Trivial but Fun

Found two beautiful quotes in this week's Spectator:

Lord Canning, 19th century Foreign Secretary: "French governments have but two rules of action; to thwart us whenever they know our object, and when they know it not, to imagine one for us, and set about to thwarting that." Diplomatic Service 1986-2006: no change at all.

Most bizarre argument for the death penalty: New York Senator James Donovan, 1975. "Where would Christianity be if Jesus had got eight to fifteen years with time off for good behaviour?"

After dinner this evening the Iron Buddha challenged me to scissors-paper-stone for who was going to do the washing up. Fair enough, I thought. I won. Best of three, she said. OK, I agreed out of pure love, if only of domestic harmony. I won again. Come on, one more try. Give me one more chance. OK, call me a pussy-whipped wimp, I agreed. I won again. All right, she said, I'll do the washing up, but let's try once more. I won. Just once more. I really think I'll get the better of you this time. She didn't. I won five times in a row. This is the most effective kind of wife-beating I have ever come across, and my entire and justified confidence in my ability to outwit her will no doubt reinforce firmly my control of my domestic environment. And all legally, and morally, unexceptionable.