A PUBLICATION OF THE WASHINGTON SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION INC, WASHINGTON, DC
September 1991
ISSN 0894-5411
The regular Third Friday in July business meeting was called to order at 9:24, 19 July 1991 by President Tom Schaad. Erica Van Dommelen recorded the meeting in the absence of Secretary Lee Strong.
Treasurer Bob MacIntosh reported $4938.13 on hand.
The Publications Committee reported that an act of ghod kept the Secretary away. The club waved at Lee.
Committee Reports
The Entertainment Committee was not present. Hostess Peggy Rae Pavlat presented, for your pleasure, a sauna. Watermelon was available outside after the business meeting.
The Fine Arts Committee had no report.
Disclave Past Chairfan Peggy Rae Pavlat reported that "adding and subtracting is still going on. We've made enough money; you'll be happy." "Thank you, Neil Bush," stated Tom.
Disclave Future reported nothing new. We are still looking at hotels.
Old Business
Do we have a Third Friday meeting place? No discussion.
New Business
None.
New Tradition
Murphy Barker is attending his first WSFA meeting. Murphy is 50% Labrador, 50% retriever, and 30% tongue.
Eric Jablow is attending his third WSFA meeting. No one is attending his or her second or last WSFA meetings.
Announcements
Tom Schaad announced that the Baltimore Science Center is showing a Special Effects Exhibit for $7 admission to the Center. In addition, the Baltimore Art Museum has a display of animation art from the '30s on.
The Baltimore Science Friction Society is moving to their new clubhouse.
Evan Phillips needs photos of the 1991 DisCave (tm). His camera stopped ratcheting the film without telling him.
The meeting unanimously adjourned at 9:39.
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The WSFA Journal is the official newsletter of the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA), Inc. If you violate our copyright, we will publish your lack of taste and people will laugh at you.
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President of WSFA & Usual Victim of The WSFA Journal ...
...Tom Schaad
Vice President ....................... Steve Smith
Secretary of WSFA & Editor in Chief ... Lee Strong
Treasurer .......................... Bob MacIntosh
Disclave 1991 ................... Peggy Rae Pavlat
Disclave 1992 East .................. Covert Beach
Disclave 1992 West ................ Michael Source
Entertainment ..................... Doll Gilliland
Fine Arts ............................ Lance Oszko
History and Archives .................. Joe Mayhew
Host, First Fridays ............. Alexis Gilliland
Host, Third Fridays .................. Dan Burgess
Innocent Bystanders ........ Barry and Judy Newton
Relaxacon ............................ Eva Whitley
Television Star ....................... F. L. Ahsh
The First Friday meeting convened at 9:18, 2 August 1991. We didn't want to have a meeting, but it was that or listen to Joe Mayhew's puns all night.
Vice President Steve Smith presided in the absence of President Tom Schaad. Steve opened the meeting by opening a can of Olhympia bheer. John Sapienza noted that it was the strangest gavel he had ever seen.
Committee Reports The Prequel
Steve asked Treasurer Bob MacIntosh for a report. "Yeh," responded Bob. "How much 'yeh'?" demanded Steve. "$4837.04 worth," clarified Bob. A motion to have a party failed for lack of a second.
The Publications Committee reported that we had a new WSFA Journal. Someone noted that said Journal only contained one meeting's worth of minutes. Secretary Lee Strong retorted that "It's ten pages long as is. I had to leave out something!" Reporter Erica Van Dommelen provided her minutes from the previous meeting. Hastily scanning through the report, Lee was horrified to discover that it contained nothing but facts. Well, we'll try anything once.
Alexis Gilliland was told to tell the troops that the lovely simmery summery weather was brought to you by the WSFA Entertainment Committee.
Disclave Last was out of town.
Disclave Futile was out of town. However, see later in these minutes.
Lance Oszko, Chairfan of the Fan Arts Committee, reported that the letter that he sent in March should be printed in the ASFA newsletter. (It was.)
The Relaxacon Committee was out of town. However, see later.
Old Business
No.
New Business
The first item of New Business was the New Tradition. However, Steve said that will come later.
A suggestion was made to hold a Fifth Friday in August party at Chicon. However, the suggestion was defeated in a show of hands. The motion failed for lack of a motion. Parliamentary procedure in WSFA is a strange and wonderful thing. <Strange, anyway.>
The Third Friday meeting this month will be at the Bloom/Morman house for the last time.
