OK, so the next D&D recap I need to make is for Pitcher's FR 3.0 campaign on Saturday the 13th of September.  He was going to run on the 6th without those of us going to CopperCon, but when four of us went he decided not to run for two. 

Well, despite the fact that I had written down our swim order from the previous month's session, everyone decided to reargue the swim order.  This was because no one, not even the GM, believed that we had discussed it at the end of the last session.  Fourty minutes later they had decided on a swim order which matched the swim order I had written down. 

Despite this, people will continue to not believe me throughout my life.  No matter how many times I demonstrate that I do know how to take notes, no has ever believed me.  I don't know if it's me or if it's them.  *sigh*  Why me?

Anyway, even with the same swim order they all still continued to refuse to aknowledge my own hand written note on my character sheet from the week before.  So, Master Hu Li swam with the rope and grappling hook to the opening out of the submerged tunnel.  While he did that and returned, everyone else dressed out of their gear that they didn't want weighing them down while swimming.  (Yes, I know that they had already done that last session, too.  But I didn't argue.)  When Master Li returned, he tied the other end of the rope to a stalagmite on the shore. 

So then we set out.  When Master Li reached the other room, he charged the three drow he saw near the wall.  They were located right where the paladin had detected.  They dropped their cards and drew out bows.  Then Karrass came through, tossed a sunrod on the floor for the others coming through the hole in the floor, and drew his bow.  When the barbarian's charge was complete, the drow switched to swords.  Serren came through and started lobbing spells so that Master Li finished off the last of the drow as Cap came through.  

While they took the sunrod and started looting, Magnus came through the hole and Cap noticed a humanoid form behind them at the very edge of his lowlight vision.  He mentioned it to the party as Caleb emerged from the hole.  Caleb could see it too, but then it left the range of our lowlight vision.  Magnus, being a mere human, didn't see anything and decided to go loot with the others.

Unfortunately for him, they all came back to us (with the sunrod).  It was then that Serren, Caleb, and Cap could see the form again.  This time we could tell it was a drow, and it had another bear with it.  As the drow fled down the corridor behind it, the bear charged us.  It was obviously the male of the pair of brown bears.  Cap tried to soothe the animal with magic and failed, so the party attacked it.  The bear quickly killed Caleb (despite having all of his armour and weapons with him!) with a claw, claw, bite that dropped him to -14.  The bear then killed Master Li with another tripple attack which left the already wounded half-orc at -16.  Thankfully, the party was "bear"-ly able to kill it before it could slay the rest of us. 

They returned to looting while we prepared the bodies for the long swim back.  The drow each had a sword made from an unknown metal, each of which was superior to our own swords.  Meanwhile, the bear had a magical collar.  Fortunately, their was evidence of scavengers in the cave, so the bear's corpse was not likely to go to waste. 

We returned to the outdoors just in time for Cap to pray for his spells.  Meanwhile, Serren left for town without the rest of us due to his need of eight hours of rest before memmorizing spells.  The others crafted a couple of stretchers, and we returned slowly back to town.  Karrass said that he was going to wake Rodolpho, despite Cap's several warnings not to do so.  So, while he was downstairs asking the innkeeper where they could hide the bodies, Cap rushed up to Felica's room.  He woke her and said that he wasn't sure if Serran had had time to wake her or not due to the time restaints needed for rest.  Cap said that he thought that he would be kind enough to check there while "on his way" to his brother's room.  Sure enough, Rodolpho appeared a few minutes later.  Cap warned him of what Karrass was planning, and he managed to save himself some embarrassment. 

In the morning, we were woken up early for breakfast.  The inn was empty and the front door was barred.  Our mentors questioned us about what had happened.  They seemed concerned that the drow and the Zhents might now be working together against the town.  In the past, it had been the fact that neither of them had gotten along that had saved the town.  We then burried the dead in the cemetary.  We were told to take the rest of the day off, but that another mission was assigned to us tomorrow. 

However, we didn't get the chance to do anything with our downtime.  At least Steve admitted it was because no one was likely to remember it next session anyway.  Jason then got all whiney, telling the other two that they had better make more front line characters.  His character was all based upon ranged attack, but it is also the best surviving character for the frontline possition.  Mike and Dustin both talked of making rogues.  Dustin apparently wanted to remake a character he has made before.  He claimed that because he tried playing outside his normal play style with Master Hu Li and failed (I assume that he equates heroic death with failure for some reason), that he had every right to bring in an evil rogue into the group.  I'm disliking Dustin more and more every session.  He knows that its a heroic game. 

