Sunday, October 31, 2004

big black flies

When I spoke the neurologist the other day I told the reason of my visit was the strange feelings in my head. Like a black fly caged against the window making a lot of noise with it's wings. It must be a big black fly warning for another attack? I don't know, the medical literature writes about smell sensations, not about big black flies.

Maybe I should laugh more because laughing means relaxing and that's what one's scarfed mind needs.

Saturday, October 30, 2004

weekend

I don't go to the North. Yesterday I cancelled it. I am too tired.
So much to do and so many things on my mind.

well the weekend will be an easy one. A little bit cycling on my own. The temp. is good and the sun shines. It's autumn.

But now to the groceries.

Friday, October 29, 2004

Neurologist

This afternoon I went to the neurologist. The hospital were he works is only a few blocks from my work. Actually it is as close to my home.
When I was there I waited 10 minutes or so when the co-assistant asked to follow her. She told that because I was a new patient for the doctor-neurologist she had to examine me. Well, all she did was okay. The only remark I can make is that it took her much time to write her conclusions down. Oh yes, she was a keen, beautiful girl.

After 2 hours I visited the neurologist. With the symptoms I had lately and the fact that my medications haven't been adjusted ever he thought that a EEG-scan should be a proper continuation.(December 7). The result of the scan (higher brain activity) may result in a higher doses depakine. Right now the doses is low (1000 mg/day).
After the scan we got to test the level that should do (December 16). This will take at least 14 days.

I learned also one thing about epilepsy; 10% of the people with epilepsy may have a status epilepticus. An epileptic attack that repeats itself. It's harmful for ones brains. I don't know why he told that. It only makes a desicion more difficult because there is a huge threat.
After asking questions it appears to be not harmful to change the doses. And a status epilepticus could happen to anyone as anything could happen. Certainly in these days when nothing seems to be certain.

When I came back at the office it was almost 15.30; after talking what happened at the hospital, doing a little work and clean my desk I went home at almost 16:45. I get so tired of these days. It's time for weekend.
I'll be in the North part of the country. Gonna see my mum and her lover on occasion of his birthday.

Enjoy your weekend.


Thursday, October 28, 2004

autumn

I'm tired of this day. I worked like a dog but time passed by slowly. Maybe that's good, so one can spend more time on one's job. But is annoying when the board have decided to implement a new version of the programm I use which cannot perform on my screen. The resolution can be adjusted but the size is real small then. Get a headache out of it.

This afternoon we were informed that the board already knew it when they were working on the new version. As there is a substitution of computer workstations and screens in March-June 2005 earlier replacements weren't necessary. We could work with unappropriate computers. We were a little pissed about that, but happy that 19 inch flatscreens will be put on our desks.

More happened at my work but later about that.
Got to make my daily trip to the groceries. Don't know what to eat.
It got to be fresh, full of vitamins. Maybe let's eat a real Dutch winter meal wich consists of potatoes, unions, cabbage and a German sausage.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Dallas

In 1978 the legendary TV-series Dallas started. J.R., miss Elly, Bobby, Jock, Sue Ellen, Pamela Barnes Ewing, Cliff Barnes are some of the characters.
Next month a DVD with the first episodes will be released.
On my work we had at lunch a sort of trivia. It's amazing how many trivial question one can get out of such a series. Also how people still know after 20 years what went on in Dallas. And now people work on Dallas-the movie. Arghhh, don't do that, you ruin -nostalgia-

Today I worked, had a break, worked, had a coffee break, worked, looked out of the window and noticed it was time to go.

In the late afternoon I cycled for an hour. It was about 12 degrees C, the wind was east, a dry cold wind, and it was largely cloudy.

stats:
31.52 k
31.44 k/hr
1.00.12 hr
42 k/hr (max)
456 k (total new bike)

27,060 k (total)

After cycling and going to the groceries I made dinner, delicious again (Argentinian beef with pasta and a salad of cumcumber, tomatoes and iceberg-lettuce. As a dessert I had a tee with chocolate.)

Tuesday, October 26, 2004

To spend the rest of your life in prison

A weird story to be framed. She looks to be a freaky woman in an unknown horror movie.

It could be worse though. Almost a year ago 2 bodies were discovered in a stall of a childrens farm in Baarn, a small place near Utrecht. The police investigated the case and found the manager of the farm as the main suspect of a murdercase. But the police couldn't tell who the victims were. Nobody was missing. With the suspect the police found out that he lived in the house of people who were gone to a monastery in Belgium according to locals and the man in question. They were not seen for 4 years.

The suspect said that he was asked to take care of the house as long as they were gone. Police didn't have any evidence that the statement wasn't true. Examination learned that the bodies were indeed of the man and woman who owned the house. They were murdered. Further investigation learned that there were no traces of direct evidence.

But in the seventies the suspect was put in jail because of the disappearance of a woman. He also lived in the house of the missing person. After a while he was set free because there was no evidence.

This time the court of Justice found him guilty of murder. Now he spends the rest of his life in prison.

Monday, October 25, 2004

Broadcast, disagreement, integrity

There are several subjects to discuss.
  • The latest broadcasting of VPRO's - tegenlicht- which nobody of my American readers watched. But it is all about you Americans, about the way Fox News is cheating, collaborating, indoctrinating and not bringing news in a free objective way. Americans should know better....;
  • Also I can discuss the way my colleague and I have had a disagreement this afternoon about the way I put away some work I had to do when I got back from a meeting;
  • Finally I can discuss the integrity meeting which had to do a lot about nothing. We discussed the way how we should look at integrity at work an off work. At the end 60 percednt signed a integrity agreement. Hurrah, I belong to a minority.

I'm not exhausted of this working day but it should not last any longer. Now I'm going to cook my dinner (meatballs, salad, potatos and desert after). I have to do my laundry (wasmachine and clear away finished laundry)

I wonder how many people visit the site this time. It should be nice to leave a message behind.

