Frate Indovino: May Magus

This month's cartoon:

The politicians of one side cry out for "Justice! Honesty! Transparency!"
The side in power hears not a sound...
Change sides; repeat process.

With the observation, "None so deaf as who doesn't want to hear," commentary and aphorisms about politics follow.

Two persons "of undoubted competence" are quoted:

"Politicians are the same everywhere: they promise to build bridges even where there are no rivers." - Chruščëv

"In politics always follow the right path, because you are sure to never meet anyone." - Bismarck

This month's astronomical curiosity is another constellation promoted by Lalande, the cat constellation guy.

This time around, Lalande proposed a constellation named after the Montgolfier brothers. The balloon-shaped constellation was to be south of Aquarius and Capricorn. Interestingly, the Italian term for "hot-air balloon" is "montgolfiera."

This is followed by—Capuchin vaudeville turns?

Well, one liners, anyway:

- "The Italian Republic is founded on work..."
- "Whose?"

Another item is headed, "Strizzatina d'occhio!" ["Wink!"]

Yes, humor is hard to translate, and this is based on preposition use that doesn't work in English. Even so, some jokes never retire:

- "Excuse me, Stationmaster, is there a Marsala train?"
- "No, the trains nowadays are electric or diesel."