SELEM 2013 (7th annual!) August 16th-18. Sign up now!

[Bradfo69]

Edit: The original post that precipitated this response has been deleted.

Len,

I have to agree with Adam here.

I appreciate your enthusiam and your efforts to help encourage more people to come to SELEM. Things like offers of blow up beds and various hints and tips at how to curb expenses, etc. If people read the forum regularly, they know how much of a supporter I am as well, and champion the cause of getting people to attend. Whether you're a 20 year veteran or just found the forum 3 months ago and are curious.

You like to be helpful and that's a great thing. You put a lot of effort into trying to secure nice doorprizes for everyone. But sometimes, the posts can be perceived as being a little overzealous. This is, and always has been basically Adam's baby. He may not want to take all the credit as it IS a collective effort but, in the end, if Adam says drop the food because it's becoming a distraction, then we need to drop the food - or at least the making of "rules" about it. It should never have gotten to the point of being such a big discussion point publicly in this thread. To me, and I'm speaking only for me here, bringing along some food for the group was my own personal way of contributing something worthwhile to the event. I'm really not knowledgeable enough (honestly) about lasers to contribute much more. It was an easy way of blending together two things I enjoy. Nobody needs to do KP duty. Nobody should be "forced" to contribute monetarily. If they felt compelled to throw a few buck in a can, so be it.

As far as me working 80 hours a week, and choosing to bring a lot of gear to SELEM, that's really my choice and my business. (But I appreciate the concern.) Just as Mario bringing a fortune in audio equipment is his choice and expense or, rgbgas bringing all the scaffolding and high voltage electrical stuff is his choice. I'm not looking for special consideration so I'm not certain why you randomly chose to go off on that tangent. Your idea is akin to saying that any newbie should be required to be there Thursday at noon to help unload the EAW subwoofers because, poor Mario has to truck all that gear there. Policy making isn't really your call on this. Save that for TEXLEM 2 when that day comes.

I'm not going to bring up food again publicly and apologize to those who deem this as "drama" interwoven into the SELEM thread. It's not intended to offend - and especially not Len. You know you're my friend and I'm not trying to 'dis" you or curb your enthusiasm about SELEM or helpful nature at all, dude. I just felt the need to respond.

Back to SELEM discussions...

[JohnYayas]

SUGGESTION: Post a schedule and make sure there are times for lunch and dinner. That way, people know when and where they need to be, or in the case of lunch and dinner, when they don't need to be anywhere at all.

[DZ]

The bigger question is are all the projects done

Not even a little bit close...

The new circuit board I'm about to order will have about 718 components and 5826 solder connections to make. Really hoping to have one done in time for SELEM! Though it will just be a completed board with nothing connected to it!

[araugh]

Sorry to say I haven't even started the project I wanted done for SELEM.

[flecom]

Are all channels able to support DC output modded? I have some 3 head shows using all 24 tracks and also control on the last 8 for some shows. Trying to figure out what to bring still. Thanks

one XT has an 8ch catamod board, other has a 6

[Stuka]

Yeah they are cool, ain't they .. big enough for 1 person and an overnight bag maybe .. I plan on landing at Selem in one .. j/k .. I wish .
Are you a pilot dude ? I thought I remembered you saying that you flew in the gulf war or something like that ?

..

Yep per! That was me ~ hung up the flight suit for good in '09.
Those were the good ol' days!

Back to SELEM...

[mophead]

Well Len, in that case, we will simply have to forgo the idea of feeding everyone. If you remember, I was against this idea from the start, for exactly the same reasons that are now becoming apparent to others.

We don't need to go overboard here. All this talk of collecting extra money and buying groceries (not to mention forced KP duty on new attendees) is just putting people off. That was never part of the plan.

Really, the food is not the focus of this event. Sure, it's nice to have, but it also places a huge burden on a few key people. I don't think that's fair, and I'm definitely not going to "volunteer" anyone else to give up time at the event just so we can all eat. (There is enough burden as it is just making the event happen!)

This was never the intent of SELEM.

So I'm making the call: Please let this one drop, OK?

I'll chime in here, regardless if it's my place to do so or not.

We, Myst and i, started feeding the crowd a few years back. It is a labor of love that comes from your pocket. If a person wants to spend a couple days cooking pre-event and then feeding.... Great. Don't make people volunteer. It's not right, nor is it a money maker for anyone involved. The first year we did it, we were out of pocket ~200 bucks and did not put out a tip jar, much less put it out a second time.

The second year, the meat was paid for, but the crowd was larger. We were out ~300 bucks even after the tip jar was put out a second time (which we thought in very poor taste- noticed we quit?). Again, a labor of love. Want to spend your time in the kitchen at SELEM at your expense, by all means, do so. When folks don't like the meal served, well, don't get butt hurt because they went and bought Wendy's. When everyone goes back to the lasers and doesn't help clean up, well, that's ok. You signed up for it on your own.

Len, you can feed a crowd. We can too. It all boils down to if you are trying to profit from it, or if you are doing it for the common good. Doing it for the common good *always* costs you money out of your own pocket, tip jar 2x or not.

Just my .00002

mop -n- myst

[Lazerjock]

I haven't heard any talk of dinner Thursday night. In the past we've gathered somewhere for dinner drinks and usually some mischief involving laser pointers. Since I missed last year I'm not sure if this is still happening.

Also, there was an earlier post about a possible planetarium road trip. Is that happening? Who is organizing it? I would hate to miss that.

Chris

[Displaser]

Also, there was an earlier post about a possible planetarium road trip. Is that happening? Who is organizing it? I would hate to miss that.

Chris

I called the Science Center to find out if we could attend a laser show in August. I've been told that they will not be doing any shows past July. I've left a message for their planetarium contact who has not returned my call. I will ask again, but even the prospect of a large crowd didn't seem to interest them.

Greg

[Bradfo69]

I haven't heard any talk of dinner Thursday night. In the past we've gathered somewhere for dinner drinks and usually some mischief involving laser pointers. Since I missed last year I'm not sure if this is still happening.

Also, there was an earlier post about a possible planetarium road trip. Is that happening? Who is organizing it? I would hate to miss that.

Chris

Last two years was at Texas Roadhouse in Hickory. My guess is there would be some sort of repeat. I "may" not be able to attend as I may need to get Swami from the airport - unless of course (Insert "Call Goes Out" here) someone else has a flight getting in around that time or will be driving through Charlotte around that time. Flight arrival is 11:05pm. He may also be looking for a room if anyone is up for sharing. Contact him directly before his reservations are made.