tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85706238062581797182024-03-13T03:27:10.574+01:00Day by DayI'll try and place the odd thought, so the title is a misnomer anyway.Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-8441813211011920112021-04-25T10:42:00.001+02:002021-10-24T23:54:32.172+02:00Amnesty Ireland and Women<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I wrote this letter to Amnesty Ireland boss Colm O'Gorman in January 2019, because he objected to the GRA reform debate in Scotland.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQc6-nylQvU/YIRAHDpbCXI/AAAAAAA_QTU/2PL2fAaxyIUeTUVDFQiDP4VsOH-biK8XACLcBGAsYHQ/s601/OGorman%2BClipboard01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="601" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QQc6-nylQvU/YIRAHDpbCXI/AAAAAAA_QTU/2PL2fAaxyIUeTUVDFQiDP4VsOH-biK8XACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/OGorman%2BClipboard01.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It looks like he was putting #TransRightsAreHumanRights before #WomensRights.</span><p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hi Colm O'Gorman,</span><span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I fully support Amnesty in its campaign against hatred, discrimination and abuse. However, things have become rather clouded when it comes to trans activism.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course, we need to stand up and defend the rights of LGBT people to live their lives as they wish, along with all other persecuted minorities. That means supporting transsexuals and intersex people too. However, where there is a danger of undermining the existing rights of women -- lesbians in particular -- and feminists who support these rights, it is reasonable to examine and debate these issues. Where the human rights of one group impinge on those of another, it’s important to try to get the balance right, however difficult and at times awkward this may be.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While it is true that trans people suffer discrimination, it does not seem correct to refer to huge levels of discrimination. In fact, excluding domestic violence, there is no sign of this in the UK. (See the</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-how-many-trans-people-murdered-uk&source=gmail&ust=1619365795720000&usg=AFQjCNHVqESt98HMM9VwSX4OOyjvbmjD-g" href="https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-how-many-trans-people-murdered-uk" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Channel 4 factsheet</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.)</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is however discrimination against women. Women still require protection against the male of the species and they need to discuss their rights, freedoms and protections. However, we have seen all too frequently over the past few years that any such debate is fiercely opposed and in some cases closed down by militant trans activists.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The threats made against those who express dissenting views, such as</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-46454454&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNGOfAfTNlRoU5KiTC2eEW7Fe41zgg" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-46454454" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rosa Freedman</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, have become a real problem. Shocking examples abound at</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://terfisaslur.com/&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNF284BnpN9x6X8v6WRXy5TLeqoBXw" href="https://terfisaslur.com/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Terfisaslur</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Another victim of militant trans activists is Kathleen Stock, who recently posted an</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thearticle.com/can-biological-males-be-lesbians/&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNG7Sh3pRU9cUUSMyJBE0AvwfcHScQ" href="https://www.thearticle.com/can-biological-males-be-lesbians/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">article</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that covers most of my arguments on this subject. As does this thread by</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055511561987674113.html&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNFEtxYbEB280PEBHv_J0cMZKQGFFA" href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055511561987674113.html" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CowardlySockpuppet</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For many years I supported the line taken by trans activists, having myself worked on a</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Out-Portraits-Cross-gender-Children/dp/9089102426&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNH7GbGjdwQPy5eqna6aMLJI5LjkKg" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Out-Portraits-Cross-gender-Children/dp/9089102426" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">photo book</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on trans kids. I knew that a close friend took a completely different view and I believed her to be misguided if not transphobic. Talking to her recently, I realised that things weren’t that simple. During much of her childhood, she identified more as a boy. Beverley Jackson (once a founding member of the Uk Gay Liberation Front) changed her name, her hair and dressed to match her desire to be seen as a man. However, later she came to embrace life as a woman and is now extremely grateful not to have “transitioned” in any way. That was not an option in the 1960s. Now she is very happy to be a mother of two children, a grandmother and happily married to another woman. None of that would have been possible if she had transitioned. The universal confusion of puberty would have led to sterilisation, life-long dependency on medication and may well have left her unhappy. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As a lesbian, she feels betrayed by Stonewall, which now focuses largely on men and trans people and virtually excludes lesbians who do not go along with the transactivist line.</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Many of the feminists who currently challenge gender identity theory have similar backgrounds.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I do not believe that questioning and debating gender ideology is a form of hate. Nor do I believe that debate on the subject should be stifled in the way it is at present. I understand how the problem got so heated. Any debate on the issue of “gender as a spectrum” can be and often is interpreted as a personal attack on a transgender individual. This does make it very difficult to have an open and honest debate on an issue which is crucial to maintaining respect for people with a wide variety of preferences and desires.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This also means that any questioning of the conviction that “trans women are women” -- and even exploring what this means for the definition of “woman” -- is regarded as hate speech and results in massive abuse on Twitter and blocking, often by inclusion on the TERFBlocker block list (instigated, I believe, by Aimee Challenor - see below). In Canada, things have now escalated so far that the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation blocks</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/preta_6/status/1081381565408542720&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNFu03Rtq8ijUG3HA-pRNDxVTYDapQ" href="https://twitter.com/preta_6/status/1081381565408542720" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">anyone</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">who has ever questioned the core beliefs of those who advocate gender self-ID. That even means blocking their own members.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I personally think that the British organisations Stonewall and Mermaids have both overstepped the mark and that their attempts to protect a discriminated minority have led to even greater injustices than those they were protesting against.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One example is</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/green-high-flyer-hid-father-s-rape-charges-kdhrfhll3&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNEr98yEGGbjJx1hpK-ZCUelpE8zfQ" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/green-high-flyer-hid-father-s-rape-charges-kdhrfhll3" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aimee Challenor</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In protecting her father, she exposed young people to a dangerous paedophile. Not only that, but she continues to be a trans-adviser to Stonewall. This case does reveal some of the major issues involved. Especially the fact that others around her said their “first instinct was to protect Aimee”. And hence not to warn her about imminent dangers or to think of protecting others in society.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mermaids is also a controversial organisation that claims that gender identity is formed in very early childhood. They have been accused of encouraging young people to transition when faced with dysphoria in puberty despite evidence that, without treatment, a large majority, perhaps as much as 90%, ends up identifying with their biological sex. Anyone disputing this is</span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/27/police-investigate-online-abuse-charity-transgender-children-mermaids&source=gmail&ust=1619365795721000&usg=AFQjCNFYqVMuecf2hYEcdvgQn0dTRnk9Mg" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/27/police-investigate-online-abuse-charity-transgender-children-mermaids" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">accused</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of hate speech. The view taken by this organisation would not be such a problem, were it not that Mermaids is taken by government bodies to represent authoritative and expert views and hence invited to propagate these views in schools. No groups of feminists are invited to present different views.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have supported Amnesty throughout my life. I’m not suggesting you should swap sides and join the rebellion against this dogma, but I do suggest that Amnesty doesn’t voice support for it.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Yours sincerely</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Martin Cleaver </span></p></blockquote><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have still had no </span><span style="color: #3c484e;">answer.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3c484e; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">"Well, an answer of sorts, in that Amnesty as an organisation continue to voice their support for gender ideology--an ideology many women and gay people find regressive, homophobic and, most of all misogynistic--loudly and often.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #3c484e; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Rather than answering silly old letters, Amnesty prefers to make their case by repeating it over and over again. You really know someone's put a lot of thought into their position when they say it six times." (Glinner)</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sV4L8TGGUxU/YIREiUUVqXI/AAAAAAA_QTg/fACz5Q1ZswwlrnLD7sGrOGVIdhWaFnKagCLcBGAsYHQ/s1168/image-39.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="1168" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sV4L8TGGUxU/YIREiUUVqXI/AAAAAAA_QTg/fACz5Q1ZswwlrnLD7sGrOGVIdhWaFnKagCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/image-39.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Amnesty is increasingly acting like misogynistic mens' rights activists. See also <a href="https://gendercriticalwoman.wordpress.com/2021/03/15/amnesty-u-k-whats-going-on/">this</a> piece by Still Tish.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div>Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-50378794248343299172020-11-16T12:06:00.004+01:002021-10-27T11:48:09.294+02:00D66 stands for dehumanising women. <p><br /></p><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279960675561473" dir="auto" id="tweet_9" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;"><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Dutch centrist party D66 has elected</span><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><a class="entity-mention" href="https://twitter.com/SigridKaag" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; opacity: 0.8;">@SigridKaag</a><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">as party leader. She may even become the first-ever female prime minister of the Netherlands. But some of her candidates seem determined to alienate</span><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><a class="entity-hashtag" href="https://threadreaderapp.com/hashtag/women" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; opacity: 0.8;">#women</a><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">from</span><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><a class="entity-mention" href="https://twitter.com/D66" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; opacity: 0.8;">@D66</a><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">.</span><span style="font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279960675561473" dir="auto" id="tweet_9" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">D66 candidate Sydney Smeets (@advocaatsmeets) makes no bones about it. (“For abortion rights and against a legal delay of 5 days. Take people with a womb seriously and don’t attack their rights to self-determination.”)<span class="entity-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Em7_GbgXUAAjuo9.png" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; opacity: 0.8;" target="_blank"><img alt="Image" class="b-loaded" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Em7_GbgXUAAjuo9.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 15px; border: 1px solid rgb(225, 232, 237); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.8rem; margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 700px;" /></a></span></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279962412085253" dir="auto" id="tweet_10" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">"Take people with a womb seriously," Sydney? Such language is degrading. Listen to Karen Davis: <a href="https://youtu.be/w-TVPQlhEPM">https://youtu.be/w-TVPQlhEPM</a></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279963712237568" dir="auto" id="tweet_11" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">What does D66 MP <a class="entity-mention" href="https://twitter.com/SalimaBelhaj" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; opacity: 0.8;">@SalimaBelhaj</a> think about being described as “person with a womb” by another candidate on the list? <span class="tw-permalink" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #cccccc; display: inline-block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: hidden; width: 12px;"><span class="fas fa-link" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "Font Awesome 5 Free"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;"></span></span></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279966870630400" dir="auto" id="tweet_12" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">At the same time, <a class="entity-mention" href="https://twitter.com/verabergkamp" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; opacity: 0.8;">@verabergkamp</a> liked a message from <a class="entity-mention" href="https://twitter.com/TransNetNL" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; opacity: 0.8;">@TransNetNL</a> which suggests that transgender people are in grave danger of violence and murder.<span class="entity-image" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Em7_aEYWEAA4qyr.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; cursor: pointer; opacity: 0.8;" target="_blank"><img alt="Image" class="b-loaded" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Em7_aEYWEAA4qyr.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-radius: 15px; border: 1px solid rgb(225, 232, 237); box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.8rem; margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle; width: 700px;" /></a></span></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279968594399235" dir="auto" id="tweet_13" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">Fortunately, transgender people are one of the safest groups in society worldwide, much safer than women. See here:<div style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="entity-url-preview" style="border-radius: 8px; border: 1px solid rgb(225, 232, 237); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 10px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; width: 700px;"><div class="d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center" style="align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; justify-content: space-between;"><div class="border-right align-self-center" style="align-self: center; border-right: 1px solid rgb(222, 226, 230); box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="img-cover" href="https://4w.pub/the-epidemic-of-transgender-murder-victims-is-really-an-epidemic-of-misinformation/" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("/images/loading.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: #63615f; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 130px; opacity: 0.8; overflow: hidden; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img loading="lazy" src="https://4w.pub/content/images/2020/04/misinformation.png" style="border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 8px; border-style: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: 130px; object-fit: cover; vertical-align: middle; width: 8rem;" /></a></div><div class="flex-grow-1" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-grow: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div class="paragraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "lucida grande", "lucida sans unicode", "lucida sans", Geneva, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.8rem; margin: 0px 1rem;"><a href="https://4w.pub/the-epidemic-of-transgender-murder-victims-is-really-an-epidemic-of-misinformation/" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #63615f; cursor: pointer; display: -webkit-box; opacity: 0.8; overflow: hidden; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #2e2c2d; display: block; font-size: 0.85rem; font-weight: bolder; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">An Epidemic of Misinformation: Murder Rates and the Transgender Population</span>According to the Human Rights Campaign, 26 transgender or “gender non-conforming” people were killed in the United States during 2018. Transgender rights activists say the murder of trans-identified p…</a><a href="https://4w.pub/the-epidemic-of-transgender-murder-victims-is-really-an-epidemic-of-misinformation/" style="-webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #63615f; cursor: pointer; display: -webkit-box; opacity: 0.8; overflow: hidden; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><small class="pre-url" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #1da1f2; display: block; font-size: 0.75rem; margin-top: 5px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">https://4w.pub/the-epidemic-of-transgender-murder-victims-is-really-an-epidemic-of-misinformation/</small></a></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279969798164481" dir="auto" id="tweet_14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;">The aggressive gender identity ideology seems determined to conquer Dutch politics. What do women think about this? <span class="tw-permalink" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #cccccc; display: inline-block; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: hidden; width: 12px;"><span class="fas fa-link" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: "Font Awesome 5 Free"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1; text-rendering: auto;"></span></span></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279969798164481" dir="auto" id="tweet_14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;"><br /></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279969798164481" dir="auto" id="tweet_14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;"><br /></div><div class="content-tweet allow-preview" data-action="click->thread#showTweet" data-controller="thread" data-screenname="MCleaver" data-tweet="1328279969798164481" dir="auto" id="tweet_14" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, Cambria, "times new roman", Times, serif; font-size: 1.1875rem; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 1.58; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-30742127567828405742020-02-04T17:27:00.000+01:002020-02-04T17:28:05.421+01:00Which Multicam video editor?Multicam video editing<br />
