Man, I'm in convention mode now just from reading that.

Posted August 20, 2006 10:47 PM by elise

Wow. This is comprehensive and deeply sensible. And you used one of my suggestions! Is it awfully childish to be really, really pleased by that?

Posted August 20, 2006 10:49 PM by Xopher

I think you've gotten way too carried away here, but it's all pretty good advice.

One personal wish: when buying beer, don't make all the interesting beer be "Amber," or other kinds of beer for people who basically like sweet stuff. Get some seriously dry beers -- IPAs or the like.

I know it's obvious to you, but I don't think you mentioned: if you're making any kind of signs for the party (whether to announce it elsewhere, or to identify places and objects and purposes in the party suite itself), make them Big and Clear and Darkly Written, and post them where people's eyes will naturally tend to look. Otherwise they're pointless.

Your account actually makes a huge party sound like fun. Sometimes they are. Hope you have fun at some next weekend, whether you're hosting them or not.

John

Posted August 20, 2006 11:11 PM by John D. Berry

John, if I picked out all the beer, it'd be 60%-75% IPAs and ESBs to start.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:19 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Great. I only found one thing I disagreed with: If you need a protective covering for the floor, you're holding the wrong sort of party. since I admire the way the Seattle Potlatch consuites lay down a plastic bag and duct tape shield at the drinks end, which also do often feature kegs. (Kegs are not housebroken, even when everybody involved is sane and as sober as can be expected with a keg in the room.) On the other hand, I suspect a Potlatch con suite doesn't count as a "large room party" on this scale. Which is one of the reasons I as usual am not coming to Worldcon; hope everybody who is has a great time.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:25 PM by Rich McAllister

I have one question. You write Living organisms may not be brought in on a leash. Pets are right out, too.

You're going to think I'm kidding, but I'm really not: does this mean that if I bring my Boy, and he's wearing his collar, I can't attach his leash? I mean, I'll have him well trained before I bring him to any con parties, but I think he kind of likes wearing it.

Bluntly: is this rule specifically intended to prohibit human leashing of the leather/fetish variety?

Posted August 20, 2006 11:27 PM by Xopher

I didn't know there was Empire Strikes Back beer. I know it was the best movie, but...

*grin*

Good advice, really, for most parties. Some of it is con-specific, of course, but much of it isn't, and applies equally well to a good chunk of, say, college parties.

And Xopher, I assumed that's what that rule was for...but the rules would surely change at a leather/fetish party or con.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:29 PM by Will "scifantasy" Frank

A leash in a crowded room? Bad idea all 'round.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:33 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

if I picked out all the beer, it'd be 60%-75% IPAs and ESBs to start
The trouble with hoppy beer is that if it's full of Bavarian hops all is fine, but these days in the US (especially the Western US) it's probably Cascade hops which are just too sharp for me. Sometimes I wish the Sonoma/Mendocino hop growing areas hadn't all been replanted with Vinus vinifera so I could taste beer made from those hops, but then I have some of the wine that's being made instead, and I think we're pretty well off.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:35 PM by Rich McAllister

I'd plead with party hosts to have a higher proportion of diet sodas than suggested here. They always seem to be the first to vanish and I can't drink the other kind. I buy roughly equal amts of diet and non diet when I throw a party and I never have diet left over, only non diet.

MKK

Posted August 20, 2006 11:35 PM by Mary Kay

Unsweetened flavored seltzer doesn't count? Some of us can't drink soda with Aspartame in it.

Anyway, those proportions have been arrived at by the rough and ready method of seeing what's left over when the party ends. If you've got four sixpacks of root beer, the root beer allotment gets reduced next time.

You should see the pizza rule of thumb. I've only seen it fail once.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:39 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

The diets/regulars bit probably highly depends on crowd, even more so than some of the other factors. Personally, I rarely drink non-diet, thanks to years of instilling from my mother. Even buying it feels weird. But yeah, if you have aspartame issues, then diets are out...

I imagine that, if the party goes on long enough, the minions are willing, and there are convenient markets, emergency runs to all-night groceries are not unheard of.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:45 PM by Will "scifantasy" Frank

MKK: I'd plead with party hosts to have a higher proportion of diet sodas than suggested here.
In these days of modern times, the one thing that seems to be impossible to have enough of is bottled water. Fizzy water is OK but flat is even more important. It's the one thing everybody can drink, it's the one thing everybody should drink. For those going to Worldcon, especially from places that have good tap water like the north SF Peninsula and NYC, note that Anaheim tap water is brackish goo from the lower part of the Colorado River. Bottled water is required.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:46 PM by Rich McAllister

You don't have to serve lox to the teeming hordes.

*gasp*

I'm not sure how well they stick to grass wallpaper, but Post-it makes poster-sized, well, post-its now.

Posted August 20, 2006 11:49 PM by julia

A quick and potentially useless bit of trivia which is germane: beverages in ice water cool faster, beverages in salty ice water cool fastest.

Problem being, the salty bit. This is probably good for bottles, but is gonna be sucky for cans.

(Ahh, Mythbusters...)

Posted August 21, 2006 12:10 AM by Zak

The thing with diet/non-diet sodas is that the choices always seem to force people to choose between caffeine and calories. I adore restaurants that serve up diet lemon-lime or caffeine-free Coke. If it's late at night and I don't want to light up like Buzzy the Hummingbird, I may not want to sugar up, either, because these days I don't need all the extra empty calories. I know at a private party it's extra work for the hosts, but these days more and more people are calorie-conscious. Plain bottled water is okay, too.

Posted August 21, 2006 12:53 AM by Writerious

Teresa and Will @11 & 12,

Splenda may have changed the diet drinks ratio, or the diet drink equation.

When having parties I've found that diet drinks like Hansens- Splenda only- will disappear in about the same ratio as they were purchased / put out. This implies to me that for a reasonably large percentage of the partying population, Splenda and corn syrup drinks are substitutes.

In the deep past, I would never have seen guests being indifferent between sugared and evil-aspertamed drinks.

Posted August 21, 2006 1:28 AM by Kathryn from Sunnyvale

Oh, this is a lovely list!

thanks to Rich for the tap-water-quality (or lack thereof) warning: I will duly bring ye bottled water.

Posted August 21, 2006 1:52 AM by RuTemple

That is a fabulous list.

Two possible additions:

People with potentially fatal allergies are used to packing in a lot of our own food to cons and holding our peace and sticking to the drinks at parties. We are therefore easy to please: you know those lunchbox packets of salty snacks? Hand us a couple of small _sealed_ packets of just about anything with no warning on it and you will become The Nicest Host Ever.

Also, Candy Lego + fans = a small table to play with it on = hours of fun.

Posted August 21, 2006 2:10 AM by Marna

Brita rules ok.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:10 AM by Anna Feruglio Dal Dan

Brita rules ok.
OK, not really, but I am so resentful of the bottled water racket that I wish it did.

