My So-Called Public Life

Yes, I know, this hasn't been the best year for my pitiful internet presence. I just didn't feel like writing about anything. And then I felt guilty about that. How lame is that? It's not that I have a cult-following here. Haha.

I've also been wondering what this general obsession with making your thoughts and opinions publicly accessible is all about. I mean, I love the opinion page in the newspapers. I enjoy a good public sparring of politicians and public figures. I get a few good giggles from watching Stewart or Colbert. I even like to get riled up by the insanity of FOX News at times.
I guess I'm perfectly fine with opinions in principle (and the internet has made the playing field so much more colorful), it's more the inane status updates, public diaries, and useless trivia that make me wonder.
A few recent newsarticles and TV shows have put this on my mind again...

Yesterday I watched a meta-media magazine on German television. They lamented the decline of quality journalism. Their prime targets were the privately owned TV stations here, where most stories recquire little to no research and are mass-produced to appeal to viewers with five-second attention spans (or so it seems). Interesting example: Flu/Flu shots. Instead of citing facts or asking doctors/researchers, the female "journalist" got the flu shot herself and then reported the next day about slight pain in her arm. OK. WTF is that? Any random person off the street can do the same kind of 'me me me'-reporting.
Frustrating.

A psychotherapist gave an interview about "public relationships". She cited two German celebrities (Boris Becker was one) as examples for people who demonstratively flaunt their love lives (usually rapidly changing partners) in public. The researcher claimed that these personalities have some kind of narcisistic disorder. Well, at least those guys get paid for disclosing private details, ey?

Which brings me to the strange facebook/twitter-phenomenon.
Disclaimer: Yes, I also have a FB account and it is somewhat useful. I like seeing pictures of my friends and sending short messages instead of lengthy emails (which I tend to send very, very infrequently anyway - another source of guilt...).
Nevertheless, I have a hard time understanding why so many people need to update the world at large about the state of their little lives. Who cares about your latest meal, shopping trip, bowel movement? - Yea, OK, maybe somebody does, and I should just ignore the mundane updates and unclench. Probably true. And most days I don't care or mind anyway.
On other days I worry though, because I think there is one side of this "virtual community" and connection with friends, internet buddies and the world: It can trick you into thinking you have a social life.
Sure, you haven't left the house all weekend and you're still in your pajamas, but you've been talking to your friends online all day! Yea, not the same thing as meeting people in person, sharing a meal, playing sports together, taking a walk. A few years ago I was fundamentally lonely, but didn't have to admit it to myself, because I had my buddies on the web.

Don't get me wrong, I love the internet. Talking to people online, looking up random articles and facts, reveling in the unbelievable vastness of this crazy electronic web.
Yet, I don't want to forget the real world: Giving an update to the person sitting across from me at the dinner table. Telling my friends in person that I "like" something they have accomplished. Taking inventory of my unplugged life every once in a while. Checking what my status really is.

Mythical Creatures

I am not kidding about this. The Dutch are only part human. My guess is 50%. The other half is bicycle.

The Dutch are so ridiculously comfortable and secure on their bikes; and they assume everybody else is, too. Doesn't bother me as much as it cracks me up.
If you ride your bike during rush hour, you better be prepared to go with the flow...Cyclists are going fast and biking with a purpose. Some of my colleagues find it a little dangerous to venture out during 'peak biking times'...

But the Dutch don't just go fast, they multi-task on their bikes: I've seen people on bikes talking on their cell phone, eating frites (French fries) and smoking. No big deal, you say? They do it all at the same time! Haha. Yes, I am exaggerating a little...
Taking the cake so far: A young woman with a big textbook propped up between the handlebars, studying while biking. Now that's too much even for my taste...Sheesh.

At any rate, here are some pictures from the land of bikes:

Bike 'parking' at Den Haag Central Station.

Yes, they have guarded, underground bike parking. Awesome.


Additional info: After I typed this up, I has a smallish bike accident on my way home. Too much bike-craziness apparently. Two dudes overtaking two other dudes on a two-lane-bikepath. In the dark. Going too fast.
I was able to brake and avoid the first biker. Second one, not so much. Found myself sitting on the ground. Boo. We were both fine, and he seemed a lot more shaken up than me. Dumbass. Your mistake and I couldn't even yell at you because you were so shocked. Great.

