Bloggers@large » current events

Merry Xmas & Happy New Year

Henk van de Goor — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 11:28:43 +0000

Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011) – “Think Different”

Henk van de Goor — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:37:55 +0000

Sad – but not unexpected – news when I woke up this morning: Steve Jobs has died at the age of 56. A month after leaving Apple permanently, one day after the iPhone 4S was announced and just a few weeks before his (authorized) autobiography will come out.

Regardless what you think you know about the man: he changed the industry and the world. Yes, I can say that without sounding dramatic. Just take a look around next time you commute from home to work. How many Apple products do you see around you?

How many brands you know that have such passionate followers? How many brands you know that inspire their customers to literally get in a queue at 4am in the morning, 2 days before a new product becomes available?

Sure; not everything the man did turned into gold or was original. But such is the human condition: everyone makes mistakes. However, Jobs execution of his vision and ideas inspired many people on many different levels.

All I have to say is: watch this video in which Jobs reflects on his own life and the lessons he learned:

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on.”

Think Different (1997)
Here’s to the crazy ones.
The misfits.
The rebels.
The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes.
The ones who see things differently.
They’re not fond of rules.
And they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.
About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them.
Because they change things.
They push the human race forward.
And while some may see them as the crazy ones,
We see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think
they can change the world,
Are the ones who do.

9/11/2001 – 9/11-2011

Henk van de Goor — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:58:52 +0000

9/11, 10 years later

It is kind off surreal to me, that 9/11 is already 10 years ago! It was a Tuesday afternoon for me (6 hours of time difference with New York) and I was at my work at my former employer; Internet company Lost Boys (Business Solutions). Around 15:10, which was about 20 minutes after the first plane hit the North tower of the WTC, the news trickled in at my work.

The initial reports where that a “small airplane” had hit the WTC. My first thought was, “wow, that’s a freak accident.” I also thought about the fact that in 1945 a B-25 bomber hit the Empire State Building.

In 1996 I had first visited New York with two buddies of mine. We all went to see the WTC and went all the way to the top to enjoy the view from the roof. We also peaked inside “The Windows on the World restaurant” on the North tower. I was very much impressed with the view and the building. I thought it was a modern marvel. At one of the vending machines I flattened a penny and imprinted it with the outline of the Twin Towers.

Five years later, when I revisited NYC in may 2001 with my girlfriend Carrie and her son Zach, we only visited the Empire State Building, which was just around the corner from our hotel. I told my girlfriend that the view from Empire State was a lot cooler, because you can see more of Manhattan. In that sense I didn’t think it was worth paying for the WTC as well.

Instead, we just walked around the area of the WTC and gazed up those two gigantic towers that we also admired from the water some days before when we took the famous tour around Manhattan in one of those tour boats; something I always recommend to do whenever I hear someone is going to visit the Big Apple for the first time.

I was thinking about this while going on with my business as usual, when some minutes later the news of a second plane hitting the South tower of the WTC came in (in reality the second plane had hit at 9:03am (or 15:03 CET) already: the news just was delayed). Also the reports changed to both planes being commercial aircraft’s.

Everyone hearing that news at my work was in shock because we all knew immediately that it was a terrorist attack. No doubt about it.

News was very sketchy at first: according to some sources there where more hijacked planes in the air and the US air-force was en-route to shoot them out of the sky.

As we didn’t have any TV’s at my work (we had moved to a new building just recently) we where depending on news that trickled in through the radio and Internet websites (as I worked at an internet company).

Within minutes however, it seemed like the Internet halted worldwide. There was so much data traffic (remember: it was 2001) that newspaper web-servers all over the world buckled under the sheer traffic. In Holland hardly any website could be reached.

Then, around 4pm we got the news that the Pentagon was hit as well. When I heard that news my first thought was “Wow, this is like a modern Pearl Harbour“.

I remember calling my girlfriend at her work and asking her if she was watching the news as well. Which was the case off course.

In fact, as she works and lives in Tallahassee, capital of Florida, there was quite a scare there as well: rumor had it that governor Jeb Bush (brother of president Bush) was a target as well and since the Governor’s mansion was just blocks away from her work, people were very anxious as well.

Off course the rest of the day we didn’t get any work done, as we where trying to get more news of what happened. Off course the CNN website was down and so where other news sources.

It wasn’t until around 6pm that day that I went to a friend’s home to watch the news with him and seeing – for the first time that day – what had happened on TV.

It dawned upon me that we were witness to a history – or better world – changing event. I knew for sure that the world would not be the same after 9/11 2001.

