2004-04-20

Probably the best movie of the year

"Reconstruction" by Crhistopher BOE: Lost Highway, made in Europe

“All a film, all a construction, even though it hurts”.

One comment: Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings has never been used more powerfully: a true masterpiece

review 1
review 2
review 3
review 4


2004-03-25

The Dutroux Trial: a big "farce"?

Launched in the town of Neufchâteau, the pedophile Dutroux is in trial for the sequestration and abuse and murder of 6 children, facts dating back to the nineties.

Although widely believed to be a part of a network, no testimonies have proven so far that this is more than just 1 manipulator-madman operating on the edge of society.

However, a couple remarks:

- Dutroux was able to operate for almost 20 years, staying low under the radar for his gruesome cirmes. Although arrested and imprisoned for car theft, the searches of his houses never revealed the caves he specially built to detain his victims -> only ni Belgium
- Dutroux made a spectacular escape back in 1998 , only to be caught by a forest warden. Public Ennemy #1 escapes from prison? -> only in Belgium
- during the trial a couple of "faits divers":

* they found the key to handcuffs in a jar of salt
* the door of the van transporting PE1 doesn't close properly
* they found a razor blade in the van...???

Is this all staged, is someone really trying to liberate this guy? Or are we all victims of our imagination?

2004-03-24

2004-03-22

Coffee Voodoo
Just finished Michael Moore's latest "Dude, where is my country".

After the events of 9/11 and 3/11, it appears that the message from the REM song: "It's the end of the world as we know it..." is picking up some momentum.

Check out this timeline of events leading up to 9/11 and the numerous early warnings you can find between the lines. Especially intersting are the following:

- preemptive assassination of Massoud, the Lion of Pashtun
- inside trading on American Stock (especially the 2 airlines,...)
- Israeli's everywhere: Mossad agents on the scene in NY documenting the attacks. 1 very special-forces dude on one of the planes, assassinated before impact.
- the ghost flights of Bin Laden relatives and Saudi Royals in the hours following the strikes
- the USA refusal of a deal proposed by Pakistan to hand over OBL in the weeks after 9/11....

Does it strike you as odd, that 3/11 happened?

And now.... today at 500 AM local time, Israeli gunships fired 3 rockets killing the famous blind and parapleg. Hamas leader... A Gov't sponsored assassination...

Where is this leading?
World War IV for the next 50 years?

Reporting from Paris

Is it time to put up these signs around our houses???

2004-03-12

NY: 11/09/2001 - 4 planes
Madrid: 11/03/2004 - 4 trains

...

2004-03-10

Macao Dragons!

Back in business after +40 000km in the air, travelling from Buenos Aires, over Paris and Hong Kong to Macao and Shuzai in the PRC.

Confiance prédictive vs. Confiance normative

Selon Locke, la confiance est le lien de la société (vinculum societatis). Dans le monde économique, nous pouvons dire que pratiquement toute transaction commerciale, et plus encore, toute transaction qui se prolonge dans le temps, contient un élément de confiance. Martin Hollis distingue deux formes de confiance, "prédictive" et "normative", selon que l'on attend ou que l'on s'attend à quelque chose. Par exemple, dans le premier cas, je fais confiance à mon pommier car je prévois qu'il produira des pommes et non des prunes. Dans le second cas, non seulement, je prédis que vous me rendrez le livre que je vous ai prêté mais encore j'ai le droit de recevoir ce livre en retour et vous êtes en faute si vous ne me le rendez pas. Les obligations "normatives" ont donc une saveur morale (tu dois, tu devrais, on attend que tu ...) que n'ont pas les simples prédictions.
Si la confiance basée sur la prédiction "pure" est suffisante pour une simple coordination car le comportement de l'autre est uniquement guidé par la rationalité, la prédiction "normative" détient la clé de l'énigme de la confiance. La première me force à vous faire confiance alors que la seconde me donne le droit à votre confiance.

2004-01-15

Mustafa in Court

Read this story from the Reuters Wire: An IMAN convicted for preaching how to hit your disobeying wife... (no comment)

A Spanish court sentenced an imam to 15 months in prison Wednesday for writing a book instructing husbands how to beat their wives without leaving bruises. A lawyer for the Egyptian-born imam, Mohamed Kamal Mustafa, 44, vowed to appeal, telling state radio the ruling was unjust.

The Barcelona court found Mustafa guilty of provoking violence on the basis of gender in his book "Women in Islam," published in 2000. The book recommends that in the case of a "rebellious woman" a husband should attempt "serene dialogue" and if that fails, refuse to sleep in the same bed. If rebellion persists, the woman should be struck in a "symbolic" way and "without excesses," the court order cited the book as saying.

"If one needs to use blows, they should be administered to specific parts of the body like the feet and hands, using a light and thin stick so it will not leave scars or bruising on the body," read an excerpt from the book quoted in the ruling.

In the trial Mustafa argued that much of his advice was based on the Koran, the Muslim holy book.

But the court said today's society was "not the Arabian desert of 14 centuries ago," and ruled that some passages violated the penal code and women's constitutional rights, partly because Mustafa was a prayer leader with influence over people at his mosque near Malaga, on the southern coast.

Spanish media reported that Mustafa would not go to jail because first time offenders in Spain who receive terms of less than 28 months usually have their sentences suspended.

The court also fined Mustafa 2,160 euros ($2,742) and ordered copies of the book to be confiscated, according to the written court order.

The court said parts of the book addressing menstruation, childbirth, makeup and clothing promoted sexual discrimination that was "intolerable and criminally reproachable."

BRASIL...

Wow!

first reactions against the Brazilian effort to copy the new upgraded border security in the USA:
a US American Airlines pilote gave 'em the finger, while being photographed and fingerprinted...
and ... was arrested: goddammit: of course: yeah!
We sure as hell gotta go out there and do the same thing while entering the Us of A...
Spread the word and the files (cf. our post infra "Project American Alien)



photo by Reuters
Random thoughts

Ever-Increasing amount of tagging on publicity in Parisian subway system: some guys are really out to search and destroy the marketeers... Every day you see more of it sprawled all over posters, walls and trains. End-of-days type of environment, just picture th flying newspapers, and bang - you're in a remake of 12 Monkeys

Speaking of movies:
check out the following:

- 28 DAYS LATER: Trainspotting Director attacks end-of-days scenario in the UK, after outbreak of industry-grade test monkeys infected with rage: zombies all over the UK (just like in real life...)

- The ICE AGE: inspiring cartoon feature: we just loved that type of rat/chipmunk on the prowl for his beloved nut...


- DAS EXPERIMENT: a psyhological experiment, putting 24 people in a toy-jail where they have to impersonate guards and prisoners brings havoc and unleashes unexpected sadism, violence and terror...


Final remark: remember the old days when MTV used to bring you innovative music and programs, Beavis and Butthead in prime time, not interpuncted by zillions of commercials. Nowadays, it's swamped with the informecials and big black bad guys doing chicks, coke, and breaking the law, while pumping away some ghetto-blasting music. It seems the only thing those guys preach is: it is okay to run around in hillarious clothing, with big chains around your neck, lounging at the pool where the female to male ratio is 20/1 (all females are to be scantily clad,...)...

This made us think about putting up a list of

ingredients for successful rap video making


1. Make sure your lead singer is big, black, bald and bad, and with EQ and IQ subzero and no taste (for a female rap video: replace the lead singer with a female species (anything goes) and add some male scantily clad dancers, and of course, the 7002 girlfriends all scantily clad.)
2. At all times, make sure that the screen is filled at least up to 40% with naked flesh (human, brownish and "tanned")
3. Tatoos, man, lotsa tatoes, and gold !!!! bracelets, teeth, nipple rings, toe rings, neck chains, nose piercings (and big rocks, just like jenny from the block)
4. Unwearable, unfashionable clothes that display the complete lack of taste and style of the main charachters and the naked support group - as in: show up in this outfit, and you will never find a job. (and get pulled by cops all over the world)
5. Big HUGE cars (some car manufacturers fear and loathe their stylish cars being included in violent clips, others stimulate it: Rolls Royce, Cadilllac, big huge HumVees; Matrixstyle pickup trucks...)
6. The cash displayed is in dollars (very large coupons)
7. Storyborad All girls hang around the lead singer; all they ever seem to want is go to the master bedroom, get naked (all 7 of them at the same time) and wax his body-builded "frame" (as in: normal muscularistation is never gonna get you the typical bisceps and bull-neck, refer to plastic surgery in Hollywood asap...). The storyliune of the main character is something like this: you betrayed me, I'm now the king of the road and the 'hood, i'm gonna bust you up real good, and enjoy martinis with my girlfriends for the rest of my life.
8. You never ever get to see the "band", you only stare at a succession of close-ups of booty, shaking loads of cellulitis, and the ugly black teeth of the big bald bad black guy with an attitude
9. Get a well-known producer: Emninem or Snoop Dogggggggg (if the latter is not involved in porn-production)
10. Learn how not to spell and choose a "name", preferably from the 'hood.

