Just wanted to wish everyone in here a wonderful Holiday season whichever way you may celebrate it!

As I did a few years ago, posting a little holiday song from someone near and dear to most of you in here...

I've finally finished posting my Dragon*Con photos from this year. It took a lot longer than I had hoped it would!

They're at: http://photo.oscarc.net/Conventions-Cosplay/DragonCon

Not sure if this is actually the correct place to post this sort of thing so I'm putting it up both on this community and Dragon Con Rooms in hopes that somebody lets it through. I would like to spread the word that I am available to DJ at room parties and other con related events next year. I have a massive music collection and I use Ableton Live for laptop mixing. I am also a dancer who is into costuming. All I would need are speakers and an RCA jack to get your party jumping. I have all sorts of music spanning from nerdy to sexy to classic to poppy to glitchy to noisy to hard and beyond. Just tell me what you like and i can most likely accommodate. Interested parties should contact me via livejournal messages.

I just got a reservation for the Westin. Has anyone ever stayed there? If so, can you tell me a little about your stay, both the good & the bad?

i_hope_that
For many of us, the holidays can be kind of rough. If you're searching for a network of understanding friends, this ultra-nurturing community encourages you to express your heartfelt wishes and offer other members encouragement and acceptance. Not for the terminally snarky or emotionally-challenged, this is a good-spirited place to lend comfort and support.

diygifts
Feeling crafty? If you've got a few last folks on your holiday gift list, this is a great place to seed your creativity and generosity. You'll also discover wonderful DIY tips to decorate your home and entertain guests. Offering a no-frills-no-skills attitude that welcomes the cash-challenged and arts-phobic, you're sure to get ideas and make friends in the process.

cooking_club
A fun and friendly community dedicated to those who love to cook, whether you're a meat-and-potatoes type, an aspiring gourmand, and/or a vegan. In search of a brilliant dish to use up those weekly leftovers? Post your ingredients and you'll be whipping up a feast by dinner. You can also share favorite recipes. For Type A chefs, you can spice up your culinary repertoire with exciting cooking challenges.

stepstomarrow
When granddaughter, Jada, was born with leukemia, a donor-match was located and Jada made a miraculous recovery. In honor of her grandaughter's health, Jeanna has decided to walk across the country (in the dead of winter) to raise awareness and build support for the bone marrow registry (all that's required is a cheek swab). Follow Jeanna's remarkable journey as she travels the United States by foot.

Last night I went to Neil Gaiman's reading and signing at Decatur GA held at Agnes Scott College organized by Little Shop of Stories. There were about 1,000 of us there and he signed for everyone all night, till after 1AM. It was so great to see him here again, the last I saw him was at DragonCon in 2000. One of the most interesting things occurred during the Q&A, when he answered the question of why he hasn't been back to DragonCon since. He told us that he used to enjoy going to DragonCon in the early 90's, but the last time he attended in 2000 it was not organized well for his appearance. He was told to go up to his room and wait for someone to come get him in a few hours for some activity. When he asked why he couldn't go his own way for a few hours instead of going to his room and doing nothing, he was told "No", he had to stay in his room. Hours had passed, and he asked if they were ready, and (I believe) was told that the activity had passed and someone forgot to get him. He also mentioned that he was presented with a lifetime achievement award, except for the fact that the award was not ready in time for the con and showed up in the mail a few months later. He wasn't mad about the award, pretty sure just about waiting in his room. He said whenever he is asked if he wants to come back, he still remembers having to sit in his room. So, take note here, he hasn't been back for 9 years now because of that. Do you want to have Neil Gamain come back to DragonCon? Maybe DragonCon organizers need to tell him he can make his own schedule and work around what he wants. I know there is a lot going on, but if you give him the freedom to do what he wants, when he wants to, maybe he might come back. Just something to think about.

Don Maitz has been a regular fixture in Dragon*con's artist alley for as long as I've been attending. I recently had a chance to interview him, and I thought the D*C community might be interested in it. He talked about his early convention experiences as a fan, and then as a vendor. He also discusses why he loves painting pirates, and why learning a bit about copyright law is important for aspiring artists. Link: An Interview with Hugo Award Winning Fantasy Artist Don Maitz.

If you haven't had a chance to see him at Dragon*cons past, definitely stop by the artist alley and say "hello." Don is one of my favorite regular D*C guests. (And if you buy one of his calendar's, he'll usually do a little sketch just for you in the back!)

taste_buds
Holidays provide a built-in excuse for indulgent entertaining. This all-purpose foodie community covers everything from homemade hangover cures to dinner party menus. Need quick advice? Get five-minute snack suggestions, low-fat ingredient substitutes, and even measurement conversions. Delicious recipes garnished with humorous advice. Yum.

naturesbeauty
Always on the lookout for compelling images, we were delighted to discover this flourishing community of artists who share a love of nature. Honoring the subject with photographs, paintings, sketches, prose, poetry, and other creative works, you'll be simultaneously riveted to your monitor and inspired to run helter skelter towards the nearest wooded dale.