Last one to utliize this is a rotten egg!

I went to San Diego in 2000, and will go next year. But you're delusional about the cuisine. The "Top Gun" barbecue joint (where they filmed some of Tom Cruise's scenes for the movie) served dried-out, flavorless food that tasted worse then the actual movie. Some seafood restaurant near my hotel was pricey, had great decor, but a McDonald's Filet-O-Fish would make a better meal. I could take any one of a dozen conventional restaurants from my home town, transplant it in downtown San Diego, and drive those poseurs out of business. Also, you neglected to mention that the con goes to bed at 7 PM, when they roll up the city's sidewalks. A convention like Atlanta's Dragon*Con (where I am trying to encourage greater animation coverage) has all-night raves, room parties, all-night anime in the convention (not hidden in some hotel) and joy among fandom. Although this is a seaport town, there's nothing a sailor would want to do there - or a hard-core fan. While it is a great con, which I will be proud to attend, couldn't they bring a little life to this whitebread Republican town - at least for one weekend?