The Ultimate Answer to Kings: Here's something Chris Rock can't do...

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.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Here's something Chris Rock can't do...

Purdy.

3 comments:

Judy said...: Thank you! I love listening beautiful music.; March 17, 2012 at 6:49 PM
Anonymous said...: Hey Joel,

After finishing the third 12 hour shift in a row and, thanks to some bad drivers, taking almost 2 hours to get home then only getting 3 hours of sleep I was feeling kind of low. One of the highlights that I let myself have is reading Claire’s and your blogs. Your blog lifts me up from the doldrums that shift work brings.The music that you posted actually made my day. For that, Sir, I thank you.

MJR; March 19, 2012 at 2:37 PM
Joel said...: Aw, that's nice of you to say. Thanks!; March 19, 2012 at 2:50 PM