Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Could Holland finally be shaking off a decades-long bout of national lethargy? Well, no. But this article about the upcoming EU referendum seems to indicate that the Dutch mood is becoming one of "hiding behind the dykes".

That won't help the Dutch solve their many ills, and it's disturbing to note some of the rationalizations for wanting to reject the EU, yet it could be an important first step as Holland seeks it's way out of it's social and cultural morass.

Here's another good article on the same subject.

If the Dutch do manage to defeat this referendum, I'd have only two pieces of advise for them:
1. Reform immigration policy.
2. Reform welfare policy.

Meanwhile, it seems the French aren't very happy with the EU referendum either. But I don't really care about what the French think. I like it when they're unhappy.
Scientists have finally discovered one of my problems...It seems mine is over-developed. Maybe soon there'll be a pill I can take.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

We plan, we meet, we "agree", we prepare for every eventuality...and yet. We never prepare ourselves for the inevitable disappointment of failure, the "iron law of failure which governs human endeavor"

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Every so often the Supreme Court passes a ruling on a case with far reaching historical and cultural consequences.

Unsurprisingly, Professor Bainbridge links to the Personal Wine Curator. Who couldn't use one of those?
"Winners Only" Nick emails with a link to an article that he doesn't think is appropriate for the blog. Just another example of herds thinning themselves out, really.

The most unfortunate aspect of the story, as I see it, is that the Cambodian Midget Fighting League will very likely be forced to cancel the rest of their season. Not unlike hockey. I'm not sure what the league's recruiting strategies are, but I suspect it may be awhile before they're back to, er, full strength.

On a happier note, the Cambodian government received 50% of the ticket sale revenue.

Update: Its a hoax!

Friday, May 06, 2005

The revered, venerable icon, the Twinkie, just turned 75.

What's not to love about the amazing all-purpose Twinkie? At 150 calories and 5 grams of fat, its as good a snack treat option as can be had. Plus it has a chemical half life of about 500,000 years.

Wednesday, May 04, 2005

I had meant to link to this Business Week article previously: blog or get left behind.
A Korean and a Columbian strike up a conversation at the airport. They happily chat away in what they think is English, but you can't grasp a word. So what language are they speaking?

Why, it's Globish, of course.
I'm back to blogging after brief hiatus. I was very heavily involved as one of the directors for a youth soccer tournament in my town, and I was left with precious little time for the luxury of blogging.

The tournament, featuring 168 teams from 8 states, including 25 teams from our host club, was a smashing success.

Here's the tournament page where all kinds of news and information can be learned, including all results.

Here's a nice article from the week before the tournament.

It's breathtaking to look back 25 or so years to when soccer first gained a toehold in the US and compare it to what we experience now in youth soccer. The quality of play, fields, and organization are of the highest standard. But what really set this tournament apart as a special event was the quality and quantity of volunteers willing to work long, hard hours for our sport. I knew soccer had become pretty big in suburban America, but I don't think I fully appreciated just how ingrained in our communities it's become. I couldn't be more pleased.
The professors at the University of Pennsylvania are hosting the latest installment of the Carnival of the Vanities. Be sure to check it out.

And Jenny D. Of Dr. Cookie fame is hosting the Carnival of Education. Drop by to check out what's going on in the edusphere.