It was late. Too late to catch a tram. And too cold really to be waiting at some stop for the night bus. But considering his failing motor skills due to excessive alcohol use he decided not to walk.
At the next stop she got on, a few years after he last saw her. She noticed him right after showing the driver her bus card and walked towards him as fast as was ladylike.
Before she properly sat her hand had found his. She looked deeply into his expectant eyes and said: 'I am glad to have found the man of my dreams again.'
He suggested that they get off together at his stop but she told him she couldn't for reasons that do not matter here.
That is why he informed her of the existence of a literary magazine in which a haiku dedicated to her could be found:
Isn't it funny that people who worry a lot about their privacy often state their opinion on social media? Most of the time the location-setting on their smartphone is set to 'on' and it's not uncommon that they are the same people who oppose wearing face masks.
If there's one place where your privacy is not safe but in the hands of clever salespeople, it's on social media. Private companies and government agencies can easily check on your whereabouts just because you are too lazy to go to 'settings' and turn location 'off'.
If there's one thing that throws off privacy intruding face recognition camera's, it's wearing a face mask.
Besides that: it's virtually impossible to keep all your data private. Even without using the internet, in our western countries there are about 300 people, agencies and companies that have access to your very private private data. Really.
Early December 2020 a man was pulled over by police on a dark road. They would not give him a reason. He drove on and stopped at a gas station, where there would be light and other people. He feared for his life as the officers approached him with guns drawn. In the United States of America this situation is considered 'normal'. There's something wrong with that premisse.
Click here for the full story and social media responses.
What do you think? What if you were the man in the car? What if you were one of the police officers?
Could this happen in your part of the world?
There are many more cases where (white) police officers draw their guns on unarmed (black) people. Now, some may argue US cops are more likely to shoot white people. In total numbers, that's correct. Adjusted by population? Not nearly.
They are the cause of thousands of speeding tickets. They were the second Dutch band to make it into the Billboard top 100. They inspired thousands upon thousands to pick up an instrument and start playing rock 'n roll. Their most famous song was voted Best Driving Song. They have been friends ever since the band was formed and played in the original line-up for over fifty years. They promised eachother to keep on playing until one of them became incapable of performing. They are legends. They are The Golden Earring.
Sadly they were forced to quit when George Kooymans, one of the founders, was diagnosed with ALS in February 2021. On his birthday, March 15, the song they are most famous for - 'Radar Love' - was played throughout The Netherlands at precisely 17:15. It blared from home stereos, from bars and cars, played on the MP3-players from known politicians and people could enjoy renditions of the song, being played from bell towers.
A moving tribute, bringing tears to bandmembers, relatives, friends and fans from all over the world alike.
Not just to 'old rockers' but younger people too. People whose parents weren't born when Radar Love came to see the light and livened up tens of thousands of car-, bus, and motor-rides, unwillingly moving feet, causing people to forget about their wordly problems for a few moments. And not caring about getting a speeding ticket.
The band will be missed but left us with some of the greatest rock tunes ever. Find their songs on Youtube and Spotify, buy their albums, enjoy their music. Here's Radar Love, more than once:
Drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk emotional at bell tower:
The Radar Love drumsolo, as he played it in 2015:
A young German Beatles fan paying tribute in her own way:
Colleagues have always honoured and respected the perhaps
oldest band, still playing in the original line-up,
at least until February 2021:
There are whispered rumours a tribute concert will be organized, as soon as Corona-wise possible,
with friends and guitarists from other bands playing instead of George Kooymans.
Here a little clip on the guy:
Three years ago he played 'Just a little bit of piece in my heart':
Of course he's not dead yet and there's no one who wants him to die. Who knows if ALS can ever be cured. But chances are slim for George and people like him as at the moment people who are diagnosed with ALS (also MND or Lou Gehrig's Disease) seldom live more than five years after being diagnosed.
If you wish to help fund research, here's a donation-link to ALS The Netherlands. If you don't reside in The Netherlands, I'm sure there's an ALS foundation in your country. The Ice Bucket Challenge was a very succesful way to create awareness for this awful disease (one by one all your muscles give in, including the muscles that allow you to breathe) but the fight against it, is long from over.
'Why don't I have the freedom to run around Walmart, carrying a loaded gun?'
'The government can't tell me what to do! It's only in a dictatorship that the government tells people what to do!'
The government cán tell us what to do and you have no clue what a dictatorship is.
See the government as a parent: would you let your kid demolish the furniture and his little sister 'because you don't want to touch his right to be free to do what he wants' or would you set boundaries and even install punishments where your child crosses those?
The only limit to freedom should be the point where you limit those of others. Unfortunately for gun nuts, others have the freedom to shop in an idiot-free environment. Gun nuts can shoot eachother in the woods where they like to play survivalist. If they would all do that, normal people's chances of surviving will increase drastically.
