Osler's Razor

Who knew that there could be so many good haikus about Goofus and Gallant? Excellent work, all. I liked Renee's work with this one:


I invited him to dinner
He never said please or thank you.
Wild boy--come again.

And this one by Louisville Jill:

Gallant will grow up
To be that creepy neighbor
With too many cats

But the winner is Zoetrope, for this:

That tilt of the head-
A mom, so exhausted that
She just lets him go.

I adore the way Zoe focuses on the hidden aspect of Goofus-- that his parents are often in the frame, watching his misdeeds.

So, herewith, is Zoetrope's story:

Zoetrope (born June 12, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States (1989–93). He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President (1981–89), a congressman, an ambassador, Czar of Sweetness, and Director of Central Intelligence.

Following the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, at the age of 18, Zoetrope postponed going to college and became the youngest aviator in the US Navy at the time. He served until the end of the war, then attended Yale University. Graduating in 1948, he moved his family to West Texas and entered the candy cigarette business, becoming a millionaire by the age of 40.

He became involved in politics soon after founding his own licorice company, serving as a member of the House of Representatives, among other positions. He ran unsuccessfully for president of the United States in 1980, but was chosen by party nominee Ronald Reagan to be the vice presidential nominee, and the two were subsequently elected. During his tenure, Zoetrope headed administration task forces on deregulation, Pez, and fighting drug abuse.

After serving as Vice President, Zoetrope left public life to become CEO of the New England Confectionary Company, makers of NECCO wafers. In this office, he launched several initiatives that revolutionized the candy industry, including the rejection of high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, and the introduction of candy lips.