Difference between revisions of "2157: Diploma Legal Notes"

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:* All graduates are entitled to delete one word of their choice from the Oxford English Dictionary.
 
:* All graduates are entitled to delete one word of their choice from the Oxford English Dictionary.
  
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The {{w|Oxford English Dictionary}} (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press. It is unclear why anyone would be interested in deleting a word from the OED.
  
 
:* The university will mail you your working lightsaber within 6-8 weeks.
 
:* The university will mail you your working lightsaber within 6-8 weeks.
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:* You have earned the right to challenge the British royal family to {{w|trial by combat}}. If you defeat them all, the throne is yours.
 
:* You have earned the right to challenge the British royal family to {{w|trial by combat}}. If you defeat them all, the throne is yours.
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"Trial by combat" or "ritual combat" was a manner to settle disputes where two individuals would engage in a duel, with the winner being declared right. This type of ritual combat was depicted in the film ''{{w|Black Panther (film)|Black Panther}}'', with the winner of the combat declared the king of Wakanda. T'Challa, the Black Panther, was victorious in a fight against M'Baku, but was defeated by Erik Killmonger.
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The {{w|British royal family}} consists of the descendants and relatives of the current Queen, Queen Elizabeth II. However, {{w|Succession_to_the_British_throne|the line of succession}} to the throne consists of potentially over 4,000 individuals.  The British royal family was also referenced in [[2003: Presidential Succession]].
  
  

Revision as of 20:03, 31 May 2019

Diploma Legal Notes
If you're planning to challenge the royal family, you should probably wait 6-8 weeks, since a number of the younger ones have diplomas and Kate was actually on the varsity lightsaber team at St Andrews.
Title text: If you're planning to challenge the royal family, you should probably wait 6-8 weeks, since a number of the younger ones have diplomas and Kate was actually on the varsity lightsaber team at St Andrews.

Explanation

Ambox notice.png This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: Created by a CHALLENGER TO THE BRITISH THRONE. Each privilege, title text needs to be explained. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.
If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.

A class of 2019 graduate, presumably for some college or university, is given some rather unusual privileges for graduating.

A common line in degree granting ceremonies is "the degree of X is conferred with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto." This dates from the Roman Empire and continued through the rise of the university as an institution in medieval times. In the Roman era, the rights and privileges accorded to physicians and scholars included exemption from certain civic duties and military services, immunity from certain levies and from being summoned to court unduly, and even granting a state salary. In the medieval era, rights generally mirrored those of ecclesiastical figures and included immunity from civil law (instead scholars were subject to canon, or church law), as well as safe conduct on their travels between jurisdictions. (See Scholarly Privileges, Their Roman Origins and Medieval Expression, Pearl Kibre, in the American Historical Review, Vol 59 No. 3 (April, 1954) at https://www.jstor.org/stable/1844716.

While true that some degrees do grant professional privileges today, generally additional accreditation beyond the degree is required (passing the bar, medical certification, etc.) to gain anything most people would consider a privilege or right or incur any obligation. (The obligation to pay your student loans back exists regardless of completing your degree).


  • You may now legally perform marriages and arrest people.

Depending on the jurisdiction, these may or may not be privileges that one already has by virtue of being in a particular jurisdiction or being part of a particular culture.

In some cultures, a couple might be recognised as married if they meet certain conditions (as opposed to being legally recognised by a religious or civil authority), such as being recognised by the community or after the birth of their first child. Because states often provide benefits (tax reductions, social services, etc) for being married, they often require that, in order to receive the benefits, that a marriage have a registered person recognise the marriage, which is likely the privilege that this graduating class' diploma is granting.

In common law jurisdictions, citizen's arrest is legal without a warrant in some situations, although in many cases it is better to let a police officer arrest criminals due to potential legal issues that might arise. The privilege granted by graduating might grant or extend this privilege, depending on where the graduating class is located.


  • If you have your diploma with you, you can use grocery store express lanes with any number of items.

