Lorem Ipsum

Other than the coughing and sleeping problems, Thursday was fine. I got to the convention center around noon, got my badge & stuff, wandered around. Signed in as a program participant. Watched a few minutes of the unaired pilot for Heroes. Attended the end of the "why do liberals like military sf so much?" panel.

Then it was time for my panel: "Have blogs and listservs replaced fanzines?" I felt a little out of place there--all the other panelists were involved in the production of printed fanzines, as were, I gathered, most of the audience. (Who outnumbered the panelists, but not by much.) My original position--that it's all part of the same thing, all ways for the fan community to communicate with each other--was tempered a little by some of the things other panelists said; but mostly I didn't talk much, 'cause I felt like my outsider view of printed-fanzine culture wasn't so relevant. Anyway, overall a pretty good panel, I think. Even though we were at times drowned out by The Golden Compass at full volume in the next room.

I stopped by Ben R's Kaffeeklatsch to touch base with him about the Saturday party; ended up staying to chat with him and the folks who showed up to talk with him, while I modified the posters Ben had made to reflect the new tea party time.

The tea-and-book-launch party, by the way, is now going to be from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, in the SFWA suite at the Sheraton, on the 6th floor of the Sheraton Plaza (the smaller of the two Sheraton buildings). I didn't realize until later that the Sheraton is about seven blocks away from the Convention Center, which makes it rather an awkward place for people to get to in the afternoon. Oh, well, nothing to be done. It may end up being a small party.

Started to head for dinner with Ben and Paul M and Cheryl, but it turned out there were a bunch of other people going as well, and Cheryl went off on her own so she'd have time to eat before the Chesley Awards. And then I remembered that I had to call the aforementioned medical people, so I went off and did that, and by the time I was done I'd realized that I didn't really want to eat with a group of eight or nine people, so I bailed. Sorry, y'all.

Instead, I went to the Sheraton and talked with a food-services guy about the party, then wandered along the 16th St. Mall until I found a little place called MAD Greens, where I got a tasty salad and a decent portobello-mushroom panini, and sat and read SH submissions until it was time to return to my room for our weekly editorial meeting.

There weren't any more panels I wanted to attend that night. I could probably have found people and/or parties for socializing, but I decided I'd rather sit in my room and read subs and try to get to bed early for once. (See previous entry for how well that turned out.)