The Gantry Launchpad

Looks like Misha and Day by Day author/artist Chris Muir are on top of things. Both have already posted their reaction to the CBS requirement that all affiliates must carry an hour-long infomercial on Clinton's upcoming book, My Struggle Life.

Actually, if it were really about Clinton's life, it should have been published with a pencil and an eraser. :)

But There's No Media Bias Here!^tm

Mary Madigan -while writing at Dean's World- recently quoted a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll to the effect that " 38 percent said no one is to blame" for the Katrina disaster.

Not to break up the mutual-congratulation party, but FEMA has come in for a bit of legitimate criticsm, including Republican reps in Congress.

Apparently Mike Brown's performance has underwhelmed more than a few folks who can't be called Bush-haters. Some folks have pointed out his absolute lack of anything resembling experience for his appointed position, while others say that his role is primarily ceremonial.

Either way I see no problem with shit-canning him. Even if he didn't screw up, it would be a tremendous confidence-builder for the nation.

Varifrank has the most up-to-date ROE (Rules Of Engagement) released to date by the Bush administration.

Try to keep a straight face while reading them. A spew alert may be in order.

Readers may also appreciate ACLU Takes Over Terror Investigation.

(hat tip to Austin Bay for the link)

Jim Baen has been editing/producing excellent general SF and military SF for over twenty years, including Jerry Pournelle's series of anthologies; There Will Be War.

Today I found out (via Laughing Wolf at Blackfive) that Jim Baen has suffered a stroke.

I can't tell you how many truly excellent books I've read with which Jim Baen was involved. And even if you don't have a soft spot in your heart for the jarheads, squids, zoomies, and ground-pounders out there (and their stories), you should direct your attention to the work Baen has performed during his part of the DRM battle. To wit, the Baen Free Library.

Let us keep Jim Baen (and family) in our prayers.

Don Surber has turned in his electronic typewriter so he can concentrate on the real one at his desk, saying

I loved blogging because I came in contact with readers directly. But over the past few months I realized I cannot continue doing both [blogging & newspaper writing]. I ain’t Superman.

I'll miss the way he wrote his blog entries newspaper-style, the Surber Rule, and especially the Daily Scoreboard. Don is a good writer as well as a good newspaperman.

The good news is that he will still write for the Daily Mail, so we've got that going for us...

*And, no, that's not a reference to a cheesy George Clooney movie, is was a trademark of Ed Murrows, when he was still "just" a radio reporter.