I've been wondering about this one for a loooong time so here goes.
The Sunday-evening extravaganza called Postcode Loterij Miljoenenjacht, where it is possible to win 5 million Euros. It consists of a series of mini-games and culminates on one person playing the mega-deal or no deal game for a maximum of 5 million Euros. That is a ginormous amount of money! And what is more, whatever the person wins on the live show, someone playing along at home also wins. Awesome, right? Right!
But now for the reason of this post: why is it that when they go to the person's home - the one playing at home - to surprise them with the amazing amount of money, that they're always home and (AND!) they always have family members visiting and (AND!!) they're never in an apartment building, 5 floors up? Well, the last one is easy, really, there aren't that many multi-storey apartment buildings proportionately - only in the bigger cities. And even in the bigger cities the rijhuizen are the respectable norm. But what about the other two? How come they are at home and have guests? How come they're never the guests at someone else's place and aren't home when the cameracrew arrive? or, how come they always (and I mean ALWAYS) have 7+ people in the living room and those usually from at least 3 different generations? they have to be family members, come to visit, right? And why are they still there at 11:30 on a Sunday evening? that's school/worknight....
Anyone?
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Finished: "Well of Echoes"
Follow-up for Ian Irvine: maybe I was a bit premature to say that he doesn't torture his characters enough.
The mental and emotional growth still isn't as well done as Hobb does. Example of excellence: Malta in the Liveship trilogy. In the beginning you think she's just a spoiled teenager, then you hate her, then, gradually, you start liking her. And it's not like her general "agenda" has changed dramatically, she's still opinionated, vain and out for what SHE wants. But what she wants slowly starts to overlap with what is good rather than what is not so much.
Now, back to Diana Gabaldon, last one so far if I don't count the Lord John Grey novels. and she's almost* done with the next one.
*"almost" means that there's a name for the book and she has large chunks already being edited. She's still writing though.
The mental and emotional growth still isn't as well done as Hobb does. Example of excellence: Malta in the Liveship trilogy. In the beginning you think she's just a spoiled teenager, then you hate her, then, gradually, you start liking her. And it's not like her general "agenda" has changed dramatically, she's still opinionated, vain and out for what SHE wants. But what she wants slowly starts to overlap with what is good rather than what is not so much.
Now, back to Diana Gabaldon, last one so far if I don't count the Lord John Grey novels. and she's almost* done with the next one.
*"almost" means that there's a name for the book and she has large chunks already being edited. She's still writing though.
Monday, December 1, 2008
The other Harry Potter
I haven't been paying much attention to Dutch politics, really. Overall it just kind of flows around, no major ups or downs, it just is. Or so I thought.
The current Dutch Prime Minister (or Minister-President, as they call him here) Jan-Peter Balkenende looks quite a lot like Harry Potter, only he's infinitely less cool. Since I got here 2 years ago, I kind of missed the elections and the bruhaha right before it and had better things to do (read: learn Dutch, not get lost in Amsterdam, find a job etc.) than get immersed in the fine print of Dutch politics.
Now though, it's becoming increasingly clear that Balkenende is doing something that in Dutch terms is radical conservative politics. Apparently, over the last 30-40 years the liberals have been in power, forming te Netherlands into the (lefty)liberal paradise it is, with as little as possible intervention from the government, lots of personal freedoms, legalised cannabis, prostitution, increased incentives for businesses, better integration for immigrants and so forth. But apparently two years ago it became apparent that people were becoming less and less happy with the results of some of these policies. Results such as second generation immigrants who don't really fit in and form gangs or results such as increased drug-related crime... So they voted for the Christian Democrats without actually thinking it through.
And now small changes are starting to seep into people's everyday lives. Yesterday, paddo's (magic mushrooms) were made illegal. Balkenende also wants to make abortions illegal and have more women stay home and have babies which in general is, of course, a commendable idea (the staying home, not the abortions) but... there are already much too many people living in the Netherlands. It's the 26th most crowded country in the world (see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density) note here that China, for example, is 75th in that list. Also, as has been proven on counless occasions, banning abortions does NOT make them not happen. It only makes them take place illegally by inferior doctors with inferior materials and resulting in more serious and permanent damage.
