This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism, where it resides under the title:
“White Man Kills Nine Black People in Church Shooting in Charleston S.C.”
Speechless, But Trying: The Church Shooting in Charleston S.C.
Posted in Violence
Tagged America, Charleston, church shooting, church shooting charleston S.C., confederate flag, Gun Rights, Opinion, Racism, shootings, white supremacists
Revoke the License to Kill and Reduce Lethal Police Shootings
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism, where it resides under the title:
“Better Firearms Training, Less Lethal Force, Fewer Lethal Police Shootings”
Posted in Police
Tagged Ferguson, firearm training, lethal force, lethal police shootings, license to kill, Police, police shootings, police training
Police Training within the Police Hierarchy: A Bad Idea
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism, where it resides under the title:
“How to Get Independent Quality Police Training and Police Accountability”
1984: Dutch Police Training Adjusts to Society
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism, where it resides under the title:
“1984: Dutch Police Training Adjusts to Society’s Anti-Authoritarianism”
This Says it All
I found this video on a post about Zwarte Piet by Travelogues of an African Girl. Holland, it’s time to catch up.
Posted in Holland
Tagged black pete, opinie, Opinion, Racism, racisme, Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet
They’re All Druggies and Alcoholics
image: askusfortcollins.com
An argument you hear often for not helping the homeless is that if you give them money, they just spend it on drugs or alcohol.
First of all, there are plenty of people homeless who aren’t drug addicts or alcoholics. It’s often hard to tell the difference. Continue reading
Zwarte Piet and Ferguson
image: vrij-zinnig.nl
In a reply to a comment by Onno on one of my posts about Zwarte Piet, I mentioned that the Netherlands is still in the Stone Age when it comes to racial sensitivity. Onno responded by pointing to Ferguson. Continue reading
Posted in Holland, Police, Society
Tagged black pete, Ferguson, Netherlands, opinie, Opinion, police brutality, Racism, racisme, Zwarte Piet
Please DO Feed the Homeless
image: sleuthjournal.com
It’s that time of year again: people donate to food banks that feed the hungry and to organizations that provide meals for the homeless. Continue reading
Sinterklaas: Let’s Put This into Perspective, Again
image: sint-nicolaas.nl
Okay, one more repost, because I’ve had so many hits on the last one. Clearly there’s an interest and the post below is one that gets skipped a lot, it seems.
After this I’m stopping with the Zwarte Piet issue, at least for this year. I think.
Tagged black pete, discriminatie, Netherlands, opinie, Opinion, Piet moet blijven, Racism, racisme, Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas: Breaking Down Some Arguments, Again
Its that time of year again in the Netherlands: Sinterklaas is coming. From what I gather over here in Texas, for now, the people who want to keep Zwarte Piet black have won.
There’s no point to me saying everything I already said at length last year, but for those of you who missed it then, here’s one of the posts I wrote about the issue below. Or, if you want, you can start at the beginning. And if you’re one of those who say I have no right to say anything because I’m an outsider, I have dedicated my last post in the series especially to you.
So here goes:
————————————————————————————————–
Dictionary Schmictionary, or The Downside of Being Bilingual
image: licoricelemondrops.com
Today’s writing prompt: Time to confess: tell us about a time when you used a word whose meaning you didn’t actually know (or were very wrong about, in retrospect).
Okay, this is embarrassing, but it definitely is the biggest boo-boo I’ve ever made in this regard. Continue reading
Dreamy
Not the best quality image but it was the first that came to mind. I converted this from a slide from the 80s. This is on the path up to Mount Snowdon, in Wales. It was cloudy, incredibly windy and it was my first ever mountain. It definitely felt dreamy.
Posted in Nature, Photography, Travel, Vacations
Tagged Mount Snowdon, Photo challenge dreamy, photography, Snowdonia, travel
Police Killings, Militarization and the Absence of the NRA in Ferguson, Missouri
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism, where it resides under the title:
“Police Shootings, Militarization and the Absence of the NRA in Ferguson MO”
Tiny Texas Tornado
Well, here’s another thing you don’t have in the Netherlands. Tornadoes.
