Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:03:37 -0500
From: mark <whitroth at 5-cent.us>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Philcon
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Michael Walsh wrote:
>> "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net> 11/23/2009 8:21 PM >>>
>> I enjoyed the con.  I think most people there did, except the dealers,
>> who complained that few people were spending any money.

We *are* in the middle of a depression, however the self-proclaimed
"economists' lie about it.
>
> The non-book dealers were apparently going down the toilet faster than the =
> book dealers.  I believe one dealer - selling sewn craft work - sold nada.
>
Not sure which one, but I can see someone selling $150 and $250 corsets having
a hell of a hard time in this economy.
<snip>
>> I found some interesting and unusual things on the freebie table,
>> including a 138-year-old issue of Harper's magazine.

The art show was excellent, as usual.
>>
>> In the con suite, I was munching on some broccoli, when the con suite
>> lady snatched the bowl out from under my hand and dumped it in the
>> trash.  When I objected that I was obviously reaching for some to eat,
>> she said it would make me sick, as it had been out for two hours.  I

She's an idiot, then. Fortunately, I heard her partner, the guy in charge of
the con suite, say there was no way he was doing it next year.

A damn good thing, in my opinion, but then, I *am* biased: Gary Feldbaum asked
me to help, and I not only offered a shopping list, but also to a) do late
shift (instead, the damn thing closed at 02:00!!! (When I used to run the
consuite at Philcon, the first half of the eighties, I'd toss out the last
dozen or 15 people at 05:00.) And they couldn't seem to keep real food out.

Oh, and after I'd asked Gary to ask about crash space for me, weeks of nothing,
then what he said he'd intended to only send to several committee people, but
included me, he was all hot and bothered about "didn't know I was going to be
at the con", and 'me expecting a bed" (I hadn't, I have an air matress), and
was I going to run it (hell, no, though if it looks like a disaster, I may
offer to co-run it with someone).

If I don't help with the con suite next year, I *will* have a party, at least
Friday night. Btw, if I do that, would WSFA like to co-sponsor it (as in, help
pay for supplies)?
<snip>
> Some folks are paranoid about germs and the like.
>
> OTOH: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8373690.stm
>
Yeah, and if you *don't* get used to weak germs, the strong ones will get you -
like cowpox and smallpox, a century and a half ago.
>
>> I intended to preregister at the con for next year, but on discovering
>> that the rates had gone up by sixteen percent -- this at the height of
>> the worst economy since the 1930s -- decided not to.  Even this year,
>> attendance was way down.  As Mike mentioned, there were only about 400
>> paid members.  Philcon survived the 1930s, but if the committee can't
>> find a way to cut costs, or even hold them constant, it may not
>> survive the current economic situation.

I need to talk to them. They've got folks who *do* know what they're doing, so
I don't know what the problem is.
>
> They maybe locked into a multi-year contract with the hotel.  Which is =
> usually a good thing, guarantee of date & location.  But it may also =
> givethem little leeway in negotiating some changes.  We can only speculate,=
>  none of us having a copy of their contract.

Usually do - I can ask.
>
> But it would also help if they did little things .. like get programming =
> info out earlier.  I received mine on Monday.  but it seems the closer you =
> are to Philly, theslower the InterTubes are - Michael Swanwick as of the =
> day before the con hadn't received his: http://floggingbabel.blogspot.com/2=
> 009/11/my-philcon-schedule-i-think.html

That's bad. We used to have a *large* SFWA contingent, from the mid-Atlantic.
And an ASFA suite.
<snip>
>> The only WSFAns I saw were Cathy Green, Sam Lubell, Evan Phillips,
>> Mark Roth, George Shaner, Michael Taylor, and Michael Walsh.  Mark
>> Roth drove me to the con, and Evan Phillips drove me back to the DC
>> area after the con.

I do tend to think of myself still as a Philly fan. And I've only missed three
- when I was broke, and in other parts of the country - since I first found
fandom and Philcon. How long ago? Well, in '05, I threw a party for myself, at
the 40th anniversary of that event.
>
> Martin Deutsch & Shirley Avery were, I think, the only BSFS folks there.
>
Sorry, I'm *also* BSFS....

  mark, glutton for punishment

--
Hon. Pres. Medvedev,

    If Russia still has labor camps in Siberia, might there be room in them for
a number of gentleman we have here, who have been working on Wall St.....