hands up new year is coming

The job is done. Mr. Bush has taken a holiday because he's done the job his father started but not finished.
Actually mr. Reagan should have done his job better by supporting Iraq in it's war against Iran. In fact the United States and other countries are all responsible for damage to people in the middle east.
It's very difficult.

What the execution of Saddam Hussein Al Tikriti is concerned, he did some real bad things, he doesn't have clean hands, he has ordered the execution of many criticizers, even family. Yes, he is certainly a tiran and with tirans of these magnitude there is only one sentence; the death penalty.

Again, it's difficult if you're against the death penalty.

Nevertheless, to all a happy new year!

a stormy week

Many things happened this week.
Beside work each of my colleagues had an important personal talk with the interim manager (IM) about functioning in the department. It was really an assessment of us.
I didn't really prepare myself for that. I thought that it was in my head, it wasn't. I had it on paper though. My poor preparation disturbed the IM a little, and me as well. So the conversation lasted a little bit longer. (my figure got lower and lower; yes, the organization gives figures to the employees. I disgust it)

It was also the moment on which the IM decided to tell what will happen with the staff of the department after the reorganization.
My function will be centralized in the back office. It's a question I should ask myself if I want to be in the back office and what my function could be there.
It could also ask to transfer me to the economic department. It's the same question there.
When I was told this. I said I'll cooperate with it. (resistance is futile, like in next generation?) My first reaction on it was that it's such a waste of people and experience. My co worker and I will work on different places. The other roommates will get jobs in other department, more centralized. We will be split up. That gives me a very sad feeling.

It's Christmas eve and it's a good moment for reflection on this night.
- First, I like to say that the IM (according to the Internet he had some key-management positions in former offices linked to my department) has a very bad feeling for people's management.
- Secondly, it is in only six months before everything will be effective. Very fast actually (other short period; 6 months ago I lost my wallet in France).

Wednesday I was told and the rest of week was no business as usual. Thursday we had a Christmas drink in town. I wasn't in the mood and had some fruit-juice before I went home. I also decided not to drink anymore alcohol after reading something about restless legs

I spoke my former boss and she told me to lean and give in on storms in the organization. When the storm lies down you will get back in normal position.
Resistance might break you and when the organization gets back to normal you can't get up.

It's a go-with-the-flow philosophy and I'm not so very good in it. That is the charm of my work. It's not a follow the rule mentality. It more a go your own way and do the things that have to be done mentality.

Next months, all weeks might be like these.
In February I have a conversation about a what to do strategy/tactics, or is it what I have to do because management has already chosen. I think the last because I can't imagine that I can choose what to do. I can imagine however that the new organization can miss me. Finance will be done by the financial department.
I could say "change, okay, I accept it's there and look forward to it as a chance, a possibility to improve."


All of you, merry X-mas!

Time

Hi Hnk,
I'm getting cold whenever I read what you're going through. I remember the car blown up in your street. It's certainly a far from normal life.
But you are a blogger from Iraq. Let the world know what happens. Only with information you can stop the Americans being there. The Internet is your weapon, your pencil against injustice.
Come on Hnk you can do it, your sister can and your family as well.
Btw, the time is the thing we share. But Time awarded you, especially YOU are the person of 2006.

Of course Time awarded all readers of blogs, in fact all internet users.

hear me

Sometimes you're feeling good, sometimes you're feeling bad. I got a backache for 6 day's now. Today it finally is getting less. I felt a severe headache coming too. I'm a little sensitive for headaches because of the accident in my youth.
I thought about all those pains (hear me, if I'm getting old).

But this week with the low standing full moon in the east, I thought maybe the moon and the sun do have an influence on the state of being of an animal like me.
Of course I can imagine other, more down to earth circumstances, like not having my sleep I need and having a wrong position behind my PC at work as well as at home.

The Newtonian idea of the moon on the east-side and the sun on the west-side pulling the earth satisfied me when I looked at the moon at a time I should sleep.
Gravity is on earth and slowly we and I will be pulled to center of the earth. But then we're death (hear me, yes I'm getting older).

Goodnight!

Mail for mr. Zülch

A Letter I wrote to mr Zülch of the
Society for Threatened Peoples

Dear mr Zülch,

I appreciate you found time to reply at my email.

In your mail you pointed at facts in history that don't matter in this case. There have been made many mistakes in history. Maybe the exchange of Nieuw-Amsterdam (New York) and Suriname was a mistake too. What to think of neo-colonialism of Dutch multinationals nowadays?
No, mr Zülch I don't talk about these subjects nor about the French-German war, the first world war, the blitzkrieg, the second world war, the concentration camps, the role of Germany in the Baltic, Poland, Tsjechia, Austria, etcetera, etcetera. You are not to blame.

It's the way organizations like yours are looking for free publicity I criticise. My advice, go where the action is, where decisions are made and where the real responsible men and women are.
You should go to the heads of states, that also means the Serbian state and the Bosnian state. Both don't have clean hands I realize, considering the number of known war-criminals on both sides not imprisoned. But HR-organizations I don't hear and see while they should have enough power to bring out the human rights.

If you accuse me of "attacking human-rights organizations that criticise" the Netherlands, it's not my intention. Criticism is good, it sharpens your mind.
I only try to make you understand that you got to adjust yourself to certain standards of activism.
You shouldn't have used the women of Srebrenica to get some free publicity. Those women should work on better relations with their neighbors, the Serbs and Croats. They should not continue their victim-position because that doesn't solve anything. Look forward to the future and use memories to solve the pain of those memories.

I suggest to read this article

Hopefully you will do some great work for people who need it.

With regards,

My heart speaks

Today the Dutch Srebrenica-veterans got a medal for being in that town during the ethnic cleansing and the aftermath of it. The German Society for Threatened Peoples protested against the medals and against the Dutch role.
They wrote an open letter, of course Holland has to do with the massacre. We have a certain responsibility towards the people of Srebrenica. But we are victim too. If you want to blame, blame NATO.

I think I got something to say on this matter.

The reason for this insignia (or small medal) is that the men of Dutchbat III are not to blame for the worst operation in UN-history (what do we do in Sudan...nobody acts there and there is no support for mr. Pronk (he's also Dutch), has he any support of you?)
Dutchbat III was prejudiced and the soldiers were given a cold shoulder. There has been a Parliamentary inquiry what happened and the Dutch role in it.
Conclusion NATO is to blame, not the Dutch battalion.
Of course wir haben es gewusst, But that is what you should say.
The difference is that the Dutch got clean hands and a good conscience.

I do understand you're still upset what happened in Srebrenica. Do understand it were not the Dutch but the Serbs who ordered and murdered. The light armoured Dutch couldn't do much to stop it. The planes to scare the Serbs didn't come. Why? Because France was against it. It were politics and tactics of NATO.

It was a conflict between the Serbs and Muslims. The Dutch stood between them and couldn't do anything. The world was against any action. So don't blame the Dutch. Instead, blame yourself that Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic are still not in The Hague. It's a pity that Milosjevic is dead, he deserved worse.

Weekend

I skipped the paper for some days now. I read them but I was not in the mood to brief about it.
My conclusion what the headlines are concerned is that they don't tell the news. Not all of it. Then you got to read it all. Something I rather brief you in plain Dutch.

This weekend I tried to override my total cycling distance of last year. I succeeded with 12 kilometer to a total distance so far this year of 7,189 kilometer.
I was good weather today and I rode over 3 hours in good temperatures. After 2 hours I was a little tired but happily I continued. Now I feel very tired.

The newspaper made it's own news

In the last weeks political parties were campaigning and the newspaper tried to give an impression how the parties were doing when the election was at that moment. The papers and other media followed the opinion pollers. What they didn't follow was where it was really going to. One opposition party lost 25%, the other got 3 times bigger. One right wing party from square one got 9 seats. Also the animals are represented in our House: 2 seats.

And the paper only showed us polls and published behind the story interviews. But it didn't say where the election was heading for. The opposition will not get the ruling party on it's knees begging for help. Only one ruling liberal party got aches, the confessional party still rules the waves though has not many allies.

This election will continue with a very difficult formation of a new cabinet.

Close call??

Last night was the big debate I told about. Nobody from the media has published a result who won the debate. They're always so quick. But now they don't say a word. Is this the unsuspected ethics the media has?
I don't think so. Tonight, 10 minutes before polling stations will close, a media station will publish a exit poll.. If you hurry you can be an important voter!!!

