"If someone brings you an unusual or impossible request, calmly explain that you cannot fulfill it."

You better not be talking about a FOIA request, Larry. While *impossible might be a lawful reason for a denial, *unusual is not.

It's "sunshine" week, isn't it? You should be celebrating openness in government, not trying to discourage it.

But don't mind me, I'm just being paranoid...

Ack, bad wording on my part. We fulfill unusual requests immediately. The impossible may take a little longer.

As I think I mentioned in previous postings, I myself make FOIA requests that the recipients claim to be unusual.

I was just pulling your chain, Larry. With your history with the FOIA, I figured you didn't actually mean to advise your coworkers to deny unusual requests.

But I must remark that you seem just as certain there *isn't an evil conspiracy, as the believers insist that there is. I'm gonna take the middle ground on this one. The flip-side of a popular saying may hold some merit:

"Just because you're *not paranoid, doesn't mean they're not out to get you!"