A couple of months ago we recorded the view from our back porch…

This video is dedicated to all those people out there who don’t live in the Pacific Northwest and don’t understand why we are always complaining about the weather.

Today something peculiar happened in the bathroom. I had made a late morning visit to the men’s room and was washing my hands when an older man pushed open the door and walked in. He was well dressed and well kept, a rather astute looking gentleman. He walked straight over to the sink next to the one I was at, promptly turned the water on, and started washing his hands. I didn’t think much about it, after all I have done the same thing after getting my hands grimey during a ship-check or spilling something on them during lunch. But then he proceeded to break one of the most well established un-written rules – Never start a conversation with a stranger in the men’s restroom. He asked me, “Are you engineer?” To which I replied, “Yes” with a quizzical expression. I figured he was about to ask me to fix the broken paper towel dispenser or something. Instead he launched into the following soliloquy:

“I am a Health Physicist with a medical degree. You’re an engineer, and a young one at that, so you’re smart. Think about this. When I come into the restroom the first thing I do is wash my hands, then I take a ____. I wish to take care of that which has been near and dear to me for 54 years. After I take a ____, who cares? And I am a Health Physicist, think about it!”

I said thanks and hurried off, I didn’t want to give him the chance to introduce himself and attempt to shake my hand…

I recently came across this discription at work of how government policies came about…

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, all of the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. After a while, another monkey makes an attempt with the same result, and all the other monkeys are sprayed with cold water. Pretty soon the 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 the other monkeys attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs he will be attacked.

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 the 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 there.