Then, on Friday the 19th we played Jackson's D&D campaign after a long hiatus.  All of the players were there except Bill, and those with multiple characters had to play both.  The air elementals which were playing in the storm began to create a barrier to the storm. 

Squigbarm was praying to Eldath when she made a vision known to him.  In it, she showed fifteen pools scattered throughout the Silver Marshes.  The families which attended to the needs of these sacred pools where then targeted by agents of Malar.  One family member was turned into a lycathrope and then commanded to kill the rest of their family.  The dead were dropped into each pool, desecrating it/them.  She explained that she did not know to what purpose these attacks had been made at the time.  The various pools froze over and over, until suddenly one of the black shadows which had escaped from the tomb appeared at each of the pools.  They each dropped down to the bottom of their respected pools, and came back up with the corporeal undead they had created of Eldath's deceased worshippers.  An army of undead is being formed!  Eldath warned me that this was taking away from her power, and that the time in which she would be capable of granting spells could be nearing an end!

Delome came to Squigbarm then, and explained that while hewas in prayer, he felt as if Sharess's attention was split between here and something of importance in Calimshan.  He was sure that he would have to go today.  When I warned him of the impending threat of the undead, he said he wasn't sure how long he could remain here. 

About then, the electrical display around the Temple of Stronmaus began to coalesce.  An avatar of Stronmaus emerged, and we took him to see Jer.  He lamented that the time of the giants was surely at an end if a son of Moradin was on the throne.  He then explained that because the tribe who had been cursed was no more, that if Jer took the temple in the courtyard to the other side of the Spine of the World and left it there for his few remaining followers, then the curse would be lifted and he could do what he pleased with the rest of the castle.  He then explained that he had come because the storm above was being caused by a battle between the Gods of Fury.  An attempt was being made to repartition the power of all of the weather gods, and he must go to insure his survival for the sake of his few remaining followers.  As he left, he warned us that another deity was awaiting our attention. 

Sure enough, an avatar of Ilmater was near the pool, with a shivering form at his feet.  He announced that he had brought back Zed to us.  We were sure to need him in the suffering to come, and he could not fault a man who died at the hands of Lovitar with his name on his lips.  He then explained that the storm around us was destined to last a year and a day, as Umberlee, Malar, and Auril fought to kill Talos and replace him with a newly raised demi-god.  That would place Umberlee at the top of the Gods of Fury, and the new kid on the bottom.  The new kid was to come from the sea astride a rogue dragon with the wind of Umberlee as his guide.  He confirmed that the storm was generating an anti-magic aura in order to protect the humanoid which was attempting to ascend to godhood.  Then he left us. 

As the group discussed the events which had transpired that morning, Cyrus confessed that the Rogue Dragon was the name of the ship his father was building for him.  It was intended as a gift when Cyrus took command of the fleet and his father retired.  He was sure it should be completed by now, but unsure who would be in command of it.  He thought it too big a coincidence to not bring up.

A silver dragon and its rider crashed in through the storm.  They looked cold and battered, which is saying alot for a silver dragon!  The rider explained that they were from Silverymoon.  Deloan's patron had had to go back to Calimshan for an emergency.  He had asked the rulers of Silverymoon to take his family to be under the care of Deloan.  They offered to care for the family themselves, but he insisted.  As the storm was strong enough that snow was even falling in Silverymoon, the rider was dispatched to find Deloan.  The rider had noticed that the effects of the storm were even less here in the castle, so he created a teleportation circle and brought the family through.  Deloan took them to his quarters, and they promised to serve him as if he was the head of household.  Zed threatened to attempt to woo one of the daughters, claiming that it was unfair that Deloan should hog the whole "harem" to himself.  Squigbarm quickly put him in line. 