And now, 10 years later that notion has become truth. After 9/11 the world has changed in many respects.

And it’s not for the better if you ask me. But that’s another story.

Ps: to see some of the newspaper headlines of 9/11/2001 see this link.

A trial for Saddam Hussein, a bullet for Osama Bin Laden

Henk van de Goor — Sun, 08 May 2011 08:13:42 +0000

Newspapers "celebrate" Osama Bin Laden's death

When US president Barack Obama announced the death of Osama Bin Laden (OBL) on national television, he claimed “justice has been done”. The question is of course: who’s justice? Certainly not justice by international standards. If you look at the way things unfolded, there are many questions one can raise with his course of action.

In fact: in this case the “justice” that was served was nothing else but revenge. Revenge for 9/11 2001 and the ghost chase the US government was on since 9/11.

Don’t get me wrong: I totally understand revenge and I don’t shed a tear about OBL’s death, but governments need to be above revenge.

We do not know all the circumstances yet: it may not have been possible to take Osama alive. But the few details we do know only raise more questions.

Then there are the many legal implications. According to statements van the US, Osama was killed (executed one might say) even though he was unarmed and not resisting. Still he was shot? The SEAL team that was involved in the action was able to wound a woman in the leg that came between them and Osama, but they were not able to capture an unarmed Osama?

Not to mention that the whole operation took place on Pakistani soil and the Pakistani government wasn’t informed by the US in any way until the operation was under way. People say that since Pakistan hasn’t protested against this, it’s ok. But reality is off course that they probably are too embarrassed by the fact that public enemy number 1 was living right under their noses.

The bottom-line is that no one should be outside the protection of the law. After the end of the second world war even the biggest Nazi war criminals like Adolf Eichman and Hermann Göring got a fair trial. Even Saddam Hussein got his trial.

The fact Obama has decided not to disclose any (photo) material proving Obama’s dead, is grounds for widespread speculation and feeds conspiracy theories. Even though some Al-Qaeda “officials” have said that OBL is dead as well.

Off course we can’t forget that Osama bin Laden took full credit for and supported terrorist attacks around the world inspired others to commit such acts, but again: if we look at what happened to (war) criminals in the past, we can’t condone a government sanctioned execution can we?

Think of the implications. No one should be above the law.

How to win a battle but loose the war

Henk van de Goor — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:59:13 +0000

We all know about (Internet) piracy and the media industry. We all know how the media industry struggles with todays reality but still thinks that they can survive by clinging on to their old and obsolete business model.

Now, in Holland we have a rather funny way of dealing with copyrights and the legalities of pirated movies/music.

Dutch law says that downloading a pirated movie/music (even though you now you didn’t buy it) is legal.

Yes, you read that right: I can download ANY pirated movie/music without fear of being prosecuted.

Also, making a copy of a movie/CD (in case you did purchase one) for a “personal backup” is a right we have and 100% legal too: as long as you don’t circumvent any anti-copying scheme (which nowadays all movies have; so this right is rather theoretical).

Now, in order to compensate for this “home copy” law (“thuiskopie”), and the downloading of movies, everyone in Holland who buys blank CD’s and DVD’s pays an extra fee – even if they don’t use them to burn illegally obtained materials but just for data-backups.

European lawmakers also want(ed) to tax hard-disks for this reason (but that never passed – yet?).

So indirect, we – in Holland – all pay for downloading illegal movies/music materials (even if you do not participate in this kind of behavior) each and every time you buy blank CD’s/DVD’s. It’s like paying road taxes even though you don’t drive a car.

Now, uploading and sharing pirated materials is 100% illegal. But as a user/downloader, you are not going to to prosecuted. And catching the guys that do upload is way beyond the skills of BREIN.

On a side-note: this policy resembles our Dutch policy in regards to (soft)drugs use: as a drug user you won’t be prosecuted unless you have a quantity on you that is considered to be for drug dealing. Hence you can go to a Coffee shop and buy and smoke cannabis 100% legally.

Anyway: Today BREIN – a special Dutch interest group, paid by the media industry – won a legal battle against FTD a popular download community, that facilitates the downloading of copyrighted materials (not only music/movies but also software).

Even though the practice of downloading isn’t illegal in Holland, a judge ruled that FTD blatantly promotes the uploading of copyrighted materials and uploading is, illegal.

Hence they need to stop showing any copyrighted materials with their software. Off course 99,9% of all materials on FTD are copyrighted. So in effect this will kill FTD unless they come up with an appeal that they win.

