Just when I was about ready to give up on the human race all toghether, the people of Norway show us that even when faced with the worst kind of darkness you must never give in to it.
A few days ago a protest was held outside the court house where Anders Bereivik, the bastard responsible for the Oslo bombing and the mass murder of children on Utoya, was being tried. They protested by simply singing a song. The Norwegian version of Peter Seeger's "My Rainbow Race", a song Breivik himself admitted to hating as it exhalts a multi-racial, multi-cultural society.
It was no small protest. 40,000 people were there. And there were several other events held across the country.
Video from the scene:
English version under spoiler.
A few days ago a protest was held outside the court house where Anders Bereivik, the bastard responsible for the Oslo bombing and the mass murder of children on Utoya, was being tried. They protested by simply singing a song. The Norwegian version of Peter Seeger's "My Rainbow Race", a song Breivik himself admitted to hating as it exhalts a multi-racial, multi-cultural society.
It was no small protest. 40,000 people were there. And there were several other events held across the country.
Video from the scene:
English version under spoiler.
And thus a monster is defeated by a song.
Never has a meme been more appropriate than at this moment:
Thank you Norway.
I got directed to this video from a dating site I'm on. I though it was quite brilliant so i'm posting it here too:
Can't say I agree 100% with everything he says, but still a whole load of truth in there.
Can't say I agree 100% with everything he says, but still a whole load of truth in there.
My current goals:
(I'm hoping that by posting these on my blog i'll be reminded to get my ass working on them more often!)
Writing:
Project 1:38 pages of the required 90-120. Most not very good. Lot of work to be done here.
Project 2: 33 pages of (+/- 90). In pretty good shape. Just hit a block at the current point in the story. Need to hammer through this.
Weight loss:
Have hit a wall at 80kg (176lbs)
Was aiming to be 75kg (final goal) by the end of the month but nothing more is comming off. Might have to give up on this one. In order to loose weight I would have to eat so little a day (around 1600 callories) that I think I'd rather be a little heavier than put myself through that kind of a diet.
Game:
Finally got my Vampire: The Masquerade group back into playing mode after another 6 month hiatus (Finding out that one of my players is now five months pregnant in the mean time...:surreal
. Managed to have two game sessions so far with another one planned for April 1st. Need to work on a summary for the players who couldn't make it last time and prepare an epic battle for the game its self.
Work:
Aiming to get more responsibilities and new tasks. So far so good as my new boss has already started training me to do line audits. Hoping this growth path continues. Otherwise I will have to start looking for other options. I love my job, I really do, I'm just not 100% sure about the future it's offering me.
House:
Finally (after a few years of procrastination) got the attic fixed up! Still need to clear away some debris. Next job to do is fix up the staircase.
Time to get to work.
(I'm hoping that by posting these on my blog i'll be reminded to get my ass working on them more often!)
Writing:
Project 1:38 pages of the required 90-120. Most not very good. Lot of work to be done here.
Project 2: 33 pages of (+/- 90). In pretty good shape. Just hit a block at the current point in the story. Need to hammer through this.
Weight loss:
Have hit a wall at 80kg (176lbs)
Was aiming to be 75kg (final goal) by the end of the month but nothing more is comming off. Might have to give up on this one. In order to loose weight I would have to eat so little a day (around 1600 callories) that I think I'd rather be a little heavier than put myself through that kind of a diet.Game:
Finally got my Vampire: The Masquerade group back into playing mode after another 6 month hiatus (Finding out that one of my players is now five months pregnant in the mean time...:surreal
. Managed to have two game sessions so far with another one planned for April 1st. Need to work on a summary for the players who couldn't make it last time and prepare an epic battle for the game its self.Work:
Aiming to get more responsibilities and new tasks. So far so good as my new boss has already started training me to do line audits. Hoping this growth path continues. Otherwise I will have to start looking for other options. I love my job, I really do, I'm just not 100% sure about the future it's offering me.
House:
Finally (after a few years of procrastination) got the attic fixed up! Still need to clear away some debris. Next job to do is fix up the staircase.
Time to get to work.
