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by pavlov 5883 days ago
I'm reminded of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army

"My friend, Zhang, doesn't believe I can collect one million soldiers by 209 BC. I'm gonna prove him wrong, but I need your help. (Or you'll be beheaded.) Thanks, Qin."

Our time is gentler -- the Age of the Giraffes.

1 comments

Exercise for the interested reader - why could he not have said:

  > ... I can collect one million soldiers by 209 BC.
??
What, you mean a Chinese emperor did not know the exact future date of the birth of Christ?
Because he wasn't fluent in English?
Don't you have a lot of giraffes you should be riding right now?
Because 209 BC will in the past by the time he collects the soldiers... that is, the year after 209 BC is 208 BC.