We admit, hard rock or pop videos and/or ballads can be reduced to same tasteless stuff;
our decision: to stay away from t.v. (period!)

2003-12-20

On this page
you'll find the thank-you text and some photos (more to follow) from the Children of the Centro de Formacion Integral PAI PUKU, the project we sponsored with the donations at the occasion of our wedding in september 2003

2003-12-15

2003-12-12

anagrams...

BAN HERESY WAVE AT GNOME
A SEVENTH GREY WON A BEAM

Follow Up on the Metacortechs.com Game

Alternative Reality Gaming: smoke signals on the horizon: have they got too much time on their hands?

remember "Majestic" - the game?
§Virtual reality mixed with powerfull tools and real-world interference (players would get real calls from real people...)
They pulled the plug on the game after 9/11 - too much pseudo-terrorist content... and maybe they got scared when some real FBI graycoats decided that it just might be too true....
Can you imagine, you're surfing around "playing", and the next thing you know is you get nailed by some cop, because you showed up through Echelon... brrr. or ... cool!

it all reminds me of a good ol' friend who used to play tricks on ignorant innocent people by placing random phone calls from untraceable phone booths...
"George, la mouche est tombée dans le pot de miel, je répète: la mouche est tombée dans le pot de miel..." -end of voice transcript...
And then 5 seconds later a different caller asks whether the bug landed in the honney...


The latest (and most succesfull) development played around a website devoted to the Metacortex company, of Matrix I fame.
Some enthousiastic fan-fiction-authors and developpers took us for a ride, and a hell of ride it was
endgam at: MUMOWMOW

Read the review in The Guardian

Excellent advanced ressources can be found at unfiction.com



*** end transmission . . .
Wordspy



Quote Unquote

the more you know, the less you need - australian aboriginal saying

Lord of the Rings Research

http://www.lordoftheringsresearch.net/

WHOAH: largest movie-reception study will kick off next week: go answer the questionnaire...




You assume:...
You're making an ass out of me and you
(could be a Matrix quote)

2003-12-09

The first and the last Samourai

Neal Stephenson (of Cryptonomicon fame) released the first volume of the Baroque Cycle... An intriguing story that opens up with a lot of references to the history of science...




La Loi de Gödel:"En mathématiques, la vérité, c'est ce qu'on ne peut pas démontrer..."

The main character, Enoch the Red is a Fellow of the Royal Society, ... and carries 2 pistols....

2003-10-24

American "Bio-scientists" recreate strains of the 1918 Spanish Flu virus, retro-engineering from recovered tissue of victimes of the global influenza plague...

In some views, (see full article) this so-called "research for bio-defense" might be considered a
"Weapons of Mass Destruction" Laboratory... if it were located in say, China, North-Korea or Pakistan:

okay: let's call the U.N. Security Council and bomb Texas...

2003-10-09

Ah-nold Guv'ner

Reagan biss...?

"Congratulations to the American Dream"
E viva Kennedy...

2003-10-06

Paul Rentmeesters: back in the saddle

Whoah

Week van het bos (bos bis boe...)

Ludo Sannen plant volgend jaar 800 hectare bos

- bron De Standaard 6/10/2003

MAASMECHELEN -- Natuurliefhebbers mogen in hun handen wrijven. Zij kunnen binnenkort 100.000 hectare extra bos verkennen.

Enkel gebrek aan bereidheid van de boseigenaars om mee te wandelen in de logica van de Vlaams minister van Leefmilieu, Ludo Sannen (Agalev), kan daar nog een stokje voor steken. Sannen lanceerde gisteren zijn Open Bos Plan tijdens de opening van de vijfentwintigste Week van het Bos. AMAI: gebrek aan bereidheid...


www.vbv.be/weekvanhetbos


Het planten van bossen schiet niet echt op. Minister Sannen lanceert nu een zijspoor om de bestaande bossen beter te beheren. Zijn Open Bos Plan moet het voor privé-eigenaars aantrekkelijk maken om hun domein duurzaam te beheren en open te stellen voor recreanten. Het plan kon te midden van de beuken van domein Heiwijk in Maasmechelen op veel ??? ach zo, en van wie dan, van de verzamelde agaleve-militanten, die zo'n zware klappen kregen bij de vorige verkiezingen....lof rekenen.

Zeventig procent van het Vlaamse bosareaal, of meer dan 100.000 hectare, is in handen van privé-eigenaars. ,,Die krijgen subsidies -- 50 euro per hectare -- als ...en enkel ALS natuurlijkze hun domein toegankelijk maken voor het grote publiek'', legt Sannen uit. (noot: plus de papperasserie, plus het tolereren van ADVIES van pasafgestudeerde groene bio-klungel-ingenieurs, die van achter hun boeken nog nooit een bos van dichtbij gezien hebben...cf. infra

De minister nodigt de eigenaars uit om zich te verenigen in zogenaamde bosgroepen "kolchozes". Die moeten het versnipperde Vlaamse boslandschap aan elkaar rijgen. Daardoor wordt efficiënter bosbeheer mogelijk. De eigenaars kunnen in ruil rekenen op gratis advies van onder meer bio-ingenieurs HOLA!!!!voor het onderhoud van hun stuk(je) bos. Sannen maakt daarvoor, samen met Europa, meer dan 1 miljoen euro (YIEHAA, enkel dus voor die cryptocommunistische groene boseigenaars) vrij. Een rondedansje met Week van het Bos-mascotte Boris de bostrol sloot Sannens imagocampagne gisteren vlekkeloos af. Toch is er weinig reden tot juichen. Voor de eerste keer in meer dan honderd jaar is er minder bos in Vlaanderen. QED!!!

De Afdeling Bos en Groen van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, mede-initiatiefnemer van de Week van het Bos, beoogde tegen 2004 3.500 hectare extra bos. Sannen noemt dat vooruitzicht nu ,,misschien wat onrealistisch''. ,,Dit jaar kwamen er 280 hectare bos bij'', vertelt Roel Vanhaeren van Bos en Groen. Die povere evolutie zet de doelstelling van het Ruimtelijk Structuurplan op de helling. Het plan voorziet tegen 2007 in tienduizend hectaren nieuw bos.

Sannen geeft nu toe dat dat moeilijk wordt. ,,Het gaat allemaal wat trager dan verwacht. Misschien lukt het tegen 2010. Maar dan moeten we volgend jaar minstens 700 tot 800 hectare winnen.'' De onderhandelingen met grondeigenaars verlopen in een aantal gevallen stroever dan verwacht 't was te pijzen.

Een redenering van mijn voeten

Moet Vlaanderen zich schamen omdat het zo weinig bossen heeft? Hoegenaamd niet. Het kleine Vlaanderen heeft nog altijd veel meer bos dan heel Nederland, heel het Verenigd Koninkrijk en heel Ierland.

- bron: De Standaard 6/10/2003

Thema: week van het bos:

er loopt duidelijk iets mis in ons land/gewest,
men praat het gebrek aan "herbebossingsprojecten" goed door gebrek aan beschikbare landbouwgrond, want de boeren zijn niet van plan hun al beperkte landbouwterritoria aan bosbouwers te verpanden, want anders geraken ze hun streng gereglementeerde mestoverschotten niet meer kwijt...

Anderzijds, wordt de natuur in Vlaanderen overgereglementeerd, met VEN toestanden waar bestaande bossen, meestal in handen van privé-eigenaars die er goed voor zorgen, zomaar opeens gebroodroofd worden, én hun totaal-eigendomsrecht verliezen. Het zal zover komen dat boseigenaars bij de overheid en de zogezegde "natuurgebruikers" (wandelaars, fietsers, crossers, mountainbikers, ruiters, scouts, e.a. of liever... de zwijgende meerderheid half-communistische natuurmisbruikers, gerund door een hoop idiote "groen jongens -ecoterroristen") zullen moeten gaan bedelen om een paar dagen (op voorhand per fax vastgelegd) per jaar alleen in hun bos te mogen rondmijen...

