Henk van de Goor's Bloggers@large

Hi there everyone!

I'm just letting you know that it's time for me to move on.

Move on to the next level of Blogging software: WordPress .

I have been using the S9y blogging software since January 2003. I was more or less blogging before that in the '90's using a free Geocities account.

Up to a point I was very happy with S9y.

However, in February 2009 I tried to upgrade my S9y blog software to the latest version and by trying that, I effectively killed my blog. It took a lot of effort (I'm talking days here) to restore it to working order.

After that, I was afraid to do anything to it.

The S9y software has no option to update itself and relies on users manually uploading PHP files and such and running some update scripts.

A crude and - in one word - "outdated" system.

I talked to the S9y developers about the way the WordPress software handles updates (right from the back end) but all they kept saying was how this was a "security problem".

So I figured I should test out WordPress and see if I like it. Well I have been using it for a year now and I can say that it works without a glitch!

Updating the software, using plug-ins and everything else is 100% working for me. All hassle free.

So I have decided to abandon S9y and keep on working with WordPress.

So from now on point your browser to either one of the following url's:

http://blog.vandegoor.com

or:

http://www.vandegoor.com/beta/

In the mean time I will keep up this homepage as it contains 7 yrs of my blogging archive.

I am still trying to find a way so you get to my "real" new blog immediately whenever you come to my website, but that might take some time.

So for the latest low-down, go to my new blog at the URL's mentioned! To browse through 7 yrs or archives: you're in the right place here!

Peace!

I've always been a huge fan of the Predator films. The first one (1987) featured Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Predator 2 (1990) featured Danny Glover and Gary Busey and a young Bill Paxton. Predator 2 gave some cool background information about the Predator character and their code of honor. I.e. the scenes in which the predator leaves the pregnant detective alone and the scene in which a predator rewards Glover with an antique gun to honor his bravery.

Now, in a similar sense I liked the Alien quadrilogy. Set in a distant future (as I understand it some 150 years from now) where mankind is doing some kind of space exploration, it is a lot different from the Predator series that had planet Earth as their backdrop for all the action. Where Predator is about action, I think Alien is more about psychological suspense. I found Alien to be a lot more scary than Predator.

Both franchises met in a 'crossover' in the 2004 movie Aliens vs Predator (or AVP), which I thought was ok, but definitely not a big hit. And the sequel to that, AVP2 (or "Aliens vs Predator: Requiem"), in my opinion, was a totally redundant movie.

At the same time we have seen a load of video games in the spirit of AVP. I felt lukewarm to most of them and never bought downloaded any of them. But this year (2010) a new installment of the game came out. Made by SEGA, and developed by Rebellion studios, it looks a whole lot better than the previous versions (although a lot of gamers bash the game for having way to much old-school textures, and I have to agree on that).

I got my hands on the game, installed all 17gb of it, and since yesterday I am enjoying my cool predator moves, trophy kills (i.e. rip the spine out of a marine) and last but not least the predator sound effects and predator vision. I love it!

Having said that, I know for sure that in a week or two the novelty will wear out and  I will delete the game again. It is far from ground braking or original. There are many more FPS games out there that are way more engaging.

Anyway: this is just some pastime for me, because - drum roll please - there is going to be a new Predator movie!

I am exited about this in many ways. First: the fact that movie director Robert Rodriquez is going to produce it. I like many of his movies and the way he approaches action scenes in it. Second: it is a sequel, not a prequel or a cross-over. They will ignore Predator 2 and the AVP series.

It's called "Predators" just like the sequel to Alien was called "Aliens".

The plot sounds simple and easy: "a bunch of people get abducted to a planet to be hunted by Predators". Sweet!

Only one thing might spoil the fun for me: the fact they casted the whimp called Adrian Brody for the lead character :-(  I wonder how he is going to pull off being a bad mofo like "Dutch" Schaefer was in Predator?

I can't wait till it comes out later this year (rumored to be July 7th this year).

In the mean-time: check out the AVP 2010 game video:

Just a quick video of me practicing at the range using my Viridian X5L. Works like a charm. Still need to work a bit on my tendency to jerk the trigger after going through half a box of ammo.

Oh well, they say practice makes perfect...

News sometimes trickles down kind of slow here in Holland, but this was a bit too good let it pass even though it happened a week ago. What is it that I would like to share here?

Well, on Friday Jan. 29th Obama visited a House Republican retreat in Baltimore to answer questions from republicans in, what The Huffington Post calls "The Lions Den".

At the end of the session there was a Q&A session that wasn't supposed to be broadcast, but the White House pressured the Republican party to bring the cameras in. And Obama got a sterling opportunity to defend his policies against a whole audience full of Republicans.

As The Huffington Post describes:

What resulted was what one Democratic strategist described as "amazing theater" -- certainly for cable news. Standing on a stage, looking down at his Republican questioners, Obama assumed the role of responsible adult to the GOP children, or, at the very least, of a college professor teaching and lecturing a room full of students.

The event was aired live - among others - by Fox News (known as "the voice of the republicans"). What is interesting about that, is that Fox News choose to cut off the live feed from the broadcast 20 minutes before it ended. I wonder why.

Anyway: here it is. Obama at his best.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

If you feel like reading it, here's the complete transcript:

Continue reading "Obama tells it like it is" »

Ok, what is wrong with this picture? €83 million euros equals $117 million dollars. That's the amount of money raised in Holland with a the Holland Helps Haiti telethon this Thursday Jan. 21st.

This Friday, there was a telethon in the USA (and some other countries) organized (among others) by actor "George - do good - Clooney". The telethon was aired simultaneously on more than 25 networks, including CNN.

So far that show raised... $58 million dollars...

What? That must be wrong?

Let me get this straight: Holland with only 17 million people, raises $117 million dollars and the US (and other countries) with an estimated 308 million people, only raise $58 million?

I hope those are preliminary figures, because that would be a shame and disgrace in my book. It can't be right can it?  The Funny thing is that CNN writes in it's article about the telethon:

"The preliminary figure is a record for donations made by the public through a disaster relief telethon, according to a news release from telethon organizers."

Wow. I surely hope that this is a mistake and they can't really count all the donations fast enough.

See also: Hope for Haiti telethon vs Holland helps Haiti