Minutes: 9/18/03 From: Chris Doucette Date: Fri Sep 19 2003 - 14:46:28 PDT --------------------------------------------------- Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, for your reference and entertainment, may I present a summary of the first HRSFA meeting of the year. For those who missed the meeting, this is a good place to find out what HRSFA does and when. I apologize for the lack of quotes. There's quite enough to read here as it is. ********** VERICON ********** HRSFA's own annual convention returns for its fourth helping this year. As usual it will take place over intersession, the break between semesters - not intercession, which is what you pray to the Virgin Mary for - from Friday January 30th to Sunday February 1st. Our guests this year include comic book writer Mike Carey (Lucifer, Hellblazer) and Brian Clevinger, author of the popular webcomic 8-Bit Theatre (www.nuklearpower.com). There will be games, LARPs, panels, games, art, parties, and maybe some games. Con-chair Charles Woodward (he's a co-chair too) would muchly appreciate volunteers to do anything at all for the con. Contact him (cwood@fas) if you're interested. ********** FUSION ********** HRSFA also has its own publication, Fusion, to which the literarily inclined can submit short stories, artwork, reviews, or the occasional demented advice column. Copies of Fusion are readily available; ask pretty much anyone, but specifically the Editor-In-Chief, Elisabeth Cohen (ehcohen@fas), if you'd like a copy - or, even better, want to contribute to the next issue, creatively, editorially or commercially (we need to sell ads!). Also, see the info on Writer's SIG below, also run by Elisabeth. ********** SIGs ********** Special Interest Groups are the meat 'n' potatoes of HRSFA. There's a SIG for just about anything you can think of, but if you have an interest that you think other people share, consider starting your own SIG; disappointed in the amount of Space Ghost and Richard Dean Anderson in the HRSFA diet, I brought Cartoon SIG and Stargate/Farscape SIG into being last year. If I can do it, you can too. *********** Cool Movie ZIG: Known by many names (*IG, pSIG, ZIG, Dojo), we come together on an approximately weekly basis, to watch movies we think should be watched. Among the prospective entries this year are: the much loved but not recently viewed Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, Young Frankenstein, Dark City, and perhaps the single movie that defines HRSFAn theology, Jesus Christ: Vampire Hunter. Leaders: Dev (purkayas@fas), Chris (doucett@fas) Meetings: (subject to change) Tuesdays 9-11 PM *********** Stargate/Farscape SIG: Stargate SG-1 is on hiatus until January, and Farscape has been cancelled by the Sci-Fi Channel in favor of *high quality programming* like Scare Tactics and Tremors: The Series. We'll start watching SG-1 again when it returns for the end of Season 7, but until then there will be an occasional watching of Chris's favorite Season 3 & 4 eps, and (thanks to Charles) some Farscape Season 1 on DVD. Leader: Chris (doucett@fas) Meetings: TBA *********** Star Trek SIG: WE DO NOT WATCH ENTERPRISE. Mr. David Kowarsky does have all of Next Generation on DVD, however, and will host theme marathons every once in a while. WE DO NOT WATCH ENTERPRISE. If you're itching to watch lots of Data, or Q, or time warps, contact Dave and he'll hook you up. WE DO NOT WATCH ENTERPRISE. Leader: Dave Kowarsky (kowarsky@fas) Meetings: TBA *********** Milk & Cookies: HRSFAn like reading stories. And drinking milk. And eating cookies. So way back when, someone had the idea to do it all at the same time. Unfortunately some of the wires got crossed, so now we eat milk and drink cookies, but we do read and listen to stories. M&C generally occurs every few weeks on a weekend night from 9-1, but feel free to stay for as long or short a time as suits you. It's all good. Leader: Kaitlin (kbheller@fas) Meetings: TBA *********** Video Games SIG: The peanut butter in our sandwich, the bubble wrap in our Christmas present, the grout in our tile floor... you get the idea. Video games fill in the time we don't spend doing more worthwhile things, like laundry. Tony & Dev's room, or the HRSFA Lounge as I like to call it, is your best shot if you feel like a quick game of Super Monkey Ball before dinner. Leaders: Jason (morrow@fas), Chris (doucett@fas) Meetings: All the goddamn time *********** Gaming SIG: Have you played a game since setting foot in the Yard? If so, congratulations - you're a member of Gaming SIG! Board and card games are the other staple food of HRSFA; again, stop by the HRSFA Lounge (Lowell Q-21) and you'll find gamers there. Settlers/Seafarers/Cities & Knights of Catan, Diplomacy, and Buffy: the Board Game are among the most common played HRSFA board games; card games include Apples to Apples, Munchkin, and even straight-up poker. Got a fun game you want to play? Bring it over. Chances are high someone will play. The other facet of Gaming SIG is role-playing games (RPGs). In