Convention Plans for 2009

I’ll probably be attending two or three conventions in 2009:

WonderCon (February 27–March 1, 2009; San Francisco, California). Definitely. My wife and I went last year and enjoyed it, and combined it with a trip to visit friends and family in the Bay Area. What with the money crunch we were going to skip it this year, but we were planning to make another trip up to visit people…and discovered that the perfect time to do so would be the week leading up to WonderCon. If we’re going to be in the area anyway, membership is pretty cheap at $12/person for a one-day pass. (See also: 2008 WonderCon report.)

Wizard World Los Angeles (March 13–15, 2009; Los Angeles, California). Maybe. It’s within driving distance, so travel expenses aren’t an issue. That said, it’s only two weeks after WonderCon, so whether I go will be based entirely on the guests & panels. (See also: 2008 WWLA report.)

Comic-Con International (July 23–26, 2009; San Diego, California). Definitely. I’ve been going to what was then called the San Diego Comic-Con since 1990. We pre-registered at the last convention, and I’ve lined up a back-up hotel in case I can’t get a closer one when the convention blocks open up. (See also: convention reports.)

Some other conventions I’ve looked at, but probably won’t be attending: […]

#Introduction:

Hi, I’m Mark. Glad you’re here.

I work in #PlatformEngineering and #SoftwareEngineering, after a long stretch in #Perl and now deep into #Go, #Docker, #Kubernetes, and #AWS. I like systems that behave, tools that justify their existence, and explanations that don’t waste anyone’s time.

https://PhoenixTrap.com is where I #blog about the engineering side of that: production, clarity, and the discipline required to build things that hold up under pressure.

I’m also an #Objectivist, which for me means treating ideas as tools for living, not ornaments.

https://TheBeautifulPrison.com is where I explore — through #fiction and #essay #writing — the philosophical side: consciousness, identity, boundaries, and what happens when a self is tested. If you’re curious about the deeper themes behind my posts, that’s the place to look.

Outside of work and writing, you’ll see #BassGuitar, conventions like #DragonCon, and the occasional bit of structured nonsense.

This #Mastodon instance is #SelfHosted because I like owning my infrastructure and my identity; it keeps the whole thing honest.

If something I say sparks a thought, feel free to reply. I enjoy good conversations — especially the kind where two people are actually trying to understand each other.

Pull up a chair.

For the first time since 2012, I'm not going to #DragonCon (save 2 years during Covid where I went nowhere). Still enjoy going, but I thought I might do something different for a solo trip this year in its place. Unfortunately, I need to make sure finances work and the open-ended question of where is leading to some decision paralysis. Current thoughts:

* Japan
* Iceland
* Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden)

Want to see places unique from my home country. I enjoy the idea of seeing the northern lights in Iceland. Just not sure what might make sense IF finances cooperate for a trip likely late in the year (November maybe).