Revel '08, Mad Science

Gathering of the Revel Alliance
Sept 06, 2008 7PM - ???
A celebration of Mad Science
as much as it may help, you don't have to be mad, a scientist or a dancer

Photos
Photos Kam Kashani took with my Pentax
Photos I took with my IR FZ20

Theme
The theme is Mad Science, help us put the mental in experimental

Bring clothes, lights, cameras, etc that look good in Ultraviolet or Infrared

Directions
After years of telling people how to get here with "You'll know you missed it when you get to the bridge" I wrote up a detailed set of directions that work quite well, if you follow them. In the Santa Cruz mountains every house looks different, so they end up all being the same. You can't see the addresses, so they don't do you any good. Follow the link below for my directions:
--link deleted-- If you already know how to get here, please park in the pullout South of my house, and please don't block the neighbor's cars.

Gift Toss
There will be the traditional gift toss. Bring gifts for the guests of honor to throw to the gathered throngs below.

I'm currently looking for possible bands, djs etc.

Early arrivals
People are welcome to show up early.
If you do you may be fed,
or put to work,
or both.

If it is a bit of a drive for you, and you want to make a day of it, there are a lot of things to do in the area. It's a short walk from my house to Fall Creek park, if you like hiking. It's about 10 miles to the beach. There are a lot of fun, challenging hills for bicycling, and a plethora of wonderful wineries in the area if you enjoy wine tasting.

Ride Sharing
If you need a ride, or can offer one, let me know, and I'll put people together

Help
I can also use help, probably over labor day weekend, getting the Family Estate ready for the party, maybe rebuild the dance floor. Let me know if/when you can help

I'd really appreciate volunteers to "run" the party when it's going on, so that I can just kick back and "go to" the party.

Dance
There will be dancing, but you don't have to dance to have fun.
If you want to learn some easy basic dancing, I have arranged to teach a free introduction to blues dance class at
Friday Night Blues 7-8 PM 5 Sept 2008
Unfortunately, FNB afterwards won't also be free, but I hope you can stay for the regular lessons and the dance. We'll probably go out for a bite to eat during the intermediate class from 9-10

The brain learning
The goals
The butt learning

Please let me know if you plan to attend, and what your level of dance, or blues dancing experience is. It would be particularly appreciated if experienced dancers showed up. I'll be primarily focusing on posture, leading, following and connection, and the exercises may be helpful, or at least fun to all levels of dancers.

Getting to/parking at FNB
From 101 take the 9th street exit
3 blocks up, turn right on Folsom
1 block up, turn right on 8th
1/2 block down, turn left on Heron
Mr. S. leather is on the corner

Parking in that area is suprisingly easy for SF, I've never had to park more than a couple blocks away. Don't block driveways on Heron, they will tow, especially the cab company.
There is usually parking on Harrison between the alley and 8th.

Dance Floor
My dance floor has been repaired and expanded.

Other events that evening
If you're going to PEERS note that there is a nearly perfect mesh of themes. After waltzing in your steampunk clothes, come down to Felton and blues dance as a retro mad scientist.

Unfortunately roots has been discontinued, so it is no longer a conflict.

Links to info about parties gone by.

More, some redundant, details to be edited later

Astute readers will recognize the date as being coincident with my 0x30th birthday (30H for the hardware folks and 110000 for people who can only count to one). It's not a birthday party per se, as much as my birthday is an excuse to have a party.

Events:
Gift Toss
I do plan on having the traditional birthday gift toss. Guests are encouraged to bring a small gift. Wrapped or not, or if you're expedient (which is a nice word for lazy) you can wrap it in easily recyclable aluminum foil, but please, make that clean aluminum foil. Using saran wrap is also easy, but somewhat less effective. All of the gifts are put in a tub and at the appointed time, or times (likely 10PM and maybe another later one) the guests will gather below the balcony and those with birthdays in the close temporal vicinity, will project the gifts on parabolic paths towards the waiting throngs. That's right, you give us gifts to throw at you. Water balloons, raw eggs and glassware may be amusing, but are considered somewhat uncool in this context.
Bonny Knees
If there is interest, we could have a bonny knees contest. It is a competition to see which guy has the best legs. The contestents are usually in shorts, or kilts. The judges are blindfolded.

