Climate change??

Imagine

You are living on earth, and you are aware of things around you.

You noticed that the weather gets more extreme. Winters are different then in earlier days. In some parts the winter disappears, in other parts it is more heavy.  Srorms get more heavy, more and more tornados, floods and more and more parts of the world where is a lack of water.

I hear you thinking, yes, climate change, it is all around us. Of course there is still a lot of beauty, espeically when you go out, when you photograph, you see a lot of beauty. But we can not deny it. The mountain of plastic is increasing rapidly, and everyone is aware that we need alternatives, such as solar energy and wind.

The energy companies, who got rich by selling us 'dirty energy', do not like that too much. They do want to keep their power in their own hands, and therewith being able to gain all the money that we have (and more).

Exon, Shell, Aon, Gazprom, they are not intrested in the future. The only thing that counts is what  comes in their hands right now.

Luckily a lot of countries see that this is not working, on longer time. They search for alternatives and find them.

But some big countries are lead by people who are not intrested in our future, only in filling their pockets with money.  That is why those countries do like to return to the dirty resources, like coal and oil.

Because those companies are ruling those countries.  Two big countries, both having US in their countryname, are trying to destroy the world for the future generations. 

Democratic powers are stroke down with force.  Climate porbems are denied and not there, according to these governments.  And who tells different?  They just should shut up. From free will, or with force.  Welcome in 2017 

Terrorism

They did it again,  a terror attack, this time in the city of London, maybe the best protected area of entire England.

Sigh. What can we do against an individual person, who decides it is nice to drive into a crowd of people, or to attack someone?
The answer is easy. We can do NOTHING against it. We can ban some groups of people, but there will always be a realistic chance that people from other 'labels' take over it, in a mood of anger, for a certain 'war', whatever.

Let's face it. We can never be 100 % secure, unless we limit our own freedoms very strong. Do we want that?

We must be careful, and we should live on, without fear, without hate.
And even if it is difficult, our reply to terrorism should be easy.  Hate and strong attacks only lead to an upward line of violation and insecurity.

There is only one answer.  Love each other. Listen to another. Do not blindly say bad things to people that you do not know.
Terrorism and violence have no answer against love. That is why love will always win.

Let's shake hands

This is a true story, from a few years ago.

I am, anyway, on line, now and then pretty harsh with my words, and people not always like what I tell.  That is pretty harmless with people that you never meet, but when you act that way to people in your own village it is different.  

This man, who I accused a few time, on line, about racism and more.  We met in the park, for the first time, and he came to me with the words:  Do we have a fight?
My reply was, well,  not for me, but if you insist....
Good, we talked, shortly, he asked if I knew who he is (lol) and I said sure.

After that meeting he wanted to go, and I said.. shall we shake hands?  And so we did.

The man did not change in my opinion. But I take him more serious now. I disagree fully with his attitude and thoughts, but we can walk in the same street, we can meet, greet, and get on distance as soon as we can.
This way we both not need to hide or pretend that we not see each other. In the end we are living in one city, so we meet, sooner or later, again.

I think some political leaders (or pretending leaders) should be able to gain more respect, if they should shake hands as well, instead of pretending like you did not hear the thing.

Yes, f.ckwits are everywhere, even in the highest political ranks

The unheard story

Sometimes the stories are found at the street.

You just have to walk in a city, and look around. Not arrogant with your nose in the air, but streight, or, if you want to see more, a bit to the ground.  You see the people living in the street, you see the people who better should not be at the street and you see people who want you off from the street.

Shopping windows with screaming colours, loud music, food shops of wht the smell already not makes you hungry anymore, all is there. And of course, the peopole who live there, just like we.  People that say hello, or people that I not recognize, even when they greet me, lol, yes, embarassing, but that is me as well.

Every picture tells a story. The people, of course, but the  things in the street as well. How many untold stories do you hear when you walk in the street?

White

Today, Europe looks to the Netherlands, becase there are elections. The weird thing is that everyone hopes tht the populists will not win, but they will be for sure one of the largest parties in the parlement.

Strange, when so many do not want it, that the party still can be so powerful. Where are all the cowards hiding, who vote for them, and at the same time not have the guts to tell it?

Turkey is looking to the Netherlands, and to Germany, as well. Considering the turkish regime has too less support for their dictatiorial plans, they try to motivate the turkish population, that is in our two countries pretty much, to win them for the undemocratic plans.

Where are the  people hiding that give this man power?  Why do the people live hiere, in democratic countries, and vote for a dictatial leadership in their home country?

Where is the silent majority hiding?
Why do you not hear them?  Aha!  Because they are silent.  You do not see them, but they are there, the people who just want to live in peace.

That's why I am white, today (well, the picture is, lol).  I want to voice the people that are not standing up. The people that do not raise their voice in anger.  The people that Ilove. I don't give a shit about their religion or nationality.  
I love them and I want them to know that they are NOT alone.