Hé fogs, there is a lot of snow on mount St. Helens


Sunday, October 24, 2004

Some people say

  • that I'm a quite good rider;
  • that I'll soon gonna quit this blog;
  • that Bush is doing a good job for Europe;
  • that I should visit Denmark, France and Belgium more often;
  • that Fox news doesn't bring the news but their own right wing opinion.

I say Fox news should shut up. (Luckily I don't pay for that fair and balanced news)

Fair and balanced news, that's an understatement.!!!

Hunterbyrd is probably watching Fox news. What does he think of sex before marriage, gay's, rifles, Kyoto treaty?

No price and no prize

At 11 am all riders of cycleteam Ledig Erf joined at the café. From there we cycled to the track were the time trial should take place. First we rode the track all together. Only 4 turns and 2 crossings.
When the startlist was made up we could start.
I was 15 th in line and after 15 minutes it was my turn to go.
I missed the third turn and when I noticed it was about 800 meters later. So I cycled at least 1500 meters too much. When I told it the referee said it was possible to cycle again. No way, I told him. But when the last riders of the doubles (2 riders in a team) were started 40 minutes later I could have another chance. I took that chance and instead the 21.38 I did the track (10.1 kilometer) in 18.21.
This means an average of 33.02 kilometer an hour. That's satisfactory.
I thanked for the honour of the nomination for the prize for most bad luck.

After the statistics of today I can only guess;
65 k
26 k/hr
2.5 hours
47 k/hr
425

buenos diaz,
Jan

Saturday, October 23, 2004

Mr. Bush 4 more years? Referendum, Dutch Disease

Mr. Bush stay in office for another 4 years for the sake of Europe. You unite Europe to decide on global issues.
The strength of the Euro, the weakness of the dollar, the results on international political stage, Europe got to thank you mr G. W. Bush. Go to -the globalist- and read the full story by Richard Phillips. In his own way he's quite right.

On the site of the political party PvdA I wrote some comments on the party referendum and the cuts on social spending. Sorry it's all in Dutch (need a translation program?)


"Politieke raadpleging een farce

geplaatst door 15-10-2004
Gedacht dat PvdA leden politiek bewust zijn. Valt dat tegen! 19000 mensen slechts, 30 % heeft de moeite genomen om in 2 minuten telefonisch te stemmen voor de 1e ledenraadpleging, valt dat tegen!

Wat ook tegen valt is het percentage van 15 om
de uitslag als uitspraak van de leden te zien. Ik had gedacht dat de PvdA zijn doelen wel hoger mag stellen. Zo win je geen verkiezingen. Met zo'n doel bereik je te weinig. Misschien was dat lage percentage om je politiek in te dekken
tegen een falende raadpleging? Ik denk het. "


"Dutch Disease

geplaatst op 23-10-2004
Toen in de jaren 70 de Slochteren aardgasbel
volop werd geëxploiteerd waanden wij ons de Arabieren van het Westen, onze sociale voorzieningen werden uitgebreid en werden steeds rianter. Dit kon niet goed gaan en nu bereiken wij een omslagpunt, de hoge kosten van de sociale voorzieningen kunnen we niet handhaven. Dit is de Dutch Disease.

Er moet bezuinigd worden en dat doet pijn. De gasprijs is gekoppeld aan de olieprijs.
Dat is leuk als je, zoals we doen, veel exporteert, maar ontkoppel als het de binnenlandse vraag betreft. De extra bate uit de hoge prijs kan m.i. wel gebruikt worden om een gedeeltelijke gasprijstijging in de gezinsconsumptie op te vangen,
energie is duur dat moeten we accepteren.Als Nederland moeten we beseffen dat we duur zijn. Ons sociaal beleid is daar mede de oorzaak van.

Want hoezo is de belasting hoog, onze sociale premies zijn pas hoog! Dutch Disease: we need a doctor! "

Jan

De Grote Markt

In the city where I studied is a webcam overseeing the square just before the Martini Churchtower (>100 meter) in the city of Groningen, the Netherlands. If you watch it you see the different architectural styles. The uppereast side and left northside were completely destroyed in april 1945 when Canadians freed Groningen and Germans heavily restisted.
The southside is the only side (right on the frames) what left of the beautiful Grote Markt (main square).

It's raining and cold outside. Wonder how many people will do the time trial tomorrow if the same weather continuous.

And now I'll have a cup of coffee.

Friday, October 22, 2004

Party


A picture of the after work party on October 7, but most of my colleages didn't want to go public. (from left to the right partly visible Els, Jan, Martijn, Gert Jan, Hanneke, Bas, partly Marco and Michael)

the dude was there too

Thursday, October 21, 2004

just cycling

As there is a time trial next Sunday I cycle short distances. Not real fast but actually to get feeling with my new bike.

October 19
12.33 k
28.22 k/hr
26.16 hr (minutes and seconds)
43 k/hr (max. speed)
344 k (total distance new bike)
3,238 k (total distance 2004)
26,948 k (total distance since July 1998)

October 21
16.29 k
30.86 k/hr
31.42 hr
45 k/hr
360 k
3,254 k
26,964 k

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

ING New York City Marathon

ING New York City Marathon

Okay here is the link to the NY marathon. I heard from people who ran this race that it's an overwhelming experience. I think that every marathon where ever one runs it is an experience in it's own way. No marathon can be compared with another.
I ran the Rotterdam Marathon (1995) and did an enormous amount of half marathons. None can be compared.

But okay, New York is also James Fix's marathon and he is the founding father of my running carreer. So NY will mean something.

working day

A dull but wonderful day this time. Yes, in my opinion it can match together.
It was a busy day starting at 8.20. I worked with almost no break till 4 pm and after that I had a meeting of 2 hours with my accountmanager. It was about my investment policy. There will be a reallocation of assets.
That's not a normal everyday action. It will take some time to do so.

