Most noteworthy thing that happened today : Washed dishes at the office.
Most noteworthy figure tomorrow : € 4582 (give or take a few hundred)
Most noteworthy date in the near future : february 28th

OK peeps... the text below is *not* mine, but I found it interesting to say the least, and wanted to put it out here as well. I've got written confirmation that I can use and quote the text, which was written by Shannon, the owner/creator of BME Zine. In order to understand the complete post, you should either be up to date on international polictics, and have listened to the State of the Union Address that Bush made.

The text below in boldface are quotes from the Address and the normal text is his (Shannon's) commentary.

To lift the standards of our public schools, we achieved historic education reform which must now be carried out in every school and in every classroom so that every child in American can read and learn and succeed in life.

Hmmm.... If you "achieved" this "historic" reform, then why do you now have to carry it out? That's like saying, "This year Shannon achieved a historic visit to the Mars, becoming the first human to set foot on that planet. Now he hopes to carry out that plan and actually do it."

To bring our economy out of recession, we delivered the largest tax relief in a generation.

So decreasing taxes for the ultra wealthy and corporations, along with plunging the economy into the greatest national debt it's had in all of US history is bringing the economy out of recession? Cool. I'm hurting for money right now, I think I'll reduce the cost of membership (taxes) and then go out and buy a Lamborghini. Makes sense, right?

To insist on integrity in American business, we passed tough reforms, and we are holding corporate criminals to account.

How can he say this with a straight face? Unless I've been hallucinating for the past couple of years, these corporate criminals are not only largely unaccountable, but are in fact running the country... Ahem... Mr. Bush, if you really believed that statement, why are you and Cheney blocking investigation into your own corporate scandals, and why have you hired all your dishonoured rich kid buddies?

Our economy is recovering.

No, it's not. It's still on a downward spiral.

I am proposing that all the income tax reductions set for 2004 and 2006 be made permanent and effective this year.

Bush goes on to list all the money he's giving to various programs. Think about it. The country is already in deeper debt than it ever has been in all of its history. You can't massively increase spending and then slash taxes as well. It doesn't work - the end result of that is debt. And debt results in interest. That is, Bush's plan guarantees that generations of Americans will have to pay trillions of dollars in interest to international banking cartels.

We should also strengthen the economy by treating investors equally in our tax laws. It's fair to tax a company's profits. It is not fair to again tax the shareholder on the same profits.

We've been over this before and Marty offered a nice simple explanation on his page. Dividend taxes are "good" because that type of double taxation basically institutes a geometric rather than linear tax curve. That is, it's a tax on the rich. Bush eliminating it simply reduces the tax load on the wealthy, in effect shifting its burden to the poor.

Our second goal is high quality, affordable health for all Americans. ... These problems will not be solved with a nationalized health care system that dictates coverage and rations care. ... Because of excessive litigation, everybody pays more for health care, and many parts of America are losing fine doctors. No one has ever been healed by a frivolous lawsuit; I urge the Congress to pass medical liability reform.

So basically what he's saying is that there will be no universal healthcare, and that doctors will be protected from litigation... What a weird pile of doublespeak that is. I'm guessing he was trying to hit every idiots "yeah" button, because if you were only half listening, it sounds great.

Our third goal is to promote energy independence for our country, while dramatically improving the environment.

Do I need to point out that statement runs contrary to every action this government has taken? Isn't this the guy that's an oil baron and tied personally to the oil economy and may well be waging several wars over oil? Isn't this the guy that wants to drill the Alaskan wildlife reserves for oil, and pulled America out of the Kyoto Accord?

In Afghanistan, we helped to liberate an oppressed people, and we will continue helping them secure their country, rebuild their society and educate all their children, boys and girls.

Is that why, after the oil pipeline deals were signed, the Taliban was allowed back in power, and all the "freedoms" are already getting overturned? Is that why the government just banned cable TV in Kabul? Do I need to say something stupid like "don't piss on my head and tell me I'm sweating"?

Across the Earth, America is feeding the hungry. More than 60 percent of international food aid comes as a gift from the people of the United States.

What a load of bullshit - here's something closer to the truth. American factory farms are given massive subsidies, and as a result produce far more grain than the nation needs. This junk grain is then dumped in Africa as "humanitarian" aid and sold at rock-bottom prices or given away. As a result, it puts small local farmers out of business, pushing them into the cities to look for work that often isn't there, turning them into criminals. Many of America's "aid" programs are thinly described corporate welfare that have the end effect of destabilising the nation they are helping.

To date we have arrested or otherwise dealt with many key commanders of Al Qaeda.

You'll notice Osama's name is missing from this Address.

All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries. And many others have met a different fate. Let's put it this way: They are no longer a problem to the United States and our friends and allies.

OK, that's just crazy. Is Bush actually boasting or joking about illegal assassinations carried out internationally by the CIA? I will remind people again that shortly after 9/11 Bush signed into a law a bill that allows the CIA to assassinate not only foreign enemies, but also American citizens on American soil should they be considered "enemy combatants". That needs to be footnoted with the fact that this includes computer hackers, drug criminals, protesters and activists, and so on.

