Dalekboy

The last week has ended up being all sorts of crazy and busy, but mostly good crazy and busy, with the only negative being a grizzly baby some of the time. And that's counter-acted by the fact we're getting some smiles scattered about here and there, which is nice. Hence no posts.

The last 24 hours, however, has been craptacular! Roadshow dicked me about with my order, changing the price of one of their reduced DVDs, but that's normal for them. The good side is at least I'll be getting them sometime soon-ish.

I lost my wallet on the way back from the Post Office yesterday. No sign of it yet. Losing the $50 in it is still less annoying than if I have to replace all the cards. Have just come back from putting up signs and asking at the Kaleen shops to see if it had been handed in. The good side was I got to ride my trike, and got to wear my skeleton socks, so not all bad. And as I said to Sharon, if I've lost this one I'll have to buy a new one with room in it for photos of my wife and son.

I'm behind on my preparation for the panels/items I'm doing at Conflux. Yes, I can talk about this stuff off the cuff better than some people who have prepared, but I think an over-reliance on just knowing your topic and not doing a bit of brushing up beforehand shows an essentially arrogant and lazy attitude. And if you're too lazy to do the work, why are you wasting people's time being on the panel? But the good side is, I'll get to talk Doctor Who, do trivia, do Magical Hat, and catch up with some people for the few hours I'm there on my panel passes. And I still have time to go over my notes before the con at this point.

Funtastic have chosen not to honour the remainder of my order for Classic Series Doctor Who figures. Basically, it doesn't matter that I have an order with them, they have pulled the remainder of my stock (and everyone else's) to put aside for Myer, Roger David, or one of the other big guys that didn't bother to order this stuff six fucking months ago, unlike the rest of us!

There is no good side, I'm fucking furious.

I do at least have enough figures put aside for those that ordered them, so no problem there, just been too flat chat to process them.

If anyone can tell me how I would go about sending an email to Funtastic's stockholders, I'd appreciated the information. Funtastic's stock have dived in recent times, and this sort of behaviour can't help. I would like their stockholders to know how they dick about the people giving them money.

The Voyage of the Damned Gift Sets got pulled in much the same way for one of the big companies. Six months later, they have obviously decided that they don't want them and the sets are now available again. In fact, virtually all the units that were pulled are back. So now there's a huge excess of old stock... still at the original price! Why would I want to buy them? Anything like this I really wanted to sell, I've sourced from overseas to fill my orders. I had to charge more, but at least I had the stock.

I don't expect it to do any good, but I'm ringing Character Options in the UK tonight to beg them to find another Australian distributor.

A friend posted up a piece on programming for conventions - I wanted to add some more general con-running thoughts and ideas.

These are based on things I've seen and done, stories I've heard, mistakes I've made and seen made by others. It's not aimed at any one person or convention, though it can't help but relate to many...( Read more... )

Let me make this as clear as possible - the next person who says to me, in a matter-of-fact tone, that Continuum can't run a convention in 2010 because of the WorldCon, I will skin. I will then tan the hide, and wear it as a warning to others.

Given that the Worldcon in '99 knocked out Melbourne fandom for two years either side of its running, I should think it's even more important that we continue to operate.

This weekend I will be wearing my Continuum Foundation hat as I talk to a group of people who are running a major event in Melbourne this year. It's not actually a science fiction convention as such, but they are a fannish community of their own, and they came to us wanting advice.

The Continuum Foundation is all about encouraging fandom(s) and helping where we can. Our primary goals are to help new people find fandom, and training up the next generation of con-runners through the Continuum Conventions.

Continuum 5 is coming, by the way - 2009 - so start saving now!

One of the things I say is that if ConFound isn't doing what it can to help out, then what's the point? ( Read more... )

I'm not going to have much 'net access for the next few days, so before I vanish I want to ask another question.

Fan Guests, what do you think?

I really want to hear mostly from the people who don't like/understand having Fan Guests. And I want any replies from people to those folks to be respectful of their points-of-view and not rude or pushy, or I will delete them at the first opportunity.

