His name was E. Sophagus Marianas.  He worked for an unnamed legislator,and was rumored as the only person on the planet who had read both H.R. 3590 and 3962.  The meeting that changed C²’s life began, ironically, in an emergency room. Marianas was there to be treated for thousands of paper cuts, while C² had some aftershave lotion replaced with a tube of super powerful adhesive by E, so his hands were stuck in his pants.

As Marianas sat at the edge of his seat, lifeblood leaking slowly on the floor, and C² sat carefully on his left cheek, trying not to break his right wrist, they talked.  Marianas explained the theory of triple constraints, a long established reality of engineering, construction, and systems in the real world.

“Look C², it’s very simple. In any system you can control the price or the exact features or how long to get something done.  It’s like a triangular teeter-totter, only two of the corners can touch the ground at a time. Make sense?”

C₂ nodded. “I can control price and what service I receive, but not when” He held up one finger. “Or I can control price and when I get help but not what I get.” He held up a third finger, momentarily glad he didn’t need to use the hand glued to his backside, “Or I can control what I get and when, but not how much it costs?”

“Right.”

C² thought for a moment. “So how is that different from today?” (continue reading…)

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Rush Limbaugh said he would leave the USA within five years to receive health care if the current health care legislation in this country is passed. Umm…Rush…how is you promising to leave, even for a short health care trip (you may want to discuss the length of your trip with your physician since it doesn’t seem like you have a clean medical history), going to change any Democrat’s, liberal’s, or progressive’s mind on this legislation? Seriously, isn’t this like Osama bin Laden saying “if America doesn’t pull out of Afghanistan tomorrow I will shoot myself in the leg?” Might we suggest a different strategy on your part…promise to text all 535 members of the legislative body “nekkid pics” of your body covered in grape jelly, if it passes.

We’re just trying to point out that your statement to leave, for any amount of time, like how some Hollywood-types statements of leaving the country for awhile over their view of the Bush Administration, might not be have the intended outcome. But, you might be able to get Democrats to earmark you a few one-way international plane tickets if you play your cards right.

Continue reading "Moos Short: Rush Abroad" »