Seems that the s*** really has hit the fan w.r.t. a project I'm involved in at work. Just imagine a rapidly approaching deadline where we must have various resources and have effectively missed the ordering window - so getting resources to hit said deadline is almost impossible now [headshake]
Consequently my spare time is, well, nonexistant. Thus '3D Pipes in Direct3D 10,' the forum FAQ and editing of my book are all temporarily suspended [sad].
Keep watching this space - they won't be gone for long...