Verbal

I know that's how it looks from the outside. The truth is the nukes are firmly in the grasp of the Pakistani military - by far, the most powerful institution in Pakistan. There is no civilian governmental influence over their deployment or maintenance. And the military is certainly corrupt. However, the scandal over IQ Khan, the former head of the nuclear programme, has had a big impact on those in the military who might have once thought about profiteering from Pakistan's nuclear technology. As things stand, and somewhat unknown to the outside world, the nukes are 'co-secured' by the Americans.

Not necessarily. It's often forgotten that Pakistan is firmly within China's sphere of influence, and in the last couple of years, that relationship has strengthened as the relationship with the Americans has crumbled. Hence Pakistani nuclear technology turning up in N Korea, for example. It would damage relations with China - now a vital ally and financial supporter - if the country started loaning out nuclear bombs here and there. Of course, whether the current civilian government or a military alternative are able to retain power against the Saudi-inspired and funded fanatics is another thing...

Certainly: drugs, booze, but also electronics.

Not all of Hezbollah's funding comes from Iran. A good chunk of it comes from their base in the 'tri-border' area along a fringe of Paraquay, Argentina and Brazil, where they control smuggling operations. Odd, but true.

Link?

While 9/11, paradoxically, has precious little to do with the West, you're right in that the recent history of Iran is the history of US interference (1953 and the CIA's deposing of Mossadeq), and the reactions to it (1979 - a revolution that actually began as a left-led liberation campaign and degenerated into the clerics' orgy of power that followed.) The strongest evidence of Iran's international aggression, away from its own borders, is in Lebanon, where it is the chief sponsor and effective controller of Hezbollah. There are no outrages that I can think of that compare to, say, Lockerbie - and actually the Americans are guilty of committing their own Lockerbie with the shooting down of an Iranian passenger plane in 1998. (The US, like the Libyans, eventually paid compensation of $60m+ to the families of the victims.) The worst anti-Western actions that I can recall are the Hezbollah kidnappings in Lebanon and the hostage-taking of American Embassy staff after the 1979 revolution.

Iran isn't misunderstood by anyone except you - you're the first I've ever heard come to that absurd conclusion. I'm not sure anyone has claimed that there are no other threats emanating from Iran. Who exactly do you have in mind when you claim that someone is arguing that Iran is 'no threat to anyone else at all'?

As others have pointed out, you couldn't be more wrong. Iranians are Shia. The attacks on the West are, without exception, carried out by Sunnis - the ones who, on the whole spent the last ten years bombing, killing and maiming Shias in Iraq. The attacks on the West have been orchestrated predominantly by Saudis and Egyptians - all from extremist Sunni sects. None were Shia.

Share price suggests the company is worth a shade less than £400,000.

Clearly not.

Oh that makes it SO much better. As I say, the imaginings of a sick mind.

Was that one way or return?

Not really. I like Hendrix partly because I got heavily into his music after seeing what turned out to be virtually his last concert, at Freshwater in 1970. For some while, I owned an extremely rare guitar with an iconic Hendrix connection which I sold to John Mayer. I now regret doing that...

They sound good. Quite edgy, contemporary and musically rich.

Hard to say. If pushed, possibly Hendrix, who always played in bands and read a lot.

He works in banking. So no.

So not only should you go and buy some books, you should buy some records.

Really? I had you down as a kind of Leon Russell with lousy politics.

Yes. And it's a century-old argument: George Bernard Shaw was arguing for just this, and he applied simplified spellings and grammar in his writing.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought Hughes got Fulham into Europe by fair play not league position. And surely Fulham have prior claim over Chelsea - I know QPR are in the same borough as Fulham but you're miles away. Oh, and Tevez? Really?

So Hughes gets the QPR gig. The rivalry with Fulham will now have a bit more edge. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/jan/10/mark-hughes-appointed-qpr-manager

They're electric. Seems a whizzo idea to me, tearing up the Tory shires to plonk down some speeded up 19th century technology The flaw in the thinking, though, is that bringing Birmingham and the North closer to London will benefit Birmingham and the North, whereas all it'll really do is bring the rest of Britain closer to the centre of the universe. Heads, London wins, Tails the provinces lose.

No, not the Lounge! We superstars are getting a tad fed up with Alpine since he's decided to trespass over there.

You clearly haven't seen J Edgar.

The sign of true love.