RPGs, a small group of people collectively tell a story from the perspective of individual characters, under the guidance of a Game Master who controls everything else. Several extended campaigns and a few one-shot sessions are being planned for this year; if you are an avid role-player and want in, or are curious what it's all about, ask *absolutely anyone* and they'll get you set up. Also in the works are a few LARPs - Live Action Role Playing games - which are like RPGs except you also get to run around Harvard facilities pretending to shoot stuff or stab stuff, depending on the setting. One such game is the Metal Gear Solid LARP, expected to run in early November, in which a dozen or so people will try to outwit and outspy each other in the tunnels under Lowell House, with the threat of giant robotic destruction looming around every corner. Leader: Just about anyone Meetings: Just about anytime *********** Magic SIG: Not technically its own SIG yet, but distanced enough from Gaming SIG to merit a division in the minutes. A handful of HRSFAn, including Warren, Charles, Dave K., et al. play Magic: the Gathering whenever they can. This weekend, there's a pre-release in town, which Warren will be attending sometime Saturday afternoon; contact him for details. Leader: Warren (tusk@fas) Meetings: TBA *********** Readers' SIG: Long defunct, and recently revived by Bill Zaientz, the Readers SIG feels that Harvard doesn't make you read enough. Enough science fiction, at least. The SIG meets over dinner once a week to discuss a story "assigned" the week before; there will be a preliminary meeting this coming Sunday at 12:30 PM in front of the Science Center to discuss logistics (time, place, etc.) Leader: Bill (zaientz@fas) Meetings: TBA *********** Writers' SIG: Got the creative gene in ya? Editor-in-Chief Elisabeth invites you for creative writing/peer editing sessions, word games, and excellent tea and cookies. No prior experience necessary; "I'm no good at writing" will not count as an excuse. An introductory meeting this Sunday at 1 PM, directly after Readers' SIG, also in front of the Science Center. Leader: Elisabeth (ehcohen@fas) Meetings: Sundays 1-3 PM *********** CIG: The "C" stands for Charles, because this SIG is about watching shows Charles likes. It started as Buffy SIG, but with the addition of Angel, and then Smallville and the short-lived but excellent Firefly, it became less and less Buffy SIG. Especially now that Buffy's over. This semester, Charles and Co. will be watching Smallville and Angel on Wednesday nights, starting with the premiere on October 1st. In Charge: Charles (cwood@fas) Meetings: Wednesdays 8-10 PM *********** Cartoon SIG: (Omitted during the meeting) Cartoon Network has some *damn* funny shows on late in the evening, during the block they call Adult Swim. This is where shows like Futurama and Family Guy have found a second home, as well as inexplicably hilarious original series like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021, the Brak Show, and the classic Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. There are anime offerings as well, but these are dubbed instead of subtitled, which is pooh-poohed by most afficionados. Leader: Chris (doucett@fas) Meetings: Sundays 11 PM - 12 AM (and other times too, maybe) *********** MST3k SIG: Mystery Science Theatre 3000 was a wonderful show that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel and then Comedy Central, in which a guy and two smart-mouthed robots watched really terrible old sci-fi movies and heckled them. Hilarity ensued. We carry on this tradition proudly, having skewered The Fantastic Four, Dungeons & Dragons, and most recently The Phantom Menace at VeriCon. Until a movie to lampoon is decided upon, we'll watch classic episodes of the original series for inspiration; then we begin the two parts fun, three parts unholy pain of watching one bad movie over and over and over again until we've squoze every last drop of humor from it. Leader: Jason (morrow@fas) Meetings: Tuesdays (approx.) 7-9 PM *********** Babylon 5 SIG - Be careful what you say about B5 in HRSFA. Badmouth the show even just a *little bit* and fire-breathing HRSFAn will come out of the woodwork and beat you to death with your own skull. Last year the SIG got together on Monday nights to watch the entire 5 season series. This will most likely not happen again for a few years, but a large quantity of tapes have been donated to the HRSFA library by a kind alum, so they're available to whoever wants to watch them. Leader: ??? Meetings: TBA *********** BBC SIG - Sort of an extension of the HRSFA Library, BBC SIG is powered by the ungodly amounts of British Sci-Fi shows owned by Claudia (jawa@bantha.org). Interest has been expressed in watching Blake's 7 this year; she also has Red Dwarf, Blackadder, and much more. Leader: Claudia (Tony and/or Dev may organize Blake's 7 showings) Meetings: TBA *********** THE IGNOBELS *********** Enough with SIGs. Organized by the publication "Annals of Improbable