20.50 Pm, 10 minutes before closing time of the polling stations I hurried to my station. Not to vote but to check the finishing of the voting process. It's very easy. The chairman shuts the station and dismantles the voting machine. The machine contains a disc which is ejected and being sealed. One member of the voting committee bring the disc to the town-hall. The voting machine also gives a survey how the votes were divided. This is the back-up if something goes wrong with the disc. It should be put in a sealed envelop. There was some confusion when the envelop wasn't there. The members solved the problem. with another smaller envelop.

I think the members have to prepare themselves for these things. This should not happen. Also the transparency should be larger. Also there should be an independent surveyor at the polling station.
Also the important disc shouldn't be brought by one person to the town-hall. This should be done by 2 persons.

It was good to see how it worked. Next regular election is in March 2007.

The whole election is a shame for the party I voter for. Next time I choose the party Holland doesn't need most but I need most.

Newspaper cover: Rotterdam doesn't know what to vote

The cover today, 12 hours before opening of the polling stations people don't know what to vote. More than in other election years there is a large number of floating voters. Probably there will be a high turn-out because people want to vote.

Tonight at prime time an election debate between the leaders of the 6 biggest parties was broad-casted. Very amusing to see the thin lines on which the biggest in power defended the result during it's term.
It's likely that party has to form a coalition with the largest party from the opposition. So they have to stay good friends with that opposition party. On the other hand they possibly might continue the present coalition with the other party. That party has nothing to loose and want it's coalition partner to give in on certain subjects, such as economy, taxes and employer-matters.

In tonight's debate the environment was discussed thoroughly. Maybe it was the campaign of Al Gore what triggered it. Possible the sharp division of opinion between progressive (the left, social, liberal parties) and conservative, confessional right parties.
For instance, Amsterdam airport should be situated in the North sea to make growth possible according to right. Left wants a stop on air traffic by rising prices or cleaner air traffic with new technology.
Left wants Government money for new technology and make it possible for new companies to create. Right wants the market to do that.

Newspaper cover: profitwarning for buildingcompany BAM

The stock quotation of BAM, the largest Dutch builder, plunged with 15% in the morning after a profit-warning. Also the company announced an inquiry of the company after possible irregularities with their German branch.

In my opinion this is not front-page news. It's more important for the economics-section.
Instead of the BAM-news I would like to see the news about the Iraq-debate more prominent on the front-page.

The Dutch ministers came to a Burka-ban. Now the Malaysian foreign minister criticized the intention of Holland to ban the burka. It divides Holland Sunday Times wrote. The Times of India said that Dutch Muslims are outraged. Not really, but women who think they ought to wear it have their point to be outraged.
The Los Angeles Times informed that everything in Holland is possible except wearing a scarf. (a scarf is not the same as you know)
The burka is a cover up of the body. It is for public order, safety and protection of civilians, openness, etcetera, etcetera to ban the burka. I don't know for how long it'll be banned. But the left wing of politics doesn't want it this way.

Yesterday it was weather when I was cycling but it was almost at sunset when there was a spell, the sun opened the sky and lit up the rainclouds. A mysterious colourful setting of orange, blue and dark. It's a pity I had no camera with me.

Newspaper cover: Responsible minister: no punisable offence in Iraq

The responsible minister of Defense said as far as he knows no punishable offences have occurred during the interrogation of 15 Iraqi prisoners in October 2003.
The Defense minister will start an independent inquiry after possible misconduct of Dutch officers. Hopefully he'll do it transparently.

Today was a real good day. Waking up at 8.15 am I could do the things I wanted. In the afternoon I made a cycle tour to Soesterberg, a well-known airbase in Utrecht. Actually the tour wasn't really a great tour. However in Holland you can see a lot of tiny villages. Today I cycled through Bunnik, Zeist, Den Dolder, Soesterberg, Bilthoven and Utrecht, only a trip of 55 k.

Today it was a children's day because Sinterklaas, St Nicholas, is back in Holland and in the minds of many children. In the villages there were parades of St Nicholas and his Zwarte Pieten (his servants). It's an old fête de jeunesse here in Holland and this man almost lost the competition of Father Christmas.
Of course both parties are commercial ones but the first has the most pleasant atmosphere for children I should say. Christmas is a welcome 4 days off, including the weekend.

Good weekend

Newspaper cover: Dutch army commits warcrime

The Dutch corps of SFIR (Stabilization Force in IRAQ) did some nasty things interrogating suspects in the Al Muthana region in the south east of Iraq.

The Military Intelligence and Security Service did expose Iraqi prisoners to strong light, kept them awake by spraying the Iraqis with water, exposed them to high sounds. Also the prisoners were forced to wear dark glasses.
This could be seen as torture, at least it looks like it.
The Defense Ministry confirms "that the military went too far in their duty."

Of course the responsible minister called the information shocking.
He also said "...an association of the Dutch acting with the Abu Graib is ridiculous." it's very weak to say this, especially by the minister. Nobody made this comparison yet and he calls it ridiculous.

See this in perspective with the election next Wednesday. Loosing seats of the ministers party in the House of Representatives and the fact that he didn't inform our House correctly (very sinful for a minister), makes his position not any better.

Newspaper cover: Joseph Kabilla

Maybe the electronic newspaper on the net is even better. At least for the environment. Why should I have a newspaper if the news can be obtained via the internet. It is much cheaper too. Good plan Ocean.

Hurray, The newspaper was delivered this evening.
It has an article about Joseph Kabila, the winner of the presidential election in Congo. It seems that he's capable to lead that nation to anarchy. Time will learn.


This morning I parked my bike between the other bikes. This is the result on tape.

again no paper II

I'm getting tired of it. Again no paper. This is no business.

Here is the video I promised.


It's a part of my way to work on my bicycle. This path is actually one way direction. You see that some people think differently.

again no paper

I'm dissatisfied with the eveningpaper delivery. I send an e-mail to the correct department to complain about the delivery. It's the third time already in the third or fourth week. NRC handelsblad will not keep me as a subscriber. At least they should understand that, I wrote.

This morning when I went to work I made a kind of detour to cycle in the direction of the Dom, the church which is in the middle of the town of Utrecht.
I took my camera and filmed a short while. I'll link the Youtube video asap.

Newspaper cover: Netherlands again a save haven for companies

I read the paper and it informs that Holland has the lowest effective taxes in the western world. Companies pay 5% tax on their interest income. Didn't we know that already?
I know that the party I'll choose is loosing in the polls. However today the party said it'll abolish housing transfertaxes for newbees on the market. That's for me! Okay, a reason to vote! This party will have a more agressive campaign.

Bwahhh, aggression at work the lady made my colleague very pissed had a day off. But you could feel the tension... there are more who have a problem with her attitude and shifting her problem to my co-worker. He should introduce the P&O-functionary or have a confindencial person.

A Youtube video clip


I made this video 9 months ago. (February 9 2006 at 17.55pm)



the following one on April 1 2006 at 15.45 pm)... the mill on my way to the city.

Sunday: youtube 1st time

Let's see if Youtube works. A short video of a rainbow seen from my house.

Dutch tolerance

An ad of Heineken?
It doesn't count less the sells. I found it on Youtube.

Wanna safe tax money for your company? Open a post office box in Holland. You get the discount, we get the taxes and the work is done elsewere. Pollution is not our problem, haha.
No really, this might be a problem for the countries were the production is because the country where it happens doesn't benefit from the taxes. It's said that the Netherlands earn 9 billion Euro with the hosting.
This might look like the VOC mentality (the VOC made Holland rule the waves in the 1700's with their entrepreneurship, initiative and not so fair trade) of which the minister president said we don't have it anymore.
Well, we just do it differently, synthetic drugs are made in...exactly low cost countries, we do the sales and logistics. People trafficing, we got a fair share. The Government facilitates tax avoidance abroad. This will benefit enviromental pollution.
Maybe the commercial was right, are we really tolerant?

The Netherlands today; newspaper cover: gays and sports still taboo

I read something written by Gorbatsjov (former Sovjet leader) this morning and noticed that the world has changed.
For example, he wrote that we enter the 4th decade after WWII without war in Europe.
I wondered if he ever thought to rewrite his book and give his vision on the world with the globalization of today. Could be interesting.

Today I didn't do anything yet. Thursday night I visited a wedding party... at 3 am I was in my bed. I drank much but controlled everything, the beer felt like water. I can't say I was drunk but I certainly was.
But okay, after 4 hours of sleep I woke up and went to work. Some of my department were invited and nobody who stayed till the end was at work. They all took a day of.
Okay not me, I didn't feel sick or what. Only I felt being on a ship in rough weather. At 4 pm the ship I felt I was aboard was on the middle of the ocean. I was time to go home.

