Magere Hein

Perhaps he could go back to Zimbabwe and shoot a long pig. Would do some good, if he picked the right quarry.

2 Kings 2:23 provides precedent, so I guess that´s a yes. In this case I´m inclined to attribute the words to malice.

Shit.

Huh? Coincidence? Skill? Treason?

1997: The Witch of Calcutta, at 87. Should have been burned.

Then again, it's been reported by Bunte, a periodical for which truthful reporting is an option.

I don't think immortality, as in living forever, is in the cards. Forever lasts very long indeed, the thermodynamics of life isn't good at such time scales. The thought that everybody kicks the bucket eventually I rather like. Even that bastard ..... (fill in you pet hate) won't live. I can imagine future people may have considerably longer lifespans than we do. I´m not so sure it´s a good idea.

Seems like the preferred order to me. Such waiting can't be hard.

Last Monday Willy Stähle, world water skiing champion, died, aged 61.

I don't know anyone who pronounces Diana like that. Me neither. Hereabouts that name is pronounced 'deeaanaa' ('aa' representing the vowel in 'aargh') with stress on the second syllable. Her shine has waned a bit here.

Fine with me, if we charge for treating sports injuries and VD as well.

It's a slippery slope- you'll be smoking crack by Christmas. It's ok, as long as he doesn't drink milk. That inevitably leads to alcoholism.

FTFY

That I do doesn't imply everybody should.

Exactly. The only rule is: died on this date. I use as an additional rule that the subject hasn't been posted about in this topic before. I also add a portrait.

Sad news indeed. So much for his Sacks life.

Today in 1935 Astrid of Sweden, Queen consort of the Belgians, was killed in a car crash, aged 29.

Looks like our lads have found back their customary form. I knew they would.

Little news there, but one bit caught my eye: "the words of the national anthem will be changed". To what? "God help us, now he's king"?

I know several of his songs, very funny, if you like that stuff. Any news about him?

Dutch footballer (9 caps) and manager Cees van Kooten, aged 67, from cancer.

My Grandmother died at 96, only her last two months were spent in bad health, and her mind was good to the end. The oldest person I used to meet regularly was a member of my chess club:Catharina Roodzant. At 99 she played in our club competition every week. She lived to 102.

Perhaps perversely I find provincial A roads far more terrifying. The average speed in London is now something like 8 mph. So long as one has learned to avoid certain well known suicidal manoeuvres* it's probably not as bad as it first appears. *Passing on the inside of a lorry that's about to turn left, particularly if there are railings... that kind of thing. I ride a bike in a large city daily, so that kind of stunts I don´t even think of. That said, Dutch cities and country roads are pretty friendly to cyclists, most have cycling lanes. Most Dutch motorists are also cyclists, or at least they have been, so they tend to be aware of what cyclists do. That said, 570 people died in Dutch traffic in 2013, 184 of whom were cyclists, compared to 193 motorists. (Source CBS)

Cut of from the interweb, for several reasons, one of which was a spot of travel to places where bits are expensive.

I tried cycling in London once in the early 1990s. I obviously survived the experience, but it was a frightening one.