Random bits of Baycon (Part 1)
Well, I've almost recovered. Since I can never quite remember the exact order that things happened, I'll just do categories.
So, what did I think?
I had a great time, as (almost) always. Things were well organized, ran on time (for the most part) and were enthusiastically attended. The hotel made us feel very welcome again, and even the notoriously slow service at the Coffee Garden was not generating many complaints. People were able to set any speed they liked. As I range walked (walking just short of running, I learned it at Army firing ranges) from one great panel to another, I overheard two people talking about what a relaxing con this was! That they were in line for the masseuse who was on site all weekend might have had something to do with their opinion, though.
Doug gets to talk!
As I pointed out earlier, I was on seven panels this year. Eight, if you count meet the guests, which I didn't bother with. Everybody either knows me already, or doesn't recognize my name. So, between those, and the ones I wanted attend, I was a very busy boy! Here's how they went.
Friday.
I wanted to go to the Mass Spectrometry panel, but left about half way through. The problem was that all five panelist were physicists, and quickly began speaking way above the audiences level. The only good information I got off the panel is that you can buy scanning electron microscopes and mass spectrometers on eBay.
That night, I had the 2230 panel on Dungeons and Caverns. I had visions of me, all alone in the room as no-one showed up in favor of a surprisingly active party floor. Yet not only did both my fellow panelists show, but we had a full room! Great discussions on the importance of character for not just places of mystery, but for inns, towns.. anyplace that is going to be used in any detail. We did fall into a bit of D&D bashing.. and got the best line of the night out of it:
Me: "OK, whike trashing D&D is fun, that's a subject for another panel or three.."
Panelist: "Wouldn't that be 3.5 panels?"
Saturday.
Attended the Cassini Slideshow. This was mainly Cassini's flyby of Jupiter, with some images of the approach to Saturn. Since the presenter works in programming the guidance commands for probes, we also learned a bit about the command protocols and capabilities of the space craft. Best line:
Question:"What is the major difference between Galileo and Cassini?"
Answer: "Our high-gain atenna works."
Then came my second moderating job.. Stealing from History. Another rocking panel, as we gleefully shifted events and people around, and added in some fun alternate history just for flavor. So many good ideas were put forward.. so real best line, they all were.
But onward! I still had one more panel for the day Gay Marriage. This suffered because everyone in the room pretty much agreed, and Fr. John Blaker had cancelled because he hadn't had time to research (he's got his own church, go him!) So we wandered aimlessly about for an hour or so.
Sunday.. Three panels in a row!
First, at 1430 came Survivng Cancer. This was good because we had three people with cancer (me and two women with breat cancer) and two techies to explain the details. The audience was small, and fairly quiet, but we got some good discussion in.
Then, at 1600, all the way across the hotel, came Fighting a Stateless Enemy. People, why put people who not only have no military or intelligence experience, but also have unreal levels of loathing towards the military, on a panel like this? One panelist was so damn insulting it drove one man away before he exploded, and I nearly follwed. We were having a good, spirited discussion on how you gather intelligence, the various ways we analyze it, etc. And he pops off with "See? Listen to them and we never learn anything!"
Later this same guy was shinging because nobody would let him talk! Well, if you knew anything about the subject, and didn't spend your time bashing the US military, maybe people wouldn't ignore you! Best line:
Me (to the idiot): "Previously, you stated that the best way to fight a stateless enemy is not to create them. Wow. So I guess the best way to fight my cancer is to not have? I challenge you to name singal state in history that didn't have some sort of stateless foe. Yes, prevention is key, but when they come, you have two options.. roll over for anyone whoi can hijack an airplane or build a bomb, or fight."
Walking all the way back across the hotel (which let me cool down a bit.) I made it to the third panel.. Meaning of Marriage. Another odd one, made interesting by one panelist who stated that he was violently oppssed to marriage in any form. I had some fun contending with him on that subject.
Monday
Thank Ghu, my last panel. Iraq: Why the War? Want to why this panel was so grat compared to the international policy one on Sunday? Everyone was informed on the topic, and nobody had a huge agenda to push. Best line:
Me "Like the quote says, 'We shall make of it a desert, and call it a peace.'
Mod: "It's already a desert."
Me: "Damn. Plan B!"
And that was my ass-in-chair time
OK, it's gotten later than I thought, I have to get ready for work. Coming up later.. Parties, people, and SWAG!
