J. Davy Crockett III

A quirky sense of humor and a cynical streak seem to have been the impetus for an interesting book, published years ago, entitled The Peter Principle by educational scholar Dr. Laurence J. Peter. It is a hilarious look at the pitfalls of a bureaucratic organization. The original premise of the author is that in a hierarchically structured organization, people tend to be promoted up through the ranks until they reach their “level of incompetence.” But what does that mean? One might hope that increased competence would equal higher responsibility.

In the late 1800s, a young Scotsman became a successful and widely read author. Robert Louis Stevenson is best known for his colorful adventure novel Treasure Island, but he also wrote an allegorical tale about good and evil in 1886 in his best-selling book entitled The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

While watching a classic epic movie from the 1960s, I was surprised when, about halfway through the film, there was an intermission. I suppose the directors figured the audience needed a brief break before the lengthy production resumed to complete the story. In live theater productions and at the symphony, an intermission is often provided before the actors again take the stage and continue the performance.

Much of the Christian-professing world has been observing Lent, a time of self-denial in preparation for Easter. Interestingly, the day before Lent begins is a time of partying and excess known as Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday,” though most of the participants don’t know why they are celebrating. The next day, Ash Wednesday, begins forty days of “fasting” leading up to Easter. Adherents usually give up some simple pleasure during that time, supposedly harkening back to Jesus’ 40 days of fasting in the wilderness before being tempted by Satan.

Some names live in infamy. The memory and names of those individuals have been seared into the historical fabric of the countries and cultures in which they did treacherous deeds. It seems that no country or region has lacked ignominious characters whose names have become reviled. In the United States, the name of Benedict Arnold—the general who, greedy for recognition and money, treacherously betrayed General George Washington and the fledgling Colonial States of America during the Revolutionary War—still is used as a synonym for traitor.