I still go to read the paper of today, do some shopping and write some thought down.
So I expect another post today.

Well I read the paper yet. The front page opened today with an article about a Dutch bank which went bankrupt in 2005.
There is not much news here or it must certainly be the election campaign here.
The polls say that the opposition party PvdA is losing seats in the Dutch house of representatives, de Tweede Kamer. The ideas the party has are approved by the people but this does not reult in votes. That is very alarming for the party.

Troubles at work

I hate it when I see people using wrong arguments to accuse someone else at work.
Especially when it concerns me or a colleague and when authority, capability and power is involved.

Today my co-worker was on a collision course with the financial policymaker of our department. She has the opinion that she could drop some of her tasks on the desk of my co-worker. Now the something hasn't been done she went to the interim manager without talking about the matter with my co worker.
Today she and my colleague had a discussion with the interim. The result is that the policymaker dropped her case my co worker has not sufficient skills to fulfill his function!

That is unbelievable! She dropped tasks without telling how and what to do. Besides when she delegates tasks she always should keep control and definitely has responsibility no matter what.

This matter uses a lot of energy and is a dirty policy.
I know that she told me years ago that some people are not really qualified for their tasks and she doubt about my co worker to give him more tasks.
That doubt was 3 years ago and now she uses it as a stick a hurt. This is so mean!

newspaper cover Wednesday Nov 7: Dem's get a majority in the House of Representatives

Bush pays the price for Iraq.

It's like I hoped. A president should work together with the people, not only with whom elected him. After the last Presidential election it was clear that America was no longer united on all fronts. Every President, whoever that is, even the Dutch Minister President, should find the consensus.
The dynasty Bush had the chance to rule the US as an one party system. That is the worst thing of the last 6 years. There were no impulses from the inside for the system to change.

Rumsfeld (where is he pointing at? Finger pointing seems to be a bad habit.) for example just built up his empire. As long as the US is in Iraq in the way he likes to see it. His associates are doing business as usual.
A war? No, we're making profit, this is big business. Thanks to the Republic.

Of course nothing will change immediately but there is more pressure to change and the new policies can be blocked. The work hasn't been done.

The latest news I heard is that Rumsfeld will resign because of the criticism on his Iraq policy. Great news, finally Herr Rumsfeld will join Herr Flick.

Newspaper cover Tuesday: Gazastrip still occupied

It says enough, a picture of dozens of tanks after an military operation waiting near the kibbutz of Mefalsim.

And the US-election? Of course the dem's won. How will the economy respond on it? Because the US could be drifting on a mighty ocean without direction.
Now the ocean has the power.

Go-to-work, have a nice day!

Newspaper cover Monday; divided reaction on SH verdict

The West has a different view on what to do with the verdict in the lawsuit against Saddam Hussein. Europe is critical of the verdict and reacts not to execute.
The Netherlands however said (by the mouth of our mp) that justice has won, but the Netherlands the death penalty is something about which the Netherlands said that should not be.

We are in the midst of an election campaign so any word the mp says will be weighted. These words were qualified as disgraceful and opportunistic. Mr. Balkenende showed understanding for the verdict.

The opposition accused him "He creates the impression that revenge, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, is more important according to him than keeping the international legal order.

A cartoon in the paper.
One duck remarks "deathpenalty?"
The other asks "But what if he didn't do anything after all?

www.foksuk.nl

newspaper cover Saturday October 4: relief of spindoctors

Where are Dutch politics going to?

I ask this question because it has all to do with the cover of today's newspaper.
The spindoctors of the Social Democrats are relieved. The leader of the Labour party (PvdA) showed he can still debate after a bad radio debate a week earlier. He showed more effectiveness in a television debate between him and the minister-president of our country.

This was the first time in the multi party system of the Netherlands that the 2 biggest parties send their candidate to debate on television.
Politicians of other parties are less happy with this attenuation of politics.

A two party system? No of course not, the other parties are important too. Is it an election of a president? No, but if so then it's a silent revolution. The Netherlands is still a monarchy. (if you like it or not)

Luckily voters know that and they go for the content and not for who is going to be minister-president.

Voices in the right wing of the political spectrum ask for a two party system. I don't hear those voices on the left wing. The Dutch are to divided to bring the opinions together in two parties.
A reformation in the political structure is likely for example a treshold for parties (like in Germany to prevent small parties to enter the Bundestag), or a smaller The Hague Parliament. Even transformation to a district system like the British one is possible. These reforms will take a long time.

newspaper cover: voting machine disapproved

In 35 voting districts the voting machines are disapproved because the computers are unreliable.
Amsterdam is one of the districts. The media says tonight that the city will vote manually. That's means color the white dot red of the candidate you want to choose.
Oh, I wanna be an Amsterdammer (inhabitant of the city of Amsterdam) for one day only to choose with the red pencil.

It's so romantic. Then the voting night will last till hours after midnight before the results become clear. Check and double check and making sure what happens because it's so transparent.

I miss that with the damned computerized voting machines. This procedure killed democracy. Young people don't see the magic of the voting procedure. Now it's one press on the button and -there your vote goes-. The whole procedure of getting your voting billet, going behind the curtain and closing it, filling in the billet, walking back and putting your vote in the basket (and with young children they do it for you. The basics of democracy for a child).

Monday..newspaper cover: 10 years after the World Food Conference

This article informs the reader that the international Community shows insufficient political will to effect the available means in the fight against famine. According to the UN organization FAO it shown no improvement.

I've been busy.... at 9 pm I've done some financial deals on the stock and bond market.

A butterfly in the garden

Sunday

No newspaper today but there are initiatives to market a Sunday newspaper. Unfortunately the biggest one is postponed. It might be a free paper, maybe like the free Metro. You can get this paper on the many public transport points in the country. The Metro concept is originally from Scandinavia.

Saturday I was downtown on my bike when my eye catched something strange at a bus stop. It looked like someone was overrun by the bus. When I passed by I saw a man without shoes, grey socks, a brown trouser and a leather jacket lying under the bus.
The last wheels might have overrun him. The man is seriously, not dangerously wounded.
This affected me a little during the rest of Saturday. It made me think about what could have happened. About the impact that such incident could have on the person and his family.

Today I cycled again 57 k and on the river dike stretch I looked over my shoulder and lost control over my bike and came in the verge of the road. Not really a grassy one but one with nasty stones. I slipped trying to avoid those sharp bricks. On one side the fence at the slope of the dike, left the save flat road. Luckily I could control the bike.
I'm on schedule to ride my record year-distance and more important I'm still fit and sharp to continue riding.

newspaper cover: UN envy will return

The Dutch UN envy in Sudan will return to duty in Sudan. After criticizing the Sudan Cabinet Jan Pronk returned to New York. But now he'll return to his post. He will stay mainly in New York.

Is this a kind of gentleman's agreement without loss of face?
Still the people in Darfur aren't save. The people can't hardly be protected by the UN forces. We can use the troops in Afghanistan here. Or US soldiers and British forces of the lost war in Iraq? It's a win win situation in all situations. Iraq is better off without the foreign troops. America and Britain can send most troops home. Finally the Darfur region can really be protected.

Tonight we change back to wintertime. So tomorrow it's dark early. The cycling is almost over, but tomorrow I gonna ride my tour with the team again. (note: last week I had the best sprint in a group of 4 after 70 kilometer.)

newspaper cover: one ministry of Security

Former Minister Elco Brinkman advices the present cabinet to bring together the department of Interior affairs and the department of Justice as one department about security affairs.

Help, Holland is going to transform into the new Romania of Ceausescu with his Securitate! I thought that was irreversible, that the Sicherheitspolizei died with the dismantling of Das grosses Deutches Reich in 1945.
But no, history repeats itself.

And yes, Minister Verdonk, I can compare the measures of this cabinet with those in Germany 1940-1945. And if you don't like it vote another party, or don't take such measures. Be human!

What the advice implies is that all what matters concerning security and savety should be in one Department, everyyhing not directly linked to Security should be in another Department.

Of course there is much to say for this, but their have measures to be taken to secure information is not misused. If it is possible it will happen.

newspaper cover: photo

On the cover of the newspaper tonight a photograph of a cartonboard Dutch minister president. It is situated next to a stand selling the mp's book with the prophetic title "we dig for gold" on a campaign night in a province town.

Today we had officially the warmest day in 300 years in the last 10 days of October: 22.1 degrees Celsius.
Great. I didn't have a break to go home earlier to cycle a short while.
I decided to go to the racing track. When I arrived (after 9 k) my average was below 30 k/hr. When I arrived back home I cycled more than one hour and rode 32.22 k an average of 32 k/hr.
Not bad, after a long workingday.

newspaper cover: Hungary startled by it's own anger.

The commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian uprise against the Soviets yesterday, ended in a battlefield in the street of Budapest. Anger, frustration and shame is in the air.

On the workfloor we had a talk about a television broadcast of yesterday about Halal meat in Dutch supermarkets and especially in the leading supermarket (I said something about this market in a previous entry).
The broadcast shows that the meat we eat are Halal slaughtered animals.
Now the pro-animal front is furious.
I sent an email to the company too. It's my grocery and the meat I buy should not be from cattle that unnecessarilly suffer and bleed to dead.

newspaper cover: Jan Pronk leaves Sudan for deliberations

Jan Pronk is Dutch UN-envoy in Sudan. He wrote in his personal blog about the situation in Sudan. The Sudan Government didn't appreciate this entry.
Now he is persona non grata and has some days to leave the country.

It's expected that he'll arrive in New york for deliberation with Kofi Annan on Tuesday October 24.

no news? No Sunday edition.

We don't have a newspaper with a Sunday edition. All the countries around us do have one.

Maybe it's the moral of the protestant church which poisoned our minds for centuries. It's still in our country laws. Shops aren't allowed to be opened is the owner wants to be opened.

In the Summer there was a dispute in the city council because a little bookstore close to a touristic attraction was open on a Sunday . It sell postcards and souvenirs. Can you imagine?

It means we are not a truly secular state. Why do we (or Europe) critize Turkey for their non-secularity? As I said Holland isn't really, Greece isn't secular at all. And what to think about Italy and Spain?

newspaper cover: Dutch leading supermarket stops pricewar

The Dutch marketleader in the food segment is intending to stop the 3 years old pricewar to get a better share of the total market.

The marketleader was a little to expensive and aimed at quality. The competitors have reached their limits. Some had to sell some stores, others went bankrupt. The next move will possible be a price rise. At the end the consumer will pay the bill.
Another article, even more important considered the length of the story and the impact on the world is about Iran. It says, "Iran will talk with the US, but from a strong position."

newspaper cover: US strategy in Bagdad fails

US strategy in Baghdad fails; Us army admits failure in the streets of Baghdad.
The operation Together Forward has not met the overall expectations in sustaining a reduction in the level of violence. Instead violence increased with 22% in the last 3 weeks Major General William Caldwell said.

According to White house spokesman Tony Snow there is an increasing violence because the insurgents possibly want to have an influence on the US congressional elections.

Think it all over. Is it really a matter of possible influence on US elections in November '06? Or has it to do with the growing civil war. Now it's Baghdad, Basra, Mosul were the suicide bombers hit their targets. There might be other explanations.


I forgot the Thursday headline: Berlin moves to Moscow in new Ostpolitik.
Germany (new chairman of the European Union) wants to get better relations with Russia mainly to secure energy supplies from Russia. It's very delicate because former border states have huge problems with Russia. Also Russia is not considered a democratic country.

Newspaper cover - crisis in Seoul: how do we get a job?

The 5 columns wide article "crisis in Seoul" is about the nuclear dispute between N-Korea and the rest of the world and the reaction of the South Korean people om it. The elderly people in the South criticize the North but are not afraid of the treat from the north. Students in the south don't think there will be an armed conflict. Though one student from the border is afraid of North-Korea.

Kim Kyung-Won (34) was a soldier in the militarized zone along the border with the brother nation.
He tells that in the army you be indoctrinated and become another human. As soon as you get out of the army you change back in no time, he said.
He and his girl think that the relation between both countries must be built up again. "We are one people. There is no reason to be afraid of you own northern brothers.", Kim says

Newspaper cover - China's N-Korean border

On the cover tonight a picture of a Chinese farmer cycling along the border with North Korea. The border is strengthened with concrete palisades and barbed wire to stop possible refugees.

As I have seen in East Berlin it won't help. If people want to fly out of the country they succeed. The measures on the photograph mean nothing for real refugees.

Newspaper cover - history map

In the coming weeks..... going to the general elections on November 22 I'll read the newspaper more often.
I think my entries in this blog will start with headline of the newspaper of that day.

Today it's a 4 columns wide headline about the rent-charge of the Netherlands which doesn't want to be a law.
Our Government has the idea that youngsters don't know history anymore. To change that a Governmental Committee has made a map with pictures for a view on the history of the Netherlands in 50 images.
It should guarantee a common knowledge of history and culture among all Dutch.
It starts with the megalithic chamered tombs in the North East and goes via Erasmus to the VOC, slavery, Napoleon, Rietveld, the great depression, Anne Frank, Annie M.G. Schmidt, the discovery of a large gasreserve to the introduction of the European Euro.

This rent-charge (according to my dictionary) will be discussed I'm sure because many important historical events are not on the map. That's why it ought not to be a law.

Dinner

In the previous post I read something about task groups. That remembers me I got a task to do tomorrow. It's been weekend and I pushed it away as far as possible.

Last Thursday we had a dinner in a restaurant on occasion of a colleague's 25 years duty. According to some people I ate to much. I didn't say much and when I don't talk the food must be good. Friday my co-worker remembered me of my appetite the day before.

This weekend I had another long bike ride. It went okay till after the hills I could easily go with the riders. But then while eating a banana I lost contact with them. I cycled 30 kilometers back home alone.

Working

Tomorrow I'm off, meaning three days being not at the office. Okay, this week was one of getting soaked. September was over and the weather changed dramatically. Day's of thunder and rain, some sunshine too, but mainly rain when I wanted to go home or go to work. Some like days like these. October being the best month? When it's dry and not windy then the it can be nice outside, nature might be beautiful. Almost rewinding May. But this week, with the bad air-conditioning at work, the wetness outside, it was a lost week.

But I was able to cycle after work. It was the coldest ride in 6 months and it was dark early. Pity that the summery days are over. Next Sunday I'll cycle again. In fair weather hopefully.

My co worker has had a telephone call this morning. his son broke his wrist. He should come home to take his child to hospital. It happened in the gym at school. Doesn't bear school the responibility for the child taking him to a hospital?

On the other side work wasn't bad at all. In the silent room, for the 5 of us, we could work with no disturbance. That means continuing work.
As we are all doing our utmost in task groups for the next new task we have to do from January 2007. It's a little bit of chaos in the department. Nevertheless, a friendly chaos. Almost every second week we have an informational -top down- consult of our manager.
I said that we could do with less and proposed once a month and mentioned that the expected return might be lower than expected. Much of the information could be emailed. Also 30 to 40 men is to much in a meeting. We got to split it up and let mutual arrangements do the work. Later, bigger arrangements can be made with delegates of the different task groups. Finally I got an opinion!
I didn't tell that the form we use in these deliberations now is so paternalistic.

photo's

Matters

In my previous post I wrote about the air conditioning system at work. Well, at my workplace the climate is almost okay. (22 degrees C and no wind) But other colleagues complain a lot about the coldness and "windiness". The building is a sick one, I can tell you that.
The department which facilitates us does great work concerning customer relations. The responsible man advised a lady to take off her shirt when it's to warm or put on a jacket with the cold (!!!) That can't be serious, sexual harassment?

Of more importance is the Dutch election in 2 months. All the parties have made up their candidates list.
Some people on the lists have Turkish roots. Talking about the genocide among the Armenian minority in the early 20th century (500,000-1,000,000 Armenians were killed by Turks) the candidates denied the genocide. In the Netherlands we think the genocide took place. Now the 3 candidates were members of parties which accept the genocide as a fact. Denial would be not accepting the parties point of view. Than it's better not to be on the candidates list. So, the 3 candidates withdrew.

Turkey protested, saying that people in the Netherlands aren't free. Of course that is ridicule. Dutch Turks may think, say, the genocide didn't happen, but if you are on a party list other people can say if your opinion is adequate. For these 3 people it isn't.
Turkey still denies the manslaughter on the Armenians in the 21th century. It's a huge subject over there. Writers who say it happened can be jailed for years. Is that freedom of speech?

new office

What a day. Outside temperature was below 20 Celsius. But inside in the air-conditioned space temperature was above 25 degrees Celsius.
I almost exploded to the responsible man, who seems to me minimizing the problem.
That man told me the airconditioner is based on a temperature of 23 degrees! What does this man think? That we are old people living in a old people's home doing old people's things?

He got angry cauze I phoned him instead being informed by my co-worker. He told that maybe on the old address we could do it otherwise but on the new address I got to follow the line. Just bullshit I told him. But now I hope temperature remains high so the rest of the week the temperature measurements will prove we're right. Average temperature 24 degrees!

safe as safe can be

surfing blog I found this YouTube video.