One by one the terrorists are learning the meaning of American justice.

The entire world is learning the meaning, and it's not reflecting well on America. America's popularity is at an all time world low.

We've intensified security at the borders and ports of entry, posted more than 50,000 newly trained federal screeners in airports, begun inoculating troops and first responders against smallpox, and are deploying the nation's first early warning network of sensors to detect biological attack.

So basically the nation is becoming a police state, privacy is being eliminated, and people are being inoculated against a disease that would be virtually impossible for terrorists to launch and disperse? Bush goes on after that to describe a number of other ludicrous plans like the missile defence shield.

Tonight, I am instructing the leaders of the FBI, the CIA, the Homeland Security and the Department of Defense to develop a Terrorist Threat Integration Center, to merge and analyze all threat information in a single location.

First, isn't that what Homeland Security was supposed to do? And unless I'm hearing that wrong, it it actually a reference to that crazy Poindexter Total Awareness project?

Throughout the 20th century, small groups of men seized control of great nations, built armies and arsenals, and set out to dominate the weak and intimidate the world.

That is exactly what has happened in the United States, isn't it? The US is being run by a small group of men that are not representative of the larger population. It has built a massive army. It has built the largest arsenal on the planet. It has more troops in other nations than any other country. There is only one country one the planet right now that meets the above description, and it is the United States.

Hitlerism

I'm sorry, but calling the Nazi party's philosophy "Hitlerism" is just plain weird! Yes, I know it's a real word and all, but it's a really weird choice of word.

Militarism [was] defeated ... by the might of the United States of America.

Militarism was not defeated by the United States in any way. The US is the largest producer and proliferator of weapons (including weapons of mass destruction) that the world has ever seen, in all of history. Ignoring the oxymoron of destroying militarism with military might, suggesting that the US is a leading pacifist nation is simply offensive.

We are strongly supporting the International Atomic Energy Agency in its mission to track and control nuclear materials around the world.

Is that why they say that your "intelligence" is actually "lies"?

The North Korean regime will find respect in the world and revival for its people only when it turns away from its nuclear ambitions.

I guess that doesn't apply to the US, right? Didn't Bush just authorise all sorts of new nuclear weapons testing and development, taking the arms race up yet another level?

It is up to Iraq to show exactly where it is hiding its banned weapons, lay those weapons out for the world to see and destroy them as directed.

So basically, it's guilty until proven guilty? Is that the legal philosophy we're adopting here?

Saddam Hussein had biological weapons materials sufficient to produce over 25,000 liters of anthrax.

Yet the only anthrax attack we've seen on US soil was committed by a (potentially) rogue US scientist, and the government shelters him from prosecution. Did you think everyone had forgotten that already?

Saddam Hussein had materials sufficient to produce more than 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin.

Big deal. So do I. Botulism is very easy to produce. Mexican revolutionaries made it themselves by burying beans and ham in canteens. The fact is, any joker can make simple biological weapons. The fact that you can't find them doesn't prove that they will. I have no intent of ever making any, let alone deploying it. But I could, and so could anyone.

He has given no evidence that he has destroyed them.

(Bush says this for a long list of thing that he claims Iraq has.) I guess that the US and UN not being able to find any evidence doesn't imply that it's not there? I may well have a nuclear bomb hidden in Rob's barn. Maybe it's buried in a corn field somewhere. The fact that you can't find it doesn't prove that I have one. In fact, it implies that I don't have one, if anything. You can't decide someone is guilty because of a lack of evidence. It's contrary to the basic rules of evidence.

The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.

A story which was quickly debunked.

Our intelligence sources tell us that he has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminium tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production.

Again, totally debunked... Does Bush think the American people are morons? This stuff was in the mainstream news! And the rest of it is just ludicrous - "defectors tell us" and "secret sources tell us" type crap. Given the amount Bush has lied - some say more than any other President - he's reached a point where he has to give credible backing for his statements.

Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda.

Is that why Tony Blair said last week that there was no link at all, and every credible source has suggested that as flat-out ludicrous. I'm not saying Saddam doesn't have ties to terror - I have no idea. But the fact is that bin Laden and Hussein are ideologically opposed and probably even enemies. To suggest they are working together again sends the message that Bush believes Americans are too stupid to understand international politics.

Some have said we must not act until the threat is imminent. Since when have terrorists and tyrants announced their intentions, politely putting us on notice before they strike?

What?!?! Did Bush just announce that not only has America switched from a defensive posture to a preemptive strike posture, but that it will do so without evidence? Will America start bombing nations "on a hunch"? I have a crazy hunch that the US might invade Canada - but that doesn't give me the right to bomb New York!

The dictator who is assembling the world's most dangerous weapons has already used them on whole villages, leaving thousands of his own citizens dead, blind or disfigured.

