We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Samizdata quote of the day

The bloody wombats were getting in over the fence. We had no idea they could climb.

– Australian farmer Bill deCorsie, complaining that local marsupials were eating his truffles. (The bigger picture behind this, which is that the Australian agricultural industry has over the last couple of decades been rapidly moving (shall we say) up the food chain from relatively low value (but high quality) basic foodstuffs to high value products largely for export is quite an interesting one).

14 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

  • A wombat eating truffles – globalisation is truly a glorious thing!

  • trotter

    Perhaps they have value as a non introduced truffle finding best of burden?

    More bacon for the rest of us at least.

  • guy herbert

    Does a diet of truffles make a wombat taste better or worse?

  • RAB

    What kind of wine do they recommend to go with them?
    I thought it was damn near impossible to farm truffles anyway.

  • Keith

    Yegods! climbing wombats! Is there no end to the damage wrought by global warming?
    ( I once hit a wombat at high speed–damn near wrecked the car. They’re tough little critters. And cute with it.)

  • The bloody wombats were getting in over the fence. We had no idea they could climb.

    What would Hunter Thompson have given for that line in the last few years of his life?

  • veryretired

    Years and years ago, there was an absolutely terrible sci-fi movie called “Night of the Lupus” about crazed, man-eating, killer bunny rabbits. (I wish I was making this up, but it’s true.)

    If you’re ever in that kind of mood, needing a really good, derisive laugh, it could probably be rented from Blockbuster or one of those. There was another one called “frogs” that was about as bad.

    Anyway, please hide that story. If Hollywood gets ahold of it, we’ll be up to our butts in killer wombats before you can say “Siskel & Ebert”.

  • RAB

    Oh we believe you Veryretired.
    Most of us over here have seen some very wierd/bad movies in our time.
    Do you remember the one about the killer Bees (all the rage a few years ago, killer bees that is, not this movie) that starred Michael Caine?
    When questioned by an interviewer as to why the hell he did it he said
    ” To pay for the new swimming pool and conservatory”
    Well fair enough I suppose.
    The one I really want to see but can never locate, is one about Richard the Lionheart (ancient Hollywood B movie apparently) that has the line in it from his Queen-
    “Dick Plantagenate! all you think of is WAR WAR WAR!!”
    delivered in a Brooklyn accent. Shades of “Singing in the Rain”
    Getting ripped to the tits with a few friends and a take away curry and that on the DVD, may be as good as it gets!
    Anyone know what it is?

  • Midwesterner

    Imagine this in Scotty’s voice –

    “The bloody wombats are getting in over the fence, Captain. We had no idea they could climb.”

  • RAB

    Scotty : The wombats are eating the Dilithium Truffles Captain! I dunna know how much longer I can maintain this warp speed. The engines willna take much more!!

    Private Frazer : Doomed! Doomed we’re all Doomed!!

    Spock : This is completely illogical Captain. The Klingons have beamed aboard a character from a 20th century sitcom called Dad’s Army , to sap our morale.

  • Midwesterner

    Isn’t that just the tribble with truffles.

  • RAB

    Oh absolutely brilliant !! 🙂

  • veryretired

    So that was the secret to getting Mid back—wombat schtick. Who’d a thunk it.

    Missed ya.

  • Midwesterner

    Thank ye kindly, both of you.

    VR, somewhere on my defunct hard drive there is still (I hope) that unfinished essay on the morality of civil disobedience. Some time in the next couple months I’ll salvage it, finish it and send it to you. Honest. Promise. Scout’s Honor. Cross my heart and hope…. better forget that one, I might get attacked by deranged Ranger fans from Scotland. After getting hit with an ASBO.

    Back to Michael’s original topic. Like I presume most Americans, I never gave wombats a first thought. They were just some Aussie critter that had a funny name and made a good cartoon character. I checked to make sure they really existed, and am quite impressed. They’re even funnier than their name. Google them, and see a really interesting character. After reading the description of them in Wikipedia, I think they might make a good mascot for individualist/libertarian types.