Emptybottle.org

Rick's definitely alive, and conscious. According to Foreign Affairs Canada, a representative of which I spoke with this morning, he's been evacuated, and is in Royal Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. They can't tell me the extent of his injuries. His family has been informed, and is in transit, apparently.

I've made this request in the Metafilter thread as well, but if any of my readers are in Melbourne and are so inclined, I'd be forever grateful, and I think Rick would too, if you could pay him a visit and pass on my best wishes, and maybe send me an email about how he's doing. That sounds so lame, but you know what I mean. His name is Richard (Rick) Gleason, my real one (in case you didn't know already) is Chris Kovacs. I've known the bastard 19 years now, and he's not going to get away from me so easily.

I'm so f--king relieved that he's in good hands in Melbourne. God bless Australia.

Update : It sounds like he's been taken to the Royal Alfred because the burns unit there is one of the best in the country. One of the surgeons was quoted as saying that he was expecting patients with 'burns on 15-50% of their bodies, shrapnel wounds and injuries to the hands'. Damn.

The best up-to-the-minute news source I've found is the Sydney Morning Herald.

Another update : Some pics of my buddies, my brothers, one of whom some people tried to kill a few nights ago. The next time, the drinks are on me, goddamn it.

Rick and I, about 13 years ago, in Edinburgh, in one of our classic poses. Me in the middle of a drunken soliloquy, Rick going 'oh, hell, not again'.

A party a few years back at the Bearman's house - Rick, Bearman, some guy I don't know, and me, in hairier days.

Rick and the Bearman, recently, outside a pub, predictably.