Julian Deathblow - Or - Changes In The Dutch Culture

You can judge the developments in a country by remarkable events. In Italy the return of Berlusconi is a sign that the country is in deep trouble, people hope that an previous hero / leader will be able to change the situation. In the Netherlands a recent incident sheds some light on the progress of cultural integration of various ethnic groups.

Julian Deathblow is a pseudonym (of a pseudonym) of a cartoon-artist that has been jailed for 30 hours on publishing discriminating cartoon on his blog. I and many others had never heard about him, but his arrest made him world famous. It shows the complexity of politics when an action that is taken influences the problem much more than thought and the original problem grows out of proportions.

Many views on this topic have been broadcasted, some blame government (the minister of justice) to have the man locked-up and think that freedom of expression is sacred, others agree that freedom of expression cannot derail some basic values as respect for other cultures. In this case most cartoons are offending the islam religion, but don't forget the cartoon where Dutch society is at stake; one where the prime minister and the queen are shown, would immediately be removed if the country was Spain and not The Netherlands. The Dutch society has been famous for its "tolerance."

In an interview on youtube, the artist replies that "I make people laugh. If people laugh they are not afraid and if they are not afraid they are free." How this matches the cartoon of the minister and the queen is still a riddle to me.

When looking at his website I found one of the first contributions (dated from September 2006) dedicated to the Danish cartoonist. His cartoon shows a piece of Lego where the last O is transformed into a bomb ... The association is obvious. In my opinion his motive must come from the cartoon affair that took place in Denmark in the year before (September 2005). And his message must be: provocation is what artists do, If you (referring to a muslim) don't like it don't watch it.

The other day I met someone I recognized as having done the plumbing at home. I asked him whether he was allowed to look at western (dressed) girls, because I saw him looking at a girl who was passing by on the street. He didn't respond. The truth is that in Spain there are hardly as much muslim women that cary a veil, they seem to be more integrated than those who live in the Netherlands. (in my opinion).

But anyhow ... The internet is full of sex pictures and so are newspaper-stands... I personally think that Julains' material is like that - a combination of sex (that sells good) mixed with some ideology.

But should be a reason to arrest him for this? The fact of giving it attention is what made it an issue, where it would otherwise receive nearly no attention. As all those funny things on youtube. You watch for an hour and then you have had it and go back to work. Life is waiting.

But in the Netherlands life seems to have stopped. Something more must be going on there. I think it is about getting a new balance between accepting new cultures and defending an own identity. Especially this last seems an issue; what is the Dutch identity? Whatever it is ... or was, it seems to be changing.

Hans Bool

Hans Bool writes articles about management, culture and change. If you are interested to read or experience more about these topics have a look at: Astor White.

AP - President-elect Barack Obama plunged into rare pre-inaugural crisis talks with congressional leaders Monday, declaring the national economy was "bad and getting worse" and embracing tax cuts now expected to reach $300 billion. He predicted lawmakers would approve a mammoth revitalization package within two weeks of his taking office.

Classic Arcade Games

The new millennium is the millennia of PC games. But before PCs became a household phenomenon, the only games of its kind that kids knew, and a whole generation of Americans have grown up playing, were arcade games.

Arcade games consist of a simple, yet bulky machine, with a colorful screen, and some sticks or buttons to play with, and a device to put coins in, which allows the game to be played for a particular period of time.

Today, you can find arcade games that run on computers, using emulators. But before that had happened, arcade games were typically found, apart from the especial entertainment centres and video arcades, in restaurants, malls and movie halls. Kids and grown ups alike played mainly three types of arcade games: the famed pinball, video games or redemption games.

Yet, the ancestry of arcade games could be traced to the hugely popular games commonly known as the "amusement park midway games" like ball toss game and shooting galleries which were popular at the beginning of the 20th century.

The 1930s saw the first coin-operated pinball machines. Though being made of wood with all functions mechanical rather than electronic and being a far cry from the electronic ones that were to come much later, they were still quite a hit. The late seventies would see these mechanical pinballs being replaced by electronic games.

The change in fortunes of arcade games happened with the formation of a company called Atari in 1972. This company created the coin-operated machines, beginning with the electronic ping pong game, called Pong. Pong was a huge hit, and led to even more home video game systems being introduced onto the market.

