[mburbank]

One of the seven pups in our most recent litter of gerbils was born with a nonfunction leg. It sticks straight out and the paw is cocked at a ninety degree angle, like a traffic cop stopping cars.

We nicknamed it 'Gimpy', but the wife wants it to have a more permanent monicker. She likes 'Tiny Tim' but is not certain. She aksed me for suggestions, with the idea of giving the gerbil the name of a famous rippled person.

I suggested Steven Hawking and Christopher Reeve, and she hated both those suggestions and also pointed out that neither of them were born crippled and they were in way worse shape than Gimpy and it was just more of my natural meaness masquerading behind humor.

Do you think I should try a whole new angle and suggest we name the gerbil Adolf Hitler? 'Cause it kind of looks like the little guy is heiling.