Pincer
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Posts posted by Pincer
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Just snagged a room at the Holiday Inn Inner Harbor and I did call the Housing Office to confirm that yes, you have to go through them on the reservations.
Only scary thing is, even though the reservations are set in the system they aren't transferred to the actual hotels until one week prior to the con.
Can an Otakon rep please elaborate more on this? I'm a little curious as to how this will work if people call the hotels directly and get reservations that way. Would that screw up the hotel room block setup?
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Holy crap!!! I haven't seen Saber Rider in years!!!! RAMROD! **l**
Got the first DVD tins of Voltron and just waiting for the vehicles and the animated movie (both teams get together) to be released!
I am going to have such a bad 80's flashback I'll think I'm back in elementary school.
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Honestly I never knew there was an unofficial rule to tipping house maids in a hotel. But, I've never made a mess in a room even with a group of people. But I will keep this in mind if the house maids do a good job in keeping us well stocked and other stuff.
I never use bellhops at a hotel unless we have a ton of crap to haul to the room (DragonCon in this example). I'll tip roughly $2 per bag I have, unless I have a big one then it goes up.
Restaurants, 15% is considered the minimum tip from what I was taught during a weekend seminar in college. If the waiter/waitress does a good job then it goes up. But if they stick to just the basics then it's the 15%. Crappy service, no tip! For fast food places, I don't tip because it's over the counter service. Now when it comes to like Starbucks and coffeeshops I will leave a tip since they make a variety drinks with endless variants.
Airport shuttles, definitely $5 for the trip. If it's a longer drive wherever I'm at then I'll do $10.
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I wish I could bike to work, but I can't due to the distance and the stupid drivers in NJ. I'll get clipped within a week of riding if I did that. Unfortunately there's no cut backs on the work week for us. For my gas/electric bill I usually don't have it go that high during the summer. I recently replaced as many bulbs as I could with energy efficient ones and I don't crank the AC unless it gets into the 90's and the humidity's bad. I normally open windows and have a couple of ocillating fans going for circulation. Seen a significant drop in my bill when I do that. Plus on the AC when I have it on I set it at 70 degrees now (used to have it at 60 since I'm a cold weather guy) and I turn it off when I leave my place. Keeping it on constantly bit me in the ass one month over a year ago when I moved here. I got used to cheap hydroelectric power from back home! From Oct through May my electric bill is actually lower because I never really had to crank on the heat. I let the heat from my neighbor below me rise up and do the job.
With gas and the ripoff situation that happened recently in NJ I'm glad I get my gas on base. We don't have full serve so we can pump our own gas and the prices are a few cents lower, but that's getting up there too. Even though I drive a four door Buick it actually gets good mileage on the freeways and keeping up the maintenance on it helps.
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**singing** Looking for love in all the wrong places, looking for love!!
Now the Buckwheat version:
"OOKIN PO NUB IN AH DAH ONG PACES, OOKIN PO NUB!" -- SNL with Eddie Murphy
**lol**
Sorry, it was too dang tempting to post this!!
In all seriousness I don't go to any con looking for someone. If I do meet someone and things click then so be it. But a con is not the place to be looking love. Particularly an anime con. **cringe**
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Luckily I still have most of the weapons and accesories to my Star Wars figures. When I lost a weapon or two in the early years Kenner had a replacement policy for the vehicles and it was the same with the figures. But what I wasn't expecting was the TWO BAGS FULL OF GUNS AND STUFF to keep my figures nearly fully stocked! Shoot, even these extra accesories are worth some money I found out. Yeesh!!
Ok, here's one from the early 80's, who remembers Starriors? **lol**
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This is a really bad 80's flashback with what you're all posting. **lol**
For me it was my Hot Wheels, LEGOS (seems like everyone had these!), Transformers, and Star Wars. I did have an Atari 5200 Super System. Was the only unit from Atari at the time that could actually play a near arcade quality version of Pac-Man. **l**
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FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.
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Picked up Season 1 of Jericho, now it's catch up time.
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We never go more than 6 in a room. Any more and that's just asking for trouble and people's butts where you don't want them. **l**
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I got our group a room at the Days Inn from the list I was on and yeah it's at the $229 rate since the Otakon block is taken up.
We're keeping tabs on cancellations at the Holiday Inn since those went fast and when they quoted me the rate for the weekend not in the Otakon block I just about crapped my pants.
Well over $300 a NIGHT!!! Good thing I got Days Inn to send me my confirmation stuff by e-mail (lady forgot to the first time) so I have that ready to go when needed.
But from what I'm hearing I'm going to keep checking week to week and see if I can get the con rate since it sounds like I may have gotten hosed. But an extra $40 a day isn't going to kill us if we just get no more than 6 to our room. Four in the beds and two unlucky souls are on the floor. **lol**
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If you all had your panel registration forms filled out correctly you should be seeing your reimbursements here soon. It took almost a month after the con for me to get mine, but that was expected and the same thing from last year.
Just send out a message asking about the status if it's gets any later.
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Got my reimbursement about a week or so ago.
