The good: Backspace, a really neat coffe shop/ internet cafe/ performance space/ art gallery in Portland's Old Town-Chinatown, needed to raise $10,000 before January 1st to dig its way out of a rent-fee hole and deal with other financial problems. By sunrise today, the fundraiser passed that goal. I was able to donate some money last Thursday; many, many others donated, I'm glad to say.
The at least potentially bad: good author and good man Peter David has had a stroke while on vacation in Florida. He was with-it enough earlier to write that note for his website; no news yet beyond that, just hopes (from here and from fans and friends all over the place) that he recovers as well as possible. I want this to be as minimal a problem as possible, and for him to be all right: his family wants that EVEN MORE.
Get better, Mr. David.