I'm tired right now. I wrote this in different words just before but is was lost in transport. But when I viewed my blog it was all there allready.

Time trial

Next Sunday, October 24 the cyclists of Ledig Erf do have a time trial as closure of the season. I 'd like to be there, so I be there. But I won't be at the afterparty. Don't like that to much and the 25th I have to be fresh. Then we have at work a presentation about integrity at work. Maybe it's very conservative to think that integrity has to come from within. It has to do with your own attitude, maybe even your upbringing, the way you behave yourself.

A week later I'll visit my mother and her friend on occasion of his birthday next Sunday. Yesterday when I called my mother I heard that my brother has a burn out.
He is completely not interested in his work at ING. He had a wonderful job at ING (Sponsor of the ING New York Marathon) but now he has to do to much. He just can't stand the pressure.
6 Months before he spoke about a job with ING Australia. Yeah that should be something. My brother is into surfing, you have to know. Well it's a Mecca there (except the sharks).

Today I had a dull day. Had to make a list of post which we are wrongly accounted for. Also made some others lists. My -to do- list is a little shorter. Tomorrow I gonna pay some accounts.
What a job.

This afternoon till the evening I had a meeting with my accountmanager.
I make a change in my investments. So we discussed what funds they are gonna be.
I'll withdraw some money out of individual stocks into investmentfunds, like high fidelity or/and other funds.
My basis is wide area of securities. On top of this pyramid there gonna be some stock with a secure cashflow.

Tonight is footballnight. Rosenborg AK-PSV Eindhoven 1-1 (1st half)
Trivianight is somewhere else: look for: http://www.sarahackerman.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, October 19, 2004

action and reaction

- Americans are spoiled?

Yes certainly, Spoiled in my point of view, materialistically spoiled. How much do you care about the well being of the world? Kyoto? Never heard of? There is a huge gap between Europe and the USA. You can call it an ocean. But that's to easy. It's the attitude to life. In Europe we're living more on a basis of personal growth. Not material growth. We aren't lived bij economic figures.

- Who is it that gets 4-6 weeks of state-mandated paid vacation per year, not to mention, in some European countries, a 35 hour work week? Wouldn't they actually be more accurately referred to as "spoiled?"

4-6 weeks vacation, oh yes I know what you mean. I get 24 days. But my salary is much lower than in a compared profession in the USA. We pay an enormous part of our wages to social benefits.Something that differs from the USA.

- Europeans have hated us for many decades and its not hard to find lots of examples.

You have to learn the difference between hate and dislike. Why do you name none of those examples?

- Their only hope is to follow the lead of the "new" european countries like Poland (who, by the way, likes us because they know we saved them from the Soviets) and embrace capitalism enthusiastically.

I beg you pardon, East Germany had elections some weeks ago, do you know the results? Who is it you think who tries to get the people of former Eastern Europe involved in the EU. Don't you think capitalism has also bad results? Here capitalism isn't holy.

- The Euros and their economy are, to put it bluntly, screwed.They have cheerfully handed out more and more generous social program benefits over the past 50 years, largely due to the fact that American taxpayers were providing their military defense needs free of charge, permitting their governments to afford those handouts,

I know that you wanted to keep the Russians out. But you should better fight in the pacific if there should be any war. Okay the Marshall help after the 2nd World War was needed very much. The economy was down and needed an impuls. My grandparants were thankfull but the next generations don't owe you thank you's. No way! In staed of that you should come to Europe and experience the European and/or Dutch way of living. So completely different.

- and the citizenry is now going collectively nuts over the prospect that these benefits (that's "entitlements" for you folks reading this stateside) MUST be cut back in order to confront undeniable economic realities such as those discussed in this article.

To keep our economy sound we surely have to cut our public spending, that's true, but you are not aware of the Dutch situation. That has nothing to do with the fact America paid for defense. Did you ever hear of the Dutch Disease.It seems that the social epenses explode when one nation hits a natural gas reserve. That expansion has to be cut.Also the debt of the whole EU is nothing compared with US debt. Mainly you live on deficits, for a conservative that should be a crime because even your great grand-children will feel the pain of paying back that deficit. How do you deal with that problem?

- Schroder is about to pay the political price for facing this very reality. A lot of European politicians are about the pay a similar price in the next few years.

You know what happenend in 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell? The East German people were enthusiastic about the Wiedervereinigung. They had certain expectations.After 15 years Kohl and Gerhard Schröder can't make that expectations come true. Instead there are a deficits on certain areas. Unemployment makes it worse for people in east Germany. that is the political price G.S. pays.

# posted by Jan : 3:16 PM

Monday, October 18, 2004

China in my head


Like China? They all wanna learn how to parachute. They also wanna have 1 or more cars, 2 or more babies (1 child policy isn't right I agree)
the dude was here too

To counter Sarah



An answer on Sarah's posting; I like the Loc's . This is one at the Lulea Locomotive museum

Today I certainly had a day after feeling. I couldn't concentrated on the dull subject of checking posts. The adjusted system didn't fit in the screen so I adjusted the screenresolution. Everything fitted but was miniaturized. Got almost a headache and I did get dizzy and sleepy. Got to go to bed early to repair that damage.

The day after yesterdays exertion.
I was in very good shape during the 88 kilometers we cycled. Half way I was first at the cafe where we usually stop to have a drink. There we also waited for people who can't do the hilly stretch. When there where enough of us we parked our bikes and entered the cafe. Not knowing what the other who waited outside were going to do. They waited outside and took their bikes for the final stretch home. After a couple of minutes when we got out they were gone. They were far away. As I already said we decided to go after them. Finally before Utrecht, at Werkhoven, we catched up with the first group.

