You see, this is what happens when . . . well, I don't know what caused that thread to happen. Usenet can be a very strange place, and I look forward to some day, 30 years from now, when my children do some deep Googling to find dirt on me and turn up that gem.

You have to love a dream-interpretation discussion in which I am described as both "influential" and "traumatic." It does my ego a world of good.

In other, less insane news, The Lovely One and I treated Proximate Drea (who was, until this week, over 600 km away, but now lives about 600m from our house) to a small birthday party involving cake first, followed by dinner at Yogi's, entertainment provided by a sitarist and drummer. Great as always, and that's high praise for a vegetarian restaurant from acutely carnivorous me.

And tomorrow I experience the joys of a somewhat urgent dental investigation, since a minor annoyance with a recent filling has transformed into a major pain in the jaw.

So, my schedule's packed!