THUNDERBOLTS/NPA LOGISTICS

[musselwhite]

just spoke with dave smith and i have a new address - apparently a question of insurance came into play and the homeless phifer employees could not stay at the address referenced hereinabove - but................he has a more permanent address, to wit: c/o Lance and Carol Ferris, 1024 Stoney Kirk Road, Pelham AL 35124 -

[markspann]

Well,

I am back .

To everyone concerned for my safety and welfare, I can now report I have a place to live ( the people who owned the now-destroyed home I as renting took me in - they live in Pelham Al) and I have all the basic necessities of life, access to a computer, WIFI etc, and in an area with working cell phone service. I am already working on getting a car, a job elswhere - Birmingham Al - and a permanent place of my own to live, but I'm taking it one step at a time. Quite frankly, I just do not know what to say to you all in response to your overwhelming genuine interest and concern for my personal situation and this most unfortunate turn of events in Tuscaloosa AL and so much of the southern US states devastated last week by the EF5 tornado. I am so very very grateful for all of the assistance from you all - the money, the laptop, the offer for free rooming accomodations at NPA18, and just the very genuine outpouring of human compassion directed at me. I am truly humbled y'all have taken such a keen interest in helping me back on my feet quickly and welcoming me back into my role as lodging and travel coordinator for NPA18. Kim Gifford's intuition was dead-on : Returning to this role of assisting other Thunderbolts/NPA18 attendees with logistical needs these next few weeks, albeit in a diminished capacity, would be most cathardic and is very much necessary for me to return as quickly to my "normal" life before the EF5 twister (as if there were such a thing..ha ha). Thank you all so very much for your all of the help. And thank you to my family in Pensacola and Fair Hope and to Steve Spann (my brother) for the financial assistance, and especially to Steve for your vital role bridging the communication gap between me and the Thunderbolts members and the EU/PC community at large these past 5 days. Truly I cannot say any more to you all than a hardy and heartfelt

THANKS !

[markspann]

If you are considering staying at The Queen Anne Dorms at the University of Maryland for the NPA18 Conference, here is some useful information that may answer questions you may have about the dorm layout, size, amenities, etc

here is the typical standard double, triple, and quad room layouts:

standard double:

standard triple:

standard quad:




and here is a picture of the typical bedding furniture



and here is a schematic diagram of the main entrance floor of the Queen Anne dorm building



and here are some pictures of the dorm building itself






here is a useful link to a satellite map of the campus and location of the Queen Anne dorm building to the STAMP center where the conference will be held http://www.resnet.umd.edu/residence_hal ... hhill.html


and here is a .pdf file of a map of UMD Campus
http://www.resnet.umd.edu/pdf/residentcampusmap.pdf


and here is a useful dorm review on Queen Anne dorms
http://www.dormsplash.com/universities/ ... annes-hall

If these dorm facilites being offered by the UMD Conference Services for the NPA18 event seem suitable for your needs, please go to the NPA registration webpage here http://conf18.worldnpa.org/index.php?mo ... tion=27:27
to sign up to reserve a dorm room.

If you are not yet registered for the Conference, please start here http://conf18.worldnpa.org/index.php?mo ... tion=33:33 to register, then proceed to the dorm reservation link just above this link. I sincerely hope you find this information useful for helping you make a decision whether to book a dorm or make other lodging arrangements for the NPA18 Conference. Please do not hesitate to call me if you have any questions regarding the dorm facilities.

[Kapriel]

Great pics, thanks Mark!
Looking forward to the event. I might not get to stay the entire day on the 9th, anybody know what I will be missing that evening?