Future Third Friday meetings will be held at the Mew of the Pink Pigasus courtesy of Dan Burgess. Sustained applause. Dan expressed modesty. Steve told him that he would simply have to learn to deal with accolades. Dan will provide detailed, inaccurate maps. Brian Lewis asked if maps would be mailed. No.
Apparently worried that we might not come, Dan stated that the Mew has a large deck and other neat stuff. It was accepted by acclamation.
Beth Zipser moved a vote of thanks to the public spirited idiots who have put up with us in the past. Applause.
New Tradition
Steve remembered the First New Tradition, thereby violating the Second New Tradition. WSFAn Traditions are strange and wonderful things. Dan Burgess professed to be attending his first WSFA meeting. (Ringer! Ringer!) No one admitted to attending his second, third or last WSFA meetings.
Announcements
Flash announced that the Uptown theater is showing Blade Runner in 70 mm projection with 6 track Dolby stereo.
Perrianne Lurie announced that Linda Melnick is selling 2 Chicon memberships.
Brian Lewis had multiple announcements. First, he is going to the hospital for tests aimed at losing 20-30 pounds. Second, the bank and he are buying a mortgage. Third, his District Manager has transferred him to Landmark Mall. (It's still hard to think of Brian as a mall rat.) Brian possesses an outstanding qualification for his new job: he's willing to do it. Another candidate was fired for lacking this quality.
Joe Mayhew is selling books. Lance Oszko displayed the New World Con Program Book, from Eastern Europe. Page 146 lists him as a "BNF". Unfortunately, "BNF" means "BLT" in Polish.
Dan Burgess announced that a friend of his is selling a Chicon membership at a discount.
Mike Walsh announced that he is not selling his Chicon membership. He is driving there. He needs a room. Please see him before it's too late.
Jim Edwards-Hewitt announced that he is now editor of a role-playing games magazine entitled Metagame. He passed his work around in public.
Beth Zipser announced another Worldcon membership for sale. (Price war! Price war!)
A motion to adjourn was made, but this proved to be adjournus interruptus.
Committee Reports The Sequel
Eva Whitley and Mike Walsh appeared from who knows where and delivered several reports. First, Joe Mayhew is a gentleman. Hmmm .Well, this is a science fiction organization.
Eva reported that the Relaxacon Committee was looking at the Brighton Suite hotel in Ocean City. The rates are $39 per night.
Eva also reported that she was larger since she was having a baby. She was looking for someone to have the baby for her. Batting her eyelashes hard enough to create a breeze, Susan Cohen volunteered. Eva remarked, "A nice Jewish girl who's a virgin giving birth. It's been done." There were loud hoots and hollers at this theological development. Susan discussed important details with Eva.
Jack Chalker announced that he had pictures of the recent eclipse.
Mike Walsh, Chair of Disclave Future, announced that Karl Ginter was harassing people by phone. He tells them that he's wearing a suit and tie. However, there is no hotel status change. The Commodore Hotel in Philadelphia, PA was suggested. Erica Van Dommelen squeaked.
Steve then brought up the motion to adjourn. The meeting unanimously adjourned at 9:40.
WSFA business meetings are strange and wonderful things.
The regular Third Friday in August meeting came to order at 9:17, 16
August 1991. President Tom Schaad pronounced the bare floor of the
Bloom/Morman house to be a comfortable setting.
Tom asked Secretary Lee Strong to read the minutes of the previous meeting. Lee read the compressed language <gibberish, actually> that he takes the minutes in until Tom stopped him. Tom professed astonishment that the Secretary, takes the minutes in Basic. The club then waived the reading of the minutes.
Treasurer Bob MacIntosh reported that WSFA has $4723.04 in the Treasury. A motion to have a party failed for lack of a second.
Disclave Past Chair Peggy Rae Pavlat reported that she has no report. She's been in California, and has to return to San Francisco. Tom stated that she has the sympathy of the club but that we were certain that she would persevere.
Disclave Future Chair Mikey Walsh was not here. Vice Chair Covert Beach reported that he has no report. He is taking three classes, and all three finals are taking him this coming week. Tom stated that he has the sympathy of the club but that we were certain that Covert would persevere.
