I am becoming quite fond of my little corner of Schiphol airport. I have put up my Christmas cards and a few bits of tinsel. I now have a boarding card for the 0800 to Manchester. This is the sixth boarding card I have had. It is very hard to understand why, time after time, they don’t know a flight is cancelled until some time after it was due to leave and all the passengers have queued at the gate for hours.
Of course, Manchester is a lot further from Ramsgate than Schiphol is, so even if the flight atually goes, this represents rather dubious progress.
Happy New Year everybody.
Remarkably, KLM delivered my lost luggage, including my laptop, at 9.30 pm on New Year’s Eve. At that time a pretty lively party was already in full swing,much improved by the presence of a great many beautiful young women, mostly from Latvia. I am not sure why; my life as ever consists of a bewildering succession of chance encounters with really nice people. I am in the fortunate position of being able to say that Nadira was the most lovely of all, without indulging in dutiful hyperbole.
It was an extremely happy Christmas. Having my mum, both my brothers and all my three chidren together was as great as it was rare.
We have been through the laptop in lost luggage discussion before. The problem is that my shoulders dislocate at the drop of a hat, and I travel without hand luggage to avoid an accident.
2011 is going to be a very important year for me. particularly the first quarter. A number of crucial events are going either to set me up financially for the rest of my life, or result in real distress and failure. At present I have reason to be very optimistic. I am also very absorbed in my life of Alexander Burnes, which I hope will help establish a serious academic reputation.
The Portuguese edition of Murder in Samarkand has sold unexpectedly well in Brazil. The translation of the Turkish edition has just been finished.
I hope to do a Wikileaks retrospective in the next couple of days. Just a quick thought on the case of the poor young gardener in Bristol. Of the Jill Dando case, long before Barry Bulsara’s succesful appeal I blogged that this appeared to be a miscarriage of justice in which the police had fitted up the local weirdo.
Despite not being enamoured of landlords in general, I fear the same dynamic is at work in Bristol, albeit Chris Jefferies is much more intellectually capable than Bulsara. My instinct is that the police have picked up on Jefferies for being camper than a boy scout jamboree and archer than Trajan.
Jefferies’ release on bail has me worried that there was nothing against him other than the “He’s a weird one, guv” instinct of some not very bright cop. The case needs to be closely watched as history shows that the powers of the police to make the evidence fit the suspect are considerable.
Larry, do you acknowledge Suhayl Saadi’s compassionate words to you regarding your loss of a friend on 9/11?
What repeated suggestions of violence?
You keep suggesting that people become suicide bombers. You direct this particularly at Suhayl Saadi, one of the few people who has treated you kindly. You really need to work out why.
Hey Clark… but we’re not talking about “someone” here – we’re talking about a miserable lying troll. He’s lost the right to ever be believed, respected or given the slightest consideration.
I’ll agree on your second point, but those of us with reasonable memories might recall Suhayl tried just that at some length and amply proved the point – these teabagging trolls cannot engage personally. That’s mainly because instead of reading through a response chart that can be shared, there would have to be much more complicated interaction between the troll operators to achieve consistency.
They need to be treated with the respect they have earned – none at all. Don’t believe them, don’t talk to them, and don’t get caught up with one. Then again, perhaps you personally will have time for the abusive ravings from some street derelict on the off-chance of ultimately having a reasonable conversation.
Glenn, if asking personal questions gives troll-staffed call-centers logistic problems, surely that’s a result?
