WorldCon 2016 Day 3: It just gets better...
Con continues to be a good time. Did some (belated) map scouting, found a little coffee bar a block "wrong way" from the convention center for breakfast. Kaldi's Coffee, for those interested. A bit hip, but good bagels, the right amount of cream cheese, and Kuan Yin tea they even steep at the right temp. Happy traveler, me. Not that yesterday's "we only have coffee" and not-the-bagel-I expected meal was bad, exactly, but this was better and inexpensive. Delightful way to start a workday.Bonus: Obi Wan Kenovi ate breakfast there too. He was busy eating (and had on his reading glasses) so I didn't ask for a pic, but wow. Spitting image cosplay.I went to another panel! This one was on futurism. Some quotable quotes: Cyberspace is where you are when you're talking on the phone. Started as metaphor became inspiration for real VR. Another quote: the future is already here. It just isn't equally distributed. (Both attributed to William Gibson) and "Anyone can predict the automobile, the trick is imagining the traffic jam...or the sexual revolution." I missed who that one came from, but basically it was about the trickiness of dreaming up the secondary and tertiary effects of a tech advance, and that the possibilities are nearly impossible to extrapolate accurately fter 5-10 years.Which led to discussion of whether speculation needs to be accurate or only relevant, and also how culture, socio-economic pressures, and basic human nature also affect adoption of changes. It would be worthy of a post in itself. And may become one, once I have Real Computer Access again.Have I mentioned how different this con feels from even the few other SFF conventions I've attended? The happy vibe is the same. Other factors...very different. Room parties are on the same main con exhibition floor as the dealer's area. The "con suite" hospitality area is on the same floor too, as are the "party rooms" and other con regular features like local organization tables, and the "where to hold WorldCon next" candidate displays/tables/areas. There's also something called NASFIC. North American Speculative Fiction. That's another con vying for locations. ANYway. It's inhabiting an odd middle ground between a big convention center expo convention and a fits-in-one-hotel-or-two convention.And I'm not seeing as many kids as I'm used to seeing. Maybe tomorrow. Saturday and all. Rest assured. i will report...although perhaps on Sunday. What with THE HUGO AWARDS BEING TOMORROW NIGHT. Ahem. Interesting side note: other than mentions of a couple of panelists being finalists, I haven't heard much talk about the awards at all. Granted I am not online much, but I'd expected some speculation or commentary--especially goven the finalists list. (Look it up. Google 2015 Hugo Awards Finalists.) but nope.I had dinner with the booth crew from Wordfire, which experience etched in stone my already-belief taht they are an incredible group of smart, creative, smart, savvy, and above all fascinating people. Then I went to a huge party in a loud room FULL of people and mingled. Sort of. In a me way. I do not think I embarrassed myself. Met some fine folk. Exchanged wordsa. Handed out a couple of business cards on request and requested some in return. You may now be proud of me. I am.Lastly I hung out with some of Wordfire Press authors in a quieter bar where I listened to hilarious stories and also to serious ones. I remain mildly/temporarily deaf from the Big Party-- and tired--but am super excited for tomorrow. Today if I wish to be precise, but I son't, because if I think of it as tomorrow, I will feel I had more sleep. True story.The day's random pics:
1. a shot of the unused side of the building in the hotel tower where I'm staying. It's bizarrely empty. The whole place looks like a hotel taken over by Marriott, which promptly exported all the modern admin over to the other building. I can see why. Historic architecture and efficient modern electronics often don't mix well. It's gorgeous, though.2. Life-size cut out at the top of the elevator = funny because it reminds me of a scary Sopranos one Borders in Mount Prospect had at the top oc the stairs.3. Guy in balloon hat? GUY IN BALLOON HAT!!!4. Stepstool I want remember so I can buy one.