Come On, Stalin, Light My Fire?

I'm dragging some stuff home from the store, walking past the museum; a place I have biked past a million times. I guess I'm usually fast as lightening (bahaha), because I had never noticed this before:

Some kind of art installation in what I can only assume is a old phone-booth-like fire alarm. And yes, that's a bust of Joseph Stalin surrounded by red felt.


But wait! It gets better: There's a old-timey-looking lamp and a plastic fish inside.


Somebody care to take a guess what all this means?
-- In case of imminent threat of communism call the fire brigade?
-- Stalin's opinions were fishy?
-- Examine socialism under a bright light?
WTF?

Ocean Living Rules Supreme

Not a lot to say, just a few pictures from my after school bike ride through the dunes. I took my regular route towards Monster, just tried to get a few different shots.

One of the many different walk/run paths through the dunes:
There are usually two different paths; one for biking (fietspad - on the right) and one for pedestrians/runners.

The ocean is just a couple of hundred meters away...
My trusty (rusty) companion. Amazing how many miles I have gotten out of this bike. Pretty good deal...
Some of the greenhouses along the way. The really huge ones are in a different area of the country though.

One of the quieter beaches. It's about 10K from Den Haag, most tourists don't make it out here.
Dutch version of Baywatch:

The not-so-pretty sight of Europe's largest port (Rotterdam) in the distance.

And just for Riley:

Crisis Averted?

So, I NEED peanut butter every day. And Dutch peanut butter blows.
Ergo: Huge problem.

I was faced with this major crisis this AM:

My last jar of (US import) Skippy creamy deliciousness. Empty.

The local grocery store only carries the Dutch brands, and I was too lazy and too cheap to ride to the store that sells Skippy (for luxury drug-level prices, BTW!).

Bought this:
Happy to report that it has passed the first (very careful) taste test...Not great, but acceptable...
So maybe there's hope for me.

But for now, I'm enjoying the last few spoonfuls of the real thing...Yum.

Everything In Moderation - Yea. Not Working. Damnit...

Who are those people who can do "everything in moderation"? I sure as hell can't.

I'm now absolutely convinced that I have an "addictive personality". No, I don't mean that I can charm the socks off everyone and get people addicted to me. Though that would be nice. Hehe.
I mean that I will take to any kind of addiction like a fish to water.

I'm glad that I never took up smoking, for example. I know I'd probably not be able to kick the habit. Ever. (Oh, and don't get me started on weed, cocaine and the like...Creeps me out just to think about what that would do to me...Sheesh.)
Same goes for alcohol. For some reason the glass of wine with dinner can turn into a bottle or more a night pretty quickly. Not cool.
And, most importantly, I'm somehow not able to handle food and exercise in moderation at all. I'm either a super-healthy exercise nut or an overeating couch potato, who feels it's a chore to walk to the store to get more ice cream. Pff. What's with that?

I think I've noticed this 'extreme' mentality in a lot of runners actually. We obsess about weekly mileage, exact speed, perfectly distributed calories and nutrition, race splits, etc. etc. Then there's the search for the perfect shoe, the perfect race, the perfect freaking run.
I'm wondering whether runners all have the same addictive tendencies and just learned to channel them into a healthy addiction...

Hmm. Unfortunately, I haven't obsessed much about running lately. I've really been more of a marathon-eating couch dweller (Might even have broken some records when it comes to chocolate-covered Oreos. The devil must have created those little fuckers!

I'm not kidding...).
Well, I think its safe to say that I don't like this side of the 'food and exercise-extreme' at all. It sucks actually. Makes me doubt myself, my life, my future.

So I'm determined to go to the other, better extreme again...Because if the last 30+ years have proven anything, it's that I'm not good at moderation. So screw that. Moderation blows.

Maybe this should be my theme-song. Ha!

A Set Of Fresh Eyes

It's interesting to see your home (or a place you've lived in for a while) with visitors. Strange little things about houses, everyday occurrences and people, which you yourself had noticed during your first weeks or months, are brought to your attention, once more...

It's like seeing a familiar place with a fresh pair of eyes again. Shiny, strange and new.
I like it.

Dutch tram.

House boat on a canal close to my apartment.

Sabotage!

