Strange Dutch sculpture creature a big hit in Russia

Margriet van Breevoort who created the sculpture of an odd creature at the Leiden University Medical Center was surprised when her creation won the hearts of Russian Internet users.

The sculpture has been at the Leiden University Medical Center since Spring last year. Breevort called the sculpture "Homunculus Loxodontus" but when the photo of the creature spread to Russia it became known as "Zhdun" or "somebody waiting for something".

Breevoort told Sputnik:"I wanted to give it a scientific name, like a new species. Homunculus means 'little guy' in Latin, or 'artificially created human.' And Loxodontus is the scientific name for African elephant, referring to the snout." Zdhun is featured in the appended video. It is in Russian as are most videos of Dhun. No text is needed though! As you can see Zdhun definitely has a distinctive appearance. It has a big snout but also large kind eyes and is quite fat.

Breevort explained what motivated her:"I had to make something inspired by the LUMC, the medical center in Leiden, and I didn't want to create something about medicine or illness, but rather about the patients themselves. The way they just have to await their fate in the waiting rooms. About hoping for the best. I wanted it to be a kind of lovable companion, something or someone that gives comfort, but also makes you laugh. In this building, there is also a lot of medical and genetic research going on. So the way the sculpture looks is a bit of a joke towards this research. It's like a failed experiment or product of this research that is hoping and waiting to get better. Like a big, cute, partly human and huggable lump of flesh."

So the statue just sat there for about a year attracting no special foreign interest. Just this January a Russian woman who visited the hospital took a photo of the statue. She published the photo on Pikabu which is the Russian version of Reddit. The statue quickly became a sensation and a meme. Pictures of Zhdun went viral on Russian media and he was made a star in news stories and featured in famous paintings as shown on the appended video. Zhdun is even shown at the Yalta Conference along with Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin. There are also photos with Russian President Putin. Members of Tumblr have named Zhdun Snorp. According to this site "snorp" can mean many things. According to another site:On January 31st, 2017, Tumblr user hellyesbro[7] reblogged a picture of Zhdun sitting in a political meeting with the caption “adjusts microphone/ Snorp” (shown below). The post gained over 35,000 notes and led to the character being spread around Tumblr by the name Snorp.

Zhdun's Russian fans soon outnumbered Dutch fans. Breevort said: "I have been told it is so popular in Russia because they recognize themselves… They share the same mentality, always waiting. It was indeed a big surprise! I never saw it coming!" Breevort created a profile on VK.com and an official public community for Zhdun fans. She said that she spends most of her time at her laptop answering messages but says that she may have better prospects in the future as an artist because of Zhdun's success. According to one site: Homunculus has now taken up residence in a children’s hospital in the Netherlands, tasked with brightening up the lives of young patients.

US blocks attempt by UN to investigate Saudi-led bombings' civilian deaths

The Saudi-led bombing of Yemen that began last March has not only created a great deal of property damage and displaced thousands of people — it has also resulted in many civilian casualties.

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Two recent incidents have resulted in a demand from several sources for an independent inquiry. In one incident, Saudi helicopters are reported to have attacked a village in the north of Yemen killing 30 civilians. In another missile attack on a wedding party, the Guardian reports 131 civilians killed.

At the UN, the Netherlands pushed for a UN investigation into the incidents. However, after the Saudis complained, the US and several other western countries instead voted in favour of a Saudi resolution that would empower their own forces to investigate themselves. The White House said it was "deeply concerned," "shocked and saddened" by reports of the civilian casualties and urged the Saudi-led coalition carrying out the bombing to be precise in its targeting. Ned Price, the White House National Security Council spokesperson said: "We take all credible accounts of civilian deaths very seriously and again call on all sides of the conflict in Yemen to do their utmost to avoid harm to civilians and to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law.We call for an investigation into these reported civilian casualties and for the findings to be reported publicly."

Unlike the Netherlands' resolution, the Saudi resolution would have the coalition do the investigating:The Saudi text calls for an investigation, but empowers the Saudi-led coalition to conduct that investigation, only calling on the UN to offer support to them with “technical assistance,” and then only to the extent they request it.The Saudis have already made it perfectly clear that they deny they had anything to do with the wedding carnage. They say they can prove they made no attacks at the time. The Saudi response to the helicopter incident is similar: A Saudi official said the coalition had played no role in any attack in the area."This is totally false news. We deny it," the official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters, adding that no coalition helicopters operated so far from the border.

As the appended video shows, the Saudi-led coalition evidently has used cluster bombs supplied by the United States in some of its missions. There is an international treating banning the use of the weapons but neither the US nor the Saudis have signed it.

Netherlands: Coalition government falls apart after failed austerity talks

The prime minister Mark Rutte along with his cabinet have tendered their resignations to the Queen. The Queen accepted of course!

