Pointless

Virus, funny

Contempt

"We cannot understand why so many people can be swayed to join in a strike that has no merit."

--"one of the largest manufacurers" to the New York Times, November 25, 1909.

Could it be the European parliament in the future?

Hurray we have a not elected president!

The old tree at Välsta

I love to follow the Photos From Haninge blog of Steffe. He takes pictures of one particular tree in various seasons. For a few days now it has been on my desktop at work...

Look at the Välsta tree pictures

Sometimes someone speaks

Rembrandt

A house called Rembrandt.

Taksim Trio

I have been to the theater of Woerden to a performance of the Taksim Trio. Never heard of the people, the only thing I knew is that it was Turkish music. I enjoyed it a lot. I closed my eyes and completely drifted away..

Linschoten Run

Another run coming! Tomorrow I start training for the Linchoten Run of 19 December. It's a local run, just befor Christmas. I will run it with my class and teacher.

It's so cool to set such a goal and reach it!

Nobody Governs

I am reading a book on an alarming situation 'Nobody Governs' a sharp analysis on the Dutch governement. It states something I experienced and seen the past years, our governement is incompentent. No decisions are made, strong opinions and critical issues opposed. The government could not propose a strategy to deal with the crisis. The present coalition has a 'nothingness' over itself.

The Dutch government doesn't care for governing since years reign. However, many people rely on the caring and protective state. But the state may not be so competent anymore. The result is a rather grim confusion: nobody reigns - on to the next near-critical decision.

This seems to be an interesting read...

Russian buns

I have had friends over for dinner and cooked a real Russian meal. The dessert was a real success. Buns stuffed with a mixture of boiled maw-seeds with honey, cinnamon, raisins, treacle and some other spices.

A mighty fortress is our God

Interesting video on things to happen:



It doesn't predicts any good, but Song 401 of the church song book comments it correctly:

Singing 401


A mighty fortress is our God,
a wall which turns the evil will do;
his strong arm keeps out of range
those who can not defend itself.
The prince of evil,
the enemy stands
armour plated in the field;
in list and violence
non can match him.

All our power is vanity:
We will once lost,
when the hero would not fights for us,
the one God has chosen.
If you wouldn't yet know;
Jesus Christ is it,
Lord of the universe,
which will overcome,
God will be on our side.

If the world would become a hell
and life is nothing but suffering,
We fear not, Immanuel
will certainly set us free.
What satan rages
and what he does,
't is powerless violence,
his sentence is passed.
One word, and he should fall.

God's holy word shall stand alone,
God's truth will support us.
He leads us and with mild hand
He gives his spiritual gifts.
Might the tyrant go thief
from us what he can,
our good and our blood,
let him have his foolhardiness!
God's kingdom continues to keep us.

Songbook for the 1973 Churches

St. Barbara Street

Cool shot in Moscow, I believe it is the St. Barbara street, very close to the red square. A street full with those lovely Russian churches. A miracle it survived.

I think that man is Tolstoi

The one in the back....

Fab Idea!

St Basil Moscow

When I was a teenager I bought a construction box of the St Basil Cathedral on the red square. It has been with me ever since and is still in my living room. Now I had the chance to visit it and take a good look at the real bulding. And I must say it is really a beautifull church building.



If you care to read more on the St. Basil Cathedral:

The St. Basil's Cathedral was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and built on the edge of Red Square between 1555 and 1561. Legend has it that on completion of the church the Tsar ordered the architect, Postnik Yakovlev, to be blinded to prevent him from ever creating anything to rival its beauty again. (He did in fact go on to build another cathedral in Vladimir despite his ocular impediment!)

Continue reading...

Das Food

I have dicovered Koefnoen on YouTube, some scetches are so funny!

Me in Moscow

Me in front of the St. Basil Cathedral.. I had a wonderfull time in Russia, in 7 days all the highlights. All together I made about 800 pictures. I will do some postings the coming days on Russia.

