AMPAC 2006
AMPAC 2006 (finally)
Returning from Vegas about a week and a half ago, I worked for a day, then there was the first day of school, and then I flew down to LA for the AMPAC 2006 Model UN conference.
So much spam had built up in my email inbox that I didn't notice I had emails notifying me two classes were cancelled that Wednesday (since the second day of class for most people wasn't for four more days so not even half the teachers could be bothered to be present for Wednesday), so I waisted at least three hours altogether waiting around for classes that weren't going to happen.
Kristy & I had dinner at Fuzios (see picture below).
Took a 9:30pm flight on Southwest from Sacramento airport, arriving in LAX at around 10:30. There I met up with my co-chair Mara Stringfield, & Security Council chair Sameer Kanal & we proceeded to the Biltmore Hotel. There we caught up with the rest of the staff where they were playing poker in the massive executive suite on the 11th floor. Mara & I were persuaded to join the poker game, & though Mara claimed she'd never played before and had no idea what she was doing, she totally fleeced the lot of us.
Secret Passages, the 13th Floor, & Helipads
The next morning committee began, and went for most of the day (like ten hours) Thursday & Friday. As mentioned, the whole weekend the place would periodically swarm with secret service types. Someone reported seeing Laura Bush, the California Attorney-General & LA Mayor & Police Chief were all definitely present. The Governator had a ball Thursday evening.
On Thursday evening I tried to take the stairs from the 3rd floor to the lobby, but found that the stairs descended into a labyrinth of staff corridors on the 1st (which is above the lobby level, ie actually 2nd) & 2nd floors. Mara & I of course had to investigate with maximum asaptitude.
So we were creeping around and we noticed a hallway that was in general disuse -- there was a lot of debris on the floor and chairs and tables were being stored in it. Around a corner, it appeared to be a dead-end but I thought I'd go to the end of it anyway. Turns out there was a little dwarf door at the end (picture: looking back through it), and on the other side there was a narrow hallway with walls of plain brick. This went off in three directions we never got around to exploring -- we went up.
We found a stairwell that went up and up and up. Turns out it was a fire escape -- and it lead straight to the roof. Up a 20ft ladder affixed to a wall and I was on the highest point of the building -- the helipad!
We then retraced our steps triumphantly & without incident.
Friday - The Social, & Security Council Crisis
Friday night we had an official social event in our spacious executive suite. This was apparently a first for PAXMUN, and for the first time in all the conferences I've been to, the social was actually fun. Unfortunately, since everyone posts their pictures on thefacebook these days, you probably can't see this batch of pictures -- but here's one of Mara & I & a number of people from our committee, which hopefully I can link to. Here's a crowd shot so you can see how rocking it is (keep in mind the room these are taken in is only like a third of the executive suite).
Biltimore staff with filled with bitterness apparently that we didn't renew our five year contract, so they kinda treated us like shit the whole time. They shut down our party at 12:30 -- not because of a noise complaint or anything, but because they claimed we weren't authorized to be there (our own room?!) that late (half the floor adjoining the suite was under construction so tehre's no one to disturb). Drunken revellers of course poured out to form room parties throughout the hotel.
About an hour later there was declared to be a Securit Council emergency, & us staff hunted down the Security Council delegates and rousted them back up to the 11th floor for session.
Saturday, Sunday
On Saturday PAXMUN apparently the Board of Directors confirmed Sameer Kanal & I as Governor-General & Secretary-General for AMPAC 2007, before we'd even told president Stephen Lunich we'd accept those positions.
Once committee ended on Saturday evening, there appeared to be some kind of staff meltdown up in our command centre. Heated arguments broke out on at least eight completely unrelated subjects in a row between certain of the staff with very strong opinions about how things are to be done. Mara & I fled down to the sixth floor, where we'd heard all the roaming parties were after the social. Sure enough we ended up spending the evening bouncing between parties down there.
Delegates from his committee reported that Sameer has had a hickey since the night of the social. Mara & I later inspected his neck & confirmed this scandalous fact.
