A Limerick for Laurel
Laurel Kornfield's many posts about Pluto in the comments sections of blogs have inspired me to rhyme:
There was a weblogger named Laurel,
Who with me started to quarrel,
When a vote one day,
Took Pluto's status away,
And she thought it to be quite immoral.
Pluto, she said, should remain;
The decision had caused so much pain.
It just was not fair,
That my blog did not care.
So she'll write in my comments again.
Responses to this post should be in Limerick form ;-)
Comments: A Limerick for Laurel
I'm very happy to have helped bring out your creative side. This may be a whole new beginning for you as a writer!
Rest assured, my taking issue with you regarding Pluto is far more a friendly disagreement than a quarrel. I am fully aware that you did not take part in the IAU decision, and I am happy with your post from last spring saying you were content with using hydrostatic equilibrium as the basis for defining the term planet.
Your blog is a statement of your views, so there is no issue of fairness there. However, there remains the issue that the IAU definition is sloppy, creates a double standard and makes no sense.
Posted by Laurel Kornfeld on Friday 23rd Nov 2007 (18:11 UTC)
In response to my last blog post,
A comment was aimed at this host.
A Laurel of peace,
The quarrel did cease,
But no rhyme which I wanted the most.
Laurel, in trying to get the Limerick to work, some of the meaning had to be a little distorted. I hope you understand. After all "friendly disagreement" doesn't rhyme with Laurel. ;-) I was really hoping you would respond in Limerick form. I hope you will next time.
Posted by Stuart on Friday 23rd Nov 2007 (19:01 UTC)
You asked for it:
There was a group called IAU
Who were mad no one knew what they do
Members said, we need press
Make a solar system mess
That should get us an article or two
On and on for two weeks they debated
'Til the brilliant plan was created
Pluto isn't a planet
From the other eight, ban it
And TV coverage will show that we've "made it!"
On the last day the scientists voted
And Pluto was formally demoted
But most people's reaction
Was not to the IAU's satisfaction
"It's sloppy," other scientists were quoted
It turned out most did not like the change
Found that "clearing its orbit" thing strange
So musicians and writers
Became Pluto's fighters
A backlash they began to arrange
The IAU learned its lesson in time
Don't mess with a system that's fine
And at last came admission
"We made a bad decision,
Reverse it in 2009!"
Posted by Laurel Kornfeld on Friday 23rd Nov 2007 (20:23 UTC)
The IAU Pluto did ban
But my limerick just would not scan
Laurel asked why this was
I said its because
I always try to get as many words into the last line as I possibly can.
Posted by Andy Lawrence on Saturday 24th Nov 2007 (23:50 UTC)