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From today till the end of the week, the decorator has taken over our living room, our dining room, our kitchen and... my office. Consequence: an almost empty house, with no computer in sight. In other words: I'll be offline for most of the week. So forgive me if reactions on your comments, mails, posts, ... are low, slow or virtually non-existent.

Strange folk, those Americans (4)

Today is Youth Movement day in Flanders. All kids who are member of a youth movement (be it Scouts, Chiro, KSA, KLJ, ...) are expected to appear in their uniform at school. Bas and Joppe did, wearing it with a certain  pride, being able to show off their being part of Chiro Koekelare. Moreover, youth movements all over the country are coming out on the streets to show they exist, and ask  consideration for the fact that every week more than 250,000 kids in Flanders can spend a great afternoon or day thanks to over 40,000 young people volunteering to lead them.

Youth movements are great if you ask me. They are a place where children and youngsters can play, get dirty, make friends and, what's even more important, learn to live and work together. It's a place where you can tackle challenges, overcome problems, take initiative and discover the world. This does not always happen peacefully and quietly, but learning through trial and error, some cuts and bruises included, is part of life.

Funnily enough, newspapers in Flanders today also reported about certain schools in the U.S. where it is no longer permitted to play tag. Apparently, certain educators say games like 'it' are dangerous. Before, elementary schools in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Spokane, Washington, had already banned tag at recess. Others, including a suburban Charleston, South Carolina school, dumped contact sports such as soccer and touch football. And in other cities too, schools already took similar actions months or even years ago.

What's next, I wonder: keep kids inside until they're 25?

The importance of being Ernest

Do you know Ernest Longstaff? Well, you do now... Yes, I have finally given in to the increasing number of Second Life residents telling me I should give it a try. So, what the heck: here goes.

After all, it is better to be an informed sceptic than to remain uniformed (you are right about that, Kami). And since there is actually some worthwile stuff going on out there (like the 'Stand Up for the millennium development goals' campaign Andrea referred to recently), I could not really think of a reason not to go and have look.

I'll keep you posted on what it's like. For now, I'm still sceptical :-) ...

Body language

Vlaams Belang, Flanders' extreme right party did not get the victory it had counted on in the local elections last Sunday. Many of us had hoped so, but only few had dared to predict it. OK, they won (sometimes quite significantly) in certain rural areas, but only because they had not been present there yet in earlier local elections. One of their main goals, however - to gain even more votes in bigger towns and cities - was not achieved (especially in Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent).

[foto]

And despite their claiming a victory, the facts are what they are: some 90,000 people in Flanders did no longer vote for Vlaams Belang (in comparison to the regional elections of 2004). And you know what: I am sure the party's big shots know it too. Their non-verbal communication on election night said it all. Let the process of pushing them back even further begin...

A remarkable televsion appearance on election night was also made by Michel Daerden, minister in the Walloon regional government, who had already - quite clearly - celebrated his election victory in Ans. Even if you do not speak French, here also, the non-verbal part of his communication makes clear the drinks were plenty...

Note: the photo above was not taken on election night, but is quite similar to some of the scenes that could be seen on tv. One of those scenes (Dewinter's "victory speech") can be watched here, if you have the patience to wait a minute or so (click 'Televideo').

Flou

It's election time. Hundreds, thousands of faces looking at us from the side of the road, in an effort to convince us of their being worthy of our vote. I wonder if it makes any difference. Most pictures are too (stereo)typicical to have a lot of effect. Fortunately, there are some exceptions to that rule. If the candidate's efforts to be original are always that well-chosen is of course a totally different matter. Some are hilarious, others are hmmm... interesting. Like this picture from Stern Demeulenaere, a candidate from a neighbouring town:

It is a striking photo, I admit. But there was something bothering me about it, although I could not immediately put my finger on it. But now I know: her efforts to have a certain diva-like quality have lead to her looking more like an actress you can see in certain x-rated movies than like a serious political candidate. And you know what: it's the shiny white combined with the tease of cleavage, the hint of lying down and especially the hazy "flou artistique" that do it if you ask me.

Mind you, I'm all for women in politics. And if they are good-looking to boot, that's even better. So if you have it, flaunt it. But please don't use a misplaced sex appeal to try and convince me. I wonder if Stern has taken a leaf from our current budget minister's 2000 campaign...

A fine day

Today, exactly one week before next week's local elections, thousands of people in four major Belgian cities are attending the 0110 concerts for tolerance. The sight of so many people not only enjoying the music, but also (implicitly) voicing their disgust of intolerance and racism has already given me goose pimples.

Let's hope their message and dEUS leadsinger Tom Barman's efforts in organising these concerts will lead - for the first time in too many years - to extreme right parties losing ground at elections.

It's a fine day to turn 35...