STILL WAITING FOR HARRY MUDD’S ANDROIDS, THOUGH: Star Trek Remains a Blueprint of Sorts for the Future of Technology.

UPDATE: Reader Kenneth Humphrey writes:

Your mention of the androids from Star Trek made me recall a scene from that episode. The androids had decided that humanity is too destructive and ignorant to be allowed free reign of the galaxy (“Your species is self-destructive; you need our help”), so the androids will take care of all people, who will be happy, docile and controlled (“Your kind will be eager to accept our help. Soon you will be completely dependent upon us. Your aggressive and inquisitive instincts will be under our control”). The ominous music plays in the background, emphasizing the obvious danger to humanity the androids represent; and yet here we are about 40 years later, and who’s to say we don’t have Harry Mudd’s androids? More and more of us seem docile and controlled, happy to let Washington D.C. run our lives.

Yeah, and it’s just like Washington to give us the downside without the hot-robot-babe angle.

HMM: US replaces top general in Afghanistan. And not very nicely: “Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he asked for the resignation of Gen. David McKiernan. Gates said new leadership is needed as the Obama administration launches its strategy in the seven-year-old campaign.”

UPDATE: That’s interesting: A 3:22 pm edit took out the line about resignation above. Perhaps that means it was in error. Stay tuned.

On the other hand, this UPI report says he was asked to resign.

PROFESSOR BAINBRIDGE: “You don’t need banks and bondholders to make cars”? “If creditors get tired of getting screwed, the Chrysler debacle and the looming repeat at GM may mark a major shift in the ability of American business to finance operations and growth. Indeed, this particular chicken may come home to roost almost immediately.”

UPDATE: A hedge-fund reader writes: “Obama deliberately raised the cost of capital for every unionized business in the country. It’s worth asking why he would think that’s a good idea.”

SLASHDOT: In France, Fired For Writing To MP Against 3 Strikes. “French corporations and government are entangled in ways that Americans might find unfamiliar.” Not for long, at this rate . . .

FASTER, PLEASE: Study establishes major new treatment target in diseased arteries.

MORE ON THE CHRYSLER BANKRUPTCY at The Truth About Cars.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FAT in making memories.

PRAISE FOR B&H PHOTO AND VIDEO. I tend to buy stuff at Amazon, but for higher-end or specialty stuff I often use B&H, and I’ve always had good luck with them.

PAYING FOR NATIONAL HEALTH CARE: “When Obama proposes raising that $2 trillion by cutting payments to health-care providers and insurers, the providers and insurers squeal. When Obama proposes raising the money with higher taxes, Democrats squeal.”

SIGN UP TO MEET PRESIDENT OBAMA at the Albuquerque Town Hall on the 14th. A reader writes: “People can also phone 505-896-5040 to get on the lottery list.” If you get a chance, you might ask him about those ballooning deficits.

STUDY: Cars more affordable than they’ve been since tracking started in 1979. “The lower price of cars and trucks hasn’t resulted in higher vehicle sales, though, so analysts expect the downward pricing trend to continue.”

UPDATE: Reader Stephen Clark writes: “Cars more affordable now? Sure, but the coming inflation will take care of that.” Maybe I should run out and buy one. Hey, wait, this sounds familiar. . . .

MICHAEL YON IS training with the 1st Royal Gurkha Regiment.

IN THE MAIL: Diamond Star, from Catherine Asaro.

LEFTY CRITICS ASK WHY THERE WEREN’T TEA PARTY PROTESTS OVER BUSH’S DEFICITS: Maybe this is why: White House: Budget deficit to top $1.8 trillion, 4 times 2008’s record. “With the economy performing worse than hoped, revised White House figures point to deepening budget deficits, with the government borrowing almost 50 cents for every dollar it spends this year.”

UPDATE: Reader Don Tyler writes: “The reason we didn’t protest is that we were in the middle of an election. Bush was no longer the problem. We protested at all of McCain’s campaign stops… and protested the spending of Congress and Bush.” People did complain about Bush’s spending, but as you can see, the deficit was actually declining during most of his second term. And Obama’s disavowal of responsibility has failed the FactCheck.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Various readers email that there was a protest over Bush’s spending — it was the elections of 2006 and 2008, when fiscal conservatives stayed home.

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Official who gave ‘troubling’ testimony on McAuliffe now fundraising for him.

A CALL FOR “yellow journalism” in the blogosphere. And out.

Plus, Kraft cashes in on DijonGate.

MY DOG’S BETTER THAN YOUR DOG. And is that a young Joe Biden singing in this commercial?

SAVE SARAH CONNOR! “Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles” Wins Save Our Show Poll. It’s a great show. They’d be idiots to kill it. Which, with Fox’s record, probably means it’s doomed. . . .

W.C. HANDY, Blues Capitalist.

I GUESS THAT’S WHAT SAVED ISABELLE PATISSIER, THEN: “Washboard stomach” saves woman’s life in paragliding incident.

J.D. JOHANNES: In Which I Strangely Agree With Frank Rich.

SETTING THE FLUX CAPACITOR FOR 1875 — or turning the United States into Haiti?

OBAMA SNUBS VISCLOSKY:

President Barack Obama will visit Indianapolis on Sunday to raise money for the election campaigns of Indiana Democrats, including 8th District Rep. Brad Ellsworth. . . . At the Westin, he first will headline a Keep Indiana Blue event. Tickets to that event range from $250 to $5,000 and benefit four of Indiana’s five Democratic congressmen: Ellsworth and Reps. Baron Hill, Andre Carson and Joe Donnelly.

The fifth, Rep. Pete Visclosky, is not expected to attend.

Or is it the other way around?

QUESTIONS ABOUT CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, from Paul Mirengoff.

TIGERHAWK: The “Rich” are idiots. “I have no problem with rich people who supported Barack Obama, but those who express surprise at his class warfare political chatter and passion for the regulation of business simply were not paying attention.”