About our queen

Today is Queen's Day in the Netherlands. It's not a celebration of being queer; it's a national holiday. Granted, those two need not be mutually exclusive, but in this case, they are unrelated.

On Queen's Day, we celebrate the birthday of our queen, Beatrix. Never mind that she was born on Januari 31. April 30 is (or rather, was) in fact the birthday of her now deceased mother, Juliana. Since it is decreed by law that it nearly always rains in the Netherlands, although slightly less so in April than in January, it was decided to hold on to April 30. Don't believe it when someone tells you that Beatrix made this decision to honour her mother.

Since I am a proponent of a Dutch republic, I don't really fancy writing a long analysis about Beatrix. Fortunately, Pieter has already done so in this excellent article, although I think he's too mild on her when it comes to her actions after Van Gogh's death (i.e. virtually non-existent, except for some orchestrated 'let's-cuddle-Moroccans-whilst-ignoring-the-parents-of-Van-Gogh' charade in a youth house in Amsterdam).

If you're not so much into the heavy stuff, you can read here how the Dutch tend to celebrate her majesty's birthday. (Scroll to item 26.)

19:29

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May the cutest mut win

Kitten War.

16:13

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So you want some voting advice on the European constitution

Good news! There's two websites that offer advice on how to vote, and chances are that at least one of them will tell you what you want to here.

On one of them, indirectly sponsored by the Dutch government, misleading statements manipulate visitors into an advice which is almost always positive towards the constitution. So if you are mindlessly pro-European, which you would have to be if you're willing to support this monstrosity of a constitution, go to Stemwijzer.nl and have your opinion reinforced.

If on the other hand, you are not in favour of the European Union, you can go to this site, which was built by the radical anti-globalist collective EuroDusnie. Here, misleading statements manipulate visitors into an advice which is almost always negative towards the constitution.

In my case, I actually got a 'vote no' advice on the pro-European website, and the other way around, which indicates how much of a smartass I am. It's a good thing at least my cat loves me.

Incidentally, EuroDusnie is also subsidized by the Dutch government, which goes to show the grants department has gone completely bonkers. These are the same guys that regularly threw cakes into the faces of dignitaries.

(Now I agree that some of those dignitaries actually looked a lot better after the procedure, but I don't think it's the business of the government to subsidize cosmetic improvements.)

15:00

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Mea culpa

Sorry for not updating more frequently, but I have been busy. Busy with blogging, although not in a way I could share with you. I've been acting as a consultant for a Dutch publisher who will publish a blog which I co-developed somewhere next week, or very shortly thereafter. Also, I am now a hired gun for an internet blog in Dutch, which has just launched here.

I want to spend a bit more time updating my blog but the past few weeks have been out of control. I run my own company and therefore sometimes have to file budget proposals in order to obtain contracts. Well, a few months ago, I filed three such proposals, expecting to get a positive response to one of them. Instead, I got all three contracts. Since I run a one man gig, that made for some very busy 80+ hour weeks.

Meanwhile, if you're a blogger myself, may I suggest you read up on Roger L. Simon's proposal on how to make the whole blogging business more financially savvy. Worth reading. I'm sifting through the legal stuff now and am seriously considering to sign up.

19:03

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Newsweek: several facts on denied KLM flight 685

• Two Saudis on the flight were brothers who had attended the same Arizona flight school as 9/11 hijacker Hani Hanjour.
• Canada did not give permission to land. This directly contradicts a statement from KLM that they had the opportunity to land there, but did not do so (and chose the very expensive option of flying back to Amsterdam) because of the fifteen horses in the cargo hold. Since the Dutch normally make sausages out of horses (the only proper thing to do with them now that we have cars), this story seems to be wearing kinda thin.

Which begs the question: is it true KLM really couldn't have known this plane would be sent back? American immigration has been a bit on edge since 9/11 (before you start flaming, so would Dutch immigration be if we had suffered such an attack), but one can hardly accuse Canada of being overzealous in turning back flights. And the American terrorist watch list has been distributed to virtually all airlines that have American ports of call, including KLM.