So, what did I think?
I had a great time, as (almost) always. Things were well organized, ran on time (for the most part) and were enthusiastically attended. The hotel made us feel very welcome again, and even the notoriously slow service at the Coffee Garden was not generating many complaints. People were able to set any speed they liked. As I range walked (walking just short of running, I learned it at Army firing ranges) from one great panel to another, I overheard two people talking about what a relaxing con this was! That they were in line for the masseuse who was on site all weekend might have had something to do with their opinion, though.
Doug gets to talk!
As I pointed out earlier, I was on seven panels this year. Eight, if you count meet the guests, which I didn't bother with. Everybody either knows me already, or doesn't recognize my name. So, between those, and the ones I wanted attend, I was a very busy boy! Here's how they went.
Friday.
I wanted to go to the Mass Spectrometry panel, but left about half way through. The problem was that all five panelist were physicists, and quickly began speaking way above the audiences level. The only good information I got off the panel is that you can buy scanning electron microscopes and mass spectrometers on eBay.
That night, I had the 2230 panel on Dungeons and Caverns. I had visions of me, all alone in the room as no-one showed up in favor of a surprisingly active party floor. Yet not only did both my fellow panelists show, but we had a full room! Great discussions on the importance of character for not just places of mystery, but for inns, towns.. anyplace that is going to be used in any detail. We did fall into a bit of D&D bashing.. and got the best line of the night out of it:
Me: "OK, whike trashing D&D is fun, that's a subject for another panel or three.."
Panelist: "Wouldn't that be 3.5 panels?"
Saturday.
Attended the Cassini Slideshow. This was mainly Cassini's flyby of Jupiter, with some images of the approach to Saturn. Since the presenter works in programming the guidance commands for probes, we also learned a bit about the command protocols and capabilities of the space craft. Best line:
Question:"What is the major difference between Galileo and Cassini?"
Answer: "Our high-gain atenna works."
Then came my second moderating job.. Stealing from History. Another rocking panel, as we gleefully shifted events and people around, and added in some fun alternate history just for flavor. So many good ideas were put forward.. so real best line, they all were.
But onward! I still had one more panel for the day Gay Marriage. This suffered because everyone in the room pretty much agreed, and Fr. John Blaker had cancelled because he hadn't had time to research (he's got his own church, go him!) So we wandered aimlessly about for an hour or so.
Sunday.. Three panels in a row!
First, at 1430 came Survivng Cancer. This was good because we had three people with cancer (me and two women with breat cancer) and two techies to explain the details. The audience was small, and fairly quiet, but we got some good discussion in.
Then, at 1600, all the way across the hotel, came Fighting a Stateless Enemy. People, why put people who not only have no military or intelligence experience, but also have unreal levels of loathing towards the military, on a panel like this? One panelist was so damn insulting it drove one man away before he exploded, and I nearly follwed. We were having a good, spirited discussion on how you gather intelligence, the various ways we analyze it, etc. And he pops off with "See? Listen to them and we never learn anything!"
Later this same guy was shinging because nobody would let him talk! Well, if you knew anything about the subject, and didn't spend your time bashing the US military, maybe people wouldn't ignore you! Best line:
Me (to the idiot): "Previously, you stated that the best way to fight a stateless enemy is not to create them. Wow. So I guess the best way to fight my cancer is to not have? I challenge you to name singal state in history that didn't have some sort of stateless foe. Yes, prevention is key, but when they come, you have two options.. roll over for anyone whoi can hijack an airplane or build a bomb, or fight."
Walking all the way back across the hotel (which let me cool down a bit.) I made it to the third panel.. Meaning of Marriage. Another odd one, made interesting by one panelist who stated that he was violently oppssed to marriage in any form. I had some fun contending with him on that subject.
Monday
Thank Ghu, my last panel. Iraq: Why the War? Want to why this panel was so grat compared to the international policy one on Sunday? Everyone was informed on the topic, and nobody had a huge agenda to push. Best line:
Me "Like the quote says, 'We shall make of it a desert, and call it a peace.'
Mod: "It's already a desert."
Me: "Damn. Plan B!"
And that was my ass-in-chair time
OK, it's gotten later than I thought, I have to get ready for work. Coming up later.. Parties, people, and SWAG!