it but a Lloyd Penney- other follow-on style hunk letter to catch up. I guess that, fellow, and we in my head, I’d given myself November off for Drink Tank loc-cing, only to be fooled by be like in Tokyo? the fact that you’d cleared your NaNoWriMo You say of your latest film script “The entry inside three days. Incidentally, will story is pretty simple: Boy meets girl, Boy the PDF of this be available anywhere, or do loses Girl, Girl comes back in unexpected you have to wait until the contest formally form.” Look, you can ‘fess up to us, your closes before distributing it? (Sort of like loyal Drink Tank readership. It’s another the normal APA code of “APA first, outside zombie movie, isn’t it? distribution later.”) Damn! You got me. Actually, there’s a I’ll be recovering it shortly (I am lucky plan for a zombie Slide Show (it’s one- that I got it submitted for verification part movie and one part performance before I had a tragic slip that I’ve only piece) but that’ll have to wait for early now started to fix.) I’ll send it around in next year too. PDF probably early next year. Yay for the Flying Spaghetti Monster! The idea of an Elvish lending library I was under the impression that most of the at Rivendell in the early part of the Fourth letters that Bobby Henderson got back from Age is a fun one. I would guess that most the Kansas Board of Education were actually of the writers and historians would have from the minority opposing the teaching of been Elves. Writing a definitive 10,000- Intelligent Design as science, most of whom year history must certainly be easier if you seemed to appreciate it for the satire it was. can just refer to your own personal diary As you say, we just have to hope that no-one for the whole period. Bilbo and Frodo are starts to take it too seriously, and it ends up obviously significant primary historians for as the new $cientology. the Hobbits. But, reading between the lines, You may be right, as I see there are based on the excessive reverence that seems reports of just that happening. One did to be paid to the Red Book of the Westmarch certainly take it too seriously. in the Fourth Age, it looks like they were Oh, and we Brits don’t have a pretty much the only ones. (Actually, didn’t bank holiday coming up – there’s a huge Pippin or Merry write a historical treatise vastness of non bank-holiday-ness from on pipeweed at some point?) And I can see the Late Summer Bank Holiday on the last the Dwarves being good at leather bindings. Monday of August through to Christmas For books, that is – or for anything else that Day. No Labor Day (with or without a needs leather bindings, come to that. I think u), no Columbus Day, no Thanksgiving, I’d better stop here before this starts to turn no nutthin’. There’s been an increasing into LotR slash. groundswell of support for Trafalgar Day Yes, you’d better stop before this as an extra Bank Holiday, but even with turns into LotR slash (though it would the 200th anniversary this year, nothing probably increase my hit count...) Hobbit much seems to be happening on this. The Historians must be entertaining. I mean, campaign seems to be mainly lead by right- real historians all tend to look like wing newspapers and other people who Hobbits in bow-ties. want to annoy the French. Which I don’t, in Tube Poker sounds fun – definitely principle, object to, but which doesn’t seem in the category of “things that ought to the most robust justification for an extra exist even if they don’t.” Playing during day off work. But then we managed to wind the rush hour is probably right out, as the some of the French up anyway by having the overcrowding means you probably can’t even main Eurostar Terminal for Channel Tunnel see your hand most of the time. (Is this what trains at London “Waterloo” station. they mean by a “big blind”?) Hey, Annoying the French will soon be an Again, BASFA pun tax rule may have Olympic Sport! to be installed in The Drink Tank. If -- London Rush Hour is bad, what would it Peter Sullivan LosCon impressions By Kelly Green (that’s Green like the color)

LosCon. Proud tradition of the area for more years than even I’ve been going to conventions. This is the second year of this iteration at the LAX Marriott. Okay, enough with the facts. Facts are always with us and really shed no true light. Impressions feed the world. Thursday afternoon. I arrived late. Con suite, not so well-stocked but the company is fine and the view is excellent. Watching the planes land is a great time- sculpture in the downstairs lobby stopped waster between panels and while drinking us all and we read the inscriptions around a soda and waiting for a seat to open up the outer edge and enjoyed the shadow-cast somewhere. Many people (me included) words reflected onto the shiny surface. An grab a piece of carpet and stretch out there ‘ooo awwww’ moment. The lobby was 60s instead of hoping kitsch, the elevators allowed a mere 5 adults for one of those per trip, so the eleven of us went up in three uncomfortable stiff- groups. backed seats. Where We could have filmed an Austin are the couches and Powers sequel here. The bathroom comfy chairs from dichromatic glass and amoeba like mirrors. th last year? (17 floor, The sculpted plastic seating and counters. the Writers of the The silly spacy theme reflected in the menu. Future suite. Darn it.) Oh the menu. Don’t bother with the drinks, Goodbye, we miss you. Michael they aren’t impressive. However the dishes, Mason passed away earlier this year and salad, entrée, dessert, were perhaps worth his photo was prominently displayed in the the multi-star listing. I ate an endive and consuite. Also missing this year is Helen pear salad, excellent, and wild mushroom Oxford, who passed away Monday before ravioli, even better. Portions were large Thanksgiving. enough for fen. In my foray through the dealer’s Hundreds of dollars later we returned to the room I finally succumbed to Cal the leather hotel through the sudden downpour. Rain? goods merchant and acquired the cat o nine