Morphicon's January Newsletter

It's Morphicon's 2006 January Newsletter!
Now with exclamation marks, for extra excitement!

This Month's Contents:

Deadline: Art Contest ends 2/15! Oy Vey!
Skating Dropped for Mongolian BBQ!
Deadline: Prereg ends March 1st!
Programming Highlights!
Charity Auction still Seeking Donations!

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* Deadline: Art Contest ends 2/15! Oy Vey!

Entries for the T shirt contest should be B&W line art, in a *.tiff format, about 2000 pixels wide. Submissions for the conbook should follow the same format, but may be in greyscale as well as line. The theme is "The Food Chain", and as always, creative interpretations are encouraged. Remember that the winner of the T shirt contest gets a free Patron level membership!

Advertisement rates are $25 for a full-page (5" by 8"), $15 for a half-page, (5" by 4"), or $9 for a quarter-page (2.25" by 4"). We place ads in the best locations on a first-come-first-served basis.

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* Skating Dropped for Mongolian BBQ

The February Morphicon social outing has been changed. We're dropping skating in favour of Mongolian Barbecue! We'll be eating at the Sawmill Road location ( http://www.bdsmongolianbarbeque.com/map_columbus.html ), Sunday, February 5th, 4pm. Expect to spend $15 to $20.

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* Deadline: Prereg ends March 1st

The end of online registration draws near. March 1st is your last day to register by mail or online - after that, you'll have to stand in line at the con. Remember that registrating early also saves you TEN DOLLARS over registrating at the door! Hie thyself over to http://www.morphicon.org/2006/register.htm, and register!

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* Programming Highlights

There's a newly-revised schedule available at http://www.morphicon.org/2006/schedule.htm. We've added some new items since we first put the schedule up last July, and we'll probably add a few more before the con. If you wish to present a panel, you should speak up soon, as few open spots are left.

Some new events for 2006:

World Tree RPG. Sunday afternoon, 1 to 6. An introduction to roleplaying in the World Tree universe (http://www.world-tree-rpg.com/), GMed by Bjørn Arnesen. How many times in your life will you have a chance to role-play with a GM whose name contains the empty-set character? That alone is worth the price of admission!

Puppetry Competition. Sunday afternoon, 1 to 4. Most people feel that they're competent puppeteers. Here's your chance to prove the hypothesis by performing in front of judges. Win prizes every bit as valuable as those won by the fursuiters.

Video and Stage Craft. Saturday afternoon, 4 to 6. Learn tips for producing furry videos and stage shows from people who've had extensive experience in doing so. We'll cover video, lighting and sound, as well as general stage techniques.

Astronomy Field Trip. Saturday night, 8 to 11. A field trip to the Perkins Observatory to see a presentation by professional astronomers. If the weather is clear, you'll be allowed to use the big telescopes. If it's cloudy, some other type of presentation will take place. Admission is $6 per fur. The observatory is about 35 miles from the con hotel. You're responsible for getting yourself to and from the observatory. If you need a ride, you'd do best to speak up early.

Returning Events

Art Schmooze. Saturday night, 8 to midnight. Dragon Girl suggested this last year, and it turned out to be a popular event. After the Dealer's Den has closed, and dinner has been eaten, artists can get together in the Schmooze Room, and do whatever it is that they do. No kibitzers, though - everyone has to draw. The Schmooze Mistress is empowered to punish those who fail to draw, so don't even think about it. Unless you just like to be punished. And if you do, perhaps you should consider:

Shibari - Japanese Rope Bondage! Saturday night, 8 to 9. Learn about the history of Japanese rope bondage, known today as shibari. This panel will cover rope selection and care, safety concerns, local resources, and you'll learn to do three basic Shibari ties, the Mune Nawa, Kaikyaku Kani, and Ushirote Munenawa. They even *sound* painful!

Masquerade and Pet Sale. Friday night, 7 to 9. Back in 2004 Morphicon was the first to revive the old Confurence tradition of a Pet Sale, and we're continuing onward. All proceeds raised from the Pet Auction go to benefit the Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter ( http://www.ferretsunlimited.org/ ).

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* Charity Auction still Seeking Donations.

We need more stuff for the Charity Auction. Good stuff, bad stuff, indifferent stuff - in my experience people will buy just about anything, so don't fret over making the perfect donation. Last year we had stuff like Wolf Chili (it's the kind that Wolves like - it's NOT made from Wolves, so let's have no more letters of complaint) and flavoured SPAM! We're hoping to auction off goods at least as distinctive this time around. All proceeds raised from the Charity Auction go to benefit the Ferrets Unlimited Ferret Shelter ( http://www.ferretsunlimited.org/ ).

The Ferret Shelter is also eager for all in-kind donations, and especially food.

Innova Cat Dry
Nutro Natural Choice Kitten
Path Valley Ferret Food
Professional Kitten Chicken & Rice
Superior Choice Natural Ferret Diet
Wellness Cat Food
Ferretone
Ferrivite
Petromalt - malt flavor

are all products that the Ferrets need. Bring some by the con, and make a Ferret happy!