Worldcon 2018: San Jose

It's been a busy week and weekend! Been on the road again for the 76th World Science Fiction Convention in San Jose, CA.

Early morning flight (followed by a long flight) had my friend and I on the ground in San Jose by 2p.  Quick ride to the hotel, with an easy check-in, and then a quest for lunch (Indian!).  We picked up our registration packages and pretty much called it a day.  Like a said...it was a long flight.  Later, supper was Greek. 

Convention kicked off on Thursday afternoon.
Science: The Core of SF's Sense of Wonder
Many readers comer to science fiction for the jolt of wonder at imagining the clouds of Venus, the chromosphere of the sun, or the frigid surace of Pluto.  They want their breath taken away by the long scope of time of evolution and geology and the stars.  What is that sense of wonder experience and how do people feel it differently?  What science in science fiction most succeeds at getting to those feelings?  Our panel of writers and readers of scifi wax rhapsodic about science in science fiction.

Forgotten Victorian Fantasy Art
A vast number of terrific 19th century fantasy paintings are seldom or never seen.  Richard Hescox will show you obscure paintings by artists you now and many by artists you should know.

Then I caught a yoga class!

Supper was take out Hawaiian Poke.

Friday's panels consisted of:
Latinx?  Mexicanx?  Hispanic?  Do the words make a difference and why?
Why is "Mexicanx"  such an important term?  Do "Latinx" and "Hispanic" mean the same thing?  Is it useful to refer to people from two continents, an isthmus, and several islands using those adjectives?  Is a Tarahumara person from Mexico who speaks no Spanish and has no Europan ancestors "Hispanic"?  Looking into the future, will there still be "Latinx" people in 100 years? 1000 years?  Our experts will discuss these terms and their relevance?

Collaborators in Genre:  The Writer Calls on the Scientist
Sci-fi authors commonly take liberty with the reality of who the world actually works.  But how does the author gt the background knowledge to know what is and isn't possible and when to play fast and losse with the facts of real (and current) science.  

Join an author and a scientist consultant as they discuss t eh intersection between real science and science fiction, as well as the working relationship between an author and consulting expert.  

Then I caught a yoga class!  After which I got my panel room mixed up and missed the last part of the 1p panel I wanted to go to.

Lunch - Vietnom's  (that's the correct spelling)

Hubble Space Telescope: Humanities Most Important Tool Ever Invented?
We live in the Golden Age of astronomy and astrophysics, and one instrument has single-handled contributed the most to this revolution in our understanding of our Solar System, our Galaxy, and the Universe... NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. 

Beyond the Border I: What is happening to SF on the Other Side?
At the Golden Globes when asked how he balanced darkness and joy, Guilermo del Toro answered "Because I'm Mexican".  What does "being Mexican" mean within the context of science fiction?  What does writing in Spanish mean for its future?  There's movement on the other side of the border, a one-sided conversation where English-language SF is happening.  We want to expand it and bring it forward.  All over Latin America and Spain, Scifi is rising again.  We want to talk about what shapes it is taking, and how this viewpoint may be changing.  Is there a Latino-futurism?  What does it look like?

Anatomy of a Shoe
Bespoke shoemaker SunnyJim Morgan take you on a tour of what's on your feet.  Ever wondered what makes an Oxford different from a Derby?  How are high heels made?  We'll cover these topics as well as the parts of a shoe, different methods of construction, materials used, and some of the places you can learn more.

Dinner - Affinity Restaurant (Hilton's restaurant)

Friday night I signed up for this:

Bay Area Ghost Hunters Meet-up:  San Jose Ghost Tour
I've got mixed feeling about this tour.  Sign-up seemed a bit unorganized - I couldn't get the online Worldcon link to work so I signed up at the desk, which they didn't seem prepared for.  More people showed up than they could comfortably handle, and I admit I was surprised they didn't break the group into two (a "fast" group and a "slow" group).  Friday night city noise was a HUGE problem,  on top of airport's approach land with planes coming over every 5 minutes, AND a Bike Parade (that was just wild) and the group leaders voice just wasn't up to competing against so much.  . 

The tour itself covered quite a bit of the "historic" district of San Jose and quite a bit of history.  There were some ghostly things interspersed, one unfortunate kidnapping, and some family history by the group leader.  The tour also covered quite a bit of ground and at 9p I called it quits and headed back to the hotel on my own.

So...very mixed thoughts about this tour.

Saturday!
Tour: Silicon Valley Inner Loop
The Inner Loop tour of Silicon Valley will showcase our computing-related attractions in Santa Clara, San Jose, Cupertino and Sunnyvale.  We saw:

The Intel Museum
NASA Ames Visitor Center
location of the Byte Store
Steve's Job's parents house (the garage where Apple started!)
Apple Infinite Loop
Apple Park Visitor Center

Apple's HQ

Our tour guide was a real Tech Worker who has bought and sold property in Silicon Valley

A MOON Rock!!

This was a lot of fun.  We left the convention center at 1030a, playing road bingo.  The tour guide had the stops set up as a "history" of computers and technology, starting with Intel and moving into Apple, with one stop at NASA in the middle.  It was a long day, numerous stops, and as someone who was "there" for the rise of computers (I still remember the old IBM with the 5" floppy in our family room!) it was a neat nostalgic stroll.

