It was just shy of fifty-years ago. In 1956, the "pilot" show of what would later be known as "To Tell The Truth" was sold to the CBS Television Network for prime night-time viewing.

The "pilot" was actually called "Nothing but the Truth" - and had three people claim to be the same person - you remember the format...something like...

PERSON #1 - "I'm Arnold Snerdley."
PERSON #2 - "I'm Arnold Snerdley."
PERSON #3 - "I'm Arnold Snerdley."

ANNOUNCER: "Only one of these men is the REAL Arnold Snerdley who was the first man to poop on the White House lawn (or whatever...)"

This program ran as many as five nights a week in its early years, and while the "pilot" was hosted by someone else, the show made Bud Collyer a household name. I remember watching the program - it was my first experience of seeing someone actually GET PAID TO LIE. Since then, I suppose my upbringing, plus a couple of close calls along the way, taught me that lying at the outset of a situation would only dig a deeper hole down the road.

Martha, Martha, Martha ... I love 'ya Martha, but did 'ya miss the damn show? C'mon ... you were a kid in Nutley, New Joyzee, when it ran. Martha, the liars on the show just got talcum powder consolation prizes ... the ones who told the truth got the bucks -- even if it was a crime they were telling about. Oh, Martha. Poor Martha.

Unless I've missed something, somewhere, Martha Stewart was found guilty ... NOT of what she was charged with - insider trading ... but of LYING about it. Otherwise, she'd be planning her upcoming special on "Sweet and Tart Lime Sable Cookies" ... and, to heck with this silly court stuff. But nope... Martha fibbed. Or, so they say.

Seriously, there's a company I've gotten to know first-hand in Dallas, that consults with people and companies involved with tough situations, on how to react to tough questioning. And their rule ... number one rule, as I recall -- "...Tell the truth, NO MATTER HOW HARD IT HURTS!" Oh, Martha ... did 'ya miss that class, too?

Oh, here's a little postscript to "drive home" the point about telling the truth, even when it hurts. I failed to mention who the actual host was on that "pilot" version of "To Tell The Truth" ("Nothing But The Truth"), back in 1956. C'mon...take a guess.

I certainly wouldn't recommend lying to this fellow - because it REALLY doesn't pay to lie to the "Mikester". Yep, Mike Wallace, now of some other CBS Program called "60-Minutes", hosted that first "pilot". Martha might be watching the reruns from the day-room.