Some politics, some SF, some Ike

Elizabeth Bear needs at least a hug for posting this. May the funniest, most humane candidate win. Elizabeth is beating the writing system even with the self-induced death spiral of Borders and the cluelessness of B&N. Tobias tells about the writing business these days. FastFwd has more with lots of writer and reader comments at both. I had commented on the sad state of US publishing while waiting for another possible hurricane a month ago.

Meet the Stars - how to spread science.

While we were experiencing a touch of global climate change on the Gulf Coast the stock market got hit with a bit of the next economic tsunami - no more Merril Lynch and Lehman Brothers and the world's largest insurance company American International Group Inc. is tottering.

"In a statement released by his campaign, McCain called for greater "transparency and accountability" on Wall Street. If McCain wants to hold someone accountable for the failure in transparency and accountability that led to the current calamity, he should turn to his good friend and adviser, Phil Gramm." - David Corn at Mother Jones.

I've been using Live Journal to catch up with a bunch of friends regarding Ike. Nothing too bad. While I found nothing bad, Glenda did find someone, by email I think, at FRED who lost her house down at San Leon, ouch.

Escape Pod - Reparations. Mary Robinette won the Campbell award for best new SF writer. Elizabeth Bear above won her first Hugo Award.

What do you expect when you turn FEMA into a partisan spoils system for people who don't like government? How about incompetence, death and cover-ups? Is that what has happened on Galveston? Why is there a no fly zone over most of Galveston for the news media? I know FEMA has been sending 200 trucks back and forth to San Antonio each day - 95% empty. I know they forgot to supply their first responders with food and water. I know that the State of Texas, which all week said they were going to supply the food and water and said they were well prepared on the day after said no - local communities should do that. Now there is a media lockdown and there seems to be some confusion as to when to declare an Ike causualty. Are there really hundreds of floaters at sea as rumors have it?

Rescue from Gilchrist.

Here is what is known about Galveston. But hey, at least Galveston isn't important like New Orleans. And who even knows where Orange is was? Curfews and dark but civilization starting to return. But the Balinese Room is gone.

The Red Cross is doing a good job. Remember these are all volunteers. You don't pay their non-salaries. If you have a complaint you should just volunteer and do it yourself. They'll teach you how. FEMA is Bushed. Local governments are coping as best they can. Coordination, which would be FEMA and Homeland Security's job, is pretty poor. But heh, I got to be in the biggest damn eye of a hurricane eveh and we are doing OK even if without power. And Bush is going to be touring the area and maybe a bunch of us could get together and trickle down on him. Catch him and hold him for me.

Tags: Ike Texas Galveston Houston SF business economy Obama McCain Gramm FEMA Bush Bear Robinette