First Friday Fandom
7th March 2014
Attending: Richard Karsh, Joe Sokola, Terry Adams, James Yakura the younger, Kent Bloom, Mem Morman, Robin Monogue, Ted Monogue, Connor Monogue, Cary Quinn
Richard the president got things rolling at 8:21pm. He’s read a few things recently, and he retired yesterday. Vice-president Joe reports that for vice we have brownies, soda, and the last of the Christmas candy. Treasurer Ted says that monetarily things are the same, but we gained 18 cents in interest. Secretary Mem says she posted the February minutes right after the last meeting. Robin reported for the Trustees that we have no new members and no one eligible to be a new member.
Announcements:
Robin for the book committee reported the following schedule:
Lud-in-the-Mists by Hope Mirrlees for April
Silverlock by John Myers Myers for May
Halfway Human by Carolyn Gilman for June
Dancer of the Sixth by Michelle Shirey Crean for July (on the fourth with a BBQ)
Replay by Ken Grimwood in August
The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford in September
City of Diamond by Jane Emerson in October
book and movie for Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle in November
and in December (second Friday) we will do the Hugo winning novel.
Mem reported that the committee to repair the by-laws had no activity.
Ted brought the COSine contract for everyone to look at. Our breakpoint is 65 total room nights, in the past we have done 90 and we don’t see a problem with that making 65. We are guaranteeing $1200 of food rather than paying for the facilities. We are planning on putting out some tables for people to sit as well as stand in line to get books signed. Nathan Lowell’s name needs to go up on the website. Robin says she will do that. We still need a science guest if anyone has suggestions. Cary has a suggestion and we might also look at the Mars guy from Boulder – we can check on this with Paul from DASFA.
New Business: We need to confirm that we are doing a bid for SMOFcon December 2015. Ted would like First Friday Fandom to vote on doing a SMOFcon the first weekend in December 2015. That would be two conventions seven weeks apart. Ted moved, Mem seconded, motion was approved. Ted and Mem will be co-chairs – Mem will be the comfy chair and Ted will be the sturdy chair. We are planning a hospitality theme for the programming.
Meeting adjourned as the clock chimed 9pm.
Our book for tonight is Contact by Carl Sagan. Richard and Cary said it was different from the movie. There were more personalities involved in the book, and Jody Foster was not the only one who went on the journey – in the book more people go. Richard was impressed with the idea that the very advanced civilization that was doing all the magic was just a caretaker for an even more advanced civilization. Ted was disturbed that when the multi-billion dollar international facility was destroyed, there was another even more secret facility being built by private funds. Cary commented that the book did this more sensibly than the movie because it could give more explanation of what was really happening and why. Several people suggested that the book and the movie for this would be a good one to do for one of our November meetings. There’s an undertone with the politicians and the scientists that they don’t WANT to know that there are superior civilizations out there and that’s why they are trying to destroy the facilities. For a hard scientist, Sagan wrote a pretty good book. It is implied that the aliens were similar enough to humans that they discovered and perceived things in the same way. Cary said he had a problem not reading the book in Sagan’s voice. People agreed that could be an issue. The new COSMOS series starts this Sunday on, oddly enough, FOX.