De redenering vandaag de dag:

- overheid: indexeren van alle bossen, en ze dan ontfutselen aan de eigenaar
- overheid: ha, nen bos, direkt een autostrade doortrekken, dan hebben we er 2 (met dank aan Urbanus)
- groene jongens/rakkers/cryptocommunisten: how! privé eigenaars, onteigenen, bos overnemen, er niks mee doen, ... en AFSLUITEN voor iedereen met borden: "natuurgebied".... -verboden toegang voor onbevoegden
- natuurmisbruikers: how! appels ->plukken, noten... -> rapen, paddestoelen: zijn toch van iedereen? honden: mogen OVERAL loslopen, ....
- fietsers, zondagstoeristen: wegwerpen die verpakkingen, sluikstorten aub, wildparkeren, lawaaimaken OVERAL

als ge dan eens een vuilnisopkuisactie organiseert, of een hageplantingsactie.. en ge vraagt vrijwilligers in uw dorp, komt er geen kat opdagen....

De week van het bos:: guerilla voor het bos, een hol discours vol fratsen waar handenvol geld worden aan besteed

alle hervormingen van de overheid ten spijt, is het beschikbare bos in Vlaanderen voor de eerste keer in 100 jaar.... gedaald...
Quod erat demostrandum...
QED

2003-09-26

Some questions:

Neo holds the faith of Both worlds?
What is the blindfold for?
What is the role of Persephone & the Merovingian?
Do the Zion Partisans enlist the help of machines to counter the attacks BY the machines?
Is Zion a parallel Matrix?
Is Cypher back?
Agent Smith, as a rogue programme, threatens the established order, and in doing so destroys both the Matrix and Zion?

Is Neo THE One, or the 6th One? Or is he just someone who believes that " a man's got to do, what a man's got to do":
Age quod agis, al de rest zijn vodden?

What about this diagram....

Everything that has a beginning, ... has an end:

The Matrix Revolutions, theatrical trailer available on the M A T R I X website.

In theatres November 5th 2003.

Remark: Neo's wearing a "blindfold"
ref to: The Matrix is the world that's been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth

2003-09-24

Net nu we dachten dat het wel mocht:

"Bah..." - uit De Standaard van vandaag

Vaticaan wil mis zonder applaus en meisjes-misdienaars

Om ,,liturgische ontsporingen'' te corrigeren werkt het Vaticaan aan een lijst van nieuwe verbodsbepalingen voor misvieringen. Zo zouden, volgens de voorlopige ontwerpteksten, meisjes niet langer misdienaar mogen worden. Dat meldde gisteren het katholieke Italiaanse maandblad Jesus.


Volgens het blad zeggen conservatieve kringen dat door de meisjes-misdienaars de voedingsbodem voor het rekruteren van priesters ondergraven werd. Ze bespeurden ze ook een eerste aanzet tot het vrouwelijk priesterschap. De lijst van nieuwe gedragsregels suggereert verder een verbod op applaus en dansen tijdens de kerkdiensten. Plus een verbod van lectuur van teksten die niet uit de bijbel komen, zoals onder meer poëtische teksten.

Italiaanse media meenden te weten dat een aantal ontwerpteksten, ter lectuur aangeboden aan een aantal bisschoppen wereldwijd, veeleer negatief werden onthaald. Allicht wordt er nog flink bijgeschaafd voor de definitieve tekst eind dit jaar of begin volgend jaar wordt gepubliceerd.

2003-09-22



ref: 060903:



A toutes et à tous,
to whom it may concern,
aan... (jullie weten wel wie...)

a BIG THANK YOU & and even bigger HOW HOW!


Van ganser harte bedankt voor alle hulp, ruggesteuntjes, ideeën, spell-checking, logistieke ondersteuning!
Klik op de link hieronder en je komt bij een aantal foto's terecht!

Also, a very special thank you for all the gifts, flowers, and friendly notes.
The Pai' Puku Project will greatly benefit from your generosity.

Elke & Thomas VW-H
"Festina Lente"

PLEASE: send a copy of all the pictures you've taken to our well-known email adress! thanks in advance
Thanks to all for 060903 & 080903

and for Kristoffel & George: the best bar in town...

2003-08-26

SNOPES.com: urban legends debunked
The Infamous Lighthouse vs US Navy Warship joke as told by some former sailors...

Believe it or not...this is the transcript of an actual radio conversation between a US naval ship and Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995. The Radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on Oct. 10, 1995.

US Ship: Please divert your course 0.5 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

CND reply: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

US Ship: This is the Captain of a US Navy Ship. I say again, divert your course.

CND reply: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course!

US Ship: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS CORAL SEA*, WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!!

CND reply: This is a lighthouse. Your call.


Mars closer than ever, this Aug. 27th...

No human has ever seen this

2003-08-19

The Bush Action Figure: watch out Osama...
Did you know that the Russian Space programme succesfully fired off 1.700 Semiorka missiles, carrying payload into orbits around the earth. In fact, they are so reliable, that everybody around the world is adopting their systems.
Even Atlas V, the latest US rocket has a Russian engine...
And Soyouz is going to move to Kourou, French Guyana....
In fact, after the latest catastrophies with the Shuttle, the Russian airlifting capacity is the only guarantee that the ISS-International Space Station will continue to be built...

The Russian trackrekord is impressive:
1957: first succesfull launch into orbit of Spoutnik 1: 86 kilos of the first artificial satellite of the earth
First living creature launched into orbit: Laïka
First pictures of the Dark Side of the Moon
First mission towards Venus
April 1961: First Man in orbit: Gagarine (he pee-ed on the wheels of his vehicle before taking off)

May 1961: JFK announces the race for the moon... at incredible costs


Even though the Russian space programme has largely collapsed, their engineers still build the best rockets in the world.

2003-08-18

Africa's sordid and black capital market: the possessions of Africa's billionaires and millionaires are larger than the consolidated debt of sub-Saharan Africa...
conclusion of a UN report: between 1970 and 1996: African K fled the continent immediately (total amount 187 billion dollar) and was deposited in foreign accounts. There's no reason to think that this changed after '96.
The monney spent by international loans flows thus immediately to Western accounts, controlled by...?
At risk of sounding bizarre, most African nations were run by crooks, thieves, murderers and corrupt "officials" (ref to the death last weekend of Idi Amin Dada, the butcher of Uganda...)

A sad story that will ever end?

2003-08-13

En dan nu wat lokaal nieuws:

Willy De Waele, burgemeester van de gemeente Lennik, al geplaagd bij de voorbije verkiezingen door tweetalige onconstiutionele stemlijsten, en door de massale concentratie van buitenlandse stemmen die in dit kanton werden geloosd (waardoor de franstaligen enorme winsten boekten), maakt -terecht-van zijn oren en klaagt over de zeer manklopende postbedeling, daarbij dreigementen uitend dat ie zelf wil overgaan tot postbedeling.
Prompt daarop volgt een staking...

* Commentaar: de man heeft overschot van gelijk... Bewijs zijn de massa's onbezorgde poststukken, die tegenwoordig zelfs niet meer terug naar afzender worden bezorgd, zodag je gewoon géén info hebt of een uitnodiging wel dan niet is aangekomen.


In Parijs overigens is het niet meer te harden, temperaturen boven de 42°C, 's nachts geen afkoeling meer, en all rekords van 1983, 1976 en zelfs van 150 jaar terug gebroken. Eens je de airco-veilige omgeving verlaat, word je bijna geliquidifeerd geliquideerd. Météo France voorspelt aanhoudende hitte tot eind september...

2003-08-08

De gezonde ambitie van El Tattoo Del Tigre
Mambo op zijn Belgisch
c De Standaard 8/8/03

Het Vlaamse mambo-orkest El Tattoo del Tigre heeft lak aan tradities en toch laat het artiesten als Perez Prado of Tito Puente herleven in zijn kleurrijke Latijnse muziek. Het olijke samenraapsel van acteurs en beroepsmuzikanten debuteerde in 2001 na amper twee repetities op het podium van Rock Werchter. En toch is de groep meer dan een uit de hand gelopen grap.


