text: Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 12:00PM Science Fiction and Political Subtext (Pacific Salon Three) A lot of science fiction takes off from real world political situations, from Wells' Martian colonialists on. What advantages does sf have as a way of doing this, and what are some ways of doing it wrong? Jason V. Brock, Bradford Lyau, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Amy K. Nichols, William F. Nolan, Janine Young World(s) of Whedon (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse, Fray, Dr. Horrible, Much Ado About Nothing ... the creations of Joss Whedon inspire more passion and enthusiasm among fans than the (relatively) humble size and scope of their production would indicate. This panel will discuss why the creations of Joss Whedon seem to have such enduring appeal as participants explore the mythology, philosophy, and cultural relevance of their favorite Whedon-verses and characters. Tera Lynn Childs, Dana Fredsti, Nancy Holder, Ron Oakes, Janet Tait Cartoons (Pacific Salon Six) Thomas E. Safer Our Little Corner of the Galaxy (Towne in Meeting House) Chris Butler Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 1:00PM Characterization: Pushing Fictional People Beyond Their Limits (Pacific Salon Three) Making a core persona for a character is one thing, but what will the character you've created do when pushed to the extreme? Unless he is a superman, it probably won't always be what he practically or morally should. What will they do and how will that affect them? Steven Brust, Tera Lynn Childs, Peter Clines, H. Paul Honsinger, John W. Oliver The Flight of Dragons (1982) (Pacific Salon Six) Thomas Safer presents this film. Thomas E. Safer Newly Discovered Ancestors: Hybridization in Human Evolution (Pacific Salon Seven) Recent genetic studies claim to have found genes from two other species in human populations. What does this tell us about ourselves, about our ancestors, and about evolution? Timothy Cassidy-Curtis, Daryl Frazetti, Keith Henson, Lynn Maudlin, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Shauna Roberts Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 2:00PM Imitation Is the Sincerest Form of Flattery: Pastiche (Pacific Salon Three) A great deal of science fiction and fantasy literature, as well as non-genre literature, is based on famous works of the past. A great number of fantasy stories are modeled on Tolkien. Other authors have carried on the works and characters of Mary Shelley, Robert Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, Arthur Conan Doyle, and any number of other famous writers. What are the best of these and how do they use the previous works to create something new? Scott Tracy Griffin, Nancy Holder, John W. Oliver, Michael Underwood Costume as a Visual Art (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Creating and judging a costume as a work of art. Arabella (Belle) Benson, Sandy Manning, Kevin Roche Superhero Universes: It's Getting Crowded in Here.... (Pacific Salon Seven) "Realistic" superhero universes are all the rage. But at what point do they start to look silly, absurd or just crowded? What can writers do to keep the numbers down and the movies/TV shows and, yes, even comic books from looking as if everyone on the planet has superpowers, and all anyone does during the day is fight epic battles? Peter Clines, William Lund, Gary Westfahl, Janine Young The Evolution of the Chinese Space Program (Towne in Meeting House) Stan Barauskas Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 3:00PM Hard Social SF (Pacific Salon Three) David Agranoff, Katharine B. Kerr, Bradford Lyau, Will Morton, William H. Stoddard Hall Costumes: What You Should Know for a Great Time! (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Laura B. Freas Beraha, Nancy Hay, Bridget Landry, Bob Mogg Anti-vaccination: Medical and Political Issues (Pacific Salon Seven) An increasing number of parents are choosing not to have their children vaccinated-to the point where herd immunity no longer works. Are there valid medical reasons for caution about vaccination? How far can the law go in requiring it? Jason V. Brock, James H. Hay, Michael Kurland, Sandy Manning, Robert Sheaffer The Anthropology of Firefly (Towne in Meeting House) Is it true that the more things change, the more they remain the same? Firefly documents the tale of the birth of a subculture based on those marginalized from mainstream society following their losses in major conflict. Having attained cult status, Firefly is an ideal cultural mirror, and cultural teacher. It truly can be classified as participatory, progressive, myth. Firefly is an anthropological dream in how it utilizes the human past and present to tell the story of humanity in the future. Discussion focuses on Firefly as both a cultural mirror and teacher, as well as differentiating between morals and ethics and how each relates to localized and globalized cultural arenas. Also included is a discussion on the subculture of fandom that Firefly has spawned. Daryl Frazetti Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 4:00PM Art Show Docent Tour: (Art Show in the Golden Ballroom) Come walk through the art show with a professional artist. The finer points of various pieces will be discussed. Also, learn general hints and tips for how to best enjoy the art show. Experienced collectors and beginners both welcome. John F. Hertz Filker Gathering and Chat (Con Suite and Gazebo next to Con Suite Patio) Two hour Filker meet and greet while early ConChord recordings are played in the background. Workshop: Make-and-Take Felt Cocktail and Beer Ornaments (Esquire in Meeting House) In honor of Spider Robinson and Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, make felt ornaments of cocktails and beer. $5 material cost. Arabella (Belle) Benson, Kate Morgenstern The Urban Supernatural: Open vs Hidden (Pacific Salon Three) Most urban fantasy assumes a hidden underworld of paranormal beings, but in some works the general populous knows about the supernaturals. How do these two assumptions play out differently in the storylines? Marie Brennan, Nancy Holder, Katharine B. Kerr, John W. Oliver, Janine Young Movies for One: How Viewing Video on our Personal Electronics Changes our Relationship with It (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Movies went from public events to household-sized events; now they're commonly consumed on personal electronics. Do we have a different experience as a result? Laura B. Freas Beraha, Jude-Marie Green, Janet Tait, Michael Underwood R.U.R.: GENESIS (Pacific Salon Six) View a new short SF film starring Kipleigh Brown (Star Trek: Enterprise), Chase Masterson (Star Trek: DS9), and Vic Mignogna (Star Trek Continues), followed by a discussion of the creation of the film with producer Bernie Stern and writer/director James Kerwin. James Kerwin, Bernie Stern Match Game SF (Sunrise in Meeting House) A fannish version of the classic game show. A Westercon standard. Hosted by Kevin Standlee. Morva Bowman, Linda Deneroff, David D. Levine, Alan Pollard, Kevin Roche, Kevin Standlee, Andy Trembley Life on Mars? (Towne in Meeting House) NASA`s Mars Exploration Program has spent decades wrestling with the question: has there ever been life on Mars? Recent rover results indicate that Mars was habitable in the past, and our next rover will look for potential signs of ancient life. (Quick science highlights from MER and MSL, plans for M2020) Sarah M. Milkovich Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 5:00PM Narrative Sequence in Time Travel Stories (Pacific Salon Three) Straight start to finish narratives can be confusing enough but when you add time travel things can get really hairy. Events from a time-travelling character's perspective can happen in a different sequence from those of normals. How do you keep the logic of cause and effect understandable to your readers? Does it have to be understandable? And what if you have more than one time-traveler, each experiencing a different sequence for the same events? Peter Clines, Jude-Marie Green, Will Morton, Jonathan Vos Post, Jonathan Vos Post, Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Mars One: Should We Take It Seriously? (Pacific Salon Seven) A group of people are contesting for the right to be sent on a one-way trip to Mars. But the actual method for this seems unclear as of yet. What kind of chance do they have getting to Mars? What are their chances once they get there? Chris Butler, David D. Levine, Sarah M. Milkovich, Gerry Williams Airships over San Diego (Towne in Meeting House) Gordon Permann Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 7:00PM Opening Ceremonies (Pacific Salon Three) As New Horizons, the joint 68th Westercon, 13th Conjecture, and 27th ConChord mission embarks, please join the press and public briefing where mission directors Ron Oakes (Westercon and Conjecture) and Nick Smith (ConChord) introduce the specialists for this mission. Morva Bowman, Steven Brust, Seanan McGuire, William F. Nolan, Ron Oakes, John Picacio, Alan Pollard, Vixy & Tony Short Films: New Horizons (Pacific Salon Six) Hal C. F. Astell of Apocalypse Later explores `new horizons` through a variety of internationally award-winning short science fiction films, including The Class Analysis. This set addresses tough themes so parental guidance is advised. Hal C.F. Astell Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 7:30PM Meet the Guests and Ice Cream Social (Con Suite and Gazebo next to Con Suite Patio) Join our guests in and near the Con Suite for ice cream. Sponsored and dished by Denver in 2018 Westercon Bid. Morva Bowman, Steven Brust, Seanan McGuire, William F. Nolan, John Picacio, Alan Pollard, Vixy & Tony Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 8:00PM Conjecture Showcase Concert (Pacific Salon One) A special concert feature regular Conjecture attendees and performers: Lynn Maudlin 8:00-8:30 Along for the Ride (Karen and Patty) 8:35-9:05 Steelin' Tin 9:10-9:40 Lynn Maudlin English Country Dancing (Sunrise in Meeting House) Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 8:30PM Match Game SF After Dark (Pacific Salon Three) An after dark (maybe) version of the Westercon favorite. Answers get a little racier when the children are all gone. Hosted by Kevin Standlee. With Glenn Glazer, Howeird, JC Arkham, Glenn Glazer, Lynn Gold, Kevin Roche, Kevin Standlee, Andy Trembley Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 9:00PM Open Filking (Pacific Salon Four and Five) 'til late o'clock (Overflow space available in Pacific Salon 6 & 7) Thursday, Jul 2, 2015 10:00PM Iron Hack (Pacific Salon Three) Welcome to Fiction Stadium, where Chairman Conje (who is badly dubbed) presides over an old Conjecture tradition: a round-robin improv storytelling contest using secret ingredients suggested by the audience. Hacks of different genres will compete for applause (and groans, and occasionally shrieks and gibbering) to determine who is the ultimate Iron Hack! Allison Lonsdale Friday, Jul 3, 2015 Friday, Jul 3, 2015 10:00AM Writer's Workshop: Writing from a Seed (Esquire in Meeting House) Participants will write a passage from a seed provided by the instructors. Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, Greg van Eekhout Did Not Do the Math: When World-building Doesn't Add Up (Pacific Salon Three) When you read stories set in fictional worlds, what kind of internal inconsistencies or vagaries trip you up? Kater Cheek, Scott Tracy Griffin, Calvin W. Johnson, David D. Levine, Shauna Roberts, Michaela Roessner-Herman Classic Series: Continue or Reboot? (Pacific Salon Four and Five) The relative advantages and disadvantages of carrying an old series forward, or starting it over and re-envisioning it. Jason V. Brock, Jean Graham, William F. Nolan, Gary Westfahl, Marc Scott Zicree Leonard Nimoy Interviews (Pacific Salon Six) Only recently discovered 60s and 70s interviews with the late Mr. Nimoy. Tom Khamis No More Evil Priests in Red (Sunrise in Meeting House) Understanding faith in a secular world. It's easy to depict organized religion as evil, led by greedy rapist scumbags and followed only by the drones and sheeple, but this trope hasn't been cutting edge for the past forty years. In setting up evil priestly straw men for our postmodern heroes to blow away, authors too often overlook why brilliant people like Boethius could walk smiling to execution, St. Francis could try to protect the animals everyone else wanted to eat, or Hildegard von Bingen could write awe-inspiring music and plays. Let's talk about books that depict the complexities of religious faith in interesting, insightful ways. Timothy Cassidy-Curtis, Buzz Dixon, Eytan Kollin, Bradford Lyau, Sherwood Smith Hacking the Brain (Sunset in Meeting House) With growing ability to exchange signals between neurons and circuits, will we be able to reprogram the human mind? How would such a technology be used - or abused? Steven-Elliot Altman, Lynn Gold, Matt Pallamary, Terrence J. Sejnowski Friday, Jul 3, 2015 11:00AM Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Tabitha L. Ladin Heinlein? Who Dat? (Pacific Salon Three) The second volume of Bill Patterson's biography of Robert Heinlein was not even nominated for non-fiction Hugo. Is Heinlein truly out of favor now, or even obsolete? If so, why? Is it his mid-20th century diction, his take on gender, his mainstream novels set in the future (as Heinlein himself put it)? Or is he still a mainstay of the science fiction pantheon? Dafydd ab Hugh, Keith G. Kato, Eytan Kollin, Bradford Lyau, Gary Westfahl Superheroes: Basic Brick (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Superheroes began with strength, speed, and invulnerability, and they`re still the commonest superpowers in comics and movies. Is this an enduring archetype or an overexploited cliche, or potentially both? What makes a good story about a "brick" character? Peter Clines, William Lund, William H. Stoddard, Jefferson P. Swycaffer Short Films: New Horizons (2) (Pacific Salon Six) Hal C. F. Astell of Apocalypse Later explores `new horizons` through a variety of internationally award-winning short science fiction films, including LiFi and The Looking Planet." Hal C.F. Astell Reading: Dan Wells (Pacific Salon Seven) Dan Wells Playing in Someone Else's World (Sunrise in Meeting House) Dos, Don'ts, and adventures while writing in a "shared world" format. Jean Graham, Tim Pratt, Eric Shanower, Chris A. Weber Colonizing Mars (Sunset in Meeting House) Proposals to establish colonies on Mars, in the near future or in the long run. James M. Busby, Keith Henson, Sarah M. Milkovich, Alfred Nash, Gerry Williams Basic Sound Editing for Costume Presentations (Towne in Meeting House) Jamie Hanrahan Friday, Jul 3, 2015 12:00PM Art Show Docent Tour: (Art Show in the Golden Ballroom) Come walk through the art show with a professional artist. The finer points of various pieces will be discussed. Also, learn general hints and tips for how to best enjoy the art show. Experienced collectors and beginners both welcome. John Picacio Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Katherine Wadey Spoken Word One-Shots (Pacific Salon One) How Does YOUR Writing Vary in Different Lengths? (Pacific Salon Three) How does your writing change between, i.e., short story v. novel length? John DeChancie, Buzz Dixon, Heather Rose Jones, Lisa Kessler, David D. Levine, Fred Wiehe Costuming From What You Have Around the House. (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Arabella (Belle) Benson, Sue Dawe, Anastasia Hunter, Sandy Manning Making of Space Command (Pacific Salon Six) The creation of the new web series Space Command. Marc Scott Zicree Sketching Demonstration (Pacific Salon Seven) Chris Butler demonstrates sketching. Chris Butler Bring Me That Horizon: Exploration as Fantasy and Science Fiction (Sunrise in Meeting House) Sometimes the goal is not to bring down an enemy or win a war. Sometimes it is to voyage into the unknown to see what you find, to explore uncharted territories for wealth or country or even for knowledge. Marie Brennan, Katharine B. Kerr, Michaela Roessner-Herman, Michael Underwood, Alvaro Zinos-Amaro How Much World-building Does an RPG Need? (Sunset in Meeting House) A game setting can be no more than a dungeon and a tavern-or an entire world with landforms, languages, plants and animals, and a history stretching over millennia. How much world-building do you do? How much does a game need? Is there a sweet spot for world-building, or do different games have different needs? Brett Achorn, Steven-Elliot Altman, William H. Stoddard, Jefferson P. Swycaffer, Jason Vanhee Connecting the Dots in the Brain and the BRAIN Initiative (Towne in Meeting House) Brains need to make quick sense of massive amounts of ambiguous information with minimal energy costs and have evolved an intriguing mixture of analog and digital mechanisms to allow this efficiency. As the BRAIN Initiative develops new neurotechnologies for recording and perturbing activities in neural circuits, we will learn much more about neural codes and how the brain represents the world and takes actions. As we learn more about how the brain works a new technology for vision, speech recognition and robotics will emerge with cognitive capabilities. Terrence J. Sejnowski Friday, Jul 3, 2015 1:00PM Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Frank Walls Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Kater Cheek, Dana Fredsti, Marc Scott Zicree Pluto and Other Heavenly Bodies One Shots (Pacific Salon One) An open mic event. Chill Out: Coping with Cold Worlds (Pacific Salon Three) Life in cold environments - both native and visiting - in science fiction. Kirsten Imani Kasai, Will Morton, Larry Niven, John W. Oliver, Vernor Vinge Mash-ups: How Far Can You Go, and Still Have a Recognizable Character? (Pacific Salon Four and Five) With the popularity of switching genders of characters, and moving them into different time periods, people are going further and further away from the original character. At what point does this not work? What are the key elements of an iconic character that must be preserved for a successful mash-up? Anastasia Hunter, Bridget Landry, Sandy Manning, Bob Mogg Star Trek Continues. Episode One: "Pilgrim of Eternity" (Pacific Salon Six) Screening of the web series which carries on the original five-year mission. James Kerwin Westercon Fannish Inquisition (Sunrise in Meeting House) Presentations by upcoming Westercons and bids with time for questions. Ron Oakes Bad Science: Real World (Sunset in Meeting House) There have been increasing observations upon bad science, not in the media, not in popularizations, but in the world of science itself. These are not objections from climate change deniers or creationists, but real problems such as for profit journals with poor peer review and poor statistical and experimental methods. An analysis found most of forensic science stands on shaky scientific premises. What can be done? Amy Sterling Casil, Robert Gounley, Calvin W. Johnson, Alfred Nash, Gary Westfahl The Art and Technology of Big Hero 6 (Towne in Meeting House) Brett Achorn Friday, Jul 3, 2015 2:00PM Workshop: Knitting (Esquire in Meeting House) Yarn, needles, and pattern kits are included. If you want to bring your own supplies, we will be using either US size 4 needles with fingering/sock yarn, or US size 8 with worsted cotton. If you don't already knit, Nancy can teach you. For you experienced knitters, one of the patterns is tangy. Nancy Hay Concert: Judith Hayman (Pacific Salon One) Depression and the Writer (Pacific Salon Three) It has long been noted that many writers suffer from clinical depression. Does something about depression lead one to write or vice versa? How do writers cope with depression? Amy K. Nichols, Lisanne Norman, Thomas Voorhies, Fred Wiehe Handling Jobs Outside Your Creative Comfort Zone in the Visual Arts (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Daniel Cortopassi, Galen Dara, Sue Dawe, Katherine Wadey Star Trek Continues. Episode Two: "Lolani" (Pacific Salon Six) Screening of the web series which carries on the original five-year mission. James Kerwin Great Books Discussion: The War of the Worlds (Pacific Salon Seven) The annual Westercon book club starts with a discussion of H. G. Wells' seminal work. Discussion moderator John Hertz. John F. Hertz No Sympathy for the Devil: Protagonists Beyond Redemption (Sunrise in Meeting House) In some fiction, the protagonist is not an antihero but an actual villain. Sometimes this is done for comedic effect, sometimes it is straight drama. How do you bring the reader/viewer into such material without turning off everyone but sociopaths? David Agranoff, Steven Brust, Peter Clines, Cody Goodfellow, Tim Pratt, Michaela Roessner-Herman When Blockbusters Ruled the Earth (Sunset in Meeting House) Are large-budget films with expensive special effects and action scenes becoming more dominant in the film industry? Is our age the age of action and fantastic films? Jason V. Brock, Tom Khamis, David Raiklen, Janet Tait, Dan Wells The Changing Surface of Mars (Towne in Meeting House) NASA`s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been observing Mars in high resolution for almost a decade, and has revealed that the surface of Mars is a dynamic place. Sarah M. Milkovich Friday, Jul 3, 2015 2:30PM Concert: Allison Lonsdale and Eben Brooks (Pacific Salon One) Eben Brooks, Allison Lonsdale Friday, Jul 3, 2015 3:00PM Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) John Picacio Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Linda Thomas-Sundstrom What's With All the Revolution? (Pacific Salon Three) A hackneyed trope about plucky heroes facing down a Big Bad Government, or a fictional examining of the dynamics of social, political, and cultural change? An excuse for plenty of Saxon violins (or violins without the sax) or a look at what motivates human beings as individuals and as groups to risk everything? What books have done revolutions well? Steven Brust, Cody Goodfellow, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Jonathan