This is not America, you know!

The last time

The past weeks I was confronted with many sad news from friends.  It is heartbreaking to see friends sad becaues of the lost of someone dear, or an illness, what effects life a lot.

It makes me realize even more, that things can be over in a snap with the fingers. People can get ill, or pass away, unexpected and in many different ways.

At the moment I loose someone, I often think back at the last time that we talked, wrote, met. 
And I think at the beloved ones around me.
When did I say for the last time I love you, to my dearest love?
When did I talk to my friend(s) for the last time?  Did I hug them, when saying goodbye, even not knowing that it was the very last time we could?

Do not hesitate, do not wait for the better moment to come. It might come, but maybe it won't. And when the  time has come to say goodbye, you will realize that there is no new chance to say the words, to show what you thought or feel.

Do it now. It will not only give you a happy feeling, now, but it might as well give you peace, in your future.
Because  no one knows when the end will come.

Stop the fighting

O dear

It is clear that elections and choices are made, this year. The world is fighting to get attention, the leaders profile their best sides, so loud.  
I always think that it is so that we forget to look at the things they did the past years, and 'just'  concentrate at the one good deed they do now, giving them permission to lean back the rest of the years again.

Tell the people what they want to hear, and you are the winner.  Do not tell the consequences, they will see that when it is too late

And when someone tells you bad words, then slap them in the face. Not that such ever gives a solution, sooner or later you need to be on talking terms again, but, the 'people'  want the game, and you give it to them.

Seriously. Can't we just stop those silly (and dangerous) games?  The examples of what will happen are plenty. A fight never gives winners, just look back to all wars and make your conclusions.

Be friendly. And if our leaders give a bad example, don't follow the leaders, but follow your heart. Love is the answer, always!

Not what it looks like

I made this picture, today, while I was playing with my 'variable' ND Filter.

Instead of researching first, I just went and gave it a go. The result is, as I could expect, not really what I had in mind.  The dark flares will need to be gone when I make my next photos.

Fun! Learning by doing, instead of RTFM :-D.

Now we can discuss the result. Is the picture a bad one?  For me, yes, I want it different. For a neutral viewer, it might be an intresting picture, due to the shades.  Profesionals should not even consider to show this.

It is like moves that are made in election campaigns. Sometimes people do the weirdest things, to try to get votes. Strange enough many people still 'fall'  for those actions, that preferable come at the last minute before the elections. And many 'simply'  forget to look to what happened in the few years before. 

It is okay to be fooled -again-, if you know you are, and if you want it.

 Or?

Work in progress

When I recently walked my 'block in the park', I saw that one of the bridges is closed for maintenance. 

There are more bridges over the canal, and, this time, I had chosen to use no bridge at all, it did not disturb my path.

Sometimes the bridges between two sides are dangerous.  When we not allow others to pass the bridge, both sides will loose.

One side might be disappointed, eventually angry and trying ot force to get over the bridge by all means..
The other side will use its poower to lkeep them at the other side.

When one bridge is closed, people will find another bridge, or another way, to pass the water.

And then we meet eachother again.  

Burning down the bridges, will only cause that there is a lot needed to rebuild them again.

Action and reaction

Recently in our area we are shocked by some horrible actions from people.  A 19 year old killed chldren, a mental ill person waved around with an axe, and the list can be longer,.

Of course this is horrible, for the persons involved, and for the persons that  know the situation. The idea, that someone did start the attacks in a train that we regurarily take, on a station whre we come often, it brings the feeling of being insecure close to us.

We can not build walls, to prevent us for such, maybe it is better to invest more in health system, to get at least less chance that people who 'lost it' get so excessive.

Further I think it is disgusting, when people use this kind of eventts to encourage hate messages, with what we only may feel more insecure. 

As long as people keep on producing those kind of hate, and find others who like to spread it, without checking the backgrounds, there is a lot of work to do for us.

Believe in what you see. Believe in what you want. Stay away from (digital) lynches. 

Help, who needs help. Don't encourage more hate and insecurity to your life, and in mine.

Friendship

How many friends do you have at your social media? Are you proud at the number?

We easily call people friends, but when you are honest, who can  say truly that (s)he has 300 friends or more?  

What do you expect from your friends?

I expect not much. I know that they are there, at the moment that I need them. They need one word, or maybe less, to know. And they know it is the other way arround as well, no matter how large the distance is.

I know my friends. And  when I see my friends list at face book, I think that they are just a few of the people that are stated on FaceBook as my friends.

And you know it, when you are one of them!

No tome to worry ...

I found this at one of my friends' Facebook, and it caught me right away. 

There are so many moments that I put the wrong priorities, and am nosing in other ones busiess, what in fact is none of my business.  Well, not in fact, it IS not!

But when friends, or people that i like, act in a way that I do not like, it is hard to shut up and say nothing. I expect from my friends that they say to me, hey, stop that, when I do things that annoy them.

