You actually only need 0.75 μg of pergium, but it’s nice to know who’s work you’re copying.

A real engineer would’ve been able to make a mnemonic circuit using stone knives and bear skins.

Search your feelings, you know it to be true!

It also caught on because, while he never said it in the original books and short stories, it’s something he absolutely could have said. He described things as “elementary” and used the phrase “my dear Watson” more than once, just never in quite that order.

For instance, here’s a bit from The Crooked Man:

“I have the advantage of knowing your habits, my dear Watson,” said he. “When your round is a short one you walk, and when it is a long one you use a hansom. As I perceive that your boots, although used, are by no means dirty, I cannot doubt that you are at present busy enough to justify the hansom.”

“Excellent!” I cried.

“Elementary,” said he.

It’s just a coincidence that he never used the two phrases in one sentence.

A lot of his handlers are also stupid, especially this term. Some of them aren’t, so there’s still a chance of a coherent plan coming through, but most of the time it’s just stupidity.

They’re pro-authoritarian and pro-oppression. Beyond that it’s just semantics.

Arrest Neelix!

We’re all descended from fish.

Also, IIRC, some fish are more closely related to us than they are to other fish, making it impossible to biologically define a category of animal that includes everything we call a fish but doesn’t include us.

Ask your Nan for her credit card number.

Great, now the universe is going to be destroyed and replaced with something even more bizarre and nonsensical.

But it’s okay. I’m sure the people who couldn’t be bothered to pick up a ballot will be happy to pick up a rifle.

Pellaeon started as Rukh brushed silently past him; he hadn’t realized the Noghri had followed them down. Thrawn waited until Rukh was standing at his side, then turned back to Colclazure. “Do you know the difference between an error and a mistake, Ensign?”

The entire bridge had gone deathly still. Colclazure swallowed again, his face starting to go pale. “No, sir.”

“Anyone can make an error, Ensign. But that error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.” He raised a finger-

And, almost lazily, pointed.

Pellaeon never even saw Rukh move. Pieterson certainly never had time to scream.

- Hier to the Empire, by Timothy Zahn

Not really a matter of days. It’s been steadily eroding since the George W. Bush administration. Trump really accelerated the collapse, though.

No. “Normal” for the US was the result of you being the only major industrial power that wasn’t flattened during World War II. You maintained your power since then by using the leverage you’d acquired during the postwar years. Now that that leverage is gone, it’s staying gone, since the rest of the world has rebuilt itself.

It’s like how Kirk’s glasses are just going to get older and more worn-out with every loop.

Unless you think it was a different monkey because someone without noble blood couldn’t possibly write good.

Make America irrelevant. Do what you can to ensure that their collapse only affects the ~5% of the human race that’s unfortunate enough to live there.

I mean, Homer is believed to have been blind.

Ever heard of SpaceWar? Hunt the Wumpus? Tennis for Two? Pong didn’t introduce violence to the world.