Anyone with access to a good legal library needs to look up one of my vur' favorite cases: Tyler v. Carter, 151 F.R.D. 537 (E.D. NY, 1993). The Carter who's the named defendant is Jimmy Carter; the other defendants include, inter alia, NASA, Bill Clinton, and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Let's quote from the district judge's background summary: "Plaintiff, Terri Smith Tyler, appearing pro se, filed a complaint in December 1992 alleging a bizarre conspiracy involving the Defendants to enslave and oppress certain segments of our society. Plaintiff contends that she is a cyborg, and that she received most of the information which forms the basis for her complaint through PROTEUS, which I read to be some silent, telepathic form of communication..."

It just gets better from there. Though to the best of my knowledge, Fox Mulder's name does not appear in any of the pleadings.

All of this may be related to my favorite show tune: "South Dakota!/ Where the aliens are eating out your brain..."

The charming and nautical Sumi37 wrote to say that a copy of my doctoral thesis had arrived at her office in a large box. It didn't seem to need food, and while it made rustling sounds, it seemed to be in a pleasant mood. I e-mailed her back to say that doctoral theses, like axolotls, are able to sustain themselves without food for extended periods. And my own thesis is actually quite pettable and kind.

I must ask the lovely and salamander-friendly Kristin at Thole if she'll make me another small capybara stuffling. A year or so ago she sent me a most pettable and charming little Ferdinand. He's been an excellent little courier, and I know he took a Hi! Monkey card to Kristin at Christmas. I'd vur' much like to give my small capybara stuffling a companion...

I still have to think about a stylish wallet. And about what I'll need to make my Small Psyduck Laptop wireless-capable... It's also time to order more Tare Panda stationery and Nonohan journals...

It's a Sunday night on the edge of winter... The Evil Esquimaux may be massing for a last raid of the season. Keep watch along the shores, mind the watch-fires on the headlands, and put your faith in the gallant Psyduck mononofu who defend the Aomori shore...