Well, a friend of mine complained I was being too "rude" on this journal, with my cussing and such, so I'll try to lessen that. She also complained that I had not given her enough text, so I figured she'd get an entire entry, dedicated to only her!

Of course, this entry must now get substance. Well, I could go on for hours on how cool, nice, friendly, sweet, beautifull, she, I and all our other friends are, but arrogance isn't one of her prime characteristics, so it wouldn't fit here :).

I just want to say that I hope she gets through it all very quickly, she doesn't deserve the nonsense she is going through at the moment. And after that I want her to be more at ease with telling me (and her other friends) what's bothering her-- I surely don't find it annoying when a dear friend wants comfort; that's what friends are for :). She shouldn't be so scared all the time that I may find that she is whining; I mean, she was also there for me when I had similair problems earlier this year.

AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH The utter fucking ignorance of George W. Bush!!! That friggin' piece of shit of a president is such a dumb fuck!

"WASHINGTON - President Bush is holding fast to his rejection of mandatory curbs on greenhouse gases that are blamed for global warming, despite a fresh report from 300 scientists in the United States and seven other nations that shows Arctic temperatures are rising. (...)

Scientists project that industrial gases such as carbon dioxide will make the Arctic warmer still, which would raise the level of the seas and make the earth hotter. The world's atmosphere now includes about 380 parts per million of carbon dioxide, compared with 280 parts per million in 1800, according to scientists. (...)

In March 2001 Bush broke his campaign promise to regulate carbon emissions and withdrew the United States from the Kyoto treaty, which seeks to slow global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions." Source.

Bush has the brain the size of a walnut. I seriously don't understand how the American citizens could vote for such an ignorant fuck. He is a simple man; seeing the world in black and white. Grey does not exist for this sad, sad pile of a human being. Damn I'm happy I'm Dutch.

And the world has to endure his stupidity for four more years... Oh my god...

So, it appears that Google now censors images from the mutilation and torturing of the prisoners at Abu Graib. This is very bad, vey, very bad. Once again an American company or news network is afraid of the truth. I guess it's too hard for the American people to understand that American soldiers are doing very nasty things in Iraq, just like they did very nasty things in Vietnam. It becomes all the more obvious that Iraq is slowly turning into Vietnam II: Bush Unleashed. I hope my government doesn't break its promise by letting our soldiers stay in Iraq after March 2005. I don't want Dutch men and women to take part in that US campaign. They wanted war, let them finish it off and take care of it. The funny thing is, even though people from the US keep boasting about their militairy, they can't even do Iraq without the help of others.Update: it appears that all this was a misunderstanding; Google replied stating it had to do with their database or whatever. It's 0:30, I don't want to research it now.

Anyway, there are more important matters at hand. A friend of mine needs a hand, I need to study for General Statistics, and I need some dinner.

Just got back from a friend's birthday. Too bad we (me and two friends) don't really belong to her "main group of friends", so we were kinda on our own. Not too bad, those other two are one of my best friends and his girlfriend, also a wonderful girl, very funny.

I still haven't heard shit from the Apple Store. I already told the local [CENSOR] that the people at the Apple Store are sceptic of the [CENSOR], so that should be taken care of. And yes, this is a very poor attempt at making a joke.

They just arrived in the mail! The two Fiona Apple CDs I ordered monday! This is truly a dream come true-- I finally have them...:D

Currently I'm listening to""Tidal", and hell, it's good.

And a few sidenotes: Firstly, the Apple Store mailed me today; they're gonna call me later today on details about the repair. I'm fucking hoping they can fix it within a reasonable price. And secondly, REMOVED BY MYSELF

Update: those fucks over in Uitgeest didn't call me. Hell, I pay 60 euro's for a service contract; and they don't even call when promised? Damnit, we're not talking yer every day x86 here; we're talking a 1400E thoroughbred G4 computer. Damnit.

This is turning into one of the weirdest weeks ever... A lot of contradicting info-- the Israeli's claim Yassar Arafat is dead, the French Secretary of Defense and Palestine Prime Minister Kurei claim he isn't... Update: Now the Israeli's say he is braindead.

Either way, I hope he doesn't die-- Arafat is the only thing holding Palestine together, he is the only one holding the nazis inside the Israeli government down. That may seem contradictive (nazis and Jews), but let's not forget that everyone can be a nazi. It's not related to white christians only. If Arafat dies, those nazis will surely try to push the plan of deporting all Palestinians (that's no secret, that plan exists openly!).

My take: Israel, in its current incarnation, cannot continue to exist. It is time that Sharon, a nazi, responsible for the deaths of thousands of Egyptian POW's, steps back, and that the normal Jews take control. I hate how the western world continues to support Israel, a terrorist state. They only do so because of the guilt-complex from WW II. WW II was hell, and in no way to be forgotten, but it is time we let that go, and start looking at the midle-east whithout this pro-Israel glasses on.

As it looks now, Bush has won the US elections. Too bad. The US people have again voted for conservatism, retardedness and alienation. The US will now slip further away into the dark ages.

