[geeks] [rescue] Thread drift :)

[wa2egp at att.net]

> True story:
> 
> First, the background data:  In the UK, there exists something called 
> the Official Secrets Act.  It's sort of the anti-FOIA.  Secrets are 
> secret under the Official Secrets Act.  Certain non-secrets are also 
> secret under the Official secrets Act, including that fact, so I just 
> violated the Official Secrets Act by telling you that.
> 
> Once upon a time, there was a town in Sussex whose inhabitants became 
> concerned about what might be in the plume coming from the tall stacks 
> of the somewhat mysterious plant on the north side of town, and whether 
> said plume was toxic and might be harming their health.  Nobody was 
> really sure quite what the plant did, so it was hard to be sure. 
> (Except of course for the people who worked there, and they weren't 
> telling.)  So the townsfolk called the Alkali Metals Inspectorate and 
> asked them to sample the plume.  So the Alkali Metals Inspectorate sent 
> two men who came to the town, sampled the plume, and went away again.
> 
> Then time passed.  And passed.  And passed.
> 
> Finally, the townsfolk got impatient and called the Alkali Metals 
> Inspectorate to ask if they'd ever gotten the results from the analysis 
> on the plume.
> 
> "Oh yes, we had the results several months ago."
> 
> "Well, what's in it?"
> 
> "We can't tell you.  It's an official secret."
> 
> ".... Well, can you at least tell us whether it's poisonous?"
> 
> "Sorry, that's an official secret."

Rminds me of the movie "Catch 22"

Bob