Sunday, December 31, 2006

Springing Big News

Some people just want all the attention. You know the year is about to close and you think everything is calm and ramping up for the new year... and then there's these guys who just have to butt in and take some of the thunder. This year it's Saddam, who just manages to squeak by with a televised execution at the close of year.

Bad thing is, I don't think Saddam's execution has much of an impact anymore. I'm sure victims' families during his regime are celebrating now. But the fighting, the war still continues; the suffering does not end. In fact, it just pisses some people off more.

Don't you just hate people who always need to have the last word?

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Reviews and Resolutions

This year I've been able to do everything I set out to do at the end of last year. I got elected (twice), got promoted, and got my home in order. The respect and attention are rising (although people still find it extremely hard to spell my first name correctly), the attraction and interest is growing (from people I would not have expected).

Of course there were setbacks, from all the garbage I had to put up with (literally), to the nervousness I endured about new job offers and late furniture orders. And of course that stretch goal of meeting that very, very special someone...

Now for the coming year we're going for:
  • new wheels!
  • higher returns-on-investment in love, life and liberty
  • leadership role in the workplace
  • more pictorials on my camera phone!
  • cooking a three-course meal
  • dancing salsa
  • speaking rudimentary (but understandable) Japanese, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese and Turkish
  • a clean sweep in my Heart-Head-Gut predictions!

Monday, December 25, 2006

Importance

The things people find important can be found in the traditions they keep, the rituals they hold. I myself have a couple, such as celebrating my birthday every other year with a huge dinner... You probably would also stay with your family during Christmas... My father prays every day after getting up and just before going to sleep... Our team has this Friday-night drinking binge where we just forget about the week and start our weekends as they should... entire droves of Americans gather round the television to see a football game during Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve... These are all examples of institutions, traditions, and rituals that people tend to keep. Every single one valuable, albeit for different purposes.

Traditions gain strength the longer the period during which they are retained. Sometimes even so much that we forget the original purpose behind a tradition, and raise the tradition itself to importance. That seems to be recurring issue in religion, anthropology, but also politics.

I do think that whatever I find very important I should institutionalize, turn in to a tradition or a ritual. I just have to make sure that I don't forget what I did it for in the first place.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Region Free

Why do I - if I happen to have other interests than my fellow countrymen - be subject to higher costs, more trouble and generally more nuisance if I want to watch a DVD from the States on a Dutch DVD player?

Why should I be limited to the market in the European Community, while the stuff that I like is from across the Atlantic?

Seriously, whoever came up with the bright idea of region-protected DVDs deserves to get his tires slashed.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Things nobody wants to know about 2006

Music
Band du jour: The Feeling (with two nice top-class singles spanning the last 12 months ['Sewn' and 'Fill my little world'] this band has finally hit the limelight. Inoffensive, unlike Coldplay; Underplayed, unlike Keane; and Truly Engaging, unlike U2)

Honorable mention: Sandi Thom - Smile, It Confuses People

Games
Videogame I played most this year: Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War: Dark Crusade (and only because I got tired of simulating yet another NBA Live season)

Honorable mention: Does The Sims count if you only use it to model your house?

Sports
Most tragic sports moment: 2006 Lakeside final, Jelle Klaassen beats four-time winner Raymond van Barneveld (Barney gets booed off the stage, tail between legs. His coup to tie former five-time winner Eric Bristow at the Lakeside failed miserably; Jelle runs off to smooch with his girlfriend... who just so happens not to be his girlfriend anymore six months later)

Honorable mention: Andre Agassi saying goodbye at the US Open (would have won the award, if I didn't think the crying was a little bit over the top)
Honorable mention 2: Zidane. I don't need to say more I think.