<br />
I've been trying to find a simple yet powerful new multicam video editor because I am starting to find <a href="https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/?_oB=vegas-pro-edit">Magix Vegas Pro</a> old-fashioned, clunky and basic.<br />
<br />
It should be possible to lay down more than one video track easily and allow the software to synchronise them for me.<br />
<br />
However, it turns out not to be that easy. I tried several options before deciding to take a further look at <a href="https://www.pinnaclesys.com/en/products/studio/ultimate/">Pinnacle Studio 23 Ultimate</a> and <a href="https://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdirector-video-editing-software-ultimate/features_en_EU.html">Cyberlink PowerDirector 18</a>. Both should do the job.<br />
<br />
Working with the trial version of PowerDirector, I was able to synchronise three video streams, unfortunately, they got split to four tracks. When one camera makes several files, these should just be stuck together, but Cyberlink also decides to switch track. This basically means that I can't use more than three devices to record.<br />
<br />
It took a lot longer to get any result from Pinnacle Studio and ended up giving many more headaches. I thought I could try the multicam editor, but it wasn't available on the trial version. I asked support and they said I should buy the paid version, to return within thirty days if it doesn't work. I did and tried, but it still didn't work. Basically because the paid version includes Multicam Capture Lite. So then I had to buy Multicam Capture (despite not wanting to capture anything) before proceeding.<br />
<br />
Now I read this, I may not have needed to buy Multicam Capture, because I couldn't find the multicam editor before. And the support was frankly toe curling. Support couldn't understand me and I couldn't understand them either. I think they seriously thought I wanted to do multicam capture, while I only want to edit existing footage.<br />
<br />
However my attempts to import the same video material as in Cyberlink resulted in a total mess. I have two continuous streams and a third one of separate shots of the same event. It was a conference with several speakers. A glance at the screen after synchronising shows each track with a different speaker. The sync was a total failure.<br />
<br />
I would prefer Pinnacle, but it shows no signs of working and has already cost me money. Cyberlink seems only to allow three channels when I would prefer four or five.<br />
<br />
<br />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-62482870782746919062020-01-28T11:05:00.001+01:002020-12-27T14:03:57.354+01:00Stop Funding Hate is enabling hate<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In early 2019, Stop Funding Hate expanded its remit to cover "transphobia". It started supporting the (now <a href="https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/07/03/mermaids-leading-children-up-the-trans-path/">disgraced</a>) charity Mermaids. I mailed SFH director Richard Wilson and received a thoughtful but uninformative reply which quoted Stonewall arguing that trans people face "huge levels of discrimination". My reply turned out to be strangely prophetic</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hi Richard,</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks for your thoughtful reply to my query. I fully support <b>Stop Funding Hate</b> in its campaign against hatred, discrimination and slurs in the British press. This mainly concerns the likes of the Sun, Daily Mail and Daily Express. However, things have become rather clouded when it comes to trans activism. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It is true that some newspapers still push a line close to the </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nashville Statement</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which came back into the </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nltimes.nl/2019/01/09/celebration-love-organized-amsterdam-response-nashville-declaration&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNGS3Rc0jlML7a3U5GQrePf5uLd8xQ" href="https://nltimes.nl/2019/01/09/celebration-love-organized-amsterdam-response-nashville-declaration" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">news </span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">last week in the Netherlands because right-wing Christians, including the Parliamentary leader of the SGP, support this condemnation of all forms of homosexuality and trans-identity. Of course, we need to stand up and defend the rights of LGBT people to live their lives as they wish, along with all other persecuted minorities. However, where there is a danger of undermining the existing rights of women -- lesbians in particular -- and feminists who support these rights, it is reasonable to examine and debate these issues. Where the human rights of one group impinge on those of another, it’s important to try to get the balance right, however difficult and at times awkward this may be.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While it is true that trans people suffer discrimination, it does not seem correct to refer to “huge levels of discrimination”. In fact, excluding domestic violence, there is no sign of this. (See the </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-how-many-trans-people-murdered-uk&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNENeVBwM0R00A6h0kxka_aeGxVyOw" href="https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-how-many-trans-people-murdered-uk" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Channel 4 factsheet</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.) </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There is however discrimination against women. Women still require protection against the male of the species and they need to discuss their rights, freedoms and protections. However, we have seen all too frequently over the past few years that any such debate is fiercely opposed and in some cases closed down by militant trans activists.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The threats made against those who express dissenting views, such as </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-46454454&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNEoedcTtkmMzJzLCXpEZKT4Q4XnuQ" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-berkshire-46454454" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rosa Freedman</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, have become a real problem. Shocking examples abound at </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://terfisaslur.com/&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNHFek8ebx6fxFeaj3VmCNYB2nORVw" href="https://terfisaslur.com/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Terfisaslur</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Another victim of militant trans activists is Kathleen Stock, who recently posted an </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thearticle.com/can-biological-males-be-lesbians/&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNEqsbJA7ehFJ_prrPole6OUk3LDNg" href="https://www.thearticle.com/can-biological-males-be-lesbians/" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">article</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> that covers most of my arguments on this subject. As does this thread by </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055511561987674113.html&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNH2QDTfSzvWI_oey5n3hBCy1JKNtA" href="https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1055511561987674113.html" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CowardlySockpuppet</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For many years I supported the line taken by trans activists, having myself worked on a </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Out-Portraits-Cross-gender-Children/dp/9089102426&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNGhFluKksRvt6X4JTluZpOWZQwfZw" href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inside-Out-Portraits-Cross-gender-Children/dp/9089102426" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">photo book</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> on trans kids. I knew that a close friend took a completely different view and I believed her to be misguided if not transphobic. Talking to her recently, I realised that things weren’t that simple. During much of her childhood, she identified more as a boy. She changed her name, her hair and dressed to match her desire to be seen as a man. However, later she came to embrace life as a woman and is now extremely grateful not to have “transitioned” in any way. That was not an option in the 1960s. Now she is very happy to be a mother of two children, a grandmother and happily married to another woman. None of that would have been possible if she had transitioned. The universal confusion of puberty would have led to sterilisation, life-long dependency on medication and may well have left her unhappy. Many of the feminists who currently challenge gender identity theory have similar backgrounds.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I do not believe that questioning and debating gender ideology is a form of hate. Nor do I believe that debate on the subject should be stifled in the way it is at present. I understand how the problem got so heated. Any debate on the issue of “gender as a spectrum” can be and often is interpreted as a personal attack on a transgender individual. This does make it very difficult to have an open and honest debate on an issue which is crucial to maintaining respect for people with a wide variety of preferences and desires. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This also means that any questioning of the conviction that “trans women are women” -- and even exploring what this means for the definition of “woman” -- is regarded as hate speech and results in massive abuse on Twitter and blocking, often by inclusion on the TERFBlocker block list (instigated, I believe, by Aimee Challenor - see below). In Canada, things have now escalated so far that the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation blocks </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/preta_6/status/1081381565408542720&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNHG8cv4D_Av5cGKh9VlrSRJ95701g" href="https://twitter.com/preta_6/status/1081381565408542720" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">anyone </span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">who has ever questioned the core beliefs of those who advocate gender self-ID. That even means blocking their own members.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I personally think that both Stonewall and Mermaids have overstepped the mark and that their attempts to protect a discriminated minority have led to even greater injustices than those they were protesting against. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One example is </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/green-high-flyer-hid-father-s-rape-charges-kdhrfhll3&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNHauUfsjvwriZ3HygTKgweerq778w" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/green-high-flyer-hid-father-s-rape-charges-kdhrfhll3" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aimee Challenor</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. In protecting her father, she exposed young people to a dangerous paedophile. Not only that, but she continues to be a trans-adviser to Stonewall. This case does reveal some of the major issues involved. Especially the fact that others around her said their “first instinct was to protect Aimee”. And hence not to warn her about imminent dangers or to think of protecting others in society.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mermaids is also a controversial organisation that claims that gender identity is formed in very early childhood. They have been accused of encouraging young people to transition when faced with dysphoria in puberty despite evidence that, without treatment, a large majority, perhaps as much as 90%, ends up identifying with their biological sex. Anyone disputing this is </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/27/police-investigate-online-abuse-charity-transgender-children-mermaids&source=gmail&ust=1580285203815000&usg=AFQjCNFBFgPD-be94DPaNQbguzSya6dYLQ" href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/27/police-investigate-online-abuse-charity-transgender-children-mermaids" style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">accused </span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">of hate speech. The view taken by this organisation would not be such a problem, were it not that Mermaids is taken by government bodies to represent authoritative and expert views and hence invited to propagate these views in schools. No groups of feminists are invited to present different views.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have supported Stop Funding Hate precisely because of your well-founded criticism of parts of the British press which attack diversity, demonise Remainers and support the extreme right and its desire for Brexit. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not suggesting you should swap sides and join the rebellion against this dogma, but I do suggest that Stop Funding Hate doesn’t voice support for it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yours sincerely </span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #888888;"><br /></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #888888;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Martin Cleaver</span></span></blockquote>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">SFH celebrated a year later by blocking me on Twitter for questioning their campaign against an academic calling out "trans trolls". </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">At the same time, on the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Rosa Friedman was subject to anti-semitic abuse for her gender-critical views and de-platformed at the University of Essex. Total silence from Stop Funding Hate which should be protesting this instead of supporting the abusers. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">And now Stop Funding Hate is campaigning against the <a href="https://lgballiance.org.uk/">LGB Alliance</a>, compounding the libel that it is a hate group. By siding with hateful gender identity extremists, Stop Funding Hate is betraying its excellent work calling out the far right. And as soon as anyone questions this, they get blocked on Twitter. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-18985836946162148322019-07-11T11:33:00.002+02:002019-07-11T12:23:07.803+02:00Volt: optimistic, but not naive<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; mso-outline-level: 2;">
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 18.0pt;">Volt:
optimistic, but not naive<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;">
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 24.0pt;">Convinced Europe<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Europe is a given for them, they
campaigned without mediagenic actions and engage in conversation with people
who curse them on social media. Volt. A young generation. Heading for 25
European seats</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.groene.nl/auteur/aukje-van-roessel"><span style="color: #ed1c24; text-decoration: none;">Aukje van Roessel</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">10 julJuly 2019 – <a href="https://www.groene.nl/artikel/overtuigd-europa">published </a>in De Groene Amsterdammer - <span style="color: #ed1c24; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://www.groene.nl/2019/28-29">no. 28-29</a></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CTEiqY5U-A/XScBc90hVNI/AAAAAAA7yK0/A6HJn3Cj_KYeANbqYryNhvUP_aiq8PRggCLcBGAs/s1600/Volt01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="416" height="265" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4CTEiqY5U-A/XScBc90hVNI/AAAAAAA7yK0/A6HJn3Cj_KYeANbqYryNhvUP_aiq8PRggCLcBGAs/s400/Volt01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Leader of Volt, Reinier van Lanschot (centre), at
the party office. Amsterdam, 13 May <span style="color: #777777;">© Michel
Utrecht / HH<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Europe still needs to go to the
polls. In the run-up to the European elections, Volt Nederland is campaigning
in the Glass House at Central Station in The Hague. No DJs raising money for a
good cause (the usual function of the Glass House), but young people who want
to discuss the European Union with passers-by. Volunteers from this first
pan-European political party are lugging furniture from the adjacent building
of The Hague Campus of Leiden University. Visitors to the Glass House will not
have to stand. A laptop is installed so they can make videos for the website.
Everyone helps, nobody is in charge.<br />"We are Europe" is a
common slogan for Volt. They come from all over Europe. They study, work or
fall in love here in the Netherlands. Just as the Dutch volunteers studied,
worked or fell in love elsewhere in Europe. These are members of the generation
for whom the Union is not a question but a fact, who know no better than that
you can travel the EU without a passport; that you can study with EU scholarships
in Lisbon, London or Leiden; and that in many EU countries you no longer have
to exchange your money.<br />During the pleasant, fairly disorganized
start of this campaign meeting, a young woman enters the Glass House. She looks
around searching and says to no one in particular: "Unfortunately I can't
help campaigning today, but I have some goodies for you." And she’s gone. She
has to catch a train.<br />Jason Halbgewachs, party
secretary, recognizes that expression of commitment to the party. In the weeks
just before the elections in Amsterdam at the party office, he sometimes worked
sixteen hours a day, and often someone dropped by with a bite to eat.