Deloan and Ethan then called down a large air elemental from the sky.  Some of the storm came through while they spoke.  It explained that they were there on the behest of Akadi to protect the castle.  When they asked it if they could risk moving the castle in the storm, several small elementals came down and shouted, "Move!"  "Yes, Move!"  "Move, move, move!"  The storm came raging through for a few second until the bigger elemental made them go back into place.  He told them, "Do as you will."  They asked again, but if we move will it be safe?  "Do as you will."  Will you be able to stay with the castle?  "Do as you will."  Will you be able to protect the castle if it moves?  "Do as you will," and with that he left to join the others, obviously agitated with all of the questions. 

So we moved the castle.  It suffered a little damage as the air elementals quickly adjusted to protecting more surface area, but Kalimba used her Lyre of Building to fix all of that.  We aimed south towards the Nethlander Islands where the Rouge Dragon would be coming from.  During those days, Ethan and Kyswirq traded spells from their spellbooks.  Then, Kyswirq created four Speed Swim scrolls for Ethan.  Squigbarm protected Deloan's family while he teleported to Calimshan one day and returned the next.  The Dales quit being scared of Squigbarm, despite the fact that he could still feel him inside.  Then we arrived above Waterdeep. 

Saturday the 20th we made characters for Trav's new Modern Day Exalted campaign. 

Later I'll update you on last weekend.  I'm almost all caught up!

I think I'll start from the beginning.  It's usually best that way. 

Many friends recommend and/or loan books to me.  One such well read friend has--over time--told me stories of books which he has loaned to others and their reactions.  About one such book he had two interesting stories. 

The first story was how he lent the book to a friend for something to read on the lomg flight to and from Europe.  When his friend returned he asked that friend how he had liked his week in Europe.  The friend didn't know.  He had spent the whole trip reading the book on buses and trains, in restaurants, and everywhere he was in Europe.  He was unable to put the book down until he finished. 

The second story involved lending the book to an employee.  The employee didn't arrive at work the next day.  Nor did he call.  No one answered his phone or front door for three days.  Then he returned to work as if nothing had happened.  It turned out that the employee had been so into the book that he didn't notice how many hours had gone by before he finished it.

It was with this kind of a build up I had been prepared for this book I was to borrow.  I had turned down borrowing the book several times, but one time at his hourse he pulled down the book and handed it to me.  He said I could get around to reading it whenever I had the time.  I read a few books prior, but eventually its turn came up.

As with most really good books, I found myself reading it slower than usual.  I tend to savor books which others devour.  I'll read a bit, then stop to think about what I've read.  I'll postulate possible outcomes to the most recent situation or situations, ponder when in the story certain foreshadowing will come into play, review the author's ability to convey mood, character, scene, dialog, et cetera.  Then I'll read a little bit more and repeat.  You might remember that I did that for Order of the Phoenix.  The Magus is to adult literature what Harry Potter is to children's literature.  Simply amazing in its brutality.

Saturday at lunch I finished Part Two, where all my suspicions of the previous several hundred pages were proven true.  As usual, the book had left me anxious for more. 

Then, that evening at the Herrin's place Lori was telling us about how she was reading book three of the Wheel of Time at the eastern Mediterranean restaurant.  The clerk warned her that she should watch what she reads, because it can open up windows for which is might be unprepared.  For some reason, when she told this story it felt as if I was being challenged.  Neither Lori nor the clerk was challenging me, yet the mere mention of it on the day I finished Part Two seemed to me a clear challenge from somewhere.  So I started reading.

Inbetween character creation for Trav's Modern Day Exalted campaign I was reading.  Once I got home I was reading.  I stayed up so late that I fell asleep with the book next to me.  Then I woke up consumed with the need to finish it.  The sleeping and reading cycles continued until I was finished.  Then, in the altered state caused by the poor excuse for sleep I had had and the savage ending of the book I felt compelled to write some poetic prose, and to leave it here.

And so I did.  That is the story behind the strange previous post.  You'll find that the post doesn't have a way to post comments or eprops.  That is because it is not truely a journal entry, but a moment of catharsis brought on by the completion of the novel. 

I will not review this book in my reviews section.  Nothing I could say would bring it justice.  I wouldn't want to encourage those who shouldn't to read it, nor would I want to discourage those who should read it.  The book is.  That is important enough.

The Waiting Room

I am a man of many faces and little hearts.  Wrapped up in self delusions and self centeredness, is there will enough for change?

