From Boing Boing
Dr Peter Watts, Canadian science fiction writer, beaten and arrested at US border

Hugo-award-nominated science fiction author Dr. Peter Watts is in serious legal trouble after he was beaten, pepper-sprayed and imprisoned by American border guards at a Canada U.S. border crossing December 8. This is a call to friends, fans and colleagues to help.
Peter, a Canadian citizen, was on his way back to Canada after helping a friend move house to Nebraska over the weekend. He was stopped at the border crossing at Port Huron, Michigan by U.S. border police for a search of his rental vehicle. When Peter got out of the car and questioned the nature of the search, the gang of border guards subjected him to a beating, restrained him and pepper sprayed him. At the end of it, local police laid a felony charge of assault against a federal officer against Peter. On Wednesday, he posted bond and walked across the border to Canada in shirtsleeves (he was released by Port Huron officials with his car and possessions locked in impound, into a winter storm that evening). He’s home safe. For now. But he has to go back to Michigan to face the charge brought against him.

(continue reading)

banktoaster • the Simpler Dollar Blog has a nice addendum to my Talking to Yourself post, a review of the Free online service, Remember the Milk – which allows you to set up automated lists.

dystopia alert • A new report claims that the Bush administration has suppressed scientists’ climate-change work. am i the only one not surprised here?

naughty naughty • even Harry isn’t immune to the rampant book thefts, 3000 copies of Fantastic Beasts and Quidditch Through the Ages were lift from a UK loading dock. I’d start with the guy driving the forklift.

blog of note • Book Patrol has a post about the vanishing of mid-price books from the internet market. oh there still there, they just cost $3 bucks now.

worth reading • from the Guardian a feature on Edith Wharton’s love affair with France.

waking the dead • scholars may have found the grave of Mona Lisa. oh fer crissakes leave the poor woman alone, she’s dead.

dystopia alert • an AP rundown on Turkeys war against writers and journalists.

cookies • Alibris awards three libraries with collection development book grants.

banktoaster• from Madlyn’s Blom’s Old Bag Lady blog, a post about e-audiobooks and where to get em.

Wash. school board restricts Gore’s global-warming film
By The Associated Press
01.12.07

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — The school board in this suburb south of Seattle has restricted showings of Al Gore’s movie on global warming, including requiring that it be balanced with an adequate opposing viewpoint.

The board also required Superintendent Tom Murphy to approve when the former vice president’s film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” can be presented.

The decision was sparked by complaints from parents who said their children were taking the film as fact after viewing it at school. . . . [read more]

I can only speculate that the folks in Federal Way also don’t believe in evolution as they are obviously still just monkeys now with car keys.

banktoaster • The Auction Guild site has the mother load of eBay Contact information. (via Prints and the Paper)

cowboy up • the Royal Mail is girding their loins for the delivery of Harry VII. Don’t get me wrong, I like Harry I really do, it’s the Rowling cult that I find creepifying. More books should make an appearance like a battleship launch, but deification isn’t warranted.

obit of note • Wilma Dykeman at 86, a noted writer about Appalachia.

act two • Margaret Maupin book buyer for Tattered Cover retires after 25 years.

update • I made some more Bullpen Cafepress designs during the 10 minutes, I got my third hand free. Including the first three bumper stickers, and a couple of inverse color designs.

dystopia alert • not only is Walmart still selling SS Nazi designs 48 days after they promised to remove the shirts from the stores, but the US Gov’t Grand Canyon bookshop is still selling Creationist myths as science. Welcome to 07 just like 06 buckle up, kids.

worth hearing • from NPR political humorist Mark Russell says bye bye to 06.

something new • NPR features Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird. I already ordered mine.

(NYT) At Reuters, a New Book and a Lost Job

By NOAM COHEN
Published: October 9, 2006

On Tuesday, Joe Maguire, one of two editors in charge of markets coverage at Reuters, handed his bosses the galleys of his new book, “Brainless: The Lies and Lunacy of Ann Coulter.” On Wednesday, Mr. Maguire discovered he would have plenty of free time to promote his book, which comes out this week. Neither side in this dispute would say that he was fired.

“There was a difference of opinion about the approval I received to write this book,” Mr. Maguire said. “I thought I had met the conditions, and proceeded accordingly. As a result, I no longer work there.”

Mr. Maguire, who joined Reuters in April, said the book “looks at Ann Coulter’s arguments, and deconstructs them to show how misguided they can be.”

He added: “When the political discourse has dropped to the unfathomable levels it has, someone has to say this is wrong.”

He said he was unable to interview Ms. Coulter for the book, or even get her to return e-mail or phone messages left through her publicist.

Reuters confirmed that Mr. Maguire was granted conditional approval to write his book on Ms. Coulter — a conservative lightning rod, author and TV talking head. When asked what changed once the book was ready, a company statement pointed to Reuters’ principles of “integrity, independence and freedom from bias.” The statement reads: “Our editorial policy and The Reuters Trust Principles are prominently displayed for all to see on www.about.reuters.com. Mr. Maguire’s book will soon be available. Both speak for themselves.”

Mr. Maguire’s publisher, the William Morrow imprint of HarperCollins, said, “It would be very disappointing if Joe Maguire’s dismissal from Reuters had anything to do with him authoring, ‘Brainless,’ ” which it described as a “compelling and witty book.”

A Reuters employee who insisted on anonymity out of concern at angering management said that the 20 or so employees at the markets desk where Mr. Maguire had been one of two editors in charge “took a group coffee break” in solidarity on Thursday.

On Friday, the employee said, there was a meeting with Reuters management informing the workers there that Mr. Maguire would no longer be working there and that they “weren’t allowed to ask why.” Printed copies of the principles of trust were handed out, however.