Now, FTD had become really popular in the last years as it made it really easy for the masses – with no IT skills – to obtain movies etc..

I think that this is just a stupid strategy of BREIN. I used to buy movies, but I always felt ripped off in many ways.

I mean: go figure, you bought a movie and somehow the industry STILL tries to make you feel like a pirate (click picture below and see what I mean):

Thanks for paying: we still want to make you feel like a criminal!

Off course the only thing BREIN accomplishes, is that smart people will now just have to come up with an even easier way for people to get their movies but in a way that will make it virtually impossible to prosecute “a community” for it.

It’s the same mistake the Americans make in thinking they can win the war in Afghanistan. You can’t win a war if you can’t get the enemy! (or technically speaking: if everyone IS the enemy).

In short: BREIN just won “a battle”, but will never win the war.

The media industry needs to wake up: adapt, evolve or die!

Chuck Norris eat your heart out!

Henk van de Goor — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:57:00 +0000

Man, you have to see this to believe it.

Maybe this is Chuck Norris’s mother?

Information wants to be free

Henk van de Goor — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 20:12:32 +0000

Julian Assange - (C) AP

Todays arrest of Julian Assange the infamous journalist, internet activist, whistleblower and WikiLeaks frontman, shows exactly why citizens of so called democratic countries should mistrust their governments.

You don’t have to believe in conspiracy theories to see that this case is the perfect proof that the US Government will stop at nothing to keep their dirty secrets from leaking out. And somehow they have Sweden on their side: a very strange ally.

Something extraordinary is going on. The allegations – that’s all they are right now – against Assange would normally never have lead to Interpol issuing an international arrest warrant. That was definitely triggered by and as a service to the US government.

Want proof? Just take a look at the Interpol list and see how many people are on it that are suspected of rape? Exactly: you won’t find any… Except Assange.

And what’s it all about?

Assange was wanted in connection with four allegations. The first complaint, by a “Miss A”, said she was victim of “unlawful coercion” on the night of 14 August in Stockholm. The court heard Assange is accused of using his body weight to hold her down in a sexual manner.

The second charge alleged Assange “sexually molested” Miss A by having sex with her without a condom when it was her “express wish” one should be used.

The third charge claimed Assange “deliberately molested” Miss A on 18 August “in a way designed to violate her sexual integrity”.

The fourth charge accused Assange of having sex with a second woman, Miss W, on 17 August without a condom while she was asleep at her Stockholm home.

The fact that a UK judge denies Assange bail – even though no evidence for the charges has been presented at this time and sponsors would come up with the bail – can’t be anything else than politically motivated. Assange will spend his days in jail until 14 December when his case (extradition to Sweden) will be up again.

Of course the masterplan is to extradite Assange to to Sweden under the EAW system, so the US can then request extradition to the USA, as that country has an extradition treaty with the Scandinavian nation dating back more than five decades. And while Assange is kept busy in the UK and later in Sweden, the US can build their bogus case against him.

You only have to hear U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates (visiting with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. troops in Afghanistan), reaction to the arrest to know this scenario doesn’t sound that fa fetched. “That sounds like good news to me,” Gates said Tuesday.

Powers that be

So the attack on the person Assange has begun. But the organization WikiLeaks is under attack as well. This time by the financial institutions. Again there can’t be any mistake about it: this is a politically motivated and orchestrated move as well.

Authorities in Switzerland closed Assange’s bank account on Monday, while MasterCard, VISA and PayPal all have pulled the plug on payments to WikiLeaks. I can not think up ANY real reason why they would do this other that that it’s a political case.

Secrecy and condoning a government within a government (i.e. all the three letter agencies) is never a good idea. Off course everyone gets away with things because they can always say the information is a matter of “national security”. As such these people place themselves above the law.

The next few days and possibly weeks will be a test for modern democracy and freedom of speech and information.

So far WikiLeaks has not released the key to a heavily encrypted version of some of the most sensitive U.S. diplomatic cables – an “insurance” file that has been distributed to supporters and news media in case of an emergency. Personally I think its time to blow the lid of this stinking cesspool.

Governments are warned: information wants to be free. You can not fool your citizens for ever. If the USA wants to make and example of Assange, I think they might find out they will fall onto their own sword.

TEDx Amsterdam started

Henk van de Goor — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:04:30 +0000

TEDx Amsterdam 2010

One of the cooler events on this planet – the TEDx conference – has started in Amsterdam. TEDx is a spin-off from the famous TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) conferences that are held regularly in the USA. As TED gained massive popularity due to the interesting speakers and subjects, it is almost impossible to get a ticket. As an alternative TEDx is an independent program that offers people to enjoy a TED-like experience with TEDx Events they organize, design and host themselves.

