Meeting an LPF Member in Person

[hakzaw1]

I just can't select one person, there are a few people here that I would like to meet. I like seeing the photos in the "Post a picture of yourself!" thread so I know what people look like. More people should post a photo there, anyone who hasn't seen what I look like can see here: http://laserpointerforums.com/f57/post-picture-yourself-43721-71.html#post1284404 am much like my avatar I guess. Maybe we should also have a "Post a video of yourself" thread.

If I could see one person's laser collection I guess it would be Pman, just because he has more lasers than anyone else (in the entire world).

Alan

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If it would bring them back...

Alan , Carlo, Rob, Mark (Greenmechanic) (only met Mark-stayed with them twice),

and a few that ATM (since I have gotten myself all worked up and my eyes are misting.)

My 'humans only' bucket list--(sub-list my fellow laser geeks)

..much <3 to ALL.

Crossed off my list (sometimes several times).. in NO order (&off the top of my head)-daguin-Dr Sam-buffo-allthatwhichis-Bill Benner-Doc John -Pat Murphy-planters-mario master-masterpj-Jeffrythe00, ice cruncher-Tim Walsh-Charles Maricle-Greg (LSO instructor) Casey Stack-Displaser-Dr Evil-Evil300-kecked-laserman121-platinum-LSFAQ
(Steve Roberts)-arythna-LarryDFW-sugeek-Jeff K.(pyrostyro) Adam Burns-

-Rodman and Gadget & Rick Hellman (Thank you 3 for inviting me into your homes)

and a hundred more if you count the ones I did not mention and ALL their guests at the LEMs.
I HAVE TRULY been blessed and if I can continue be blessed I will meet many more...more than I can list..

Still on my bucket list-??
-pretty much all my friends that I have interacted with...my bad for not listing.
but you know who you are!!

MEET ME in Aug 2019 at SELEM XIII..
AND a majority from my 'met them' list plus MORE.
SELEM is a must-do for any laser lovers bucket list..

If you doubt that--feel free to PM anyone who ever went...they will likely say 'TRUST ME--JUST GO-(& try hard to make every day!!-the first day and/or Sunday ...which are manditory unless you goal is to be not remembered except for you not helping the with the huge task of load-in/Set up and take down/load out. It is an important duty if you really want the full experience.. Lasershow Roadie for 5 days. OK to just bring your laser eyewear.. we do not judge by ones gear,,, we all have 'been there'..

hak

 

[BobDiaz]

I would love to have a laser Pot luck party, where each person brings their favorite laser or lasers and one by one each person shows it off to the group. I know everyone is all over the place, but I'm in to Los Angeles, California, so maybe there a group in the area.

 

[hakzaw1]

At our former forum we had social groups --something afaik we no longer have..IIRC these was a SG for Cal. members-- I started one 'Lonestarlaserfans' and got great help from GADGET.. BUT sadly it was a waste of our time ..& here is WHY-- when you join LPF , by default (afaik) any time we make a new thread we get an email when there is a post AND again afaik same thing when we post in any thread --after that again we get notice.
you CAN opt out of all this.. and some do.. I think many here do not know about this...

what I DO know if you join LSLF you MUST opt-in to get Emails or other 'alerts' !!! so what this boils down to --the SG were set up for FAIL..
The common thing heard... "SGs are lame --nothing going on ever.'' and I am betting 90% who felt that way NEVER opted in for alerts.. to prove that I made a new thread at a few of MY SGs..


'Free pussy and watermelon--

post here if you wanty!!'

I did get to replies from LSLF but no where near ALL.
If you look at the members of LSLF you can clearly see that MANY who joined we ONLY wanting to make themselves look 'legit' some 'fluff' --they could be puppets- weirdos- wannabees-- all I know is only a few ever posted anything-no profile to speak of...most never came back at all after joining--WTH???
AND if you scroll down the gazillion pages where all our 'Members' are listed you will see the same thing--

I know some newer members here are somewhat puzzled by our less than warm feelings towards WL..
.. and while WL was playing catch up --because they never turned down ONE buyer for an 'Arctic' even tho they should have known there were way too many buyers for WL to handle--some waited > a year for delivery-- and one was Chuck at AixiZ--- he was contacted by "Chris'' or whatever name he was using and offered a free sample that took 18 months to get to Houston..I saw it- cheap host--WL got them for 7$ each ..

.. Some in China referred to him as the (rich)American Chinaman-- he called Chuck several times asking advice.. Chuck told me that the WL sales 'plan' was both brilliant and very reckless and a very bad thing for LPF...

it was aimed at the balloon lighters and match poppers.. No parent that cares would allow their kid to own one IF they had read the sales pitches-- a 'parents nightmare'-- and the WL 'forum' (if you can call it a forum)- was flooded w/ messgs from buyers who paid and were never even contacted about the delay and THAT spilled over to LPF-- the WL forum was mostly just 'shinning them on' many felt they were entitled to help & info/updates and turned to LPF for some of that as well as any updates that OUR member got and they did not-

- I forget exactly what my reliable source told me.