A couple of weeks ago I volunteered at a fundraising event which contemplated among other things people queueing up on a hot stair. There are few things more morally satisfying that running up and down offering little bottles of water to the thirsty.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:12 AM by Anna Feruglio Dal Dan

Minor typo: "pass the word around that one a specific night"

I've had good experiences with disposable cutting sheets. They hold up well, and they can easily be washed or rinsed in the sink. They can be used for serving too. One pack of 20 is good for several parties.

If you don't have a suite with a kitchen, and you need to use a bathroom for food prep and washing up, try to make it off limits and direct your guests to the other bathroom for using the toilet. I have this thing about sanitation. If you don't have another bathroom, please consider treats that won't require prepping or washing up during the party.

When you are buying food, imagine spilling a bowl of it on the carpet and several people accidentally walking over it and grinding it in. If that scenario is problematic, buy something else. Chips, nuts and veggies are very good. Cheese is okay. Chocolate is okay in small pieces -- chopping chunks off a big block inevitably produces thousands of small shavings, many of which end up on the floor. Salsa is a hazard. Chili is evil -- it stains anything it touches.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:07 AM by TomB

Another good reason to avoid oversized portions is that at least some of the people will eat directly out of whatever container is in reach. When I see a friend eating directly out of a half gallon tub of cheese dip, I am thankful that I don't like the stuff, 'cause there's no way I'm going to eat it after what I saw.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:21 AM by TomB

Rich @ 9: have you tried anything from here? I'm not a beer drinker, but the locals tell me it's good stuff.

And the winery linked in that same post? It's less than ten miles away, and we're driving down. If there's anything we can bring down south, put your orders in soonest.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:31 AM by Dori

I would very much like to know the pizza rule.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:25 AM by Eve

I appreciate minimalism in the work of giving parties. One of my most successful was done with this as the entirety of the party's service pieces: my Swiss Army knife, a roll of freezer paper made into origami serving dishes (it's plastic coated on one side), a piece of dental floss to cut the cake and the soft cheeses, and whatever was in the room to start with.

Posted August 21, 2006 7:35 AM by Karen C.

TomB, thanks for the typo catch.

Posted August 21, 2006 7:36 AM by Patrick Nielsen Hayden

If you're using Duct Tape, you're with General Technics, and don't need my advice

We don't use Duct Tape. It doesn't stick to ducts, and it doesn't come off anything else cleanly. Indeed, cheap duct tape is the bane of existence. Good duct tape, namely, foil tape, does stick to sucts, and is worthy stuff.

Duck Tape is useful only as a prop at Duckon, and then, just barely. Stay away from the stuff. Cheap duct tape doesn't hold well, but does leave tape residue anywhere, esp. if it gets about 100F.

The One True Tape is gaffer tape, but even that isn't ideal for all uses.

For hotel and party signs, the answer is clear, 3M Scotch-Blue Painter's Masking Tape, PN 2090. It costs about $5 a roll. It is cheap at five times the price. Cheap tape can damage paint or wallpaper. 3M 2090 was made to be stuck to paint for 14 days, and come off cleanly.

For the paranoid, and for brand new hotels, or for hotels costing more than $500 a night rack, 3m Scotch-Blue Painter's Tape For Delicate Surfaces, PN 2080. It costs more, it won't hold anything up but a piece of paper (and if the wall is dirty, it won't even hold that) but if there is anything that will not damage the surface, this is it. It also costs more. I don't stock 2080 in the hotel kits, but I will buy it if I sense or find a need. 2090 is the right answer 99% of the time.

Ask for them by name. Cheap blue tape is often cheap masking tape on a blue paper backing, and has the same problems as regular cheap masking tape -- either it doesn't hold, or it holds too well and wrecks the surface.

Note that the adhesion of these tapes is low -- by design. They won't hold up much more than themselves and a bit of paper -- but that's enough for a sign.

Avoid 3M 2020, which is the production painting tape. It isn't safe to use on a wall for more than a day. This is fine in production work, where the tape may be on the surface for a couple of hours, and thus, the extra tack is safe, but in a hotel, you're likely to hang a sign, come by in a day or so, and find that it doesn't want to come off. Great tape, for what it is made for, but not useful here. (Compare to blue thread locker, which is really useful, and red thread locker, is which is really useful, but you had better be sure that you never want to move that bolt again.)

For heavier taping jobs, gaffer tape. However, gaff has one problem. The cheap stuff that you really shouldn't use costs about $20 a roll.

Many hotels have gaff that matches their carpets in function areas. If you have to tape down cords, ask them about it. Even if you have gaffer tape, if the hotel sees you using their tape, they feel better, and their tape is usually cheaper. Not always, ask -- they may charge $50 a roll (which for top grade gaff, is only somewhat unreasonable. That's what a single roll would cost you, but they get cases at wholesale.) Sometimes, they'll give it to you for free to keep their carpets safe. Be polite, and offer the short end back to them -- if they say keep it, then you keep it.

Posted August 21, 2006 8:42 AM by Erik V. Olson

Another useful one:

If there are going to be parties held in the suite all weekend and you don't want all the drink to be drunk up on Friday, find somewhere else to hide it. Turns out that this is incredibly important if you are in Massachusetts and it's Memorial Day Weekend. A deputation had to drive from Boston to New Hampshire on a beer run. I figured it was a case of Live Free Or Dry.

Posted August 21, 2006 9:18 AM by Eve

See? The General Technics guy knows, like, everything about tape.

Posted August 21, 2006 9:55 AM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Please tell us the Pizza Rule. I am convinced that solving the Pizza Problem for N people takes AT LEAST N^N time.

Posted August 21, 2006 10:32 AM by BSD

Far be it from me to pretend to bless Erik Olson's statements about tape, but here's an observation based on recently doing some plaster repair and repainting in the house:

If you have never used painters' tape, you have no idea how wonderful the stuff is. It's uncanny.

Posted August 21, 2006 10:38 AM by ctate

Re: Nos. 30 & 28

Sounds like Mr. Olson's an alumnus of the Scotch Boutique, of SNL fame.

Posted August 21, 2006 10:52 AM by Larry Brennan

Here's what I know about pizza.

I always ask for thin crust, not being the natural target of the "Dough Lover" pizzas. Everybody else says they want thick crust, but just to humor me, they order a thin crust pizza or two. Those are always the first ones to go, and I swear I'm not the one who eats them up.

Posted August 21, 2006 10:52 AM by Kip W

For the curious, this is what a corkage wavier is all about. The wiki is pretty interesting looking - perhaps TNH would like to contribute to it?

I had never heard of mimolette before, but I did find a nice description. The name reminds me of the Foglio's mimmoths ( pic). (And l33t mimeographs, but that's another story.)

-r.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:04 AM by rhandir

Oh look at that, you've been Boingboinged!
Welcome, everybody, beer's in the tub!