Entertainment Committee Vice Chair Alexis Gilliland wishes to acknowledge the Kent Bloom-Mary Morman family for their generous hosting of many entertaining WSFA meetings.
Hogu ballots are available. Vote early and vote often.
Lance Oszko, Chair of the Fine Arts Committee, reported that the ASFA Journal published his proposal. Send Lance your 35 mm slides of SF art.
Eva Whitley, Relaxacon Chair, was uptight tonight.
Old Business
Dan Burgess reported that he had 40 pages of directions to the Mew of
the Pink Pigasus. Upon examination, these turned out to be 20 copies
of a one page map and one page of directions. See this issue of The
WSFA Journal. The house is clean but cat infested. Tom stated
"A brand new toy!" enthusiastically. Rowdie Yates shouted,
"We'll break it in!" The club applauded Dan's stupidity
generosity. Tom stated that Dan had the sympathies of the
Bloom/Mormans but that we were certain that Dan would persevere.
The Three Graces, Brains, Beauty and Cuteness, also known as Susan Cohen, Judy Kindell, and Rachel Russell, will host a Fifth Friday party at Chicago Worldcon. Concern was expressed that people might not attend. Tom pronounced, "It you hold a party, people will attend it." The standard budget is allowed.
Rebecca Prather offered to host a local Fifth Friday party but there were not a sufficient number of partygoers planning to be in the area.
New Business
Bob MacIntosh, on behalf of WSFA Press publishers Mikey Walsh and Mary Rita, moved that the club allocate $2000 towards publication of the 1992 Pat Cadigan WSFA Press book. Bob clarified that this would be a first installment, and that the total cost of the book would be about $11,000.
Joe Mayhew moved that Bob's motion be tabled. Since the Treasury only has $4723.04, this project would strip the club's financial resources. Peggy Rae stated that Disclave 1991 could furnish $5000 on short notice. Bob reported that Mary Rita needs at least $1800 now. Jack Chalker suggested that he could publish the book for $30. Peggy Rae noted that the WSFA Press book is our #2 reputation builder. She added that the DisCave (tm) is #1. Evan Phillips blushed. (He still doesn't want to do it next year, tho!) Alexis suggested that we wait until we have a manuscript in hand before allocating money.
Mikey Walsh made a timely arrival, having run all the way from Westport, Connecticut. "Michael, come here," directed Tom. "You are now The Source." Mr. Source advised that the Shiner [book] printers were inexpensive, but good. Perrianne Lurie then seconded Joe's motion. The motion to table the main motion passed 24-2. Parliamentary procedure in WSFA is an exciting field of experimental research. <Yeah. A branch of chaos theory.>
Eva Whitley then asked for a Disclave Future report. Mr. Source repeated what he said last meeting. Karl Ginter is off to [the Pennsic] War this week. Therefore, the hotel is up in the air.
Lee Strong then moved that the First Friday in September be designated as the Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) Memorial Meeting. 1 September 1991 will be ERB's 116th birthday. While he hasn't written much lately, he is one of the giants of SF.
This motion set off a flurry of comments. Someone suggested that ERB was still writing but under the name L-Ron Hubbard. Joe Mayhew suggested that we also honor noted fantasy author William Burroughs. He further noted that ERB's great apes held "dum-dum" celebrations. Eva Whitley suggested that ERB's work be updated as "Jimmy Carter, Warlord of Mars." Lee stated that going from John Carter of Mars to Jimmy Carter of Georgia proved that evolution worked backwards. Jack Chalker admitted that he was a member of <a pack of ulsios called> the Burroughs Bibliophobes who held "smart-smart" celebrations. Joe further suggested that we honor the Burroughs Adding Machine. President Schaad finally managed to limit the confusion and called for a vote. The motion passed, 11-8.
![[Attitude Adjustment Knob Cartoon]](attitude.gif)
Voices were then heard that they had not been counted in the vote. A recount was requested. At this point, Tom lost it. He screamed that people could have their darned vote if we could just finish the meeting. Everybody shut up. It was a really good imitation of someone losing control. At least, I think it was an imitation.
When order was restored, a second vote was held. The motion to honor ERB passed 18-16. A number of WSFAns wondered where the extra people came from. Well, if you had read Synthetic Men of Mars by ERB, you would know.
