A Name (a #ShortStory)

She lay on her back watching the stars and wondered where she had come from.

Once someone had given her a name but she had forgotten it long since.

She remembered she waited. But for what? In the mean time she enjoyed her dreams and her fantasies.

Vague memories disconcerted her but never for long.

Absent-mindedly she played with the small object she always kept within reach. It gave her solace.

Years came and went and it was increasingly difficult to get food but she was contented.

In her own small world she was everything.

When they found her bleached bones they wondered where she had come from and if she had ever been given a name.

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Want to read more of my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

If you think everyting in the Bible is the absolute truth

-'I'm against gay marriage because the Bible says being gay is bad!'

'You're against everything the Bible says is bad?'

-'Yes of course!'

'So you don't eat clawfish?'

-'Well, that's different because you shouldn't take everything that's in the Bible literally.'

'Here's a marker. Could you please mark those Bible passages that should be taken literally because now I'm confused; who gave you the power to decide which parts of the Bible are laws and which parts are nothing more than a written down fantasy of someone who died ages ago?'

-'Well...I still think gay marriage is wrong.'

'Why?'

-'Marriage should be about a man and a woman who join to have children.'

'So every couple who is about to marry should answer the question: 'Are you planning on having kids?' And if the answer is no they should be declined a wedding license? And if your grandmother decided to remarry after your grandfather's passing, you would forbid that because marriage should be about having children?'

-'Well...er...'

My thoughts on #PizzaGate

One tiny thing to add on #Pizzagate: police have stated they will not take a look in the pizzeria's basement. Because of one simple - but often overlooked - fact: the place has no basement. Unless it's on some astral plane and ancient aliens have placed a portal behind the pizza oven that leads to the basement in an other dimension. John Podesta is obviously the gatekeeper of that portal. The fact he is nowhere to be seen proves this. ;-)

('Yeah, but other buildings in the area have basements so they are lying!')

Furthermore: one of the 'friends of Comet Pizza Ping Pong' is a guy who draws sexually explicit pictures and he even posted a picture of a young boy putting a toy plane in his mouth! That surely proves John Podesta is a pedophile! Er...wait..



I have friends who strongly believe in the Ancient Aliens theory. That's absolutely fine of course, since everyone is entitled to believe what they want. But why should it mean I do? 'Yeah, but you are friends with someone who does so you must too!' So, if you're a man and a male friend of yours is sexually attracted to other men, that means that you are gay? Interesting!

John Podesta supposedly owns a painting of a young boy. Apparently that says his sexual orientation is that he fancies young boys. So what does this 'evidence' say about the sexual orientation of people who own little bronze statues of naked unicorns they keep on the side table next to their bed?

The same people who are gullible enough to believe this is actually a proven fact also claim Obama's birth certificate is fake and that's because...(hold on to your seats) Sheriff Joe Arpaio (click) hired Mike Zullo to investigate. Mr. Zullo went on to present as evidence the testimony of 'an unknown 94 years old woman from Hawaii who supposedly told a fake newsreporter the stamps on President Obama's birth certificate don't fully match up.' Both the names of the woman and the man calling himself reporter were undisclosed and the press concerence ended with the announcement 'we don't take questions'. More on this here and here.

And what if Obama really wasn't born in America? In that case he is not the only US president not being born on American soil. Here's a list:

George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson

One more thing: if immigrants really are hurting the United States of America - which Donald Trump repeatedly stated - and the definition of immigrant is 'at least one parent or grandparent born in an other country', would Donald Trump allow a guy to run for president whose mother was born in a foreign country, who's grandfather was born in a foreign country and whose wife was a foreigner? In other words: would Donald Trump allow Donald Trump to become president of the United States of America?

Now, let's focus on important things, shall we?
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Want to read my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

Seasons Greetings!

Everyone yaps about young people being 'different' nowedays. Forget it! Human nature doesn't change. What's happening in the world has been wildly changing, producing new sets of rules each time you blink your eye. It's the social climate, the environment that's been changing, not you'n me, Bunky!

