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Re: [AGA-sc] San Jose Report
Oh good.<g> So he'll probably help us out, but I'll have to listen to an
earful to get the help. ;-)
Karen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cheryl Rogers" <cheryl@wilstream.com>
To: "Aquatic Gardeners Association Board" <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: [AGA-sc] San Jose Report
> Tom told me over the phone that he has the greatest respect for the AGA
> and still intends to help us. He is mad at the SF people because they
> ask him for his advice and then make fun of him when his advice changes.
> At first he was saying that the ADA substrates were no better than
> anything else, and now he has tried them and is singing a new tune.
> Apparently some folks at SFBAAPS called him on it and now he's pissed
> because after all, THEY didn't do any experimenting.
>
> Of course, this is Tom's side of the story. Who knows what really
> happened.
>
> Anyway, as of a month ago, he was not mad at US.
>
> Cheryl
>
>
>
> Karen Randall wrote:
>> Thanks for the update, Erik! It sounds like it was a productive and
>> uplifting meeting. Just reading about it got me more excited again,
>> rather
>> than, "Oh, God, we've GOT to pull this off!!!"
>>
>> I am a little concerned about the situation with Tom. He had agreed to
>> take
>> Troels, Ole and me (as host<g>) out collecting, and now is not even
>> returning direct e-mails. Fortunately, since Cheryl had his telephone
>> number, I can try to call him today.
>>
>> If he can't/won't take us out, we've got to arrange something else as
>> entertainment for those guys. I know Tom has taken people in the Bay
>> Area
>> club out before. maybe we can get one of those to help us get to the
>> locations. I suspect Troels and Ole don't really NEED Tom to tell them
>> much
>> about aquatic plants once we get there ;-)
>>
>> In fact, even if Tom DOES still agree to do it, it might not be a bad
>> idea
>> to have a back-up pesron who knows the locations and has a car. But I
>> didn't want to bring this all up on the general list, have it get back to
>> Toma dn cause another kerfluffle.
>>
>> Karen
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Erik Olson" <erik@thekrib.com>
>> To: <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
>> Sent: Sunday, September 03, 2006 2:30 AM
>> Subject: [AGA-sc] San Jose Report
>>
>>
>>> Met with Jim L ("convention chair"), Michael LaFlamme (my little
>>> helper),
>>> and Chuck Rambo (my SVAS contact, ACA bigwig, and local Bay Area Mole)
>>> at
>>> 3:30 in the hotel before heading off.
>>>
>>> Michael's wife is lending us a nice laser printer (HP Laserjet 2200). I
>>> tested it with the auction computer and it works great. We will be able
>>> to use this for printing incidentals like walk-in badges or signs) as
>>> needed through the weekend, and also for auction receipts on Sunday.
>>> Very cool. She also has access to seven LCD projectors, so we could get
>>> a
>>> backup that way. Chuck said he could bring the SVAS projector as well.
>>> Nice. We need to remember to get a 25-foot VGA cable, though (Larry, do
>>> you have access to that one I bought for you guys?) (Karen, please
>>> bring
>>> your projector regardless, if you can!)
>>>
>>> Transferred 75 pounds of A/V and auction gear to Michael, where it'll
>>> sit
>>> in storage until November. Nice load of my stress level.
>>>
>>> Went off to the meeting, where we were joined by Leon Garden ("Field
>>> Trip") and Karleton ("PR guy #2").
>>>
>>> Leon imparted the info I have now mentioned in the other e-mails about
>>> there being 60 tickets available, but that there are only 50 bus slots.
>>> I
>>> do remember him saying there might be more like 54 bus slots, but let's
>>> shoot for 50). Discussed the minivan plan. Reiterated that he has all
>>> the snack stuff taken care of. Jim has volunteered to tip the driver
>>> and
>>> be the FT headcounter guy/chair.
>>>
>>> Leon also re-iterated his Krombholz-like desire to return to the
>>> Chattanooga-style auction where everything was silent and the items got
>>> stuffed into bags and picked up at the end. Boy, he dislikes those live
>>> auctions, and having to surrender his driver's license. (Do we have to
>>> make them surrender their drivers license?) I explained that this was
>>> all
>>> well and good when we had 1/5 the amount of stuff to sell, but there
>>> just
>>> was no way we could pull this off anymore. He was mildly impressed that
>>> I
>>> at least had the silent and live auctions tied together on the same
>>> system, and that we'd be using a computer rig that at least one person
>>> was
>>> familiar with (not to mention a spare hard drive with a backup image of
>>> the entire auction database machine that can be installed in virtually
>>> any
>>> laptop if something happens to the main system). He's still not
>>> convinced, but we agree to disagree.
