From the RG Chair:

February is here and the RG is just around the corner!

We have taken the time to post a lot of information here on this website to assist you in planning for your RG experience. We are pleased to announce that the Program is now on this site. Additional information regarding Special Events, Entertainment, and Field Trips, is also available. For those of you still needing to register for the RG, we still have the Registration Forms, Meal Plan Information, and Registration costs available.

Finally, we want to ask everyone to try and arrive at the RG for the first time during open Registration Hours in order to expedite individual participation.

On behalf of the RG Committee, let me thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing you all at StaRGazing!

Desiree E. Sagray
2006 RG Co-Chair

Special Events:

We are raising money for scholarships this year! Please bring that tacky, funny, and unusual good ol' "White Elephant" to the RG! This is all in good fun as we try and raise some money for the GLAAM MERF Scholarship. You will be able to check in donations on Saturday Afternoon in the Registration Area. On Saturday Evening, between 9:00-11:00pm you will have the opportunity to peruse the items in Plaza C and enter bids for your choices. Bidding closes promptly at 11:00pm! Checks and receipts for your tax-deductible donations from winning bids will be collected between 11:00-11:30pm. This is the first time we are offering an event of this kind at the GLAAM RG and look forward to your participation!

Well folks, the Book Sale A.K.A "Giveaway" has finally been retired. We are moving on with an inaugural event this year! Please bring your books, tapes, CD's, DVD's, periodicals, and other forms of media. Monday morning, between 9:00-10:00am, attendees will be able to check in their trades and receive vouchers for exchange items. Between 10:00-11:00am, redeem vouchers as you peruse the items from other attendees and choose your "new to you" replacements!

Program and Speakers:

Click here to see the full schedule of events.

Field Trips:

We are arranging for two day trips on Saturday. Both trips are on a first-come/first-served basis and sign-ups and waiting lists will be at the registration desk. We only have room for 14 people for each trip. You will meet your driver in the registration area at 10:15am. Any open seats will be given to the wait-listed people at 10:15am.

• Griffith Observatory Satellite Facility: During the renovations of the historic building, the staff and personnel of the Griffith Observatory have set up a Satellite Facility on the northern corner of Griffith Park. There are some exhibits and a Mini-Planetarium for visitors to peruse and enjoy. The Planetarium show is hosted by an astronomer who will take questions allowing for audience participation to guide the presentation. This trip is FREE.

• The Erotic Museum: Located on Hollywood Blvd. between Disney and Liberace, this 6,000-square-foot museum is one of the most intriguing sites special to Hollywood. Due to location and time allowed, participants will likely be able to enjoy a self-guided walking tour of historic Hollywood attractions in the neighborhood. ADULTS ONLY. This trip costs $5.00 per person.

Entertainment:

Get into the groove with Planet 80's! This high-energy combo has been rocking out the hits for over five years. They perform attired in appropriate eighties garb in the style of icons Duran Duran, Billy Idol, George Michael and Adam Ant. Come On Eileen, Hold Me Now and let's do the Safety Dance! Everybody Have Fun Tonight with Tainted Love and a Rebel Yell, as we party like it's 1999! Saturday evening.

This popular program from last year is back! Enjoy casino games, like Blackjack, Roulette and Craps. Shake your hips to an eclectic variety of dance music spun by pro DJ David McCracken of Fastmill Productions. Join in the fun by performing your favorite Karaoke hits. Sunday evening.

Dennis is a Celtic harpist, singer and storyteller. He's performed in Ireland, Japan and throughout North America, a veteran performer at most major Irish and Celtic, and Folk festivals. He's appeared several times on national television, including the show "Murder, She Wrote" and has performed background music for many others. He sings in English, Latin and Irish-Gaelic. Saturday afternoon.

Jennifer was born and raised in the Bronx. While attending Stony Brook University, she became lead vocalist for the band "Blush". She began her solo career in New York clubs like the Bitter End and the Baggot Inn before relocating to LA. Jen was named one of the top 100 unsigned artists of 2003, 2004 and 2005 by Music Connection magazine and received honorable mention in Billboard's 2003 & 2004 Annual World Song Contests. Sunday afternoon.