Well, how can I eat healthy and get in better shape again when Lulu and Simone bring this (gift from my mom):



Nah, thanks. Really. Delicious ears.

OK, Here's Cold Hard Evidence

March 25 and this is what this place looks like. Sheesh.
Where is spring? Huh? Where?

On the bright side, I think the sun is coming out...

Too Much Stuff

Somebody from work forwarded me this link: Story of Stuff


It's a 20-minute-movie about how 'stuff' is produced, used, and discarded in Western society. The clip is well-made and raises some interesting issues.

It got me thinking about how so many people are driven to own more and more stuff. Working towards the next promotion to earn more money, to buy more things, to drive a bigger car, to own a bigger house, to live a better life...
Well, a bigger life. A life with more stuff to show for your success.

This issue seemed overstated and exaggerated in the clip at first. After some more pondering and review of my life so far, I don't think it is.

Really, there are always more things we think we need. Clothes, electronics, books, cars, etc. It never freaking ends.
And does this stuff make your life better? In any way, shape or form?

Well, and it's bothered me for a while that "hanging at the mall"/going shopping seems to be a worthwhile free-time activity...Seriously? Just as nuts as making a trip to IKEA and their cheap food-court a family outing. Bah.

Back to the accumulation of stuff:
I've long felt bogged down by all the stuff I do own and all the stuff I should own.
Yea, I know, sounds weird, but in some ways I feel as if I'm not accomplished enough or am not where I'm supposed to be in life. Not only marital status-wise (or offspring-wise), but also because I have not amassed many of the typical "markers of success"...
More explicitly: No car, no house/apartment, no furniture...

I guess I'm a little conflicted: Should I start to finally get my ass into gear and work towards owning more stuff?
Or should I get rid of as many things as I can and stream-line my possessions?
Or impose a ban on myself? Go without buying anything for a certain period of time (Yea well, except food...)? How long could I do it? A month? Six months? A year?

I'll have to come back to this...

Along those lines, interesting link: A Life For Sale
I just love the idea of a completely fresh start...

Excuse Me, Ma'am, Where's Your Volume Control Switch?

Yea, looks like this is turning into a site dedicated to bitching and moaning after all. Hehe.

I promise to post some more pictures of the Netherlands and maybe even some Australia ones on the weekend.

But first some more complaining:
Why is it that American women have no volume control? Really, I need to know.

I have no scientific evidence whatsoever to back this up, but the American women I encounter in my job are significantly louder than all the other women.
The lovely US ladies stand in front of my office and freaking yell at each other. Usually about something not very interesting, like their kids' free-time activities or their last vacation. They don't seem agitated (as in 'angry'), but for some reason have a need to share their stories with the world.

So I'm wondering:
Is this a trait which can be traced back to the wide open spaces of the American West? Did people have to yell at each other from vast distances?

Or is it a matter of being overly self-confident? "My story matters to me, so I'm sure everybody else would love to hear it, too!"

Whatever reason is behind this slightly annoying behavior: Keep it down, ladies!


Oh, and I found this blog: Welcome To The International Center For The Advancement Of World Peace And Quiet . A man after my own heart.

Repetitive Tasks

So you're saying I'll have to do this for the rest of my life? Every day? At least twice?
Blah.

36-Year-Old Still Looking For Ways To Make Brushing Fun

SAN FRANCISCO-More than three decades after acquiring his first Pink Panther toothbrush, Mark Naasz continues to search unsuccessfully for new ways to make brushing his teeth fun, the 36-year-old Bernal Heights resident revealed Monday.

Yea, I know, The Onion is joking. I'm not. Really.

I often wonder how much time I spend doing mundane tasks. Think about it: Brushing my teeth, washing my face, brushing my hair, taking showers. Oh yea: Shaving excess body hair, getting hair cuts, plucking stray eyebrow hair...Sheesh, it never ends!
And that is just body maintenance...Then there's apartment cleaning, commuting to work, food shopping and preparation, etc. etc.

Not that I would necessarily fill the countless hours with something that much more worthwhile if I didn't have to do the 'upkeep'-stuff. Just saying'.

Oh, and I couldn't find any statistics about the number of hours I will have spent brushing my teeth over my expected 82 years of life.

But this is pretty cool, too:

Hmm, it says "with children", so maybe I'm closer to this:

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics! What a treasure trove of information!
Love it.

