October 16, 2019

"Dutch police found a father and six adult children hidden in the basement of a remote farmhouse where they had reportedly spent years 'waiting for the end of time'..."

"Local media said the family were found after one of the sons went to a nearby pub in a confused state, drank five beers and then asked for help, saying he had not been outside for nine years... Some of those freed 'had no idea that other people existed,' the station added.... '[The son who went to the pub] said he'd never been to school and seemed very confused. He spoke in a childish way,' said [the bar owner].... Upon investigation police discovered a hidden staircase behind a cupboard leading to a cellar where a man said to be the family's father and five others, believed to be his children, were hiding.... The family had no contact with the outside world and were completely self-reliant with a vegetable garden and a goat...."

Yahoo News reports.

Top rated comments:
I find the "drank 5 beers" part of this story a bit strange. If he hadn't been outside in 9 years, where did he get the money to pay for the beer? Did he get drunk? 5 beers would put me under the table since I don't drink. I would think the same would be for him, unless the father gave the kids beer while locked up in the basement. Lots of unanswered questions.
And:
They weren't in the basement the whole time. They were farming that land above ground. They tended to the goat above ground. It would be more accurate (but less sensational) to say they pretty much stayed on their property for 9 years.
And (my favorite):
I have been just living my life and driving to work and paying my bills and watching TV and, of course, spending way too much time on Yahoo and......waiting for the end of time. What else you going to do?
Yeah, isn't that an Elvis Constello song?


The man from the television crawled into the train
I wonder who he's going to stick it in this time?
Everyone was looking for a little entertainment
So they'll probably pull his hands off
When they find out his name
And then they shut down the power all along the line
And we got stuck in the tunnel where no lights shine
They got to touching all the girls who were too scared to call out
Nobody was saying anything at all
We were waiting for the end of the world
Waiting for the end of the world
Waiting for the end of the world
Dear Lord, I sincerely hope you're coming
'Cause you really started something...

24 comments:

rosebud said...

Meatloaf---Paradise by the Dashboard Light

john said...

Here we go again with "adult children".

robother said...

Meatloaf was unavailable for comment.

Bob_R said...

Green New Deal. We have a lot to look forward to.

Tom T. said...

Were none of the children school-age, such that their disappearance might be noticed? Was this farm not subject to property taxes, or any other obligations that would attract official attention if ignored?

Ralph L said...

Poor goat!

Praying for the end of time
So I can end my time with you!

Fernandinande said...

Now the outside guy is not the father and the room is not a basement or cellar and the ages and number of the "siblings" changed and the "end of time" bit is probably nonsense.

"Officials have not confirmed reports that the family may have held ‘end of days’ apocalyptic beliefs."

Where's that post about "if the media can't get simple details right why should we trust them on non-simple details?" when you need it?

Clyde said...

Rosebud got it on the first try, although that's actually "Praying For the End of Time." Another possible musical match is U2's "Until the End of the World."

U2 - Until The End Of The World - Official Music Video - HD

I like the line about "In my dream I was drowning my sorrows, but my sorrows, they learned to swim..."

Openidname said...

Hmmm. And now it seems the young man who "escaped" has been posting on social media since June.

https://metro.co.uk/2019/10/16/first-picture-brother-saved-siblings-dad-9-years-locked-away-10928335

Dave Begley said...

I love these stories. Or similar stories where some religion predicts the end of world on a date certain. All the smart people laugh at the idiots. How could they be so stupid? Religious nuts!

But how is that any different than the global warming nuts. They've been predicting the end of the world for 40 years and have been wrong the entire time. How is that they are right this time?

Forty years of failure and being wrong should have some consequences.

But some of the people running the CAGW scam have wised up. They don't give you a date certain. But we must act now! Your children will pay the price. You, of course, will be dead in 50-100 years but they want your money now. It is a total and complete scam.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Strange how Elvis Costello has become so relevant in today's news cycle. His early stuff as well! IMHO the Attractions were one of the great bands of their time. Also, MC5 is finally gettin a shot at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

Calypso Facto said...

They believed Al Gore!

n.n said...

Well, at least it's not a planned child cult. That said, the current consensus is that catastrophic anthropogenic global warming is real and progressive. The end of the world is nigh in ten, twenty, thirty, perhaps one hundred years. Don't lose hope, change is afoot.

Carter Wood said...

The lyrics of Waiting for the End of the World now apply to the D.C. Metro as well.

And then they shut down the power all along the line
And we got stuck in the tunnel where no lights shine
They got to touching all the girls who were too scared to call out
Nobody was saying anything at all


tds said...

And we got stuck in the tunnel where no lights shine

They got to touching all the girls who were too scared to call out


*We* got stuck, but of course some unidentified *they* started touching the girls. Yeah, right. Elvis, you're a perv. Not that I'd behave differently.

Josephbleau said...

Reminds me of the “Restaurant at the End of the Universe” In the Hitchhikers Guide books. Perfect.

Nichevo said...

tds said...
And we got stuck in the tunnel where no lights shine

They got to touching all the girls who were too scared to call out

*We* got stuck, but of course some unidentified *they* started touching the girls. Yeah, right. Elvis, you're a perv. Not that I'd behave differently.

10/16/19, 2:36 PM




Miss Smithers: Take your hand off my knee!

Not you, you.

--Stories From The Blitz

Tomcc said...

Unless these adults were being held against their will, I don't see the problem. A "cult-like" situation? Probably, but people enter into cults of their own free will. I can't imagine being told (for example)"Don't ever leave the yard!" and complying with that demand. Natural curiosity would compel me otherwise.

Howard said...

Taking the role of a Dutch Uncle to a whole new level

Maillard Reactionary said...

I can't even imagine how much I'd want a beer if I'd spent 9 years in a basement. Although I might have checked the refrigerator first, to save myself a trip.

At least he had his priorities right.

But after all that time, he should get some slack if he hadn't bought a round for those already there, who listed to his story.

bagoh20 said...

Aren't we all waiting for the end of time? I don't put any extra effort into that, and you don't have to do it in insolation. You have a beer with friends and still not miss it.

Michael The Magnificent said...

How long have leftists been crowing about the impending end of the world? A lot longer than 9 years!

Population Bomb? Silent Spring? Impending Ice age? Hell, they've been predicting the world would end from global warming since the 80s!

Darrell said...

At least he didn't believe that we have to start eating babies now like AOC's constituents do.

RobinGoodfellow said...


Blogger Fernandistein said...
Now the outside guy is not the father and the room is not a basement or cellar and the ages and number of the "siblings" changed and the "end of time" bit is probably nonsense.


Other than that the story was accurate.