I apologize if this seems as spam, but I feel thats its for a worthy cause.  As a fundraiser this year for BabelCon, if you use this coupon for your taxes, H&R Block gives $25 to the Science & Engineering Education Foundation (the non-profit parent organization of BabelCon) for each coupon used!

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Image deleted.  Since its for BabelCon I wont delete the message but I know I use the last 10 post icon to check the forum and embedding the image makes the message bigger than my screen.  The link is sufficient for anyone who cares.  --admin

Thanks!  I didn't realize when I posted it that the graphic was "printable size" too.

The official press release for BabelCon Merchant Room tables:


Babel*Con is a fandom convention held in Baton Rouge on July 19-20 (Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or ).  We are currently looking for interested vendors to participate in our Village Bazaar merchant's room.

BabelCon is billed as a Science Fiction convention, but our expected 800+ attendees for 2008 will be drawn from a large variety of fandom genres.  In addition to the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror track, we also have entire rooms dedicated to Gaming, Anime, Science, Paranormal, Kids, and a full blown Ren Fair in the atrium.

Our headliner guests this year include Suzie Plakson, the only actress to appear as four different aliens in three different Star Trek series: 1) Vulcan Lt. Selar & Klingon K'Ehleyr on Next Generation,  2) The female Q on Voyager,  3) Tarah, the first female Andorian on Enterprise.  We also have John Hertzler, who starred in nearly 30 episodes of Deep Space Nine as the regular character General Martok, the changeling Laas, and vulcan captain Storil, among others.  More guests are to follow, and all will be stationed in the Merchant's Room.

Performing for our attendees this year are the Bedlam Bards, Nightmare Theater, the Orion Slave Girls, Happy Shimmies Belly Dancing, Pirates of the Caribbean Interactive, the Chi Institute Martial Arts, a Medieval Knighting Ceremony, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, a Costume Contest, and Model Rocket Demonstrations outdoors.

A great number of national fan groups will also be in attendance, including Starfleet, Star Wars 501st Garrison, Klingon Assault Group, and Battlestar Galactica Colonial Defense Forces.

In our giant game room, there will be Live Action Role Playing groups putting on demonstrations.  Tabletop games will also be played, such as a Warhammer Tournament, miniatures contest, RPGA games, card games, historic war games, board games, Dungeons & Dragons, and various Role Playing Games.

If you are interested in renting a table, the price for each 3 ft. x 8 ft. table is $60, which includes a free con badge, and 50% off up to 2 more badges.  If you rent more than one table, you get one free badge for each table rented.  Please let me know if you are interested, and I will send you the pertinent forms.

BayouHalflings@aol.com

BabelCon is proud to announce its new location:

-Holiday Inn Select, 4728 Constitution Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70808.
-Attendee hotel rate of $95 per night. You have to use a special code to get the rate.  The code will be on the "Location" page of the BabelCon website as soon as we receive it (which should be in a couple of days).
-Date Change: BabelCon is now on July 19-20.
-Hours or Operation: Saturday 10am to 1am, Sunday 10am to 6pm.

The Rooms are listed below (all areas have air conditioning):
-Merchant room - 60 x 20 ft. - Village Bazarr
-Gaming room - 60 x 70 ft. - Gary Gygax Memorial Game Room
-Le Petit Faire (mini-Ren Fair in the atrium) - 150 x 30 ft. - Le Promenade
-Main programming - 100 x 100 ft. - (as yet unnamed)
-Paranormal room - 24 x 48 ft. - The Babel Files
-Anime room - 24 x 24 ft. - Animania
-Kids room - 20 x 24 ft. - The Shire
-Science room - 24 x 48 ft. - Spock's Quarters
-Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror room - 24 x 48 ft. - Briefing Room


Pre-Registration Admission
Sat. & Sun. SuperPass: $30
-----
At-The-Door Admission
2-Day Weekend SuperPass $35
1-Day Saturday-Only Badge: $25
1-Day Sunday-Only Badge: $15
-----
Game Host Discounts
Host a Game (min. 4 hours): 50% off day pass
Run a Tournament (min. 8 hours): Free day pass
-----
Merchant & Fan Table Cost
$60, includes one badge - more badges at 50% off (max. 2)
-----
Volunteer Discounts
Saturday, work 8 hours total: Free Saturday badge
Sunday, work 4 hours total: Free Sunday badge


