When Insults Had Class

[FrBrGr]

From our friend and my former partner Fur King, who wishes everyone well . . .

 

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." -- Winston Churchill

 

"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." -- Clarence Darrow

 

"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." -- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

 

"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening . . . but this wasn't it." -- Groucho Marx

 

"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." -- Mark Twain

 

"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." -- Oscar Wilde

 

"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend . . . if you have one." -- George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill . . .

 

. . . followed by Churchill's response: "Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second, if there is one." -- Winston Churchill

[Guest]

Churchill and Twain are priceless. Many of their words are so relevant today it is uncanny. I love Churchill's one about vices.

Apparently his famous " Never Never Never Give up" quote against the Nazis was also inspired by his own cigar chomping.

 

Thanks!

[MrC1946]

Once at a party Lady Astor (who Churchill considered an obnoxious phony) accosted him with, "Winston, you are drunk. You are very drunk. You are repulsively drunk!"

 

Churchill, who had indeed imbibed a few, steadied, focused, and replied, "Madam, you are ugly. You are very ugly. You are repulsively ugly.

And I'll be sober in the morning."

 

MrC

[MrC1946]

Another Winston Churchill story (absolutely true -- both principles later admitted -- er -- attested to it):

 

Immediately after the Pearl Harbor attack, Churchill came to Washington to discuss war plans with F.D.R. The president suggested that for convenience Churchill stay in the living quarters of The White House. It was Churchill's habit to sleep in the nude. It was also Roosevelt's. On the first night Churchill awoke with a intense need to use the bathroom. He decided that he must run quickly so he did not use a robe. At the bathroom door door he nearly collided with the president who had obviously made a similar decision as he was dressed only in his wheelchair.

 

After a moment of embarrased silence Churchill said, "Well Mr. President, at least we now know we have nothing to hide from each other."

 

MrC

[Worker 11811]

Lady Nancy Astor: "Winston, if you were my husband, I'd poison your tea."

 

Churchill: "Nancy, if I were your husband, I'd drink it.

[FrBrGr]

I had often wondred if the two incidents involving Mr. Churchill and Lady Astor were true, even though I had heard them, without variation, many times from different people. I had the opportunity of hearing them again from someone who swears they are true, and from someone who should be a good judge of their veracity - John Major!

[Guest]

John Major was the most underated Prime minister ever. He had a great team who brought peace to Ireland, laid superb foundations for the economy which Brown has inherited and taken the credit for , and introduced hardly any new laws or taxes.

 

How did you come to meet him?

[Guest]

Besides he looked like Clark Kent and we know what that means

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OFF

[FrBrGr]

How did you come to meet him?

 

He came to the university where I work to speak. I met and spoke with him at a reception following his speech. I was struck by just about everything about him. His legacy, for sure, but also his demeanor. He was very soft-spoken and down-to-earth. Very forthright. IMHO, he personified the word, "gentleman." A picture was taken of us together. I think I shall always treasure that pic!

[Guest]

Yes you should treasure it. One day people will come to realise that there is a huge world of difference betweeen John Major and Tony Blair. The irony being that the Major government was accused of corruption among some of its team. That accusation looks pathetic now in the light of ten years of lies, deceit, spin, crookedness and bullying of this government.

 

Nowadays an MP romping with a hooker while wearing a Chelsea football kit would be looked on as endearing (David Mellor). And Jeffrey Archer and Neil Hamilton just look like naughty little boys next to the hardcore evil of Blair and his cronies:

 

http://thejournal.parker-joseph.co.uk/blog/_archives/2007/4/21/2894885.html

[Ravens8]

Well Said ToS. In fact I think Lord Goldsmith has possibly backed himself into a corner now. If he says "no prosecution" There will be endless attacks on him for favouritism and cash for favourites etc., just the thing they are meant to be prosecuting against!. Not only that , but it will never be forgotten, and will clinch the government for ever more in history as having been a corrupt government.

 

His only option now is to prosecute, and hopefully that will include Blair once he's finally stepped down (wouldnt surprise me if he brings the army in and retains power as a dictator) (joke)!

 

But I'm guessing he will say no prosecution, and risk it, presuming that they can bluff their way out of it, as they always try to do, thinking we are all idiots, and that we will never notice. The morons.

 

If it hadnt all made such an irrepairable mess of this country it would all be a farce. unfortunately for us all, its reality.

 

Just a thought, but can an individual sue a prime minister privately for taking that individual's country to war, wasting tax money (paid for by the individual) on the same war, and taking away his freedom to roam around London without fear of being terrorist nuked? Could be fun, but come to think of it, dangerous. I guess that individual would "Disappear" one day