To those of you familiar with the Linux and Free/Open Source community Think of a weekend long Linux Users Group meeting with hundreds of other geeks, which also just happens to have nationally acclaimed guests, a LAN party, its own wireless network, hotel room parties, lots of folks talking about Science Fiction and Fantasy, a place to buy cool t-shirts and buttons and such, amateur singing, anime, a costume contest, and free caffeine and snacks always available.
To those of you familiar with Science Fiction conventions Imagine all the convention features you know and love, with the
addition of wireless internet access, computer game tournaments, people who know
about online publishing / books on demand / digital art, a programming
track involving computing topics and another one focusing
on the crossover between Science Fiction and computing. Imagine seeing your favorite creative visionaries meet the innovators who are creating the future you read about in SF.
Tech Guest of Honor: Jono Bacon, Ubuntu Community Manager for Canonical
Tech Guest of Honor: Benjamin Mako Hill - Debian/GNU, MIT Media Lab, Free Software Foundation, Ubuntu, Wikimedia
Author Guest of Honor: Vernor Vinge, Multiple Hugo winning science fiction author, computing visionary
Author Guest of Honor: Tamora Pierce, fantasy author, co-founder of Sheroes Central
Webcomics Guest of Honor: Randall Munroe of xkcd Gaming Guest of Honor: Keith Baker, creator of Ebberon world for Dungeons and Dragons
Hack of Honor: The Giant Singing Tesla Coils
Well Ladies and gentlemen this Saturday 7pm there is a Smos in Wyandotte. For those who listen to the Smos cast you already know that. The party should have a little something for everyone. The meal portion consists of a taco bar, pot luck. Updated from Comments, Stolen from evilbitch316
There will be the following (all separate except the trays): taco beef nacho cheese vegetarian beans (I usually add Taco Bell Hot sauce to this. If a problem let me know and I won't add it.) corn chips and shells (plain chips not flavored at all) flour tortillas veggie toppings (lettuce, tomato, onion, bell peppers, olives) shredded cheese salsa (I usually buy Chuck and Dave's Mexican style Medium) Fruit and Veggie(/w ranch dip) trays (these all depend on what Block's has on sale)
If I am missing anything that you want or have special dietary needs, please bring it yourself. Also, I may make a desert if time permits. Suggestions?
If you have firewood or chairs please bring them as well, please. Also, we have 2 dogs. We will take all cleaning precautions to help the allergy blessed. Then as a last resort they have a kennel that they can stay in.
I don't know how you could have made it this far today without having seen the news of the excellent write-up Jay Maynard (aka The Tron Guy you have no doubt seen at Penguicon) received from City Pages. Its a great write-up with many photos and, as a bonus, a mention of Penguicon on the first page.
Hey folks, there's a new announcements and convention-operations blog for the Penguicon homepage. This gives you a couple of levels to choose from. You can submit an announcement or report to penguicon_news to go on the front of our public brochure site. Or you can use the existing penguicon lj group for forum-like discussions of general interest to Penguicon's community.
Such as the Hugo award winners who were just announced! Did you know the Best Fan Writer Hugo has gone to David Langford every year since 1989? There's a joke in the fandom community that it's the Hugo For The Best David Langford. This year, it did not go to David Langford (but don't cry for him, as his excellence has been well and truly awarded). It went to ( Read more... )
Hey, You... The one reading this. We want, we need Your Ideas. Penguicon is ran by is ran by you. Tell us what you want. Our costuming track last year, while fairly wide diverse, was a little light. You want a focus on subject such as furries, anime, horror let me know.. As always we will have our Masquerade, and some of the favorites will stay.
This year I really would like to get SFX make up demo setup. Other ideas that have been presented to me that I would love to see are: Zombie walk Steam punk workshop Drag show Costume building workshop (earlier saturday morning)
For that matter if anyone has an urge to volunteer to run these or any ideas please let me know. Either contact costuming or masquerade at penguicon.org Or penguicon.info event ideas.
Brent Bowmaster will be hosting our next SMOS Dinner, Sunday 8/10/08 at 5:00PM! He lives in the Waterford area (NW of Pontiac), please email me for his address. This is a pet-free house.
