Winning Words 9/24/10
“Consider the little mouse, how sagacious an animal it is which never entrusts its life to one hole only.” (Plautus 254-184 BC) There is much that we can learn from the mouse. Maybe that’s why they are used in laboratory experiments. The Roman author, Plautus, learned something about planning for the future by watching mice. He saw that the mouse had two holes, with one labeled, “Plan B.” ;-) Jack

FROM NL IN INDIANA: Good morning. Amen to that too. FROM JACK: What does the sign read on your mouse hole? MORE FROM NL: Diversification: Always looking at the BIG picture: Thinking outside the box: This is everything: Think about it.

FROM RI IN BOSTON: "Plan B" is a good idea in many situations. Buildings have long been designed with at least two means of exiting in case of emergencies. When planning an outdoor event, know what you'll do in case of rain. I always counseled my students to be qualified in at least two careers, to be better prepared for a layoff. (Regarding Plautus's comment, I wonder how those Roman mice chewed holes in those stone dwellings.) FROM JACK: A mouse who's smart enough to think of a Plan B is smart enough to figure out how to make a hole in a stone wall.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: They are very clever but most if not all animals have two exits to the burrows. Even snakes! However, mice are clever enough to avoid traps....most of the time. FROM JACK: Most privies have two holes, too.

FROM PRJS IN MICHIGAN: Federalist Paper #10....has learned that lesson....present day Tea Party people think, on the other hand, that we should put our faith into the hands of the beloved capitalists!!! FROM JACK: Most politicians (and their influential lobbyists) construct laws that contain loop-holes.

FROM MOLINER CF: I had a ground hog that thought two holes were his safety valve. He needed plan "C" Moral: Holes in one are only good in golf. FROM JACK: I know that you're old enough to remember the story of the golfer who always wore two pair of pants in case he got a hole in one. Did I ever tell you about the time I got a hole-in-one?

FROM PRPH IN MINNESOTA: remember the important role the mouse played in "The Green Mile?" FROM JACK: No I don't. I guess I'll have to Google it.

FROM NFC IN ILLINOIS: Your words today remind me of Rev. Tillberg's illustration about the pussy cat who went to London to visit the queen and saw only the mouse under the queen's chair because he was "mouse minded" while in the company of royalty. Do you remember it? FROM JACK: I remember that illustration well. In retrospect, he was a very good preacher.