Los Angeles Journal

Well, another year has come and gone and I am to return to the World Science Fiction Convention this year in Anaheim, California. I am beginning to look forward to these outings every year, I get to see areas of the world that I would not necessarily visit myself given the choice. Certainly Los Angeles is one of those such places.

It is Friday, 2 days before I am to leave, at work, I am feverishly trying to finish up so that I can have my portion of the computer program I am helping write work. This is a contract with Canadian Pacific railways and we are working on a program that will track clients and their train car orders. lt is fairly complex and not a small project. They are doing what many companies are frantically doing, that is, removing the old, central computer that everyone uses to using a bunch of smaller computers (PCs) to handle their business needs. The solution works well but it is not simple to implement.

The interesting thing about this project is that more than half of the individuals at our work site do not even work for “CP”, scarier still is that half of those contract people are not even from Canada. lt makes me wonder as to the economics of the situation. There must be a great deal of money at stake to fly people into Winnipeg every two weeks and keep them in apartments in the city. A side effect of this arrangement is that I have had a chance to talk to other Computer Consultants from these various companies and hear what they think of the industry, with the potentiel of assisting me in determining what I should be doing with my life.

I am in the process of making myself “mobile”. I have determined that the purchase of a house was a mistake, so I am fixing that by selling the house. Over the summer, I have been attempting to clean up the place, painting the exterior, landscaping, etc. lt is very difficult to do this by oneself, true, I do live with my sister, but let's face it, she does net have the intimate relationship with the house that I must have. lt would have been better te sell the house in the spring but I was net happy te do se as I really wanted this other work to be done first.

My sister has also occupied much of my time over the past few months, last year, living in Saskatchewan, I really did not have much time to talk to her but this year, being back home I have had much more opportunity to get to know her better. She just graduated from her Hair Dressing course she took over the last year and we were quite proud of her. Having said that I am a bit pragmatic about the situation because I know that she can do better for herself, she just needs a bit more self-confidence. But look who is talking.

This whole problem with NOT “getting off the pot and do something” seems to be one that afflicts this farnily in spades, mother is not happy with her job in Owen Sound at the local food bank so she went and took training to becorne a home care nurse but has not yet used this to leave her position. My other sister seems to be upset at her job (though she does not ever seem to be happy at her job – yes, yes, look who is talking) but also seems to be incapable (or scared, most likely, as we all are) of doing anything about it.

Then there is the view that if you don't make mistakes by “taking the leap” you don't learn anything that I was discussing with a gentleman from Vancouver to los Angeles, but I am getting ahead of myself.

I managed to finish about 9 PM on that Friday, however, I was not finished to my satisfaction so as soon as I got up the next day I went in to continue. I had to leave to take Brenda, my older sister who is married (not living with me) out for supper. It is always a challenge to pick where to eat for her as she is a bit afraid of trying new things (especially since she has heard about some of the places I have tried). I have always attempted to eat at different locations whenever I go out, as a matter of fact, the “Friday Lunch Group” has been regularly meeting at different locations for 2 and a bit years now. This is a group of people that I initially met at a project in the south end of the city. We have kept together every Friday and have a lot of fun. Oh, in case you are curious, we tried a Korean place in Osborne Village (similar to the “Village” in New York in terms of culture, though on a MUCH smaller scale), it was not that good, will not go back, but, we gave it a shot. Next time will be a bit different … don't know where yet, normally decide a few days ahead of time.

After supper I had to go back to work to finish things up so that they could be used while I was away (that is, others could use the bits that I was working on without serious problems, or even fix them). I finally left work at 2:00 in the morning. My flight was to leave at 2 in the afternoon. To make things not much better I had to check to see if I received any electronic mail because, being away for a week, I wanted to ensure that no serious problems would ensue while I was gone. What is this that I am talking about you ask? Well, I am still the Chair of Technical Services at a local Community Network (FreeNet) that is going strong. I have taken a lot on myself over the years, this is another thing I am attempting to divest myself from as much as possible to make myself “mobile”.

Ever since my trip last year to Glasgow, again for the Science Fiction Convention, I have been thinking about where I would like to work. With CP, they are moving to Calgary for the second phase of this project. There are a few options with this, if I wish to go, I could do so either with my current company or with another company that has been soliciting my services for about a month now, offering a significant increase and pay and, perhaps more importantly, a bit more respect. I have a difficult time understanding my own personal worth and this leads to my services being taken for granted by employers and others I do work for. I find that I will work hard at whatever I do, no matter what I am paid, a raise does little to increase my work output (as I am already pretty close to 100%) but it does make me happier to do it. My current company does not seem to want to make me happy. Sure, they are nice people, but I feel I am being taken advantage of. My current company also wants me to move to Calgary. To make things even more complicated, the time when the Calgary trip is slated to start, January, I was hoping to take a six month working trip to England (I miss it). Now, how this would effect my employment with either company is unknown. But the other thing is: Do I care? Will I have a tough time finding another job? I don't think so. But, security is a nice thing…that seems to be the problem, complacency seems to atrophy oneself. Why bother if I am comfortable where I am? Without change, one stagnates…

It is about six o'clock before I finally sleep, getting there was a problem even after all the computers had been turned off, I guess I am excited about the trip.

The interesting thing about this flight to LA is that it is free, as part of the perks of my spending the last year in Saskatchewan, I accumulated enough airline points to come to LA, first class, free. I was also dismayed to learn (after I book my tickets of course) that I had enough points to also go to England. I consoled myself with the likelihood that the cost would probably be less to England.

I really do appreciate traveling first class, the larger seats are just so comfortable that you can just lay back and sleep, the reclining nature of the seats also make it a joy. OK, service is nice too. Well, so is the food. Oh, and so is the … you get the picture. The flight leaves Winnipeg and first stops in Calgary, much to my surprise (not the actual landing but hearing that we would be stopping there). Not enough time to leave the airplane so I whip out my computer and play a quick game with the stereo headphones on. The only thing that would be nice is a color screen.

This silly laptop has been causing no ends of problems. I have had it in to get fixed but unfortunately the parts come from Toronto which does not seem to want to ship the parts so my computer has been sitting in the repair shop, untouched, for about 3 weeks. I demanded it back for this trip. Traveling, for me, without a laptop is like traveling without … clothes. I just could not do without (well, depends where you visit I suppose…l hear some places down south where…). I hope to also get local Internet access to be able to view my electronic mail from Winnipeg, though the local FreeNet does not seem to be conducive to this idea (it seems I will have to get an account – something I checked out the night, I mean morning, before the flight). Here's hoping that the hotel I get will have a telephone I can “tap” into. The last hotel I “tapped” into was last week, when I was in Edmonton, that “tap” involved the taking apart of an old cable and removing a few plates from the wall, I hope they don't notice.