This will be a pot luck dinner! So if you can, please bring a dish to pass along! Brent will be providing the main course which is grilled chicken breast. Drinks are BYOW(hatever). Grill will also be open for those that don't want/like meat.!
You can park in the driveway, in the lawn and along the street, however those on the street can't park in front of either of his next-door neighbors. Please bring a lawn chair if you have one!
Please email me if you have any questions or if you are interested in hosting a SMOS dinner yourself!
Remember, the concom meeting at the Crowne Plaza in Romulus is Saturday of this week, August 9. The meeting begins at 2PM. The address is 8000 Merriman Road, Romulus, MI 48174. Afterward, a small group will take a tour of the hotel function space. Please suggest things we should put on the meeting agenda.
Brent Bowmaster will be hosting our next SMOS Dinner, Sunday 8/10/08 at 5:00PM! He lives in the Waterford area (NW of Pontiac), please email me for his address. This is a pet-free house.
This will be a pot luck dinner! So if you can, please bring a dish to pass along! Brent will be providing the main course which is grilled chicken breast. Drinks are BYOW(hatever). Grill will also be open for those that don't want/like meat.!
You can park in the driveway, in the lawn and along the street, however those on the street can't park in front of either of his next-door neighbors. Please bring a lawn chair if you have one!
Please email me if you have any questions or if you are interested in hosting a SMOS dinner yourself!
I do not have a victim....I mean host for the early August SMOS dinner. If you would like to volunteer, please email me at aaa.anderson at gmail.com asap.
The next scheduled SMOS dinner is the 23rd of August at Limey and Amy's house!
So I am hosting our next SMOS dinner!! It is today anytime after 2pm (dinner will be served around 5pm). I am located in New Baltimore.
The new beach just opened up down the street for swimming and we will be grilling hot dogs and chicken for dinner. Please bring a side dish to pass if you can and also a lawn chair if you have one.
We will be serving dinner, socializing, talking Penguicon 7.0 and playing games.
Please email me if you have any questions, need directions/address, or if you are interested in hosting a SMOSdinner yourself!
Penguicon 2008 episodes: Future episodes: Tobias Buckell and John Scalzi Episode 19, Matt Arnold and Vernor Vinge Episode 18, Jim Hines and Cherie Priest
There are also old episodes which you'll want to catch:
ConFusion 2008 episodes: Episode 13, Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld Episode 12, Tobias Buckell and Karl Lundgren
Penguicon 2007 episodes: Episode 6, Elizabeth Bear, Karl Schroeder and InZero Episode 5, Tobias Buckell and Nick Sagan Episode 4, John Scalzi and Brad Meltzer
ConFusion 2007 episodes: Episode 3, Tobias Buckell and Karl Schroeder Episode 2, John Scalzi
So what are your plans for Friday? If they don't include going to Dreamland Theater in Ypsilanti to watch a final run of the "Shoggoth on the Roof" musical that went over so well at Penguicon 6.0, you are in significant danger of missing the spectacle of the year, for the SECOND time!
That's right, the Penguicon crew and the Dreamland folks are getting together to do one final attempt at putting on the Shoggoth musical... hopefully this time we won't suffer from the same breakdowns as before... Andy is off the sauce, Matt's not responsible for making the slide show, Allison has been trained on the vibraphone, and I will be much more careful during my appearance (my injuries have entirely cleared up, thank you very much, as has Naia's ankle, Allison's toe, and Man of a Thousand Names' arm). Fire extinguishers, protective sheeting, and a padded safe zone have been prepared for this final showing.
It's just $7 for the show, to include a puppet themed art exhibition at 7, the show which starts promptly at 8PM, and a chance to chat with the cast afterward (assuming we aren't being rushed to the hospital again). We all hope to see you out there!
A new type of game is emerging to change the world through generating massive collaboration on problem-solving. Penguicon's Gaming Guest of Honor, Jane McGonigal, is at the forefront of this method. Her latest work is participating in the Ten-Year Forecast team at the Institute for the Future in the construction of a new Alternate Reality Game, "Superstruct". To borrow a term from Aaron Diaz of the webcomic Dresden Codak, I would call Superstruct an example of a Historical Preenactment Society! From the Superstruct FAQ Page:
Superstruct is the world’s first massively multiplayer forecasting game. By playing the game, you’ll help us chronicle the world of 2019--and imagine how we might solve the problems we'll face. Because this is about more than just envisioning the future. It’s about making the future, inventing new ways to organize the human race and augment our collective human potential.