But there is always something to do. Wednesday I'll speak again with some people of my bank about my investment stratergy. Haha, Bush would say stratergy, not me. This is a organized typing error. I don't know if Bush organizes his errors.

the dude was here too

Sunday, October 17, 2004

Child's Labour

A quote from Studentconcepts

Poor Kids at Restuarants
"I was at a leading restaurant in the city. It has been around for ages and its know for its authentic south indian food combined with the fact that you get your food super quick. They also serve the incredibly strong "filter coffee". I remember taking a malayasian friend of mine, Amir to that restaurant some 4 years back when he dropped into see me. And he said" Wow! Thats the best coffee i have ever had!!"This is also the place a lot of people frequent because the price is also low. Extremely affordable. It makes more money than any other restaurants in the city.

But over the years i have been extremely uncomfortable in eating in such joints. Why? Because i cant bear to see the way the kids work there. These kids must be ranging from 9 to 12 from extremely poor families. In some cases, they must have been sold to an agent or something. They work from early mornings to late nights.

I asked one of the kids and he said "I get 4 hrs of sleep every night". WHAT?? And they make these kids work like donkeys. Even those animals are better off. These kids are hit violently for just dropping a spoon. When they should be playing and studying, these poor kids have to wait tables and clean dirty dishes 7 days a week for the rest of their young lives.

How much do they get paid?
He told me that he gets paid Rs.300/month... !

Its not just one restaurant. But there are many around. Infact it happens at almost all hotels, restaurants, railway stations,bus stops etc.

Would it not be great if one day they were allowed to be free? To play, to paint and draw, watch TV, read, go to the zoo, study ...things they should actually be doing. You wont believe this but we had a handful of StudentConcepts members who came forward and said that they would volunteer to work in these hotels/restaurants so that the child could go and have fun for that one day !!!"



Child's labour is a sign of these days meaning how poor a country is.
But mind the fact that rich countries of today where child's labour today no longer exist and products with even the slightest link to child's labour are banned were a century ago in the same position. In the big cities there were begging children who didn't attend schools, even today homeless children are back. They got no education and end up in for example prostitution. That's happening in Europe, in America too. What to think of children in Russia? Moskou has children living in sewers with rats and mice and steal for living. Or the main cities in South America? All the same poverty among the streetchildren.

No, you shouln't eat cheaply in that hotel or drink a cheap cup of coffee. Get an expensive cup in a hotel or other establishment where children are not misused.
Helping the child one day is not a structural help. And that's what it needs.
Helping one day means that you dump the child. Probably it never hears from you again. Blame you!
For such a child working isn't bad, but it has to be changed; work in the morning, and school in the afternoon and learn to write and read.
Why also working? The parents need the money of the child.

This afternoon I'm cycling again with the team. I wonder how many members there'll be. It's cold outside, no sun and the wind blows. That makes it bad weather.
I'll take it easy.

update: I didn't. I really tried to get the group moving. Together with 5 other riders we made speed in the hilly area. After the last climb near Amerongen (Near the Rhine). I waited for the others at the cafe. When they arrived some others and I already had a drink in the cafe. The newly arrivers decided to go on. We sat there and discussed what to do. Okay I said we try to catch then in the last 30 kilometers. Unanimously we did that. The strong did make it difficult but on the way to the group the could make speed on some stretces with the wind in our back. In Werkhoven,the last village before Utrecht, we catched our prey. We felt good, again.

stats:
88.80 k
30.21 k/hr
2.56.22 hour
52 k/hr
331 k (on the new bike)
3226 k (total in 2004)

Saturday, October 16, 2004

Some writing

Flu shot

Yep, here too. But why get a shot if you're healthy?
# posted by Jan : 1:27 PM

Flu and elections... is there a causal connection with the results.... older people are often more conservative and get a flu shot. Will that be decisive?
# posted by Jan : 1:32 PM

--------------------------------
Why get a flu shot if you're healthy? To stay healthy, and avoid the most severe complications from the flu. Of course, here that is not an option this year.

I wouldn't be able to venture a guess on what[if any] impact the flu season will have on the election.
# posted by WriteWingBlogger : 8:17 PM



Voting

I wonder why in the US voters have to registrate themselves before the day of the elections. Maybe you can give me the answer?

Here in The Nethertlands all Dutch get a votingcard, sent to their registrated adress.
# posted by Jan : 11:31 AM



Jan,
Here in the US, you have to register to vote -- and if you ever move -- you register again. The deadline to do so before an election varies from State to State.
# posted by WriteWingBlogger : 12:45 PM

1 Comments:
Jan said as reaction on the quote
"Another interesting or disgusting thing she was saying was that there are lots of gay and lesbian in Iran these days"
This maybe means that people are more open that they can express their feelings than in the past.

"Where is society going? To the deepest level of hell?"


In America and the whole world the same is going on. In the USA the Bush regime doesn't tolerate gay's and lesbians... that's unpleasant.
Hell is there where you can't express yourself.

# posted by Jan : 10:52 AM

Friday, October 15, 2004

Windstopper

I can't use the name Windstopper cause that's a licensed brandname of Gore Tex, but I bought a windstopper although of the Italian brand Nalini.
I bought one cause it makes cycling in bad, windy and cold wetter much more comfortable.

After work I cycled some kilometers with the new clothing.
Fabelhaft how the Windstopper feels when you're riding.

stats
21.71 k
33.00 k/hr
39.31 hr
39 k/hr (max)
243 k
3137 k (total 2004)

I feel great 33.00 k as an average is real fast. It is a pity I didn't ride it 21 minutes longer. That should be a record for me. This I don't recognize as a record.


Thursday, October 14, 2004

Cycling in the rain?

