Magere Hein

Told ya she was lying about her cancer. Thought it would win her the Grammy, make people notice them and their music. It didn't work. Now she's going to be magically cured! Serves us right, for being so naive.

SC means The Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Thread. That's about people whose name starts with a z. If they're asleep, that's a coincidence.

Anybody got a duck?

Hey, the moon landings didn't happen, did they?

We get a go at that one soon.

This parakeet is no more.

So you managed to log in using the new pw provided by the forum, but you can't change it to something else. I have no idea why that is, but often it's a matter of typing (or copy and pasting) the required bits carefully. My advice is: log out, log in again and if that succeeds, try to change your pw again. If that fails, PM me, I can help. How exactly? You shouldn't be able to interfere with passwords? We're Admins. We can interfere with anything here. On all forum software I've ever come across you are only able to use email resets to change passwords, and admins certainly would never be able to know passwords of users or change them out of that system. The security's for this are obvious and I really hope they are in place on this forum. I cannot read passwords, they're not stored in the database. I can set passwords. That should suffice in this case.

Today in 1677 Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza died, aged 44, possibly from silicosis. In 1656 he was kicked out of the Sephardic Jewish congregation of Amsterdam for herecy. His ideas about an abstract God still are considered heretical by many monotheistic theologies. They're much alive today in debates among non-believers and non-orthodox Christians. I've read little of his work, just as I have read little philosophy, nor theology; not my hobbies.

Isn't that the same as saying: we're equal opportunity ghouls? Nah, better not. It might lead to awkward questions.

But he doesn't have any ears. Won't listen, then.

So you managed to log in using the new pw provided by the forum, but you can't change it to something else. I have no idea why that is, but often it's a matter of typing (or copy and pasting) the required bits carefully. My advice is: log out, log in again and if that succeeds, try to change your pw again. If that fails, PM me, I can help.

FTFY

You mean that the tumour is an improvement?

Still far from the dizzying heights some of us have reached. I see this post is #6004 for me. 3000 in 14 months shows dedication, certainly. Or twunthood. Or both.

Today in 1966 American admiral Chester W. Nimitz died, aged 80, from pneumonia after a stroke. During WWII he commanded the US Pacific Fleet that effectively sunk the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Shit, shit, shit. I read several of Eco's books in translation. Not all of them are good reads, but all of them interesting in a QI sort of way. Here´s a pirate copy of his book How to travel with a salmon & other essays.

Will he ever give up?

I hate it when one of those on/off picks cark it in an off year.

And how many does he have where he is not suing someone over something?

They certainly are. Wikipedia's article on Belgian cuisine doesn't mention pork much, but how 'bout pig's tongue?

Today in 1887 Dutch author Multatuli died, aged 66, from asthma. He was a prolific writer, but much of his work is unreadable. His novel Max Havelaar (1860) is brilliant though, possibly the only 19th century book of fiction in Dutch that made an impression overseas. The picture above hangs in Rotterdam's Van Oldenbarneveltstraat. The text is a cite from Multatuli (Idee 155) that translates to: "seen from the Moon we're all equally tall."

Today in 1967 American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer died, aged 62, from throat cancer. His work as wartime head of the Los Alamos Laboratory led to the development of the atom bomb. After they tested the first one at the Trinity test site (it worked), he later claimed to have been reminded of a line from the Bhagavad Gita: "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Anyway, he was a bit of a romantic in his time off.

Particularly the Red-handed tamarin:

No, those are the wrong trousers. These were merely unauthorised ones. It wouldn't have quite the same ring to it. Wallace and Gromit in The Unauthorised Trousers It's just not the same. I agree, but as soon as mysterious deaths occur and trousers are involved: keep an eye on penguins.

Trousers like these? (see also this)