This one's specially for Adrian, Declan, Hotch and Risk ... sounds
familiar?
> TODAY'S JOKE
> October 26, 1998
> BUREAUCRACY IN THE PLANET OF THE APES
> ======================================
> 1. Start with a cage containing five apes. In the cage,
> hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it.
> Before long, an ape will go to the stairs and start
> to climb towards the Banana.
>
> 2. As soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of
> the apes with cold water. After a while, another ape
> makes an attempt with the same result--all the apes
> are sprayed with cold water.
>
> 3. Turn off the cold water.If,later, another ape tries
> to climb the stairs, the other apes will try to prevent
> it even though no water sprays them.
>
> 4. Now, remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a
> new one. The New ape sees the banana and wants to climb the
> stairs. To his horror, all of the other apes attack him.
> After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he
> tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
>
> 5. Next, remove another of the original five apes 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.
>
> 6. Again, replace a third original ape with a new one.
> The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well.
> Two of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they
> were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are
> participating in the beating of the newest ape.
>
> 7. After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes,
> all the apes which have been sprayed with cold water
> have been replaced.
>
> Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs.
> Why not?
>
> "BECAUSE that's the way it's always been done around here."
>
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Sheila Teasdale, MMedSci Tel 0115-919 4495
Research Fellow Fax 0115-970 9389
Collection of Health Data from General Practice
Dept of General Practice
Queens Medical Centre
University of Nottingham
NOTTINGHAM NG7 2UH
email [log in to unmask]
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