We have plenty of tornadoes in Texas, but usually further north, where the land is flatter. Once every few years we get a tornado warning, but I’ve only taken the kids into the closet twice. Once in the Rio Grande Valley, when R was still a baby and our cats were outside pets, which was fortunate, since our centrally located closet was tiny. And of course nothing happened. Continue reading
Tagged hiding in the closet, men in trees, storm damage, storms, Texas, tornadoes, trees
Rated Hardly R At All
I think it’s time for a sequel to my post Rated R, where I literally translated some Dutch swear words and phrases into English. So here are several words I used when I was a kid in the early seventies. They’re not as R-rated as the first post. I found these “retro swear words” on this site. Continue reading
Posted in Language
Tagged Dutch swear words, history, humor, language, Nederland, Netherlands, samenleving, society, taal, translation, vloeken
Coleslaw: Improved
Late 1960s Australia. My mother adds a recipe to her limited repertoire–she discovers coleslaw. Continue reading
From No Way to Okay to Every Day
This morning I read a BBC article about Coca Cola. This reminded me of conversations T and I had when we were living together in the Netherlands.
Being American, he drank Coke. Continue reading
Posted in Emigration / Immigration, Food
Tagged Coca Cola, Coke, cultural food habits, Diet Coke, emigratie, emigration, new habits, nieuwe gewoontes
Agile Eyebrow Envy
Oh, to be able to raise one eyebrow!
My best friend can do it. My daughter can do it. Steven Colbert can do it with both eyebrows in faster succession than even my daughter can. Continue reading
Eponymous Me
image: Franz Kafka
Kafka, Marx, Orwell, Sade–no reason why I shouldn’t end up on that list. Here’s what I imagine my contribution to Webster’s to be: Continue reading
Posted in Emigration / Immigration, Language, Lists, Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged DPchallenge, emigration, eponiemen, eponyms, humor, immigration, language, Lists, taal
Sons of Alcoholics Anonymous
I’ve been watching Sons of Anarchy on Netflix. I’m approaching the end of Season 2, and I’m still not sure what to think of it. Is it an ultra-hardcore version of The Dukes of Hazard or is there more to it? So far I’m still going back and forth on that one about ten times per episode but the characters are definitely growing on me. Continue reading
The Assault: Part 10: Time Eternal
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It emigrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Time Eternal in The Assault: Events Put in a Larger, Timeless Perspective”
Posted in Books, Literature, World War Two
Tagged books, De Aanslag, Harry Mulisch, Literature, mythology, The Assault, time eternal, World War Two, WWII
The Assault: Part 9: Familiar Imagery
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It emigrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Familiar Imagery from Dutch History, Culture and Politics in The Assault“
Posted in Books, verhuizen, World War Two
Tagged books, De Aanslag, Dutch history, Harry Mulisch, historical novels, History the Netherlands, imagery, The Assault, World War Two
The Assault: Part 8: Selection and Reduction
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It emigrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“History Changes, Then Solidifies in Historical Fiction, As in The Assault”
Posted in Books, World War Two
Tagged De Aanslag, Harry Mulisch, historical fiction, history, Literature, Netherlands, The Assault, tweede wereldoorlog, World War Two
The Assault: Part 7: Causality and Coincidence
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It emigrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Causality and Coincidence in History, Historical Fiction and in The Assault”
Posted in Books, World War Two
Tagged books, De Aanslag, Harry Mulisch, historical fiction, historical novels, history, Literature, Netherlands, The Assault, World War Two
The Assault: Part 6: The Changing Past
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It emigrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“The Changing Past: The Assault Is the History of an Incident”
Posted in Books, verhuizen, World War Two
Tagged analyse, analysis, De Aanslag, Dutch, Harry Mulisch, history, Literature, literatuur, Netherlands, The Assault, World War Two, WWII
The Assault: Part 5: Time Stands Still: Petrifaction and Isolation
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It emigrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Time Stands Still: The Petrifaction of Anton’s World in The Assault”
The Assault: Part 4: Mulisch’s Five Times
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“The Five Forms of Time in the Historical Novel The Assault by Harry Mulisch”
The Assault: Part 3: Structure and Narration
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Structure and Narration in The Assault by Harry Mulisch”
The Assault: Part 2: Summary
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It emigrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
The Assault: Part 1: The Time Capsule
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“The Time Capsule: An Introduction to the Concept of History in The Assault”
Stay Tuned For The Assault
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Post Series on De aanslag: History and Time in The Assault by Harry Mulisch”
When Are We Going to Get Angry?