Was AWOL for a bit there. Back now.
emm.... Well. I don't really have anything to say. So here's youtube video:
Ouch.....
emm.... Well. I don't really have anything to say. So here's youtube video:
Ouch.....
Edited due to dead links:
Cultural differences are alwasy fun to explore. Having been on a diet for the past few months* a breif discussion about pizza in the silleness chat got me to thinking about obesity and differing cultural attitudes towards food.
I think we all know this picture:
Well, that picture is a load of crap. We eat pretty much the same foods here in Europe that Americans get. We all go to McDonals, we all eat pizza and pastas, in terms of what we eat there are no major differences.
Still:
Obesity in Europe: 15.5% of the adult population (double what it was 20 years ago).
Obesity in America: 33.8% of the adult population (up around 40% from 20 years ago).
The reason for the increase is simple:
This is a trend that (like many others) started in America and has since migrated towards Europe. As a result American food portions are now siginifcantly larger than ours.
As an example lets take the sizes of pizza (based only on two retail chains, so not very scientific but it is just to illustrate the point):
In America Seious Pizza's MEDIUM (smallest size they have):
18" (45 CM) at $11.95 (9.40 euros).
In The Netherlands New York Pizza's LARGE (doesn't get any bigger):
35 CM (14") at Euro 12.49 ($15.89)
So the smallest American pizza is 28.6% larger than the biggest one here in The Netherlands and costs 25% less.
And it isn't just pizza:
Volume and availability. In America there is one McDonalds restaurant for every 20,000 people. Here in The Netherlands there is one for every 75,000 people. Combine this with larger portions and lower prices (BigMac index) you can see where the higher level of obesity in the US has come from.
Now we KNOW this trend is migrating towards Europe as our food culture becomes more and more influenced by Ameican attitudes and hollywood movies. Personally I feel we need to stop this. Quickly. But how?
Several countries have started implimenting "fat taxes" on high fat and sometimes high sugar foods. However, since these foods are already more expensive here than in America I don't see this making a significant impact on people's consumtion of them. And as I mentioned: it isn't what we eat that's causing the problem anyway. It's how much we're being served.
So how do we get industry to sell smaller packagings in the supermarkets? Since they make their profits through bulk sales smaller packagings cut severely into their operating income as it increases packaging costs dramatically. This also leads to greater amounts of packaging material ending up in land fills, with all the enviormental consequences thereof.how do we get restaurants to serve smaller meals? In higher end restaurants it shouldn't be much of an issue. In fast food chains (which represent the majority of food establishemnts) customers tend to equate price with volume. A decreas in volume will have to be followed by a decrease in price or customers will not accept it. Since this results in a decrease in profits the fast food chains won't do it (unless public opinion forces them too: McDonalds removed Supersize from it's menus after the documentary Super Size Me came out).
And how do we get restaurants to serve smaller meals? In higher end restaurants it shouldn't be much of an issue. In fast food chains (which represent the majority of food establishemnts) customers tend to equate price with volume. A decreas in volume will have to be followed by a decrease in price or customers will not accept it. Since this results in a decrease in profits the fast food chains won't do it....
Unless public opinion forces them too. McDonalds removed Supersize from it's menus after the documentary Super Size Me came out. Other restaurant chains (Wendy's and Buger King) only changed the labeling but the precident is there.
Can we change people's attitudes towards food? Educate them that smaller portions are better? Can we force a change in our culture to prevent this problem from spreading further? Since this would amount to large scale social engineering... do we really want to?
*I'm 1m70 (5'7") and my starting BMI was 31.3 (obesity is officially defined as a BMI of 30 or above) or 91.7KG (201lbs). Currently at 28 (81kg/178lbs.). Target is 75KG (165lbs), a BMI of 26. Yes, that is officially still on the heavy side but I like myself that way.
Cultural differences are alwasy fun to explore. Having been on a diet for the past few months* a breif discussion about pizza in the silleness chat got me to thinking about obesity and differing cultural attitudes towards food.
I think we all know this picture:
Well, that picture is a load of crap. We eat pretty much the same foods here in Europe that Americans get. We all go to McDonals, we all eat pizza and pastas, in terms of what we eat there are no major differences.