More info:  Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

I've modified the BabelCon website as follows:

a)  Sci-Fi & Fantasy icons and Movie Posters added to top bar on every page.
b)  Added detailed titles to each page.
c)  Added a schedule page for each new room.
d)  Updated volunteer form for 2008. Linked to download icon.
e)  Pre-registration form updated for 2008.
f)   Posted new admission prices to Registration page.
g)  Added online registration capabilities to Registration page.
h)  Updated merchant form for 2008. Linked to download icon.
i)   Added online payment capabilities for table rentals to Merchant page.
j)   New venue added to Location page, with link to hotel site.
k)  Posted new convention hours of operation.
l)   Added new paranormal guests.
m) Updated program book advertising form for 2008. Linked to download icon.
n)  Created new BabelCon 2008 T-shirt logo. Updated graphics for T-Shirt page.
o)  Updated text for 2008 on Press Kit page.
p)  Updated Gaming pages with Gary Gygax Memorial.
q)  Passed out from exhaustion.

Check it out!   Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

The get the special BabelCon hotel room rate, you have to give the reservationist the following code:

Reservation code:  O02  -  that's the letter O, and number zero, and the number 2.

The BabelCon floorplan map has been released:  Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

I added Sci-Fi & Fantasy movie audio quotes to the Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or home page. Let me know what you think.  Anything missing?

Then, I used the Sci-Fi soundbytes to created a "Sci-Fi & Fantasy Dance Remix" to open the BabelCon dance.  You can listen to it and other geek music here:  Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Click here for info: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

New Hotel Information: Don't Forget!

Cutoff for BabelCon hotel block of rooms is June 18th. You can make reservations after that, but they will no longer hold open rooms - its first come, first serve.

You MUST use the reservation code O02 (letter O, number zero, number 2) to get the reduced room rate.

We've planned a Friday night Meet-n-Greet event with the guests.  Admission price to be announced.

If you've already made a hotel reservation, using the code or not, please let me know.  We're trying to get an estimate of reservations made so far.

hahahaha

Announcing BabelCon's newest Guest:

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Richard Hatch
"Apollo" and "Zarek" from old and new Batlestar Galactica

Meet-n-Greet & Eat

Who:  Apollo/Zarek (Richard Hatch) from Battlestar Galactica, General Martok (John Hertzler), Klingon K'ehleyr/Female Q (Suzie Plakson), and Lost in Space robot (Bob May).

What: You, your VIP*Pass, 60 of your closest friends, catered hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and celebrity guests in an intimate setting.

Where:  Holiday Inn Select, 4728 Constitution Ave., Baton Rouge (use reservation code oh-zero-two, O02, when booking your hotel room)

When:  Friday, July 18th, 8pm-10pm.

How:  Pre-register for BabelCon, then buy a VIP*Pass on the Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or website. Each VIP*Pass is $20, and for adults 21 and over. VIP*Passes are limited, and sold on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Why:  Because its very cool to get 2 hours of one-on-one time with the actors that play our favorite TV characters, ask them questions we've been dying to know, and listen to their anecdotes and personal observations on the industry and fandom.

The new Flier & Pre-registration combo form are now available.
The updated form includes the "VIP Meet-n-Greet & Eat":

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Is anyone here going to this besides the Halfling?

I don't think I am.   I don't get much out of cons since ebay became popular.   I used to go to cons before ebay because on the last day merchants would sell off inventory, esp. old out of print stuff, real real cheap because they didn't want to lug it home and put it on the shelf for another year.  Now all that stuff is collectable and sells for a premium.

I know there are other reasons to go to a con but none of them attract me.  I prefer long term games over one shots and meeting 'celebs' does little for me.  I don't begrudge anyone else who goes but I have too much going on to do the con thing.  If I have the time to do it, I will do some table top instead.

I intended to go to NOLA con since it was so much closer but I didn't make that so driving 1.5 hours each way isn't likely for me.

Our New Science & Fandom Groups

Science Discussion:
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Fandom Discussion:
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Our household may go.  I have to skip both LGGC and Bayou Wars this year, so this is looking like a good backup gaming con* for me.  I like to bring the old board games out at the cons.  If I attend, you can be sure I'll also be bringing some original D&D and/or AD&D goodness with me.

