This Hotel Room: COBbies talk about conventions

If Correia is anything like KTL (a local sci-fi/fantasy author, roaring right-wing dick), I can figure out how awful that is.

Because, you see, I can understand how Sapkowski (The Witcher guy) is something of an Insufferable Genius with a "git off mah lawn" mentality, but he isn't really known for his political views aside from the fact that in his books, characters do odd things that aren't even considered weird enough to be a conversation topic. But some of the authors are more known for their political views than their writing, and derided for it.

Not So: Yeah you about have it. Correia is about as subtle in his writing about this politics as a brick through a church stained glass window. Interacting with him in real time is less than pleasant especially if you happen to mention you disagree with his view points. He is one of the guys behind the whole "Sad Puppies" debacle with the Hugos.

John Ringo is well John Ringo. He has always been a bit strange but at least he is a pretty good author. If you ever read the "Paladin of Shadow" series you will come to fully understand the Oh, John Ringo No!" meme. Seriously this guy could possibly write for Harlequin.

edited 30th Jun '17 5:46:14 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Back from LC as of a few hours ago. No problems this time, as far as bent automotive metal/plastic goes.

I did get some pointers to improve my shooting aim at the unofficial pre-con range trip, even if it wasn't until after my XDS finally drew blood (bad grip, slide biting the meaty part between thumb and index finger where they join the hand) instead of just some scrapes.

Can't say I see Larry as "toxic", but I'm pretty sure that would get into subjects not suitable for discussion here so I'm just going to shrug and move on. De gustibus non est disputandum and all that.

edited 2nd Jul '17 9:03:08 PM by Nohbody

I can put it bluntly without crossing that line. He devolves to into blatant insults if you disagree with him and express any views that are on the left hand of the spectrum. Watched him sit there and tell a woman that was pointing out how messed up our educations costs had been and that she had not received any parental help and was buried in debt. His response was that she needed to get over her daddy issues, quit crying and become a stripper.

That is one of the more polite ones.

edited 2nd Jul '17 9:30:41 PM by TuefelHundenIV

Finally got a bit of free time...

Anyway, your description of what he said didn't sound familiar, but the woman's complaint did ring a bell. Are you referring to "The Great Cookie Monster Thread", where when not discussing an anti-Romney meme from 2012 featuring Grover from Sesame Street several people made Memetic Badasses out of the SS crew (Cookie Monster in Particular)? Because I just reviewed that thread to double-check my memory, and the woman, Megan Rogers, did say that, but Larry did not reply anything even remotely close to "she needed to get over her daddy issues, quit crying and become a stripper. "

If that's not what you're referring to, a cite would be appreciated.

No it wasn't cookie monster, missed that one entirely and didn't even know it had happened, thankfully. It was on FB in one of the groups associated with L 5 R of all things several years ago. I have long since forgot how that particular example got started in a group that followed L 5 R but I definitely saw it and it said what I stated it said. The profile was most definitely Correia's given it went directly to his FB page at the time. I wasn't part of the group personally, never really liked the game, and the person who shared it with me is unlikely to have hung around given they were rather unhappy with the rude dog pile that occurred. If I can by luck find it I will but I don't think I could locate it again without said luck assuming it didn't eventually moderated by someone.

Correia hasn't exactly been polite in general with people who disagree with him. His whole spiel is condescension and not so subtle insults. His blog is pretty chock full of it. There is a point where it crosses from being mere snark to just being an ass. While occasionally someone deserves it there are others he is just being a dick.

Well found a few groups it likely was but all of them are closed groups. I can say for sure it isn't in any of official ones but there were way more L 5 R fan groups and related then I imagined.

Eh. If you like the fellow its cool. Not like all the people we like are always nice to others.

Out of curiosity how did the trip go?

edited 26th Jul '17 10:08:22 PM by TuefelHundenIV

First off, Monster Hunter International is not at all related to Monster Hunter.

Anyway, as for the trip it was overall pretty good, though breaking in my feet with a new pair of shoes (it's not "breaking in a new pair of shoes", for the record ) in the process kinda sucked. The old pair needed to go, however, and would've disintegrated if I had tried to wait on replacing them.

I stayed at a hostel right around the corner from the Choo-Choo... though I was kinda-sorta breaking their rules in regards to firearms, as they prohibited them on their property. *ahem* My pistol stayed locked in the case when I was there, though, and was never brought out into view in or out of the case so it was basically "what they don't know won't hurt me". Interesting stay, as I've never used a hostel before, but I think next time I'll spring for a full hotel where I can run around in my underwear if I want and don't need to get dressed to go to the bathroom, even if it costs more.

I have no clue why you think I would get the two confused. If you are referring to L 5 R that is Legend of the Five Rings aka Rokugan which has novels, trading card game, and TTRPG among other aspects of the franchise. Correia has promoted some material and related material for it in the past the one I remember was Drowning Empire.

Ouch breaking in new shoes on the trip is definitely not fun foot time. Then again so is not having shoes.

Eh not like you were walking around rubbing your gun possession their faces or anything. I doubt you were first to fudge that rule.

Hopefully the hostel wasn't crowded. Having lived in both barracks and dorms I have a good idea of how that can go.

