Gee, Imagine That....

A recent AP-Ipsos poll shows that 45% of Americans give Congress low marks on ethics. The only surprise there is that the number is so low.

Mark Twain once remarked that "it could probably be proven with facts and figures that there is no distincly American criminal class -- except Congress".

Mr. Sulu Beams Out Of The Closet

For some bizarre reason, George ("Mr Sulu") Takei feels compelled to share with the world his preferences for men over women.

Just one question: What in the sweet name of Cthulu makes all these Hollywood types think that anyone gives a rat's rear end about their "orientation"?

Are entertainers really so narcissistic that they believe that this is information the rest of us just can't live without? Yes, we know that things were different when he was a kid. And just how is that a bad thing? Back then, people kept their weirdnesses to themselves. To quote Max from "The Goodbye People": "The old days maybe wasn't so great, but God help us from the new ones".

More Or Less Before And After

In a speech at Georgetown University today, failed Presidential candidate John Kerry pulled what has to have been the fastest flip=flop of his entire career.

First, he claims that the Bush administration was wrong to not follow General Shinseki's recommendation to put more enough troops in Iraq to to maintain order.

Then he cited our top military commander in Iraq, General George Casey, who recently told Congress that our large military presence 'feeds the notion of occupation' and 'extends the amount of time that it will take for Iraqi security forces to become self-reliant.... It is essential to acknowledge that the insurgency will not be defeated unless our troop levels are drawn down."

Of course, he offers no rationale for thinking that fewer troops will scare the adversary more than more troops would.

Does this guy get dizzy from all this flip-flopping?

Status Update

Due to extensive traveling and some illness, it's been too long since we've posted here. That will soon be rectified, but we need to do some research in an actual library filled with real books first. It should be a good effort.

The illness was not life-threatening; merely the ravages of age. Recovery is almost complete.

The Five Monkeys

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana.

As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the monkeys with cold water. After a while, another monkey will make an attempt with the same response -- all of the monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Keep this up for several days.

Turn off the cold water. If, later, another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it even though no water sprays them.

Now, remove one monkey from the cage and replace it with a new one. The new monkey sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.

Next, remove another of the original five monkeys and replace it with a new one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.

Replace the third original monkey with a new one. The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four monkeys that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest monkey.

After replacing the fourth and fifth original monkeys, all the monkeys which have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no monkey ever again approaches the stairs.

Why not?

"Because that's the way it's always been done around here."