So I've tabled The Practical Nomad for a speed-read of Disch's The Dreams Our Stuff Is Made Of: How Science Fiction Conquered the World - I find a book irresistible which explains "the role of pajamas in Star Trek" (according to a review submitted to Amazon.com) - no doubt this comes in Chapter 5, "Star Trek - Science Fiction As Lifestyle" but so far I'm just in Chapter 1, "The Right To Lie" where he discusses America's long tradition of tolerating and celebrating liars. Ike is mentioned for his scout's honor denial of Gary Powers' true mission (after his U2 spyplane was shot down over the Soviet Union) as well as Oliver North and Ronald Reagan, but the book was published too soon to include the (in my opinion) trivial dissembling on the part of the current commander-in-chief, concerning the Presidential head he received from the White House equivalent of a groupie. And where was the media's searing attention ten years ago, during Iran-Contra? "Liberal Media" my ass.

Hurricane Bonnie update: like so many of these, great consternation is raised at the place I consider my "home beach," north of Cape Hatteras, site of Sir Walter Raleigh's Lost Colony and the Wright Brothers' flights: Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk and Duck. This is where P, L, and my god-daughter V live - the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Although the broadcast media plays up the evacuations, the approaching hurricanes never seem to arrive - instead the Cape Lookout/Wilmington/Cape Fear area, much to the south, bears the brunt of each threatening storm. This is the location CNN's cameras were showing today. When I spoke with P today, she said it wasn't even windy up there. Not that something major can't happen - a 1933 hurricane blasted Oregon Inlet into existence, just south of Nags Head; and I've heard scary details about the 1962 Ash Wednesday Storm from survivors - and according to a projected path I saw Bonnie may arrive there tomorrow.