• CHEZ WATT ballot for July

    From Mark Isaak@21:1/5 to All on Tue Aug 1 09:35:32 2023
    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    === 1 =================================================
    In the category of "Even if isn't, it is."

    Visit another planet and chances are it's devoid
    of life. But even if it isn't then the life it holds poses a
    hyper major threat to your life.

    Bacterial infectons, viruses... molds/fungus...

    A planet devoid of life would not have bacteria, molds, or fungus to
    infect anybody, by definition.

    === 2 =================================================
    Compelling images category:

    . . . your posts where you hop about like a
    demented hare from poster to poster and up and down attribute levels
    like a yo-yo in the hands of somebody that is drunk.

    === 3 =================================================
    In the "Why bother?" category:

    "To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge."

    === 4 =================================================
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are
    organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and
    weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an
    Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    === 5 =================================================
    "I make good on the preceding paragraph below."

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large
    crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.


    --
    Mark Isaak
    "Wisdom begins when you discover the difference between 'That
    doesn't make sense' and 'I don't understand.'" - Mary Doria Russell

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  • From Burkhard@21:1/5 to All on Tue Aug 1 09:48:21 2023
    My number one

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large
    crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    Honourable mentions

    === 2 =================================================
    Compelling images category:

    . . . your posts where you hop about like a
    demented hare from poster to poster and up and down attribute levels
    like a yo-yo in the hands of somebody that is drunk.



    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.


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  • From Bob Casanova@21:1/5 to All on Tue Aug 1 14:39:07 2023
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    Missed one:

    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.


    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    === 1 =================================================
    In the category of "Even if isn't, it is."

    Visit another planet and chances are it's devoid
    of life. But even if it isn't then the life it holds poses a
    hyper major threat to your life.

    Bacterial infectons, viruses... molds/fungus...

    A planet devoid of life would not have bacteria, molds, or fungus to
    infect anybody, by definition.

    === 2 =================================================
    Compelling images category:

    . . . your posts where you hop about like a
    demented hare from poster to poster and up and down attribute levels
    like a yo-yo in the hands of somebody that is drunk.

    === 3 =================================================
    In the "Why bother?" category:

    "To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge."

    === 4 =================================================
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are
    organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and
    weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an
    Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    === 5 =================================================
    "I make good on the preceding paragraph below."

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large
    crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.
    --

    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov

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  • From *Hemidactylus*@21:1/5 to Mark Isaak on Tue Aug 1 22:35:28 2023
    Mark Isaak <specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net> wrote:
    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    Mos def this:

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large
    crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.



    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From peter2nyikos@gmail.com@21:1/5 to Mark Isaak on Tue Aug 1 18:12:36 2023
    On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 12:35:59 PM UTC-4, Mark Isaak wrote:
    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).


    My second choice:
    === 4 =================================================
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are
    organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and
    weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    My first choice:

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large
    crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    Honorable mention for this next one. It lacks a category, but someone
    did suggest one, and IIRC it was a fairly good one.
    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.


    --
    Mark Isaak

    By the way, you missed a late entry of mine yesterday. I suggest that
    you include it in the nominations for August
    rather than confuse things by adding it belatedly to the July nominations.

    You might even risk the ire of the ghost of Julius Caesar by decreeing
    that, for purposes of Chez Watt, July 31 is Sextillis 1. :)

    Reference:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August


    "Wisdom begins when you discover the difference between 'That
    doesn't make sense' and 'I don't understand.'" - Mary Doria Russell


    Peter Nyikos

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  • From Mark Isaak@21:1/5 to Bob Casanova on Thu Aug 3 07:59:31 2023
    On 8/1/23 2:39 PM, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    Missed one:

    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    Sorry about that. Apparently my search only catches "chez watt" in
    subjects at the start of threads. Replying midst another thread, even
    if you change the subject to include the magic words, may not be enough
    (though I usually catch those manually as I read through the group).

    The above chez watt will be on next months ballot, along with a 7/31
    entry that didn't show up on my computer until 8/2.

    --
    Mark Isaak
    "Wisdom begins when you discover the difference between 'That
    doesn't make sense' and 'I don't understand.'" - Mary Doria Russell

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  • From Bob Casanova@21:1/5 to All on Thu Aug 3 08:14:51 2023
    On Thu, 3 Aug 2023 07:59:31 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    On 8/1/23 2:39 PM, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    Missed one:

    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    Sorry about that. Apparently my search only catches "chez watt" in
    subjects at the start of threads. Replying midst another thread, even
    if you change the subject to include the magic words, may not be enough >(though I usually catch those manually as I read through the group).

    The above chez watt will be on next months ballot, along with a 7/31
    entry that didn't show up on my computer until 8/2.

