A guy with a duck on his head comes into a bar, sits down a few seats from me, and orders a beer.

Just about the time he is finishing his beer, the bartender asks, "What's with the duck?" The guy says, "What duck?" and orders another beer.

Every time the guy finishes his beer, the bartender asks him the same question and gets the same responses.

Well I'm wondering about the duck too. But I'm also wondering why the bartender keeps asking the same question when he knows he is likely to get the same responses?

And I'm thinking that maybe it's because he thinks that every time he asks the same question, the guy is going to order another beer?

Or maybe the bartender really wants to know why the guy has a duck on his head, and he's hoping that the next time the guy might give him the real answer?

Anyway, I decide to approach the duck question from the opposite direction.

So I ask THE DUCK why there is a GUY under its butt?

And the duck says, "It's just common sense: if there's a guy in a bar with a duck on his head, and the guy denies that obvious mystery no matter how obviously true that odd duck circumstance is, and if others care more about profiting from that mystery than solving it, it's just common sense to either 'duck the question', or 'question the duck'."

"But you haven't answered the bartender's question — or mine either!" I complain.

"Yes, but think about how much progress you've already made, and just by asking the right party the right question!" the duck tells me — as if solving mysteries could be that easy?

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