It has become common for one, or maybe a couple, of checkout lanes of a larger store to be explicitly reserved for the use of those with "N items or fewer" in their combined purchase. Theoretically, this lets someone with a single item, a few handheld geegaws or a light basket of produce to avoid being held behind the "Family Weekly Shop" couples at the undifferentiated exit aisles with overflowing shopping trolleys/carts. A sufficiently underfilled or intrinsically low-capacity cart/trolley load may also qualify for the 'express' teller's services, depending upon the "N" specified, though it highly depends upon the general bulk and volume of goods involved and whether the various "three for the price of two" packs of boxed juice are each argued to quantify as three, two or just one item by company policy or (more seriously) the general mutterred groundswell of fellow following "express" shoppers' opinions as to whether liberties may be being taken as you impede them in their own attempts to express themselves.

Whether that's better for you if you qualify is arguable due to various complex factors, but at least the personal enumeration of shopping need not bother the new holder of the diploma (who is, ironically, now possibly fully capable of exerting authority on the "How many items are there, really, in your allotted load?", depending upon the academic subject just mastered) because the diploma obviously now nullifies that potential interdiction. If you're a bulk-shopper during a period that happens to be particularly lacking sufficient small-fry purchasers to jam up the express-lane, you can now by-pass the backlogs of baseline buyers ponderously purchasing their plethoras of produce amonst the any-quantity aisles.

  • All graduates are entitled to delete one word of their choice from the Oxford English Dictionary.

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press. It is unclear why anyone would be interested in deleting a word from the OED.

  • The university will mail you your working lightsaber within 6-8 weeks.

Doctoral degree recipients wear various forms of dress or other items. In Finnland, a doctoral sword is traditional.Doctoral hat and sword, university of Jyväskylä A lightsaber is a fictional weapon.

  • You can send mail without stamps.

The franking privilege allows sending mail without stamps and is often granted to legislators conducting "official business." A group of legislators elected at the same time may sometimes be referred to as the "class of year" such as "the congressional freshman class of 2019..."

  • You have earned the right to challenge the British royal family to trial by combat. If you defeat them all, the throne is yours.

"Trial by combat" or "ritual combat" was a manner to settle disputes where two individuals would engage in a duel, with the winner being declared right. This type of ritual combat was depicted in the film Black Panther, with the winner of the combat declared the king of Wakanda. T'Challa, the Black Panther, was victorious in a fight against M'Baku, but was defeated by Erik Killmonger.

The British royal family consists of the descendants and relatives of the current Queen, Queen Elizabeth II. However, the line of succession to the throne consists of potentially over 4,000 individuals. The British royal family was also referenced in 2003: Presidential Succession.


  • You may now ignore "Do Not Pet" warnings on airport security dogs.

The title text builds on the items about lightsabers and the British royal family and advises that, because some of the royals are proficient with the weapon, it would be advisable to the newly graduated to hold off on the challenge until their own lightsaber arrives.

Transcript

[An official document with a title at the top between two images of graduation hats on either side:]
[Title:] CONGRATULATIONS, CLASS OF 2019!
Your diploma grants you many new powers and privileges. These include:
  • You may now legally perform marriages and arrest people.
  • If you have your diploma with you, you can use grocery store express lanes with any number of items.
  • All graduates are entitled to delete one word of their choice from the Oxford English Dictionary.
  • The university will mail you your working lightsaber within 6-8 weeks.
  • You can send mail without stamps.
  • You have earned the right to challenge the British royal family to trial by combat. If you defeat them all, the throne is yours.
  • You may now ignore "Do Not Pet" warnings on airport security dogs.


comment.png add a comment! ⋅ comment.png add a topic (use sparingly)! ⋅ Icons-mini-action refresh blue.gif refresh comments!

Discussion

Can I please live on this universe? 172.69.69.250 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Why would waiting 6-8 weeks help with challenging the British royal family for the throne? Surely that just gives them more time to prepare... Hawthorn (talk) 12:41, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

But it takes 6-8 weeks for you to receive your lightsaber. --Lupo (talk) 12:51, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
Thanks, I had not made the connection. But I still don't understand the "since a number of the younger ones have diplomas"?162.158.154.205 15:16, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
The younger ones already have a lightsaber, so if you challenge them, you will probably want to first possess a lightsaber as well.
Oh duh, it says right in the comic. I'm an idiot. :) Hawthorn (talk) 15:28, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

