Magere Hein

Rarely directly, although there have been examples. The Iran–Contra affair springs to mind. I can hardly imagine western nations funding the current islamist terrorists. We are, of course, addicted to the wares flogged by the nations that do. regards, Hein

BTW, it does look as if the port prop is feathered. regards, Hein

Awesome, is this the work of the same people who pointed out Ayrton Senna was alive until he hit the tyre wall? I don't know who wrote that gem, I just got it from Google without context. It may even be a hoax. HufPost have a top 25 with more highlights of the genre. My fav: Rally against apathy draws small crowd ETA: This one I also like: regards, Hein

Another "serious illness" that killed. Another PSBO. Not quite as obvious as some, though: regards, Hein

Urgh. I'm not sure we see an adequately working brain there. That is not thoughtful silence. About that war: of course it's on. The question is: do large parts of the public see it like that? What I mean is: from 2002 to 2010 Dutch troops were getting their arses shot off in Afghanistan. In those years the Dutch were de facto at war. When I made remarks to that effect in pub discussions, I usually met blank stares: "At war? We?" I imagine western leaders prefer such an undeclared war to the declared variety, because it gives them opportunity to plod on without committing to winning it, which certainly in Afghanistan was/is neither possible nor desirable. The problem with such a war is that the public, who pay the bill, soon lose appetite for it when the body bags return home in numbers. It therefore pays to keep the war's profile as low as possible while it still keeps the Septics happy. Unfortunately that reduces its usefulness for internal politics to almost absent. ISTM mr Abbot is learning just that. regards, Hein

I try to imagine Abbott's mind at the time he made this decision. I don't think a wibbling imbecile has much chance of getting in his position, so I assume he has an adequately working brain. If he'd sat back and given the matter a few minutes of thought, he'd have realised it's a Bad Idea. I'm pretty sure he didn't think about it at all. At some moment the idea got in his mind, either his own idea or the suggestion of somebody near, and he decided he liked it. He proposed the idea, perhaps at a cabinet meeting, and more reflective minds around him questioned its wisdom. "Bugger all that, I like the idea, it's mine and I can do this. That'll also show those eggheads that I'm boss. Make it so." Next point on the agenda, failure born. Now normally there are a few checkpoints in the decision making process at this level that enable sinking bad ideas before they're put to effect: committee hearings and parliamentary approval come to mind. In this case there weren't or Abbot bypassed them, and the cat's out of the bag. The story has rush job written all over. This need not be the end of Abbot's political career. Perhaps he's lucky and something happens in which he can show better judgement about something important. Even Churchill made several Bad Decisions (e.g. Galipoli, Dieppe, Force Z, Dresden) that cost thousands of lives and should have ended his political life, but didn't. The bad news for Abbot is that there isn't a war on. regards, Hein

Hehe. Like I said earlier: regards, Hein

Cheers for that. I've often wondered what they'd sound like. Yer welcome, when people cop for enjoying this stuff I don't feel quite so perverse. Perverse? Perhaps. It may be a defect in my esthetic sense, it may be the lure of the perverse, but I've long been attracted to Really Bad Art, be it music, art or literature. In this case they meet and my heart jumps. Do you know the Museum of Bad Art? regards, Hein

Cheers for that. I've often wondered what they'd sound like. I was suprised to find JGW there. The cover is weird, but the song's pretty good. regards, Hein

Attaboy. regards, Hein

What monstrous organisation employs 76-year-olds to clean their premises? regards, Hein

Ehrm, which one? Mind that both 13 Februari and 13 March have been taken. regards, Hein

20 March 2015, 22:45 UT. So that makes: Rotten Ali: 8th of February. gcreptile: February, 9th. Book: Friday the 13th (February) maryportfuncity: Hell kiss this planet goodbye on Valentines Day! Eesti: I'd say 17 Feb. The Miser: February 24th. Marlfox: 'll go for March the 1st. Shaun of the Dead: March 2nd at 11:am The Unknown Man: I'll go for March 5. Death Impends: I'll opt for March 8. Vaagheid: March 9th the_engineer: March 12th 2015. Bibliogryphon: March 13th Cat O'Falk: A soothsayer bids you beware the ides of March Magere Hein: 20 March 2015, 22:45 UT Fergie86: 27th March 2015 Phantom: April 17th Body Snatcher 44: April 19th Uschi: June 7 - for being in the lower DDP category... charon: December 6th. Deathray: Jan 11 2016 GossipGabe: 29th of February msc: At a guess, 22nd December 2042, about 7.40 in the evening. Give or take a few minutes. regards, Hein

I wonder how many of those read some of his work? As philosophers go, his writing's quite clear. His mathematical work has faded a bit, although his paradox ("Does the set of all sets that don't contain themselves contain itself?") still shines, as does his Why I am not a Christian. I recently reread it, and it found it as good as I remembered. regards, Hein

Indeed it does. 2 hits, 10 points, =25: I've had worse Januaries. regards, Hein

Ian Watkins: "I want a skin". regards, Hein

I meant people who already have objections to wearing real fur, surely fake fur is the perfect alternative? Don't know, I don't have fur, real or fake, and don't want it. A jacket from sealer leather I might wear. regards, Hein

Party In Sunny Saint Tropez, Afterwards Kool Exit - members of the jet set. regards, Hein

So, you've not actually seen any videos from that athletically challenged outpost of the beautiful game, then? I did drive past Claggan Park once. Does that count? regards, Hein

The idea that it's possible to think before speaking or writing is obviously foreign to this person. I'm surprised that she/he can write at all. Stupid people don't worry me much normally; stupidity tends to eliminate itself. I do pity their children, though. regards, Hein

How do our highland heroes keep in shape? regards. Hein

I care little for Clegg, his political ideas or business, but his language skills so impress me. During the last election he did an interview for Dutch tv, shot on campaign.The content was unremarkable, but the form wasn't. His mother is Dutch, he explained, in Dutch I can't tell from a native speaker. Reportedly he's also fluent in Spanish. What a waste of talent. regards, Hein

Dammit, I tossed him from my DDP shortlist for lack of news. ETA: Hang on, I didn't! regards, Hein

Yes, you can. regards, Hein

Bulgaria's first democratically-elected president Zhelyu Zhelev died yesterday. regards, Hein