Cogs can think.

Slowly, really, really slowly, the events of today start sinking in. The dust settles, and the time arrives to start processing the things that happened.

The Queen addressed the people later during the day, in a speech that was totally unlike Queen Beatrix. She’s a perfectionist, and not very comfortable with talking directly to a camera - which is usually why her TV speeches are practiced and teleprompted to death. During the speech today, we didn’t get to see our Queen in the way we know her - statuesque, strong, proud, efficient - but someone resembling an old grandmother, visibly shaking and very emotional. She was talking straight from her heart. Very touching.

The events of today could mean the end of Queen’s Day as we know it. Queen’s Day is an holiday of the people, where the entire Royal Family visits a town, and they get so close to the people you can talk to them, touch them. In the past, we’ve seen people kiss the Queen, we’ve seen a woman jumping on the back of Prince Claus’ bike, riding along for a while. The Royals honestly enjoy this day every year, laughing, dancing, and talking to people.

During the day, the entire nation is holding parties, markets, and other activities. These events are planned months and sometimes even years in advance, especially in the town the Royal Family is visiting. I’m just so angry that all those people who have worked so hard to make today a special day, people who’ve been looking forward to this day all year long, had to see it end in such a gruesome way.

The image that will stick with me forever is that of a 4 year old girl. Two ponytails, rosy cheeks, happy orange clothing. She was looking around in despair, tears rolling down her face. She’d probably been looking forward to this day for a long time, her mother promised her that she’d see real princesses! Not the Disney nonsense that the rest of the world has to settle for, but real ones! I can see her all excited in the morning, impatiently asking her mother every five minutes when the princesses would be here. Would they be wearing princess dresses? Will there be horses?

And for her, the day ended in tears, literally.

What kind of monster would do such a thing?

Update: Death toll raised to 4. 17 Injured, 5 severe.

—

I’m still in shock.

Today, during the Queen’s Day festivities in Apeldoorn, an attempt at the lives of the Royal Family was attempted. A car drove straight through the cheering audience, attempting to hit the open bus carrying the members of the Royal Family. It missed the bus by a small distance, and sped on to hit a monument a few yards down the road. The purpetrator actually hit the gas when driving through the audience. Two people have been killed, 21 are injured, 6 of them severe.

Queen’s Day is a national holiday where everyone goes out and celebrates the Queen’s birthday. It’s a day where society becomes one, and boundaries based on nationality, colour, or religion vanish. Everyone is happy, even those that do not support the Monarchy. The country becomes one.

Everything was broadcast live on TV, and I saw it all happen. The imagery, both still and moving, are absolutely horrifying, so I advise people with a weak stomach and children to not follow the next few links or watch the embedded video.

Post-attack photos, post-attack video.

One thing I want to say is that I am EXTREMELY proud of the police, paramedics, and fire departments. The efficiency with which the attack has been handled by the authorities is mind-blowing. Paramedics were on the scene basically instantly, the massive crowds were guided away, screens wee put in place to block everything from view, and so on. Hats off to all those people who were involved in taking care of the wounded and dead.

If you’re not Dutch, then it’s really hard to grasp just how much of a shock this is. Queen’s Day is a day of the people, and we set all our differences aside and have fun together. This is not just an attack against the Royal Family, but against everyone with Dutch blood running through their veins. The perpetrator was not a muslim (yes, we have to state that these days, it’s sad, I know), and we have no idea on the why of this attack.

REALITY CHECK.

Hundreds of thousands of people die because of normal, regular influenza every year.

There have been 8 confirmed deaths because of swine flu.

Conclusion: we are all acting like a bunch of fcuking retards.

Today, my house got broken into. My brand new laptop was stolen, along with my flatscreen TV, digital camera, external hard drive and some clothes. Wanting to drown my sorrows in the Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food ice cream in the freezer, I opened the door to find that it too had been stolen. FML.

I love that website.

Why I’m proud to live in a welfare state.

I’d rather have a few people that don’t deserve/need it get my tax money, than having people who deserve/need it not get my tax money.

Paying taxes sucks ass, but at the same time, I know my money goes mostly to people that need it, and that makes me proud.

I just love this song. It’s also one of the few songs where Nina really lets her voice lash out - and send shivers down your spine. Normally, she’s all bedroomy and sleepy sexy (she’s SO beautiful), but this is one of those songs recorded after drinking 5 cups of coffee. Refreshing.

If you’re one of those few cocky and arrogant chocking-the-eagle Americans, there’s a lesson in here.