Other pictures of a cycle tour

Cycling from Utrecht along the river Vecht to Breukelen. Passing the A2 highway at Nieuwer ter Aa. Traffic jams are common at that spot. Much freight trucks on the road. Wonder why the waterways aren't used more often. Plenty of space.
In Vinkeveen is a lot of water, an ideal habitat for dinosaurs. That's why a lot of the Dutch rich have a house on the lakes of Vinkeveen.
On the horizon you can see the skyline of Amsterdam and you hear the airplanes leaving or coming to Schiphol.
After that it was time to find a way back home. I had a quick meal in Breukelen and made the first autumn pictures of the tree bathing in the sunset light. In Utrecht a late 19th century warehouse and a factory of the same period was picturezed.

Plenty to write about

First I saw a documentary on National Geographic about the need of water for civilisations. People depend on water, that was proven by archeology again. An Italian excavator was working in a Kazakhstan (former Russian republic) dessert on lost cities. The reporter who visited saw the excavation as a prelude for his report about lake Aral. Everyone should know that the lake is getting smaller and smaller due to the fact that less water goes in because Russia altered the flow of the rivers feeding the lake. The Aral still has an island in it which was a test facility for chemical and biological warfare of the Soviet Union. It's all contaminated and an easy place to get some antrax. It's there and nobody cleanes the place. All extremists can go there. So Richard Branson, why not a few billions for cleaning up that place next to your gift fighting global warming?

His $3bn donation will be "invested in schemes to develop new renewable energy technologies, through an investment unit called Virgin Fuels." (see the link)
Okay, it is a meaningful gesture to the energy entrepreneurs, such as the old oil industry of the Bush dynasty to change course, direction. If one person can do this, a nation can certainly do more. Come on world. Let the funds for new energy resources grow.

Today the Schiphol-detention-burning report has been made public. 11 People died in that fire. It appeared that the authorities are to blame for it. As many people thaught they were.
Today, 2 ministers and a local mayor resigned because they had the final responsability. It is much to late (11 months) and to easy. In all the previous months they didn't want to take responsability and debate about it(esp. the 2 min.) And with the final conclusion they say they can't debate about it because the report makes clear they can't stay.
What did the 2 ministers do in the last 11 months?

Today was also the last day in the office where I stayed 3 years. Tomorrow and the weekend we move to the new (old) building, where we left 3 years ago. So we packed our stuff and start Monday at 8.15 am in the new office, which seems to be even a little beter than the one we left today.

After work I cycled a little a took some pictures of Breukelen. For the Newyorkers it might be known. Some say Brooklyn is named after the Dutch village.
Breukelen is a village on the river Vecht and it has only one bridge to cross the river. Well, I took some pictures, look for yourself

The difference

On November 22 the Dutch can vote for a new House of Representatives, which is divided in a few wings of political parties.
You can imagine so many things about which the election in November 2006 should go (about?).

You can make the old age state pension an important item. It can be seen as an insurance, in my opinion it's not. Gradually it should be abolished. More and more people build up an own pension.

The health care is an important item. It's about quality and quantity of care in hospitals, old age homes, nursing homes. What quality of living can people be guaranteed? Is there enough care for old people in the future? Will there be enough workforce in health care in the future? What about hospitalization? Will quality be guaranteed? Will there be enough hands on the bed? Measures have to be taken.

It all comes together with the ageing people and education of youngsters.
The Netherlands should spend more on the educational budget. Workforce productivity should be increased by putting more money in it. Who dares that. Left will be the big spender, right will be the opportunist if they put money in it.

Or should the election go about the Islam, the religion that can't reason and uses the scimitar to spread their thought according to a Byzantium emperor from the 14th century AD, on a wicked moment brought up again by someone who might be a German in-between pope.

No, maybe it's the pope's criticism on the video-release, or suicide-bomber message of our Samir A.
The street rebel who doesn't speak Dutch, but makes Arabic sound like double Dutch. He says and I quote the Dutch newspaper NRC, "Every voter is guilty. That is the basis of democracy."
(guilty of the trouble in the middle east, because the government supports Bush and NATO)

Isn't that the reverse world of the Samir A.'s of this world? Some parties had a lack of votes because their voters didn't show up massively.
Everyone who doesn't vote is guilty because he failed to use the possibility to alter the ratio between the parties. That is the basis of democracy in 2006.

In the USA there was a tie in Florida, a recount was demanded. After that the Bush-supporters won on close call. It might have been a little stupid of the anti-Bush supporters not to vote for the democrats.
The few missing votes of those days make a huge difference nowadays.

spider without a net

my spider

Afghanistan a new Atlantis?

First we got some remarkable late summery days. After September 7 temperature higher than 25 degrees C. remembers about the Indian summer of 2005. Greenhouse effect? No, human kind can use another conspiracy-theory.

It's the 10th now. Tomorrow the twin assaults will be remembered. The whole world will think about the impact of it. Of course it made obvious that not everyone is happy with the continuing globalization. Some people don't want to be part of it.
I can't blame them. It's the religion you see.

I'm sorry for them, but it's hard not to be part of the process of globalization. I wrote about it in previous logs. The EU doesn't allow countries to export to the EU. The EU sets high tariff walls on goods (incl. life stock and plants) and people.
Not to mention the tariffs wars between the so called developed countries, or monopolies of some companies or whole industries.

I started reading Atlantiss of david Gibbins. (2005, Headline book publishing, paperback) Another could-have-happened story. It starts with the excavation of a mummy from 2600/2500 years ago.
That mummy was wrapped in papyrus. On it the Greek word Atlantis. That's the start.

It seems not to be like the 3 books Dan Brown wrote. Atlantis isn't a page turner.

A thought of mine is that it's a pity that religion has not many progressive men in it's organization. The lack of progress makes people stay behind. I can see it in the cities compared with the countryside where everything remains the same, especially in the religious area's. People have different opinions. In the 50's of the 20th century it was a real areal difference. Nowadays the opinion differs from person to person. Opinions became stand alone opinions. Especially those opinions which are a threat for progress.
In countries like Afghanistan the people are in the areal phase. They feel strong and any attack (or presence) from the outside world will be answered by violence, their only voice comes from the past. It's a long way to make any progress.

I hope the best for the Dutch Military force over there.
Don't let Afghanistan be a new Atlantis.

being watched by secret service

It may be normal that since my contact with Ocean I have more Iranian readers. I think it's funny because I really don't know the person behind the viewers.
They might be anxious and curious to know how life is in Europe, or with who my contact in the United States is dealing with. Just someone from Iranian University or a integer colleague of the Iranian Government!
It could also be not curiosity, but professionality. The person might be a secret service employee!
It could be anyone. A mother in law? Who knows.

But let me tell you about a short discussion on my work this afternoon. It started with the JFK murder and the conspiracy theory. The real murderer has been jailed and he told in 1994 he killed JFK. For what it 's worth.
The discussion jumped to the Twin Towers and the conspiracy theory about 911.
My colleagues can't believe Bush ordered that assault. And the plane that crashed in the Pentagon, where are it's wings on moment of crashing into the building?
What about the plane that crashed in the field after a struggle between passengers and the hijackers, where are the motors?
Questions that are asked by criticasters of the inquiry.

Than we jumped to women that wear those scarfs. I saw a picture in the paper of a muslima in a special bathing suit for muslimwomen. Seeing that I said that it didn't suit because of the muslimrules. Women are not allowed to show their bodylines. A female colleagues got very angry on muslimmen. They are the problem for women to be free.
She named countries like Pakistan, Saoudi Arabia and Iran. No not Iran I said, Iran is quite developed. Tonight I'm not sure however.
But we all know the student in my office so time ago who wore a headscarf too and a colleague told about a Muslim colleague he saw again complete with headscarf. Why do they wear those scarfs. Mainly because of the men in their part of society. They are watched. If not by their brothers then by other relatives.


So, I'm gonna watch the football game Holland- Bela Russia.

61 years after the war.

It's funny how in one way some great events in my life can be linked to the Second World War.

It started with my place of birth in the middle of nowhere. The village where I was born played an important role in hiding people from Germans. The village got a Yad Vashem award from Israel. The street I was born in carried and still carries the name of the leader of the regional resistance, Johannes Post.

Later I lived in Westerbork, a village which name only makes people shiver. From the concentration camp in the fields near Westerbork men were deported to Germany. We all know nowadays what happened there until 1945.
35 Years later I cycled a couple of years through those fields, nowadays partly forest, and could smell the odour of history. The same air Anne Frank breath so many years ago.
Nowadays we're looking at the stars.