Geek Identity, Policing, and Gate-keeping
What is Geek identity, Geek Policing, and Gate-keeping?  Why is it important when we're staying active and proud of our fandoms to not dip into policing and gate-keeping?  How do we bridge the ate-gap in SF/F and include younger generations?  We, all of us, nerds of all races, genders, orientations, and ages need to stop the gate-keeping and star building bridges. 

Dinner:  Il Fornaio (Italian)  in the historic Westin hotel.

Sunday's Panels:
A Horse is Not a Subcompact:  Getting Horses Right in Prose
Horses are beautiful, dangerous, and smart.  In fantasy fiction (and even some post-apocalyptic work) horses are at the center of the story providing transit, war mounts, and friends.  This panel of horse-loving writers will talk about the ins and outs of working with horses - because not all of us have the pleasure of riding, driving and working with them.

We Dressed those Girls: Subverting Tropes or Reinforcing the Status Quo? 
When Zack "let's subvert the trope of Hollywood objectifying women by objectifying women" Snyder directed the film Sucker Punch, he explained why the film focused on scantily clad young women imprisoned in a brothel from which they occasionally escape with monster weaponry to kill people and explode things.  "I didn't dress those girls in the costume.  The audience dressed those girls," he opined.  "They start out as cliches of feminine sexuality as made physical by what culture creates"  In this panel we ask: Who is responsible for what culture creates?  How difficult is it to actually subvert tropes, and how often do attempts to subvert ropes turn into reinforcements of the status quo?  When as creators and audience re we sabotaged by our unexamined pre-sets, and how do we dig out from under them?  Finally, under what circumstances can a narrative choice that may seem trivial or status quo become the biggest trope subverter of all?

Psychological and Psychiatric Aspects of a Manned Mission to Mars
As we progress on to Mars, the lessons learned from on-orbit space missions will help us plan ways of dealing with new psychosocial stressors that will affect crew members.  Dr Nick Kanas will review where we have been, where we are now, and where we are going.

Spy-fi: Science Fiction Thrillers
What happens when authors combine espionage themes with science fiction?  Our panel discusses the ins and outs of science fictional spy thrillers.

Judaism and the Roots of Science Fiction
The Hugos are named after Jewish inventor Hugo Gernsback, who coined the term "science fiction" and Judaism has had a big influence on the genre before and since  Jewish stories frequently explore diaspora, almost featuring it as a character or trait with space being the natural extension of that idea in everything from Star Trek to Spaceballs.  The ultimate displacement, if you will, but this time deliberately, purposely, to seek out new life, etc.  How does diaspora shape fiction?  What is the state of Israeli SF/F compared to Jewish SF/F in the US?

The Future of Urban Fantasy
Urban Fantasy has already changed the landscape of speculative fiction, and continues to rapidly evolve in the worlds of both traditional and independent publishing.  In this panel, experts on Urban Fantasy explore the current state of the genre, as well as the potential to shape the industry of the future.

Monday will have us on a very early flight back home.  Was it a good convention?  Yes.  Visited a new-to-me city, got a little history tour, some some interesting sights, talked to people from all over,  listened to some good panels, got lots of knitting in and a bit of reading. Worldcon will be off to Dublin for 2019, and probably New Zealand for 2020.  Right now it's looking like DC for 2021 and maybe Chicago (again) for 2022.  We'll see.  Lot's can happen between now and then.

Public Art in downtown San Jose

Minicon 53

And so it came to pass that Easter Weekend I found myself, for the 23rd year in a row, at Minicon.  Minicon 52 to be exact.

I'm still stuck on the fact I've been to 23 of these things.  Yaowza!

Four Guests of Honor:
Author - Jim C. Heins
Science - Brother Guy Consolmagno, Director of the Vatican Observatory
Fan - Mark Oshiro
Artist - Jeff Lee Johnson

This was a good year panel-wise.  I found myself engaged and interested in the con, rather than wandering around Minneapolis.  I went to three panels on Friday, five on Saturday, and Sunday headed home. 

Basic Astronomy -  was one of the panels where the title did not match what they discussed.  I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting (and I should know better than to have expectations going into these things), but not what I got.  They talked a lot about the forthcoming eclipse, the MN Amateur Astronomy society, the books the Stars and Turn Left at Orion, and how you don't need a telescope to enjoy the night sky, but if you want a telescope, start small and inexpensive. 



We Suck: the Importance of Failure - was hilarious, but again, not what I thought I was walking into.  I expected (there are those darn expectations again!) more of a serious discussion on screwing up, but it was the GoH's telling stories about where they humiliated themselves and thus, learned some humility.  



Life and Work in a Monarchy was delightful, though the room was so cold I couldn't get comfortable (the room with the stage and screen).  Brother Guy had a slide show of part of his life and adventures living at the Vatican and working at the observatory.  Facinating!



Amino Acids in Meteorites -  I never like to hear the panelist's going "I don't know what we're talking about" as they sit down, so I was a bit worried when the panel kicked off.  Brother Guy and another gentleman discussed science and the origins of life.  Some aspects were over my head, but overall, enjoyable. 



