"527 earthquakes on this map"

And the 9.0 earthquake that captured the world's attention a few hours over a week ago isn't even there anymore.

IIRC, I saw a count over 550 at some point within the last 36 hours, but I didn't post that number. That's all right; 527 is startling enough. Two dozen of them were magnitude 6.0-6.8.

Steady, Earth. Steady.

"There's nothing we can't face, except for bunnies."

A familiar Peep Show image gets top billing, but the pages of scary bunny photos that follow only prove that Anya was absolutely right.

With a tip o'the link hat to D Gary Grady.

I HATE THIS YEAR

RIP: Mike Glicksohn

Rob Sawyer wrote: "Mike passed away at 5:30 a.m. ET this morning in Toronto after suffering a stroke, following a long battle with cancer. He was a Hugo Award-winning fanzine publisher, and one of the best people I ever knew; I named the entire human race "Gliksins" in his honour in my novel HOMINIDS."

I was delighted to see both Mike and Susan Manchester at SFContario in November. They came out to the convention Friday night, but weren't able to make it back to the All Worldcons, All the Time Bheer Tasting that fringefaan, Pat Virzi, and I hosted Saturday night.

When we talked that Friday night, I made plans with Mike to hang out with him on Monday. If his white count was high enough, he'd be at the hospital for about 6 hours getting chemotherapy. If it was too low, they'd send him back home. Either way, we'd have more visiting time, more time to talk, or just enjoy being in each other's presence. We sorted out the logistics. I'd call the house as I was leaving the hotel. If I got the answering machine, I'd head to the hospital. If Mike answered, I'd go to his and Susan's home.

Right as I was loading the last of my luggage into my car, I received the call from my Dad telling me he wasn't doing well and that he was headed for the emergency room. That did in my plan to spend the afternoon with Mike. I called and got his answering machine, and headed straight for Battle Creek.

The next time I was online, I picked up a rare, personal email note from Mike:

Got your message, my dear. It was much appreciated.

As you surmised, my blood was okay and I spent a fair chunk of time in the hospital getting chemo.

I hope your trip to Michigan ran smoothly and there was good news about your father when you got there. Keep us posted.

I'm very glad we were able to go to the con on Friday night and see and hug you. We might have gone anyway but you were the main reason we wanted to be there.

Take care and may both of our families know better news in 2011.

Love

Mike


( Grief Sucks )

Mike was a blessing in my life. He always made me glad to be a fan. And now he's dead, dammit. I hate what he had to go through treating the possibility of cancer, then the reality of cancer. I hate that it caused him to miss ConFusion, a convention he always attended, every single one of them. Until this year. Fans at ConFusion made a video greeting for him, and posted it on YouTube so all of us could see it.

I'm still in shock, just starting to grieve. For Mike, for Susan, for all of Mike's friends and loved ones, for fandom itself. He's one of fandom's icons, and now he's gone.

"Take care and may both of our families know better news in 2011."

I HATE THIS YEAR. There's fun and wonder to be had, and I'm having it, but still. I HATE THIS YEAR.

Mike Glicksohn, fanwriter

A few minutes ago, I asked Google for links to "Mikecon" so I could include a pertinent one in a piece of email I'm writing.

In addition to finding Tommy Ferguson's MikeCon issue of Tommyworld, Google turned up the remembrance of Joni Stopa that Mike Glicksohn wrote for Mimosa. Like all of my favorite fanwriting, it tells as much about the writer as it does about the subject. Recommended.