The time change of course deprived us of an hour that night. I ended up getting to bed at 5am, only to have to be at closing ceremonies three hours later, still a little bit wobbly and deliriously sleepy. Aside from forgetting what the second of two topics my committee addressed this conference was while addressing the 200+ people there assembled, I survived.
After closing ceremonies we found that our keys had been demagnatized for the 11th floor suite. While several of us looked on in amazement, our IT guy, Vern, a big guy who always wears a cowboy hat, reached up and effortlessly flung the door open "like a bear uprooting a small tree." The metal apparatus on top of the door that serves some function that is unclear to me was ripped right off in this amazing process.* This is why you don't mess with Vern.
Several of us, including Mara, Sameer CalMUN Sec-Gen Mark Edwards, & I still had several hours to wait for our flights. We bollocksed about in the 11th floor suite, which we actually had until late that afternoon. We ended up making an awesome fort out of chairs & tablecloth. Unfortunately, my camera had stopped working the first day (hence the severe lack of pictures), & the only camera available was someone's camera phone. Photos were taken with that device though.
So as mentioned, Sameer & I are in charge next year. Conference will most likely be at the Clarion Hotel in Anaheim. We're going to make sure its the most awesome conference ever.
*Dear Biltmore staff: you should consider this statement wholly fictional, inserted here to sensationalize an otherwise peaceful & mundane weekend that included no ruckus.
Picture of the Day
Kristy is excited to receive her Fuziotini at Fuzios
Previously on Emosnail
A Week & Three Years Ago Yesterday: Back in Davis - Returned from Spring Break. Disappointed to find The Dominion of Blehtahepdakorum no longer classified as a "psychotic dictatorship," rather its rated "Iron Fist Consumerist"
A Week & Three Years Ago Today: First Day of Spring Qtr 2003 - Taking RUS3, COM6 (Myths & Legends), ENL5F (writing fiction, waitlisted) & HIS131C (Ancien Regime). I'd end up dropping the History class, but getting into the English class (and many lulz would ensue from people's crappy ass writing). I think I added another class later to replace the HIS... Mum is visiting, showed her around campus ... Blehahepdakorum now a "Corporate Police State."
Three Years Ago Last Sunday: I Get A Girlfriend - Not really, that announcement was actually an April Fools joke, because the thought of me ever having a girlfriend was widely seen as pretty preposterous. This year April Fools Day came and went and I didn't notice -- I wish I had, I'd have totally fucked with my committee. Back in Davis this April (2006) Daviswiki apparently instituted a hilarious prank, becoming MyDaviswikiSpace. For serious luls scroll down to the conversation just below the pictures of cars and see how butthurt MatthewKeys got over the issue.
Three Years Ago Last Monday: AFI Show - I get paid $20/hr to see AFI. Place was swarming with posers. Vanessa Kritlow & Sachi make a documentary outside called "Poser Disposer." I think I eventually saw it and it was pretty funny. Also Davis police storm the campus dorms in "groups of ten" to apprehend a freshman accused of counterfitting IDs ... Blehtahepdakorum once again "Iron Fist Consumerist"
Three Years Ago Last Tuesday: You Can Never Have Too Much Rain - More on Blehtahepdakorum. Eric Talevich of local band The List creates a nation "modeled as much after our garage as possible" "Beef-Based Agriculture is big there, too."
Three Years Ago Last Wednesday: Bowling For Michael Moore - There once was a time when most people didn't realize that Michael Moore is a less scrupulous propagandist than Joseph Goebbels. I stumbled upon this article which very effectively exposed Bowling For Columbine for the insult to truth that it is, at first some stuck to their guns and rallied to Moore's defence, but I think three years later its pretty much accepted that the words "truth," "honesty," or "documentary" should probably not be said in the same sentence as his name. ...but he's filthy rich now so he could care less.
Three Years Ago Last Thursday: Show at the Loyola House III - Ate at Fuzios. The List & other bands play at the Loyola House.
Three Years Ago Yesterday: Rush Spermcat!! - Amended some commercial flyers which had been (illegally) posted on campus bulletin boards to start the "Rush Spermcat" campaign. I think later I get my hands on some pictures of them. ...Blehtahepdakorum now a "Moralistic Democracy?!"