-r.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:06 AM by rhandir

Public lewdness, illegal drugs, foul language, zero tolerance. It doesn't matter whether they still have their clothes on. If what they're doing reads as sex, they have to leave.

//sigh// I suppose you're right about a Worldcon party, but I guess that's why I like Lower East Side parties so much better...

Oh, and if you're looking for typos: Kierkegaard

Posted August 21, 2006 11:25 AM by Robert L

I'll echo Marna's advice: Unopened packets are best for people who are picky about food, for one reason or another. If that's not possible, keeping empty food containers near foodstuffs can be helpful, provided that they're they're the sort of thing that doesn't take up too much space -- a flattened bag or box can give a good deal of useful information.

Oh, and: Unless you're an expert, don't assume that you know what's kosher, and what isn't. Even if you are an expert, be aware that individual standards differ.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:27 AM by Alter S. Reiss

A leash in a crowded room? Bad idea all 'round.

*thinks about it*

*shudders at the possibilities*

OK, you're right. Wow. I guess I'll just tell him to Heel!

On the matter of diet sodas, I've found that this is one area where the off-brand ones are actually better: I refer to the subset that are sweetened exclusively with Splenda, which no national brand is (I think they all have contracts with NutraSweet). Splenda tastes a LOT better than aspartame, and unlike aspartame it keeps indefinitely. (Ever taken a swig from an old can of aspartame soda? The two amino acids that make up aspartame dissociate over time, and individually they taste HORRIBLE.)

Also, I understand that Splenda is the first artificial sweetener that was approved without significant problems, instead of despite them. They knew that aspartame gave some people problems and approved it anyway; my sources tell me that Splenda actually showed no problems. I got awful headaches (and occasionaly visual distortions) from aspartame, but drink Splenda with no ill effects whatsoever.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:29 AM by Xopher

You overlooked "if anyone appears to be tying his girlfriend to the sprinkler head, please stop him before he causes serious hydrological problems."

Posted August 21, 2006 11:31 AM by example example

Oh, and: Unless you're an expert, don't assume that you know what's kosher, and what isn't. Even if you are an expert, be aware that individual standards differ.

SueRay Rosenfeld told me this joke: A Satmar (ultraOrthodox-even-for-Hasidim Hasidic sect) goes to heaven, and the recording angel invites her to the heavenly feast.

"That's lovely," she says. "Who's doing the kosher supervision, please?"

"Why, G-d Himself," says the angel.

"All right," says the Satmar. "I'll just have a glass of water."

Posted August 21, 2006 11:34 AM by Xopher

And Alter: an expert WOULD be aware that individual standards differ!

Posted August 21, 2006 11:35 AM by Xopher

Since the expert is in da house, what's the word on blue tack?

Posted August 21, 2006 11:38 AM by TomB

Expert on adhesives, I meant. I plead post overlap.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:39 AM by TomB

Perfect timing! Just as I was beginning to freak out in earnest over the podcast party suite that I'll be co-running this weekend.

Thank you, from the bottom of my rapidly hardening little heart.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:39 AM by Steve Eley

"If you need a protective covering for the floor, you're holding the wrong sort of party, and you're going to scare the hotel just by asking for it."

I have to say this is just incorrect.

1) any convention that has such weak relations with the hotel that the hotel is 'scared' by such requests isn't a well run convetion. Hotel relations is key to long term success for a con.

2) there is cheap, easily installed plastic protecitve sheeting for sale at most carpet and paint stores. 200 feet by 2 feet for about $30. In a hotel with light carpet, this can be a life saver.

I've been throwing parties at science fiction conventions for years and while much of the advice is good, protecting the floors, especially from food and beverage stains, is cheap, effective and can save you hundreds in hotel 'cleaning' fees.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:40 AM by Kornkob

LOL TomB! I'm pretty sure blue tack isn't kosher, but individual standards vary! (And IANAR.)

Posted August 21, 2006 11:47 AM by Xopher

Xopher: An expert might well know that he's right, and everyone else is wrong. And while that might be true, in some sense of the word, it's not useful.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:49 AM by Alter S. Reiss

any convention that has such weak relations with the hotel that the hotel is 'scared' by such requests isn't a well run convetion

This is LA Con we're talking about (currently). Were you at WorldCon in 1984?

Sy no mowah!

Posted August 21, 2006 11:50 AM by Xopher

Oh, sorry Alter. I didn't realize that "if you are an expert" is directed not at people who have actual credentials or training in kasherut, but who simple consider themselves experts...far more common. Sorry; you're right of course.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:52 AM by Xopher

Sounds like Mr. Olson's an alumnus of the Scotch Boutique, of SNL fame.

Heh -- no.

The above is a combination of Geek Answer Syndrome and having been burned one too many times by people making assumptions about components.

Too many times, I've said "We need blue tape" and gotten something that it either blue and tapelike, except for the way it fails to stick to anything, or something that develops an instant and undying love for paint and wallpaper, and will die before it parts with it.

People often think they're doing you a favor by getting the lowest cost part they can. They're not out to make your life hard, but they end up doing so. So, I've learned to spec properly.

So, If someone's shopping and doesn't know tape, I can ask for blue tape, and probably get stuff that damages the hotel or fails to stick to anything. Or I can tell them "3M blue tape, PN 2090, the 14 day painter tape. If you can't find that tape, call me. Don't buy any other 3M tape without calling me."

(Aside #1 - 3M has a tape and glue for everything, but the wrong tape or glue is very bad news. There's a real difference between Super 77 and High Strength 90 spray glues. Using the wrong one wrecks things.)

(Aside #2 - Can we give thanks for the miracle that is Super 77? Amen.)

What I've really learned is that 3M 2090 goes into the convention kit -- and for a Worldcon, two rolls go -- one to keep, one to share. But if you're buying your own, Ask For It By Name. Both Home Depot and Lowes stock the stuff, and any reasonably sized paint or home repair center will have it as well.

$5 may be expensive compared to $2, but it is cheap compared to $100 + for hotel damage.

Since the expert is in da house, what's the word on blue tack?

Often bad news. Most blue tacks have some oil, most hotel walls are latex or paper - bad combination, you get oil staining. Theoretically, good blue tack should be just fine, but I've never seen good blue tack, just the cheap stuff you get at a corner store.

Blue tack works great on glass, though. Best hack -- printing color transparencies, blue tack to outside window. Done correctly, it is a lovely faux stained glass effect.

If 3M makes a dozen versions of blue tack, one of them will certainly be the correct one. (This is, of course, why 3M makes six kinds of blue masking tape, and dozens of not-blue tape.)