There is no magician, no theatre d'absurd, no father figure from which to learn.  I am so tired, but can I wake up? 

Haunted by my past and future, I have forgotten my present.  Perhaps not forgotten, but studiously ignored--in a misguided form of safety through stagnation. 

Life has no soundtrack, no permanance.  The rule book offered only informs us of what ought and ought not be done.  It does not offer strategy for that which falls inbetween.  The journey is tough.  Am I up for the challenge? 

Well, I felt inspired by National Talk Like a Pirate Day and Pirates of the Caribbean:  Curse of the Black Pearl to go through my old photographs.  I was hoping to use my pirate costume as a new profile image here.  I found myself as Dracula, a robot, and a European peasant, but no pirate!  Luckily, I did find this image of me and Chernabog chillin' at the Disney Fair (a division of the 1996 Arizona State Fair). 

Let's see, I guess I owe a recap for Jackson's FR 3.0 D&D game on the eighth of August.  Squig started rolling up Zed's skin and cast burial blessing upon his remains.  Once we had packed what we could, we started to leave.  That's when our forward observers noticed the sounds of another intruder.  It turned out to be a half-drow monk of Ilmater who was sent to check on the ruins to make sure that nothing else has been done to them since the rouge monk had sabotaged the place after converting to Lovitar's side. 

(This is Mike's "interim" character, as he assured everyone that someone was going to bring Zed back.  This despite my explanations that Squig couldn't cast raise dead on him due to the fact that raise dead doesn't work on individuals killed by a death effect.  But that's an out of game situation.)

As he was making introductions, a cave-in was heard to occur at the entrance.  As we rushed to see what had caused it, we saw the Great White Death flying away.  He had aparently carved something in Draconian into the skull of the blue dragon skeleton near the entrance.  What we had thought was a cave-in was in fact just the venerable dragon's weight being placed on the mountainside temporarily while he did his fact note to us.  Ethan read it to everyone.  It was a warning that he had been patient thus far, but that we were not to interfere again or face the consequences. 

So we returned to the castle, with the monk and Zed's rolled up skin in tow, when our paladin returns from the war in the outer planes!  (Bill stopped by to play for the first time in forever!)  A storm started to kick up, and we barely made it back to the castle before we started to feel the palpable evil of the storm.  As we studied it, it became clear that it was being caused by powerful, divine, evil magic.  It started to interfere with magic spells and items, even to the point where the Palantir could no longer function.  The energy of the storm was so immense, that Umberlee's Ire (aka Saint Elmo's Fire in our world and times) started to play over the temple of Stronmous.  We investigated, and discovered that the Umberlee's Ire was doing nothing to the temple.  However, the storm continued to make everything colder, and magic impossible.  At that point, the portal to the Elemental Plane of Air opened again, and elemental after elemental left the portal to start playing in the storm above. 

On the nineth of August Pitcher ran his FR 3.0 D&D campaign.  Our rogue caught up with us on the cliffs next to Dagger Falls.  He explained that he and his mentor, Peglegged Pete, had some business to attend to first that morning.  (Before we started, he was run through a mini-session we witnessed where Pegleg introduced Magnus to the Thieves' Guild of Dagger Falls and paid his first month's dues.  Apparently, the guild encourages theivery from Zhent agents, turns a blind eye to travelers, and ruthless prohibits targeting the middle and lower class townsfolk.  This was, of course, not a problem for our hero.  However, the guild's motivation was that they are tolerated by Randal Morn due to the bigger threats of the Zhents and Drow.  So long as they stayed a low priority they were safe.)

Having explored the cave with the bear (and slaying it) the crew decided to explore the cave behind the waterfall.  It turned out to be a long and twisting water-carved passage which ended in a small room.  There, a unnatural hole had been carved into one wall.  The hole was through several feet of stone and opened into another empty room.  Not wanting to endanger our friends further, Cap left his menagerie in the capable hands of Mister Happy while the wizard left his feline familiar with them.  After crawling through the hole, we passed through the neighboring room into a sloping passage which eventually ended in a partially submerged room.  Caleb detected evil on the far side of the room and tried to attack it.  Once it became clear by missile fire that the evil was further beyond the wall on the otherside, it was decided that we should investigate.  Master Lee, being the one with the most strength and the necessary darkvision, swam over and found a passage under the water.   It led for a while until a opening rose out of the water into another room.  He returned and reported his findings, and we planned our party order as most people stripped down to light encumberance. 