Turn Left at Orion - Not what I expected (SEE! Darn expectations.  Need to let them go...), thought I was getting something about stars.  This was Brother Guy talking about how the book by the same name came into existence, and how it continues to be a good resource for star gazing.  The book is now in my Amazon cart!

Interview with Jim Heins - much  more serious than I thought it would be, especially following the We Suck panel.  Jim talked about disabilities in fiction and in real life, including his own struggles with diabetes and depression.   I left with Things to Think About, such as romanticizing disabilities in fiction and what role does that play with reality.



Ask A Scientist - is roll of the dice.  Never know what's you're going to get. Premise is audience members ask the scientists questions and they answer them. Sometimes silly, sometimes not.  This was a not silly year.

Return to Jupiter - I realized about 15 minutes into Mr. Bill Higgin's presentation I was brain-dead.  His was panel #5 for the day and, unfortunately, it was information overload.  I usually enjoy his presentations and seek him out at conventions because he has slides, he is incredibly knowledgeable, and talks about really cool things in Space, buuuttt...at 4p in the afternoon after a full day, my poor brain just said, Nope. We're done.   I should have skipped a panel earlier in the day as a mental break.  Live and learn.  ((shrugg))    This was a slide show on the Juno exploratory space probe.


Overall a good weekend - I fit in three yoga classes, ate a two new restaurants, several good meals at some tried and true restaurants, and recharged the geek batteries for another year.    This will probably be my only scifi convention this year.  Worldcon is in Finland in 2017.  I'll be going in 2018 when it's in San Jose, CA. 

Worldcon 2016: Kansas City, MO

No recipe review this week!

I've been off in Kansas City, MO for the 74th World Science Fiction Convention: MidAmeriCon II!

Tuesday (Travel day) - I left Duluth bright and early...okay, it was early but not so bright out - at 5am.  Arrived in Hudson at 8.  Picked up the rental car and we were on our way!  Ten hours later we arrived in Kansas City with only a modicom of rush hour traffic to contend with.  Once we checked in, we attempted to register and found there was a snafu - we weren't in the system. At all.  Not cool.   Luckily, both of us saved our registration slips and were able to show proof of payment.

Wednesday - Kansas City Zoo!   This was a pretty amazing zoo, with walking paths, a sky-gondola, pontoon boat, and train.  We spent about 3 1/2 hours wandering around.  In 95* heat and humidity.  It was...toasty.   A very late lunch at LC's Barbeque.  Folks, Kansas City BBQ doesn't get much better than this.  Smokey, moist, filling...yup.  Da bomb!   (In interest of full disclosure, my traveling companion didn't like it at all.)

Gorilla at the Kansas City Zoo - some days ya just gotta kick back and relax.

I finished the day with an Led Primary class (Ashtanga sequence) at Maya Yoga Studios.  It was, simply, awesome. 

Power and Light District

Thursday
Let the convention begin!  Off to the panels:

Reviewing the Reviews  The internet makes it easy to find reviews of just about any book published.  How do you find reviews of value, that offer depth and analysis?  Which review sites are better than others?   Nuts and bolts of panel - it all depends...

The Future of Forensics Experts discuss what is current in the methods and technology of analyzing scientific evidence, and suggest where it might go next.   Nuts and bolts - life isn't CSI, and forensics in space or on a planet is going to be challenging.

As You Know, Bob...the Fine Art of Exposition  Exposition is writers giving readers information they need to understand a story.  Is it possible to convey the necessary but not at the expense of the enjoyable?  We try not to lecture.   Nuts and bolts - It's important to establish world setting, but don't bore the hell out of your readers.

The Year in Astronomy  Join us for a lively roundup of the latest research and discoveries from the final frontier.   Discussed gravitational waves, black holes, Tessa's Star, pluto, and some odds and ends.

Business Planning for Writers  You've sold your first novel (or not) and now have o figure out how to make a living as a writer.  Budget, incorporations, taxes.  A guide to planning the business aspect of your career.   Nuts and bolts - don't quit your day job until you have some money in the bank, pay your taxes, read the fine print on the contracts, pay your taxes, use the resources around you (accountants, agents, lawyers, etc).

Whimsy

Friday 
Oceans: The Wettest Frontiers  Although science fiction tends to focus on strange environments, there are also strange environments (with aliens) here on Earth.  Discus fiction set in oceans - on Earth and elsewhere.  Nuts and bolts - a water environment offers its own sets of challenges and strange creatures.

Yoga class - "Ashtanga Power Hour" at Maya Studios.  Whee!

Feminism in Science Fiction: When it changed  Susan Wood's "Women and Science Fiction" panel at MidAmeriCon (Big Mac) in 1976 was the first of its kind.  Women from Big Mac discuss the session, the changes that came from it and where we are today.  Nuts and bolts - Historical look at women standing up and saying "I have a Voice" in the scifi world and what it means today.

Forgotten Masterpieces of 19th Century Fantasy Art  Discover the rich and wonderful world of fantastic art from the 19th Century with award winning artists Richard Hescox.  Nuts and bolts - A look non-mainstream scifi art that depicts aspects of fantasy.

The Joy of Cookbooks  Nigella Lawson has said that if a cookbook has one amazing recipe you return to again and again, it is a keeper.  What is it about them that make cookbooks so addictive to collect and how many do you really use.  Nuts and bolts - a discussion about cooking as cultural cohesion.