MCFI, during their last bid, discovered these little wonders -- reuseable, no damage, and unlike blue tape, can hold more than an ounce. They're harder to use and more expensive (so don't lose that roll of 2090) but for hanging lights and such, they're a very good answer. I don't know if they discovered problems with them later, but the report was they'd used them many times with no problem

MCFI/NESFA also found the plastic sheets that can hold up paper via static electricity (at least, they told me about it.) The stuff does work -- if a hotel has surfaces that are damaged by electrostatic potention in the low kV range, they've got far worse problems than the walls -- but it is fairly ugly, and putting it on the wall can be entertaining. I've heard you want the people with short hair doing the work.

Posted August 21, 2006 11:58 AM by Erik V. Olson

Actually, Xopher, the rabbi in charge of kashrut at Yeshiva University during my years there got stung with something along those lines. Being an actual halachic expert doesn't preclude you from making poor judgements about people.

(In that case, there was a certification organization that many Orthodox people don't consider good enough. He did, and let products with that certification be used in the cafeteria. His logic was that he knew more than the people who didn't consider it good enough. This didn't go over well.)

On another tangent, things that aren't catagorized as edible generally aren't included in the list of kashrut regulations; the reason why gelatin products aren't generally considered kosher has to do with oversight of the process -- in terms of strict halacha, most adhesives are probably kosher, even if they're made from non-kosher animals. (Although, yes, there are some people who wouldn't agree with that.)

Posted August 21, 2006 12:09 PM by Alter S. Reiss

I wish I'd known these things twenty-odd years ago, when I was helping to run convention parties. I shall steer some of the other subculture conrunners I know here, with a firm, "Read and remember."

"This probably won't come up, but something alchemically awful happens when you combine those glossy little Japanese rice cracker snacks with Clamato juice. It's not unhealthy; it just makes you want to scrub your tongue off with a Brillo pad."

Not that most people have it at parties, but I've heard/seen the same reaction with the rice crackers and one of the V-8 drinks. (Mostly followed by "You gotta try this! It's awful!" That's what I like about my friends -- how much they share.)

Posted August 21, 2006 12:18 PM by Velma

You mean to use as adhesives, right? Not if you eat them? (As a person who ate a fair amount of masking tape as a toddler, Inquiring Minds Want To Know.)

Posted August 21, 2006 12:20 PM by Xopher

Oh, no. There are a few non-kosher things that are sufficiently not kosher that halacha prohibits Jews from getting any benefit from them. To the best of my knowledge, none of them are generally used in adhesives (if, for instance, every roll of masking tape was worshipped as a god as it left the factory, that would be problematic). No, I mean that even if you have one of those old traditional horse hoof glues, there are solid halachic reasons not to consider eating it a violation of kashrut.

There aren't necessarily solid reasons to eat it, halachic or otherwise, but that's neither here nor there.

Posted August 21, 2006 12:25 PM by Alter S. Reiss

On the topic of sodas in general -

Con suites can be compared to a weekend long party.

When I stock a con suite, I try to maintain parity of diet vs. nondiet. There are enough older/dieting fans (or people with blood sugar problems) that anything less is asking for trouble. In fact, I tend to run out of diet before nondiet.

I also make sure to include both major cola brands, and a good proportion of non-caffeine (say 1/3 of the colas)sodas - cola, lemon-lime and ginger ale, in both diet and non-diet. Yes, I do make sure to have "brown" - caffeine-free diet colas. I also include at least some selzers.

In my last con suite, which was Conterpoint 2004, I also had bottled water, and that went over well.

I've also found the local brands are a good source for flavors like orange or root beer, as well as purely local flavors like birch beer or "black cherry wizaski" (sp?). This lowers the costs, and makes the selection a lot more interesting.

Posted August 21, 2006 12:26 PM by Debra Fran Baker

If, for instance, every roll of masking tape was worshipped as a god as it left the factory, that would be problematic.

Hmm. I apologize if I've made Super 77 unkosher.

(But it *is* worthy of devotion, darn it.)

Posted August 21, 2006 12:33 PM by Erik V. Olson

It's fairly effective to make a cheerful announcement that anyone who's still around after the cutoff time is volunteering for the cleanup crew. If they go, that's good. If they stay, that's even better.

If your party goes long enough, I've found that it's easy to recruit the stragglers for cleanup duty with promises to go out for breakfast when you're all done.

Excellent post - you've really hit all the bases. Makes me very sad to be missing LAcon and all the parties therein. :-(

Posted August 21, 2006 12:36 PM by Tammy Coxen

Hmm...what is the common thread among the sff community:

Asperger's?
psychotropic drugs?
College degrees in obscure subjects?
Asthma?
OCBs?
A huge pile of books next to the bed they will get to Someday?

Umm...no, wait!...process geeks!

I suggest toothpicks vs. forks. People make sure they've toothpicked something. They assume a fork will work and it don't always. Bonus: at some point, someone will use the toothpicks with different color cheese chunks to prove a point about chemical composition.

Posted August 21, 2006 12:38 PM by Mark DF

I know I can't do kosher food preparation without screwing up, but Minicon's over Easter weekend, so Passover's never far away. Having some kosher snacks is a good idea. My idea of how to do this is to buy sternly kosher snacks in sealed containers, and have sealed packages of napkins and plastic bowls for serving the snacks. Eventually, someone who keeps kosher will turn up, looking for munchies. I'll let them open the packaging and serve out the munchies, because they'll know what they're doing.

As for allergies, I'm all sympathy, but again, I know I don't know what I'm doing. I also know that when you're a thousand miles from home, have no kitchen, and are trying to put together a passable party for several hundred guests in the limited time you have available between your other convention obligations, you're not going to be able to cover all the possibilities.

I really, really, really hate to have to look at it from a legal standpoint, but if we just serve refreshments, we're in the clear. If we say we have refreshments that won't set off some specific allergy, and we're wrong, we're liable.

I'll keep my eye open for some of those little sealed packets you suggest. If I find them, we'll have a few at the party. I just won't tell you they're safe for allergy sufferers.

Three words, Robert: cut and paste. You can take it up with Herself.

Example example, long before the off-duty NYC police officer with no sense of what constitutes an attachment point got anywhere near the sprinkler heads, he'd have been told, "Not here."

Karen C., I love the idea of origami serving dishes. Can you give me a link to the folding pattern?

Rhandir, thanks for the link on corkage waivers. I've incorporated it.

The pizza rules are for ordering pizza for a large group of people who aren't physically present when you do the ordering. I think I'm remembering them all, but I may have missed one.

1. At least half of the pizzas have to be pepperoni.

2. People who like anchovies, clams, or ham and pineapple on their pizza will also eat other kinds of pizza and be happy; whereas many people will be very unhappy if they have to eat pizza with clams, anchovies, or pineapple and ham. Therefore, don't order those toppings.

3. People who don't like bell peppers really don't like bell peppers, so make sure you don't put them on the only vegetarian or otherwise diet-restricted pie.

4. At least one pizza should be a white pie, a pizza margarita, or a double cheese with no other topping, to accommodate people who are on restricted diets, and punish people who show up late.