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Authoritarianism: Response to Police Misconduct? A Slap on the Wrist”
Reading Circle Linked to Separatist Inclusion
image: bbc.com
Today’s prompt for NaPoWriMo is to take a news article and use (some of) its words in a poem. My goal was to use all the words. I managed, although I did change some words from verbs to nouns, from plural to singular, etc. Continue reading
Gender and Grammar and Growth, Oh My!
image: exchange.smarttech.com
My son B has been maturing by leaps and bounds the past couple of months. It’s like he’s having a massive mental growth spurt.
As a result, he is increasingly finding out what it means to be him, and learning how to be more assertive about the boundaries between himself and others. At the same time he’s also expanding his experience to include more and more of the world around him. All this seems to suddenly be happening at a faster pace than ever before. Continue reading
If I Had a Semi
image: terrain.org
The daily writing prompt asks what skill I’d like to have in my back pocket.
Well, years ago I saw a truck driver back a semi into a parking space between two other semis, straight as a ruler and with about a foot to spare on both sides. Now that’s clever. Continue reading
Posted in Transportation, Travel
Tagged bucket list, camping, DPchallenge, If I had a hammer, kamperen, parkeren, parking, reizen, Robin Hood, semis, travel, truck driving, vrachtwagens, writing prompts
The Blackbirds in the Pie
image: space.com
Yesterday’s NaPoWriMo prompt was to write a poem for children. Here’s mine.
Old Mother Hubbard, who lived in a shoe,
Had so many blackbirds, but no stew.
She put them in a pie and said rub-a-dub-dub,
Gave it to the dog and put him in a tub.
The dog had a great fall and hit a clock,
The pie flew through the sky and went into shock.
That’s how the blackbirds avoided the spoon
And the spoon went over the moon, the moon, the moon,
Yes, the spoon went over the moon.
Posted in Creative writing
Tagged gedichten, humor, kinderrijmpjes, NaPoWriMo, nonsense verse, nursery rhymes, poems, poetry
Emperor Wu’s Teenage Diary
image: almanachdegotha.org
My daughter’s 8th-grade History and Geography teacher is teaching Ancient Civilizations this year. She gives some cool homework assignments.
Recently, R had to write three journal entries from the point of view of Emperor Wu, of the Han Dynasty. Each entry had to be six or seven sentences long and they had to include three innovations. Continue reading
Posted in History
Tagged ancient civilizations, diaries, education, Emperor Wu, geschiedenis, history, humor, onderwijs
Grackle Haiku
Grackles
From high on the wires
A cool rain shower of sound
sizzles on tarmac
Migraine Haiku
Piercing, slashing glare,
Mute explosions, crushing blows,
Silent, violent pain.
Posted in Creative writing
Tagged Creative writing, gedichten, haiku, migraine, NaPoWriMo, poems, poetry
The Evening Picnic
image: theguardian.com
Today’s prompt for NaPoWriMo was to write a poem including words from this list of seashell names:
Peruvian Hat, Snout Otter Clam, Strawberry Top, Incised Moon, Sparse Dove, False Cup-and-Saucer, Leather Donax, Shuttlecock Volva, Striped Engina, Tricolor Niso, Triangular Nutmeg, Shoulderblade Sea Cat, Woody Canoebubble, Ghastly Miter, Heavy Bonnet, Tuberculate Emarginula, Lazarus Jewel Box, Unequal Bittersweet, Atlantic Turkey Wing. Continue reading
Posted in Creative writing, Nature
Tagged Creative writing, gedichten, humor, names, NaPoWriMo, poems, poetry, seashells, writing prompts
Disorder: With A Wink To William Blake
OCD’s not my personal bugaboo, it just worked for this poem for NaPoWriMo.
image: mnn.com
Disorder
Pillows, pillows, teal and red,
Against the headboard of the bed, Continue reading
It’s the Honest Truth
A poem for NaPoWriMo.
The sun revolves around the earth,
Something’s wrong with Obama’s birth,
The dinosaurs missed Noah’s ark, Continue reading
Posted in Creative writing, Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged Creative writing, gedichten, humor, kennis, knowledge, lying rhyme, myth, NaPoWriMo, opinie, Opinion, poems, poetry, science, wetenschap
How Do You Write?
A poem in twenty questions for NaPoWriMo.
image: shakespeareforalltime.com
Do you pen like William Shakespeare?
Famous tragedies like King Lear?
