Note to all who have posted.

I appreciate the input (and the support) however it appears that we have yet to even come close to anything which might qualify as ANY sort of explanation of the phenomenon.

While I find company in misunderstanding comforting, that isn't quite what I had in mind.
Beauty's definition is best stated as "in the eye of the beholder".

I find I'm not even that close on the subject of penetration. It seems I have lots of company. [X(]