DE harde kern van El Tattoo del Tigre bestaat uit vier leden, maar het hele orkest telt ruim dertig muzikanten en zangers. Net voor de zomer verscheen hun tweede cd Sensacional , waarop naast een handvol latin klassiekers, ook eigen werk te vinden is. Gezonde ambitie heet zoiets.

Stoffel Verlackt: ,,Het ligt nochtans allemaal niet voor de hand hoor. Zelfs de repetities zijn een unieke belevenis. Wij moesten voor de opnames van de eerste plaat de concertzaal van de AB huren omdat we nergens anders alle muzikanten konden herbergen. Het is ook niet evident om iedereen samen te krijgen voor optredens. Daarom trachten we die te bundelen. Er worden geen echte tournees gepland. Dat ongedwongen karakter zorgt voor de toffe sfeer. Voor de meesten onder ons blijft het natuurlijk ook een hele eer om in dit prestige-orkest te spelen.''

El Tattoo del Tigre kiest voor een nostalgisch repertoire, dat verwijst naar de jaren veertig en vijftig, met mambo en cha cha. ,,Maar op onze nieuwe plaat tonen we meerdere kanten van het latin spectrum'', zegt Verlackt. ,,Muziek uit de jaren zeventig bijvoorbeeld en Sensacional bestaat natuurlijk ook voor de helft uit eigen composities.''

Het is een ambitieuze luisterplaat geworden. ,,De groep is homogener én volwassener geworden'', meent Kobe Proesmans. ,,In het begin werd er heel strak gespeeld. Een, twee, drie, vier. Het leek wel fascistenmambo.''

,,El Tattoo Del Tigre heeft intussen een eigen stijl'', vindt Tom Hautekiet. ,,We klinken niet Puertoricaans, Cubaans of Colombiaans. Veel Latijns-Amerikaanse muziek wordt nog steeds geschreven als voornaamste bron van inkomsten. De intentie is commercieel. De muzikanten van de Buena Vista Social Club hebben heel lang moeten wachten vooraleer ze in het buitenland van het succes mochten proeven. We krijgen daardoor een vertekend beeld van hetgeen zich ginds afspeelt. In Cuba wordt nauwelijks naar Buena Vista Social Club geluisterd. Dat is muziek voor ouw peekes . De hiphop van bijvoorbeeld Orishas is er veel populairder. Om die reden is er geen plaats meer voor mambo-orkesten. De liefde voor die muziek is er nog, maar het is commercieel oninteressant. Cubanen vinden het daarom uniek wat wij doen. Zelfs zij onderhouden deze tradities niet langer.''

,,Een vriendin uit Puerto Rico verzekerde me dat we ginds de zalen zouden plat spelen'', zegt Verlackt.

GROTE platenfirma's zien geen brood in El Tattoo del Tigre. Toch werden er van de eerste plaat zesduizend exemplaren verkocht. ,,Gezien de omstandigheden is dat een mooi resultaat'', vindt Verlackt. ,,De plaat was opgenomen met de intentie om er een aantal van te verkopen tijdens onze optredens, als een vorm van souvenir. We hadden het al prima gevonden als we er duizend van kwijtgeraakt waren.''

In het buitenland is de respons eerder lauw. ,,Onze eerste plaat verscheen via Munich, een platenfirma die in heel de Benelux actief is, maar we zijn enkel over de promotie in Vlaanderen echt tevreden'', zegt Verlackt. ,,In Nederland moesten we het stellen met slechts twee advertenties in het poptijdschrift Oor . Vorig jaar stonden we daar wel op het festival Lowlands, maar dan om vier uur 's namiddags.''

Intussen nam de groep in het voorjaar afscheid van zijn boegbeeld, de trompettist Theo Mertens. ,,Nu Theo er niet meer bij is, beseffen we pas echt hoe belangrijk hij was'', zegt Proesmans. ,,Hij heeft nog gespeeld met Miles Davis en Frank Sinatra. Van alle muzikanten uit El Tattoo Del Tigre was hij de enige die deze muziek van dichtbij heeft meegemaakt. Als eerbetoon aan hem hebben we nog een unieke live-opname uit 2001 van Duke Ellingtons ,,Caravan'', met Theo in een glansrol, aan de nieuwe plaat toegevoegd.'' Op zomerfestivals als de Antilliaanse Feesten of Polé Polé zul je vergeefs zoeken naar El Tattoo del Tigre. ,,Die willen ons niet'', zegt Verlackt. ,,Wij zijn immers geen originals . Het wordt nooit met zoveel woorden gezegd, maar je voelt het onbegrip. El Tattoo Del Tigre wordt vereenzelvigd met een band die de Latijns-Amerikaanse muziek parodieert, en dat is jammer.''

,,Wij zijn maar Belgen'', zegt Hautekiet. ,,Maar Polé Polé boekt dan wel Salsa Celtica, een Schotse band. De Beursschouwburg haalt de neus op voor Belgische mambo maar programmeert wel de Mardi Grass Big Band. Dat zijn Duitsers. Ach, eigenlijk heb ik heb liever dat we ergens echt fout worden geboekt en dat we optreden voor gasten die de hele dag gitaarmuziek voorgeschoteld krijgen.'' Momenteel doet El Tattoo del Tigre een aantal speciale optredens op ongewone locaties: een kasteel, een oud mijngebouw of de opluistering van een modeshow van Dries Van Noten.

De groep zou het ook wel leuk vinden om zijn nummers te laten remixen. ,,Door Buscemi, bijvoorbeeld'', zegt Proesmans. ,,Het resultaat zou geestig kunnen zijn.'' Verlackt knikt instemmend. ,,Een remixalbum zou geen slecht idee zijn, want ooit zal mambo echt verdwijnen. Wie kan nog mambo dansen? Het is echt niet voldoende dat je met je heupen zwiert.''


Cd : ,,Sensacional'' is uit op Pias. Concerten: Domein Haksberg, Tielt-Winge, 9 augustus; Kasteel Hof Ter Linden, Edegem, 23 augustus; Pukkelpop, 30 augustus, Kazerne Majoor Blairon, Turnhout, 13 september; Oud Mijngebouw, Heusden-Zolder, 20 september.

Achtung! en langverwacht: Paul R. slaat terug met spitsvondigheden ivm de Multi-kriminele Samenleving
Couponnetjesknippers vs Fiscale spitstechnici: de nationale Belgische sport: de belastingsontduikingsrace

de regering wenst een "repatrîëringsoperatie" op poten te zetten, waardoor zwart geld terug naar huis komt,
een soort van "amnestie" die je nog voordeliger uitkomt als je dat geld zou investeren in Belgische bedrijven...

Wie gelooft er nu dat die brave huisvader zijn zwart geld zal terugbrengen, gewoon omdat er belachelijke incentives worden gegeven,
laat staan de technici... En zelfs als er zwaardere straffen op zouden komen...
Wat is er voor die mensen (99,99999999999% van de Belgen) leuker dan ne keer naar Lux. rijden, zich te laten verwennen door dikke bankdirecteurs in geheimzinnige rituelen, het geld van de voorvaderen des stambooms te plukken in coupon-vorm, dat gezamelijk familiaal te verorberen, berustend in een rotsvast vertrouwen dat onze economïe'kes NOOIT failliet zullen gaan, en dat we het altijd wel even goed zullen hebben,
om dan slalommend tussen de hollanders door ne keer wat goedkoper benzine, drank en rookwaren in te slaan, dat alles onder het motto,
hunne groothertog is familie van onze koning....

Vanwaar die ijverigheid van onze jonge nieuwe regering? en da in de vakantie bij 40°: ridikuul
Vamorgen op de metro zag ik een bedelaar zitten, die daar zoals elke vrijdagochtend zit, dit keer was er iets anders aan hem te zien: hij had zo'n rapper's muts op met daarop een wit konijn... moest er nu nog "follow the white rabbit" gestaan hebben, dan had ik hem terstond al de biljetten yens gegeven die nog in mijn portefeuille rondhangen.... pech voor hem dus, want er stond "bugs bunny"...

Gisterenavond op de metro zat er een vrouw tegenover me, die serieus aan de drugs had gezeten, ze hing kotsend over de reling in de nek van andere passagiers te lallen.

Vorige woensdagavond in Gare du Nord kwam er zo'n mafkees regelrecht op me af en begon me uit te schelden.
In dat station kan je de bizarste mensen observeren, beste plek is het platform op het eerste verdiep, of de bar bij het buitengaan links.
Pas er wel serieus op voor langharig ongeschoren tuig of bandieten uit de banlieu (ben er zelf al slachtoffer van geworden).