And thus, we're caught up with gaming until after CopperCon already, if you can believe it!  There's just one more session of each of those two to recap, but not tonight.  I'm already up past my bedtime!  Night everyone.  I-)

ABCNEWS.com : Fantasy Authors Don't Resent Potter's Success

So, I finally saw  Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl this afternoon.  I met my mother over at the Desert Ridge AMC after she got off of work.  What a great movie!  I wish I could see it again while it's in theatres.  I haven't been so thoroughly entertained by a movie since Thirteenth Warrior, and that's saying something!  I also saw the trailer for Haunted Mansion.  That looks good, too! 

I notice that I might have confused people by not using the proper terminology in my last entry, so go read my clarification on Squigbarm's Turning abilities. 

If it wasn't so late I'd post more.  I much prefer this time of night, but if I want to be functional at work today I'll need some sleep first.  Later all! 

http://women.msn.com/48212.armx

The above is a rather scarey article, if you think about it.  People want all of the benefits of a marriage without any of the responsibilities.  Remind me to not date again if I ever get the urge.  I don't think I want to have to put up with that kind of a world.

Well, on the first of August we played Jackson's D&D game.  Jer had used the Palantir to track fifty of the escaping undead.  He told us of the whereabouts of the closest ones, and we aimed for the one in an abandonned ruins below us in the same mountain (mostly because it required the least amount of travel).  The ruins turned out to be a former monastery for monks of Ilmater. 

We explored the ruins looking for the incorporeal undead only to find an ice elemental in the well!  It was too powerful for Squig to Turn (even with a nat' twenty!), but it did convey to Squig in Aquan that it had been summoned there to bring cold and pain to all who dared be present.  It didn't seem to be too interested in leaving, and when we over stayed our welcome he tried freezing us like he had the former occupants.  We fled, only to stumble into a spike trap which nearly killed Rylis and Squig.  The traps were so old that they broke when they were sprung, leaving us traped in spikes from both sides.  Thankfully Skred is a half-dragon and was strong enough to crowbar the spikes off of us. 

As they were rescuing us, the undead creature passed by and dropped through the floor at a dead in.  The rest of the party tracked it, and we caught up to them as the rouges figured out the trick to opening the secret stairwell.   We went down only to discover a secreted, yet spartan, sleeping chamber.  The only things other than an ancient bed, chest, and more doors was a mannequin torso with magical studded leather. 

Zed jumped on the ancient bed, only to cause it to disintegrate into a cloud of dust which filled the whole chamber.  That was when the undead returned (while we were blinded!) and tried level draining a few of us.  Luckily, it was fled when we tried to Turn it.  Unluckily, we didn't get the chance to destroy it.  Squig used his Flask of Neverending Water to hose down the dust in the room, after which they had him remove the armour from the mannequin.  The rouges then opened the chest only to find a magical scourge.  Ryllis figured that in order to activate it, one probably probably had to suffer in the name of Ilmater.  When it didn't work for her, she suggested Zed try it.  After all, Zed's family is a member of the church of Ilmater in Waterdeep, and he has been resurrected by the church of Ilmater.  When it still didn't seem to activate anything, Squig suggested wearing the armour at the same time. 

THAT WAS A BAD IDEA!!  The second he was wearing the armour and used the scourge on himself, a ghostly apparition of Lovitar came from the mannequin and struck Zed, unraveling the skin from his body like the orange peel is unraveling at the Orange Stinger at Paradise Pier, DCA, Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA, USA.  His muscles and internal organs then shattered outwards and struck all in the room.  Those that failed their Fortitude saves lost 1d4 permanent points from each of their physical attributes (that was Leone and Squig).  Then his bones clattered to the floor.  Zed had no saving throws, the poor guy.  Ryllis and Squig took their unintended murder of Zed rather hard. 

On the 2nd of August we played Pitcher's D&D game.  Jason, the roommate of Chris, Jon, Kristy, and Russ (from the old MSHAG campaign) joined as a human first level scout (Mercenaries book)/first level ranger.  He excells at ranged combat, obviously. 

