I'll be in Maine next week and Mexico the week after that. Both places have all kinds of bizarre trash and trinkets so I'll pick up any fun stuff I can find for additional door prizes/giveaways.
Dovster....great idea on the miniature Turkish rug/bookmarks!... :cool:

Oooh! The word laminate makes my heart beat faster. YGPM.

Well, there goes that plan. Crack is the only other thing we have plenty of around here, and I'm not packing that through 2-3 countries. But it is light and will fit in a carryon...... unlike those jars of fog.

Ah, I will bring at the very least a photographer friend's recently published book of San Diego scenes. Autographed. Something for the non-readers to use their bookmark with.

BTW, I'm thinking of subjecting my poor body to Iberia in coach $602 SAN-VCE including taxes. The other alternative is United coach ($698 inluding taxes). (Unless I do one heck of a lot of shopping next month and leave my sister in the back of the bus.) Any suggestions, warnings, mantras to chant?

Actually, I was hoping you would bring my heart.

Yes. It's true. I left my heart in San Francisco.

It was not as romantic as it sounds. I had gone there with a friend to play poker but we both lost big time. The bookie demanded collateral and I gave him my heart. I figured I wouldn't need it anyhow -- I simply became a Conservative.

My friend, on the other hand, left his brain. He also does not need it. He became a Liberal.

I spoke to him the other day and asked who he is going to vote for in November.

"Kerry, of course," he replied. "It's a no-brainer."

Lili-dui, thank you for the book. It has just been officially listed in the beginning of this thread. Punki, thanks again for the IDs -- the laminated cards sound great.

Cholula, if you do pick up some `bizarre trash` in Mexico, do you really think it is a wise idea to bring her to the Meet? Mrs. Cholula might not be thrilled by the idea!

Urgent request from Marco Musco for list of names
 

Marco Musco has sent me the following e-mail:

I kindly ask you to send me,*as soon as you have time a primary list of Flyertalks*caming to*our Hotel, in order to*provide you*rooms in main building close to each other.

Please e-mail to me the name under which you have made your reservation. My e-mail address is: [email protected]
Please note that I will not share this information with anyone other than Marco.
Thanks,
O2K

bump. Sorry, but need the info ASAP, so that Marco can organize the rooms for the FT'rs.
Thanks

YGM (Bump)

Well, my first book is being published in late October. If you don't think it would look too egocentric I can ask the publisher for a few free copies. I'll tell her you're all important international opinion formers or something :)

Incedentally, while I don't know for sure (cos I phoned it in as a last minute addition) there should be a plug for FT in the acknowledgments :D

Chartreuse, that sounds mighty fine. What is the book about?

Identity Theft. It's non-fiction, looks at: What is identity? How do we demonstrate it? How do criminals steal it? What can we do to protect ourselves? etc. Focuses mainly on the UK and the USA.

I'll ask the publisher when I get back to the UK next week.

Have had this Venice weekend on "maybe, maybe, maybe" watch for a few months now, as a lot of folks are confirmed that I'd like to catch up with again, and a lot I'd REALLY like to catch up with first time - at long last - especially Cholula and Dovster. :D

Looking more and more unlikely now due to other commitments, but them's the breaks. A darn long way from here (30 -35 hours flying each way - assuming good connections) and pricing out VERY high for some reason if I fly UA via the USA and can't see anything else urgent I can tie it in with.

Sounds like a great event, and I bet you'll all have a great time and it certainly looks well organised. I'll steal for a moment Rudi's ®©famous line®©

I'm soooooooooooooooooooo jealous! ;)

Sounds very interesting. If your publisher will give you some books (at least one) they would be great additions to our doorprizes.

Of course, we would expect you to autograph them -- and then we can practice copying your signature for credit purposes.

Okay, Oz -- you forced my hand. I will give you something else urgent you can tie it in with.

If you show up (and let me know before I leave home on Nov 5), I will give you any one of the following -- your choice:

Yearbook of Stamp Issues of Israel -- 1987. (Like all others listed below, it contains all the stamps issued during the year in mint condition.)

Svenska Frimarken -- 1990.

Danske frimaerker -- 1991.

Il Libro dei Francobolli d'Italia -- 1991.

Jaarcollectie -- 1991 (Holland).

Postage Stamps, Republic of China -- 1993.

Now, that makes it an official business trip for you and you can write it off of your taxes.

Ha! Getting philatelically bribed to attend a Dooo ... now there is a first. ;)

Actually the few $100 some US attendees are up for in airfare is a few $1000 from here if I fly via the USA, as I must with UA. And even then that only gets me to Paris or London or Germany on UA metal and I'd need a separate ticket to whatever nearest airport to Venice is.

That $$$ aspect aside, and a couple other clashing things here, despite a few friendly reminders from Punki, reading about suits and ties did get me nervous. Hunki in his Versace threads at the Casino will show us all up. :p

Hold everything! Don't tell me that Hunki is going to embarrass us by showing up in some cheap rags!

When I am wearing my $2500 cashmere sports jacket with suitable accouterments I don't want Hunki walking around dressed like a peasant.

That's what I have Cholula for!