Penguicon.info

We will continue to post new positions as time goes on. Volunteer here now!

posted Jun 17, 2008 10:09 AM by communications

We need multiple people to run off a large number of copies of the Penguicon flyer at no cost. Please let us know if you have the ability to do this.

posted May 15, 2008 7:32 PM by communications [ updated Mar 21, 2009 7:12 PM by Randy Bradakis ]

We need someone to put together a collection of films, preferably films released under Creative Commons licenses, put together a schedule to give to the program, and play the movies during the weekend according to the schedule. We can provide at-the-door volunteers to watch over the film room and change DVDs.

Edited to add: We have found a person to take charge of the Film Room. If you have your own film you would like shown, or a suggestion for one, or if you would like to take a shift running the room, please email info@penguicon.org.

posted May 11, 2008 10:39 PM by Randy Bradakis [ updated Sep 12, 2008 7:32 PM ]

Chuck Child will hand off info to you about how to make sure everything happens that needs to happen in order to have a successful cookout. Learn how to cook steak the traditional Brazilian way, and he'll give you some practice at a SMOS dinner. Rent a trailer grill, and buy beef, rock salt, paper plates and plastic ware with Penguicon's funds. Set the price and manage the payments.

There are a number of things we need to make this process come off clean, and I will list each one, along with current status:

1. Grill - Reserved, and verified. 1 8-foot by 4 or 5 foot tow-behind grill, to be delivered before 9 AM on the 19'th, to the 'fire lane' or the part of the turn-around in front of the hotel closest to the gazebo.
2. Charcoal - Contacted GFS, verified that they will have natural chunk charcoal available, and they requested I call 2 weeks in advance, and verify the availability of volume.
3. Heat - At the moment I have absolutely no idea how we are going to get upwards of a hundred pounds of charcoal lit without lighter fluid, but if someone has a good idea, please bring it forward.
4. Meat - Verified at Sams club that top sirloin is available in volumes up to 400 LB, requested a heads-up 2 weeks in advance to insure it is available, and put aside for us.
5. Salt - I have contacted my local Meijer, and they have verified they will bring in an extra 30 of their 5 LB boxes of salt, so that I can purchase enough.
6. Tables - I have spoken with Jer Lance, and he has requested two tables be provided outside, for prep and cutting
7. Trash Cans - I have not put any though into this yet, but some should be. With 3-400 people getting paper plates, forks, and knives, and 20+ cryovac packages being opened, sliced, and trimmed, there is liable to be a significant need.
8. Flat and Silverware - I requested of Steve DeHart, in his Consuite shopping trip, to pick up 800 high quality plates for steak, and knives and forks for four hundred.
9. Steak Prep - I have done absolutely nothing regarding cutting boards or knives. If anyone here has nice knives, a good chef steel, or large cutting boards, it would be awesome if they stepped up and brought them. Eduardo has volunteered to direct, but in my mind it would be best if he served as executive of this process, and we all served as hands. . So, on to 10
10. Volunteers - Some of you, if I recall, volunteered to help cut meat, tend grill, serve, what have you. I feel like we need more people. 2 cutting and salting, two grilling, one bringing the grillers salted meat on-time, one collecting cooked steaks, one cutting up those steaks for service, one serving steak, and one checking names off the list, and Eduardo making sure we do everything right. That's 10 people. We currently have 5, assuming that everyone on this list can make it, has no schedule snafu's, Etc. Plus, I would like to see some ladies in the mix. If anyone has friends, spouses, Etc, who would ENJOY being involved (no press ganging here!) speak up!
11. Tongs - We need us some Grill tongs!
12. Organization - We need the list when pre-reg closes. We need a way of handling at-con buy in. We need a way to handle the cap / cutoff. We need a way to organize that list so we can find people, out of the 300+, and cross them off quickly. We need scheduling.
13. Cleanup - Once the grill is cooled, we need to at least scrape it down once, and then we need to handle the ashes and salt. Probably need a metal bin of some kind to handle the hot ash. Probably need a flat shovel or something to scoop it out. Need to know where to put it once we get it out of the grill.

Whew. So far, that's what I have. Please, feel free to forward this email to anyone you think might want in, who might have ideas, who might have a use for salty ashes, who might be willing to lend tools, advice, or manpower!

And, If we end up with 10 people. . .We probably need 8 more chairs, because I only have 2.

posted May 5, 2008 12:39 PM by communications [ updated May 5, 2008 1:28 PM ]

This person would take photos at Penguicon and give them to us in a web-ready form. Preferably, the same person would put them online in a Flickr gallery that we can embed on our site.

posted May 5, 2008 12:24 PM by communications [ updated Jun 17, 2008 10:22 AM ]

We need multiple people who know how to do a call for papers to be presented at Penguicon. These would - know where to send this (Linux Weekly News, schools, etc.) - decide the deadlines for proposals and final papers - publicize the announcement where it's likely to get responses - receive the [email protected] address to track the responses in coordination with the Head of Tech Programming, Trevor Jagoda.

Here is a Call For Papers announcement that Rob Landley once wrote, revised to fit next year.

This is a call for papers for the open source software track of Penguicon 7.0, the weekend of May 1 through 
3 in Romulus, Michigan (website http://www.penguicon.org).

Proposals (1000 words or less) describing the paper topic are due by { decide a date }, and should be emailed 
to [email protected].  All proposals will be replied to, so use a working return email address. Final papers
are due by { decide a date }. Papers should be 6 to 15 pages (very roughly 2500 to 8000 words, minus graphics 
and charts as appropriate). We accept papers in any format that can be converted to both HTML and PDF (although 
we may require you to do the conversion).

Accepted papers will result in an offer to present at Penguicon (including a free one-day admission or 
corresponding discount on a full weekend admission). Presentation slots are 1 hour. Video projectors capable of 
accepting 1024x768 vga video available upon request. Accepted papers, and audio recordings of Penguicon 
presentations, may be made available on the Penguicon website.

Penguicon is a combination Linux expo and science fiction convention featuring a diverse assortment of guests 
and topics. Our annual "Hack Of Honor" features inventions such as the Musical Tesla Coils, and Candyfab, a 3-D 
printer that creates sculptures from sugar. In previous years our technical guests have included Eric Raymond, 
Jon "Maddog" Hall, Nat Torkington, Chris DiBona, Christine Petersen, Bruce Schnier, Jono Bacon, and Benjamin 
Mako Hill. Our fannish guests have included Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, Steve Jackson, Charlie Stross, and 
Vernor Vinge. For 2009, our invited guests include Wil Wheaton and Spider Robinson.