BUT it was something like - The PP payments were coming in at rate average of 2 per hour 24/7.
And I would NOT be shocked to hear that new members (WL 'people") were joining LPF at about the same rate

sorry for the rant but this has been bothering me for a long time.
OUR list of 'members' is A JOKE. BUT how would one choose to who remove from LPF.
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TO the OP DAVID.
I love both your ideas and your zeal.. my advice (Vet of 5 SELEMs and 2 TEXLEMs) is to (re)start SCalLEM -
it was a good one afaik and for a while there was another in the same year(s)--

I always say any gathering of 2 or more laser lovers and at least one PJ is a legit LEM. Most started out very small-- IIRC Zack came home from SELEM iirc his 2nd or 3rd year and held a mini LEM in his parents garage-
BTW I met (1st) Mr Collins at SELEM 2010.. and he had more 'laser' energy than anyone there-- I think he was only 15 then.. I know he had to have a parent or guardian w/ for him to attend-- Now in retrospect he would have been just fine w/o.

I had a very common feeling after my 1st SELEM (which I almost did NOT make )
many say SELEM changed their lives -- hardly any went home the same person.
SELEM is mid Aug. when I got home I began planning a STEXLEM --this happened on NOVEMBER-- only ~2 months after SELEM.

ATM I did not own a PJ!! just handhelds and a few lab lasers-- but I was truly blessed when 2 (top shelf) members said they would come.. and bring Lasers-- Jonathon (ATM IIRC he lived in Wash state) and his Bro
300Evil (Wisconsin)drove 40 miles from where they (Adam and his dad) were doing a job of some sort in Katy (close to Houston. and They invited Platinum--so he flew in.. I had met both at SELEM but before that I was just another LPF member.

I had found an EMT dusty warehouse that was FS. I contacted the guy handling the property and asked if it could be rented short term and if my 'people' like it they may buy it ( yeah I BSed him) I said only a few would be there and there would be no problems- I wrote a check for the deposit and paid cash for the '5 day' weekend rate of 150$.. took a few hours to sweep away the dust.. & I was alone..

all my best friends (almost) are also members of 'The PitMeisters'-- a world class competitive BBQ team.. and we had the Lake Jackson 'Gobbler Cookoff' (Lake Jackson)Not a huge one so my absence and that of a few other members would not be a problem.

IIRC we/they won 1st that year for our Turkey 'turn-in'.

The music and lasers started around 8PM and we had a BLAST until 4:30AM-- Pizza was called in and there was a liquor store next door. Total attendance was IIRC 14 souls.
All my friends NOW understood how/why I am the way I am about lasers.
THose that attended SAW why I was Cray-Cray about laser PJs (etc)and told everybody that the missed a REALLY great party'

I can count on every one to attend my next STEXLEM-- and I would not be surprized if I got >100 of my friends want to attend --they ALL heard about the 'most excellent' time we had and saw the few pics that 'survived'-- Adam's Dad had a VERY $$$ Cannon DSL and took a slew of pics and made several vids too.. They got back to the motel in Katy just before sun-up --they DID lock the rental car... But the Cannon was left it the car and some a55hat broke out a window and stole it.. so only pics were on cellfones. BTW if you have ever had damage to a rental car-- no matter what insurance you buy-- be ready to fork out some BIG BUCKS for a broken window..
BUT Adam (& Dad) are no fools-- they went out and bought the glass and replaced it themselves..

I learned a lot from STEXLEM 1 ... but next SELEM- I followed buffo around a LOT watched how he 'ran the LEM" he answered countless questions & I wasa takin' dem notes- and each year thereafter I watched and learned more.... I was a 'player' in TEXLEM 2012 which was arranged mostly by Tim Walsh-- we had a common friend
'Displaser' Greg and he did a lot of work to make TEXLEM happen and be a BIG success..


The venue Tim got was prolly as good as it ever gets--too bad we cannot use it again.
IT had the most important things- ability to stay/sleep at the venue (with shower room)- a HUGE kitchen where most of our eats were cooked. a gazillion rooms.. No problem with neighbors and loud music, ( a 1925 Brick BIG church turned Arts Center, after being a Battered Woman's Home. ..complete w/ bullet proof glass on window facing the street.

To this day I cannot pass a church that looks like it is not being used w/o thinking of that 'venue' in San Antonio. 'Urban 13' -- was wonderful ( and BTW it is 'haunted' but with friendly ghosts)


Sending a PM with some 'contacts' and suggestions..

IF there were ANY way.... I would come to your L.A.LEM .
I bet you could get attendance and help from another David who IIRC lives fairly close to you..
He is missed here since his retirement from many years of being one of our best-ever Mods 'daguin'
BUT I bet he still owns a huge collection-- I met Dave at a SELEM -- a real treat. ( IIRC SELEM was on his 'bucket list')-- Dave would also know of 99% of the Cal. members too.

WARNING Like Lasers.. LEMS can be highly ADDICTIVE.

One LEM will never be enough. My last 'try' was ruined by 'Harvey'--the 'venue' was flooded weeks before the well planned TEXLEM.... It would have been EPIC!! (AixiZ Laser was 'funding' the whole thing>> ;-) )
It had much of what we had at San Antonio but on a smaller scale.

while LEMs are talked about here-- you need to join the 'other' forum and at least sub the 'meets n greet' section-- where MOST LEMs are organized..or at least listed.

Try to make one of Jonathon's LEMs (platinum)

but do not say I did not warn you!!
one will not be enough!!!

hak

 

[Gadget]

Hey, Hakster...with the upgrade, NOTIFICATIONS STARTED WORKING FOR ME AGAIN!! Woooohoooo!!

But now I got no groups to subscribe to, dammit.

-G

 

[hakzaw1]

we could just start a NEW thread on TEXAS and its members and sub it..have you found any good places for the next TEXLEM??
It's a bit of a drive (5hrs) for my local non-forum friends..GD party animals .. ttyl Kevmeister

Would a closed funeral home be OK??-- (dont go to the basement!!)