Fri, 16:00-19:00, Med Rm Lower Paint and Take You may have seen the pictures in the game stores or in magazines and wondered how anyone could paint the detail on such tiny figures. Wonder no more. At this FREE Paint and Take event you will learn basic techniques for painting a miniature. If you already know the basics, advanced techniques can be taught. You get to keep your miniature! (Linda Martelle) Fri, 18:00-19:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Kid's Yoga Movement, motion and you. (Christine Pellar-Kosbar) Fri, 19:00-20:00, Dennison I/II Teh Awesome Duo - Revealed! An interview with Guests of Honor Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld conducted by John Scalzi. (Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, John Scalzi.) Fri, 19:00-20:00, Dennison III Welcome to your First Confusion If this is your first ConFusion or even your first convention drop by to find out what it's all about (Sharon Shaw, Erik Kauppi, Eric and Cathy Raymond) Fri, 19:00-20:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Cartooning for Kids Come help create cartoons with a professional cartoonist as well as draw ones of your own! (Kurt Erichsen, Christine Pellar-Kosbar) Fri, 20:00-21:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Art in Action Create your own work of art to show in the art show as well as a certificate that you can give to artists in the art show to show them how cool you think their art is. (Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale) Fri, 20:00-21:00, Salon H, G, F Opening Ceremonies Opening Ceremonies and speeches by our Guests of Honor (Scott Westerfeld and Justine Larbalestier (Author GoHs), Carl Lundgren (Art GoH), Kevin M. Dunn (Science GoH), Throwing Toasters (Music GoH), The Roaming Pirate Party (Fan GoHs), and John Scalzi (Toastmaster).) Fri, 21:00-22:00, Concierge Lounge (12th Floor) Kevin Loves Cheap Wine And you will too at this best of the cheap wine tasting. (Kevin Nickerson) Fri, 21:00-22:00, Niles I/II Concert Come hear! (The Great Luke Ski and TBA) Fri, 21:00-22:00, Salon H, G, F Dessert Reception with the Guests of Honor This is a great place to walk right up to your particular favorite author or panelist for a quick chat or just to meet someone new. People and food and drink will be on hand. Fri, 22:00-04:00, Salon H, G, F The Friday Night Dance First Shift: DJ Brick, a graduate of Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, has been a DJ since 1992, when he co-ran two production companies, Alpha/Aurora Productions & Two Live Dudes. Always at home in front of a mic, DJ_Brick currently produces his own internet radio show, The Glowing Dial, in which he plays old time radio shows (check it out at www.glowingdial.com). Brick recently formed BrickHouse Disc Jockey Entertainment which is available for all your DJ needs at www.djbrick.com. Brick loves to DJ cons and hopes to continue in this capacity for a long time to come. Party on! Late Night (1 AM - 4 AM): DJ Noise has been spinning in the Twin Cities area for nearly two decades. In addition to being a founding member of promotion companies NMI and Silent, he has also held residencies at the clubs Ground Zero and First Avenue. Alien music expertise comes in the form of holding dance events at CONvergence, Marscon, and Minicon, as well as a number of themed parties in secret government labs. He looks forward to bleeping and blipping into the wee hours. Fri, 22:00-23:00, Concierge Lounge (12th floor) Rum Tasting Bring a bottle of your favorite Rum or tip the first mate a shilling for your share. Space limited; Sign up in Ops. (Joe Saul, Erik Kauppi, Elizabeth Ray-Trumitch, Alex Marsh) Fri, 22:00-23:00, Dennison I/II Originality Is Overrated There's this idea that writers work entirely alone and create their work out of whole cloth. That's rubbish. If a work were wholly original no one would be able to read it. All writers are influenced by those who came before them. Most writers talk to other writers. Many are in writers' groups and even those that aren't frequently read and comment on each other's work. Let's talk about the influence and community that writers share. Even when they don't know each other. (Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld (M), Patrick Nielsen Hayden, John Scalzi, Patrick Rothfuss and Doselle Young) Fri, 22:00-23:00, Dennison III Caveman Chemistry with Science GOH Kevin Dunn Our ancestors were better at chemistry than we think. Come see this presentation on just how much smarter the average caveman was than we give