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UPDATED Thursday, 1:23 PM: After seeing some of the nutbar reactions that the birth certificate has launched, I’ve come to believe that if Obama had been delivered via C-section, there are people who would declare that that makes him ineligible to be president because the Constitution says “natural born” and anything except a vaginal birth is not natural.

Not sure what the point was. Because I’m sure you can clock with an egg-timer how long you’ll see the following two talking points:

1) Why did he wait so long?

2) How do we know it’s not a forgery?

The people who think the whole birther thing is idiotic don’t require it to be convinced, those who are birthers, or just seize upon any pretense to get Obama out, will never be convinced. And conservatives who aren’t birthers but hate Obama and/or liberals will just claim that this is a non-issue that the liberal media has invented.

PAD

Updated 5:56 PM: Having now seen Obama’s actual press conference, I had two further thoughts.

First, I think Obama wanted to speak to broader issues but, as he said in his comments, just wanting to do that wouldn’t have gotten network attention. Discussing national security wouldn’t have gotten the networks to break in; the birth certificate, thanks to idiots like Trump and Fox, is news. Releasing his birth certificate had the same effect as the old gag of writing “SEX” at the top of fliers in high school and then below that, “Okay, now that we’ve got your attention, the AV club will be meeting on Tuesday.”

Second, it was evocative of the sequence in “The American President” toward the end when the president addresses non-issues like his girl friend and flag burning and talks about the need for serious people and serious discussions. Go to youtube if you don’t believe me.

American President

My novelet, “Bronsky’s Dates With Death,” will be running in the July/August issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.”

Also, second reminder: My next episode of “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien” entitled “Prisoner 775 is Missing” airs this Friday, 7:30 PM ET.

PAD

Updated: I am told that the issue of F&SF has a street day of June 28th, although in some parts of the country it may be on sale a week earlier.

Second update: “Prisoner 775 is Missing” will repeat air on Saturday on Cartoon Network at 7 AM ET.

The latest (and possibly last) “New Frontier” novel is out. You can get some details at the interview below.

New Frontier Interview

PAD

This coming Friday, 7:30 PM EST on Cartoon Network, is my next episode of “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien,” entitled “Prisoner 775 is Missing.”

PAD

Kath, Caroline and I are attending ConGlomeration, a science fiction convention in Louisville. (I’ve been here since yesterday. Today we visited the factory where they make Louisville Slugger bats. Outstanding.)

The convention chairman announced at opening ceremonies that this may well be the last ConGlomeration. Diminishing attendance and support is putting them into a position where they may not be able to survive.

The problem is this: The last time I attended a convention where they announced it was the last one, it was Crescent Con in New Orleans. Two weeks later, Katrina hit, obliterating the convention hotel, a lovely sushi restaurant, and the surrounding neighborhood.

And there have been tornado warnings on TV this evening.

So if you want to prevent disaster befalling Louisville, and you live anywhere within distance, come on out to the convention tomorrow or Sunday. Lives, not to mention Major League Baseball, may depend on it.

PAD

Elisabeth Sladen, who portrayed Sarah Jane Smith–arguably the most popular “Doctor Who” companion of all time (certainly the only one ever to get her own ongoing TV series)–passed away today of cancer.

People tend to say that one Doctor or another was “their” Doctor, but Sarah Jane was always my companion. She was the one accompanying the Doctor when I first encountered him, and she was the standard against which all the others were measured. I just adored Sarah Jane and always hoped to have a chance to meet the woman who incarnated her. Never had the chance. I hear tell she was wonderful with the fans at conventions. She will be missed. To quote the Doctor’s last line in “School Reunion,” “Good-bye…my Sarah Jane.”

PAD

At least this one I had answers to.

Caroline’s female cat, Fig, is about eight months old. This morning Caroline came down to my office and said, “I’m worried about Fig.” I said, “Why?” She said, “Fig is making weird yowling sounds and lying on the floor with her front down and her butt in the air. Why is her butt in the air?”

One fifteen minute introduction to the concept of “in heat” later…

PAD