Gare du Nord is een microcosmos van internationale reizigers die allemaal "Parijs" willen doen,
hordes japanners in mei/juni,
dan volgen de amerikaanse en australische vetzakken op sandalen, met piercings en een torenhoog ego
nu zijn de italianen hier, luid en verontwaardigd roepend over de "desorganisatie"
en tussendoor stoot je zo altijd maar weer op de hollanders die hun boterhammen aan het "plekken" zijn op de trein, roodverbrand als een garnaal en de hele coupé onderwalmen met pindageur....

Human behaviour: soms té gek
Een constante is de agressie die je hier meer en meer voelt als de temperaturen stijgen, zoals deze week met maxima in de buurt van de 40°.
Een weekend Parijs: romantisch - Een week Parijs: en je wordt een serial killer

2003-08-07

Finally the (good?) news: http://www.billgatesisdead.com/
When office supplies attack:
we all know this...
http://www.seethru.co.uk/zine/south_coast/helicopter_game.htm
Hot D$mn: finally: the definite guide to Belgium:

extract:
Motorway: A large three-laned road connecting major Belgian towns that is spectacularly illuminated throughout the night. Reasons for this are not entirely clear, but viable suggestions include the need to burn up excessively produced nuclear power or to provide runway facilities for alien spacecraft. Also a place where many Belgians have spent several days of their lives in attempts to get to Zaventem

Rijkswacht: At least that's what they are called in the flat bit. Aggressive officials in fast cars whose main job appears to be to relentlessly pursue cyclists and fine them for not having working lights on their bicycles.

The guy spent too much time "studying" in Leuven, but receives an honorable mention for his comprehensive understanding:
chek it out at: An A to Z of BELGIUM

2003-08-06

Question: will wide-spread internet attacks, organised by terror-cells really happen?

Answer: is the race for "patches", small pieces of software, that the big developpers continuously spread through their websites, smart marketing:

typical assessment: you create fear, you create gusto, you create a consumerist-demand, a drive, a need for updates, by pumping rumours through all available channels:

example: the latest defcon, and the scare for the latest "hole" in Windows software...
add in a little FBI comment: quote - "we recommend everybody to install the Windows upgrades"....
result: free advertising, massive visits and downloading (with the additional benefits of being able to track your customers and their behaviour)
add it into the big numbercrunchers and you get TIA: total information awareness.

Consequence: the public is held hostage to software evolution.

"Oh, you don't have windows 2008, damn, too bad, you can't enroll in this class, job, country, ..."
"Oh, you only master word 2000, damn, you're fired..."

Answer: wide spread internet attacks will almost certainly happen: if not conducted by smart-ass would-be terrorists willing to shut down power grids matrix-style, it will be the corporate zurich gnomes, or the clever hacks at m-soft, in collusion with american paramilitary black-ops: their sole objective: keep you in fear, keep you consuming, keep you ignorant, keep you docile, keep you under control.
Has anybody ever explained to you what a "patch" really is, it sounds more like a pain-killing patch they hand out to hospital patients...
Bleak future: wars will be fought by tribes on the streets trying to access the latest patch-software that gives them higher user-status or access to certain privileges...
Gravity mapped...
Check out this wonderful experiment that confirms so many philosopher's predicaments: gravity's gonna do us in...
The French Actress Marie Trintingnant: le désarroi de la Gauche combattante en France:

Service de Commémoration au Théâtre Edouard VII
Next to my office... Almost couldn't get in this morning, because serious security check "en vigueur"...

Funeral will be held today at Père Lachaise.

Mss Trintingnant, emblematic figure of the french cultural leftist elite, was the victim of intra-couple abuse, her husband, the front-leader of leftist rock formation Noir Désir repeatedly hit her in the hit, causing severe brain damage that led to the actress' death.

Violence against "femmes" was longtime considered not worthy of reflection,
and lyriccs of such groups as Noir Désir contained massive references to the subjugation of woman, be it verbal or physical.

A tragic story leads to even more tragedy as the french cultural elite tries to figure out where to go from here...

2003-08-01

http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2003/08/RAMONET/10252

Article in the Monde Diplo on the TIA / Total Information Awareness programme, that the US Governement is implementing to catalogue all of the world's 6 billion people... Big brother is over...
First Paris Flash Mob coming up early September
http://parismobs.free.fr

2003-07-31

In older days, this blog carried a different title: Hérésie / Frénésie...
Thankfully it was abandonned and changed into
[ Conform -]
[ Mystik ]
&
[ Sub- ]
[ Versive ]


The 4 terms each reflect a different aspect of this entreprise; you figure it out by yourself...
4 is also a magic number...
Intro to following post
Founded in 1542 by Pope Paul III with the Constitution "Licet ab initio," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith was originally called the Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition as its duty was to defend the Church from heresy. It is the oldest of the Curia's nine congregations.

No comment
.
.
.
Considerations of the Vatican with regards to the sacrament of mariage,
and opposition against political tendencies towards giving homosexuals these same rights ....

What we learn from this text is the following, without professing any personal views on this new political development:

THE NATURE OF MARRIAGE AND ITS INALIENABLE CHARACTERISTICS

The Church's teaching on marriage and on the complementarity of the sexes reiterates a truth that is evident to right reason and recognized as such by all the major cultures of the world. Marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It was established by the Creator with its own nature, essential properties and purpose. No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman, who by mutual personal gift, proper and exclusive to themselves, tend toward the communion of their persons. In this way, they mutually perfect each other, in order to cooperate with God in the procreation and upbringing of new human lives.

The natural truth about marriage was confirmed by the Revelation contained in the biblical accounts of creation, an expression also of the original human wisdom, in which the voice of nature itself is heard. There are three fundamental elements of the Creator's plan for marriage, as narrated in the Book of Genesis.

In the first place, man, the image of God, was created “male and female” (Gen 1:27). Men and women are equal as persons and complementary as male and female. Sexuality is something that pertains to the physical-biological realm and has also been raised to a new level – the personal level – where nature and spirit are united.

Marriage is instituted by the Creator as a form of life in which a communion of persons is realized involving the use of the sexual faculty. “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and they become one flesh” (Gen 2:24).

Third, God has willed to give the union of man and woman a special participation in his work of creation. Thus, he blessed the man and the woman with the words “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). Therefore, in the Creator's plan, sexual complementarity and fruitfulness belong to the very nature of marriage.

Furthermore, the marital union of man and woman has been elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament. The Church teaches that Christian marriage is an efficacious sign of the covenant between Christ and the Church (cf. Eph 5:32). This Christian meaning of marriage, far from diminishing the profoundly human value of the marital union between man and woman, confirms and strengthens it (cf. Mt 19:3-12; Mk 10:6-9).

And yes, we agree to these last paragraphs, mariage is indeed very serious business...
Reality Shows: watch out...
http://users.pandora.be/cooreman/bere/

Amazing to know that this type of behaviour actually exists...

And an interesting look at today's reality through
http://www.tacticalmagic.org/

Peace through superior poetry

2003-07-29

Counting down:

exactly: 38 days and 1 minute to go ...
All is set, under control or will soon be activated
Status report: well advancing in our planning campaign. Execution of major tasks completed with success.
Standing by now for last details and stag activities.
W e (E + T) a r e s o h a p p y!
Who'd have thought that planning a wedding could actually be fun?
And thanks, many special thanks for all those who are helping out...
It must have something to do with the 80/20 Pareto principle...

For those in the know: don't forget to send your replies ASAP!
Who said that primates such as apes and humans are the only animals to spontaneously fabricate or use tools:
check this out and learn about the smartminded crows, who will soon be dominating our world...
Krrk

Lone dog sent in this link:
understanding traffic jams for traffic coordinators worldwide...
See how they "mysteriously" arise, by manipulatin' some basic parametrics...
A must-see if you're stuck in traffic for hours per week. Get out there, take the bike to the train to the city to the sidewalks to the rollers to the office and blow off some sweat. You'll arrive well-rested, exercised, informed and just maybe you might make new friends in your wagons, all the while protecting the environnement and not risking your life.