Yeah, I'm gonna cycle a few kilometers It depends on how late it starts raining.

update:

at 5.30pm I was ready. I decided to cycle along the canal. All flat (besides 2 bridges) In Houten, a commuter village for the workforce in Utrecht, in had 31 minutes on the clock and it started to rain. That was the signal to turn back. The same route back with an extra bonus of 2 k along the Amsterdam-Rhine canal. Then a short climb cross the canal. At 6.40 pm I was back home.
Showering, cooking, watching part of a movie and updating my blog. Reminds me to do some laundry.

stats:
32.25 kilometers
29.34 k/hr
1.06.11 hr
46 k/hr (max)
221 k on bike 2
3115 k (total cycled in 2004)

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Headache

After a long day I am finally off duty. However it almost feels that this blog is a duty too.
But what for. I almost have no readers. So I write for myself and anybody who flies by.

My day started at 7.20 am and I started work at 8.30 am. I heard something about my colleague who is very much injured. After going to first aid he went home with his left knee in a brachelet. 5 day he has to wait for his knee to be examined. Nothing seems to be broken but he feels an enormous pain. The pain has to eb away.
After the tournament, three players went home on their bike, one of them hit a peg on the cycle-path. (placed there to prevent cars to cross)
So in total 4 of our player were injured just before or just after the tourament.

And the frame of my glasses is just bent in the right position, lucky me.

Today I did some testing on a new version of an (computer) application we work with.
There was a lot to do but after the bad luck and the 2 quick beers of yesterday I didn't have a sharp mind.
At the end of the working day there was some hillarity about a pigeon which flew against one of our office windows. We all heard a loud and clear -pof- and then it fell 4 meters down on the ground. The bird was still alive but with a severe headache I think. Those pigeons are very tough I learned.


A headache is what I get when I see the menslaughter in Sudan, Darfur. Knowing it's an European issue and that we are doing about nothing. If your French is excellent then look on google-Darfour for example.
The French are writing a lot about the cruelties in Sudan. This is not something the USA should interfere.

Doing nothing is a criminal European act. Sending 18 or 19 year old highschool kids to a war is criminal too. So the EU has to send troops to resque people and the US have to save their own soldiers. (More than 1,000 right now.)
Of course US soldiers have to know that they aren't in Iraq to find terrorist who attacked them. The terror which is in Iraq is there because the US army is there and because they uncorked the bottle with the evil spirit.

So I'm gonna have a macaroni dish and watch an important football match: The Netherlands-Finland

You'll hear from me,
Jan

Update: The Netherlands won 3-1 I didn't watch it all. After the Finns scored 0-1 I saw a Dutch team who was waiting for the counter. I don't like that kind of play. The old Dutch teams of 1974, 1978 and 1988 played the right kind of football, -total play-

just a poem of a nobody

John Lennon

If he would live
He should be the working class hero
If he would live
He should have dumped Yoko Ono
Long ago
If he would live
He should still sing
and protest Bush's war
If John Lennon would do all that
He would be my friend

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

What a lovely sad day...

The day started with a clear blue sky. It was cold on my bike to work. When I arrived a lot of work was waiting for me and my direct college I have not spoken for 4 days was back. We talked a bit and did our work. Trying to streamline payment of creditors. At half past five he had a volleyball tournament. 6 Of my colleagues and I were the team. We had only one reserve player to rotate.

At 5.30 pm we had the 1st match. Only after 10 points played we lost an injured player. It wasn't a real bad injury but Hanneke couldn't play on. So the team had to play with 6 men, just enough. In the second game after a 15 minutes it went wrong with Bas, my cycling mate, who I gave some cycling lessons the other day. He wanted to stand up when he lay on the floor then he twisted his knee. It was like crack it said and he lay there with a lot of pain, with a pale white face. After a while and some ice on his injury he couldn't still stand. Another colleague brought him to the first aid in a hospital near his home. Wonder how he is, because next week in the fall holidays and he wanted to go to Denmark with his extended family.
It's so sad to have such an injury on such a moment.

At the same moment of Bas his injury a ball hit me in the face and bent a leg of my glasses. I just have to go to the eyeware shop/ optician. Bas has probably a longer way to go.

Overall the tournament was a joy for us. We could laugh and we will do the same thing next year. Maybe we should train because we were last of the 5 team.
Well, we enjoyed ourselves mostly between 5.30 pm and 10.30 pm. Hopefully Bas's damage isn't really bad after all. Tomorrow I'll know.

The day ended black of the night blue sky. It wasn't really cold. You could cycle home without a coat. (maybe some beer will warm you up)

Groeten, greetingz, Jan


Monday, October 11, 2004

A quarter of the Museumplein, October 2 2004


A view at the Amsterdam demo from the Van Gogh museum.

I just wanted to show a picture of the demo which sets our politics on fire. Yesterday a director of an employers organization (FME) said that he already talked with the vice minister president, mr Zalm (his weblog is only in Dutch I think).
But Zalm didn't give in. So the FME man should try again. Also the pressure to resign is put on the minister who is mainly responsible for the tripartite talks (between state, employers and employees) not going on.
So there will be more action. Thursday Oct.14 all public travel services (Busses, trains, trams, metro) will be down, a national strike against the plans which are reality according to the ministers. As if we don't have a dual political system.
the dude was here too

Marking



The marker shows where I stood.

the dude was here too

Sunday, October 10, 2004

The Ledig Erf Tour

Woke up at 8.30 am. Listened to the radio. Got up at 9.30 Did some paperwork and watched the 12 o'clock news. Ate some pasta and put on my cycling outfit. At 12.45 I raced to the cafe where we left at 1.05 pm. 3 hours later we were back.
Had a beer and saw Erik Dekker win the classic Paris-Tours.
This altogether made my day!!!

stats:
85.26 k
29.48 k/hr
2.53.33 hr
49 k/hr (max)
188 k (total)

note that a 4 k extra is in the total and not in the trip distance. It's the distance between my home and Ledig Erf.

Saturday, October 09, 2004

Saturday

The second day of my weekend. It's a long weekend. The weather is fine for bike riding. The Cumulus clouds are growing, later in the afternoon they will all go away. Tomorrow it will be even better. No wind, lots of sun and higher temperatures.