Discovery of heaven, but actually a monument.

One day on my way to school I was hit by a car driven by a man called Speelman. That brings me back to the war because not a few Speelman's were transported via Westerbork to Germany. It makes me feel sad.

In 1988 I visited Israel where my sister volunteered in a kibbutz. I had a spring-break and made it a working-holiday. Visiting many place which the primary school teacher, mr. Dolman, in my place of birth, told about in his biblical lessons 8 years before.

And even nowadays, when I travel to my parents in the north by train, I use the same track which carried deported people from the west of The Netherlands to Westerbork and further to Auschwitz, Mauthausen, Bergen-Belsen, Sobibor, Theresienstad.

I could tell you more links with the war but than it would be like Zwartboek the movie of Paul Verhoeven. Sometimes it's difficult to keep one's word. But I am not a traitor.

time

Yeah I'm back in the saddle of my 'bisikkel'.... It feels good to ride again with the group of 20 or somethin'.
The last 20 days didn't feel good. First of all my bike had pain, secondly I had pain and thirdly the rain showers after the July heath were extraordinary.
Today the yearly time trial was planned and my 10th time wasn't bad. Okay I was slower than last year. It doesn't matter, next year I have something to beat.

Yesterday my mother called. She doesn't know what to do with her possible retirement in 8 months or work another two years. It's a decision which could have financial and emotional consequences. I don't know whether she overlooked it thoroughly.

A colleague told me that without work his life would be very different. A week off is enough for him, then he likes to get back to work.

He told me what he did last week as work for his church. He was witness of clearing 80 graves on the graveyard. They were 40 to 50 years old. All that's left are bones, but in maybe these are the first graves with people who had clothing which hardly decomposes. So he saw bones with white socks still on. Well, have a strong stomach.

And as time ticks further New York will have it's own automatic where you can get food out of the wall. Just put 1,2 dollar in the holder, turn the holder and get the food. We have done it for years already in the Netherlands. Come and try it in Amsterdam.


On the long run you cannot win from the ticking time...

Take care anyone

a relief

What do you do when you read your father is death?
It came by surprise because I don't have any contact with him. It's a shock.
A read a small line on an internet genealogy page where my mothers and fathers name were on. But after my fathers name stood that he passed away. I felt a little uncomfortable. I looked on the net for an adress and telephonenumber of his hote/B&B (he owns it) and called it. I was relieved when I heard his voice.

Never trust information on the internet after checking it.

weather

6 weeks later

A month ago I wrote about the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The title I used "the irony of war is that you can win it" revaels itself to me now.
Isn't it strange that both parties say they either won it (Hezbollah) or reached their goals (Israel).
Every party is happy, but what about the cost of life on both sides. More than 1,000 Lebanese died and less than 200 Isreali's were killed. Most of them were civilians.

As long as parties have something to fight for it may cost lifes of civilians... they always bend a wrong result into a positive story. That is why Hezbollah won the war and Israel reached it's goals.
Both parties stories are questionable.

And what now? Does the UN have to go to that no-men's area, and be there as lame ducks?
France seems to be experienced there and actually other countries who have been in Unifil too.
I think the vacuum there isn't good at all. Hezbollah exists with the help of Iran... that must stop. Deplug Hezbollah and install an UN peace corps on short notice. I hope the Netherlands will also contribute.

dating

In the last weeks I'm seriously looking for a girl... but it's on the Internet. Those dating sites you know. A few years ago I had an account with lexa, one of the datingsites. 20 days ago I had the possibility to try this account for a week.
The quality isn't really bad. It's the quantity I heard from some contacts I've made. Too much reactions.

It remains with contact via MSN. I didn't make an appointment till now. So that's disappointing.
But is it really disappointing? I think that I just don't work hard enough having a date. It isn't a large disappointment actually.
Internet dating is really the easy way out and what do you get that way? Right, not the best there is. However I can always try.

fire

Some people like it.
For the 2nd time in 10 years there was a fire in Hoogkerk.
The smoke came to Assen, 25 kilometer south.
Funny thing is that it told my mother where the fire was and to close the windows.
And I'm 200 kilometer south of the source.

Fysically, mentally and chemically

Of course the previous post is naive and cynical.
If the world stood still there wouldn't be any war. When there were no humans there would be no war.
No war on this planet is an illusion. And when war is over generations later feel the negative consequences a Norwegian survey learned.
The wars of today are the wars of my grand-children. They have a stake in the upbringing of all today's and tomorrows kids. If it's not fysically or mentally, it's chemically.

If my recollection is right a researcher discovered by accident in a tiny little village kept away in the mountains in Norway that malnutrition in the youth of the grandparent cause problems with their grandchildren.

Blogging for peace

Maybe we come to a solution for world-peace when every single person on this earth who could have access to a PC with Internet connection sits behind it and starts a blog about world-peace.
The person will be busy with it all day. Why? Because all day long he (not necessarily a he) thinks about what will be in his blog at the end of the day. So no time for shooting and no time for bombing!

But actually more and more blog write about war, being in it, observing it.
Look on the side bar at
Hnk's blog and aunt Naima.

The fastness of darkness

Check in at 8 pm GMT and discover how slow the sun sets in Holland

http://www.knmi.nl/webcam/cgi-bin/webcamloop3.cgi?duration=7260

---

heath

Climate change is a factor in international affairs nowadays.
More and more we realize that increasing temperatures are a prelude for what is coming. Maybe more specific is it to say that temperatures show more fluctuation tending to be higher.

Some newsgroups deny it. People can point at regions where temperature has dropped, where summers were actually colder than normally. That's why I am more specific.

In Europe we have a heath wave which is in the Netherlands extraordinary. It never happened that July gave 9 day's higher than 30 degrees C. There are 9 days left and the temperatures will remain high. Also the average temperature is high and probably will be higher than record month July 1994.

I'm not sitting on my balcony because it's to hot. I let the wind go through my house but it doesn't get any cooler. The short rain shower this afternoon was good. It didn't bring cooler air however.

Last week temperature even topped the 35 degrees. Let me tell you that I took my bicycle for a bike ride in the evening. After 40 k or so I was back home. It was to warm to ride.

Last night I did the same race on a later moment. When I arrived at the racing track I saw that the sun had set the grass and trees along the track on fire. The fire-brigade came and put out the fire.
I saw a new fire and put it out with sand. A second fire engine arrived moments later. They could do nothing else than put some water over the fire place.

While writing this I see a parallel with the fire place called earth.
The middle east; set on fire again, Israel-Lebanon
Somalia; the tone of war against Ethiopia.
Hateful tongues of demonstrators tell nothing but war rhetoric.
Those hateful tongues don't do anything to extinguish the fire.
Bury the fire under the sand of voices telling that we don't want another war, just peace.

The irony of war is that you can win it

When it is a game, the score is Israel 224 Lebanon 21 in human sacrifices.
It could be David against Goliath. And this time David isn't an Israelite.

World do something about it!

China hasn't a role in it. It treasures it's unbelievable 2nd quarter growth of 11%.
The G8 can't come hardly to a compromise. And as most compromises are soft, Israel can go on to ruin Lebanon.
Stop Hizbullah and Hamas not the Palestinian and Lebanese people!

But as a friend said, when you clean the mess, you'll get dirty.

Israelli sourbroth

At least 200 death civilians on Lebanese side, 15 on Israel side.
And they're onnly half way according an Israeli source.
Israel can go on fighting Hizbullah (meaning destroying Lebanon) until the end of this week before public opinion is really against Israel.

Israel will use this week to slaugter a people without sanctions according to a spokesman. What a cowards in their Parliament did the Israelites choose.

I never wish them a war of 80 years like the Netherlands had against Spain.

- maybe I got to change some things, will be updated-

What a war!!

photo AP
Or is it child's play. The north of Israel and the south of Lebanon as a playground for overaged children.

Monstertour

In the last post I dreamt about a monstertour to the north.
Today was the day I did it.

Starting at 9.35 am and finishing at 10.05 pm, I cycled for 10 hours and 20 minutes today. The distance? 243 k I believe. I never did that on a racing bike.

After 40 k I reached Amesterdam. A lot of people were running in the park along the Ei (a historical place because here the river mouthed into the Southern sea)
I easily went along Durgerdam, Holysloot and Marken.


In Enkhuizen I had cycled 120 k when I reached the road through lake Ijssel and lake Marken The picture is what I saw flying over this dike in 2004. You can can see that even the colour of the water is different.