Why the heck was I in Edmonton? Well, glad you asked (or maybe you didn't but you are not writing this, so there!). Every year, the community groups from around Canada meet to discuss issues of importance to the groups, things like funding issues, technology, volunteers, staff, etc. I talked work into paying for my trip as I said to them that there MAY be a job in it for them (or rather me, to them). The other thing I ended up doing was driving with one of my hardest working volunteers all the way, unfortunately he does not drive and it took about 15 hours to get there (through the night). Didn't quite make it to a few of the morning sessions… The nice thing was that my volunteer essentially got the trip for free (though he ended up making the difference with his purchases). The thing about the conference that really made me happy was that I got to speak at one of the sessions. It turns out that one of our people at Blue Sky, in Winnipeg, was supposed to speak but had some family emergency so could not attend. I was familiar with the subject as it had to do with the technical layout of Blue Sky so I offered to speak on the subject for the hour and a half the session lasted. I was quite nervous at first but just started going. It is very odd, I am so at ease in front of people some times but other times not, I think it has a lot to do with the subject. This subject I was VERY familiar with. It was a productive set of days and very enjoyable.

After Calgary, the plane next stopped in Vancouver for about 3 hours, not enough time to leave the airport but enough time to be bored. I was considering a trip to the Vancouver Chinatown but I realized I had more time on the way back to do that. The Vancouver airport, I understand has just been redesigned and it is certainly one of the best I have ever been in. Many places to eat and shop, lots to do. I was most impressed by this 3-4 ton carving, of West Coast Indian style in the airport food area. I believe it was carved from Jade, but I do not recall ever seeing a piece that big, whatever it is, it is impressive.

I had time to read the local paper (in excruciating detail) before the plane left for Los Angeles.

The annoying thing was that there was a teenager sitting in my seat that did not seem to understand that I wanted that particular seat. True, they did have first class tickets and they were offering me their seat elsewhere, I don't really like aisle seats. There was something else though, they seemed so … cocky. I just did not want to let them get away with it, they just seemed to ignore my standing there, unbelievable. The only way they finally moved is when one of the adults in their party stepped in. I don't know what it is but teenage boys I don't really seem to get along with I guess it is because I don't every recall being one. I don't remember being in any particular “group” or discussing what teenage boys seem to discuss. I seem to recall having a lot more on my mind, I was working at the time also. Mother has always been happy that she lead us to a good work ethic (though a pathological one, if I could suggest), the rest, it seems, was not quite so good (her thoughts, not mine). She does seem to be always evaluating herself along these lines, though it seems a bit late to do anything about it if you ask me…

It turns out that the person that sat beside me was from a place just north of LA and was up in northern British Columbia to do fishing. He was doing a good job so they sent him to a resort up there all expenses paid. I am DEFINUELY in the wrong area of work. On the way out of Vancouver it looked like there were either whales or seals (or both) feeding in the water, it was quite impressive. I will have to go back to visit Vancouver, it occurs to me that my visit some 10 years ago for the Expo that was held here did not do the city justice, besides I was quite young at the time.

As we approached LA I started getting into a conversation with this gentleman and I ended up telling him my work concerns and he ended up giving the advice that many have already given me and that is to make the leap, as I am still young. I don't really know if 26 is young or not, I kind of think 20 as being young. This seems to be the prevalent attitude.

I did not really prepare too much for the trip, yes, I booked a spot at the convention, I did also reserve a car, but the hotel was pretty much up in the air. After getting off the plane and taking the bus to the rental cars, I got my car and lugged my luggage over to the spot where it was supposed to be and saw a Lincoln Continental at that location. Now, I may seem wealthy to you but there are limits, it was not my car. So, I picked on an unsuspecting “car jockey” to drive me back to the rental agency for them to finally fix me up with a Ford Mustang (a name which I had trouble relaying to the hotel, I am not big on American cars).

I was quite nervous about the drive in LA as I was unsure of what to expect. I had heard stories about the amount of traffic and other nightmares so I expected the worse. I think that perhaps my driving in England last year, in Detroit, Toronto and other cities have assisted my ability to adapt and drive well because the freeways out of the airport turned out to be no problem. Yes, they are big but not to be scared of, well, it was late at night… I finally found Disneyland, which is close to the convention center which is where the convention is being held. I figured I would just get a hotel around there and save any significant amount of walking or transportation. The automobile club had supplied me with a guidebook listing hotels so I picked the cheapest hotel I could find, I star (which always reminds me of a quote from a movie – the name escapes me right now – “How bad is a one star hotel? Well, let me put it this way: there are no such things as a no star hotel.”) with the charming name of “Magic Carpet” (I am right across the street from Disneyland). The really neat thing is that the convention is just next door.

The thing that really miffed me about the convention this year is that they wanted more than $100 a night for a hotel. They are all booked at the Hilton and other, more expensive places. I could not believe it so I decided to find my own way (and my own “pay”)- The hotel is clean, as I would expect from the Automobile Association, but not that big a room, the television only has 5 channels but I don't really plan on being in the room all that often. I am hoping to take advantage of where I am and get out a fair amount and see what I can see.

OK, I must admit, the previous day I just wrote starting about an hour ago. Last night I was pretty much bushed and went straight to bed, now it is about three o'clock in the morning and I am just starting on today. I don't know how far I will get so bear with me.

After my trip to Edmonton, I heard about a place right here in Anaheim where LaserDiscs, one of my more expensive hobbies, are sold in abundance. So, this was my first stop, it turns out that they claim to be the largest store in the world for LDs and it was no doubt. I found a few disks less than 30% of the cost I would pay in Canada, well worth the exchange rate.

It took a bit of time to find the place but the roads around here are predictable and straight and don't normally change names, unlike Manitoba.

After doing a bit of shopping, and spending far more than I should have (how am I going to get it across the border I would like to know – I can see the dollar signs in the eyes of the customs inspectors right now) I continued north past Los Angeles to Hollywood to visit Universal City and to hopefully get some backlot pictures.

After paying too much for parking we were shuffled to this large mail before actually getting to UC itself. It was quite impressive though there seemed to be little of any substance there (tourist through away mostly). The cost of the park was fairly high but included all attractions so I was happy enough. The first thing I did was to go on the Tram Tour of the backlots and to get some pictures of some of the things going on back there for Ken, my brother in law. We were lucky enough to see some filming currently being done where there was a lot of fake snow around, funny to see people dressed in fur coats in the 26 degree Celsius weather. One of my favorite actresses, Angela Lansbury was there filming (in the fake snow). I was quite surprised to see the amount they did let you see there, there were a lot of doors open where you could look inside, and real actors and other film people just walking around as the tour went on. There were a lot of pieces of sets lying around which was quite interesting. I did get a fair amount of unusual shots down back alleys and in construction areas which I thought that Ken may enjoy.

Universal Studios

One of the things which I noted with this attraction and many of the others at UC was that they used light mist sprayed over the line to cool people off, after all, the line ups were about 30 minutes long. This I saw was being done at the Olympics this summer, at the Coke machines. It is an interesting and effective way of dealing with the problem, a lot cheaper than air conditioning.

The tram tour had the typical tourist stuff, Jaws attacking the boat and the like but was good nonetheless.

After that, I took in the Waterworld show which was disappointing in that they would have commercialized it so much, the film itself is pretty off-beat and did not do well in the theatres as it was a very “rebellious” movie and most would not be attracted to that type of theme. It was a very stylistic movie and the attraction captured that.

After Waterworld I went off to ride the Jurassic Park ride. The interesting thing about UC is that there are actually two parts to the lot, as it is built on the side of a hill (OK, mountain), so you have to take this set of four escalators down the side of the hill to go down about 200 feet. Quite impressive.