Many games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Space Invaders became huge hits in the late seventies and early eighties, paving the way to a revolution. The last breath to the arcade games was provided by the emergence of two player fighting games like Street Fighter II , Mortal Kombat Fatal Fury, King of fighters etc in the early 90s. However, this was not to redeem the fate of arcade games completely, as the growth in computers and video technology saw the emergence of new type of games, including PC games and games that ran on special consoles such as the Playstation, Gameboy and the X-box pushing arcade games into the sidelines, to almost the end of their existence.

Arcade Games provides detailed information on Arcade Games, Free Arcade Games, Online Arcade Games, Real Arcade Games and more. Arcade Games is affiliated with Online Computer Games.

AP - Police say a 4-year-old boy in southern Ohio shot his babysitter because the sitter accidentally stepped on his foot. Police said 18-year-old Nathan Beavers and several other teenagers were babysitting several young children in a mobile home in Jackson on Sunday when the shooting occurred.

Nintendo Wii - Way Above The Others

Today there are many gaming consoles available in the market and one has the luxury to pick and choose. However, out of all the gaming consoles, the Sony Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are the most popular. What many people do not know is that the Nintendo Wii is also a gaming console worth its while and it has many features that merit mention.

The Nintendo Wii, as suggested by the name, was launched by Nintendo. The reason why this gaming console is so popular among avid gamers as well as casual ones is because of its intuitive control. For most of us, intuitive control really does not mean much unless we take the time to understand it. In ordinary language, the remote of Nintendo Wii has motion sensors that can detect motion in three dimension and the movements of the player's body get interpreted directly unto the screen using sophisticated Bluetooth technology. This means that players using this gaming console do not have to press buttons in order to make moves in a game and this turns out be more interesting and further enhances the fun element of any game.

Nowadays there are many games available for the Nintendo Wii and there is no doubt that those passionate about their gaming will definitely enjoy the experience as they can relate to the developments occurring in the virtual world of the game.

Today gaming is no longer the forte of the young. All age groups, including seniors and elders, are enjoying the gaming experience. Even the most simplistic game can be enjoyed on a Nintendo and most people think that is what sets this gaming console apart from other consoles.

About Author:

Pauline Go is a professional write for many websites. She also writes other great articles like New Ps2 Game Hints Cheats And Walkthroughs, Best Wii Games Reviews and PSP games walkthrough

Bloomberg - Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- President-elect Barack Obamaseconomic stimulus package will include hundreds of billions ofdollars worth of tax breaks for individuals and businesses,according to a transition official and Democratic aides.

British Defense Technology Company Claims to Break Unmanned Flight Record

QinetiQ Group PLC, a British defense technology company, claimed on Sunday, August 24, that its ultra lightweight plane has broken the world record for the longest lasting unmanned flight.

According to QinetiQ, the aircraft, which is called the Zephyr, flew for 83 hours and 37 minutes straight. That is more than twice the official world record set by Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk back in 2001. It is also longer than the Zephyr's accomplishment last year, which was 54 hours of continuous flight.

QinetiQ, however, will not be celebrating anytime soon. The reported flight time of the Zephyr may not get into record books, because it did not meet the criteria laid down by the world's air sports federation, which is the body responsible for measuring and verifying air and space records.

"We were concentrating more on the flight than the record," said QinetiQ spokesman Douglas Millard.

The Zephyr, which has potential in the fields of reconnaissance and communications, is built from carbon fiber and features paper thin solar panels. It weighs 30 kilograms (66 pounds) and was launched by hand on July 28 in the Arizona desert in the United States. The aircraft was flown by autopilot and via satellite to an altitude of over 18,000 meters (60,000 feet), QinetiQ said.

During the day, the ultra lightweight was powered by the sun. At night, it relied on its rechargeable lithium-sulphur batteries.

QinetiQ stated that the Zephyr's more than three-day flight was witnessed by US and British defense officials. Still, it does not change the fact that the record is likely to remain unofficial.

http://community.warplanes.com

Reuters - A relative unknown will take over the title role of Doctor Who in the British science fiction television show, making him the 11th time lord in 45 years to travel across the universe in the Tardis time-ship.