I did too! LOL

I hadn't thought of that, but YES.

The one I've seen bandied about on some sites that I would LOVE is Terence Stamp as Ser Barristan.

I have a voice, yes... but final decision rests with David & Dan, subject to the approval of HBO.

Yes, Ed Harris, as depicted by one of your readers who submitted a picture of Ed Harris as Tywin.

As an AZ native I find this bill distressing, especially since it is not indicitive of the feeling of the entire population. 60% of Arizonans support it, but they are your typical yahoos that just don't bother to think beyond what they are told and don't realize the full implications of this law. The 40% of us who do know better are being hurt by the apathetic 60% because they have the majority. Do we need immigration reform? Yes. Is this the answer? Absolutely not!

I get the impression that, as a producer on the show, George might not be able to officially comment directly on the situation with Tamzin Merchant leaving the project. The last official word we had from HBO (via the Watcher blog at the Chicago Tribune) was that she was gone and would not be participating in the TV series, and the role of Daenerys would be recast and her scenes in Morocco reshot with the new actress (who has not been chosen or announced yet):

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2010/04/game-of-thrones-george-r-r-martin.html

That to me sounds pretty definitive that Ms. Merchant will not be involved in the production as Daenerys.

Wow, imagine hitting the con trail with GRRM! And a road trip to boot -- must be a ton of fun! I can only imagine what it'd be like to be on such a fan-tastic trip, haha. Do you guys play some sort of license plate game where you make up new Wild Cards characters? :)

I hope you enjoy the con and can relax a bit, Mr. Martin. How do you feel about KC BBQ? Hopefully you'll be able to squeeze in a few BBQ platters while you're out there.

Much as I would like to spend a lot of time watching the HBO series being filmed, it is simply not possible. I have way too much work to do here at home.

(And truth be told, a writer on a film set is often as useful as nipples on a breastplate. By the time the cameras start to roll, the project rests in the hands of the actors, directors, and showrunners. I am none of those things on GAME OF THRONES)

I may decide to visit the shoot when my own episode -- episode eight -- is being filmed. But even that depends on when and where and what I'm doing at the time. I will likely also drop by Belfast for a day or two after Octocon in Dublin come October, since I'll be in Ireland anyway. (If we're shooting in Belfast at that time, and not on some distant location). But only for a day or three.

Also, FWIW, I am now informed that the start of principle photography has been pushed back to late July.