Update on interest rates: J.P. Morgan accepted all interest-bearing WAMU accounts at the contract rate. This is verified, now, in the updated press release on the FDIC website. (http://www.fdic.gov/bank/individual/failed/wamu_q_and_a.html)

WAMU is continuing to offer 1-year CDs at the 5% rate. J.P. Morgan has apparently given them a green light to to do this. The big losers in this are the WAMU stockholders (and, possibly, a number of WAMU employees).

In an anti-"BoingBoing comment roast" spirit, I feel like pointing out that the 4% online savings rate is still being offered:
https://www.wamu.com/personal/savings_account/online_savings_account/default.asp

The 5% 1-year CD rate is still there, too. According to their customer support department, the FDIC guarantees the CD interest rate for six months. Of course, after that point, JP Morgan might drop the rate drastically, and they might charge the standard penalties for early liquidation. Right now, WAMU told me they have no information about what happens beyond the six month point.

Another attempt to resurrect my lost post from the bit bucket by stripping out the URL links. (It was originally intended to follow post #21):

FWIW, since enough people may read this eventually to be worth setting the record straight: the first science fiction fanzine we know about is generally considered to be THE COMET published in May 1930 by the Science Correspondence Club of Chicago or THE PLANET published in July 1930 by The Scienceers, a New York fan club. Some scholars of fan history argue that THE COMET doesn't count because it was limited to articles about science, not science fiction. THE PLANET "contained 'fantastic fiction' book and film reviews, and more significant in terms of the evolution of fanzines: "miscellaneous chatter and news
about the fans themselves" (ref: members.shaw.ca/rgraeme/f.html: the Canadian Fancyclopedia.

When Arnie Katz and I interviewed Julius Schwartz, in 1963, Julie proudly boasted to us that THE TIME TRAVELLER (first issue published in 1932, edited by Scienceers Allen Glasser, Julius Schwartz, and Mort Weisinger) was the first science fiction fanzine ever published. (Wikipedia shows an entry
at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Traveller_(fanzine) ) Some popular belief in the truth of Schwartz's claim may stem from the influence of Sam Moskowitz on early attempts to develop a formal history of science fiction. SaM was a charismatic and prolific figure in s-f fandom's early days, whose many pronouncements about the field have subsequently been scrutinized and found to contain some subjective inaccuracies. Forry Ackerman is another charismatic figure from those days whose memory isn't always as reliable as historians might like it to be. (Wikipedia lists him as a contributing editor to THE TIME TRAVELLER.)

The first postal Diplomacy fanzine that I know about, GRAUSTARK, was published by New York s-f fan John Boardman, in 1963. GRAUSTARK and the Diplomacy fanzines it spawned (RURITANIA:Dave McDaniel, BROBDINGNAG:Dick Schultz) demonstrated their linkage to s-f fandom by publishing inventive press releases and news stories composed by the players with each series of game moves. Boardman, Dian Girard, Dave McDaniel, and Bruce Pelz were all active fanzine writers at this time. They peppered each fanzine issue with vignettes about life in their countries and statements from heads of state--in the spirit of the Graustark and Prisoner of Zenda novels. I played Italy in the BROBDINGNAG game (1964) and was inspired by their efforts to try my own hand at this. A historical note on the games Boardman participated in is that they were all crooked. The games masters were unable to round up seven individual players and Boardman played multiple countries, stringing the other players along for several years until he decided the time was ripe to betray them and sweep the board.

In re Skatepunk fandom: the link to s-f fandom may be a bit more tenuous. You might trace its genesis back to early Internet fandom. Tom Jennings, the creator of FIDOnet was also the founder of a skateboarders' rights group called
"Shred of Dignity." He coedited a "queer punk" fanzine called HOMOCORE from 1988 to 1991. This might also tie into the linkage between the Gay
Community and s-f fandom that Teresa referred to. I don't know whether Tom Jennings was ever active in s-f fandom. I used to read his techie
stuff on BBS configuration back in FIDOnet times.
(Cory has a story that mentions him at http://www.make-digital.com/make/vol13/?pg=16&search=Tom+Jennings+science+fiction+FIDOnet&u1=texterity&cookies=1 ). These days, the link between s-f and skatepunk fandom is probably Scott Westerfeld: see scottwesterfeld.com/books/uglies.htm

I tried again and am still Not There. Maybe held in the moderation queue for too many URL links? I emailed you the original awhile ago (would have been #22) and will now send you the modified version (would have been #26)

I submitted a longer post about the history of claims for the first s-f fanzine (before the footnote one) that may have been eaten. I also speculated on a possible link between s-f fandom and skateboard fandom.

Also FWIW, in re war gaming fandom: I was a test consultant for Avalon Hill in my high school days (1962-64) along with Arnie Katz, about the time we were publishing our first (better forgotten, now) s-f fanzine. Arnie and I submitted evidence to A-H that their board game, "Gettysburg," was unwinnable by the Army of the Potomac -- which may have been a factor in subsequent revisions made to the game. We were also test consultants for Avalon Hill's "D-Day."

Arnie went on to become a professional game designer and served as a consultant for Avalon Hill in the '80s, during the years when he was gafia from s-f fandom.

Footnote: a less dyslexic reading of Wikipedia shows me that they don't directly support Moskowitz's claim that THE TIME TRAVELLER was the first s-f fanzine. Sorry. Wikipedia attributes the honor to THE COMET, over here, without referring to THE PLANET.

Fanzines are actually alive and well in the modern age -- it's just that not so many of them are printed on paper and sent through the mail anymore. See http://efanzines.com for some current examples.

For an interesting pastiche that provides an inside view of the subculture, I commend you to "Fanotchka," a play written by Andy Hooper that was first performed at the 1996 World Science Fiction Convention. I've finally published an illustrated edition of it for Andy, after procrastinating on my promise to do so for too long a time.