Flying Scotsman

In the middle of the bridge across the street on the 300 level mid-Saturday, a middle-aged woman with glasses and no con badge stops this staffer with hi-viz vest and three radios: Excuse me, can you tell me where Otakon is?" "What?!?!?!?" "I said, can you tell me where in the convention center this Otakon.... thing is taking place?"

Back when Otakon still actually publicized itself and was growing, I took a poster for Otakon into one of the local Asian supermarkets (H-Mart, or Han ah Reum). I ask for the manager to ask permission to post it on their community bulletin board--a board where half the notices are in Korean. I found myself trying to explain to this befuddled, bewildered manager just what Otakon was. I might as well have had a poster advocating the replacement of zirconium on Planet X94-Zyklos with cottage cheese by means of Ilidium Q-36 space modulators, for all the sense I seemed to be making to him...

Let's see......... Staffing a late-night Hentai room......... back when they were still in a massive "gray area" about checking IDs or not......... I decided to basically be a "show of force" and selectively ask to check IDs of anyone that appeared to be too young. My presence alone scared a few seemingly-underaged people out of the line. Then, as movie time came............. no DVD. Nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes of frantic radio calls to Con Ops and Video Ops, I had to confront an eager, antsy crowd: "Folks, we seem to be missing the DVD of the pro

Latest update on THIS end: service starts July 27th. Sorry, guys. As with the Hilton last year, you're just gonna have to wait until next year.

I don't think most of the places around the BCC would carry those kinds. Max's in Fells Point (it's a tavern with over 300 kinds of beer) may have it around though!

A fair warning that by Saturday morning or noon of Otakon weekend, any "convenience store" reasonably close to the BCC looks like it's been looted in the aftermath of a war or disaster, with any clerks left cowering in the corners in a fetal position, whimpering softly, and naught left to sell you but some decaffeinated off-brand coffee and a jar of something weird like cocktail onions or lemon curry...... It isn't pretty.

Those who actually live in Baltimore have an economic advantage--a BIG one--over out-of-towners...... We don't have to pay for hotel rooms. In some cases, not even gas. Your query is more pertinent to those coming from afar. I'm willing to wager attendance goes down slightly as a result.....

www.portraitadoption.com Disclaimer: My wife is one of the participating artists: http://portraitadoption.com/paartist.php?profile=59 so I strongly recommend her........

Let's be honest with ourselves. Otakon's members/attendees are either so devoted or crazed about what goes on at Otakon that I've openly joked that it would take a massive fire or explosion in the Convention Center to get the members to go elsewhere in Baltimore. And even then, I suspect some folks would refuse to leave their video games or places in line. The target markets for ANY "what else to do in Baltimore" marketing are: 1) the parents/siblings/chaperones of younger members that may not themselves share the anime/manga obsession; 2) business folks such as dealers, indu

I hate to be a cynic............... But I'm well tied in to the transit community. And well-placed RUMORS (and that's what they are) indicate that this operation (remember, it's NOT MTA) may not manage to get started on time as planned. Stay tuned. I wouldn't make major plans based on this operation, but if it starts up on time, consider it a lovely bonus.

The Proclaimers, from Scotland but readily available in the States, had a terrific and appropriate number: I'm on my way from misery to happiness today I'm on my way from misery to happiness today I'm on my way to what I want from this world And years from now you'll make it to the next world And everything that you receive up yonder Is what you gave to me the day I wandered A scant few of you might recognize this from a brief appearance in "Shrek." They also did the song that was the theme music to "Benny & Joon," "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".

Oh lord, spare us.

Okay, you guys are worried about old VHS tapes. In MY field of preservation, I'm worried about saving old 35mm, 16mm, and 8mm movie films. Do you want my Abe Simpson impersonation now or later?

Even more on the Handley case at the top of this thread on a back-and-forth on NPR's "On the Media" radio show this weekend: http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2008/12/26/02 (Listen online to the radio segment; transcrripts available Monday.)

Easy, He orderd books from a seller in Japan. Customs actually did their job and opened the package. They see what they THINK is kiddy porn Guy gets sent to the feds. Your tax dollars at work, Ricin

Related item in today's Washington Post:

I'll contribute one other consideration for thought: Oil closed today @ $33.87 a barrel today on the NY Mercantile Exchange. This is approximately 25% of what it cost before Otakon. Seen gasoline prices lately? There is hard-core speculation going on that gas could be below $1 a gallon by the end of January, barring major supply problems or a record freeze over the winter. Nobody knows for certain what will happen to oil prices by next Otakon. But one thing is certain right now: If you have to buy gas on a regular basis (commute to a job, etc.), you are currently getting a si