News Updates: Laser Rangers Regular Meeting and a Successful Foray to the Storage Unit

"H.G. Wells' Two Time Machines" at Laser Rangers

Date: Saturday, May 14, 2011
Time: 4:15 P.M. ("fan time")
Place: The usual.  For directions email David Sooby as shown on the screen at right.
Food Theme: "Food of the British Empire" (This category offers endless possibilities.  Your food choice could be any of these and more: Indian, Egyptian, Canadian, American Colonial, Australian, or even . . . English/UK!)
Captain Laser: Ken Keller

On the Program: 

For more information about these movies, go to the Laser Rangers website!
The evening will open with a 22-minute short, the Big Bang Theory Season One Episode #14, "The Time-Share Time Machine."  Here is a 2-minute teaser for this episode, from YouTube:

The first feature will be Nicholas Meyer's 1979 film, Time After Time. In a note about the, er, timing of this film, Ken Keller observed that this "is a Laser Rangers' *repeat* showing from *precisely* a decade ago this weekend. (Thus Spake Captain Laser.)"
After that is the dinner break.
The second, "main" feature will be George Pal's groundbreaking 1960 film, The Time Machine.  It won an Academy Award for special effects that year.

Storage Unit Expedition Successful
KaCSFFS has a storage unit at Attic Storage in North Kansas City that provides much-needed space to stow many items the club does not need all the time, but very much needs for some events--especially ConQuesT.  With the convention coming soon on May 27-29, six KAXFEN went over to the unit to inventory and retrieve needed supplies.

The KaCSFFS Storage Unit spills its guts!  Visible L-R are Jim Dowdy's shoulder,
Cindy Norton, and John Platt IV, along with vehicles owned by Jan Gephardt and
Cindy Norton.  Also present: Jeff Orth and Diana Bailey. 

Can anyone spare storage containers?
Club Director Diana Bailey also sent out a call to the membership for plastic storage tubs that will fit on a shelf that is 15" tall by 18" deep by 30" wide.  The club is hoping for donations to replace some of the crumbling cardboard boxes and heavy, larger totes (that won't fit on the shelves) currently in use.

PHOTO CREDITS: The movie screen frame image is from Psychology Today Online, with added design work by Jan Gephardt.  The clip from The Big Bang Theory is from YouTube and CBS.
The photo from the storage unit is by Jan Gephardt.

The Final Version of the KaCSFFS Ad

In two sizes!
Here is the finished full-page ad.  I have sent it on to Jesi for the ConQuesT 42 Program Book, but after all the help you gave me, I thought you'd like to see the finished product.  Scroll farther down to see the quarter-page ad that will appear in the Pocket Program.

Of course, you'll be seeing them in print when you go ConQuesT--right???

Here's the full-page version.  Note the Taurus constellation is now complete!

Here is the quarter-page version.

I also needed to pare basically the same material down for the quarter-page Pocket Program ad.  Since an ad should function more as a poster than as a brochure, I had to cut out some of the more detailed information.  Prospective members can learn most of what they need to know on the website, in any case, I hoped.

This may be as good a place as any to give you a heads-up that I will be recruiting a Publicity Advisory Committee after ConQuesT, to work with me on crafting an overall publicity plan that encompasses all our print and online outreach efforts.  We will work together to design an a series of ads, fliers, and brochures that can be adapted for an assortment of purposes, plan roll-out strategies, etc.

Anyone with graphic design and/or marketing experience is especially welcome!  I will go out and actively recruit if I need to, but interested volunteers will generally bring better results!

Meanwhile, please remember the Writers Workshop May 21 at the Writers Place, and for goodness sake, if you haven't registered for ConQuesT and reserved your room, please do so!  The discounts are about to expire!!

Should the Bull fly again?

    
In my last post, I asked you to critique the ad I had created for the ConQuesT 42 Program Book.  I got some excellent suggestions, and I thank you!  One of them, however, sent me scurrying for references on constellations.  One of the other graphic designers in the club mentioned he'd used the constellation Taurus at one point--a nod to our flying bull/cow mascot.

What a great idea, I thought.  Rather than a random collection of stars in the upper right-hand corner, how would Taurus look? 

So here's the "re-visioned" ad, with Taurus in the upper right-hand corner, as well as the other changes that were suggested.  Please let me know what you think of this one!

So here's the latest version.  How do you like it?  Please comment below in the "comments" section, on the Facebook page, or via our KAXFEN Yahoo Group.  Thank you!

Calling All KAXFEN! Opinions wanted!

Please help me perfect our new ad!
Your comments would help a lot!  This is my first draft of the proposed ad to promote KaCSFFS in the ConQuesT 42 Program book.

It should give all the important information, for someone who had never heard of KaCSFFS before--but be simple enough to function more like a poster than an in-depth brochure.

Click on the image to see it bigger.  Look it over.  What do you think?  What did I forget?  What would make it better?

Please look this over and tell me anything you think is good--or should be changed! 

To "talk back" to me, please leave a comment on Blogger below, send an email to the KAXFEN Yahoo group, or respond on Facebook.  Thank you for your help!

Jan Gephardt, KaCSFFS Communications Officer

Three Important Announcements!

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Make sure you scroll down for all three!

The Barnes & Noble at Oak Park Mall is the
new home of the KaCSFFS Book Club.

1. New Home for KaCSFFS Book Club!
Starting April 25, The KaCSFFS Book Club will meet at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at Oak Park Mall.  The book under discussion will be George R.R. Martin's Fevre Dream.  The group had to move because their previous location, the Borders Books at 91st and Metcalf, is closing.  They will continue to meet on their regular day--fourth Monday of the month--and at their regular time, 7:00 p.m.  Thanks, B&N!

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Flash your KaCSFFS Membership Card at
the Marrakech Cafe and get a 10% discount!

2. New Discount for KaCSFFS Members!
KaCSFFS Members now can receive a 10% discount when they eat at the Marrakech Cafe at 4116 Broadway in Westport, just a half-block off Westport Road.  This restaurant was a Fanivores location in February, and the reviews were generally terrific.

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3. Don't miss the Meeting on Saturday!

The food theme for the April 16 meeting is cupcakes and muffins.

Saturday is your LAST CHANCE to get a discounted ConQuesT 42 membership, if you are a dues-paid 2011-2012 KaCSFFS member.  The food theme is cupcakes and muffins, and the program after the business meeting will be "About SF," given by new KaCSFFS member Ben Cartwright.  Watch this blog for more details!
When: Saturday, April 16, 2011 and 6:30 p.m.
Where: The Writers Place, 3607 Pennsylvania Avenue, Kansas City, MO

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PHOTO CREDITS: Barnes & Noble store at Oak Park Mall: Barnes & Noble.com; 
Marrakech Cafe: Google Maps; The Writers Place: Examiner.com; chocolate cupcakes: Wikipedia; blueberry muffins: FunOkay.Com