Re: KFest 2006 report

["Kirk Mitchell" <kirkmitchell@gmail.com>]

Matt Lichtenberg wrote:
> I'd love to be there next year as well!  Especially if there's another
> trip to Sweet Tomatoes planned.. mm, I think I might have lunch there
> tomorrow.
>

That looks like it's going to be the tradition for the first meal here.
 The university cafeteria isn't open that evening.

> Here's hoping tomorrow goes as well as today!

Hence todays report.  B-{)

Age is catching up with most of us.  The vast majority of us went to
bed around 2:30 AM this morning, but were up at 7:00 AM for breakfast.
Standard fare, scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, fruit, cerial... Wide
choice at least, and it tasted good.

The morning didn't have anything scheduled until the Great KFest
Kookout at noon.  The university had two nice Webber grills to loan, so
I got them both going.  They made short work of the hamburger patties
and hotdogs (the veggies amongst us got Boca burgers and tofu undogs).
Fortunately, the temperature was only in the lower 90's that early in
the day, but it was still hot by the grills.

Our first official session, Mark Percival took us through the steps he
took going from a 6502 machine code novice, to experienced programmer
via his excellent program, DiskMaker 8.

Check out his find product at:
 http://www.syndicomm.com/~mark/DM8/

It was interesting, but then I'm a geek and like this technical stuff.
B-{)

The next session was Eric Shepherd's announcement of Sweet 16 for Mac
OS X!
This is an Apple IIgs emulator that doesn't require Classic, and it's a
Universal binary too, so it runs on Intel Macs as well as PPC.  While
it doesn't have as many features as Bernie to the Rescue, there are
many that Bernie didn't have.  And the nice news was that it's
freeware!

Check it out at:

http://sheppyware.net/software-mac/sweet16/index.html

Dinner was OK.  Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, or you could go for
eggrolls.  Nice pie afterwards too.

Sheppy (Eric Shepherd) gave the Keynote this year, and basically
revisited the challenge he presented to us in his 2001 Keynote address.
 We mostly tried brainstorming ideas on how to keep the Apple II
community alive and strong.  While this year's KFest had more folks
than last year, we still tend to lose track of some fine Apple IIers.
Everyone in attendance definitely wants to continue coming to KFest in
the future, and the way to do that is to be helpful to new Apple II
folks and to make sure Apple II information is well provided.
Wikipedia was suggested as a resource we can add to.

After the Keynote, it was just visiting with others, and looking at all
their equipment.  At around 10:00 PM, the Syndicomm.com pizza wagon
rolled in and we all dove in.  Thanks Sheppy!

Now, I hear folks laughing down the hall, so I'll wonder down that way
to participate in the REAL joy of KFest.  This is one great Fellowship.
 B-{)

Kirk