5. New York, not Chicago.

How I'd do ten pies:

5 pepperoni and cheese
1 sausage with bell pepper
1 sausage with olives or onions
1 olive, onion, and mushroom
1 white, margarita, or double cheese
1 whatever people are kvetching about wanting

Posted August 21, 2006 12:41 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Eric Olson @51,

Do you have the true knowledge of Artist Tape, and how it compares to the oneTrue Blue Tape? Of special interest would be how it does when changed topologically: tiny rolls holding a poster in back, rather than flat sheets holding from the edges.

Xopher@39
Both Coke and Pepsi have a sucralose (Splenda is the trademark) version, although the Coke is with ace-K (another sweetener). Story goes that this happened after Walmart turned its eye of Sauron towards the drink makers, insisting on non-evil (Nutrasweet is the trademark) versions. wiklist of diet drinks.

Posted August 21, 2006 12:45 PM by Kathryn from Sunnyvale

Here are some of my lessons learned from hosting parties, including seven years of an open five-night party at worldcons:

- If trying to serve kosher food, serve either in its original packaging if feasible or keep the bit of the packaging with the certification symbol handy so people who care can make an informed decision. If serving cheese, purchase a fresh new knife or other utensil that will not ever have touched anything inappropriate. Label it. I serve dairy or neutral foods only and keep all the kosher stuff on a separate table and in a separate prep-box so it can be easily tracked.

- Cheetos are evil. Any similar cheese-covered snack which coats the fingers with reddish-orange stuff is likewise evil. You will use many fewer napkins if you avoid Cheetos. Potato chips and other greasy snacks create similar problems.

- Not everyone drinks soda. Little cans of fruit juice, V-8, or similar always go quickly. And my observation is that over the last ten years the proportion of people wanting diet soda has increased dramatically.

- Climate matters. Beverage consumption in Orlando or other hot climates will be much higher than in cooler ones. I went through almost twice as much soda at Magicon as at the previous worldcon and had to add on an extra shopping expedition solely to replenish.

- A popcorn popper not only generates a lot of inexpensive snack food from kernels that take up very little packing space, it also lures people into the party by scent. One that doesn't use oil avoids the sticky-greasy-fingers problem (see "Cheetos are evil.")

- If you're trying to save money, put the cheap food near seating areas and the expensive food somewhere where people have to make little excursions to get more of it. And serve on napkins rather than plates - the latter can be loaded with much more food.

- Cans of soda are more expensive, but they enable you to serve a wide variety of flavors, reduce the workload (no pourer necessary), and reduce the risks of spillage.

Posted August 21, 2006 12:47 PM by Susan

1 whatever people are kvetching about wanting

You mean I can get my avocado, pignoli nuts, sliced garlic, and black olives pizza? (No kidding, I used to order that...but at the personal pizza size. It's surprisingly good, and lots of people HATE surprises.)

What's a margarita pizza? I'm almost certain it's not pizza with tequila and lime juice, but I have no idea what it is.

Posted August 21, 2006 12:49 PM by Xopher

KfS: I've looked at the trumpeted Splenda! Sweetened! versions. At least in my area, they ALSO have aspartame. That's why I think there's a contract involved. Splenda isn't a goal as such; the goal is "no sugar, no aspartame."

Posted August 21, 2006 12:52 PM by Xopher

Dang, why didn't you do this just before I ran the hospitality suite for Mythcon??? Eve's comment (#29) was something I found out the hard way -- I stored the beer and wine for nights #2 and #3 in the kitchen, and they were helpfully located, iced, opened, and consumed -- and OK has no liquour sales on Sunday! I had to have my husband bring in everything we had at home... But great parties anyway!

Posted August 21, 2006 12:52 PM by Janet Brennan Croft

margarita pizza:

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil

Posted August 21, 2006 12:52 PM by P J Evans

P J Evans: well, YUM. I'll remember THAT now!

Posted August 21, 2006 12:53 PM by Xopher

It's usually spelled "margherita," which may help in finding it.

Posted August 21, 2006 1:20 PM by Dan Blum

Xopher: Especially when it's fresh basil, on a thin, crispy NYC coal-fired-brick-oven pizza, from a pizzeria where the sauce is to die from, the mozzarella's at most a couple of hours old, and the jukebox selections are divided between Frank Sinatra and Italian opera.

I'm hungry now.

Posted August 21, 2006 1:23 PM by Teresa Nielsen Hayden

Me too. *goes to lunch*

Posted August 21, 2006 1:25 PM by Xopher

Xopher @64,

I'll have a stash of favorite low-carb drinks - drinks with no evil- for people who ask for them. If you drop by the bid party, ask.

Uggggh Splenda plus Aspertame. Be like low-fat cookies with motor oil.

Posted August 21, 2006 1:34 PM by Kathryn from Sunnyvale

Teresa, I still whimper every time I remember the pies that Tory and I had at Grimaldi's. This May was the first time I've ever had proper pizza.

Posted August 21, 2006 1:39 PM by Eve

This was an amazingly cool discourse. Thanks TNH for putting it up. And the GT party soon to commense will be using some of your suggestions. Duct tape and all.

Posted August 21, 2006 1:43 PM by Bill T

For me, publish leashing, tying, commanding, etc. of subs, slaves, pets, or other members of one's BDSM-oriented menagerie, unless it is at a fetish party, crosses the line into "Public Lewdness" and "not here." If one's puppy cannot behave in a socially-appropriate way without strict direction, perhaps one's puppy needs more private training?

Posted August 21, 2006 2:00 PM by Elusis

Kathryn, I won't be attending WorldCon this year, alas. But you are on my list as a Fine Person now!

Posted August 21, 2006 2:01 PM by Xopher

Convention party nothing. I'm taking notes for the next party I throw at my house....

Posted August 21, 2006 2:05 PM by Caroline

Elusis, and I think married couples' wearing of wedding rings is lewd. (No I don't, because that would be silly, which is my point.)

The leashing I'll forego, because it's a safety hazard in a crowded room. Tying? Well, pretty damned impractical if one is party-hopping. But if my Boy is wearing his collar (and it's his choice, moment to moment, whether to wear it), he sits on the floor, I call him Boy, and if I want something to drink I'll tell him "Boy, get me a drink."

If he isn't wearing his collar (and he's never worn it in public, so this is moot so far), we'll walk in side-by-side, holding hands; he'll sit next to me on the couch; and if I'm thirsty I'll go get my own, saying "You want a drink, sweetie?"

I won't bind or discipline him in front of other people except at a fetish party (or similar venue). Of course.

I'm a peaceful person. I just won't go to your party if my Boy has chosen to wear the collar, assuming I know what party is yours and that you have this attitude. I'll just think you're a bit silly.

