This week Robert Palmer died. You know, the guy who got really famous
with the song "Addicted to Love" (or should I say the video carrying the same title featuring a few extremely tall women obviously firm believers of freedom for all breasts?)




27 Israeli reserve pilots proclaimed
to be against bombings that involve killing innocent civilians as a "side-affect" of exterminating Palestinian leaders. Way to go guys!

Amina Lawal's death sentence has been quashed by a Nigerian tribunal.

I guess Amnesty would call their petition a success.
Where do we sign petitions against child-abuse, hypocrasy, blackmail
and lying politicians?




Yousef Lee, an army chaplain got arrested because he was carrying lists of Guantanamo Bay detainees and a blueprint of the area. I wonder why the American government doesn't want the world to know who they're holding captive and what the camps look like. Why be so secretive about those facts?



Saturday in the afternoon 25,000 people, including yours truly marched against the governments new plans. Basically they will cut on everything except for their own wages and weaponry to fight an as yet unknown enemy. Hope we send them a signal and won't have to resolve to tougher means of protesting...


In the evening neighbour Angèlique and I set off to Groningen for the opening of an exposition of the world renowned photographer Erwin Olaf. We had champagne on the chartered touringcar and all! Got home around four that night...



Sunday after a mere few hours of sleep it was time to do the Timewarp again at the rehearsals that now take place weekly 'cause the time for our big performance is nearing.

Monday Thura and her son Noah paid me a surprise visit.
They can do so anytime! Ferdinand was doing great again at karate. He only needs to realize that it's not only about avoiding and blocking but you also need to attack occasionally...

Tuesday marked the start of my new place of work. I'm now officially an afterschool-teacher at a school in a range of five minutes walk from my former employer and from my attorney. So I can have lunch with either an ex-colleague or the guy who has his hands full with two of my exes! In the evening neighbour Johanna came to wish her son goodnight.

Wednesday one of "my" kids told me he recognized me from the recent summercamp. It's a small world...My colleague grew up in South-Africa and since a teacher of mine had studied there I picked up a few words of the language.
Check out this lovely phrase:"Ek is baie bly." 10 Points for your house if you know what it means!

Thursday my son went home after school with his best friend Maurits so again he didn't have to cross the street all by himself. I'm afraid there will be no escape for him next week. Since I work till afterschool is closed I won't be able to pick him up. Therefore we got him his own key and trust that he will be fine by himself for half an hour. For that sole purpose I got myself a second hand mobile (or cellphone or "handy" as they call the things in germ-an).
It became apparent that I needed to workout again so I went to my Pencak-class.
Another good reason for going was seeing a certain fellow classmate again.
No, I'm not referring to neighbour Angèlique who takes the same class...
The sweat hadn't completely dried up yet when I visited my neighbours Leon and
Janine.


Friday my mom and I went downtown and she bought me some genuine Olaf Benz shorts. Isn't that nice? Just like last week nobody was there when I came to neighbour Miriam's place to pick up my daughter for the weekend.
Better luck next time. I guess...:-(

With all the commotion surrounding the death of Johnny Cash people seemed to have forgotten about John Ritter.
The story of his life, basically. He was never outstanding (as in: he never really stood out) but he was always there: reliable, funny, thrustworthy. May he get a nice leading part on the other side...




Saturday it was time for my annual birthday-bash. I'm 36 years of age now. I took it easy, inviting just a bit over a dozen friends.
Officially closing in on the big "four o"...




Sunday it was my birthday officially. My son, my best friend and me went for a swim to get the cobwebs out of our system and in the afternoon neighbour Miriam came to visit and brought along her daughters Eva and Dayna.
In the evening the weekly game of Magic: the gathering took place.


Monday I forgot to take my son to his karate-club. Guess after the school-holidays routine hasn't quite set in yet.

Tuesday neighbour A provided lunch as well as dinner. As I has to work till six my mom picked up my son from afterschool. Just before my son's bedtime neighbour J
came by to do the honors. You know: helping him with a computer-game, getting him to brush his teeth , reading him a bedtime story and tucking him in.
All and all a pleasurable day.

Wednesday my son and I went to a hospital in Utrecht to look up on Daniëlle, a friend
who just underwent major surgery. Luckily it all went well.

Thursday I decided to skip Pencak since I was still short of air due to a cold.

Friday my aunt Mary asked me to take our American relative Jane to the Albert Cuypmarket.
She bought me a cup of coffee and we had a really nice chat.


Coming weekend is going to to be full of interesting things to do.
I'll keep you posted!

A friend sent me this link.
Anyone know it's for real?


In reaction to a free download site that when you actually
start to download something, asks for money I wrote the following
e-mail:



Sirs,



Perhaps you have missed the point of freeware.
Freeware means that you don't have to pay for it:
In other words: it's free.

As you also state on your homepage:
(and I quote) 'everything for free!'

May I suggest you stop calling it free either really
make it possible for people to get the software for free.

People are not happy if you tell them lies.

Thank you.


Sincerely,




Now let's see what happens...
Running with fever I had an interesting dream:

Let me know how you would analyze it...