Or is Hemingway everything under your sun? Continue reading
Posted in Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged boeken, books, Creative writing, DPchallenge, gedichten, humor, Literature, literatuur, NaPoWriMo, poems, poetry, schrijven, twenty questions
The Room’s Prayer
Today’s poem for NaPoWriMo
image: authorkevinlewis.com
Years ago, when B was nine, I wrote this silly poem, framed it and hung it in his room. It didn’t work, but I had fun writing it anyway.
My child,
Who art almighty,
Whom I know by Name.
Please keep me clean,
Please, please, please, please,
On my floor as I am on my ceiling.
Put away daily all your books.
And I’ll forgive you your clothes
As long as you put them where clothes belong.
And bury me not in toy animals,
But deliver me from clutter.
For thine is the neatness,
And the power,
And the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen
Posted in Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged DPchallenge, gedichten, humor, kids' rooms, kinderkamers, messiness, NaPoWriMo, poems, poetry, prayer, rommel
What a Difference a Name Makes
image: cafepress.com
I consider myself to be a relatively tolerant, open-minded person. A pacifist, even. Not always in thought, but definitely in actions. I don’t hate much. It’s a toxic attitude to have. Live and let live, I usually say. But nobody’s perfect, not even yours truly. Continue reading
Posted in Nature
Tagged angst voor spinnen, arachnaphobia, huisdieren, humor, nature, Opinion, pets, spiders, spinnen, tarantulas, vogelspinnen
The Hedge
image: hillerscapes.co.uk
Today’s writing challenge is Fifty. Exactly fifty words.
Here are mine.
My mother required a hedge. Hawthorne. All around the large field, for an English look. My father, heart patient, dug, scraped and worked the rocks and clay to plant the shrubs. It killed him, but my mother had her English hedge. A year later she liked another house and moved.
Posted in Writing
Tagged Creative writing, DPchallenge, fiftly words, weekly writing challenge, writing prompts
Celebrating Spring Green
Do you get drunk on green in the spring? I know I do. As a teenager, commuting to school by train, I would lean my face against the window and just drink in as much as I could of the deep May-green pastures rolling by.
Posted in Austin photos
Tagged Austin, emigration, fotografie, green, groen, immigration, nature, natuur, photography, spring, Town Lake, voorjaar
Weekly Photo Challenge: Threshold
Yes, I’m catching up. This week’s photo challenge is Threshold.
This is son B, registering for the very first time at a college, with T right there with him and R sitting down.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Street Life
Last week’s photo challenge (yes, I’m behind–it’s what happens when I’m writing a series of posts) was street life. So here’s a quick pic I took with my phone in the car in downtown Austin. For some reason it has these rainbow colors, but I kind of like it like that.
Posted in Austin photos
Tagged Austin, Chase bank building, fotografie, photography, street life, weekly photo challenge
A Few Books and Movies About American Slavery
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
Reconstruction: What If?
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“What Would Black History Look Like if the Reconstruction Had Continued?”
The Meridian Riot of 1871
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“The Meridian Race Riot of 1871: The Failure of the Rickety Reconstruction”
Reconstruction: Now You See It, Now You Don’t
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism, where it resides under the title:
“The Reconstruction: Federal Army, Carpetbaggers, and Blacks in Office”
Slaveholders, Militant Immediatists and Everyone in Between
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Slaveholders, Militant Immediatists and Others on the Abolition Spectrum”
Freedom: Some Qualifications
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Free People of Color: Before Abolition It Was a Freedom with Qualifications”
What is Basic History Education?
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It has emigrated to my new blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“What Is Good History Education: Civil War Battles or Why They Were Fought?”
American Slavery: A Quick When and Why
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
Posted in Slavery
Tagged 12 Years a Slave, Abolitionists, American Civil War, Black History, Civil War, history, North vs South, Slavery
Laura Plantation
This post doesn’t live here anymore. It migrated to my other blog:
The Big No-No: An Outsider on American Fascism,
where it resides under the title:
“Laura Plantation: A Sugar Plantation Tour With Barely a Mention of Slavery”
Jeremy Irons’ Slinky Antics, Russian Toilets and More
image: studio360.org
What was going on yesterday:
T was planning a family trip.
I’d been driving R around for three days so she could film for her second documentary about homelessness and I kept forgetting to take pictures of her filming. Continue reading
Posted in Dreams
Tagged dreams, humor, Jeremy Irons, Russia, Russian motorbikes, slinky, The Borgias, traveling with cats, vacations
1000 Followers: Yay Me?
image: themirror.co.uk
Today I have 1000 followers.