Darling, darling
The moon went out tonight
And I’m caught like a doe in your headlights
Oh yeah, alright
I’m yours to knock around
I’m a little too starstruck to wanna fight

Oo-e-oo-ee, it’s a cold-hearted world
Oo-e-oo-ee-oo, I’m gonna be your girl
It’s a little too late to cry
You’re my America

Not quite snow white
It came down all night
And put a filter of ash on the sunrise
Oh yeah, alright
Move a little bit closer
Lay your big dirty hands on my innocence

Oo-e-oo-ee, it’s a cold-hearted world
Oo-e-oo-ee-oo, I’m gonna be your girl
It’s just a little too late to cry
You’re my America

Ooh, heaven laughs at us now, baby
But we’ll be shooting it down, honey
It’s a little too late to hope and pray for a miracle
You’re my America

Hey Rock star!
You’re my America

Dick move by Creative.

On the box: YES, DIGITAL OUT!

In the box: …BUT YOU HAVE TO BUY THIS MODULE AT 40 EUR!

Assholes.

I’m no longer much of a football fan - I used to be, but I lost interest in the sport right around the time I developed my brain and realised just how much of a sham it all is. And it doesn’t have brooms.

Still, that doesn’t make it any less insanely cool that the club from what is basically my hometown Alkmaar (born, but not raised, did spend most of my teen years there, and my high school is there) is now the national champion - AZ Alkmaar has won the Dutch Premier League championship, breaking the endless hegemony of the “big three”, Ajax, Feyenoord, and PSV Eindhoven. Before this season, AZ was also the last to break that hegemony, in 1981.

AZ is only a very small club, which makes it all the more impressive. I’m very happy for them, as well as all their fans. Congratulations!

Shirley Manson, frontwoman of one of my favourite bands (Garbage), has released the first demo of her solo project. You can find it here, titled “In The Snow”.

I’m blown away. A very distinctive sound, but obviously with Manson’s instantly recognisable voice. I love it.

Sadly, her record company, Geffen, has turned down her demoes because they considered it “too noir”. Well, boo-fcuking-hoo, what else did they expect? Have they even listened to Shirley’s work with Garbage and Angelfish? Shirley’s lyrics are always very moody, dark, and depressing. That’s her style, it’s why people like me like her lyrics. They are always complicated, full of layers and deeper meanings. It’s not one-two-pop nonsense, it has never been.

Manson had this to say about it:

I had taken some of my solo music into the record label. They didn’t really care for the direction I was moving in and I found it really disheartening. They wanted a pop hit, which I understand in terms of making money. I get that. But what they were going to ask of me was something I wasn’t prepared to deliver and I felt kind of trapped. I just stopped writing. I just stopped. It was stifling.

Manson and Geffen then decided to part ways, and she’s now working without a record deal. This story bears remarkable resemblance to the Fiona Apple saga with Sony, where Sony also turned down her work because it wasn’t marketable.

This is exactly why I want the big media companies to just fcuk off and die. I don’t care about pricing or other restrictive policies they might enforce - I care about the art, and these media companies are hindering the production of art because they let themselves be guided by dollar signs. For all I care, the media companies charge 40 EUR for each album, I’ll still buy it - as long as they stop hindering the production of art.

The Pirate Bay case, summed up.

Music:

Old World: we want to put you through the trouble of going to a store, and buying overpriced CDs, because it benefits the artists us.
New World: we’re lazy, and we want the easiest way possible to get our hands on music, but we are willing to pay for that (iTunes).

Film:

Old World: we want you to buy a DVD ten million yeas after the film’s release, filled to the brim with unskippable warnings about how you are a pirate and a criminal and will go to hell - all on a legally purchased DVD.
New World: we’re lazy, and we want the easiest way possible to get our hands on films.

Seriously, I don’t give a rat’s ass. I buy all my music Old World style (.mp3 sucks ass), and when it comes to film (TV series in my case), I download first, and buy later. This is because most of the series I like aren’t even broadcast and/or sold in my country, so I’m forced to go the way of the pirate. Even if a show does appear on TV here, our local companies fcuk it up by having irregular broadcasting schedules, and we’re always two to three years behind. I see downloading TV shows as the solution to stuff not being broadcast here. If the show is good, I’ll buy it on DVD (BSG, Dead Like Me), and if it isn’t (Lost), I don’t. Hey, just like real TV!

It doesn’t matter fcuk anyway over here. In The Netherlands, you are allowed to download whatever content you want, copyrighted or not.