The Age of Spiritual Machines

I can’t believe that, in this day and age of digital this and that, I am being held hostage by a temperamental VCR. An analog, no-nonsense, not-even-stereo VCR at that. Nevermind that I only require its services but once a week, when I (attempt to) tape the Sopranos for a friend. Do you think perhaps machines have a soul? Has my trusty little bessie had enough of the senseless violence and stereotype-mongering it’s forced to faithfully record, week after week?