 I kow that only very good friends shall do that, and that makes them such special friends.

However, I always like to show how I think, how I feel, what I do, and I shall not stop letting you know, when I think your doings are not what I like to see. 

That is the deal in being friends with me.  As well digital, and as well considering that digital friends are not the same as real friends.

Please excuse me now, I need a lot of loving to do (and there is football to watch, in a few minutes :-D)  

Play the game

Internet is awesome. 

We can communicate with people from all over the world, without leaving our home. We can share ours stories and not seldom people from far away become close friends. 

Things changed since that I first explored internet, about 28 years ago, but basically it are the same things, communiction with other people, for whatever purpose.

Games are part of the communiction as well. Cults like World of Warcraft, hypes like Pokemon and MarioCart, they come and go, some games remain longer.

Some people like to play games with other people. They try to fool others, with different expectations. 

Sometimes we get fooled, and we wonder how it happened.
We can choose then if we want to play the game, and foo the one who fooled us, or we can show our own limits.

When a boy tells a girl that she is the only one, and he almost forgets what girl he told it too, it is to the person involved to choose.  

Do you let yourself being used as part of the game?  Where is your border, from what point you do not accept the behavior of others anymore?

Soup!

Today it is chicken soup in Satty's kitchen.

I love chicken soup, because it is easy to make. The only thing that is not so easy, is to pull the meat from the chicken bones.  I learned a method, using two forks, but it still burns my finger tips, when I take the chicken out of the soup/boiling water and start the job.

I can hear some of you think, why not buy it, ready and prepared, well, just try the fresh made and compare it, and you know the answer.

Is choosing the difficult way, the best way?  Not always, I think. Sometimes it is good, and faster, to choose the easy way. Considering it, before you make the choice might be helpful. 

The chicken soup is medication as well. May the cold be beaten, healthy and without any pain, apart from my fingers. I think it is worth it.

Welcome

When I want to go home, I hope that I have the key, to open the door. When not, then I hope that my lovely lady is at home and opens the door for me.

When I go to friends, I hope that they are home. Normally I should announce that I want to come, and, depending on who it is, I will be welcomed, more or less enthusiastically.

If I am rude to people, they will think twice before they invite me. The chance that I come for a closed door, grows with the more angry my words get.
When I show violence in my words, about things that I do not like at my friends' place, they will take care that I can not come to their house.

Our house is the place where we should feel safe. Our country is where we should feel safe as well. When we are guests in otherones home, we shall accept the 'rules of the house'. And no one can expect from others that they allow violence being used in their house, against the ones that live there, that they love and care for.

In that view, I think the only way to get into contact with others is, when we show that we are willing to be friendly to each other. We not need to agree with everything, but we must be able to communicate, without abuse or violence, in word or deed.

Our door is wide open, for who wants to talk, for who wants to care. Our door is closed for who is a threat for our life

Relax

I should not be me, if I do not react at thngs that I can not understand.  Or at things that I do understand, but on what I have a strong opinion.

I do not necessarily need to argue, sometimes it is enough if I say, I don't like this. 

I have been trapped in many discussions, and the more words are said, the more emotions come up. Usually more words do not add new insights or new argiuements.  When another can not convince me from his (or her) right,  the words get harder and often louder.

I love discussions, in what people have opposite sights. When people listen to eachother they can learn and see why others think the way they do.

But... if I hear a polnish politician telling, in the parlement, that it is okay that women are paid less, becdaue they are smaller, because they are less strong, what is there then to argue for me?

I can NOT accept such rubbish, from no one, no matter american, or european, NO ONE should think less about people because of gender, sexual intrests or outlook.

I just need to say BOOOOOO!, and I do NOT need to argue further, because there is nothing to argue.  And, at the same time, others can do it better, look at the video I add here.  Simply facts, that fully enpower the idiocy of someone.

When a country does not accept critical notes, do we then need to accept that those people vent their opinion here, and insist at the freedom of speech, that is here and rather not in their own country?

Do not point to others. Clean your own house first, before you judge that of others. Talking about that, this blog is another procastination ;-)   Back to work, Hans, so far about the big world around me :)

-- >  click here to see the polnish polician spaak, and watch the response <-- br="">

Fooling yourself

There are nice psychologic games you can play.

When you are always agressive, and all the sudden, for one moment, are not, it might confuse the people arlound you. Many might get hope that the person is not that bad at all, and that things might turn out better then they thought.

I am always supsicious when such happens. 

Someone, who constantly showed agressive behavior, in words and deeds, before he achieved his goal and after it, and then all the sudden gets mild, when he can not do else as talk with his opponents.  What are his mild words worth, can you trust such a person?  

Some people wiill trust him again.  But as long as that trust is only based at words, and not at facts, how much reliable this is?
When you trust those words, you might be fooling yourself... Again.  He knows it happened successfully before.

Don't fool yourself. See the facts. Fight against what you dislike