Saturday it was time for the annual weblogmeeting. It felt a bit odd to go on a blind date with
92 people but I had fun nonetheless.

Sunday it was time again to rehearse with the others of the CastratedGood to do The Rocky Horror Picture Show this Halloween. After rehearsals I saw the band of a friend of mine play: Paxy Dragon. Thura was there as well and she was considering to hire them for a party in pop-temple Paradiso soon.

Monday I got asked to help set-up a circusfestival in Croatia coming summer and Ferdinand's karate-season had started.

Tuesday it was the first day in my new job as an afterschool-teacher. I actually managed to make a few kids look the way they wanted to look with the available paint. Even their parents recognized in them a pirate,
a butterfly, a tiger, a ladybug and an alien princess. I was ever so proud!

Wednesday my son and I had a nice afternoon with neighbour Johanna, his natural mom.
Strolling down the market, having lunch at McDonalds. You get the idea: normal family-stuff.
Later that afternoon Fer and I went over to Thura's housebout where we had pancakes.
Ferd watched Shrek with Thura's son Noah while she was giving me a healthy massage...

Thursday I spend most of the day with neighbour Angèlique: doing groceries, having tea, having coffee, taking her out to dinner. as a late birthday-prezzie. Later that evening when I answered the door-bell
I saw a face from long ago: Peter from a poetry-club I used to be involved in. Turns out his best mate (whom had come along) knows neighbour Petra. Hence they decided to have a cup of tea at my place. Talking 'bout good times
and Wendy...;-)

Friday my dear neighbour Angèlique brought my son to school 'cause she figured I needed
to sleep in since I had come down with the flu.
Thanks, love!

The whole week I had something extra to do: feeding neighbour Miriam's cats.
Hence my clogged-up nose and watery eyes since I had once developed
an allergy towards cats...


Of course they are absolutely (in their) right to do so
but personally I wouldn't go as far as at least these people did.


What's the issue here?
Well, Dell says you can't press a single key on their laptop before
you've agreed to their terms and conditions. On the initial screen it says
that as soon any of the software that comes with the package is nog longer
sealed they are not responsble anymore for anything that might go wrong.
The thing is: in order to find the license-agrement you need to unseal
all the stuff in the box to see if it's there and the screen also says
that by unsealing any piece of software you automatically agree
to the terms and conditions.

Does this make any sense? Just click the above link and read the whole
story. Unless you've got better things to do that is.


Here's a nice one for all the paranoid people out there:
"Oh, my God! They killed Kelly!"





Saturday my friend Thura came by to pick up her kid and thank me for babysiting.
I dragged my son along to a Rocky Horror Club board-meeting:
We get to play on Halloween! Full show, no compromises and we will receive full payment!
So if you happen to be in Utrecht on october 31st come and see us perform
in "Stairway to heaven".

Sunday most of my day was spend on location for the making of a TV-commercial that
will be aired from october first onwards.

Monday I woke up with a rhytmic poem in my head, once taught to us by my English
teacher:"I hold your hand in mine, dear"

by Tom Lehrer. Highly amusing.
September first is also my mom's birthday. Happy birthday mom! Love'ya!
My son and I had spend the night at her place so we could fix her breakfast the morning of her birthday.

Tuesday I got myself hired as an afterschool-teacher! Me very happy yes!
I will be working on call-up base as an substitute at any of the dozen or so branches they got.
My son spend the night at my mom's since there was a big party-meeting.
Soon it will be "Prinsjesdag": official opening of the new governmental season.
Since those in power are cutting down on everything except their own wages
and instruments of war, the Dutch Socialist Party has got some actions
planned so be warned!

Wednesday I felt to ill to go to the dentist so instead I spend the day
chatting with neighbour Petra, drinking coffee and doing Pilates-exercises
with neighbour Angèlique and doing some stuff that just needs to be done
occasionaly. You know, like ironing, hangin' up a new dishdrip-rack
and some necessary paperwork. E.i. paying some late bills.
I also got this link in my mail-box. Please don't click it if you like
George W. Bush!

In the news today: The asteroid that goes by the name of "2003 QQ47"
just might hit the earth in 2014. Well, to be a bit more accurate
there is a 99.99995500% chance the asteroid will miss the Earth.
But still...

Thursday marked the start of the new Pencak Silat season. Our trainers weren't too tough on us because of the recent
reces which was of course awfully nice of them. The next day, despite their efforts, I still woke up with aching muscles
in my thighs and shoulders. Guess it's all part of life to suffer a little pain every now and then.
In the afternoon my son's friend Maurits had come to play. A very nice young lad with a warm charming smile, just like his mom.


Friday most of my day I spend in the company of Daniëlle, a friend from Spijkenisse.
Mariann from Wimbledon let me know that my son and I can spend the night at her and her boyfriends house
at the start of our tour through Britain this october. Thanks, love!

After dinner I took my son over to his Aunt Mary's place to spend the weekend.
Next week I'll let you know how my weekend was. Hope you'll enjoy yours!