European Tribune - Comments

Open Thread | 74 comments (74 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Today, when we routinely send men into space, it is easy to forget that in the late 1950s there was tremendous anxiety about firing a human being into space strapped atop a rocket. "Spam in a can," was legendary pilot Chuck Yeager's remark

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 11:59:47 AM EST

Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (4.00 / 7)

Not everyone can be assumed to know Cold War era stuff well (and that on both sides of the Iron Curtain). So for the benefit of those; the subtitle is an ironic combination of the following:

"Long Live The Indestructible [enter Warshaw Pact member]-Soviet Friendship" was a much used phrase, be it during state visits, or whenever Soviet military presence was apparent.
Canned spam was a top agricultural export product, and problems in opening the cans were legendary.

(I first heard the combination from a Tour de France commentator, who repeats it often; but I suspect it is much older and the author unknown.)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 12:09:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (4.00 / 6)

If it is indestructible, why does it need to be wished a long life?

The peak-to-trough part of the business cycle is an outlier. Carnot would have died laughing.

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 12:36:00 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (4.00 / 2)

Narrative logic.

by ThatBritGuy (thatbritguy (at) googlemail.com) on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 12:48:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (4.00 / 2)

It's like Scholasticism - how can God be infinitely just and infinitely merciful at the same time? Or, given that God is omnipotent, can He create a boulder too heavy for Him to move?

So much for Atheistic Communism.

The peak-to-trough part of the business cycle is an outlier. Carnot would have died laughing.

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 12:51:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (4.00 / 5)

Will Comrade Migeru please report to the ~~Torture Chamber~~ People's Re-education Center for an attitude adjustment?

Thank You.

by ATinNM on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 01:17:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (none / 1)

Comrade ATinNM, do you know where Room 101 is?

The peak-to-trough part of the business cycle is an outlier. Carnot would have died laughing.

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 01:17:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (none / 0)

Of course: in the offices of Miniluv.

by ATinNM on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 01:22:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (4.00 / 2)

Allrightey, then. Cheers.

The peak-to-trough part of the business cycle is an outlier. Carnot would have died laughing.

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 01:23:41 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (4.00 / 4)

If it is indestructible, why does it need to be wished a long life?

The same reason Soviet occupation was (not) wished a long life. The irony has multiple levels.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Tue Jul 14th, 2009 at 01:53:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Hungarian-Soviet Canned Spam (none / 1)

I should also note that that Tour de France commentator uses the phrase in its implicit double meaning, too: he uses it when there is an escape by multiple cyíclists, who work together until the final kilometres, and then try to trick the others and escape the escape to win.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Wed Jul 15th, 2009 at 04:32:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Open Thread | 74 comments (74 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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