Cartoon Saturday

Welcome to 2011!

In Canada, a would-be actress staged a fake casting call for infants and used the occasion to try to kidnap a one-month-old baby; two freshman Republican reprehensives had to have their first votes in Congress invalidated when it was discovered that they had not attended their swearing-in ceremony; police in Los Angeles have identified two men suspected of raping disabled women in a care facility; officials in North Korea, evidently forgetting that they killed two soldiers and a number of civilians when the shelled a South Korean island last year, have suggested that their southern neighbors "...discard any unnecessary misgiving, open their hearts and positively respond to the north's proposal (for 'early and unconditional talks')"; and in Washington and Idaho, lucky winners are dividing a $380 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot that should have been mine.

Now, more than ever, we all need Cartoon Saturday.

The Republicans have taken charge of the House of Representatives, and in a spirit of bipartisan fellowship have declared that they are ready to undo everything any Democrat ever did. I hope they don't realize that Democratic presidents led the nation to victory in World War II ...

The Republicans are, though, good at coming up with creative solutions to multiple problems...

The old comment that "with friends like these, who needs enemies?" seems to have been copyrighted by Pakistan ...

I wonder how I can get into this program ...

The new leadership in the House of Representatives is springing into inaction on the nation's problems by conducting large numbers of "investigations" into the Obama administration. Perhaps Representative Issa could use some help in figuring out just how many investigating committees he needs ...

I've never understood the term Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, which seems to me to be a cover term for the mathematical sleight-of-hand that allows you to derive diametrically opposite conclusions from the same data, depending on what you want your audience to hear. I wonder which of the generally accepted principles covers revenue derived from nontraditional sources ...

Happily, none of my children ever used this excuse about homework. Unfortunately, we'll just have to see whether any of the grandchildren pick up on it ...

I was going to use "Get back in shape" as a new year's resolution, but then I remembered that round is, in fact, a shape, so I dropped it. But I may get creative about the whole fitness thing in 2011 ...

I just couldn't pass this one up ...

And finally, sometimes there's a cartoon that speaks right to the heart ...

I note from comments received over the last few Cartoon Saturdays that some of you are having problems reading the cartoons because they don't enlarge when clicked. I'm not sure what the problem is, although I suspect it may have something to do with my editing of extraneous html coding that the Blogger system seems to inject into each post. I've tried to be more careful with that this time ... let me know if it works.

Outside my study window here in Northern Virginia, the snow is coming down heavily and steadily, although the meteorological prognosticators (weathermen, Mike) say we're only supposed to see a "dusting" of the white stuff. All I can say is that it's getting pretty dusty outside. Looks as if it will be a good day to spend indoors, taking down all the Christmas decorations.

Just a party animal, that's me!

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Flying the Unfriendly Skies into 2011

With the new year comes all sorts of news, good and bad, expected and unexpected. One of the things we can expect (other than being peed on by the Republicans if you make less than $500,000 per year or don't own a business) is that the cost of flying will continue to go up.

As we saw last year, the airlines have adopted a business model which is a variation on the old bait-and-switch con: they offer incredibly cheap fares (relatively speaking), but then tack an extra fee or surcharge on everything after the mouse click on the basic fare. CNN Travel looked at what we can expect in the coming year in this article: Expert's Take: What New Airline Fees Might Come in 2011? As you might suspect, the airlines haven't even begun to plumb the depths of potential income from new fees, which could include, according to the article:

Infant Fees - today, you can fly with an infant in your lap. While this isn't necessarily safe, up to now the airlines have allowed you to carry that lap-sitting infant for free while they wait for the government to officially declare it an unsafe practice, at which time they can charge you for a seat for that infant and blame it on Big Government instead of greed.

In-Person Check-in Fees. Need to talk to a real person? Bring money. The airlines would save huge amounts of money by replacing all those expensive gate agents with those computer kiosks that never, ever break down. Except when you're in a hurry. Then you'd need to pay for the privilege of having someone help you. Good luck with that.

Credit Card Fees. Credit card companies make money two ways: by charging merchants a percentage of each sale for their service, and by charging you rates of interest that would make a New Jersey loan shark blush. The new proposed fee would pass those credit card fees the airlines pay on to you.

