Once upon a time, it paid to be cryptic if you opposed the ruling dynasty (if you valued your head)

[CorpGovActivist]

A modern adaptation of a familiar nursery rhyme might well illustrate the serious point for Potomac Primary data leaks, and those occurring thereafter.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nursery_rhymes">Nursery rhymes were often used as linguistic nods and winks among like-minded partisans, fighting the status quo of their particular time, and place.



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Sing a song of sixpence,

(Spill the beans, got cheaply,)

a pocket full of rye.

(Rye seeds, like data seed, are hardy, take root quickly, and have many uses.)

Four and twenty blackbirds,

(More than a few whistleblowers,)

baked in a pie.

(showing up where you'd least expect them to fly out.)

When the pie was opened,

(The day before primaries, it always feels like a pie is cooling on the sill,)

the birds began to sing.

(Sweetly, if you're an investigative journalist.)

Wasn't that a dainty dish

(Raw data is an acquired taste.)

to set before the king?

(Even some adaptations should have at least one line left unexplained. For now.)

The king was in his counting house,
counting out his money.

The queen was in the parlour,
eating bread and honey.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e5/Prinsep,_The_Queen_was_in_the_Parlour.jpg/180px-Prinsep,_The_Queen_was_in_the_Parlour.jpg

The maid was in the garden,
hanging out the clothes,
When down came a blackbird
and pecked off her nose!

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If you've ever wondered how the Intelligence Community agencies or similar organizations pick operation names, this is just one rich, literary source of names. Project Blackbird? Project Blackbird!

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Probably best not to go near http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Diddle_Diddle">Hey Diddle Diddle!

And run! Run! Run, don't walk, away from the nursery rhyme of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_and_Jill_%28song%29">Jack and Jill. It will fill your head with all sorts of unorthodox thoughts this primary season. You're not unorthodox, are you?

But those have their modern, primary-season parodies, too.

Best to all as the Potomac Primary is upon us,

- Dave

[donsu]

1. thanks for this info

I grew up with a coffee table bk. of my parents that had campaign songs, poems, posters from the past, like 'Tippecanoe and Tyler too', etc.

and later through feminism I learned of the politics of nursery rhymes. so find your info interesting.