Klaatu’s Speech

I am leaving soon and you’ll forgive me if I speak bluntly. The universe grows smaller every day and the threat of aggression by any group anywhere can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure. Now this does not mean giving up any freedom, except the freedom to act irresponsibly. Your ancestors knew this when they made laws to govern themselves and hired policemen to enforce them. We, of the other planets, have long accepted this principle. We have an organization for the mutual protection of all planets and for the complete elimination of aggression. The test of any such higher authority is, of course, the police force that supports it. For our policemen we created a race of robots. Their function is to patrol the planets in spaceships like this one and preserve the peace. In matters of aggression we have given them absolute power over us. This power cannot be revoked. At the first signs of violence they act automatically against the aggressor. The penalty for provoking their action is too terrible to risk. The result is we live in peace without arms or armies, secure in the knowledge that we are free from aggression and war, free to pursue more profitable enterprises. Now, we do not pretend to have achieved perfection, but we do have a system, and it works. I came here to give you these facts. It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet, but if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder. Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We shall be waiting for your answer. The decision rests with you.

gort

Klaatu's Speech

I am leaving soon and you’ll forgive me if I speak bluntly. The universe grows smaller every day and the threat of aggression by any group anywhere can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure. Now this does not mean giving up any freedom, except the freedom to act irresponsibly. Your ancestors knew this when they made laws to govern themselves and hired policemen to enforce them. We, of the other planets, have long accepted this principle. We have an organization for the mutual protection of all planets and for the complete elimination of aggression. The test of any such higher authority is, of course, the police force that supports it. For our policemen we created a race of robots. Their function is to patrol the planets in spaceships like this one and preserve the peace. In matters of aggression we have given them absolute power over us. This power cannot be revoked. At the first signs of violence they act automatically against the aggressor. The penalty for provoking their action is too terrible to risk. The result is we live in peace without arms or armies, secure in the knowledge that we are free from aggression and war, free to pursue more profitable enterprises. Now, we do not pretend to have achieved perfection, but we do have a system, and it works. I came here to give you these facts. It is no concern of ours how you run your own planet, but if you threaten to extend your violence, this Earth of yours will be reduced to a burned-out cinder. Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration. We shall be waiting for your answer. The decision rests with you.

gort

Went home early today, feeling poorly, and little work was to be done.

rglad gave me a spiffy linkie for child safety here Those I really dig. The safety lock is sort of creepy though. I know that as a kid, if I had a bracelet put on me that I couldn’t remove… it’d get removed. (If I was over the age of 4 or so, anyhow.)

Retro recipes. I especially like the Creepy Cakes.

This guy made a huge bear statue out of ketchup packets, thinking it’d look like it was bleeding when he shot it. It didn’t quite work out. I guess the science of constructing ketchup-packet bears still has a ways to go.

Some animal words. In no particular order.

  • Ursine: Bear-like.
  • Vespertilian: Bat-like.
  • Pongid: Like a gorilla.
  • Murine: Rat-like.
  • Discophoran: Like a jellyfish.
  • Blattid: Roach-like.
  • Aedine: Mosquito-like.
  • Vespine: Wasp-like.

la-di-da… Danny’ll be here in a few to meet for breakfast. Sadly, I suspect that there won’t be time to get to the hobby store. I get to tell him today that I heard from Cathy Wu…*shudder*. There’ll be no shortage of conversation today.

I’m in a much better mood today… yesterday I had a real funk on.

It’s sort of funny… I’m seeing the bunny-link I posted a few days ago pop up all over the list of people I read. Meme propagation is neat to watch… like little mushrooms after a rainstorm. fifth and sixth

Minority Report looks cool, but it’s got Tom Cruise… I’m very tired of him.

there’s dan! I’m off!