>>>
>>> Discussed at length why various people were going AWOL. Always amusing
>>> to
>>> hear the responses:
>>>
>>> Skids: Talks big, then shies back. Michael L was just plain
>>> embarrased
>>> about the whole "We're going to make a GREAT bid!" posturing.
>>>
>>> Bill Harada: Pissed that we're not letting volunteers get in the talks
>>> for free. Apparently off sulking. (Sorry, this chronology
>>> doesn't make sense, as he stopped participating long before we had
>>> the stupid thread with Gomberg.) Later heard he was also sulking
>>> about not having his stuff used, whatever that means. Kareleton
>>> will ask him about making a large poster and/or program blowup
>>> for registration area.
>>>
>>> Gomberg: Everyone was asking about who would be Gomberg's "keeper".
>>> Jim
>>> had some interesting perspective on PAM from the perspective
>>> of an old-timer local...speaking of which...
>>>
>>> Jim: Did you know Jim was a member of the AAGA?
>>> Check out TAG V4#4, page 114... I pulled it up on my archive DVD!
>>>
>>> Tom: Apparently Tom has stopped returning e-mails from SFBAAPS folks.
>>> He is alienating every forum and mailing list one by one. He also
>>> is now working for UC Davis.
>>>
>>> Iron Aquascaper challenge will be entirely handled by SFBAAPS folks.
>>> This seems to be a mutually agreeable idea: I think Jim really wants
>>> SFBAAPS to handle at least one aspect of the convention, and to me
>>> nothing
>>> important hinges on the Iron Aquascaper part. They can have fun with
>>> it.
>>> Jim (and perhaps Karleton, who took lots of notes) will insure that they
>>> have equipment, materials, and people. We brainstormed some pretty cool
>>> and funny ideas to include, include sport-announcer commentary,
>>> American Idol style bickering amongst the judges, tag-team handoffs
>>> mid-scaping, "And now, representing the Dallas-Fort Worth Club,
>>> Laaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrry LAM-PERT!". I suggested at least one joke
>>> material such as a plastic castle be included in the materials. So
>>> we'll
>>> see.
>>>
>>> Jim has offered to also handle buying of hospitality food/beverage if
>>> needed. Those in the know could perhaps advise? (I had no idea,
>>> because
>>> I have no experience in this area.)
>>>
>>> Meeting started. Talk went pretty good. Happy to see their wireless
>>> system (more expensive than mine) crackles and buzzes something awful.
>>> Caught myself turning my head and getting my voice cut off many times --
>>> I'm one of those bad speakers who does that!
>>>
>>> We got a couple of people offer to volunteer as runners or reg helpers.
>>>
>>> Several folks said they're coming, so I think we might see 5-10
>>> hotel-less
>>> walkins from SVAS. (We'll have to decide how stringent we're going to
>>> be
>>> about the club affiliations. I would suggest we drop the requirement
>>> for
>>> anyone who volunteers as a runner or reg helper from one of these other
>>> clubs.)
>>>
>>> As I mentioned elsewhere, Chuck Rambo wants to put up fliers, so we need
>>> a
>>> flyer. Good timing from Kirsten on conheads!
>>>
>>> I really found it good to talk to the guys face-to-face. I really wish
>>> there was a way for all of us to talk to all of them this way. Try
>>> explaining to someone in e-mail how we just can't let everyone who
>>> volunteers in for free vs. explaining this calmly to them directly,
>>> letting them explain their point.
>>>
>>> Jim asked me point blank "Why do you do this?" (a statement that says
>>> much about the local club/forum/slacker/whatever mentality more than
>>> anything I could come up with).
>>>
>>> I had to think about it... I said that I personally do this because I
>>> like
>>> working A/V an putting together the disks, but I wasn't really sure
>>> anymore. Later on during the plant swap, Jim started talking excitedly
>>> with another member about one of the bags, showing how he grew it
>>> under certain conditions, but this other one he never really had luck
>>> with, etc etc. It was then that it hit me the real reason. I love
>>> hanging out with all these plant geeks, talking this stuff for 3 days
>>> straight, seeing a hundred other people just having a good time doing
>>> the
>>> same. It's very hard to remember why, when everything's all clouded up
>>> in
>>> these layers on layers of planning, stress, and beaurocracy, but once we
>>> get in that Hospitality room on the 9th and start bagging auction
>>> plants...that's the reason.
>>>
>>> - Erik
>>>
>>> --
>>> Erik Olson
>>> erik at thekrib dot com
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> AGA-sc mailing list
>>> AGA-sc@thekrib.com
>>> http://lists.thekrib.com/mailman/listinfo/aga-sc
>>>
>>
>>
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