NOOOOOO!!! I’m melting, melting!! minks. Green and purple leather, mink fur Do we all know about Fluxx? Yes, this handle and tails. V. nice. All males knew is a word I can use in polite company. Fluxx my wrath this weekend. is a marvelous card game where the rules And they liked it. and objects change with each card played. The A-List group (FW, CG, DS, her Fizzbinn is the nearest card-game cousin. I bf Andy, Star & Dave, Mr. Dave Clark, Jim, lost several hands before 2am rolled around Kelly, Steph, Sean) dined at Encounters, and we deserted the lobby for bed. the over-priced but extremely ambient Saturday morning. Oh god. My restaurant at the top of the LAX spider- mornings always come early and I always tower. The brushed aluminum anti-fountain use the pool/Jacuzzi given half a chance. Lovely hot bubbling water. Soothing deep goddess to bring in cake and whatever swimming pool. Dated but still fun 60s and disrupt whatever might otherwise be free-form architecture. Company provided happening. So, two half-sheet cakes and by Mary, who is running the Denver 2008 nine pizzas (plus two boxes of hot wings worldcon bid, and Tony, random fan. (The and two boxes of que poppas, very good other 2008 worldcon bids are Chicago and snacking!) plus a bottle of fizzy pomegranate Columbus; 2009’s bids are Kansas City and sham-pagne, 23 black candles (yeah, yeah, someplace else.) I know I kept saying he was 22; I blame Back inside I sipped Starbuck’s hysterical amnesia) and FIRE! Plus a coffee’s best-kept secret: the red eye, a KNIFE!! Um, yeah, well, consuites wonderful venti cup o’coffee larded with frequently burst into choruses of the Klingon three shots of espresso. Heaven. After the Birthday song, don’t they? And I always creaming and sugaring ceremony I sat in the find it amazing how fast nine pizzas can lobby and watched fen go by. Perhaps I’m disappear in a crowd of fen. getting old; perhaps fandom is getting old; You might have seen my son, Tim, still I’m amazed at how many fen were up so slightly older, wearing his authentic Munich early, up and much more functional than I. lederhosen teeshirt. You might also have plucked out your eyeballs. Parties were on the 17th floor soon after the masquerade. I understand the masquerade was good; I didn’t go. I never go unless dragged. Don’t know why you think I would. Oh um. Yeah. Parties. The Writers of the Future suite held outstanding conversation with Jason Stoddard (up and coming writer), Pieter the Galaxy Press publisher, David Moore of Orange County fandom, Steve Libis (aka Chrome Oxide) My first panel of the convention music collector and recordist. The party was also the first panel of the day, the served ice cream cones! Fictionados reading. Readings are a learned I could list them all with a little skill, not something just jumped into. research but I won’t bore you. Suffice it Readers need to use high-impact material, to say, toga! Toga! Toga! (and half-naked read slowly, avoid dialog. An hour and a men!) I received many stickers for my half can seem quite a bit longer despite the badge, hugged many people, kinked Tad excellence of the material read. Daley’s bunny ears (he doesn’t necessarily Several of the readers managed high- need additional kinkage but it looked good.) impact, funny material. Good times were Bill Taylor (occasional panelist) and had by all. I went dancing at the evening’s pop dance. I had to scurry off and The music, nicely 80s and organize my son’s birthday nostalgic. He pushed me party. Tim increments in age around the dance floor and I each Thanksgiving weekend not only had a laughing great and has celebrated a majority time, I looked good. of them at LosCon; sometimes Did anyone else notice with fanfare, sometimes the small hard-rock dance without. This was a ‘with just down the hall from the fanfare’ year. I’d obtained usual dance? Someone earlier permission from played good hard tunes; Beckie Barber the consuite someone else blew a sax better than Lisa. Coolio. Unattended. Hot Another snack at Champions (mmm, and sweaty back to the room and to bed. hot wings!) then time to collect the girl and Sunday morning. No time for the her boyfriend and head home. Except I pool, since I was up late, so I headed for was waylaid in the lobby and spent some the consuite and the company there. From enjoyable moments (minutes? A couple there to the dealer’s room again, then the hours, tops) flirting with a cute guy, who art show, then lunch at Champions (much ended up giving us a ride home (though improved from last year; actual service I almost ended up walking after voicing now, and portions that contained food, unkind comments about ‘Serenity.’) That what a concept.) The highlight of the day was perhaps the most controversy this was the performance art/reading by Frank weekend: people’s feelings about Serenity. Wu (Hugo-award winning Dr. Frank Wu, I find it disturbing that fen didn’t really artist and writer!) with the assistance of know about sci.fiction’s demise, and the many henchmen (Diana Sherman, Chris book selection in the dealer’s room was Garcia, Jim Terman) and the whackiest quite sparse (still looking for that issue of script in the army. Flying super diakaiju? Polyphony 5, not to mention TEL: Stories); Women who aren’t because they’re giant the art show was good, richer than usual, triceratops? Spaceships and escape pods with wood carvings I hadn’t seen before. I and extremely sketchy physics (Guidolonium didn’t manage to see many panels (not my Oxide (GoO, heaven help us.) The epic thing anyway) and I missed the ice cream was filmed by Tadao Tomomatsu (who also social and LUX Theatre presentation when handed out his ‘Shake Hands Man’ ribbons) we went to the restaurant at the end of the and photographed by those members of runway. the relatively-packed audience who weren’t laughing hysterically. Over an hour of All in all, good comfy convention. dramatic script-reading and the audience Let’s do it again. was still in stitches. Our Heroes earned and deserved the standing O at the end.