Posted on September 11th, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
Too often in Europe, the pendulum of political sentiment swings wildly between fervent multiculturalism and democratic authoritarianism without stopping in the middle for a reasonable position. It’s dizzying, and it’s no wonder that it inspires feelings of persecution and paranoia from the resident Muslim communities.
The burqa issue is complicated. There are legitimate questions about whether most women […]
1610 Comments »
Filed under: Holland, crazy europeans
Posted on September 1st, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
Capitulation is becoming an art in Western Europe. Today brought news that the Dutch Van Abbemuseum has caved to the demands and threats of extremists who object to a planned march against the institution of Zwarte Pieten (”Black Petes”), the Dutch Santa’s helpers.
I’ve discussed Zwarte Piet previously, but as a recap, he is a black servant (slave?) of […]
3186 Comments »
Filed under: Holland, crazy europeans
Posted on August 13th, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
Russia invaded Georgia, perhaps with Georgian provocation. Who’s to blame? Why, the United States, naturally.
I don’t expect the sport of ‘Merikkka! bashing to fade in popularity any time soon, but I do wonder that there are people who take this kind of drivel seriously.
8792 Comments »
Filed under: MSM, crazy europeans
Posted on July 23rd, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
I’ve posted before about what ”helpful” allies we have, but the Germans are at it again. Ahead of Barack Obama’s visit to Berlin, the German Social Democrat Party (SPD) cautioned him against calling for greater German participation in Afghanistan.
“Obama should only ask of us what we are able to deliver,” Niels Annen — a member of Germany’s federal parliament, […]
532 Comments »
Filed under: crazy europeans, politics
Posted on July 4th, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
My friends and family love to ask me for stories of strange or funny things that I see while travelling. A friend and I recently had a long layover in Paris, and did a whirlwind tour of the major sights. First stop, of course, was the Eiffel Tower, and it was the expected mob scene. While strolling […]
2052 Comments »
Filed under: crazy europeans
Posted on June 22nd, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
It appears that I was right to be concerned about the EU overruling the Irish “no” vote on the Lisbon treaty.
European leaders met last Thursday to discuss how to proceed. They apparently concluded that the solution is to lay the effort on Ireland’s lap, and push them to make the “correct” choice.
This is my favorite […]
911 Comments »
Filed under: crazy europeans, politics
Posted on June 22nd, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
Hup Holland no more. After overcoming tremendous odds to trounce the French and the Italians, the Dutch lost to Russia 1-3 last night in the UEFA European Football Championship quarterfinals. On one hand, I feel bad for the Dutch fans who had their high hopes dashed. On the other, they’re crazy obnoxious, and I’m glad to be […]
321 Comments »
Filed under: Holland, crazy europeans
Posted on June 14th, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
As the another anniversary of D-Day came and went, I was reminded again of the courage and sacrifice of those who fought in WWII, including my grandfather, who fought in the Battle of the Bulge. The enormity of their commitments never really sunk in, though, until I visited the beaches of Normandy last year. Standing […]
889 Comments »
Filed under: crazy europeans, rant, travel
Posted on June 14th, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
You can count on the Irish to call a spade a spade.
Irish voters have soundly rejected ratification of the Lisbon treaty, foiling the plans of the powers-that-be, who would have crammed the EU constitution down their public’s throats despite their vociferous objections. The proposed constitution was rejected in 2005 by public referenda in France and The […]
7931 Comments »
Filed under: crazy europeans, politics
Posted on June 3rd, 2008 by A Broad in Holland
This article discusses the latest breakthrough in brain-computer interface research: a motor cortex implant that allows a paralyzed man to control the movements of a Second Life character with only his thoughts.
This video has a short demonstration.
This follows on prior research such as that conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, which had monkeys using their thoughts […]
689 Comments »
Filed under: crazy europeans, health, rant, science