Whether a wise choice or a temporary bout of insanity, Akadot staff drove from Los Angeles, California to Dallas, Texas to attend the twelfth annual Project: A-Kon. While there, the Akadot staff suffered certain hallucinations, probably induced by a combination of four states worth of desert heat, the weary 24 hour drive, the humid Texas air, and the wafting odor of the con rushing through the halls. In this state of transience, the Akadot staff jotted down some of their most unusual mirages so as to compile ...

10: An Accurate Schedule - Punctuality and structure were the cornerstones of events planning.

9: Vegetables - Onion rings and corn chips aside, A-Kon concession booths sold carrot sticks, mixed greens and assorted other vegetables with or without wheel chairs.

8: Fair prices - Everything, five dollars.

7: Staff With an Answer - "I would be more than happy to escort you to the grand ballroom. Let me call ahead to secure for you a seat near the stage" replaced the traditional "I have no idea, I just volunteered."

6: Miss West Hemisphere 2000 - Apparently she's an anime fan.

5: Cash Outlets - Fifteen minutes into most cons, the ATM runs dry. However, at A-Kon, a money tree bore fruit, which the snake encouraged me to pick and spend.

4: A repeal of the statutory rape clause - Can Texas do that? It apparently only applies to Sailor Moon cosplayers.

3: An Empty Elevator - 20 stories of otaku flow up and down the hotel, depositing vast quantities of anime goods in their hotel rooms before rushing back into the dealers' room, causing interminable waits for elevators. A-Kon elevators, like merciful angels of service, arrive at beckon call.

2: Michael Eisner - Singing the merits of anime and denouncing his avaricious quest to force-feed the Disney brand to America as a side effect of his Ritalin.

1: Osamu Tezuka - Very interested on our take of "Astro Boy" in a post-cold war age, the "god of manga" sipped Cognac with Akadot staff atop an inflatable watermelon floating in the roof top pool.