I just spoke with Black Pigeon Press and they have finished reviewing the manuscript and have sent it to the printer for galleys. It will be ready by the first of October for direct sale at Archon! I’m very very excited. Thanks to the editing team of Lisa and Lisa for their stellar job. Black Pigeon Press made only a single correction to the Ms before sending it off for publication!

I just returned from Phily. I was there for work but was able to take a half day of vacation Friday morning and get on board USS Olympia. I’d like to thank Jesse and Bill for their excellent reception and the behind the scenes tour. Olympia is currently in very tough financial troubles and will close in a few weeks, possibly forever if funding isn’t located. Across the River USS New Jersey is also having fiscal issues and just up river is SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built and she too needs millions to save her from the scrappers torch.

Here is my rather simple idea. The United States should establish a national lotter. The lottery will fund conservation, cultural, scientific or historical programs. These could include anything from habitat restoration, an art museum, a dance company, historical ships, perhaps assist funding for a space mission (the private money that kept data flowing from Viking would be a model for the last).

Money would be allocated in the following fashion. Each year half the money would go to projects selected by individual States on a rotational basis. The first year ten States would be allowed access to the funds. The second year the next ten and so on. This would also include the District of Columbia.

The other half of the money would be allocated by vote to projects selected by national vote from a pool of projects presented by a commission that would be part of the lottery organization.

http://rachaelm.elfwood.com/Not-Your-Grandmas-Age-of-Reason.3566740.html

This is a low quality version of her excellent artwork.

Jon Edward Klement Tonight @ 9pm CDT, Terry Sofian on Archon 34 and Stars of Empire http://ping.fm/LzFccLIVE!
Dragon Talk Radio | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radioping.fm”DragonTalk Radio: Your Convention Connection. Author Jon Klement and distinguished costumer Wei He take their audience into the world of sci-fi/fantas…

Some years ago I bought some very nice 15mm dirt roads. They were prepainted and flocked and assembled like a jigsaw puzzle. This allowed them to stay in shape during a game. I had hoped to buy more but for a period there site was down. Now they have returned better than before. The new sections aren’t available yet, but the engineering looks even better. The joints are hidden from view on the bottom of each section.

Take a look for yourselves at http://www.adventureterrain.com/

Terry