POECON 2002 LONG FAQ WHERE AND WHEN IS POECON BEING HELD? POECON is taking place in north central Pennsylvania, near Interstate 80, on August 16-17-18, 2002, in a place known hereafter as the Love Shack, which is an extremely rural and large house with attached property and many square miles of adjoining State Forest. Participants are welcome (or in cases of intoxication, required) to sleep inside or on the premises of the Love Shack, as well as in the adjoining woods, for the duration of the party. WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES LIKE? Although the Love Shack has many beds, beds may not be available for all those who attend. Even if you get a bed, it is a good idea to bring sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag. You are also welcome to sleep on the floor or the couches, but all the above will be allotted on a first-come-first-serve basis. It is a good idea to bring a tent, or plan to sleep under the Very Large Tent which will be set up on the property, just in case. At this point I am aware of two showers that exist at the Love shack, although since many of the owners are in the construction trade, there may well be more. I know for a fact that there are four toilets. The hot water supply is excellent, although in the middle of August I question whether there will be a large need. Facilities will be unisex, with measures taken to assure the privacy and /or modesty of those using the facilities. WHAT THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO EAT? Food, of course. I am planning on an extremely tasty series of barbecues, and there is rumor that Saturday nightÕs dinner will be provided by the Portal of Evil itself. Vegetarian alternatives will be provided and certified by Miss Tia and anyone else who wishes to contribute. Any who wish to contribute to the food supply or preparation are welcome to do so, but if you can only come with an empty belly, Chef Alienjack will take care of you. Having an Italian mother, I have the Feed-You-Till-You-Explode gene, and itÕs dominant. Just TRY to get out of eating while youÕre there. OKAY, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DRINK? YOU KNOW THATÕS IMPORTANT TO MEÉ This is where the part about the ATF comes in. There are stringent and nasty laws regarding the sale of beer or other sorts of alcoholic beverages in the state of Pennsylvania, so keep in mind that when you send your contribution towards the expenses and agree to attend the party that YOU ARE NOT BUYING BEER OR ANY OTHER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE FROM ME OR ANYONE ELSE AT OR FOR THIS EVENT. That said, there will be beer and other sorts of liquid entertainment there, which you can only partake of if you are provably 21 years of age or older. If you have a favorite liquor, wine, or beer that you canÕt do without, please bring it, as your choices will be limited at the party. There will not be a large bankroll to begin with, and I donÕt buy crappy stuff, so I will go with a few quality choices in sufficient quantities to last the weekend through. THERE WILL ALSO BE PLENTY OF NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, INCLUDING AND ESPECIALLY COFFEE. Do not for an instant believe that I will EVER do without coffee, and this means I will have plenty for everyone, just to avoid doing without myself. Oh, and also juices and soda and stuff, too, but herbal-tea drinkers are absolutely on their own. SO ONCE WEÕRE THERE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? Entertainment and activities there will be aplenty. You may participate in any or none of these things as you wish; there are some nice trails through the woods, and a lake up the road about a mile, if you want to explore. We're thinking a big bonfire Friday night with mixing and schmoozing and stuff. Saturday will probably be the more official entertainment-type day as various PoE creative types kick out the jams, or what have you. Look for at least a few DJ sets, the debut of Kthor's band RSO and more. Sunday will be Official Hangover Morning. Whether from alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, or any combination thereof, all are welcome to participate in the group hangover. Breakfast will reflect the spirit of the occasion, probably consisting of gruel and coffee. Aspirin/Ibuprofen/Acetaminophen will be available. Those who stay till Monday morning will get breakfast, of course. Throughout the weekend there will probably be much file-sharing and probably some LAN gaming as well. Bring what you`ve got if