Cogs can think.

My dreamgarage. As Clarkson did.

Aston Martin DB9 (I have a physical longing for this car, it is my ultimate materialistic goal in life)
Alfa Romeo Brera (the practical car, for family life)
Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale (best looking car ever made)
Volvo C70 (best looking convertible ever made, and people like people who drive Volvos)
Peugeot 406 Coupé (Pininfarini rules)
Lamborghini Gallardo Spider (for cruising the Mediterannée)
Spyker C12 LaTurbie (Extravaganza, and Dutch)
Ferrari 599 GTB (what an incredibly sexy Ferrari)
Citroen C6 (for those days you want to be distinctive)
‘77 Pontiac Trans Am (I have my vulgair days).

Oh yes.

Five years and two wars later, with the world two breeding grounds for terrorists richer, the world got a whole lot less safe.

My sympathies to all who died during the coward, low-life attack on the sovereign United States, today, five years ago. I feel sorry for the people whose lives and deaths have been abused as an excuse to go to war, attacking sovereign countries that have never attacked the US or killed a single US citizen, nor did ever threaten to do so.

However, let today be focused on the lives lost, on those that lost mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons. They deserve the soothing effects of remembrance, of honouring.

I’m about as a-spiritual a person as you’ll ever find.

However, yesterday on the phone with me mum, I got reminded of the one moment (or, collection of moments at similar locations) where I did feel something I had no direct explanation for; a feeling that could, therefore, be designated as “spiritual”. Dare I say it.

This was when I was at Stonehenge, and various other stone circles, in England and Wales. I’ve seen the big ones, like Stonehenge, and really small ones, only a few metres across, with stones not higher than a few decimetres. Especially the little ones, which we came accross all over England during our various hikes, are extremely eary when covered in mist, as they were in the English mountains and hills.

The UK is the most beautiful country in the world, and whenever I’m there, it does things to me.

And now another thing is official. Michael Schumacher, the greatest Formula 1 driver in history, will retire after the 2006 season.

I feel sad. One of my greatest idols, who I admire so much, will retire from racing. I want to thank Michael for doing what he has done the past, for being the greatest driver ever. For his talent, his determination, his winner’s mentality. In good times and in bad times, this man has shown his spirit. Arrogant, yes. Annoying sometimes, yes. Michael had one goal in life: to win races. And it did not matter if he had to feed the engine dead babies, or club 100 baby seals to death in order to win.

And it is this that I admire so much. So, thank you Michael Schumacher, for providing us with so many great sports moments.

You will be missed as a driver. Let us hope you continue to make your mark on the automotive industry, prefereably at the greatest and only car brand, Ferrari.

Introducing: Spyker MF1.

It is official. Exclusive Dutch car brand Spyker, which aims to be mentioned in one breath with Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Bentley, and Ferrari, has taken a big step towards this goal: Spyker has bought the Midland MF1 team, home to Dutch F1 driver Christian Albers. This makes Spyker the first ever Dutch car brand to enter Formula 1.

You have no idea how much this means for automotive fans in The Netherlands.

Update: It gets even worse. Read and weep.

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The New York Times has revealed that the Bush administration has paid at least ten journalists to negatively report about Fidel Castro and Cuba, on newstations that can be received on Cuba from American soil.

What a great country you live in, Americans! Your government really likes you, doesn’t it? It eavesdrops on you, it sends your sons and daughters to kill other people in deserts, it pays journalists to make up stories, it lies to its allies… Land of the free, home of the brave?

Sounds more like land of the deaf, home of the blind to me.

Seriously.

While at the police station in Schagen, waiting for the girl cop to complete a form for a missing ID card, a guy walked in with a long, plastic suitcase. He laid it on the counter, and said to another cop: “I bought this rifle, and now I need to show it here for inspection.”

Euh, anyway. I feel dirty.

I bought some new clothes, a filmposter of “Corpse Bride”, and the Police’s “Synchronisity” album today.

The Dutch Lower House has reacted furiously and with very strong wordings to the ‘revelation’ (you cannot really reveal what everyone already knows) Bush made that prison camps exist in Europe where the US detains terrorism suspects (similar to Guantanamo Bay) without any form of trial. Finally my Lower House condemns the United States; words like ‘deception’ and ‘lies’ were used, which are, politically speaking, pretty harsh terms.

As far as I am concerned, this once again proves that the United States is not our ally, but our enemy. The Dutch populace already had zero trust in the US, but after this, it will only get worse.

It also proves that the US is not a democracy at all– something I’ve been saying for quite a while. Bush has already lied to his people many times, yet he is still in power. Why? Because of the bi-party system. If there are only two parties… And the party that the president is from has the majority… He can pretty much act like a dictator, which he is currently doing. He is eavesdropping on his own people even though this goes against the constitution, he starts illegal wars, he disrecpects the Geneva conventions in his concentration camps, he systematically lies to his ‘allies’, and he gives financial aid to Israel even though this breaks US law that says the US is not allowed to give financial or mateiral aid to countries that have not sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Come one, American people, why do you support this liar? Are you really that stupid and mindless? That out of this world?

Seriously, I’m starting to get curious.

I believe that education is all about being excited about something. Seeing passion and enthusiasm helps push an educational message.

Today, Steve ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Irwin died after a rare attack from a stingray off the coast of Queensland, Australia, while filming his latest documentary. Paramedics could not save him. Irwin leaves behind a wife and two children.

I am quite shocked by Steve’s death. I was a huge fan of this man– an admirer almost. Most saw in him a freak on caffeine playing with deadly animals– I saw one of the most animal-friendly and passionate man alive. His sincere care, love, admiration, and respect for wildlife and nature is something we all can learn from– a great deal.

He will be sorely missed, and it saddens me to attach his date of death to this blog post, underneath his picture. His honest enthusiasm will be missed.

Stephen Robert Irwin, 22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006

Do you find SUVs a pointless exercise in the flattest country of the world? A country which is so heavily engineered that you cannot ever not see concrete or asphalt? Do you find SUVs way too polluting?

You have come to the right place! This is the first entry in this new series: 101 uses for an SUV in The Netherlands!

1) When you missed the exit to McDonalds, you can just cross the large patch of grass and dirt between the highway and the McDonalds car park!

Seriously, it worked for us today.