[extropy-chat] Re: evolution sentences

[Spike]

> At 07:41 PM 1/6/2004 -0800, Spike wrote:
> 
> >Anyone know of examples in literature in which one
> >can form an evolution sentence by adding, subtracting
> >or changing a single letter?
> 

Perhaps some of you will recall the lyrics to the Cat Stevens hit Bad
Brakes:

...Bad brakes whole car shakes
Looks like I'm heading for a breakdown
Black smoke engine beginning to choke
I must be heading for a breakdown...

The words "heading for a breakdown" was a common catchphrase of the late
70s meaning things were not going well.  At my high school, the social
clubs would paint signs and hang them about the campus to raise school
spirit and encourage the football team.  The FHS or Future Homemakers
Society, was not known for its intellectual achievement (do allow me to
draw the curtain of mercy upon the details of this comment).  

In any case, this particular club was painting its banners on the week
we were to face the Hillsborough Hawks.  This enormous banner was
painted with the immortal words 

"The Hawks are HEADING FOR A BEAKDOWN"

The banner was hung with *not one* of the club members noticing the
apparent misspelling.  When it was pointed out the next day with great
derision and mirth, I suggested that this was slyly intentional, for the
Hawks would surely be despondent upon their gridirion defeat and thus
their collective countenance would be fallen, and so they would leave
the field with faces downcast: the hawks' beaks would be down.

This ignited extensive debate over whether the FHS could ever muster
enough collective brains to actually come up with a clever mutant
sentence.  Had the young Mensans, the debate team or the chess club
painted such a sign, everyone would grant them the benefit of the doubt.
As a joke, or perhaps in all levitious seriousity, that FHS banner was
given the prize for team spirit.  Thenceforth, the phrase "heading for a
beakdown" replaced the more familiar Cat Stevens breakdown version.

spike