It looks good, but I wonder about most of them. On average I get about 50 hits a day and anywhere from five to thirty likes per post, most of them from the same loyal readers. So who are these 1000 followers? Continue reading
American Railroads and the Environment
It’s high time for another one of my pet peeves. This commercial by CSX, one of the big railroad companies, annoys me no end: Continue reading
Early Memory
image: ct.gov
The daily writing challenge: write about the earliest memories of the house you lived in.
We lived in the Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat in Amsterdam. I was about two–it must’ve been 1963. Continue reading
Posted in Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged Daily Writing Challenge, early memories, eating cigarettes, smoking, the sixties
And Then the Music…
You can’t walk around New Orleans’ French Quarter or the Marigny without coming across street musicians.
They’re all amazing. Continue reading
Abandoned
The Weekly Photo Challenge is “Abandoned“. The post has to be created for the purpose of this challenge, which this one is. But there are two stories connected to it, if you’re interested. Read this one first to understand the second one.
Loving, New Mexico, taken January 2014
Posted in Photography, Vacations
Tagged Abandoned, abandoned buildings, Loving New Mexico, photography, weekly photo challenge
Krewe du Vieux: A Fun Family Outing
image: bestofneworleans.com
When you think of New Orleans–if you ever think of New Orleans, that is–you think of music and Mardi Gras parades.
We saw the very first parade of the season: the Krewe du Vieux. Apparently it’s always extremely crude, but we didn’t know that. Continue reading
Barataria Country
South of New Orleans the land turns into real swamp and eventually the Gulf of Mexico. This area is generally called Barataria Country or just the Barataria, which includes swampy land and Barataria Bay and Barataria Sound. The elevation is no more than a few feet. The movie The Beasts of the Southern Wild was filmed here. Continue reading
Posted in Photography, Travel, Vacations
Tagged alligators, Barataria, New Orleans, photography
Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1
Due to the high water table, most of New Orleans’ dead aren’t buried but rather entombed in “cities of the dead”. More info here.
If you visit Nawlins, a cemetery should be on your must-see list. Continue reading
Posted in Travel
Tagged above-ground cemeteries, New Orleans, Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, travel
Those Cool New Orleans Nights
image: dancecenter.com
An empty lot in the middle of the Rue Royal had been taken over by sellers of hand-made jewelry and such. It was evening and getting cooler. One lady sat in her folding chair, laboriously pulling hot pink (much hotter than in the photo), ruffled, nylon bloomers on over her leggings, explaining that there’s nothing like synthetic bloomers for keeping your thighs warm. Continue reading
Where Am I?
We went on a little trip. Guess where.
Don’t know yet? Here’s another clue:
The Answer: Bandana and the Hat
Okay, I got a few responses to the question in my last post. Not an overwhelming amount — two to be exact — but I won’t complain (much).
So here’s the story. (Newcomers, it’s essential that you read the previous post first, so I’ll see you back here in a few minutes.) And thanks, Doug at Doug’s Boomer Rants for the idea.
Posted in Creative writing
Tagged abandoned buildings, aliens, Creative writing, Diesel, Dust, humor, Loving New Mexico, photography, resident aliens, swear words, Vin Diesel, writing prompts
What Happens Here? You Decide
On the third day of my road trip away from Las Vegas, I came to this little crossroads in New Mexico called Loving, near the border with Texas. On the other side of the road from these poor things was a warehouse, and not much else. Continue reading
My Dutch-American Red Cabbage Stamppot
We finally got our new stove after having done without for months. Long story, which I’m not going to bore you with. But now we have a stove and the weather is wonderfully wintry. So the first meals I made were stamppots. Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition
I left Las Vegas in the dead of night. My wonderful husband T told me to at least make a little vacation out of it, so I did. I spent the next four days driving home road trip style. Taking 3- and 4-digit roads wherever possible.
On one of those roads, just outside Gallup, New Mexico, I saw this sign. I think it’s a good one for the photo challenge.
More on my little road trip later.
Posted in Photography, Uncategorized
Tagged billboards, Christianity, Gallup, Native Americans, New Mexico, photo challenges, road trip
To Hell and Back: 24 Hours in Las Vegas
In October I saw that there was going to be a New Media Expo (NMX) in the beginning of January and I decided to go. It was in Las Vegas. I hate superficiality, I hate the idea that bigger is always better, I hate unbridled greed and I hate sexual objectification of women.