Still:
Obesity in Europe: 15.5% of the adult population (double what it was 20 years ago).
Obesity in America: 33.8% of the adult population (up around 40% from 20 years ago).
The reason for the increase is simple:
This is a trend that (like many others) started in America and has since migrated towards Europe. As a result American food portions are now siginifcantly larger than ours.
As an example lets take the sizes of pizza (based only on two retail chains, so not very scientific but it is just to illustrate the point):
In America Seious Pizza's MEDIUM (smallest size they have):
18" (45 CM) at $11.95 (9.40 euros).
In The Netherlands New York Pizza's LARGE (doesn't get any bigger):
35 CM (14") at Euro 12.49 ($15.89)
So the smallest American pizza is 28.6% larger than the biggest one here in The Netherlands and costs 25% less.
And it isn't just pizza:
Volume and availability. In America there is one McDonalds restaurant for every 20,000 people. Here in The Netherlands there is one for every 75,000 people. Combine this with larger portions and lower prices (BigMac index) you can see where the higher level of obesity in the US has come from.
Now we KNOW this trend is migrating towards Europe as our food culture becomes more and more influenced by Ameican attitudes and hollywood movies. Personally I feel we need to stop this. Quickly. But how?
Several countries have started implimenting "fat taxes" on high fat and sometimes high sugar foods. However, since these foods are already more expensive here than in America I don't see this making a significant impact on people's consumtion of them. And as I mentioned: it isn't what we eat that's causing the problem anyway. It's how much we're being served.
So how do we get industry to sell smaller packagings in the supermarkets? Since they make their profits through bulk sales smaller packagings cut severely into their operating income as it increases packaging costs dramatically. This also leads to greater amounts of packaging material ending up in land fills, with all the enviormental consequences thereof.how do we get restaurants to serve smaller meals? In higher end restaurants it shouldn't be much of an issue. In fast food chains (which represent the majority of food establishemnts) customers tend to equate price with volume. A decreas in volume will have to be followed by a decrease in price or customers will not accept it. Since this results in a decrease in profits the fast food chains won't do it (unless public opinion forces them too: McDonalds removed Supersize from it's menus after the documentary Super Size Me came out).
And how do we get restaurants to serve smaller meals? In higher end restaurants it shouldn't be much of an issue. In fast food chains (which represent the majority of food establishemnts) customers tend to equate price with volume. A decreas in volume will have to be followed by a decrease in price or customers will not accept it. Since this results in a decrease in profits the fast food chains won't do it....
Unless public opinion forces them too. McDonalds removed Supersize from it's menus after the documentary Super Size Me came out. Other restaurant chains (Wendy's and Buger King) only changed the labeling but the precident is there.
Can we change people's attitudes towards food? Educate them that smaller portions are better? Can we force a change in our culture to prevent this problem from spreading further? Since this would amount to large scale social engineering... do we really want to?
*I'm 1m70 (5'7") and my starting BMI was 31.3 (obesity is officially defined as a BMI of 30 or above) or 91.7KG (201lbs). Currently at 28 (81kg/178lbs.). Target is 75KG (165lbs), a BMI of 26. Yes, that is officially still on the heavy side but I like myself that way.
I just had Trick-or-treaters at my door...
This is a very strange thing for me as Halloween, as I have know it for most of my life, simply never existed here in The Netherlands. the influence of American movies has caused a few bars to start throwing halloween themed parties the past few years but actual trick-or-treating? Never seen it before.
Tonight though everything has changed. My neighbour even has jack-o-lanterns in his front yard! How awesome is that! The kids are all out in costume, going from house to house yelling "Snoep of je leven" (which translates as candy or your life. guess "trick or treat" was too mild for the youth of the Netherlands
) Tragically I only had half a bar of chocolate in the house, so i hope no pranks will befall me... I will definately be better prepared next year!
Ladies and gentlemen, Halloween has landed. Have a good one!
This is a very strange thing for me as Halloween, as I have know it for most of my life, simply never existed here in The Netherlands. the influence of American movies has caused a few bars to start throwing halloween themed parties the past few years but actual trick-or-treating? Never seen it before.
