Month: March 2004

Why are the Palestinians upset that Israel blew up the Hamas guy?

He was parapalegic. He wasn’t getting any healthier. I suspect women weren’t flocking to him.

And Israel martyred him.

So if they really believe the line they’re feeding to gullible 14 year old boys, why aren’t they holding celebrations saying, “Thanks to Israel, the founder of Hamas is now cavorting in a land of milk and honey with 72 virgins! Bless you, Israel! You could have let him have a slow, lingering unmartyred death, but no! You were thoughtful and dropped bombs!”

But instead they’re all upset. Doesn’t make sense. Not if they really believe in the glories of the hereafter, instead of just using it to sending credulous and insecure teens to their deaths.

And the UN wants to condemn Israel for blowing up a man complicit in the murders of hundreds of Israelis. I’m curious: Was there a condemnation of Palestinians for cynically manipulating a 14 year old? A ten year old? Just wondering.

PAD

Been kind of hectic the past few days with I-Con.

The convention itself seemed well attended. I arrived at my 11 AM solo panel and was astounded to discover the room was pretty crowded (and continued to fill up as time passed). I did a reading of an upcoming BID column plus a dramatic reading of the script for “Fallen Angel #12” which describes how Lee and Doctor Juris first met (making it an ideal stand alone for those not familiar with the series to hear.) The other panels were also well attended and quite lively, both from the company and also whenever Caroline was around. At one panel she climbed into my lap and wanted to drink water out of a cup. So I let her do so…whereupon she stuck her hand into the cup and started joyfully splashing water everywhere. Finally I yelled, “Kathleen! Would’ja get Flipper outta here, please!”

The most solemn panel was the Julie Schwartz remembrance panel. When you’ve got a panel that includes such old time greats as Murphy Anderson and David Kyle, my main goal was to keep my trap shut as much as possible and just listen.

For that matter, Julie’s absence was so palpable that I really couldn’t bring myself to go to the banquet that evening since I just wasn’t ready to attend a function that he should have been at.

Rule changes at the university banned dealers in antique weapons from the floor. That was a crying shame. I’ve picked up some nifty swords and staffs at I-Con in the past, and it was annoying that they weren’t there.

Encountered one teenage boy (I shall mercifully not name him) who was boasting that he was a complete trivia expert on everything having to do with “Lord of the Rings.” Ask him anything, anything at all. Taking him up on it, I said, “What does J.R.R. stand for?” I will always treasure his blank expression.

I have to say, I-Con has the most thorough green room for guests to hang out in. Fully stocked for breakfast and lunch, and it’s a great place to hang out and just sit and schmooze with folks whom you ordinarily would not have a chance to see. Peter Jurasik was there and was cheerful and personable as always. We did not get to see Daniel Keyes, author of “Flowers for Algernon” at the green room, but we did come to his autographing session. It was great meeting him, and Ariel was particularly excited since she’d done a speech about “Flowers for Algernon” in a speech competition and had done very well with it.

I just wish the convention wasn’t as spread out all over the campus as it is. Makes it practically impossible to get from one panel to the next in anything approaching a punctual manner. I’m now hearing scuttlebutt they may move to a hotel. On the one hand, it would lose its unique character; on the other hand, less schlepping and less being subject to the randomness of the weather.

Oh, for those asking how I did bowling in the regional Pro/Am…eh. Not my best day. Rolled a 165, a 193 and a 198. I went to the owner of the lanes and told him that, if he does this next year, I’d like him to hold it on another day. He asked when. I said, “On a day my bowling doesn’t suck.”

PAD

I’m opening the mail and what do I find? Two Visa credit cards, one for myself and one for Kathleen, from a bank in South Dakota. Not applications, mind you, but actual, active credit cards (for which they’re already trying to charge me an application fee of $198.)

So I call the place and they tell me that I applied for it via (wait for it) the internet. Which I didn’t. And they believe me (although the guy asks me five times, apparently thinking I don’t understand the question the first four times he asks me), so I’m not being charged for anything. But what’s unbelievably alarming is that whoever applied for it did so with 100% accurate personal information, right down to my mother’s maiden name.

So they tell me I should start calling the credit bureaus to inform them to put a “hawk watch” on my credit information. And I try to do this and am promptly stonewalled by phone menus or on-line menus, all of which boil down to the same thing: We won’t do anything until you order a copy of your credit report, for which we will charge you, and *then* we will give you a phone number where you can talk to someone who may be of help.

It’s not like it’s huge amounts of money for ordering the dámņëd thing, but on principle alone, it feels like extortion.

Anyone know any practical way to inform the credit bureaus without being forced to buy crap from them?

PAD

Behold. My I-Con Schedule. I believe SAC stands for “Student Activities Center.”

SATURDAY:

11-12 AM–The Peter David Show (don’t look at me, that’s what they called it), SAC 303

2-3 PM–Completing a Story in 22 Pages. SAC 305

3-4 PM–Julie Schwartz Memorial, Harriman 137

5-6 PM–The Franchise Effect (What is the effect of expanding licenses across genres?) SAC 302

SUNDAY

1-2 PM–The Perfect Sci-Fi Film (What elements should be present?) SAC 305

See you there.

PAD

In response to several inquiries, yes, I will be attending I-Con this weekend in Long Island. However, I will only be there Saturday and Sunday, as I am bowling in an Eastern Regional Pro-Am at Patchogue Lanes Friday at 6:15 PM. So I won’t be available for I-Con on Friday.

I’ll post a list of my I-Con panels tomorrow.

PAD

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