Showing posts with label Topic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Topic. Show all posts

Monday, September 20, 2010

The End of Men




"Machos have had their best time"!
Man has been the dominant sex since, well, the dawn of mankind. But for the first time in human history, that is changing—and with shocking speed. These are the first sentences of an article in my weekly magazine of September 7.
It quotes an article that appeared last July in The Atlantic Magazine.

Now mothers say: We want a girl!.
These mothers look at their lives and think their daughters will have a bright future their mother and *grandmother didn’t have, brighter than their sons, even, so why wouldn’t they choose a girl?”
What a privilege those girls have. I really envy them a little.
They are the lucky ones. What a great future they have, I wish them all success!
That they may conquer their place in society!
I would say -- go for it girls!


PS: *I'm also a grandmother.

I still want to add: I had written this post in draft before I'd read Jeannie's exceptional beautiful story.
Actually hindsight seen I find this post is a complement to her story.
It shows what previous brave generations of women have achieved with their battle for the equality between men and women.
Probably the courageous old lady in Jeannie's story wasn't in the possibility to study when she was young.
Now her dream came true!
It's only so unfortunately that she couldn't enjoy it long.


Sunday, July 4, 2010

A Very Intriguing Subject



The Human Brain.

As you know I'm not a real book reader and you know *why. I prefer to read about various topics in magazines and I especially like the columns.
This week I've read an article in my weekly magazine (I don't want to make publicity so I won't tell names). I only can tell you that it's a magazine with all kind of interesting articles. It goes from easy subjects such as sports to, arts, politics, knowledge, culture, economy, medical science etc.
On this last subject I've read a very interesting interview with the american neurologist Kent Kiehl. The subject was: Psychopaths.
It's a pity, but I can't find the same text of the interview for you translated in English.

It gives a whole other view on this kind of criminals, and now they really know for sure – and they even can proof – that their brains don't function like normal people. Probably they will never be in the possibility to cure those sick minds. How to deal with them will be a very difficult and precarious point.
In the interview – Hare, a colleague of Kent Kiehl says: they understand the rules and the usual meaning of the terms "good" or "wrong", therefore they can be held accountable for their actions. He compares psychopaths with color blinds. He says: a color blind which stands in front of a red traffic light doesn't recognize the color – but he knows that the upper light is burning.

Actually it's not easy for me to describe the interview, so I better leave it to the experts to explain it to you. If you are really interested to know more about it than I invite you to see on this link.
(See also: Explore The Series.)

The human brain is something that has always intrigued me.
We humans are privileged to have such well developed brains. Unfortunately there can go so much wrong with it and the people who have these abnormalities don't want, or often can't see their handicap. It's also so that mostly they can't help the way they are because of the malfunction.
They have a sick mind, so – how must they treat them? Do they deserve the dead sentence?
Will they ever find a cure to heal them?
In the interest of society – I do hope they will ever succeed in it.

The human brain is fascinating!
I hope it could captivate you.

PS: *Why: see here.



Tuesday, March 9, 2010

A Bad Experience



The main news topics of the last months here in Belgium!
Just after New Year a *young girl and her boy friend were murdered in a very atrocious manner.
After the Dutroux case the Belgian police research teams started to work together with Child Focus and so they resolved many sexual natured crimes.
Since 1998, Child Focus has treated 3000 cases a year, and closed 70% of them within the year.
The Belgian police research teams resolved these above-mentioned murders in no time and because of there assiduity they resolved also a murder of *three years ago.
From the start they suspected the *young couple's neighbour Ronald Janssen. Although this man was a very exemplary school teacher. His friends and coworkers said that the police was wrong. They wouldn't believe this.
It was such an amiable person!
A well known advocate even said that: he looks the kind of man who you would give the permission to accompany your own daughter to a party. He was always so friendly, every one could count on him.
Later that teacher confessed the two first murders. Thereafter he also confessed the murder of that young girl three years ago. Thereafter he confessed at least five brutal rapes, and during one of them he attacked and wounded a young girl very severe with a knife.
Now they even suspect him to have committed more murders.
As a young girl you have bad luck that you encounter such an amiable man at the wrong moment. They abuse the situating and your vulnerability.
This are things that happens all over the world, and – not only now in this time.

