Fantabulous Baycon! // No God in Guantanamo?

This morning I attended Baycon, the most marvellous game sale/convention in all the world! I met thebitterguy, mr_weasel, Brian, Tyler, and a stranger who wants to join my Hackmaster group bright and early for buffet breakfast at the Royal Connaught downtown. thebitterguy invited us to apply the art of Phrenology to his naked pate, and I told him he had the sloping features of a dirigible attendant.

Most disturbing quote of the breakfast, if you've read the latest number of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - thebitterguy: "Griffin! Pass the butter."

The sale itself was grand, as usual. I was #4 in line, out of about 300 people. As such, I managed to snag some particularly juicy deals. Remember, the following prices are in Canadian dollars!

The Red Dwarf RPG (new, hardcover): $10
Classic Traveller Supplements 1-13 bound in one tome (new): $10
As above, JTAS issues 1-12 (new): $10
The Dying Earth Scaum Valley Gazetteer (new) : $6
GURPS Iron Cross (A present for eyebeams! used, mint): $5
Misktonic University Guide (used but near mint): $2.50
Star Trek Narrator's Guide (new, Decipher edition, hardcover, damaged): $1
Pendragon (new - or at least unsold): $10
Dragon Magazine #75, 76, 83, 88 (used, obviously): $2 each

Alas! Still no sign of Space Opera!

During the sale, I bumped into sassy_fae and etherlad. Sassy was attired in a very well done homemade Goldmoon costume, and Ether was busily running a game of Adventure!. I wanted to join in for this, but had to be in home in time for the Mother's Day service at church. It's our first, after all. :-)

Said service went quite well - Erin and baby were the rightful centres of attention, and Elizabeth slept soundly through the entire service. She's a very well-mannered child thus far. She's slept through two game nights already, allowing Mom to sling dice without interruption. Well, okay, so she woke up last Friday around 10:45 PM when the party was trying to dispatch the Mooncalf from Heart of Nightfang Spire, but Erin was able to feed her at the table without any real problem, aside from positioning the blanket.

Elizabeth is also sleeping very well through the night. Erin heads for bed around 9 PM after a final feeding, I remain up till around 10:30 PM. Elizabeth usually wants to eat again around 10, so I feed her from the bottle while watching Teletoon or SPACE. Last night we watched The Day the Earth Stood Still. She was really captivated by the high contrast patterns of black and white.

Over lunch, I caught a bit of an admittedly biased CBC documentary about the Cuba detainees - they sent a film crew to tour the camp. The camp officials very openly admit to having no use for the Geneva Convention. "We stick as close to the spirit of the convention insofar as National Security will allow us," said one. Others simply dismissed it - and this was counterpointed with statements from US military and government officials decrying Iraq's violation of the Geneva Convention for filming US prisoners of war. (Ignoring CNN's broadcasts in the opening days of the war of terrified Iraqi detainees being told to strip naked in the desert - something which they amended later, I admit.)

While I'm sure there aren't any saints being held in Cuba, it really is disturbing to see US officials dismissing them with lines like "They'll be held without trial as long as is neccessary for National Security." Particularly when one considers that prisoners as young as 13 were being held there until recently.

The most depressing interview was with the camp chaplain, who serves to the spiritual needs of the Marines. "Do you feel any responsiblity for the prisoners, to make sure they're being treated fairly?"

"First of all, Jesus isn't here," was the reply. It was not meant as a sad comment on the state of affairs, but rather a matter of fact - 'God ain't here, just me,' sorta thing. "I'm much too busy to get involved in that," he added.

I wonder what denomination he is.