This is a short version of what I sent to the Internet earlier
today. In brief, as most folks hereabouts know, I got hit about a week
ago with walking pneumonia, and have been taking serious antibiotics
and other stuff to get past it, in the hope of being able to attend
WorldCon.

A follow-up today with my doctor resulted in him saying that
even though I'm past some of the worst of it -- though weak as a kitten
-- I'm in that perilous situation where if I push it at *all*, if I add
stress, I will almost certainly go right into acute or bacterial
pneumonia, which would result in certain bedrest or even
hospitalization. Right now was the worst time to push it.

So basically, I got bushwacked. Even Harlan threatened dire
results if I even tried to board a plane.

More than anything, I've been looking forward to this, because
as a fan, I know what it means to be a Guest of Honor at a WorldCon;
it's one of those once-in-a-lifetime things, and the perfect end to the
B5 5 year arc. But if I go, I seriously risk falling down, and if I
fall down, the company falls down, and I *can't* do that.

So with regrets...I can't go. The one positive light: we're
sending B5 fan club director Julie Walker (also previously the head of
the MST3K fan club) to the con, equipped with all the videotapes I
would otherwise be showing, so there will be a presence there, and
you'll see all the stuff I would have been showing.

So there's that...but I'll confess that I'm seriously bummed
about this.

jms