Those of us on the circuit of the city outskirts completed it without incident and met the new guy and Master Lee back at the tavern.  The new guy was told by his mentor (who was unable to come to Dagger Falls himself) to report to Rodolpho Redd when he arrived.  Thus, we both share the same mentor.  After introductions were made, we learned that our next assignment would be to check out where drow bands were coming from that were harassing the dwarven porters at the falls for which Dagger Falls is named. 

So early in the morning we headed out to the falls and met the porters and their mule team.  We followed behind a mule team and started looking for places where the drow could likely ambush the porters.  We found a few likely outcroppings and caves.  So, after we reach the top and spoke to the porters up there, we returned back down the cliffside to investigate the places we had spotted.  The dwarves had told us of a bear so big that lived in one of the caves, that whole teams of dwarves had failed to return from its lair.  While the new guy and Cap were sent to watch the next mule team come down the cliffside, the other three went in and killed the bear while its drow master fled deeper into the cave system.  When we returned, Cap was asked to skin the bear and save what meat he could, which was easy enough. 

I'm only two sessions behind on each of those now.  I'll catch up one of these days.  Today I went to an early mass so that I could attend a Shadowfist event.  It was fun, but I'm not going to make it a habit.  I like the 17:00 hours mass much better than the morning masses, and Shadowfist isn't worth more than an occassional inconvience. 

The following quiz is from National Talk Like a Pirate Day. It was loads of fun.  Perhaps I should have wrote an entry here on that day. 

Do you remember the last time you took a chance? I do. It was when you decided to leave the security of your mother's womb and headed for the bright light. It's time to head for the next bright light, my friend. Creativity is not your strong suit. You are good at doing what you are told to do and that, in itself, is a gift. It's not a gift to you, mind you, but rather a gift to those who will be there to tell you what to do. You like long walks on the beach and cuddling, but would never admit that to your Guy friends who think you are okay but can't always remember your name. Tapioca pudding seems a bit extreme for a fellow such as yerself, what with all the bumps and stuff. It's a good thing ye be on a pirate ship, otherwise, ye'd would be walkin' because ye be positively pedestrian. Have a nice day.

What's Yer Inner Pirate?
brought to you by The Official Talk Like A Pirate Web Site. Arrrrr!

Good night everybody, and God bless!

Don Markstein's Toonopedia: Howard the Duck

This is why I lurk on the PFF boards more than any other reason.  I ask a question, and they get all tied up about the semantics.  Then, everytime I try to get them back on track, it only exasperates things.  It's like silence is better than trying to communicate.  I don't like having to walk on eggshells for people.  It's pathetically silly.

:: how jedi are you? ::

Moon Mechanics: What Really Makes Our World Go 'Round

Well, I'm letting things get back to normal.  I started reading weblogs I got behind on this past week.  It'll probably take me a few weeks to catch up on everything that lost priority to CopperCon.  I discovered a new weblog along the way, which I've reviewed for your pleasure. 

My mother and stepfather visited me last Monday after the convention.  They treated me to a Greek place that they like before Mom and I went to a healing mass at Saint Jerome's Parish.  She had been asking me to let her know when the next healing mass was in our bullitin, and Saint Jerome's Parish advertised their healing mass in our bullitin a few weeks prior.  Well, it turned out to be a charismatic mass, something with which my mother was none to comfortable.  She's really mellowed in recent years though, because in the past she would have walked out on the mass altogether once it made her feel uncomfortable.  Because that day I had learned of several people who needed prayers due to events which happened over the weekend while I was at CopperCon, it was nice to have been able to get those intensions in a mass as soon as possible.  So I think the Lord wanted us there, even if it wasn't for what my mother wanted. 

Last night we had the LepreCon XXX walk-through of the Sheraton Crescent.  It's much, much nicer convention space.  Everything will be near each other, and there won't be a need for using hotel rooms as function space.  Additionally, most of the function space is either as big or bigger.  The current plan seems to be to have the Hospitality Suite on the VIP floor of the hotel, which is rather awesome if you think about it.  Like most hotels, they will have a Mother's Day Brunch.  Because LepreCon XXX is Mother's Day weekend, it should be interesting to see if the brunch helps, hinders, or doesn't affect Sunday attendance. 