Carry-on Bag Fees. All those people who now delay departures while they try to stuff their upright pianos into the overhead bins would have to pay a fee for each carry on. Coupled with the huge income from charging for checked bags, this could be a real windfall for the airlines. Not so much for you, of course.

There are plenty of other fees that the airlines haven't considered yet. Here are a few I wouldn't be surprised to see ...

Destination Charges. You know how automobile dealerships charge you the cost of transporting the car you buy to the lot you buy it from? You might think this is what the base fare is...but you'd be wrong. I predict the airlines will impose a destination charge on you based on an incomprehensible and ever-shifting algorithm similar to the one they use to calculate base fares.

Preparation Charges. Continuing to take ideas from the automobile industry, I predict that the airlines will impose something like the infamous dealer preparation charge new car dealers put on new cars. This will reimburse the airlines for expenses like washing the airplane, vacuuming the aisles and emptying trash from seat-back pockets between flights, and buying those silly strips of red carpet that frequent flyers get to walk on when they check in at the gate.

On-Board Seat Charges. Want a seat? You can rent one. Otherwise, you'll have to stand in one of those padded contraptions like an average amusement park ride.

Gate Area Seat Charges. Want a seat while you wait for your flight? You can rent one. The charge would be assessed on a sliding scale, with hard, ergonomically torturous seats the cheapest, and the price going up depending on the relative comfort of the seat and its proximity to the gate.

Bathroom Fees. Ryanair is already charging passengers to use the on-board bathrooms. The other airlines can't possibly be far behind.

Fee Fees. No, these are not charges for burlesque dancers to provide on-board entertainment - they are a charge to reimburse the airlines for the cost of the personnel they had to hire to dream up new fees.

Air. Need to breathe? Bring lots of quarters to drop into the slots next to that little yellow mask that drops from the ceiling in case of emergency.

The possibilities are endless. And you can expect to see them all...and more.

Get a horse. At least you can use the manure.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow. No extra charge for the sarcasm.

Bilbo

Reading - vs - Understanding in Disneyland-on-the-Potomac

Short post today, mainly because I can't figure out any better way to say what commentator Dahlia Lithwick writes in this brilliant article: Read It and Weep: How the Tea Party's Fetish for the Constitution As Written May Get It in Trouble.

My old friend Ed points out that one of the key passages in the article is this:

"...if Tea Party Republicans really listen to the Constitution, they will quickly realize that "the document they are hearing is nationalistic, not state-oriented; concerned with giving Congress power, not taking it away; forward-looking, not nostalgic for the past; aimed [at] creating a new government that can solve new problems, not freezing in place an old one that must fold its hands while the nation declines."

The problem, of course, is that they don't listen because they're too busy talking about things they haven't really thought through.

The Constitution was written because the Articles of Confederation didn't work, giving too much power to the individual states and providing only for a weak central federal government that lacked the power to herd the state cats into useful, concerted action. The Founders knew that they needed a strong central government ... their challenge was to ensure that this central government would not become strong enough to trample on the rights of individuals and the states. This is why they designed the deliberately cumbersome system of checks and balances that divides federal authority among the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the government.

So, Republicans and Tea Party zealots, go ahead and read the Constitution aloud. You'll prove you can read, but not that you understand what it is you're reading.

Good luck with all that.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

The Best Chefs?

Until a few weeks ago, I'd never heard of Piers Morgan. Now, he's everywhere. It seems he is the person who will try to fill the TV time slot held since the Big Bang by Larry King. Since I never listened to Larry King either, it's all a wash to me. However, I have to question Mr Morgan's grasp of reality after his contention in this CNN interview that "Britain produce(s) the best chefs in the world."

Say, what?

With all affection and respect to my readers in the UK (hi, Craziequeen and Jean-Luc!), due reverence to Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, and other towering figures of British history and culture, and an affectionate head-nod to my friend Katherine who once gave me the world's fastest tour of London, I have to say that the glory of England does not lie in the excellence of its cuisine.

Exhibit A: "bangers and mash":

In the early 80's when I was living in what was then West Berlin, we military personnel had the option of attending three different officers' clubs: the French, the British, and the American. The standing joke was that if you wanted wonderful food and didn't mind being abused by snooty waiters, you went to the French club; if you wanted to be treated like a king and didn't mind mediocre food, you went to the British club; and if you didn't mind bad food and lousy service, you went to the American club.