Vos Post, Sherwood Smith Copyright and its Discontents (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Copyright law is being extended in duration, in range of things covered (recently, automobile engines), and in severity. Is this still constitutionally authorized? What are the costs of expanded copyright, and what would be the costs of restricting it or abolishing it? Daniel Cortopassi, Jean Graham, Todd McCaffrey, David D. Ross, Gary Westfahl Star Trek Continues. Episode Three: "Fairiest of Them All" (Pacific Salon Six) Screening of the web series which carries on the original five-year mission. James Kerwin Reading: Broad Universe (Pacific Salon Seven) Barbara Clark, Jude-Marie Green, Shauna Roberts, Wendy Van Camp, Elizabeth Watasin Worldcon Fannish Inquisition (Sunrise in Meeting House) Presentations by upcoming Worldcons and bids with time for questions. Questions must be submitted in writing. Inquisitors: Glenn Glazer and Ben Yalow Glenn Glazer The Working Dead (Sunset in Meeting House) What are the prospects for integrating zombies, vampires, and other undead beings into the modern economy? Should we be killing these creatures when we could be trading with them instead? James H. Hay, Eytan Kollin, Janet Tait, Glen Whitman The Influence of Edgar Rice Burroughs (Towne in Meeting House) In 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs' pulp story "A Princess of Mars" popularized the planetary romance and set the stage for the rise of American science fiction. Scott Tracy Griffin (Tarzan: The Centennial Celebration, 2012) will examine Burroughs' influence, and how he helped shaped the genre. Scott Tracy Griffin Friday, Jul 3, 2015 3:30PM Concert: Rebecca Newman (Pacific Salon One) Rebecca Newman Friday, Jul 3, 2015 4:00PM Art Show Docent Tour (Art Show in the Golden Ballroom) Come walk through the art show with a professional artist. The finer points of various pieces will be discussed. Also, learn general hints and tips for how to best enjoy the art show. Experienced collectors and beginners both welcome. Theresa Mather Round-Robin Artists' Alley (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Chris Butler, John Picacio Autograph Session (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Barbara Clark, Jude-Marie Green, Shauna Roberts, Wendy Van Camp, Elizabeth Watasin Poetry Salon: New Horizons (Con Suite and Gazebo next to Con Suite Patio) Come to the Gazebo behind the con suite with a poem, original or classic or off-the-wall, or just listen. This hour`s theme is "New Horizons." Allison Lonsdale Workshop: Make and Take Cocktail Hats and Panaches (Esquire in Meeting House) Felt hats and panaches. $10 charge for materials. Arabella (Belle) Benson, Kate Morgenstern Concert: Barry & Lee Gold (Pacific Salon One) Are You Sure You Want To Go There? (Pacific Salon Four and Five) In these modern times, is anything beyond the bounds in horror and fantasy? Rape, torture, enslavement, mutilation all seem to be fair game. Is it only political and sociological stances that can get you in trouble now? David Agranoff, Kevin Gerard, Lisanne Norman, Thomas Voorhies, Fred Wiehe, Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Star Trek Continues. Episode Four: "The White Iris" (Pacific Salon Six) Screening of the web series which carries on the original five-year mission. James Kerwin Science Fiction's Literary Ancestry (Pacific Salon Seven) Genres that explored sf-like literary territory and contributed to sf's evolution: the utopia, the voyage extraordinaire, the Edisonade, the planetary romance, and others. Scott Tracy Griffin, Stephen W. Potts, Michael Underwood, Gary Westfahl, Janine Young Endangered Languages (Sunset in Meeting House) We worry about endangered species—but 80% of the world's languages will be dead by the century's end, often with no fossil remains. Should we be concerned? What can be done? H. Paul Honsinger, Heather Rose Jones, Katharine B. Kerr, Will Morton, Jason Vanhee Dawn at Vesta (Towne in Meeting House) What did we learn from the Dawn space probe's encounter with the asteroid Vesta? Bridget Landry Friday, Jul 3, 2015 4:30PM Q-Shots (15 Minutes of Filking Fame) (Pacific Salon One) A 15-minute-long open mic slot. Friday, Jul 3, 2015 5:00PM Round-Robin Artist`s Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) John Picacio Autograph Session (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Kater Cheek Fan History Filk One Shots (Pacific Salon One) Open mic. Fannish history in song and verse. Workshop: Shotokan Karate (Pacific Salon Three) Keith G. Kato Star Trek Continues: Discussion (Pacific Salon Six) Writer/director James Kerwin talks about the series. James Kerwin Digital vs Traditional Art (Pacific Salon Seven) Daniel Cortopassi, Galen Dara, Igor Goldkind, Tabitha L. Ladin, Katherine Wadey Supernatural Monsters: Why Haven't They Taken Over the World? (Sunrise in Meeting House) With the incredible powers available to vampires, witches, werewolves, etc., why haven't they taken over the world? What is the balance needed for these creatures to avoid having them wipe out all of mankind? David Agranoff, Cody Goodfellow, Lisa Kessler, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, Fred Wiehe Robots and the Future of Labor (Sunset in Meeting House) Robots are replacing an increasing number of people and in jobs well beyond the areas in which it might be expected. (Some people are training robots to write news copy. Is fiction next?) How will this affect the future of jobs? Will this be a good thing or dystopia? Dafydd ab Hugh, Anastasia Hunter, Matt Pallamary, Stephen W. Potts, Vernor Vinge, Glen Whitman The Anthropology of SF (Towne in Meeting House) The politics, philosophy, multiculturalism, historical and cultural context of select science fiction works, and science fiction as participatory and progressive mythos. Daryl Frazetti Friday, Jul 3, 2015 6:00PM POC/FOC Dinner (Foyer to Golden Pacific Ballroom) Are you a Person of Color/Fan of Color? Would you like to meet other People of Color/Fans of Color? Join us and get to know one another over a casual dinner at a nearby restaurant at Fashion Valley mall, just across the way from the convention. We will meet in the Foyer at 6:00pm and walk over to the mall together at 6:15pm. Isabel Schechter Friday, Jul 3, 2015 7:00PM Open Filking (Pacific Salon Six) Regency Dance (Sunrise in Meeting House) Come enjoy the dances of Regency England. A Westercon Tradition. John Hertz, Dance Master. John F. Hertz Are you a Werewolf? (Towne in Meeting House) The classic re-interpretation of the old Mafia game of mob rule and paranoia as MC'd by Todd McCaffrey Friday, Jul 3, 2015 8:00PM Guest of Honor Concert (Pacific Salon Three) A concert featuring our guests of honor Steven Brust 8-9, Vixy & Tony 9-10, and Seanan McGuire 10-11. Steven Brust, Seanan McGuire, Tony, Vixy & Tony Punday Night (Towne in Meeting House) In honor of Spider Robinson, join in on the pun-ishment as participants attempt to one-up each other`s witticisms. James H. Hay Friday, Jul 3, 2015 9:00PM Open Filking (Pacific Salon Four and Five) (Overflow space available in Pacific Salon 6 & 7) Hogwarts Ball (Sunrise in Meeting House) Come and dance to the waltzes, polkas and other ballroom music in the Hogwarts Grand Ballroom. Friday, Jul 3, 2015 11:00PM Kazoo Nominee Song Circle (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Nominations followed by open filking. Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 10:00AM Round-Robin Artist's Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) John Picacio Autograph Session (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Vixy & Tony Writer's Workshop: From a Prepared Text (Esquire in Meeting House) Participants will bring 5 - 6 pages of fiction they have written to be evaluated by their fellows and profession authors. Steven-Elliot Altman, Denise Dumars Science Fiction and Science Literacy (Pacific Salon Three) From climate change denial to anti-vaxers, science seems to be under assault. Considering that science fiction arose in a 20th century increasingly enchanted by science and technology, can the genre still serve the function of popularizing science and its methods? Is science fiction itself currently being pushed aside by fantasy and horror? On the other hand, as technology comes to dominate our lives, is scientific thinking really in any danger? Kevin R. Grazier, Michael Kurland, Alfred Nash, Larry Niven, Stephen W. Potts, Michaela Roessner-Herman What Do Judges Look for When Judging Masquerade? (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Masquerade costumes can be huge and impractical, but if you want to wear a costume all day long, in crowded convention conditions, what key elements should you look for? Durability, comfort, storage, access (think bathrooms!), all come into play. Arabella (Belle) Benson, Bridget Landry, Lynn Maudlin, Kevin Roche ORiGiN: BEYOND THE iMPACT (Pacific Salon Six) Creator/Producer/Director Jeff Patton, and actors Marc Biagi, Jessica Moore, Travis Osland, and David Wagner introduce us to their new web series. Great Books Discussion: Zenna Henderson's Deluge (Pacific Salon Seven) More of our book club. Hosted by John F. Hertz Shakespeare in Sci-Fi (Sunrise in Meeting House) Shakespeare has provided more inspiration to sci-fi (and fantasy) authors than almost any other literary source. From Forbidden Planet, various Star Trek episodes, and the movie Warm Bodies (Romeo and Juliet in a post-zombie-apocalypse), to sci-fi and steampunk productions of Shakespeare's work on stage today, this panel will discuss how The Bard inspires and informs today's sci-fi artists and authors. Scott Farrell, S. P. Hendrick, Katharine B. Kerr, William Lund, Seanan McGuire, Jason Vanhee The Roswell Slides Fiasco, or, the Mummy from Outer Space (Towne in Meeting House) A look at yet another Roswell hoax. Robert Sheaffer Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 11:00AM Round-Robin Artists' Alley (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) John Picacio Autograph Session: J. Patton, M. Biagi, J. Moore, T. Osland, D. Wagner (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Receive autographs by Jeff Patton, Marc Biagi, Jessica Moore, Travis Osland, David Wagner from ORiGiN: BTi Rehearsal and Setup for Totally Tasteless & Tacky Revue (Pacific Salon One) Guest of Honor Interview: William F. Nolan (Pacific Salon Three) Learn more about William F. Nolan's vast body of work in this interview moderated by Greg Etchison. Jason V. Brock, Dennis Etchison, William F. Nolan Trailers, Not Spoilers: How Much Advance Information Is Too Much? (Pacific Salon Four and Five) The art of making a trailer that doesn`t tell the whole story-and the increasing difficulty of avoiding spoilers when a film has multiple trailers and spots. Peter Clines, Sherwood Smith, Janet Tait, Gerry Williams, Marc Scott Zicree The Hobbit (1977) (Pacific Salon Six) Long before big budget movies in New Zealand, Tolkien`s works were brought to the screen (silver and otherwise), through the medium of animation. And the whole trilogy only lasts