What could possibly go wrong? Continue reading
Posted in Consumption, Media, Travel, Vacations
Tagged horrible trips, Las Vegas, New Media Expo, NMX, Opinion
Ripped from the Headlines
The daily prompt: take the third headline from a website you visit regularly for the news and write.
Well, I went to BBC’s UK & World News, and this was the third headline:
Topless Skyscraper Photos Spark Suit
“Look up there!”
“What is it?”
“It’s a shiny rocket!”
“It’s a giant penis!”
“No, it’s a topless skyscraper!”
Where’s my phone? I’ve got to take a picture of this! Then sell it to CNN! I’m going to be rich, rich, RICH, I tell you–aah-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!!!!
“Oh my God! Quick, somebody get that building a suit!”
Snow and Oliebollen
Happy New Year!Posted in Emigration / Immigration, Food, Holland
Tagged Dutch food, emigration, food, Holidays, immigration, Netherlands, nostalgia, oliebollen, traditional new year's eve food
Conversation over Breakfast
I treated my homeless friend Steve to a meal of chicken fajitas at Magnolia Cafe the other day. Talking to him for a while is often overwhelming. So much information. So much of it shocking. Continue reading
Tagged Austin, community, daklozen, health care, homeless, homeless camps, no camping ordinance, Opinion, society, United Way
Bridge Bottoms Galore at the Riverwalk!
T and I took a little overnight trip to San Antonio. It’s the perfect time of year to visit. Relatively cool (although I managed to find it muggy even at 60 degrees) and after Thanksgiving the holiday lighting is up. Long strands of colored lights in the towering cypress trees and along all the restaurant balconies certainly put me in the spirit. Continue reading
Sometimes You Just Gotta Steal to Write
image: uwathletics.com
A few days ago the Daily Writing Prompt was to write about one of my fears. Well, jeez, where to start? So I skipped that one. Then I read the post a blogging friend wrote. See, I should be that flexible. If you can’t choose which one fear to write about, just change the prompt. Duh. Except I didn’t think of that. Continue reading
A Little Reminder
image: abcnews.go.com
Judging by the news coverage, you’d think that the biggest worries related to the freezing winds this Thanksgiving are the flight delays and the possible lack of giant balloons at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Continue reading
Open Letter to Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo
Dear Police Chief Acevedo,
I’m an Austin resident. I drive my kids downtown to school every morning and back every afternoon. Since I’ve been driving the same route twice a day for five years, I’ve befriended some of the homeless who stand on corners I almost always stop at. These guys sleep mostly under bridges and overpasses. Continue reading
Posted in Austin, homeless, Police
Tagged Austin, camping, harassment, homeless, letters, no camping ordinance, open letter, Opinion, Police, police chief Art Acevedo, society
What Would Jesus Do?
This Ruthless World is one of my favorite blogs. And her newest post is hilarious. A Tea Party guy reinvents Jesus to fit his personal ideas of what a man should be. And the blogger responds so thoroughly that there is nothing left to add.
Except to ask:
What would Jesus do according to this guy? Well, on Sabbath evening he would probably be whooping hippies’ asses and raising hell!
Tagged bible revision, history, humor, jesus, opinie, Opinion, politics, Ray Wylie Hubbard, rwh, Tea Party, Up Against the Wall, what would jesus do, wwjd
Whatever You Do, Don’t Read This!
I discovered this blog, Conservative Newswire, only last week. I immediately became a follower, because I felt sorry for them. Such inexperienced boys, they were obviously never going to make it without the benefit of my help. Continue reading
Posted in Society
Tagged Conservative Newswire, featured blog, humor, interviews, Opinion, parody, satire, society
It’s Getting Colder
image: austinchronicle.com
It’s that time of year again here in Austin. More rain and cooler nights are wonderful unless you’re homeless. And further north winter is already in full swing.
Oh, and it’s Veterans’ Day. Many homeless are war veterans, guys who gave their souls for this country. They got chewed up in wars and were spit out by society and now they’re reduced to holding up cardboard signs at traffic lights. Continue reading
Posted in homeless
Tagged homeless, how to help, society, veterans day, volunteering, winter
I Stand Corrected
image: comediva.com
I recently wrote a series of posts about Zwarte Piet (Black Peter), a character in the Dutch Saint Nicholas celebration. Black Peter is Sinterklaas’s helper; he’s a white person in blackface, with red lips, a black frizzy wig, dressed in an old-fashioned clown outfit. Continue reading
Posted in Society
Tagged black peter, Christmas, Holidays, little people, munchkins, Racism, racisme, Santa's elves, stereotypes, stereotyping, Zwarte Piet
Employee of the Month
Okay, on day six I already had nothing to say, so forget NaBloPoMo. But of course now I have enough for the next couple of days. Isn’t that how it always goes? That’s why I never committed before. And I probably won’t next year. Continue reading
Hmm, Puzzling!