    No problem; thanks. I almost didn't submit it, because
    instead of "Wow! How could anyone be *that* stupid?!?" which
    is more the norm for CW it was more "Damn, that's clever; I
    remember those ads!", which AIUI isn't the usual mode of CW.
    More toward POTM material, but not really that either. CTOTM
    (Clever Take Of The Month), maybe? :-)

    --

    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov

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  • From Martin Harran@21:1/5 to specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net on Fri Aug 4 17:45:53 2023
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, Mark Isaak <specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net> wrote:

    No 1:

    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.

    Runner up:

    === 3 =================================================
    In the "Why bother?" category:

    "To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge."


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  • From Lawyer Daggett@21:1/5 to All on Mon Aug 7 16:15:14 2023
    On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 12:35:59 PM UTC-4, Mark Isaak wrote:

    It really needs a category, so I'll assume the category was
    "left speechless" and presented in example mode so I can
    vote for this one. Otherwise I'd have to vote for the one
    that recycled a moth-eaten old gag which would be immodest.

    ==============================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.

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  • From Lawyer Daggett@21:1/5 to Bob Casanova on Mon Aug 7 16:18:58 2023
    On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 5:40:59 PM UTC-4, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specime...@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    Missed one:
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    I'm confused. Isn't that number 4?

    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    === 1 =================================================
    In the category of "Even if isn't, it is."

    Visit another planet and chances are it's devoid
    of life. But even if it isn't then the life it holds poses a
    hyper major threat to your life.

    Bacterial infectons, viruses... molds/fungus...

    A planet devoid of life would not have bacteria, molds, or fungus to >infect anybody, by definition.

    === 2 =================================================
    Compelling images category:

    . . . your posts where you hop about like a
    demented hare from poster to poster and up and down attribute levels like a yo-yo in the hands of somebody that is drunk.

    === 3 =================================================
    In the "Why bother?" category:

    "To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge."

    === 4 =================================================
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are
    organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    === 5 =================================================
    "I make good on the preceding paragraph below."

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted >themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large >crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.
    --
    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Bob Casanova@21:1/5 to Mark on Mon Aug 7 22:25:37 2023
    On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 16:18:58 -0700 (PDT), the following
    appeared in talk.origins, posted by Lawyer Daggett
    <j.nobel.daggett@gmail.com>:

    On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 5:40:59?PM UTC-4, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specime...@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    Missed one:
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    I'm confused. Isn't that number 4?

    Mark replied that he'd include it in the August list.

    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    === 1 =================================================
    In the category of "Even if isn't, it is."

    Visit another planet and chances are it's devoid
    of life. But even if it isn't then the life it holds poses a
    hyper major threat to your life.

    Bacterial infectons, viruses... molds/fungus...

    A planet devoid of life would not have bacteria, molds, or fungus to
    infect anybody, by definition.

    === 2 =================================================
    Compelling images category:

    . . . your posts where you hop about like a
    demented hare from poster to poster and up and down attribute levels
    like a yo-yo in the hands of somebody that is drunk.

    === 3 =================================================
    In the "Why bother?" category:

    "To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge."

    === 4 =================================================
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are
    organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and
    weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an
    Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    === 5 =================================================
    "I make good on the preceding paragraph below."

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large
    crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.
    --
    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov
    --

    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Mark Isaak@21:1/5 to Bob Casanova on Tue Aug 8 07:37:52 2023
    On 8/7/23 10:25 PM, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 16:18:58 -0700 (PDT), the following
    appeared in talk.origins, posted by Lawyer Daggett <j.nobel.daggett@gmail.com>:

    On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 5:40:59?PM UTC-4, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specime...@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    Missed one:
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    I'm confused. Isn't that number 4?

    Mark replied that he'd include it in the August list.

    That was before Daggett called my attention to the fact it is on the
    current list. Since it is on the current ballot, it will not be on the
    next.

    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    === 1 =================================================
    In the category of "Even if isn't, it is."

    Visit another planet and chances are it's devoid
    of life. But even if it isn't then the life it holds poses a
    hyper major threat to your life.

    Bacterial infectons, viruses... molds/fungus...

    A planet devoid of life would not have bacteria, molds, or fungus to
    infect anybody, by definition.

    === 2 =================================================
    Compelling images category:

    . . . your posts where you hop about like a
    demented hare from poster to poster and up and down attribute levels >>>>> like a yo-yo in the hands of somebody that is drunk.

    === 3 =================================================
    In the "Why bother?" category:

    "To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge."

    === 4 =================================================
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are
    organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and
    weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an
    Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    === 5 =================================================
    "I make good on the preceding paragraph below."

