Processing Data
I am an admirer of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I believe it is vastly superior to the other three of the first four incarnations, including the original. I haven’t seen more than a few minutes of those that have followed. The android Data is a brilliantly drawn character played superbly by Brent Spiner. Someone recently gave me a copy of Spiner’s Fan Fiction, cleverly described on the cover as a “Mem-Noir based on true events.” It’s a tale of stalking, perpetrated by one of those nuts who hound celebrities, that imagine a relationship. As I’ve said many times in this blog, I am not a fan of mysteries, finding few that rise above the genre into literature. I wasn’t expecting much from this particular work. The most surprising aspect is the solid writing. The 242 pages of the hardcover edition read like considerably less. As usual I found the mystery element ordinary, but I enjoyed the inside look into the actor’s character, his past and especially his insecurities, which continue despite phenomenal success. The revelations about his castmates and other Hollywood personages are another treat. He heaps mostly praise. He speaks harshly of only two legends, neither involved with the show, and in one of those instances he states that a near-death experience changed the person for the better. I was surprised that Spiner is a Texan, raised in Houston. He makes no mention of his wife and child in the narrative, so I assume it is largely fictional, although none of it implausible. There is a great deal of humor. Also surprising is the length of time it took to remove his makeup, unexpected in this age where just about everything is improved, made easier. 345 users at Amazon have rated Fan Fiction, forging to a consensus of 4.5 on a scale of five. I’ll go with 2.5. It’s appeal is likely restricted to fans of the program, the star and of mysteries. Published in 2021, I was unable to find any sales figures on the book, although it is still selling modestly at Amazon, sales rank 53,613th. That may seem pathetic, but there are more than 15 million titles available at Jeff Bezo’s enterprise. There are 100 titles under Spiner’s name at IMDb. I’d guess at least 75% have nothing to do with the series that made him famous. He has also done theater, sings and does voice-overs.
Last night at ten NBC ran episode one of The Endgame, starring the lovely Morena Baccarin as a captured criminal mastermind whose minions occupy seven NYC banks in an effort to force her release. The part seems perfect for her. So far I’m in.
Headline from nypost.com: “Nearly one-third of NYC bus riders aren’t paying the fare.” Isn’t it optional?
Headline from newsmax.com: “Germany Suspends Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Over Moscow’s Moves.” Good, but how long can it hold out? The country will get no fossil fuels from America, which has eschewed energy independence and the exporting of oil and gas.
Also from NM: “Beijing Olympics Draw Lowest Ratings Ever.” Down 42% from the winter previous games. Kudos to those who tuned out because the event was held in China.
Also from NM: “Atlanta 2022 Crime Stats: Rapes Up 236 Percent, Homicides Up 43 Percent.” Apparently, hampering the police isn’t working. Duh!
Darkly amusing headline from foxnews.com: “Kayleigh McEnany: No greater supporter of Democrats than Vladimir Putin.” Especially of Quid Pro Joe.
Expecting rain, I displayed only ten percent of the wares today. The sun came out for a couple of hours. When dark clouds appeared on the horizon, I bailed, playing it safe. An hour later the precipitation had yet to start. If only I had a crystal ball. My thanks to Ira, who bought the massive Britannica World Atlas, and to everybody who stopped to schmooze.
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