Sounds like parents, govt. Officials, bosses, and anyone else given authority over us without our direct consent. I just had a "meeting" with my boss where she requested me to take the lead in designing the solutions to problems that were defined in my absence and not to bother her for the details. I should do the work necessary to investigate the issue and propose a solution without pestering her for the details of how the problem is defined, who defined it, who is working on it also, what parts of the product it affects or what it will integrate with or what degree of freedom I should take in modifying the rest of the interacting parts of the system. I dutifully said I would continue to endeavor to be as good at that as possible. I appologized for having failed her significantly enough that she needed to pull me aside and mention my failing. She was mollified ( and hopefully her menstrual cycle will be over next week :^))

Of course, just don't close your soul to real holy persons. One of my most memorable days was introducing a catholic brother from a California monastery to a tibetan monk. The brother was chinese, and bore scars on his wrists from 12 years shackled in a PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. prison . My friend Rinpoche escaped tibet and walked with a limp after jumping from a third story window. One would make a observation and the other immediately understand his point. Different paths, same destination and I sat there looking like a benevolent dummie.

Chris,<br><br>Stop the jokes: I need to get up off the floor & stop laughing.<br><br>I loved the part "As to my getting voted off early: HAH! We'd be having 'longmeat' for dinner the first night and that show director would be missing." <br><br>After the first episode of Survivor, I discovered that survival depended upon a participant's socially manipulative skills, so I stopped watching. Am I correct in concluding that the director would be the dinner on your island.<br><br>By the way, I've lost my capacity for anger--at least until I have time enough to grow more hair.<br><br>Thanks for the regular injections of levity.<br><br>John

Well, actually, I was thinking of the kind of person who leaves Watchtower in the break room and tries to talk to thier co-workers about the miracle of "salvation". <br><br>After a while, it gets old, and you start looking for something heavy and cheap to drop on thier head. At least I do.

Stumbled across in my wanderings:<br><br>http://www.themightyorgan.com/travel_cargo.html<br>

I loved it! the sillier a custom seems, the more there is to understand. I want Lapp lapp porridge for my bug out bag. The Irish oatmeal is wearing thin ;O)

>>the sillier a custom seems, the more there is to understand<<<br><br>So, I guess we can look forward to seeing you parading with "USA" written across your chest in day-glo pink magic marker?<br><br>Actually, I think there are a lot of resonant themes, even some in modern society we'd probably rather not examine.<br>