Then there's a matter I haven't read about thus far in American papers about Dutch military police taking two people off flight 685 prior to take-off. No further disclosures about that have been made yet, and Dutch journalists have been unable to dig up more information about this. Perhaps foreign journalists will have more success pursuing this matter. (Yes, foreign. I've noticed on several occasions that Dutch PR folk tend to be more forthcoming towards American hacks. For example, after the Van Gogh murder, the LA Times got answers to several questions Dutch press received a 'no comment' on.)

Read the full thing here.

10:23

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Why I will say 'no' to the European constitution

1) This is not a constitution. A constitution is a concise document laying down the groundwork for a nation. Laws are then adopted to further clarify what is meant by the articles in the constitution. That way, the constitution can withstand the test of time because it doesn't need to be changed every other year or so, and thus provide a sense of stability. Nevertheless, the European 'constitution' is fatter than Michael Moore in a tub of lard, with over 300 pages.
2) I have a distrust against any constitution which doesn't start with 'We, the people' or something to that end. The European 'constitution' sounds like a friggin' parking permit:

DRAWING INSPIRATION from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe, from which have developed the universal values of the inviolable and inalienable rights of the human person, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law,

GRATEFUL to the members of the European Convention for having prepared the draft of this Constitution on behalf of the citizens and States of Europe,

OK, a rather lengthy parking permit. Incidentally, there used to be something in there about the Judeo-Christian inheritance of Europe, which is a hell of a lot bigger than the humanist one, but this was considered to be unsavoury.
3) This constitution will effectively abolish the sovereign Dutch nation. Bigger EU nations will get more voting powers, and the endowment of the European Parliament with extra powers will have a similar eroding effect on our independence.
Already, laws are being adopted in the Netherlands which would never have made it if not for the EU. Recently, a law proposal was drafted which reverses the burden of proof in cases of sexual harassment. (Which will, incidentally, lead to employers hiring fewer women in order to avoid being falsely accused, and/or putting up cameras everywhere. Thank you, EU, for curbing our civil rights!)
4) We will have to abolish most of our social welfare. The European constitution will make sure that the Netherlands won't be able to regulate their own immigration policy any longer. As a result, many immigrants will be tempted to travel here, for our welfare system is one of the most luxurious in Europe. There will be no other way of preventing an influx of fortune seekers other than curbing welfare for everyone - including the ones who have paid premiums for years. While I am not exactly a proponent of the current rate of spending on welfare in the Netherlands, the European constitution will force us to do away with nearly all of it.

Also, I'm really sick of the euro because the EMU is full of frauds, I detest the arrogant attitude of France and Germany, and have become a lot less enthusiastic about Turkish admission to the EU after the way they behaved on the EU Summit in the Netherlands last year (which was bullyish and extremely arrogant). Oh, and The Economist has quite a few reasons, too.

Incidentally, Elsevier News Weekly has also adopted the 'no stance' in its latest issue.

If anyone knows of a decent 'Vote No' banner, I'll be glad to put it up.

12:43

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Yet another really annoying link

Enjoy.

10:07

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Math in the military

This weekend, about 100-150 guns were stolen from a Dutch military base. Or so they said.

Just now, it's become known that the police retrieved some of the guns. About 200 of them. The rest (about minus 50-100, I guess) are still missing.

Right.

15:26

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So who's got the stronger personality?

On the First iPod:

'One thing that's interesting is that the president likes artists who don't like him.'

20:24

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Run, Forrest, run

I'm an avid runner and I like to work out whilst listening to trance music, for it helps me to maintain a steady pace. But of late, I've been unhappy with the items on offer in alt.binaries.sounds.mp3.dance. Most of it may be very pleasant after having ingested a steady quantity of methylone or MDMA, I tend to favour a drug-free running environment.

So here's my solution.

