Posted 4:43 PM by Floyd

Warning! Spoilers!

Isaac Asimov wrote a short story about two scientists who hated each other, but would play an occasional game of pool. One scientist creates an anti-gravity device. To rub it in his rival's face, he installs his invention in a pool table, with the anti-grav in the center. At a public demonstration he gives his rival a pool cue and tells him to knock a ball into the anti-grav zone, where it will float in the air. The other scientist realizes that the ball will travel at the speed of light when it becomes massless -- so he aims the shot at the other scientist and drills him through the heart.

Asimov titled the story "The Billiard Ball." A friend of his read the story and said, "No, Dirty Pool!". Asimov instantly realized that he'd missed out on the perfect title.

I had a similar experience when visiting Colby Cosh's blog. Colby liked my post on Iraq, calling it a "five hundred foot home run." (All I can say is that the foot must be shorter in Canada.) Then I noticed that he linked to me, and called me The Declarer.

Well duh! I am green with envy but thanks to Colby I have a name for my blog.