- 30 -

Elisabeth Sladen, who portrayed Third and Fourth Doctor companion Sarah Jane Smith, has gone off to join the Brigadier. :(

Aw! :(

Just learned that Nicholas Courtney passed away last week. He was one of my favorite Companions, and one of the few who could command screen presence away from The Doctor.

I had so been hoping he’d be able to make an appearance in the new series, like he had in the Sarah Jane Adventures. :(

How time flies.

Hard to believe it’s been 30 years since that terrible night in New York City when a madman killed John Lennon for… well, no real reason other than his own madness (various highly dubious conspiracy theories notwithstanding). I had made plans to drop in on my old high school the following day, and when there, ran into a friend who was also a Beatles fan—he was completely dressed in black, in mourning.

I think maybe that’s the wrong way to commemorate Lennon, though. I think I plan instead to smile a little more at strangers today.

---

Anyway, I’ve made a return to one of the first places I worked for in Columbus; I got placed at Franklin County Children Services (on my birthday, no less), where I had been working when I got married back in ’93. Different division, though. Temp placement, no idea how long it’s going to last.

It’s mainly an exercise in typing without comprehension. Partly it’s because I’m not a caseworker and it’s none of my business, mostly it’s because I really don’t want to know.

The mental procedure is disturbingly similar to what Orwell described in the appendix to Nineteen Eighty Four as ‘crimestop’ (or more prosaically as ‘protective stupidity’). The material is dealt with only and exactly as long as it takes to transfer the letters comprising the words to the correct part of the screen, and then they just unexist. Sitting here right now, I could not tell you any of the names that came across my screen last night (with the exception of one unusual first name–but the last name is completely lost to me), or more importantly, any of the allegations made.

Who’d've thought creeping senility could be a job skill?

o/` You’re a Rorschach test on fire… o/`

Farewell to mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot, after whom the Mandelbrot set was named. JoCo had a song about him some years ago; it’s appropriate.

In Memoriam

A moment please in honor of Robert C. Byrd, guardian of the Senate and defender of the Constitution.

The fire, extinguished.

Farewell, Frank Frazetta (1928-2010).

T-plus 49 years and counting

Happy Yuri’s Night, everyone!

Holy Toledo!

These immortal words of Gumby’s pal Pokey were the ones I used when I learned of the passing of Art Clokey, their creator. :(

And that’s the way it was.

Farewell, Uncle Walter. Would that your style of journalism still thrived.

PJF RIP

Grand Master Philip José Farmer passed away this morning at the age of 91.