Fourth Annual Winchester Convention

In the past 2 months I've:

Had my truck impounded at the cost of over $1k.

Had my beloved rescue cat Giles die in my arms from a vicious and sudden battle with cancer.

Got laid off from my job of 6 years


So uh, things have been NOT COOL and Wincon sorta got put on the back burner for awhile. But now I'm back and Kassie and I are starting to plan the more intricate details of this year's shindig. In the next few days I will finally update the "Who's coming" roster and we'll start asking you guys about panels and the prom and stuff.

In the meantime, there is an AMAZING sale going on at www.southwest.com until midnight tonight. Go check it out. Round trips starting at $60. NO LIE.

Good morning ladies on this cold lonely SPN-less Thursday. Is it Fall yet? SIGH.

The mailbox of my apartment building has a broken lock that the building is being slow about fixing. Because of this, my mail isn't being delivered. I found out yesterday that they aren't holding it at the post office either, much to my dismay. It's supposed to be fixed today, but if you've sent me a Wincon payment in the last week or two, I'm pretty sure the post office has returned it to you. Please let me know if you fall into this category so I can keep an eye out for your payment.

So sorry for the inconvenience.

If you're not familiar with them, travelzoo.com is a great place to search for airfare without having to go to ten other sites.  They will give you the five best places/links to check the fare for your destination and dates. 

Right now, there is some pretty some awesome stuff happening for Denver, so maybe if you're waiting for that cheap airfare ticket for Wincon, now is the time to check it out (Hint: coiledsoul  flew here from LA for $140/RT).

So, you're thinking, that Baltimore hotel last year wasn't convenient to ANYTHING, dude! And the service kind of sucked, and screw that noise.

Well, we're here to tell you, you ain't been to Wincon till you've come to Denver. Okay, it's not *that* good because we've had some kick-ass, awesomecakes Wincons past, but 2009 really is going to be *that* good.

I'll let coiledsoul  fill you in on the hotel perks (of which there are legion). But here are the places that are within walking distance to us.

Sam's Club
Liquor Store (most important, yes?)
Country Buffet
IHOP
BBQ
McDonalds
Panerra
Panda Express
Party City (for all your room party needs)
Arby's
La Mariposa (Margaritas!!!)
Sonic
SmashBurger
Subway
Taste of Asia
Papa Johns (they deliver)
Rocky Wings

And... the hotel shuttle will take you to The Shops at Northfield free of charge. It's just on the other side of the interstate.

So, I ask you, what more could you ask for except for Misha to come party with us?  OH yeah. Maybe a zombie prom? This isn't official and I'm probably in trouble now for suggesting it.

Just realized that we hadn't started a roommates thread for this year yet. So hey! Here it is. This thread will be linked in the comm sidebar from now until October.

When you comment, make sure to say whether you already have a room and are looking to share, or if you do not have a room and are looking for someone to take you in. Details on making reservations can be found in the comm profile (also linked in our sidebar.)

Remember that the hotel has told us explicitly that there are only 4 people allowed per double. Anything above that is grounds for being removed from the hotel by their management. If you guys go above that, we REALLY don't want to know.

Good morning, ladies! We're in Denver, about to meet the hotel to work out some deets for this year. If you've got a moment, please take the time to fill out the poll below. We know times are tight for everyone out there and that this year's gonna be more of a last minute sign up situation because of that, so this info will help us determine what we can plan for you guys. Choose wisely! Comments will be screened.


Poll #1401743 Wincon 09 attendance poll
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

Are you coming to Wincon?

Hullo all you Vidders out there!

Finished up those Club Vivid entries? Contemplating what you're going to enter for the Themed, Nearly New and Premiere stuff? Well, while you're at it, let those vid bunnies percolate over SPN themes, because we'd love to showcase your work in Denver this October!

Don't worry, we won't hit you up until after the deadline frenzy for VVC is complete, but we just wanted to let you know we're very excited about this year's show, and can't wait to see what you come up with. (And, friends-of-vidders, please to be poking at them to directing them here...we don't miss out on their efforts.)

All rules, etc. will be similar to prior years, and we'll re-post them with our official entry request in July. Deadlines will be in mid-September.

Looking forward to a great show!

This is a sweet and sour kind of day, rite? 1. WHOOO NEW SHOW! 2. the last day before hiatus wank begins.

It's time Finale Scavenger Hunt! Are you ready? Like last week, the first three people to complete the scavenger hunt according to my random and totally obscure rules will get $15 off their Wincon ticket (or will be reimbursed if they have already paid!).

Come waste your time ticking down the minutes until the finale begins with other fangirls in the comments here or scavenger hunt or write porn, whatevs!

Scavenger Hunt Items:

1. Links to three SPN xovers--each xovers with DIFFERENT fandoms--from writers not on your fl.

2. A non-Wincest SPN macro.

3. A drabble of original fiction told from the pov of one of Jared's dogs. (It does not have to be high quality nor a true drabble--we do not get involved in the "what is a REAL drabble" war.)

