No More Sekrits

Here's the last batch of videos from SMOFCon in Columbus. It's the selection of the 2009 SMOFCon followed by presentations of bids for 2010 (including January 2011), 2011, and 2012.

SMOFCon 27 (2009) Site Selection: selection of Austin, Texas to host SMOFCon 27, December 4-6, 2009.

SMOFCon 28 (2010/11) Bids: While the traditional date of SMOFCon is one of the first two weekends of December, there have been SMOFCons held on other dates, such as the year it was on the island of Jersey the weekend after Eastercon. Two groups are bidding to host SMOFCon 28: Glenn Glazer presented a bid for San Jose over the traditional dates in December 2010, and Mary Kay Kare presented a bid for the first full weekend of January 2011. I'm not going to go into details -- they are in the video, and besides, as a corporate officer of SFSFC, sponsor of the San Jose bid, I have an obvious conflict of interest that would call into question any impartial discussion of the bids.

SMOFCon 29 (2011) Bids: Bids for Amsterdam and Maui, both on the traditional early-December dates.

SMOFCon 30 (2012) Bids: Expression of interest from Pittsburgh.

Feel free to either link to this message or directly link to any of these videos, or to otherwise publicize their existence.

New Year, New FSA Balance

I've been needing supplies for my CPAP machine for a while now. I was stretching out the last few disposable filters, and I was down to one washable one that should have been replaced months ago. Unfortunately, I'd used up the balance of my Flexible Spending Account, so I needed to wait until the first of the year when it reset (with more money in it this year than last) in order to take advantage of it. So this afternoon things calmed down at work sufficiently for me to go get the supplies. While I was at it, I took advantage of a sale offer from the supply vendor to buy a complete replacement headgear. I think you're supposed to replace the mask and tubing at least once a year, and I've never replaced mine, ever, and I've had the machine for several years. Ditto with the hose. Although those last items appear sound, I figured I could replace them and use the old stuff as spares should anything break.

Right after I submitted the order, however, I remembered that I'd meant to also buy the DC power connector for my machine. Had I had that with me when the power went out in Mehama during the storm, I could have run the CPAP off of the trailer's batteries; there are standard 12V sockets throughout the trailer. I've e-mailed their customer support to see if there's a way to piggyback the DC cord onto the existing order without paying additional shipping.

Meanwhile, time to get myself together and get up to The City with Cheryl for dinner with danjite and khaybee.