SPANISH FURY

As a new blogger I tend to scan all the news items that reach my ear or eye for potential posting. I had planned to write today about the presidential elections in the US (almost the only issue in the papers anyway) but then I decided to write about Queen Sofia of Spain. Oh my God, I hear you think - do I want to know. May be you need to know.


This morning I found somewhere at the bottom of a page of my newspaper a small article on a newly published biography of Queen Sofia of Spain. Normally not such an interesting event if it did not cause such a stir in Spain. Queen Sofia lines up with a lot of other public and non-public figures who consider it necessary to express negative and discriminatory comments on gays. I will not repeat them. You can read them in the links I provide at the end of this article.

After furious protests in Spain, she off course denied to have ever said such things; she was misquoted etc. Why have people the idea that it is OK to express such hurtful things and get away with it ? "I did not mean it", "I was misinterpreted"; and everything is forgotten. Sometimes I have the impression that they are even surprised that it leads to commotion; "does not everyone believe this?". A simple answer: No. Thank God.

In the last week I read, without even looking for it, several similar articles: about a priest in London, who wanted all gays tattooed with a warning for sodomy, and a member of parliament in Canada, who wanted all gays executed (what sick mind yes, you read it will: executed). And the UK and Canada are civilized countries. If it was not that sad, I could have laughed about such ridiculous remarks.

What is this ? What have we (yes, we) done to deserve this ? Is this fear, hate, ignorance, religious extremism, looking for publicity ? We will never know because they all practice hit and run tactics: express insulting thoughts and then not be available for discussion and not taking responsibility. Why do we have to put up with this ?

Off course they have a right to express their opinion, but they can do that with respect and no offense. Especially public figures, like the Queen of Spain who represents (and is paid by) the citizens of her country, should be extra careful. In the end, the Queen was backed up by Government and that is a shame, because the Zapatero administration has an impressive record on gay rights' issues and fighting the dominance of the Catholic church. Spain can be proud of its achievements in this field; they have come a long way. Maybe behind close doors a few harsh words will be said ...

Well, that is written and it feels good !! Now I can go to bed.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,587673,00.html
http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/Gobierno/sale/defensa/impecable/papel/Reina/elpepuesp/20081031elpepunac_4/Tes

DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH

LADYTRON - DESTROY EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH

But do not destroy this song and certainly not the video. What power, what drive and what a cool video (literally) !!

GLOBAL CRISIS IN THE KITCHEN

Just as I sat down at my desk to write my first real post on how to deal with the global crisis (why not start with the big issues), my fire-alarm went off and there it was: my own personal crisis which needed immediate action. No time to consult the neighbors, the fire brigade, my mother or whoever; I had to deal with a (small) fire in my kitchen myself. Luckily it was quite easy to put it out, but the whole kitchen was filled with smoke and it had such an impact that for the rest of the day I was still shaking: what if the fire alarm would not have gone off or when I would have left my apartment?

OK; this experience made me think. What is it different from the current global financial crisis ? You have a situation that is getting overheated, nobody to control the process, it turns into a fire, the alarms go off, "oh my god" what is happening, fear and panic, drastic measures are taken, the fire is put out, you take a deep breath, you start cleaning up and assess the damage, how could you have been so stupid to let this happen and you take measures to prevent it for the future. It is as simple as that. And we do not need bystanders (read journalists) that constantly tell us how bad it is and that it will even get worse.

As an experienced sufferer of depressions and anxiety attacks I know the influence a constant flow of dramatic messages can have on your psyche. In the past and, in a rare case, even today I let myself get carried away and I slide down the slippery slope; I have now the techniques to counter these attacks (so don't worry) but it still reminds me to be cautious and do not let others overdramatized anxieties rule my thinking. I am the master of my thoughts.

It is not possible to ignore all the signals from the media; even if you do not hear or read them, you can still feel them. And it is not wise too ignore those signs; use them to your own advantage. Sift casually through the information to see what you need and simply take action if you think it is appropriate. The mind is powerful but without action it is more of a burden than a help. Easier said than done ... I still have to learn (... a lot).

There is plenty of time in the future to wonder why you back in 2008 entrusted all your money to that flashy 25-year broker in his € 3.000 Armani suit driving around in a Porsche, who can hardly have experienced the real value of money and takes financial risks that are irresponsible. Or that beautiful Icelandic savings' account for a lousy 1% extra interest.

Then you can laugh about it.

SO THERE IT IS; MY OWN BLOG

Dear visitor,

I would have liked to start my blog on a special day instead of an ordinary day in October 2008, but I have learned to do things when you are motivated and not to wait for the perfect moment. It won't come; as a (former) perfectionist I know by now.

So there it is: my own blog. What to do with it? That the whole world can read what I write is exciting, challenging, and also frightening; writing at my desk in my humble apartment in downtown The Hague for everyone to read. Will it be interesting enough?

For me the main reason to start this blog is that I like to share my thoughts on issues that interest me, that make me happy, that concern me, that make me angry or even furious, that make me sad or depressed, but also topics that make me hopeful or that are simply fun. Of course it is my personal view on things; I am not pretending to be a specialist or a know-it-all.

What to expect? To give you some idea: I am thinking about a column-style blog with a personal touch and a link to current events. Subjects might be for example personal growth, international politics, society, gay issues or art. Subjects close to my heart. In time maybe a central theme emerges.

I am not involved in any kind of organization, political party, lobby group or whatever. Again, these are simply personal thoughts of an independent citizen of a free country and my only intention is to share them with you and to not let them go through my head over and over again.

English is not my mother tongue. If you come across terrible mistakes that violate every rule in the big book of English grammar, please be gentle with me. At least I am trying and I am willing to learn.

Feel free to leave a comment. Also links or comments from like-minded bloggers are welcome; I can use all the help I can get.

ENJOY !!