Too much entropy these days

We have now lost *two* curmudgeons. Blogger Rob "Acidman" Smith and SF publisher Jim Baen. This is to cease immediately. Curmudgeons take years to mature and develop to their full potential, like a prickly bonsai. We need curmudgeons and can't afford to lose them so young. Like cats (and now Rob will haunt me for comparing him to a cat ...) they do not care what kind of high opinion you have of yourself. Curmudgeons have exacting standards. Curmudgeons have much up with which they will not put. And in a world infested with creeping, jelly-spined fear of appearing judgemental, we desperately need more curmudgeons.

David Drake has an insightful obit of Jim Baen here. (I actually had a book get all the way to Jim. He declined it, but there was no hint of "why did you kill trees to perpetrate this atrocity" and with a curmudgeon you know there would be if deserved, so I don't take it personally. On the contrary, I was pleased as punch it got so far.)

And I hope y'all know there's gonna be a web-wake for Rob today at 4pm Eastern. At Gut Rumbles, natch. Ladies, paint yer toenails!