Spontaneous, not pre-arranged, let alone sent from higher up. Many a Party Tiger
from established political parties will probably now think: yes, that is still
possible if you are building the party, but just wait.<br />Reinier van Lanschot, Volt
Nederland's party leader in the European elections, has to laugh when I tell
him. He knows the theory about the standard cycle that an organization has to go
through. But he has been warned about all these phases. One of them said: watch
out, it’s most difficult at the start. Someone else contradicted by warning
about the expansion phase: then the momentum is gone, then tough reality takes
over.<br />I speak to Van Lanschot and
Halbgewachs a few weeks after the polls. They first went on holiday to rest
from the intensive campaign. The party leader went to Lebanon to meet a friend
who works in Dubai. Halbgewachs travelled via Vienna, to meet a cousin there,
to Slovakia. They do not turn their backs on making journeys inside and outside
of Europe. This generation is also a sign of this.<br />Volt Netherlands did not receive
enough votes for a seat in the European Parliament. But when someone walks past
our table and makes a comment about it, Van Lanschot says quietly: “We now have
one seat in Parliament and two local representatives.” Volt Germany's party
leader, Damian von Boeselager, is in Brussels and two municipalities in Germany
now have Volt candidates on the local council. As representatives of a pan-European
party, Van Lanschot and Halbgewachs also view the result as pan-European.<br />Volt was founded two years ago.
The Italian Andrea Venzon was the initiator and chairman of Volt Europe. Volt
participated in the European elections in eight countries and in thirteen
countries there are now official political parties with that name. Venzon
started Volt because he felt that nobody in Europe represented the values
with which he had been brought up. He thought of an open society, social
justice and a strong Europe. According to him, the middle parties hardly
mentioned that anymore. He blamed them for joining the populist jargon against
Europe.<br /><b><span style="color: #ed1c24;">Volt wants to stay away from the
adage that throwing mud generates attention</span></b><br />Look at Brexit and how Brexiters
like the British politician Boris Johnson talk about Europe. Look at how the
Forum for Democracy in the Netherlands rails against the European Union as the
PVV did before. Remember that a majority in the Dutch parliament wants to get
rid of the phrase "an ever closer union" in the Treaty of Europe. And
also how Brussels is often blamed for everything that goes wrong in France,
Italy or Hungary. Taking the initiative for a pan-European party is then like
rowing upstream against a strong current. That takes a dose of optimism,
otherwise you won’t survive.<br />But we are not naive, Van
Lanschot adds immediately. He jokes that Volt sometimes resembles the European
Union. He then refers to the differences he sees between how volunteers from
different countries think and act. He dares to admit that these are cultural
differences that go back far into history. In the months that he worked hard to
get a seat for Volt Nederland, he also acquired a better understanding of the
tension between national and European, between what is good for his own country
and what is good for the Union.<br />That is not a reason for Van
Lanschot or Halbgewachs to stop believing in Europe. On the contrary. They are
convinced that countries of Europe can only work together if they want to combat
emerging superpowers like China. Van Lanschot is reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Grand Hotel Europa</i> by Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer. Europe as a huge
amusement park and museum and the Chinese as our colonizer: that is a brief
summary of what the author outlines in his novel. And Van Lanschot, Halbgewachs
and their generations are the new forced labourers, they joke afterwards.<br />To protect Europe from this, Van
Lanschot has resigned from AHold and Halbgewachs took a number of months of
unpaid leave from the consultancy where he works. There were people in their
area who did not understand this. Halbgewachs tries to explain to me what he
has received in return in the form of experience, encounters, the pleasure of
working together for a focused goal, what you learn from it. But as he talks,
he realizes that this sounds as if he only did it for his resumé. He tries to
correct that. He and many of the Volt volunteers want to get rid of the pressure
to perform that is also characteristic of their generation.<br />For Van Lanschot, commitment to a
goal like Europe means giving meaning to life. He can’t imagine that, after his
studies, he would get a job, possibly get some promotion every few years and
start earning more, maybe have children - and that’s that. Halbgewachs has
peers who work, go home, sit on the couch in the evening watching series and
think they are busy. Everyone has a choice, he wants more.<br />But helping set up a new party,
isn't that the opposite extreme? Van Lanschot recalls that Prime Minister Mark
Rutte called them naive during the election campaign. Rutte apparently saw no
potential, Van Lanschot thinks. That is why he is all the prouder that Volt has
gained a seat in the European Parliament. It does not seem to bother them that
a newcomer in the Netherlands, such as the Forum for Democracy, immediately plays
a leading role with several seats. On the contrary. They have gained that one
seat, the two men emphasize, by conducting a campaign that was devoid of eye-catching
stunts. Volt wants to keep its distance from the adage among campaign gurus
that throwing mud and playing the man generates attention.<br />Volt members remain polite on
Twitter and Facebook. During the election campaign, however, they often had
plenty of mud flung at them on social media. Volt responds to those messages
that curse them. Their experience is that the sender is often shocked when he
receives a polite message back from them, sometimes even apologizes and wishes
them success. Halbgewachs compares it to swearing at other road users in the
safe cocoon of a car. A pedestrian on the pavement wouldn’t tend to do that. He
is vulnerable. That is what it is all about, on social media and in politics.
They are strengthened in their resolve by the fact that a Dutch celebrity and actress
like Katja Schuurman let them know publicly in advance that she was voting for
Volt.<br />After his unpaid leave,
Halbgewachs has since returned to work as an externally hired consultant with
the government. Van Lanschot is looking for a job now that he has not been able
to get a seat in the European Parliament. Both remain committed to Volt. They
hope that their party can participate in the next European elections in all the
member states. And then get more seats. Preferably 25, then the Volt delegates
can form their own group in the European Parliament. They aren’t that far yet,
so Volt has become a member of The Greens/EFA in Brussels for the time being.<br />Volt also wants to get a foothold
nationally. Van Lanschot says that within the party they realize that, in order
to gain influence in Brussels, you also have to have influence in the member
states, so here in the Netherlands in The Hague. That is where decisions are
taken about what the Netherlands wants to achieve in Brussels. And yes, they
are contributing to further fragmentation in parliament. They often hear that
reproach.<br />But they have no choice, they
think. Even the political party that is the strongest advocate for Europe in
the Dutch parliament, D66, does not express their ideal for them. Volt wants a
Europe with a parliament with groups of purely pan-European parties. A
parliament that has just as much power as Capitol Hill in the United States of
America. They are therefore striving for a federal Europe, for a United States
of Europe. At a time when the words "an ever closer union" are
already contaminated for many, the f-word is taboo and others even argue for a
departure from the Union, this is a sign of optimism. Although their opponents
will gladly continue to frame that as naive.</span></div>
<div class="author-avatar" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 16.95pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZHkG4mMfw0/XScBc2UV7YI/AAAAAAA7yK4/z60PiMFkLQA-A2cpK4cmRf125QUFti6bgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Volt02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="133" data-original-width="133" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4ZHkG4mMfw0/XScBc2UV7YI/AAAAAAA7yK4/z60PiMFkLQA-A2cpK4cmRf125QUFti6bgCEwYBhgL/s1600/Volt02.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><b style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">Aukje van Roessel </span></b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">has been working as a political editor
for</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> De Groene Amsterdammer </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">since 2004. For her weekly chronicle In The
Hague she received the 2015 Anne Vondeling Prize for political journalism.
Before she started at</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> De Groene, </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">she worked as a journalist at</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">
Brabant Pers, de Volkskrant </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">and</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> NRC Handelsblad. </i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;">She was a guest
lecturer at the School for Journalism in Utrecht, gave courses in writing to
employees of communication departments and was a panel member of the radio
programme</span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Villa VPRO Media</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="author-avatar" style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 16.95pt; margin-top: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-63662531249966517102019-05-04T20:43:00.002+02:002019-05-04T20:43:48.432+02:004 May 2019 - Remembering the Dead<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">It is the time to remember the dead. To commemorate those who died during World War Two. It is a strange experience for those of us who were born in a country which did not experience “The Occupation”.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">As a Briton, I am used to war memorials featuring stalwart soldiers with their rifles at the ready. It was a shock to see that Dutch war memorials feature people in chains, heads bowed. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">At 8 pm, I stood outside my house to enjoy the relative quiet and saw others also standing still to remember. A few cycle couriers hurried past with their hot meals to deliver.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Two young British girls walked past chattering animatedly and I thought it was appropriate to let them know what the occasion was. I asked if they knew what was going on, but they ignored me. Did they think I was propositioning them? No idea. They walked on and ignored me completely. It’s such a pity they still have no idea that it is 4 May and what that means in Holland.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2019/05/the-netherlands-will-go-quiet-on-may-4-for-two-minutes-here-is-why/</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; min-height: 13.8px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br /></div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-55904766047370207432018-12-21T17:30:00.000+01:002018-12-21T17:30:22.315+01:00Volt in the Volkskrant<div dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-35b43124-7fff-4669-b8be-ef7bac9991c1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Volt is ready to conquer Europe </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(Ariejan Korteweg – de Volkskrant – 19 December 2018)</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="456" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/iAl4gDUdrZfwKG3KoXofYigy_xx3FSE6t_DfTgWdT8QLQRb6cJsCBuE9EUBOnXLswNVUMsxawFnSl8jIVsoBZWF08c1DwzdcCf4Lv089FFkgly5kNiowv0d_j2Voxhdf-_N0Az_9_-UDFd3T5Q" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="608" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Laurens, Jasper and Reinier want to enter Europe.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Volt is a new party that takes the European ideal literally. It wants to participate in the European elections under the same name and with the same programme in all countries of the EU - and it even has members in the non-EU countries Switzerland, Albania and Norway. “Bringing politics to a European level” is the ideal. Only the lists of candidates are national because the rules make that necessary – one of the flaws in the system that the party wants to tackle.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Last weekend, the party leader was elected and Jasper Munnichs, publicity manager of Volt, asked if the Volkskrant would like an exclusive interview. Not really, to be honest, was the response: let Volt first prove that it is more than a group of European citizens who want to expand their international network. Yet it continued to nag. Volt wants to take a logical step: to conquer Brussels from the outside with a pan-European party.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are gadgets in abundance, yet there isn’t a purple Volt flag or sweater to be seen in the party office. The office is actually the living room of the freelancers who live here and Volt can use it for a small contribution. Hence the drying racks with washing in the corner. Above the desk is a horizontal Christmas tree, like a battering ram aimed at Brussels. In the beginning, insects fell out of it, says Jasper (25), but that has fortunately stopped.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="589" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/ccFvW_agvrP2S6AOT3uYz5Hx9viIk90N9ifj6-vvBvf56ivBy3xGaq27vL4TvAIyksIRkkQ_-htkomkOdPcwwOgRqxDiprlbds_PDJsp3-IbYTDZ4DasIgCCB4Onh1E2T3iZ3b98UYQH8Ha0CQ" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="608" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Volt chooses European Parliament leadership candidate</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reinier van Lanschot (29) was selected as the party leader on Saturday, Laurens Dassen (33) is number 3. They have left their jobs at Ahold and the ABNAmro Bank respectively, Jasper has put his computer-science study on hold. Everything for Volt.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Since the establishment of the Dutch branch, six months ago, a lot has happened. There are local divisions as far apart as Barendrecht and Deventer, a group of 1,200 “supporters” has been formed, every Monday evening the Volt Academy gives an online lecture on the EU. There are “cross-border events” between Kleve and Nijmegen, or Maastricht and Aachen. And there are days when Volters look at the same subject in all European cities: “Fix the EU” or “Make Europe an economic powerhouse”.