him credit for. (Kevin Dunn) Fri, 23:00-00:00, Dennison III Quiet Open Filk For those who prefer a less boisterous musical environment. Fri, 23:00-00:00, Niles I/II Open Filk Circle Sat, 09:00-10:00, Dennison I/II Stitch & Bitch Informal discussion about materials, patterns and techniques for costuming for life and the stage. Sat, 09:00-10:00, Salon E Regency Dance Workshop with Jennifer Dye Sat, 09:00-10:00, Salon H Regional Science Fiction and Fantasy Writer's of America Meeting Members and prospective members only. (Hosted by Paul Melo) Sat, 09:00-11:00, Salon F Genre Evolution Project: Researching Science Fiction Short Stories A discussion and workshop about the research implications of our treating culture, including the production and consumption of SF, as a complex adaptive system; the GEP team will explain how their database is built and used, report on some of their more surprising findings to date; and then lead an interactive workshop. They will distribute a very short story, copies of their coding instrument, and ask people to read, code, and then discuss their coding choices. (Eric Rabkin, Lisa Potter, Emily Green, Megan Hixon and Craig Thomas) Sat, 10:00-11:00, Board Room Coffee with Toastmaster John Scalzi Space is limited; please sign up in Ops ASAP. (John Scalzi) Sat, 10:00-11:00, Dennison I/II History of Textiles with Kevin Dunn Humans have been making and wearing clothes for a long time. Come learn how we figured it out, and how you can do it too! (Kevin Dunn) Sat, 10:00-11:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Saturday Morning Anime Hamtaro and other kid friendly anime will be shown. (Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale) Sat, 10:00-11:00, Salon G Giving Clear Signals Fans are not always known for their social acumen. This panel is about how to give -- and how to read -- social signals that clearly indicate interest, disinterest, or even an unquestionable brush-off. (Krissy Scalzi, Anne KG Murphy,) Sat, 10:00-11:00, Salon H Welcome to your First Confusion If this is your first ConFusion or even your first convention drop by to find out what it's all about. (Sharon Shaw, Eric and Cathy Raymond) Sat, 11:00-12:00, Board Room Coffee with Artist Guest of Honor Carl Lundgren Space is limited; please sign up in Ops ASAP. (Carl Lundgren) Sat, 11:00-12:00, Dennison I/II Fantastic Sports Organized sports are a vital part almost every culture on the glove. But sf and fantasy novels tend to overlook this key aspect of world-building. We examine what sports are and what they tell us about a culture, and dig up some good examples in sf and fantasy. (Justine Larbalestier (M), Scott Westerfeld, Steve Ainsworth, Dave Klecha, Catherine Shaffer, and Doselle Young) Sat, 11:00-12:00, Dennison III Jam Comics Participants will produce a comic together in a group "Jam" -- Jane Irwin will start off by dividing a sheet of paper into nine panels, and putting a funny picture, with or without caption, into the first panel. The comic is passed around until all eight other panels are full, building a story. (Jane Irwin (M), William Aksel, Kurt Erichsen, Ben Rodriguez, Erin McKee) Sat, 11:00-12:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Little Alien, Little Alien What Do You See? Come enjoy a story created by our own Larc Bogdan and add your creativity to a collaborative book to be given to our Author GOHs. (Larc Bogdan, Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale) Sat, 11:00-12:00, Salon F Science Fiction Movie year in Review and Preview Science Fiction Movie year in Review and Preview (Diane Frkan (M), Catherine Raymond, Joanna Lowenstein and The Ferrett) Sat, 11:00-12:00, Salon G Creating Settings How are they created? How can they be used to fill out the background of the story giving texture and detail without overwhelming the plot? The writers will talk about where the settings came from and how they were developed. At the end of the discussion the audience can choose a picture, list words describing a setting based on it and write a paragraph putting the words together and voila: a setting is created. (Karl Schroeder, William Jones, Violette Malan (M), Marcy Italiano) Sat, 11:00-12:00, Salon H Women Pirates Buckler and bra - how does that work? How did it? A look at the feminine side of pirate history. From Anne Bonnie to Ching Shih female buccaneers are clouded in legend even more than their male counterparts, or perhaps so. However, in spite of all the swashbuckling myths and silliness, they were real criminals, who committed perhaps the