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New Year, New Ceiling, Not so New Thoughts
Jan. 9th, 2016 10:45 amConsidering the events of December --
Two weeks before Christmas the ceiling in Daughter's room fell in, thanks to shoddy workmanship on the part of Father-in-Law and his JW 'brethren' -- amazing it stayed up THIS long, considering! -- the clean-up and replacement of which cost $500+ for materials, not counting the electric and water bills yet to be received due to the TONNE of laundry done and yet to BE done, and the resultant pre-emption of Husband's vacation (he and Daughter together did the lion's share of the cleaning, and installing of a new drop-tile ceiling).....
-- I shouldn't even be thinking about Conventions in 2016. Yet I am.
1. I REALLY would like to attend MediaWest*CON one last time before it folds -- by all accounts, it's been steadily shrinking due to a) the economy, and b) the almost overwhelming availability of free fan-fiction on-line. Since New! Fanzines! were a large part of the attraction of MWC when I attended during the 90's. The other big draw, at least on my part, was being able to meet and spend time with fandom friends that I had only ever corresponded with, or only ever saw at conventions.... alas, some of those friends are no longer dwelling on this mortal plane, others have fallen out of contact -- mostly MY fault, as I went dark for about five years for personal reasons; signing up on LJ (and then DW) was in part an attempt to re-connect with fandom. Didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped it would -- Anyway, I would not be surprised if the Carletons called it quits sometime soon.
Pro: Possibility of seeing former fandom compatriots.
Con: No guarantee that anyone I know will be there.
Pro: Uphold the legacies of fandoms past -- RGB, Highlander, Stargate:SG1, etc.
Con: Having to deal with obnoxious upstarts like the RGB-Furry bunch.
Pro: With dwindling membership, better chance of getting a room at the Host hotel.
Con: Even with dwindling membership, the ratzen-fratzen Room Lott--er, Reservation system is apparently still in operation.
Pro: Cheaper membership than Tardis Con, equal to Anime-Zing.
Con: 14+ hour round trip drive on a Holiday weekend.
2. Anime-Zing! Okay, chances are very good that I will go to this one, seeing as Daughter won a free membership for her Puella Magika Madoka cosplay last year, and it's local. This, despite my disappointment in last year's programming and guest line-up.
3. Chicago TARDIS-CON ---
Pro: I know the route, even though it's driving into the suburbs.
Pro: Nea will probably be there?
Pro: Guests are a mixed bag, but surely there will SOMEONE I will enjoy listening to in panels.
Con (and it's a big one!): Not at all keen on their recent membership policies, and 3rd party registration; what I've heard, especially about last year, seems highly reminiscent of major complaints about the non-lamented CREATION CONs -- too much emphasis on the NAME STARS, and SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP PERKS that don't happen.....
Opinions, anyone?
Two weeks before Christmas the ceiling in Daughter's room fell in, thanks to shoddy workmanship on the part of Father-in-Law and his JW 'brethren' -- amazing it stayed up THIS long, considering! -- the clean-up and replacement of which cost $500+ for materials, not counting the electric and water bills yet to be received due to the TONNE of laundry done and yet to BE done, and the resultant pre-emption of Husband's vacation (he and Daughter together did the lion's share of the cleaning, and installing of a new drop-tile ceiling).....
-- I shouldn't even be thinking about Conventions in 2016. Yet I am.
1. I REALLY would like to attend MediaWest*CON one last time before it folds -- by all accounts, it's been steadily shrinking due to a) the economy, and b) the almost overwhelming availability of free fan-fiction on-line. Since New! Fanzines! were a large part of the attraction of MWC when I attended during the 90's. The other big draw, at least on my part, was being able to meet and spend time with fandom friends that I had only ever corresponded with, or only ever saw at conventions.... alas, some of those friends are no longer dwelling on this mortal plane, others have fallen out of contact -- mostly MY fault, as I went dark for about five years for personal reasons; signing up on LJ (and then DW) was in part an attempt to re-connect with fandom. Didn't work quite as well as I'd hoped it would -- Anyway, I would not be surprised if the Carletons called it quits sometime soon.
Pro: Possibility of seeing former fandom compatriots.
Con: No guarantee that anyone I know will be there.
Pro: Uphold the legacies of fandoms past -- RGB, Highlander, Stargate:SG1, etc.
Con: Having to deal with obnoxious upstarts like the RGB-Furry bunch.
Pro: With dwindling membership, better chance of getting a room at the Host hotel.
Con: Even with dwindling membership, the ratzen-fratzen Room Lott--er, Reservation system is apparently still in operation.
Pro: Cheaper membership than Tardis Con, equal to Anime-Zing.
Con: 14+ hour round trip drive on a Holiday weekend.
2. Anime-Zing! Okay, chances are very good that I will go to this one, seeing as Daughter won a free membership for her Puella Magika Madoka cosplay last year, and it's local. This, despite my disappointment in last year's programming and guest line-up.
3. Chicago TARDIS-CON ---
Pro: I know the route, even though it's driving into the suburbs.
Pro: Nea will probably be there?
Pro: Guests are a mixed bag, but surely there will SOMEONE I will enjoy listening to in panels.
Con (and it's a big one!): Not at all keen on their recent membership policies, and 3rd party registration; what I've heard, especially about last year, seems highly reminiscent of major complaints about the non-lamented CREATION CONs -- too much emphasis on the NAME STARS, and SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP PERKS that don't happen.....
Opinions, anyone?