Dwarf Planets and Beyond the Kuiper Belt Automated space craft have finally visited Ceres and Pluto.  What are the high points of what we've learned.  What are the implications for the settlement of the solar system and beyond?  Nuts and bolts - discussion about Pluto, Charon, Ceres, Vespa, space missions, asteroids, and technology.

Saturday
Yoga class - "Led Primary Series"   Whee!  Got a bit warm and humid in the room tho...

Bogus Science in TV Shows TV procedurals like Numbers, CSI and Scorpion use fake science to solve their cases.  We discuss the implication of this and how it could be different with real science.
Nuts and bolts - that about sums it up.

This Year in Bad Science  A discussion about pseudoscience and poorly conducted research that has been doing the rounds the last year.   Nuts and bolts - combination of bad science and even worse reporting.  Ie - Study about farts preventing cancer.  Bad reporting. 

Know Your Immune System  A biology lesson for all ages.   Nuts and bolts - a discussion of what your immune system is and how it works, or doesn't.

Medical Myths and Errors in SF  Medical errors in SF.  Nuts and bolts - where the author got it wrong.  John Wayne getting stabbed/shot in the shoulder; Arya Stark getting stabbed in the gut; character walking out of Louisiana Swamp with a broken femur, then hiking to California.

And, we met up with high school friend Jeff!    He took us to The Bricks, a great little hole-in-the-wall.  Very cool to catch up after so long.

Astronaut Stan Love presenting - Mars is Hard

Sunday
Two Suns in the Sky  Come learn the latest about multiple star systems, their planets and what they've taught us about the rest of the universe.  Nuts and bolts - Kepler and exoplanets.

Mars is Hard Astronaut Stan Love discusses why Mars is hard to get to, land on and build a livable space on.   Nuts and bolts - 1) Low earth orbit  2) The Moon  3) Mars is a very long way away...

Terra-forming for Climate Change  What can we do in terms of really big engineering projects to change or adapt to what looks like a hot, wet, stormy future?   Nuts and bolts - stop creating excess CO2, get rid of extra CO2, beef up vulnerable systems, reflect sunlight back into space.

The State of Feminist Fantasy  Panelists discuss whether there is a difference viewing feminism through a fantasy lens, and whether there are fantasy feminist equivalents to Russ, Tiptree and Butler.  Nuts and bolts - It is the individual who decides if a work is feminist or not.

Can Scifi be too Hard?  Is it possible  that there can be too much science in Hard Science Fiction?  Nuts and bolts - It can be too hard for some readers, and not hard enough for others. 

Kaufmann Center for the Performing Arts

Restaurants we visited:
LC's Barbecue
BRGR
Yard House
The Brick (I had a burger!) 
Flying Saucer

Worldcon 2015: Spokane WA

The 2015 World Science Fiction Convention, held in Spokane, WA, has come and gone.  My friend and I made the Great Road Trip from (Duluth) Minneapolis to Spokane and back, enjoying such sites as the plains of North Dakota, driving through Theodore Roosevelt National Park, along the Yellowstone and Clark Fork Rivers, and the mountains of western Montana and Idaho.  Granted, this was all viewed from the seat of our rental car, but it was things we would have missed if we had flown.

The convention itself was one of the most enjoyable con's I have been too:  situated right along the Spokane River, we had maybe a half mile walk to the convention center from our hotel.  The convention center itself was an eclectic group of buildings, which worried me at first about getting from one end to the other, but it was easy enough to figure out the rooms and the convention center staff were incredibly helpful in pointing me in the right direction.

We arrived late Tuesday Evening, and took some time Wednesday morning to run up to the large cat sanctuary: Cat Tales Zoo    We buzzed back to our hotel where I went off to a yoga class and later to the convention!  Here's a list of what I attended:

Wednesday:
Opening Ceremonies
Accounts and History of the Spokane Tribe
Legends and Lore of the Inland Northwest

Thursday:
Thursday morning my friend and I went to the most amazing yarn store!  Paradise Fibers  Yarn! Yarn and more yarn!  Weaving! Spinning!  A whole wall covered in different kinds of needles!  The staff was incredibly friendly, helping to point out local yarns and chatting while winding my yarn into cakes.  It was truly a unique experience for me.  We were told during our visit that Paradise Fibers has a very robust online sales presence - something I will probably take advantage of down the line!

And then it was back to the convention for these panels: 
Guided Tour of the Art Show
Stories of the Spokane Tribe
The Past, Present, and Future of Military SF
What's new in Astronomy (left early)
The Changing Face of Hard SF

Sometime mid afternoon on Thursday I had an hour of downtime went and took a gondola ride over the Spokane Falls then walked around their river walk. I captured some interesting waterfall pictures, sculptures, and a watched an active carousel.

View of Spokane River below the falls from the gondola

Spokane Falls and Washington Powerworks Building

A garbage eating goat!  You push a button, then put something like a piece of paper by his mouth and whoosh!  It's gone!

Artwork on the Riverwalk. 

Which was a good thing because by Friday afternoon the air quality was so bad from the forest fires the City of Spokane was issuing hazardous air quality alerts.   I head from a local that this was the worst it had been since Mt. St. Helen's blew up in 1980.