Many say Bush is a dictator, and there's certainly evidence backing that statement up, even if one ultimately disagrees with it. He certainly holds the world's most dangerous weapons. Not only that, but the US government did test them on its own citizens, killing about 15,000 citizens in the New Mexico area as a result of their testing. They've also tested biological agents on their own people (black and Hispanic citizens anyway), and continue to illegally drop experimental biological weapons on Canada as a part of the "war on drugs".

And tonight I have a message for the brave and oppressed people of Iraq: Your enemy is not surrounding your country, your enemy is ruling your country.

Replace Iraq with "United States". Listen carefully.

And if war is forced upon us, we will fight with the full force and might of the United States military, and we will prevail.

I absolutely fail to see how war has been or is being "forced". Iraq has not invaded or attacked America and poses no risk to the American people. None of the surrounding nations have asked for help or have stated that they felt at risk. The international community is opposed. The American people are opposed... And so on...

I urge you to pass ... my faith-based initiative ... to ... transform America one heart and one soul at a time. Our nation is blessed with ... the Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. A man in the program said, "GOD does miracles in people's lives, and you never think it could be you."

Whatever action is required, whenever action is necessary, I will defend the freedom and security of the American people. ... The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world; it is GOD's gift to humanity.

We do not claim to know all the ways of Providence, yet we can trust in them, placing our confidence in the loving GOD behind all of life and all of history. May he guide us now, and may GOD continue to bless the United States of America.

Again, maybe I'm missing something, but did Bush just declare Jihad? If that was any other nation and any other religion, would these combined statements not be a declaration of holy war?

Let me quickly reword that for you to illustrate. Imagine it's Osama bin Laden saying it:

We will transform Afghanistan one heart and one soul at a time. Great work is being done in the Mosques around this nation. As one man in Khandahar told me, "Allah is rewarding us for our faith."

Whatever action is required, whenever action is necessary, I will defend the freedom and security of the Muslim people. ... The liberty we prize is not my gift to the world; it is Allah's gift to all people.

We do not claim to know all the ways of Allah, yet we can trust in them, placing our confidence in the loving God behind all of life and all of history. May he guide us now, and may Allah continue to bless the warriors of Al Qaeda.

Am I saying I support Al Qaeda, Saddam Hussein, or Krazy Kim? Of course not. I'm saying that being opposed to evil doesn't make a person good. The evil have no honour, and the evil have no unity - they attack each other constantly, battling for control of this planet, its people, and its resources. We are simply their pawns.

The world gets scarier all the time, doesn't it?

I just received a mail stating that the file I dropped of on tuesday morning has been received by the man that will be handling my case. Now most of it can/will be handled by someone else with more experience.

It's not that I can't do simple things like it myself, but since it is rather important, I'd rather hand if off to someone specialized in it, instead of making errors myself.

Can you imagine it? It's friggin' snowing here... and it's not just tiny flakes, but the big ass mofo flakes that cover the roads in a matter of minutes and turn the world into a white painting. Would that make me happy and joyful? Yes, it would, if I weren't at the office and have to drive back home tonight.

Two days ago I asked my boss to pay me an "advance*" by mail. He called me later on and asked me to come over because he wanted to give me moral support. Moral support doesn't pay bills, you know!? The advance wasn't mentioned at all. Yesterday we had meetings all day long, and the advance wasn't mentioned. He did ask me however what I thought about the reaction of out technicians to the news... I told him they haven't got a clue about what's happening, and the mess we're in.

Today Suzana asked for advance, and she got it. Do I blame her for asking? Not at all... each and every one of us has costs and bills to pay. I just don't get what the difference is of me asking an advance and someone else asking an advance. Maybe it's because he thinks I'll manage without it, or he is convinced I won't be looking for another job, or I won't leave when I have the chance. Oh my... he could be in for a BIG suprise.

Sorry dude, but you really really pissed me off now, and those that know me close and personal, know it's a very bad idea to piss me off.

Note : I just went outside with Steph and it's still snowing strong. I even threw a snowball at a window, but missed. Snow rocks... sometimes.

* : Advances are usually paid in advance, meaning before you get your final paycheck. He still insists on calling "money that should have been paid three months ago" an advance. In fact I didn't even ask for an advance, but just that he pays the costs I made over the past months. The papers are all in, proof is attached to them as well. Net result : nada, nothing, zilch. Thanks a lot for the fucking moral support and compassion.

I just finished watching an item on Telefacts about Upper Dare parties, a Tupperware party for the bedroom. Everyone knows those Tupperware parties where a hostess invites friends and they spend the evening amongst women, discussing plastic boxes, sizes and possibilities to cook, freeze or heat them.

Upper Dare does the same, but this time they discuss and look, touch and feel erotic articles like slips, stockings, vibrators, massage oil and handcuffs. Apparently, it's a big hit, and men are not invited. I quote the "inventors" of Upper Dare parties : "Men would totally change the mood and sphere you have when there are only women". Thanks a lot for telling us men are insensitive, ladies, but I can see your point.

