Since leaving the Calderon system, all has been relatively quiet - which has allowed me to take up a new and intriguing study of a peculiar phenomenon/fixation which has long fascinated me - that of insane inanimate objects, such as ventriloquists' dummies, toy clowns, xerox machines, etc. I have actually managed to revivify some artefacts from a few centuries past - just today, I managed to get the replicator to create a quite passable ventriloquist's dummy. There were a couple of wrinkles, of course, which is only to be expected - the little fellow had a colostomy bag, for instance (full of tiny wood-shavings), and a stick-shift from a 1979 Pontiac Firebird where his nose should have been - but otherwise, he was perfect in every detail. He does indeed display the expected propensity for unprompted acts of psychotic violence - and I have no idea how successful we will be in finding Mr. Data replacement genitalia - not that it really matters in his case, if you take my point - but still...He expressed an interest in exploring the ship, so I told the little fellow he should stop by number two's quarters - I happen to know he's always been a big fan of "Bride of Chucky", and I feel sure he'll appreciate the gesture.....I shall sleep very soundly tonight... 

I have loved The New Yorker since I was about 11, I've been a subscriber for years, I have the CD's holding every cartoon they've ever printed - but I'm cancelling my subscription. To call the Obama cover "satire" is an insult to all but the meanest intelligence, and to the art of satire itself. Unedited reproduction of a stereotype is not satire - there has to be some frame of reference which makes it clear where it's coming from - and I can see nothing in that cover that does that - nothing. Would they have done something similar on McCain? You know "Vote McCain or I'll f*** you up and call your wife a c****" (as he once publicly addressed his wife - Google it..) while she pops pills and he has Manchurian Candidate flashbacks... and that would actually be closer to factual than the offending cover. I doubt it, somehow - they're too afraid of the right-wing. At best, it's a really stupid mistake and at worst, it's a direct attack on the Obamas. I happen to believe the latter, and I cannot begin to understand wtf they were thinking - this will cost them readers, I would think. McCain, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, all of those right-wing douchebags must be rubbing their bloody hands right now. A great, great pity. 

I want to say thanks again to the people who have been visiting my author page here - apart from the pleasure of knowing you're reading this, your readership has helped push me up to 11th in page views on Red Room - it's very gratifying to know. I hope some of you might check out some of the other links on my page(reviews, audio and video, online publications, etc - the blog is getting by far the most hits(which is great) - You rock!