["Schilda" ist everywhere - see "Wise Men of Gotham" as analogy.]

Once upon a time ....

the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert.
Congress said, "Someone may steal from it at night."
So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job.
Then Congress said, "How does the watchman do his job without instruction?"
So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.
Then Congress said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?"
So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people. One was to do the studies and one was to write the reports.
Then Congress said, "How are these people going to get paid?"
So they created two positions: a timekeeper and a payroll officer then hired two people.
Then Congress said, "Who will be accountable for all of these people?"
So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.
Then Congress said, "We have had this command in operation for one year and we are $918,000 over budget, we must cut back."

So they laid-off the night watchman.

NOW slowly, let it sink in.

Quietly, we go like sheep to slaughter. Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of the DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY during the Carter administration?

Bottom line is, we've spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency, the reason for which very few people who read this can remember!

The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977, TO LESSEN THE DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.

AND NOW IT'S 2012 -- 35 YEARS LATER -- AND THE BUDGET FOR THIS "NECESSARY" DEPARTMENT IS
- $24.2 BILLION A YEAR, IT HAS
- 16,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND APPROXIMATELY
- 100,000 CONTRACT EMPLOYEES;

LOOK AT THE JOB IT HAS DONE:
34 years ago 30% of oil consumption was foreign imports. Today 70% of oil consumption is foreign imports.

Can you raed tihs?
Olny 55 people out of 100 can.

OK - ready for the next, even more surprising step?

An interesting exercise in visual acuity and perception,
sent to me by a good friend from Washington State.

Look out for the tattoo ["click!" on picture enlarges]:

* Get closer ...