FoTW As is the local custom, Thomas C Greene is in hot water again with some readers displeased with his recent analysis of the threat posed by terrorists knocking up liquid explosives in aircraft toilets.

This provoked one particularly fine response from "phil pappa" which pretty well accuses Mr Greene of being a card-carrying member of al-Qaeda. It's interesting because our Phil has gone to quite a lot of trouble to add weight to his argument by the cunning use of text formatting. We reproduce it here in all its glory:

This message is regarding a recent article on your web site entitled: Mass murder in the skies: was the plot feasible?

I just wanted to thank you for opening my eyes to this situation
and exposing the flaws in terrorist plots.
I find it absolutely wonderful you can find an article on a high-speed global user interface
informing terrorists on how to blow up planes properly.
I'm sure the terrorists will take your expert, highly researched intelligence
and bring crystalline powders and dimethylmercury on planes instead.
The American public certainly will be happy you gave them such useful, pertinent information
when they are blown up by those fellows you won't hear about until it's too late: www.theregister.co.uk

You guys are worse than Geraldo Rivera and his mustache!!!
If your really concerned about people under threat of terrorist attacks try informing airline officials or homeland security on a need to know basis.  Instead you mass propagated potentially dangerous information to anyone with Internet access just so you can flaunt your conspiracy theory and belittle ineffective airline policy.

"For some real terror, picture twenty guys who understand op-sec, who are patient, realistic, clever, and willing to die, and who know what can be accomplished with a modest stash of dimethylmercury."

YOU PEOPLE ARE THE SOULLESS TOOLS OF THE MEDIA WHO THRIVE ON THE PAIN AND MISERY OF OTHERS. IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE IT WAS YOUR INTENTION TO INCITE TERRORISM SO YOU COULD REPORT IT & SAY "I TOLD YA SO."

DO BABIES CRY & DOGS BARK WHEN YOU WALK BY THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN SENSE YOU EVIL MALEVOLENT PRESENCE OR DO YOU EAT THEIR SOULS BEFORE THEY CAN?
--

lick my balls

Oh dear, oh dear. Phil, me old china, we reckon the only person who's been near "crystalline powders" is you - presumably of the Bolivian marching variety. ®

Bootnote

For the record, a single Reg hack consumes around 40 pints of lager and 30 dogs' and children's souls during the average working week.