most daring theft of all seizing a violent, active life from the grip of their oppressors. (Anne Harris (M), Catherynne Valente, Lisa Leutheuser, Erica Schippers, Merry Haskell) Sat, 11:00-13:00, Concierge Lounge (12th floor) Taste-off! Jif or Skippy? Butter or margarine? Coke or Pepsi? Real maple syrup or Aunt Jemima? Test out your tastebuds with this drop-in blind taste-off -come by any time during the two hour period to cast your vote. (Tammy Coxen) Sat, 11:00-13:00, Salon E Fun with Robots Paul Haas brings a representative sample of vehicles developed by the Ypsilanti-Ann Arbor Robotics Club to show off just what is possible with a few microprocessors and really good batteries. (Paul Haas) Sat, 12:00-13:00, Dennison I/II Bill Higgins' Annual Astronomical Slide Show Bill shows us the latest images from outer space. (Bill Higgins) Sat, 12:00-13:00, Dennison III Anatomy for the Fan Artist with William Aksel Anatomy for the Fan Artist with William Aksel (William Aksel) Sat, 12:00-13:00, KidFusion KidFusion: LUNCH LUNCH ON YOUR OWN WITH YOUR PARENTS Sat, 12:00-13:00, Salon F Rum, Sodomy and the Slash Let's get together and talk about slash on the high seas. There's Capt. Jack Sparrow and Will Turner, of course, but also a healthy Horatio Hornblower fandom and hey, why not Peter Blood (Errol Flynn) and Levasseur (Basil Rathbone) from the 1935 film version of Captain Blood? Who are our favorite nautical pairings and where are the best stories? Maybe we'll even get around to answering some weighty questions like why is slash important and is it piracy? (Anne Harris (M), Erica Schippers, Elizabeth Trumtich, Steve Ainsworth, and Holly Marsh) Sat, 12:00-13:00, Salon G Plots Should the story be driven by the characters or should the plot be laid out and the characters made to follow it? (Jim Hines, Mathew Jarpe, William Jones, Violette Malan (M), Doselle Young) Sat, 12:00-13:00, Salon H Piracy of Fiction on the Internet What is fair use versus exploitation without compensation? (Patrick Nielsen Hayden, John Scalzi (M), Merry Haskell and Paul Melo) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Board Room Reading by Catherynne Valente Reading by Catherynne Valente (Catherynne Valente) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Concierge Lounge (12th Floor) Chocolate Tasting There's a lot more to chocolate than Hershey's. Taste 8 wildly different chocolates while you learn about single-origin/plantation bars and upcoming trends in the industry with Ann Arbor chocolatier Tammy Coxen. Space is limited, please sign up in Ops. (Tammy Coxen) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Dennison I/II A Supernova in the Lab Your introduction to the world-leading National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory on the Michigan State campus. Every day at NSCL, researchers accelerate nuclei to half the speed of light before smashing them to create exotic radioactive isotopes. Experiments on those isotopes can explain what goes on in exploding stars and how the elements in your body were made. The presentation will include demonstrations of superconductivity, radioactivity, fragmentation, and cryogenics. (Zach Constan) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Dennison III Round Robin Life Drawing Artists draw a model for a thirty minute pose: every five minutes, everyone moves to the seat to the left of them and adds to the drawing the first artist started. Results will be put on display until the end of the con. (William Aksel and Jane Irwin) Sat, 13:00-14:00, KidFusion KidFusion: POOL TIME Meet in the pool to swim and play games with other young fen folk. (Lisa and Matthew Ragsdale, Charley Gamble and parents) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Niles I/II Radio Adventures of Dr. Floyd A live podcast by Music Guest of Honor Throwing Toasters. (Throwing Toasters) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Salon E Lifter Building Workshop The physics behind the levitation effect is somewhat contentious. Some say it is due to an ionic wind, some say that the asymmetric arrangement of the capacitor plates allows for an unmatched force to create a thrust. Come play with these ideas. (Jim Beyer of the Michigan Mars Society) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Salon F ConFusion Costuming Past and Present Costuming at Confusion "I remember the year of Little Death and Big Death..." Masquerade Dance, secret Hall Costume judging, semi-formal judging, formal masquerade... Confusion has seen it all. Meet some of the people who have