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Best Buy's Geek Squad is holding a memorial tonight to honor Arthur C. Clarke. Alas. Everyone was far too polite to say this about the recently deceased sci-fi writer: Had he lived in the U.S. rather than Sri Lanka, he'd be a prime membership candidate for the North American Man-Boy Love Association. "Once they have reached the age of puberty, it is OK... It doesn't do any harm," Clarke told the U.K.'s Sunday Mirror in 1998. More or less exiled from Britain over his underage affairs, he continued to pursue them in the South Asian island nation. Authorities there turned a blind eye. This is all well known among the more sophisticated realms of fandom — but not, apparently, Best Buy headquarters in South Richfield, Minn. At 8:01 p.m., every Geek Squad repairman will pause to think reverently of a champion of child abuse. The press release:

Tonight the Geek Squad is going to hold a moment of silence at 8:01 pm to remember the venerable Arthur C. Clarke (in army time, that's 20:01). Memo's regarding Mr. Clarke's passing have been posted at Geek Squad precincts around the nation...See below for the memo the Agents created...best...CK

ARTHUR C. CLARKE
1917 - 2008

Yesterday, the worlds of science and science fiction lost one of their true visionaries, the inestimable Arthur C. Clarke, author of seminal works like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Rendezvous with Rama. Through the writings of Mr. Clarke, all these worlds are yours.

It isn't easy to overstate Mr. Clarke's contribution to increasing the public's fascination with science and technology. In fact, Mr. Clarke's imaginative fiction, profoundly insightful futurist thinking and boundless optimism played no small part in shaping the formation of our company, Geek Squad.

Out of the deepest respect for Mr. Clarke, Geek Squad personnel will be observing a moment of silence this evening at 20:01 military time. Many thanks for your understanding. The sky is filled with one more star tonight.

Chris Kooluris
Ketchum
1285 Avenue of the Americas, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10019