Baron Dave's Minicon 41 Picture Galleries
Minicon 41 galleries are up. First pass. Gallery A which continues on to Gallery B.
As usual, LiveJournal gets the word first, partly because so many of you are in the pictures, partly because you can all send me corrections and such, and partly because it's even more work connecting the galleries to the rest of the world. Enjoy.
Crossposted from Baron Dave's LiveJournal. Please leave comments there.
As usual, LiveJournal gets the word first, partly because so many of you are in the pictures, partly because you can all send me corrections and such, and partly because it's even more work connecting the galleries to the rest of the world. Enjoy.
Crossposted from Baron Dave's LiveJournal. Please leave comments there.
Photos from Minicon 41
It took a while for me to get these up but here they are.
(Book Review) A Princess of Roumania
At Minicon, Tor Books gave out free copies of Paul Park's A Princess of Roumania. Since they went to the trouble and expense, I thought I should say a few words.
Short version: It's one of those "relatively ordinary teenager discovers that she is, in fact, the magical princess of a fantasy empire" stories. Specifically, an alternate Earth's Roumania. The protagonist, Miranda Popescu, and her friends must undergo many dangers on the way to rescuing her homeland. It's a fair amount grittier than some of these stories, kind of like Twelve Kingdoms.
I didn't much care for it. It's the first part of a trilogy, and really shows it, being all set-up. Most of the characters seemed dull to me (including Miranda), and the one I found most interesting is prevented from most interactions with the others early on. And honestly, the empire doesn't strike me as being worth saving.
( Spoilers ahoy!Collapse )
Short version: It's one of those "relatively ordinary teenager discovers that she is, in fact, the magical princess of a fantasy empire" stories. Specifically, an alternate Earth's Roumania. The protagonist, Miranda Popescu, and her friends must undergo many dangers on the way to rescuing her homeland. It's a fair amount grittier than some of these stories, kind of like Twelve Kingdoms.
I didn't much care for it. It's the first part of a trilogy, and really shows it, being all set-up. Most of the characters seemed dull to me (including Miranda), and the one I found most interesting is prevented from most interactions with the others early on. And honestly, the empire doesn't strike me as being worth saving.
( Spoilers ahoy!Collapse )
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lazy
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Good lines from minicon 41
Thorin Tatge was spooning some chocolate pudding into a bowl hidden from my POV. I think the quote was " Thorin, spooning pudding into your shirt pocket isn't a good idea. It's squishy." For some values of croggled, that quip fit.
Yes I was awake at 4? am Saturday morning.
Yes I was awake at 4? am Saturday morning.
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giggly
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Minicon wrapup
First, I should mention that my last post in my regular journal got a comment with a link that some of you might be interested in. Especially those who know Russian or are musically knowledgable.
As always with conventions, I went to some panels, saw some movies, enjoyed parties (quite a few room parties this year.) Bought a little stuff in the hucksters room, got a book signed by the GOH, that sort of thing.
Little things: there was a computer game set up in the corner of the game room--the same three pre-adolescent boys were playing that game every time I was in the room.
Still much amused by that moment in "The Day The Earth Stood Still" in which the doctors wonder how it is that the spacemen have such a long life expectancy--and then pull out their cigarettes.
Most impressive party room was from the SF3 folks (media con) who did up their cabana to look like a hobbit hole. Complete with false front.
Went to the LJ party, managed to meet up with
luned, but no one else who'd admit to being on my friendslist.
Music circle lasted until 6 AM Sunday morning. Woo!
Only enough money to get one CD, so I picked up Joe Bethancourt's "Who Fears The Devil?" based on the Silver John storis by Manly Wade Wellman.
Oh, and I had my yearly review at work today, I did really well, so got a tiny raise.
As always with conventions, I went to some panels, saw some movies, enjoyed parties (quite a few room parties this year.) Bought a little stuff in the hucksters room, got a book signed by the GOH, that sort of thing.
