shhhhh….

 epa (environmental protection agency) administrator scott pruit, is spending nearly $25,000 to construct a secure, soundproof communications booth for his office, according to government contracting records. he signed a $24,570 contract earlier this summer with acoustical solutions, a eichmond-based company, for a “privacy booth for the administrator.” he sought a customized version — one that eventually would cost several times more than a typical model — that he can use to communicate privately.

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when i read this i could not help but be reminded of

* ‘the cone of silence’ from the 1960’s spy comedy, ‘get smart,’

one of my all-time favorite shows. 

except that this time it’s real.

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*The Cone of Silence is one of many recurring joke devices from Get Smart, an American comedy television series of the 1960s about an inept spy. The essence of the joke is that the apparatus, designed for secret conversations, makes it impossible for those inside the device – and easy for those outside the device – to hear the conversation. The end result being neither secret nor communication.

In popular culture, “cone of silence” is a slang phrase meaning that the speaker wishes to keep the indicated information secret and that the conversation should not be repeated to anyone not currently present. For example: “We aren’t inviting Cindy and her boyfriend to the movies because they embarrass us, but keep that in the cone of silence.”

“to silence criticism is to silence freedom.”

-sidney hook

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credits: nbc television, cbs television, wikipedia, @alt national park service