A eulogy for Star Trek

Lileks does it best.

22:56

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Americans, here's your chance to make a convert

Meet Martijn. He's a communist (sort of), but nevertheless a good friend of mine. He used to be quite the anti-American, but I think I managed to talk a little bit of sense into him. Not much, just enough to open him up to the possibility that not all Americans are evil monsters who drink the blood of babies during a full moon. (Everybody knows sensible Americans wait for a waning moon.)

So now it's up to you.

At this very moment, Martijn is touching down at Dulles International Airport. He flew there with United Airlines, and will continue onwards on flight 947 to Los Angeles at 17.30 EST. (I only do 24 hour time notations. Never could figure out the difference between AM and BM.)

Please be kind to him and show him the same hospitality I have always received when I was in your country (except whilst flying with Continental Airlines, which I feel can go **** themselves).

Incidentally, Martijn will not stay very long in the USA. He's catching a late flight from LAX at 22.55 PST to Guatemala City, where he will be both studying Spanish and teaching children English, presumably so they can shout anti-globalist slurs during the next IMF meeting.

But on his return flight on June 22, he has nearly a full day to spend in Washington, DC, as he arrives at 5.55 EST and only flies out again at 17.15 EST for Amsterdam. He'll be totally knackered after the long haul from Guatemala via LAX, of course, which makes the following question all the more relevant.

Anybody want to make him feel welcome while he's there?

(Dutch readers may be interested in his adventures, which will be posted on this travel blog.)

22:07

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I was going to write a rant about the Dutch secret service

But I won't.

The AIVD intelligence agency knew about the upcoming attack on Theo van Gogh, but thought the guy who was incriminating Mohammed Bouyeri was only trying to settle a score with good ol' B. As if those two need to be mutually exclusive.

I don't think it's unforgivable to screw up. But I do think it's intolerable if you don't own up.

Nevertheless. No one is going to resign, no one is going to offer apologies, so I am not going to get myself all wound up.

I just hope those who could have prevented this murder and the resulting civil unrest will never have a moment's rest until they admit to their guilt.

When they seek redemption, we'll talk. Until then, they're not worth even the shallowest of my breaths. Or any other decent human being's, for that matter.

22:07

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