Little things: there was a computer game set up in the corner of the game room--the same three pre-adolescent boys were playing that game every time I was in the room.
Still much amused by that moment in "The Day The Earth Stood Still" in which the doctors wonder how it is that the spacemen have such a long life expectancy--and then pull out their cigarettes.
Most impressive party room was from the SF3 folks (media con) who did up their cabana to look like a hobbit hole. Complete with false front.
Went to the LJ party, managed to meet up with
luned, but no one else who'd admit to being on my friendslist.Music circle lasted until 6 AM Sunday morning. Woo!
Only enough money to get one CD, so I picked up Joe Bethancourt's "Who Fears The Devil?" based on the Silver John storis by Manly Wade Wellman.
Oh, and I had my yearly review at work today, I did really well, so got a tiny raise.
Howdy
Minicon 41 was great! Ellison was really something, wasn't he? That man can tell a STORY! It's always great when an author's personality in person is so close to his personality in his essays and introductions. I had a great time at the panels, too. I'm trying to convince my wife to make it next year, and I'm hoping to stay at the hotel so I don't have to drive back and forth all the time. I met a lot of nice folks, heard some good music, and bought some great books.
Sorry I couldn't make the lj-party, but I had pressing family needs that had to be taken care of.
One quick Minicon story:
Towards the end of a panel discussing the work of the late, great Octavia Butler, the group began discussing social ills, and how to solve them without creating more problems. (This is the topic of several of Octavia's books.) In the front sat an old woman who was 85 years old if she was a day. As the discussion wound down, she spoke to the people gathered in the room. In her old, cracked voice and said, "Lots of politicians seem to think that we need more money for more policemen, and that will solve the crime problem. They want to take that money from libraries and parks. I'm not really this kind of person, but when I hear that, I think I should just mail them a bomb."
We all sat in stunned silence. She sat back in her chair, satisfied.
The moderator looked around the room and said, "Well, we've moved off on quite a tangent. Any closing comments?"
I left the panel and LAUGHED for about 20 minutes before I could regain my composure.
In retrospect, maybe it wasn't that funny?
Best,
Derek
Sorry I couldn't make the lj-party, but I had pressing family needs that had to be taken care of.
One quick Minicon story:
Towards the end of a panel discussing the work of the late, great Octavia Butler, the group began discussing social ills, and how to solve them without creating more problems. (This is the topic of several of Octavia's books.) In the front sat an old woman who was 85 years old if she was a day. As the discussion wound down, she spoke to the people gathered in the room. In her old, cracked voice and said, "Lots of politicians seem to think that we need more money for more policemen, and that will solve the crime problem. They want to take that money from libraries and parks. I'm not really this kind of person, but when I hear that, I think I should just mail them a bomb."
We all sat in stunned silence. She sat back in her chair, satisfied.
The moderator looked around the room and said, "Well, we've moved off on quite a tangent. Any closing comments?"
I left the panel and LAUGHED for about 20 minutes before I could regain my composure.
In retrospect, maybe it wasn't that funny?
Best,
Derek
Dead Dodo Tonight
Sorry about that guys, I didn't know the website was down!
Dead Dodo party tonight! The Minicon 41 Dead Dodo Party will be at the home of Dean Gahlon and Laura Krentz, 4323 France Ave. S., Minnneapolis, starting at 7:30 pm.
Dead Dodo party tonight! The Minicon 41 Dead Dodo Party will be at the home of Dean Gahlon and Laura Krentz, 4323 France Ave. S., Minnneapolis, starting at 7:30 pm.
(no subject)
Don't forget: Dead Dog party tonight at the hotel, Dead Dessicated Dodo party Monday night at Dean & Laura's place (details on the website of course.
For those who attended yesterday's panel on the world of Babylon 5
Some information on authorized/canon stories that appeared in some magazines in the first couple of years after the show ended
( Read more...Collapse )
( Read more...Collapse )