Day Opening - January 31

Namebie.

Day Opening - January 25

Valentino, Spring 2008, Paris.

Acupuncture

After I left the Netherlands definitely behind me as 'home country' some 9 years ago, there was one thing I really missed. And that was not Dutch beer, Dutch cheese, or cozy life in Amsterdam, the vivid art and or the international business circles. Neither I missed the tolerance where people could have discussion all night long, nor the multi- national and multi cultural atmosphere of Amsterdam (172 different nationalities on a population of 800.000, Turks are one of the 172, he, only one). I also didn't missed the interesting and divers business culture. No, I missed my acupuncturist! While in Czech in the USA I travelled more to Amsterdam than since living in Turkey. So, I could visit him at least several times a year.
I am fond about my acupuncturist since I consider acupuncture and auriculo therapy as one of the best medical treatments available. And it prevents!
Although I found an acupuncturist in Turkey in 2003, I didn't go there that often. I relied on my many business trips (often unpredictable and very irregular) to visit my Dutch acupuncturist. But last weekend, after a terrible week of being sick, up, sick etc., I decided to go back to him. And yes, now the connection was made.
The relation between a doctor and a patient/client is vital. As I am being treated in several Turkish hospitasl like an ATM machine, I found my docter who also can direct me to the right people for other issues.
Not with doctors and who are more in love with my kind of credit card than my health. And yes, that's what I miss in Turkey; a social health care system. Its all about the head scarf, still.
And yes!! I miss Dutch Haring, Kroketten, Hutspot, Pindakaas, Kaas...
But not enough to migrate back..!!

Day Opening - January 22

Gates of Paradise, Met'z.

Article by Super Hero (me and others)

SH wrote an interesting posting.
Wanted to answer with a link which back up his statement but didn't succeed.
Here is the only link I found so far about Loverboys in English the Netherlands.
Had problems to put it as comment on his blog.
This a serious problem, which needs attention and must not be underestimated.

European Capitals of Culture

1985 Athens
1986 Florence
1987 Amsterdam
1988 Berlin
1990 Glasgow
1991 Dublin
1993 Antwerp
1994 Lisbon
1995 Luxembourg
1996 Copenhagen
1997 Thessalonika
1998 Stockholm
1999 Weimar
2000 Avignon, Bergen, Bologna, Brussels, Santiago, Helsinki, Cracow, Prague and Reykjavik
2001 Porto, Rotterdam
2002 Bruges, Salamanca
2003 Graz
2004 Genoa, Lille
2005 Cork
2006 Patras
2007 Luxembourg
2007 Sibiu
2008 Liverpool
2008 Stavanger

Time can make you Happy

In 1999, I started a yahoo group. One of the first members and later moderators is Johanna from a place in the centre of Finland. Above a picture of her. Made several years ago. Not always happy, but determined to make something out of her life.


Then she disappeared, but came back with a beautiful message and picture: her son:
Miika Jaakko Sakari.

Here Johanna with her Miiki.
A happy family, with her boyfriend and child. And peaceful rest. Time can do so much, but think in the positive direction.

Sobering information about Drunk driving...

A friend of mine told me the following some rather sobering information about punishment for drunk driving convictions in other countries than in the Netherlands, where we have a zero-tolerance policy against drinking and driving.

He told me that
-In Australia, the names of drunk drivers are printed in newspapers under the caption, "He's drunk and in jail."
-In Malaysia the driver is jailed and, if married, the spouse is jailed too.
-In the United Kingdom, Finland and Sweden there's an automatic jail term of one year.
-In Turkey, drunk drivers are driven twenty miles out of town and forced to walk back home.
-In Bulgaria, a second drunk-driving conviction results in capital punishment.
-In El Salvador, your first offense is your last -- execution by firing squad.

So, if you live in the centre of Istanbul, and they drive you out of the city, then another 30 km, wow, that's a hell of a distance. But if prefer the Turkish option over the El Salvadorian one...
But are these stories true?

Happy 2008

Fireworks at the Sydney harbor! 2008!

New Years Resolutions...

...yes, I make them each year over and over again. It's fun.
For me this year:
1) less time behind Internet, more clearly: less blogging and other social media tools, but more time writing articles and working at my book. The latter must be finished by the end of the summer 2008.
2) shall I stop smoking? I have to!
3) moving to another country? Big chance! On the top of the list: Dubai, Italy, Greece, Canada and France. Only for the first I need a work permit, the rest not. So, we will see.
Wish you all a pleasant evening and for tomorrow: wake up healthy..))

Day Opening - December 31

Countdown on One Times Square, NYC.

