From: Diva Las Vegas organizers (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Date: Wed May 24 2006 - 08:14:16 CDT
In this mailing:
Org List
Polls remain open
Group meals
Breaking in the Moderator
Bowling
Stodgy Dress Nazis
Administrivia
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Org List:
This is the DLV 2006 Organizational Mailing List (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Replies to this message will be forwarded to the DLVORG list and not
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Ongoing activity database appears on the web at:
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Polls remain open:
Have you voted today?
Please be sure that if you make a write-in vote, you actually write in
the name of the person you intended to vote for. :)
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Group meals:
Yvonne writes:
>>We should know ahead of time what a restaurant's policies are, such as
>>group seating, menu options, and separate or single checks.
>I like both small and large group dining.
>I like the idea of small groups for the reasons have already been
>mentioned.
>I agree that we should have a few large group meals, like the one a
>Suede. It a good opener, and a opportunity to see friends again in one
>place...for some its been a one year or more wait.
>May I suggest we come up with some minimum criteria or qualifications
>we need to give to all the vendors to all the places we are to dine as a
>large group.
>Also too... on our side, we must be able to follow through and
>provide the bodies to attend.
>I think we have a good start:
>Based on the Number of people to attend the Venue must be notified that
>we are a trans-gendered group AND provide on such date:
> Enough staff to handle our group and provide decent service
> Enough tables and settings
> Caveat 1:One large Group Seating
> Caveat 2: Spread into smaller groups or tables spread out in the
> dining area. Menu Selections from a set or from standard resturant
> menu
> Individual checks preferred
>I've always had problems with one BIG check. The person with the bill
>NEVER gets enough money to cover food, drinks, tax, and tip/gratuity.
>Some resturants add a % gratuity automatically depending on the size
>of the group... I've seen from 20% to 30%.
>Some people don't pay, forget to pay completely for what they ordered
>and any drinks, forget to pay the tax, or forget to pay for the tip...
>and no one can really check to be sure everyone paid their bill.
>If we are to have one big check, and if this is demanded by the venue
>... I would then add the criteria of the venue providing a few options
>for a set menu and price. Everyone who attends this event pre-pays for
>this pre-set meal that is the total cost+tax+tip, and the bar will
>deal with collecting for individual drinks.
>This makes it easier on the planner, and can ensure that everyone has
>paid. It also makes it easier on the venue to prepare the number of
>dishes needed and provide enough service to cover those number of
>prepaid meals. Also having pre-paid meals, it makes sure to those that
>sign-up will attend. The money collected from the no-shows are forfited
>to the venue, and given to the venue as recovery for the meals prepared
>in advance and never delivered.
>A potential problem is late comers to the event.... but maybe a
>provision for a number of possible late signups can be negotiated with
>the venue, or they pay those that paid and didn't attend.
>With standard requirements like above... I think we can cover most of
>the potential problems that may occur with any venue for our large
>group, and help ensure the venue would be prepared for our arrival.
Thoughts, gang?
The more I think about it, as our numbers grow, the coordination of
large group meals becomes more of a challenge.
Our survey responses show that yes, people enjoyed our two big group
dinners this year, but with only one exception, all of the smaller
group meals (EON, LwG, HR, etc.) placed higher.
One recurring request is for things that get as much of the group
together as possible.
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Breaking in the Moderator:
Michelle (NZ) writes:
>Hi all,
/nick all
Hi Michelle :)
>I volunteer to break in the new Moderator!
>I can provide spurs, whips, chains and and assortment of breaking in
>tools and implements :-)
>Now this joke came across my desk yesterday and I feel it should be
>shared...
A British Airway's passenger cabin was being served by an obviously gay
flight attendant, who seemed to put everyone into a good mood as he
served them food and drinks. As the plane prepared to descend, he came
swishing down the aisle and announced to the passengers: "Captain Marvey
has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big scary plane
shortly, lovely people, so if you could just put up your trays that
would be super." On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed that a
well-dressed rather exotic looking woman hadn't moved a muscle. "Perhaps
you didn't hear me over those big brute engines." he said, "I asked you
to raise your trazy-poo so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground."
She calmly turned her head and said, "In my country, I am called a
Princess. I take orders from no one." To which the flight attendant
replied, without missing a beat, "Well sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm
called a Queen, so I outrank you. Tray-up bitch."
