There will always be those days when an editor makes corrections to your original work, the work then becomes inaccurate, a reader gets offended and the reader blames you.

As a writer, you probably don’t have the option of blaming your editor. You usually just have to apologize and move on.

I suppose that’s why J. Michael Straczynski has a strict Nobody Rewrites Me policy.

Been busy typing things at RobCallahan.net. Talked about Cole Sarar, Chastity Brown, Jordan Gatesmith, Wil Wheaton, Caroline Royce, David Campbell’s facebook picture and a bunch of other stuff. It’s been a busy week.

Friday, March 9:

Opening Ceremonies
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Friday 07:00 pm - 45 minutes
…and so it begins…
With: Denise Crosby, Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan, Jon Sloan, Aric Stewart, Kim Stewart, Wes Duellman, Wendell Duellman, The Consortium of Genius

Apocalypse Predictions for the Near Future, and Past Ends of the World Re(a)d Mars/Taylor (2nd Floor) — Friday 09:00 pm
A look at some of the real-world beliefs about the upcoming end of days: The Mayan Calendar. Super volcanoes. Giant asteroids. Climate change. Seven Billion Living Humans. That guy who bought all those signs on the sides of buses. Also, a look back at humanity’s fascination with its own impending (yet never-quite-occurring) demise.
With: Rob Callahan, mod.; Catherine Asaro, Tom Ashwell, Haddayr Copley-Woods, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Edward E. Rom

Saturday, March 10:

Behind the Scenes with Denise Crosby
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Saturday 12:00 pm
Rob Callahan interviews Denise Crosby about her experiences on and off set.
With: Denise Crosby, Rob Callahan

Fiction Reading: Rob Callahan
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Saturday 02:00 pm
Come hear our Author Co-Guest of Honor read from his work.
With: Rob Callahan

Autographings: Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Saturday 04:00 pm
Get your books and stuff signed by our Author Guests of Honor.
With: Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan

The End of the World in Film
Re(a)d Mars/Taylor (2nd Floor) — Saturday 07:00 pm
Post-apocalypse has been done to death, but much rarer is a film that captures the final, fitful moments leading up to the end of the world… whatever that may be. 2012, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, 12 Monkeys and Dr. Strangelove all glimpse human (also, simian) approaches to coping with the oncoming end of it all. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy goes one step further and looks at life after the disintegration of the Earth. Share your favorite films that had the guts to go beyond turning the world into a mere desert wasteland, and destroyed it altogether instead.
With: Rob Callahan, mod., Cynthia Booth, Jason D. Wittman, Baron Dave Romm

Rockstar Storytellers
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Saturday 10:00 pm
Modern day stories told with a rockstar flair.
With: Rob Callahan, Joseph Scrimshaw, Courtney McLean, Curt Lund, Laura Bidgood, Phillip Low, Ben San Del, Tom Reed and Amy Salloway

Sunday, March 11:

Technology After the Apocalypse
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Sunday 11:00 am
What to take with you beyond the end of the world: A giant Mad Max car might be fun, but when gas is scarce you’ll get farther with bicycles. Guns are great against zombies, but melee weapons never run out of ammo. Discuss some unlikely technologies that have popped up in post-apocalypse fiction and weigh in what makes the best tech in a world where phones, lights, and motorcars are a thing of the past.
With: Rob Callahan, mod.;, Tom Ashwell, Naomi Kritzer, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Lyda Morehouse, Michael Merriam

Rob Callahan Interviewed
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Sunday 12:00 pm
Learn about the mind and works of our Author Guest of Honor.
With: Rob Callahan, Eric M. Heideman, interviewer

Closing Ceremonies
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Sunday 04:00 pm - 30 minutes
Say “farewell” to the guests & “thanks” to volunteers. Hear news about next year’s convention plans, pre-register for next year, and wonder why the weekend went so quickly.
With: Denise Crosby, Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan, Jon Sloan, Aric Stewart, Kim Stewart, Wes Duellman, Wendell Duellman, The Consortium of Genius

I’ve devoted so much time to editing typos out of this new book. No one will ever notice but me.

I probably missed a couple. That’s gonna get plenty of attention.

Here are the panels and events I’ll be doing at MarsCon.

Friday

Opening Ceremonies
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Friday 07:00 pm - 45 minutes

    …and so it begins…
    With: Claudia Christian, Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan, Jon Sloan, Aric Stewart, Kim Stewart, Wes Duellman, Wendell Duellman, The Consortium of Genius

Apocalypse Predictions for the Near Future, and Past Ends of the World
Re(a)d Mars/Taylor (2nd Floor) — Friday 09:00 pm

    A look at some of the real-world beliefs about the upcoming end of days: The Mayan Calendar. Super volcanoes. Giant asteroids. Climate change. Seven Billion Living Humans. That guy who bought all those signs on the sides of buses. Also, a look back at humanity’s fascination with its own impending (yet never-quite-occurring) demise.
    With: Rob Callahan, mod., Tom Ashwell, Haddayr Copley-Woods, Rebecca Marjesdatter

Saturday

Behind the Scenes with Claudia Christian
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Saturday 12:00 pm

    Rob Callahan will be interviewing Claudia Christian about her experiences on and off set.
    With: Claudia Christian, Rob Callahan

Fiction Reading: Rob Callahan
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Saturday 02:00 pm

    Come hear our Author Co-Guest of Honor read from his work.
    With: Rob Callahan

Autographings: Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Saturday 04:00 pm

