https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4227879-is-data-human-the-metaphysics-of-star-trek

I gave this book, "Is Data Human? The Metaphysics of Star Trek", to my friend Chris shortly before he died from complications of muscular dystrophy.  I don't know whether he had time to read it.

It ponders a lot of the philosophical conundrums inspired by Star Trek tech, such as androids and transporters.  Our friend Tom B. says that he's chill with the idea of being scanned, destroyed, and re-created as an identical copy.  But what if the process goes awry?  This happens to Commander Will Riker, who winds up with a "twin" eventually named Thomas.  Is the "duplicate" going to be just as sanguine about being destroyed to balance the equations?  What if it's unclear which copy is "excess"?

If you played Rock-Paper-Scissors with yourself to solve this problem, would you keep tying endlessly, or are you already different enough to make different choices?  If you're already different, are you really exact duplicates?

My son and I went to see "No Exit" at the community college theatre. It's a three-person study of the thesis that "Hell is other people."

What would you do in such a room for all eternity?

My trusty steed Ki-Rin-Tin-Tin was killed by a wand of death.
Then I managed to explode my bag of holding, my two primary weapons, and quite a lot of other useful things.
And Ki-Rin-Tin-Tin-Too was disintegrated by a black dragon!
So I limped onward, no longer a mounted knight but determined as ever.
"The guardian Angel of Lugh will not accept the name Cool Hand of Lugh."
I went to my reward with 3285282 points, happy just to have made it.

There's nothing more dangerous than putting on your blessed greased +2 gray dragon scale mail in the morning and thinking that you're invulnerable.

POODOO INHINT
  CA Q
  TS ALMCADR

  TS BANKCALL
  CADR VAC5STOR

  INDEX ALMCADR
  CAF 0
ABORT2 TC BORTENT

OCT77770 OCT 77770
  CA V37FLBIT
  MASK FLAGWRD7
  CCS A
  TC WHIMPER -1

  TC DOWNFLAG
  ADRES STATEFLG

  TC DOWNFLAG
  ADRES REINTFLG

  TC DOWNFLAG
  ADRES NODOFLAG

  TC BANKCALL
  CADR MR.KLEAN
​​​​​​​  TC WHIMPER

 I have 3 CD cases in my car, because apparently I like primitive physical media.  Apparently I also like peppy songs about death.  Not “death metal” or anything so raucous, just “la la la everyone dies”.  So, for your enjoyment and mine, here are Ferret’s music reviews:

Track 1:  Thirty-three presumed dead by drowning.  ***** Five stars, and the holotype example on this album.  It has a very peppy Caribbean beat, and then a shipload of people perish in a hurricane.  At least I assume they perish.  There’s no explanation for the omniscient third person narration, but that’s the most likely interpretation, I believe.

Track 2:  No human deaths, but dead windmills, at least. *

Track 3:  Thousands dead at Gallipoli, in this mournful memoir of war.  ****

Track 4:  No deaths, one possible statutory rape.  Zero stars, do not like.

Track 5:  Dead father, dead nobleman and henchmen, and peasant heads on pikes by morning.  ****

Track 6:  Just one dead deputy sheriff, with attending legal consequences.  ***

Track 7:  One dead knight, with grateful commentary by scavenging birds.  ***

Track 8:  Most of humanity extinguished when someone pushes the button.  Super peppy.  *****

Track 9:  No immediate deaths, just alcoholism.  * One star for amusing ad-lib.

Track 10:  No deaths, but some very unfortunate life choices.  *

Track 11:  No deaths.  Beans.  Do not want.

Track 12:  No deaths, but it’s about sleep, which is somewhat akin.  *

Track 13:  I have no idea what this song is about, or even what LANGUAGE it is supposed to be.  I once put this song on auto-repeat to see how long it would take for a child to figure out that it wasn’t ever going to end.  **

Track 14:  No deaths, just poor life choices and alcoholism.  No thanks.

Track 15:  Three dead brothers, and another one heading away to war.  Kinda peppy, but missing something.  ***

Track 16:  Death is only mentioned once, but tyrants who imprison people and then get their comeuppance is something to sing about.  I’m quite fond of this one.  ****

Track 17:  Probably lots of people dead in battle, but the protagonist is only MOSTLY dead.  His mortal wounds are healed by a witch when she has her way with him.  What’s not to like?  *****

Track 18:  No reported deaths, but this song is all about the fear of death, and losing one’s loved ones.  Be thankful for the time you have.  ****

Track 19:  Mocking the criminal ancestry of Australians.  Meh.

Track 20:  Very catchy, even though nobody dies.  ***

Me: “If for some reason NASA wanted to send me to Mars, I would go.”

Son: “You can’t even watch a 3-D movie!”

It’s true.  But hey, I survived Mission: Space at Epcot! (barely)

Thankfully, Mrs. Ferret was talking about making a pan o' cocoa, and NOT a panic cocoa.  Aie!  Recipe available upon request.

May your day be merry and bright!

And the man in the back said, "Everyone, attack!" and it turned into a ballroom blitz.

And the girl in the corner said, "Boy, I want to warn you it'll turn into a ballroom blitz."

And I said, "Thanks.  Thanks a lot, but a warning that was not, 'cause it's already a ballroom blitz."

The line between obvious and impossible can seem pretty thin at times.  What capability should your computer have that could be accomplished by a single individual in a reasonable time frame?