vegeta70

Funny thing about it is, it comes early this year! And only a week after Shore Leave in Hunt Valley; oh well, at least I don't Staff that one!

I don't think it's so much we're against people hugging, we just had to ban the "Will Glomp for..." signs. Along with signs in general. Apparently Baltimore considers it "solicitation". And glomping people w/o permission is frowned upon. That's how I understand it, at least. Any other Staffer with better info, please chime in.

It's possible there will be something else to do thursday. No, I'm not saying anything more just yet. Of course, another great thing to do on Thursday night is--Gofer Orientation! You avoid the line, get to meet some great people, and we take you up to get your badge after you fill out your gofer schedule. Plus you get to help put on the greatest con in the country! Plenty of Gofer pre-reg spots still left, check the volunteer section of the site for details. But to appease the topic god(dess), bring, water, hats, umbrellas, and as far as bathroom breaks, wait with a gr

I'm a little embarrassed about this one, I had been getting into Negima prior to Otakon (can't remember the year, they all run together now). So anyway, I'm walking through the BCC, and I pass this guy, and sudddenly, it clicks: red hair, green suit, staff. I suddenly turn around and shout, "Hey! Negi Springfield!" Fortunately, he wasn't freaked out by that, and stopped for a picture or two. Anyway, that's the one that springs to mind. I see a lot of cosplays every year that, unfortunately, I have no clue what they are. But I still appreciate the workmanship.

Plus, it seems to be an English-speaking custom since the Germans say "Gesundheit" and the Spanish say "Salud", both of which simply mean "Health". P.S. thanks for the heads up about Rosetta Stone with regards to Asian languages.

I'm excited to see this thread on here, don't know why it didn't happen sooner. My employer (Homeland Security) recently made Rosetta Stone available to us through our Online Learning Center, which I'm really excited about. Although I really want to improve my Spanish, I'm tempted to take on Japanese as well, if they'll let me. Of course, RS can also be accessed throogh Army Knowledge Online, for those of you fortunate enough to have access though the military or a sponsor. My 10 year old daughter has also expressed an interest in Japanese (I've gotten her hooked on Minmei), but the Mi

Suncoast??? they still around? My thoughts exactly, the Suncoast in my local mall folded some time ago! And wouldn't you know it, almost every Best Buy in MD/DC seems to be listed, except the one right here in my town.

Thank you for that link. I will have one, oh yes!

Almost everybody I know is already there. One of the many reasons I decided to become a Staffer

YES!!!! The Immortal Shatner. And let's not forget his stirring renditions of "Mr. Tambourine Man" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds".

I personally would love to see more Macross at Otakon. Come by Gofer Ops so we can get a picture. I'm considering going old school and being Hikaru Ichijo (if I can drop some weight, that is).

Ooops, somebody already replied to that, sorry. Must read entire thread next time.

I'm glad to see a lot of praise from my Gofers on here, especially the first-timers. As my first year running this department, I'm glad everything went off so well. That said, if there's anything I can do to improve your Gofering experience next year, please don't hesitate to let me know. I already have someone working on a new system for Gofer per-reg and scheduling, which should make things run even more smoothly next year. I hope to see all of you again next Otakon!

Well, I just know that in the past we have had some truly inspired AMVs in competition. Granted, I didn't attend the AMV screening for at least one year, being an overworked staffer. But last year I made the time to go, and I was like, huh? Wait a minute, where are all the good AMVs? Last year's crop was decidedly lackluster, so much so that I couldn't vote for any of them. I sincerely hope that things improve this year.

Yes, please do so! And thank you for the birthday wish. I look forward to welcoming a second-generation Gofer, we'll try not to scar him...much.

Hi all, I turned 38 today. I'm always up for meeting like-minded people in my age range. As a department head, however, my free time may be limited. But feel free to swing by the Info desk and ask for the head of Gofer Ops if you wanna just say hi! bayp, I know you'll already be in Gofer Ops, as a member of my legions.

I know one thing you can do to avoid the pre-reg line altogether: volunteer as a Gofer! Not only will we take you to get your badges after Orientation ( and give you a kewl Gofer hang tag), but you'll earn some great perks for your service. And we only ask for a measly 8 hours minimum, and you can choose when you want to do your hours! Please see the Volunteer Basics and Gofer FAQ on the Otakon site for details. If you have a question that's not answered there, feel free to PM me or post to the Gofer Q & A board.

I don't know if they changed their rate, but it seems to me like Days Inn ganked me a total of $68 for three days when I stayed last year. I just remember thinking that it would've been cheaper to leave the car in the 1st Mariner. Of course, I wouldn't have wanted to drag myself that far in the state I was in Monday morning , but that's beside the point.

yea i agree to that. i know a lot of people who want to come to otakon but are having a hard time finding a room - and that'll affect them coming or not. and the only reason i have a great hotel room is because i booked it back in august! i only knew to do that because of previous otakons. someone new wouldnt know about the hotel madness. If I wasn't staff, I'd still be booking my room for the next con the Monday after the current one. That's why it's great that we announce next year's dates at the closing.

I know the 1st Mariner is usually 20$ per day, but it does lock down at some point. I think it reopens around 0530, but if your leaving the car until Sunday evening, it tends to be cheaper than the hotels, if you don't mind walking from your hotel. Some of the lots also offer special "Event Rates" that weekend.