you want in. HOW EARLY CAN I ARRIVE AND HOW LATE CAN I STAY? You are welcome to arrive anytime after 8 PM on Thursday the 15th (we of the PoECON staff will have been working very hard all day to set up, though, so donÕt expect that we wonÕt have dibs on showers), and stay until noon or so on Monday. I WANT TO COME, BUT WHO IS GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY IS A DICK? Alienjack has ensured security. We are deadly serious about making sure everybody has a safe, fun time. We know you're all adults and can take care of yourselves, so things won't be oppressive, but we are prepared. I WANT TO COME TO POECON. HOW DO I ARRANGE THAT? Simple. Read the following rules, then click on the link at the bottom of the page. See you there. OFFICIAL RULES OF POECON 2002 1) YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT THE TIME OF POECON 2002 TO ATTEND. ABSOLUTELY NO CHILDREN, NOT EVEN ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN. I don`t care how cute your kids are, they canÕt be there. My kid is cute, too, but sheÕs staying home. 2) ABSOLUTELY NO ONE UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE AT THE TIME OF POECON WILL BE ALLOWED TO CONSUME ALCOHOL ON THE PREMISES, OR BE ALLOWED ONTO THE PREMISES IF THEY HAVE BEEN CONSUMING ALCOHOL. This should be obvious. No exceptions. 3) NO GUNS ALLOWED ON THE PREMISES OF THE LOVE SHACK. I only mention this because I am a person who goes armed absolutely everywhere. I am leaving the nine at home this time, though, and you will too. 4) THE PREMISES AND PROPERTY OF THE LOVE SHACK WILL BE LEFT EXACTLY AS YOU FOUND THEM. This is not so much a rule as an absolute statement of fact. Anyone caught damaging or destroying the property or premises will be either immediately ejected from the premises, or restrained until the arrival of the police, then prosecuted, depending on the nature of the offense. 5) NO FIGHTING. If you are a nasty person or an angry drunk, it is in the interests of your health that I suggest you stay home. 6) NO LITTERING. Trash receptacles and ash-cans will be provided. Use them. 7) YOU MUST GIVE YOUR CAR KEYS TO POECON STAFF IN ORDER TO DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AT THE PARTY. You get them back when you are sober. This is to legally cover our asses, but also because we really don`t want you to go all Red Asphalt on us. 8) NO CIGARETTE SMOKING INSIDE THE LOVE SHACK. For the record, I smoke. We will all restrain ourselves while inside the house, however, both out of respect for our healthier fellows and in order to reduce the risk of fire. It only takes a moment to walk outside. 9) NO PUKING INDOORS EXCEPT IN THE TOILETS. If you think you can make it to the toilet in time, go for it. Otherwise, go outside and hit a trash can. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO IMMEDIATELY CLEAN UP ANY MESS YOU MAKE. Since it sucks to have to do that, especially while impaired, you should endeavor to either avoid the issue entirely by not getting that blasted, or make damned sure you are near the appropriate vessel when you have to be sick. 10) ANYONE WHO APPEARS TO BE INTOXICATED BEYOND CONTROL MAY BE REFUSED FURTHER ALCOHOL AT THE DISCRETION OF THE POECON STAFF. If you can`t handle it, don`t drink it. This is not going to be a frat-party; there will be no fatalities due to alcohol poisoning. 11) IF YOU ARE GOING FOR A WALK IN THE WOODS, DON`T LITTER, STAY ON THE TRAILS, AND LET SOMEONE KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING AND HOW LONG YOU WILL BE GONE. We cannot find you if we donÕt know that we have to go looking for you. No one is responsible for your safety in the woods but you, although we will help you if we can. Please donÕt make that necessary. I will post a list of tips for those who are not wilderness-savvy at the event. 12) DON`T MESS WITH THE LOCALS. Yes, they are funny people to watch, but I will not accept the equivalent of guestbook-destruction in the neighborhood. Look and laugh all you want, just donÕt taunt, vandalize, or destroy. 13) AT ALL TIMES BE CONSIDERATE AND RESPECTFUL OF YOUR FELLOW ATTENDEES. Yes, we are all jerks and there's probably going to be plenty of shit-talking and horseplay, but we all know where the line is. Don't cross it. 14) HAVE FUN. I wonÕt enforce that one; if you don`t have a blast, it`s your own fault. 15) YOU MAY ARRIVE AT POECON NO EARLIER THAN 8:00 PM THURSDAY THE 15TH, AND LEAVE NO LATER THAN 1:00 PM ON MONDAY THE 19TH. These are the limits that will ensure timely setup and cleanup. Click here to register