What's With This Place?

Guess this isn't really a complaint...More of a an observation I'm making while I'm standing there, scratching my head, going "Oh really? You are serious about this?"...

Left the apartment at 6:30 this AM, it had just started to drizzle. OK, fine.
One minute into the ride: Hail. Alright, I can handle it. About three minutes of serious hail. It basically felt as if it was coming at me horizontally. Hmm.
Hail stopped and went back to drizzle...

Half-way into the ride: Sunshine and a pretty glorious sunrise. Think yellow, pink and red; with light-blue on top. Neat.

7:10, as I'm approaching the school: Hail again.
Ha!

Oh, and around 8:10, when everybody else came in: Pouring rain.

Right now (10:30): Sunshine.

Insanity!

Come To The Dark Side

So really, is my lack of MoJo driving me insane? Am I that far in the no-motivation-hole that I'm willing to clutch at every straw presented to me? No matter who's at the other end? Am I easy prey for the dark side?

Seriously, I'm a little worried...

So I wake up this morning (late, of course) and while I'm trying to get going, I flip through the TV channels. It's Sunday, so one of the Dutch channels has some kind of religious service on. So does one of the German channels. Both look severely boring. Old oil-paintings of Jesus, priest in traditional garb, lame music...

I get to CNBC and who's preaching to the masses? Joel. Oh no, it's Joel....You know I cannot resist Joel...
I have a morbid fascination with him and he caught me at a weak moment. Damn. He's like this God-fueled motivational speaker...I block out the religious undertones and I really like listening to him.
Yea, I admit it. I like listening to a slightly manic-looking television-preacher from Texas. Sheesh.

Well, today Joel told me that my time will come or might already be here. As long as I work hard and believe in myself, good things WILL come to me.

Hey, who doesn't like to hear that? I think Joel (and maybe other TV preachers) are just like religiously-infused versions of Dr.Phil or Tony Robbins.

They are all making shitloads of money, and hey, why not? I have no problem with that. Especially since they have to keep up this upbeat facade of perfection all the time. I mean, Joel cannot show up and confess that he's having a shitty day and he really didn't feel like getting out of bed. Hehe.

Must be hard work to look like Barbie and Ken sometimes, don't you think?
Wahaha, really, they look like plastic dolls from hell. Stepford wife AND husband. I wonder who's at the controls? Hehe.
See, I guess I'm not a victim of the Lakewood megachurch just yet.

Back to all the motivational people on TV: They are not really hurting anybody and I think it's a good thing to hear their simple message every once in a while: Work hard, believe in your dreams, be a good person.

I mean, I can get behind that. No problem.
Hear that? I think that's my MoJo knocking on the door...

Common Courtesy

So while I'm on this testy bitching-binge, might as well write about this:

Whatever happened to common fucking courtesy?

When did it go out of style to hold the door open for the next person, say 'please' and 'thank' you and just generally be a pleasant person to be around?
Yea, beats me, too.

Quite a few people have asked me how I can always be so friendly and nice to people who come to my office (Yes, I know. You wouldn't necessarily be able to tell that I am a nice person from today's entries... Just venting...).
Why? Because it's part of my job to be welcoming and helpful. And because I try to be a positive in people's lives. It feels good to help others and give them a smile or make them giggle. No kidding.

Well, for all the people who annoy me with their non-social and non-friendly behavior. Just a few hints:

• You come to my office and ask for a favor? -- Say 'hello' first, freaks!

• Your food explodes in the microwave? -- Clean the mess up.
  

• You use the last bit of toilet paper? -- Put a new roll in the thingy.

• You drink the last drop of water from the water cooler? -- Put a new container in. Oh, and if you're too weak to do it: Tell me. I'll help you out.

I realize this type of stuff is the same in every office and everybody complains about it. Nothing new or terribly exciting.

I just don't understand what is so hard about these small tasks and gestures. Being courteous makes living/dealing with other humans so much more bearable.

So please: Be nice, for fuck's sake.

Oh, to add a positive twist: I get fresh flowers for my office every week. Nice, huh?
Thank you, work, I really appreciate it.
Hehe.

Man Up, Bitches!