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are swamped with ideas, they say. In all capitals, there’s a large clock indicating the number of days that peace has reigned in Europe: 26,889. Or you can fly across European borders in a purple hot-air balloon.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The aim: 25 MEPs, spread over at least seven countries - then you have your own political group. The conditions are favourable. Because you can Skype free with Bulgarians or Romanians and hold virtual meetings via Google Meet. And because everyone in their generation speaks reasonable English. “You can contribute from your computer at home.”</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="456" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/31OTjogv5VKMBX5Zk3FfMFdVQKw280I75-NtjvdeS5E79j-FIDnh6ZzsRdM4ev-YSSdP-v0IkUvhjffjWGu0E1mE8eoKAG2TecS3qNj94GU6cGl4zvIZl6_viEW9Rmqvp-Lh8QrarzHjD2aZGg" style="border: none; transform: rotate(0rad);" width="608" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Party office with horizontal Christmas tree.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m curious about how we will be regarded in fifty years time, Reinier muses. A bit like Esperanto, fun but never applied on a large scale? “I think we are the beginning of much more. Just think: According to the Euro barometer, 79% of the Dutch think the EU is a good thing. While only 37% voted. That is where our options are.”</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But what do you think of us, they enquire at a certain moment. Things like that. They never ask that in The Hague, they have the answers themselves. You are a “pioneering party”, I say. New political parties – Denk, PVV, FvD, 50Plus, Party for the Animals – are usually triggered by an outrage. For you everything is positive.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">They nod. Volt is positive and progressive, wants to include shipping and aviation in the climate goals, finds camps for refugees in the snow morally reprehensible and wants to tackle the democratic deficit of Europe. “All together that’s enough to wind people up.”</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Reinier returns to the topic of identity at the end. "The snack known as a hair salon," he says. (It’s a hotchpotch of chips, kebab, salad, cheese and lots of sauce – in the oven.) “I remember when I ate one for the first time: 1 January 2009. Delicious. Such a thing only exists here. That is also identity.”</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Looking for a European snack? They nod.</span></div>
<br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><br style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;" /><img src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/c5cf67b5-a369-4051-9903-72b9b61c9c25" /><img src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/503bb823-304c-40c6-9618-fa385177704c" /><img src="blob:https://www.blogger.com/545d1c52-805f-47e5-8e88-773edc0268fa" />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-27842593190792509942018-10-16T12:29:00.005+02:002020-12-26T21:00:14.294+01:00Cycle helmets don't help <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-za1itHIH-Uw/X1ZgBqLz3rI/AAAAAAA-LI0/0QJ9udaZmKkYk3FrIR9RT6_2IVeNTSCdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1754/7D86133D-64B6-42A2-9850-EB02971279E3.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1754" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-za1itHIH-Uw/X1ZgBqLz3rI/AAAAAAA-LI0/0QJ9udaZmKkYk3FrIR9RT6_2IVeNTSCdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/7D86133D-64B6-42A2-9850-EB02971279E3.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><div><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>Lots of people seem to believe that wearing a helmet on a bicycle makes cycling safer. There's plenty of evidence that it doesn't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In fact, wearing a helmet does a lot more harm than good. It makes cycling look dangerous when it isn't and there is even evidence that cars tend to drive close to bikes with a helmeted rider.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of course, if you're going out mountain biking or take part in a race, you'd be pretty stupid to do it without a helmet. But if you want to cycle to work or go down the shops, then it's really not necessary or desirable.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you're unfortunate enough to find yourself under the wheels of the truck, a helmet wouldn't have helped anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Helmets and the Law in the <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3817?ijkey=I5vHBog6FhaaLzX&keytype=ref">British Medical Journal</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.bikehelmetblog.com/2016/09/bike-helmets-cannot-prevent-brain.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bike helmets can't prevent brain injury</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/03/the-bike-helmet-paradox/273555/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The Bike Helmet Paradox</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2017/04/how-effective-are-bike-helmet-laws/521997/"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">How bike helmet laws do more harm than good</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/CardioBrief/65801"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The unintended consequences of bike helmets</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/somerset/5334208.stm"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was also pointed out in 2006 study.</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://theconversation.com/ditching-bike-helmets-laws-better-for-health-42"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ditching bike helmet laws better for health</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://cyclingfallacies.com/en/29/people-should-wear-helmets-when-cycling"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">People should wear helmets when cycling - a fallacy</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/sunday-review/to-encourage-biking-cities-forget-about-helmets.html"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To encourage cycling, lose the helmets</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.sarahwilson.com/2010/12/if-you-dont-like-wearing-a-bike-helmet-you-might-like-to-read-this/">Sarah Wilson on helmets</a></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/2391240/guilty-until-proven-helmeted">Guilty Until Proven Helmeted</a><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And a few figures...</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-3Z-UYyTV4/XCZfeVXtVcI/AAAAAAA7JOQ/4Zrd-PXU3DQHIbi9JcDKYH-wO3VRoFV0ACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/2012%2Bhelmet%2Bdeaths%2BOz.jpg"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K-3Z-UYyTV4/XCZfeVXtVcI/AAAAAAA7JOQ/4Zrd-PXU3DQHIbi9JcDKYH-wO3VRoFV0ACK4BGAYYCw/s640/2012%2Bhelmet%2Bdeaths%2BOz.jpg" width="640" /></a><div><br /></div><div>An example for the helmet fallacy:</div><div>"Our response when someone supports Mandatory Helmet Laws just because they say a helmet saved their life one time:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bY6avRYB7ro/X-eV43niNWI/AAAAAAA-nyw/IrTfICxzIjM3M4e_McIhL3TfjLjmSB27QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1005" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bY6avRYB7ro/X-eV43niNWI/AAAAAAA-nyw/IrTfICxzIjM3M4e_McIhL3TfjLjmSB27QCLcBGAsYHQ/image.png" width="312" /></a></div><br />Image shows/represents damaged ww2 aircraft that made it back from bombing raids. It's used to signify a fallacy... Military first thought they should protect the damaged parts of the plane. But in reality, the planes that didn't make it home were damaged in the white parts."</div><div>Thanks to @BicycleLobby and @Schmucklevision.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-65818026457372898942018-07-18T10:01:00.000+02:002018-12-22T19:06:24.014+01:00Euro trainsCould trains be the future?<br />
<br />
We are going to have to change our lifestyle and that means adapting to changing sources of energy and different ways of getting around.<br />
<br />
Electric cars should become more environmentally friendly. They run on electricity, but at present production is polluting, as are the tyres. It will be a long time before airplanes stop being a threat to the environment. In the meantime, the most durable form of transport is the train.<br />
Brave experiments lik<span style="background-color: white;">e the new service t</span>o London by Eurostar are showing the way, but have been prohibitively expensive. As planes and buses get cheaper, trains have done little to catch up. There's a promising development as Eurostar is eager to put on trains from Amsterdam to London much more cheaply than at present. Eurostar from Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam to London is just as fast as the plane (centre to centre).<br />
<br />
But in general, trains in some parts of Europe are still prohibitively expensive and can be very difficult to book. The UK is in first place when it comes to the costs of train travel. This graph makes for very uncomfortable reading:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RGzFZ7J4zNI/WvHhtsMcn0I/AAAAAAA16Fk/aO5ZrFU42nc9xEKCWK3YYOk7tx50k7v-gCLcBGAs/s1600/Train%2Bcosts%2Bcompared2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="481" data-original-width="641" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RGzFZ7J4zNI/WvHhtsMcn0I/AAAAAAA16Fk/aO5ZrFU42nc9xEKCWK3YYOk7tx50k7v-gCLcBGAs/s400/Train%2Bcosts%2Bcompared2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Recently three friends who couldn't fly needed to come from Jersey to Amsterdam at short notice, but the journey both ways was hell. Thanks to transport strikes in France, the family spent two days getting here, with an unplanned night in Paris on the way. On the return trip, the planned train costs for three from Amsterdam to Saint-Malo were €1600 (!), but again fate intervened and they had to take a taxi 200 kilometres from Nantes to Saint-Malo at a cost of another €400!<br />
<br />
Please follow the train coalition and let's get more iron horses on the tracks. <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/traincoalition">http://groups.google.com/group/traincoalition</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-45227446025489043692018-05-09T10:34:00.003+02:002018-05-09T10:38:07.941+02:00Quicktime Pro alternatives on WindowsIf you want a simple - quick and dirty - way to edit a video, there's nothing to surpass <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201175">Quicktime Pro</a> from Apple. When you just want to chop a bit off a video file or splice a few videos together (assuming they are encoded the same). And I am talking about Windows and specifically with version 7 of QT Pro. It is incredibly easy to use, it's fast and lossless. (That means it doesn't actually convert or re-encode video, so it doesn't lose anything.)<br />
<br />
As a video player, it is unnecessary. As Apple says:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HlH3Tccxdk/WvKyJh-mxII/AAAAAAA16Rw/Q3fVTOPZXqwnH47EWs3R9HSa9bNU8kV1ACLcBGAs/s1600/2018-05-07%2B16_52_38-Where%2Bto%2Bget%2Banswers%2Babout%2BQuickTime%2B7%2Bor%2BQuickTime%2B7%2BPro%2B-%2BApple%2BSupport.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="128" data-original-width="867" height="58" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0HlH3Tccxdk/WvKyJh-mxII/AAAAAAA16Rw/Q3fVTOPZXqwnH47EWs3R9HSa9bNU8kV1ACLcBGAs/s400/2018-05-07%2B16_52_38-Where%2Bto%2Bget%2Banswers%2Babout%2BQuickTime%2B7%2Bor%2BQuickTime%2B7%2BPro%2B-%2BApple%2BSupport.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
However Apple, in its wisdom, decided to retire this gem. It still works now and can be installed. I still have a license and can use it, but there must be some suitable alternatives for when Apple finally closes it down? Or when Windows no longer plays ball.<br />
<br />
Suggestions, please?Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-77830637438401198972018-04-08T12:53:00.000+02:002018-04-08T12:53:28.538+02:00Lords amendment on the Brexit Bill. <div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
My letter to a couple of members of the House of Lords...</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Brexit shall, I fear, be the greatest disaster to overcome the United Kingdom in centuries. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Having grown up in Croydon and studied in Manchester, I moved from the UK to the Netherlands in 1973. I am a British emigrant with two children who had a Dutch mother. The children are half English but only have Dutch passports. If Brexit goes ahead they will no longer have the freedom of movement that allowed me to settle in the UK. They would have retained that freedom, had I applied for British passports for them before they were eighteen. But when they turned eighteen (my son Ian in 2015), there was no shadow on the horizon and no apparent need to apply for British passports. Like all of us, they have benefitted from the shared European heritage that gives them the freedom to move and settle anywhere in the EU, including in England where they spent a considerable time in their childhood. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Indeed, in the last two years, my son has been able to take advantage of the freedom of movement. As a talented young jazz musician and member of the Dutch <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.njjo.nl/&source=gmail&ust=1523270339110000&usg=AFQjCNEtp7pnFXS5W1k_1oe6crdx0oyRnw" href="http://www.njjo.nl/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">National Youth Jazz Orchestra</a>, he has visited the UK to perform in a cooperative venture with the British <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=https://www.nyjo.org.uk/&source=gmail&ust=1523270339110000&usg=AFQjCNEt4wJ3tAkuyzjNjlszoIiH5KH9VA" href="https://www.nyjo.org.uk/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">National Youth Jazz Orchestra </a>and the German one, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=http://www.bundesjazzorchester.de/startseite.html&source=gmail&ust=1523270339110000&usg=AFQjCNFBpVbFHfUsMLwbdM461yX6bD4yXA" href="http://www.bundesjazzorchester.de/startseite.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">BuJazzO</a>. The apt name <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en-GB&q=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v%3Dpryl90X71Es&source=gmail&ust=1523270339110000&usg=AFQjCNG5rf4hcA1uBcdDs0N34MY4KGUPWg" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pryl90X71Es" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Three Nations under One Groove</a> reminds us of our shared cultural heritage and the benefits for all of a cooperation like this. If Brexit were to go ahead, ventures like this would be a lot more difficult. In addition, the plight of all European artists and musicians in the case of Brexit would be awful. Actors, musicians, filmmakers, artists now have the freedom to move freely and work where they like within the EU. Much as Vincent van Gogh did 140 years ago.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
