Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2005 22:05:18 -0500
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Iggy, was: Ship-Con and Camp-Con (was: Re: [WSFA]Re:Balticon in ...
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

At 08:24 PM 3/15/05 -0500, Ted White wrote:
>From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu>
>> > twhite8 at cox.net 3/15/2005 6:26:40 PM >>>
>> >From: "Mike B." <omni at omniphile.com>

>> >> Didn't that happen at Westercon 19?  I think that's the one that
>> >> "Bouncing  Potatoes" was written about, right?
>> >
>> >What year was Westercon 19?   I've been to a number of them, but I
>> >don't recall their numbers, only their years.
>>
>> 1966 according to: http://www.westercon.org/list/
>
>Aha!   Thought so.  I was there.  That one was held in San Diego at what
>turned out to be a "hot bed" motel, with hookers hanging out in the lobby
>and coffeeshop.

Thanks for the info.  What I'd heard before matches what you say, though it
said that the hotel was a bit miffed about not getting their "take" from
the hookers and so took it out on the con with bad food in the restaurant,
hence the song.  Another account said that there was some sort of
management/labor thing going on at the time and that that accounted for the
bad food and service.  Someone else said that the hotel locked the
stairwell doors and only left one elevator running...until a fan who worked
in the local city government called the local fire chief about the
violation of fire codes.  There was also a rumor about another fan who
worked for the health department arranging for a kitchen inspection based
on the food quality.  I don't know how much of that is true and how much
just good story telling though.  However, after being at the con at the
Hostility House in Crystal City I wouldn't be surprised to find out that
it's all true...hotels seem to be really stupid sometimes.

>While I don't recall any "bouncing potatoes," I do recall Bill Rotsler
>creating cartoon faces on fried eggs, which were then auctioned.

Even the song didn't really have bouncing potatoes...they were sarcasm of
the "what's next?  Bouncing potatoes?" sort.

 Once a jolly true-fan went to join a Westercon,
 He had duly registered and paid every fee,
 But when he looked and he saw what the waitress put before him there,
 "You'll come a bouncing potatoes!" said he.

 <chorus as you'd expect>

 "Is this a musket ball, fired down at Lexington?"
 "No," said the waitress, "That is a pea!"
 "That," said the true-fan, "is here within my coffee cup,"
 "You'll come a bouncing potatoes!" said he.

  Etc...

-- Mike B.

--
What do you mean, 'How many hit points do I have RIGHT NOW?'?