Preface: I'm wondering at what point I will have to declare this blog-thing "adult-only" because of language issues? Meh, I'll try to keep it somewhat clean, but sometimes a few choice swearwords are in order. Just for tension-release. They also add color to the discourse...no? Well, today's WTFs (Yes, as usual, more than one.) from work need at least some swearwords...

So, I'll admit it: I've been a little short-tempered and cranky at work lately. Some of it might be related to my stolen (well...lost, misplaced...whatever) MoJo (see yesterday's entry), or to my being underchallenged and bored quite a bit. OK. So grain of salt, I guess...

But: People are fucking freaks, man.

Exhibit A: I arrange substitutes for people who know that they will be gone in advance (conferences, etc.; somebody going home sick during the day). You fall ill after 4pm or in the AM, call the sub-line --> A sub will be arranged.
A few people cannot follow this (easy, right?) procedure. Dumbos.
----
So I get a call this AM at 7:55 (school starts at 8:30): In a whiny-ass voice the lady tells me she cannot come in. Something about a headache.
I get a little testy, telling her she's NOT supposed to call me, and there's no way in hell I'll get a sub in on time: "Why didn't you call the sub-line?" - "I just woke up." - Seriously? WTF? This just leads me to suspect you overslept and cannot be bothered to come in. Bitch.

Exhibit B: 8:00am, next "emergency": "The carpet in my room is extremely dirty. The people who used my room after 4pm yesterday left it a mess. Could you get somebody to clean it?" Sure, no problem.
--
Cannot reach the concierges. I forget about it. Complainer comes back. I try again. Find this older worker-dude and he helps me track down the cleaners (We're running all over the school, mind you.).
I go to the teacher's room; say the cleaners will be there in a minute: "Oh, it's too late now. I'll start the class in a minute." - Hmm, OK. Whatever.
I look over at the carpet. A fucking 6-by-10-feet thing with two small specks of dirt on it! Pick the darn thing up, shake it twice --> Problem solved. Argh.

Exhibit C: I get a call from a concerned mom. She cannot babysit another family's daughter after school, because she has her own sick child at home. Could the girl maybe go to the after-school program as a drop-in because it's an emergency situation?
Well, I ask the after-school lady. "No, no. It's not a drop-in program. We have enough kids to deal with already." Fuck.
So, I tell her that there's really no other alternative and please, could she make an exception? If she doesn't agree, I'd have to keep the girl in my office (Yea, tried to play it a little passive-aggressive. Hey, what was I supposed to do?) for an hour and a half.
Bitch isn't bothered and I'm stuck with a 5-year-old assistant. WTF?

(It was actually a lot of fun, hehe. We played with paper airplanes, delivered mail and ran some other errands...
But really? Is this how people operate? It's not my job, so I don't care?Let somebody else do it? Is that really the way you want to portrait yourself to your colleagues? Sheesh.)


Well, some other things that were equally minor, yet hugely annoying. Haha.

What gets me: So many people seem to think that minor tasks are beneath them. That somebody else will take care of it. That community-space doesn't need to be taken care of (Seriously, the principal is one of the few people who pick up a piece of trash from the ground here...Never seen anybody else do the same. I kid you not. They step over it. They SEE it and walk around it.). That you can treat people shitty because they are your aide, a concierge or a cafeteria worker.
Pisses me off.

And yes, Karma will come back to bite you in the ass ... and all those dumbos will come back as dung-beetles. Harhar.

Maybe I should have had more coffee today after all...

Seriously Now: Who Stole My MoJo?

I'm really pissed off at somebody right now. I just cannot figure out at whom. Somehow I suspect I'm the culprit myself, but I'm not sure I'm ready to admit that. Haha.

I seem to have misplaced my running/workout/eating-healthy MoJo, and I would really like to get it back. I was doing really well from August 2007 to right around Christmas; logging decent miles, eating well, being generally optimistic about life...Well, there were some weeks in November and December when my MoJo seemed to make some well-crafted escape attempts...But it stuck around regardless...

Ever since Christmas I have a hard time to get my (expanding...GRR) butt out the door and away from the fridge/cabinets...

I did alright when I was on vacation in Austin, but it got worse after I got back. What gives?

So, MoJo: Come back? Please?

Oh, and I'm slightly relieved because other people seem to have similar problems...
Maybe I should drop this Gary-dude a line...

