Wow! Finally!

For those of us who read (and re-read, re-read, re-read, dog-eared, bought multiple copies as each wore out) “Time For the Stars” by Robert A. Heinlein, DARPA has now decided to fund a very special version of the Long Range Foundation.

Really, on its own and for very many things, (D)ARPA has been the United States’ own Long Range Foundation (we should be dumping a bunch more money into it and the NSF).

Anyway… if you go here you’ll get all the news about their first symposium to be held (sadly) in Orlando, Florida.

I say “sadly” because Orlando, FL is just a tad far from Los Angeles, CA. However, among the many science fiction writers present, Rob Sawyer will be there and as I’m going to be seeing him at Dragon*con, I’ll make sure to impart any requests, thoughts, whimpers, and murmurs of pure green envy in such a way as they might possibly be useful.

Those of you living in Florida or nearby who are interested in colonizing other stars and building starships might want to seriously consider going! (And then I’ll be green with envy for you, too!)

[This is a snippet from the post I put on Mum’s site:]

Mum wants me to relay to you how terribly sorry she is to have to cancel this year’s apperance at Dragon*con.

What seemed to be indigestion last week has now turned out to be something more serious – some incident with her heart, the full details of which are still to be determined by tests.

Mum very specifically asked me to apologize to those who had hoped to see her there, saying: “Sorry that old age came up and bit me on the a**.”

The Directors at Dragon*con have said that she’s to rest and get better so she can come next year.