Telephone Commercial Spoof

This is so funny! but you need to know Dutch telephone commercials to understand it.

Just 2 nights left....

Church of Christ the Savior

I have posted this film before, it is really horrific the destruction of a church, what happened to Orthodox Christians is more horrific, but commuism is over for now and I will see the new cathedral in 3 days!

Russia here I come!

Just three more days to go and I am of to Russia for 8 days, a trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg. It's really a dream come true!

Huhh?

I have ones seen a movie which dealt about politics, religion, power, money, success etc. The stage of the powerful in the setting of old England, during the time of King Henry VIII. The protagonist was a pious religious man (prob a puritan) who worked in the government, he didn't go along with the ways of the world and condemned a marriage of King Henry, in the end he got beheaded.

On phrase I remembered, 'if you come in to power or join the powerful they will give you titles, names of honour, estates and prizes, it's all part of a game which is played'. When I heard that Obama got the prize I thought this is politics. This has nothing to do with the recognition of achievements, this is a game and Obama is humbled...

The end of the film was remarkable. The hangman, who executed the Christian man, suddenly starts to talk to the viewer with a strange grin. He explains what has happened and suddenly the man is walking in present day London, the games are still played, that man had an evil laugh hinting he was..

The Previous Crash of 1929

This is an interesting serie on the crash of 1929. My grandfather was a rich farmer. This means in the days of the 1920's an independent man with his own farm, land, cows, personal, maids etc. When the depression came to Holland, his brother demanded cash for the lone he gave him and he was forced to sell the farm for much less of it's value.
They moved to a tiny little house and my grandfather became a 'day worker' a real humiliation, a huge step down the social ladder.

The real recovery of the crisis in Holland happened around 1950/1960, but might have been fused by the discovery of a huge gas bell under the country. Anyway take a watch
YouTube movie. The crash of 1929 sounds so similar to the one we are having now.

It concludes: "Human folly and greed are much stronger forces in financial afairs then reason and restraint". (the love of money is the root of many evils).

A Cheese soo formidable!

Yesterday I have been to the Cheese and Delicacy fair, there I met a cheese so tasty and so good! It rarely happens that your taste buds explode and that saliva comes in an instant, but with this cheese it really happened. It's an Italian cheese made of a combination of cow, goat and sheep milk which fermented in chestnut leaves.
My goodness it was soo good, I recommend it to everybody (who likes old cheese).

Kurt Westergaard's other pictures

Do you get what he wants to say... ? The notification on the cross say's, 'We'll meet (again) at sunday service 10-11 and 14-15'.

Ab Osterhause and his shares.

Ab Osterhaus, the Netherlands government consultant who has been sowing panic for months about the potentially far-reaching epidemic and deadly consequences of Mexican flu, appears to have shares in a company that participates in the development of vaccines against the flu. And if it lies to him and part-time employer, the University of Rotterdam, he will become very rich.

Yes Yes!

I did it! The Utrecht Singelrun! With my sister and a school mate we have run the 10 km walk! My first time, I was actually nervous and needed to concur something in me to do it, but I did it and it was great!


We were almost the last to finish but that doesn't mind. Up to the next! The Linshoten Run.

On the Vacination

Don't take it.....

I have been with Nicolette to the new Dutch movie 'De Storm', 'The Storm'. It is about the disaster of 1953 when a part of the country flooded.

I must say it was promising in the beginning. The entry did give a glimpse of the time spirit, the 'innocent' age of The Netherlands. But soon it started to mock Christianity by showing the people of Zeeland (a relative Christian area) as narrow minded and hypocrite, full of fear of God's and busy with their personal wrath.
The people were strangely unattached of what happened. The protagonist was hysterically searching for her baby one moment in shock then in love with her new boyfriend.
The ending left us with an odd feeling, I asked myself, what was this film about actually? The emotions and situations seemed not in place and not real. It was actually a disappointment, but then again, I know Dutch film is never really good or worthwhile watching.