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Walk This World
Aug. 3rd, 2015 10:17 pmQuite a few things have happened since the last update.
SPHIS accepted me into the MPH program. I get to skip the second undergraduate year, and may be awarded the Bachelor's degree anyway based on strength of work. Dr. Jacobs was impressed by the number and strength of my recommendations. Unless things go very wrong, in 21 months, I'll be a newly-minted Master of Public Health, focus to be determined.
The school is also giving me a job. It's nothing spectacular, but it does keep me in everyday contact with the entirety of the school's faculty and staff, so I'll be a familiar face to everyone. That has to be useful in a year or so when practica and other out-of-classroom work comes around.
I wound up going to GenCon, extending my streak to an even ten years. One of the volunteers had to cancel out (and with a legitimate reason, too - no McClouding this time) and The Bosses offered me his badge and room space free of charge. How could I refuse? So, I got up godawful early on Saturday and rolled up to Indy. After accepting thatn I wasn't going at all this year, my two-day visit was glorious. Saw many friends, and felt very much welcomed by my ... well, I can't really say teammates. By the Crafty staff and volunteers. Minimal loot - a K-Wing and TIE Punisher/Interdictor, as you prefer, a handful of snazzy hammer-and-sickle D6s, and a couple scoops of dice for D. Much socializing and the like. And some business, too. Tested out the four upcoming card and board games (and there is a character in one of them based on me). AF offered me some work on Spycraft 3, and I am quite flattered, but I had to decline any deadline/wordcount work. School has to come first, and back-to-back 600-level Biostatistics courses are going to test me. So, I'm going to be a consultant of sorts. Pretty exciting stuff.
Other GenCon news of note. There was some kerfuffle at the Ennies, not sure of any real details, but it sounds like the Atlas Games folks didn't acquit themselves well at all. FFG knocked many pairs of socks off with their panel. X-Wing Wave 8 was revealed, with ships/pilots/crew from Rebels at the center. The mic-drop moment came at the end, when Christianson brought up the title card to The Force Awakens, and indicated that TFA product was already on its way from overseas factories, to be revealed around September 4. We knew it would happen, but not this fast. Games Workshop had a tale of woe - while clearing customs, one of their UK staffers let slip that the group was "working a convention," not merely attending. They had no work visas, and were immediately deported. There was a skeleton crew of US-based folks covering their exhibitor presence through the weekend, and those poor guys had to have been wrecked by end of show. Pinnacle announced a Flash Gordon line for Savage Worlds. Vampire: the Masquerade 4th Edition (seriously).
Despite only being there for part of the show, I was worn out when I got home this afternoon. Two very late nights in a row, so much road construction, and all of the walking and lugging that the convention involved. Worth it - I was meant to be at that place at that time. If I can, I'll be back next year. And the next and the next. Before that, though, three regionals and Origins. After the way I was welcomed in Indy, I can't not fly the flag.
SPHIS accepted me into the MPH program. I get to skip the second undergraduate year, and may be awarded the Bachelor's degree anyway based on strength of work. Dr. Jacobs was impressed by the number and strength of my recommendations. Unless things go very wrong, in 21 months, I'll be a newly-minted Master of Public Health, focus to be determined.
The school is also giving me a job. It's nothing spectacular, but it does keep me in everyday contact with the entirety of the school's faculty and staff, so I'll be a familiar face to everyone. That has to be useful in a year or so when practica and other out-of-classroom work comes around.
I wound up going to GenCon, extending my streak to an even ten years. One of the volunteers had to cancel out (and with a legitimate reason, too - no McClouding this time) and The Bosses offered me his badge and room space free of charge. How could I refuse? So, I got up godawful early on Saturday and rolled up to Indy. After accepting thatn I wasn't going at all this year, my two-day visit was glorious. Saw many friends, and felt very much welcomed by my ... well, I can't really say teammates. By the Crafty staff and volunteers. Minimal loot - a K-Wing and TIE Punisher/Interdictor, as you prefer, a handful of snazzy hammer-and-sickle D6s, and a couple scoops of dice for D. Much socializing and the like. And some business, too. Tested out the four upcoming card and board games (and there is a character in one of them based on me). AF offered me some work on Spycraft 3, and I am quite flattered, but I had to decline any deadline/wordcount work. School has to come first, and back-to-back 600-level Biostatistics courses are going to test me. So, I'm going to be a consultant of sorts. Pretty exciting stuff.
Other GenCon news of note. There was some kerfuffle at the Ennies, not sure of any real details, but it sounds like the Atlas Games folks didn't acquit themselves well at all. FFG knocked many pairs of socks off with their panel. X-Wing Wave 8 was revealed, with ships/pilots/crew from Rebels at the center. The mic-drop moment came at the end, when Christianson brought up the title card to The Force Awakens, and indicated that TFA product was already on its way from overseas factories, to be revealed around September 4. We knew it would happen, but not this fast. Games Workshop had a tale of woe - while clearing customs, one of their UK staffers let slip that the group was "working a convention," not merely attending. They had no work visas, and were immediately deported. There was a skeleton crew of US-based folks covering their exhibitor presence through the weekend, and those poor guys had to have been wrecked by end of show. Pinnacle announced a Flash Gordon line for Savage Worlds. Vampire: the Masquerade 4th Edition (seriously).
Despite only being there for part of the show, I was worn out when I got home this afternoon. Two very late nights in a row, so much road construction, and all of the walking and lugging that the convention involved. Worth it - I was meant to be at that place at that time. If I can, I'll be back next year. And the next and the next. Before that, though, three regionals and Origins. After the way I was welcomed in Indy, I can't not fly the flag.
