Dodgy Business

The 'church' of Scientology, often labelled as an evil cult, is not a winner in the eyes of many. Yesterday there was another world wide mass protest, including here in Amsterdam, against the practices of the so called church. It seems that the turnout was massive, the reactions of the public was positive and you can almost feel the sense of panic and loss on part of the CoS. I was shopping for groceries when I suddenly saw three young men in white shirts, black trousers and a Guy Fawkes mask checking out of the local supermarket and thought 'Damn, the Fair Game Stop ... Read Full Story

I've added the Blog Rush widget to the front page of the site some time ago because I thought that it would get more traffic in and also because it sounded like a really cool idea. A bit like the 'Last Updated' on B2evolution that I just can't seem to stop clicking on. (Will Eat My Yard really become a meme? Find Out!!). But unlike the B2evo thingy Blog Rush seems to somehow break the rules. Or maybe not the rules but the promises. And if it was never promised then at least the expectations. Every time I click on a link that is ... Read Full Story

The Procrastinator's Creed floated into my e-mail box several years. On a tour of the darkest corners of my trusty old high-mileage laptop, the creed, which had managed to avoid detection for a very long time accidentally revealed itself by squeaking when it probably would have better off squawking. As a result of my latest Nobel worthy scientific discovery I will busy myself doing nothing for a period of time to be determined by by boredom and the length of time it takes light to find heaven. Like all human endeavors there are rules. Here are a few that prevent me from taking action. ... Read Full Story

(this is probably more useful to Americans than anyone else, or people who are merely interested in the US justice system). I like cops in general. Apart from a long and bizarre period in my life when there were warrents for my arrest springing up like mushrooms, I've generally felt that the police are on my side in the civilizational struggle against chaos and danger. Now, I've heard from several lawyer friends -- casually -- over the years, that one should not tell the police anything if questioned without an attorney. I've always listened with half an ear, and thought "Sure, but I don't ... Read Full Story

Hate to write about what's on everybody's screen already, but after all I (sam) am in China. Latest rumors and news (sometimes the Chinese teacher/text message network is better than official news): 12,000 dead, expecting to find 10,000 more, 4.5 million people homeless and living on the streets mostly in Sichuan province. Some townships near the epicenter are still inaccessible (cell towers down, electricity off, roads ruined). Army planes couldn't land due to bad weather and trashed runways, so Chinese paratroops are dropping in what supplies they can. Temperament is about as good as can be expected, though there is a small bit of ... Read Full Story