Mary Morman said that she would like to move.... Joe retorted, "You're going to." Mary clarified that she wished to honor Star Trek's 25th Anniversary. She moved that the Third Friday in September meeting be designated as the Star Trek Memorial Meeting. The club quickly voted this motion down 10-15. By this time, the meeting was in utter chaos. <As opposed to what?>
Tom attempted to press onward to the New Tradition. However, he forgot the Second New Tradition by remembering the First New Tradition. Mike Tyler was visiting WSFA for the first time. Several veterans assured Mike that things were not usually this rowdy. No one confessed to attending WSFA for the second, third or last time. However, if Tom keeps on hyperventilating .............!
Announcements
Tom announced that John Pomeranz had left Fast Forward in the lurch, namely, in the hands of himself. There are enough canned shows to last thru December. By that time, Tom hopes to have trained himself and a cast of thousands so he can take over. Fast Forward appears in Fairfax, Alexandria, and Arlington at odd moments.
Tom also announced that he had received an invitation to be a hand picked television test audience. However, Tom has to rearrange his socks on that date so he offered the ticket to anyone who wanted to screw the sample. Martin Wooster volunteered to sacrifice his brain for better television.
There will be a Star Trek convention with Jonathan Frakes at the Sheraton Greenbelt. It was suggested that we go as trekkies and make the hotel appreciate Disclave by contrast.
Secretary Lee Strong said that The WSFA Journal needed more raw material. Several people asked how raw? Lee invited people to submit their announcements to the Journal for editing, remixing, and reuse.
Lee also announced that a less than honest commercial contractor has decided to quit bilking the taxpayers. Seems that someone handed copies of his internal correspondence to the Justice Department. Heh, heh, heh.
Eva Whitley has NOT had her second baby.yet. To compensate, she got a Maryland vanity license plate reading "MD SMOF".
Media expert Martin Wooster has a book review in The Washington Post on Sunday, and an upcoming article in Air & Space. The Washington Post is the fanzine of Washington, D.C. political fandom.
Specialty publisher Jack Chalker announced the publication of The Science Fantasy Publishers, by Jul and Mark Owings.
Joe Mayhew announced that his hillbilly biker neighbors are avid Jack Chalker fans. Joe then announced that they're not really hillbilly bikers. (You mean there are Chalker fans who are not hillbilly bikers?)
My notes say "Abner Mintz" at this point, but they don't say what he did.
Winston said something about a Chicon flyer admitting that the real purpose for a worldcon is for people to pay money to hear pros talk. Sounds good to me.
Host Kent Bloom announced that the Bloom/Morman house had new
floors, but people were still not allowed to spill anything on them. Spoilsport.
Lance Oszko announced that the Baltimore Worldcon bid will have a bid party at Chicon after the WSFA Fifth Friday party.
Mike Source announced that he had no books. The club cheered.
Peggy Rae Pavlat announced that Confrancisco will have a party at Chicon on Saturday night. In addition, there will be a Future Staff get together over Irish coffee on Sunday afternoon.
Tom Veal announced there will be a Magicon party at Chicon.
The meeting unanimously adjourned at 10:02.
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After the meeting, The WSFA Journal reporter L. Shehr interviewed first timer Mike Tyler. The current Director of Research for Yoyodyne Institute, Mike is an expert on Paramount Pictures' plans for Star Trek. Current plans are for ST: The Next Generation to finish its mission after 6 years. Then the Picard cast would make a couple of movies set in the 24th Century. When the potentials for that subuniverse are exhausted, Paramount will debut a third generation of Star Trek TV!
As far as I know, Larry Niven's Kzinti are the only aliens to be incorporated into a separately developed science fiction universe. The "ratcats" of Known Space are that popular. This latest volume in their unfolding history shows us why.
Previous works in this series were only loosely themed around the First Man-Kzin War. These stories are more tightly focused on the Kzin who survive the First War. Here we see the beginning of the evolution that results in Niven's Speaker-to-Animals and the "civilized" kzinti of Ringworld. Who survives "monkey tricks" and viciousness? Cowards and neurotics: the unlikely "Heros" of these stories. To quote another Niven-Pournelle phrase, it's "evolution in action". And fun to read.
My chief complaint here lies with the series rather than this specific book. The stories are not appearing in chronological order. As a result, readers of story A have information on the outcome of story B. This may be an acceptable publishing practice, but it is not good storytelling.
