Wifi Woes

[ Mood: Distorted ]
Sorry no updates for a couple days. Much has happened, actually. Today, for example, I presented my paper, chaired a panel, heard the most delightful academic presentation in my life, and attended an alternately terrifying and hopeful keynote address by author Kim Stanley Robinson.

I couldn’t post due to very unreliable WiFi in Room 13, here at the Pensione Hotel. So when I came in after a fun game of Trail of Cthulhu (I played Anatoly, using rridiculous Russian accent, da) with Tim and Rob and some new friends, I asked again if there was anything to be done, and they offered me a move down the hallway. Room 18’s WiFi seems much stronger.

So, here is yesterday’s post, that I saved when it looked like I wouldn’t be able to post it:

Meant to post yesterday, but the internet in my room is pretty unpredictable. Room 13 (no kidding) is off in the corner, and I guess it’s right at the edge of wifi reception. In fact, I’ve just gone to zero bars, so I’d better copypaste this to TextEdit and save it before I try to post it.

Anyway, 7am on the second day of the Utopias Conference. Day 1 went fine. After a pleasantly rootless day and evening of checking into my room, taking a nap, and wandering Melbourne (fish & chips and local beer in a pub with two old codgers for conversation), yesterday was cool and crisp. Breakfast on the way to the Monash Conference Centre. Met Zac and Evie, Prof. Milner and Prof. Rigby, and some other familiar faces and several new ones.

I came within touching distance of Kim Stanley Robinson several times, but he was always in conversation with someone. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to talk with him today.

Very interesting presentations. A bit terrifying, all the evidence for upcoming climatic catastrophe. But as I need to get back there soon–I’m chairing a panel during the first session, and making my own presentation during the second–I’ll save my notes for later. I did confirm, however, that all (or nearly all) of the presentations are being recorded and will be available for download afterward. Excellent–there are some presentations that I really want to attend but that I can’t because there’s another one at the same time that I want to attend just a bit more. So yes, you’ll get to hear me stumbling over my own words.

Uh, anything else quickly? Oh yes: When traveling to Australia, do not buy traveler’s checks. They are an enormous ripoff. As usual, you have to pay the bank the fee for currency conversion and for the checks themselves. Then you get to Australia, you find that no Australian shops accept traveler’s checks! To cash them, you have to take them to money exchange kiosks, which charge 4%! Grr…not sure what the answer is, other than bring a little Australian cash and a couple of credit cards. Everyone takes credit cards. Well, not that scruffy guy outside the train station asking "Hey mate, y’got some change?" But everyone else.

PS: Yep, wifi died. I’ll post this when I can.

superdave