    Get your books and stuff signed by our Author Guests of Honor.
    With: Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan

The End of the World in Film
Re(a)d Mars/Taylor (2nd Floor) — Saturday 07:00 pm

    Post-apocalypse has been done to death, but much rarer is a film that captures the final, fitful moments leading up to the end of the world… whatever that may be. 2012, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, 12 Monkeys and Dr. Strangelove all glimpse human (also, simian) approaches to coping with the oncoming end of it all. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy goes one step further and looks at life after the disintegration of the Earth.
    Share your favorite films that had the guts to go beyond turning the world into a mere desert wasteland, and destroyed it altogether instead.
    With: Rob Callahan, mod., Cynthia Booth, Jason D. Wittman, Baron Dave Romm

Rockstar Storytellers
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Saturday 10:00 pm


    With: Rob Callahan, Joseph Scrimshaw, Courtney McLean, Curt Lund, Laura Bidgood, Phillip Low, Ben San Del, Tom Reed and Amy Salloway

Sunday

Technology After the Apocalypse
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Sunday 11:00 am

    What to take with you beyond the end of the world: A giant Mad Max car might be fun, but when gas is scarce you’ll get farther with bicycles. Guns are great against zombies, but melee weapons never run out of ammo. Discuss some unlikely technologies that have popped up in post-apocalypse fiction and weigh in what makes the best tech in a world where phones, lights, and motorcars are a thing of the past.
    With: Rob Callahan, Tom Ashwell, Naomi Kritzer, Rebecca Marjesdatter, Lyda Morehouse, Michael Merriam

Rob Callahan Interviewed
Krushenko’s (13th Floor) — Sunday 12:00 pm

    Learn about the mind and works of our Author Guest of Honor.
    With: Rob Callahan, Eric M. Heideman, interviewer

Closing Ceremonies
Mainstage (2nd Floor) — Sunday 04:00 pm - 30 minutes

    Say “farewell” to the guests & “thanks” to volunteers. Hear news about next year’s convention plans, pre-register for next year, and wonder why the weekend went so quickly.
    With: Claudia Christian, Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan, Jon Sloan, Aric Stewart, Kim Stewart, Wes Duellman, Wendell Duellman, The Consortium of Genius

Oh, the things I’ve learned…

1. When you are on stage, and someone throws up a pair of panties with a message written on them in Sharpie®, do not pause to read the message. You will likely lose your composure.

2. I have a list of people I block right away when I sign up for a new social media site, on account of not wanting to hear from them. Not now or ever again. Exes, former intolerable co-workers, unthwarted enemies… That sort of thing. I ran into one of them at trivia and they sincerely asked me what I’m doing with my life these days. They honestly didn’t know. It’s been so long since I’ve heard that question, I didn’t have an answer. Still not unblocking, though.

3. This was hilarious.

4. There are times when Jill Riley and I actually believe we are Jake and Elwood Blues.

5. It’s important to politely decline the free shots that dozens of teams keep buying you. In fact, from now on I will politely decline all booze bought for me.

6. I’ve got to remember that people are going to get calls from strangers in the middle of the night every time I write them into a question. I hear the Scrimshaws actually handled the calls quite well. No idea how others did…

7. If you ask the bartender at the Red Carpet for three orange whips, she will make them.

I was looking for this picture, because I think it’s a nice picture and it’d make a good author photo. While I was at it, Google images also sent me to this. “The ladies from Hazel & Wren in rapt attention of Rob Callahan” Rapt, I tell you.

1. Nancy and I will be celebrating Valentine’s Day the Saturday beforehand, so that you and I can spend the 14th together at Sci-Fi Tuesday. We’ll screen a love story, but I haven’t decided which one yet. Possibly Starman. Possibly Chasing Amy.

2. Caroline Royce has designed me a lovely book cover. You can get a hint of it over at RobCallahan.net.

3. I should never have signed RobCallahan.com over to someone else in exchange for cheap hosting. I don’t know if that mess will ever get resolved. Fortunately, there’s RobCallahan.net.

4. I just ran into J LeFreak of All the Pretty Horses and he’s wearing a scarf knitted to look like piano keys.

5. That’s going to count as my mandatory name drop for the day.

6. I sometimes end up in a room with someone I pretty much thought was theawesomestthingevernocontest at some point in my teens. Been on a stage with people from The Time, Information Society and Babes In Toyland to name a few. I always avoided getting all awkward and fanboy back in the green room by avoiding talking to them. I won’t have that option when I sit down and talk to Claudia Christian in front of an audience at this year’s MarsCon.

7. And that covers the rest of the month’s name dropping quota.

I’m a guest of honor, and people keep looking at the list of guests of honor and saying, “Rob who?” Doesn’t help that I have an issue with the company currently holding onto RobCallahan.com, which prevents me from having that website up. (I know, if you look at the WHOIS database it says I own the domain. It’s under my name, but it’s under someone else’s control. The internet is complicated.)

So, in an effort to get up to snuff, I bought RobCallahan.net for the meantime. I set it up on Google sites. Google sites is incredibly frustrating to code on, as Google have banned most of the cool code that makes websites look right, but the service is free, zero maintenance and presumably permanent… So that’s where I’m at for now. I just forwarded the domain to the Google page and it should start directing you there in a day or two.

The layout is a bit busy, but it looks fine on a mobile browser and that seems to be what most of the kids are using these days.

Now that that’s done, I’m getting some long overdue sleep. Goodnight, internet.