Posted August 21, 2006 2:15 PM by Xopher

Sysco is a good source of supply for large parties of stuff (I haven't personally gone to one, but MCFI/Noreascon and NESFA both have used Sysco for party edibles). They also use the 3M sheets, and there are 3M white things that one can tack up stuff with (the hooks that got mentioned, and the stuff that's one the back of the hooks--it comes in packages of white squard tabs on coated paper.) Heavy stock, and particularly plastic-coated heavy stock, decorations don't hold that well with the white tab stuff, though.

When taking down the hooks, and putting them up, Tall People are useful--preponderances of short women trying to put things up, there are problems! Getting things down, the same applies... and multiple pairs of eyeballs are useful, to have a higher degree of likelihood of getting all the hooks off (some of them blend into the wall and can get overlooked when doing cleanup, particularly if people are tired

MCFI/NESFA also found the plastic sheets that can hold up paper via static electricity (at least, they told me about it.) The stuff does work -- if a hotel has surfaces that are damaged by electrostatic potention in the low kV range, they've got far worse problems than the walls -- but it is fairly ugly, and putting it on the wall can be entertaining. I've heard you want the people with short hair doing the work.

That last sentence is news to me...

If decorating--start -early-. If possible, and if it is someting like a big bid party, getting the party running crew OUT of there to go for a dinner break, helps one's sanity... too much time in a party suite setting and up running it, one can lose whatever shards of equanimity and sense one has!

As regards decorations--be aware of height differences. Things that hang down that clear my head by several inches, other people can whack themselves in the face or head with. Hanging decorations are safetest backing walls and over tables.... again, most of them aren't a problem to me but other people tend to be taller than I am!

Decorations that fall off walls are not a plus. Stand-up decorations can be amusing, but beware of them falling over, or being traffic obstacles.

How I'd do ten pies:

5 pepperoni and cheese
1 sausage with bell pepper
1 sausage with olives or onions
1 olive, onion, and mushroom
1 white, margarita, or double cheese
1 whatever people are kvetching about wanting

CHip? That wouldn't work up here, would it? (You've ordered or at least picked up pizzas for Boskone truck loading IIRC...)

Posted August 21, 2006 2:27 PM by Paula Lieberman

TNH@60 said: 3. People who don't like bell peppers really don't like bell peppers

So very, very true. Is the person here who came up with the food cooties theory? Because bell peppers have taste cooties like whoa.

Posted August 21, 2006 2:31 PM by Kate Nepveu

As a sometime GT party host (often on the post midnight shift), we've had some success with labelling microwaves (and other equipment) with "this is NOT someone else's microwave". It keeps the GT types out of trouble, and there's usually enough of them around that they will watch the non-GT.

I usually drive to cons, so I have a con box with a couple of sheet plastic cutting boards (useful for serving as well as cutting) and an assortment of serving, opening, and cutting utensils. And tape. And Sharpies or other permanent marker. And paper. (I remember a con once where somebody said "we need a sign", one person started trying to figure out where the nearest printer was, and I dug into the party box and made a sign.)

Stand fans are better than floor fans, although the vortex-style fans that tuck behind furniture and can be aimed up are also quite nice. (The GT party kit has both, iirc.)

Posted August 21, 2006 2:35 PM by JennR

As someone whose idea of perfect pizza is deep-dish with light sauce and as much cheese as is structually feasible, I'm gonna weigh in in support of Pizza Rule #4 whilst simultaneously blowing a rasberry at Rule #5.

Wish I could see y'all at WorldCon. Maybe next time.

Posted August 21, 2006 2:38 PM by Skwid

#78: Paula, I think he meant actual short hair, so it can't be pulled out. As a way of conveying how frustrating the process is. Not a "boys do it better" comment.

Posted August 21, 2006 2:43 PM by Xopher

re: attractive nuisances
Advice on how not to get kicked out of Gen Con. (Mind the pirates.)

-r.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:21 PM by rhandir

5. New York, not Chicago.

Is this just a preference, with which I can disagree with every quivering fiber of my being? Or is it a practical recommendation? Because it seems to me that New York pizza causes more trouble: more grease on plates and hands, more likely spillage, just generally a lot messier.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:39 PM by Scraps

Sharpies are also good for labelling drinks, at least if the drinks are served in disposable containers such as plastic cups or aluminum cans. You'd think you'd be able to figure out which cup you left in the place no one else would set their drink was yours, but you'd be wrong. The only problem is people carrying the Drink Marker into another room, and this can be solved with a tether of some sort.

At the parties I go to most of the attendees are SCAdians, which leads to lots of plastic cups with little coats of arms on them. It's amusing.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:42 PM by Carrie S.

@ 60, the folding pattern for origami dishes: Sorry, I haven't managed to stir up a link in the time I was able to spend looking for one. I could pull the book off the shelf with step-by-step instructions, but I am a long way from my books at the moment.

More of my own thoughts: One of my minimalist rules of thumb about giving room parties is that if the hotel will give it to you, let them. Thus, I always send for a trash can and trash bags and extra linens and maybe a banquet table, or an 8-top round if cards or gaming are expected to break out, and either way a couple of stacks of chairs, especially if music is expected. (I have sometimes gotten a few dish racks of coffee cups or champagne flutes). Getting the bellman and maids on your side from the moment you walk in the door of the place is useful, thence the small bills mentioned up top.

Re dip: No. Never at a fannish event. People double dip. It is a horror.

Light strings can be attached to the drapes with the handful of safety pins that you brought, assume the fabric is not too sheer. Pins will hold up paper, too.

Prep *all* the vegies in advance. If they can't stand being in ready-to-eat format for a few hours, don't buy them in the first place.

If you're serving drinks in cups, implement The Glicksohn Solution and put people's names on their cups so they can be reunited with them, a plan also manifest in ideas like wine charms.

Smaller platters and bowls refilled more frequently look nicer than the larger ones that get picked-over. Few things are less appetizing than a large tray offering nothing but three pieces of cauliflower and a bruised cherry tomato.

For the hardware of your party, unless you're bringing it from home, the dollar store is where to shop. Since dollar store stock is always a mystery, be prepared to visit a couple of them.

Bring extension cords if you are plugging in lights or small appliances. Nearly every dollar store has them.

If you are bringing a knife besides your pocket knife to do prep with, serrated is more useful than a straight blade.

If you move the furniture, you may have to do something about the chandelier. S-hooks are occasionally useful here.

If you expect to sleep in a bed where a party has taken place, you might be happiest with a pillow that's been tucked away out of the reach of the party.

Our large parties, as well as Minnstf's large parties (significant overlap, admittedly) are currently going through *more* diet Coke than the regular stuff.

Label the cheeses.

If it's not light enough to read, it's not a fannish party.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:49 PM by Karen C.

In re #78 and #82, Paula and Xopher's interpretation of this: MCFI/NESFA also found the plastic sheets that can hold up paper via static electricity...electrostatic potention in the low kV range...,and putting it on the wall can be entertaining. I've heard you want the people with short hair doing the work.

