There's a review of the XO "One Laptop Per Child" computer in the NY Times. It gives the device a thumbs-up, and also plugs www.xogiving.org, the site where people will be able to take part in the "Buy one, give one" program. I love this -- I hope the idea is a rousing success.

While I was writing the above paragraph, I was distracted by the sound of Captain vocalizing in the dining room. "Mrp. Mrrrp. MrrrrRRRrrrp. Mrp." These are noises he normally makes when he's talking to Mark, Stanley, or me; it made me wonder what was going on, because Captain was alone in the dining room.

Then I remembered that Captain was talking to the cricket in the computer room the other night. "Uh-oh, I hope it's not another bug!" Sneaker in hand, I went to investigate.

Captain was happily rubbing his face all over the cats' favorite catnip toy, telling it all about... well, all about something, at any rate. "Mrrrrrrrp, mrp mrrp!" I don't ever recall seeing him talking to his toys before. You learn something new every day, I guess. :o) I returned to the living room and left Captain to his monologue.