Smoke haze from the fires in Washington.

Friday:
Urban Fantasy as Modern Fairy Tale
Hidden Diversity in Classic SF
Classic SF You Should Read
Infamous Bad Book Covers
Adapting the Human Body for Low Gravity
What's New from Ace/Roc

Saturday:
Dawn of the Asteroid Belt: Exploring Ceres and Vesta
Vonda McIntyre's Dreamsnake
Fantasy and Supernatural Noir
Geology of Spokane

New Space Opera
Near Event Horizon's and Black Holes

The air cleared up again on Saturday so I got out for another river walk.

Spokane River below the falls.

Spokane Falls

Artwork on the Riverwalk

Sunday and Monday we were on the road again, putting on some miles in order to get the rental car back on time.  

I thought the programming was outstanding this year.  More often than not there were several things I wanted to go to in any given block of time.  And the variety was really good - I could bounce from a session on the history of the Spokane Indians, to astronomy, to a panel on an aspect of literature, to what's new from a publisher...and I'm only touching on those items that were interesting to me.  There were a plethora of steampunk panels, science panels, writing panels, gaming, costuming and more.

There was heap loads of drama surrounding the 2015 Hugo Nominations and Awards, but really, "they" can take the drama and stuff it.  If you're curious, google 2015 Hugos and Sad Puppies.  But really, it's not worth your time.

Next year will find us traveling to Kansas City for Worldcon 2016: MidAmerica Con!

Recipe Review from 3/30/15, Minicon 50, Remodel Update

Busy busy week last week!   If you are just tuning in and/or catching up, the Husband and I have temporarily packed up and moved out of our little (and I do mean little) farmhouse for a kitchen remodel.  It was the contractor's first week - carpeting has been removed (yay! grossness out!), a half wall dis-mantled, counter tops gone, cabinets gone, first layer of wall exposed (between whatever was on top and whatever is underneath.  I might be missing a couple things, but that's the gist of it.  (Pictures are posted at the bottom). 

Then, Thursday through Friday I was at Minicon 50! This was my 21st Minicon (consecutive).  Wow...where has the time gone?  Guests of Honor included Larry Niven, Brandon Sanderson, Jane Yolen, Michael Whelan, Tom Doherty, and Adam Stemple.  A full line-up of veritable celebrities!   Overall, it was a fairly quiet convention for me.  I had a hard time finding panels that engaged me or kept my interest. The exception being  Michael Whelan's slide show - I could have listened to him for another hour beyond what he was able to give the group.  LOVE his work. 

And, recipes, yes.  I had some...maybe just one?

The Meal Plan:
Mon (yoga) leftover shredded pork
Tues - Quick Chicken Curry
Wed (AM yoga) Quick Chicken Curry
Thurs - Friday (MINICON!) slow cooked "Hunter's Stew"

Quick Chicken Curry (Ckng Lght March, 2015)  gluten free
This was indeed quick.  I did two substitutions - one because I had no idea where the cornstarch was - used flour instead - and I subbed chicken tenders instead of breasts.  Smaller and didn't have to cut up.   I did lose my fresh garlic in the move, so I added some powdered ginger to the flour mixture instead.  Not the same, but more of a flavor bump than anything.  I also added a yellow pepper to the snowpeas and onion mixture for a bit of color and flavor. 

I did not think this was a spicy dish, more flavorful than anything.  Serving saucy mix over rice was perfect - a great way to catch all the yummy goodness. 

This made 2 meals for two of us.  Recommended.

1 tablespoon cornstarch

photo from cookinglight.com

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

5 teaspoons canola oil, divided

2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup vertically sliced yellow onion 

1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced 

1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed

1/4 cup water

1 cup light coconut milk

1 tablespoon red curry paste

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cups cooked brown rice  

1 hot red chile (such as jalapeño or Fresno), stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced lengthwise

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1. Combine cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and chicken in a medium bowl; toss to coat.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring after 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; stir-fry 30 seconds. Place mixture on a plate; keep warm. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add snow peas and 1/4 cup water; stir-fry 1 minute or until water evaporates. Stir in milk and curry paste. Return chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat; stir in juice and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve curry over rice; top evenly with chile and cilantro.

END OF WEEK 1 DEMOLITION PICS

Debris in the living room. It's coming apart!

Half wall is gone!  Nozzle was where stove sat.

Starting to expose some interior walls in the kitchen

Just another view of interior walls in the kitchen

View from entryway looking at kitchen wall.

Minicon 2014: Pirates and Airships

Or, also known as Mincon 49. 

This would make number 20(!) for me!  I can't believe I've been to that many.  Wow. 

This year's motto was Pirates and Airships - blending the scifi theme with the guest artists passion for pirates (Arrr!).  Don Maitz did the original Captain Morgan logo (not the new one) - how cool is that!

I had some initial trepidation about this programming, but I ended up finding more to go to than I initially anticipated, didn't get to some panels that I wanted to see,  and had a very relaxing and enjoyable convention.  

Friday:
Slide Show: Pirates by Don Maitz   (Artist GoH)   Explore the art of Don Maitz and his work surrounding the swashbuckler. What was the inspiration for these works?