Once, also I encountered such an amiable person and also he abused the situation, but I had luck!
It happened almost 58 years ago!
Then an event toke place that could have ended bad.

This was my first acquaintance on the sexual level and it was not a good one.
I still remember every detail that happened that day.
I was only 9 years old!
In the street where I lived was a grocery shop only eight houses next to our house. My mother was a very good client there, and so now and then she sent us children to do some errands. The shop was ran by a man and his wife. It were two very friendly people. Especially the man was always very kind to me. Almost every time I did the errands he gave me a candy. Of course, I ... as a little child was very eager to do the errands.
One day I went to the grocery to do some errands for my mother, together with my little sister. She was then only four years old.
As always, he was very kind and he gave us both a candy. Then he asked us if we wanted to go with him to his depot to help him to clean his car. The depot was situated on a rather secluded place. Unsuspecting and of no angry aware, I took my little sister by the hand and so we went both with him to his depot.
Together with him we might wash the car with soap, and thereafter we hosed down the car, everything went very playfully!
After the washing came the drying, and with a cloth we dried the car. The result was a very clean and shining car.
He praised us abundantly, we had done the job so very well. In the mean time my little sister went to play somewhere else behind in the depot.
Then while he was walking around the car he said: “hey Fran, come and see ... there below ... under on the wheel there still sits some dirt!” While I was looking down, I squatted to see ... but ... I saw nothing. He came standing behind me and squatted very close, right behind me and then … it happened. He took my hands and drew them towards himself ... there ... to the place where he wanted them to be ... between his legs. Now -- I rather don't want to go in detail … that would not be appropriate, I assume you can imagine what followed!
You must know, I had never seen a naked adult man, but ... I knew that “this” was something wrong!
I tried to disentangle my hands but didn't succeed in it. Although, he was not really violent towards me but he held me so firmly, he had so much more power than I had. I pushed and pushed with my whole body, so it took some time before he lost his balance and he had to give up. So I could free myself.
Totally in a mess ... I called my sister, she was not aware of what had taken place! At first, she wanted to stay and she refused to go – but I took her by the hand and ran towards the exit.
I tried to open the gate but the man blocked it and a little struggle followed. My little sister couldn't comprehend what happened, she stood there looking very astonished at me. The man still tried to retain me but then I said: “I would shout if you don't let us go!”
After I had said that, he looked at me ... very angry ... as if he was doubting what he should do ... then after a while … he opened the gate! As fast as I could I ran with my sis on my hand ... back home!
When I came home I went immediately to my mom to tell her what happened.
She was really furious!!
After my father came home and was told what had happened he went full speed to the grocery and told the people what he thought about it. He warned them ... if he even suspected him from an other attempt he would go to the police.
(In fact, if this same thing would occur now in this time, then the parents would go immediately to the police.)
From then on, my mother was no longer their client!
We never again went to that grocery.
So now and then I encountered the woman or the man and that made me very ashamed. I was not at ease when I saw them. After a few years they closed the grocery and moved to an other place.

Now … when I think back on that event I praise myself very lucky!
Often you hear stories, that men in such similar situation do panic, because they are frightened that the act would come out, and then there happens terrible things.
In fact, he was after all … a good bad man … (if you can say such a thing) because he could have used much more violence and also an other manner to become satisfied, but he didn't!
Probably the presence of my little sister was here in my advantage.