Here's a f'rinstance: say you've got two homes - a lovely cabin in the country and a small city apartment. You play your stereo full blast in your cabin, but who cares? There's no one around to hear it, so you're not disturbing anyone. But play it just as loud in your small apartment with the paper-thin walls and your neighbors wanna clobber you. You haven't changed. You're the same yo-yo in both places. But the conditions are different!

Fact is, young people are the same as ever, the same noisy, scroungy, mangy, wonderful crazies they've always been - and adults are still the same grouchy, grunchy, goopy, hard-pressed and harassed heroes they've alsways been - and which you'll soon become.

Nothing changes but the labels. Which leads us to the main point I wanna make - None of us is all that different from each other. We all want essentially the same thing out of life - a measure of security, some fun, some romance, friendship and the respect of our contemporaries. That goes for everyone, Italians, Russians, Arabs, Asians, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, Blacks, Browns, Whites and green-skinned hulks. So why don't we all get with it and stop putting the 'other' guys down? Just look in the mirror, mister - that other guy is you!

Seasons Greetings!

Excelsior!

Stan Lee
1991

Oh, and something to think about for all Christians out there:
If you'd been the inn keeper, would you have send away Joseph and Mary?

(No, this last message is not from Stan 'the man' but from me, the author of this blog)

Merry Christmas!

The Nativity Scene without Jews, Muslims, Africans and refugees

Want to read my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

Merry capitalism and happy new debt

Two friends meet and talk. Can you spot something special in this video?

Now, thére's a Christmas gift!
And if you can't afford it, just borrow from the bank and make the bank owner really, really happy!

A trillion is a million times a million. So 1,000,000 time 1,000.000. 1,2 Trillion dollars is the total amount of American student debt. Or so it was two years ago. So probably a bit more now. When a student is no longer a student and goes out into the world, he or she is in debt for about 30,000 dollars.

Suppose straight after studying he or she gets a well paid job, does not smoke or drink and refuses to go on holidays and only buys one pair of new clothes every season of the year, it will take about 15 years to pay of the debt. Since the average graduate student is 33 years old, he or she will be 48 before being able to take on a job he or she likes in stead of taking the job with the highest available income.

Suppose you want to retire at 65. That means you've got 17 years to save up some money for your pension. If you manage to save $2000 a year (don't smoke or drink, don't go out much, don't eat out, never take holidays, only buy one set of new clothes every season...) you will have $34,000 dollars on top of your company's pensionplan (if any). Not $34,000 a year but just $34,000 to spent for the rest of your life.

http://time.com/money/3829776/heres-what-the-average-grad-makes-right-out-of-college/

https://studentloanhero.com/student-loan-debt-statistics-2016/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_debt

So basically, all you do is work in a job you don't like, to pay off a debt you got for enrolling in a study you had to take on in order to provide enough means for yourself to pay off the debt you took on for enrolling in a study you...

(Appropriate lolcat found on the world wide web)

In a few weeks time Donald Trump will be president of the USA. Will he help students lower their debts? So far he has done no promises in this area. Perhaps he does not care? Perhaps he's really working hard to help the average American? Anyhow: sofar he has broken more than a few promises. And he isn't even president yet.

How to spend spare time

I don't watch a lot of television. When I do, I like watching a few TV-series. Mainly Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, really. I'd rather spend time with my loved ones, books, comics and magazines. And on online research because I try very hard to find support for the opposite of my own opinion in my (English and Dutch (click)) blogs.

Occasionally I let myself be entertained by really bad movies. If only because it's nice to fall asleep with a smile. Here are a few examples:

So, what do you do in your spare time? Let me know in the comments!

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Want to read my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

Dinner (A #ShortStory) #AmWriting

On arriving home he found a note in which he was invited to come over to her place.

He was just about to ring the bell when the door opened. His heart pounding he pushed the door open wider and entered.

