Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

I will be there to represent Longwood I love the workshops...

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

I'll be there =]

First time going to one in NH. I'm stoked.

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

Oh come on Baker, dont sweat the little stuff. There is always an open spot on the floor for you in Larry the Turtle's room at my place. I have a soft spot for hard luck Colts fans. :p

Of course, there are plenty of places around Manchester, you just might have to drive a little further. Bedford has a nice new hotel, and I believe Hooksett has a few as well. Plus, depending on those goofy Michagan folks...the primary might end up taking place in December, which will make this whole deal a moot point.

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

Wow... Baker you must really be up on Andy's Admiration List... I didn't get offered a spot in Larry's room!? :(

I'm looking forward to meeting some of you at the workshops!

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

The FIRST site finally posted kickoff information. and there's no mention of the founder's reception location or West Wind. I hope it's not moving from Dean's house since I've sooo been looking forward to going there. Does anyone know anything?

I was hoping there would be a block of rooms posted like last year also, but after reading this thread and learning about the primary I guess that's not going to happen!

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

I found a room available at the Econo Lodge, at this address:

Econo Lodge
75 West Hancock Street
Manchester NH US
Phone: 603-624-0111

The rate is $95 plus taxes.

For an Econo Lodge, that is a high rate... but for the weekend prior to the NH primaries, that's not a bad deal.

However... with Grady's awesome offer for a hard luck Colts fan, I may cancel this reservation. I may bring a guest with me this year (my mother), and if that is the case, then we'll be at the 'Lodge.

Regardless, going out to Manchester for the kickoff is always awesome. I can't wait.

Andy B.

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

Okay time to mix it up a little amongst all this "kickoff love." I was just thinking the other day that Kickoff is kind of obsolete. I mean honestly ask yourself what do you get by going to kickoff that you couldn't get in some other way?

1- Seeing the game in person - Okay yes but you have to suffer through speech after speech from <insert random sponsor/FIRST exec here>, in most cases the same speech you will here 8 more times at the next 3 regionals you attend.Consider this: Let's send a each piece of the field to a different region and let the teams figure it out!

2- Dean's house - Okay for those who haven't been let me give you some tips Deans house isn't anything incredibly special. UNLESS you like to be crammed into a place like sardines, munching on marginal food in a helicopter hanger. Veteran Tip: The absolute best place to hear the speeches from are the copula.

3- The kit - Year after year teams head to kickoff and inevitably try to bring the kits on commercial airlines. Let's just make the TSA happy and pick up those kids at remote sites.

4- New Hampshire - REALLY? Have you ever been to Manchester folks? When the highlight of your night is drinks at JDs...yeeeeeah.

Consider for a moment what it costs to put kickoff on at minimum they have to pay the production company and then for Dean's house there are the Bedford Police, the bus drivers, and the caterer's. We could actually save money and the environment (if you're into that sort of thing think of the impact of that flight). All you really need for kickoff is a field, someone to explain it and an internet connection, for the webcast...here's another question why does it even need to be live just send out a video.

Okay now that the pot is sufficiently stirred my work is done here, just add hot water.

-Justin

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

*smile* - I guess I've been involved in university campuses in Texas too long.
--

Kick Off is something that I'm looking forward to attending for the first time. I can hardly wait. :)

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

Face time with FIRSTers from other regions.

(And I think Westwind is something special, if you look beyond the feeding.)

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

The following is for Justin........

Point #1
Information is knowledge. The more information you have going into build season, the better. Yes, you can touch, feel , smell all the elements of the game field by sending out pieces of it to all the teams, but you are not going to be able to run a quick force test on removing a ringer from a human player slot, or eaves drop on a conversation between Jim Morin and Art Colling (2 Buzz, Team 175 mentors that ALWAYS come up with a winning robot design) or ask a question directly of the GDC.

Point #2
The speeches are the best part. Where else can you talk to Governors, (and other governmental officials) business leaders, FIRST heavyweights (the Andy Bakers/Dave Laverys of the FIRST world), be motivated by your leaders and welcome the newbies into FIRST. Dean's house is an absolutely essential part of the process. Just the machines he has scattered around are incredible!!

Point #3
The kits should be shipped out to remote sites and are. For those that are local, let them save FIRST some money.

Point #4
California.......that's just full of moonbats and surfers.........I'll take NH anytime. :D

Consider yourself stirred.

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

That's just what I tell my brothers who are Cal alumni -- one majored in Political Theory, the other double majored in Physics and Applied Mathematics. The political theorist moved to the Midwest and became a financial controller. The physicist stayed in CA and got rich in software. They are both moonbats. Neither surfs any more.

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

They may not be posting stuff about West Wind because Dean may not want to give out his address freely? I'm pretty sure information is sent out when teams get their Manchester kickoff tickets mailed to them. I'm not positive about that, though.


I happen to have been there a few times, and his house IS incredibly special if you leave the hangar. He's got a lot of neat stuff- and all of it has a history. If you want to know about any of it it, I'll be up there. Ask me. I'm not an expert on everything in the house, but I've been given the house tour so many times I could probably give it pretty decently.

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

From http://www.usfirst.org/community/frc...mp;menu_id=80:

It is common practice that specific Kickoff details come later to those attending in Manchester. In short, I wouldn't be worried.

As for the rest of you responding to Justin, this is just his way to say that he's very sad that he won't be attending the big show for the first time in many years. Such is the brand of humor that is Justin's, it really can't be appreciated until you see him in person :)

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

I learned what a moonbat is...(I knew what a surfer is...)

I don't know what JDs is...

Re: Kickoff 2008 in NH - Who's going?
 

See now that right there is just crossing the line. Yes my CURRENT location happens to be California however I earned my FIRST chops in Manchester New Hampshire, grew up there and lived there for 27 years, there are many who will vouch for that. Until about three months ago I used to work quite literally across the street from FIRST. I've spent the last 11 years at the various New England regionals watching teams come and go but mostly watching the bedrock of FIRST, the collective teams from New England, evolve and tackle new challenges and set the standard for the rest of the country.