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On a tractor to the South Pole
2007-09-06 11:35:00
So one day you wake up with a plan to make a journey. To the end of the world. And where would that be? The South Pole . And to do things completely out of the ordinary, why not make this journey on a tractor?Manon Ossevoort has done it. She started her journey in the summer of 2005 leaving The Netherlands and has since travelled all the way to Africa from where, after a short break, she will resume her journey at the beginning of October.Besides the fun (?) of driving around in a tractor, Manon's goal is also to give attention to special projects of Non Governmental Organisations such as War Child, Unicef and small local initiatives which deserve attention because they show faith, courage, endurance and love. With her journey Manon wants to involve and inspire and generate a lot of positive engery.On her way she collects dreams and wishes of people she meets which she plans on planting in the belly of a big snowman at the South Pole .Become her friend and donate to her cause.Links:O...
More About: Charity , Better Life

We need the tonic of wildness... We can never have enough of nature - Henry
2007-09-04 13:16:00
Although people are part of nature:On average, members of contemporary society spend over 95% of their time indoors, separated from nature.How we think and feel shapes our destiny. During our lifetime, on average, over 99% of our sensing, thinking and feeling is disconnected from nature and its balancing, restorative powers.Are you nature-deprived? Answer these questions to find out.The challenge of TOO MUCH:too much to dotoo much to cope withtoo much distractiontoo much noisetoo much demanding our attentionTypical responses to this are stress, panic, overwork, disillusionment and distraction.First it was necessary to civilize man in relation to man. Now it isnecessary to civilize man in relation to nature and the animals. - Victor HugoRECREATION: play amusement, entertainment, diversion, fun, sportThe word recreation comes from root words meaning 'to restore to health', 'to refresh' and 'to create anew'. Sometimes we need to refresh and restore ourselves. Reflection doesn't ...
More About: Nature , Ecology , Henry , Tonic , Better Life

The book contest
2007-09-04 12:11:00
Despite incorporating good advice (thanks Indie) and extending the deadline, I have only received one submission for the book contest. And as the submitter says he would feel awkward winning while being the only participant I herewith declare the contest as unsuccessful with no winner.If anyone has any tips on how to make such a contest successful, I'd be glad to hear from you.
More About: Contest , Book

The secret of being miserable is to have the leisure to bother about whethe
2007-08-31 11:24:00
Name the 10 little things that really bother you in daily life. The 10 things where you could just scream like a nervous wreck because it annoys you so much. It should be a 'right now' top 10 list of the things that have recently bothered you - a little or a lot.Here are some examples (not in any particular order of annoyance level):Men in sandals with socks (I bet a lot of women agree with this one).Toilet paper in public toilets - especially the one hidden in these big round boxes where you have to go sit on your keens to look up into the drum, roll the thing left and right to find the beginning of it). Trying on bathing suits or underwear in a shop - especially in winter. The lights are too bright, the mirror shows you every little flaw and you break out in a sweat from trying to get clothes on and off.Vacuum packaging of thick, hard plastic with which everything is nowadays wrapped and which is just impossible to get open.Telephone cords that always manage to wrap themselves i...
More About: The Secret , Lists , Secret , Better Life , Leisure

Want to win a free book?
2007-08-23 14:46:00
Today I am giving away one copy of the quite hilarious book "A short history of tractors in Ukrainian" by Marina Lewycka.What do you need to do?Provide me with an article (maximum 500 words) with your thoughts based on a quote by some famous person. Article can include pictures and/or link material.Article should be original work (i.e. no copies from other websites or articles - references to those are allowed and should be documented and linked properly).Send it to me via email as plain text (pictures as jpeg).Include your email address (obligatory) and blog/website URL or your own (if applicable).Deadline: 31st August 2007How will the winner be selected and notified?The winner will be chosen by myself based on originality of quote and contribution.The winner will be notified via email and book will be sent shortly thereafter.The winner will be announced on this blog together with a post of his article and a link to his/her blog/website if applicable.Questions?Email me.
More About: Writing , Free , Book

To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race
2007-08-22 11:50:00
Today I feel like writing about equality.I had first chosen a funnier quote (by Maureen Reagan:I will feel equality has arrived when we can elect to office women who are as incompetent as some of the men who are already there.) but actually think the subject serious enough not to joke about it - at least not today.Definition of Gender Equality:Gender equality means an equal visibility, empowerment and participation of both sexes in all spheres of public and private life.Defintion of pay-gap:The pay gap measures the relative difference in the average gross hourly earnings of womenand men within the economy as a whole.Some facts:For equal occupation, women still earn less than their male counterparts (in general 15% less)The gender pay gap increases with experience, age and education.Almost 40% of women work in health, education and public administration,compared to 20% of men. Moreover, women are mainly employed as administrativeassistants, shop assistants or low-skilled or unskilled...
More About: Politics , World , Today , Race , Live