After 160 k I was sick of being stuck in Lelystad (built on the bottem of the sea), a town with a 70's infrastructure.
You never can find your way in these kind of towns. It took me a lot of time. (Amsterdam is better, if you stay on the mainroads)

But I made it to Harderwijk (back on the old land). From there it was easy to get back home. (in the meantime I discovered a bypass aroud Amersfoort).

It was very windy and the temperature was good (around 25 C) So I can't complain.

dreaming

I'm longing for next weekend. Why, I never have that feeling before Thursday. Maybe because the 4 weeks off were good? Then the holiday did it's work, however I didn't forget my passwords and that's often an indication how far away work was in my holiday. So obviously not far enough!

So maybe that's why longing for next weekend. Nothing special will happen then, the weather will be fine, excellent weather to make a monstertour to the north on my racing-bike. Never did that on a racing-bike actually. Okay, I'm dreaming. The Tour de France is still going on in my head.


Not this way.

great voice

Listen

jobtalk

Thursday the office had a farewell party on the terrace of a local pub. The picnic in a park was cancelled due to bad weather expectations. It wasn't necessary to cancel the picnic because the weather was fine and every one had the mood to go to the park.
Okay in the pub we had lemonade, fresh beer and -bitter balls-. (How to translate that?) And the colleagues and I enjoyed it. 4 Hours later we all wished our colleague good luck in his career.

Friday was a quiet day. It was day many people were off. So on the islands in our office it looked like every one was stranded on an uninhabited island.

At the end of the day I had a conversation with our interim manager. He has talked with every one except me and another colleague. The im. wanted to know what kind people he has to deal with. He asked about my education, how I got my job, what my attitude is in this job, what I want to achieve and what I think is positive and negative in this organization.

Well to say something about the last thing mentioned. I have a feeling (especially now, a week after my holiday) that the department is devided in 3 factions. There are changes before the end of the year and that creates tensions.
For example the workhours registration. One coordinator is right on top of it, controlling everything. The other coordinator has a more control attitude. While in the third group the responsibility is for the employee himself. It will not really be checked. If there are irregularities you got to talk yourself out of it and some registration is clever.
I only told him some global worries.

I didn't give him an example of how the atmosphere is poissonned at the moment. Like the way a coordinator talks about an employee. Confidencial information and the way he talks about it.

Maybe I am wrong but if the spiral is down then some people will resign when they're offered a better job.

Some photo's, under which my holiday.

first day at the office.

Everything is obviously the same at work.

Looking a little closer things have changed.
First of all, we got an interim boss. He spoke every employee exept me. Some things will change immediately. There are taskgroups for the changing workload. They must explore the change for our office.

Our office will move to another building, in other words back from were we come from. Hopefully we got a better atmospere. One taskforce prepares the removal and makes plans for our needs in the new building. October 1 will be the day.

Also one colleague will leave this week so thursday is a party. When the weather is fine it will be in a park. Great.... we just have a dutch heath wave.

Wanted, a rectification

A few day's ago there were suddenly 22 readers of my blogspot page... how come?
I learned that Caren, the famous writer of several books wrote about my post of that day.

Caren you exaggerated. I didn't lose my ID or identity (card). If so it was worse and my cycletour was definitely over.

In Portsmouth I almost bought a book of Caren. In Ottakar's bookstore they could find it and I couldn't remember the title and full writer's name.

bye bye cabinet and vacation

What a day, the last day of my vacation and the cabinet resigns. Which has no relation as you know.

It started with the Ayaan Hirsi Ali case. Our Minister of stranger affairs and immigration (translation) denials Ali the citizenship she became 5 years ago. Then she investigates the mater and concludes she was wrong. Ali lied only about her age and not about her surname.

That doesn't matter for her citizenship.
Ali only had to write a letter in which she should state she also will be known as Ayaan Hirsi Ali in the future. To satisfy the minister she should excuse herself in the letter.

The last sentence was one action to much. With this the minister blames Ali for everything while the minister made some mistakes too. Ali had no choice to sign the letter under presure. This was the last straw. The minister should resign. There was no more confidence in minister Verdonk.
One party who had no more confidence had also 2 ministers in the cabinet and as a result of this lack of confidence of the party both ministers resigned.

This left the cabinet without a mayority. The prime minister offered his resignation to the queen of the Netherlands. And now it's a question what will happen.
A continuation of policy and the minister who should resign stays in the cabinet?
This should not be appropriate.

One thing is sure election will be earlier than May 2007

Of course I've been on a cycletour from my house to Great Britain, France, Belgium and then home again, 20 days. Seen a lot, meet some interesting people and cycled a long distance.

Just say hello.

Hello everybody,

I learned that everybodies trip/holiday was okay, so was mine.

Every vacation you learn new things. (which you might have been forgotten before the next holiday, or when you need that experience)

So this vacation I learned that the French police isn't very polite when you want to register loss of a wallet with bankcard and creditcard and you don't have any money at all. So I learned to divide passes and money over my luggage.
The way to get money when you don't have any isn't easy.

Asking fellow Dutchmen for some money (I got to drink, eat) learns how life can be when there is no trust. After a night at a campsite without food, € 10,= was all a family would give. I'll pay back as soon as I can. € 20,=, with thanks for the trust.
A Dutch woman in the Office du Tourisme of Le Treport would let me phone with the Dutch Embassy. The embassy could give me some phonenumbers to call to block the passes.

It took me a visit to again the police, practically all peasants.
(who speak no other language than french. The younger generation in their 30's have a better understanding of foreing languages)

The Ville de Marie had a better idea of the problem and I could phone again with the Dutch Embassy. The could tell me now that I could easily get money by a Western Union moneytranfer from a postoffice in Holland to a local La Poste in France. With a code which I got from the sender in Holland I got money from the postoffice in France.

This is the best possible way to get money. Sending an ERC card by Mastercard was a fiasco. I gave them the number of the hotel where I could be called. But mastercard thought that the number was incorrect, when they didn't get me immediately. What a bug organization is mastercard anyway.

Later I learned that Mastercard tried to reach me at the French hotel but the hotel employee would not give any information about guests.

I got money thanks to Western Union.

HI

TEST
JAN

This was probably a mistake.

Links

http://www.brittany-ferries.co.uk

http://www.stenaline.nl/

deli

So I had my evening meal. A delicious salad (I don't know the name of the dressing, see last picture), with a kind of steak.
After that I booked my trip to the UK, sailing at 7.20 am

butterfly feelings

Last vacation I cycled about 1,600 kilometers in 18 days. I don't know what next vacation will bring because of so many circumstances. Every trip is different and this vacation will be special.
Cycling on the other side of the road, heavy traffic, the Worldcup Football and other things. Think about the original fish & chips, delicious bakery products. And I can eat it all, because I burn it all.... food it's an energy source.

I can feel the butterflies in my stomach. It's going on within 2 weeks. And still some things to do.

A special offer......

Our Minister of Integration and foreigner policies, Rita Verdonk, sent away Ayaan Hirsi Ali.
Ayaan is a MP of the Netherlands but she has no legal permit to be a Dutch citizenship according to Verdonk. This means Ayaan is an illegal MP, which she is for 3 years now. According to Verdonk she has no right because of the law. But she forgets things like the justification to be Dutch and the fact that she is almost Dutch for 9 years. Only because Ayaan lied about her birthday and full name when she got an asylum A-status (the highest in rank) in 1992 the naturalization in 1997 wasn't legal.
That is a falsification of the truth. Ayaan was known from 1992 on as Ayaan, daughter of Hirsi son of Ali. Under that name she was known. This very name is important for naturalization, because you must give the name under which you are known. And she gave the name everybody knew her.
That she lied (lies about her age and last name) in a previous stadium, when she entered the Netherlands, doesn't matter.

It is sad that we just give away a pearl of civilization, of democrazy. She uses her voice to express herself.
I don't agree with all she says but you got to respect her and that Verdonk doesn't with her ruthless behaviour against Ayaan Hirschi Ali.

Now Ayaan will have to leave the country and like in the 1700's the rejected people went to Holland, she will now seek a podium in the United States. And probably she got one with the think tank of the conservatives.
So the Netherlands got a special offer, handle with care please!

Big world

Today, May 14, my niece has her 10th birthday. Congrats Leila. I really don't know anything about her. Only what I've heard from her grandmother (that's my mother).
She's a little girl from 2 worlds, with a North African and Dutch background, just like her little brother and sister.

She is doing great at school having a great interest in everything which has to do with the dividance of rich and poor, the allocation of wealth and Warchild. A foundation that focusses on the well being of children in warzones.
These are big things where children deal with nowadays.

