Date: Mon, 01 Apr 2002 15:18:34 -0500
From: Ted White <tedwhite at compusnet.com>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Interesting Inventions
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

Steve Smith wrote:

> Ted White wrote:
> >
> > Steve Smith wrote:
> >
> > > [...]
> > >
> > > To bring a SF note to the discussion, at Iguanacon II in 1978 in
> > > Phoenix, Harlan Ellison was the GoH.  When he found out that Arizona
> > > hadn't ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, he talked about doing all
> > > sorts of nasty things to let people in AZ know what assholes they were
> > > (he used stronger language, of course).  One of them was to have as many
> > > people as possible avoid staying in the hotel and camp in the desert.
> > > Now, desert camping is no more dangerous than any other form of camping
> > > -- if you know what you're doing.  Fortunately, the locals talked him
> > > out of it -- not only does it get cold at night, Labor Day is right
> > > about at the beginning of thunderstorm season ...
> >
> > Harlan supposedly boycotted the hotel by living in a RV out front.  But in
> > actual fact he slept in a hotel room most nights.  It may get cold at night
> > in the desert -- particularly at higher altitudes -- but in Phoenix it went
> > *down* to 95 at night...after daytime highs in the 110-115 area.
>
> Yah, I remember that.  I also remember hearing a rant by the guy whose
> room Harlan took over.  I think Harlan figured that if he could get by
> without spending any of *his* money, then he'd save some face.  So he
> spent the entire con mooching.

Oh, come on -- Harlan was GoH!  All GoHs "mooch," and some of them (like Ben
Bova, say) are a lot worse about it.

--Ted White