Loose cannons

March of progress

"I'm sure there are lots of [millionaires] out there that would [do the same] if they knew the potential existed." — Mark Westhusin, the director of a cloning laboratory in Texas that is being paid US$5 million by a millionaire to produce a clone of his dog.

Now we use the helicopter

"They're not being used to fly around and go to beach parties; those days are gone." — Michael Keenan, of Executive Aviation Pacific, objecting to the Labor proposal to tax executive jets.

Appealing

"The thing that makes Beazley appealing [to voters] is that he is not Keating." — A "senior Labor figure" quoted in the September 3 Financial Review.

Depressing

"No matter what they want to do in their market, when they wake up on Monday morning, they're still going to be in a depression." — Stanley Druckenmiller, manager of speculator George Soros' Quantum fund, on the Hong Kong government's attempt to keep stock prices up by buying large quantities of shares.

Democrat

"I would like to appeal to the US: please fire a missile from an airplane like you did in Sudan and hit [Prime Minister Hun Sen's house]." — Cambodian opposition politician Sam Rainsy, protesting against his loss in the July 26 election.

Core average?

"I know a lot of average Australians who do." — Prime Menzies John Howard, asked how many people drive $93,000 4WD vehicles, after he attacked the ALP's planned tax increase on 4WDs.

Conscientious

"For reasons of conscience and in the interests of business, I will not make such an irresponsible decision." — Viktor Chernomyrdin, asked if he would withdraw from his nomination as Russian prime minister because of parliamentary opposition to him.

From GLW issue 333