While waiting for Jurassic Park, I noted with amusement that the ride stopped for about half an hour for a normal “computer maintenance/check”. This made the wait about an hour before the ride started. The amusement came because of one theme from the movie was that the computer systems do not come back on-line (they fail), and this was being played out at the ride also. I want to take a moment at this time to discuss the Jurassic Park phenomenon in America (Canada AND the US). I find it interesting to note that both the book and movie are both very much a satire of the desire that humans seem to have to take advantage and abuse technology for their own ends, “See what happens?”. The story implies that this ultimately leads to disaster. So, in effect, the “Jurassic Park” merchandising shown in the movie is a bit of irony, in that this “perfect” thing becomes a thing of destruction. However, the American culture ignores this negative aspect and markets it anyway. I find it amusing that they see the effects beyond the meaning of the story and moral. I find the merchandise an “anti-movie” element rather than a momento. This did not, however, prevent me from buying a “I Survived the Jurassic Park Water Ride” t-shirt.

The ride itself was quite pleasant though the effects were not as good as I would have liked, the animatronics were good enough. The drop at the end is the best (if you don't know, the world's tallest water drop).

Universal Studios - Bottom Section (Jurassic Park is on the left)

From there, I proceeded to the BackDraft exhibit which was quite interesting, with a fair amount about fire safety which I thought was a good and appropriate touch. The final room in that display was VERY good it that they basically blew it up with a lot of fire, the heat was quite intense and the smell of propane was everywhere.

I also attended the Cinemania exhibit which told how they do some of the special effects, not too bad. Not anything I did not already know but fun. The E.T. ride was simply that: a ride, enjoyable. Some of the video shown in the lines is almost better than the ride, on E.T. they were showing clips not placed in the final movie and interviewing a VERY young Steven Spielberg. The Jurassic Park ride had a few “Jurassic Park” shorts (describing the safety equipment in the back of the boats we were using “Flashlight, matches, food rations, and a 2000 volt stun gun).

After going back up the escalators, I went on the Back to the Future ride which was pretty good. I get motion sickness sometimes on those simulator rides and this one for sure… Part of the problem could have been that I did not have anything to eat, I find that when I am busy I don't bother with eating, it is secondary.

After that, I attempted to find a shop there that had any decent merchandise, like movies, scripts, photos, etc. but there was nothing there.

After leaving, on the way back to the car I found the Hard Rock Cafe so I picked up the normal stuff I pick up for my sister, I think that she may have a drawer in her room with all the stuff I get for her. It is now a habit to pick something up for her wherever I go, she seems to be happy with it and I think it is kind of fun to go looking for it wherever I am (Paris was REALLY tough).

It was still pretty early (only 8:30) so I decided to proceed to Mann's Chinese theatre on Hollywood Avenue. The reason I wanted to go there it because it is a very famous landmark and has cinematic history behind it with all of the hands in the concrete outside, never mind the stars on the sidewalks. Much to my delight, they were simply playing regular movies so I attended the 10: 15 show of The Island of Dr. Moreau, the movie was not that bad but the venue was incredible, the ceiling was unbelievable, decorated up. I can probably safely say that the theatre was the biggest and best theatre I have ever been in, the screen must have been more than two stories high and the sound system shook the whole theatre. I can't imagine watching Star Wars there…

It was really interesting to see all of the stars hand and footprints in the concrete, amazingly I think I only did not recognize 4 or 5 names out of about 100. Seeing Cecil B. Demille, the Marx Brothers, Julie Andrews, the guys (all of them) from Star Trek, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, etc. really made you realize that these people dirtying their hands are people too. Yes, I walked on them.

Today was an interesting day. It started out with my not knowing exactly what I was going to do. I did not mention yesterday, but I had been approached by a person while waiting at Mann's Chinese Theatre offering free tickets for a live taping of a sitcom in Hollywood. I suppose a bit of explanation for those unfamiliar with this concept. For filming a sitcom, studios need audiences to laugh and respond as the taping occurs. For this, they contract agencies to get audiences to the shows by offering free tickets. The draw back is that you have to participate and attend. I thought that this would be a really interesting thing to do while here, see a real show being taped and to see how things are done.

The day started out a bit rocky as I had a bit of trouble getting out of bed. I have been getting to bed fairly late and last night was no exception.

I started driving up to Hollywood along the expressway as I was hoping to get to the sitcom taping which was scheduled for 4 o'clock. Along the way I made a brief stop at a CompUSA (Computer Store), what can I say? Even on holiday I have computers on my mind. Luckily, there was nothing really there that I was interested in.

Along the freeway I noticed that most cars had their windows rolled up but there were a few that braved the warm weather and had their windows down. I decided to give it a try, well, it turns out that the noise easily drowned out the stereo and the heat was unbearable coming off the hot tarmac. That lasted only for about 5 miles when I rolled them back up.

I was quite surprised at how adapt I am getting at finding my way around, it seems that I am able to adapt quickly to new situations, but I think that is what I do at work and for my life. As a consultant with various contracts, I am thrown into new situations all the time, and it is either sink or swim. I prefer to swim, though it is an upstream swim (OK, OK, enough with the similes). I made my way up to Santa Monica Boulevard and drove along, still very early for the taping, so I decided to make my way to the La Brea tarpits. However, I had to stop at a bookstore I saw along the way, a rare bookstore. There was no books (read: Science Fiction) of any note there but the gentleman pointed me to other places to try.

On the way crossing the street I noticed a homeless person begging for money. I have always been uncomfortable in these situations no matter where I am. I refuse to give them any money because I honestly believe that anyone should never have to beg for money but can find work. My mind goes back to last year in, I believe, Vancouver when a woman with Lou Gehrig's disease was fighting for the right to die (remove herself from life support) as she felt she could no longer be of any use living. The thing is that a gentleman in England, Cambridge to be exact now holds the same position as Newton did a number of centuries earlier, his thoughts on the origins of the universe are currently and will for some time shaking the very foundations of physics. The gentleman's name is Stephen Hawking and he has had the same disease as the lady in Vancouver for about 20 years, however, he has not let it stop him from being a viable (and valuable) member of society despite his disability. True, he was smart to begin with, but I think that anyone can find their niche and make enough money to survive, you just have to look. It seems that some of the people on the street feel so little of themselves that they do not look. I don't feel I am helping by giving them money, if anything I would be helping myself by making me feel special “I have done my good deed for the day”. I can't do that, perhaps I just care too much, though it could be just fear.

The tarpits are interesting, they are basically in the middle of a LA right on a main street, visible as you drive by, there is a museum there which the person at the book store recommended, however, after paying $7.50 for parking, another $6.50 for the museum was a bit much to take. I walked around the pits and was quite fascinated. The main pit was actually a commercial tarpit at the turn of the century but they abandoned it and it filled with water, however, tar keeps bubbling to the surface, a thick oil slick that partially covers the water. I found it interesting that I saw minnows in the water, I did not know that they could survive that type of thing. I guess that the tar stays unmixed with the water. There are actually several other smaller pits nearby in a park and in a few places it has broken through the surface of the ground in the middle of the park.

