Image, object, and illusion go down to the corner

In contrast to Monday and the weekend, about two-thirds of yesterday was a complete meltdown. (At least the remainder involved tabletop tinkering with circuitry and rubber bands.) I liked the previous trend better. In any case, this is a sort of compilation post; various reactions, mostly to books and movies, I meant to inflict on the internet and then failed as sleep or other interferences caught up with me. Topics range from Michael Palin to Patricia McKillip, axolotls to Henrik Ibsen, Amanda Palmer to Powell and Pressburger. The usual?

( You're a crook, you're a fake, you're committed. )