The living room was lit by no more than candles that were placed in a circle on the floor. In the middle sat a girl in her early 30s. Dressed in a grinlike smile and a new négligé.

The garment concealed little and he was flooded by warm feelings. As he walked slowly toward her she kept looking at him with a sweet smile.

They didn't exchange any words. None were needed.

They didn't make time for dinner.

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Want to read more of my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

The news is always right!

What's on the news is always true! Right? No, of course not. Unfortunately we live in a world in which money decides what counts as news. Media have every reason to 'tamper with the truth' (when you do it, it's called 'lying'). And all those reasons have to do with money. Most people don't want to hear everyting is fine. They tune in in the hope to know of someone who's worse of than they are. Yes, we crave bad news. So bad news sells advertisements.

Donald Trump knows that. So he pumps bad news into people's homes and brains. His followers don't seem to realize. And that's funny:



I don't think Trump supporters know Fox News is owned by two foreigners: an Australian media tycoon and a Saudi prince.



Women at French beaches are not allowed to cover themselves 'because they're not upholding French views and traditions. Women in France are also not allowed to show too much skin when they enter a catholic church 'because they're not upholding French views and traditions.' I would seriously not like being a woman in France now!

There's also a beach where women HAVE to cover themselves 'to uphold local views and traditions.' But that's in Tel Aviv so that's okay.

Supposedly Republicans hate muslims 'because they disrespect women.'
So what do you call people who sell, buy and wear shirts like these?

'Yeah, but look at how many people believe in Trump and would do everything he tells them to do! Millions of people can't be wrong, can they?'

There are times the cheering crowd is just not right:

About equal rights

In a civilised nation men and women are treated equally. Yes? So how is it that in America when a woman gets a top position in a company or the government it is still being regarded as a victory?

If Islam is 'retarded' because it does not treat women as equal to men, what does that make catholic church?

In our modern 'enlightened' day: how many women have ever been Pope, priest or President of the United States of America? Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world has had a female president. Has your country?

Since people these days often 'don't have time' to read more than a few lines, I created an extra lolcat to make my point:

Want to read more of my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

How to stop a liar

'America is the greatest country in the world!'

-'What makes you say that?'

'Well er...I don't know really. I just think it is.'

-'What makes you think it is?'

'Well, we've got freedom.'

-'So do ants and people in almost 200 other countries. What else?'

'Well, it's always an American team that wins the Worldseries.'

-'That's cheating. There are no foreign teams competing.'

'Wel, er...we're er...we're number one in...er...'

-'Boasting?'

So, if you think America is the greatest country in the world:
1. If you don't want others in, why do you keep telling them it's so great?

2. What makes you say the USA is the best? The best in what exactly?



'Sure, but what can you do about people who are constantly lying, like our new president? You can't get to him by pointing out facts and telling him he's not right. So what can you do? Well, perhaps Trevor Noah holds the answer:





Want to read my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

Said (a #SortStory) #AmWriting

The only sound he heard did little else than emphasise the silence that followed his unspoken question.

The slowly waking sun dressed the landscape gliding by in the magnificent display of colours you normally only see in artistically intended Science Fiction movies. The mood in the car was expressed in a delicate balance between serene peace and unspoken tensions.

She sat on the passenger seat and he on the back seat. That night they had worked together amicably and without noticing he had developed a slight crush on her.

He leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder. As if to say something. Outwardly unperturbed she let him for a little while.

Then she touched his hand with hers. First it was just her fingers, then she applied some pressure, radiating from her palm. The meaning was clear: his hand could and should not stay there.

Withdrawing his hand he also swallowed his unspoken words. They were no longer needed as everything had been said.

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'If they don't speak like we do, they're not welcome here!'

'If they don't speak like we do, they're not welcome here!'

Interesting you should say so...