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large
    crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible
    of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.
    --
    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov

    --
    Mark Isaak
    "Wisdom begins when you discover the difference between 'That
    doesn't make sense' and 'I don't understand.'" - Mary Doria Russell

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Bob Casanova@21:1/5 to All on Tue Aug 8 08:56:53 2023
    On Tue, 8 Aug 2023 07:37:52 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specimenNOSPAM@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    On 8/7/23 10:25 PM, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Mon, 7 Aug 2023 16:18:58 -0700 (PDT), the following
    appeared in talk.origins, posted by Lawyer Daggett
    <j.nobel.daggett@gmail.com>:

    On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 5:40:59?PM UTC-4, Bob Casanova wrote:
    On Tue, 1 Aug 2023 09:35:32 -0700, the following appeared in
    talk.origins, posted by Mark Isaak
    <specime...@curioustaxon.omy.net>:

    Missed one:
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in
    Intergalactic.

    I'm confused. Isn't that number 4?

    Mark replied that he'd include it in the August list.

    That was before Daggett called my attention to the fact it is on the
    current list. Since it is on the current ballot, it will not be on the
    next.

    OK. Confusion is my middle name... :-)

    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    === 1 =================================================
    In the category of "Even if isn't, it is."

    Visit another planet and chances are it's devoid
    of life. But even if it isn't then the life it holds poses a
    hyper major threat to your life.

    Bacterial infectons, viruses... molds/fungus...

    A planet devoid of life would not have bacteria, molds, or fungus to >>>>> infect anybody, by definition.

    === 2 =================================================
    Compelling images category:

    . . . your posts where you hop about like a
    demented hare from poster to poster and up and down attribute levels >>>>>> like a yo-yo in the hands of somebody that is drunk.

    === 3 =================================================
    In the "Why bother?" category:

    "To know less than we don't know is the nature of most knowledge."

    === 4 =================================================
    In the category "Universal Advertising":

    For all that we know, it could be that the way the planets are
    organised in our solar system, their distances, relative size and
    weight, and elemental composition, spells out "If you had bought an >>>>>> Orbital here, you'd be home by now" in Intergalactic.

    === 5 =================================================
    "I make good on the preceding paragraph below."

    === 6 =================================================
    Category: God and the Art of Automobile Maintenance

    Evolution is to atheism as auto repair is to atheism.

    That is an absolutely horrible analogy. Anyone who has contorted
    themselves to reach a largely unreachable exhaust manifold
    bolt, bashing their knuckles, dusting their eyes with a rain of large >>>>> crusty flakes of rust, only to ultimately have that most inaccessible >>>>> of bolts snap off still holding the manifold firmly in place, knows
    for a FACT that there is no god, no matter how loud and intensely
    they reference him along the way.

    === 7 =================================================
    Who was the founder of Christianity? I think the founders were
    certain Old Testament prophets and the 12 Apostles.
    --
    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov
    --

    Bob C.

    "The most exciting phrase to hear in science,
    the one that heralds new discoveries, is not
    'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...'"

    - Isaac Asimov

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From peter2nyikos@gmail.com@21:1/5 to Mark Isaak on Wed Aug 9 15:25:56 2023
    I'm disappointed in the meager balloting so far. I hope people reading this will
    try to interest others in voting, especially since we have so many
    nominations. Not as many as ten years ago, when there were 11,
    but the pool of t.o. participants has shrunk very badly since then,
    and this is by far the best showing since Chez Watt balloting was
    revived last year.


    On Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at 12:35:59 PM UTC-4, Mark Isaak wrote:
    Lots of nominations this month, of varying quality.
    Vote early, vote often (well, once a month, anyway).

    As long as the votes are in preferential order, I see no reason
    for not voting multiple times, for different nominees.

    In my first vote, I had a top choice, a second choice, and an honorable mention.
    Here I vote to give the following entry another honorable mention, ranking
    it below the other one because at least one person found it confusing:


    === 1 =================================================
    In the category of "Even if isn't, it is."

    Visit another planet and chances are it's devoid
    of life. But even if it isn't then the life it holds poses a
    hyper major threat to your life.

    Bacterial infectons, viruses... molds/fungus...

    A planet devoid of life would not have bacteria, molds, or fungus to
    infect anybody, by definition.

    ====================================================

    The person who wrote the last two lines of text
    didn't catch the import of "even if it isn't" until it was too late.


    This reminds me of an example of a subtle joke that seemed to misfire
    on a memorable occasion.

    "They say the legs are the first things to go, and I forget what the second thing is."

    This was posted by Paul Gans, whom most of us still remember very well.
    He told it back around 1999, in soc.history.medieval.

    One of the regulars in s.h.m. was too obtuse, or perhaps too acute,
    and responded:

    "Bladder control?"


    A lesser joke teller than Paul might have tried to explain the intended point, but Paul rose to the occasion, responding,

    "Could be. I gotta go now."


    And he let it go at that.


    Peter Nyikos

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