made it happen, and talk about the past, the present, and the future of costuming at ConFusion. (Kim Kofmel, Shay VanZwoll, Kendra Duane, Freon, and TBA) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Salon G Juvenilia Writers dust off the storage trunks, turn off the shame meter, and read from their 5th- through 12th-grade works of unalloyed proto-genius. A great way for young writers in the audience to feel much better about their own efforts. (Justine Larbalestier (M), Scott Westerfeld, Merrie Haskell, K. Tempest Bradford) Sat, 13:00-14:00, Salon H Wherefore Art Thou, Interstellar Empire? Interstellar empires are a recurring theme in science fiction, how possible are they, what historical models have been used to portray them? (Tobias Buckell (M), Mathew Jarpe, Paul Melo, William Jones, Mike Resnick) Sat, 13:00-16:00, Med Lower Paint and Take You may have seen the pictures in the game stores or in magazines and wondered how anyone could paint the detail on such tiny figures. Wonder no more. At this FREE Paint and Take event you will learn basic techniques for painting a miniature. If you already know the basics, advanced techniques can be taught. You get to keep your miniature! (Linda Martelle) Sat, 14:00-15:00, Board Room Coffee with Scientist Guest of Honor Kevin Dunn Space is limited: please sign up in Ops ASAP. (Kevin Dunn) Sat, 14:00-15:00, Dennison I/II SF is Not Dead More sf is written and consumed these days than ever before, in the form of manga, video games, rpgs, and YA lit. Yet our beloved field constantly bemoans its own demise, while ignoring those 100,000 crazy kids down the road at Comicon. How do we connect these two worlds of sf? (Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld (M), Anne Harris, Jim Frenkel and Peter Halasz) Sat, 14:00-15:00, Dennison III The Art of Scrimshaw Catherine Nerbonne presents a demonstration of the art of scrimshaw. She has been working on Antler, Bone and Ivory for well over twenty years. (Catherine Nerbonne) Sat, 14:00-15:00, Salon E Interested in masks? So are Freon and the Pinata Riders. Come see what they have in store. (Freon, Kendra Duane (with Pinata Rider assistance)) Sat, 14:00-15:00, Salon F What's up with what's on TV? Science Fiction Television, a year in review - and looking forward to Battlestar Galactica and Lost. Is Heroes the saviour of prime time TV? Have you found Life on Mars? Is the Bionic Woman as good as she is good-looking? Chit-chat about the small screen. (Diane Frkan (M), Joe Saul, Joanna Lowenstein and Catherine Shaffer) Sat, 14:00-15:00, Salon G Feminist Science Fiction Have things improved for women in science fiction? (The Ferrett, Catherynne Valente, Dave Klecha, Violette Malan and Sarah Zettel (M)) Sat, 14:00-15:00, Salon H The Short Sell Where are the current markets for short sf? Are some better than others? What is the place for short fiction in the science fiction field today? (John Scalzi (M), Mike Resnick, William Schafer) Sat, 14:00-15:30, Concierge Lounge (12th floor) The Asian Pantry Chili bean paste and pickled chilies, cloud ear mushrooms, Sichuan pepper, fermented black beans, preserved mustard greens, oyster sauce and fish sauce, lemon grass and cilantro roots, white rice and black rice... Want to cook more authentic Asian dishes but find yourself confused by the unfamiliar ingredients? Come take a tour of Asian ingredients. Learn how they're used and where to get them. We will have a wide variety of ingredients to see, smell, handle, and even taste. Take away a handout to help you identify these foods when you go shopping. (The focus will be on the spicy side of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese cooking with occasional forays to other parts of Asia.) (Lisa Leutheuser) Sat, 15:00-16:00, Dennison I/II The Golden Age of YA Literature Some argue that the YA books being published now are some of the best the field has ever seen. There are more of them, the quality is better, and the authors are being paid more. Is now the Golden Age of Young Adult Literature? And if so what does that mean for the next generation of readers? (Justine Larbalestier (M), Scott Westerfeld, Steve Climer, Suzanne Church and Peter Halasz) Sat, 15:00-16:00, Dennison III You Can Do It, But Don't Quit Your Day Job Sculpture and fabrication in resin, foam rubber, fiberglass, nonferrous metals, clear plastics, glass. From miniature to monument, it's just a question of priorities. (Tomak) Sat, 15:00-16:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Art Show Tour Come enjoy the art show. You