Even more, what has been my pet peeve ever since I got here - the fact that nothing is ever open. General clothes-boots-books stores even on Kalverstraat close promptly at 6 o'clock, food stores generally stay open until 8, in very rare cases until 10 and I know only one store within 20 min walking distance from our place (and that is in central Amsterdam) that stays open 24/7. If you happen to work then when on Earth will you ever buy anything? On the weekend? yes, that would explain the ginormous masses thronging the tiny streets of Amsterdam on Saturday (because, of course, on Sunday most places are closed again). Now, the inteligent people in the government though that they would alleviate the situation and created "Koopzondags" - literally translated as "Buying Sundays", which are not always Sundays. These are days, in every town different days - in Amsterdam for example, Thursdays - when the stores stay open until 8 o'clock. *gasp* so that once a week the working person can delay on dinner to have a "beat the clock and other frantic working people looking for stuff marathon" in order to buy a pair of pants or whatever.
Apparently though Balkenende finds this too lenient and wants to reduce -yes, you read that right REDUCE - the amount of Koopzondags. Er... because the economy is doing much too well right now and needs to be brought down a notch or five? And besides, all god-fearing people should stay home at all times when not working.
I know, I know, most of these things will probably never go through, the society here is much too used to the liberal freedoms they have. But... nevertheless, it's a bit scary to find out what the guy on top really wants to do.
The current Dutch Prime Minister (or Minister-President, as they call him here) Jan-Peter Balkenende looks quite a lot like Harry Potter, only he's infinitely less cool. Since I got here 2 years ago, I kind of missed the elections and the bruhaha right before it and had better things to do (read: learn Dutch, not get lost in Amsterdam, find a job etc.) than get immersed in the fine print of Dutch politics.
Now though, it's becoming increasingly clear that Balkenende is doing something that in Dutch terms is radical conservative politics. Apparently, over the last 30-40 years the liberals have been in power, forming te Netherlands into the (lefty)liberal paradise it is, with as little as possible intervention from the government, lots of personal freedoms, legalised cannabis, prostitution, increased incentives for businesses, better integration for immigrants and so forth. But apparently two years ago it became apparent that people were becoming less and less happy with the results of some of these policies. Results such as second generation immigrants who don't really fit in and form gangs or results such as increased drug-related crime... So they voted for the Christian Democrats without actually thinking it through.
And now small changes are starting to seep into people's everyday lives. Yesterday, paddo's (magic mushrooms) were made illegal. Balkenende also wants to make abortions illegal and have more women stay home and have babies which in general is, of course, a commendable idea (the staying home, not the abortions) but... there are already much too many people living in the Netherlands. It's the 26th most crowded country in the world (see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population_density) note here that China, for example, is 75th in that list. Also, as has been proven on counless occasions, banning abortions does NOT make them not happen. It only makes them take place illegally by inferior doctors with inferior materials and resulting in more serious and permanent damage.
Even more, what has been my pet peeve ever since I got here - the fact that nothing is ever open. General clothes-boots-books stores even on Kalverstraat close promptly at 6 o'clock, food stores generally stay open until 8, in very rare cases until 10 and I know only one store within 20 min walking distance from our place (and that is in central Amsterdam) that stays open 24/7. If you happen to work then when on Earth will you ever buy anything? On the weekend? yes, that would explain the ginormous masses thronging the tiny streets of Amsterdam on Saturday (because, of course, on Sunday most places are closed again). Now, the inteligent people in the government though that they would alleviate the situation and created "Koopzondags" - literally translated as "Buying Sundays", which are not always Sundays. These are days, in every town different days - in Amsterdam for example, Thursdays - when the stores stay open until 8 o'clock. *gasp* so that once a week the working person can delay on dinner to have a "beat the clock and other frantic working people looking for stuff marathon" in order to buy a pair of pants or whatever.
Apparently though Balkenende finds this too lenient and wants to reduce -yes, you read that right REDUCE - the amount of Koopzondags. Er... because the economy is doing much too well right now and needs to be brought down a notch or five? And besides, all god-fearing people should stay home at all times when not working.
I know, I know, most of these things will probably never go through, the society here is much too used to the liberal freedoms they have. But... nevertheless, it's a bit scary to find out what the guy on top really wants to do.
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