Do any of you do crossword puzzles? I do. Specifically the New York Times Crosswords. I have a book of 500 daily crosswords in the bathroom, and I have a book of 500 Sunday crosswords in the car.
The dailies are generally a lot easier than the Sundays. I finish about 8 out of 10 dailies in single sittings, but when I finish a Sunday crossword, it really feels like an accomplishment.
The Creek: A Documentary
And now for some bragging.
The kids’ school has project week once a year. During that time the students can do whatever they want, as long as they spend four full days on it, learn something new and present their project the following week.
Two years ago, when she was twelve, R made a documentary of the creek behind our house for project week. It’s about time I showed it off. I’m biased, of course, but I think it’s beautiful.
Posted in Austin, Movies, Nature
Tagged Austin, creek, documentary, Middle School film, Texas Hill Country, youth film
Water in the Creek!
Austin has had a severe drought for several years. So when it rains, we’re all elated. The creek behind our house is spring-fed and there’s always at least a trickle, but the past couple of years it’s usually not more than that. Continue reading
Scenic Route
Well, I suppose this NaBloPoMo is a good opportunity to publish a few a-propos-of-nothing posts.
For instance, I’d like to draw your attention to one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time. Continue reading
To NaBloPoMo or Not to NaBloPoMo
I’ve been blogging for about three years now, so this is the third time I’ve been made aware of NaBloPoMo–National Blog Posting Month.
It’s always hard to decide whether or not to join. Continue reading
Sinterklaas: The Zwarte Piet Issue from the Outside
Several people have pointed out–in a somewhat accusatory tone–that I’m looking at the issue of Zwarte Piet being racist from the outside. To a large degree it’s true. But first let me point out to what degree it’s not. Continue reading
Posted in Education, Holland, Society
Tagged American education, American nationalism, black pete, black peter, Dutch holidays, opinie, Opinion, Pledge of Allegiance, Racism, racisme, Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas: Zwarte Piet and a Horse Analogy — Yeah, I’m Really Doing That
Tagged black pete, black peter, Dutch holidays, Netherlands, opinie, Opinion, Racism, racisme, Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet
Sinterklaas: Breaking Down Some Arguments
Sinterklaas: Let’s Put This into Perspective
image: sint-nicolaas.nl
Sinterklaas: Now I’m Getting to the Point
image: e-carnavalskleding.nl
In yesterday’s post I described the way Sinterklaas is celebrated in the Netherlands. Except I left something out. It’s kind of a biggie.
Sinterklaas has helpers. Originally there was just one helper, but soon there were at least two of them, and when Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands or in a town, there are lots of them. They are called Zwarte Piet–Black Pete or Black Peter.
These Zwarte Pieten are white people with black faces, bright red lips, afro wigs and big gold earrings, who wear Renaissance-style clown costumes.
Sinterklaas: It Doesn’t Get any More Dutch than That
Posted in Holland, Society, Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged Dutch celebrations, Dutch holidays, Dutch traditions, Netherlands, Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas
Make Cold Symptoms The Least Of Your Problems! With Happitame!
I’m being lazy this week; can you tell? One of the effects of a shitty health care system in America is the amount of self-medication that goes on, and the number of commercials for medicines. These commercials are always good for a laugh and a spoof.
Happitame! For temporary relief of minor symptoms associated with colds and fever. No more sneezing; watery, itchy eyes; no more congestion, or runny nose. Enjoy life again: with Happitame!
Dosage: Adults: Take 1 pill twice a day for relief from minor cold symptoms. Do not exceed 2 pills in a single day. Also, do not take fewer than 2 pills a day. If you should be unable to take a second pill 12 hours after the first (exactly 12 hours), induce vomiting and consult a physician immediately, after which you should induce vomiting again. Continue vomiting until no longer physically possible.
Warnings: Happitame should be kept out of reach of children, the elderly, and the insane.
Happitame should not be stored within 3 feet of fresh produce.