For those that can not attend the TEDx Amsterdam, here is a live stream so you can follow the speakers. More information can be found on the TEDx Amsterdam website. A list of TEDx Amsterdam speakers can be found here.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité

Henk van de Goor — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:04:56 +0000

Male/Female wages, USA

For those that don’t speak French: the title of this post is based on the national motto of France (and Haiti) and means: “Liberty, equality, fraternity (brotherhood)”. The origins lie in the French Revolution (1789–1799) and I always found it a very nice motto. Men and women are all equal – regardless of age, race or country of origin.

The reason I bring this up is that I was amazed to find out that in the USA there is no law that says you have to pay women an equal amount if they perform the same work as their male counterpart. In other words: no equality there.

That fact alone is mind boggling to me. I mean: we are talking about (supposedly) one the most advanced democracies on Earth how come this isn’t a given?

I found out this (to me) unknown fact yesterday, because the US Senate voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act that would have plugged this whole in legislation:

Paycheck Fairness Act – Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages.

The only reason I can think up why the Senate would do this, is that the Republicans just want to show that they now are a force to be reckoned with (after the latest elections). Regardless: it’s off couse ridiculous they voted against this law or that this is necessary in 2010. But if you look at the graph that goes with this article you can see for yourself why it is needed. There is huge gap in earnings between men and women and that is just wrong!

Women had no political rights in pre-Revolutionary France; they couldn’t vote or hold any political office. They were considered “passive” citizens; forced to rely on men to determine what was best for them in the government. It was the men who decided and women were forced to accept this male domination.

One would have thought a modern country like the USA would have no reason to be against equality between men and woman. Also when it comes to their paycheck.

Occam’s razor

Henk van de Goor — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:27:42 +0000

Here’s how you spark a true Internet meme: you spot something funny in an old B&W 1928 Charly Chaplin movie, post it on the Internet (YouTube) together with a ridiculous explanation. And with this simple post the guy gets over 4 million hits and a lot of debate, varying from plain stupid to intriguing.

Just watch this video from this guy called George Clarke (if you can make it past the annoying self-promotion – just skip it if you need) and hear and see what the fuzz is all about:

So, did that make you go “Hmmm”?

Don’t you think, however, that his explanation with the video, is that of a classic nutcase?

“My only theory – as well as many others – is simple… a time traveler on a mobile phone. See for yourself and feel free to leave a comment on your own explanation or thoughts about it.”

Seriously. That’s your only theory? Not a lot of imagination, right?

Dude, have you ever heard of Occam’s razor? How logical is the explanation? “A time traveler on a mobile phone”.

I really wonder then: how do you use a mobile phone in a time when there are no mobile transmitters around? Who would you talk too?

And why, of all advanced futuristic devices a time traveler could take from the future, would he/she use a mobile phone? C’mon. Even the secret service uses these nice ear-buds that are almost invisible.

Also, remember how people reacted when we all started to start talking on our mobile phones while walking on the street? I do! When I first answered my mobile phone back in ’95 of the last century I felt quite awkward! And people stared at me as well. How come no one seems to mind the lady/man?

You got it right: because it can’t be a mobile phone.

Now, on his blog, Clarke posted the following:

Please keep in mind, that when I first made the Chaplins Time Traveler video, I simply made my point – to me, my explanation of the 1928 footage was that of a time traveler on a mobile phone (or some form of communication device), followed simply by asking for yourviews on what you were seeing! With this, I will state that until the mystery of our suspect person is solved, there is no correct answer… Not mine, not yours, not the millions of other people that have answers around the world.

We just don’t know.

Off course that is total & utter nonsense: because we know one thing for sure: time travel is not possible (or else our history would have been quite different already) and so it can’t be a mobile phone.

Yup, Internet sometimes is just like real life – there are many nutters out there- isn’t it?

Bloggers@large » current events

Merry Xmas & Happy New Year

Related Links:

Steve Jobs (1955 – 2011) – “Think Different”

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9/11/2001 – 9/11-2011

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A trial for Saddam Hussein, a bullet for Osama Bin Laden

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How to win a battle but loose the war

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Chuck Norris eat your heart out!

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Information wants to be free

Powers that be

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TEDx Amsterdam started

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Liberté, égalité, fraternité

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Occam’s razor

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