as long as two Hobbit movies! We start with the Rankin/Bass production of The Hobbit. Thomas E. Safer Creating an Author Platform to Promote Yourself on Social Media (Pacific Salon Seven) When publishing your first book, common advice is to start a website and join social media to promote the book. This is a sound idea, but most authors do not know how to tap into social media for their benefit and waste much time on repetitive marketing tasks that don't seem to work. Instead, you need to create an "engine" to automatically distribute your marketing content to key sites and reduce your online workload. Spend more time writing and less time marketing yourself. Wendy Van Camp Westercon Business Meeting (Sunrise in Meeting House) Star Trek Tech Achieved? (Sunset in Meeting House) Qualcomm is trying to build a tricorder. Some at NASA think they might be able to do warp drive. How close are we to creating and applying Star Trek technology? David Brin, James M. Busby, Amy Sterling Casil, Igor Goldkind, Alan Pollard, Erik Viirre Historic Airship Combat (Towne in Meeting House) Gordon Permann presents a history of airship combat. Gordon Permann Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 12:00PM Art Show Docent Tour (Art Show in the Golden Ballroom) Come walk through the art show with a professional artist. The finer points of various pieces will be discussed. Also, learn general hints and tips for how to best enjoy the art show. Experienced collectors and beginners both welcome. Joni Brill Dashoff Round-Robin Artists' Alley (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Frank Walls Autograph Session (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Kevin R. Grazier, Nancy Holder, Eytan Kollin, David Raiklen Basic Lighting Circuits for Costumes, Props, and Miniatures (Esquire in Meeting House) Participants must have purchased required parts for this workshop in advance. Jamie Hanrahan Totally Tasteless & Tacky Revue (Pacific Salon One) A Vaudeville style revue. A ConChord tradition. ConChord presents a talent show for the musical equivalent of wearing a plaid shirt and paisley pants while juggling rubber chickens. Do you find Weird Al Yankovic songs too tasteful? Do you like horrible and inappropriate filk songs? Do you wish you could have been on the Gong Show? This is the event for you. You sick person. Economic Recovery After the Zombie Apocalypse (Pacific Salon Three) Most of zombie apocalypse stories depict the beginning of the outbreak and the fall of humanity. The big goal is just to live through the next few days. But what happens after that? Assuming there are some survivors, what will their situation be like? How would they go about rebuilding civilization? David Agranoff, David Brin, Cody Goodfellow, Seanan McGuire, Glen Whitman Expanding Our Horizons of Inclusion: Race, Sex, Gender...What's Next? (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Buzz Dixon, Daryl Frazetti, Jude-Marie Green, Ginn Hale, Isabel Schechter Star Trek: TOS, Music and Sound (Pacific Salon Seven) David Raiklen Is There More to Fairies than Just Elves with Wings? (Sunrise in Meeting House) Fairies are popular right now. What sets them apart from other magical creatures? How have they been adapted to modern sensibilities and literary and cinematic possibilities? Kater Cheek, Tim Pratt, Jefferson P. Swycaffer, Michael Underwood, Janine Young Etiquette for Gamers (Sunset in Meeting House) A lot of the problems of RPG groups may actually be problems in etiquette. Panelists will talk about situations they've encountered and ways of solving them. Are there rules for good gaming manners? Marie Brennan, William H. Stoddard, Janet Tait, Chris A. Weber Dawn over Ceres: Exploring a Dwarf Planet (Towne in Meeting House) Robert Gounley Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 12:30PM Lord of the Rings (1978) (Pacific Salon Six) Our Tolkien Marathon continues with LOTR directed by Fritz the Cat's Ralph Bakshi of all people. Covering The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. Thomas E. Safer Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 1:00PM Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Chris Butler Autograph Session (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Jason V. Brock, Katharine B. Kerr, William F. Nolan Story Tellers Hour (One-Shot Style) (Pacific Salon One) Open mic for storytelling. Guest of Honor in Conversation with Seanan McGuire (Pacific Salon Three) Seanan McGuire Game of Thrones (Pacific Salon Four and Five) The HBO series based off G.R.R. Martin's series has veered away from the books in the most recent season. Was this necessary? Does this add to the story, or just sully it? What will happen when the producers reach the end of the source material? Get your fangirl (or fanboy) on and let's hash out how much you love or hate the adaptation. (Go Team Stark!) Nikke Ebright, Calvin W. Johnson, Ron Oakes, John Picacio I Must Create a System: Inventing Myths for Fantasy Worlds (Sunrise in Meeting House) Creating a mythology as part of worldbuilding. What makes a newly invented myth work? John DeChancie, Ginn Hale, S. P. Hendrick, Kirsten Imani Kasai, Lisanne Norman Drones: Technological possibilities (Sunset in Meeting House) Drones in war. Drones as delivery vehicles. Drones as camera platforms. I guess we can truly say the sky is the limit. Amy Sterling Casil, H. Paul Honsinger, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Matt Pallamary, Gordon Permann, Vernor Vinge Ask Me Another (Towne in Meeting House) Westercon's own version of the popular NPR game show. Simple trivia asked in inspired ways. We even have our own one-man-house-band, Eben Brooks! With our Very Important Puzzler, Steven Brust. Hosted by James Hay. Eben Brooks, Steven Brust, James H. Hay Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 2:00PM Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Tabitha L. Ladin, John Picacio Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) David Brin, Peter Clines, H. Paul Honsinger, Vernor Vinge Interfilk Concert (Pacific Salon One) Morva Bowman, Alan Pollard The Writer`s Cut (Pacific Salon Three) A discussion with writer`s whose work has been adapted for the media. Peter Atkins, Dennis Etchison, William F. Nolan, Jonathan Vos Post The Special Effects Frontier (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Every year, the scope of special effects expands, and their believability improves. How much better can they get? What are the big challenges now, and the hot areas of growth? Brett Achorn, Anastasia Hunter, Matt Pallamary, Gene Turnbow Reading: (Pacific Salon Seven) Tim Pratt Are Fantasy Films Taking Off or Stalling Out? (Sunrise in Meeting House) Lord of the Rings was a huge success-but since then, no other fantasy film has rivaled it. Will fantasy establish itself as a film genre? Kevin Gerard, Stephen W. Potts, Janet Tait, Jason Vanhee Drones: The Ethics (Sunset in Meeting House) The business, private and governmental applications keep expanding. And already the ethical questions abound. What will they do to privacy? Should anybody be able to fly one or should you need a license? Do drones make war to detached? Timothy Cassidy-Curtis, Daryl Frazetti, Eytan Kollin, Todd McCaffrey, Mike Shepherd Moscoe GRAIL's Mission of Gravity: The First Mission IN the Moon (Towne in Meeting House) Robert Gounley Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 3:00PM Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Kevin Gerard, Tim Pratt, Dan Wells, Fred Wiehe Interfilk Voice Auction (Pacific Salon One) Masquerade Run-Through (Pacific Salon Two) Contestants in them Glenn Glazer Anatomy of the Imaginary in the Visual Arts (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Jason V. Brock, Daniel Cortopassi, Sue Dawe, Tabitha L. Ladin, Katherine Wadey The Return of the King (1980) (Pacific Salon Six) Bakshi did not complete the trilogy. That task fell back in the hands of Rankin and Bass, who produced a television movie version of the last book. Thomas E. Safer Fanfic, Profic, Fic: Undrawing the Line? (Pacific Salon Seven) Traditional publishing draw sharp lines between professional fiction and fan fiction. Are those lines getting blurred in the era of online publication and reading? How real are the differences? John DeChancie, Jean Graham, Seanan McGuire, Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Sherwood Smith, Marc Scott Zicree Loteria! (Sunrise in Meeting House) Play the classic game of chance for the chance to win John Picacio art posters. Hugo Award-winning artist John Picacio hosts several rounds of Mexican Bingo. Play this fun, easy-to-learn game of chance and see how the artist is redefining Loteria for a new era. John Picacio Political Economy of Superheroes (Sunset in Meeting House) From The Incredibles to Marvel`s Civil War, many superhero stories have asked how a modern government should legislate and regulate the activities of super-powered men and women. If super powers were real, how would and should an actual government deal with them? Glen Whitman Adapting Victorian Science (Towne in Meeting House) What are some of the more interesting Victorian scientific concepts and potential technologies that can be adapted for Steampunk? Marie Brennan, Kater Cheek, Ginn Hale, Nancy Holder, Mark Poliner Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 4:00PM Art Show Docent Tour: (Art Show in the Golden Ballroom) Come walk through the art show with a professional artist. The finer points of various pieces will be discussed. Also, learn general hints and tips for how to best enjoy the art show. Experienced collectors and beginners both welcome. Sue Dawe Round-Robin Artist's Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) John Picacio Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Michael Kurland, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Greg van Eekhout Poetry Salon: Science and Mathematics (Con Suite and Gazebo next to Con Suite Patio) Come to the gazebo behind the con suite with a poem, original or classic or off-the-wall, or just listen. This hour`s theme is "Science and Mathematics." Allison Lonsdale Krypton Radio's SciFi Radio Workshop (Esquire in Meeting House) In this two hour workshop, participants learn the basics of internet radio and digital audio technology, followed by a practical workshop in which audience participants act out roles from preproduction scripts of Krypton Radio's serialized radio drama, "Halfway Home: Adventures in the Asteroid Belt". Panel is presented by Station Manager and Showrunner Gene Turnbow, and Executive Producer Susan L. Fox. Susan Fox, Gene Turnbow Filk Circles (Pacific Salon One) Arms, Armor, and Sword Work of the Middle Ages (Pacific Salon Three) Come and watch the combatants of San Diego`s Swords Of Chivalry historical sword combat program demonstrate historically accurate fighting techniques with the battle weapons of the 14th and 15th century; see replica medieval armor in action (and even try on a few pieces yourself); and get a chance to experience the basics of medieval sword combat that you might