1) Go to DI FM, which offers trance music with lots of vocals and enough consonants and predictable rhythms to help you concentrate on the distance to go, rather than distract you all the time
2) Download StreamRipper32 here
3) Add DI FM's Shoutcast streaming url to StreamRipper 32, select a directory where you want to store your new MP3's and start downloading. (I have to try about ten times on average before it starts to grab the Shoutcast stream, so some initial patience is required.)
4) Wait for about a day or so, and you'll have a nice dir full of MP3 files. I tend to convert all of it to WMA using dBPowerAMP because that way I can cram more music on my Nike Philips MP3RUN player / podometer.

Niets te danken, Super de Boer.

19:58

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Combatting terrorism, the Russian way

Ouch:

During the mid-1980's, multiple US citizens were taken hostage in Lebanon by Hezbollah, a terrorist group which received support from Iran and Syria. During this period, three Soviet citizens were taken hostage by Hezbollah for a period of one week. The reason why the Soviet hostages were released promptly was due to a single KGB operation. Within several days of the kidnappings, the KGB seized a leader of the Hezbollah, castrated him, stuffed his testicles into his mouth, shot him in the head and left his corpse at a Hezbollah base with an ominous note that if the hostages were not released immediately more of the same would occur.71 Although the method by which the KGB carried out the assassination was horrendous, the operation brought about the rapid and safe release of all three Soviet hostages.

13:03

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Van Gogh murderer speaks out

His royal highness and suspected Van Gogh murderer Mohammed Bouyeri bestowed upon the Dutch nation the great honour of hearing him speak. Until now, Bouyeri had adhered to the old Jihadi concept of omerta. But today, in the courtroom, his eminence was very talkative, and after he had absolved his brother of any involvement with his righteous act of religious wrath he even gave the DA some hints on to how to pursue a prosecution.

'I am glad my file is more nuanced than your statements (about me, AD), and I hope that in the future you will speak out in a more nuanced and professional manner. This is my story.'

Some people would charge for such invaluable insights, but Bouyeri isn't above offering his consultancy services for free. Perhaps we should all start to use the Jihadi methods of 'communicating' professionally. Has anyone got a sacrificial knife?

11:38

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A short message in Twentish

In Twente, my native region, a guy was arrested who over the past few years has mutilated dozens of animals by cutting away their genitals. Not all animals survived the horrific abuse.

All this has made me very angry.

Allow me then to address said fellow in my native language of Twentish:

Zie mösten oe veur vieftig euro Hansaplast an de bek striek'n!

(A hundred euros would suffice as well.)

12:21

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'Forget the Porsche, I'd rather drive a truck full of manure'

He might as well have said that, he being Frans van Riel, the owner of a Belgian firm which rents out Porsches to other companies.
Van Riel drove journalists around today in a Porsche Boxster.
Granted, the Boxster is not exactly the most awe-inspiring car the Porsche factory ever churned out, but it's a decent set of wheels, and it was definitely more than sufficient to show off several new Pioneer gadgets which had been built into the car.
As said Japanese gizmos were not interesting enough to fully occupy my mind ('Wow, that's 0.4 lateral G's! Let me call my mum!'), I started interrogating Mr. Van Riel, for being curious is what I do for a living.
Turns out his favourite car to drive in, from all the Porsches he could choose from, was a... Citroen C5.
I think the Citroen C5 is a very good car for people who are (a) married, (b) in the possession of a Labrador retriever, (c) brain dead. Come to think of it, (a) and (b) pretty much cover (c).
There ought to be a law to disown people like Mr. Van Riel and give their cars to people who are less cold blooded, and who can provide Porsches with the TLC they both need and deserve.
(I can be contacted through the cell number provided here.)

21:01

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The thin white line

I love these convenient white lines on highways that help you realize that you haven't driven off into the great big yonder yet.

Especially when it's, say, about 6.30 in the morning, and you're driving too fast whilst trying to get home.

I had spent my Saturday night in (of all places) Almelo.

Almelo is one of the most beautiful towns in the Netherlands *cough*. (If you discount all the other ones, that is.)

