Mystery Cam: A Modest Proposal

Postelection Musings Abound

J. Scott Wilson , Staff Writer

So, another election has come and gone, and fresh new faces dot the political landscape like bright copper pennies thrown on a pile of dog waste.

Sorry for the tasty imagery, but this time of year always gets me down. A new crop of legislators marches bravely into various governmental buildings, full of vim and vigor, ready to tackle all mankind's problems via the legislative branch.

Then, the first lobbyist snakes out his hagfishlike proboscis, latches on to one of said fresh faces, and the transformation begins. Ethics and devotion to fellow man are leached away like Osmocote in a rainstorm and replaced by silt deposits of greed and self-interest.

The good folks of Minnesota had the right idea when they elected Jesse Ventura as governor: elect the insane, then the lobbyists won't be able to get a firm grip on them.

In fact, I may be on to something here. Empty the asylums and rest homes. Get every shopping cart-pushing street mumbler and manic mime and shovel them all into the various statehouses and meeting halls around the country. Goverment by the goofy, for the goofy, I say!

Perhaps we could put our governmental bodies on an island, where we could control access to them. The folks in this week's Mystery Cam city do that.

It could be like a monastic setting. They'd have TV, but only MSNBC, CNN and Fox News Channel. The only mail allowed in would be from constituents or immediate family. They'd be allowed off the island for holidays and for two weeks before election time.

It can't hurt.

Well, I've already given you one clue as to this week's Mystery Cam location. Any guesses yet?

Last Week

In last week's column, Laura took us off to scenic Val Thorens, France. The winners were Sandra Perry, Kim McCarten and John Pophal.

This Week

Once you've visited the Czech and Slovak museum in this week's destination, you might want to stop by the plant of a world-famous cereal maker for a bite. You'll have plenty of time to eat, a whole extra season, in fact. Later, you might want to bear witness to the seasonal oddity of cereal grains playing sports.

That should be plenty to get you started. Use the Netcam links at left to narrow down your choices and send in your guess. The first three folks in with the correct answer will be immortalized in next week's column. Good luck!

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