Still I find it hilarious how the elections are organized. I saw examples of voting machines and oh my fucking god, how ancient and difficult machines they are. No wonder there were international representatives to watch over these "elections".

What amazes me the most is that it are the two parties themselves that actually organize the elections! How fucked up is that?? That is the job of an independant organization, like it is in every other sane democracy; even in Russia, Georgia and other banana-republics! The US, telling the world how to live and what democracy is, fail to deliver true democracy themselves. At least this time the winner (if it will be Bush) will have the popular vote. That's at least something.

I hope the US will finally start to realize that with two fucked up elections in a row (2000 and 2004), it is time to reorganize their electorial system. First they should make the registration process automated, like it is in real democracies such as my country. Instead of people having to register themselves, the local governments themselves should extract all people over 18 from the population registry; sign them up; and send those people a voting invitation. A lot easier and, practically error-less. Justin, on skyos irc, said that that would cost money. Yeah hell it will, but democracy don't come cheap dude! True democracy don't come for free!

And secondly, they should get rid of the ancient electoral vote system, it's something we here abolished approx. 100 years ago.

Only then will the US democracy have the chance to turn into a real one.

And lastly, congrats to all Republicans. He did win (probably), and even though he is a complete moron, the winner is the winner.

From "Love Ridden" (Fiona Apple):

No, not "baby" anymore, if I need you
I'll just use your simple name
Only kisses on the cheek from now on
And in a little while, we'll only have to wave

Sums up my morning.

A famous dutch movie/televison director, Theo Van Gogh, has been murdered today in clear daylight on the streets of East Amsterdam. He was murdered by an Arab-looking man (according to eyewitness-accounts)-- this will make Theo the xxxth who has been killed due to his opinions. Theo Van Gogh had critique on the Islam; not racism, just critique. The extremely awkward thing is, is that Theo had just finished his movie about the murdered Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn. Exactly, the man who would have become prime-minister, if it wasn't for the fact that he was murdered. Because he expressed critique on the Islam.

I'm stunned. Apparantly one cannot say what one thinks in my country. I'm... extremely pissed off.

No more words.

Update: Lots of reactions of disgust are pouring in. This was a murder commited to shut one up. This is a direct attack on the freedom of speech; not the fake freedom of speech other countries have. No, the real freedom of speech.

Theo was murdered by someone from Marocco. It is fine with me that in those countries one cannot say what one thinks. But here, in the most tolerant and liberal country in the world, one can. If you don't like that, go back to your own country, you stupid fucks! If you wish to live here, I will respect your culture and faith; but only if you respect mine as well. Luckily, most Muslims do respect other's opinions. Too fucking bad a few rotten apples don't.

I finally ordered the two Fiona Apple (I'm in love with that girl, I swear) (1977) albums I've been wanting for years. The problem was that my regular music shops couldn't order them for me; they were simply out of stock and weren't shipped anymore. So I was forced to use an online store, which I certainly don't like. But anyway.

I ordered her debut album "Tidal" from 1996, and her extraordinary 1999 follow up, hold on to your panties, "When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks Like a King; What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight, and He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring - There's No Body to Batter When the Mind Is Your Might, So You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand and Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights, and If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land, and If You Fail It Won't Matter Cuz You'll Know That You're Right." Yes, that's one album title. In fact, it's the longest album title ever.

Fiona Apple is an intriguing artist; she always does things her way, and this is clearly expressed in her undeterminable music. Her lyrics are as honest as can be, though very difficult to comprehend at first sight.

Her troublesome past certainly can be see shinging through her music; she had recieved psychotherapy before she was twelve, because of she told a friend of hers she wanted to kill her and then commit suicide. At age twelve, she was raped inside a New York (?) appartment building. She also suffered from annorexia nervosa. Though troublesome, this past set the tone for the most beautiful lyrics ever written.

From "Paper Bag":

Hunger hurts, and I want him so bad, oh it kills
'Cause I know I'm a mess he don't wanna clean up
I got to fold 'cause these hands are too shaky to hold
Hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love

This music of this song is kind of a happy tune, and combined with these lyrics, sang rather careless (so to speak), sends shivers down one's spine. Amazing.

From "A Mistake":

And when the day is done, and I look back
And the fact is I had fun, fumbling around
All the advice I shunned, and I ran
Where they told me not to run, but I sure had fun, so

I'm gonna fuck it up again
I'm gonna do another detour
Unpave my path

And if you wanna make sense
What you looking at me for
I'm no good at math

This song is about how she was treated after the release of "Tidal". Fiona made a very awkward acceptance speech at the MTV Awards, where she dismissed pop-culture as "bullshit", and she said to "go with yourself". This triggered critisizm from people who said she was hypocritical, since it was Fiona herself whoappeared in her underwear in the hit single "Criminal". After this she decided to look less pretty. As I said, she is intriguing. One day she dresses in Versace, the other day in her grandmother's flower-patterned dress. In the song above she expresses that she may have made mistakes, but dang, did she have fun :).