have seen in Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and other medieval fantasy adventures. Scott Farrell Workshop: Tarot (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Janine Young Janine Young Adventures in Super Science (Pacific Salon Seven) Extemporaneous: The panelists will tell their stories based on cues such as "Tell us about the time you thwarted an alien invention using your high school trigonometry text." Kater Cheek, Daryl Frazetti, Kevin R. Grazier, Todd McCaffrey, Will Morton The Transparent Society (Sunrise in Meeting House) Cell phone videos, police cams, spy drones, the NSA . . . surveillance seems ubiquitous today. How has the spread of such technology changed our daily lives? How might it in the future? In other words, what advantages and disadvantages will we face in a world of universal surveillance? Will we evolve a new relationship to authority and one another in what David Brin called (in his book of the same name) The Transparent Society? David Brin, Cody Goodfellow, Henry L. Herz, Larry Niven, David D. Ross, Karen Willson Hugo Awards and Nominating Slates. Glen Glazer, (Sunset in Meeting House) A RATIONAL discussion of the recent Hugo nomination controversy. With Glen Glazer. Glenn Glazer, Kevin Standlee Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 4:30PM Performance Workshop (Pacific Salon One) Advice on better performances from Vixy, Lynn Maudlin, and Karen Rodgers. Lynn Maudlin, Karen Rodgers, Vixy Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 5:00PM Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Meet and ask for autographs from legendary author Larry Niven, Henry Herz, and Daryl Frazetti. Daryl Frazetti, Henry L. Herz, Larry Niven Uncle Forry's Ackermansions (2014) (Pacific Salon Six) A film on the late, great, Forrest J. Ackerman. Presented by Tom Khamis, associate producer Tom Khamis Heroines as Catalysts (Pacific Salon Seven) Most genre fiction features male heroes leading doughty groups against the Big Bad, whether it's a futuristic amoral megacorporation or an evil wizard-king. There are a few two-fisted female gun-toters leading the action, but there are far more heroines who act as catalysts for change. Why is that, and how do they do it? Compare catalyst heroines in all genres. Tera Lynn Childs, Dana Fredsti, Jude-Marie Green, Heather Rose Jones Readers as Detectives-Invented Worlds as Mysteries (Sunrise in Meeting House) Since the canned lecture went out of style in science fiction, readers have had to figure out its imaginary settings from clues and hints. How much information is too little or too much? How do you make sure your readers will figure things out, without hitting them over the head? Marie Brennan, Ginn Hale, Michael Kurland, Alan Pollard, Michaela Roessner-Herman, William H. Stoddard The Prevalence of Bad Science in Movies and TV (Sunset in Meeting House) Why is the science in movies so bad? Even when they have technical advisors, the mistakes are just painful. Sometimes science is ignored to advance the plot, but sometimes it just seems like laziness or plan ignorance. What is some of the worst science in the media? Dafydd ab Hugh, Peter Clines, Laura B. Freas Beraha, Robert Gounley, Calvin W. Johnson Philip K. Dick in the OC, and SF at CSUF (Towne in Meeting House) Teaching sf at Cal State University Fullerton, sf and southern California, digital mapping and archiving sf, Steampunk`s SoCal roots and the upcoming Philip K. Dick Conference 2016 in Orange County. David Sandner Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 7:00PM Swing/Jitterbug Dance Lesson: Instuctors Salomon Rojas & Ruth Clawson (Sunrise in Meeting House) Learn the basics or refresh your knowledge of swing and jitterbug in preparation to the Saturday night Sock Hop. Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 8:00PM Masquerade (Pacific Salon Three) Glenn Glazer Open Filking (Pacific Salon Four and Five) (Overflow space available in Pacific Salon 6 & 7) Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 9:30PM Sock Hop Swing Dance (Sunrise in Meeting House) Come in your fifties best, or 1850s, and swing until the midnight hour. Saturday, Jul 4, 2015 10:30PM Match Game SF: Late Night (Pacific Salon One) Late night, the gloves are off, version of the match game. Hosted by Kevin Standlee. With Tom Galloway, Linda Deneroff, Cody Goodfellow, Howeird, JC Arkham and Lynn Gold. Linda Deneroff, Lynn Gold, Cody Goodfellow, Kevin Standlee Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 10:00AM Inhospitable and Inedible Worlds: Terraform or Transform Humanity? (Pacific Salon Three) In humanity's relentless expansion in SF, why let a little thing like an inhospitable environment get in the way? Sometimes, writers change the planet. Sometimes, they change humans. Jude-Marie Green, Calvin W. Johnson, Eytan Kollin, Will Morton, Larry Niven Cartoons (Pacific Salon Six) Thomas E. Safer Reading: Cody Goodfellow (Pacific Salon Seven) Cody Goodfellow #Darkmagic (Sunrise in Meeting House) Urban fantasy usually takes place in modern settings, but what happens when the modern world progresses faster than fiction? Werewolves using meetups? Witches on Pinterest boards? Let's talk about how magic and technology mix. Nancy Holder, Seanan McGuire, John W. Oliver, Greg van Eekhout, Janine Young The Mechanics of Basic Screenwriting (Sunset in Meeting House) Gerry Williams The History of Aerospace (Towne in Meeting House) James M. Busby Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 11:00AM Art Show Auction (Art Show in the Golden Ballroom) The most popular pieces of art from the Art Show are displayed and auctioned off by our fine group of volunteers. Be here, or miss that fantastic painting you had your eye on all weekend. Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) Galen Dara, John Picacio Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) S. P. Hendrick, Lisa Kessler, Seanan McGuire, Matt Pallamary The Art of John Picacio HAS BEEN CANCELLED (Pacific Salon Three) Please see Mr. Picacio at the Art Show area. John Picacio Narrative and Dramatic Structure of Role Playing Games (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Steven-Elliot Altman, Marie Brennan, William H. Stoddard, Jefferson P. Swycaffer, Janet Tait Animal Farm (Film) (Pacific Salon Six) Thomas Safer presents the motion picture Animal Farm based on George Orwell's novel. Thomas E. Safer The Unknown Character (Pacific Salon Seven) Why would you ever put together a costume for a character that is unknown, or terribly obscure? The benefits of rogue costuming. Arabella (Belle) Benson, Bridget Landry, Bob Mogg, Kate Morgenstern First Church of Jedi (Sunrise in Meeting House) What happens when the religion from fiction is so appealing that people adopt it as their own?� What happens when authors take a spiritual practice (such as voodoo or witchcraft) and change it to their own ends? When does a religion belong to an author, and when does it belong to its practitioners? Kevin Gerard, Jean Graham, Bradford Lyau, Isabel Schechter, Alvaro Zinos-Amaro Politics, Economics, Culture, and Space Exploration: How Do They Affect Each Other? (Sunset in Meeting House) Chris Butler, Keith Henson, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Alfred Nash Mary Shelley and the Origins of SF (Towne in Meeting House) David Sandner leads this discussion on one of the first works of science fiction. David Sandner Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 12:00PM Round-Robin Artists' Alley: (Artist Alley next to Art Show in Golden Ballroom) John Picacio, Eric Shanower Kazoo Awards (Pacific Salon One) ConChord's light-hearted awards to highlight special achievements in filksing writing. There will also be a special presentation from the Filk Hall of Fame. The votes have been tabulated after the Kazoo Nominees Song Circle, and now the winners receive their kazoos (tastefully mounted on wooden plaques). The competition categories will be added here when they are announced. Popular but Disesteemed (Pacific Salon Three) Whether it's the Hugos or the Oscars, there are works that appeal to large audiences, but are rarely considered for awards. Should they be? Are we looking at high standards or elite bias? Amy Sterling Casil, David D. Levine, Deirdre Saoirse Moen, William F. Nolan, Chris A. Weber Tolkien vs. Jackson: Comparing Stories and Themes (Pacific Salon Four and Five) A look back at all six of Peter Jackson's films about Middle-Earth, now that the last one has been released. Jean Graham, S. P. Hendrick, Stephen W. Potts, Michael Underwood Independent Publishing: The New Age? (Pacific Salon Seven) Now e-books allow everyone to publish their book! Isn't that great? Or not? Do you really want to publish your trunk novel? How much should you pay for his? Would somebody please edit that book? Come share your opinion on how this revolution in publishing is working out for you. Todd McCaffrey, Matt Pallamary, Douglas E. Richards, Shauna Roberts, Fred Wiehe Boots on the Ground (Sunrise in Meeting House) Should we keep risking flesh and blood? Can a remote control tread work just as well? What's a good balance? Come and offer your opinion if you have one, or listen to others share theirs. Hopefully, no fights will break out. Lynn Maudlin, David D. Ross, Jefferson P. Swycaffer, Gerry Williams The Bore of the Worlds: Why Would Aliens Fight Us? (Sunset in Meeting House) Is Stephen Hawking smart to be terrified of alien invasions, "Berserker" robots, and overachieving computers? The vast majority of planets will not have sentient life (if life at all); galactic resources are so common as to be free for the taking without annoying any other species; territory is meaningless in a galaxy of 100 billion suns; and the likelihood is that any spacefaring planet would have the equivalent of "replicators" and "holodecks." That takes care of all terrestrial reasons for warfare. So what could lead to interstellar war -- anything? Or will the aliens just ignore us as "mostly harmless?" Dafydd ab Hugh, Buzz Dixon, Cody Goodfellow, Larry Niven, Alan Pollard Cassini's Mission to Saturn (Towne in Meeting House) Bridget Landry Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 1:00PM Art Auction (Art Show in the Golden Ballroom) The most popular pieces of art from the Art Show are displayed and auctioned off by our fine group of volunteers. Be here, or miss that fantastic painting you had your eye on all weekend. Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Tera Lynn Childs, Heather Rose Jones, Lisa Kessler, Todd McCaffrey Instaband Concerts (Pacific Salon One) Q&A with Conjecture Guest of Honor Steven Brust (Pacific Salon Three) Steven Brust Spaceships and Tight Leather Skirts: Book Covers (Pacific Salon Four and Five) What do we like (and hate) on book covers? Where do we see the trends going? What would we like to see more of? How does the proliferation of eBooks affect book cover design? Daniel Cortopassi, Seanan McGuire, John Picacio, Thomas Voorhies, Katherine Wadey, Fred Wiehe The Man in the White Suit (1951) (Pacific Salon Six) One of Spider Robinson`s favorites. This classic Alec Guinness movie perfectly illustrates the concept of "unintended consequences" when a meek man invents and indestructible cloth. "Found" and Other Easy Electronics for Costumers (Pacific Salon Seven) This will be a fun panel discussion where we show and tell ways of lighting up your costume or prop with "found," repurposed, and inexpensive ready-to-use items. Examples include battery-operated Christmas tree light sets, electroluminescent wire kits, and so on. We'll keep notes on all the resources mentioned and post them on the Costume Con web site. Jamie Hanrahan, Bob Mogg, Alan Pollard Folklore in Fantasy and Sci-Fi (Sunrise in Meeting House) A discussion of some of the characters and tales from historical folklore, and how writers today are working to incorporate them into stories like Once Upon A Time, Grimm, Frozen, and other novels, movies, and TV shows. What do these timeless characters and stories have to say to audiences today, and why do fairy tale characters seem to be making a comeback in the 21st century? Ginn Hale, Kirsten Imani Kasai, Vernor Vinge, Karen Willson 100 Years From Now (Sunset in Meeting House) We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Balboa part. Predictions from 1900 were very far from the reality of 2000 (where is my flying car?!). Where might we be in the year 2100? Energy? Countries or Corporations? Everyone packed into cities or remote living? New frontiers: Earth; sea; arctic; space? Calvin W. Johnson, Bradford Lyau, Mike Shepherd Moscoe, Chris A. Weber Landfall: What Surprises Did We Discover When We First Arrived at Other Celestial Locations? (Towne in Meeting House) Chris Butler Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 2:00PM Autograph Session: (Autographing in the Dealers' Room) Steven Brust, Igor Goldkind, Lisanne Norman, Thomas Voorhies Workshop: Make-and-Take Cocoon Wraps (Esquire in Meeting House) In tribute to William Ware Theiss. $20 materials fee. Arabella (Belle) Benson, Kate Morgenstern Two-Shots (Pacific Salon One) Filk open mic, two songs at a time. How Scientific Does SF Need to Be? (Pacific Salon Three) When it is fine to hand-wave the science? When should it be hard? A discussion of different styles of "Science" fiction. Jason V. Brock, David D. Levine, Amy K. Nichols, Larry Niven, William F. Nolan The Disneyfication of . . . Everything. (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Disney has long "owned" many classic fairy tales. Now Disney studios is incorporating more and more of our culture under their banner: Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, ABC television group. How has it changed these franchises? What might it do in the future? Is this a good or a bad thing? Bradford Lyau, Seanan McGuire, Michael Underwood, Karen Willson Great Books Discussion: Robert Heinlein's Rocketship Galileo (Pacific Salon Seven) How carefully the boys are shown to be almost ordinary. What are we taught by watching their parents? Here is the famous passage in which a scientist on the way to the Moon asks "How do you know there is any back side?" Extra credit: Compare Cameron's Wonderful Flight to The Mushroom Planet (1954) and Fleming's Moonraker (1955) John F. Hertz No Time to Create? (Sunrise in Meeting House) You really, really want to write or film or build, but how do you find the time? Heather Rose Jones, Kirsten Imani Kasai, Lisa Kessler, Deirdre Saoirse Moen, Eric Shanower Engineers Need Filk (Sunset in Meeting House) "I have worked on many aerospace projects while listening to Minus Ten and Counting and other great filk albums. After the Challenger and Columbia tragedies, filk songs lifted my heart and encouraged hope." Engineers and the filkers discuss what each consider good stuff, and what's coming in the future. James M. Busby, Lynn Gold, Lynn Maudlin, Ron Oakes, Alan Pollard Thermal Power Satellites (Towne in Meeting House) An intriguing concept for sustainable energy production is to convert solar power to electricity on an orbiting earth satellite and then transport the power to earth for terrestrial use. Power satellites, both photovoltaic and thermal, offer the possibility of electricity from space at less than the cost of electricity from coal. Keith Henson Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 3:00PM In My Humble Opinion (IMHO: Bardic Rock) Concert (Pacific Salon One) Meeting of the Mindless (Pacific Salon Four and Five) Extemporaneous: The panel will adopt the personas of know-it-all characters such as Baron Munchhausen, Dr. Science, and, of course, Mr. Know-It-All and answer questions of science, cosmology and metaphysics posed by the audience. James H. Hay, H. Paul Honsinger, Calvin W. Johnson, David D. Levine, Jefferson P. Swycaffer Christopher Lee Interviews (Pacific Salon Six) Rare recordings of old interviews with the late actor. Tom Khamis Lovecraft's Heirs: How Did They Change His Concept of the Universe? (Pacific Salon Seven) David Agranoff, Steven-Elliot Altman, Denise Dumars, Cody Goodfellow I Wonder Who's Mything Him Now: Ancient Mythology and Modern Media (Sunrise in Meeting House) So many of our modern films, books and TV shows have their roots in the realms of mythology, from the King Arthur stories to Thor, Hercules, Clash of the Titans...even the aliens in Stargate SG-1. My own novels are steeped in Celtic mythology. Even Star Trek: The Next Generation used the example of the story of Gilgamesh in its "Darmok" episode. What is it about this mythology that we still find relevant thousands of years later? Why does it still reverberate within our consciousness and find a new audience in each generation? Tera Lynn Childs, S. P. Hendrick, Lisanne Norman, Matt Pallamary Should I Stay or Should I Go Now? Space Travel and Human Manifest Destiny (Sunset in Meeting House) James M. Busby, Timothy Cassidy-Curtis, Jude-Marie Green, Alfred Nash, Isabel Schechter, Vernor Vinge eBooks and ePublishing (Towne in Meeting House) Are they a viable alternative to traditional book publishing, a complimentary addition or is all reading heading to the screen? Chameleon Publisher Amy Sterling and eBook author Igor Goldkind discuss the future of electronic publishing in the context of their new eBook and hardcover publication. Amy Sterling Casil, Igor Goldkind Sunday, Jul 5, 2015 4:00PM Closing Ceremony and Con Talk Back (Pacific Salon Three) Before we wrap up another Westercon (and another Conjecture and ConChord), join the chairs and remaining guests as we formally close Westercon 68 and hand the Westercon over to Westercon 69. A talk-back session immediately follows. Participants: Ron Oakes, Nick Smith, Lea Rush, William F. Nolan, Morva Bowman, Alan Pollard, Seanan McGuire, John Picacio, Michelle Dockrey, Tony Fabris, Steven Brust, and Mira Grant. Morva Bowman, Steven Brust, Seanan McGuire, William F. Nolan, Ron Oakes, John Picacio, Alan Pollard, Tony Dead Dog Filk 'til Late o'Clock (Pacific Salon Four and Five) ...midnight


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The Ski Boat Driver Level Two course is designed for anyone who wishes to drive unassisted for water skiing and/or other associated disciplines. This one day course runs from our barge and can be pre booked on chosen mid week dates by individuals and small groups of two or three. Alternatively check out our social media feeds for specific course dates set by us throughout the summer.
£220.00 pp
1 Participant

subset: commoncrawl


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Pisco Quick-Fittings
Pisco Quick-Fittings are available in many varieties, such as:
Pisco fittings are available in many shapes and sizes so they can be used for a variety of different applications. Whether you're looking for fittings that suitably interact with chemicals and other corrosive environments or something customizable, DAS Services, Inc. can help you find the perfect solution. Shop all Pisco fitting types above!


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1972 Porsche 911 Coupe RSR ST Side oil tank
Price: - Item location: Pleasanton, California, United States
- Condition: Used
- Make: Porsche
- Model: 911
- Type: Coupe
- Trim: T
- Year: 1972
- Mileage: 0
- Engine size: 2.4L 2341CC H6 GAS Naturally Aspirated
- Number of cylinders: 6
- Fuel: Gasoline
- Drive type: U/K
- Vehicle Title: Clear Want to buy? Contact seller!
1972 Porsche 911 T1972 911T coupe, this is a car that was delivered in the rare color of Rose Red, it is about as close to rust free as its possible to get, its begging to have a set of 9" and 11" Fuchs and a 3.6 motor!!!!! From what I understand at some stage in its past it was converted into an electric vehicle and at the time the wide RSR style steel wheel arches were added. The car is missing its 2.4T engine but the magnesium 915 gearbox is there along with its gear lever and shift tower, other missing items are engine bay electric board and CD box, fuel tank and four of the five original gauges, the speedometer is there, the wiring harness looks to be complete and even an original stereo is still fitted in the dash. The wheel arches are welded onto the original fenders, in fact all panels look to have been the originals, you can still see the Rose Red paintwork underneath in several places, the shell is superb retaining original floor pans and all panels, the package tray area is rock solid with no corrosion, panel gaps are excellent, door bottoms superb.. please note the front hood is not latched down in the pictures as the associated catch is missing. Battery boxes are both complete, nose section is straight with no evidence of frontal collision, the suspension mounting on the drivers side needs some repair, a straight forward job. The gas tank appeture was obviously welded up using a metal panel which has since been removed, most likely to house the batteries. Door bottoms and quarters are rock solid, for some reason jacking points have been removed, I believe to facilitate fitting of the 964 turbo style plastic rockers. Door handles, door trim and side window trim are in really nice shape.
The interior has been replaced with later seats and more modern carpeting, the headliner has been replaced and looks new, dashboard is original and appears to have only one small crack from the speaker grille to the right air vent. A 1972 side oil tank is presentThis offers the buyer the opportunity of building an RSR style race street car, fit a hotrod 3.0 3.2 or a 3.6..... or put the car back to its original and rare 72 Rose Red coupe!
Please study the pictures, ask for more if needed, I'm happy to discuss the car, you can call me on USA 925 789 9825 Pacific Time, car is California registered and comes with a clear California title, all sales are final, sold as is where is, I am a licensed California car dealer, therefore all applicable taxes are due to California residents. I am happy to help with shipping and can get it delivered to most Northern European ports for approximately $1200:00


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Romilo's Restaurant was established in 1993. The Restaurant is family-owned and operated.
