All right Football then ...

Andorra away: always tough

To bring some distraction from our daily turmoil let's focus on sports. Let's focus on the elegant sport of Football (soccer to some out there).

Our national pride, the Dutch national team, Oranje, will bring joy and fame to our people by going head to head in the stadium of Barcelona against the infamous national team of Andorra...

The post will probably delayed for a day because the postman is playing left midfield. The baker is closed for the day because he is reserve goalie. The match could turn into a national disaster if the central defender gets injured as he is the only bus driver of the nation.

Orange can only loose tonight. Anything less than 10 to 0 would be considered a defeat. Conceding a goal against and they should not be allowed back into the country. But then again most of our national squad live and play abroad.

Just one more reminder:

Andorra away: always tough

Going Dutch has a new meaning ...

.. and it ain't nice.

Since the brutal killing of Theo van Gogh a lot of disgusting things have happened in our dear little country. We have seen attacks on Islamic schools, mosques and churches. All as reaction on the extremist, fundamentalist background of the killing of the not-so-subtle film maker. Then we have seen a day long siege of a house with a couple of suspected would-be terrorists.

Going Dutch (already with a negative meaning) has now a new and even worse meaning to it. The simple minded violent and racist/discriminatory reactions on the killing and these reactions are now the Dutch Way. That in a country that has been so tolerant throughout the ages. At least, that's what we try to convince ourselves of by repeating it over and over again. Death threats to politicians with outspoken opinions are conceived as something normal. Something that goes along with the job. Something they had coming. If they wouldn't have had such an outspoken opinion then they would not have been threatened!. It's their own bloody fault!

Well, this is the atmosphere that still exists. After all these years. We have been so tolerant (lax) that we have allowed sub cultures to grow and grow that defy all that we think is part of our heritage: freedom of speech, equal rights for women, homosexuals, Muslims, Christians, Jews and non-believers, our tolerance. We (the political correct, civilized society) have even disallowed people critizing these sub-cultures. We have allowed these group to live among us, but outside our rules and moral values.

This is what has come to. There is in our society a group that is so easily insulted because they have a low pain level for taking criticism. They see every remark as an attack on all Muslims and all mosques and Islamic organizations.

I know I am risking my life here when I say that the soft approach of the past decades have led to this and that we should now push harder for this group to become part of our society. To be able to accept criticism and also to conduct some internal self control. To accept and practice our constitution. That means equal rights for all: women, homosexuals, Jews, non-Islamics. That means learning our language. That also means that if they feel insulted that they take the legal route and not the violent route.

Let's try to be Dutch again.

The times they are a-changing ..

Bob Dylan was right, in a way. The times are definitely changing. Here, in the lovely, tiny country of Holland things have again changed dramatically. Last week a young guy has killed a Dutch filmmaker, Theo van Gogh, who had a very outspoken opinion and did not have the word 'subtle' in his dictionary. Yesterday he was cremated. Luckily he had his funeral all planned out in detail. This prevented hysterical scenes.

In the course of the last week many things have happened. The alleged killer is of Dutch-Moroccan background and the motive is extremist islamitic inspired. This has triggered a lot of reactions. Theo van Gogh has recently made picture about the treatment of women under the Islam. A quite explicit movie. This (and several not so subtle statements about the Islam) has angered a lot of people and death threats appeared on several web sites. His death now is seen by many as a direct attack on the Freedom of Speech. In a so called tolerant society this is something that caused a lot of outrage. Politicians and many others say that this needs to be stopped and that one should strike hard against extremism.

I agree with striking against extremism, but it sounds a bit too familiar. You're either with us or with the terrorists. Yes, we should act and we must act quick and with clear decisiveness. But we should also try to root out the cause of the problem. These extremist acts can be linked directly to the September 11 events and to recent events in Afghanistan, Iraq and Israel / Palestine. It is quite simple: The harder we strike the harder they strike back.

It is a time for thinking and acting, but please do it in the right order.

What really annoys me right now is the events after the killing of Theo van Gogh. Idiots have painted racist slogans on mosques and set fire buildings with islamic schools and other organizations and even a bomb has been detonated. In return a fire was started in a Catholic church. This could go from bad to worse. I think it is amtter of time before something really, really ugly happens. There are more death threats to politicians and other public figures. In return some nice white racists could jumped the wagon and exploit the chaos.

Again: It is a time for thinking and acting, but please do it in the right order.

Crossroads ...

Watch out for traffic coming from other directions

Sometimes you find yourself at a point in your life where you have to make a decision, do you turn left or right or go straight ahead and accelarate into the distance. Or you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile ... Anyway. I have now come at such a crossing where several roads come together and I have to pick a new route into the future. Stay in my current job with colleagues I know well and work with in a pleasant way but without finding full satisfaction in and appreciation for the things I do? Or do I step out and take a new promising role in a new job with a new employer with new unknown people around me? This is my present situation and either choice has its advantages and downsides. But right staying where I am means taking no action which always is bad. Stepping out feels like running away.

However, I have done my best to make changes to my present situation, several times, to no avail. So, I do not feel like I am quitting, giving up. It is not running away, it is stepping out gracefully at the bus stop and getting onto another line going in another direction, the rest of my future.

The part about leaving colleagues, some of them can be called friends as well, that's the part that bothers me most. I have had a lot of fun (and distraction from the less joyous moments and understanding), so I admit that they have been important in my day to day life. Without sounding too sentimental they have kept me going. They and just burying myself in my work, shutting off from the daily, weekly harrassments from those who have made the time bad enough for me to now take the Big Plunge into Uncertainty again.

Thanks to all these people. (You know who you are.)

No politics please, or ...

It's hard to stay away from politics when the influence on your life is so big. This is true for national politics, but also for international important happenings like the US presidential elections.

Yes, it is coming closer and closer. There were a couple of TV debates or struggles, where each of the contestants tried to avoid making any clear statements as that might upset any of the floating voters that they need so badly. A race this close never brings out the best in both candidates or a nice clear cut view of their differing opinions. They always have be so careful with their wordings. Especially in sensitive areas, where moral issues are concerned: same sex marriage (aka partnership), stem cell research, abortus.

Then there is the obvious mud slinging which has now become statistical with number of times the other has voted against the reduction of something and the number of times he has in favor of increasing something else. To me this is pure statistics: only half the facts are given and they use to prove that the world is flat or banana shaped.

So, what's my stand on this? I guess someone would like to know that. (Or not, I don't care). Well, I always look at the United States to see things that will happen here in Europe in the next couple of years. We have seen McDonald's come over and multi-channel TV with the pleasures of daily soaps. So, it is with a worried mind that I look at the money that is involved in the elections for about any office in the US. Money seems to be the deciding factor and not the quality or ideas of the candidate. This goes for both current US Presidential candidates. Neither really has any appeal to me. Like I have read somewhere it is a choice between a candidate that pulled the US into a war and a candidate with a funny hair-do. Well, I then add to that, that it is easier to get a new hair cut then pull out of a war gracefully.

And life goes on ...