Convergence 2016

Convergence 2016 has come and gone.  I had a lot of fun, and having a room in the hotel did add to that.  It was nice being able to change clothes whenever, and store things.  There was no dramatic weather, and no transportation issues.  I only left the hotel to cross the street and get some food, or check out the other hotel.

I figure I'll give you the good, the bad, and the ugly, starting with the ugly.  My face had healed to a point where it no longer looks like I was in a car accident on the way in.  Now I'm just a guy with a fresh scar.  I chose not to cover my nose with a bandage.  People could see the scars, but no one commented.  It was definitely noticeable though, and surely a factor while chatting up the pretty girls.  It is what it is, and the worst is behind me at this point.  The next time I put myself out there there will have been months for the silicone pads to hopefully reduce the scars.

As for the good,

I feel like I know a lot more of my fellow RMN officers, which is nice.  Working on the Artemis also got me the "uber" volunteer status without giving up my whole convention.  And my uniform actually fit this year; meaning I could zip it up without looking like a fool.  It was actually a great option to throw on anytime, and appropriate to anywhere I was going at the convention.

As an uber volunteer, there is even more "free" food.  This is my first year there as a vegetarian, and there were a lot of vegetarian options.  That's good, because the two restaurants near the convention had very few vegetarian options.  Not to say I didn't take them up on the options they have.

As for the bad,

The creator of Gargoyles was back, and it was great to hear from him.  That was one of the shows that endeared itself to me as a teenager.  But that was really the only standout panel for me.  Most of the panels were setup and run by the PC loonies.  They taught me how Gamer Gate is really to oppress women, and that as a white male I'm responsible for policing the other white men on the internet.

It was the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, and this sci-fi/fantasy convention only had one panel on Star Trek, and that was about how they handled racism.  There were three about a new cartoon for younger children called Steve Universe, because that is so "consent culture" and queer friendly.  This year their numbers were down, and I do think this is a huge factor.  I'm not saying I don't respect other people's choices, I'm just saying I'd like my sci-fi convention to be about sci-fi.

I did have a lot of fun, and I will be back.  I'd be back even if I never went to another panel.  There are so many other fun things to do there, like the gaming floor, movies, and events.  I do think I'd like to spend less money next year by sharing a hotel room.