'Been driving around recently, and goddamn... you better buy a bigger car than those maniacs out there... The odds you're going to be involved in serious shit on the road have risen dramatically these last years... And wear a seat-belt, all the time, anywhere, especially in the back!

http://vwisb7.vkw.tu-dresden.de/~treiber/MicroApplet/simFrame.html
Hyperlinking your world today: Harvest of the Month:

a company in Nevada gets into trouble, running ads promising hunters game they've never seen.
Civil rights activits condemn the portrayal of this activity as fun...

After our travels to Japan, some intrest sparkled up; check out the latest rules of behaviour when you wanna call somebody on his/her mobile device. You shrttxt them first to see if they're available...

Another great internet-related phenomenon that is sparking up: FLASH MOBBING:
tons of people get together at a preset hour and start doing something inobtrusive,
asking a rug dealer about his carpets, hundreds at a time,
clapping your hands, in large malls and hotels worldwide,
the MOBS mysteriously appear and disappear into assembled crowds,
only to reunite on the net, and set the date for the next intervention.
Hilarious.
Anyone up to flashmob the european community in Brussels?

check out
http://parismobs.free.fr/
http://wiki.crao.net/index.php/MousseNavire
Whoah!

The United States Forest Service (Bubbah the Bear) declares: "we're the ninja's of the woods"...
You wouldn't believe what's growing in your downtown national reserve...
Longtime believed to be pristine, it appears whole plantations of crops are being settled. Watch out: the next time you're hiking, camping, ... you might no longer bump into a real grizzly, but into some poor chicano weed-farmer protecting his crops...
Read the article in Time
Extract hereunder:

A blue-gray dawn tickles the tops of the ponderosa pines at the Sugar Pine Recreation Area in California's Tahoe National Forest. Campers slumber in lakeside tents; bikers have yet to hit the trails. But all is not quiet on this cool July morning. A platoon of camouflaged figures equipped with rifles, pistols and bulletproof vests creep through manzanita brush with a police dog. Their objective: a marijuana plantation a few hundred yards from a well-traveled tourist area.

As the Forest Service rangers stealthily approach, an unsuspecting Mexican laborer named Pedro Villa García, 51, stands in a clearing. All around him the hillside is freshly terraced, irrigated by black plastic hoses and dotted with iridescent green cannabis. Villa García peers down the path. Is that a black bear—a common local species—emerging from the morning mist? Suddenly he sees the rangers and dashes off through the brambles. But the police dog, a Belgian Malinois, catches up quickly, sinking its teeth into Villa García's arm. Two rangers wrestle him to the ground and handcuff him. "We're good at jungle warfare," says Laura Mark, a Forest Service investigator, as she prepares to question the suspect. "We're the ninjas of the woods."

Armed combat is hardly what families hope to encounter as they head for their summer vacations in America's national parks and forests. But drug smugglers, methamphetamine cooks and cannabis cultivators are invading federal lands as never before. A U.S. Park Service ranger in Arizona's Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was gunned down by a Mexican pot smuggler last August. In Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest, 192 meth labs have been dismantled over the past three years. And marijuana farms are infesting Kentucky's Daniel Boone National Forest and Alabama's Talladega National Forest.

But the most explosive conflicts—and the biggest hauls—are taking place in California. As enforcement tightens along U.S. borders, especially since 9/11, it is getting harder to transport drugs into America. So Mexican traffickers have turned to creating vast marijuana plantations Stateside, that much closer to their main customers. Thanks to a mild climate, rich soil and a lengthy, March-to-October growing season, California cultivators routinely produce 10-ft.-high specimens worth up to $4,000 each. Some of these California pot farms stretch over several hundred acres and have as many as 50,000 plants. Last year 420,000 pot plants with a street value of $1.5 billion were eradicated from the state's 18 federal forests, a tenfold increase from 1994.

In Sequoia National Park, renowned for its majestic trees, rangers confiscated eight tons of marijuana in a single week last September. "We have a tremendous influx of Mexican growers," says Ross Butler, a special agent for the federal Bureau of Land Management. "They are sophisticated. They have guns. And we don't know much about who they are."

Villa García is unarmed when he is caught in the Tahoe forest—probably, rangers say, because it is early in the season. If they had already matured, the 3,500 plants he was tending would have yielded some $8 million worth of pot—an investment worth protecting. In the fall, when scores of Mexican workers arrive to harvest and process the pot, shoot-outs occur between law-enforcement agents and camouflage-clad growers toting AK-47s. Sometimes the pot pirates mistake innocent tourists for thieves or cops. Last year kayakers on the Salmon River in the Klamath National Forest were held at gunpoint by traffickers, as were a hiker in the Sequoia National Park and hunters in Mendocino National Forest. Two years ago, an 8-year-old boy hunting deer in the Eldorado National Forest with his father was shot in the face by pot farmers. "If you are a hunter, a fisherman or a backpacker, it can be dangerous," says Michael Delaney, who oversees marijuana cases for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Northern California. "There's a safety factor for everyone who is out there."

Squirming in his handcuffs, the white-bearded Villa García looks more like a kindly grandfather than a drug trafficker. He says he has been in the U.S. poquito—only a short time. A stranger came to his village in the Mexican state of Michoacán and brought him across the border, along with four others.

One of them was with him on the Tahoe farm but managed to escape. "I did not know what kind of work it would be," he says in Spanish, adding that he was paid $200 a month. Villa García was arraigned on narcotics-cultivation charges, pleaded not guilty, and is in prison awaiting trial. His is a story federal agents know well after arresting scores of low-level gardeners, all undocumented, most hailing from Michoacán. "They don't know much, and they're told, ‘You talk, you gonna die,'" says Mark, who has questioned 60 such workers in the past year. "The odds of us finding the organizers are slim."

At least five Mexican drug rings are under investigation, some of them related to the Michoacán-based Magana family. In June 2001, nine members of the Magana clan pleaded guilty in federal court to narcotics charges and were given prison sentences ranging from four to 12 years. The Maganas have been tied to 20 large gardens with more than 100,000 plants in the Sequoia, Sierra, Stanislaus and Mendocino national forests. They also supplied workers for pot farms on federal land in Arkansas, Idaho, Oregon, Utah and Washington. According to investigators, the Maganas and other groups have used profits from methamphetamine operations to expand into marijuana. They own gas stations, haciendas and million-dollar resorts in Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, Michoacán and other parts of Mexico. "They have tremendous networks involving legal businesses, money laundering and distribution," says Jerry Moore, the Forest Service's regional law-enforcement chief. "We arrest people, but new players move in."

Villa García and his Tahoe pot farm were discovered a week after two forest rangers on patrol noticed a recently bushwhacked footpath. After the bust, the rangers found the usual layout and pattern of cultivation. "It's like they all go to the same college course—Marijuana 101," says Mark. As in other grows, seedlings are planted 6 ft. apart in rows. A forest canopy admits filtered sunlight but hides the seedlings from aerial surveillance. A stream is diverted to allow its water to flow through drip-irrigation tubes along the terraces. So that the workers can escape more easily, their sleeping area—strewn with toothbrushes and bottles of Pepto-Bismol and NyQuil—is hidden in the brush, apart from the kitchen and processing area. Propane bottles provide fuel for a two-burner stove next to bags of tortillas, cans of Juanita's-brand menudo (tripe), sacks of fertilizer and a votive card of St. Peter with the inscription "May your spirit intercede for sinners …" in Spanish.

Rangers say that in March and April, workers are driven in vans along remote forest roads at dusk or dawn. They pile out onto prescouted paths with 100-lb. packs of supplies. Once they set up camp and begin planting, they are resupplied every two to three weeks. Throughout the summer, a skeletal crew tends the gardens, which are often divided into connected plots. In the fall, more workers come in to process the weed; one raid found 40 sleeping bags at a single site. The workers pick the flowering tops and hang them in nets to dry for up to a week. They peel off the buds, package the pot using scales and Baggies, and hike it out at night in duffel bags. At preset pickup points, vans await to transport the pot to consumers across the U.S.

Beyond the safety issue, the ecological damage from large-scale farms in parks and forests could take years to repair. Tree cutting and terraced slopes are causing massive erosion. In addition, the pot farmers leave a mess. At the Tahoe grow, 20 rangers and sheriff's deputies dug up the cannabis and stuffed it into paper bags as evidence. But propane tanks, coils of irrigation hose and food cans were left behind. "We don't have the manpower to get the garbage out," says Mark as she rips open plastic bags and tosses tortillas into the bushes.