The owners welcome you to join all of us in celebrating 20 years of proud service to this wonderful community. Many of you know us well. We've come to know and recognize you too! We are so proud to serve you and we appreciate your loyalty.
Our passion for food as art is grounded in a basic principle: cook your food with an eye towards simplicity and tradition, and use only the finest ingredients. We are delighted to share with you these fine gifts. Be our guests and let us treat you like family.
15% Off of your check
478 Ritchie Hwy
Severna Park, MD 21146
Maryland Business Connection


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What is PlanX?
The Punjab Information Technology Board seeks to promote the sustainability of technology startups through PlanX which is Pakistan's first accelerator of its kind. Founded in September 2014, PlanX aims to empower commercially viable mid-stage technology startups by providing access to multiple funding channels, specialized network of mentors and global exposure to establish high impact businesses. The goal is to bridge the gap between technology and businesses by providing facilitation in the shape of access to mentors, connection with angel investors and venture capitalists and support in gaining exposure to global markets.
PlanX In Numbers
Here is a list of progress made by PlanX in two years.
Total Number of Startups Accelerated
Total Investment Raised by Startups
The Average Amount Spent by PlanX on Each Startup
Number of Jobs Created by Startups


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About the School
News & Notices
Academics & Research
International Relations
Student Activities
Observation and Control of Some Distributed Parameter Systems
Cheng-Zhong Xu
Building No.3
15:00 am, June 9, 2014
We consider a rotating body-beam system composed of a flexible beam embedded upright in the rotating disc. We assume that the moment force is measured on the embedded end. First an observer is constructed to recover the trajectory of the whole infinite-dimensional system. As the infinite-dimensional state is not available, we like to apply the so-called separation principle in automatic control. It is meant that we consider a stabilizing state feedback torque control law by using the estimated state given by the observer. The question is to know if the closed-loop system is stabilized. Numerical simulations are carried out to investigate stabilizability of such a closed-loop configuration : stabilizing state feedback control law and converging observer in series connection.
The second part of the talk is concerned with the control of cystallization process described by a nonlinear hyper-bolic partial differential equation. The state of the system is the density function of crystal size distribution. Given a desired state - a crystal size distribution, we like to know if it is reachable from null initial condition by using the temperature control only. If yes, an algorithm is proposed to find a control law steering the system to the
desired state.
About the speaker:
Dr. Cheng-Zhong Xu is professor in the department of Electrical Engineering and Processes, University of Lyon, France. His main interests of research include observation and control of distributed parameter systems governed by partial differential equations and their applications to chemical engineering processes. From 1991 to 2011 he has worked as research officer in the INRIA (Institut National de Recherche on Informatique et on Automatique, France) on the observation and stabilization of infinite-dimensional vibrating systems. Since 2002 he has integratedUniversity Lyon 1 as professor in automatic control and teaches control theory for master students. He has supervised numerous PhD students and published eighty papers and communications for international journals and conferences. During 1995-1998 he was associated editor for the international journal IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, and since 2011 has been nominated as associated editor on the editorial board of the SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization.
Copyright 2015 South China University of Technology. All Rights Reserved. 粤ICP备05084312号-1


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Published on May 30th, 2017 | by Jehan Raffiuddin
How To: Makeup Board
Seem to run out of storage space and still have make-up lying all around? FAB BAG to the rescue! We've got an uber-cool and super simple DIY storage idea, to flaunt & store your favourite make-up all at the same time *High-five*
It's a human tendency, we want more! So I get the occasional or rather more than occasional urge to splurge on things that make you happy. Of course considering the beauty enthusiasts that we are, how is one lipstick, or 2 eye shadows or 3 blushes going to do us any good. So we do what we do best… stack! For a while now I thought I ran out of mascara, only to find a new one a couple of weeks later in one corner of my make-up drawer collecting dust! Talk about our *to-die-for* collection of everything cute! I know, I'm speaking on behalf of most women – It's a similar story everywhere. To help all you women who face this dilemma, here's a DIY make-up magnet board, which not only allows you to organize your make-up well, but also makes for a pretty show piece! I say, Own it, Flaunt it!
What you'll need:
A big photo frame (depending on the amount of make-up you need to store), A metal sheet of a similar size as that of the frame (this should be available in your local hardware shops), fabric (you can use any old pretty fabric, or get yourself a new cute one), spray paint, magnets, spray adhesive and hot glue (all of the last three paraphernalia will be available at your local hardware store)
Let's get started ladies:
1) First thing first, grab all those stashes of eye shadows, blushes and foundations from all the different corners of your home and place them in a bin.
2) Get out the frame you've decided to use for this. Remove the glass and the cardboard behind and spray paint just the wooden frame to whichever colour you like, preferably you can use a contrasting shade to that of the fabric you have, or maybe use a shade which is on fabric. This one we leave up to you. Once done keep it aside.
3) Now get out the metal sheet which would be of a size that would fit in the frame. Spray adhesive around it and cover it up with the fabric. Once stuck you can adjust it into the frame
4) Now one by one, take out the make-up from the bin and with hot glue stick their backs with magnet. For bigger make-up you may need 2-3 magnets, while for smaller ones one should suffice.
5) For the part you're going to love – now decorate your magnetic make-up board however you like. Fab tip – choose pretty looking make-up, ones with vibrant colours, beautiful tops and unique shapes.
Bring in our own innovations, I'm looking to make one with pretty pink fabric with a little glitter maybe. Do experiment away and tell us how it goes. Also share pictures on our FB, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram pages. Have a super day ahead
Some products that will look so fab on your magnetic make-up board:
SUGAR It's A-Pout Time! Vivid Lipstick : SUGAR It's A-Pout Time Vivid Lipstick has a creamy consistency that moisturises and spreads evenly on the lips. The stunning shades are highly pigmented and light-weight, providing maximum coverage in a few swipes. FDA approved, these lippies are free from mineral oil and parabens. CLICK HERE to view product
Be A Bombshell Lipgloss : A lip gloss formula that offers long lasting color and high shine. CLICK HERE to view product
Geri G. Transceutical Canvas : Transceutical® Canvas speeds up your makeup application, conditions your skin and cosmetics for a faster, easier and water resist application. TC is anti-aging, moisturizing, healing and is perfect for all skin tones/types and it is a Day/Night Treatment. It INSTANTLY hydrates the skin without any greasy feeling or pore clogging ingredients. TC creates a smoother canvas for makeup as it bonds with cosmetics on the skin to make them miraculously blend into the skin for an immediate natural glowing finish on the skin. Makeup is set, no touch-ups required and it's water resistant. CLICK HERE to view the product


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Issue in Stack Installer – cannot insert admin credentials
I cannot go into the database admin password by using stack installer.
The field shows un-editable; however it will not allow any values.
I have tried it on both SP1 and SP2.
I am using 7.6.04 SP2, Oracle 11g.
RHEL 64 bit 5.6
Error: cannot enter admin credentials


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"I played the wrong, wrong notes." ~ Thelonious Monk
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There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~ Bernard Williams Our new puppy is a Von Waldberg German Shepherd named Shelby. She was born on September 24, 2018. We expect to take her home … Continue reading
Travis: Some fucking hooligans torched the community library box. The tree looks damaged too. David: Call the Sheriff's Office. Arson is a felony. Sally: Oh no!! Lacresha: What a bunch of degenerates Mike: Did they get caught? I saw the … Continue reading
"Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?" ~ Kurt Vonnegut Jr. When I realize that I haven't written in a long time … Continue reading
"Being a woman is a terribly difficult trade since it consists principally of dealings with men." ~ Joseph Conrad With Hulu's recent release of the Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, I was reminded that my dear sister's recommendation that I … Continue reading
So many lovely bandee friends in this one. Fab trombone (Ron) and tenor sax (Ian Basques-Jellison) solos. And of course Robin Hilt killin' it on the vocal. And me, well I just lovin' the bari sax hits in this arrangement. … Continue reading
I am starting to put together this year's sax quartet repertoire for our gig at Ballard Locks. It's a labor of love that I've been doing for at least ten years now. My wife Suzy, Molly and I have been … Continue reading


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This is a story about Scott Randall, known as "Raystown" by his friends. At the age of 58, he still lives in his hometown of Portage, Pa. His father Cliff is no longer alive, but his mother Ruthie was able to share her memories of raising Scott and tracing back his love of the water.
Cliff owned a Chrysler dealership in Portage and in 1953 he won a 20-foot boat through a sales contest with Chrysler. Cliff and Ruthie named the boat LUCKY BREAK for obvious reasons and they decided to use it on Raystown Lake, known to the locals as the old dam. It was docked at Jim's Anchorage, which is where Seven Points Marina is located today. This was the family's first boat and Scott instantly loved it.
"Scott learned to walk, talk, and tie his shoes on a boat as we boated as much as possible," recalls Ruthie.
All sounds normal, right? From here the family moved up to a 26-foot Chris Craft cruiser. They used it on the Allegheny River, near Pittsburgh, Pa., and one day they went out for an overnighter and when going past another marina they saw a houseboat for sale. They decided to stop and look at it. The family checked it out, went for a ride and ended up trading their cruiser and some money for the houseboat on the spot. When they returned to their marina, people quickly asked, "What happened to the cruiser?" Cliff's response was that it had grown!
Houseboat Bug
The Randalls named that boat JUST RIGHT because it was just the right size for their family of five. This began Scott's love of the houseboating lifestyle.
"Scott started driving boats on his dad's knee at age three and wasn't happy unless he was able to do so," says Ruthie. "By age 12 he was driving the boat himself, even in and out of the slip. When he turned 16 he took a bunch of his buddies to the houseboat for the weekend and they took it out overnight by themselves."
All sounds normal, right?
As his parents got older, Scott insisted that they leave the boat before he did, so he could stay and clean the boat so they wouldn't have to. This made it so much more enjoyable for the older couple and it allowed them to continue to enjoy houseboating. Cliff and Ruthie would eventually move on to their second houseboat AMY J, which was named after their first two grandchildren, Amy and Jason.
