Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Overheard in the Office:

RX: "Dinosaurs didn't have a space program."

Me: "How do you know they didn't?"

RX: "Because they aren't still around. Bill Clinton had a space program, and he's still around. Barack Obama has... uh... a space program that somehow involves reaching out to the Muslim world..."

Me: "I can think of a program of outreach to the Muslim world involving rocket ships."
I'm always cranky and xenophobic on Tuesdays.
.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Tell Bobbi that the dinosaurs did have a space program, but it was rather . . . basic:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.deviantart.com/download/144387459/Dinosaurs_in_Space_by_shetlandwhat.jpg&imgrefurl=http://shetlandwhat.deviantart.com/art/Dinosaurs-in-Space-144387459&h=600&w=472&sz=109&tbnid=LMg8piDsP38O_M:&tbnh=135&tbnw=106&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddinosaurs%2Bin%2Bspace%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=dinosaurs+in+space&hl=en&usg=__yfWojdbzrgXM0cm8GZlVMw_ezpI=&sa=X&ei=j16ET6_8AZG5twf8n4j4Bw&ved=0CBcQ9QEwAw

Shootin' Buddy

Anonymous said...

I'm really bad at this computer stuff. Here's a blog about dinosaurs in space:

http://paleocosmology.tumblr.com/

Shootin' Buddy

ExurbanKevin said...

Given a choice between a bloated NASA that does for space travel what The Fairness Doctrine did for free speech or robust private space program with a NASA that turns itself onto the FAA of space, gimme the private biz any day.

Brad K. said...

I keep thinking about the Muslim community in Mike Shepherd's novel "Kris Longknife: Deserter".

And I find myself interested in the difference between militant gangs of thugs and those that life a life of faith in Islam.

When I think of America, my first thought isn't drug gangs or the Ku Klux Klan (formed initially to combat the fear of Papists, followers of the dreaded Roman Catholic Popes).

When I think of medieval Europe, though I kind of do recall the roving bands of armed folk intervening in the Holy Lands. Crusaders, I think we call them today. I wonder what those living around Jerusalem a thousand years and more after the significant stories occurred, called those looking for loot, and "oh, by the way", seizing (freeing?) someone else's home.

I figure a thug is as a thug does.

Tam said...

ExurbanKevin,

I would not try to read much of anything serious into any part of that exchange.

It was a string of nonsense capped by a deliberately shocking wisecrack, not an official position paper by the Roseholme Cottage Department of State.

For the record, we are both largely in favor of private space exploration and generally against incinerating non-combatant children in cleansing nuclear fire.

Tam said...

Brad K.,

See above.

"(formed initially to combat the fear of Papists, followers of the dreaded Roman Catholic Popes)."

I realize that since I haven't used the word "papist" in a post since, oh, November, it would be easy to think that I might have forgotten the definition. (But I've used the etymologically similar "popery" as recently as February.)

Thank you, though; I hadn't had someone condescend to me yet today, and it was leaving me unfulfilled.

Chris said...

This exchange once again underlines the pressing need for a sarcasm font. I have begun to believe that Americans are being bred for humor-impairment.

Tam said...

I said I was cranky on Tuesdays.

Besides, a sarcasm font? Suuure, riiiight. Whatever would we need that for?



:D

Exurbankevin said...

Yes, but where are you do you stand on launching erudite Salifist reptiles into space? The people want to know! :)

(P.S. Erudite Salfiast Reptiles would be a good name for an Arab emo band...)

Unknown said...

Brad K

Have you ever taken the time to think about why a bunch of Europeans would be willing to walk through freezing, inhospitable mountain ranges to go beat up on guys living in a desert many hundreds of miles away? Have you heard of Charles Martel aka "The Hammer" ( no relation to the M.C. ) and why he is important to European history?

What about those proponents of the "religion of peace" who were running around looting, pillaging, burning and raping? Perhaps you could look up when the last of the Muslim invaders was finally booted off of European soil.

Beyond that, have you looked at how Christians are treated in those lands where the tolerant, peaceful Muslims run everything?

No human event happens in a vacuum.

Jay in OK said...

Tam,

Only on Tuesdays? Really?.....

global village idiot said...

We don't need a satire font - we need a dense-reader-translator.

Tam, please email me re: Reserves Range weekend - Kilo Bravo Niner Whiskey Foxtrot Quebec AT Juliet Uniform November Oscar dot com.

gvi

Noah D said...

Well, it's not a 'rocket' ship, as such...

...but it sure has some outreach.

nbc said...

@ Chris

There's Comic Sans...

Lergnom said...

Kinda reminds one of the space battleship from "Footfall"

Moogie P said...

*LIKIE*

I must be cranky and xenophobic today, too.

TBeck said...

Iranian scientists are working diligently on designing an explosive vest powerful enough to put part of a man on the Moon.

BGMiller said...

Roseholme Cottage Department of State....

Where does one sign up to take that particular foreign service exam?

BGM

Anonymous said...

"Me: "I can think of a program of outreach to the Muslim world involving rocket ships."

Excess wordiness, let me fix that:

"Me: "I can think of a program of outreach to the Muslim world involving rockets."

Anonymous said...

I just read a biography of Curtis LeMay, and am so VERY glad to read your correction.

Brad K. said...

@ Tam,

"I hadn't had someone condescend to me yet today,"

. . er, perhaps you might make a bit of allowance for an old guy tracing a faded train of thought. That was the way I was presented the information in US History class, in Tennessee. The whole thought dumped out -- it was a reflection of my experience, and not a snipe at anyone.

I left it all in as a reminder to me. Sorry.


@ Unknown 1:46,

"No human event happens in a vacuum."

Yep. That is why I suggested there might be isolated instances of tolerance, rather than disagree with the general teachings of Islam with respect to the infidel, and with respect to those eager to wreak harm on others.

My recollection is that the Navy did *not* tolerate Islam back in the early 1970s -- because the law forbade service by those that followed a faith that intended the violent overthrow of the US Government. The way Islam teaches.

dave said...

No human event happens in a vacuum.

Significant portions of the Space Race did.

Jeffrey Quick said...

Didn't Bush have a program of outreach to Muslims that involved rockets?

Ken said...

Some dinosaurs had a private space program; they're the ones who got off this rock (how else would we be getting messages from the Philosoraptor?).

All those fossils? Those are the dinosaurs who put their faith in the Gondwana Aeronautics and Space Administration.

phlegmfatale said...

I laughed and laughed. Thank you!

Justthisguy said...

I have long thought, that a ton or so of really, really hot lithium deuteride would look good on the Ka'aba.