Only seven drug-enforcement agents are assigned to police California's 20 million acres of federal forests. Rangers estimate that they discover as few as a third of the pot farms growing on public lands—and more than half of those are left untouched for lack of personnel to investigate them. When forest fires demand extra bodies, as was the case during last year's drought, even more cannabis is left to harvest. "This is a huge criminal enterprise, and we have so few resources to fight it," says Mark. "There are more growers than we know about or can deal with. We pick off a couple. The rest get away."

From the Aug. 04, 2003 issue of TIME magazine

2003-07-24

Helvetica versus Arial: font-fight
Week by week, the same couple of OWLS are sitting on the street. Every night at around midnight you can see them enjoying the heat of the macadam, refusing flat out to fly away scared as they are by the headlights of the car. Very distinctively you can make out the size of the female>male, which is common among birds of prey (in Dutch: kerkuiltjes).
Do you realize how many different species walk/fly amongst us?

2003-07-23

It's pretty hard to find solid info on Jon Krakauer and his masterpiece "Into the wild".
Here's a link. Anyone has more suggestions?
Some Quotes

Il ne faut pas toujours tourner la page, il faut parfois la déchirer.


Il vaut mieux être le premier dans les choses simples que le dernier dans les grandes choses.


Pardonnez à vos ennemis mais n'oubliez jamais leurs noms.


Le sage, c'est celui qui lit à la fois dans les livres et dans la vie.

2003-07-08

Dans le silence,
nos paroles se refont une petite beauté

(lu dans le Métro Parisien)


Today @ 1600 zulu, the whole 14 juillet - airborne parade flew over the center of Paris in rehearsal of the National Celebration next week,
felt like a gigantic air - raid with tremendous views of jetfighters, tankers and helicopters... Kick ass views from the terrace!

2003-07-04

Uit De Standaard van vandaag: El Tatto del Tigre maakt furore in Parijs

Het ging over de kleren, maar naderhand had iedereen het zo mogelijk nog meer over de muziek. De Vlaamse modeontwerper Dries Van Noten vroeg het Vlaamse mambo-orkest El Tattoo Del Tigre deze week om de muziek te verzorgen bij zijn Parijse modeshow. Het bleek een gouden idee. ,,De mensen waren stomverbaasd'', aldus de congaspeler Kobe Proesmans. ,,Hopelijk opent dit deuren voor ons.''


www.eltattoodeltigre.com


Dries Van Noten vond El Tattoo Del Tigre goed passen bij zijn nieuwe collectie, verklaart Proesmans. ,,Laten we zeggen dat zowel zijn kleren als onze muziek een hoge elegantiefactor hebben. Hij wilde van zijn defilé deze keer een feest maken, met cocktails en hapjes en toen hij voor de muziek een feestgroep zocht, kwam hij bij ons uit.''

,,Al voor het defilé begon, liep een klein groepje muzikanten tussen de aanwezigen door. . Een catwalk ontbrak. ,,Toen de modeshow begon, ging er ineens een gordijn open, stonden de 35 muzikanten van El Tattoo Del Tigre op het podium en werd een rode loper uitgerold voor de mannequins'', vertelt Proesmans. ,,De reacties waren enorm goed. Hopelijk kan dit helpen om onze naam verder te verspreiden over de wereld. We dromen ervan om ooit eens in New York of Tokyo te spelen en wie weet komt dat er nu wel van.''

De samenwerking tussen Van Noten en El Tattoo De Tigre was in elk geval niet eenmalig, want het logo van de groep siert ook kleren van Van Notens zomercollectie van 2004.

2003-06-27

Day J-1: tomorrow at Saturday June 28th: 1100 zulu time...

I cannot imagine the future, but I care about it. I know I am a part of a story that starts long before I can remember and continues long beyond when anyone will remember me. I sense that I am alive at a time of important change, and I feel a responsibility to make sure that the change comes out well. I plant my acorns knowing that I will never live to harvest the oaks.

2003-06-25

Read this to enjoy some of the fondest memories of Comical Ali

and here is a link to his website: http://www.welovetheiraqiinformationminister.com/
Copyright The Daily Mirror:

COMICAL Ali, Saddam Hussein's ludicrous spin doctor, has been arrested in Baghdad, it was claimed last night.
Information minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf had been hiding out at a relative's house since April watching satellite TV - banned under Saddam.
US troops set up a road block in the Baghdad suburb and caught him in his car on Monday night.
Al-Sahaf - who became a comic hero for his ridiculous denials of the truth in the Gulf War including "We are winning" as Baghdad fell - gave himself up without a fuss.
It was thought he might have killed himself when he disappeared on the day the Iraqi regime collapsed, still insisting Saddam would prevail.
But after his arrest the man, infamous for his amazing lies, begged US soldiers to save him from the embarrassment of being taken away publicly in a conspicuous armoured Humvee.
He was allowed to go into the house where he has apparently been holed up with his wife Lamia, daughter Thefaf and doctor sons Ziad and Isama, to collect a toothbrush, razor and book.
He wore a short-sleeved shirt, rather than his trademark army uniform and beret but was told to remove his tie for fear he might try suicide.
The Americans hope that Sahaf, who did not appear in their deck of cards of Iraq's most wanted, will tell them where Saddam is hiding.
A senior coalition source said: "He has some serious talking to do ... this time."
Relatives said Sahaf has been in a state of shock since the regime collapsed.
He was the last member of Saddam's Ba'ath party to abandon his post, giving his final briefing on the morning the tyrant's statue was symbolically toppled in the capital.
In it he cheerily insisted: "There is no presence of American infidels in Baghdad. They are going to surrender or be burned in their tanks". As he was speaking, US troops were pouring into view behind him, waving to cheering Iraqis.
A colleague at the radio station where he had sent desperate propaganda broadcasts in the last days, told how he had returned and poignantly removed his beret and epaulettes, threw the keys of his Mercedes and his satellite phone into the Tigris River and vanished.
His disappearance prompted rumours he had hanged himself on a lamppost, unable to cope with the reality that Saddam had finally gone.
But he is reported to have spent much of his time watching banned satellite television which his homes have had for many years. Friends said his main pleasures were a few shots of Scotch whiskey and regular barbecues of skewered beef and lamb.
Meanwhile, a worldwide industry exploiting his cult status is growing around the world.
A website set up in his honour crashed after receiving 4,000 hits per second.
And fans have bought thousands of t-shirts with his picture and his most fanciful sayings including: "We slaughtered them and we will continue to slaughter them. God is grilling their stomachs in hell."

THE WISDOM OF ALI
COMICAL Ali's outlandish statements made him a cult figure with President George Bush amongst his diehard fans.
Bush once said of him: "Somebody would tell me: 'He's getting ready to speak!' and I'd pop out of a meeting or turn and watch the TV."
But Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf didn't have the same affection for Bush of whom he said: "'He is a very stupid man. The American people are not stupid, they are very clever. I can't understand how such clever people came to elect such a stupid president." He said another time: "I speak better English than this villain Bush."
As the situation got more desperate in Iraq, Sahaf could not take it in. He said: "They are not in Baghdad. They are not in control of any airport. I tell you this. It is all a lie. They lie. It is a Hollywood movie. You do not believe them."
He always maintained the Americans were losing the war. "We have destroyed two tanks, fighter planes, two helicopters and their shovels - We have driven them back."
Asked about his outlandish claims, he hit back: "Lying is forbidden in Iraq. President Saddam Hussein will tolerate nothing but truthfulness as he is a man of great honour and integrity. Everyone is encouraged to speak freely of the truths evidenced in their eyes and hearts."
He added: "I blame al-Jazeera - they are marketing for the Americans!" Always upbeat, he said: "My feelings - as usual - we will slaughter them all." "Our estimates are that none of them will come out alive unless they surrender to us quickly." "Don't believe anything! We will chase the rascals back to London!"
The Iraqi Minister of Disinformation arrested!!!!
Comical Ali finally on his way to Hollywood

2003-06-24

Some Quotes to jumpstart your workday/evening:

I love deadlines.
I especially like the whooshing sound they make
as they go flying by.

Accept the fact that some days you are the pigeon and most days the
statue.