Feminization of the male
2007-08-16 20:00:00
The estrogen hormon is one of many gland produced hormones that regulate the function of major organs and other physiological systems. Such hormones can become endocrine disruptors: an external agent that interferes in some way with the role of natural hormones in the body.Picture this:Woman takes birth control pill containing estrogen. Woman goes to toilet. Estrogen in urine is not filtered out and goes into waste water. Hormone is released into waterways.Fish start reproducing less. Male fish are found to contain eggs or had other female reproductive characteristics.There's hence growing evidence to suggest that estrogen is linked to the "feminization" of male - at least the male bass tested in West Virginia.So researchers seem to believe that a special toilet which seperates feces from urine would be the solution to this problem before it becomes too threatening.Sounds like an valid idea to me. I do believe however that first priority should be to avoid flushing down nice and cl...
More About: Ecology

The test of democracy is freedom of criticism - David Ben-Gurion
2007-08-16 11:17:00
In 2003, while touring Europe, the Dixie Chicks announced they were 'ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas'. They had not expected the media firestorm, ban from radio stations and protests this created. Last year they were still not making nice and calling Bush a dumb f..k. And this year they were even shortlisted in a public contest to become the theme song for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign (Celine Dion's You and I finally won).I must say I find it terrible that one cannot freely speak one's mind without any repercussions. By now and because of this post, my blog probably figures on Bush's mile-long black list - but what the heck. What I meant to say is that here in Europe, people bash politicians all the time and it does not create a hullabaloo.Take France for example: there is a site full of anti-Sarkozy songs and postings. Now I know those exist for Bush as well (he even has his own bumper stickers, something we don't have in Europe...) but wh...
More About: Politics , Freedom , Democracy , David , Test

If you were a book... or a writer...
2007-08-01 17:02:00
which one would you be?Take the book quiz.Take the writer quiz
More About: Writing , Book , Writer , Were

Speaking of cycling...
2007-07-29 08:41:00
The book I am currently reading by Sylvia Witteman has a chapter/article on cycling which I found hilarious. The bicylce: every Dutch person has and uses one, for everything.Where I now tend to use a helmet even if I cycle on a special bike-path where I will encounter only other bikers and no dangerous cars, trams or busses, the Dutch cycle without helmets, with 3 kids in front back and middle or in trailer, transport things A to Z from point A to point B whether it rains or snows, whether they are pregnant or half blind.I found a funny site with pictures that depicts just that. Enjoy.
More About: Sports , Cycling , Speaking

It is impossible for a man to be cheated by anyone but himself - Ralph Wald
2007-07-25 15:17:00
The famous Tour de France is again all over the news. 3 weeks of cycling through France an sweating profusely while climbing up Alps and Pyrenees. Only to be able to wear a yellow t-shirt - oh and make a bunch of cash.From the beginning, but especially since the 1998 Tour of shame, doping has been consistently present at this annual cycling event. And they can't seem to get rid of it.See, now that is what I do not understand. First of all, as my quote of the day say, these people are only cheating themselves. Fine, they will have to live with it and I guess making a lot of money while doing it makes it ok and justifiable. But how come that almost 10 years after EPO, growth hormones, testosterone an amphetamines became known words to the common mortal, the problem of doping still cycles along the tour?I mean, how difficult can it be to just test all cyclist every day? Wouldn't that take care of it? And all that are tested positive in what way or another are just banned including th...
More About: Sports , Impossible , Wald , Ossi , A Man

Write down the thoughts of the moment. Those that come unsought for are co
2007-07-21 10:30:00
Harry Potter number 7 has just been released and its author, J.K.Rowling, was all over the news in the world. She is now apparently even richer than the Queen of England and, according to Forbes, the second richest woman in Entertainment after Oprah Winfrey and before Martha Stuart and Madonna. She is 37 and has earned this fortune writing books.I am 37 and I used to want to write books when I grew up. I actually did write a book when I was a teenager and spent months typing it up on an old second-hand typewriter so I could send a decent looking manuscript (illegally copied at work by my dad) to some editors. It was a book about a girl in a boarding school (the kind of books I liked to read at the time) who loved gymnastics (a sport I was really into at the time). I received many answers back - all of them saying that they currently had already fulfilled their need in this genre or similar excuses. Teenage me was really disappointed and I never managed (or wanted) to finish a whole ...
More About: Writing , Write , Thoughts , Moment