LITERARY DOPESTER

Y.P.R. 1. Is a picture worth a thousand words?

Danny Gregory I guess it depends on who you are and where you are.

If you’re Army Corporal Charles Graner of Abu Ghraib fame, this picture is worth eight words from your boss: “You are sentenced to 24 years in prison”.

If you’re Donald Rumsfeld, the same picture is worth a whopping twenty-two words from your boss: “You are doing a superb job. You are a strong Secretary of Defense. And our nation owes you a debt of gratitude.”

This indicates that Spc. Graner is an E-4 and earns $1991.50 per month while Sec. Rumsfeld has a much higher pay grade.

On the other hand, if you write a thousand words for the average online satirical magazine, figure on not getting paid anything. Do a watercolor for an online satirical mag and figure, again, on not getting paid anything. So, online, a picture is worth pretty much the same as a thousand words.

In short, I’d much rather have a picture in Yankee Pot Roast than a long sentence in the stockade.

Your pal,
Danny

Mr. Gregory is the author and artist of Hello World: A Life in Ham Radio and Everyday Matters, and the forthcoming Change Your Underwear Twice a Week. His weblog is Everyday Matters.