So naturally, this is where Jacob, a friend of mine, a couple of his friends and I hit the pub. They were having a 'dance night', which in Almelo usually results in a pubescent boy deejaying his way around hip artists such as Meatloaf and Bryan Adams.

Always bring your earplugs when you go dancing in Almelo.

Anyway, I had a lot of fun, especially with the girl Jacob is having an intimate strictly platonic relationship with. Turns out she likes arguing about as much as I do.

However, I didn't drink nearly enough alcohol. Which resulted in (a) not realizing that a blonde who really wasn't that unattractive without her glasses (screw SpecSavers) was paying me a compliment (yes, I am an idiot, but I take pleasure in looking at my dad and realizing that it's hereditary), (b) me being sober enough to drive home to sleep in my own bed.

Thankfully, fatigue was enough to turn me into road hazard incarnate. First, I bumped Jacob's car into the sidewalk (when driving him home to pick up my car), then I bumped my car into a sidewalk (albeit a different one).

Yep, out on the town in Almelo. Go there now and beat the crowds!

13:36

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Always a tense moment

I was quite proud of myself for having fixed my washing machine yesterday. Jobs which require motor skills have never been my strong suit (other than navigating through Amsterdam traffic at insane speeds).
But just when I was about to open up a well-deserved beer, I saw them. Two screws which I had forgotten about.

More...

16:33

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More on the Azzouz verdict and the separation of powers

Several people have argued recently that, according to the separation of powers, we shouldn't criticize judges on the rulings they make.

I feel that, if this were the case, we might as well abolish appeals. Judges can be wrong, as can any of us, and they are not above criticism. Interpreting the law is a matter of perspective, and I feel the perspective of this court was somewhat curved (if not completely bent).

Now I agree that politicians should have kept their mouth shut this week. Some moron made a comment that the law should be changed if the DA doesn't win the appeal. That person (I forgot who it was) should be thrown into a big bowl of low-fat yoghurt, and then made to run around Parliament. The Court of Appeals shouldn't feel pressured to convict Samir Azzouz. Now the Court knows the law is going to change if it doesn't do what most politicians want. Inexcusable, and against said doctrine of separation of powers.

I also concur with those who say that when the law is insufficient, a judge should not convict someone even if every fibre in her or his body tells her or him that the girl or guy (trying to be gender neutral here, will stop now) is guilty, that person should be set free if there's no law that permits a conviction. It's not up to a judge to make up rules where there aren't any.

But the fact that politicians shouldn't comment on judicial rulings doesn't mean the people shouldn't. The three powers all work for us, the people. That's partly why in some systems, there is still a jury of peers that decides whether you're guilty or not. Right now, that seems preferable to people who seem to be so submerged in their own ideals about what law should be that they didn't even convict Azzouz to serve three years on the weapon charges, but instead gave him a very lenient three month sentence for that.

I'm going to pretend we do have a jury system. In which case the judge would have ruled all the evidence to be admissible (for it was legally obtained). I, as a juror, would feel there was plenty of evidence supporting the DA's claim that Azzous had been preparing terrorist attacks. You don't gather fertilizer along with hydrochloric acid if you live in an appartment without a garden in sight. You don't supplement maps of high-profile targets with detailed notes on how to evade security you took pains to gather from your own observations if you are simply interested in the layout of a nuclear power plant. You don't buy an automatic weapon, a silencer and a bulletproof vest if you're just having a pubescent flirtation with an exciting ideology. I tried to get a bulletproof vest to travel to Iraq (to teach civil servants, not to join either the coalition forces or the global Jihad). It wasn't easy, and it wouldn't have been cheap, not even legally.

I feel that these judges have been afraid to judge too quickly and chose to use an extremely cautious interpretation of the law, one they would never have used if this had been a rape case. As the word interpretation implies, this was their choice, not some inevitable outcome. Worse, their ruling might very well have the exact opposite effect. The alternative is that we might get a law system in which judges will be allowed to convict criminals based on secret information provided by the AIVD.

