We've had the comments turned off on the blog forums due to the poker and drug spammers. They're lame, yes, oh so lame, but that never stopped a spammer. We're turning them back on, at least in a limited way (e.g., only for recent posts). Let's see how this goes.
I'm also just back from a very good time at COSine. Central Colorado has more than its fair share of science fiction and fantasy writers. COSine is too small to attract all of them, but those who showed up, along with the fans and con organizers, are a great bunch of people. It gives me great hope for landing Worldcon in 2008 for Denver. It was also great to see Joe and Gay Haldeman again. They were my instructors for one week of Clarion West way back in 1994, and above and beyond being great teachers, they're great people, among my favorites in the business for professionalism, excellence, and pure niceness.
Jeremy (see people links) posted a cryptic note about the con on his page under the heading of "Weirdest con moment ever." Check it out. It wouldn't be my weirdest con moment (that's a story for another time) but I've had similar experiences. Science fiction is wonderful. Fans and writers get to hang out in a way that doesn't happen in many other genres...and you have moments.
I still have things I want to post about the AAS meeting in San Diego, especially about efforts to use science fiction to teach astronomy, and I will soon. I also will post about the Hubble Space Telescope. Imagine working until the wee hours of Friday morning to finish your observing proposal and be able to head to COSine on time, and then while at the con seeing that the Hubble servicing mission has been cut from the budget.
More to come...