Magere Hein

A fine, if conservative list. I completely missed Steve Jobs as a possible pick. regards, Hein

As are Harold Pinter's and Lady Bird Johnson's. GR has been notified of these and two other flaws. Expect repair soon. Fixed by removing it here. regards, Hein

Tied 21st with seven hits and 31 points. Last year I was tied for 14th place, with 8 hits and 32 points. Extrapolating that, 2007 should land me tied for 28th place with 6 hits and 30 points. Perhaps the new scoring system causes some trouble there, but it's as good a prediction as any. regards, Hein

Dancing rodents! I'm still busy selecting worthy ream members. Still a few hours left.Ta. Admittedly the order is a bit, er, random... but I decided on the Zen method of order-picking. I have, in the past, successfully relied on the Zen method of finding my way to places for which I only have the sketchiest of directions, so fingers crossed! Mine is sent too. Four hours left to decide on DDP. regards, Hein

While doing some late DDP/HDP research I came across this bit of unfinished business: I'll bet you a fiver none of them will die in 2006. You're on. ...............or were you talking to spaceagereflex? I was talking to spaceagereflex, but it seems I'd have won anyway. regards, Hein

Dancing rodents! I'm still busy selecting worthy ream members. Still a few hours left. regards, Hein

I think some of our members are already in 2007, so I thinks it's time to wish all users of DL forum a healthy and happy 2007. Edit to add: bubbles, check fireworks, check two eyes, check ten fingers, check two ears, ringing, but check so: 2007, check Happy New Year , Hein

Pook will you ask them if there is Yorkshire Pudding with gravy. Could you ask a little bit about the consistency of the gravy, no lumps, Bisto or Oxo cubes I hope. This is very important. Which brings me to a possibly even more important question: is there a way to avoid the afterlife? regards, Hein

As am I. I'm against the DP on ethical and practical grounds, but I can't say I'm sorry SH is executed. I would have preferred the "Ceauşescu approach" (being shot immediately after capture and a short tribunal) rather than the trial we witnessed, but what to do with a captured genocidal dictator? With regards to watching the execution footage: I admit I've watched the linked-to movie with interest. I like the comparison with watching pr0n, shaky as it is. I think neither should be normal TV fare, but I don't mind that it's available. I don't think executing people is civilised, whether it's done live on television or behind closed doors. regards, Hein

And 2027. I appreciate the sentiment, but how much hard carking evidence can we muster on New Years Eve 2006? None. It's just that if he got himself under a bus while he wouldn't be on our list, we'd be sorry forever. And then, we only need 15 hits to get a record crop, not 50. regards, Hein

Indeed. I've never been able to get a proper view of USAians due to what is known in the trade as sampling error. In my travels around the world I've managed to miss the New World completely, so the ones I met In Real Life I did so while they were abroad, an unusual condition for an American. Add to that that most of the few I did meet IRL were mostly technical staff in the IT business, or tourists or both. The conclusion is that I met a far from representative sample. From that small sample I learned that Americans resemble ordinary people considerably. Most are OK, some are really nice and some are prats. In that respect they're no different from, say, Germans. If anything is remarkable about USAians it's that they're more in everything than the rest of humanity: OK, nice or a prat, only more so. As in every nation the prats get the political jobs. It's in the job description, I think. I also know quite a few Americans from the Internet. As it's easy to ignore prats on the Internet I think they're all OK or nice and well educated. As an aside: I don't think those are examples of democracy in action, although all can be. I also have trouble with the concept of spreading democracy by war. War isn't exactly a democratic method, when seen from the business end. As a member of a smallish nation with a long, proud and profitable history of being walked over by foreign nations and choosing dodgy allies, our approach to world politics is friendly and understanding to all while ignoring them as long as they stay out or are paying for the priviledge of being around.When we fight wars it's for profit rather than ideology, even though we won't admit that nowadays. We even won't admit we're at war these days. In all this we're pretty much like the French, but not as loud about it. The UK will get there eventually. The outcome of WWII didn't help in that process, since it's generally considered a victory for the UK, ruinous as it was. The UK, and the USA for that matter, have still to learn the blessings of losing a war or two. I remember those days. American soldiers weren't popular, although personal contact with them was rare: they tended to live in or near barracks. I seem to remember that their presence in the Netherlands was more a result of political expediency and NATO organisation than that we invited them. After the collapse of the Soviet Union most of the US military left, but a few remain, guarding and maintaining US nukes. That said, I imagine it wasn't quite fun being on the receiving end of Dutch-American friendship. regards, Hein

Looks like it's going to happen. Can't say I mind. Edit to add: got me thinking, why are executions often performed at such ungodly hours like 6 am? regards, Hein

There's no requirement that the condemned finish his last meal before he's executed, is there? regards, Hein

What do you expect, seeing where Saddam's life is? regards, Hein

There are worse applications of a dog. regards, Hein

Please accept my apologies for assuming the posts were from the United States. I overlooked the fact that the web is a world wide phenomenon. No problem. I don't claim to have much knowledge of US politics. I did study the US constitution and US foreign politics have enough consequences in my country to keep my attention fresh. My knowledge of US domestic politics, especially below federal level, is appaling, which doesn't prevent me from having a strong opinion about them, of course. That's fine. I don't mind a political discussion or two, as long as it doesn't become a pissing contest. Differences of opinion keep a discussion interesting. regards, Hein

You mean: we aren't? regards, Hein

Interesting in: So not just a clown, but an undead one as well. The horror... regards, Hein

Interesting in: Bunch of hypocrite sods. Several fictional murders before dinner is Ok for childen, but an honest-to-god hanging, something quite legal in the US, will be censored. If I were the Iraqi government, I'd sell the footage on DVD for profit rather than broadcast it. regards, Hein

regards, Hein

According to a page about Saudi calendrical calculations, 10 Dhū ’l-Hijja 1426 will start on gregorian date Saturday, December 30 2006 at sunset in Mecca. I don't know if Iraq adopts this calendar. Edit to add: I don't want to dis foreign calendars, as there is no perfect one, but in this case the many interpretations of the Islamic calendar make it a nightmare. regards, Hein

Told you, Sunday at dawn. regards, Hein

Yes, a honourable mention in the DL calendar. regards, Hein

This is a eulogy on PW in Afrikaans, a dialect of 17th century Dutch. I can provide a translation in English on request, but it's hardly worth it. regards, Hein

I've been consistently wrong in these polls and I don't want to spoil such a perfect record, so my guess is Alfredo di Stefano. regards, Hein