I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem

A pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt

Needing someone is like needing a parachute.
If he/she isn't there the first time, chances are you won't need him/her again.
Demain... les soldes,
incroyable comment les parisiens s'y préparent,
la majorité s'est pris de congés de récupération afin de dénicher les derniers trucs à voir pour cet été.
En moyenne, les français ont droit à 32 jours de soldes/an... Pourqoui encore payer si l'on trouve tout ce qu'il faut en période de prix creux?
Eh bien, parce qu'évidemment, les bonnes tailles n'y sont pas...
C'est donc l'arnac, l'arnaque totale, et ça fait penser aux marges que les vendeurs de fringues encaissent...
Check out some contemporary artists, recently exposing work in Paris,
great laughs, great fear, when you analyze terror these days...

http://www.palaisdetokyo.com/hardcore/

Another great link for fine young art is
http://www.irational.org

2003-06-23

A sales rep, an administration clerk and the manager are walking to lunch
when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out in a
puff of smoke. The Genie says, "I usually only grant three wishes, so I'll
give each of you one each." "Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I
want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the
world." Poof! She's gone. In astonishment, "Me next! Me next!" says the
sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal
masseuse, an endless supply of pina coladas and the love of my life." Poof!
He's gone. "OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager. The manager says,
"I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

2003-06-18

Get your rocks on! Get your rocks on honney!
http://www.belgiumrollers.com/

All summer long, rollerblading in major Belgian cities, every day of the week!
Friday nite is Brussels nite...

2003-06-16

Tokyo and Moscow are world’s most expensive cities; Asuncion in Paraguay is cheapest
View the report here

2003-06-11

Is this the big one we've all been waiting for?

BUGBEAR ComputerVirus unleashed worldwide, targetting financial institutions:
Repeat after us: "I shall not open unidentified attachments from unknown senders..."
Repeat Over and Over....

for more info check with your antivirus updaters... and remember:
You'll hear about it on the radio, before you realize your own adress book has been hijacked!

2003-06-05

You are Morpheus-
You are Morpheus, from "The Matrix." You
have strong faith in yourself and those around
you. A true leader, you are relentless in your
persuit.



*Newsflash*

La Chambre de Commerce Belgo-Luxembourgeoise à Paris organise une Soirée "fête de la bière belge et luxembourgeoise", le 23 juin prochain au Polo Club de Paris.
Contact CCBL 174 Blvd Haussmann 75008 Paris
For what it's worth!

HASH(0x8696cec)



WHAT TYPE OF WILD CREATURE ARE YOU?

2003-05-21

Belgium vs the USA part 2 (and ... game over)

Belgian Gov. transferred complaints against General to US Law system, effectively ending risk of the Tommy Franks dude needing to defend himself and military tactics in Brussels against accusations of crimes against humanity in the Iraqi campaign

---> De Mantel der (broeder)Liefde of liever gewone klassieke blackmail van de Amerikanen?
Verkiezingskoorts cont'd

Als mijn analyse goed is, verliezen we in het kiesarrondissement Brussel Halle Vilvoorde 2 (twee!) zitjes in de Kamer, … 2 van de 11, dat is 10% die de Franstaligen binnenrijven. Komt dit door de toenemende verfransing van de groene Rand rond Brussel? Of zijn we plots allemaal geneigd om op Franstalige lijsten te gaan stemmen….

Maar al te vaak worden we geconfronteerd met het ongeloof van de collega Vlamingen “en province”, die maar niet begrijpen wat voor een gevecht wij hier rond Brussel moeten voeren.


Schokkend om in een Vlaams Stemlokaal te moeten kiezen tussen een Franse of Vlaamse lijst voor de Senaat. Illegaal bovendien, à quand le recours en cassation/arbitrage?

De splitsing van BHV zou ondermeer tot gevolg kunnen hebben dat er geen Franstalige partijen meer kunnen bevoordeeld worden door « Vlaamse » kiezers, ook al zijn ze Franstalig, hun domicilie is in het Vlaams Gewest. Ze moeten maar zien dat ze hun vertegenwoordiging in het Vlaams Parlement laten gelden.

Of anders… kan er misschien iemand in Luxemburg opkomen aub in ’t Vlaams… Zouden ze dat accepteren? Of misschien nog beter, en tamtam gaan maken in de Grognon in ’t Regionaal Waals Parlement…

Brussel-Halle-Vilvoorde: 9 zitjes, verlies van 2 voor de Vlaamse partijen (* zat al in de Kamer)
VLD: 3 zetels
· Annemie Neyts · Willy Cortois (*) · Maggie De Block (*)
SP.A-Spirit: 2 zetels
· Frank Vandenbroucke · Bert Anciaux
Vlaams Blok: 2 zetels
· Filip De Man (*) · Bart Laeremans (*)
CD&V: 2 zitjes.
· Herman Van Rompuy (*) · Simonne Creyf

Bron: De Standaard – Commentaar TVW


P.S. het is toch godgeklaagd dat "de grote stemmenkanonnen" opkomen als lijsttrekker, - duwer, ... en dan de CUMUL durven aanvragen, zoals Stef. De Clerck. Zijn ze niet beschaamd, of zwaait het specter van de verjonging al even uitdagend als bij Agalev, waar de oude rotte ratten de grootste nederlaag ooit op hun donder kregen...
Another proposal for better EU Border Protection against the "See Europe in 5 days" travelling Americans.

you know those big line-ups when entering US territory as a foreigner...
We should get those to in Europe, fast-tracking all EU nationals, and making huge line-ups standard operating procedure for the americans.
Along those queues, we should get "great advertising", such as Quick smell, Bad French Movie posters, incomprehensible Finnish shampoo commercials, .... I'm sure you can come up with tons and tons of ideas...
All border police personnel should flatly refuse to speak English (good for keeping the Britons out too) and the documents (tons and shitloads of them) written in Teutonic Gothic Characters, with (again) Finnish, Basque, Slovac and RhaetoRomanic translation...
Intelligent Frontier: the new tactics of the Department of Homeland Security:
starting 2004, all foreigners, including Europeans, will have to submit fingerprints when entering US Soil, states the newest rule of the Department of Homeland Security.
Big Brother, Matrix, Police State: you wanted it - you got it...

As a countermeasure, alle EU countries should retaliate by declaring access to Americans, subject to stringent VISA-application procedures:
blood samples, testing for GMO's, a thorough mulitple-choice examination of "euro-survival-fitness":

E.G. (and see post from yesterday)
Where is Brussels,
1. It's Jean-Claude's dog
2. It's somewhere in the European desert of the real where "l'exception culturelle" still reigns
3. It's a myth, a spook story, a mystery wrapped inside an enigma. The CIA did not shoot Kennedy, it was Fidel who ordered it all
4. No, I have no Muslim forefathers
5. Brussels is a country, to the North of the Netherlands, to the East of Germany, and to the south of France, it is bordered by Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, North Korea and Libya. It's a rogue state where peaceful and democratic generals are prosecuted in accordance with obscure international treaties that the USA does not ratify and that are in contempt of our righteous right to pursue our happiness. We will nuke 'em all, because they've been threatening us for too long now with Bio-Chem weapons disguised as Brussels Sprouts.
6. It's the capital of such obsolete and vetuste institutions as the European Commission (on what?), NATO, the Belgian Federal Parliament, the Flemish regional Parliament, the Brussels Regional Parliament, and the 19 independant guerillero urban communities that refuse to sign cooperation agreements. In fact, if you cross into Brussels territory, you will encounter (but not exclusively) rabiate spleen and "mal de vivre", surrealistic laws and wide-spread corruption
7. All of the above
8. Refuse to answer stating that you'd rather go to Sh*tville, Arkansas than travel abroad on foreign airplanes infested with AIDS, SARS, EBOLA and knife-toting terrorists. Enough is enough, remember 9/11. Eat Freedom Fries...

2003-05-20

A report just in:

the US of A are using heavy metal to mentally torture Al Qaida prisonners, Baghdadi Saddam-informants, ...
this modern equivalent of Scottish bag pipes was already put to great use in Panama (Manolo Noriega surrendered after 48hrs of listening to Enter Sandman).
After this great success (?...) the caves in Afghanistan were swamped with loud music to make life a "living hell" for the remaining fighters...

After embedded journalists, other great tactics in the modern wars of the world...

Imagine those poor Iraqi's being submitted to the latest Matrix soundtrack... Whoah...

Sometimes you just can't help thinking how isolationist Americans really are...Was on the train to Bxl last Saturday and sat across some middle-aged Californians going to A'dam to score some weed (they asked me if the coffee shops were "nice"...). Other questions: is Brussels in France? Do we have to show our passports? Do they accept €uros???? Just nagging on and on and on and on