Now, that's a slight exaggeration, but not much, and there are some exceptions. For example, I have eaten tripe at the French club - not by choice - and it is my opinion that one of the reasons French cuisine is so generally wonderful is that they're trying to live down their association with tripe ...

And you could, of course, get wonderful steaks at the American club.

Nevertheless, I think that Mr Morgan's contention that the British have the best chefs is a bit off-center. Sorry, but I'll take Jacques Pepin any day. Admittedly, Nigella Lawson is much cuter than he is, but we're talking about the food, here, and so she's got to take a back seat.

And sorry, Mr Morgan, but who names a defenseless child after "...a structure (as a breakwater) extending into navigable water for use as a landing place or promenade or to protect or form a harbor"?

Have a good day. Eat hearty! More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

The 2011 Banished Word List

You may have seen this Yahoo News article yesterday - "Words 'Viral' and 'Epic' Consigned to College Trash." Each year, Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, publishes a list of words and phrases that are so overused they have lost all true meaning, and should thus be unceremoniously chucked into the intellectual trash can.

This year's list, which you can read here on the LSSU website, includes the following 14 words:

Viral - I've never quite understood what it means for something to "go viral." Stupid and overused and - like real viruses - there seems to be no linguistic cure.

Epic - at one time, an "epic" was something special, like a Cecil B. DeMille movie. Now it's just another overused word, particularly in conjunction with the next word in the list...

Fail - this used to be a badge of shame, as when a student failed to achieve promotion to the next grade. Now, it's just a tacky term for something stupid, or something really stupid when it's an epic fail. Chuck it out.

Wow Factor - grossly overused. Doesn't mean a thing any more, even when applied to the effect generated by Scarlett Johanssen.

A-Ha Moment - why not just say "oh, that's clear now"? Stupid.

Back Story - we used to call it history, which is more concise and meaningful. If you aren't talking about your slipped discs, don't use it.

BFF - I think this means "best female friend," but I'm not sure. In any case, it's part of that useless collection of linguistic shortcuts brought to us by e-mail and short messaging services (I couldn't bring myself to write SMS).

Man Up - wrong on so many levels. Can a woman man up? Can a man woman up? In any case, the Political Correctness Police would tell you it should be person up. Let's just give up on it.

Refudiate - the fact that a useless political cipher like Sarah Palin coined it is enough to make me never say it again.

Mama Grizzlies - the only time this term should be used is in conjunction with a bad-tempered far-right-wing woman who doesn't shave her legs.

The American People - oh, come on! This is the term a Republican uses when he (or she) is trying to convince you that he (or she) has the full support and enthusiastic approval of all 300-odd million of us. Emphasis on the odd part.

I'm Just Sayin' - Perhaps you are, but I'm not. Forget it.

Facebook/Google (when used as verbs) - I don't so much mind Google used as a verb (I google things all the time), but Facebook as a verb? Really dumb.

Live Life to the Fullest - can someone live life to the emptiest? What a dumb expression. Just drop it.

Okay, I've had my quota of linguistic grumpiness for today. I'm just sayin' 'Nuff said.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, there are 171,476 words in common use in the English language, along with another 47,156 that are obsolete and yet another 9,500 derivative words ... plenty to choose from to replace the 14 on LSSU's 2011 Banished Word List.

Have a good day. Enjoy the love of words. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Health Care Reform Explained

One of the great legislative triumphs (and I use the word advisedly) of the recent past was President Obama's overhaul of the nation's health care system. It was a resounding success, offering something for everyone: Republicans love it because it gives them something on which to focus their hatred of the administration, Democrats hate it because it doesn't provide free health care for everyone, insurance companies love it because it forces everyone to buy insurance, lawyers love it because it offers exciting new vistas for lucrative litigation, pharmaceutical companies love it because they can sell more drugs, lobbyists love it because it gives them endless opportunities to make money lobbying both for and against, and Real People trying to get well are baffled by the whole thing.

If you, Dear Reader, are one of those folks being intellectually whipsawed by "experts" on both sides of the argument, and have to decide whether to eat, pay your mortgage, or buy the health care you need, here are a few frequently-asked questions and answers that will help you make sense of the whole thing:

What does HMO stand for?

