Some good news

Great news for the fans of the Hitchhikers's Guide to the Galaxy series by the late Douglas Adams: the Babelfish is here! Put it in your ear and be awed at it's ability to instantly translate words between you and your foreign conversation partner. It works! It's true.



And more good news:
There are a lot of people out there who are not trying but even are making the best of it, despite being handicapped. And despite their age. Like 11-year old Jordan Reeves (click her name to read her inspiring story).

And here's something to think about when you scratch your head thinking 'I'm too old for this.' Because you're not.



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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

A monster you never heard of

You will have heard of Hitler, Stalin and Mao. All people famous for killing thousands and even millions of others. Perhaps Djengis Khan can be on that list. And Idi Amin. And no doubt there are countless others who think killing lots of people is a good thing and - unfortunately - put the action where the mouth is. But you probably never heard of a man responsible for the deaths of an estimated 15 million people. Not just any man but a king even. A white king. From Belgium.

King Leopold II

Amazing solutions!

All over the world amazing people come up with amazing solutions for the problems we face today. And sometimes a solution is amazingly simple. Here are three examples"






See? There's hope for mankind after all! It's not all that bad.

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

Even more on number 45

In the state of Mississippi capital punishment is a legal form of doing justice. The state's legislators are even considering bringing back the firing squad as a means to execute prisoners. Soon Turkey will have the death penaly again. Next to more power for president Erdogan. There was another time when religious fanatics ruled a nation with severe physical punishments as means to control the people. It was called The Dark Ages.

Meanwhile, the President of America, 'the mightiest man on the planet!' and his aides worry about the declining sales of the president's daughter's clothing line.
Unfortunately for the Trumpets (White American ladies who still support the new president) they can't by Ivanka's clothes. Mainly because the clothes are made for slim ladies. But also because they can only buy and hire American.

Ivanka Trump just happens to be close friends with Vladimir Putin's girlfriend and the American tax payer pays for Eric Trump's business trips. Over 20 million people are about to lose their health insurance but most of them don't seem to care 'because a mysogynist racist billionaire promised to create more American jobs!'

Sure, that's why he lets his daughter produce clothes in China. As everybody knows America's 51st state. That's why he just closed a deal with Bayer, a company that once helped Hitler create more jobs for Germans. By getting rid of a couple of million Jews in the country.

A court ruled Mr. Trump's 'Muslimban' illegal.
https://twitter.com/i/moments/673990084803325952
'See you in court!' was his reply. To the court. He promised to keep a close eye on 'those Wall street guys!' And what better way to keep that promise by appointing them into his cabinet?
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/trump-s-cabinet-picks-have-combined-wealth-11b-how-did-n692681
The new cabinet picks have one thing in common: they are unbelievably rich. His pick for Education, Betsy DeVos,  paid $6 million dollar to the Republican Party. The rest of her family donated $194 million dollar. But I'm sure that was not the reason why a person without any experience on the matter got elected Secretary of Education.

Donald Trump is really, really smart!

 Mike Pence converted from gay to straight thanks to electroshock therapy:

Soon after being elected VP, Mike Pence deleted this tweet. Too late:

 Pussies all over the world are worried:

 

It's hard to crack a good joke on Trump when reality is almost funnier

 Trump's action explained by a comedian:

Think 'it' can't happen again? Think again!

 Trump's ego is bigger than his hair:

Perhaps it's best to fight him with his own weapons:

 The similarities are scary

What if he decides to become 'President for Life!'?

The US president has trouble writing speeches containing

more than 140 characters:

It's just coincidence he does not ban muslims

from countries he does business with:

People are mocking him:

 He's not very complicated:

 He copies his speeches all by himself!

His tactics are concerning:

 His followers call themselves Christians

but sane people don't know why:

 Polls that are not in his favour are 'fake news':

 This really is a cruel statement. For Nickelback:

 He does not know what he's talking about. Ever.

 This guy has freedom of speech. People who oppose Trump don't:

 This is true:

 This is also true:

 On the left: Obama's inaugural cake. On the right: Trump's.

But he never steals anything!

 It's proably the lack of food that makes people rejoice.

They simply can't think straight anymore.

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

Introduced (a #ShortStory)

Darkness had already fallen when he was standing at the bus stop early in the evening. He had arranged to meet a friend and was planning to take the last bus home at the latest.

Then she caught his eye and he changed his plan. Even if it was sub-consciously. A bus pulled up but it wasn't his. She got on, turned towards him with a question in her eyes and he followed.

Without a word she sat down and he took the seat next to her. Their hands sought and found contact. Their fingers played entangled lovers while they deliberately kept their eyes averted from each other. Too dangerous.

After an all-too-brief eternity the bus pulled up to her stop. She got up, walked to the exit and only then turned her face in his direction. He caught the look in her eyes with his heart and she whispered her name to him.

Without a sound his lips formed the words 'I know.' Which was true.
After all, in his dreams he and she had already been introduced.

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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

Where are you from? And does that matter? To whom?

Most people want to know where they are from.
Extremely religious Christian people already think they know:
we are all Brothers and Sisters since Adam and Eve are literally our ancestors.
Only people with dark skin colour are - apparently - created by Satan.
I could not find that part of the Bible where it says so but apparently - to millions of people - that is 'a proven fact'. When asked what that prove consists of they say: 'What do those scientists know'?'

Well, scienists know your ancestors where black people from Africa. Period.

