For Riaz

[cornflakegirl]

From today's Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/02/sarahpalin.wildlife - an article on Sarah Palin's legal challenge to the US declaring polar bears an endangered species.

Polar bear: Possesses razor-sharp teeth, a powerful build and a sense of smell that can detect a seal a mile away under three feet of snow. Still unlikely to triumph in a direct confrontation with Palin however, unless the Alaska legislature suddenly decides to uphold the right to arm bears.

 

[cornflakegirl]

Why does no-one think that the right to arm bears is funny? Have you all suddenly developed a proper sense of humour?!

 

[RichardS]

Must be all asleep. *I* think it's funny.

 

[riaz]

Why does no-one think that the right to arm bears is funny? Have you all suddenly developed a proper sense of humour?!

Hi Emma, sorry, this one just slipped by and i only saw it just now. I will now gladly surrender my lofty position as punster on this Board to you.

I don't know if this is a genuine Sarah Palin quote (a Palindrome?) or just the Grauniad upto its usual tricks. I feel the right to arm bears is right up there with the constitutional right to life, liberty and the happiness of pursuit.

Edit: the happiness is in the pursuing, not the catching....

 

[riaz]

...and thank you Emma for giving me the chance to be 2/3rds democratic. The header on the main page for the Lounge (I don't know how else to describe the address) says "For Riaz, by Riaz". Now if you could figure out a way to make it also say "Of Riaz", I shall become fully democratic.

 

[cornflakegirl]

Yay! I thought you were just ignoring me!

One man, one vote - Riaz is the man, and he has the vote

 

[riaz]

Yay! I thought you were just ignoring me!

One man, one vote - Riaz is the man, and he has the vote

Ignore you? In the words of Mirza Ghalib, a famous (ie dead) Urdu poet, loosely translated,

This temperament, this audacity, this courage, exists not in me.

Did you ever see the Not the 9 o'clock News episode with the meeting of all trade unions, where eight people voted for tea, one for coffee, and the teller goes "That's 6 million votes for tea, 8 million for coffee, so its coffee all round".

Whither one man one vote? Although I thank you humbly for the vote of confidence.

 

[cornflakegirl]

I didn't see the show, but I like the idea!

One man one vote I stole from Pratchett - it refers to the Ankh-Morporkian approach to democracy.

My other favourite Pratchett quote on democracy is from Small Gods:

The Ephebians believed that every man should have the vote †. Every five years someone was elected to be Tyrant, provided he could prove that he was honest, intelligent, sensible, and trustworthy. Immediately after he was elected, of course, it was obvious to everyone that he was a criminal madman and totally out of touch with the view of ordinary philosopher in the streets looking for a towel. And then five years later they elected another one just like him, and really it was amazing how intelligent people kept on making the same mistakes.

†Provided that he wasn't poor, foreign, nor disqualified by reason of being mad, frivolous, or a woman.

 

[riaz]

†Provided that he wasn't poor, foreign, nor disqualified by reason of being mad, frivolous, or a woman.

That lets me out
Poor - yep
Foreign - yep
Mad - yep
Frivolous - always
Woman - er..does wanting to be a ladies' man count?