I'd rather they sent me my lightsab(re|er) in a powered-down state. Much less fuss, damage to postal sorting/conveying/containing equipment, injury to the various employees involved, etc. Probably also saves on postage costs for the package. (And, as just pointed out, we might just get by the sorting office spies from the palace if the packaging isn't humming and glowing.) 162.158.154.7 12:45, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

Er, I think "working" means ready to use, not turned on! However, I think shipping regulations would require the unit to be shipped without the nuclear power pack installed, and the user would just need to insert the power unit in the handle before use. Ianrbibtitlht (talk) 13:01, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
You read it your way, I'll read it my way. ;) 162.158.154.7 13:12, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

To me "working lightsaber" means it's not a toy or model. YMMV RIIW - Ponder it (talk) 17:53, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

I did not believe Kate Middleton did anything as genteel as light sabre, I thought she was a hockey player. While she and William graduated from St Andrews, I would have thought they got certificates not diplomas. Charles and Eddie have certificates from Cambridge. Northwestern may have issued a diploma to Meghan. Anyway they are more likely to use real Sabres or polo mallets. -- Arachrah (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

Hmmm...
http://oi66.tinypic.com/vxdw5j.jpg
http://oi64.tinypic.com/99fapu.jpg
http://oi68.tinypic.com/359fnlf.jpg
http://oi64.tinypic.com/24xjexv.jpg
... Enjoy! :P 141.101.99.155 15:11, 31 May 2019 (UTC)
I looked up William and Kate's info - it appears they both graduated from University of St Andrews with a Scottish Master of Arts degree, which is equivalent to a Bachelor of Arts degree in the United States. Ianrbibtitlht (talk) 14:43, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

I think I'd delete the word "gullible", if only to put a bizarre spin on the classic "Did you know 'gullible' isn't in the dictionary?" joke. --Youforgotthisthing (talk) 14:56, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

"The university will mail you your working lightsaber within 6-8 weeks." – Isn't it that PhD's are awarded with a sword in Finland? --Phcc (talk) 16:34, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

"6-8 weeks" could be a reference to StackOverflow/StackExchange: https://meta.stackexchange.com/a/19514/353011 Fabian42 (talk) 18:03, 31 May 2019 (UTC)

Ok, this link took me on a weird circular journey, where that page included a link to another page that actually contained a link back to xkcd #1381: Margin. Ianrbibtitlht (talk) 00:02, 1 June 2019 (UTC)
"6 to 8 weeks" was super common at least back to the eighties and possibly long prior. Whenever there'd be a TV commercial trying to get you to mail order something or a cereal box offering a prize or even a magazine offering something if you sent them a SASE (a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) they would invariably quote the delivery times as 6 to 8 weeks. Mootstrap (talk) 07:31, 2 June 2019 (UTC)
Probably "as old as dirt", as TV Tropes would phrase it. These Are Not The Comments You Are Looking For (talk) 00:43, 3 June 2019 (UTC)
6 - 8 weeks is also a meme in Captain Underpants books. Like Mootstrap says above, the main characters mailed in to a catalogue to buy a device for use in a prank. I don't think stack overflow should take the primary credit for this meme. 108.162.241.4 14:26, 3 June 2019 (UTC)

The following bibliographical text from the end of the first paragraph seemed unnecessary for the explanation, but I'm pasting it here in case anyone might be interested in further reading:

(See Scholarly Privileges, Their Roman Origins and Medieval Expression, Pearl Kibre, in the American Historical Review, Vol 59 No. 3 (April, 1954) at https://www.jstor.org/stable/1844716.
Ianrbibtitlht (talk) 05:31, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

Personally I think this comic is making reference to how some people with degrees tend to act in a self-entitled manner either in the workplace or generally in public places. For example interrupting other people's conversations because "I'm qualified and you're not". 162.158.34.160 12:10, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

What does deleting delete do?

It disallows others deleting any word. 172.68.226.116 17:38, 1 June 2019 (UTC)

I would delete the word "it" 162.158.255.52 06:06, 3 June 2019 (UTC)

Maximum havoc would be wreaked by deleting the word "dictionary" from the...um, what's it called? Ianrbibtitlht (talk) 13:17, 3 June 2019 (UTC)

ALL graduates could delete ONE word, so just one word goes away. EACH graduate deletes one word, now that could be a real problem.

delete the word, what was it called from the what was it called?