The populist Freedom Party did not agree to austerity measures proposed by Rutte. The party is on the right and critical of Islam.

Elections were not due until 2015. Even now the earliest that elections can take place is in September. Until then Rutte will have to work with opposition parties as a caretaker government. Any austerity government will have to be negotiated with opposition parties to get majority support.

The Freedom Party leader Wilders walked out of austerity meetings saying:"We don't want our pensioners to suffer for the sake of the dictators in Brussels" The talks were designed to cut 21 billion dollars from the budget. The problems in the Netherlands plus the fact that a socialist led in the French presidential voting helped drive stock markets down yesterday. For more see this article.

Netherlands funds climate change evaluation and adaptation project in Vietnam.

The Netherlands sponsored the project that will consider the present and future impact of climate change in the Vam Co River basin in southern Long An province. The project will cost almost a half million dollars.
The project will also try to assess vulnerability of different locations in the area and also evaluate methods of adaptation in response to floods and/or saltwater damage.
The project will work with local communities to reduce climate risks and develop ways of reacting effectively to possible disasters, especially poor farmers, and fishermen.
If the project is successful it may be used as a model and extended to other areas. The Van Co River has its source in Cambodia and flows 35 kilometres through Long An province. The province has a population of about one million. For more see this article

Only one in four Dutch back Afghan mission

As well as losing supporters for the war in Iraq the same is happening to some degree in the Afghan war. I haven't seen polls lately for US support for Afghanistan but I would not be surprised it was in decline as well. However just as in the Netherlands the government is going ahead giving support in spite of public opinion.

Angus Reid Global Monitor : Polls & Research
Only One-in-Four Dutch Back Afghan Mission
December 08, 2007
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few adults in the Netherlands are satisfied with their government’s rationale to extend the Dutch military mission in Afghanistan until August 2010, according to a poll by TNS Nipo released by RTL. 24 per cent of respondents agree with the decision, while 43 per cent disagree and 31 per cent have no strong feelings either way.

Afghanistan has been the main battleground in the war on terrorism. The conflict began in October 2001, after the Taliban regime refused to hand over Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Al-Qaeda operatives hijacked and crashed four airplanes on Sept. 11, 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.

The Netherlands committed troops to the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. At least 730 soldiers—including 12 Dutch—have died in the conflict, either in support of the United States-led Operation Enduring Freedom or as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On Nov. 23, the Dutch cabinet agreed on the continuation of the Dutch mission in Uruzgan, in southern Afghanistan, for another two years. The number of soldiers will be reduced from 1,650 to 1,200. The cross-party agreement provides for a full withdrawal after the end of the two-year extension.

On Nov. 30, Dutch minister president Jan Peter Balkenende dismissed the possibility of a new extension, saying, "This wasn’t a decision taken overnight. This mission will end on Aug. 1, 2010, whatever happens. The main objectives of the mission are to stabilize the country, support the government, army and police, and train Afghan units so that they can eventually take over."

Polling Data

Do you agree or disagree with the decision to extend the Dutch military mission in Afghanistan until August 2010?

Agree
24%

Disagree
43%

Neutral
31%

Not sure
2%


Source: TNS Nipo / RTL

Dutch cabinet votes to extend Afghan mission until 2010

I wonder if there will be any problem ratifying the decision in the Dutch parliament. The mission is unpopular in the Netherlands but perhaps there is a majority government with good control over party members. I wonder what if any incentive the Dutch government has to continue the mission.

Dutch cabinet votes to extend Afghan mission until 2010
Last Updated: Friday, November 30, 2007 | 7:40 PM ET
CBC News
The Dutch cabinet on Friday voted to keep its troops in a violent part of southern Afghanistan until 2010, a two-year extension of the mission.

The roughly 1,700 soldiers are currently serving in Uruzgan province as a part of the NATO-led mission in the country.

"This wasn't a decision taken overnight,'' Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende told reporters. "This mission will end on Aug. 1, 2010, whatever happens."

The decision must be approved by the Dutch parliament.

The region, along with neighbouring Kandahar province where 2,500 Canadian soldiers are deployed, is the front line in the battle against Taliban fighters.

The Dutch government had been facing public pressure to end the deployment when the mandate expired in 2008. Twelve Dutch soldiers have died in the country.

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The decision "comes in response to a request by the Afghan government, NATO and the United Nations," said a news release from the Dutch government.

"The main objectives of the mission are to stabilize the country, support the government, army and police, and train Afghan units so that they can eventually take over."

NATO spokesman James Appathurai said the organization welcomes the decision, said Reuters.

NATO has been pressuring its members to contribute more troops to the violent south, where U.S., British, Dutch and Canadian troops have taken on some of the heaviest fighting.

Seventy-three Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since the mission started.

Canada's mandate is set to expire in February 2009. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said his government won't extend the mandate without a consensus