will be led through with the help of the Artist Guest of Honor pointing out pieces of art he finds interesting and be given the opportunity to give your awards to artists in the show (Carl Lundgren, Dean Stahl, Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale) Sat, 15:00-16:00, Salon F High Voltage ConFusion Masquerade Orientation Planning to participate in the Masquerade? Still thinking about it? This panel is for you! Your chance hear in advance how the Masquerade will be run. Meet the Director, the Muster Manager, and the House Manager. Get help filling out the form! Find out why those pesky rules exist. Deliver your sound directly to the Director! ANY REGISTRATION TURNED IN DURING THIS PANEL WILL BE CONSIDERED AS "BEFORE 3PM," including those with sound. Recommended for all potential Masquerade participants. (Kim Kofmel, Evelyn Baker, Shay VanZwoll, Mark B. Hall) Sat, 15:00-16:00, Salon G Building a Pirate Ship Our Pirate Party is famous for its ship. The builders will reveal its secrets through illustrations and demonstration. You too can turn a utility cart into a two-masted party platform. (Erik Kauppi (M), Jen Woelke, Mark Wizynajtys, Steve Ainsworth) Sat, 15:00-16:00, Salon H Timebinding Fannish History How the SF community keeps its history. Addresses the various forms, written, recorded audio/video, the changes from older methods of archiving to digital varieties as well as issues of transition and updating of older forms. SFOHA favors audio for its personal touch, but in the end, it's about history. (Anne KG Murphy, Mike Gardiner, Lenny Bailes) Sat, 15:00-17:00, Salon E Space-Time Theatre Improvisation Workshop Space-Time Theatre Improvisation Workshop (Bill and Gretchen Roper, Dawn Kuczwar, Greg Williams, Steve Salava, Bonny Jones) Sat, 15:30-17:00, Concierge Lounge (12th Floor) Genre Evolution Project: Researching SF Magazine Covers A discussion and workshop on how studying one variety of cultural product, like SF magazine covers, can be integrated into the study of culture as a whole and of the process they have used to finally arrive at a draft coding instrument for the very complicated world of graphics. Will include distribution of the coding instrument and a workshop in which the attendees will work collaboratively at coding a sample of some wonderful SF magazine covers from throughout the twentieth century. (Eric Rabkin, Lisa Potter, Megan Hixon, Becky Adams, and Brian Matzke) Sat, 16:00-17:00, Board Room A Reading by Mike Resnick A Reading by Mike Resnick (Mike Resnick) Sat, 16:00-17:00, Dennison I/II Carl Lundgren, A Review A slideshow presentation of his own work by our Artist Guest of Honor, Carl Lundgren. (Carl Lundgren) Sat, 16:00-17:00, Dennison III An Interview with Science Guest of Honor Kevin Dunn by Scott Iekel-Johnson An Interview with Science Guest of Honor Kevin Dunn by Scott Iekel-Johnson (Kevin Dunn, Scott Iekel-Johnson) Sat, 16:00-17:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Science Time! The folks from GT will be here to share their knowledge with us about electricity and how it helps the world work. (GT Guys and Gals) Sat, 16:00-17:00, Salon F For I Must Costume and I Cannot Sew - Making without Stitching Interested in costuming but not in sewing? Know how to sew but want to explore other methods? How can a costume be constructed with sewing? Our experienced costumers share the tricks of making without stitching, including the magic of glue guns and duct tape. (Xaina, Evelyn Baker and Kendra Duane) Sat, 16:00-17:00, Salon G So How Does It End? A good ending leaves the reader satisfied but also wanting more. What kinds of ways can a writer end a story and what are ways to come up with a good ending to your story? (Jim Hines (M), Patrick Rothfuss, Catherine Shaffer, Suzanne Church and Peter Halasz) Sat, 16:00-17:00, Salon H Science Fiction Gaming Most young people play video games more than they read or watch television; how much has science fiction been a part of this new medium? (Tobias Buckell (M), The Ferrett, Karl Schroeder, John Scalzi) Sat, 17:00-18:00, Dennison I/II Throwing Toasters in Concert! Throwing Toasters in Concert! (Throwing Toasters) Sat, 17:00-18:00, Dennison III Fan Guest of Honor Introduction and Induction Ceremony Featuring all our past Fan Guests of Honor and the newest ones "The Pirates!" (The Pirates) Sat, 17:00-18:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Kookieklatch Story time Listen to some guest readers share their favorite stories while enjoying kookies and juice. (Larc