Scott's First Houseboat
Scott wasn't really looking to buy a boat, but he was on eBay one day just poking around and found a 1974, 44-foot Kingscraft for sale. It had been partially submerged, or in other words, the complete drive line and interior were ruined. But knowing that Kingscrafts are all-aluminum—the hull, roof, stringers and sidewalls—he figured everything should still be sound. He continued to place bids until he finally had the highest bid and he was able to buy the boat. But the problem was that his new houseboat was in New Jersey, roughly 200 miles away.
Scott was able to find a transporter and got the houseboat heading his way. A friend of his, Greg Jones, saw it on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and called Scott to tell him. Scott asked if he thought it was his boat; his friend was quick to point out that there are not too many houseboats on the PA Turnpike on any given day.
Inspection Time
After the boat reached the dealership warehouse, Scott began jacking it up so the trailer could get out. They were almost done when the boat fell, but luckily there was no damage and the second attempt was more successful.
The first step was to start stripping the boat down to the bare hull as all drive line and interior needed redone. Scott's two sons, Kevin and Matt, were there for most every step of the process, as well as their friends; at times it seemed like half the town. Together, they returned the boat into working condition. It got a complete new and redesigned interior, new outside carpet everywhere including the roof, decks and catwalk. They reconditioned the drive line and reinstalled it. They also added a generator to the boat as it didn't have one. The old houseboat did have one roof A/C unit, but his friends joke that Scott likes to see his breath inside, so he added another one to it.
New white paint trimmed in Mopar blue made it complete and it was renamed MISS MOPAR because of the dealership and his love of Chryslers. All of this seems like a normal guy transaction, right?
Ready For Launch
With the boat all done and ready for launch, it was time to transport the boat 45 miles to Lake Raystown Resort. Before launching, the group opened the engine hatches and found 75 gallons of fuel sloshing around. Now what? They had to do something with the fuel so everyone's car got a full tank. The fuel tank which they thought was okay was everywhere except for the underside, which they couldn't see. They had to remove it and have the bottom cut off and a new bottom welded on for both tanks.
Now finally ready to launch, the group ran into another problem when the lowboy trailer bottomed out on the ramp. It wouldn't move in or out so they had to jack up the rear axles and make a ramp out of wood to get it off the ramp with the boat still on the trailer. By now it was dark and the driver said he was done for the day. They found a place to park for the night and decided to try again the next day.
They ended up using a different ramp, which got it in the water a lot easier and over to the slip without any other issues. That was six seasons ago and the boat gets used every weekend that boaters are allowed on the water, which is 26 weeks a year. Scott also uses it for his two weeks of vacation time each year as well.
"When I say it gets used, I mean it leaves the dock every day when he is there and if he doesn't stay out overnight he goes out again for a breakfast or a dinner cruise and always on full moon weekends, returning well after dark," says dock neighbor Kirk Forshey.
When Scott is unable to be there, his sons Kevin (and wife Jen) and/or Matt take the boat out with his blessing. Normally when a boat goes out, there are people there to catch them when they return, but according to his dock neighbors, Scott is the exception.
"When they see him they just stay put and say, 'Oh it's just Scott.' He brings it in like it's on rails," says Kirk.
Scott added a few unique things to his boat like an extendable arm off the side to tow both his jet ski and ski boat, which go everywhere he goes. Scott once saw people jumping off the roof and decided he needed a diving board off the boat so he started asking around if anyone knew of where he could find one.
"Scott doesn't like it if it is not unique and has a story behind it," says his friend Bobby Koban. "I told him the Portage pool just replaced theirs and thought he might be able to get it and $50 later Scott had a diving board off the back of his boat from his hometown swimming pool."
Full Load
"We recently spent a week with him and his family and two other families," says Bev Forshey. "We all took our boats from the resort to the dam, which is 21 miles each way. On the way down on MISS MOPAR there was just Scott and his girlfriend, Alyson. They towed his ski boat and jet ski as well as two other jet skis. So, if my math is good, it equals two people and five watercraft."
Normal, right? On the return trip, Scott thought it would be neat if he towed one cruiser on each side of his boat as well as his ski boat with four jet skis.
"He wanted to take turns driving the houseboat, while others were tubing or skiing from the ski boat," says Kirk. "He wanted to tie our houseboat along the side also, but I didn't like the idea. Other boats would pass them and turn around just to see if they saw it right the first time and a few even took pictures."
Just before returning to the resort, you have to go under a bridge which all the boats did while all still tied together.
"Upon coming out from under the bridge, Sea Tow saw them and asked if they could help and Scott quickly replied, 'With what?'" recalls Kirk. "I guess they don't know how Raystown Randall rolls!" Normal, right?
Dock Master
Scott has helped many other boat owners learn to drive, dock, as well as handle their boats in wind and traffic, according to his friends.
"He has made people not afraid to use and enjoy their boats away from the safety of the dock. I can personally attest to that," says Kirk. "If it hadn't been for Scott making me take my boat out, I never would have. Now it goes out almost every weekend the weather allows."
Adds Bev, "If your engine hatch is open, if he sees you carry a part or tools down the dock, or he hears you're having trouble with something, he is the first one to jump in and help repair the problem. He usually takes over the project even if you're not sure you want him to."
As with most docks, someone has the tool or part you need and most of the time it's Scott that does. MISS MOPAR has had her problems like the starboard engine going out in the middle of the season. So what did Scott do? He pulled the engine apart into pieces so it wasn't too heavy so he could carry it up to his van. His sons and their friends came with a bar and a chain to lift the remaining engine block, carried it up the dock to his van and he took it home to rebuild it. Then he brought it back and reinstalled it. Normal, right?
Scott has an 1988 Ski Nautique ski boat that he bought new with a Mopar engine in it. It has a high pole on it for wakeboarding and is also good to teach beginners to ski.
"It has been estimated that he has taught well over 200 people how to ski off of this boat and his first ski boat combined," says his son Kevin. "I know of 11 people just last year off of our dock that were first-timers on Scott's ski boat." Just a normal 58-year-old guy, right?
Scott has had a wedding on his boat, had 18 people stay over night in tents on the roof, and hosted numerous dock parties. Here's to Scott "Raystown" Randall for being the type of normal guy every dock could use, right?
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How to Get A Great Domain Name
A great domain name can be a big plus to your brand and your business. Normally, finding a domain name is a process of guessing and seeing if that name is available. Usually the name you want is not available, or you can only get it with an extension that is not a .com.
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Peter G. Pappas, MD, FACP
Dr Pappas is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Tinsley Harrison Clinical Scholar, Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Dr Pappas attended medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, graduating in 1978. He completed his residency in internal medicine, chief medical residency, and infectious diseases fellowship at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Following completion of his fellowship, he was on the clinical faculty at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, NC, through its affiliated hospital in Wilmington, North Carolina. In 1988, he joined the faculty at the University of Alabama in Birmingham School of Medicine, with a focus on HIV and transplant-associated opportunistic infections, especially the invasive mycoses.
His main areas of interest have included the development of new therapies for fungal infections and understanding the epidemiology of candidiasis, the endemic mycoses, and cryptococcosis. He has performed a number of clinical trials in candidiasis, cryptococcosis, aspergillosis, sporotrichosis, blastomycosis, and histoplasmosis through his involvement with the NIAID BAMSG.
He is the Principal Investigator for the Mycoses Study Group, a group that will continue to perform multicenter trials, create treatment guidelines for invasive mycoses, and coordinate CME training in the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of invasive mycoses. He is also the PI of a national network of transplant centers, TRANSNET, in conjunction with CDC and a consortium of industry co-sponsors to provide important epidemiologic and treatment information to transplant recipients who develop proven and probable invasive fungal infections. Finally, he is co-PI of the Organ Transplant Infection Detection and Prevention Program (OTIP), a collaborative multicenter group funded by CDC.


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Tent Peak
Tent Peak, also known as Tharphu Chuli, is located in the heart of the Annapurna Sanctuary. This peak is a perfect first ascent for those who who want to climb to the summit of an Himalayan peak.
The climb of Tent Peak is realy interesting, because it combines several climbing technics such as walking on glacier, rock climbing and ridge walking. Once you reach the top, you will be amazed by the view this peak offers on the Annapurna Sanctuary.
For more information please contact us.
Please note that the required number of participants is at a minumum of 2 and a maximum of 12 participants. Nevertheless, it doesn't mean that you have to be a group of 2 to book the trip.
20 Days - Summary
Day 10 - Trek to Tharpu Chuli High Camp
Day 11 - Climb to summit and return to Base Camp
Day 12 - Trek to Machapuchre Base Camp
Day 13 - Trek to Doban
Day 14 - Trek to Chumrung
Day 15 - Trek to Nayapul and Pokhara
Day 16 - Flight to Kathmandu
Day 17 - Rest day or departure
Day 1 - Arrival in Kathmandu and transfer to hotel
Day 2 - Rest day in Kathmandu
Day 3 - Drive to Pokhara
Day 4 - Drive to Nayapul and trek to Jinu
Day 5 - Trek to Sinuwa
Day 6 - Trek to Deurali
Day 7 - Trek to Machapuchre Base Camp
Day 8 - Trek to Annapurna Base Camp - short walk - rest day
Day 9 - Trek to Tharpu Chuli Base Camp
Tent Peak 2019
- March 15th
- April 20th
- May 10th
- September 15th
- October 20th
- November 20th
Tent Peak 2018
- October 7th
- November 4th
Fitness level
$ 1,800.00
- International flight to Kathmandu
- Meals and drinks in Kathmandu
- Personal costs like drinks, laundry, hot showers, bottled water (~$140)
- Trip Insurance
- Visa ($30 for two weeks)
- Tips (~$75)
- Sightseeing tours in Kathmandu
- Personal climbing equipment and clothing
- Airport transfers
- Internal flight to Lukla
- Accommodation in Kathmandu for 3 nights - twin/double rooms
- Accommodation in lodges/tea houses during walk in(twin rooms with beds and mattresses)
- Three meals per day during the walk in, and hot drinks (e.g tea, coffee, juices)
- ECAP fees
- Sherpa guides (English speaking, trained in first aid)
- Staff food, insurance and equipment
- Group climbing gear, eg. ropes, ice screws