Friday and Sunday night raves?

[http://users.livejournal.com/spooksquad_/]

Any word on what the Friday and Sunday night rave's format will be yet?  I checked the site but didn't see anything specific.

Write-Up in LA Weekly about "Real Fan Experiences"

[kernsville.livejournal.com]

For a quick read, LA Weekly has posted a column about how true FAN experiences are missing from Comic-Con nowadays...

Often, though, that conversation will revolve around how Comic-Con is now too crowded, "too Hollywood," and how Dragon*Con — Atlanta's massive, multigenre event to be held later this summer — is the preferred convention, even for West Coast geeks.

(Note that they even used the "*" properly.)

Full Article Here

Apocalypse Rising Track Info...

[wolverbunny69.livejournal.com]

Is there any info on this track this year? Ihave tried contacting tehm directly thru the dragoncon website,as their site links are broken...
Please,any info is appreciated... Thx...

A Few Words on Restaurants and Making the Restaurant Experience Great For Everyone

[rebelliousrose.livejournal.com]

I'm in the restaurant industry, and I have a few words of advice, which I am sure a lot of other people will agree with.

If you have a party of 20, accept separate tables of six to eight to ten. You can't hear the people at the other end of the 20-top anyway, and you don't have to sit at the same table. You will get better food, better service, and honestly, get to know your table companions a lot better. Trust me here. And your wait will be exponentially shorter.

Don't steal things from the restaurant as souvenirs. (I know no congoers would be so classless, but with booze (and we love our booze) comes silliness.)

Don't run around in the restaurant. Don't flail your hands and arms. Don't wear large costumes with traily or sticky-out bits or wings to dinner- the waiters will get stuck on them, and no one wants sauce on their steampunk jetpack. Don't stand up without looking behind you, or suddenly kick back your chair.

If a waiter drops a tray, for the love of gods, don't applaud. For them it's seriously not funny, it's a catastrophe. And for the bartender, kitchen, busboy, and the people waiting for their drinks or food. (See above- DON'T FLAIL.)

Be kind. Sometimes a restaurant simply cannot accomodate your request. They'll try, believe me, they'll try, but sometimes they just can't.

Chair legs belong on the floor, as do feet. Service staff doesn't.

Listen to your waiters, and answer their questions- they need to ask to give you what you want. They aren't dumb, they may not be able to hear you, or need clarification.

Please, please, don't be that person who holds up the whole table's dinners by not being ready to order. Sit, read, decide, order, then have the time of your life.

Tip scale in the ATL is 20% and up for great service, 15% for average service, and if it's that bad- GET A MANAGER to the table. Trust me, they WANT to know what went wrong. Sometimes it's not the waiter's fault.

Watch your alcohol consumption- ATL has VERY strict public intoxication laws, and also very strict ordinances. You cannot bring hard liquor into a restaurant and pour it out of a flask. If something happens to you, the restaurant is liable. You also cannot take a drink out of a restaurant- please don't try. The ATL's container laws are harsh.

Pretty please, don't buy drinks for the underage. The ATL restaurant industry is SUFFERING from the economy, and losing a liquor license is beyond catastrophic. One of Atlanta's best restaurants is likely to go out of business because of this. Also, be aware that if you do buy a drink for an underage person, and the waiter, manager, or bartender cards that person- you can go to jail. It's likely you won't, but the restaurant's well within their rights to charge you for the drink, even though they will remove it. Parents CANNOT serve their children- still against the law. If you can't produce ID, even if you are as old as Gandalf, they don't have to serve you.

You CAN take an unfinished bottle of wine out with you, though- the restaurant has to package it for you, but you can have it. Save the cork; the waiter will need it to give you the bottle, and it has to be consumed with food in the restaurant. Can't take out a closed bottle with a virgin seal.

Just so's you know- if the Alcohol Board drops by and there's a drink being consumed by a minor, the waiter gets a 500$ fine and an immediate trip to jail, joined by the bartender at a 750$ fine, the manager, at a 1000$ fine, and the restaurant with 2500$ and immediate suspension of the liquor license.

But Dragon*Con people are too awesome for that, right?

If your food's not right. tell the waiter. If that doesn't fix it. tell a manager. Don't expect someone to just notice- a lot of times they will, but during D/C with the craziness, things do get overlooked. if you tell them, they can fix it.

Basically, have a fun, safe, responsible good time, and if anyone wants food recs, I understand George Takei is quite the culianarian, if he's here.

Zombie Prom question

[hdtermite.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know when and where the Zombie Prom will be held?

Short interview from a few weeks ago with Voltaire at Comic-Con

[alladinsane.livejournal.com]

He says a few nice things about another con.

Full article here

handicapped question

[kernsville.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure who to direct this to, so here goes.

My wife is handicapped - in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the neck down - and we will be bringing our private-duty nurse with us to the Con to help us out. Our eight year-old son will be with us as well, and I might need to leave the nurse with her on a couple of occasions. Would the handicapped badge allow an accredited nurse to accompany my wife into a panel if I couldn't be there?

Thanks

British Gathering at Dcon for Thursday dinner - (hoping to get some steampunk Dr. Who and such)

[materpenitentia.livejournal.com]

Since I've been asked about this on Cosplay I thought I'd post to a few groups.

This is the info from the FB page www.facebook.com/event.php
Date and Time: Thursday 02 September · 05:30 - 08:00
Location: Trader Vic's in the Hilton

Steampunk British Theme: Dr Who, Red Dwarf, Blake 7, Torchwood, etc
Trader Vic's has awesome $4 Mai Tais (strong) and curry
"I COULD MURDER A CURRY" as DEATH would say on the Discworld.

I will be going as Romana I with K9, I lost my doctor, but gained a new version. It is mainly a meetup. If anyone else is costumed, it'd be great to get pictures. I will post to the livejournal groups and the Brittrack yahoo group tomorrow maybe get some more interest. Though the Britrack has there own meetup at that time as well, however there are a few Brittrack people who can't pass up the Trader Vic's Thursday dinner tradition

James and Oliver Phelps

[doctorsgirl26.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone! Does anyone know when they are going to start selling photo-ops with James and Oliver Phelps? I have been on Froggy photos and Craig Damon's site and don't see them listed. Thanks!!

Restaurants for a Nice Date during Con

[cuppaco.livejournal.com]

My husband and I never get the chance to go to the nicer places around our current city. So, we are planning on going on a nice dinner date during D*Con, just the two of us.

We are staying at the Marriott and are willing to walk a reasonable distance (I don't want to take the Marta). I am looking for someplace with a good date atmosphere and good food. Neither of us drink alcohol, so I don't really care about an outstanding bar or wine list. We're looking to spent $50-75 total (possibly up to $100 if there is something amazing in the D*Con vicinity). We're so used to doing Con on a budget (Poptarts & PB&Js in the room) that it will be a nice change to be able to go out.

But I need suggestions. Anyone have any???

TIA.

Are you Ready?

[pdfunplugged.livejournal.com]

Membership for sale

[wildsorceress.livejournal.com]

I bought my membership months ago and have changed my mind about going. Will sell for 70.00 and you pay transfer fee. Contact me if interested.