I found out at the meeting that Lee didn't get his tv for SF Tube Talk.  He sounded rather bitter about that.  That doesn't bode well.  I wish he would have said something earlier.  Considering how the tv went out and came back at noon, I'm left wondering where it was for two hours now.  Not that that's the only displaced equipment story from the weekend.  Kitty hinted that someone might have been trying to sabotage things for me, but I totally disbelieve that.  Who would bother to go to that effort?  I've stayed out of their petty politics and up until CopperCon had been in the good graces of all the different factions.  I refuse to fall into the paranoia which breeds that petty politics. 

Lee also made it clear than John wasn't too happy that the Doctor Who panel didn't happen.  He said that John was willing to do a Doctor Who presentation if a panel couldn't be assembled.  *sigh*  John knows I'm a big Doctor Who fan.  I wish he'd have told me that he was willing to do a Doctor Who presentation.  It's the 40th anniversary this year.  I really wanted the panel to happen, but John was the only one who wanted to sit on it.  If he'd have told me that he was willing to do a presentation I would have set him up in a heart beat. 

So, now I guess they both really dislike me.  It's miscommunications like this that lead to bad blood which lasts for years.  Hopefully, I can get back in their good graces some day. 

Anyway, it's late and I should go to bed.  Night all. 

Yahoo! News - Fierce Fight Over Secrecy, Scope of Law

So I got a notice from Chris and Christina of their new address in Washington.  She said that she's busy, but enjoying law school.  My prayers are with her. 

Harold, the neighbor across the street kitty-corner to me let his brother park in my driveway tonight because the clubhouse parking lot was full.  He said that he had hoped that it didn't wake anyone.  Then he mentioned that he hadn't seen anyone other than me in a while, asking without asking about to where my former roommates disappeared.  When I mentioned that they moved out in December after selling their part of the house to me, he asked if they had moved to the reservation.  Boy is he out of date!  Admitably, we don't see each other too often, but wow!  You'd think he'd have asked sooner.  Oh well.  I gave him my number and told him to call me next time he wanted to use my driveway.  It's not like I use it alot. But if I did need to use it I'd like to be able to warn him first. 

If you want more information on ADF's SW fiction and his CopperCon XXIII appearance, go here. 

Wayne sent me this link, and being the fan that I am it was too cool not to post here:

You are the Fourth Doctor: A walking Bohemian
conundrum with a brooding personal magnetism
and a first-rate intellect concealed somewhere
beneath your charmingly goofy exterior. You are
perhaps the most terribly clever of all the
Doctors, though your occasional bouts of
childishness get you in trouble. You never go
looking for a fight, but when someone messes
with you... good heavens, are they ever sorry
they did.

Which Incarnation of the Doctor Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I had something to say, the real reason I opened up Xanga, but I can't remember what it was.  I guess this random selection of thoughts will have to do.  Maybe I'll remember later....*cross our fingers*

Science.com News - The Harvest Moon Arrives Early This Year

So I survived CopperCon XXIII.  Thanks to all involved, it turned out to be a success.  We had some six hundred attendees.  Jayson and Kim helped me make door signs last week, and they were well liked.  Lani Tupu and David Franklin complimented our work, so I let them have the Braca and Crais room signs.  Meanwhile, the Catherine Book asked for the Elrond poster, only to have it stolen before the convention was over.  The same thing happened to the Aragorn poster, which I had promised to Kim for her hard work.  So, the only sign I brought back from the convention was Dunedain, which I've offered to Kim.

Yvonne Coats suggested that I send out a moderator information packet to those moderating panels.  It sounded like Bruce Farr has done such a thing in the past, so if I ever act as program director again I'll ask him for advice on what to put in there. 

The thing which most surprised me about being program director was how much fun it was.  I mean, I got to meet and talk with some panelists I never would have otherwise.  I missed out on all of the panels I would have liked to have seen.  I missed out on the Chill Room and Modern Dance by ConFusion.  I missed out on playing Shadowfist with Trollgod and scion.  I never saw the Hospitality Suite.  So I missed out on all of the normal convention experiences, yet I still enjoyed myself between all of the work. 