Umm, when I hear 'electrostatic potential' and 'short hair,' I don't think gender or frustration - I'm pretty sure that specifying short-haired hangers is about limiting the annoyance that your charming new electrified hairdo will cause to yourself and others.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:55 PM by debcha

As a sometime GT party host (often on the post midnight shift), we've had some success with labelling microwaves (and other equipment) with "this is NOT someone else's microwave".

This is important, mind you, because "Somebody Else's Microwave" is the microwave you do all of those experiments in. Steel wool is still my favorite. This is, of course, why Somebody Else's Microwave often shows up in the GT Suite.

Do you have the true knowledge of Artist Tape, and how it compares to the oneTrue Blue Tape?

Afraid not -- I'm assuming that artist's tape would be optimized to not damaging bare surfaces, but what about prepared surfaces? Without testing, I can't suggest it. It sounds like it should work dandy, but I just don't know, so I'm not suggesting it.

I also don't know the cost -- if it is dramatically more expensive than 2090, it's a suboptimal solution unless it works dramatically better that 2090 -- and even if it does, that might be overkill if you're hanging flyers.

Loops of blue tape work as well as the blue tape does, in my experience.

Posted August 21, 2006 3:58 PM by Erik V. Olson

The name is spelled "Kierkegaard."

"Kirkegaard" is the modern Danish spelling of the word for "churchyard" -- as in, "Soren Kierkegaard is buried in Assistens Kirkegaard," as depicted here.

I'd be willing to bet he liked chocolate, though.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:01 PM by Rasselas

Carrie@85,
You mentioned Sharpies - sharpies and wax-coated cups do not mix. The solvent in the ink migrates through wax-based material easily. Bleh! Test them before using them en masse on plastic cups - not all are created equal.

Grease pencils* are a useful alternative, though they are not ideal for warm surfaces - hot cider+warm hands=smudgies. On the other hand, sharpies in the hands of inebriated guests isn't so hot either.

-r.
*aka china markers, wax pencils. Most are the paper-wrapped kind - leads to lots of little bits to pick up. The softer lead kind that come in nice plastic holders are devilishly hard to find. Anyone here have a source?

Posted August 21, 2006 4:05 PM by rhandir

Another non-soda party beverage that I have had good luck with is Japanese tea, either green or oolong. Not the sweetened kind for the USA market, but 12 oz cans of unsweetened tea. The problem is, they're kinda pricey. But they're very refreshing.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:16 PM by Eric Sadoyama

But if my Boy is wearing his collar (and it's his choice, moment to moment, whether to wear it), he sits on the floor

I've seen D/s pairs (at SF cons) where the sub is not only sitting on the floor, he's kneeling with his head bowed, not looking at anyone else, and not moving. This is really inconvenient in a crowded room. In a really tight crowd, sitting on the floor is just a bad idea. In a smaller crowd, people sitting on the floor need to be watching for the people coming through and shifting out of the way occasionally.

I have no idea if this is how you and your Boy do things when he's wearing his collar.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:21 PM by Naomi Kritzer

For smaller events, or events with a specific reasonably-sized guest list, the Corknut Pizza Arbiter (or something similar) might help do part of the work for what to put on the "special toppings" whinge-pie. That tool finds the pizza toppings that the submitted list of (registered) guests has in common. An ideal pizza-division tool would start looking at additional pies with an eye to getting everyone enough pizza and maximizing the available toppings after a certain number of guests were entered, of course...

One of the worst protection-conscious combinations I can think of offhand could be thinly-papered tables and Sharpie markers. If all available flat surfaces are neatly covered in inexpensive sheet paper (that a Sharpie will bleed through in a second) and markers are available for marking drinks, it's not going to take too long before someone gets a bright idea, picks up a marker, and starts illustrating something on the available paper.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:47 PM by AzureLunatic

Hmm. I apologize if I've made Super 77 unkosher.

Known in concentric circles as the traifing of the tape.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:50 PM by Ulrika O'Brien

margarita pizza:

Tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil

Not anywhere that I've had it. As experienced on this coast it's olive oil, mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, basil. In that order, up from the crust. And no sauce.

Posted August 21, 2006 4:52 PM by Ulrika O'Brien

RuTemple @ 18: I will duly bring ye bottled water.
Easy to buy once you get there, too. The Anaheim Convention Center area is full of convenience stores and the like, and with Disneyland right across the street, things do stay open on weekends.

Dori @ 24: have you tried anything from [Bear Flag Brewery in Healdsburg, CA]?
We were just there three weeks ago. I prefer North Coast in Fort Bragg and Mendocino Brewing in Hopland, but that's a pretty stiff level of competition.
And [Hop Kiln Winery] It's less than ten miles away, and we're driving down. If there's anything we can bring down south, put your orders in soonest.
We came back from that three-week-ago trip with four cases of wine, so we're set; we aren't going to Worldcon anyway. Lots of other Sonoma County wines are as good as Hop Kiln's, but they do have that great old building which makes them fun to visit. If I were going to take some wine from Sonoma to Worldcon it would probably be Trentadue's "Old Patch Red"; while it's not exceptional in taste, it's cheap for the quality . It's an example of a traditional "field blend" -- take all the grapes of mixed variety in a given vineyard and mix them together. As with all Trentadue wines, it's a conversation piece: how does a family end up being named "32" anyway? Did they live next door to the 33's?

Anna @ #21: Brita rules ok
I don't think it would help much with Anaheim's water, since the problem is dissolved solids (mainly salt) which can't be filtered out and won't evaporate like chlorine. Anaheim water has 80 parts per million of sodium compared to the 10 ppm in my home town.

Posted August 21, 2006 5:07 PM by Rich McAllister

Margherita pizza, using any of a large number of spellings, hereabouts has an equally large number of possible toppings, including mushrooms, ham, lardons, and several kinds of cheese.

No, I don't get it either, but I assure you that it is true.

Posted August 21, 2006 5:16 PM by Karen C.

Does Pizza Margherita with ham and mushrooms count as flag desecration?

Posted August 21, 2006 5:31 PM by John M. Ford

I haven't been to any fandom or con parties, but I have been to quite a few mundane parties which are semi-open and hosted in spaces not owned by the hosts. As far as my experience overlaps, this post seems extremely wise, so thank you, Teresa.

One thing that jumps out at me is that you seem to be advocating much stricter standards of inappropriate public displays of sexuality than would be the norm at the kind of parties I go to. Is that your personal preference, or is it more generally true of fandom etiquette? Yes, I do realize that fandom, like every other social group you could think of, is diverse. So I suppose I'm asking for what people's experience and perception is of this issue generally?

Posted August 21, 2006 5:45 PM by Individ-ewe-al

Debcha@#87: THAT makes much, much more sense! I was sure it wasn't sexist, and came up with a plausible explanation...but yours is better. Thanks!