In fact: I was so innocent at that age, not aware of any danger.
I knew nothing about “the birds and the bees” and also nothing at all about “sex”. You must know: in that time, they told us children that babies came out a cabbage, or – that the stork brought the babies!
Even at the age of 12, when I had my periods for the first time, I didn't know what happened. They felicitated me because I became a "mademoiselle" and that was it.
I didn't know that that meant: that I could get pregnant and even also not “how” I could get pregnant! (I had to find that out myself several years later!)
We were kept so stupid in those days … now, even a toddler knows more than we knew then!
Sometimes I doubt, if the result of that change is an improvement. Now they know maybe a little too much too early. There is nothing more to discover!
Their world is now engulfed with sex – there's no good balance – no golden mean!
In earlier times there was too less information – now there's maybe too much (in particular on the internet)!
(Oh oh, now I hear you thinking: she's a real old granny.)

Anyhow, then 12 years later after the event took place there happened something: it seemed almost like an incredible screenplay .
I was married and moved to a new apartment with my little son of three months old.
(My husband was at sea at that time for a journey to the USA for four months. He sailed off when my little son was only eleven days old. When he arrived back home he had to search for our new address. I had moved entirely on my own.)

I hadn't seen that grocer for almost ten years!
What was now the case: my new apartment was situated only two buildings next to this man's new residence!
I didn't know that he lived there since the last time that I had seen him!
That was not so pleasant for me, but luckily – I saw him not so often because he had become ill.

Finally: what happened during the carwash was not a pleasant but also not a dramatic event for me.
I really wasn't traumatized by it. I'm only still disgusted when I think back on it.
There happens so much worse things these days which ends very dramatic.
Every time I hear the stories of these unfortunate young girls or women, I must think back on that event and then I think by my self: I had luck that day!
There's a proverb that says: “what you see is what you get”.
Well, I have experienced (my apology to the really good men!): that you never can be sure of this when it concerns men. If you are a girl or a woman, you better can be suspicious and careful, especially when they are extremely amiable.

Now the co villagers of that Ronald Janssen are all in a kind of shock. The whole village is in a sort of mourn, now the streets are deserted. The people no longer want to talk with journalists who overflowed their village since there were only suspicions.
They still can't believe that their best friend is a serial killer.
That murderer was a master in building a beautiful facade in front of him, he misled every one.
He's the devil in disguise!

Monday, January 4, 2010

A Very Interesting Man

I want to start this year with something completely different. On December, 28 we saw an interview on the Dutch TV.

It was an interview with the American journalist: David Simon (Washington 1960).

He was a crime beat reporter for the Baltimore Sun, and now he's the award-winning screenwriter of HBO's critically-acclaimed: The Wire.


I can assure you, this was one of the best interviews I've seen in years.

We really sat on the edge of our seat, for “one and a half” hour.

We had never heard about him, nor about his brainchild: The Wire.

This interview went not only about The Wire, but also about “Capitalism” these days.

In his opinion, or as far as we can conclude: actually, capitalism in itself is not bad – but without a social angle it's on-ethic. On longer term It even can mean the perdition of the Western world.

He spoke about the rich getting richer, and only thinking on themselves.

About president Obama's plans.

About Social Security and the fact that 200 million people don't have a Health Insurance in America. Also about the improvidence of the car industry. They only thought in short terms and getting rich in no time – without thinking on the future.

It went about many other interesting issues -- he spoke about them with such a clear view: I have never heard such a profound decomposition of society as it exists these days.

His eventual conclusion was in fact not so hopeful.

I've tried to find the same interview on the internet, but unfortunate it's not available.

I have listened to this interview (on this site click on "must-watch interview" if you want to see it) and here he also speaks about the same issues, although the interview I have seen went more profound into the subjects.

I hope it will interest you too.

In fact, not such a joyful subject to start the year, but this is reality.

This is the world from today.


Friday, August 21, 2009

Motherhood Fundamentalism



I am not a real book reader because I can't sit too long in the same position.

Therefore I prefer to read columns about various subjects.

A few days ago I wrote in a comment to Jeannie that I had read a very interesting column. It was in fact an interview with the American writer: Ayelet Waldman*.

She* reviewed here her new book entitled: Bad Mother -- A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes.

I find the subject very interesting because I recognized what she said.