I don't want that. I don't want more laws just because judges refuse to carry out the ones we already have. I don't want to live in a country which conducts shady trials based on secret information that the defense may not even be allowed to see. And I definitely don't want anything even resembling Guantanamo Bay, which is an affront to anything the Western world should stand for.

But not enforcing the rules we already have may just give credence to those within our society who want to constrict our liberties as much as the radicalism we are fighting. And the immediate result is that someone who has such a short fuse that he couldn't even walk to his car without hitting a photographer, now walks around freely in Amsterdam.

9:02

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In the Netherlands, this is not enough to get you convicted for terrorism

As you can read somewhat further down, Samir Azzouz was acquitted yesterday of preparing a terrorist attack. So I figured it might be insightful to take a look at the verdict, which contains a list of all the items Azzouz had gathered.

• Maps and/or pictures and/or drawings of several government buildings, including Parliament, nuclear power plant Borssele, the ministry of Defence, Schiphol Airport, Dutch Intelligence Agency (AIVD), Dutch Special Forces HQ
• Notes describing necessities which would be needed to carry out these (terrorist attacks, AD) crime/crimes
• Notes describing routes to these buildings and/or circumvention of the security facilities around these buildings.
• Document entitled 'Advice for those who refrain from strife on the way to Allah', encompassing an explanation of the call for Jihad and martyrhood
• A memorandum containing the address of a website, namely www.geocities.com/m_13dad, which contained a 'Manual for preparation' for the Jihadi ranks, illustrating the use of (amongst others) weapons and/or night vision goggles and/or silencers and/or the fabrication of such and/or guerrila warfare and/or military operations.
• A diary containing the address of a website, www.geocities.com/sluitjeaan (sluitjeaan is Dutch for 'join up with us', AD)
• Notes describing the chemical formula of RDX, an explosive compound
• Discs containing 'video testaments' which rally for the Jihad, the murder of Americans, Jews and non-Arabs
• Files explaing how a Muslim should enter the battlefield
• Two clip holders for automatic firearms
• A silencer for an automatic firearm
• One or more soldered electrical circuits
• A bulletproof vest
• Night vision goggles
• Ammonia
• Hydrochloric acid

Also, Azzouz had travelled to Chechnya before to join up with Islamic militants there. On top of that, the judges were presented with loads of phone taps in which Azzouz spouted Jihadi texts. Nevertheless, the court concluded that 'apparently was more interested in religous extremism' than most people. (Note the absence of the word 'Islam'. I've checked it: the word appears nowhere in the verdict.)

It's a miracle this obviously innocent man hasn't been released sooner.

(Oh, by the way: Azzouz only got three months for unlawful possession of a firearm, rather than the maximum of three years the judges could have dished out if they had felt the DA screwed up in providing enough evidence for the terrorism charges to allow for a conviction, but agreed with the DA's assumptions.)

21:28

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Acquitted of terrorism charges

So Samir Azzouz didn't waste a second to knock down a press photographer. Allegedly (link in Dutch) one of Azzouz's friends put a knife on the throat of the photographer's son, who has the same profession and was also present. Nice. If our District Attorneys can't convince a judge to lock up this kind of garbage, I'm wondering what they're good for.

Fortunately, there will be an appeal.

Unfortunately, a huge exercise on how to deal with a terrorism event ended in chaos. Which is all the more reason for our DA's to shape up quickly, because Dutch police performed abysmal today. After a faked hostage situation in the Heineken Music Hall had resulted in the escape of the 'hostage takers', police wanted to go home (link in Dutch) because they were cold and hungry, rather than pursue the 'terrorists'. Subsequently, the actors that played the hostage takers were told to go home as well.

Sleep sound.

Update 7/4/05, 13.17: GeenStijl has published a picture of Azzouz.

21:39

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Really bloody annoying

Hate me for this. (Oh, and her too, because she found it first.)

11:05

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