Well said Clark. From what I’ve seen of LfStL’s posts, however, he’s the kind of person who simply enjoys poking a stick into wasps’ nests and doesn’t respond to attempts to create a sensible dialogue, but credit for trying. If people all responded like you and didn’t rise to the bait it would help. If he HAS lost a friend as a result of the event popularly known as Dies Saturni V Ides Sep. (MMDCCLIV A.U.C.), that would explain why he takes it so personally when people propose wild conspiracy theories about it. There has obviously been something, an event or combination of circumstances in his life which makes him feel compelled to keep coming back to comment. There’s no reason to suppose he’s paid to do so though. While it, like many so-called conspiracy theories, is a POSSIBILITY, the LIKELIHOOD seems remote. Just check out a few non-political blogs, especially those related to ‘tribal’ sports like football, (both Association and that American game with the same name where they use their hands), and you’ll find exactly the same kind of arguments, personal attacks, insults and hijacking of other people’s tags, at least if they’re not moderated properly. So unless you think that the CIA, Mossad, SIS, (insert bete noir of choice) etc are also determined to bring down sports blogs by the use of vitriolic shills designed to put off the reasonable majority, then there’s no reason to think LfStL, or anyone else, is in their pockets either. After all, when cutbacks are required in all government departments, why would they pay people to do what they’ll happily do for free?
@ Larry the liar,
Larry, I am Roderick Russells son and I have recorded death threats that were sent to my cell phone, they are also recorded by the police and I have several crime reference numbers. This is all on my Dads wiki. I normally wouldn’t respond to an animal like you but it is just too easy with hard fact against your weak and biased one liners, how about an apology or better yet, your details.
well yes, I see what glenn means. if he was in a pub i would’ve hoped the landlord would have shown him the door by now, but politely, not with abuse. think clark offering his email link (‘following him out of the door’) is still a decent thing to do.
this crapology has been going on since before two pm (almost eight hours) because Clark has nothing better to do than talk in circles with a banned troll. Yeah. And I’m a four legged turkey with xray vision.
‘I said at the time, and I repeat now, it’s no use accusing people of being employed disrupters’.
‘Glenn, if asking personal questions gives troll-staffed call-centers logistic problems, surely that’s a result?’
Contradicting yourself now ‘Clark’, watch it. Your underwear is showing.
I do find human nature fascinating. Ultimately, that’s what we’re dealing with. These decisions that are wrecking our world are made by people. We have our little microcosm. This blog was a friendly and stimulating place to visit, but all too often recently it has turned into a nasty fight. Suhayl Saadi is a consistent supporter of peace and reconcilliation, and yet the main aggressor repeatedly accuses him of being a suicide bomber. Why? Even if he’s paid to troll, he has to have an answer to this. But I don’t think he knows the answer himself, I don’t think he’s that self-aware.
Anon at 9:53 PM, I want an end to this. I want it to be nice when I come here, like it used to be. So I’m trying to do something about it. And yes, I’ve had a day off today, and I’ve put a lot of time into this. I won’t have this much time tomorrow. And my two points that you’ve quoted do not contradict each other.
Anonymous – ‘Fuck-off larry/clark… and take your fake conversation with you.’
Who said that?
Clark, and to anyone else who cares to listen, I have this to say. I KNOW Larry is a paid shill and he knows I know this. In fact, he is more than a paid shill. There is a specific reason, which I won’t divulge, as to how I know this. People are free to choose to what extent they take what I say as credible or not.
Jaded, that introduces another argument for which, by your own statement, there is no available evidence. However, Larry’s suggestions and attributions of violence to others is recorded right here on this page. His obsession with 9/11 is recorded throughout multiple threads. So I work with what I’ve got.
“Clark, and to anyone else who cares to listen, I have this to say. I KNOW Larry is a paid shill and he knows I know this. In fact, he is more than a paid shill. There is a specific reason, which I won’t divulge, as to how I know this. People are free to choose to what extent they take what I say as credible or not.”
NOT. I happen to have inside information which I can’t divulge which makes this conclusion inevitable, but you are free to choose whether to believe what I say is credible. I also have firm evidence that Saddam Hussein WAS buying yellow cake uranium and I know where the WMDs are buried….
