Clueless
From My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, comes word of the British House of Lords discussing email spam.
House of Lords, Ship of Fools as the upper chamber the Lords debate spam but the poor old dears aren’t sure if it is email or tinned meat on the agenda. The official transcript is hilarious.
Enjoy:
Lord Renton: My Lords, will the Minister explain how it is that an inedible tinned food that lasted for ever and was supplied to those on active service can become an unsolicited e-mail, bearing in mind that some of us wish to be protected from having an e-mail?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, I am afraid that I have not been able to find out why the term “spam” is used, but that is the meaning it now has. It is a matter that should be taken very seriously because it not only clutters up computers but involves a great deal of very unpleasant advertising to do with easy credit, pornography and miracle diets. That is offensive to people, and we should try to reduce it.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, I can help the Minister with the origin of the word. It comes from aficionados of Monty Python, and the famous song, “Spam, spam, spam, spam”. It has been picked up by the Internet community and is used as a description of rubbish on the Internet.
Lady Saltoun of Abernethy: My Lords, do the Government have any plans to restrict unsolicited faxes? My fax paper is always being wasted by people who send me faxes I do not want. I do not know whether they could be called “corned beef” or something, but I have had enough of them.
Lord Mackie of Benshie: My Lords, can the Minister think of a name for the enormous amount of unsolicited ordinary mail we receive?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, when I have a moment I shall bend my mind to that question.
Bless ’em, they’re trying, but this is no way to run a country is it?
Hey, count your blessings. There’s real advantages to having dotty peaceful do-nothings in places of power.