Research," the IgNobels are an annual awards show parodying the Nobel Prizes; the awards celebrate "scientific achievements which cannot or should not be reproduced." This year's show will be the night of Thursday October 2nd in Sanders Theatre, and the theme is Nanotechnology. It's a rather silly affair, with respected scientists throwing paper airplanes all over and generally making asses of themselves. HRSFA is one of the sponsoring organizations for the Igs, and so in return for helping with publicity we get some free tickets. If you want to join the HRSFA delegation, contact Tony (avila@fas) tout de suite. HRSFA will subsidize the cost of your ticket if we don't have enough freebies to go around, so it's still affordable, and lots of fun. *********** KING RICHARD'S FAIRE *********** HRSFA's trip to King Richard's Faire out in Western Mass. will be the day of Saturday October 4th. A group will drive from Cambridge, spend the day, and return bearing swords and large hunks of meat on a spit. If you're interested in going, contact the Exfernal Secretary, Warren Tusk (tusk@fas) and he'll put you on the list. *********** MOVIES *********** Another thing we like to do off-campus is go see movies. The big ones this fall are The Matrix Revolutions and The Return of the King. In fact, HRSFA will hopefully be going to RotK as part of a 10-hour marathon, New Line's way of generating serious hype for the last installment. It's the last day of classes, and assuming a nearby theatre is running the marathon, we'll head over in early afternoon, and watch the extended versions of FotR and Two Towers before RotK starts at 11 PM. (There will be bathroom breaks. Don't panic.) There are other less important movies on the horizon, such as Underworld, which we'll discuss at the next meeting. HRSFA encourages such movie outings by paying for your T fare there and back - a $2 discount on your trip. You'll hear more from Warren about upcoming movies later in the semester. *********** THE WYLD HUNT *********** Ever feel like running around half-naked painted blue chasing a freshman wearing antlers around Cambridge with sticks? If so, I think you should be institutionalized; but that would remove half of HRSFA's membership, as evidenced by the Wyld Hunt, which will take place this year on Halloween night (or the closest full moon). A freshman stag is needed to be chased, brought home and eaten, the compensation for which is a free membership in HRSFA! If you're willing to do this, contact the Huntmaster (Warren - tusk@fas) rather soon. *********** THE HOUR *********** Kaitlin: "All Hail Chronos." Everyone: "Hail Chronos." Kaitlin: "No, it's ALL Hail Chronos you nimrods!" Everyone: "All Hail Chronos You Nimrods!" Every year we are blessed by the Coming of the Hour, in which Chronos, Lord of Time, bestows an extra hour during the night. [Translation: Daylight Savings Time ends soon.] Our ceremony will take place the night of October 25th/26th from 2 AM to 2 AM and will last approximately one hour. [Translation: We walk around the Yard wearing black and chanting, hopefully confusing the drunken freshmen.] All hail Chronos, you nimrods. *********** THE LIBRARY *********** HRSFA has a library. It's in Pforzheimer House, which, as the more perceptive of you have already realized, is in the Quad. The trove of books, movies, and comics which are to be found therein make it worth the walk, however; on the other hand, if you go to the Quad, Kaitlin, Lis and Rebecca will kidnap you and tie you up in fuzzy sweaters and call you Teddy. If that sounds good to you, contact Elisabeth (ehcohen@fas) and she can give you directions to the library. *********** MAILING LISTS & MEMBERSHIPS *********** Your lifeline to HRSFA is hrsfa-announce, where things of general importance are announced. If you're reading this (thanks for making it this far) then you're obviously subscribed already. Kudos. The secondary mailing lists, hrsfa-discuss and hrsfa-social, are respectively for general discussions, sci-fi related or otherwise, and for announcements of casual get-togethers to watch TV or a movie, play games, or get food. Depending on your tolerance for random emails, you can sign up for -social, -discuss, neither or both. (NB: All messages have HRSFA-something in the subject, so your mail client should be able to filter them into a separate mailbox if you're into that kind of thing.) If you missed our intro meeting but still want to join, we will continue taking memberships at the meeting on Sunday the 21st in Sever 110 at 7:00 PM. (We prefer that you sign up now instead of later in the year, but we won't say no if you decide to join later on, of course.) *********** Phew. Here we are at the end. If I missed anything, please offer supplements. Well, see you next time. It's been emotional. - Chris Doucette, Infernal Secretary doucett@fas _______________________________________________ hrsfa-announce mailing list hrsfa-announce@lists.hcs.harvard.edu http://lists.hcs.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/hrsfa-announce