Not that BabelCon isn't a good con in it's own right, but LGGC and Bayou Wars are hardcore gaming cons.

Start a new thread and speak of these LGGC and Bayou War cons.  When are they, why would I go, etc?

We're going to be TV advertising in about a month, and we are in the process of creating the TV ad itself.  This is a "concept" version of the ad, not the final version - or even a first draft.  But you can get the idea of the format from it.  Obviously, we'll be adding our main guests and whatnot for the final version.  Suggestions are welcome.

Here is the Link: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Its a tad grainy because of YouTube's compression, but the original is in HD format.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

The hotel cutoff date for the reduced BabelCon convention rate is Wednesday, June 18th.

You must use the oh-zero-two (O02) code by then, or lose the discount. The direct hotel number is 1-800-678-4065.

"You snooze, you lose!"

We are asking everyone that attends the next public BabelCon meeting (June 29th), to please bring a costume to wear.  We're going to film some *brief* footage for the BabelCon TV commercial, of people gaming, and we need people wearing costumes to be in the scene.

Its okay if you don't want to participate, or don't want to wear a costume - this is just a request. The meeting will go on as normal. We have a lot to cover and finalize, as you might imagine.

The meeting is at the normal time and place, at 2:30 pm at the Jones Creek Library, 6222 Jones Creek Rd., Baton Rouge (meeting room 1).

My fellow scientists, ladies, gentlemen and members of the worldwide press, allow me to introduce THE CONSORTIUM OF GENIUS in their first appearance at BabelCon.  Soon their name will be a household word. Why?
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Because since 1996 they have been devoting all their time, talent, and obvious good looks, into the single-minded pursuit of TAKING OVER THE WORLD. Except for that one time they attempted to destroy the world... but I digress.

Deep within their secret lair, three mad scientists and one smart-alecky robot are hatching an evil plot: TO ROCK the EARTH into OBLIVION!
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Learn more about their WORLD DOMINATION plans here:
Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

So.... you're the robot?    ;D

I saw these guys play after Rock City Morgue at One-Eyed Jacks a few months ago.  They had some major technical problems with their projector, and so they basically sucked.  It was painful to watch.

That said, their schtick is kind of amusing when it's working.  The robot drummer is projected on the back screen during the actual songs which seemed to make up only a tiny percent of their show, the rest being on-stage antics and lots of pre-filmed footage.  Too much schtick and too little music for my tastes, but I'm sure they're a lot better when their pre-filmed portions aren't blinking in for one minute and then out for five.

Liam wrote on Jun 25^th, 2008 at 8:52pm:

So.... you're the robot?    ;D

Eep, orp, oop, ah ha

wrote on Jun 25^th, 2008 at 9:50pm:

I saw these guys play after Rock City Morgue at One-Eyed Jacks a few months ago.  They had some major technical problems with their projector, and so they basically sucked.  It was painful to watch. That said, their schtick is kind of amusing when it's working.  The robot drummer is projected on the back screen during the actual songs which seemed to make up only a tiny percent of their show, the rest being on-stage antics and lots of pre-filmed footage.  Too much schtick and too little music for my tastes, but I'm sure they're a lot better when their pre-filmed portions aren't blinking in for one minute and then out for five.

Yeah, they mentioned that fiasco.  They supposedly got some new equipment since then, so hopefully they'll be their normal kick ass selves.  If not, Figrin D'an is the backup DJ.

Bayou Halfling wrote on Jun 26^th, 2008 at 5:04am:

Liam wrote on Jun 25th, 2008 at 8:52pm: So.... you're the robot?    ;D Eep, orp, oop, ah ha

Eep, op, ork, ah ah.

I see these guys every year at House of Shock.  COG always puts on a good show...at HOS, that is.

Liam wrote on Jun 26^th, 2008 at 11:18am:

Eep, op, ork, ah ah.

Oh my, a man who knows his Jetsons!   8-)

So let it be written,
So let it be done....


BabelCon TV Commercial - Final Draft: Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or


You're going to love this... a nice gaming segment at the end!  

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Well, we got a piece of the opening ceremonies!  It only starts from the end of the Jedi rescue, but its a beginning:
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The portrait and candid photos taken at BabelCon 2008 are now online as well:
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