Opening Ceremony

Saturday:
Why Fairy Tales are for Adults Again  Fairy tales survive by adapting across culture and history, and don't belong only to children. Their themes and tropes can be found in "adults only" media like Game of Thrones, True Blood, and Once Upon a Time. Fairy tales have been used by parents to establish a moral compass by "scaring children into good behavior;" how can this type of storytelling be used to examine cultural anxieties or to benefit adults as well?

 Local References in Urban Fantasy  Minneapolis and Minnesota feature in several literary works. What about our culture, our climate, and our geography makes for interesting stories? How does an author use location to engage the reader?

History of Prester John  From the 12th to 17th centuries, the legends of priest-king Prester John were popular in Europe. The story captured the imagination of Europeans, who translated it into many languages and embellished upon the original story. What made this story go viral (by medieval standards)? How did the legend influence exploration, European expansion, and exploitation? Cat Valente has written two Prester John novels, The Habitation of the Blessed and The Folded World, with a third novel forthcoming (hopefully). She has also uploaded a YouTube video, Prester John: International Man of Mystery, explaining the history of the medieval legend of Prester John, as told by action figures.

2014 Hugo Nominations -  Broadcast LIVE! at Minicon, the 2014 Hugo Shortlist Nominations and the 1939 Retro Hugo Award Nominations. 

SFSqueecast   Guest of Honor Catherynne M. Valente, Elizabeth Bear, Michael Thomas and Lynne Thomas bring the legendary SF Squeecast to Minicon    Stay tuned for the live podcast from this panel!  It should be a hoot.  There was whiskey involved.  

Dinner was at The Eat Shop in Plymouth.  A 20 minute drive from Bloomington, but well worth the trip.  A nice selection of local beers on tap, nice ambiance, and a good menu selection.  We got there early and had the place to ourselves.  Recommended!


Sunday
I didn't attend any panels on Sunday, but I did hone my new cribbage skills and fit in a Corepower yoga class!  Not really scifi related, but a great way to top of my weekend.   

The one downside to the weekend was finding out my fellow book group member and long standing Minicon icon (he was there for all but the first Minicon), Blue (aka, Louis Fallert) had passed away in February.  May he rest in peace. 

Worldcon 2013: San Antonio

You all can go to Hell, I shall go to Texas.  David Crockett

Labor Day weekend found me on another Grand Adventure!  This time to San Antonio, TX, for the 71st World Science Fiction Convention.  My friend and I made a road trip of it, spending two days on each end driving through the heart of the states.  For myself, I got to travel close to the entire distance of Interstate 35, which starts in Duluth and ends at the Gulf of Mexico.  Didn't make to to the Gulf, but darn close in my opinion!  Very cool.

I'll leave out the very long drive and just say I saw some very interesting things like the Flint Hills of Kansas,  Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma, Kansas City at night, part of the Mormon trail, longhorn cattle, buffalo, nice waysides, not so good waysides, and some others that are eluding my sleep deprived brain right now.

We arrived in San Antonio late afternoon on Wednesday, checked into the hotel, got our convention information, and went in quest of dinner.  The convention center and hotel were located right on San Antonio's famous Riverwalk and I spent nearly every non-convention moment outside enjoying this great resource. 

Riverwalk in the morning before the weekend crowds.

Thursday morning before it got too warm (warm being 80*F/26*C at 930am) we did a lengthy walk around the Riverwalk in the immediate area, then went and toured the Alamo before heading off to convention panels.

The Alamo at night.

Thursday I attended:
Fantastic London.  London has inspired many fantasy writers and continues to do so.  What is it that intrigues us?
What Makes a Review Great?  Many of us rely on reviews to point us at new authors and new and interesting work from people whose work we know. What makes a review useful, entertaining, or great?  Who is reviewing different from criticism, and where should be go to find the the best of each? 
Self Promotion: Everything You Know About It is Wrong. Done properly, self-promotion is an important part of building a career.  Poorly excecuted, self promotion can do more harm than good.  How is the conventional wisdom wrong?  What are the more advisable but underrated neglected approaches. 

AND!  Best of all!  A GHOST TOUR!  Sisters Grimm Ghost Tours of San Antonio do a walking tour of the historic and haunted buildings of downtown San Antonio.  While the group was rather large (upwards of 50 people), it was still well done and interesting.

San Fernando Cathedral.  Haunted! 

Friday I attended:
Knitters Group.  Self explanatory. 
The History of Texas.  An overview of the history of the great state of Texas. We learn what makes it unique within the history of the US, Mexico and the world at large.  
Klingon Language Lecture.  Dr. Lawrence Schoen may be a Hugo and Nebula nominated author, but he's also the founder and director of the Klingon Language Institute, where for more than 20 years he's been promoting the warrior's tongue around the globe.  
Ravelry Meetup.  More knitting. 
The Romance of Military SF. What draws and attracts readers to military SF?  Is it the romance? The sound of laser blasting?  We hear discussion from several purveyors and enthusiasts of the subgenre. 

Friday we discovered the very under utilized indoor/outdoor pool on the seventh floor of the hotel.  Nice way to unwind after a busy day.

Saturday I attended:
History of San Antonio.  A general overview of the history of San Antonio, including it's most famous landmark, The Alamo. 

