The Ultimate Answer to Kings: One from the "Hold my beer and watch this" department...

They say that Louis XIV had the inscription Ultima Ratio Regum cast into all the cannon of the French Army. It means "The Ultimate Argument of Kings," and that always struck me as one of the most honest and up-front things any ruler or would-be ruler ever said. "We can dress it up prettier than this, but when it comes down to the unvarnished truth this is what it's about: You'll do as I say or I'll send my goons to kill you."

I thought about that for a long time. If there's an ultimate argument, it seems only logical that there must be an ultimate answer. For years I thought the ultimate answer must be the bullets in my rifle, but it never seemed quite right. I've got bullets - he's got frigging Cannon Balls. I mean, if there were three hundred million rifles throwing bullets at him, then maybe. But we all know that's not going to happen. So if there's an ultimate answer to his ultimate argument, it sure as hell ain't bullets.

It finally came to me - and that's when I left the city, abandoned a goodly percentage of my goods, and gave all that was behind me a good, stiff Randian Shrug.

The ultimate answer to kings is not a bullet, but a belly laugh.

Friday, November 18, 2011

One from the "Hold my beer and watch this" department...

7 comments:

MamaLiberty said...: Hmmmm, If that elastic breaks... ouch time in those trees... or on the roof of the house, perhaps.

Not my cup of tea, obviously.

But it was funny. :); November 18, 2011 at 4:29 PM
Brass said...: I'm with MamaLiberty.

It's all fun and games until someone gets impaled on dead oak.; November 18, 2011 at 4:54 PM
The Grey Lady said...: That looks like its about as much fun a body can have with their cloths still on.; November 18, 2011 at 5:13 PM
LJH said...: The capes were a nice touch. Hell, I'd do that in a NY Minute, looks like great fun.; November 18, 2011 at 8:12 PM
DonkeyBuster said...: I've always wanted a good excuse to wear a cape... LOL; November 19, 2011 at 8:03 AM
MamaLiberty said...: Watched a video once of a bungie jump off a bridge. The first guy had a ball, but they should have seen that the cord was a tad too long. The second guy weighed quite a bit more and he hit bottom... broke both legs. Only takes a few inches difference with that kind of momentum.

Oh well, each to his/her own. Just living is dangerous enough for me without this sort of thing. :); November 19, 2011 at 12:01 PM
Woody said...: Where do I sign up? I want one of those!

When my mother was 75 she came to visit us and we went to the county fair. Her first question was,

"Do they have bungee jumping? I went to another fair last month and they had bungee jumping for $25. I didn't have the money then, but I do now"

Sadly, it wasn't available, but we made up for it on her 79th and 80th birthdays by arranging for her to jump out of perfectly good airplanes. Afterwards we went to the local amusement part to ride the roller coaster. She's 86 now and I'm sure she would be getting in line for a slingshot ride if it were available.; November 19, 2011 at 4:50 PM