Bogdan, Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale) Sat, 17:00-18:00, Mediterranean Rm Lower Floor MASS AUTOGRAPH SESSION All the authors present will gather in one place to be available to autograph their work. (Half an hour unless lines last longer. Guests of Honour will then visit KidFusion for the Kookieklatsch). Sat, 17:00-20:00, ALL AREAS Hall Costume Judging Judges begin circulating to Honor the finest Hall Costumes at High Voltage Confusion. Winners will be announced with Masquerade winners. Sat, 18:00-19:00, Salon H Junk Pile Wars One room, one hour, one pile of junk... Can you make and/or compete a costume under those constraints? Management not responsible for really weird costumes!! (Shay VanZwoll) Sat, 19:00-01:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Pizza and Pajama Party Pizza, pajamas, popcorn, movies, and games. These events require registration and a small fee for Pizza and/or childcare. Sign up for the Pizza party, the Pajama party or both at Registration or in Ops. (Lisa and Matthew Ragsdale, Christine Pellar-Kosbar, Kenn Ferguson) Sat, 19:00-20:00, Salons G, F Masquerade Muster & Photography All Masquerade contestants are requested to muster, have their costume photographed, and get ready for the Masquerade. (Muster Salon F, Photos Salon G) (Kim Kofmel, Evelyn Baker, Kevin Nickerson) Sat, 20:00-21:00, Dennison I/II The Attractions of Horror What scares us and why do we like it so much? (Marcy and Giasone Italiano, Steve Climer (M), William Jones and Suzanne Church) Sat, 20:00-21:00, Med Lower Miniatures Painting and Sculpting A round table discussion on how those amazing fantasy and SF figures are created and painted. You can see for yourself some of the process. We'll also cover tools, preparation for painting, and priming. (Andy Barlow, Jimmy Hart, Dean and Linda Martelle) Sat, 20:00-21:00, Salon E Masquerade ConFusion's sixth formal masquerade! Our MC this year is Throwing Toasters! Depending on entries, the Masquerade will start with a Lightning Round (costumes from Junk Pile Wars), followed by a Juniors round (all 13 and under), followed by an Adults round (all 14 and over). Sat, 20:00-21:00, Salon G Costume Photography We'd love to have a photograph of your hall costume! Drop by Salon G to have your picture taken! (Kevin Nickerson) Sat, 21:00-22:00, Concierge Lounge (12th Floor) Literary Bheer with Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld Literary Bheer with Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld) Sat, 22:00-04:00, Salon H, G, F The Saturday Dance First Shift: DJ Brick, a graduate of Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts, has been a DJ since 1992, when he co-ran two production companies, Alpha/Aurora Productions & Two Live Dudes. Always at home in front of a mic, DJ_Brick currently produces his own internet radio show, The Glowing Dial, in which he plays old time radio shows (check it out at www.glowingdial.com). Brick recently formed BrickHouse Disc Jockey Entertainment which is available for all your DJ needs at www.djbrick.com. Brick loves to DJ cons and hopes to continue in this capacity for a long time to come. Party on! Late Night (1 AM - 4 AM): DJ Noise has been spinning in the Twin Cities area for nearly two decades. In addition to being a founding member of promotion companies NMI and Silent, he has also held residencies at the clubs Ground Zero and First Avenue. Alien music expertise comes in the form of holding dance events at CONvergence, Marscon, and Minicon, as well as a number of themed parties in secret government labs. He looks forward to bleeping and blipping into the wee hours. Sat, 22:00-23:00, Dennison III Quiet Open Filk For those who prefer a less boisterous musical environment. Sat, 22:00-23:00, Niles I/II Open Filk Circle Sun, 10:00-11:00, Dennison I/II We're Awake, What's Going On? If you are awake and bored and don't want to sit around the ConSuite or Gaming, join a ragtaggle group of Dread Early Riser Fen to admit to your DERFdom and discuss how you're going to take over the world. Sun, 10:00-12:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Gaming in the Med Room Role playing games, Settlers of Catan, Munchkin and other fun games will be played in the gaming area with the help of our friendly neighbourhood Gaming Department Coordinator (Bill Korsak, Matthew Ragsdale) Sun, 11:00-12:00, Board Room Coffee with Music Guest of Honor Throwing Toasters Space is limited: please sign up in Ops ASAP. (Throwing Toasters) Sun, 11:00-12:00, Dennison I/II Soap with Science Guest of Honor Kevin Dunn