However - and I might be wrong here - they also claim a majority of women would never step into a sexshop and buy whatever they need for themselves, or their partner. These Upper Dare parties offer a solution to it, however at quite a markup. In other words, the stuff they sell can also be found in most sexshops, online stores and such, but cheaper.

Should I tell women to look and touch, but buy elsewhere? Sure, as a rationally thinking male I would, however, these parties are not about price, but about coming into contact with things some never even imagined existed, let alone being able to touch, taste and feel it while being in the presence of others they feel comfortable with. That's what it is all about, and I think it doesn't matter whether you buy something or you don't...

It does however make me - as an inquiring mind - curious. How many women own one or more toys? Where did you get them? Who took the initial step to get the toy(s)? Was it you, your partner, a friend, or did you just happen to bounce into it and bought it on impulse?

Ladies, would you care to post any comments on those questions, or the Upper Dare parties in general? I normally prefer full and open answers, but should you feel awkward writing your name (or screen name) when it comes to this, feel free not to state it.

Oh... and ladies (other ones though)... I'm wondering if you've had the time yet to test those "rub my duck" presents you got and come up with a review?

While this is not a day of joy, I just had to smile when I was checking the search engine entries that lead people to my blog. Apparently, today someone was looking for "blowjob instructions". It cracked me up, but I wonder who was looking for that info?

Been in a meeting from 10 till 12h30, and new meeting about same topic starts in 5 minutes. Some people clearly still don't see the big picture I fear. Everyone now has to decide what conclusion to come to for themselves, and at least follow the guidelines we've given them to make sure they are covered in a legal way - at least for as far as it is possible.

I have made sure everything (or at least a large part) is not in my hands anymore. I'll have a talk with people who know (or should know) what way to go next.

Just when I thought this day couldn't get any better, it did. Driving over to the BFL to pick up the ferrets was a complete nightmare. Traffic was packed and I think I must have missed the announcement that said all idiots are required to enter traffic at 19h33. Returning proved even more difficult as the highway was jammed shut and then a semi parked itself in a small car. Nothing serious and no injuries I think, but enough commotion and blocking to make the agony last just a bit longer.

My kids are back home now, and apparently they love coming home too : they jumped and jumped and played when I released them in the livingroom. Mind you, nothing has changed! It's still the same floor, the same carpet and the same toys they used to know before, yet they like it when they return. That made me feel good.

Before I went out to pick them up, I had something to drop of somewhere, but when I arrived it turns out my trip to the center of the town was totally wasted. Who the hell has come up with the excellent idea to put the mailbox inside the hallway, and then close the front door? People who work all day and want to drop some important things off later during the evening, don't exactly do such things just because they enjoy wasting time.

Now I'll have to return either tomorrow morning, but that'll be a pain in the ass as well, or try to get there earlier on thursday. Both options are valid, but cut into the time I should be spending in the office.

Sorry about not having the pictures online just yet, but I've got other things to take care of right now. I just received a note that one of the owners in our building has contacted a lawyer to have everyone pay a part of the isolation that can be put in the new roof. Isolation only she will profit from.

Apart from that, I think it's pretty fucked up that she can't agree with a descision taken by the majority of the owners. Next time I'll see her and she says hi, I'll tell her to talk to my lawyer as well... this is exactly the kind of shit I could do without right now!

This means another meeting, losing a lot of time and probably quite a lot of costs before a settlement or final ruling has been set.

On a work related level, things are moving too, and I have to take some measures to ensure certain things. Another thing I need to take care of tonight, before I pick up the ferrets. Something that, by the way, will cost me around € 150,-... It's a very fair price, but if you don't get the money people own you...

However wonderful the weekend may have been, while driving over to the office, I rapidly developed an ever present and annoying headache again. It's not a 'cry-out-in-pain-migraine" headache, but certainly a mindnumbing buzzing.

This shit is definitely getting more to me as I ever could imagine or would like to admit.

I found a nice quote to go with this post :

No one dies from working too hard. But when people don't get any recognition in their work, the stress of that lack of control can kill them.

(Barrie S. Greiff)

I'm watching The Fast & The Furious on DVD right now, and I still love it. My intention was though to watch A Knight's Tale first, as it's been quite a long while since I watched that, but the DVD keeps on crashing on my system.

I already upgraded the bios of the Leadtek GeForce4 Ti4200 (A250 LE MyVivo) to the latest version, and downloaded newer drivers (the stable release, not the beta version) and installed those as well. I'll test it later on, as it keep on resetting my box after 4 to 5 seconds into the intro. If all fails, I'll either throw the latest NVidia drivers on, or accept the fact that I can only watch that DVD on a standalone DVD system, which I don't own.

Pul Fiction played OK, so I really think it has something to do with the DVD encoding itself. I searched the web for more info, but couldn't find anything. I'm back off to work tomorrow, and later today I need to finetune something on Alex' blog as well.