After the park, I proceeded to a place that I was told earlier that had Science Fiction rarities, but, it was a long way away. I ended up driving about an hour, almost to the ocean, before I got to the store. The store was very interesting for me as I was not aware that such a thing existed. In all my previous experienced, Science Fiction books have always been new or older in good condition. The only books that this store had were behind large locked glass doors, there was good reason it was locked. I talked to the proprietor and he indicated that a number of the books were fairly expensive, the ones I was interested in were only a couple of hundred dollars, his price list has a few books in excess of $3,000. 1 never realized that such a place existed, it seemed like an antique store more than anything else, the illusion being completed by the fact that the owner indicated that he was “not much into [Science Fiction] fandom”. The books seemed more like a commodity rather than as something to enjoy though the owner indicated that he had read all of the books I asked about. It makes me wonder how much you would enjoy a book you paid more than you would for a computer. It seems to me that it would just end up in a safe, what a waste.

The first autographed edition of a book I received was from Connie Willis at the Science Fiction convention held in Winnipeg two years ago. I had never read the book she signed but I told her I would be reading it because of what I had heard. She signed it along the lines of “Steve, I hope you enjoy reading this book”, and I did indeed read the copy of the book that she signed, and I did indeed enjoy it. That, it seems to me, is the essence of Science Fiction as opposed to a glass cage and a lock. True, I have a few editions I don't just flip through at random, they are in plastic. But, before the plastic goes on, I curl up and give them a good read. I know what I want signed and what I do not. I enjoy it.

Incidentally, on the way to the bookstore, I passed through Beverly Hills, the limited amount I saw does indeed look the way it is represented in the movies and on television, complete with expensive cars and homes. Not terribly appealing, but it was nice and clean (joke).

I was getting a bit tight for time so I had to move fairly quickly to get to the studio, about 5 minutes after the time I was supposed to show up. It was not a problem (even though the ticket indicated to be “prompt” it did not take into account the Hollywood way of doing things a bit behind schedule, they were still practicing fairly late).

Just off of Santa Monica Boulevard I got into a line outside the Hollywood Center studios for a taping of a new sitcom called “Everyone Loves Raymond” staring a new comedian from New York (Queens he said). It was neat to see a sitcom before anyone else, has seen it on television. After passing through the metal detectors and seated we were shown the first episode to get an idea of the characters and what it was about.

During the filming, it was interesting to see how the many people involved worked very hard to put it all together. There were many of them, I would suggest about 30 or so on the stage during filming of each segment. Everyone of them had a different task and did it well. All of the different settings were there and our focus shifted from one scene to the next with the middle time filled by a comedian there to keep us (the audience) entertained and paying attention. He did a number of unusual things including getting me up at the front because he wanted to hear me laugh (the lady beside me swore I laughed really well). A number of cheesy magic tricks and jokes kept the crowd entertained.

The real surprise came in filming the last set of sequences when a guest appearance was made by Jean Stapleton (of “Archie” fame). I was quite surprised and pleased. She is a consummate actor and it showed, even with her advanced years. She composed herself very well and made the taping very enjoyable.

The show ended taping at about 8:00 at night, which was about 3 hours after they started. It was a different experience to see a real television show being taped. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was very relaxing and interesting. It gives you a glimpse of what goes on beyond the studio walls.

After that, I basically came back to the hotel to call my sister and mother. Well, Karin was not home so I ended up talking to mother for about an hour and a half (while my take-out supper got cold, oh well!). I was trying to talk her into coming down here instead of Florida where they go every year. I hope they do, there is so much to do here, not necessarily “touristy” stuff, there are things for every interest. Tomorrow should be interesting as it is registration for the convention and hopefully getting over to Disneyland.

Today was a day of exhaustion. As I am really down here for the Science Fiction Convention, I registered immediately after getting up (rather late, 10 o'clock) and picked up a discounted ticket for Disneyland.

I should explain that there is something about Disneyland and Disneyworld. I have always wanted to visit. I don't know exactly why. I suppose some of it is because of the rides I have heard of, but, perhaps it is because of seeing much of the Disney films and an interest in seeing his vision represented in reality. Who has not heard of Space Mountain, Main Street USA, Splash Mountain, Snow White's Castle, etc.? I would hazard a guess that those of my generation and the previous would all be familiar with these places. The parking lot is big, as one of the gates, is about 100 feet from the hotel, I decided not to drive but rather walk. The parking lot is big.

I was immediately impressed with the size and cleanliness of the whole park. Sure, it is showing it's age around the edges but the vision is still there.

The first thing I did when I entered the park was to take the train ride around the park to get my bearings and see what everything looked like. The train stops at four different locations at each compass point around the park. It is a replica of a steam locomotive (on a small scale) and was quite enjoyable, there are a few little vignettes that I traveled through that were quite fun.

After returning to the gate, I visited the “Wait Disney Story” which was very interesting, with replicas of his offices in Burbank. Quite a glimpse at the man, with interesting pieces (including manuscripts and figurines, never knew that he collected miniatures). I was possibly most impressed at the piano in his “formal office” (the other office re- created was his “work office”) as this is the very same piano which music from his famous early works was played, Fantasia, Strovinsky played on it, the music for Mary Poppins, etc. Quite a bit of history there. An interesting bit of trivia was that there is a note on his desk that says “Epcot - Go Ahead”, interesting to know that he approved the Epcot Center project before he passed away. I should think that Epcot was created about 20 years after his death.

After that was the audio-animatronic exhibit devoted to Abraham Lincoln, it was very tastefully done and very touching. Another interesting man, I should think that both Disney and Lincoln had much in common, both with a vision. One for a nation, and so with the other. One for the well-being of his people, the other for the enjoyment of his fellow man.

Following this, I took an old bus up Main Street USA to Snow White's castle. Unfortunately, I had a bit of an upset with some kids sitting in the front of the second story. They were spitting out of the bus at people and I felt I needed to say something, things were a bit tense when they refused to stop. I told them to stop, they gave me some excuse about spitting out seeds or some such thing but continued to aim at people. I think they knew they had been found out and stopped after a second warning, could also have been that the bus stopped at it's destination. These boys were in their early teens, I think I may have already mentioned, I do not really get along with that age group, I can't understand their frame of mind because I feel that I never experienced it myself. I was uncomfortable but felt that something needed to be said, it bothered me for a short period afterward but I believe I did the right thing and I refused to let it ruin my stay.

Next up was the Star Tours ride created by George Lucas, it was very good, a simulator ride (that is, you sit in a car that moves with a projection screen in front of you) and the first of the lineups (this one about 45 minutes which turned out to be typical). I will note a bit more about the lineups, they were very interesting, at Universal City they always had televisions in the lineups to keep the crowd entertained while waiting, in Disneyland there were unique exhibits related to the ride, for example, on Star Tours there was a room were C-3PO and R2-D2 (the two robots from Star Wars) were fixing a Star-Speeder and were bantering about back and forth, they were full size animatronics and had continuous dialog, for the 20 or so minutes I was in the room the dialog did not repeat itself. The premise was of a spaceport preparing to visit another planet and there were frequent PA announcements of comings and goings. Very entertaining. The ride was enjoyable though I always find simulators to give me a bit of a headache. It is odd because I don't get a headache on the real thing (for example roller coasters) perhaps I need to relax, or, better yet, eat something that day before riding (grin).

Space Mountain, the roller coaster in the dark was quite good, it was the second ride I went on. The ride was very fast and quite short but very exciting. Not exactly a big roller coaster but enough to give you a thrill.

After that I went on some of the older rides in that area, TomorrowLand, AutoTopia, Submarine Ride, and the Materhorn. These are all enchanting in their simplicity and all were enjoyable.

Now, you may think I am corny but the one ride that I thought was one of the most special was the A Small World ride. There was something about that, you are riding around in a boat (no splashing here) and you go through a series of rooms where there are a number of animatronic figures singing the words to the famous song, in various languages (each room features a different culture, for the most part). I found that the pure nature of the message and the simplicity, the child-like simplicity got to me, I found myself on the verge of tears, here, I felt, was the spirit of Disney. “It's so much that we care that it's time we're aware, it's a small world after all”, Bosnia, Israel, Iraq, all names that hit the news on a daily basis, it seems that we all need to realize that it is indeed a small world. I should know, in my business I am making the world a smaller place by linking computers together making it possible to talk using the computer to other people anywhere in the world in real time. The sight of hundreds of child puppets singing and playing just got to me. Silly? I don't know. I think I am just a sentimentalist.

Next up was Toon Town (Roger Rabbit) which was entertaining mostly to see the kids having such a good time, this was one of the most interactive places in Disneyland and the kids had a great time. I went on a Roger Rabbit Taxi Cab ride which was very fun, the waiting line had some neat exhibits also (grin).

After that area I attended a Pocahontus review (acting), I don't really know why other than it was there and I was curious to hear how Disney had interpreted the story (and how it turned out). I was not disappointed, it seemed to be very respectful of the Indian culture and tastefully done. The grim postscript, untold at the review, of how the Indians were treated during settlement leapt to mind after the show.

After that, I traveled, and took rides through Frontierland, including the ride on a Galley Ship around Huck's Island. Unfortunately, I wanted to go on the Huck Finn (authentic Mississippi Riverboat) but it was being restored. The ship was interesting and very relaxing.

I really enjoyed the Pirates of the Caribbean, there was no lineup to speak of but the animatronics - were first rate and the show was very good.

Splash Mountain was a long lineup but also enjoyable. I also went on the Indiana Jones ride which had a really good lineup display and the ride was very well done with first rate special effects and action sequences. I must admit though, the ride itself verged a bit too much on fantasy for me (60 feet snakes, etc.). I kind of liked the Indiana Jones movies because they had an air of realism to them. After this, it was beginning to get dark and there was a show I wanted to see at Huck's Island but I had enough time to go on the Jungle Boat Tour which was another original Disney ride. I enjoyed it very well with the wise-cracking guide (every line meant two different things). I will mention that this was a common trait with all of the Disneyland employees, all were very pleasant and enjoyable to talk too. They all want to help out and keep you happy. Unbelievable in a park of it's size and age. All were young and eager to please.

I grabbed a catfish sandwich (very good, mild, if you must ask – also, I had never had one before so I figured I would give it a go) and found a spot to enjoy Fantasm (or something like that). It was an outstanding display of water works, lasers, fireworks, music, Mickey (and associates), etc. It sort of embodied the essence of what Disney, I think, was trying to do with Fantasia, a movie never appreciated in it's time but now hailed as a masterpiece.

After which, as I was leaving for Main Street to catch the Electric Parade, the fireworks over Snow White's castle were set off, so had to stop and watch.

Made my way to Main Street, spent a LOT of money, finally breaking down and buying a Mickey Mouse watch (gold, well, not solid of course!). It should make for interesting conversation at work. I have needed a watch anyway.

The Electric Parade was very good and had catchy music playing, the floats were well lit and imaginative. I especially liked the character playing a well-lit steam organ.

So, that was my day, now I am at my hotel, after writing a couple of post cards, a slave to this silly computer. I still have to prepare, that is, decide what to see at the Convention tomorrow. The first day is always slow so it should not be too bad. Now, to dig up that literature…

Today was the first day of the Science Fiction convention and it started out a bit rough as I ended up sleeping in until right when the first panel I was going to attend started. It was an interesting discussion on the future of law enforcement with a number of representatives from various agencies. I thought it was interesting that they thought the most important thing that is needed for better policing and for future policing is the need for improved communications. This is true in almost every area of our current community I have begun to realize over the last few years. Let me give an example, take racism, years ago when this really started to heat up it could all have been avoided if there had been adequate communication between the races to foster the understanding that is required (you are the same as I am, for example). Improved communication dispels misunderstandings and @improves productivity. I see this more and more in my volunteer efforts at Blue Sky. There are groups that ignore or choose not to listen to the work of others and because of this it seems like perhaps the whole group is dying (you kill the mind and the body goes with it).

Anyway, enough of the philosophy, the next discussion was on advancements in Science and there were a number of pre-eminent Science Fiction authors to hear Dr. Robert Forward speak. I found it interesting that things were dismissed only years ago are now being seriously discussed. For example, today the discussion was about time travel and three different methods were discussed and seem to be theoretically sound, albeit a bit beyond our currently technology but the mechanics are sound. During this discussion it was mentioned that the speed of light can be exceeded in certain circumstances (it was proven that if you can go faster than the speed of light you can create a time machine). The discussion was lively and very interesting, something which I have come to expect at these conventions.

I attended the next session out of interest about what one of the authors I read would say about the subject “Might makes Right” (referring to military themes in Science Fiction and whether it is “right” or “wrong”). Unfortunately he did not attend but the remaining panelists discussed a number of interesting things pointing out that it really does make a difference if the author has some experience as a soldier doing what he/she is writing about. During the discussion an amusing (or perhaps not so amusing) statement was made: “Canada has no natural enemies, except, of course, for Quebec”. This got a lot of laughs but actually made me feel kind of sad at the same time. It is interesting to realize that people seem to realize that Quebec is not necessarily speaking for Canada as a whole who wants to remain that way. (Gosh, a heck of a lot of philosophy for one day, isn't it?)

Next, and during the day I also had a chance to spend LOTS of money in the “Dealer's Room” where they sell books and other things having to do with Fantasy, Horror and Science Fiction. I was lucky in that I found a first edition of a favorite author and I also got unsigned versions of books to get signed here at the convention.

After I dumped my baggage I now found on my person, I went to the opening ceremonies which I found amusing but with no substance whatsoever, I was expecting a series of speeches from the guests of honor and the like, but nothing. There were a great number of people there though, about a thousand, in the Anaheim Convention Center Arena. After the opening, we all headed over to one of the two hotels immediately attached (well, might as well be) for a ice-cream “social” where we had all the ice cream we could eat and also talk to a few of the other cities wanting to hold future Worldcons (and get free ice-cream toppings from them – my favorite had to have been the Mars bar pieces).

After this, I figured I would head over to the ConSuite which is a hotel room hosted by the WorldCon itself (that is, the LA Con III group) with things to eat, drink, and see. Instead, I ended up in the Internet Suite-for 3 hours reading the electronic mail that. I had gathered over the last few days and fixing a few problems. The nice thing is that all the computers there, about 20 or so, were connected directly to the Internet (the world-wide computer network which I use on a daily basis to communicate with others) and were provided free of charge, 24 hours a day while the convention is in operation. While there, I chatted with Victor, a friend that drove with me in that trip to Edmonton I mentioned, and he gave me a list of things to look for, nice guy! Hopefully tomorrow or the next day. Ended up after midnight when I left and I just had time to drive somewhere to grab some takeout food before now getting to bed.

All in all, a very interesting day, if not relaxing. Tomorrow promises to be even busier, the thing that is really annoying is that many of the most interesting things to do are all at the same time and then there are other times when there is nothing to see or do, part of the problems of scheduling I think.

Another fun filled day at LA Con IH. Today I chose to concentrate on some of the different panel discussions that were taking place.

First up was about overrated and overlooked [science fiction and horror] movies with a few movie critics for some magazines. I thought that a few of the things they had to say were quite interesting. The reason I attended this talk (and others in the past) was to get an idea of what films are out there that I should be watching instead of the regular releases. It is amazing the amount of depth they get out of movies and their knowledge of the industry is astounding. I have a list of movies that will last me a LONG time.

From there I switched to legal systems of the future in which the 3 lawyer and two law-related individuals discussed the possible future of the law and legal system. It was interesting to hear how much they are in favor of the jury system, “the human touch”. They all seemed optimistic about the future. Again, the complaint I heard at this talk was similar to sentiments from yesterday with the policing panel, that more effective means of communication are required. I think that people, with the great popularity the Internet is currently enjoying are re-evaluating how these various professions operate and are realizing that they could really benefit from improved communications. The ability to look up cases of law for precedents from any number of sources would be very valuable to them. It truly is becoming a more connected, and efficient world. A long-standing truth I have found is that the biggest problem in the world today is the lack of communication. With improved communication leads to better understanding (did I say that previously?).

After this discussion, I proceeded once again to the dealer's room (where books and the like are sold) this time to pick up some information and merchandise for Victor that he asked for last night. I chickened out on some of the more expensive stuff, opting instead to get a business card. I -did pick up a movie poster for the new Star Trek film being released in November (I have one of the first ever printed). I also picked up a video that I saw being advertised at one of the booths. Now, this was an interesting situation. I guess I should explain: In the US and Canada, it is very difficult to get certain video tapes as they are only distributed either in other countries (exclusively) or they are distributed in an incompatible format (in England, they use the PAL system while we in North America use the NTSC system for television receivers). As such, there are copies of this material available here however they are copies of the originals (in whatever format converted to North American). Technically, it is not really infringing on anyone's distribution channel as they are simply not available so there is no retail market. Well, the tape I got was one such tape (actually, much to my surprise, I paid for the real thing). I am not complaining, but I don't know if I will keep the tape, or destroy the tape and purchase when they are actually released here.

Another interesting aspect to all of this is the Japanese animation, the thing is that it is not distributed at all in North America but a few fan groups have subtitled them and distributed the videotapes themselves for FREE. The groups in Japan have indicated that this is perfectly acceptable to them as it makes their product more popular and is creating a market for when they do wish to sell here.

Another thing I did at the fan room was to get the autographs of a few authors that I am big fans of and I got the opportunity to talk to each one about their work. Very interesting people, actually quite a few characters…

After this was a discussion on how to be an independent bookseller. Karin made a joke recently about me opening a bookstore as I seem to like books and reading so much, and this has been sort of sticking in the back of my mind so I thought I would attend to see what is involved, quite a lot of horror stories but it was intriguing to note that the most harried of the speakers said “It is the worst job on earth – But I wouldn't do anything else” (paraphrased). They also expressed the view that improved communications has (and will) increase their business. I will note that all of the speakers were owners of Science Fiction specialty stores.

Next up was a discussion on the future of medicine that was quite interesting. Unilaterally they agreed that improving accessibility to expertise was paramount. They also discussed some of the specific technologies involved. It was also agreed that the up and coming technologies would most likely cost more in the future so some method of keeping costs down is required, the medical engineer on the panel indicated that this is their main focus right now. This is a big problem in the United States and it is threatening Canada, some of the stories they told were unbelievable about some of the costs involved. It was suggested that wellness training could also be used to cut down long term heath care costs (preventative maintenance).

Well, after this discussion I felt I should take a break for the evening. I headed off to a local comic store to see if I could find anything for Victor (no luck). After which I headed back to the Laser Disk store to pick up some supplies I forgot about before. Having accomplished those two tasks I figured I would head to the beach (there are lots of them here)- and have a swim. It was getting dark but the surf was up so the water was very refreshing and fun to swim in. I must admit I have never really swam in the ocean (I don't know who does with waves like that!) so I found that drinking the stuff was not nice and caused me to gag for a little while, I also found my eyes stinging. That water is really salty. Around this area there are a lot of oil drilling platforms so it was interesting to see them on the horizon as I was puttering around. Had a very relaxing time, a bit of time to think about life but I did not think too hard…

I tried out a local Mexican place tonight, that is one thing about this area – lots of authentic Mexican restaurants, I am in heaven as I just love the stuff. After stuffing myself, I set to tidying up my room including a bit of advance packing, it looks like I will not have enough room for everything (the books and clothes fit but not the Laser Disks, what if I left some clothes? (GRIN)).

The news tonight was full of the forest fires in the northern part of Los Angeles, no one killed thank goodness but a lot of fires and people being evacuated. This is only the third night that I have actually watched the news. It tends to be full of local stuff (like the election) that I don't know too much about nor have too much stake in.

Karin called tonight, asking about getting a pet (Chinchilla). I don't know what is going through her mind, I had to tell her that I did not think it was a good idea (she indicated that she would not get one without my approval) as I am hoping to be moving soon. This did not seem to be a good answer as she was not terribly happy with me. I feel really bad about it but she asked in opinion and I gave it to her. I do love her but I also think she y could be doing so much with her life. She just got a promotion at work at McDonald's with her hairdressing degree I think she should be concentrating on getting a hairdresser job instead of at a fast-food chain job which leads – no where. Mother and I both agree that we have sheltered her too much as she does not seem to have a firm grasp on reality and what is required to survive. I am slowly trying to edge her into it. She teased me tonight about my not getting a job either (even though I am not happy where I am). I answered her that I would like to free myself of any big burdens that I currently have, namely, the house. But, she does have a point, I have only been looking halfheartedly, I guess that is because I don't know what direction I should go, there are so many … I don't want to chose wrongly. But then, as others have suggested, “So what?”.

Another busy day, I just got in and, as normal, it is about 12:30. Got a lot done and learned a fair amount to boot.

The first thing I attempted to do was get the autograph of an author for Victor however, as I got over to the Dealer's room where the author's were signing, I saw a sign indicated cancellation so instead I proceeded to another interesting discussion on the Death of the Book. The discussion focused on how publishers are publishing only recognized and @ proven authors (as a matter of policy). I found this very disturbing. They discussed the decay in any current, quality, literary output as well as the current inability for technology to, physically replace the book for reading (it is not comfortable or easy to use a computer to read a book). One of the panelists was very dark and basically bemoaned the death of a literate culture.

Next, I gave into temptation and sat in on a preview of the re-release of the Star Wars movies, I had seen most of the new footage they were showing but some of the details given by the speaker who was directly from the film company was quite interesting. I was surprised to bear that George Lucas, who created the original films 19 years ago, felt that there were some elements missing from the movies so decided to add them into it.

I then rapidly purchased a few books to have one of my favorite authors (both reading and in person), Connie Willis. I picked up a couple of books to have her sign them for my mother as she is also a big fan. It was quite interesting talking to her briefly as I did. She published a book a few years ago that now sells for about $500 (good condition, autographed). I asked her about how she felt about that, she indicated that books are to be read not sealed in plastic and placed in a locked cabinet, though she was a bit honored by it. Whenever I get people's autograph, I always talk to them a little to gain a bit of an insight into them as a person. Authors like Connie are incredibly intelligent and a joy to talk to.

The next talk was a surprise, I missed a lot of the discussion but I did catch the end, that was an interview with one of the grand masters of science fiction, Ray Bradbury. He turned out to be a very interesting person and very friendly, I had him sign an old copy of a book that Victor wanted signed. He was quite surprised to see it.

I found out in this session that there was an author signing in the Dealer's room that was unexpected (Victor wanted his autograph also) so I hurried over after I got Bradbury's autograph and found out that he had finished a half hour before but I did get two books from the publisher at whose booth he was signing, including a signed first edition from a new author I was unfamiliar with.

Nanotechnotogy was the topic of the following session where the practicality of it was discussed. It was agreed that any useful things to come out of the technology were a ways off but there are advancements being made. I found it fascinating to hear about the possible biomedical uses they have dreamed up for it and the current state of affairs was well beyond my expectation. I attended this panel basically because of my ignorance in the subject and wanting to know more.

After this panel I hurried to another discussion in an attempt to get one of the panelists autographs, again for Victor. I had to wait until the session had actually started before he showed up so I got his autograph and hurried to another session in another building.

You can see that I really got a lot of exercise today (as well as a fair number of autographs).

Next up was “Exploring Space” where the current state of affairs with regards to space exploration were discussed. I found the discussion focused on the major problem of getting to space, cheaply and efficiently. It was agreed that the current political structure of NASA does not lend itself to getting things done quickly or efficiently or cheaply. Jerry Pournelle, one of my favorite authors (I got his autograph yesterday), indicated that 20 years ago he and a few others could get grants and just do it instead of the current state of affairs where studies must be done before any testing or development. It seems that NASA is awash in paperwork. A comment was made that the shuttle is basically used to keep a number of people employed.

Another speaker at the space session was Dr. Forward, I have not mentioned him by name but he has spoken at most of the scientific sessions I have intended including the one earlier today about Nanotechnology, being a self-proclaimed, detractor. This gentleman is very interesting, he is currently working on “space tethers” (as a business venture) which he has a number of uses for, including as a source of electrical power (a metal tether, traveling through the electrical fields of the earth, generates electricity) as well as a method of “slingshoting” payloads from low earth orbit to high earth orbit or even the moon. He has a number of interesting ideas and it was a joy to hear him speak about them.

After this, I whistled over to the Dealer's room (again, I think that made it about 4-5 times today alone) and begged for a copy of the book being signed by the author I missed (they were giving those away too), I was in luck as they had only one copy left. I will attempt to track him down tomorrow to get him to sign it.

The next discussion focused around a specific book written by one of my favorite authors and how it was written. He explained how various people inspired the different aspects of the book and how it was distributed. It was quite interesting and all the more fascinating as all the players in the saga were in the room discussing back and forth about it. He fielded questions also from the audience about the novel and the previous novels (it is a series), specifically about the content and possible future developments. It was interesting to hear that he always completely understands the story before he writes it down. “It is just a matter of determining the words to tell it”. This is much the way I write also, I like to know what the story is before I start typing.

After this, I pretty much had filled up my bag with books (I think I will need a box for them all on the plane) so I dropped them off at the hotel then collapsed briefly before heading over to the ConSuite for a bit of refreshments. I, perhaps, should explain this, last year I did not go to the ConSuite but when the convention was in Winnipeg I did attend. The ConSuite is a courtesy room for the use of members of the convention, with free drinks and things to eat. They had LOTS of this though I started by working on a puzzle with a few other people before really getting started on the pizza, taco chips, M & Ms, party mixes, pop, salad, etc., etc. The ConSuite very quickly lost it's appeal so I went around and visited some of the other groups that were holding parties, most of them are other cities wanting member votes for their city for a particular year of the World Science Fiction Convention, for example, “Boston in 2000” is one of the suites I attended. As you go from group to group, you get stickers to place on your nametag or on ribbons they supply for your use. I ended up going to about 6 or 7 groups, no where near the whole gambit (there are, on any one night, between 15-20 different free parties). The neat thing about the Hilton, where this was held, is that on the 5th floor, where most of the parties were, there are outdoor, “squares” I guess you could call them, located through the patio doors on the suites. The handy thing is that I walked around the square going through the patio doors for each different group. They had an ad-hoc game of “catch” with a 3 foot, heavy, balloon game involving about 20 people going on which was quite funny to watch, especially when the ball got out of their hands and crashed into other people not paying attention or drinking. All in all, it was a fun evening and I am pretty much stuffed with free food (the free fruit cocktail at Boston, including the free chocolate clusters did it for me). Did I mention that I won a draw at the ConSuite (oh, so you know, the “ConSuite” is the name of the current convention hospitality room), I won a Batman and Robin lunch box, the main reason why I didn't want to enter the draw in the first place.

I was going to attend a movie at 10 o'clock, however, I feel that I could watch a movie whenever I want so I did not want to waste my time there, I can see the movie if I want when I get home.

After this, I headed off to the hotel and collapsed in front of this silly machine, I hope to go to bed VERY soon…

As per normal, things started a bit on the late side, with my showing up at the first panel I selected a few minutes after it started. I have been selecting what to see the night before each day of the convention and circling them in the pocket guide I have been given, then I just go to the rooms indicated during the day, makes life much simpler instead of deciding on the fly, I will often have backup sessions in case a session is canceled or rescheduled.

“Creating the Unknown for Films” discussed how various artists work on some popular science fiction television shows. It was very interesting to actually hear what they had to say. They were all in charge of graphics design (in one way or another) on the major television shows currently in production.

After this, I was quite concerned about getting the 30 or 40 books I have acquired during the convention home so I drove around until I found a store that sold boxes and poster tubes (for the few posters I acquired also). The annoying thing that I got the wrong size tube the first time so I had to go back again, ate up a fair amount of time.

I then proceeded to a discussion entitled “Freedom on the Internet” but it could just as easily have been on freedom in general. This was different in that the conference organizers decided to make this discussion in the form of a debate. The sides that the speakers chose to take were the pro and con of whether full disclosure should be law (the extremes of both sides). It was an interesting discussion though a bit of the terminology, complicated, with the United States political structure threw me for a little while. Eventually, the full disclosure argument won the debate however most people in the audience actually agreed with a certain amount of privacy (despite the outcome of the debate). The debate form of discussion is seldom used so that made the discussion challenging.

Next, I cornered an author that I talked to yesterday and got his autograph on a copy of his book that I got for myself instead of Victor. As yesterday, I just hung around until he showed up for his session and got him to autograph as the next session was a discussion with Buzz Aldrin.

That was quite a well-attended talk with Buzz giving a bit of an overview of his career and scientific developments as well as about his new book which is Science Fiction. I stuck around after that (moving to the Dealer's room) and got him to sign a copy of that book for me, I actually got to shake his hand also. It is something to be in the presence of such an historical figure. He was so real, we tend to see some of these figures as so distant but meeting them face to face shows you that they are human. A similar sort of thing was with the Ray Bradbury talk a few days ago.

