Fish Art Auction -- Help Us Get To Comic-Con

So how many of you guys are planning on showing up at Comic-con this year?

In Response to jon (#7156):

i'm still debating it....i'm going to be down there this weekend, as well as the weekend of the 26th....so i dunno if i want to head down again inbetween

would the beerfest be on the weekend? or smack-dab in the middle of the convention...trying to figure out if i can schedule this all in

In Response to jon (#7156):

Sadly, as you mentioned, getting to San Diego isn't cheap.

...and I'm afraid of the left coast. I've been to the midwest before, and that was scary enough. I'm terrified what more divergence in time zonery would bring.

Woohoo!!!! Now i can get 25 haikus for $1 each instead of the one haiku for $25.

Haiku, Jon, haiku your merry heart out.

In Response to AsphaltBuffet (#7212):

These are top-quality, 100% organic fresh haikus, my friend, most certainly worth $25 a piece. You'll find none better.

Not convinced? Here's some tasters -- a handful of cat-themed haikus Amy and I wrote together:

outside the window
there is a bird taunting me
damn this pane of glass

my bowl is empty
you will not give me more food
i sit on your face

it has been three days
since you've cleaned the litter box
i poop in your bed

ah, the day passes
nary a dog or a mouse
this is my kingdom

Your eyes are not deceiving you -- they are that good. So get your very own custom haiku today!

In Response to jon (#7156):

I'm there, just like every year. I mean, it's only a five hour drive and a place to stay away from me... I don't see missing a San Diego Con in my near future.

And yes, I'm bringing cash.

In Response to Dynedain (#7157):

QUICK, HURRY, DECIDE...I need to know when I should come down and if I can work it into my schedule.

In Response to wheat_beer (#7407):

I *love* this attitude. In the UK - being much smaller - there's often has a very parochial attitude. I've had one guy telling me he won't be coming to the con [gloranthagrouse.com] I'm organising because its "too far away". Con's in Edinburgh, he lives in Greenock. A whole HOUR away.

Bastard.

Cheers,
Graham

In Response to Dynedain (#7408):

if last night is any indication, the beer fest will be taking place during most of the convention.

In Response to albionsoft (#7438):

This attitude is somewhat enforced by the fact that it's nigh impossible to survive as an adult without a car in America, excepting any major city that came into it's prime before 1930.

The structure of Houston and Minneapolis differ greatly from Boston and New York. The former are not meant to be navigated by foot. The latter were not meant to be navigated by car, and any concessions to the automobile have been tacked on. And frankly, whenever I'm in NYC, I marvel at the subway. I wish there was a subway connecting every part of the nation, nay, the world.

At any rate, most americans drive a lot. I've known (crazy) people that live a 2-hour drive from work. I don't consider it a problem to drive (or rather, be driven) 8-12 hours to a place I'll spend a few days. It's damn fun as long as it's not with family.

Besides... you can only get a few states away in that time. 600-800 miles isn't even 1/3rd of the bloody country. Also, isn't gas/petrol much more expensive in the UK?

In Response to mcgrue (#7633):

This attitude is somewhat enforced by the fact that it's nigh impossible to survive as an adult without a car in America, excepting any major city that came into it's prime before 1930.

A car is fairly necessary for most of Britain too. Can't even really get groceries without driving. We're just reluctant to do any great distance. I think its just the difference in scale thing. In the UK, 12 hours takes you from anywhere to anywhere else. In the US, not so much.

Isn't gas/petrol much more expensive in the UK?

Dunno. How much is it in America? Last time I filled up, cost me 75p a litre, which is about $1.10.

In Response to albionsoft (#7635):

How much is it in America? Last time I filled up, cost me 75p a litre, which is about $1.10.

Depends a lot on where you are. It's probably sommat like $2 to $2.50 in Nyack. It's roughly $1.50 here.

But that's per GALLON, not per litre.

In Response to mcgrue (#7633):

I don't consider it a problem to drive (or rather, be driven) 8-12 hours to a place I'll spend a few days. It's damn fun as long as it's not with family.

Funny, I'd drive from here to Brisbane (about 22-26hrs drive, but me and a friend have done it in 18) to spend a 4 day weekend... maybe I'm just really crazy.

Except in a directly southerly direction (and easterly out to sea), driving outside of my local area (radius of about 1hr 20min) for less than 20-30 hrs takes you nowhere. Absolutely bloody nowhere.

Apart from a pub every couple of hours or so.

In Response to zamphir (#7638):

But that's per GALLON, not per litre.

So, umm... what is the conversion?

Depends a lot on where you are. It's probably sommat like $2 to $2.50 in Nyack. It's roughly $1.50 here.

Here we are roughly AU$0.82/L (US$0.53/L) at the moment, which I suppose we're happy with. In the capital cities I'm not sure, but it's usually about the same, maybe a little higher in other states

In Response to unFalln (#7644):

So, umm... what is the conversion?

Ya got me.

AU$0.82/L (US$0.53/L)
That seems a little optimistic about the conversion from AU$ to US$.

Or maybe you were skipping the 1 wallaby and a "G'day" per $AU factor?

In Response to zamphir (#7638):

Feh, downstate prices are murder. Up here in the Poor-Man's New England that is the rest of New York, we pay 1.50-2.00 a gallon, depending where in the weeble-wobble gas-price cycle we're currently at.

In Response to zamphir (#7650):

According to the milk jug next to my computer, a gallon is 3.78 liters.

In Response to zamphir (#7650):

According to the bank, the current exchange rate is AU$1 = US$0.6463

therefore

AU$0.82, no, let me be exact according to my last tank of fuel, AU$0.819 * 0.6463US$/AU$ = US$0.5293197

That aside, it was much, much better for my mortgage that it stayed down near 50c, So I wouldn't call it optimism. And it also attracted too many foreigners over. Pesky things.

In Response to zamphir (#7638):

Per Gallon - we're over $4 then. Ouch.

Cheers,
Graham

In Response to unFalln (#7655):

And it also attracted too many foreigners over

Tourists, in Cairns?

Musta been Canadians.

In Response to zamphir (#7663):

Yeah Cairns, pop. 110000, tourists/yr 80000.

In Response to albionsoft (#7658):

See, this is why Blair shouldn't've listened to Bush. The invading army gets the spoils of low gas prices, while you don't and you get to share in the global disdain? Whatta gyp!

In Response to mcgrue (#7674):

Dunno. The UK is still a net exporter of oil (we've got the lovely North Sea reserves) so I'm not sure that even if we had got a share of the spoils it would've made much difference. Our problem is that most of that $4 goes to the government - our tax on fuel is one of the highest in the world.

Cheers,
Graham

In Response to albionsoft (#7689):

Which is precisely the reason why no UK resident in their right mind will drive too far for a day trip.

In Response to albionsoft (#7689):

If we in the US adapted your fuel taxes, I think we'd be a lot better off.

Our fuel prices do not take into consideration the "real" cost of petroleum... including pollution, the occasional war (which of course isn't actually about oil :), and nasty ass convenience store bathrooms.

Higher fuel taxes (which could themselves be used for constructive things like improving public transportation) would be a good driving force for people to stop driving their damn SUVs and buy a hybrid... or at least put pressure on Detroit and Tokyo to go back to building us some real cars.

(check out BusinessWeek 24 Feb 2003 for some data)