Naomi Kritzer@#92: no, but as I said he's never worn it in public. My preference would be that he be alert and paying attention. And my instinct would be to expect him to take part in the conversation...but then I'm pretty new at this. He's an experienced sub, but I'm a brand new Dom.

Also, though, if conditions were too crowded for sitting on the floor to be a good idea at all, he could stand. Or perhaps I'd let him curl up on my lap. (I'm not sure that's a very Dom sentiment, but I'd sure like it!)

Posted August 21, 2006 5:48 PM by Xopher

Karen C. @ #97: what are lardons? They sound disgusting, but my guess is they're probably NOT "units of lard" as they sound!

Posted August 21, 2006 5:50 PM by Xopher

Ulrika - I have experienced both forms of Pizza Margherita (sliced tomato vs. tomato sauce) on both coasts, although it would be fair to say that the West Coast tends towards sliced tomatoes, and the East towards sauce. This is probably a function of the relative availablity of quality tomatoes. I think the sauce version is more authentic, but I could be wrong.

In both cases I find the results to be highly dependent on the overall quality of the ingredients. Bad sliced tomatoes or flat/overspiced sauce = mediocre pizza. Given my druthers, I'll take the sauce version, preferably from a NYC coal-fired place as TNH describes above. But I'll take the freshly roasted red peppers as well.

Re: Pizza proportions - aren't there more vegetarians floating around these days necessitating the acquisition of some ungarnished pies, thus providing something that every pizza eater can eat? 20% of the mix as vegetarian-friendly seems too low. For office events, we go for about 30% plain or veggie.

Posted August 21, 2006 5:53 PM by Larry Brennan

@98, re flag desecration:

Geez, I dunno, Mike. The French aren't much for flag-waving even in non-pizza situations.

Posted August 21, 2006 5:54 PM by Karen C.

Xopher, lardons are a French thing--take very thick-sliced bacon, dice, fry until just golden.

Karen, I'm pretty sure the flag being waved is the Italian one.

Posted August 21, 2006 5:57 PM by TexAnne

Lardons are little chunks of thick bacon, used to add flavor to dishes (mostly meat/poultry).

Now that I'm thinking about them, I should probably add a few next time I make a meat pie (that is, after things get cool enough to use the oven). Fortunately, I have really good thick nitrate-free bacon at the co-op across the street.

Posted August 21, 2006 5:59 PM by John M. Ford

TexAnne, Mike: thanks. Those are plenty disgusting in my (vegetarian) book. And the relationship to the English word 'lard' is NOT coincidental, as I'd hoped it might be.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:02 PM by Xopher

The French aren't much for flag-waving even in non-pizza situations.

The Margherita was created after the Italian flag -- red, white, green. Whatever you'd put on a pizza to get French blue,* I don't think I wanna eat it.

*Not to be confused with Prussian blue, which stands much straighter.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:03 PM by John M. Ford

The Pizza Margherita I was familiar with growing up had fresh crushed tomatoes. Not cooked, other than that which occurred in the oven.

This was from a place in Glen Cove, LI.

Wonderful stuff. I really miss East Coast pizza.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:05 PM by Stefan Jones

#107: You might could get the same effect from a not-too-French French bean.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:07 PM by TexAnne

@107

Yep, I know the history of the Margherita pizza. I'm in France, where I had pizza for lunch, and read the menu at two tourist restaurants just hours ago trying to decide which likely-not-very-good pizza place to go to. All this is why I am certain that a variety of spellings and ingredients can be involved with this pizza, to international puzzlement.

The good Margherita pizza in the Cities is at Punch Neapolitan Pizza, and I had it in mind when we walked to town for pizza today. Needless to say, I was disappointed, even though the lardonswere all kinds of yummy.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:13 PM by Karen C.

Bottled water has been extremely popular at recent Minicons (both in the consuite and at room parties). Cider seems to be as popular as beer these days, if not more so.

As more and more fans are diagnosed with diabetes, water and diet pop are becoming increasingly popular; I think diet or sugar-free options go the fastest at Minn-StF parties these days or at the least are even with the "regular" stuff.

People seem to appreciate it if you have diet caffeine free, regular caffeine free, diet with caffeine, and full on sugary caffeinated stuff all represented. It gets more complex as people become more opinionated on the Nutrasweet vs. Splenda issue, but of course you can't cater to everyone.

Carrying different drinks than the consuite, especially if your party is located near the consuite, is often appreciated. Though if the consuite doesn't carry Dr. Pepper and you do, you might suddenly have a lot of new Pepper-loving friends. Ditto with root beer.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:27 PM by Laurel Krahn

Having never been to a convention, let alone a convention party, I have a question: If the drinks are in the bathtub, doesn't the line of people looking for refreshment interfere with the line of people looking for defreshment? And isn't it kinda stinky sometimes?

I mean, it's food in the bathroom....

Posted August 21, 2006 6:31 PM by Harry Connolly

Harry - Never been to an SF Con, but I have been to lots of fraternity conventions. The etiquette was that the beer-in-the-bathtub bathroom was *not* available as anything but a cooler. Guests seeking relief were generally asked to go use the facility in the adjacent or en-suite room.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:41 PM by Larry Brennan

Individ-ewe-al:

I think we don't have enough data to really answer that question. For starters, I don't know what the standards are at the parties you go to (and I'm unusual on Making Light in having met you in person at all, I think). As far as I can tell, the guidelines Teresa has stated are "don't block traffic" and "if it reads like sex, you need to get a room." I suspect that your understanding of "reads like sex" may be different from what Teresa has in mind: I've certainly snuggled with various people at open con parties without anyone objecting, because we had the sense not to be in the way of traffic, but standing out of the way or sitting on furniture in reasonable ways (e.g., next to each other on a couch, or in adjoining chairs).

I'd also note that not only are there activities that can read as sex despite all participants being clothed, there are places in which nudity means nothing more than that such things as swimming and saunas are not enhanced by clothes. Such clothing-optional gatherings should be identified as such ahead of time, if not obvious, so those invited can decide whether to attend. Also, while going to the clothing-optional late-night swim at a convention that has one in clothes is reasonable (it was designated as clothing-optional, not as nude, on purpose), the non-con-member who wandered into the sauna in a rather formal full-length dress seemed out of place, didn't know what to make of the naked people already there chatting quietly, and didn't stay long.

Posted August 21, 2006 6:56 PM by Vicki

I am convinced that solving the Pizza Problem for N people takes AT LEAST N^N time.

What? Tammy Coxen and I ordered pizzas (Chicago, mind you, not New York) for an entire SMOFcon, and we nailed the order down in about 15 minutes.

It came in on time and budget. I had emergency plans for non-pizza consumers, and they never needed implementation.

Posted August 21, 2006 7:47 PM by Erik V. Olson