Holier Than Thou

So why exactly is it that the people preaching the loudest are often the ones committing the 'crimes' they are so fervently denouncing?
Just baffles me.

So the governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer, uses his alleged superior morality and record as Attorney General to get elected. He goes after criminals with fervor:

"As state attorney general, he prosecuted prostitution rings with enthusiasm — pointing out that they are often involved in human trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering. In 2004 on Staten Island, Mr. Spitzer was vehement in his outrage over 16 people arrested in a high-end prostitution ring." (from the NYT Editorial, March 11)

And then he goes and hooks up with a hooker? Seriously?

I'm telling you, 'holier than thou' always comes back to bite you in the ass.

And on a somewhat related note: I wish people would stop commenting on other people's relationships/marriages.
Nobody knows anything about the Spitzer family. Nor should they. The state of the Spitzer marriage, whatever agreements or problems they might have is their business. Simple as that.

And, don't push your morals on me and assume you know ANYTHING about me and my private life. Blech.

Flame Wars and Internet Cowardice

So I'm somewhat addicted...ah, feck it...I AM addicted to these internet message boards and spend way too much time on there (Mostly during work hours, I'm ashamed to admit.). People are supposedly posting because they are all united by a love for running. Hmm. Yea. Maybe.

It's actually a surprisingly fun place to spend some virtual time at. People of different ages, gender, location, political preference, religion, etc. etc. hang out and post. There are: a daily "coffee thread"; threads dedicated to certain types of music; wordy political statements; game threads;...It's a pretty eclectic little world...And yes, you can also find race reports and the occasional running-related question or discussion.

So, like I said, I spend a lot of time on there, reading what others have to say and giving my own opinion.
I know what drew me to those boards in the first place (I was interested in running. Duh.). I'm not sure though what made me stay...and come back for more and more for over a year and a half now...

A few guesses and observations...
a. The message board (well, quite a few of the 'sub'-boards are like that) is a weird and very tight-knit little world of its own. It's hard to describe to people who don't frequent message boards (And you better not try to explain...They will just think you're a freak. Haha).
There are a bunch of very vocal and visible 'forum personalities'. They are completely out there with their opinions and stories.
I know about more about the sex-life of one female forumite than I care to know, really. Well, her alleged sex-life. Because that's the kicker: Who knows who's sitting behind that keyboard somewhere in Arizona (And is that where she really is? Hehe.).
Guess my point is that this message board is a place where people can reveal as much or as little as they care to reveal; a place where you can be completely yourself or be somebody completely different.
I am amazed at how much real information some people post. Some use their own name or have their picture as their avatar. Some often post pictures of themselves or of their kids.
Others reveal close to nothing and therefore have a huge anonymity benefit: They can sprout off their opinions and criticisms; no holds barred. They have never given a piece of themselves , never made themselves vulnerable...

b. Which brings me to my second observation: Some people are real assholes on the board. I'm no stranger to the occasional flippant comment or cynical remark, but some of the posters are just plain mean and hurtful.
Why? What kind of satisfaction could you possibly get out of putting other people down? In a virtual world nonetheless? Commenting negatively on their picture (and perceived imperfections) or condemning their political views/religion serves no purpose, in my opinion.
So I've been wondering: Are the posters (who are quick with a harsh smack-down and offensive comment) just internet-cowards? Or are they the same in real life?
And what about the people who let 'rude internet behavior' happen, i.e. don't comment and never call the bully on their lack of courtesy? Are they cowards, too?

Hmm. Guess I've been pissed off about a thing or two on the boards lately...

c. Oh, and it's not that I mind a heated argument or discussion. I actually enjoy those. In person and on the boards. They are usually fun to read; even if they degenerate a little bit sometimes. The flame-wars on the boards are certainly entertaining; unless they turn into name-calling. Oh well.

d. Good grief, I do not only spend too much time on the boards, I apparently also spend too much time thinking about them. Doh!

Enough for now...

Just Call Me MacGyver

So I'm ready to leave the apartment at 6:15 yesterday morning and I realize I didn't plug in the bike-light battery to charge the night before. Damn.
Didn't want to ride without a light, so I looked for the only other portable source of illumination: A flimsy key-chain flashlight. Rode into work like this:
Not exactly sure this was much better than no light at all, but hey... Felt both pathetic and MacGyverish.