Cogs can think.

I’ll be internet-less basically for two to four weeks. I’m moving today, but my cable company/ISP said that the installation package (modem, cables, etc.) takes THAT long to ship. Lazy cunts.

In other words, ‘ttyl’.

I wish Apple would reincarnate the best-looking computer they ever made. It would have a Core Duo processor similar to the ones in their laptops, a dedicated videocard to differentiate it from the Mini, and in price it should stick in between the Mini and the iMac; say, EUR 999-1099-ish. This machine would fill a huge void in Apple’s lineup, a void that has existed for years: a powerfull, headless, affordable Mac. The Mini is too underpowered and limited. This new machine would get some basic upgrade options like one or two free PCIe expansion slots, upgradable videocard, and one or two free RAM slots. To keep it away from the Mac Pro, there should be only place for one harddrive and one diskdrive; the harddisk should be upgradable, but the drive should be a laptop/fixed one.

A new Cube. I want the old Cube, but they are hard to find for a reasonable price.

Remember when I said sex got four wheels and engine? Well, there’s a video too now. Please cover your eyes if you’re under 18.

However, there is more brewing at Alfa Romeo. I have already seen the 8C Competazione, I have touched it, and I have gasped over its excellence. As I already knew for a while, there’s also an 8C Spider. And a video.

Which of these two do you find the best-looking? I prefer the 8C– I think. It is more pure Alfa than the Diva; the Diva has a strong resemblence to the Enzo, a bit too strong, I think.

Both are not (yet?) in production.

That was a big surprise when I woke up and turned on the TV: the British police, MI-5, and Scotland Yard have apparantly prevented a major terrorist attack on planes flying from the UK to the US by arresting 21 people from London and the greater London area. Up to ten planes were targeted, and the plan was to detonate explosives in-flight, causing thousands of deaths. British police said it was a plan to commit ‘mass murder’. Heathrow has been virtually closed down; KLM/Air France, Iberia, Lufthansa, and all flights from Brussels to London have been cancelled. Almost all major UK airports are disrupted. MI-5 has raised the security threat level to its highest level: critical, meaning an attack is imminent.

While I’m happy British authorities have prevented the attack, I am still afraid people have excaped, and that an attack is still imminent. You see, I love the UK and Ireland. I have been there five or six times, and I think the UK is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. I love the British people, its royal family, its traditions, its language. An attack on Britain hurts me almost as much as an attack on The Netherlands.

But I guess the British government has drawn this upon themselves. Blair’s lapdog-like behaviour has destroyed the usual British isolationalist image in the world. If Blair had not been so hand-in-hand with the US, and instead had been more neutral, terrorists would not have considered it as a target.

Let’s hope the British Kingdom, which has strong bloodties with my Kingdom, will be spared in the coming days.

I was very pleased to see a few prominent Jewish Dutchmen and women talk on TV about the war Israel started against Lebanon. One of those Jewish people said:

How would we Dutch feel if we’d been occupied for 40 years? We’d all be terrorists too!

He also said he was ashamed of Israel– not only because of the current events, but for the past 30-40 years as well.

Another one said:

You see, Israel is my family… And when a familymember does something really stupid or repulsive… That makes it difficult for me.

She also battled the often-made claim that Israel is the only true democracy there; she explained that Israel is a very, very, religiously fundementalistic state, where politics are not seperated from religion, and hence Israel is not all that different from its surrounding states.

A note from me is that Lebanon is a democratic country, with a carefully setup governmental system that encompasses various religions. Beirut, for example, had a lively and open culture, with a vibrant nightlife community. Women there were indistinguishable from what we see here in the western world; clothing is similar, hair is similar, etc.

Remember, these are Jews. Prominent Dutch Jews who work for television, radio, you name it. These are people with friends and relatives in Israel.

We have to get rid of this nation that, for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose. (…) If we want Microsoft Office on the Mac, we better treat the company that puts it out with a little bit of gratitude. The era of setting this up as a competition between Apple and Microsoft is over as far as I’m concerned.

Just a quote from Steve Jobs’s keynote speech at MacWorld, Boston, 1997. The world has changed. Sadly.

“How can you shoot women and children?”

“Easy. You just don’t lead ‘em so much.”

And while we’re at the subject of good music, let me recommend the German band “Wir Sind Helden” (’we are heroes’), or more specifially, their song “Wenn Es Passiert”. Dutch readers will know this song as the theme song from the 2006 World Cup discussion program on TV. It was played after each installment over the imagery of the World Cup that day. I already loved it then, but what made me really fall in love with the song and the singer (she’s so lovely) was the live performance the band did during the final installment of the program. And what made me fall in love all over again was the band’s live performance at Top Of The Tops.

I will buy the album as soon as possible. Especially try to get a hold of the live version of the song.

Let there be no doubt. Currently, Sufjan Stevens is the best male artist in the world.

After watching Adam’s wedding pictures (they are beautiful), I finally felt the urge to start my own photostreamwebtwodotohthing– but only because Picasaweb is damn near perfect, it is scary. Finally a photosite that does not make little kids cry.

Some of the albums:

Afsluitdijk

Mar 11, 2006 - 8 Photos

CIW Weekend

Nov 11, 2005 - 45 Photos

My cats

Jul 24, 2005 - 14 Photos

Snowy Hometown

Feb 24, 2005 - 21 Photos

Enjoy. And yes, we Dutch drink. We prefer to live, get over it ;).