Does anyone have a photo from the former Worldcon chairs photo session? If so, would it be possible for me to get a copy of one?

Deeley boppers rule!

Thanks!

I would like to offer some positive suggestions for future Worldcons to avoid some of the problems I experienced in Reno. If anyone would really like to read my ranting and complaining, there's a 2-part con report giving both positive and negative experiences at my own LJ. This, though, is not the place for that.

1. Calling a convention area "non-smoking" when it is in fact very smoky, not accessible without walking through a smoking area, and just an escalator ride above a smoke-filled casino was very inaccurate and misleading. It would be far more helpful for those of us with respiratory disabilities to delineate areas as either 100% smoke free or not 100% smoke free. Anything in a building that allows smoking where the smoking and nonsmoking areas are not separately ventilated, or share the same elevators, is not 100% smoke free. It would help if someone who is sensitive to smoke (not hard to locate in fandom) were to be assigned to work on the description for the website and con publicity.

2. If there is an area that is not 100% smoke-free, it is a very bad place to put open filking in the evening, or any other time. The filk community has a huge number of people who are sensitive to smoke, and for some of us with respiratory disabilities such areas offer an accessibility problem.

3. It is always preferable to have all evening activities - especially room parties and open filking - in the same building, or at least adjacent. Otherwise, it can end up being an either/or choice for some of us.

4. At many past Worldcons, in my recollection ('04. '05. '06, '08) an area has been set aside for secure storage of musical instruments, with evening access. It would be nice to bring this back.

Information from concoms or bidders for future Worldcons giving information as to the smoke-free status of facilities, the distance planned between evening filking and parties, and whether instrument storage will be available would be much appreciated.

Where have you found food near the Worldcon site?

I am not an officer of the WSFS Business Meeting, but I've posted my own unofficial report of what happened at the Preliminary Business Meeting on Thursday.

Is the At-Con Newsletter going to be posted online? It may be there already, but I've looked pretty thoroughly and can't find it, so I figured it's time to ask.

UPDATE: Links to PDF copies of the newsletter now appear on the front page of the convention website. I have not read any of the issues yet due to a slow internet connection, but am glad they are being made available.

For those of you who drove up US-395 to get to Reno and wondered what the huge column of grey smoke was, it's the "Ray May" fire. The plume of smoke from the fire is visible from my room at the Peppermill.
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I thought the "energy surcharge" rip-off had died years ago, much of it in a blaze of class-actions against hotels who didn't inform customers before their stay. The con rate at the Atlantis is inflated as it is, but they are adding an extra $3/night that we were never informed of.

If you drive between California and Reno along US-395, I recommend stopping in California at Bodie (at SR-270). It's a really nice ghost town (old mining town).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodie,_California#Ghost_town_and_park

They sell water at the museum and there are a couple of water fountains, but I recommend that you bring a bottle of water for each person. And bring hats, sunscreen, snacks, and most definitely a camera.

Edit: A better URL: http://www.bodie.com/

One More Edit: Bodie is at 8,400 feet (Denver is at 5,280 feet). Be careful with altitude sickness. I had to sit a couple of times.

Now that we've moved in to the Atlantis and my wife spent part of today riding the RAPID bus line that runs between the Atlantis/Peppermill/Convention Center area and downtown Reno, we have the following report:

• You can buy a day pass from the driver, not just from ticket-vending machines.


• The RAPID stops visible in my Renovation Preview (the small green shelters) have been temporarily moved a block south due to construction. The shelters themselves are gone and there are temporary signs marking the bus stops.