Movies
Picture I most wanted to see, but didn't: Clerks 2 (supposedly Kevin Smith's worst outing, but I have yet to pass judgement)

Honorable mention: Cars; X-Men 3; Da Vinci Code (Bought them all on DVD)

Television
Stay-at-home-for-this: Bones (Dr. Brennan is strangely, naively hot; and the show kicks ass in every corner of the globe)

Honorable mention: House MD (Got the entire first and second season on DVD already, so don't need to stay at home)

Finally, some memorable quotes I heard this year (thanks, to all sources, notably Gerard):
  • "When Jezus died, it took him 3 days to respawn... NOW THATS WHAT I CALL LAG!!!" (someone who plays first-person shooters)
  • "The day that a child realises that all adults are imperfect he becomes an adolescent, the day he forgives them he becomes a man"
  • 'I thought you didn't hold a grudge'
    'I don't. I have no surviving enemies.'
    (Delinquent Habits - Everyday)
  • Nothing is as equally distributed as common sense; everybody thinks he's got plenty.
  • {makes sense only in Dutch} Het is niet toevallig dat beleid en debiel uit dezelfde letters bestaan.
  • {makes sense only in Dutch} De vraag des levens is: Gaan we Door of Slaan we Af. Maar voor de meeste mensen is het: Slaan we Door of Gaan we Af.

Monday, December 18, 2006

Things I've noticed in 2006

Apart from all the things I've learned in 2006, there are also some news snippets that I happened to come across this year that were either unsettling, noteworthy, funny or simply strange.
  • Jerry Stackhouse fouls Shaquille O'Neal into the stands during Game 4 of the 2006 NBA Finals... and not just by any small amount either... funny thing is, Shaq is 7' 1", 325 pounds; Jerry is 6' 6", 218. And yet Stackhouse - a full seven foot smaller and over 100 pounds lighter - manages to knock Shaq into the second ring. Even funnier: 6' 4", 212 Dwyane Wade manages to stop O'Neal from going after Stackhouse.
  • And that means I have to note this year's best known sports hit, Zidane-Materazzi at the World Cup Final. I've already mentioned the brilliance of Zidane's actions, but HOW HARD was that head butt in the first place!
  • On a sadder note: Tamara Wolfers managed to get the city square completely filled to the brim... after getting killed in her home this past summer. The thing I have trouble with, is that the person or the people who killed her in the first place, are probably ruthless enough to not let anyone know about it. What's the point of asking then?
  • Less serious, but still tragic: the Bos en Lommer complex where people got forced out of their newly minted apartments because the floor cracked... Of course I have a lot of recognition with my own situation this year, and I found out one of my old classmates was actually being interviewed on television!
Next time, let's talk about the cool awards for this year!

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Things I've learned in 2006

  • It's rather hard to give sincere compliments; it's possibly even harder to give sincere compliments that are in fact negative. And yet there's one that works about 90 percent of the time: insecurity. If you tell some girl she's insecure, she's not gonna slap you upside the head. She's not gonna yell at you, call you names. However, she will feel empowered because (finally) someone else noticed a trait in her that she values greatly.
  • I used to think my most important motivation in life was to be right all the time. Win all negotiations, win every discussion, always be the (moral) victor; Although it is still an important motivation, there's one that trumps it: getting asked. I don't need to be right all the time, but I value greatly that everyone comes to me first for everything. That's why I put myself upfront for the owners' association, and the works council, and proposals at work, and giving training and so on and so on. And sometimes this snowballs and consumes me whole.
  • I am completely unwilling to take a risk to be truly and completely happy in love. Several different opportunities presented themselves in which clearly one more step from me could seal the deal. And every single time I choose to back away instead. Now if I just keep doing that, it ceases being bad luck, and just becomes symptomatic. I choose to be unhappy, because otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. Nope, it's not a unique feeling I'm sure, but it is one that can only be felt and carried within.
  • I learned people from my past apparently think I'm worth looking up, even after an extremely long amount of time. I didn't learn however why exactly. Given my newly found most important motivation, I am extremely honoured by it, but understand it I don't. I mean, have you seen me back then?
  • Pro-action is a misunderstood concept; there's only this trait that allows you to remember everything and prepare for everything well ahead of time. It is being careful and disciplined. You react to gaps and issues, and that's not pro-action, it is a re-action. Except in this case the action is taken before the issue, instead of after. The concept pro-action people speak of and value highly should not be called like that. It should be entrepreneurship.
  • People think and feel as they do, because they do. Your success in society depends greatly on if you can convince many or if you can convince key people to match your thinking and/or feelings. And you have to. If you just sit still and hope everyone will eventually make the world as it should be ideally, then you can wait for a bloody long time. Just like pro wrestling, you need to sell it to pop the crowd.
  • I don't have a problem with my salary. I do however have a problem with what I am able to do with it. I perceive that given my environment, experience, track record, skills, attitude, strength, education etc. I should be able to go out every week, fly out for a vacation twice a year, buy and maintain an appartment, buy reasonably nice stuff, get proper health care, drive a nice car and so on. I should be trusted to be able to do so, but society doesn't, so I have to cave a little: no nice car, no second vacation. The solution is simple: Either my salary goes up, or the prices overall go down.
  • The Flop, The Turn, The River
  • Italian, Japanese, Portuguese and French
  • No matter how well I prepare presentations or sales pitches, it becomes completely irrelevant to how I feel during the actual pitch. If the body gives out, the body gives out. Nothing I can do about it.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

