In the early days of "The Operation", the monkeys didn't get much done. A few clever cave paintings here and there paid the rent but nothing of any real significance was produced. The Board of Directors (well me) decided to mix it up a bit with a little "Self-rule."

The first experiment in self-rule for The Operation didn't seem to go well at first. After a period of infighting during which over half of the monkeys were eaten, a clever little monkey called "Shakes" was able to command a "coalition of the willing" (well he called it a coalition of the survivors). He managed to gain control in large part because he somehow had smuggled a rudimentary spear into The Room. Surprisingly, he proved to be quite good at using the only weapon in the room to get his way, despite his constant uncontrollable shaking.

"Shakes" is credited with prodding the monkeys to create some of the greatest works of literature every produced, but it was really Shakes' spear that was behind the wonderful plays and sonnets we all know so well.

The Modern Era
Today, The Operation has moved on from despotism but hasn't resorted to modern farcical democracy. The monarchy set up by furry little Stephen pictured above is largely devoted to vastly popular works of horror. Occasionally, short works of insightful consumer information are produced which, lacking a better venue, are published here. Enjoy!

A Note About Ratings
On occasion I'm asked to explain how I rate reviews and why I rated a review the way I did. This handy key to my reviews should help:

"Very Helpful" - I thought the review was very helpful.
"Helpful" - I thought the review was helpful.
"Somewhat Helpful" - I thought the review was somewhat helpful.
"Not Helpful" - I thought the review was not helpful.
"Off Topic" - I thought the review was off topic.

Seriously though, I rate reviews based on how helpful I think they are to consumers. Please note that if there is profanity in your review, even if it is misspelled, I probably will rate it "Not Helpful". (See the sixth rule from the bottom on the site rules.)

Also, if your review contains multiple grammar or spelling mistakes or if it is difficult to read for some other reason, this makes it less helpful, in my view. I mean it doesn't have to be Shakespeare, but please don't put up reviews that look like they were written by a roomful of monkeys! (Unless they actually were.)

Epinions: A Penny for Your Thoughts.