Posthuman Blues

I've interested several scientists, including at least one planetary geologist, in an extremely strange parallelogram "etched" onto the surface of Mars in the immediate vicinity of the Face. Research is proceeding methodically. If the investigation pans out, it may yield quantifiable evidence of intelligent design as opposed to mere puzzled glances and quizzical remarks.

Halloween was uneventful. No costume. I did, however, wear my hat backwards -- not because I thought it made me look particularly "cool," but because it's the only way it will fit. I've come to terms with the fact that I have a big head. It's measurably larger than other people's. You know those "one size fits all" fasteners with the little plastic pegs? I can unclasp the fastener completely and the hat won't even begin to fit; it just sort of balances on top of my oversized skull. To date, I've found two hats that I can actually wear: the R.E.M. cap I wore tonight, and another I picked up in a department store. The former has an elastic band inside instead of a fastener and I suspect the latter is defective.

I should make it clear that I don't look like I have a big head. It doesn't appear disproportionate to casual observers. Nevertheless, my cranium is an anomaly. Maybe I'm an extraterrestrial-human hybrid; that would put my mind at ease.

Speaking of ETs: There's a remarkable-looking photograph of an alleged alien on the Web that I've posted on my site to see what people make of it. John Velez, a UFO abductee you might have seen on television, thinks it looks extremely authentic. I emailed Whitley Strieber and he thinks it looks real, too. I'm waiting for feedback from one other person who has supposedly seen "Grays" at close range.

I'm reading Gaby Wood's history of humanoid automata, contemplating dusting off my laptop and writing a novel, drinking the usual large quantities of coffee, and beginning William K. Hartmann's "Mars Underground." Hartmann is a Mars Global Surveyor project scientist -- as well as a considerably talented fiction writer -- who I almost saw speak down the street a couple months or so ago. His newest book, "A Traveler's Guide to Mars" looks edifying, but I was exasperated by his ritualistic, uninformed debunking of the "Face." I'm troubled by these self-appointed bastions of Official Science, who casually marginalize whatever they don't understand. Somehow, I can't help thinking they're in for a big surprise.

Meanwhile, by cat Ebe has discovered that she can keep warm by dozing off on top of my computer monitor. I've decided to tolerate it; in a few months she'll be too big to curl up there anyway. Let her enjoy it while she's still a kitten.

"I'm vibrating at the speed of light."

--R.E.M., "Animal"