The Yearly Recurring Question

Every Christmas we keep asking ourselves the same dumb questions:
  • do we send Christmas cards
  • who do we send it to
One year you lean one way and send out sixty, the next year you can't be bothered.

Next you have to sift through the address book and see who deserves one from you, because in your mind, getting a Christmas card from you is a great, great honour. Unfortunately it only takes one ill-advised and unwanted card from someone you don't really know very well (or even like), and the whole plan goes down the gutter... because it's Christmas, and you are a nice person (you are, trust me) you feel obliged to reply with another card...

The head hurts with so many tough issues...

But anyway... My apologies to JP, WO, Marieke, Nina, Iv, Frank, Faab, Patrick, Rolf, OJ, Marco, Wan, Wendy, Chantal, Frans, Elger, Eef, Peet, Miel, Natalie, Aiwen, Patje, Marion, PL, Marijke, Rogier, Nathalie, Willy, Nina, Mart, Pam, Erik, Iwein, Marte, Kee, Tina, Janneke, JC, Chiel, Rahul, Yuri, Maaike, Rob, Alex, Pa, Ma, Roel, Chieltje, Nelis, Patriek, Aad, Fabian, Thomas, Susan, Jeroen, Diana, Joepie, JF, Esther, Lala, Maart, Ed, San, Daniele, Jetze, Wen, Jeroentje, Roepie, Ronald, Mark, Jacq, Marvin, Becky, Rein, Maria, Lizzy, Sander, Gerard, Marc, Wim, Naat, Emiel, Miran, G-Brand, Tamara, Bartje, Marleen, Josine, Onno, Otis, Edwin and the rest of the family. All your getting from me this year, is eternal free publicity on this page. (Hurrah!)

Happy Holidays to all!

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Immediately flip the channel if I hear these songs this month

Where are the original christmas songs? Every single year you keep hearing the same stuff over and over and over again. It's not like there isn't plenty of other good (better) stuff around than

  • All I Want for Christmas (is for you to shut up) - Mariah Carey
  • I will always love you (oh please) - Whitney Houston
  • Last Christmas - WHAM! (Oh come on, it's frickin' George Michael for godsakes)
  • My Heart Will Go On (just sink the boat already) - Celine Dion
  • Don't they know (the entire western world must celebrate christmas, and you starving saps must enjoy it too, if it's the last thing you do) - Band Aid

Of course, I will also switch off if I hear anything by Beyonce, Keane, Coldplay or U2, but that's just a matter of principle.

Friday, December 08, 2006

Persistence is Futile

Human nature when it really comes down to it, is not so hard to understand. In its purest form we are all cavemen trying to make sure we have plenty of meat when we're hungry, enough mammoth wool when we're cold, and enough escape routes when a troupe of sabertooth tigers comes down our alley.

In the modern age we did however frick it up big time, with religion, race, love, power, drugs, economy, wealth, fear, and science making things endlessly more complicated.

It all comes from the same motivation. Human nature is to survive in the broadest sense of the word. We procreate to have our genes dispersed and evolve when we ourselves cannot. We leave lasting legacies of our work in this land (a skyscraper, a wood carving, a book, a piece of music) so that generations of people can enjoy it. We provide - by the very actions we take - inspiration and new experiences for others to have. Maybe survival is not really the right word. Persistence is better. Human nature is to persist. Everything we do is about making our mark in the world, regardless of our lifespan.

You could say nothing in our lives can persist forever. If you are an astronomist adhering to the Big Bang/Crunch theory, eventually all of existence will eventually vanish. Even if you're not, you could still be sensitive to the Sun either swallowing the Earth whole or taking the planet out with a huge snuff. So in that sense, what's the use?

