Pics, Presentations, Videos, and Stories from TONMOCON II

*sigh*

Folks, it took a long, long time before I was able to finally look at this thread. I'm still a little broken up about missing the festivities, and the pics -- while absolutely delightful -- made me feel the disappointment of not being there all the more acutely.

It looks like everyone had such a great time, and it was really cool to see what many of the TONMO regulars actually look like. Funny, the only one of y'all that I've actually met is Melissa, yet I feel as if I know so many of you personally.

I especially loved those li'l robo-cuttles! Which one of you created them? I'm not kidding, they could be prototypes for a new toy -- there's a store here in NYC called KID ROBOT which specializes in upscale toys of that type, and I'll bet if you sent them photos of your creations they'd ask you for a batch to sell!

The photos of the real-life cuttles were equally impressive.... one of them, with the little guy floating in the water column in profile, gave me a vivid flashback to the Guild Navigators in David Lynch's film version of DUNE. (I'm 99.9% certain that he based their design on cuttlefish, right up to the eyes.)

This year has been a washout so far, and will probably continue to be. In addition to missing TONMOcon, AnimeNEXT and Otakon (two major East Coast anime cons), I've had to forgo the opportunity to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama lecture at Radio City Music Hall in October, because the tickets run $25 to $75. I will be going to the NY Anime Fest in December simply because I purchased the ticket awhile ago and can't get a refund, but to tell the truth, in retrospect, I would've rather skipped it and saved up to attend both TONMOcon and HHTDL's lecture instead. Coulda, shoulda, woulda.... doesn't do much good.

I sincerely hope I can make it to TONMOcon next year, but that depends on both its location and our financial status. I can't imagine that it will take place any closer than Florida, and if I couldn't even afford to go there, I certainly won't be able to go if it's any farther away. Besides, we've got members all around the world who are certainly entitled to attend a TONMOcon in their neck of the woods -- I assume the next few TONMOcons will be in places like the UK or even Kiwiland.

The irony of the situation hasn't escaped me -- after all, as some of you may remember, it was Yours Truly who first put forth the idea of an annual TONMOcon, and it looks like I'm fated to never actually attend one.

OK, enough Eeyore-speak for now!!! What I can hope for is that at various times in the future, each and every one of y'all will (individually) get a chance to visit Da Big Apple, and we can meet for lunch, dinner, a visit to the NY Aquarium, or AMNH, or whatever. After all, it just takes two TONMOers to make a "minyan" for a minicon!

Many-armed hugs to everyone.... e-mail or PM me when you get the chance, and keep those neat photos coming!

Love from your Benthic Buddy,
Tani
 
And if anyone would ever find their way to Planet Vlaardingen, same goes: we have a fishery museum, dedicated to 6 centuries of catching herring... hello? Anyone?

Would so have enjoyed having been present, next year for sure dudes et dudettes!
 
Since TONMOCON's are actually bi-annual events (first was in '05, this one was '07, next will probably have to be '09), I definitely think the mini-TONMOCONs should start becoming more frequent. We should talk about an NYC TONMOCON -- I know Clem and Tani are there, and it's just a short ride for me to get there. Carol is nearby as well, and I'm sure there are others. Something to discuss!
 
Interesting thought Tony, I had already started up PM discussions towards said aim... Adam and myself have built a small track record, so organizing the matter should be in safe hands here :wink:
 
tonmo;98035 said:
Since TONMOCON's are actually bi-annual events (first was in '05, this one was '07, next will probably have to be '09), I definitely think the mini-TONMOCONs should start becoming more frequent. We should talk about an NYC TONMOCON -- I know Clem and Tani are there, and it's just a short ride for me to get there. Carol is nearby as well, and I'm sure there are others. Something to discuss!


Even though it's a bi-annual event doesn't mean we can't start planning the third one now!
 
Absolutely! Here are my own thoughts on options, in no particular order:

-- Back to Monterey (such a neat place, and on a personal note I missed Dr. Gilly's tour)
-- Back to Mote (they were sooooo accommodating and on a personal note I missed the aquarium (but at least my family got there!))
-- NRCC at the University of Texas
-- Visit Dr. James Woods in Bermuda
-- Somewhere in the Northeast (haven't had luck finding a good venue in the past)
-- Fossil Hunting in Folkestone (UK)
-- Visit Dr. O'Shea in NZ
-- Hawaii

Others?
 
While trips abroad would be very, very fun... it does not seem like that option would be feasible for most people. The NRCC will no longer be at the University of Texas in 2009. Actually we are moving into some space at the Aquarium @ Moody Gardens and will hopefully be moved in by next month... It is two years away but Moody Gardens has a convention center, the aquarium, the NRCC soon, and a hotel all in the same location. Galveston is also in the middle of the country and may make travel a little more feasible perhaps.

Just putting it out there.

Greg
 
tonmo;98383 said:
Absolutely! Here are my own thoughts on options, in no particular order:

-- Back to Monterey (such a neat place, and on a personal note I missed Dr. Gilly's tour)
-- Back to Mote (they were sooooo accommodating and on a personal note I missed the aquarium (but at least my family got there!))
-- NRCC at the University of Texas
-- Visit Dr. James Woods in Bermuda
-- Somewhere in the Northeast (haven't had luck finding a good venue in the past)
-- Fossil Hunting in Folkestone (UK)
-- Visit Dr. O'Shea in NZ
-- Hawaii

Others?

Steve had suggested Chicago and the Shedd aquarium, but I don't know if we have anyone in that area to help organize it. Seattle might be interesting.

Overseas somewhere (NZ, UK, or wherever) would be great, but it's a little too early for me (and I suspect many others) to be able to have any idea whether I could allocate the time for international travel. Also, it seems to me that we haven't been terribly successful getting our counterparts from overseas out to the two cons in the states (have we had anyone from overseas attend besides Steve and Chrono?), and I suspect our success would be similar trying to get people from the states to attend an event outside of North America. I'm not asserting this or anything, just guessing.

I think it was Monty who had the idea of having multiple localized tonmocons simultaneously networked together. That sounds really interesting.
 
Here's a thought...Isn't there a University in Pa that has an ongoing lab with cephlapods? I go by there all the time but the name escapes me.....
 
Tintenfisch;98659 said:
I'll be in Tokyo in late November... and Shanghai for 16 hours at the end of September...

Kat, why don't you extend that stopover long enough to catch up with you know who (the not-so-young Chrono), and let him take you out? You know I'll support this in whatever way I can (I live vicariously these days)!
 

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