Then I went for a walk and browsed the craft vendors set up along the Riverwalk. 


SFF South of the (US) Border:  Mexican SF and Fantastic Fiction.  Bruce Sterling wrote "Mexican SF is intensely fantastic, but it's not very sci-fi.   It's a New World science fiction without the stabilizing presence of engineers and American gadget magazines.  Explore what's going on south of the Rio Grande and see how it lines up with this assessment. 
Novels You Should Have Read since Chicon 7 (Chicago Worldcon).
Famous Last Stands: The Alamo, Masada and Thermopylae. The Alamo is one of the most famous historic memorials in the US. How does the battle here compare with similar past events.  How did these events change history?  Could it have been avoided?  Should it have been avoided?
Space Opera: More than Mind Candy?  After our panelists finish defining Space Opera and their favorites, we get down to the brass tacks:  is it just entertainment?  Can it have predictive value?  Discuss socially relevant issues?  What gems are often overlooked?  What about this subgenre is so inspiring or even aspirational? 

Sunday:
I was going to participate in a "Walk with the Authors" to the Alamo, but upon finding another group of 50+, I bailed and did the San Antonio Trolly Tour.  Wish I had done that earlier.

One of four Missions found in the San Antonio area.

But is it Science Fiction?  Why do some reviewers, authors and academics seem to confuse the sub-genre of space opera with the entire field of SF?  What do mainstream authors miss when the write SF without being aware of what's already been written? How can SF authors gain credibility in winder literary circles, or is it even important to do so?
Space is Really the Old West. Wagon train to the stars is a familiar trope in SF.  Immense distances of space form obstacles and difficulties analogous to those encountered by settlers as they crossed and colonized the continent.  Is space any different? 
Consider Iain M. Banks.  Writer or SF and especially space opera.  Did he build a utopia you'd want to live in?  He set out to "reclaim space opera". Did he succeed?  
Almost Nominated.  We all know who made the Hugo Nominee list this eyar.  But what about those who were just a few points shy of the list?  

 Then I went for another walk about the Riverwalk.  Hard to stay inside when it's 90*/28* and sunny!

We skipped sitting through the Hugo Awards this year and opted for a swim instead.  We chose wisely.  

And Monday we were on the road again by 7am for the return journey home.  First nights destination was North of Kansas City.  Tuesday I was back in Duluth by 700pm.  Lotta miles in those two days!

Great trip, would love to go back to San Antonio as a tourist.  The next Worldcon will be Spokane in 2015! 

Ya'll come back now! 

Minicon 2013

Minicon weekend!  Minicon 48 to be exact.  Held once again in Bloomington at the Radisson/Sheraton/DoubleTree Hotel - which the convention re-named the RadiShTree.  Hehe!


Guest of Honor was Julie Czerneda.  I thought she was a fabulous GoH - fun, bubbly, entertaining, enthusiastic, outgoing, engaging.  I did regret not signing up for "Breakfast with Julie" - I brainfarted the opportunity then it was too late.  Alas.

Panels I attended this year included:
O, Canada! - was a discussion on how Canada is different from the States.  Since I live 150 miles from the Canadian border, nothing I didn't already know.  I was hoping for someone to bring up Canadian authors, but I left before that could develop. 

The Hero(ine's) Journey - how a woman's quest is different than a man's from the beginning to the end. 

The Year in SF - a major dud.  Ended up being one panelists discourse on how students aren't reading anymore.  Not sure how that relates to books in 2012.  I think the panel member's need to be canned and replaced. 

Wait, What Do you Mean Pluto's Not a Planet - a panel of five dominated by one fellow who left three hours of notes at home for a one hour panel, yet he managed to ramble on about the Cuniper system for a half hour anyway.  Moderately interesting.

GOH Interview: Julie Czerneda - best panel hands down.  Love listening to her.

Community in the Info Age - point was lost.  I knitted.

Striking a Pose - a discussion of Jim C. Hein's popular blog of the unrealistic poses artists put women into on the covers of books.  Decent slide show, annoying audience.

My friend and I did find ourselves with several hours of downtime over the noon hour on Saturday so we popped up to 50th and France in Edina and hit a clothing store and a kitchen store before lunch at the extremely busy (note to self...) Edina Grill.  A cupcake from the Cupcake Shoppe across the street topped off the excursion. 

Sunday's panels didn't enthuse my friend or myself so we called it a weekend and parted ways at 1130am.

The BIG EVENT was the live announcement of the 2013 Hugo Nominees.  (Full listing can be found here):

BEST NOVEL

• Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed (DAW; Gollancz ’13)
• Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance, Lois McMaster Bujold (Baen)
• Blackout, Mira Grant (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• 2312, Kim Stanley Robinson (Orbit US; Orbit UK)
• Redshirts, John Scalzi (Tor; Gollancz)

BEST NOVELLA

• On a Red Station, Drifting, Aliette de Bodard (Immersion)
• San Diego 2014: The Last Stand of the California Browncoats, Mira Grant (Orbit Short Fiction)
• ‘‘The Stars Do Not Lie’’, Jay Lake (Asimov’s 10-11/12)
• After the Fall, Before the Fall, During the Fall, Nancy Kress (Tachyon)
• The Emperor’s Soul, Brandon Sanderson (Tachyon)