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I'm off of work until Wed because of the con and some other stuff. Good thing too, I was out for almost 12 hours last night. All the walking around and stuff this weekend caught up to me. **l**
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For anyone who attended the How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse panel we thank you all! If we appeared to be rushed it was because we only had an hour for all we wanted to do compared to last year where it ran for an hour and a half and it was the last panel that evening.
No guarantees if we're accepted for a panel next year that we'll get a better time slot, but we'll try.
And yes, there is revenge in the works for "Leon" getting spanked with the yaoi paddle. **lol**
Without question, the best panel this year was the "How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse". It really made my night, and it was very funny. You dudes should be proud, excellent job. Plus you filled the room to max!
I'll talk about more panels later, I'm really tired....
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For anyone who attended the How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse panel we thank you all! If we appeared to be rushed it was because we only had an hour for all we wanted to do compared to last year where it ran for an hour and a half and it was the last panel that evening.
No guarantees if we're accepted for a panel next year that we'll get a better time slot, but we'll try.
And yes, there is revenge in the works for "Leon" getting spanked with the yaoi paddle. **lol**
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I'm also heading to AnimeNEXT myself. Would've attended last year but after I got back from Project A-Kon there was a computer glitch on access money in my bank account that kept me from going. This time, it's not happening!
I'm making up for being overseas during the spring with any cons that I missed out. **chuckle**
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I need to quit staying up late on weekends.
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Methinks I freaked out people at Wizard World Philly with the two large bags of stuff I bought today. **l**
AND I FINALLY FOUND TEKKEN PLUSHIES!!!! Unfortunately no King available, but at $1 a pop was I gonna say no? Now I wish they made Tekken 5 plushies available. All I've ever seen were Tekken 2.
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I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt when the weather was 50 before I left. **lol**
I get over here and it's about the same temp. Only time I had to wear my goretex jacket was when it rained. Never once did I use the thermal undies they had me take with me.
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80??? 80?????????????
Try just over 105 and rising.
Pansies. **lol**
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It's hot. It's damn hot. Buku hot. It's gone beyond swamp ass and swamp balls.
IT'S HOT!
Beware: I will be back on home soil in a few days. Hide the women and booze. **lol**
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To some people out there I committed a sacrilegious act about three days ago.
I bought a PS3.
Of course where I'm at right now (I'll be home in about three weeks), I can't use and abuse it 100% yet. Once I get home, then it's new TV to take advantage of the graphics (new TV was figured into the finances a few months ago), jack into the internet, and find out if there are any PS controller adapters to where I can use my control sticks for fighting games!
And yes, I'm playing PS1 games on the sytem too. **lol**
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I'm actually impressed by the online registration system. Doesn't put a lot of stress on entrants trying to make a run for it at a con with a cutoff deadline by the next day. And it's an equal opportunity dash through the computers instead. **chuckle** Been through one con plenty of times and they are just dead set on doing things in person, which in turns jams up some hallways with the entrants trying to get spots.
And I liked how you guys set a cutoff number and stick to it. Three years have I been in a setup to where there was a cutoff number but then they decide to squeeze in just a few more knowing full well the cosplay is sandwiched in between two concerts and then things become a fast paced setup of hurry, hurry, hurry. Wish these particular organizers would go to other cons and do some research. Sheesh. Already hit them with ideas based on how you guys run things, but alas they're too stubborn. Maybe a boot to da head when I'm around. **l**
I definitely liked the setup within the Mariner Arena. Lot's of space, no cramping of the entrants, and plenty of seating for future masquerades. I do agree on letting us pack in our own water and snacks considering we're pretty much on lockdown until the shindig is over. No way in heck was I about to pay $3 for a bottle of water from a machine. Good thing there were water coolers, but those have a limited quantity and we sucked those down pretty quick. If they won't budge on the drinks and such I say get more coolers!!
I was amazed at the video setup for us entrants so we could watch the whole show without being in the crowd!! Big kudos on that!! Been at one con where they "tried" to do that for us, but unfortunately we had an audio glitch. Couldn't get it fixed in time.
But we had fun anyhoo! I like how there were a lot of awards given out and I'd like to put in the suggestion in addition to the "level" categories and judges awards how about a few more categories like other cons, like Most Original, Most Dramatic, Most Humorous, etc, etc. There were some other entries that were pretty good and could've rated other categories. And how about children's award to encourage more of the youngsters 13 and under? Several cons are doing this to appeal more towards the younger crowd and get them involved with the cons more.
Nothing really on the negative side. Somehow my friend and I were lucky enough not to have the snarky arena attendant experience that several others unfortunately had to deal with. I swear a lot of people from the East Coast have some attitudes that definitely need some rearranging. Or a boot to da head. **chuckle** Pacific Northwestern style!
FYI: I was one half of the crew in the KFC based skit. **l**
reserving hotel room blocks
in Otakon Q & A
Posted
You can always cancel free of charge. That goes for just about any hotel out there. Just remember to double check what is the latest you can cancel reservations by. Most hotels have up until 48 hours until check out or else you pay a cancellation fee.
Most hotels won't bust your chops on packing in a few more people into the room without their knowledge. Hell, a lot of them know people do that, but usually they'll only bust occupants on that if they suspect there's a big safety issue on occupancy overflow or if they're feeling assinine. It just depends on where you stay at.