--- >Breaking up groups... >My take on breaking up groups by number, alphabetical or any other way >is a waste of time and effort. Apart from the obvious I want to be >with so and so, people arrive late, forget where they're meant to go >and have a variety of other unrelated excuses for ending up in the >wrong place. >EON works well as long as the numbers are kept to a reasonable level. I think EON works quite well. I didn't hear of any of the EON things this year that had an issue with numbers. >I'm happy to volunteers for the transition team as long as it doesn't >involve actually doing anything.... Ok, we'll put you in charge of not doing anything then. :) :) :) >Also I think you should remove the DLV date / location thing from the >ORG e-mail. I think we all know WHEN it was!!! :-) Let's let the new Moderator make a command decision on that one. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bowling: Amber Michelle writes: >hi Annie , i thought i filled out the survey but it must have just been >the test seeing as how you have no responses for bowling-there were two >of us there. Since we added questions to the survey, the results needed to be restarted from scratch. I thought that was announced. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stodgy Dress Nazis: (Copied straight over, first person, no quoting ...) (was Re: dlvdisc Re: DLV 2006 participant survey report, part 2 ...) Tina writes: I attended DLV each year from 1999 - 2003. During those years, I was a frequent activity organizer. I just had to comment on some of the up-tight comments I've been reading lately. DLV has progressed considerably in the wrong direction from the relaxed group it was in 1999 through approximately 2001. After that, as its size increased significantly and new members came into the ORG group, a distressing level of judgmental attitude has increasingly asserted itself. Along with certain necessary policy implementations in the area of restroom policy and discouragement of illegal activities, there has been an increasing tendency to judge people's dressing efforts. DLV ORG members have increasingly tried to urge/enforce a progressively conservative style of dress for a "vacation" in one of the most hedonistic towns in the US. The caustic judgments of some DLV attendees in the past few years has been even more draconian. This has taken much of the fun out of DLV and is one of the main reasons I haven't attended in the last few years. >>Screaming Trannies, Hookers on Heat and the femme neutral look need to >>be stomped on. They are an embarrassment to us all. Please speak for yourself. They haven't been an embarrassment to me, other than the 1 or 2 real hookers who used to use DLV for business purposes. Letting your hair down and dressing outrageously used to be one of the real fun things about DLV. And it was never a problem at the vast majority of places DLV used to go (Goodtimes, Flex, Gipsy, Spotlight Lounge, Las Vegas Lounge, Keys). And "stomped on"? Yeah, that sounds draconian alright. >>Specifically many of the taller girls seem to sepcialise in wearing >>short skirts that make them look like whores. They need to dress more >>appropriately. "[W]hores" - wow, that's pretty judgmental. If "[t]hey need to dress more appropriately", then whose judgment would be used? For several years now, the ORG group and activity coordinators have been empowered to speak up to people dressed really far out for mainstream activities. >From monitoring DLV ORG from 2004 through 2006, its an issue that gets talked about a lot, but has had to seldom be acted upon in Vegas; although, its an issue that is often talked about after each DLV. Bluenose attitudes such as those expressed by the above individual just seem too outlandish to take into real consideration in terms of ORG policy. >>First of all, I'm sure (I sure HOPE anyway) that all of these refer to >mainstream venues and not things like NSD and the Alternative Bar Crawl, >where appropriate dress does include things like mini, fishnets, 6" >heels worn by somebody who is 6'12". :) >This indicates that even though we have given attention to dress that is >appropriate for time, place, and circumstance, some believe that this is >still an issue. > You can't please all of the people all of the time, nor should you try. >Although the group as a whole has made a commendable improvement from >2003 to this day, when only just a few dress in a manner that attracts >attention, members of the group who are dressed properly are also the >target of this attention, and want something to be done about it. Too often, the ORG group tries to blame attention on one or two improperly dressed individuals. The fact is that when you get a group of 50, 75, or 100 cross-dressed people together for big events (shows, etc) and they're average age is 55 (per Annie's 2006 survey), then you're going to get noticed. All of you. >>You've got to do something about those who don't look somewhat normal >>in everyday public. Even insist they go guy mode until they get their >>act straight. ... Also that half guy mode half girl mode stuff has got >>to stop! One way or the other, please. Girl mode and no makeup or hair >>looks AWFUL Whose definition of "somewhat normal"? On close inspection, not too many DLV people 'pass'. Also, since about 2002 (when the ORG group really took off, IIRC), there has been much more discussion about making DLV 'safe' for first-timers out in public. First-time out and blend-in dressing are often diametrically opposed, due to the inexperience of the first-timer. If DLV wants to encourage first-timers to attend, then you have to live with some of this. Now, I would point out that in the early years that I attended (say 1998 - 2000), there wasn't any movement that I saw emphasizing DLV as a good/safe place for a first-time experience. Just the opposite, IMHO. The early years used to talk about how DLV was a great chance to go out and be yourself on vacation, and it had a great mix of GLBT venues and main-stream venues. This inclusion of main-stream events made DLV, to me, seem a much more interesting event than others such as Southern Comfort, Texas T, IFGE conferences, or Be-All. These other events are, by nature, much more appropriate to first-timers. DLV had an image, IMHO, of a group that was more relaxed, more free-wheeling, and more comfortable in its own skin to get out there and do mainstream things instead of hide in the closet. To me, DLV has lost that attitude and atmosphere. >>... and the femme neutral look need to be stomped on. And the heavily troweled on foundation and granny dress is somehow more acceptable? >There's a concern about general personal appearance when with the group, >and the concern about giving or not giving feedback or constructive >criticism on the spot ... I believe that these articulated concerns are over-blown and the opinions of a very small minority, both within the ORG group and within DLV. Over-reaction to this has caused DLV to become much more stuffy, stodgy, and conservative. It's not fun anymore, compared to what it used to be. LV is still fun - I go there as often as I can afford to, either singly or to meet up with a small group. DLV isn't fun anymore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Administrivia: This is the Diva Las Vegas 2006 organizational list. This mailing was addressed to: annie@annie.net One address for all items regarding this list, additions, removals, changes, submissions, questions, etc.: dlvorg@geekbabe.com <--- NOTE: all lower case Please do not send binary attachments (photos, etc.) directly to the list, as the list processor will not properly handle them. If you want to send photos and the like, mail to: annie@annie.net Diva Las Vegas 2006 April 17 - 23, 2006 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Archives of this list appear on the web at: http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/org06arc/ To unsubscribe: Simply reply to this message with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in either the Subject: field or the first line of an OTHERWISE BLANK message body. The word "unsubscribe" (case is insignificant) should be the only item in the subject field or the first line of the message, justified to the left. 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