The very close result in an advisory referendum - voted for by only 37% of the restricted electorate (which excluded Brits who had moved abroad, Europeans who had settled in the UK and the 16-17-year-olds who were allowed to vote in the Scottish referendum) - cannot possibly justify the devastating constitutional changes now imminent. Even less so since, in the two years following the referendum, there has been absolutely no progress towards a deal in any way comparable to the present extremely advantageous one. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
In addition, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the referendum campaign was riddled with dirty tricks. The result itself has been thrown into doubt and, in the meantime, many British people are changing their minds. I am delighted to see that attempts to curb the freedom of MPs in the House of Commons are not effective in the House of Lords. I'm counting on you to protect the interests of all citizens and inhabitants of the UK. </div>
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Please vote in favour of the "Parliamentary motions on a referendum", Lord Newby's amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill. </span>Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-67849285119636577782018-03-06T16:50:00.002+01:002018-03-06T16:52:00.871+01:00How do you contact Facebook?<a href="https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/28796145_10155011499666152_4108093933763014940_n.jpg?oh=50991de16b900b7c880bb7d9c8df4099&oe=5B4C2905" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="No automatic alt text available." border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent-amt2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/28796145_10155011499666152_4108093933763014940_n.jpg?oh=50991de16b900b7c880bb7d9c8df4099&oe=5B4C2905" width="203" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I have no idea how or why, but Facebook has been plundering my PayPal account. Having boosted two Facebook posts (for a small non-commercial local community meeting) for the sum of €20 each, most of which was covered by an initial credit of €40, Facebook suddenly started billing me and PayPal paid up a sum now amounting to €300. I've tried to contact Facebook for the last week, but I'm discovering that isn't as easy as it should be. PayPal recognizes I have disputed three payments and has escalated the disputes to claims, but I have not had a single response from Facebook. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Mind you, I'm not even sure I have actually reached anyone at Facebook because if you try and report a problem, you don't get to actually get to keep what you wrote and it scrolls off the screen, so you can't screensaver it either. Then at the end, you get greeted by a message thanking me for providing feedback. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Then you get pointed to the "Advertiser Support Page" where there is also no option to contact Facebook.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">At last, I managed to find a page where I could dispute the payments. Namely <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/326520857454699?hc_location=ufi">this one</a>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">How does one contact Facebook? And have other people had problems with them stealing money? </span><span class="_5mfr _47e3" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;"><span class="_7oe" style="display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0px; width: 0px;">😡</span></span><br />
<br />
(NL: <span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ik heb rond 8 en 25 februari twee keer bij Facebook een bericht "geboost". (Het ging om twee berichten over een buurt vergadering, dus niets commercieel.) Dat zou elke keer voor maximaal €20 zijn. Dat leek goed te gaan. Op 22/2 kreeg ik een rekening voor €0,92 (!) en op 28/2 zag ik dat ik €7 uitgegeven had en dat ik €1 per dag zou uitgeven. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Op 26/2 kreeg ik een rekening voor €20. Dat was prima. Maar toen ging het mis. Ook op 26/2 zag ik plotseling rekeningen van €40 en van €207! De eerste werd door PayPal betaald, maar de tweede niet. Ik was geschrokken en blij dat die betaling tegengehouden was en heb onmiddellijk contact gezocht met Facebook en aan PayPal laten weten dat ik bezwaar maakte tegen de rekening voor €40. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Herhaalde pogingen om met Facebook in contact te komen zijn mislukt. Je kan formulieren invullen online, maar krijg als response alleen "bedankt voor de feedback". Van een echte klachtenprocedure of -mogelijkheid lijkt er geen sprake.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Ik was blij dat de betaling van €207 door PayPal was tegengehouden op 26/2, maar gisteren (zondag 4/3) geschrokken dat de betaling toch via PayPal doorging, ondanks mijn maiberichten aan Facebook en beroep bij PayPal. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Hoe komt men in contact met Facebook? Hoe kunnen ze bedragen van €300 van mijn PayPal nemen terwijl er een limite van €20 op een boost was?)</span>Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-51708565323452982942018-03-01T19:25:00.006+01:002018-03-19T18:05:39.426+01:00CDA Amsterdam - Leasehold for owner-occupiers<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="site-header" id="masthead" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/WPHeader" style="background-color: white; color: #3a3a3a; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; position: relative;"><div class="inside-header grid-container grid-parent" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 960px; padding: 40px;">
<div class="site-branding" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: middle;">
<div class="main-title" itemprop="headline" style="border: 0px; font-size: 40px; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.2em; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
<a href="https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://awep.nl/&xid=17259,15700022,15700105,15700124,15700149,15700168,15700173,15700201&usg=ALkJrhiXIEOul9GCVZc1t33kOP6_jV8j-g" rel="home" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; clear: right; color: #3a3a3a; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: 0.1s ease-in-out, 0.1s ease-in-out;" title="Amsterdam Woon and Leasehold Party"><img alt="Amsterdamse Woon en Erfpachtpartij" class="header-image" src="https://awep.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/AWEP_Logo_T_200t.png" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding-right: 20px; vertical-align: middle; width: 68px;" title="Amsterdam Woon and Leasehold Party" /></a><span class="notranslate" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">CDA <a href="https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&sp=nmt4&tl=en&u=https://awep.nl/&xid=17259,15700022,15700105,15700124,15700149,15700168,15700173,15700201&usg=ALkJrhiXIEOul9GCVZc1t33kOP6_jV8j-g" rel="home" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: #222222; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out, background-color 0.1s ease-in-out;">Amsterdam</a></span></div>
</div>
<div class="site-logo" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; float: left; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
</header><br />
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What does Honest Leasehold mean for you?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In June 2017, the ruling coalition in Amsterdam of VVD, D66 and SP agreed on a new leasehold arrangement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The way in which the dues for your leasehold are now calculated is unjust: Amsterdam is claiming part of your home. That has to stop. And it also provides an online calculator to see what the alternative would mean for you. This text provides further information about leasehold in Amsterdam and our alternative. More and more people are realising that the present arrangement is unreasonable and unjust. After the elections, leasehold is sure to be back on the agenda. Our aim is, once and for all, to create a fair system in Amsterdam.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What is wrong with the present leasehold arrangement?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The present arrangement made by the local coalition of D66/VVD/SP comes down to the municipality taking ownership of part of your residence. At its core is the 'Buurtstraatquote' (BSQ), a percentage of the value of your house of which the municipality says: that is basically the value of the land and belongs to us. This can amount to as much as 49 percent of the WOZ value. However, this method is completely unjust. It ignores the reality of owning a house: you can’t pick up your house and put it down somewhere else; your house and the land it occupies are inseparable. So you have to bear in mind that the ground is already in use and someone already has an existing contract for it. In addition, the municipality has already been paid in full for the value of the land. That is why the CDA wants to base the calculation on the existing contracts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The present arrangement is unfair and leads to unreasonably high costs for homeowners. In addition, the present arrangement is completely untenable. After 2019, the costs throughout the city will explode even more dramatically.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What does the CDA want and why is that so reasonable?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The CDA wants an honest leasehold based on existing contracts. By far the most leasehold contracts have already been reviewed. So the value of the ground has been determined. Why should the value of the land be recalculated using expensive, controversial, complex and obscure calculations and charged once again? That is not logical or reasonable. The CDA is of the opinion: if you have already paid the value of the ground, you don’t have to pay it again. If it has been bought off, you’re done. For once and for all. That’s logical.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition, it has to be made much more affordable to buy off the leasehold. Scientific research indicates that the value of the ground under dwellings is about ten percent of the WOZ valuation. The CDA adopts that as the maximum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Does the council need the income? No. If the new municipal council agrees to the CDA proposal, then the council will not lose any money in the short-term. It just means that in decades to come the council has less additional income. But Amsterdam can cope with that just fine. Nearly all the other municipalities in the Netherlands also manage to function without leasehold. The City of Amsterdam has all kinds of other ways of generating income: tourist tax, its share in Schiphol airport, the Harbour and central government funds, for instance. It is unreasonable and unnecessary to ask a relatively small number of homeowners to pay extra.</span><br />
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfSqN5pf2NU/Wp57VnlqkLI/AAAAAAA1lvY/dnYDPwikC1sI0aEfj4g57bN_UBUsu_LAwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180202%2BCDA%2BErfpacht%2Binfo%2Bgraphic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="749" height="155" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfSqN5pf2NU/Wp57VnlqkLI/AAAAAAA1lvY/dnYDPwikC1sI0aEfj4g57bN_UBUsu_LAwCLcBGAs/s640/20180202%2BCDA%2BErfpacht%2Binfo%2Bgraphic.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
</div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-45602023226359701842018-02-21T16:23:00.001+01:002018-02-21T18:45:41.391+01:00Bijeenkomst voor bewoners van Amsterdam (Oud West) over de erfpacht herziening.<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
</div>
Uitnodiging <br />
<br />
Door de erfpachtherziening komt er heel veel op eigenaar/bewoners af. Daarom organiseren wij een<br />
<br />
Op <b>dinsdag 6 maart 2018, inloop vanaf 19 uur, aanvang 19:30</b> in het<br />
<br />
<b>Bellamy Buurt Museum (BBM)</b><br />
<b>Bellamystraat 378, Amsterdam</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.erfpachtinamsterdam.nl/img/SEBA-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Erfpachter als melkkoe van de gemeente" border="0" height="245" src="https://www.erfpachtinamsterdam.nl/img/SEBA-logo.png" width="320" /></a>De bijeenkomst wordt georganiseerd door de initiatiefgroep <b>Erfpacht in West</b> en is gratis. De presentatie wordt verzorgd door <b>Koen de Lange</b> van de <a href="https://www.erfpachtinamsterdam.nl/">SEBA</a> (Stichting Erfpacht Belang Amsterdam). Hij is een expert op het gebied van erfpacht en informeert ons over de laatste ontwikkelingen, Hij zal aan de hand van voorbeelden verschillende situaties bij ons in de buurt aan de orde stellen en laten zien hoe bijvoorbeeld de eigenaar/bewoner met een ongesplitst eigendom en verhuurde etages (sociale huur) ernstig tekort wordt gedaan. <br />
<br />
Door de rekenmethode met WOZ en BSQ moeten deze eigenaren in de nabije toekomst een heel hoge last opbrengen. De gemeente doet u nu een aanbod op basis van de verkoopwaarde. Dat is eigenlijk heel raar. Erfpacht zou over de grondwaarde moeten gaan. Dan kom je ook veel lager en eerlijke uit. Ga naar <a href="http://www.eerlijke-erfpacht.nl/">www.eerlijke-erfpacht.nl</a>. Dat is een erfpacht rekentool die wel eerlijk is. Koen de Lange zal hem demonstreren tijdens de bijeenkomst.<br />
<br />
Laten we ons voorbereiden en ons laten horen en deze onaangename verrassingen zoveel mogelijk ombuigen. Geef je op voor deze bijeenkomst met een mail aan <a href="mailto:ErfpachtinWest@gmail.com">ErfpachtinWest@gmail.com</a>.<br />
<br />
Welkom op dinsdag 6 maart in het Bellamy Buurt Museum, en neem iedereen mee die hier belangstelling voor heeft. <br />
<br />
<br />
Namens ErfpachtinWest <br />
<br />
<br />
Martin Cleaver <br />
<br />
<br />
