[Dragaera] What 'cha do'n? (Nov 2017)

Mon Mar 6 09:28:32 PST 2017

If this was any other year, I would be all over it.

Alas - it is the year of the Great American Eclipse. I was in Oregon when the last total solar eclipse touched American shores, a college student and his buddies who skipped out on a couple of days of classes, drove 600 miles, slept in the car, froze in the winter wind, and experienced something so singular that I've spent thirty-eight years waiting for the next eclipse.

My vacation capital is currently invested in August in Sun Valley, Idaho and I've given my wife pretty much no say in the matter, heh. I don't think I can sell another "because it's something I LOVE" event in the same year. The Spouse is pretty adamant that the next vacation is about what SHE loves. ;-)

I'll offer best wishes for a successful VladCon, and I'll watch any resulting event with keen interest. If I might suggest an alternative to personal attendance - If you were to partner with Twitch.com, video record the panels and any interesting side events, and offer a "virtual ticket" for a nominal fee of $10 to $20 (By way of illustration, Blizzard charges $40 for four days of "virtual ticket" BlizzCon programming that also includes "swag"; i.e., in-game items for each of their online games) then you could drum up some dollars from folks like me that can't attend but that would love to participate in any capacity if given the opportunity.

However it works out, best of luck and I hope that y'all can pull it together and pull it off. I'd love to attend DragaeraCon 2019.

As a separate pitch - Anyone who lives within driving distance of the eclipse - You NEED to invest a day or two and put yourself in the path of totality. You may think you know all about eclipses because you've see documentary in science class or on PBS. I'm here to tell you that watching a film and imagining that you know an eclipse is like watching a documentary about how perfume is manufactured and imagining that you now know what the perfume smells like.

It's a bucket list item. 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Dragaera [mailto:dragaera-bounces at lists.dragaera.info] On Behalf Of
> Corwin Brust via Dragaera
> Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2017 3:44 PM
> To: dragaera at lists.dragaera.info
> Subject: [Dragaera] What 'cha do'n? (Nov 2017)
> 
> So, here’s an idea which I, myself, have thought of…
> 
> If this threatens to take over the list, I guess DDB or Felix or someone can
> bounce us to fetch our own subscribers, but, so y’allv’e had it first…
> 
> Let me know if you might be able to come, to help out, and all of your best
> most and most fun ideas for a Steven Brust focused convention, especially as
> may relate to test balloon for same in Minneapolis, Late Fall 2017.
> 
> For a number of years I’ve been discussing with various people the concept
> of creating an SF convention around Steven Brust/Dragaera/Vlad
> Taltos/etc/or so forth.  I now have a --somewhat long-shot-- plan to pull
> together such a thing.  It’s crazy --- isn’t that enough?
> 
> A one-year trial balloon, probably with a reg cap well under 500.
> More like 100.  Maybe 250?  I think 50 should be fine, in terms of pulling it
> off...
> 
> One pro, several fahn guests
> 
> Single track of programing designed by Steven
> 
> Music and gaming, we think.  Probably.
> 
> Food being kinda a thing, thinking fine-dining, Friday and Saturday evening
> maybe? Could potentially be a separate ticket, or something, we think,
> maybe?
> 
> Stream/record programing and music (and cooking?) for supporting
> members who can’t make it after all, people who missed the first year should
> it keep going, and so on.
> 
> THIS YEAR!
> 
> 
> VALDCON -November, 24th-25th, 2017 in Minneapolis?  What could go
> wrong?
> 
> ***
> 
> I still need lots of help pulling this plan together, so I might give up in the next
> several weeks if going public with the project doesn’t flush out people
> interested in helping make it happen.  I’ve been focused on keeping the
> commitments fairly modest for each of my hearties, but let’s not kid
> ourselves -- convention building a quite a job of work. A mighty Thank You
> out to those who’ve offered to help or soon will.
> 
> And then too, some sense that I would not go bankrupt if I signed an hotel
> contract would be good.
> 
> On that note, did I mention a have quite a number of SKZB related goodies
> just at the moment?  Another round of MSS, some first editions that could
> become signed first editions, posters, signed records that are starting to get
> difficult to find and also that Dad has said hang-out time with people is
> definitely top item on the menu if this manages to come about?
> 
> Which nearly brings me to the beauty of the all or nothing funding model,
> especially for creating a new fan convention.  Like many people, I’m
> interested in developing tools to make various complex and extremely fun
> things a bit easier and less risky.  To that end, by offering various types of
> convention membership opportunities to interested potential convention
> members **only if we get enough overall interest**, we can basically open a
> door for anyone who might be able to take the idea further to come charging
> in with light-bulb glowing and finger raised.
> 
> Finally, more best for last than last for least, Dad has talked with a few
> professional writers he allegedly knows, and who sound interested in doing a
> lecture series style set of talks with him.  This would include Emma Bull,
> Skyler White and Will Shetterly, would occur Thursday, Nov 23rd --the
> Thursday following Thanksgiving, and Steven’s actual birthday-- and would
> be a separately ticketed event supported out of the same fund-raising
> initiative.
> 
> Which fund-raising initiative is hereby declared potentially in season subject
> to our being shouted down by you, our peers in Steven’s fan base.
> 
> 
> To sum up --b/c fuck corporate america but hey, bullet-point lists!
> 
> - All or nothing flash-fundraising initiative to see if this idea/this year could
> happen
> - Coming soon to a social financing platform near you!
> - Lots of interesting things sitting around, here and there.
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance for your thoughts and all whatever support may befit and
> especially too for sticking with good 'ol dragaera.info, part of your low-key
> first-to-know network of internet services.
> 
> 
> --
> Corwin
> 612-217-1742
> 612-695-4276 (mobile)
> corwin.brust (skype)
> corwin at bru.st
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> Dragaera at lists.dragaera.info
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