I feel okay right now, if so tomorrow I'm gonna ride.
Today (now 12.18 pm) I got to do some shopping and my household.
Fogs, I'm gone.

regards,
Jan

PS.
The weather was too nice not to go out for a ride:
43.66 k
28.98 k/hr
1.30.25 hr
43 k/hr max
99 k total

Tomorrow there will be a strong wind, temperatures will drop till 12 degrees Celcius. However it will be dry and humidity is very low, they say. Who is -they-?

First -they- say this then that. Why are they flipflopping. If -they- is Kerry then the situation is dramatically chancing. A swift change of attitude is necessary. (yeah, I thought of his swiftboat, in a split second Kerry sets his mind and rescued his brother in arms.)

Friday, October 08, 2004

*** How peculiar ***



How peculiar some things can go. In 1998/1999 I saw the Rolling Stones bridges to Babylon tour. This lion shows its teeth!

Now the world has seen many bridges in Babylon and along the road to Babylon. Could there be a bridge to the culture over there? Iraq has been a very western oriented country. Just like Iran, but that ís another history. So the seeds are sown in Iraq.

But the soil has to be vertilized. Important issues in my perpective are education, culture, good governance, creating jobs, supply enough food for the inhabitants. So, the delta between Euphrate and Trigis has to be cleared of mines to make agriculture possible.


An Email to Wendy
Thank you Wendy for your concern.

We don't know eachother. However I read your concern about the dirty campaing of the democrats. I read it with much interest. I wonder what you gonna vote...

In The Netherlands we don't have a 2 parties political system. I cannot compare home with the US situation. In our elections opinions are much more diffentiated because of the many parties who all want a piece of the cake. The parties have their own specialization. Try this link to see how the polls are. It gives an insight in the different parties. CDA more or less supports Bush and see the fall in the polls.

PVDA can be compared with your demo's. Remember Clinton and Dutch prime minister Kok about the third way policy. Government, tradeunions and employers working together in order to create stability in the economic field. These days the present Government tears this all down, a part of the Dutch identity. It's a shame for the nation.

They do that because we must be more competitive the Government says. That doesn't work that way. If you wanna change. You can reach that by talks. Like in your marriage Liberal and Conservative living together.

Politically it was possible in the years under MP Kok.

Your demo's and Conservative's are thinking in the same direction I think. But there are slight differences. If the demo want to win the Presidential election they have to stress the difference. So that can be nasty. But that is on both sides, they both wanna win.

In the European point of view, in our interest Kerry as the new president would be the best choice. But what can he do when he's in office and doesn't have support in the Senate, etcetera. Then he becomes a lame duck. Europe needs a strong Kerry.


Wendy answered my post. Thanks Wendy.
It's half past one now, Saturday midnight, I'm going to bed.

the dude was here too

Yesterday

All I have to say has been said privately. I don't wanna repeat that.
Today I can give you only some stats. Beside a visit to a local hairdresser/haircutter/barbershop I did some racing. A full hour riding my bike.
31.89 k
31.86 k/hr
1.00.06 hr
40 k/hr max
55 k (total on new bike)

Yes, Wendy obviously everything is okay. How is you dog doing?
And Caren, your book can be bought in Holland aswell, in english on the internet

Beheaded



Sorry Ken I couldn't help you to get out.
It was shocking news when it came to me. My condolances go out to the family and friends.

the dude was here too

How To Cure The Dutch Disease By Joseph Stiglitz

An economic form of The Dutch Disease. It's writen by Joseph Stiglitz. A writer I metioned earlier. This is an article in the Guardian.

Thursday, October 07, 2004

How was your day?

8.00 am go to work - 22.45 arrive at home

How did I spend my day? First of all I secured the flow of money to my account for the rest of the month. Secondly I worked harmoniously with my colleagues. We laughed (joke: what is the maximumspeed with sex? 68, because with 69 one will overturn. Not funny? It might be the translation)
I worked again, ate something, had some coffee, a cup of soup, and at a quarter to five I cycled with a college downtown. With about 14 colleagues we had a drink in a cozy bar called "Neudezicht". After some drinks (2 coke cola and 3 beer) we went to a Greek restaurant. We had a Greek salad, delicious gyros, fish and dessert.
After that I had enough of all. I cycled home and thought to myself if I should collect the money from the guy who hit me. He called me at the office and told me that I could come to get the money. Also he could bring it to my house. All in return of the invoice for his insurance. What are we talking about?

My day was good again. And tomorrow I'm free... I got a lot to do.

Wednesday, October 06, 2004

speed things up

My day started at 7 am. I had to speed things up to be on time on the appointment I made with my doctor. On my way to the doc I had an accident, the second in 3 weeks. The result was the same. A bent in my bike's last wheel. Again I had to go to the cycle store to have my cycle been repaired. This time a lawyer didn't look out when he turned left. The same ritual; the driver made his excuse and told me the collision was his fault. Only after 5 minutes a policeman (on a bike, this is Holland) arrived. The driver and I almost agreed that no insurance was necessary. He would pay the damage. It just a wheel (Euro 68,=)
But can I ask myself what's the matter with me, why do I have so many accidents?
Is it cause I'm so much on the road (10,000 K or more), or cause I don't drive defensively? Is it cause I'm an angry man riding with insanity and without responsibility? These questions give a hint. Yes it's partly true.

After this whole show I went to the doctor. I told him my problem and after asking some questions and double checking it was clear that an appointment with a neurology doctor should be made.

Well after work the weather was fine so I could ride again.
This are the stats (other/different speedmeter):

16.22 kilometers
30.41 kilometer/hour
32.02 minutes
47 maximum speed k/hr
23 total distance so far in k.

The weather is very nasty at the moment.

Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Time

Now the sunset colours the clouds pink. The clear blue sky at the horizon turns red. Birds, fill the sky, probably seagulls going to their resting place on the Amsterdam-Rhine canal.The south west wind weakens but clouds are moving in, also from the south west. Meaning that this weather will continue.

Today I bought my racing bike. Waw, what a bike. At 4.45 pm I was home, changed clothes and rode with it. Not very far for the first time. It went so easy. The bike is featherlight. Unbelievable, no I knew it but cannot imagine how faster it will go on a dry Sunday afternoon.
Since some time, a long time believe me, I thought about cycling and buying a racing bike. There were many choices to make. What kind of gears, breaks, etcetera was necessary. Many choices, for example Cannondale, Trek, Gazelle, Koga Myata, special built bikes by Snel. Afterall I chose a Batavus. A Dutch designed brand, from Heerenveen (maybe you know speedscating? It's that place in Friesland). It's built close to my birthplace in the north of The Netherlands


Work was light and easy, meaning not much to do. However I could do some more checkings on the justification of one's benefit.
No tomorrow I'll begin paying our creditors. (mostly wheelchairs and housing adjustments)

Time goes quick, or my typing in English is very slow. Outside it's dark now. It took me 45 minutes to complete this. (Together with listening to internetradio and finding information on the net)

11.10 pm I'm going to bed.

Tot Ziens, bye
Jan

Monday, October 04, 2004

10/02/2004 We are Citizens, not Subjects

http://hunterbyrd.blogspot.com

We are Citizens, not Subjects

The debate between so-called 'progressives' (label of late) and 'conservatives' rages unabated in these lead-up days to yet another 'most important in our lifetime' election. It's between the government-must-do-more-to-solve-our social-and-political-ills types versus the gun-nuts and social troglodytes. With some reticence, I include myself among the latter. I offer myself up to be stamped and stereotyped as 'insensitive', &c.

I know better than that. I am quite sensitive to the needs and problems of individuals of all walks, and I am well-attuned to the ills of greater society. Problems are problems. It is as simple as that. I do not loathe or despise John F. Kerry, but I want to see him defeated. On the other hand, I don't put George W. on any pedestal. I just know he's better for this country in the next four years, very important years.

My favorite world-wide writer, Mark Steyn, once again sounds off. Today, he speaks to a British audience on the significant differences between liberal and conservative mindsets. As always, I encourage you to read his thoughts. They are among of the best on the globe.



Three years ago, I got a flurry of emails from Yorkshire, Oslo, Marseilles and elsewhere recounting incidents of gangs of Muslim youths enthusiastically celebrating the glorious victory of 9/11 by swarming around cars, banging on the windows, intimidating the drivers, yelling Osama’s name. If you tried that in Texas, the guy would reach in his glove box and blow your head off. Second Amendment conservatism is more secure and better integrated with the bespoke mainstream than it’s been in years. The government can’t tell you you’ve got to be on full alert and at the same time announce new restrictions on the right to defend yourself and your home.

That's plain, common sense where I come from. We take stock in level-headedness. It is a much talked about scenario. Doubtless, there won't be many terrorists in my part of the woods, because they will not get away with anything if their presence is ever known. Bank on it. We will not wait for permission from on high to act .


If I wasn’t a conservative before 9/11, I’d certainly be one now. On one side I see decayed, self-absorbed passivity: citizens reduced to junkies with government as the pusher. On the other stand the gun-crazies, the religious Right, the home-schoolers, the flat-taxers and all the rest: you don’t have to agree with them on everything to appreciate that, in a new war which not all of the West will survive, they have an advantage over the Swedes and Belgians. A self-reliant conservative citizenry is a better bet than the subjects of an overbearing state.

That's a succint a statement. There are many people in America who pooh-pooh people in fly-over country. They see my ilk as not far along the social, political, and religious evolutionary line than (over-maligned) proverbial neanderthal. Still, the heart of a conservative is a special, driving force that keeps the United States strong in the dynamic of a world gone crazy.

I am of the firm opinion that John Kerry has a natural inclination to view the electorate more in terms of 'subjects to be governed by my wise hand' than of 'free citizens who have placed their trust in me.'

// posted by HunterByrd @ 8:29 PM


Comments:
you said that young muslims intimidated cardrivers and celebrated the 9/11 attact. True, they did celebrate, they were enthusiastic. Like me when I heard of the shooting of a Dutch politician.

When people are stressed with so much information about an USA who harm their allies together with the conviction that the USA is their enemy in the religious point of view, nothing much is needed to get an explosion on such a magnitude.

Bush is taking care of an islamic threath which is, in distance, far away. For Europe it's very close, The Middle East and Europe are neighbors.
You (with you I mean Bush) made it worse by starting this war. Instead fighting OBL you went to Iray an created some new OBL's. You got to change your policy. Thats not about being cowardly, that's facing reality. You went to war with a wrong cause, with wrong reasons, wrong justification. And most important (maybe) you lied about it. We (in Europe) had to believe you. (remember "if you are not with us, you are against us").

The USA support Israel and in a way fight the Palestinians. In Iraq the USA started a war which on false information must be a deadly sin of President WB in the eyes of puritan Americans!

Fireworks? A new day at the office.

take a close watch on Mt. Saint Helens.

I was half an hour later than normal days due to not adjusting the alarm of my clockradio when I arrived at the office. Harry a collegea of the housing department was just seconds earlier. Well he had to walk his dog I guess. A legitimate excuse for being late according to me. (People with dogs shouldn't work at all, but socialize with their dog.)

Many of my collegeas were in Amsterdam at the demo. Harry, Herma, Els, Hanneke, Robin and my boss Riet. 6 Out of the 30 collegeas (and me) makes almost a quarter of my office. And there could be more if Joos could stand crowds and Joop and his gayfriend were able to come too.