Connie Willis went out of her way to come into Program Operations to sign my books because I missed her autograph session.  That was very sweet of her.  What was really cool was that she signed my copy of Bellwether, "To Paul, Trendy Best Wishes, Connie Willis".  Unfortunately, none of my staff had read the book and got the joke.  Oh well.  Maybe someone in Xangaland will.  (I have the book listed under "Currently Reading" for those interested in it.  I'm actually still reading The Magus.  Perhaps I can finish that faster now that I don't have a convention on which to constantly work.)

You know, I learned a lot out of it all, and if I was given the usual three years of preparation time, I would do it again.  I know I wasn't exactly looking forward to this all, but in hindsight it wasn't as bad as I had expected. 

One thing I noted was that I had a hard time trusting most of my staff.  The most trustworthy people were Lori (who wasn't my staff, but Gaming staff) and Rusty (who wasn't my staff, but Green Room staff for Kitty).  Maybe it was because they offered to help when they didn't have to that made them more trustworthy in my eyes.  Bill, Bruce, Kristi, Lea, and Wayne were good staff when I had them, but none of them could arrive on time for the life of them.  Because they arrived later than agreed upon, I often had to call upon Kitty, Lori, or Rusty to do something for me when none of my staff was present.  Then, Wayne wondered why I was cranky with him by Sunday, when the continued sleep debt I was racking up took away some of the tact I try to have.  Go figure.

I slept like thirteen hours last night when I got home, then started cleaning up the house.  Tonight, my parents stopped by to take me out to Greek Town, followed by mass at Saint Jerome's Parish.  That was fun.  I made sure to say prayers for Jayson (due to his car accident), Christopher's friend and her unborn child (due to miscarriage), and Kathleen (due to her torn cartilage) who all had difficulties this weekend that I found out about today.  The deacon had a homily about healing and how selfishness and pride can get in the way of our faith. 

Larry Warner sent an E-mail my way saying thanks, even though we never had a chance to meet this past weekend.  That was very thoughtful of him.  He apparently enjoyed his Filk Concert and The Trek Liberation Front discussion panel. 

Last night, after the Convention Close Out Panel, we all went to the YC's Mongolian Wok at Metrocenter.  It was closing as we arrived, but they let us go through anyway.  Then, they gave us to-go boxes when I was about halfway finished because they wanted to go home.  I think their problem was that I filled my bowl up so high that after they cooked it they had to use two bowls to return it to me.  I was hungry.  Despite the fact that there was a staff lounge and that I could eat Green Room food, I was so active over the weekend that I didn't eat too many full meals.  I did, however, convince Bill to eat a Vomit flavoured Berty Bott's Every Flavour Bean! 

Kevin seemed rather concerned when Kristie didn't return after Friday.  I had told him about her karate match, but that didn't seem to explain why he hadn't seen her after that or on Sunday.  He hoped she was alright.  For that matter, so did I after talking with him.  But then, I figured if something had happened Rob would have called me to let me know.  So I figured that they just got too busy with karate and other things to return.  I'm sure we'll hear from them again at some point. 

Billy stopped by and asked me how I was holding up, and was happy to see that I was surviving and doing well.  He said that he though I would easily be able to handle things, and was glad to see that he was right.  Later, Gary Swaty said that I looked to be surviving quite well, and that he was pleased to see that.  He said his filk program had went well, and was pleased that our program went well, too. 

A lot of people asked me if I would do it again, and surprisingly I said yes.  I had said it was highly unlikely before the convention, but now that I've done it once I can totally see what I could do better next time.  The one thing I totally need to teach myself to do is mail merge.  That would have saved me hours of time.  I ended up using the FarScape font by Scorpwanna for the room signs which listed all events by title and start day and time, while using the Ringbearer font by Pete Klassen for the room signs which listed the current event by title, start day and time, description, and participants.  People really liked those. 

Alan Dean Foster ended up having to cancel his Saturday appearances and had to leave Sunday after 11:00 hours because of his work on Riddick: Pitch Black 2: The Chronicles of Riddick.  He had to interview Vin Diesel later on Sunday, so I can totally understand wanting to do his job over attending a convention.  He said it was his shorest convention attendance ever.  Hopefully he enjoyed himself.  Donald D. Markstein then started to regail him with a time when a publisher flew him out to a convention for an even shorter attendance than that. 

Anyway, I'm just kind of rambling so I'm going to leave it at that.  If I think of more to say, I'm sure I'll let you all know.  Night!