[markspann]

If you are flying into Baltimore Washington International airport (BWI) to attend the NPA Conference, and you are seeking the most cost-effective public ground transportation option to get to the University of Maryland Campus from the airport, here is what to do:

From BWI Marshall Airport, catch the WMATA's BWI Metro Express bus (#B30) to the WMATA Metro "Greenbelt" station. There are two WMATA Bus stops at BWI airport. One is located on the lower level of the International Concourse and the other stop is located on the lower level of Concourse A/B. The B30 will pick you up outside at the bus shelter. Follow the signs that say "Public Transit". The BWI Metro Express (#B30) fare between BWI and the Metro Greenbelt Station is $6 one-way and the trip takes roughly 30 minutes. Click this link if you wish to see the B30 bus route and timetables http://www.wmata.com/bus/timetables/md/b30.pdf?n

The Metro "Greenbelt" station is the northeastern-most end-of-the-line station on the Metro Rail's "Greenline", and the very next inbound station on the "Greenline" is your destination, which is the "College Park/University of MD" station, so get off the Metro train at this station. From the "College Park/University of MD" Metro station you will need to catch the UMD shuttle bus ( it is actually operated by the University, not WMATA). The UMD bus is the #104, and it runs every 10 minutes between the UMD campus and the College Park/University of Maryland Metro station from 6:00am until 8:00pm, then every 20 minutes thereafter until 1:00am. The UMD shuttle bus is free. The UMD #104 will stop out in front of the UMD's STAMP Student Center where the Conference is being held. It is only about a 5 minute walk to the Queen Anne dorm building from the bus stop.

Should you have any questions about this local ground transportation option, just give me a call. Or you can reach the UMD STAMP Student Center help desk from 6:00am until 11:00pm at (301) 314-3375. I have found that they are pretty knowledgeable about local stuff and very helpful.

[markspann]

Great News ! The Natural Philosophy Alliance has secured the dorms for our use at the NPA 2011 World Conference coming up in just a few short weeks. Many Thunderbolts members have been waiting to hear definitively if we have use of the dorms at the University of Maryland for the conference, and I am thrilled to say the answer is a resounding YES !! WE Do have the Dorms !! They are an AWESOME deal, folks, and there are excellent dining options and amenities offered to conference attendees who choose to stay on campus at the dorms. If you have been putting off plans to attend the conference waiting to hear news about the dorms, you need wait no longer to make plans to be there in July. If you have not already done so, you can register for the conference and book a dorm for the conference at the same time by following these link to the NPA website :

Dorm info : http://conf18.worldnpa.org/index.php?mo ... tion=27:27

Conference Registration : http://conf18.worldnpa.org/index.php?mo ... tion=33:33


And, there are many dining options for affordable lunch and dinner, both on campus, and a short walk off campus.

Lunch choices on Campus during the Conference run the gamut from traditional american fare at StarBuck's and Adeles Restaurant to the many and varied dining choices in The STAMP Student Union Center Food court, which include Chick-Fil-A, McDonald's, Moby Dick's Seafood, Panda Express Chinese, SaladWorks, Sbarro Pizzeria, Sushi By Panda, Taco Bell, and Subway.

For dinner after the conference activities, there are many accesible off-campus dining and shopping choices adjacent to the University of Maryland Campus at the College Park Shopping Center, which is a safe and pleasant 15-minute walk from the Queen Anne dorm building where we will be lodging. Restaurant's and shops include Applebee's, Boston Market, Five Guy's Hamburgers, Jason's Deli, Chipotle's Mexican Grille, Noodle's and Company, Starbuck's, Dominoe's Pizza, Rugged Wearhouse, FEDEX / Kinko's, CVS Pharmacy.

So as you can see, we will lot's to choose from for lunch and dinner get together's both during and after the conference activities of the day.

[swall]

I'll be leaving Toronto on Tuesday morning and coming back Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning. If anyone would like to share a ride anywhere between Toronto and Maryland, just let me know. Travel times and route are flexible.

[hertz]

any news, updates or summaries of the conference to be forthcoming?

[davesmith_au]

any news, updates or summaries of the conference to be forthcoming?

I have little doubt that news will be forthcoming, just as soon as the attendees get home, put their feet up, and relax for a day or two to unwind. The conference is now in its last day, the Public Day. A small number of attendees are staying in College Park for a few days extra, for various reasons. The conference schedule was jam-packed leaving little time for attendees to communicate with the 'outside world', as it were.

I had very brief exchanges earlier today on Skype with Michael Gmirkin, Mark Spann, Tom Findlay, Wal Thornhill and Dwardu Cardona, and by an large it seems they're very happy with the feedback received from their presentations. I'd say within a week or so we should start to see some first-hand summaries.

Cheers, Dave.