Tonight though everything has changed. My neighbour even has jack-o-lanterns in his front yard! How awesome is that! The kids are all out in costume, going from house to house yelling "Snoep of je leven" (which translates as candy or your life. guess "trick or treat" was too mild for the youth of the Netherlands
) Tragically I only had half a bar of chocolate in the house, so i hope no pranks will befall me... I will definately be better prepared next year!Ladies and gentlemen, Halloween has landed. Have a good one!
In support of local talent: Stella Must Die
(You can here a better version and download some free tracks here)
Aafke Romeijn is a local singer-songwriter. I've been a fan of her band Mr. Blue Sky for a few years now. This month she released a solo album entitled "Stella Must Die". I picked it up at a Mr. Blue Sky show last week and have been listening to nothing else since... It completely blew me away!
I seriously can not praise this album enough. It's phenomenal! Please go check it out and give some support to this amazingly talented girl.
Facebook
iTunes
Amazon
(You can here a better version and download some free tracks here)
Aafke Romeijn is a local singer-songwriter. I've been a fan of her band Mr. Blue Sky for a few years now. This month she released a solo album entitled "Stella Must Die". I picked it up at a Mr. Blue Sky show last week and have been listening to nothing else since... It completely blew me away!
I seriously can not praise this album enough. It's phenomenal! Please go check it out and give some support to this amazingly talented girl.
iTunes
Amazon
So what have I been up to lately..
Well, rewriting long blogs after accidentally closing my browser before saving them would be top of the list.
I went to Mysteryland yesterday.
Despite the rain, the resulting mud, and the seriously bad orgaization I had a pretty good time. The music was good, the food was great (bloody fantastic by festival standards), and the crowds were amazing. There really was agreat atmosphere all round.
And the eye candy...
Oh my god! So many gorgeous women there
That said, the logistics of the whole thing were pretty awful. There was little to no account taken for the rain, the parking was a complete mess, and there were points on the map that were just plain dangerous.
(Rant under the spoiler. Summaray of rant below the spoiler.)
Well, rewriting long blogs after accidentally closing my browser before saving them would be top of the list.
I went to Mysteryland yesterday.
Despite the rain, the resulting mud, and the seriously bad orgaization I had a pretty good time. The music was good, the food was great (bloody fantastic by festival standards), and the crowds were amazing. There really was agreat atmosphere all round.
And the eye candy...
Oh my god! So many gorgeous women there That said, the logistics of the whole thing were pretty awful. There was little to no account taken for the rain, the parking was a complete mess, and there were points on the map that were just plain dangerous.
(Rant under the spoiler. Summaray of rant below the spoiler.)
. It's a small car and things were packed so tightly together that I couldn't see it. It also took me a quarter of an hour to maneuver out of the parking space.
Been reading a really interesting book lately. It's called "Why Men don't Listen and Women Can't Read Maps". All about the socibiological differences between men and women. As Spok would say, Facinating.
Example: Women have naturrally far better periferal vision than men. An arc of nearly 180 degrees compared to a man's 50. As a result the number of female pedestrians that get hit by cars while crossing the street is far lower than the number of males ones suffering the same fate and women drivers are almost 50% less likely to be involved in side on collisons than male drivers.
It also explains why more men get caught checking out that cute girls ass (we actually have to turn our eyes/heads to do it) than women do for engaging in simmilar behavior.
Well... usually.
(watch the blonde... )
For the rest things have been mostly work realted chaos. I've driven 2,532 km for work in the past month. Odd since officially I have an office job. A combination of inspections, new product launches and a few "incidents" have had me on the road a fair bit. Also had the goodbye dinner for a colleague of mine. He left Heinz afet 18 years. It was quite emotional really.
Since several of my work functions lately have been combined with nice meals and copious amounts of drink, i really am not complaining A little chaos is a small price to pay!
Life is good
The only dilemma i face right now is trying to figure out what to get Dylan for his birthday. He turns 12 in a couple of weeks and i am all out of ideas... He already has a ton of Nintendo games, is getting a new bike, has a new back pack ( I had seen a really cool Yoshi back pack i though he'd love , but that idea has thus been shot down), doesn't collect much lego any more... Any sugestions?
