Nick Filippone

I do not think it is fair to expect Len and his team to predict with any certainty what public health experts cannot. Predictions change almost daily. The possible scenarios are almost limitless! Best case- the pandemic has run it’s course by July and there are no travel or gathering restrictions anywhere. Or it is still roaring along everywhere and no one can move. Or it has burned itself out on the east coast, but at peak in a city like San Marcos. Or San Marcos has been relatively spared and the last thing they want is a lot of carriers from New York State or California, for example, to fan the flames. I have no doubt that Len and his people are in a high state of anxiety about this. All each of us, potentially has to deal with is the disappointment of not having a National to go to this year. They are wrestling with trying to decide, after two long years of hard work and planning and dedication, if they will have to pull the plug on it and when. What if San Marcos allows such a gathering, but there is a travel ban from enough so called “hot spots” that attendance significantly suffers? What if our convention site is a hospital by the end of July? What if the airline industry is so broken down by this that you couldn’t get a flight, regardless of how far in advance you made a reservation? For that matter, how many of our mostly elderly members will be ill with it or too understandably worried about contracting it (if they had avoided it by the end of July) to venture from what up to that point will have been the apparent safety of their home, even if permitted to do so? What if the National is held, but for such reasons, the numbers are so low that room and banquet minimums are not achieved? What if some of us succumb to this disease? Let’s be respectful and appreciative of the San Marcos team- and patient. And, for goodness sake, do whatever you can to stay healthy! Nick

You can buy a foot operated switch into which you can plug any electrical device and - “voila” - a pedal operated on-off switch. I started using it when I grew tired of having to put down either my airbrush or the model when painting in order to start or stop my compressor. Nick

I also hope that the Convention will be able to go on and I will be there if it does. It would be nice if you were proven correct. However, Mark, it is irresponsible to make such a prediction about the course of this disease when NO other health care expert or epidemiologist is currently able to do so. Over and over, each of these medical and communicable disease professionals has said ‘ We just do not know’ - not yet, anyway. To a great extent, it is whistling in the dark that has got us into this crisis. Facts and competent science alone will get us out of it. Perpetuating misinformation does not help, however well intentioned. Let us stick to building models and let those with the knowledge and training and experience to, when they are able, advise us about what the course of this pandemic is likely to be. We are a small organization, but we can impress many others by being smart, calm, responsible citizens. Nick Filippone, M.D.

Great work, Len. As long as you and your comrades are continuing your preparations to put on the National Convention, I will continue my preparations to attend. You can count on me to register as soon as registration opens! Good luck! Regards, Nick

Because of the confusion and uncertainty amongst political leaders and health care experts, it is probably unrealistic- if not unfair- to ask the host chapter to be able to make a prediction about what, if any, travel and gathering restrictions will be recommended or enforced four and one- half months from now. Neither, for the same reason, can they be expected to guess at the individual health risk for any one member traveling and attending a gathering of this size - four and one- half months from now. I have my hotel reservation and my airline ticket. Unless I cannot fly due to a national travel ban and/or the National Convention is not held because such group gatherings are forbidden, I will be going. This, I think, should be the position of the membership at this point as a show of support and confidence in our organization. An early panic based on inadequate information NOW could irreversibly damage the show for no good, sound, scientific reason, thereby unfairly punishing our friends and fellow members who have been working hard for two- plus years to put on the show. For now, as King George VI would have said:” Keep calm, and carry on.” Regards, Nick- Senior Citizen- Filippone

We might want to be cautious about this. The Bucharest Aviation Museum, much like the city of Bucharest itself, is in Romania. In fact, it is the capital of Romania. It is not in Hungary. I suppose it is possible that this person is confused about the name of his own country or where he lives. There is a Budapest Aviation Museum, but the name Madalin Marian appears on the Bucharest Aviation Museum website. HMMMMM. Snarky! Personally, I would not suggest sending any money until this is clarified! PS. 40 is the phone code for Romania. PPS. Other possible explanation is that he did not specify a country-only a city- and Dennis confused Bucharest with Budapest and inserted the country name himself in error. Not hard to do. Regards, Nick - got an A in Geography- Filippone

This is truly a silk purse out of a sow’s ear! Congratulations. I had never thought of the idea of natural metal panels out of silver decal, but it seems inspired. Thanks for the tip. Nick

See “The Bull Pen” for my position on Operation Paperclip. Nick

Well, you know what Benjamin Disraeli said about statistics: ‘There are three degrees of falsehoods- lies, damn lies and statistics.’ (Often credited to Mark Twain, but the Earl of Beaconsfield said it first!) Regards, Nick

Having been involved in the creation of the GSB vs. 123 poll from beginning to end, I was impressed by the intellectual honesty and spirit of cooperation with which the E-Board and the National Contest Committee oversaw the process. I have absolute faith in their integrity and results of the tally. I might add that the result of that poll, while perhaps disappointing to some, were in fact predictable ( both in terms of the absolute number of votes cast and the distribution of those votes between the two choices)- at the present time there just is not enough interest in such a drastic change. Nick

Two points (1) I first suggested the idea of creating the 123/GSB survey on this Forum, shortly after the 2018 Nationals, although my original idea was to poll registrants at the 2019 Nationals as part of the registration process.(2) Maybe so few indulged because, like the 123v. GSB exchange, so few find it constructive or necessary. Nick Filippone, Senior National Judge.

In fairness, one should try to see the distinction between what one decides is broken, and what is, in fact, simply different or not to one’s liking. Nick

Additionally, I think it would be mature and gracious of us to sit patiently and politely through the “ recognition” portion of the awards banquet while the show staff takes their much- deserved victory lap. These people work very hard for two or three years to entertain us and it is not unreasonable for them to expect us to permit and even encourage them to take a few bows. It is not unlike a high school or college graduation. You sit there, maintaining a respectful silence, anticipating the moment when your family member walks across the stage to be handed his or her diploma and you get to witness it. Such may be said for the few seconds when, perhaps, a relatively new member, maybe entered in his or her first National Contest, sees their model on the screen at the Awards Ceremony and their name announced ( even if it is just a third place). For some of the older, more jaded Convention goers, this may be old hat, but definitely not for newer members- you know- those people we are trying to recruit and retain! It boggles my mind that, for a year, we all prepare for and anxiously anticipate this event we call the IPMS National Convention and Contest and, yet, so many people, it seems, once there, can’t get out of there fast enough. The National is not a drive-by, slam, bam thank you m’am, one day, six hour quickie! Let us confer on it the dignity it deserves. One of the drawbacks to being an adult is that sometimes you have to act like one. Nick Filippone, Senior National Judge

I suggest we do what we did with National Judging- take a vote. Especially in this case, it should be a polling of Convention-goers. My guess will be that we will have the same result as the previous survey: a combination of indifference and no clear mandate for change! Nick

Then, two years later, when Atlanta tried an all-computer results recording and reporting system, it crashed with no hard-copy back-up to fall back on. The result was there that was no way to announce any awards but Best in Class and the other major awards and no pictures. So innovation always carries risk and there should always be a plan “B.” It is also not reasonable to ask someone else (in this case, a host chapter) to be a lab rat for what is referred to in science as gadget research! I mean no disrespect to the members in Atlanta who hosted that show. It was otherwise a great show: great vendors, great venue and what I believe is still the largest number of entries. I had a great time. Thank you, Atlanta!