Help
The one gift that I'm asking for, is help with the party. It could be help repairing the dance floor and other preparations (likely the weekend before, aka Labor Day weekend), offering others rides to and from the party, and most especially people who can "run" the party while it's going on, so I can just enjoy it.

Mad Science
As mentioned above, the theme of this party is Mad Science. You may come dressed appropriate to the theme. You can wear or bring things that glow or photograph well in black light. If you go to PEERS before coming to it, with the well matched themes, you will likely already be appropriately dressed.

Life has been the far side of hectic for me lately, and I haven't had much time to plan things out, and it's still several weeks away. So just about anything I mention in this missive is subject to change, or being rendered unrecognizable as it gets battered by the cruel clue-by-four of reality.

I will try to post current information on the webpage: http://red4est.com/revel08/

If you think that you may come, and want to be notified by email of important details and changes, send me an email, either to my personal account, or the alias I set up for the party: revel8r@red4est.com

BYOMS
You can bring your own mad science experiments, though it may be advisable to consult with me before hand so that there is a good place to set it up.

Dancing
Like at many of my parties, I intend to provide the opportunity for dancing. If a large number of people say that they will be showing up and hope to dance, I will attempt to repair the dancefloor in my backyard. If not, then there are still wooden floors in the living room, the dining room and the garage.

Guests are not required, or even expected to dance. I've had people not show up at parties before because "it's a dance party and I don't dance". That is silly, this is a mad scientist party where dance music will be played. You don't have to be mad, a scientist, a dancer, or a musician to show up. You aren't even required to have fun, but if you don't you may be severely ridiculed, so that others can have fun at your expense.


Speaking of music, sources of dance music are greatly appreciated, particularly djs and musicians.

Directions and Parking
If you don't have directions, send an email to ask and I'll send you a link to my extensive, detailed, online directions. If you do know your way to the family estate, I ask that able bodied individuals park at the pullout 100m south of the Family Estate to leave the driveway open for the less able bodied, and those unloading large or heavy objects.

Who will be there
Who will be at the party? Due to my many and varied interests, I have a very eclectic social circle. There will be geeks, dancers, racers, martial artists, musicians and all of the above. Hence the nexus book: http://red4est.com/party/nexus.html which was started at a birthday party about ten years ago.

Children
While children are not banned from the party, the house is somewhere between "not child friendly" and "downright child surly". It is between a highway and a cliff. Many of my toys are fragile, others are sharp and dangerous, and while getting drunk is by no means the point of this party, there will be many mad scientists wandering around in varying states of madness and sobriety. Troublesome children, of any age, and those who brought them, will be dealt with severely.

Who to Bring
Who can you bring? See above. Both about the the diversity of people expected, and misbehaving children.

What to Bring
What should you bring? Food and drink are always welcome. I encourage people to bring a small amount of something wonderful, rather than a large amount of something less than wonderful. I have a fair amount of cheap booze that was brought to previous soirees and pretty much ignored.

Good food, and creative food are appreciated. If many people express interest, I can fire up the milk shake press and we can make milkshakes, in which case, icecream, milk and yummy things to put in milkshakes are appreciated.

Food and Drink
Note, one of my peculiarities is that I don't eat chocolate. Feel free to bring chocolate for yourself and the other guests, but if you're goal is to bring a special treat for me, then chocolate won't be it.

I will likely be making a pot of chilli, likely vegan and relatively mild, along with meat and octane boost http://red4est.com/lrc/octaneboost.html to spice it up for those who indulge in meat and/or capsascin.

Crash Space
Crash space can be provided for those unwilling, unsafe or unable to get home. While some bedding is available, it's advisable for you to bring some if you're likely to need it.

The road between the parking area and my house can be a bit dark, so its advisable to bring a flashlight. Also note that sometimes poison oak grows near to the trail, so a light can also help avoid that as well.

If you can offer rides to and from the party, please let me know.

Various permutations of the invitation are at:
red4est: http://red4est.com/revel08/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=27373165676

other links
Me
Dancing
Some of my photos
party invitation on facebook

Larry Colen
revel8r@red4est.com
Copyright (C) 2008 Larry Colen
Most recently modified by lrc at Mon Sep 08 15:17:12 PDT 2008