Voltaire had something to say on freedom of speech:
And so does one of my lolcats:
So, are you living in a dictatorship or can you enjoy freedom?
We can learn so much from those who lived before us! Our ancestors weren't uncivilized, barbaric, stupid, filthy, egocentric thieves. At least, not all of them. And I bet you know a few uncivilized, barbaric, stupid, filthy, egocentric thieves who live today.
2000 Years ago they knew nothing of mathematics, astronomy and computers. Right? Wrong. Very, very wrong
Scientists unlocked the 'Cosmos' on the Antikythera Mechanism, the world's first computer and are close to creating a replica. The ancient Greeks used it to keep track of the movement of the then five known planets in our solar system. This device showed them when the next full moon would be, when it was time for the next Olympics or to bring in the harvest.
I can only imagine the shock when they lost it at sea. Picture the users and makers finding out their invention was going to be recreated 2000 years later.
What ancient surprises lay still waiting for us to be discovered and how will they change our view of our ancestors?
Capitalists just love the workings of 'the free market': all financial transactions are controlled by question and demand. Hardly any government regulations make it possible to make a lot of money manipulating the market. Since 'Gamestop' the people at the top of hedgefunds suddenly demand government regulations. Why? Because one man rallied against them by making clever use of their own unwritten rule: 'It doesn't matter what you do or who suffers from your actions. As long as you make a lot of money.'
The wheels have started turning and who knows? Maybe our grandchildren will live in a world where 'People over money' is the new adagium.
Trevor Noah explains:
Than there is Nzambi Matee, a Kenian woman who found a great way to recycle different kinds of plastics: she turns them into bricks, over 5 times harder than concrete.
There are tons of examples like this, where one person makes a huge difference in how we deal with people and the planet. If you know of any, let me know in the comments.
The USA had Donald Trump to lead them through the corona-crisis. It didn't work out well and Joe Biden can't make up for the over half a million dead Americans because his predecessor denied for there even was a pandemic.
In Brazil President Jaïr Bolsonaro is still in denial and that's why Brazil has one of the highest mortality rates in the world where it concerns the Covid-19 virus. In total numbers they are a close second after America, while being a lot smaller.
In Sweden the government of prime minister Stefan Löfven was responsible for thousands of deaths before they realised you can't give the people too much freedom. The freedom to take things into their own hands ment that people would not wear face masks, would still travel and would still spread the virus.
The goverment of Miloš Zeman has the 'honour' of having the highest covid-mortality rate in the world: over 2.000 Czech citizens died per 1 million inhabitants. Because the government refused to listen to experts and didn't mandate mask wearing. Because they opened all shops to the audience for Christmas, because of denying the existence of the third wave of the virus.
In the Netherlands prime minister Mark Rutte did not know what to do and so he and his government jumped from 'No, a lockdown is absolutely not neccessary' to 'We must enforce a strong and strict lockdown! But not all the time and not for everyone. With just an extensive list of exceptions. At least for now or until I bend to 'the will of the people' again. And again.'
In the meantime it seems 30 percent of the Duch people doesn't listen to the government anymore but turn to Facebook for guidance. Where they listen to public figures like a right wing extremist turned politician, an unemployed dance teacher (not joking) and a well-known pollster turned virologist who previously was fired by public TV for cheating with his figures.
In New Zealand they had four cases of Covid over the pas few months. That's right: 4. Not 40,000, not 4.000 and not even 400. Just 4. Why? Because their Prime Minister took immediate action from day one. No denial, no hesitation. Not 'let's wait a few months to see what the virus does.' Not 'Let's look at other countries', nor 'Let's have a meeting after our next summer reces and discus possible courses of action.'
Here's how Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern adressed the people (and kept them updated on a daily basis. By herself. From her home. Literally setting the right example), asking them to stay home as much as possible:
Here's her story:
Perhaps what I'm saying is: perhaps we should stop looking for strong men to lead us.
Recently, the Vatican declared that priests are not allowed to bless a marriage between people of the same sex. That contradicts the words of the current Pope who stated that to God homosexual people are people too.
The Vatican states it follows the rules of Christ, as written out in the Bible. So I had a look. Surprise, surprise, the Bible doesn't even mention the word marriage, nor is there in any of the bible books a word for 'wife'.
So it looks like the Catholic church just made it all up, just so it would fit their narrative, claiming homosexuality is 'not natural'. Which is - of course - nonsense. Homosexuality is not only common among men but also among animals. Homosexuality in nature is less rare than a four leaved clover.
And why should people listen to male priests (oh, sorry, that's a pleonasm since there are no female priests as the Vatican states women are not suited to do a men's job) of whom dozens upon dozens couldn't resist sticking their celibate willies intor choir boys.
I'm not against Catholic faith in itself. Any faith can provide support and comfort for those who believe. Even when people believe there's nothing they believe in.