Shock blogs

There is a new trend on the web, which concerns me: shock blogs. With one goal: How to create a web blog which provides maximum shock value such as "psychological warfare" or inciting hate. In the last weeks there was such a warfare going on between Kurdish and Turkish nationalists in Germany. Or can we say: between PKK supporters and Gray Wolves members. Mainly on YouTube, but new radical blogs are made every day.
The Turkish press are willing to show one side of this dangerous game: the PKK are terrorists and no word about the Gray Wolves which are pur sang fascists.
Maybe of greater concern are the huge flock of 'followers' of the weblogs that engage in the slandering, insulting and otherwise non-constructive postings. As long the 'shock' and the 'reaction' is there the blogger is satisfied. Maybe we can say: the Net is Dead. Even Social media sites such as facebook, turns out to be a place where like minded idiotry are assembled in special groups.

Some blogs are created for the ego of the blogger. Not for social interaction anymore. You can bring news by telling 50% of the truth. But as an old Jewish expression says: part of the truth is one big lye. Most of these blogs are the the same old linkdumping, insulting or negative posting blogs which wants to shock. The Top-Ten is here. But personal, I can mention some (mainly political ones) here. Later!

A familiar feeling?

A peculiar yet familiar feeling came upon me today when I walked downstairs to retrieve my (snail) mail ... I actually got very excited about it!
I was feeling the same exhilariting high I used to get when I would sign on-line and have e-mail. I must admit though, I felt somewhat ashamed that I had almost lost touch with the off-line world out there.

E-mail can never beat the heartfelt thoughts and well wishes that go into a handwritten note from a dear friend. I can't remember ever receiving a letter from someone special where I could possibly misinterpret EXACTLY what was hand written!
I've had plenty of opportunity to go back and forth with various e-pals because I didn't quite understand the inflection in their typewritten notes to me or misconstrued the meaning behind their/my grins, "!" and "just kidding" remarks. Many times I have continued on in jest only to find out later that they were never kidding, or I found out that my remarks were "believed" and someone missed the "just kidding" from me!
I hope we all never get so net-involved that we lose touch with our ability to make someone's day by writing a few special words on paper and dropping it into the mail. In spite of postage increases, mail is still cheap!
Can you imagine a life without ever receiving a greeting card in the mail?
I actually e-mailed a few "dads" I knew on Father's Day and wished them a special day. In hindsight, I can only imagine the joy they might have felt had I taken the time to select that special card among thousands and mailed a card to them.

There are cyber-flower services out there on the world wide web! Personally, I'd hate to imagine the day I no longer receive REAL flowers ... one's that I can actually enjoy the aroma ... one's that I must lovingly water to preserve the thought another day. Can you?

I think I'll spend some time tonight writing something special to those forgotten few who have not yet experienced the wonderful and sometimes impersonal cyber-world out there.
How about you?

Happy

Happy Bayram!
And Happy Christmas.
Peace upon everybody.
Greetings from Dubai.

Day Opening - December 11

The former American Vice-President Al Gore and chairman Rajendra Pachauri of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) received in Oslo the Nobel price for Peace.

Today, exactly 27 years ago

Fans mourn Lennon's death outside the Dakota Building, New York, where he was shot on 8 December 1980.

The effects of War and Mother is talking.

The post below, link, is such a powerful one, that I really like to share it here.
It reminds me about the movie 'Apocalypse Now'.
The difference only here is that you don't brag about killing people. Ans this is a real story.
You can read it here. Its called 'Like mother, like son'.

Metin

Before Metin left for his family to get in a 'Turkey coma' (people get that while eating Turkey) he wrote a nice posting on his blog: Turkey's Genocide (an annual one). Funny to read, but oh so true: 50 million Turkey's slaughtered each year...
Btw, today, is Metin's birthday. Guess how old? Congratulations!!!

The only USA president who won 4 elections on a row

Franklin D. Roosevelt (Dutch for field of roses) is the only president in the USA who's re-elected 3 times until he died on April12 1945, just before the end of the second World War.
Last night I saw a movie named Warm Springs. A movie about an illness he contracted 'Paralytic illness' also named polio.
But Roosevelt refused to accept that he was permanently paralyzed. He tried a wide range of therapies, including hydrotherapy, and, in 1926, he purchased a resort at Warm Springs, Georgia, where he founded a hydrotherapy center for the treatment of polio patients which still operates as the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation. After he became President, he helped to found the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (now known as the March of Dimes). His leadership in this organization is one reason he is commemorated on the dime.
At the time, when the private lives of public figures were subject to less scrutiny than they are today, Roosevelt was able to convince many people that he was in fact getting better, which he believed was essential if he was to run for public office again. Fitting his hips and legs with iron braces, he laboriously taught himself to walk a short distance by swiveling his torso while supporting himself with a cane. In private, he used a wheelchair, but he was careful never to be seen in it in public. He usually appeared in public standing upright, supported on one side by an aide or one of his sons.
This movie is about the treatment he undergo in Warm Springs, Georgia. And shows why he was such a 'warm' president.

Facebook

I wrote almost ten days ago that I left Facebook. Wrong, I am still out there in the schizophrenic world. But no vampires, werewolves and pirates on my neck anymore. Made some great contacts and I use it as an email account once and a while.
Oh...before I forget to mention the most important news of today, I married Idil, and she said yes, and now we are drinking champagne..)