People of Greek…
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Live Music Capital of the World: Willie Nelson
image from politicaljack.com
Of course I had to end with Willie Nelson, or just Willie, as we call him in Austin. He didn’t make it in Nashville, so he moved to Austin in the early seventies. Austin quickly adopted him as their own. Just recently, 2nd Street was renamed Willie Nelson Boulevard, and a statue was unveiled before the W hotel. He turned 80 in April of this year. Continue reading
Live Music Capital of the World: W.C. Clark
Live Music Capital of the World: Janis Joplin
One of the many art guitars scattered around Austin, this is one of the first you see when you fly in, because it’s right there in the airport.
Live Music Capital of the World: Stevie Ray Vaughan
image from covershut.com
M and Me in a Midweek Misunderstanding
My oh my, what a prompt! My attempt may be seen below.
“May I have this dance, my dear, dear M?”
“Miss B, of course, how magnanimous of you, my word, my goodness, you most certainly may!”
“Minuet or Mashed Potato?”
Posted in Creative writing, Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged DPchallenge, Fearful symmetry, humor, letter M, writing prompts
What Is the Reason for Your Visit? Well, Doctor, I Have a Bad Case of Forms
The other day R needed some physiotherapy. We had had a long, hot day and a rushed drive in heavy traffic after school to make it on time for the appointment. When we got there, all flustered and five minutes late, I first had to do the paperwork before the therapist could see R, which made her even later. The lady at the window grumbled a bit because I hadn’t come fifteen minutes early to fill out the forms.
If I Had Talents, How Talented I Would Be!
image from 123thearts.com
Daily prompt: Talents I’d like to have, but don’t. Well, jeez. Where to begin.The thing about talents is that they are per definition great to have. So I’d want them all–why not? Okay, okay, I suppose the idea is to force me to choose the most important one. Well, I’m not going to. I’ll give you my top ten. Number one being the most important, but the others are close followers.
Lines and Patterns: Weekly Photo Challenge
The weekly photo challenge is about lines and patterns. This is a photo I took last year in the Rockies.
Posted in Photography
Tagged lines and patterns, photography, Rocky Mountains, weekly photo challenge
Norway has a new prime minister, but my vote goes to the king
This is pretty much the way politics are conducted in the Netherlands, as well. Check out this blog, by the way. I’m featuring it for a while; see the column on the right.
It’s hard to get excited about elections in a foreign country. You can’t vote. You’re cautious when discussing the candidates because you’re not sure how to pronounce their names. It would take a dramatic change for a new government to affect expats, anyway.
But I learned a lot about the politics of my own homeland while watching the electoral process up close in Norway during the election campaign over the last month. It’s so different from how things works in the U.S.
For one thing, Norway has 7 different political parties giving its 5.1 million people varied representation in parliament.
The Norwegian government is usually made up of three or four parties. You need 85 out of 169 seats in parliament to form a government and a single party never gets that much support. Instead, the parties form coalitions by negotiating a common platform to govern together, with the leader…
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Posted in US Politics
Tagged constitutional monarchy, Elections, emigration, Europe, immigration, Norway, politics
Daily Prompt: Bookworms
So the Daily Prompt told me to grab the nearest book and find the tenth word, then Google Image that word and write about whatever comes to mind. So I thought, whatever. But then I did it.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Inside
This post is in response to the Weekly Photo Challenge. I’m recycling a photo here. If you’ve been following my blog, you know I have a thing for the bottoms of bridges, and this photo represents “inside” for me. It’s taken under the Barton Creek Bridge in Austin, Texas.
Posted in Bottoms of Bridges, Photography
Tagged Austin, Barton Creek Bridge, bottoms of bridges, bridges, weekly photo challenge
If I Knew I Couldn’t Fail . . .
image from classicaustraliantv.com
WordPress just wrote about blog events, so I checked some of them out. Some are questionnaires or challenges and some are writing prompts.
This is the introduction to the Daily Passion Prompt:
Posted in Writing Prompt Responses
Tagged blog events, creativity, Daily Passion Prompt, writing prompts
Guy Forsyth is Coming to a Town near You!
image from flickriver.com
Guy Forsyth is one of Austin’s great musicians. T and I have seen him perform several times. He’s awesome! And he’ll be in Europe for eleven concerts in eleven days, including three in the Netherlands! You are so lucky!
Tagged Americana music, Austin, austin musicians, GuyForsyth, music, September 2013, Tegelen, Wageningen, Zeist