You use it every day, maybe several times if you shower, do the dishes and the laundry. It's older than you think! Ancient people wanted clean clothes, too; come learn what they figured out to do about that. (Kevin Dunn) Sun, 11:00-12:00, Dennison III The Internet as Career Tool What are the best ways to use the internet to promote your career? From webpages to blogs to other ideas. (Tobias Buckell (M), The Ferrett, Mathew Jarpe, Catherynne Valente, Suzanne Church) Sun, 11:00-12:00, Niles I/II Open Drumming Circle Sun, 11:00-12:00, Salon H, G, F Gluten-Free Fantasy Most medieval cultures didn't have chainmail, swords, horses, or wheat. Yet the overwhelming majority of medieval cultures in fantasy do. What do we stand to gain by breaking the bonds of Europe on our collective imagination? And what's so scary about bolas, sled-dogs, and rice? (Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, John Scalzi, Karl Schroeder, Jim Frenkel) Sun, 12:00-13:00, Dennison I/II From Fan Art to Fine Art Artists talk about how they took their passion for art and made into their profession. What merits do various education subjects have that may improve the quality of your art? Many successful artists have also studied subjects not traditionally considered "art"; what courses might bring great benefit to the composition and completion of paintings and drawings? (Carl Lundgren, Catherine Nerbonne (M), William Aksel, Kurt Erichsen, Cullen Proctor, Ben Rodriguez, Tomak, Erin McKee) Sun, 12:00-13:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Super Science Session Come see how paper and electricity fit into the world of science. (Kyle Kosbar, Christine Pellar-Kosbar, possible cameo by Kevin Dunn) Sun, 12:00-13:00, Niles I/II Comedy Song Writing Join our Music GoH for a discussion on how to carry off the comedic lyric. (Throwing Toasters, Luke Ski) Sun, 12:00-13:00, Salon H, G, F The Art and Science of Evolving as a Writer In order to improve as a writer you have to practice. What are some of the ways to do this? How can you tell if there is improvement? (John Scalzi, Paul Melo, Sarah Zettel, Jim Hines) Sun, 13:00-14:00, Concierge Lounge (12th Floor) Portfolio Critique Bring in your portfolio for a quick critique by our Artist Guest of Honor! Please sign up in ops. (Carl Lundgren) Sun, 13:00-14:00, Dennison I/II Gunpowder with Kevin Dunn It revolutionized history. People made their own for hundreds of years. Come learn a bit about what makes fireworks go boom, and what fires that musket ball. (Kevin Dunn) Sun, 13:00-14:00, Dennison III Reading by Jim C. Hines Jim Hines provides a taste of the next goblin book. (Jim Hines) Sun, 13:00-14:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Beading Extravaganza Come learn about beading as an art and make a project or two to take home. (Christine Pellar-Kosbar) Sun, 13:00-14:00, Med Rm Lower Paint and Take You may have seen the pictures in the game stores or in magazines and wondered how anyone could paint the detail on such tiny figures. Wonder no more. At this FREE Paint and Take event you will learn basic techniques for painting a miniature. If you already know the basics, advanced techniques can be taught. You get to keep your miniature! (Linda Martelle) Sun, 13:00-14:00, Salon H, G, F Random Acts of Fandom Freon hosts the Sunday Improv. We provide the stage, you bring the entertainment. Presentations, skits and standup welcome -- you might see some pleasant surprises so do drop in. See a preview of ConFusion in 2009 featuring Fan Guest of Honor Michael Andaluz. Expect microphone and video camera so dress accordingly. (Freon) Sun, 14:00-15:00, KidFusion KidFusion: Apples to Apples Come play the best word game in the world! (Lisa Garrison-Ragsdale, Kenn Ferguson) Sun, 14:00-15:00, Med Room Lower Miniatures Painting and Sculpting A round table discussing how those amazing fantasy and SF figures are created and painted. You can see for yourself some of the process. We'll also cover tools, preparation for painting, and priming. (Andy Barlow, Jimmy Hart, Dean and Linda Martelle) Sun, 15:00-16:00, Dennison I/II Feedback Session Please come and let us know what we did right and what needs to be worked on. Everyone is encouraged to come and comment. If you cannot stay this late leave a written comment with Ops. As many of the ConCom and hotel staff as we can gather will be there. Sun, 16:00-00:00, Consuite Dead Dog Party Come up to the 15th Floor and find out what the consuite has left over and hang with other people who are not yet ready to call it a weekend.