I've just returned (about an hour ago) from 3 days of fun in a holiday resort in Belgium. Was it relaxing? Yes it was! Was it fun? Yes it was! Am I very tired? Yes I am! We actually celebrated the end-of-year- festivities most people had around December 25th and 31st, since most of the family was out of the country. I got some very nice gifts as well : Subscription to CT magazine (computer/hobby related), 128MB Flash card for the digital cam, DVD's (Pulp Fiction, A Knight's Tale, and The fast and the Furious), and a pretty cool Kiwi Beer cooler to keep your beer cold. That's a little something Dimi & Marianne brought home from Newzealand.

Which reminds me I should check the photographs made, and finally get around to coding a page to list all current Photo Trips I've made. I should readd Finland, still add USA & Canada as well, so it's becoming quite a lot now. I should really kick my ass into gear and share all those memories.

I also gotta say thanks to everyone who joined us on the holiday resort weekend, and especially thanks Jess & Johan for organizing it all.

I'm looking forward to the weekend, since I'll be with a group of very nice people. I wished everyone had a family like I do. Unfortunately, I should have packed all my stuff yesterday, and I didn't. So this is gonna be a short entry and then I'll be off packing all the gifts, towels, clothes and everything one needs for 3 days of relaxating fun.

I'm dropping off the ferrets in about an hour and will be picked up in two and a half hours. Chill people, and you know how to contact me in case something urgent pops up. I'll be missing you!

He just doesn't get it. Walks in, talks about *his* problems and is annoyed if we don't show compassion or feel sorry for him. Next week, yeah right.

Read my lips : I DON'T CARE ANYMORE.

I'm not in the office tomorrow or monday. And I'm gonna be talking to a lot of people during the weekend to get everything straight.

Whahaha... what should I answer to that question? Actually when Steph asked me that exact question after I bursted out in singing, it got me thinking. Am I ok?

Let's set some things (how about 15?) straight and see where we end up :

01. I've got no money (-)
02. I've got no paycheck either (-)
03. I'm bored to death (-)
04. I continue having fun (+)
05. I've got lovely colleagues (+)
06. I miss Esther (-)
07. I've got a totally cool family (+)
08. I've got 5 incredible ferrets who I love soooo much (+)
09. My friends are a buch of wicked weirdo's (+)
10. I have no clue what I want in life, and what I want, I don't dare say (-)
11. I'm looking forward to the weekend (+)
12. I'm not looking forward to next week (-)
13. I can and will say what I think and not hold back (+)
14. There's some quite hefty bills coming up (-)
15. I'm healthy and love myself (+)

So... that's 7 negatives and 8 positives... I rock and roll,all day long, sweet Suzie*!

* Referring to the ever popular Kung Pow movie here...

PS : Something cheered me up bigtime today. I liked it a lot.

Just a few minutes ago, suddenly Steph's soundcard died on her. I checked all leads and connections, software settings but the thing plays dead. Pretty strange, and even though sound is definately not a requirement, it is nice to have around - just in case.

Shit is hitting the fan again today, although only in small amounts. I do however expect a rather large load to hit the fan this afternoon. Next week will be even more interesting, as february approaches.

3337.51 - It is indeed pretty insane.

I've completed quite a lot of work on the Alex site, but for some reason I can't pinpoint the reason the bloglet server can't seem to talk to the XML-RPC inferface that is needed to use the RSS update functionality.

I've verified everything over and over, and I think it'll probably just be something simple. If I can't find the solution by tonight, I'll see if using a default template solves it. If it does, I probably hacked a little too deep into one of the templates, and just need to do some reconstructive surgery to re-enable the functionality. If it only were that easy :)

Suggestion to pass time : create CD's. We present to you a first volume...

01. The Final Countdown (Euope)
02. Money for Nothing (Dire Straits)
03. Road to Nowhere (Talking Heads)
04. Money Money Money (ABBA)
05. She works hard for the money (Dolly Parton)
06. Material Girl (Madonna)
07. Don't worry be happy (Bobby Mcferrin)
08. OCMW (Village People)*
09. Working in the coal mine (Devo)
10. Nothing Else Matters (Metallica)
11. Always look on the bright side of life (Monthy Python)
12. How fortunate the man with none (Dead Can Dance)
13. I don't care (Audio Bullies)
14. Let's Kill all these motherfuckers (Velvet Acid Christ)

OK, most of the songs don't match, but it has more to do with the songname as it has with the actual style or text in it.

* Special version : only the title was changed :)

I've been working on converting Joco's blog about Alex from Blogger to Movable Type. Yesterday I did the additional MT installation on my host, and finetuned some of the settings. Today I've been busy manually importing over 120 entries because for some strange reason the import goes bonkers each time. I think that the coding of the title tags is the cause of the failing import, but I'm not 100% sure.

So far everything is going according to plan, and I think I can have it all done by thursday evening, if not earlier. Steph has started building her website as well, so while I'm importing and hacking up MT templates and CSS files, I answer questions she has as well. It's fun being busy again, even if it's not exactly work related.