Filk singing started as a typo for "folk" at a science-fiction convention. Original melodies and parodies with a science, sci-fi, or social commentary theme. Most of the songs are humorous. Featuring GLAAM's own Alan Stillson. Day/Time TBA.

Registration:

The rates and deadlines are:

• $65 through 11/30/05
• $70 through 1/31/06
• $75 through 2/15/06
• $80 thereafter and at the door
• $40 for advanced (before 2/15/06) one-day* registration
• $45 for walk-in one-day* registration

*NOTE: One-day Saturday registration includes Friday free. One-day Sunday registration includes Monday free.

Registration Hours:

The Registration Desk is located in the Lobby area of the Plaza Ballroom or the Lower Lobby of the LAX Hilton. You can find it directly in front of you when you exit the elevators (those accessible from the parking structure as well as inside the main Hotel Lobby) or the escalators from the Hotel Lobby.

To avoid any confusion regarding Registration Times, please note that the Registration Desk will be open according the below schedule. If you arrive at the RG for the first time outside of this schedule, we may be unable to check you in and you cannot enter the Program Rooms without your Badge. To avoid this problem, please try and time your arrival according to the following schedule:

Meals:

• Saturday banquet dinner: $39
• Sunday brunch: $26
• Full meal plan: $61

Payments:

Figure out what you want to pay for, and send a check for that amount, along a copy of the registration form (or else a letter with your real name, your postal address, your email address, and the nametag name, that is, the nickname or other name you prefer to appear on your nametag), to:

We do not accept payment via PayPal or credit card. Checks should be made payable to "LA Mensa RG".

Forms:

Registration forms are available in both Adobe Acrobat (PDF) and Microsoft Word (DOC) formats.

You can obtain the free Adobe Acrobat reader here.

The Hotel:

The 2006 GLAAM RG will be held at the Los Angeles Airport Hilton hotel over the Presidents Day weekend, Feb 17-20.

Hotel rooms at the RG are $95/night. To reserve your room for the RG, call 1-800-HILTONS (1-800-445-8667) or call 1-310-410-4000 and ask for the GLAAM RG 2006 room rate.

You can also place reservations on the Hilton website. Make reservations using the Group or Convention Code GLA on the website to get the special rates.

Parking and transportation:

Reduced-price parking at the hotel (with in-and-out privileges) is $7 per day for RG attendees. (If you register a room through the Hilton website, that site may indicate that the self-parking rate is $13 rather than $7 per day. That information is incorrect.)

You may want to note the following possibilities for getting to and from the hotel that don't involve paying for parking:

1. For those flying in from out of town, there is a free hotel-airport shuttle, as mentioned on Hilton's website.
2. All of the following bus lines stop directly in front of the hotel, according to the hotel concierge:
• 117 Bus
• 625 Bus
• 439 Bus
• Santa Monica #3 Bus
• Culver City #6 Bus

The following transportation options are also available:

• The Ocean Express Trolley (which operates out of next door) goes to the beach and mall, leaving once per hour and returning on the half hour.

• There is a 4½-hour grand city sightseeing tour that costs $48/person, operated by VIP Tours & Charters through the hotel. Reservations can be made with the concierge. They do have other tours available as well, including ones to Disneyland and Universal City, which also include the respective admission charges.

• There is also a Hertz Rent-a-Car office inside the hotel itself, for those who want to rent a car.

Concierge services:

If you have any questions about anything related to the hotel, parking, getting around, etc., the hotel concierge can be reached at (310) 410-4000.

Contact Information:

Desiree Sagray is chairing this RG. Send her an email with comments, questions, requests and suggestions about the RG, or contact her by telephone at 626-329-3979.

This 2006 RG page of the GLAAM website is maintained by Brian Madsen. Send him an email if you see something here that doesn't look right.

Everything else:

That's really all we know so far. Additional details will be posted here as they become available.