Anybody, that’s a completely pointless response. No more from anyone else please. People are free to think what they like. Some people might see me as a credible poster since I first started posting here nearly 2 years ago. Others may not. I’ve said what i’ve said and I satnd by it. It’s nonsensical for someone to pooh pooh me on the one hand; or to write a strong affirmation of belief on the other hand. I can’t prove what I know to anyone here so there’s no point airing it. This thread has got silly enough without a ‘believe Jaded or not debate’. :-0
Jaded. Don’t you find just a teensy bit of a problem when MI5 say they have undeniable evidence that so and so is a terrorist but are unwilling or unable to present that evidence, even to a defence counsel, for fear of compromising their sources, (by which they usually mean the extent to which they monitor all electronic communications).
‘I want an end to this. I want it to be nice when I come here, like it used to be.’
Hahahahahahaha! Yes, um, ‘Clark’. Sure you do. That’s why Clark recommended registration. Not dialogue with trolls – one of which is now talking to itself, repeatedly, under various handles. Ciao Larry
I’ve said what i’ve said. If you, or anyone else, thinks i’m a Pinocchio, then that’s cool. There’s no point going on with this.
“” at 10:25 PM, registration would give some stability to identity, defeating your argument.
Jaded. If you can’t prove what you say you shouldn’t bother “airing” that view in the first place, and you can’t stop people pointing it out by pleading with them not to, or claiming it is pointless to respond to an unsubstantiated assertion. What’s more, how long you’ve been posting on this blog is irrelevant and demonstrates the weakness of your position.
Like I said, ‘some may think me a credible poster’. Let’s say what I said is for them. To others, it can be Jaded the forum bullshitter. That’s cool. End of story. I would be baffled if you continued with this. We’ve both made our positions perfectly clear. :-0
Anonymous – ‘Hahahahahahaha! Yes, um, ‘Clark’. Sure you do. That’s why Clark recommended registration. Not dialogue with trolls – one of which is now talking to itself, repeatedly, under various handles. Ciao Larry’
To be frank, that did cross my mind a few months back. I am unsure though. Furthermore, I think that technicolour is using another regular tag. Do you think the same?
My comment was for those whom the Enlightenment did not pass by and whose critical faculties are not swayed by arguments based on “evidence I can’t divulge for good reasons which I also can’t divulge etc”. Use of phrases like “end of story” is on a par with “Simples!”. Carry on preaching to the your believers by all means, but you’ll be as credible as Fox.
Anonymous – ‘Hahahahahahaha! Yes, um, ‘Clark’. Sure you do. That’s why Clark recommended registration. Not dialogue with trolls – one of which is now talking to itself, repeatedly, under various handles. Ciao Larry’
To be frank, that did cross my mind a few months back. I am unsure though. Furthermore, I think that technicolour is using another regular tag. Do you think the same?
jaded: your definition of Zionism, please.
Anybody – ‘My comment was for those whom the Enlightenment did not pass by and whose critical faculties are not swayed by arguments based on “evidence I can’t divulge for good reasons which I also can’t divulge etc”. Use of phrases like “end of story” is on a par with “Simples!”. Carry on preaching to the your believers by all means, but you’ll be as credible as Fox.’
Ok, I hope have you finished now.
Just adding to the debate, Suhayl. Even the Torygraph has a point sometimes. The commentator Thompson sees it from an anti-muslim viewpoint, me from an anti-religion one.
“I think most people who have dealt with me think I am a pretty straight sort of guy.”
heh folks – Steven Jones, one of the leaders of 911 truth, also believes that he can prove that Jesus came to America. That is the Mormon myth, of course, but he believes he can prove it.
Do any of you truthtards believe that Jesus came to America?
Dng, ding, round 8753…..
what’s your point alancampbell? apart from producing some right wing propaganda targeting a specific group of people in tones of some hysteria and without context. Who are the Pew Foundation, why has an American society been researching the demographics of one religious group in Europe who are already demonised by the press here, and what the devil, as I asked you before, has it got to with cuts? If you want to argue against all religions, and post stuff in favour of that, please do so.