From "Criminal":

I've been a bad, bad girl
I've been careless with a delicate man
And it's a sad, sad world
When a girl will break a boy just because she can

Fiona Apple was set to release her third album, "Extraordinary Machine" September 2003-- but Sony Music stopped the release, stating that the album did not have a marketable single. Thanks to all you cheap fucks copying music from the net.

Fiona Apple is on my list of special artists; together with The Eagles, The Streets, Alanis Morissette and Roxette.

I had a good time going out yesterday eve, to the Irish Pub "MacGuire". I was with some of my best friends and a few others. The MacGuire is truly an amazing little bar, and even though the last time I went there turned out to be the most ugly eve I ever had in my life, I still like it. I am quite happy that I went yesterday, I now truly closed the book on all that happened there like 7 months ago.

Read up on a lot of stuff on the Netherlands just, on Wikipedia (yeah I know I said I'd boycot it, but hey, I do gotta check they don't say crap about my country). Once again it's clear that we are the only true free nation in this world. Regarding drugs, euthanesia, freedom of speech, same-sex marriage and all that: we are showing the world how it must be done. I'm no nationalist, but I sure am proud of what we have accomplished, being as small as we are. We have the biggest seaport in the world, we can truly say what we like, a boob on TV doesn't cause mass-hysteria (in fact, n ationwide networks broadcast soft-porn every night), we treat durg-abusers like people, and not like criminals, we can decide for ourselves whether we want to continue to suffer when we're terminally ill, people on the other side can marry, and so forth, etc and usw. I'm proud of all that. I truly am.

Enough with all the mushy crap. The Dutch have no idea what good music is, we whine about everything we come across, we are too tightly kissing the EUs butt, we threw away a perfectly solid Guilder for the fucking Euro, and so on.

Long live The Netherlands! :)

I brought in my iMac today to the Apple Store. I made a service contract with them, which cost me 60E. From now on, everything but the repairs itself are paid by them; also the use of an alternate Mac when mine's in belongs to the possibilities, also for free. I hope they fix the damn thing soon, and I might ask them to crank up the RAM while they're at it.

I now have to set a limit for how much the repair may cost-- a difficult descision. I think that a maximum price of 200E all-in should suffice. Else, I really have to think of the possibility that I might have to save for a new G5 iMac. Tough descision.

Scientists discoverd a new kind of humanoid on an island in Indonesia, said the papers. The humanoid was of dwarf-type, reaching an average hight of only 1 meter. Their brains were the size of grapefruits, about one fourth the size of Homo Sapiens (us). What makes this discovery so interesting is the fact that they got extinct only 12000 years ago-- which means that they lived alongside with Homo Sapiens.

They walked on two feet, upright, and they probably decent from the homo Erectus-- living in isolation on a small island with few resources caused them to become smaller and smaller, a basic rule of evolution. They made and used tools as well, and hunted a peculiar animal: the dwarf elephant. :)

It's always fun to read about stuff like this; it clearly shows that we know little about where we came from, and this fact probably still fuels the existence of the creation theory. Also, this clearly shows that stories about dwarfs and giants, common in all cultures, aren't based on nothing.

Update: Homo Florensis, it's called, and it's even more amazing than I said: they probably were there untill as recently as a few hundred years ago!

I'm currently studying my ass off for my Neuroscience test tomorrow. Not that I really need to -- because of previous results I only have to get a 2.5 (Dutch rate on a scale from one to ten, ten being best) -- it's just that I want to get an as good grade as possible. Neuroscience is extremely interesting, but it's complicated. Very complicated.

Yesterday eve Robert Zseleney explained the concept of the Real Time Operating System to me via irc. His explanation finally made sense to me, and now I kind of understand the Real Time concept. I will most likely add this in my QNX article-- which is slowly turning into a multi-A4 beast of an article.

And I'm taking my iMac G4 back to the Apple Store tomorrow or friday. The frequent, completely random lock-ups are killing me-- a machine with an original value of fucking 1399,- euros shouldn't break down in under two years! This is just unacceptable. Speaking of Apple, they released a new iPod with color display. Nice stuff.

I have been doing some research lately into microkernels, and I must say that the whole concept is extremely interesting. I have been reading several Wiki entries, websites, and so forth on the subject. I've also read an abstract from comp.os.minix on the whole micro vs. monolith discussion between Andy Tanenbaum and Linus Torvalds: extremely interesting.

I'm doing all that because I am writing an article on how QNX performs as a desktop-- which basically is like trying to find out how a lightbulb performs as a knife-- it takes a life-threatening situation to figure out one can smash the lightbulb :).

Update: The article is coming along very nicely-- I just have to make sure that I do not make any mistakes concerning the technical bits, and of course I have to properly link to my sources this time. My other articles did not use external information, but this one certainly does. If all goes to plan, this might turn out to be one of my best articles yet. Only one problem: QNX isn't open source... Not a problem for me, but certainly it will be for the people at OSNews who get off by dissing my articles/comments. Oh well, "it's better that they say it, than someone with full intelectual capabilities", as is a saying inside the Holwerda family.