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Subject:Re: OT Friday post From:Jim Barrow <vrfour -at- verizon -dot- net> To:techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com Date:Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:31:01 -0500 (CDT)
>Gene Kim-Eng wrote:
>This was sent to me in another (not techwriting related) forum. >Because of the recent "ask me about the monkey" posts, it seemed >timely.
Very dangerous. I think that cross-posting OT Friday Funnies causes a rip in the space-time continuum.
>The Five Monkeys, or How Company Policies Evolve
>
>Start with a cage containing five monkeys. Inside the cage, hang >a banana on a string and place a set of stairs under it.
You're obviously familiar with the company that I work for.
>Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb >towards the banana.
Executive monkeys take the elevator.
>As soon as it touches the stair, spray all of the other monkeys >with cold water.
That's not very nice.
>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.
I wasn't aware that monkeys were unionized.
>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 its surprise, all of the other >monkeys attack it.
Now this is getting good! Are there semi-automatic weapons and big explosions involved?
>After another attempt and attack, it knows that if it tries to >climb the stairs, it will be assaulted.
This is what I said every time I watched a "Die Hard" sequel.
>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 joins the other monkeys in the attack.
Oooooh...you're talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp.
>Replace a third original monkey with a new one, then a fourth, >then the fifth. Every time the newest monkey takes to the stairs, >it is attacked.
>After all the original monkeys have been replaced, no monkey in >the cage has ever been sprayed with cold water. Nevertheless, no >monkey is ever again allowed to approach the stairs to try for the >banana.
>
>Why not?
Banana shortage?
>Because as far as they know that's the way it's always been done >around here.
>
>Sound familiar?
I like bananas.
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