If we want to encourage new people to join in, we have to allow them to voice their opinions without being shouted down.

I'm sitting here still in mild shock. To my left is a certificate that says, in part, "For making an overwhelming contribution to WA Science Fiction Community."

And it was awarded to me.

There is an award that means the world to me on the years when it's given out - The Mumfan. The Mumfan is basically an award for the people who make the con-going and fan community experience more enjoyable for others. Not by doing big things, obvious things, but by doing small things that are often more important. All those little, unglamourous jobs that never get noticed, supporting people, helping out, welcoming new people... Why it means so much was summed up by one of the winners last night - 'this isn't an award for writing or art, this is an award for who I am, who we are, as people.'

I've always said that what I love about The Mumfan is that it's an award I could never receive. I get noticed, I get accolades and receive recognition for writing, or video-clips, or other things. Hell, over the years in Perth I have been a Fan Guest, Special Guest, and National Guest. You can't say I haven't been noticed.

The Silver Swan has only been awarded twice before in thirty-three years - to Grant Stone, one of the loveliest people you could ever have the good fortune to meet, and a major influence and contributor not only to West Australian fandom, but Australian fandom as a whole - and the other to the team that produced Eidolon, one of the most important magazines in Australian SF history, and naturally enough given the nature of the award, produced in Western Australia.

It's a WA award. I wasn't born here, nor have I ever lived here. I come from the other side of the country. I describe myself as a Perth fan, and I love West Australian fandom, but in strict geographical terms I come from the Eastern States.

It's one of the many reasons this award has so much impact for me. I'm not being recognised for a single achievement or a body of work, but for who I am and how I choose to live my life, and ways in which I try to enrich the community I am a part of.

It's funny writing that because this is the con that has gotten me fired up again. Since the first day I have been planning a handful of pieces on things like the 2010 Worldcon bid, programming, etc. Some are just thoughts and bits of advice, but others are a full-on arse-kicking aimed at those who do claim to be looking after fandom, but are in fact mainly looking after themselves, sometimes at the expense of the greater community.

And upon receiving the Silver Swan, I suddenly thought that maybe it's ungracious to receive a major award, and then go on the attack shortly afterwards. That maybe I shouldn't write anything that is overly critical of the way people handle or approach some of the things I want to talk about.

Except then I realise I don't care about whether it's ungracious or not. Because often the actions of these people are motivated by their own self-agrandisment, and desire to be a part of something big and important, rather than caring about the very people it's all meant to be for.

The speech that was read out before I was presented with the award means a lot to me, because it showed that the folks over here 'get' me. They know where I'm coming from.

At the presentation, Anna Hepworth gave a brief summation of what the Silver Swan is, and informed folks that it had only been given out twice before. She was then followed by Grant and Simon, who gave me their speeches, which I have copied below.

Grant Watson
"Sometimes the biggest impact a person can make is not seen in what they do, but what others do after them.

We all learn by example: we are inspired by others and want to do the things they do, we are enchanted by their talent, swept along by their enthusiasm - they make a difference to their community.

If we're very lucky, these inspirational figures respond to this attention - not with a burst of ego but by enthusiasm and excitement of their own.

The winner of the third ever Silver Swan is exactly that kind of person, not only for their own immeasurable contribution to the WA science fiction community, but in the reflection they leave on the rest of us.

I can say in all honesty that my own drive to participate in this community is inspired by one person's outstanding contribution, example, and boundless enthusiasm.

I'm sure both Simon and Anna would say the same. I'm sure half the room could say the same.


I should point out that Grant was crying so hard by this point that I was sure that someone had died and the Silver Swan was being given to the person posthumously, which I felt was rather a shame. I was also wracking my brain trying to think who had died, because anyone this big in the perth SF scene I should have known of.


Simon Oxwell
A great man once said "Perth fans don't know how lucky they are." But we do know how lucky we are, and that is why the third Silver Swan is awarded to Danny Oz.

Cue me, open mouthed, shambling up to the microphone, squeaking 'you bastards...' in a tiny little voice, and crying continuously for a few minutes while I tried to come up with something to say to do justice to the huge honour I had just been given. I knew exactly what a big deal this was, and there was no way I could ever begin to show just how amazingly touched and honoured I was and still am.

