Lowering standards

[mr_jaeger]

I was sitting outside the Room of Substandard Pleasures at Anime Mid-Atlantic 2008 when Ant hunkered down with me and blew my mind as sure as any gunshot. “Dude, why don’t you write a rant about how people at anime cons lower their standards.” I hadn’t ever quite thought about it like that. So simple. Deceptively simple. Simple in that slick,

Comments

Yeah, it could be better, but what's "better"?

[hitsnarfle]

It seems as though the point is to willfully join in the lowering of the standards because there's no choice, a false notion because you have made the choice to attend instead of finding your own recreation for a weekend. Would you head to Barnum's tent and contrive outrage upon arrival at the freakshow? Would you dance in front of cripples?

By the way, you ever been to DragonCon in Atlanta? Top-notch freakshow, that.

Re: Yeah, it could be better, but what's "better"?

[mr_jaeger]

I think the point isn't just that it COULD be better, but that it can only be better by everybody doing their part. Whether our efforts are productive or futile is relatively immaterial, because at least the attempt is made, and we can be damned certain they're not going to get better without some effort on the part of everybody involved.

So, in answer, would I dance in front of a cripple? Yes, but only if there was some miniscule probability he/she might walk again and they weren't putting forth their own effort to regain that mobility.

Never done DragonCon...atlanta is like...far...

Re: Yeah, it could be better, but what's "better"?

[hitsnarfle]

...atlanta is like...far...

I came very close to calling you a pussy for that. Atlanta isn't all that far. Three people could drive there in shifts and get there in 9 hours without even trying hard. Just don't ever take the train if you have any choice at all.

I went two years in a row ('01-'02? '02-'03? it's been a while) and it's spoiled me. The con puts up so much shit to do and get involved in and then you're also in the middle of downtown Atlanta during Labor Day weekend - never a dull moment (ooh, except maybe for 7 AM, but then again, what con isn't dead at 7AM?). I need to go back sometime but it requires some logistical hocus-pocus and a wad of cash the size of your fist.

Form letter!

Re: Yeah, it could be better, but what's "better"?

[mr_jaeger]

Working on the form letter. I've written more than 7,000 words this week...my fingers can't take much more. I'll be blanket spamming the form letter all over journal, hearth and home starting shortly.

DragonCon has been suggested to me before, as absurdly awesome guests are known to show up there. Though I'm normally opposed to the larger conventions, it's something I've considered...except for all the hocus pocus and cash fists.

[hitsnarfle]

It's not too early to start thinking about Labor Day '09. Failure rates of hocus pocus are greatly reduced when you use the long rituals instead of instant prestidigitation.

Then again, we could all be slitting each other's throats for gas and drinking water by then.

[mr_jaeger]

Two men enter. One man leaves.

It's not impossible to start thinking about Labor Day of '09, but there's still a little something fearful about a convention that large. Remind me of this in a month or so, after I've decided something concrete about NekoCon