Persistence is futile, the Borg would say.

Or you could go my way, which is this. While our lives are irrevocably driven by the passage of time, each moment stands on its own. Maybe some form of existence is allowed to see the universe without regard of time, and experience only individual moments. I strive to have each moment make me look good. I don't need to do or to act to persist. I already do, by the very fact that I am here.

Life is persistence. What exactly makes you look good or even remotely interesting at any given moment though is something that you only occasionally choose and sometimes stumble unto.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Never Admit

This is strange I think. People who participate heavily in traffic know what a drag it is to have sections of highways camera-controlled for speed limits. The biggest criticism they have is that other drivers always drive slower than the maximum speed limit, just to make sure they are not caught and fined. This makes sure traffic flows very erratically.

Now, I have never heard anyone say that they deliberately drive slower than the speed limit, or at least to the degree where we find it irritating. Everyone will keep to the maximum speed, give or take a mile.

I have this speed trap in my neighborhood that shows you your speed as measured by radar. I passed it recently and it said my speed was 5 km/h slower than my speedometer showed. That's a FIVE km/h discrepancy.

I know car manufacturers deliberately gauge speedometers higher than the real car speed, simply to avoid people getting caught with speed tickets all the time. However the discrepancy is different from car to car. Everyone thinks they are driving at 80 km/h, but some cars may actually be travelling 5 km/h slower, others 7. Still others 3.

Here's a strange idea... have car manufacturers lose the discrepancy for once and gauge the speedometers of all cars to their actual speed. That will improve traffic flow.

And no, you still cannot drive 40 km/h on the freeway.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Motivation and Attitude

The Chelsea football club youth system apparently has this neat psychological profile for their players, along the dimensions of Motivation and Attitude. It looks highly useful in a football context, but it seems also useful in my context...

The motivation dimension mainly has to do with the degree of proaction a person exhibits. A highly motivated person is less likely to sit still and more likely to take action. The attitude dimension describes if a person tends to see things in a positive light or a negative one. A person with a good attitude leans more towards positivity. When faced with challenges he finds solutions, thinks ahead, and he cares.

Now, considering these two dimensions, four main profiles come into play:
  • a person with low motivation and bad attitude is a Victim. He draws everything that's bad toward himself, and internalizes it. He feels personally attacked.
  • a person with low motivation and good attitude is a Spectator. These guys let everything run their course, often to their own detriment. They wait things out and are likely to stay still rather than take action.
  • a person with high motivation, and bad attitude is a Cynic. Cynics are actually often very skilled people, but extremely two-faced and always highly negative about their immediate environment. They can be regarded as egoists.
  • finally highly motivated people with good attitudes are Team players. You simply cannot have enough of these.

Friday, December 01, 2006

Paid in trust

I think I already mentioned before that I don't really get how money works. Of course I followed the economics classes, went to business school, learned all the theories; but fundamentally the essence of money still eludes me.

Yup, all the cliches still apply. The world needs to go round; and yes I know it is not the most important thing... but it definitely makes things easier and more convenient, which is basically all people are looking for.

The very convenience of money is not having to explain yourself to everyone, everytime in order to get a cup of coffee. People are not charitable I found. Hospitable yes, charitable very rarely. People will only give you stuff if they believe that you are worth it, and are trustworthy.

I guess you could convince that rich, old great uncle to give you food and a place to stay; and if you are good at walking upright in front of leery photographers, you could be a model and have designer couturiers make dresses specially for you. But if you don't have the luxury of a rich family with real estate, or good genes and long legs, money is a good substitute for paying the rent, or actually wearing something nice to the next company party.

Ideally you never need any money. People should happily surrender what you need to you, just because you're such a nice guy. You wanna go somewhere? Taxi brings you there. You want to get into a concert? Bouncer opens the door specially for you. Hungry? Jamie Oliver brings you his best dish, because you're such good mates.

However, if you don't want to be bothered with convincing, building trust or anything in that department, you can always turn to some hard-earned dollars/euros to accomplish the same... you can still get to the airport, you can still listen to Joss Stone, and you can still fill your stomach with a chicken sandwich; it just won't be given to you outright.