Kevin Standlee: Fandom Is My Way of Life

as I'm a guest of honor farther and farther east, I find that I have some problems based on the fact that I'm not aware of regional peeves and preferences...like I have a million years of extra time to read up on every quarrel members of First Fandom have ever had with each other. Like when I was a guest at a con and the toastmaster chastised me for using the term "sci fi" at the meet the guests panel. I had never heard that that was a bad word I wasn't supposed to use before. I'm a west coast media kid...I mean...it's the "sci fi" channel fer chrissakes! I think it comes down to the amount of time those of us 40 and under have to study all the historic Battles of our Elders. It's simply impossible to keep up on these epics and sagas and the actual fannish things that we love at the same time! :P :P