When you said (or I thought I saw you said) "game", I was thinking of MH, which is an often enough confusion that the sticky post for the MHI Facebook group I'm in has it as one of their FAQ entries that the two aren't related. I had no idea about what "L5R" is, and was too lazy to look it up.

Anyway, the hostel wasn't really all that busy, and I had sprung for one of the few private rooms they offered instead of the bunks that form the majority of their beds. Room was of course pretty barebones, queen sized bed with a small nightstand, sink and mirror, and not much more.

Still had to dress to go take a leak, and their free wi-fi was shit, like 28.8 KBPS dialup speeds.

Someday when I can attend a sci-fi con, I'm not sure if I want to go dressed as a standard Cadian Imperial Guardsman or a Death Korps of Krieg one. The Krieg outfit would be uncomfortable as hell though.

Nobody: How was the cost of the hostel compared to generic hotels/motels?

Speaking of cons there is a local one coming up in November. Thankfully I won't need to really travel or need room and board to visit it. Just the door charge.

A bunk was $45/night plus tax, the room $85/night (IIRC on the latter), which wasn't as much of a savings over a regular hotel but it was a) available, and b) didn't require any driving to get to the con.

Next year no one knows where Libertycon will be held, as the Choo Choo has been selling off their extra buildings for converting into apartments, leaving only the 100 rooms in the train cars set up on display, and the contract with the con (per the con staff) calls for 300-something (forget the exact number offhand) rooms available for con goers. They're trying for something in/near Chattanooga, as that's where most of the staffers live, but enough con space for all the panels is apparently in short supply.

(And for the record, I am not on LC staff, nor do I represent them in any way whatsoever.)

Pity they are losing such a cool location for the con.

Sounds like the Hostel price was right in general especially if it was close to the con.

Comic Con Central Europe got moved to the end of November, and next year's Warsaw Comic Con has been announced to happen in late April.

I wonder who's gonna get invited this time, and whether the entire thing will be bigger or smaller, attendance-wise.

At Dragoncon, currently chilling out in the room. So far the costuming selection has been... eclectic, and I mean that in a good way. Bunch of Harley Quinns in various states of (un)dress, umpteen dozen Deadpools, and so far 6 Links, 2 classics and 4 from Breath of the Wild (Gerudo vai disguise, Champion tunic, Barbarian armor, and even a very detailed Ancient armor with an upgraded Guardian shield, the last I missed when trying to catch for a photo), lots of assorted anime, Star Wars out the yin-yang, and a bunch more. Panels are so-so so far, but looking better as the weekend goes on.

Anyway, back to the rat race.

edited 1st Sep '17 2:12:56 PM by Nohbody

Nice. I need to take more pictures at the events I have been to. The local Renfest and Pirate fest were worth it. I think i will be hitting up Nuke Con this year. It has been a while since I last went and they are at a neat Hotel this year.

In the end I really didn't take all that many pics, without even comparing it to people who are posting 300+ images in DC's official FB page. I didn't do pics of characters from franchises I only barely knew, and in general avoided all the stuff that's been around umpteen bazillion times (Stormtroopers, assorted "costumes" that consist of skimpy lingerie and fake cat ears, Deadpool, etc) unless they did something unique with it

Now the trick is to get up enough ambition to actually upload mine, after some editing because some were on a digital camera and some on my phone camera. I'll link to it here when I do get everything uploaded, though, posting it on my FB page with the permissions set to "public" (default is "friends only"; I mostly use the account for commenting elsewhere and following a few specific individuals) so you don't need an account to see it.

And now I've found that I missed my last chance to meet Jerry Pournelle, at Dragoncon, as he passed away earlier today.

So I correctly guessed that Comic-Con Warsaw is inviting Pamela Anderson, of all people, as a guest.

But they also invited Simon Bisley, so it's not a complete shit-show.

Well, she was in the 1996 movie adaptation (as crappy as it was) of the comic Barb Wire, which was given a new series from Dark Horse in 2015 (not sure if it went very far, though, never followed the title), so her presence isn't totally unrelated to a comic con.

Just mostly so.

Well, the organizers focused on the fact that she voiced Stripperella.

But I guessed correctly when they teased her as a guest. They said "icon of 90s television" and "star of a Stan Lee-related project".

On another note, Libertycon has secured a new hotel and convention space, at the Chattanooga Marriott Downtown and its attached convention center. Their website is up, but a bit barebones at the moment as they're working on transferring web hosts, and you need a Paypal account to pay (dunno if that will change), though.

Aaaand... I'm off to Chattanooga for Libertycon. Georgia Parking Lot (aka I-75/85), here I come.

Okay...

Last year, Libertycon for 2019 sold out in 6 hours.

LC 2020 sold out in 29 minutes.

^note (The charter limits them to 750 total members, including staff and panelists. To change the cap they would have to re-charter, and the non-profit organization rules have changed enough that they wouldn't qualify as an NPO, which would make it too expensive to throw the con.)

Well that is an odd way to do things and it is certainly obvious that the Con is drawing a lot of attention. They may want to expand in the future.

We made one local con this year missed the second one because we had to spend the ticket money on fans for the apartment to keep it cool until they could fix our AC which was taking a long time. There are a couple more cons this year one I am taking time off to go to.