This is actually a variation of the phrase, "Hey, Moe!" Its roots go back to a concept pioneered by Doctor Moe Howard, who discovered that a patient could be made to forget about the pain in his foot if he was poked hard enough in the eyes. Modern practice replaces the physical finger poke with hi-tech equivalents such as voice mail and referral slips, but the result remains the same.

Do all diagnostic procedures require pre-certification?

No. Only those you need.

I just joined a new HMO. Can I choose the doctor I want?

Of course! Your insurer will provide you with a book listing all the doctors who were participating in the plan at the time the information was gathered. These doctors basically fall into two categories: those who are no longer accepting new patients, and those who will see you but are no longer part of the plan. Fortunately, the new law requires the remaining doctor who is still in the plan and accepting new patients to have an office no more than a half day's drive from the nearest town named for a Nobel Prize-winning Czech agronomist.

What is a "pre-existing condition?"

A grammatically elegant obfuscation used by insurance companies to designate things they don't want to pay for.

Can I get coverage for my pre-existing conditions?

Certainly, as long as they don't require any treatment.

What happens if I want to try alternative forms of medicine?

You'll need to find alternative forms of payment.

My prescription drug plan only covers generic drugs, but I need the name brand. I tried the generic medication, but it gave me a stomach ache. What should I do?

Poke yourself in the eye.

I have an 80/20 plan with a $200 deductible and a $2,000 yearly cap. My insurer reimbursed the doctor for my out-patient surgery, but I'd already paid my bill. What should I do?

You have two choices: ask your doctor to sign the reimbursement check over to you, or wait until death from old age intervenes while you wait for the doctor to deposit the check, wait for it to clear, write you a new check (less processing fees), and deliver it by the slowest possible method.

What should I do if I get sick while traveling?

Try sitting in a different part of the bus.

No, I mean what if I'm away from home and I get sick?

You really shouldn't do that, because you'll have a hard time seeing your primary care physician. It's best to wait until you return, and then get sick.

I think I need to see a specialist, but my doctor insists he can handle my problem. Can a general practitioner really perform a heart transplant right in his office?

It's difficult to say, but considering that all you're risking is the $550 co-pay, there's no harm in letting him take a shot at it.

What accounts for the largest portion of health care costs?

It's a tie between doctors trying to recoup their investment losses and lawyers buying television air time to advertise their ability to sue on your behalf for diseases you never heard of.

Will health care be any different in the next decade?

No, but if you call right now, you might get an appointment by then.

I hope this helps. In the meantime, get ready for the non-anesthetized colonoscopy you're about to get from the new Congress. Good luck with all that.

Have a good day. Don't get sick.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Hill? What Hill? I Didn't See Any Hill!

People make lots of lists, especially around the beginning of the new year, when they are sometimes called resolutions. You know, resolutions - those things we swear faithfully to do in the new year, then promptly ignore because they were unrealistic and we were drunk when we drew up the list. Back when I was doing New Year's Resolutions, I always included things like "lose weight," "get back in shape," "get my finances in order," and "make love to Taylor Swift." Now, all these years later, I'm still pudgy, out of shape, broke, and prominently mentioned in Taylor Swift's restraining order.

So I don't make resolutions any more. But I do keep lists. Like this handy one that helps me evaluate just how far over the hill I've gotten with the relentless march of time ...

You know you're over the hill when:

1. You find yourself beginning to like accordion music.
2. You're sitting on a park bench and a Boy Scout comes up and helps you cross your legs.
3. Lawn care has become a big highlight of your life.
4. Your underwear starts creeping up on you ... and you enjoy it.
5. You tune into the easy listening station on purpose.
6. You take notes during commercials for laxatives and motorized wheelchairs.
7. When you light the candles on your birthday cake, people form circles and sing “Kumbaya.”
8. Someone compliments you on your layered look ... and you're wearing a bikini.
9. You keep repeating yourself.
10. You start recording daytime game shows ... if you can figure out how to operate the DVR.
11. At the airport, they ask to check your bags...and you're not carrying any luggage.
12. You wonder why you waited so long to take up macrame.
13. Your insurance company has started sending you their free calendar a month at a time.
14. At cafeterias, you complain that the gelatin is too tough.
15. Your new motorized chair has more options than your car.
16. When you do the "Hokey Pokey" and put your left hip out, it stays out.
17. One of the throw pillows on your bed is a hot water bottle.
18. Conversations with people your own age often turn into ailment one-upmanship.
19. You keep repeating yourself.
20. It takes a couple of tries to get over a speed bump.
21. You discover the words whippersnapper, scalawag, and by-cracky creeping into your vocabulary.
22. You're on a TV game show and you decide to risk it all and go for the rocker.
23. You begin every other sentence with, “Nowadays...”
24. You run out of breath walking down a flight of stairs.
25. You look both ways before crossing a room.
26. Your social security number only has three digits.
27. You keep repeating yourself.
28. You come to the conclusion that your worst enemy is gravity.
29. It takes you all night to do what you used to do all night.
30. You go to a Garden Party and you're mainly interested in the garden.
31. You find your mouth making promises your body can't keep.
32. The waiter asks how you'd like your steak ... and you say “pureed.”
33. At parties you attend, regularity is a popular conversational ice-breaker.
34. You start beating everyone else at trivia games.
35. You frequently find yourself telling people what things used to cost.
36. Your back goes out more than you do.
37. You keep repeating yourself.
38. Cafeteria food starts tasting good.
39. You refer to your $2500 stereo system as “The Hi-Fi.”
40. You attend all the RV shows that come to town.
41. You realize that a stamp today costs more than a picture show did when you were growing up.

42. You actually call movies "picture shows."
43. Your grandchildren don't know what stamps are.

44. Your childhood toys are now museum pieces.
45. Many of your co-workers were born the same year that you got your last promotion (as it happens, the last time I was in a traffic accident, the woman who ran into the back of my car was born the year I got my first driver's license).
46. The clothes you put away until they come back in style ... are back in style.
47. All of your favorite movies have been reissued in color.
48. The car that you bought brand new becomes an antique.
49. You keep repeating yourself.
50. You find this list tasteless and insensitive.

Happy New Year, by cracky!

Have a good day. Watch out for that hill. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Cartoon Saturday - New Year's Edition

Happy New Year!!

Oh, sorry ...

Happy New Year!!

Sorry about the headache. Big party last night, eh? Okay, let's tiptoe quietly through the first Cartoon Saturday of 2011 while your Excedrin starts to work, shall we?

At least 21 people were killed when a suicide bomber attacked services at a church in Egypt; inmates rioted at a prison in southern England, setting fire to buildings and smashing windows; a line of tornadoes ripped through the American Midwest, killing at least six people and devastating homes and businesses; the ongoing cholera epidemic in Haiti has killed more than 3,000 people and sickened another 140,000; and in Washington the Republican Party intends to start the legislative new year by reading the Constitution aloud on the floor of the House of Representatives. This is not a bad thing ... it will prove that at least some of them can read, and they may learn something about what the Constitution actually says.

Welcome to 2011. As always, Cartoon Saturday is back to help you cope.

Millions of Americans were forced out of their homes in 2010 by bank foreclosures, many of them of questionable legality, if not morality. It's hard to put a good face on such economic treachery, but these two cartoons make an attempt ...

And,

Speaking of banks, isn't it amazing how many new fees they can come up with to compensate for losses in other areas ...?

If Facebook had existed way back when, how might things have been different...?

What would Cartoon Saturday be without a real groaner ...?

I remember the good old days, when people fired up with their religious beliefs just annoyed you instead of believing they had a god-given right to murder you if your beliefs didn't match theirs ...

The Republicans tell us they're going to fix all our problems by cutting spending and reducing taxes. Of course, they've put all the places spending ought to be reduced off limits, so we'll see how that works out. Here are a pair of economic cartoons that apply ...

And this one, which speaks right to me ...

This one was too cute ... and too obvious ... to pass up ...

And finally, as we say adios, sayonara, do svidanya, adieu, and good riddance to 2010 in the forlorn hope that 2011 will be better, here's a final take on New Year's ...

So, Dear Readers, welcome to the New Year 2011 BCE ... or whatever you call it with the calendar you use. There were good and bad aspects to 2010, as there are with every year, but we all made it through and are ready to march steadfastly into the new year. Or be dragged kicking and screaming into it, whichever applies.

