A puzzle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in raw bird

Do these men look like they just spent nine months and nine days drifting on a small boat in the Pacific Ocean, surviving on rainwater, raw birds and sea turtles?

The Offending Dish

His Wife, Also Deep-Fried, Happily Demonstrated

A local culinary sociopath at the 2006 Texas State Fair introduced his latest dessert innovation/assault weapon: Deep-fried Coca-Cola, served with whipped cream, sometimes on a stick.

According to one Texas TV station's website, "Gonzales deep-fries Coca-Cola-flavored batter. He then drizzles Coke fountain syrup on it. The fried Coke is topped with whipped cream, cinnamon sugar and a cherry. Gonzales said the fried Coke came about just from thinking aloud."

Usually I contain my harangues against obese America to private, untraceable conversations. But this dish - a particularly offensive addition to the Extreme Frying family, which already includes pizza, candy bars and whole turkeys - requires me to seek the purifying therapy of public discussion. Plus, there's a story of redemption hidden in the coverage: The TV station hosted an online poll, asking whether Joe Public would try deep-fried Coke on a stick. 33% of the respondents said "Absolutely!", 43% said "Heck no!"

And When I'm Done With It, I'll Mail It To Geneva

I was munching on blazing leftover curried zucchini tonight when I noticed a mouse trapped in my wastebasket. In trying to escape, it managed to launch 12 or 13 inches up the side of the container, just a hair short of freedom. Ever the sportsman, I acknowledged its athleticism. Can you imagine if humans could jump 4 times our height from atop a pile of coffee grounds and apple cores?

But mostly I laughed at this mouse's miserable predicament. I hate mice, and I wish to destroy them all. So I finished my curry and cinched up the garbage bag, twist-tied it, and put it out for the morning trash.

My question is this: if I were to catch one and torture it for all the others to see and hear - say I leave it splayed out cruciform on a glue trap with a number painted on its tiny tummy - would it have deterrent effect on the other mice? What if I sawed its head off and placed it on a tiny pike? Is there a downside to taking the moral low road?