4. A recipe for your favorite/a really crazy sounding cocktail.

5. Three FAKE twitters you can imagine Jim Beaver or Misha Collins posting on their twitter accounts.

Once the contest winners have arrived in the comments, the next FIVE people to complete the contest will be rewarded with short fics written by me at their request, if they would like to play on for such a reward.

If squeetastic madness so overwhelms you that this thread cannot contain your !!! and capslock, also check out: missyjack's superwiki twitterpation campaign.

Even when the contest is over, please feel free to use the thread as a squee zone for all your SPN finale needs!

Remember me?

So this year we're gonna do something different. To commemorate the last couple of episodes of the season (weep!), we're going to have a GAME and the winners of this game will get $15 off their Con fee. Sounds pretty sweet, right?

What's this game? you ask! Come closer, I'll tell you.

This week and next week on Thursdays when you're in your pre-SPN frenzy, to keep you occupied we're going to have an Internet Scavenger Hunt. As stated above, the first three people who complete this hunt successfully will get $15 dollars (at least two drinks in the bar) off their Con fee.

Also, you can come squee in comments to fellow Com members and friends from Cons past and friends from Cons future, rite?

Ok, so these are the items this week:

1. A poem that you can reasonably claim to be written by Misha Collins. That means fake poems from fanfic don't count. Apparently, it's out there because the Australian media got a hold of that "Baby Pants" poem. Knock yourself out. But we hesitate to encourage crazyass stalking, so maybe don't google his mom's email and ask her to c&p poetry.

2. A babelfish translation of a passage from an mpreg fic (can be either rps or SPN).

3. A link to a squee post from a previous season. A. it cannot be your own and B. it has to be from a PREVIOUS season.

Come back, comment here, and I will allot the remittances based on timestamps!

Only two more episodes... *single Dean-like tear*

Eta: Even if we have all the winners, please feel free to troll the post and to link to crazy crap and to squee about the Con!

In case you're wondering why our winner's lj name is no longer active, it's because she's changed it to inkandchocolate. Ooops!

Also, in my haste yesterday, I neglected to thank all the other contest participants. We received some really great art this year and it was a really tough decision to make. Damn you guys for being so talented!

obssessedmuch has submitted the winning entry this year for our logo contest:



Everyone ooooh and aaaaah over her great work as you sit there waiting for our show to start.

Hey ladies, we're still mulling over all the awesome logo entries you guys sent in last week. Thanks so much for your creative and sometimes hilarious entries. It's gonna be a tough choice. We'll announce a winner by the end of the week.

But I wanted to clue y'all in for the deal Southwest is running now for departures as late as October. Get a flight for $49! I love Southwest for lots of reasons, but one of the best reasons to fly them these days is you can still check two bags for free and carry on two more. Considering that you guys are probably bringing prom dresses (or tuxes) this year, this might be something to consider in your con budget.

Hey ladies! Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is the deadline for the logo contest. Get thee to photoshopping! Remember, the winner gets a free con ticket (or a refund if you already bought yours.) Details about what to submit can be found in the link in the sidebar.

Thanks to all of you who registered over the past week or so. My heart rate has slowed down ever so slightly. I'll update the roster this weekend after I recover from doing my taxes.

Denver is coming Winconners! We here at wincon central are working hard behind the scenes to bring you the best con yet. We'll be updating a lot more frequently now that we're on the downhill slide.

The logo contest is going strong. There are so many great entries to choose from already. It's going to be even tougher to pick than last year. Don't forget, the deadline for that is tax day, April 15th. Look in the sidebar for a link to the rules.

Speaking of graphics, you know who gives good graphics? missyjack does. If you're reading this post on your flist, click over and see the great new layout she made for us. We have this crazy thing called a "sidebar" now (as previously mentioned) with all the links to the stuff you need to know for getting to Denver. I hear these sidebars are all the rage with the kiddies these days. Who knew?

brynwulf is our city ambassador this year for Denver. If you don't know her, you have no idea what a treat you are in store for in October. One of the things she's doing for us this year is acting as liason between the con and our charity of the year. A tradition that started in LA with me, continued last year in Baltimore with nilchance and beanside, this is our way of giving back each year to a group that needs it on behalf of our show and awesome peeps like you all. As in years past, there will be a charity raffle on Saturday night as well as an opportunity to bring donations. This year's charity is The Denver Dumb Friends League. Animals are a cause brynwulf is very attached to (ask her what she does for a living) and I hear, perhaps, POSSIBLY, that Jared's kind of fond of them too. So this year, our focus will be on them. Stay tuned for more details on what donations we'll be taking. Since the nature of animal donations is kind of, uh, bulky, we may just be taking cash this year. But we'll let you know as soon as we figure it out.

