Sunday, January 30, 2011

Classic Situations For Catapults

Years ago my brother and I watched the movie 'Advance To The Rear' and were completely taken by a line delivered by Melvyn Douglas:  "This is a classic situation for a catapult."
Come on.  Who wouldn't be captivated by that line?
In addition to Douglas, the movie starred Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, Jim Backus, Alan Hale Jr., and Jesse Pearson still euphoric from being Conrad Birdie.  The movie was forgettable -- something about the Civil War.
But the line spoken by Melvyn Douglas will never be forgotten, at least not by my brother and not my me.
Ever since we saw that movie, doubtless on some rainy Saturday afternoon, we've been looking for the perfect time to deliver that line.  The problem is that not too many situations present themselves as classic situations for catapults.
Imagine, then, my heartbreak when I heard on the news while driving home the other evening that the newest way to get street drugs across the Mexican border into this country is with the use of a catapult!
And that, my friends, truly is a classic situation for a catapult.
Naturally since both my brother and I are law abiding citizens we will have to content ourselves with continuing to fling cooked spaghetti across the room at each other.

2 comments:

Tom Walker said...

It makes you feel good, doesn't it? Knowing that an obsolete, ancient war machine can find a new career. I'm talking about John McCain, of course. But the same can be said about catapults.

Anonymous said...

You two are very funny. But then you probably already know that.