Some experimental notes

The Con brought all that up, actually a few before it when everyone started asking me if I was going.  I've mulling on it since then and trying to find ways to characterize the behaviour. Many of the seem to begin with 'I don't' or 'I'm not the kind of sentient that' and these are constructions that I have been working to eliminate, at least in internal dialogue. So, I am in need of better explanations, or I shall have to try and alter the behaviour.

Con is probaly the largest and most terrifying such event/venue/opportunity.  The immediate example is last night, at Single Malt Who, wherein I went (with sotto_voce) and met many interesting and fun people who I definitely share some mental space with.  There were CS major jokes (Is polyamory in a closed group N-P complete? What the big O of your search algorithm) security dork jokes ( all Bruce Schneier joke should be written in three lines of Perl and delivered on a t-shirt to evade ITAR) and linguistics and grammar humour from several languagages. And we shared stories about international relations (I told mine about nearly failing to accidentally bribe a customs offical while simultaneous nearly missing my train out of Gar du Nord).  And I experienced Veggie Tales .. which I can't easily describe, but there were good arguments for it being a force for good, and not evil. And of course there was talk of Con and OKCupid.   Oh yes, and the there was Rowan Atkinson spoofing 1980s Dr Who. That was very funny indeed. And I got asked if I'd been to a Gathering¹ and encouraged to go to one, which (the recommendation) has happened before but it has been some time... and I've not been.

So, in the thrilling escape from Stone Mountain (neither really, sorry) later I had already formed some ideas.  It really did seems like I had some common ground with those folk, and several of them were attractive on a least a couple levels. The coupling was pretty well established (married folk and the like), which I register as a discouragement.  And my other strong feeling was that those people were all way too successful for me to hang out with.  I mean they all seem to have finished school, or be in grad school, or be teaching school or otherwise have exciting work that may involve lots of travel.  I would like to go back, and will if I'm able.  Whether or not I'll be able to get myself back there ... completes the introduction to the question at hand.

¹: I dunno. Perhaps because I mentioned in a discussion of OKCupid algorithms that it practically only showed me witchy poly people. I don't think I displayed any inclination towards pagani. I mean I am a weirdo² and all... *shrug*

²: Bus Driver: "You girls be careful out in the park. There are weirdoes about." Witch: "Mister, we are the weirdoes!" -- The Craft

Originally posted on adric.vox.com