All captions come from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's notorious leadership tract of January 29, 2001, "Rumsfeld's Rules: Advice on government, business and life," which appeared in the Wall Street Journal when Rumsfeld initially took office three years ago.

As you're surely well aware by now, some of the Iraqi prison torture images from Abu Ghraib are rather, well, foul, so the captioning continues below...

"Enjoy your time in public service. It may well be one of the most interesting and challenging times of your life."

"It is easier to get into something than to get out of it."

"Don't 'overcontrol' like a novice pilot. Stay loose enough from the flow that you can observe, calibrate and refine."

"Amid all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work toward those goals."

"Let your family, staff and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position."

"From where you sit, the White House may look as untidy as the inside of a stomach. As is said of the legislative process, sausage making and policy making shouldn't be seen close-up. Don't let that panic you. Things may be going better than they look from the inside."

"Keep your sense of humor. As Gen. Joe Stillwell said, 'The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind.'"

Oh, and in closing, bearing in mind these photos are several months old:

"If you foul up, tell the president and correct it fast. Delay only compounds mistakes."

(Original link to "Rumsfeld's Rules" by way of Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo, with photographs taken from both the New Yorker and the Washington Post.)

CONTINUED: Rumsfeld's Rules: Donald's Photoblog, Vol. 2