I have cried a few more times today.

Thank you everyone for your kindness and allowing me to do what I do. I may not always get things right, but that so many people recognise my love and passion for this community, one that has given me so much joy over the years, well, I just wish you could all see into my mind for just a moment, to see just how deeply moved and honoured I am.

I shall do my best to continue to be thought worthy of this in the future.

Thank you.

I've been busy! I've put together lots of cheap bookcases, been sorting the vids and DVDs, rearranging the books, going through my stock, and watching stuff. ( Cut for far too much on my videos and DVDs... )

In other, non-DVD news, Sharon and I are selling the Noble Park property. So Richard will be moving to our South Oakleigh house, and then, after a clean-up, NP will be on the market. That will allow us to get rid of our mortgage and give us some money left over towards a deposit on a house in Canberra. We'll probably keep renting for another year or two, unless an ideal house with a great price presents itself in the meantime.

Will be sad to sell NP, but after a year here it's highly unlikely we would choose to move back to Melbourne. Forgetting the sheer size of the place, the huge lump of grey-brown smog on the horizon that I see for an hour or so before I hit the outskirts helps put me off.

Shaz and I have our train tickets to Swancon, so that will be an adventure! I haven't figured out my plane ticket back yet, but will definitely be training over, so thank you to all of you who contributed towards my 40th Birthday pressie. There will be piccies a plenty to show you on this very journal :)

"...they don’t think they need saving. I mean, they haven’t changed for years, have they? They’re not designed to be wanted because they don’t want to be wanted, not really. They want to be left alone to do their thing, and they don’t want any loud new people in the room. They serve a dwindling audience, and they have to be aware of that — so they have to be in it to simply serve that audience, to provide that presumably cosy experience to their people until the last light goes out. Otherwise they would have done something different years ago."

That's Warren Ellis talking about sf magazines, but he could be talking about the majority of sf fan clubs and conventions in Australia.

Just because your friends turn up, doesn't mean it's good.
Just because it breaks even, doesn't mean it's a success.
Just because something runs, that doesn't mean it's still relevant.

More on this later...

( Some angsty stuff under the cut. No need to read it, the important part of this post can be read below... )

Tonight, I'm happy. Really, truly happy for the first time in a month. I've been content, felt safe, been loved and cared for since the breakdown, and I've felt fleeting moments of happiness, but nothing like the high level of joy that I normally take from life.

Until tonight, I'd forgotten just how good I usually feel. But I've been reminded once more. The first kick off was Kali's comment to a recent post - part of it was just that little bit of cobtact, part was what she said. She made me smile.

Then there's been Sharon putting in a lot of time and effort trying to give me love and affection. Just that fact that she's trying so hard means a lot. She made me feel worthy of the effort she put in.

Most was the masquerade. I spent time talking to people I really like and appreciate knowing, chatted to people I've been meaning to talk to for years, and just enjoying watching a couple of folks dance up a storm. There are some people I could watch moving and dancing for hours, I find their joy infectious, and the two who head the pack both have the initials RH.

Lastly was chatting in the bar with Liz and Rachel. One I'd met only that evening, the other I've known for a while. There was some good conversation there, enough to leave me glowing and happy. I don't believe I connected particularly deeply with these folks or anything, but I got a good dose of my old joy at interacting with people who are well worth talking to. They made it easy to want to say up all night.

It's nice to feel this good again, and I just wanted to share it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtenstein

In June 2003 the state tourism agency decided to give a boost to the country's tourism by offering to rent out the country to businesses and other organizations for conference hosting, weddings, or other such events. The company will be given keys to the capital city and be offered team-building/touristy activities and attractions, such as wine-tasting, tobogganing, and full access to one of the country's royal castles. Liechenstein is a little smaller in area than the capital of the United States, Washington, D.C..[5]

Karl Schwarzler, along with the entire nation of Liechenstein, was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize in Economics in 2003 for this unique enterprise.