This is a summary of the interview.

I quote: In these times of overflowing agendas and performance pressure, "debt feelings" and "stress" in motherhood are always present.

She* also spoke about the opposite: mothers who chose to stay at home to take care for their children.

The names for this phenomenon are known as: hyper moms, total mothering or "motherhood fundamentalism".

She* also said: to stay at home to raise your children is in fact something for rich people, but now many other mothers also feel themselves obligated to do it. Why... because they are sometimes being stigmatized as bad mothers through the hyper mamas.

In fact I find this unfair because: not everyone has the possibility to make the choice to stay at home to raise the children. Every mother must be free to make her own choice without being stigmatized.


I am an older woman now and when I became mother I could not make the choice, I had to give up my work because I had no one to take care for my child.

That's now almost 45 years ago and even at that time there was a sort of battle between the "working mothers" and the "staying home mothers". Even at that time in the eyes of the working moms you were seen as "inferior" if you remained at home to raise your child, and now ... the situation became almost the opposite.

Therefore ... to all young (and also older) mothers: give up this fight ... in fact, there may not be a fight between mothers. Just be a mother on your own way!


I hope that I have you all incited to reflect on this theme!

For more information about this subject she* refers to these two American websites:

TrueMomConfessions.com

Freerangekids.com


The book : Bad mother - A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace written by Ayelet Waldman is available at:

www.randomhouse.com


PS: Ayelet Waldman studied Law at the Harvard University, she was a classmate of Barack Obama.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

About: Blah..Blah..Blah!





*Jeannie's last post gave me much substance to reflect on.

Why are we all blogging!!

That's a question I asked myself before I came on blogger.

Why do people blog?

I couldn't understand that someone could have to tell so much...and now... I am doing it myself. What is the purpose off this all? Maybe you also can wonder yourself : why do writers write books, what is their purpose? To tell a story, to share their thoughts with you, to give you their view on the world! Why is there spoken language: to bring over knowledge and that knowledge became the base of written language, and why do we read? I think everyone has a different reason for it. Some do it as entertainment, to learn or to be informed about everything that's going on in the world.

Of course I am not a writer and this is my first blog and it's also the first time in my life that I have written so much! (Except my love letters.)


Why I myself like to blog!

To learn from your experiences and to let you know mine. I think we can always learn from each other. To exchange thoughts and also maybe sometimes to release steam.

To read your story's and to tell you mine. Sometimes it will be “small talk” but it can better be “small talk” than calumny I think.

I have just started this blog and of course “now” I still have fun in it .

I hope that I will have enough inspiration to go on for some time and that I still enjoy blogging when we are a year further. I also hope that you will still be here then and that you still like to read it!

Maybe It will lose the luster that I have now and then I know that it's better to stop because you always must do things with pleasure, you must have fun in it.


I will do my best not to become boring!

Blog...blog..blog!

This was really bla ... bla ... bla!:) :)


PS: Goodbye Jeannie!

This was a beautiful written farewell!

Have much pleasure in reading!


* Unfortunately Jeannie's blog does no longer exists.


Saturday, April 4, 2009

Conversation at the Breakfast Table



Man to his wife: this morning I have read on the Web that women on the “top” these days seems to behave more and more like men! (With a look on his face that says: that cannot.)

Wife: oh, that's very good!

Man: do you find that!! (very annoyed as if it was an assault towards men)!

Wife: why are you angry when I say that? Are men “that bad” that you see this as a an assault! In fact you as a man, you must see that as a “complement” instead as an assault! If a woman shows her real female kind it's “not good”! Sometimes... you men, can have so much fun telling stupid and belittling jokes about women, and when women show then a little more a male side, then “also that” isn't good! Will it ever be good? I hope that those women will have “balls”!!! They must work much harder than men to get at the top and to stay there.They shall need “ big balls*” .... to survive in the men's world!

Man:.......silence ! (only an ugly look)!


End of the conversation!

PS: *Courage, truculence and decisiveness.