Also the meeting about integrity passed the hitparade of talks today. In my view integrity is important when you work with information about people and states money, like I do, but it's a value of yourself how to deal with it.
But some politicians want to make it an important issue because it's a major point on their election programm. For that reason they invite all the staff of this city to come to this meeting. That'll cost a lot of money and has no purpose. You have to come but there is no sanction not being there. Integrity is a beautiful word but what it means nobody really wants to know. Bullshit, people who are integer know it and they know exactly what they are doing.


Sunday, October 03, 2004

The yellow house


The yellow house painted by Van Gogh


the dude was here too

photo of the yellow house


a photo of the house in which Van Gogh rented 4 rooms in the right wing


the dude was here too

No cycling this week?

With the sounds and visuals of the demo and Van Gogh and Manet I woke up. It was early but listening to the radio I saw the first glimpse of the sun, shadows of leaves telling me "stay in bed, stay a some time and enjoy the last moment of me. Next week I'm going on holiday to Spain."
Le temp trieste, no sun, only rain and stormy weather. A large depression will let the leaves fall.

At the end of this month the clock will be set back one hour. Wintertime will be back. Stormywinter will reign. That's what my nick is about. One time last winter the wind was blowing around the house and high tones whistled through the narrow cracks in the ventilation system. I was tired of stormyweather. I created my emailaddress.
Like Caren I l love extreme weather. In her webblog she told,
I do love seeing nature's fury, when the sky turns charcoal and green and the winds toss the traffic lights and the rain creates pools of reflection in the street. Sometimes it's nice to walk around in a storm and be reminded of the power of this world you might be lucky enough to inhabit for 70-80 years


One can link that with a lovely painting of Edouard Manet. A view from the beach in France with a waterspout at sea approaching the beach. One can see the seawater soaked up and falling down.

It's getting cloudy, maybe I'll go out to cycle a short distance on my own.
When the weather will get worse there will be no cycling this week on my new bike.

Saturday, October 02, 2004

Great Amsterdam Demo..

The demo in Amsterdam was marvelous. Over 200,000 demonstrators and 40,000 or more were stuck on trainstations and in trafficjams. The demo was organized by our trade unions. It wasn't a heavily politics driven demo, but one where everyone could find something which is important for himself. But everybody was against the plans of this legislation. The all over the world praised so called -polder-model, a constructive working on the well being of the Netherlands on political, economical and social issues by trade unions, employers and Government is being ruined by the latter. The legislation (the 3 parties in power have a majority in politics) doesn't understand the importance of patience, transparent policies. Nothing of this, is only arrogance the politicians show. People in the street don't know the facts, they're told. As if the facts are not clear enough for the average man, as if the man in the street didn't study, didn't visit University.

We yelled our lungs out on the ritm of the protestmusic.
Since 1983, the Dutch disease, the protest against nuclear missilles, Amsterdam had no such demo.
We waved our flags and clapped our hands to the hospitalized minister president of our country. He should be ashamed!!!
And our anger is not over yet... we go on, continues relay strikes and protestmanifestation and demonstrations in the country will remember the men and women in power who have real power.... In Holland WE, the people are in power.

Okay that's my protest, after that I went to the Van Gogh Museum. The museum with the largest collection of works by Vincent van Gogh: it houses more than 200 paintings, including many famous masterpieces.
I saw a beautiful collection of art. Famous paintings, one of the sunflowers, the Irisses, the potato eaters, selfportraits of him on a row, his bedroom in France. His Arles period with the yellow house. I saw beautiful paintings of Paul Gauguin, and other painters who were considered as Vincents friends,

But also there was an exhibition of Edouard Manet, titled impessions from the sea. He painted "the battle between the U.S.S Kearsarge and the C.S.S. Alabama".
It happened on the shore near Cherbourg in 1864, the American Civil war. Why did they fight so far from home? I don't know.
But also I saw works of Claude Monet and many others.
All together wonderful paintings, postcards of an ancient past, like yesterday.
If you visit Amsterdam you should go to the Anne Frank house and see the Van Gogh museum. In the world there are no other places to see what you can see there

Yeah, it felt good to be back in a worldcity, also because of the all the beautiful enthusiastic women .....

Latest news I heard about the Kerry-Bush campaign is that Kerry jumped over Bush in the preliminary polls. The elections need that!!!

Friday, October 01, 2004

Friday, another week's gone

Felt a little better. Called the doc. Told by his lovely assistent that untill next week there was no availlable time for an appointment. I asked if I have to wait 10 days for my epilepsia concerns. Yes, was the answer. Okay I know enough I told and I thanked her.
An hour later I called again. This time another assistent answered the phone. The same question and a different answer. I also could go to a different doctor in the same practice.
As I've never been to a doctor in that practice (I live here for over 2 years now and have never been ill or hurt in an accident or fight (hahah, yes I used to fight a lot. I had to defend my rights.)), I firstly go to that wonder-who-he-is doctor. Does it feels good I'll ask to be my doctor, otherwise I go next time to my assigned doc.

This morning I had some problems with my sence of prensence. Maybe it was the noise, or the thaught about other things than work, it couldn't be the workload cause I had very little to do.
At half past four I finished the day at the office and then I went to the supermarket. Tomorrow there won't be time to buy fresh food. Tomorrow the train leaves at 9.19 am from Utrecht Central Station to arrive at 9.50 am in Amsterdam


Politics suck.. if you see Bush, Blair or Balkenende they try to do all the same.. ignore public, public opinion and go ones own way. That's not what democracy is ment to be.
- Bush says I am the leader and whatever the leader does is good for my country.
- Blair says, okay I might have lied but I know I'm right and I hope the labourparty will look at it that way too.
- Balkenende says our plans are the right way to deal with our problems, the only problem is that the people don't understand that.

But it Friday, Saturday will be the demo. Lots of people will come to the
-museumplein-, Amsterdam. It's said 200,000.

Beautiful music: Blöff & the Counting Crows, holiday in Spain