I don't want to burn my snake or burn my apartment down ...

Sounds like it will be fine then. I know when I let my cats in the snake room, the first place they go is on top of the screen on the Uro cage. You definitely would know your pets better than me! Best of luck!

Thank you for the advice you guys I appreciate it as always.

Yeah, th eheating pad is stuck to the side, because of the nature of the stand it sits on. Fortnately, the bottom of the tank on the hot side is an even 90 degrees, and his hide heats up as well so his belly heat ought to work alright for the sake of his digestion.

I wound up using a piece of my housemate's old futon as an anchor for my clamp lamp. I rigged it up in such a way as to make sure that if it ever fell, it would pull the plug ou of the socket along with it. It sits very nicely against the wall, behind the stand. The lamp camps on to it so that it sits a bit above the screen. Now it stays 90 on the hot side, 80 on the cool side and that extra inch of clearence gave me an extra 5 to 6% humidity, so now I am between 60 and 65. Sweet.

Yeah, that digital thermometer/hygrometer was the best investment I made. It works very well.

Allister seems quite happy this evening, he is tucked away in his hide, peeking out at me ... waiting for something to run by. I wil try to feed him again on Thursday evening.

Thank you guys again for all of your help and suggestions. This forum is an excellent place to come and learn.