From the left, Jaliwa and Leila

preparation

Momentarily the holiday-season preparations start for a lot of people. Some book in advance to make sure they can stay at their favorite resort. Others go on the good luck a traveller often has, thinking nothing can happen to me, au bonne voie. In my youth we often travelled that way. Often the car has a breakdown or we found ourselves in hospitals with a broken ankle. But we went on and had a "terrific" holiday. It depends on who describes the holiday.
As member of a broken family I always have had the difficulty to be loyal to one part of the family. My loyality was diverted in some way. It wasn't often a terrific vacation.

And those vacation didn't come until the last couple of years.
I discoverd biking as the ultimate vacation tool for me.
Years ago I bought a bike and Friday I got a new one. The first one on the picture.



Actually I'm thinking where to go exactly. Calais-Dover for a start, then the south of England, Exeter, Stonehenge, Land's End? I'm thinking.... anybody fresh ideas?

Easy way out

a free dolphin on liberationday (May 5)









Water always seeks a way with the least resistance. In that way it can't be seen as a mirror of life. Life doesn't.
Do you know the riddle how water can pass a whole mountain range, like the Rocky Mountains, Himalaya or Alps?

Water just waits on the foot of the range to be dampened, to rise as fog, become a cloud and fall as rain on the other side of the range. It's the easy way... Most men don't. They do it the difficult way and make mistakes and will learn from it. Water doesn't, it just takes time.

Taking time to reach goals in life is what we can learn from water.
But that remains the easy way out.

changing rules

In the Netherlands we had a national holiday. Actually it should be today, April 30 is queensday or the birthday of the previous queen. But not today. It's a Sunday and on Sunday's we can't celebrate. That's the opinion of christians and the christian politicians.

I think that is something to be ashamed of. This year it's a Sunday, next year a Monday. This society, our society, says it is a nation with seperation of politics and religion. I don't understand. We always tell others what to do, how to act. But what about ourselves?

I often cycle on the cycle tracks in town. People should not walk on the cycletrack because cyclists can't go any ware, I always say to myself.
Until yesterday. I walked on the cycle track when 6 cyclist rang their bells. I jumped on the pavement and shouted that the road was empty on this day.
Maybe I was wrong. What I want to say is that people change rules when it's their profit. That is politics... it's all about changing rules.

Easter-easy

From Easter last week until I had a busy week. Maybe it's escapism in my job, because there are many things to do; got to plan my vacation, got to clean my old vacation bike, (the new one is planned to come here at the end of May). But I only make hours at work.

My headache has gone but I have to be careful...
In my sleep I thought I feel a slight epileptic attack. It's like my body shivers, but not from cold. It doesn't last long, only a second or a fraction of it.
My muscles feel good again. I could race again tomorrow but I don't trust my bike.
Rationally, the best remedy is to cycle again. The question is, what if? Hesitating isn't good. It gives a bad feeling.

Maybe the stars and the moon are in a bad position for me these days, I am a fish so I depend much on the tide...;) This weekend I'll take it easy and will do some easy things.

still dizzy

Today is a Sunday. After a busy Saterday, I feel a setback. I watched some cycling on tv instead of cycling the 180 k myself with the riders. Well, there are other chances. I remember last year I fell in April too, but after that fall I had one of the best seasons so far.
Hopefully I'll be back next Wednesday. And maybe I'm going for a ride tomorrow.
Talking about tomorrow; The Utrecht marathon will pass my house at the 8.4 k point.
So I expect the first runner after 33 minutes from start. I hope for nice weather in the morning with some clouds and sun, then I will shoot some pictures.

I got a new wheel right now, maybe I can experience it and if it's a good one I can decide it I want a new one, much like the old original one. Other cyclists of the Ledig Erf often got spare wheels. (the cafe where we group, click on the link it is a 360 degree panorama)
Well, it's dinner time by now. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Good Friday

Some people need a manual to get things done in the way how it should be according to them. Sometimes I need a manual too. For example how to ride a bike.
Friday at 7 pm I was almost home when I collided with someone from the opposite direction. I don't remember what happened immediately after the collision. Luckily the other person and I were okay. I had however "huge" material damage and couldn't go any further on my bike.
Luckily I was close to my house and had to carry my bicycle over my shoulder back home.

Today the repair shop told me the wheel could be repaired but that would be 10 days waiting. A new wheel was piled up so I took that one, for even a lower price. (quality is less) But now I feel the collision in my head. So definitely I won't be cycling tomorrow. Also I bit my tongue.

Happy Easter everyone

manuels

Persons in great need of a manual;
- Pm of Italy, Berlusconi, needs one -how to win an election- when it comes to a close call. (hint; the one written by G.W. Bush?);
- Pm of Iran, Ahmadinejad, needs one -how to produce enriched uranium- especially the chapter producing on industrial scale;
- Pm of the Netherlands, Balkenende, needs one - how to safe your face abroad- on dealing with questions on accepting gay-marriage in the Netherlands;
- Pm of Great-Brittain, Blair, needs one -how to find acceptance for plundering the public sector- (for the huge amount of 920 billion Euro on advisory fees).

To-do-list

What the to-do list is concerned, well, it's isn't any shorter. Maybe even longer because there are some more things to do.
So I got plans for a June-holiday to South-England and France. Crossing by boat the channel to St. Malo. Surfing the net for Weymouth, I found this site, about to friends who cycled une grande tour de France in 1953! That's great, mind that their material wasn't as good as we do have now. The tour was cycled again 50 years later by one daughter.
That is history I like.
One thing of the to-do-list I did, I cycled almost 4 hours.
My condition is compared with last year down with 7.5 hours cycling-time, that's about 200 kilometer which isn't bad at all.

busy week

Finally the working week has come to an end. In fact, it's weekend right now. I got some things to do just like last weekend. But then I became a little ill. Monday I stayed home, Tuesday till Friday I worked. I got better but don't ask how.

After work I did one important other thing from the do do list - buying Norton Internet Security, to feel more safe and comfortable.
Today I cancelled an appointment with the new landlord. I postponed it till next week (hopefully be better then to ask some sharp questions). There might be a possibility that I could buy my apartment. That's interesting because a year ago I asked the (previous) landlord if he would sell the house to me.
But actually I lost appetite in buying this house. Especially maintenance will be expensive.

This weekend I got to catch up a lot of sleep and kilometers. Next week (Easter Sunday, the "slow" cycling group is going to cycle 180 kilometers. It would be nice if I could be part of it.

I'm gonna get some hour of sleep, goodnight and so long.

no time

Hi, it's almost 8 pm still sunny and I have to cook myself a meal.
Because I was playing with my camera I forgot time a little.

So go for a look to fotothing were I got some of my stills. Today especially this one attracts me.

Some April 1 stills

Things to do and done

I got something to do this weekend: try to get better from that nasty cold I got last week.
No actually I want to look for some curtains in fresh colours for my living room and also I want to decide upon a new bike for vacation, a replacement of my 9 year old bike, which did over 30.000 kilometer right now.
Maybe in 10 weeks I'm on a holiday with that new bike.

Everybody, have a good weekend

Update:
I bought a new bike. It's a Snel (a brand), a customized bike. The scheduled delivery date is June 3 but I'll try to get a little pressure under that date. So hopefully the bike shop will get the bike together some weeks earlier

momentum

The cycling season has started actually. Last Wedneyday, 5 day's ago, I had my first tour with the bunch of fanatics. In cold weather conditions we cycled until the sun set. The wind made it a cold tour but fortunately we had no road accidents.
Yesterday I had the first tour with the regular Sunday cyclists. There where maybe 40 of them. So we said to eachother goodluck and hopefully the fierce wind wouldn't break us up on the riverdike. I didn't make it till the dike but turned after the first hills right back home. Next Sunday I'll be back...and cycle the whole tour of 80 kilometer.

Well, that where some day's in the past week. My total distance last week was about 180 k. I'll increase that. I have too because if one wants to cycle to England and France (Normandy in June), one has have to train. Just like I did last year.

Today was a normal working day. Payments and phonecalls with creditors.
And of course it was a Monday.
Normally I don't like these days because it's a lot chatting about the weekend about things that are often boring to talk about. (like football, you got to do it or watch it). Today however my colleague should be a day off and the others where either on vacation to Thailand, sick or to tired to work (yeah, it can happen too tired to work. Say the weekend was exhausting I need a week to recover). But my co-worker appeared on his work. Instead of a day off he decided to work and go home early.
And I thought that the Saints would please me with a day to work steadily on the things I ought to do. Not this time, maybe another day.

Last week was a momentum to get back on my bike and today I missed momentum to work.