No matter. Good ol' Bilbo (and, occasionally, Nessa) will be here with more cantankerous observations on life to help you through it all. Have a safe, healthy, and happy new year!

More thoughts coming.

Bilbo

P.S. - Is it just me, or does anyone else have a problem with Blogger sticking all sorts of extraneous html coding into your posts? It takes me about twice as long as it should to compose each post (especially when I have embedded images like today) because I have to keep going back and editing the html to remove all sorts of off-the-wall format coding that screws everything up. What a waste of time. Any ideas?

B.

So Long, 2010, Don't Let the Door Hit You in the Fanny on the Way Out!

Today is December 31st, the last day of AD 2010. No, wait! I can't say that ... somebody might be offended at my use of the term Anno Domini, which means "the Year of (Our) Lord." Let's start over.

Today is December 31st, the last day of 2010, BCE ("Before the Common Era"). Is that okay with everyone? Good. Now we can get on with things.

The last day of the year is commonly a day for retrospection, for looking back at the things we did in the past year and telling ourselves we'll never be that stupid again. Such as electing a lot of smug, pompous Republicans in the belief that they can screw things up any less than the clueless, starry-eyed Democrats.

Tonight, New Year's Eve, is an opportunity for celebration that the old year has gone. In the words of humorist Bill Vaughan, "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” And cartoonist Anne Gibbons caught the spirit of this year's celebrations just right ...

Tomorrow, New Year's Day, is commonly a day for looking forward to a new year that just has to be better than the old one because, in a depressingly large number of cases, it couldn't be much worse. Just ask any of the millions of people who lost their homes to foreclosures of questionable legality and morality because banks ignored proper procedures to keep from losing money.

For me, the past year hasn't been so bad. I gained a beautiful new grandchild and still have my job. I made new friends through blogging (hi, Kathy!) and kept up with old ones via Facebook. I have read dozens of new and re-read many old favorite books. Desirable women are still willing to dance with me, and Agnes is still willing to allow it.

On the down side, I lost an old and valued colleague to cancer, had to face the possibility of having to buy a new car, and somehow got overlooked during the compilation of Cosmopolitan magazine's list of The 20 Hottest Guys of 2010.

But that's enough of all that. 2010 is almost gone and 2011 is headed up the driveway. The past is gone, and the future beckons.

Let's all see where it goes together, shall we?

Have a good day and a safe, happy celebration tonight. I need all of you back tomorrow for 2011's first Cartoon Saturday.

More thoughts coming in the new year.

Bilbo

The Business of Policing Ethics

You may have seen this article on the CNN website: "30 Rock" Biggest Ethics Violator on TV.

According to an organization called Global Compliance, which describes itself on its website as "the leading global provider of comprehensive, integrated ethics and compliance solutions, ranging from employee hotline services to harassment training to risk assessments, benchmarking, and inspection and validation services ... (providing) ethics and compliance solutions to more than 4,000 clients in over 200 countries and territories," the popular television show "30 Rock" leads all shows on television in the number of ethical violations per episode (11). Our favorite show, NCIS, scored an average of 5 ethical violations of various kinds per episode.

I'm not sure which is sadder - the fact that squishy ethics pervade our popular entertainment, or that there's money to be made by a global provider of a service to track them.

And we haven't even mentioned Congress and its vast supporting army of lobbyists and lawyers yet.

What appears on television and in the movies reflects the world we wish we had. We want to see bad people pay the price for their crimes, instead of being released on legal technicalities or buying their way out of trouble with high-priced lawyers. We get tired of having to watch everything we say and do to make sure that we're being politically correct. We wish we could trust our elected representatives to act in the larger national interest instead of being driven by hyperpartisan political agendas or bought by organizations with deep pockets.

We're getting what we think we want when we watch police on television egregiously run roughshod over the rights of citizens, and when we see characters "tell it like it is," regardless of the feelings of others.

If we just all paid a bit more attention to the Golden Rule, the Ten Commandments, and honesty as the best policy, there wouldn't be a market for a firm like Global Compliance, an arrogantly self-righteous buffoon like Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks site, or HR staffs that have to be maintained to police behavior that should have been corrected years before by attentive and caring parents.

But sadly, it's the world we live in.

Enjoy the rest of 2010. Perhaps things will be better in 2011, but I'm not holding my breath.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo