I don't like people randomly touching me!
A funny thing happened on the way to the bookstore...
- Thread starter Thor Damar
- Start date
I don't like people randomly touching me!
That's quite the list, TT. You must love your job
Well, it's not my job per se - I pay the bills by writing PHP, C# and VB code all day. The convention stuff doesn't pay me a cent, and I just do it in my spare time. If I could earn a living at it, though, I would in a heartbeat. I have a passion for it, which probably comes across in that post.
The funny thing about the timing of this thread is, this morning, on my way to work, I got on the westbound train and found a seat. A few seconds later I heard, "Hi, Lance." I looked up and it was one of our author guests from this year's Polaris. So we chatted until he got off a few stops later. (I doubt that anyone here knows of him, as he's a fairly new author - his name is Tony Pi.)
Actually, I'm reminded now of an amusing story from about four years ago. On the Sunday night following the convention, I decided to go home and sleep in my own bed, then come back the next day to help with teardown. I was quite sleepy still when I showed up, and finding out that the folks clearing out our hospitality suite were behind schedule, decided to go up and help. One of our Security people and I got on the elevator together, and as the doors were closing, someone else jumped on. Being sleepy, I was leaning against the back wall with my eyes half closed, not really paying attention. The two of them chatted until the Security guy got off on a floor below where I was going, whereupon the other guy started a conversation with me:
Him: So, are you checking out?
Me: No, I checked out last night. I just came back to help with cleanup.
Him: Oh, you worked on the con?
Me: I was one of the Chairs, actually. (At this point I looked up and extended my hand for a handshake, and realized who I was talking to...) Hi, I'm Lance.
Him: Pleased to meet you. My name's Garrett... you probably know that, don't you?
That's right - Garrett Wang had just introduced himself to me. When I saw him a couple of weeks ago, I reminded him of that conversation. He said, "Yeah, that sounds like something I'd do."
(Robert Beltran said, "Like we know who knows us and who doesn't?" Dude, I just identified myself as one of the people in charge of the committee that ran the convention you were invited to as a guest... even if I weren't a Trek fan, which I am, I think I know who all our guests are. Even if I couldn't name all 26 of the authors we had this year without looking them up on the website or in my Excel spreadsheet, I still know who they are. )
Hah, that's still really cool. Sounds like you've had some really nice opportunities to meet people. Oh btw, Robert Sawyer's one of my favourite authors.
I think I saw Michael Hogan walking along a tunnel in King's Cross underground station a couple of years ago. For some reason, it shook the bejeepers out of me. As I mentioned, I don't usually notice celebs. I didn't start hearing "All Along the Watchtower" though, whew.
I see celebrities, actors, authors, etc. pretty much daily at my job and always find it embarrassing when my co-workers or the customers get worked up into a froth over them. Yes Olivia Wilde is very attractive and wasn't wearing any sort of bra that I could discern, yes Kareem Abdul Jabbar is very tall, yes Anthony Hopkins' voice makes me weak in the knees, and yes Chris Pine was very cool about the kid who ran up to hug his leg, but making a hubbub of it is just cringe-worthy for all involved if you have even an ounce of social awareness.
When I was a freelance music journalist, met a few musos you may or may not have heard of (Jon Engish and Marcia Hines were the biiggies).
On my way to work one morning saw Steve Bisley (Water Rats, also Goose in Mad Max 1) in a coffee shop. Trying to be as cool as possible, I smiled and nodded, he smiled and nodded, I kept walking. Nice to acknowledge, nice to be acknowledged.
On my way to work one morning saw Steve Bisley (Water Rats, also Goose in Mad Max 1) in a coffee shop. Trying to be as cool as possible, I smiled and nodded, he smiled and nodded, I kept walking. Nice to acknowledge, nice to be acknowledged.
In the 90's, I saw Bill Owen going into a clinic in Harley Street, and he died not long after that. I also saw Billy Bragg walking down Bond Street on the same day -- I doubt he was out shopping.
I agree with Venardhi. I don't understand why some people become gibbering idiots around so-called celebrities. As if they've achieved some level of godhood just because they're on national TV. They're just people too. I understand being a fan of a particular actor, and I don't have a problem with expressing admiration for their work, but getting so worked up over someone just becuase they're famous is just incongruous to me. Personally, I'd get more excited if I met one of my favorite Star Trek authors than if I met Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts.
I'm Facebook "friends" w/ one of my favorite authors, but had never met her in person until a book signing a couple weeks ago. Even though I'd told her I was going to be there, it never occurred to me that she would recognize me from my FB picture, so when she greeted me by name before I could introduce myself, it caught me off guard. I disintegrated into a totally flustered adolescent fangirl. 
How embarrassing.
How embarrassing.Go ahead. I'll get to a book signing or something eventually. He'll probably do one in Ann Arbor eventually, or I might actually have to go to Toronto for something one of these days. When I do finally meet him I'll be sure to mention you and your incessant taunting.(This is where I'm considering posting the photo that Robert Sawyer took of me a few years ago during a party at his condo, but I don't want Kommander to get jealous again.)
Sorry, I didn't mean to be short with you, but I had been looking forward to that sandwich all day.
Yeah, and I can totally see that. Some people lack social awareness. Reminds me of something I witnessed last year. Alan Bean, Apollo 12 Astronaut, came to give a talk at a convention last summer, and it was great to have a pleasure to meet him and have him sign one of his books along with Andrew Chaikin. A one of a kind pleasure. It's not often a signing occurs at this event. It's actually pretty rare. In any case, we had the table set up and there was a very long line, and everyone was told they had aproximately a minute to get something signed and then leave the line. You'd think that one of the organizers would know better himself and try to make an example, but when it came to his turn, he threw out pretty much every cliché in the book, and it went something like this, "Oh Captain Bean, sir, you don't know how much it means for me to finally meet you. I've been a fan of yours forever. You're one of my true idols. My Father worked at NASA, you know? I don't know if you knew him, but he worked on the bling bling that was on the bling bling and I'm sure it helped in you getting to Space. It's such an honor, blah blah blah." He went on for 5 minutes while Alan Bean looked uninterested, and I was cringing and feeling sorry for those who were in the line behind him. He wanted to make himself sound so important that his time eclipsed everyone else's.
Hah, that's still really cool. Sounds like you've had some really nice opportunities to meet people. Oh btw, Robert Sawyer's one of my favourite authors.
If you ever get to a con where he's a guest, don't be shy about saying hello. Rob is very friendly and enjoys meeting his fans. (I don't know where you live, but if you ever make it to Toronto, I can introduce you.)
Go ahead. I'll get to a book signing or something eventually. He'll probably do one in Ann Arbor eventually, or I might actually have to go to Toronto for something one of these days. When I do finally meet him I'll be sure to mention you and your incessant taunting.(This is where I'm considering posting the photo that Robert Sawyer took of me a few years ago during a party at his condo, but I don't want Kommander to get jealous again.
Y'know, I don't know why he hasn't been a Guest of Honour at Confusion. He was the Toastmaster there six years ago, but you'd think they'd have had him as a GoH. I guess your next good opportunities might be November 19-21 at SFContario in Toronto or March 18-20 at Millenicon in Cincinnati (Mapquest puts that at about a four-hour drive for you).
I have thought about it before, and have decided that I would rather not meet any celebrities, especially not ones that I am a fan of. I'm afraid that if the encounter ended up being embarrassing or otherwise unpleasant, that I would never be able to watch them in anything again without being reminded of the experience.
Hah, that's still really cool. Sounds like you've had some really nice opportunities to meet people. Oh btw, Robert Sawyer's one of my favourite authors.
If you ever get to a con where he's a guest, don't be shy about saying hello. Rob is very friendly and enjoys meeting his fans. (I don't know where you live, but if you ever make it to Toronto, I can introduce you.)
Thanks, it's much appreciated. I'm actually up in Sudbury, and I saw that he did a talk at Laurentian which was for academics only, so wasn't able to go. Read his Parallax Trilogy, and loved it. I found that he captured the essence of Sudbury very well, almost like he'd lived here for years. I belong to the local astronomy club though and I'd been wondering if I'd be able to interest him in speaking at a club meeting. One thing that doesn't happen very often here are cons
Hah, that's still really cool. Sounds like you've had some really nice opportunities to meet people. Oh btw, Robert Sawyer's one of my favourite authors.
If you ever get to a con where he's a guest, don't be shy about saying hello. Rob is very friendly and enjoys meeting his fans. (I don't know where you live, but if you ever make it to Toronto, I can introduce you.)
Thanks, it's much appreciated. I'm actually up in Sudbury, and I saw that he did a talk at Laurentian which was for academics only, so wasn't able to go. Read his Parallax Trilogy, and loved it. I found that he captured the essence of Sudbury very well, almost like he'd lived here for years. I belong to the local astronomy club though and I'd been wondering if I'd be able to interest him in speaking at a club meeting. One thing that doesn't happen very often here are cons
Sudbury? And here I was thinking you were probably on another continent or something.
You should definitely come down to SFContario in November.And inviting him to speak at your club is relatively simple. All most authors require, when they're invited somewhere for something like this, is to have their transportation, accommodation, and meals covered. You can contact Rob by email - his address is on his website (www.sfwriter.com).
I'll definitely consider the convention. I'll have to check with my schedule nearer the actual time.
Thanks for the advice. I'll probably contact him later this year. We already have our schedule planned for the first half of the year, and next year we'll be celebrating our 30th year in operation. So, next year might be a good time for that. I'll have to talk it over with some people.
Thanks for the advice. I'll probably contact him later this year. We already have our schedule planned for the first half of the year, and next year we'll be celebrating our 30th year in operation. So, next year might be a good time for that. I'll have to talk it over with some people.
There's a Barnes & Noble or Borders or something in Ann Arbor where a bunch of authors do their Detroit segment of book signing tours, that's why I mentioned it. I might go to the thing in Toronto. I was supposed to go there a year and a half ago, but my trip was canceled half-way through before I got to the Toronto part. I've been meaning to go ever since.
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