We've (and by we I mean brynwulf) have created a Photobucket journal for Wincon. It's password protected for viewing and posting so those of us who aren't as ok with our faces on the internet can feel protected. If you do NOT want anyone posting photos of you, please speak now by responding to this post. If you are interested in viewing these photos or posting any of your own, please email us at winconphotos@gmail.com and we will send you the passwords necessary for viewing and/or posting. Please note that if you didn't attend any of the previous cons, you will not be given access. So make sure to include the lj name or name that was on your badge for the year(s) you attended so we can check our lists twice.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, some of you may have noticed that things are tough out there right now for folks financially. Believe us, we know too. Registration is down from years past and honestly, we're a little worried that our minimum numbers won't be met to make the hotel happy with us and even bigger, whether we'll be able to continue doing Wincon. That sounds DIRE, but it's not (yet) and you can help! Please take some time if you can to pimp us out. Wincon has always been a by the fans for the fans operation and as cool as it is to go to the bigger pro cons with celebs and signings and greets and stuff, we're about connecting with your fellow fangirl and supporting our little corner of the internet and keeping us all connected through our fic, vids, purple nurples, and sock puppets. If you know people who are looking for that, tell them! If you make icons and banners like some of us breath air, feel free to make some pimp buttons and we'll post them here. IF you run a comm and have a minute, make a post asking for "This one time, at Wincon..." stories. And if you have any other ideas about getting the word out, please post about them here or email us at winchestercon@gmail.com. Also, if you are pimping us already, link us! We'd love to see what your doing. It'll keep us inspired.

As always, thank you all for your support. You guys are the reason we do this and every year you make it worth doing again, Jerks (and/or Bitches.)


xoxo

now that I have your attention.

So, some of you may remember (and some of you may not *drunk* *koff*) that the_ellcrys  went around with her camera last year in Baltimore taking pictures of cleavage at the Kareoke party.

Well, we've created a Photobucket account just for Wincon photos (a folder for each year) and Tiffany is working on getting those boob picks ready to go up. 

what I'm saying is... Speak now or forever hold your lift and separate.  Actually, that's not entirely true.  We will not be posting any pics on the internet, boobs or otherwise, without the specific explicit permission of the parties involved.

Faces can be easily cropped. Just sayin'.  Also, the Photobucket account is password protected.

Comment here with yay or nay.

The question is:  Can we put pictures of you taken at Wincon in previous years (might as well cover nashville and LA while I'm at it) in the password protected WINCON Photobucket account?  Faces can be blurred or cropped.

Just updating the Wincon registration details. Check here for how to join in the fun at Wincon 09 in Denver.
( REGISTRATION AND HOTEL DETAILS )

Here's a tonic to cure your blues until next week:

2009 Wincon logo contest!

THE RULEZ

What you should submit:

A logo design. Hi-res, black and white, incorporating the terms "Winchestercon '09" or "Wincon '09" in .png, .jpg, or .pdf format. Here is last year's logo:.


And the LA '07 logo:





What you should NOT submit:

No copyright infringing images. No images of actors. (Silhouettes are ok.) Keep it simple, please.

How you should submit:

By email attachment to winchestercon at gmail dot com. No more than 3 submissions per person, please.

Deadline for submission:

April 15, 2009.

The winning submission gets:

1. Bragging rights (and possibly body shots from the con staff).
2. Their logo on just about everything we hand out at the con this year and what we sell at the cafe press store.
3. Free con ticket. (If you've already paid for your ticket and win the contest, you will be refunded.)

How's that for a pick-me-up!?

Kim Manners was my favorite kind of man. A cowboy who could quote Shakespeare while trying to drink you under the table. Then, once you were under said table, would make sure that your virtue remainded intact while he escorted you (and whatever brain cells you have left) to your door. Kripke and Singer are the brains and brawn of the Supernatural outfit, but Manners was the heart and soul. He'll undoubtedly and for quite some time be very missed.

At Wincon this year, we're going to try and wrangle together a midnight viewing marathon of all of Kim's directed episodes. If you'd like to help organize or host this, please send us an email at winchestercon at gmail dot com.

Hey, gals (and the one guy who's totally lurking)!

Here's your last reminder about the early bird sale ending today at midnight pacific time. You've got just over 15 hours to purchase your tickets via paypal or get a check in the mail with today's posted date. All the details for how to do either can be found in the con comm profile. You can also email us with questions or pleas of "The dog ate my checkbook!" and we'll do our best to help you out.

Happy New Year, ladies (and you too, dude).

ETA: Who knew writers were so literal? ;) If you drop your check in the mail today and it's not postmarked until tomorrow, THAT'S OKAY. This deadline is not cake or death. Remember though, the green choice (albeit slightly more expensive) is paypal. Reduce your carbon footprint! Sam will be happy you did.

Don't forget, Winconers! You have until this Sunday at midnight (Pacific) to early bird register for Wincon. Starting Monday, the price will go up to $100 by check and $105 by paypal. If I receive a check in the mail next week for $85 that's postmarked the 4th or earlier, I will accept it.

Happy New Year!