Maybe I should start hosting more people? Hosting is hardly financially worth it, but you get forced to learn new things :) Unfortunately, I should look into it coz my current hosting contract doesn't allow subhosting I think, and I should move to a reseller account to do so. I don't think that would be a good idea right now.

It's been going on for the last week(s)... we are all eating our food around noon, and we're just silent, all contemplating the situation. Then "he" keeps on blabbing, telling stories, making smalltalk while we all think the same : small talk, major bullshit.

Instead of making conversation, he'd better come up with a solution. I'm getting more and more annoyed with it.

(Thanks to Suzana)

While I was driving over to the office this morning, the morning show "Doe De Donna" on Radio Donna was looking for the biggest cyberjunkie in Belgium. As people were calling in their score (amount of time they are online) Suzana suggested I called in as well.

I realised that I rack up quite a few hours over the week, but I was suprised that it was that much... 84 hours and 15 minutes on an average 7 day week... I guess I'm a cyberjunkie anyway.

Oh... I almost forgot : I don't have a life.

Ingredients and wrap up for last night and this morning :

Joco, Eef and I - Pizza - cocktails with exotic names like Blue Hawai, Hurricane, Jungle Sex, Blue Margharita, Sex on the Beach and something with a very long name ending with a kiss (Joco did write down the full name though... I think he'll post it in a comment) - Exhale with silicone strippers and not enough fun - Stripclub Reve's in Antwerp with Bacardi Breezer, and much hotter strippers (hell yes!) - Taxi home - Some PS2 - Too much National Geographic Channel on TV - some sleeping - breakfast around 14h00.

Enjoying a good night of partying and fun with your friends : priceless.

I just got fresh food for the ferrets (10kg of it) and litter for their litterbox. Total cost : € 70.

Then I went out to pick up some gifts I ordered, and it turned out one of the gifts I had reserved was gone. The shopmanager offered me another one, but it was "slightly more expensive". When I asked him how "slightly" more expensive it was, he actually said it was about three times as expensive. Lol... he probably was able to read the expression on my face since he said : "hey... you ordered it, and I did put it aside but apparently someone else took it. You just take this more expensive one for the same price." Sounds like a fair deal to me :)

I've got a headache, and plenty of snot. I think the two are somehow related.

Went out last night, after all it was friday, and that means tablesoccer competition. We even managed to win, and last week the team did the same. Yes, this means we are no longer at the very bottom of the ranking... for now.

I picked up Joco & Eef who both were into party mood, and I expect this to continue tonight. We'll be going out (just the three of us) and then crash at their place later on. I definately will be hunting for some pussy - waaaah, that sounds so derogatory, doesn't it? - since I need to have some physical tension released. Thanks to some people I've rediscovered the drive to actually get out of the house and do things, meet people. Hunting for pussy is a logical step I suppose.

I wished however that we would be joined by that someone special and all the hunting wouldn't be necessary. If my mental needs are fulfilled, the physical comes in a second place, so hitting it off with that special someone would certainly be wonderful, but her just being there would suffice.

So... what am I gonna do? I haven't got a clue since we don't know yet where we're going, but I'll be wearing one of my Team BME shirts. The first time I was wearing one, I had a girl shake her boobs to me. I mean... things like that never happened before! Yes, BME shirts make even the ugliest ones look better. I'm all for it :)

Note : After rereading this entry, I do realize that it sounds like I see women as pieces of tits and ass and nothing else. I certainly do not, as I respect everyone for who they are and what they do. I'm no heartbreaker, or one who just grabs what he wants and runs. Not at all. I'd pick a "feel good" relationship over a "fuck and leave" one any day. I don't even think I could have a "fuck and leave" relationship. It's just not me...

This is so unreal... like we just took too many of the blue and red pills. And we did not! We just drank 3 liters of wodka, and now this stuff rocks. Does this make sense? Nah, it doesn't and thats exactly why I'm writing it down. Next week I'm finally gonna "celebrate" x-mas, but I wonder if there'll be much reason to celebrate.

Esther is home, she's overly tired, and I don't know when she's gonna be back. I actually SMS'ed her to ask her if she had a contagious disease, as we could stop by in that case and get infected too.

Yes, I'm loosing it, and I don't care about it anymore... something has gotta change very soon, or people are gonna get hurt. Hurt badly. (Figurative speech here. I'm not gonna kick people in the face... yet)

I really don't know anymore what to write or post here. After all, my life is pretty uneventful right now, and although the situation at the office is a constant source of stress and adventurous ideas, it is hardly worth telling you about. It's still the same shit, and it remains the same shit.

Apparently, the two ladies who agreed to test the Rub my Duckie personal massager (best adult toy award for 2002), got the package yesterday, and unwrapped it like two kids who get presents. When I read that, I thought it was quite funny... A review from both of them should arrive soon, and I'll post it here, as promised. If this testing proves to be interesting, I might look for new things to test, and post here if I need testers.