Sommige mensen kunnen berekenen hoeveel de herziening gaat kosten bij de erfpacht site van de gemeente. Het is aan te raden om een offerte voor de overstap aan te vragen of daar of bij <a href="mailto:overstaperfpacht@amsterdam.nl">overstaperfpacht@amsterdam.nl</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-7279854447284115492017-01-09T10:58:00.001+01:002017-11-26T14:14:45.005+01:00Amsterdam has a Cycle Mayor? <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Amsterdam used to be bicycle capital of the world, but it's had a hard time struggling against </span><a href="http://mcleaver.blogspot.nl/2016/12/reclaim-bike-paths-fietspad-terug.html" style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">scooters</a><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">. So it was great news last year that, having had a Night Mayor for many years, we were also going to get a Cycle Mayor.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_kKWB29nic/Whq-CT4vAfI/AAAAAAAxJtc/iFMCOr5u-hc3alWX4N8N9KWlhjFHNDzMACLcBGAs/s1600/ALuten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="593" height="269" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i_kKWB29nic/Whq-CT4vAfI/AAAAAAAxJtc/iFMCOr5u-hc3alWX4N8N9KWlhjFHNDzMACLcBGAs/s320/ALuten.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After a glitzy show at Amsterdam's cultural centre De Zwijger, the new mayor <a href="https://www.facebook.com/anna.luten.5">Anna Luten</a> got chosen. I'd like to say elected, but I fear that doesn't quite cover this farce organised by <a href="http://cyclespace.nl/">Cycle Space</a> (which does have a glitzy and noisy website, be warned).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Afterwards, as the city struggled to cope with scooters and tourists and massive overcrowding, it would have been great to have regular contributions from Amsterdam's new Cycle Mayor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just one problem. She was completely invisible. Her Facebook page doesn't have a single posting since she became bicycle mayor. There's also been no sign of any interest in the government's Internet consultation about mopeds from her or Cycle Space. In fact all Cycle Space did was mention it once in passing while saying it was an initiative of Holland's <a href="http://www.fietsersbond.nl/english-info#.WHNcEBsrKHs">Cyclists' Union</a>. Cycle Space may be good at advertising and getting grants, but they're no good when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of policy and campaigning.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UowyzipHHXg/WHNdGtEzfKI/AAAAAAAObyE/m3YHaxnSkAscSNdMdy8WelxQRE5DPlznQCLcB/s1600/2017-01-09%2B10_38_46-CycleSpace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UowyzipHHXg/WHNdGtEzfKI/AAAAAAAObyE/m3YHaxnSkAscSNdMdy8WelxQRE5DPlznQCLcB/s320/2017-01-09%2B10_38_46-CycleSpace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The only news we got about her or from was from articles in the foreign press (for instance </span><a href="http://www.citylab.com/commute/2016/12/anna-luten-bike-mayor-netherlands/511493/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">CityLab</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/aug/11/cycling-amsterdam-bike-jams-bicycle-mayor-anna-luten?CMP=share_btn_link" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">the Guardian</a>, <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">where she made sure to advertise her employer: the Japanese bicycle company </span><a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/nl-NL/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Giant</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> and its female counterpart </span><a href="https://www.giant-bicycles.com/nl-NL/livgiant/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Liv</a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, for whom she just happened to be responsible for marketing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cd-p7rPl5Xo/WHN2PbPthMI/AAAAAAAObyc/EHZ7nCOA0f8T9y4_vc7ttsb4YRnDyDC0QCLcB/s1600/2017-01-09%2B12_37_52-CompatWindow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cd-p7rPl5Xo/WHN2PbPthMI/AAAAAAAObyc/EHZ7nCOA0f8T9y4_vc7ttsb4YRnDyDC0QCLcB/s320/2017-01-09%2B12_37_52-CompatWindow.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And now she is upping and leaving in order to start up a similar project in New York. I sincerely hope she is being sent by her employer* and not by the city of Amsterdam.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UowyzipHHXg/WHNdGtEzfKI/AAAAAAAObyE/m3YHaxnSkAscSNdMdy8WelxQRE5DPlznQCLcB/s1600/2017-01-09%2B10_38_46-CycleSpace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span id="goog_674346196"></span><span id="goog_674346197"></span></span> <a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-itbmb8tV8Hc/WHNdktosrZI/AAAAAAAObyI/blDCZY9DNyMfdzjr6TR5bMXAq5WHjHduACLcB/s1600/2017-01-09%2B10_51_55-Daar%2Bis%2Bie%2Bdan%2521%2B-%2BYvonne%2BVan%2BLaarhoven.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But fortunately she has found a suitable replacement, <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/yvonne.v.laarhoven?fref=nf">Yvonne van Laarhoven</a>. Yvonne is obviously also a cyclist, but her Facebook tends to suggest she is prouder of her new car, which conveniently comes from a <a href="http://www.vanlaarhovenmini.nl/">garage </a>that shares her name. </span> What a coincidence! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">It really is time for a real Cycle Mayor who represents the cyclists of Amsterdam and not commercial interests - be they of the cycle industry or the motor industry!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">(And anyway, Amsterdam already has a <a href="https://twitter.com/fietsb_meester">Cycle Mayor</a>. Completely unofficial but a lot more active than these two ladies.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">* I gather she has now left Giant. (Thanks, </span><span class="username txt-mute" style="background-color: white; color: #8899a6; direction: ltr; font-family: "arial" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 0.8571rem; max-width: 100%; text-decoration: none; unicode-bidi: embed;"><a class="account-link link-complex" data-user-name="FeargusOSull" href="https://twitter.com/FeargusOSull" rel="user" style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; max-width: 100%; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@FeargusOSull</a>) </span>Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-68215798182887232572016-12-29T10:28:00.000+01:002018-07-18T10:02:25.974+02:00Reclaim Bike Paths (Fietspad terug) Amsterdam was once the cycling capital of the world. It led the way in developing and constructing the best possible infrastructure for cycling. However, it is now losing ground to scooters. An anomaly in Dutch law has made it possible for scooters (not mopeds, and hence with no pedals) to take over Dutch cycle paths.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pu0LjBbixMA/WGZgBsjA3HI/AAAAAAAOYro/P5fC1-gl6UkkT2gQv_PpU6-PRdVEBXBHACLcB/s1600/IMG_stad_snorfiets_2_1_BQ12GBDK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pu0LjBbixMA/WGZgBsjA3HI/AAAAAAAOYro/P5fC1-gl6UkkT2gQv_PpU6-PRdVEBXBHACLcB/s320/IMG_stad_snorfiets_2_1_BQ12GBDK.jpg" width="320" /></a>Cars are no longer a sensible way to move around the city and they drive on average at less than 30 k/hr. In the meantime, scooters that are supposedly limited to 25 k/hr average no less than 40 k/hr. As cars get hemmed in, more and more people are taking to the cycle paths - on bikes but also on scooters. As a result, the more vulnerable cyclists - the aged and the young - are less inclined to ride a bike and that can't be good for our health. Not that cycling in scooter exhaust fumes is very good for you. The situation has reached crisis proportions. As early as 2013, the four major cities in Holland called for measures to remove scooters from cycle paths, but this vital step is no nearer realisation.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kM5pfv0-cpw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kM5pfv0-cpw?feature=player_embedded" style="clear: right; float: right;" width="320"></iframe></div>
Now at last Amsterdam is getting permission to tackle the problem, but only on a piecemeal basis. The government will make it possible to banish scooters from the bike paths, but only in certain circumstances. The city is planning to move scooters off the bike paths, make their riders wear helmets and join cars on the streets, but only on streets with "the busiest cycle paths". This would mean that scooter riders have to wear helmets on some roads and not on others. The result will be chaos and impossible to police.<br />
I live on Bilderdijkstraat. This is one of the busiest cycle streets in Amsterdam, but the cycle path is only 1.80m wide and in some places even only 1.5m. Its status as main cycle route means the cycle path should be at least 2.25m wide. However selectively preventing scooters from using the cycle path here will be difficult and will probably only mean that parallel streets will be used instead. I'm sure that residents of Da Costakade and Bilderdijkkade are not looking forward to even more scooters.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1768xXAC4c/WGZckyOHDcI/AAAAAAAOYrc/0XMqRJ5_lOA3Ist67MdkcwWdBWDb8oEAgCLcB/s1600/Clipboard01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X1768xXAC4c/WGZckyOHDcI/AAAAAAAOYrc/0XMqRJ5_lOA3Ist67MdkcwWdBWDb8oEAgCLcB/s320/Clipboard01.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
The whole situation only arose because scooter manufacturers and retail outlets exploited an anomaly in Dutch law. Mopeds and scooters with a limiter to stop them travelling at more than 25 k/hr have a blue number-plate and are allowed to use the bike paths and their riders don't wear helmets. Other scooters can drive at 45 k/hr on the road and their riders have to wearing helmets. They have a yellow number plate. However these real scooters are being overtaken in numbers and even in speed by the fake "snor" scooters. A normal 50cc scooter can drive at about 60 k/hr and without a limiter it is far less polluting. The obvious measure is to abolish the blue number plate. I'm convinced that this would also reduce the number of people on scooters. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The minimum measures necessary to rescue Amsterdam from the current situation is a blanket ban on any motorised scooters on cycle paths in the city. The final aim must be to banish scooters from cycle paths nationwide, abolishing the ridiculous blue number plate.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-8827030507116817232016-12-12T15:01:00.001+01:002017-01-27T20:04:16.193+01:00Duurzaam Amsterdam? <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Op de website van de gemeente staan een aantal voorbeelden voor Duurzaam Amsterdam. Een van die voorbeelden is een <a href="https://www.amsterdam.nl/wonen-leefomgeving/duurzaam-amsterdam/voorbeelden/opvouwbare-scooter/">opvouwbare elektrische scooter</a>. “Superhandig,” zegt Mariene Meyer Swantee. </span><br />
<img src="https://www.amsterdam.nl/publish/pages/810594/mariene_meyer_swantee_op_de_elektrische_scooter_foto_marjolijn_pokorny.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Zo te zien is het een snorscooter. En dat terwijl de gemeente hard bezig is om alle snorscooter’s van het fietspad af te krijgen. Dat betekent ook elektrische snorscooter’s. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Verder schrijft ze: “Ik zou wel meer fietsparkeerplaatsen in de stad willen. Dat was trouwens ook een reden voor de GiGi. Hiervoor ging ik met de fiets naar het station. Dan was ik een kwartier bezig om een parkeerplaats te zoeken. En mijn fiets is wel 6 of 7 keer weggehaald. De GiGi hoef ik niet te parkeren, ik neem hem eigenlijk altijd mee. Ik hoop dat er een plek komt waar je GiGi’s kunt huren. Net zoiets als de OV-fietsen. Het gaat nog wel wat worden met de GiGi. Het is echt een leuk en superhandig ding.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ze kan natuurlijk ook een vouwfiets nemen. Is het nou zo handig om reclame te maken voor een vehikel dat binnenkort weg moet of in ieder geval van het fietspad af?</span><br />
<br />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-21224445758631916582016-12-03T14:56:00.000+01:002016-12-03T14:56:02.101+01:00Professor A C Grayling bursts some balloons. <div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">In reply to a government letter defending Brexit, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._C._Grayling">Professor A. C. Grayling</a> wrote: </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Dear Mr Jones,</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
Thank you for your letter in reply to my letter to the Prime Minister regarding the referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union. I respond as follows.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">1.</strong> You write: ‘On 23 June, the country voted to leave the European Union and it is the duty of the Government to make sure we do so.’</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">You are wrong on both counts. </span><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Votes cast on the day, on a 72% turn-out, represent a Leave vote of 37% of the total electorate and 26% of the population of the UK. You cannot describe this as ‘the country’ nor claim that ‘the country’ voted to leave the EU. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I remind you that current Trades Union legislation requires 40% of a total electorate (not merely votes cast) to trigger a strike. The legislation on general elections requires a 66% majority of all members of the House of Commons to trigger an election outside the fixed term of a Parliament. On what conceivable grounds can you describe 37% of the total electorate and 26% of the population as ‘the country’? Use of these phrases to describe the sentiment of the UK population on EU membership is, with respect, misleading, and would appear to be deliberately so. It suits ‘Brexiters’ to speak in this way.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Secondly, the Government does not have a duty to implement the result of the referendum of 23 June. Briefing Paper 07212, sent to all MPs and Lords on 3 June 2015, in advance of debate on the 2015 Referendum Bill states unequivocally that</span><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"> the referendum is non-binding, advisory and consultative only, and imposes no obligation on the Government to act on its outcome</span><span style="background-color: white;">.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