However, the quality of the characters and their dilemmas in the ultra-macho kzinti society overcome the publisher's strategic error. We see their minds, their hearts, their fears and dreams. We see these swaggering orange furred "ratcats" as people. Not people you'd want to do lunch with.... but people, nonetheless.
I rate Man-Kzin Wars IV as Superior. --LS
The Junior Executive was embarrassed. He fidgeted nervously in his chair. "!'m really sorry! T. B. is almost never late for an appointment."
The Courier, whose time was being wasted, was actually calmer than the J. E. But, then, he had more practice at waiting for others. "It's not a problem as long as the papers are signed today. So, tell me, are you reading anything interesting or just contracts?"
If anything, the Junior Executive was more flustered by a personal question. "Well, er, ah, I read some at lunchtime."
"Anything in particular?"
"Well, ah, I read science fiction mostly." He seemed embarrassed by his hobby.
"Anything in particular, or are you just waiting for Star Trek VI The Novel to come out?"
"Well, right now I'm reading Hellbomb World by H. Beam Piper."
"Oh, I've heard of that one," remarked the Courier. "That's where history comes out differently because Franklin Roosevelt sponsored a nuclear physics superweapon in World War II instead of a genetic engineering approach."
"Right. And the war ends a year early because dropping hellbombs on two Japanese cities breaks their spirit," supplied the Junior Executive. He warmed rapidly to his topic.
"That would be in 1945, wouldn't it?" Neither the Courier nor the J. E. were old enough to have experienced the War to Make the World Safe for Democracy personally.
"Right. And because Federal research funds are going into nuclear physics rather than biology, genetic engineering is much slower to develop than in reality. The first patent for a Modified animal isn't granted until 1981! And guess what?! It's for a Modified mouse!"
The Courier's eyebrows rose. "What do we need Modified mice for? I take it that Piper is saying that Congress didn't fund Modified cats for rat control during the Sixties. And what about Vietnam? Does Piper's imaginary United States use hellbombs in Vietnam?"
The reply was lost as T. B. swept into the office, followed by two secretaries and a lawyer. The required papers were already neatly arranged on his junior's desk. Affixing the regal signature in triplicate, T. B. swept out, trailing two farewells and a cliche in his wake.
"Well, I'm glad that's settled!" breathed J. E. He relaxed, now that his part of The Big Deal was complete.
The Courier was already folding his two originals and placing them inside his tunic. "I'm late. Would you mind if I used your window?"
"Not at all. Help yourself." J. E. gestured at expansively at the window, already open to the clean New York City air.
"Thanks." The Courier stepped onto the sill and glanced in all directions to insure that no helicopters were illegally cutting through the Personal Use levels. With a final farewell, he leaped out, cape flapping. The Junior Executive watched until the Courier disappeared behind Manhattan's skyscrapers, on his way to the gleaming metropolis across the river from New York City.
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Parking is ok to middlin' around the house, any space with a number on it is RESERVED, avoid these spaces or anal retentive yuppies will have your car towed, any other space is good. Street parking on Hermosa or Tuscany is plentiful.
Directions to the Mew of the pink Pigasus:
From the Washington Beltway(Rt# 95): Take exit #23, Kenilworth Avenue, north until it deadends into Muirkirk Road. Make a right hand turn. Proceed approximately 3 to 4 miles. The speed limit will drop from 40 mph to 30 mph, this will be your landmark to watch for Tuscany Drive which is the 3rd or 4th right after the speed limit change. [Remainder censored]
From Laurel: Take either Route #1 or Route #197 to Muirkirk Road then follow the above applicable directions to Tuscany Drive or Hermosa Drive both of which deadend at Fairlane Place.
From ???????: Call us at 301-725-7928 and we'll work on it.
The house is a NON-SMOKING environment, smoking is encouraged out on the deck or under the deck. There are three (3) felines residing at my home; none of these fur bearing swine are allowed outside at any time, so please be careful entering and exiting.
The house is not child proofed and parents are advised that there are lots of open stairways; parents are totally and unilaterally accountable for the responsible behavior of their offspring (this applies to the behavior of adults as well). Any questions please ask me and I'll be as open minded as possible.
Dan Burgess
[Map censored]