I'm wondering... if stress makes you feel bad, makes you lose all sense of reality and generally has a negative impact on your life - both personal and professional - can you press charges against whatever is causing it? For assault and battery for instance?

[Intro]
Children grow and women producing
Men go working, some go stealing
Everyone's got to make a living

[Verse]
[Jadakiss:] M-O-N-E-Y... no
Yea, yea, yo, yo
We in the red this year
[Styles P:] Went from a 'lil to a lot less this year
[Jadakiss:] Everybody knows it's mad this year
[Styles P:] I don' know where I'm goin' but I know where I'm from
You hear M-O-N-E-Y in your ear
[Jadakiss:] Yea we're in the streets no doubt
ServMe from the block where everybody got forced out
[Styles P:] With an old grey Tee you fresh, nothin' phoney with us
Make no money, sell the mansion, bring cheap food with us

[Chorus] (2x)
Dont be fooled by the bling bling that I ain't got
I'm still - I'm still Jerry from the block
Used to have a little now I have a little less
No matter where I go it's gonna be a big mess

[Verse]
From "No Life Living" to movie scripts
To "On Welfare" to "Broke" to this
Headline clips

I stay grounded as the cash rolls out
I'm real I thought I told ya (I'm Real)
I'm really been on Prozac (I'm Real)
That's just me
Nothin' phony don`t hate on me
What you get is what you see, oh

[Chorus]

[Verse]
I'm down to earth like this
Wastin' time in' this business
I've grown up so much
I'm not in control and hating it
Rumors got me laughin' kid
I love my life and my public
Put myself first and can't forget to stay real
To me it's like breathing, yeahh

[Chorus]

[Verse]
[Jadakiss:] Yo, it take hard work and still no cash
So don't be fooled by the looks, I got no assets
[Styles P:] You get less as what you put out
If even if you take the good route
Can't count the rumours out
[Jadakiss:] After a while you'll know who to blend with
Just keep it real with the ones came in with
[Styles P:] Best thing is to stay low, M-O-N-E-Y no
(Everyone's got to make a livin')

[Chorus] (2x)

(Original lyrics obviously from Jenny from the Block, by J.Lo)

I just received some excellent news from Joco and Eef. I'm very happy since it was important for them, and things that are important to them, are automatically important to me as well. That's how things work when it comes to best friends.

Oh... Happy birthday Eef!

I just came across Exploitation Now, another 'dirty comic' that contains lots of sarcasm, totally unbelievable plots and not enough nudity. Yes, that certainly sounds a lot like Sexy Losers, but it's different. It took me a few episodes - the first 70 or so to be honest - to get to know the characters and get sucked into the storyline, but I'm definately sold now.

A link to it is on the left hand side of your screen. It keeps your right hand available for other important things. I code my site whilst keeping the immediate needs of my readers in mind, yes I do. In case you prefer left handed wanking, just sit to the left of your screen, and the link will be on your right hand side.

I had something intelligent to say - or even something entertaining. However, I have neither so I will have to revert to linking somewhere...

I just got a call from someone who got an old computer from his son (a pentium II) and he asked me if it would be possible to find a 5GB harddisk somewhere. I asked him why he'd want a 5GB harddisk, and then he told me that he was told the computer could only take a 5GB HDD. I said it would suprise me a lot if that were the case, and then he thanked me and hung up. It's so much fun when you get calls out of nowhere and get those kinds of questions thrown at you. Especially if you have no idea who's on the line, and what brand or type of computer they are talking about.

Link : Interface Escape - Top Secret Kid (via goateestyle)

It seems like my temperature is rising again, and I haven't been watching too much porn today. There is no such thing as too much porn.

I'm heading off to bed, after I make myself a nice cup of tea with lotsa lemon and honey, and then try to sleep it off. Damn, I wish this damn thing would be gone by now.

I just gave someone advice of the heart. Yes, me. I can see you're suprised, and to be honest, I was a bit surprised as well. It's always so much easier to tell others what to do, while you can't get a direction in your own life.

I still let my brain rule over my heart. Well, to be honest, I'm scared to follow my heart, as I don't want to get hurt. The funniest thing is that I've not been hurt that much in the past - well, I've been hurt once, and even that was not really bad since we broke up in the nicest possible way - yet I don't want to open up to anyone but my ferrets.

All of this reminds me of Pink Floyd - "Another brick in the wall". I know that building walls is easier as being 'open source', but I don't want (?) to do anything about it right now. Is there someone out there willing to give me a hand to tear down this wall?

Hell, I know some people who will stand up and say "Yes! I am here, and I can and will help you tear down that wall." While I believe they can, I may not accept their help, for reasons even unknown to me. Call it fear of the unknown. Less then 2 weeks ago I travelled to countries I didn't know, to people I didn't know and all by myself. Yet I'm not ready to look into myself. I'm scared to do so.