Likewise, the Referendum Act, which the Bill became, contains no clause obligating the Government to act on the outcome of the referendum.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">2.</strong> You cite the manifesto promise of the Conservative Party in the General Election of 2015 that a referendum would be held on the question of EU membership and that ‘the outcome of the referendum would be acted upon.’ The Conservative Party and the Government it formed were also committed to continued membership of the EU as a matter of publicly avowed policy on which it was elected, and this was a position made clear to the electorate in the same election campaign. Which aspect of the apparently conflicting policy do you wish to emphasise?</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="background-color: white;">To assist you, might I point out that the phrase ‘outcome of the referendum’ is ambiguous. Here is one clear reading: the outcome of the referendum told us that at least a quarter of the British population is ill-informed as to the true nature of the EU, and is anxious about the effects of immigration.</span><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"> One thing the Government could very well do to ‘act on the outcome’ is to provide more and better information on the great value of EU membership</span><span style="background-color: white;">, and to point out, with the relevant empirical facts in hand, that almost all negative comment on immigration is false.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">3.</strong> You defend the choice of franchise for the referendum, which I criticized on the grounds that it excluded 16-17 year olds, ex-pats who have lived abroad for longer than a certain period, and fellow-EU citizens who make their lives and careers and pay tax here (‘no taxation without representation’ used to be a principle, once) by saying that the franchise is the same as used for General Elections. The point is that this was not a General Election. This was a referendum. The difference is very great indeed.</span><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"> It is public knowledge that proposals to extend the franchise to 16-17 year olds were contested by those who knew that this would have a material effect in strengthening the Remain vote. In less polite quarters this is known as gerrymandering.</span></div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">4.</strong> You comment on my saying that if a referendum were to be regarded as binding or mandating, it would require a supermajority of the kind you MPs yourselves require for triggering a general election, 66% or so. You avoid this point by merely saying, ‘no amendments for such requirements were debated during the passage of the Bill.’ No: for the good reason that </span><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">everyone in the House had been advised that the referendum was ‘advisory’ and ‘consultative’ only, imposing no requirement on the Government to act on it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">5.</strong> Finally, in a passage which I take it you intend as a light-hearted jest, you write, ‘I hope this response reassures you that the Government is committed to restoring the primacy and sovereignty of the UK Parliament as we leave the EU.’ If however this is intended as a serious remark, I will restrain myself to the three following comments in conclusion.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
First, earlier in your letter you say, ‘The Government’s position is clear that invoking Article 50 is a prerogative power…’ We have seen that the Chief Justice and his colleagues in the Divisional Court do not agree with the Government on this, and we await the Supreme Court’s view too. Should the justices of the Supreme Court concur, you have the delicate irony of a possibility: that of making a further appeal to the European Court of Justice. It will however be a matter of surprise if any panel of justices were to think that the UK Government has a prerogative power which would have enabled it to take the UK out of the EU even without a referendum, and whenever it wished; which is the clear – and absurd – implication of the Government’s position.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
The sovereignty of Parliament is connoted in this. As the UK’s sovereign body, it has the discretion, the right and the power to choose not to take the ‘advice’ of the advisory referendum, as not being in the UK’s best interests.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
Second, as to the larger sense of sovereignty you wish to imply, namely the sovereignty of the UK as a state: well! we are members of NATO, the WTO, the UN, we have obligations under international law, we have duties to allies; we have constraints as a result of treaties, trade deals, and internationally-binding contracts; and we exist in a tightly globalized world economy. In light of this the concept of the ‘sovereignty’ of any state is an empty piece of rhetoric. So talk of ‘sovereignty’ in this connection it is the kind of waffling cant used by politicians in elections and referendums which signifies little.</div>
<div style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="background-color: #fff2cc;">Third and finally, the Government’s use of the referendum outcome as an excuse to take the UK out of the EU will damage the economy – it already has; it will diminish and marginalise the UK; deprive its citizens of the rights they have as EU citizens; damage UK science and education; limit the future prospects of our young people; and it will be many, many years, if ever, that the UK’s reputation will recover from the inanity of this endeavour.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
Why? Because as one of the largest economies of the EU it had a leading role in one of the world’s three great blocs of influence. If the Government acts on the ill-informed will of a quarter of the population, it will have reduced a once-great and influential nation to a minor offshore player.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
I look forward to your detailed comments on each of these points, which I shall greatly appreciate receiving.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
Yours sincerely,</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Anthony Grayling</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">(Thanks to <a href="http://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/the_reply_a_c_grayling_got_when_he_wrote_to_parliament_and_how_he_reacted_1_4789695">the New European</a>)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; font-family: "Open Sans"; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.42857; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 0.8em;">
<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></strong></div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-62971632027190968512016-09-13T10:31:00.006+02:002016-09-13T10:34:12.994+02:00Snor... <span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Geachte Gemeentebestuur,</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>De Gemeente Amsterdam wil op korte termijn de snorscooter verplaatsen naar de rijbaan. Zoveel is bekend. Maar het blijft een moeilijk onderwerp omdat de huidige nationale regelgeving weinig mogelijkheden biedt. Snorscooters mogen nu op het fietspad maar horen eigenlijk, net als alle andere gemotoriseerde voertuigen, op de weg en dan het liefst met helm.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Amsterdam moet verlost worden van de scooterterreur op fietspaden. Dat is de enige manier om handhaving mogelijk te maken. Geen scooters op de fietspad. Ik begrijp heel goed dat dit onderwerp met Den Haag uitgevochten moet worden en ik heb er vertrouwen in dat dit op termijn zal lukken.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Maar ondertussen is er een manier om nu al een daad te stellen. Amsterdam zelf (gemeente, stadsdelen, handhaving en politie) maken ook gebruik van snorscooters. Dat kan natuurlijk anders. Daarnaast is er ook een prima alternatief in de vorm van Amsterdamse elektrische fietsen. Bijvoorbeeld van Amsterdamse fietsfabrikant Van Moof.</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-fMqAAawx4/V9e5WodBnLI/AAAAAAANV6Q/WjWqoZFcclgklpzBIAepAZHh4axZh_yEwCLcB/s1600/Moof020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x-fMqAAawx4/V9e5WodBnLI/AAAAAAANV6Q/WjWqoZFcclgklpzBIAepAZHh4axZh_yEwCLcB/s320/Moof020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Ik stel voor dat de Amsterdamse gemeente kiest voor een gemeentelijke uitvoering van de Van Moof Electrified-S – wit met drie rode kruisjes. Net zo snel als de snorscooter en veel beter voor de stad, ons milieu en de berijder.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>Hoogachtend</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace;"><b>MC</b></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-33787714994945070022016-08-31T09:41:00.001+02:002016-08-31T15:53:03.028+02:00Ongelukken met snorscootersAlex (19) is 10 mei in het GerbrandyPark aangereden. Hij was rond 23 uur onderweg terug van zijn werk en werd door een tegemoetkomend slalomend snorscooter geraakt. Zijn linkerhand is verbrijzeld door de linker handvat van de scooter. De scooter reed door. <br />
<br />
Hij is in het OLVG West behandeld en in het gips gezet. Hij kon twee maanden niet werken en ook zijn diploma van het Media College niet halen. Hij had geen kenteken kunnen noteren en het ziekenhuis was alleen geïnteresseerd in zijn verwonding, niet hoe het gebeurd is. Dus dit staat niet te boek als een ongeluk met snorscooter.<br />
<div>
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QEps8bRCadc/V8aMjWpj7MI/AAAAAAAMnDA/aAl8fI7_fT0/s640/blogger-image--1047343807.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QEps8bRCadc/V8aMjWpj7MI/AAAAAAAMnDA/aAl8fI7_fT0/s400/blogger-image--1047343807.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
Ik zag er nog eentje zondag. Het lijkt een beetje op die van Alex. <br />
<br />
Op de Nassaukade komt er een toeriste langs op een huurfiets. Ze wordt ingehaald door een scooter die net haar stuur raakt. Ze valt om met een flinke schaafwond op haar been als resultaat. Maar ze wilde geen hulp en het meisje op de scooter mocht ook doorrijden van haar. <br />
<br />
Dit gebeurt zo vaak. Er zijn veel meer ongeluk met snorscooters dan gemeld.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-33047299538796263322016-08-29T11:48:00.004+02:002016-08-30T13:51:36.812+02:00Leven in het Bilderdijkpark<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.68; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jarenlang was het Bilderdijkpark uitsluitend toegankelijk voor “kansjongeren” en moedige hondenbezitters. Een vrouw die het aan durfde om er doorheen te lopen met kinderen naar de speeltuinvereniging of school werd stelselmatig uitgemaakt voor ‘hoer’. Jongens vonden het hartstikke grappig om haar hoofd te gebruiken als doelwit om hun voetballen op te mikken.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.68; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="176" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/t31.0-8/10904508_591406850992142_1592389457595330721_o.jpg" width="400" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.68; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ik loop al meer dan 30 jaar door het Bilderdijkpark en er is van alles en nog wat geprobeerd om de situatie te verbeteren, maar de redding kwam uiteindelijk uit een onverwachte hoek. Er waren plannen voor een theehuisje in het park maar het was voor iedereen al duidelijk dat een theehuisje overdag geen enkele kans maakte om rendabel te zijn. Gelukkig kwam er een klein restaurantje en terras. Onmiddellijk is het parkje onttrokken aan de overheersende invloeden van hangjongeren en werd het een plek waar het leuk toeven is. Sindsdien bloeit het parkje als nooit tevoren.. Maar niet tot tevredenheid van iedereen. Een kleine groep wil heel graag minder, minder, minder.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.68; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Deze kleine groep hardnekkige pret verpletteraars wil heel graag het Bilderdijkpark zien als een oase van totale stilte. Jammer genoeg heeft dat nadelen. Mensen zijn blijkbaar vergeten hoe het was voor de Liefde kwam. Sommigen geloven zelfs dat de verbetering dateert van de opknapbeurt van voor het park. Sorry, dat is echt niet zo. Het is duidelijk dat de aanwezigheid van een terrasje met mensen ook nieuwe park gebruikers aantrekt. Natuurlijk werd het park gebruikt tijdens een hittegolf, maar op een normale zomerdag was er niemand in het park te vinden. Nu wordt het park volop gebruikt, mensen verblijven op een prettige manier op het gras, op de bankjes en dus ook op het terras.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.68; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nu zijn er plannen voor een nieuwe evenementen regeling en zou het park onderworpen worden aan een heel streng regime. Geen versterkte muziek, geen evenementen voor meer dan 250 man en die kleine evenementen hooguit één keer in de twee maanden. Dus enige hoop dat er een kleine buurtgericht culinair festival zou plaatsvinden, een filmvertoning op een zomeravond of misschien zelfs een kleinschalig podium met een jazz kwartet of singer-songwriter is verspeeld.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.68; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Een van de actie-voerders heeft een paar maanden geleden een vergadering belegd en buurtbewoners gevraagd om hun mening. Helaas zijn alleen de meningen van medestanders opgenomen in het verslag van deze bijeenkomst. De mening van mensen die er anders over denken - van mensen die best af en toe een feest of evenement in het park willen zien - is niet meegenomen.. Gelukkig zijn er veel bewoners en bezoekers die heel blij zijn met hoe het Bilderdijkpark zich nu ontwikkelt. Helaas laten veel van deze voorstanders niet van zich horen en komen ook niet op dit soort bijeenkomsten.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.68; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 15pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Het is nu aan de gemeente om een duidelijke richtlijnen te geven over hoe wij ons parkje kunnen behouden en voor iedereen toegankelijk houden. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 13.3333px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-9206429994912893882016-01-09T17:40:00.003+01:002016-01-09T17:41:20.364+01:00TomTom woesMy Tomtom is telling me I need to update the cameras.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7T6uCJ3nnxA/VpE3pj63ZII/AAAAAAACYfI/6tgDbKWU4j4/s1600/2015-12-03%2B12_28_55-MyDrive%2BConnect%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7T6uCJ3nnxA/VpE3pj63ZII/AAAAAAACYfI/6tgDbKWU4j4/s320/2015-12-03%2B12_28_55-MyDrive%2BConnect%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I let it login to the website and it gives me a price in pounds sterling. That's strange, as I'm a resident of the Netherlands. I decide to check my details and it doesn't give me an address, it just says I'm in the UK. However it then asks which country I'm in so I say the Netherlands. It asks for confirmation, so I give it confirmation. Then it insists I'm still in the UK. So I can't tell it that I am in Holland. It won't accept a Dutch address or the fact that I live in Holland. but as it is, that means I can't buy an update.<br />
