June 13, 2008 - There is always time to pass the blame. We blame others for our shortcomings, for our bad habits, for our failures, and for our mis-fires. We rarely blame others for our success - that we take full credit for ourselves. I'd like to believe this is a cultural thing, or a learned behavior that we could blame on someone else. But, alas, blame appears to be a deeply routed hominid behavior. Today however, go for it. Today is Blame Someone Else Day.
Remember Koko the Gorilla? Koko is part of Project Koko - an experiment that was developed to teach a gorilla sign language and to show that gorillas are intelligent beings with thoughts and logic and feelings. Koko now has a sign language repertoire of over 1000 words.1. In college we watched a number of videos on Koko and her ability to string together thoughts to form basic sentences and make herself very well understood. Once caught doing something she shouldn't have done, Koko pointed at the cat and claimed "the cat did it".
Another primate that seems to know how to pass a little blame around is George W. Bush. Once asked about the riots in Los Angeles, GW was quoted as saying:
Blame Someone Else day always falls on the first Friday the 13th of the year. As today is the ONLY Friday the 13th of 2008 - seems like this is the day to do something naughty and pass the buck. After all, it can't POSSIBLY be your fault today. Go ahead... do something I might do.
1. Read more about Koko and the associated research at www.koko.org
Remember Koko the Gorilla? Koko is part of Project Koko - an experiment that was developed to teach a gorilla sign language and to show that gorillas are intelligent beings with thoughts and logic and feelings. Koko now has a sign language repertoire of over 1000 words.1. In college we watched a number of videos on Koko and her ability to string together thoughts to form basic sentences and make herself very well understood. Once caught doing something she shouldn't have done, Koko pointed at the cat and claimed "the cat did it".
Another primate that seems to know how to pass a little blame around is George W. Bush. Once asked about the riots in Los Angeles, GW was quoted as saying:
"When I have been asked who caused the riots and the killing in LA, my answer has been direct & simple: Who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame" George W. Bush.Blame it seems, is not merely a human scape goat. Turns out that blame is more universal (and deeper routed) than that. So who can we blame for GWB? There seems to be enough blame to go around on that one. Blame the media. Blame the voting public. Blame the supreme court. Blame Ralph Nader. Blame and politics are like peanut butter and jelly on white bread - sweet, sticky, hard to swallow on the inside, nutritionally void on the outside. I'd like to think when the Wonder Bread Monkey's term is up, things will improve. I want to believe that Senator Obama will be a refreshing, honest change - but politics is politics. At least on this PB & J the bread will be whole wheat.
Blame Someone Else day always falls on the first Friday the 13th of the year. As today is the ONLY Friday the 13th of 2008 - seems like this is the day to do something naughty and pass the buck. After all, it can't POSSIBLY be your fault today. Go ahead... do something I might do.
1. Read more about Koko and the associated research at www.koko.org
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