Note : I've rewritten this entry a few times, and I usually don't rewrite entries. I think I know that it means I've been fighting to get this out. This is however not a call for help. It's a simple constatation of facts. I'm good a facts, but I suck at emotions.

There were plans to head over to Joco & Eef's place yesterday to 'babysit' little Alex, but Joco called me to say he was down with the same illness that's been bothering me for the past week. So I stayed home and played too much GTA3 on PC... And I plan on playing even more today.

I just checked the site of the infrastructure provider of my DSL and their planning says that my line should be upgraded from 1 Mbit to 3Mbit on january 14th. I'm rather curious since dates have been moved back and forth during the past months. I don't really need that speed anymore nowadays, but I suppose faster is better in cases like this ;)

I've just spend the past 90 minutes measuring and cutting metal gazing to fit the cage, and attaching it to the correct points. That should prevent further escape attempts, at least for now.

If she still manages to get out, I'll have to put a cam on the cage and record it to see how/where she still manages to squeeze herself through. I only did the front and back panel, as I figure those are the only points that have slightly wider gaps between bars.

I'm gonna pick up my order for chinese food now : tomato soup - springroll - nasi goreng and chicken... yummy!

After just picking some things up, and doing some shopping I feel like I've run a marathon! I got the ring I was talking about, picked up some metal gazing to cover the ferrets cage with, as Tisha keeps on escaping.

For their own safety, the ferrets should remain in their cage whenever I'm not around. Sure, that sounds pretty boring and harsh, but it really is not. Ferrets are too curious and like to explore too much for their own good. They are blind to danger, and just dive in head first. While it is one of the reasons I decided to get ferrets, it is exactly that behaviour that makes it dangerous when not supervised.

And since that little Houdini manages to squeeze herself through the smallest gaps, I don't want to find out that she's manouvered herself into a position where she can't get out of anymore.

I just got a very nice 'get well soon" card from Esther, thanks a lot! I'm actually feeling a bit better after nearly 12 hours of sleep last night. I've partially moved from coughing my lungs out to sneezing, so I suppose that is for the better.

I got a call that the ring I ordered has come in, so in case my financial status allows it, I'll be picking it up later today. Since I already paid an advance on it, it'll only be another € 45 or so... that should be possible.

Note : After checking my financial status, it sure is not looking healthy. I just transfered the last euro's I had on my savingsaccount, and paid a few bills. One of them was due yesterday, but I forgot about it. The other one wasn't due till the 31st, but I figured that I since have the money right now, I might as well pay it. I know for certain however, that unless the situation is resolved in the next two weeks (around the end of january) I'll be bankrupt.

It's just a few minutes past 22h00 and I'm gonna crash... I'm using the bed this time though, as crashing in the sofa only makes me get back up later on. I'm still feeling sleepy and tired, so I'm gonna take my boss's advice and call in sick tomorrow. The extra rest will hopefully give me a kickstart to beat this infection, whatever it may be.

I sure hope everyone who reads this is feeling much better. G'nite peeps!

Cy : you're very welcome! I hope you can put the stickers to good use.

Heather : Yes, it's nasty indeed... what did you expect? ;)

Ash : pots and kettles should be in the kitchen. Wanna come cook with me?

Shelley : erm, no, not exactly. Her ears should fit quite OK. Glad to hear you like the card and the stickers!

Heather : you don't hear me complain, do you?

Note : I did order two "I love to rub my duck" personal massagers and send them off to people in need. Apparently, most readers were too shy to enter the contest about a month ago, but I figured this would be a good opportunity to both help someone and get the thing reviewed anyway. Expect an update on this later... and that also effectively closes the contest.

During the night I was asleep - well, kind of anyway - and then it started... I woke up to a state of dream in which I was an airtraffic controller for a huge airport. The thing is that in order to get all flights scheduled, and lead incoming traffic to their slots, and get outgoing traffic in the air, I had to cough. It was pretty hectic, and my sense of time and reality got totally messed up. I could see the minutes ticking away on my ceiling (I've got one of those nice alarmclocks that project the time anywhere you want it to) while I coughed and coughed to get everything done.

I was twisting and turning, and every twist and turn just caused more irritation to my throat, thus also increasing the airtraffic load. After about 5 minutes I think I also got a fever since I was shaking and trembling uncontrollably, but I just kept on fighting my cough and the airtraffic. After about 15 minutes I slipped off into a more restful sleep, while my chest was burning as if I drank boiling lead.

When I woke up a few hours later, I did feel better, but the feeling didn't last too long. I got into the office quite early (08h45 instead of my regular 09h00) since I figured there wasn't much I could do at home. I'm feeling quite sleepy right now, so I might not make it through the day and go home earlier. Several people have asked me why I don't take any medication, but even in cases like this where it just drags on, I refuse to do so. Enough rest will allow me to fight it off... I hope.

I did crash in the couch again last night while watching "Silence of the Lambs", and when I woke up, "Queer as Folk" was playing. I turned off the telly, only to become an airtraffic controller moments later... Go figure!