What is the largest book you have ever seen?

[Antilogic]

The Alabama State Constitution is supposed to be fairly huge, thanks to the number of amendments -- over 800 at this point, most of them weighing in on local issues like bingo permissions.

This is a perfect example of how not to write a constitution. It's supposed to be a governmental framework, not the legal code.

 

[Smellincoffee]

This is a perfect example of how not to write a constitution. It's supposed to be a governmental framework, not the legal code.

There's an active movement for reform, but state politicians always ignore the issue near elections and it tends to be misrepresented in the local media. (While reformers push for a new constitution on grounds of fiscal responsibility, government effectiveness, home rule, etc, TV news will reliably say they want to change the constitution to get rid of un-PC language. )

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Yeah, the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics copies at my university's chemistry labs could do some severe damage.

 

[Takhisis]

I own a copy of this:

Spoiler :

(Or actually two copies, as I inherited another one). It fits in one standard banana box, but is printed on quality paper, so the skinniest boys aren' able to carry it.

Aaaah. What is it? It could just be the deefinitive proof all Uncyclopaedians seek of Finnish being a sentence isntead of a language.

You don't know how happy this statement makes me.

1. Finnish bananas come in boxes
2. "Banana boxes" are common enough in Finland that they have a "standard" size
3. Everyone in Finland intuitively knows how big a "standard banana box" is
4. "Banana box" is a common form of measurement in Finland

If someone in this country answered the question "how big is it?" with "hmm, about the size of a standard banana box", that person would receive some strange looks.

Do advertisers use this as a selling point?
Salesman #1: "And just look how small it is, Mika!"
Salesman #2: "That's right, Kimi, it fits right into a standard banana box!" *inserts into box*
Crowd: "ooooOOOOOoooooh!"

I thought banana box was a SI unit.

They aren't sold in boxes here, but they come to stores in boxes. The stores give them away, and people use them when moving etc. all the time. I thought it's like that all over the world. Anyhow the standard is that the contents weight 18.14 kg (=40 lb) and the dimensions are about 50x40x25 cm (they do vary a little).

We do that with fruit boxes, paper boxes, and almost any kind of container.

at the names of the example.

We could change it to Eero and… Stig?

That is the book Swedes stole from us during the 30 years war and refuse to give it back

It's in Latin, clearly Church property. Hand it over, heathens!

 

[Antilogic]

There's an active movement for reform, but state politicians always ignore the issue near elections and it tends to be misrepresented in the local media. (While reformers push for a new constitution on grounds of fiscal responsibility, government effectiveness, home rule, etc, TV news will reliably say they want to change the constitution to get rid of un-PC language. )

I laughed pretty hard at the "home rule" line on the front page. Looks like they've been reading some 19th century Irish history.

 

[holy king]

It's a Big Big World Atlas

was given this for my 8th birthday

holy crap, i had the same when i was a kid.

 

[Takhisis]

What do you mean, had?

 

[Bamspeedy]

A very old unabridged dictionary from the 1910's I think it was that my grandpa had that was similar to the book on the bottom of this pic:

 

[Smellincoffee]

I laughed pretty hard at the "home rule" line on the front page. Looks like they've been reading some 19th century Irish history.

Yeah, it's not the best description in the world. Right now the system is very top heavy and inefficient: county governments don't have power to act, and the state government spends so much time debating local issues the state-level matters that deserve more attention get short shrift. Pretty much every election, Alabamians who show up to the polls are ask to vote for constitutional amendments that only affect one county. Voters are thus invited to meddle in the affairs of people and make decisions that affect others without knowing anything about the issue. I for one refuse to vote on those issues and hope other people do the same.

 

[Antilogic]

Yeah, it's not the best description in the world. Right now the system is very top heavy and inefficient: county governments don't have power to act, and the state government spends so much time debating local issues the state-level matters that deserve more attention get short shrift. Pretty much every election, Alabamians who show up to the polls are ask to vote for constitutional amendments that only affect one county. Voters are thus invited to meddle in the affairs of people and make decisions that affect others without knowing anything about the issue. I for one refuse to vote on those issues and hope other people do the same.

It sounds like a recipe for permanent gridlock, and with this description I can see how the home-rule slogan would catch on. I hope you are able to change some minds.