Let's plan on going on the Stunt Road Meander (a.k.a. Topanga Lookout) for May, shall we?

Not too long ago, I predicted that one day, people would all wear personal "black boxes," analogous to the flight recorders on airplanes. The idea is that you could play back conversations, experiences, and so on. Not only would it would be ideal for figuring out the right snappy come-back after the fact, but you could actually reliably settle the issue of who took out the trash last time.

Well, to my chagrin, the good folks at Microsoft are actually pursuing development of such a device. Evidentally inspired by a person by the name of Vannevar Bush, onetime Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, who wrote an article about a similar concept in The Atlantic Monthly way back in 1945, they are in the process of making this a reality (brand named "My LifeBits"). While it's not yet at a stage where it's a readily portable device, have faith. It will be. That's where you'll be going tomorrow.

I hereby officially announce my recruiting effort for The Meander Memory Hacking Project. We'll specialize in hacking other peoples' memories, making subtle alterations in past events, and, most importantly, filtering data streams so that people can only replay things in Trochaic Pentameter.

Phone in comments to 310.210.3347, meil 'em to the postal address skillfully concealed elsewhere on this page, or email 'em to samuelg@themeander.org

• "Moonless Meander" by Rusty Steinberg
• "The First Dream" by Billy Collins
• "Forgetfulness" by Billy Collins
• "Flames" by Billy Collins
• "Missing Violins Case: the Finder Fiddles While the Losers Sue" by Daniel Pearl from Wall Street Journal
• excerpts from Ascent of Rum Doodle by W. E. Bowman
• "The Rec Room" by Jeff Ayers
• "Comment on the Philippines" by Mark Twain
• "The Killing of Crazy Horse" by Black Elk from Black Elk Speaks by told to John Neihardt
• "Child Development" by Billy Collins
• "Another Reason Why I Don't Keep a Gun in the House" by Billy Collins
• "Not a Good Cat Day" by Carol Armstrong

All misspellings, misattributions, omissions or errors in naming should be construed as Acts of God, directed through yours truly (for reasons at which we as mere mortals may only guess...)