Superstruct is played on forums, blogs, videos, wikis, and other familiar online spaces. We show you the world as it might look in 2019. You show us what it’s like to live there. Bring what you know and who you know, and we’ll all figure out how to make 2019 a world we want to live in.
The game starts September 22, 2008, and it will last for six weeks. Email superstruct@iftf.org now to receive an alert when Superstruct launches.
So I am hosting our next SMOS dinner!! The date is set for Sunday, July 20th anytime after 2pm (dinner will be served around 5pm). I am located in New Baltimore.
The new beach just opened up down the street for swimming and we will be grilling hot dogs, hamburgers, and chicken for dinner. Please bring a side dish to pass if you can.
We will be serving dinner, socializing, talking Penguicon 7.0 and playing games.
Please email me if you have any questions, need directions/address, or if you are interested in hosting a SMOSdinner yourself!
July 19, starting at 1pm going on through the night, we'll enjoy an in-ground pool, hot tub, an acre of land, food, spirits, and happiness. Please take time to come down to Monroe to celebrate being a part of Irene's and my life.
Basic Info:
When: July 19 1pm - Swimming and Socializing - Fruit, Dessert and Tiki Bar Open - Bring your swimsuit, your family and friends, and a dish to pass 6pm - Fire Up the Grill - Hot Dogs, Veggie Dogs and Sweet Potato Fries, *Email me a number of people for dinner* - OR Bring something to throw on the grill for your family Midnight - Bag and Grill Close -Please have a designated driver if you plan to indulge in my Tiki Torch Punch -Crash space is limited to those who plan ahead and let me know they need a place to stay. -Camping space is on a first come first serve basis, please plan as needed
Where: 4666 E. Dunbar Monroe, MI 48161
*This will sometimes not show up correctly on Google Maps so basically look for the signs out front and lots of cars in the driveway once you are on Dunbar.*
Who: EVERYONE!!! - This will be a family friendly environment during the day and turn a little more adult at sundown. Please be responsible for your children and keep an eye on them in the pool. There will be several adults around, so I'm sure we can all pay attention together, however, don't depend on others to watch your kids.
For more information email me back, or go to my party web site:
If you plan on being around for dinner, PLEASE give me a guess of the number of peeps with you. Overestimating is encouraged! Also, if you'd like to bring something to share, let me know what so I'll add it to the list. My family will be providing a dessert and fruit bar, and some grillables later in the day, but I will not be able to feed you if I don't know you're coming. My family was gracious enough to host this party, I can't send them out for more food once the Tiki Bar opens, if you know what I mean :)
Thank you all again for being a part of my life, I've grown so much by knowing all of you, new friends and old. I hope to see you all there!
The Third "Acorn Music and Verse" housefilk will be held this Saturday, July 12 from 1:00 pm into the evening at the Great Oak Cohousing Common House, 500 Little Lake Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. (Please park at the side of Little Lake Drive, and not in the parking lot - there is very limited parking available for residents).
This is the direct descendant of the "Fen and Filk" house sings at Glimmerglass house, and they are always a good time. Let me know ASAP if you need crashspace, so I can make sure there is space is available!
It's a fun, inviting get-together where you will always get a turn to sing, recite a poem, or ...? (and you can pass if you want), and new people are welcome and encouraged. :) You can show up any time during the event, and leave at any time. Our schedule is to arrive at 1:00, get singing by 2:00, break for pizza around 5:00, and then sing till usually 8:00-ish. Often there is a musical jam that continues well after the 'end' of the event, so feel free to stick around if you're interested!
It's a friendy, non-judgemental place to start singing, playing, or reciting in front of people, and a fine spot to test out your new songs. We welcome instrumental musicians and spoken word performance as well. There is a kid-friendly play room next to the dining hall where we play, and kid-friendly play equipment outside if the weather is nice.
There's a great Tom Smith Fundraiser album that's being put together by Rob Balder and DJ Particle and many others - I encourage you to check it out and help out this fine master filker and friend. :)
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