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/almost-all-living-people-outside-africa-trace-back-single-migration-over-50000-years

By the way - and you may find this hard to believe - but Jesus was a coloured man with short hair and...He was a foreigner!

http://terrebelius.blogspot.nl/2016/05/what-was-jesus-skincolour.html

On #FreeSpeech

XKCD (click) has a great cartoon on free speech:

Yes, that's right: you have the right to say whatever you want but you don't have the right to force others to listen!

French police officers can claim (click) they 'accidentally' pulled down a suspect's pants and then 'accidentally' repeatedly inserted a baton in the man's anus. But a judge can choose not to listen to lies and put the (hopefully former) policemen behind bars.

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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

Should the system be changed?

Ask around: most people who oppose the Affordable Healthcare Act are against it because of one single reason and one reason alone: it was and idea from President Barack Obama.

Millions of Americans have affordable healthcare. Even those who oppose the concept of 'Obamacare' as it is widely known. Former president Obama noticed many people could not afford staying healthy. So he decided to do something about it. Despite Republicans trying everything in their power to twart this 'socialist' (look up 'socialism' and tell me why it's bad.) plan.

You may have heard evil things about the plan. And altough it may not be perfect, it does have its merits (click).



More on healthcare in America:


Here are the solutions as proposed by Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump:


There is this thing called 'The System' and most agree it's not perfect. With the exception of those who benefit from it. Around one percent of the global population. So, constantly people demand for the system to be changed. Strangely enough it's usually those who benefit from the system who say it should be changed. Once elected, they do everything in their power to make sure the system does NOT change. But still people keep believing those populist politicians. I find that strange.

We should change the system. People cannot be changed. But they can be convinced to step away from their beliefs. So I keep myself occupied with discussions and love it when people like you keep me sharp and force me to actually think about my own opinions. Thank you! x


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

Perhaps not (a #ShortStory)

They were sitting in the back garden of a mansion that was hundreds of years old. At some point - according to unconfirmed but lasting rumours - deserted soldiers from the army of Napoleon had sought refuge here. And found it.

It was a lovely summer's eve and the warm temperatures of the day were preparing for the night. The wood chips and sticks in the fire basket did their best to heighten the mood. It worked.

She was sitting on his lap and they were smoking a cigarette together.

Both stared into the fire and listened to the flames' lively struggle for oxygen.

Both saw and heard something else. Or perhaps not.

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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 power of the sun!

More and more people are aware we only have one planet. So we should be careful with it. One way to achieve this goal is not to drain the planet's resources. A fantastic alternative to coal, wood and gas is the power of the sun.

Check out this clip about fantastic upcoming and existing projects:

More thoughts on the Trump Administration

When a muslim man attacked (but did not kill) people at the Louvre in Paris, president Trump tweeted his outrage. When a few days earlier a white supremacist killed 9 people gathered for prayer in Quebec, America's mightiest man didn't utter a word. Well, not in public. A cynical person could think Trump is a racist who simply hates Muslims simply because they're Muslims and loves white supremacists because he is one himself.

Fox News immediately assumed the Quebec shooter was a Muslim Extremist and later refused to apologise when the killer turned out to be a white supremacist.

The prime example of Main Stream Media is Mr. Trumps favourite (and next to Breitbart ony) news source. Or appears to be.

His press secretary also kept silent about the Quebec massacre (contrary to The Bowling Green massacre Kellyanne Conway presented as Alternative Fact, this one actually happened).

You can say about Sean Spicer what you like but you have to give the guy some credit. Just imagine how hard it is to say: 'Yes, the president said it's a Muslimban but when he said it he didn't say it. Just as I did not say it when I said it.'

Some people watch soap opera's and or sports and some even read books! One of my personal favourite pastimes is reading 'arguments' by rightwing people:

'Lefties only share fake news!' -'Yeah, all those people killed by toddlers? All work at gas stations in Florida. With Elvis. It's true.'

If it weren't so sad and dangerous the Trump administration would be highly humorous. I don't know about you but I think he will finish his term. Perhaps Howard Stern (click) is right and Donald Trump simply ran for president to raise his pay for producing The Apprentice. The theory would account for the fact that The Donald seems clueless about his new job.

You could laugh about Mr. Trump's lack of ability to show compassion or knowledge of ethics or faith in science but it's only a matter of time before his lack of qualification for the job actually costs people's lives. As it already has: the Commander in Chief ordered a strike in Yemen (click). Over dinner with the former head of Breitbart and Trump's own son-in-law. That's right: The president was not in the prep room when he ordered the killing of 'possible rebels'. Obama wanted to wait for more intel and ordered the strike to be at least be excecuted on a moonless night. You know, to minimize the chances of the Seals excecuting the order getting caught or - worse - shot and killed. A Seal got killed, a few men got injured and women and children got killed, shot and possibly even burned alive. At least 23 civilians got killed. And yes maybe a few al-Qaida fighters died. According to Sean Spicer 'it was worth it'. So Trump calls the attack 'a succes'. He and his acting First Lady (daughter Ivanka. Melania has been out of sight since the inauguration) went to show their respect to the Seal's widow. Who, without Trump, would not be a widow.

Unfortunately Donald Trump does not like to be confronted by facts (click). His sidekick Mr. Bannon, will see to that.

For your convenience I've collected a few pictures reflecting my thoughts on the issue. Some are made by friends, some I grabbed from the internet, some I made myself. The pictures should speak for themselves. To click is to enlarge.

It's not always easy but I love to fight fear with humour.

And I'm not the only one:

Feel free to copy and share above pictures!

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