And On A Lighter Note...
Well, to lighten up the mood of my recent posts, I'm going to share a funny story that relates to our former boss.
BABAR VISITS UN; WACKY HIJINKS ENSUE...
The United Nations constantly receives gifts and presentations from countries and organizations around the world. Most of these presents take the form of artwork- paintings, small sculptures, tapestries, replicas of historical artifacts, and so on. A number of these items are on display scattered throughout the UN premises. Some of the larger objects are out in the gardens.
One such larger object is an elephant.
No, not a live elephant, but a life-sized sculpture of an elephant. No ordinary sculpture is this, however. It is an actual replica of a real-life elephant. The model was made by tranquilizing an African elephant, and then, as it slept, making a giant plaster mould of the sleeping animal. This mould was then reformed in bronze and copper taken from metal melted down from weapons turned in from disarmament efforts sponsored by the UN. Neat.
There was, however, one minor side effect. As a result of the relaxing tranquilizer used, the MALE elephant's dangly bits hung out to dry, so to speak, and the mould accurately captured this facet of its anatomy as well. Thus, the UN, after agreeing to set the statue in the gardens, was confronted by what can only be described as a mammoth wang.
The Secretary-General's senior advisers, our former boss included, met to discuss this unforeseen development. They met for days. And every morning, our boss came back to the office laughing her ass off at some of the more conservative members of the advisory group, who were culturally put off by the unmistakable presence of elephantine manhood. She told us of the debates that raged between the liberal (mostly European) and conservative (mostly Islamic) officers. Suggestions were made as to how to pose the elephant such that its titanic totem was not clearly visible. Some suggested that they renege on their agreement to pose the statue. Some even asked to have the elephant castrated for propriety's sake.
In the end, the elephant statue was still placed in the garden, with a shrubbery set around it at a height that obscured all but the most diligent searches for pachydermal pornography. The statue is still there today. Wang and all.
When asked by the press about whether he was going to cut off the statue's penis, the Secretary-General very diplomatically replied, "I believe that it is unwise to fool with Mother Nature."
BABAR VISITS UN; WACKY HIJINKS ENSUE...
The United Nations constantly receives gifts and presentations from countries and organizations around the world. Most of these presents take the form of artwork- paintings, small sculptures, tapestries, replicas of historical artifacts, and so on. A number of these items are on display scattered throughout the UN premises. Some of the larger objects are out in the gardens.
One such larger object is an elephant.
No, not a live elephant, but a life-sized sculpture of an elephant. No ordinary sculpture is this, however. It is an actual replica of a real-life elephant. The model was made by tranquilizing an African elephant, and then, as it slept, making a giant plaster mould of the sleeping animal. This mould was then reformed in bronze and copper taken from metal melted down from weapons turned in from disarmament efforts sponsored by the UN. Neat.
There was, however, one minor side effect. As a result of the relaxing tranquilizer used, the MALE elephant's dangly bits hung out to dry, so to speak, and the mould accurately captured this facet of its anatomy as well. Thus, the UN, after agreeing to set the statue in the gardens, was confronted by what can only be described as a mammoth wang.
The Secretary-General's senior advisers, our former boss included, met to discuss this unforeseen development. They met for days. And every morning, our boss came back to the office laughing her ass off at some of the more conservative members of the advisory group, who were culturally put off by the unmistakable presence of elephantine manhood. She told us of the debates that raged between the liberal (mostly European) and conservative (mostly Islamic) officers. Suggestions were made as to how to pose the elephant such that its titanic totem was not clearly visible. Some suggested that they renege on their agreement to pose the statue. Some even asked to have the elephant castrated for propriety's sake.
In the end, the elephant statue was still placed in the garden, with a shrubbery set around it at a height that obscured all but the most diligent searches for pachydermal pornography. The statue is still there today. Wang and all.
When asked by the press about whether he was going to cut off the statue's penis, the Secretary-General very diplomatically replied, "I believe that it is unwise to fool with Mother Nature."