Friday, February 07, 2003

Monkey See Monkey Do

Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang a banana on a string and place a set of 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 other monkeys with cold water.

After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon, when
another monkey tries to climb the stairs, the other monkeys will try to prevent it.

Now, put away the cold water. 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 surprise and 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! Likewise, replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, then the fifth.
Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, he is attacked.


Most of the monkeys that are beating 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 all the original monkeys, none of the remaining monkeys
have ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no monkey ever
again approaches the stairs to try for the banana. Why not? Because as far
as they know that's the way it's always been done around here.


And that, my friends, is how a company policy begins.

Does this remind anyone here about any religious organizations and the way they operate?

The preseding comes courtesy of the discussion groups I belong to.


Wednesday, February 05, 2003

This could be "the longest suicide note in history..." From an ABC Exec

Somehow, I still feel really bad for Micheal Jackson.

If you listen to his singing voice, his mature soulful phrasing when he was a youngster, you can hear the pain of a stolen childhood. You just can't attain that kind of artistry without sacrificing something.

That's one of the reasons Jenna Bean Cadence Sessum [yes, that's her full legal name] is not going to be pushed into a business that I know could be detrimental to her adult life.

However, the other day I reaized that the 'industry' might not be ready for her...

The other day I was asking Jenna to finish a task and get ready to go out. After the millionth time I asked her, I stood up from the couch and raised my voice and said, 'Alright! That's it! We are not going anywhere! Now go to your room.' In turn Jenna stood up and started sparring [sp, Mary? LOL---inside joke] like a boxer in front of me and, I swear to Rudy, she said, 'C'mon! You want a piece of me?' I ran upstairs and hid in the bathroom, laughing hysterically...I just couldn't believe it!

Monday, February 03, 2003

So much for Phil Spectors' 'Wall of Sound'...


Just found out that Ramon 'Mongo' Santamaria, the most heard Cuban percussionist, was taken off life support and is not expected to make it through the night...