The country of The Netherlands is filled with foreigners who speak the local language with a 'funny' accent. Mainly in the weeks before 'Sinterklaas', the birthday of the guy the beloved American 'Santa Claus' is based on. His helpers are not elves but 'Black Pete'. In the early days one single scary (what's more scary than someone with a skin colour you've never seen? Hence the African rituals in which people paint their faces white.). Somewhere in the fifties the 'centuries old' tradition arised that Sinterklaas was aided by more than one helper.

By the end of the Middle Ages Sinterklaas went door to door to spank the lady of the house on the bare bottom with his rod (yeah, I know) as a fertility ritual , often accompanied by a devilish scary figure. By the 1850's the scary figure was replaced by 'those scary black people' that helped the Dutch (and English and French...) economy to blossom. For free! The earrings - I'm guessing now - probably point towards pirates. Who were scary people too. Just like in large parts of Africa scary demon-like figures are usually painted white. Because to people who have never seen a white person, a white person is really, really scary.

In my childhood (A long time ago, don't remind me please) Sinterklaas was a wise smart white catholic guy who loved to pull small children onto his lap (these days that's considered criminal. Especially when a catholic priest or bishop does it) and have his clumsy weird (he's a 'foreigner' and 'foreigners' speak a different language!) helpers do funny things while handing out candy. Naughty kids apparently had disappeared all together. The collar worn bij Zwarte Piet has absolutely nothing to do with slavery but was simply the fashion at the Spanish court around the 16th century and Jan Schenkman (the Amsterdam teacher who was the first to write a book about 'Sinterklaas and his aid' thought of the story of Sinterklaas coming from Spain. As that country was not yet a populair holiday destination but just symbolically 'a kingdom far, far away'. Even William of Orange wore one!

These days Sinterklaas is an old fool who has lost his cross (look at the pictures: there is no more cross on his 'mijter' because it offended non-christians. He needs his smart caretakers to even help him find his glasses and often his Big Book with all the details of all kids in it. An item Anonymous is eager to get their hands on! So yes, of course having people with dark skin running around helping a white dude who gives them orders can remind people of slavery. But not many people oppose the game of basketball.

Bottomline: traditionally traditions change over time. So will this one.

Could Donald Trump be a good president?

President elect Donald Trump made a few promises during his campaign. Millions voted for him because he would end Obamacare. He won't. Millions voted for him because he would 'Lock her up!'. He won't. Millions voted for him because he would 'Build a Great Wall!' He won't. Millions voted for him because he would 'Make lots of jobs!'. He won't. Millions voted for him because he would 'send back all immigrants!' He won't. It would mean he would have to send his First Lady back to Slovenia. And he won't.

However, it appears he started negotiating with Apple's Tim Cook about shifting production of the iPhone from China to America. Of course that would mean people would have to pay a few hundred dollars more for their iPhone but of course Trump supporters are willing to pay more if that would mean more jobs in America. Right?

'The Donald' also wants to put an end to trade deals like TTIP. Unless his own companies could profit from it of course. Unless some other powerfull people Donald Trump is not afraid to admit he's in it for the money.

For him and his family, moving into the Whitehouse is taking a step back in their luxury lifestyle. So, is he really doing all this 'for the people'? My guess is that Donald Trump is doing it for Donald Trump. 

What do you think?

Want to read my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

Life breathes (a #shortstory) #AmWriting

It is early in the morning. Even the sun has only just come up.

A man sits on the quay. To his left there is a cup of yoghurt, his breakfast.

To his right there is a bottle of water. A really big one. Behind him lies a green backpack.

A pipe dangles in the left corner of his mouth. The smoke makes circles over his head.

The Traveller (for that's who he is) clearly enjoys the fact that he is alive. That life breathes.


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Want to read more of my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00K4007NG

Positive vibes

Because there is enough seriousness in the world I thought to share a story with you. The story of William the Worm:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-37014050

Luckily there's more positivity than negativity in the world. Here's another prime example: two lovers decide to get married



In nature too, good things happen. Just look at these turtles:



The good thing is that you don't have to look far for something positive to see: look around you, look at yourself...enjoy!