So I'll just pretend I live in England then. Now I do manage to order it and pay for it. Thank goodness. That's worked out. But it's still a bit strange. I had a subscription up to 6 February two thousand sixteen. I border twelve month extension and now it's got a run out on 9 January 2017. I lost a month?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqIgvFKXxoQ/VpE34A2B5kI/AAAAAAACYfQ/qc_HPJU8s9E/s1600/2016-01-09%2B17_39_36-MyDrive%2BConnect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AqIgvFKXxoQ/VpE34A2B5kI/AAAAAAACYfQ/qc_HPJU8s9E/s320/2016-01-09%2B17_39_36-MyDrive%2BConnect.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">That's what you get for trying to be on time.</span><br />
<br />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-63473288751088262952015-12-15T11:26:00.001+01:002015-12-15T11:29:10.794+01:00A sloop is no way to see the Amsterdam Light Festival<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/y3-zPhw_Xf417VxDIPD5QFeWoFB9JQcmFeky_XdFfIN7vn0bUbHp7MTmnfuqf2cc8hVJ4S0fXxcQHqK18muCqxQb1hFblzihsAfy_yiddzSYIpoclkwPYqO8zLT-raDvcddZASILjGszi5xgC5OjHEimkUQjP88y50zlai9WMM7u0S3CVLGtjDa4yIMDiaPpQ-BNAd7ztaaJU1VNg17afilcKNgm-o0f9dFM_oSJVnJiBXea9bGil8a7tuCoM5CbaWK3qi1LvyAVa4ftkjD3PPxEy80tsOelupaa_kHZTaNuG19HqhZiFhcjE_ujOc3Z5Ve8ZA3_YlhPMdjaD0alhnYvy8LMB5POCbQuZJWHbRehSQei7lBWOXpUGpchhOj_8ey96p0Sdyh_nyUGMVPoSpi_EkminCRIl30GA6189RXpaeqcPWiadJn1uKrRfVSSRFLUUTxz1Lc1ChWf9lGWQ463S9Dl6nrEJatko965MVGB5vQ4WNdaVjgW2ynie2pxFFZt2fSTynfpJgI4OADbl9MeJR-1ugzU8-ruVgIDGeYY88rqmD6tgeUbo90udxIf-Ycjjw=w1228-h921-no" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/y3-zPhw_Xf417VxDIPD5QFeWoFB9JQcmFeky_XdFfIN7vn0bUbHp7MTmnfuqf2cc8hVJ4S0fXxcQHqK18muCqxQb1hFblzihsAfy_yiddzSYIpoclkwPYqO8zLT-raDvcddZASILjGszi5xgC5OjHEimkUQjP88y50zlai9WMM7u0S3CVLGtjDa4yIMDiaPpQ-BNAd7ztaaJU1VNg17afilcKNgm-o0f9dFM_oSJVnJiBXea9bGil8a7tuCoM5CbaWK3qi1LvyAVa4ftkjD3PPxEy80tsOelupaa_kHZTaNuG19HqhZiFhcjE_ujOc3Z5Ve8ZA3_YlhPMdjaD0alhnYvy8LMB5POCbQuZJWHbRehSQei7lBWOXpUGpchhOj_8ey96p0Sdyh_nyUGMVPoSpi_EkminCRIl30GA6189RXpaeqcPWiadJn1uKrRfVSSRFLUUTxz1Lc1ChWf9lGWQ463S9Dl6nrEJatko965MVGB5vQ4WNdaVjgW2ynie2pxFFZt2fSTynfpJgI4OADbl9MeJR-1ugzU8-ruVgIDGeYY88rqmD6tgeUbo90udxIf-Ycjjw=w1228-h921-no" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Through Groupon you can take a "discount" boat trip to see the Amsterdam Light Festival. For 20 euro instead of 40 you can see the lights with Amsterdam Boat Experience. Unfortunately you will find yourself hoisted aboard a noisy sloop (more like a second rate lifeboat with a plastic tent as a roof). When you have clambered aboard (no mean feat as you have a 50-cm step down), then you find yourself in a circle with about 30 others all looking at each other and over people's head through the plastic to catch a glimpse of the lights. You can only really look upwards, while most of the attractions are low on the water. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A very bored helmsman reads the texts </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">out loud</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">from his smartphone - describing the works of art as if they were described in a manual for his noisy engines. Two girls have been hired to serve Gluwein and warm chocolate but they soon turn to discussing what they would rather have been doing tonight instead of shivering about a draughty sloop. When we were way past halfway, I heard the girls say that they had once had a lot of tourists and the texts had been read out in English. "But you can read them on your smartphone anyway. " </span><br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1IxEKE9eeueCh1FU4OYtlQ8RxGN9KqOXz5Fi7SH1vhPt5rJG3Y6MzLm3Jb32GUiPNoHd_5nUudf4gCn5z6_M47RU1Kn2uqxJgJf6EL-BhG1e3rPD4TVvDK82r4aeV2qeGTsl80Z2v0pa8zb1p87w2RGfN8QE86WGBnnyNrpCeE_jrxGvwcEz9Skh-caaZlYS6aT0ArexuMWTblcN0CfCqeCBWT7Zo663NQ9zoWe7rfafcDSxqslC3BUGFyfXzHnn001HB7eIdjYrEUHXt_muTTW5lx7PVwAtTpzm1bmRqlk-lY1xZDVxfj9kGUPSJFjvxw7T4ulY1qPj0rF-gK0irtBBYA3Act1uaMsNFG-b6_lPjXIVBj5uUY44shZKOvx3-rQPwSc6WYt5PDaHenJ7gzMXAeEtFCyZ_xRrNaqGpvik0zUos8fIsharr9AXIe-9xXKeoY29oTXsgNplBLyB9WZXiZIhPwPnpoQCaBqaBTu8tmhmigyFPsjGW14vnogNi73tSqUhNI_KRERkTUpjpcZlGB0rTQgQMHvK_VdERz9U21UEkZoNW1vxYrIxPwb4vHAeWQ=w1228-h921-no" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1IxEKE9eeueCh1FU4OYtlQ8RxGN9KqOXz5Fi7SH1vhPt5rJG3Y6MzLm3Jb32GUiPNoHd_5nUudf4gCn5z6_M47RU1Kn2uqxJgJf6EL-BhG1e3rPD4TVvDK82r4aeV2qeGTsl80Z2v0pa8zb1p87w2RGfN8QE86WGBnnyNrpCeE_jrxGvwcEz9Skh-caaZlYS6aT0ArexuMWTblcN0CfCqeCBWT7Zo663NQ9zoWe7rfafcDSxqslC3BUGFyfXzHnn001HB7eIdjYrEUHXt_muTTW5lx7PVwAtTpzm1bmRqlk-lY1xZDVxfj9kGUPSJFjvxw7T4ulY1qPj0rF-gK0irtBBYA3Act1uaMsNFG-b6_lPjXIVBj5uUY44shZKOvx3-rQPwSc6WYt5PDaHenJ7gzMXAeEtFCyZ_xRrNaqGpvik0zUos8fIsharr9AXIe-9xXKeoY29oTXsgNplBLyB9WZXiZIhPwPnpoQCaBqaBTu8tmhmigyFPsjGW14vnogNi73tSqUhNI_KRERkTUpjpcZlGB0rTQgQMHvK_VdERz9U21UEkZoNW1vxYrIxPwb4vHAeWQ=w1228-h921-no" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I asked if they had told the English speakers on board this time. They hadn't. They hurried to try and help them find the right page, but had no luck before the boat trip was over. Not really very helpful. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anyway - why would you choose an adventure in a sloppy sloop when you could travel in the comfort of a real "rondvaart" boat for the same price and actually see what you came to see? And I really feel sorry for those who paid 40 euros. What a rip-off!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAGL-e0NyR0/Vm_qO9FiS1I/AAAAAAACUP8/0dV6_mPv_P4/s1600/20151215%2BGroupon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xAGL-e0NyR0/Vm_qO9FiS1I/AAAAAAACUP8/0dV6_mPv_P4/s320/20151215%2BGroupon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Groupon claim that 89% "recommended" the trip. I'd like to know where passengers can respond. I certainly wouldn't recommend it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a better idea to go with <a href="https://www.canal.nl/en/water-colors-cruise">Canal Company</a> than with <a href="http://amsterdamboatexperience.com/amsterdam-light-show/">Amsterdam Boat Experience</a>. And the texts can be found <a href="https://www.amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/artworks/water-colors/today-i-love-you-massimo-uberti-marco-pollice/">here</a>. </span><br />
<br />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-56497472591443562052015-10-09T11:53:00.003+02:002015-10-12T19:59:35.925+02:00Hoeveel kost het Parool?Ik heb een abonnement op het Parool. Electronisch welteverstaan met de zaterdagkrant. Het is tijd om het te vernieuwen en ik was benieuwd wat het Parool te bieden had als ik zou gaan verlengen. En toen kreeg ik donderdag een mailtje.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sko5x1HYB2g/VheCF8n1ydI/AAAAAAACM5M/cjpZNpfoOvM/s1600/2015-10-09%2B10_59_24-Kies%2Buw%2Bcadeau....jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sko5x1HYB2g/VheCF8n1ydI/AAAAAAACM5M/cjpZNpfoOvM/s320/2015-10-09%2B10_59_24-Kies%2Buw%2Bcadeau....jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Interessant, denk ik. Ik ben wel benieuwd wat dat me gaat kosten. Natuurlijk wil ik geen "cadeau". Ik wil gewoon de beste prijs voor een goeie krant. Dus ik klik door. Daar kan ik kiezen tussen een restaurantbon of een Nutribullet met onbewijsbaar gezondheidsclaims ("supercharge uw gezondheid in slechts enkele seconden per dag"). </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MergcwIXjic/VheDPlrYR_I/AAAAAAACM5U/Lny6ZUFJKlA/s1600/2015-10-09%2B11_04_19-Het%2BParool_%2BKies%2Buw%2Bverlengvoordeel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MergcwIXjic/VheDPlrYR_I/AAAAAAACM5U/Lny6ZUFJKlA/s320/2015-10-09%2B11_04_19-Het%2BParool_%2BKies%2Buw%2Bverlengvoordeel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Nergens staat de prijs noch is er een optie om mijn abonnement te verlengen zonder cadeau, dus ik klik verder. Ik ga er vanuit dat ik wel te zien krijg wat ik moet gaan betalen voor twee jaar Parool, met of zonder "cadeau". Maar als ik klik op één van de twee opties dan heb ik mijn abonnement al verlengd. En nog steeds geen bedrag.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2Y8Ihjvxzo/VheEQO_zkzI/AAAAAAACM5c/ZuyYRVU0tGQ/s1600/2015-10-08%2B18_31_30-Het%2BParool_%2BExclusief%2Bverlengvoordeel%2Bblocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y2Y8Ihjvxzo/VheEQO_zkzI/AAAAAAACM5c/ZuyYRVU0tGQ/s320/2015-10-08%2B18_31_30-Het%2BParool_%2BExclusief%2Bverlengvoordeel%2Bblocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Zelfs een email bevestiging geeft geen verdere informatie en zeker geen kosten. Dus bel ik met de abonnementsnummer en krijg te horen dat ik niet de eerste ben met dit probleem. Maar ik moet tot morgen wachten en de klantenservice bellen. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ik heb vandaag gebeld met de klantenservice, maar zelfs aan de telefoon kan niemand vertellen wat een abonnement op het Parool mij gaat kosten. Ik wordt doorverbonden met opzeggingen (?) Die kan het mij ook niet uitleggen. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Maandag is mijn order nog steeds niet verwerkt... maar de aardige man van opzeggingen kon mijn abonnement verlengen voor €16,95 per maand. Dat is wat ik eerder betaalde. Ik moet dus ook weer niet vergeten om in september 2017 weer op te zeggen. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8570623806258179718.post-84944638675844705032015-05-04T19:46:00.001+02:002015-05-04T19:46:13.677+02:00Kiosken niet welkom<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In haar beperkte blik op de kiosken in de PS van vrijdag jl. gaat Lisa Hekman volledig voorbij aan de vele protesten van bewoners uit buurten in Amsterdam West bij de komst van kiosken. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">De kiosken voegen namelijk vaak niets toe aan bestaande voorzieningen en nemen spaarzame, openbare ruimte in beslag. Daarnaast is er veel zorg over wat er gebeurt als een kiosk leeg komt te staan. De kiosk </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">staat er voor minimaal 25 jaar mét of zonder ondernemer. En een lege kiosk trekt vandalen - kijk maar op de Appeltjesmarkt. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-254a795b-2006-c377-349a-d34f66746aa0"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="341px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/CjZBVfSx2syUuxwfQTYsGsh5hIadGWiTiveg4_6x6cW8BXbZc9OwCD8wpV5KMgqG2V1aUolrmEExaXaxqPN7RhmXkOeG11gnHXKKPQ6km1g37hluJd3zTXhvwHGmjo9gbLv7xYk" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="606px;" /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Het stadsdeel wilde wat meer bedrijvigheid in sommige wijken en de komst van een kiosk zou daaraan kunnen bijdragen. Helaas had het stadsdeel niet gerekend op een projectontwikkelaar uit Alkmaar (Baveko) die bij praktisch alle ‘lege’ plekken in West een kiosk wel zag zitten. Deze ondernemer heeft inmiddels minimaal 50 </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">aanvragen voor de bouw van een kiosk gedaan. Ook in buurten waar totaal geen behoefte is aan deze prefab bouwsels van 3 meter hoog, 5 meter breed en 3 meter diep met een overhangend dak. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Gelukkig zijn er al een paar vergunningen niet gegeven en/of ingetrokken. Ook de politiek weet dat deze overkill aan kiosken van Baveko niet de bedoeling was toen er destijds ingestemd werd met de plannen. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Het zou fijn zijn als Het Parool komt kijken bij de bewoners die zich verzetten tegen een kiosk in hun wijk en niet alleen de tekst van de ondernemer Baveko overneemt. Bijgaand sturen wij alvast wat foto’s van bewonersprotesten. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Corry Fickinger (Kwakersplein)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Edith Dunharden (Cremerplein)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Jaap den Dulk (Hugo de Grootkade)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Marianne en François Morfouace (Waterkeringweg / GWL-terrein)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Marieke <span class="il">Giskes</span> (Kwakersplein)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Margreet Muller (Bilderdijkstraat)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Martin Cleaver (Bilderdijkstraat)</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Rein Kleist (Kwakersplein)</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Ron Willigenburg (Ketelhuisplein)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Protesten op o.a. de volgende lokaties:</span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="269px;" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/YnSbjBBNIaoTcqqWst3pFuBk9h27TmomGL-KYzIju5--f6unAV_ZR8lDWb9teZoXcpSCLLzoy0xITsA34fhD5NLDz0avNCilq6iNSuaiBbE6ddJg5_T-CjN8ZtZqxmD6eiqCo38" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="424px;" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">GWL/Haarlemmerweg</span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-254a795b-2007-8a99-fb54-e2bc2319ecc1" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="368px;" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/8lSCFu9w_k30SC3qf3zpehuzAVJPbs6AFiNXP74BwbBH-S2ueHDRrjTMNysTLsaZdtXgTb5sI4GmCpuxP_xxQJxrQSAQ1vywO8Aw9BJI3vlziZcwQgvfpIaPUUKNI3KCcdaNp2k" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="491px;" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ketelhuisplein</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="347px;" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/B9QKQr7Cx05xaAXFTWoZICI8vrg0yguDljXztX2vGZIjyKel7ZGcyg-jbn_ou99CRAVFPqdB-9Cmw1edN_lGMG5Ae509_J9wt2moS4FJc473qs1x69Q-YM-Qs7y99c3UgZtYycw" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="461px;" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cremerplein</span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="419px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uylOQpKIUBGMDI7WDGUv8JSQ1Bo5RzaVPvV-C3u5Ge9nCLQws_G19Dcbzzux2w5mvyDROFFAqzA8X81YMbkcz0VtCA0gHJR_CZimseoLWp4BUgV4kbqeWZpA82QPcgoBFTyiDgA" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="443px;" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Bilderdijkstraat</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><img height="341px;" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/fqU72LKruF8GCVUfR4HDCllz8duNpf4wixd6lcd_OFtTV5d8V1w4kUJSjiI6uYI10Jan9WD90qvHy29F9zp4A5fAbUtG8ZFhv6Oz7AM9LdbJ8kZ57A7usDAmVA-BFNahJxMrwNM" style="-webkit-transform: rotate(0.00rad); border: none; transform: rotate(0.00rad);" width="606px;" /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kwakersplein</span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>Martin Cleaver's bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13698737678731346138noreply@blogger.com0