Now, I went to a talk about future space, which discussed various current projects and near-term upcoming projects, though they did touch on the possibility of a manned mission to Mars late next century. A fervent wish was made that if we return to the moon it is to establish a base. This is the wish of most people in the industry it seems, we cannot continue to consider our planet the only ship in the ocean it is a dangerous and naive position. Further discussion was made (from another person this time) about the potential of “space tethers”. It was also noted that the industry is so different now in that there is more disclosure about what is happening on the various space projects now than before, a certain portion, something like 5%, is devoted on every project for promotional means.

I have been purchasing tickets for a book raffle and the draw was held with about 400 people present. They got a number of publishers and individuals to donate books valued in excess of $23,000, which were divided into 42 lots. I was impressed at the amount of enthusiasm and money that was raised through the purchase of tickets for various literacy charities.

After this, I headed off to the ConSuite again for a bit of something to eat before I went to see a talk on the making of one of my most favorite Science Fiction movies, one that I have on Laser Disk. After the talk, they showed the director's version of the movie (which is the one I have), it was nice to see it shown on the big screen with a really good sound system.

After that movie, they were to show the winner of this year's “Best Dramatic Presentation” at the Hugo (science fiction) award ceremony, held in the arena next door, however, it seems that they did not have the distribution rights for the winner so they were going to show a movie I had already seen. So, I called it a night. I have to get up early tomorrow as the plane leaves fairly early. Boxing up my books, it seems that the fact that I am leaving has still not settled in. I should have stayed longer, a week is not enough.

On my way home.

Not really looking forward to going home, a week is not enough time (or am I repeating myself, I seem to recall something I said very similar…). Woke up very early this morning to return the car and get to the airport, I did not realize that I did not have to go through customs until first point of contact with Canada. So, I was at LAX for a good little while, I amused myself by having breakfast and reading a LA Times. I seem to be quite good at getting myself around the freeways now, I had no trouble at all getting to the car rental return (OK, so I had a map). I tried to take my time, looking around at the various places I passed.

It was amusing as I passed through the Long Beach area (north of it) because of all the refineries, one of the futurist industrial (decay) scenes shown in the movie from last night was inspired by the exact same area. It never really sunk in that southern California is a hotbed for oil production. It is surprising to see the oil wells all along the freeways.

The plane ride from Los Angeles to here was quite interesting, in that we went over a lot of places I have only heard of, like Yosemite National Park, which was covered with smoke from the nearby forest fires. Not until mother mentioned it was I aware of the forest fires north of Los Angeles, the thing is they are WELL north of LA and LA is VERY big and I was south, so very little chance of seeing anything though I did when I was at the beach a few days ago.

Every parking lot I entered in the area (speaking of beaches) all had one way tire traps, that is, if you go over them in one direction no problem, but if you go the wrong way you basically rip the rubber of your tire rims. It is quite scary, very when you go over the first time. The first time I saw them was on one of my yearly trips to Los Vegas, they had them all over the place. I don't know if I will go again this year. I guess I could explain, I visit a Computer Show there, the “largest” in the world (well, really, one in Europe is, but you know how some Americans can be (JOKE! Honest!)). The thing is that this show is for dealers and I really don't fall within that category. I am certainly familiar with the technology but I am not interested in, reselling anything like that. So, I end up (so they will talk to me) telling them I am a reseller (which is, to a point, true) and I get all of this literature which I read but I can't order anything because I have no current use for it. It just gets tiring, I can read about much, if not all, of it in the computer journals that are published, if I had time. I couldn't tell you what the newest features of X software was and nor do I really care because I don't have to. I have no use for it at this point in my career.

We also passed over Reno and Lake Tahoe, very dry looking area, though I imagine a lot like Los Vegas – dry all around, lush inside.

Between bouts of sleeping on the plane I was thinking about what I want to do, I believe I will take the advice being offered and sell the house in the spring and move, to where? That is a good question, England seems like a big move, but perhaps. Also in the back of my mind is Los Angeles (or the area), there are a lot of smaller areas just outside, like Anaheim, that are similar to Winnipeg except with the big city advantage. Now, the reader may be cynical about my attitude with my proposal from last year about working for half a year in England starting this coming January. Well, I think the reason I would like to move to either place is that they are larger, and all have new things to see. Winnipeg, is an island. After Winnipeg, there is nothing. Because of this, I have turned inwards or onto the Internet to talk to others around the world sitting at home at my desk. I must get out and do things, I am finding, I am getting very bored of Winnipeg, there is nothing new, I feel, for me there. Whereas, in both England and LA, there are lots of places to see, new people to meet, new experiences. The difference between the two is that LA is a lot closer. I could do the same as with England, get a six month working permit, and see what develops.

I have to divest myself of some of the things that are holding me back, namely my house and many of my possessions (read: books). Having said that, I am bringing back with me a rather large box full of books, mind you, they are books I will keep as they are hardcover, signed, first editions. Don't have many of those.

I am still thrilled that I shook Buzz Aldrin's hand. It is so weird, I did not realize that it would effect me like this. He is inspirational, for goodness sake, just do it! He says that he did little in his life to get to where he did, but the little he did (that is, getting off his chair) put him to where he is today. An everyday person.

I had to grab some sushi here at the airport, ever since I first tried it about six months ago, I try to have it as often as I can (and afford it). This airport, I still believe, is the nicest and most efficient airport I have been in, true, it is a bit spread out though the new Terminal 3 in Toronto is much more spread out (once you get through the gates). There are so many things to do here, the ability to go shopping and have your choice of where to eat, with NON hamburger/sandwich meals (e.g. sushi).

I am sitting here, typing at my departure gate, about an hour and a half early, I look to my right and I see the mountains just north of Vancouver not that far away. My grandmother in Toronto has indicated at one time that- I should explore Canada first before moving abroad, I would suggest, with the exception of the East Coast and northern areas, I have. But that is to say, if I do move away, there is no telling that I will not come back. For sure I will, not only for family, for myself.

I am dreading the winter, it is so cold in Winnipeg. Every day (excepting this morning) in LA was sunny and warm, weather when you can actually get out and do things, now in Winnipeg, we are having our last warm-ish weather before the thermometer dips to winter lows again. In LA, you never have to wear more than a sweater for the cold they get. I like to think that I am tough but I must admit that Winnipeg's winter does slow you down, it is difficult to get up and go out every morning when you know that the car will not start easily and after it does, you may not be able to see much out the windows. The warm weather makes life a bit easier. Forget about career in Winnipeg, I am just trying to get to work in the winter!

So, no answers, but more options, that is my biggest problem right now, the question is: which option? In my opinion though, I believe that I have to first make myself portable then decide where to go, as making myself portable will take some time. I will have lots of time between now and then to decide.

What about my sister? I don't know, I am so upset with that situation. When she called the other night and indicated to me that she did not know if she could pick me up from the airport as she was going out, I was disgusted. Why? Well, I think it was because it seemed to me to be a cop out, or laziness, I just told her “You will figure something out.” when she kept asking me what to do. I (and mother also admits) have really protected her, it will be difficult to release her into the real world. This is another problem. I am concerned for her also, she depends on me so much. I think that this time away is also good for her as she gets a taste of freedom (without having to worry about mortgage, bills, etc.).

The plane leaves in about one hour and fifty minutes. Back to the grind. Hopefully, back to the future. I just have to hold strong, have a goal and go for it!