QOTD--on the SFWA vs Boing Boing thing

matt_arnold ins a comment at scalzi's Whatever:

Jemalledin,

And seriously, pissing off Cory Doctorow is a classic internet blunder.

The first one, but less well known, is: "Never get involved in a land war in Asia."

The link has the full context if you didn't follow the thing. Me? I had a barrel of popcorn.

Also? boing_boing has had a redesign, is using Movable Type, and has tnh modding the comments. From what I can tell, these are all Good Things.

So, that KoHIT thing...

So then. In 2002, I got an email from an obvious loon I'd never met. If he organised a warlord_ccg event in a climbing hall^[4] in his home town, would I be interested in attending and bringing friends? Where's his hometown? Muenster, Westphalia (that would be as in 'Treaty of', possibly one of the most significant documents in, oh, world history?). I didn't even have a passport. Massive fuss getting a passport, but eventually paulatpingu, nadriel, malkavelli, Vincethe_prince^[8] and I managed to get there. My first trip abroad as a functioning adult^[6].

Best weekend away^[1] ever. Seriously great fun^[7]. I've sinced travelled to similar events all over Europe (waking up in a Paris bed next to Malk was weird, watching the premiere of the BSG mini-series in an Anaheim hotel room with Vince was slightly weirder). But the original event remains the best.

Last year was the fifth and, we thought, the last. This morning I got an email. From the same loon.

shakalooloo^[3]—warlord_ccg: KoHIT 6
Temple of Lore » View topic - KoHIT 6: A Gathering of Friends. Nov. 9-11 in Münster, GER^[2]

Didn't know how to react—for a start, I need to be saving up the pennies, second, it'd mean a weekend travelling that wasn't to go visit Jennie, and, well, I'm not 100% sure I can afford it anyway. Except when we chatted earlier, snapesbabe said she'd like to come.

So, um, granjero? That'd be two decks I'd like to borrow this time Mr Player Design Team member...

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( Footnotes o'doom )

Scientology: "A criminal organisation"

Posted without comment...
The Associated Press: Scientology Faces Criminal Charges:

A Belgian prosecutor on Tuesday recommended that the U.S.-based Church of Scientology stand trial for fraud and extortion, following a 10-year investigation that concluded the group should be labeled a criminal organization.

scientology belgium - Google News

Oh, ok, maybe a little one. Bwah ha!

*grabs popcorn*
(I think the "list of famous Belgians" might get a bit bigger over this one, right?)

ETA: Seen initially by way of ladyegreen because I forgot to give credit...h