Anyone interested in just doing a poll on whether we should vote city or date first?

Jesus Christ y'all, it was a poll. Nothing's been set in stone, and nothing was intended to be.

This is not my understanding. I thought we were voting to set the date of the F2F.

FWIW, Worldcon site selection is city-location/date -- i.e. each bid committee submits their date or date/range (because they have to secure a certain amount of hotel/convention space well in advance). So an NC bid might be weeks off from a Boston bid, because of weather and hotel availability.

It's a bit like bidding apples and oranges, but you might as well bid for the best apple and the best orange you can put together.

Certainly, with the poll for the dates, we have a better idea of what weekends work much worse than others.

I'm with Victor in appreciating a "can't" version of the date poll if we revote. I think that's more informative than a "can" version, alongside voting for our favorite date.

I'm with Victor in appreciating a "can't" version of the date poll if we revote. I think that's more informative than a "can" version

I'm not seeing the difference.

It should be the same information either way - the date with the most "can attend" votes ought to be the same as what would have gotten the least "can't attend" votes.

Looking at the poll we just did, assuming that each voter cast one vote for favorite and also checked the appropriate able to attend boxes the "can't attend" results should be

June 8-10 : 3

June 15-17 : 6

June 1-3 : 6

June 22-24 : 10

May 18-20: 10

FWIW, all the Press announcements about the poll call it a poll about the dates rather than a vote to set the dates, and 38 votes is not a lot to be making a final decision on. OTOH, we had the dates picked in July last year. Thirdly, a bunch of people who thought they would not be able to come this year were able to, and the other way around, so I don't know how much agonizing at this stage is going to affect actual attendance.

Well, I think it's just the way my schedule works. There wasn't an option for "probably can go," so I had to decide between checking the dates I absolutely can go and the dates I'm not so sure about. It would be easier for me to mark what I absolutely can't make.

But if I'm needlessly complicating things, ignore me. I dunno about Victor. He might be dangerous to ignore. He can probably kill you with an elegant turn of phrase.

Baby shower pictures, courtesy of Sunil.

JZ receives thematically apt present for Zmayhem baby (Note also: wife still cute)

Lee, Bridget & Deb (Note: Non-blinvisibility of Deb)

Emily says, "Whoooo!" and JZ says, "Quit peeking up my skirt."

K-bug, pigtailed Suzi, Lee

JZ + finger puppets = adorable.

What? You don't believe me?

Beth and Suzi

Lee, working hard to make everything happen.

JZ and her longtime friend, Lisa

JZ demonstrates the proper way to greet Ple

"Honey! We got a picture of a car-seat! IFG!"

Me, a card, and What Would Ninjas and/or Pirates do

JZ and sprogwear

Juliana and me. She looks aghast, whereas I merely look gassy.

Katie B.

JZ and her Mom

Back porch with Emily, beth, K-bug's ponytail, Suzi's pigtails and Bridget

Matt and Suzi and Deb's nose

More Juliana (Because more is better in that instance.)

Note the blinvisibility of P-Cow since he took all the pictures.

JZ demonstrates the proper way to greet Ple

Another reason I wanted you to take care of the pictures was that I knew you wouldn't know any of the contexts and thus have to come up with amusing captions.