BEST NOVELETTE

• ‘‘The Girl-Thing Who Went Out for Sushi’’, Pat Cadigan (Edge of Infinity)
• ‘‘In Sea-Salt Tears’’, Seanan McGuire (Self-published)
• ‘‘Rat-Catcher’’, Seanan McGuire (A Fantasy Medley 2)
• ‘‘The Boy Who Cast No Shadow’’, Thomas Olde Heuvelt (Postscripts 26/27: Unfit For Eden)
• ‘‘Fade to White’’, Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld 8/12)

BEST SHORT STORY

• ‘‘Immersion’’, Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld 6/12)
• ‘‘Mantis Wives’’, Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld 8/12)
• ‘‘Mono no Aware’’, Ken Liu (The Future Is Japanese)

Chicon: Worldcon 2012

Worldcon 2012: Chicago, IL.   Aug 29-Sept 3.

This is my sixth Worldcon and I can safely say, definitely in my top three....perhaps even number one.  I need to let the trip gel a bit before finally deciding.

2000 - Chicago, IL
2004 - Boston, MA
2008 - Denver, CO
2009 - Montreal, Canada
2011 - Reno, NV
2012 - Chicago, IL

My friend and I met at O'Hare airport on Wednesday where our adventures began.  We took the train from the airport to downtown, where you climb from subterranean depths to the surface much like a jet-lagged mole, disorientated and blinking, only to stagger out onto the street underneath Chicago's famous "L" line and towering skyscrapers.  Completing the lack of orientation to where anything is or in what direction you should go.  A friendly local got us pointed in the right direction and we trotted off to the Hyatt hotel, right on the Chicago River. 

Since the convention didn't start until Thursday, and we had plenty of daylight left, exploring was first order of the afternoon.  We headed off to Millennium Park and its numerous gardens, the famous reflecting Jelly Bean, and the fountain made famous in the 1980's TV show Married with Children. 

Thursday morning we signed up for an Architechtural Boat Tour on the Chicago River; 90 minutes of slowly cruising the turbid waters while looking ever upward at a fantastic history of Chicago as seen through its buildings.  Then it was off to the convention! 

Panels of Note:
Thursday
Sometimes Things go Wrong in Space     yes, yes, they do.  A discussion of things that have gone wrong on many many space missions.
GoH Reading: Mike Resnick

Friday
Hubble Space Telescope  Images from the Hubble.  AWESOME
End of the Space Shuttle Era    Really, it's all I've ever known....
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein   A discussion of Frankenstein.  Very good.
Exoplanets, Exobiology, Extensions of SF    Brain was starting to shut down at this point.  Was good, but I was tired and losing interest.
And the Alder Planetarium   which would have been even better with about 500 less people!  Since this was a free event for the con (except for the $5.00 to pay for the movie), it was packed. 

Saturday
The Lives and Deaths of Stars    MORE images from the Hubble and its sisters.  AWESOME!!
The Art of the Cover Pose   this was hilarious.  Check out Jim C. Heins website on the inspiration for this panel:  Jim Heins Strikes a Pose
Extrasolar Planets
Curiosity: The Mars Science Laboratory
Best New SF&F Authors of the 21st Century   much to my satisfaction, I've read quite a bit of the authors mentioned, but did come away with a few new names.  

Sunday
Galaxies, The Universe  MORE images from the Hubble and its sisters  AWESOME!!!
Ceres, Our Nearest "Dwarf" Planet
Guest Astronaut Interview:  Story Musgrave   Omg!  Go read his autobiography NOW! 
Future Worldcons Strut Their Stuff   San Antonio 2013, London 2014, (up for bids) Helsinki, Orlando, Spokane 2015
Hugo Award Ceremony

Monday
Travel


So, a plethora of great programing to choose from.  If anything, it was a bit overwhelming and I felt a strong urge to clone myself so I could be in more than one spot at the same time.  I did lean heavily toward the science panels this go around.  The presenter for the Hubble panels (Christan Ready) was a great presenter and really, who doesn't enjoy a  slide show from the depths of space? 

Okay, so far all I've done is gush about the convention, but I'll touch on a couple of less than stellar aspects too: 
Elevators.  5000 people using 6 elevators.  You do the math.  Kudo's to the hotel staff/security for making this a smooth as possible endeavor.

Consuite.  Again, my thanks to the volunteers who tried, but the consuite was found to be lacking.  It was smelly, often in need of cleaning, empty bins when I did swing through a couple of times, unhygienic, and, in my humble opinion, should not be set up to feed a convention. 

Hugo Award Ceremony.  One of the Big Events that I look forward too, and while Chicon did make an attempt to shorten this (much appreciated), it was still 2 1/2 hours long, in a stuffed auditorium.  People were three deep along the walls.  I would have preferred to have watched this via hotel TV from my room, in my jammies, like they did in 2000, rather than making a mad dash during the last "thank-yous" for the doors and 6 elevators. 

Chicago's restaurants.  We ate at a different place just about every day (breakfast being the exception).  I can honestly say no particular meal was a "shout out".   Lots of just mediocre dinners.  Disappointing for the area. 

Next on deck: San Antonio, 2013!

My ever present traveling companions, the Pirate Ducs!