MB Blog

Selling my stuff!

2007-03-14T14:47:00.000+01:00

I have known about ebay and marktplaats.nl (a Dutch selling site) for years but I never had anything to sell. Well two days ago I finally had my first thing to sell, a mobile phone! I registered with marktplaats and made an ad. I already have some offers (but i would like a little more money for it) and I really got into the spirit of it. I remembered my old Ipod mini would be a good candidate too so i put it on there too. In one day i already got a very good offer for it and i hope to sell it soon. Now I'm looking for more stuff to sell...

Interested: click the links below to see my stuff

Ipod mini klik hier

Samsung SGH-VZ10: klik hier

Mighty Dormouse

2006-10-15T09:49:00.000+02:00

This beautiful picture above was e-mailed to me by my mother. She is a nanny and she works for someone who works for Natuurmonumenten (A nature preservation group in the Netherlands) He had gotten some pics from this rare mouse that only lives in the south of the Netherlands. It’s called a hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) The hazel dormice inhabits deciduous forests that maintain a thick layer of scrub plants and underbrush. Being agile climbers, hazel dormice spend much of their time in the tree canopy searching for food. They also inhabit hedge rows in rural areas. They are hard to spot between the thick bushes.

It is the smallest of the European dormice and has a head to tail length of 115 to 164 mm. The tail makes up about one half of overall length. Looking similar to many other mouse-sized mammals, they have prominent black eyes and small, round ears, but can be distinguished by a thick, bushy tail. Coloration of hazel dormice is a brown to amber color on the dorsal side of the body, and white on the ventral side. Young hazel dormice lack the identifying color of the adults and are a duller and grayer in coloration. The feet of hazel dormice are very flexible, and are adapted for climbing.

The dormouse is strictly nocturnal. Days are spent sleeping in a spherical nest that is made of grasses, stripped bark, and moss, that is held together by a sticky saliva. The nest is about 15 cm in diameter and completely surrounds the individual which occupies it. The nests are usually located about 2 meters off the ground. Common dormice spend their nights up in the trees foraging for food. Their prehensile feet are very helpful when jumping between branches. Hibernation occurs from October to April, although early hibernation can be initiated if the external temperature drops below 16'C.

It consumes a diet consisting mainly of fruits and nuts, but will also eat bird eggs, fledglings, insects and pollen if they are readily available. Hazelnuts are a favorite nut of hazel dormice. Nuts which have been opened by these animals are easily distinguished by a smooth, round hole that is unlike that made by other rodents. Hazel dormice specialize on nuts in the weeks prior to hibernation, but do not store food for the winter.

Muscardinus avellanarius populations are declining in the northern areas of its range, due to loss of forest habitat. Hazel dormice are currently listed as lower risk in the IUCN red list.

I think it’s a beautiful species and I would have loved to see it in real life! Thanks Lars for the beautiful picture

A long long time ago...

2006-10-14T12:45:00.000+02:00

It’s been a long time since I posted anything but I have been quiet busy. I have also been sick and I didn’t have much inspiration to write anything. Today will be a long post about everything that has kept me busy for all this time.

I have started my research I have to do for my graduation, it’s about e-learning. I’m going to do some research if children learn faster or pick things up more quickly with computer programs then the traditional way of books. There is a lot of debate that teachers do not know enough of the world teenagers live in now. I as a young teacher agree that you can get so much more out of teenagers if it is closer to the world they live in. I am lucky that I know enough about computers but I have to help many of my colleagues when they have to do things on the computer.

My classes are going great and many of the children I teach have good marks so I am happy with that. I am quite shocked with how much work it is to give two subjects and it’s still hard for me to switch between both subject. I hope it will get easier! At the moment I have had many classes I needed to substitute because ten of my colleagues are sick so I had a very busy week.
I also had some shocking news from one of my friends who’s father went to the same as mine. So that was some bad news. I hope he’s doing better now.

The rest of my time was spend going to physiotherapy for my hips and I started horseback riding again! It has been a blast even though I had some muscle ache the day after. I hope that will get better soon! (above is a picture of my favorite breed of horses: the Shire)

As you see I have been busy and in a week I have my first break for the year and I can’t wait!

Scorpion King

2006-09-20T17:40:00.000+02:00

I have bought new pets for school, they are three Emperor Scorpion (keizers schorpioen)

The Emperor Scorpion is the largest, but not the longest, of the scorpion species. Their coloring is usually a glossy black or blue, but dark brown or greenish colors have occurred. Whitish membranes connect the various body segments; these membranes will expand in pregnant females. They have large fat pinchers (chelae or pedipalps,) four pairs of legs and a long tail (telson) tipped by a venom gland and a stinger. Behind their fourth pair of legs, they have a comb-like structure called pectines, which are used to sense the texture of the ground. The pectines are larger on the males than the females. Like all scorpions, they use sensory hairs to detect ground and air vibrations.
Emperor Scorpions are one of the most popular pet scorpions due to their docile nature. Although it is not recommended, many owners handle their pet Emperor Scorpions. The sting is described as similar to a bee sting and the venom is not usually dangerous to humans unless they are allergic. However, their claws can deliver a very painful pinch and are strong enough to draw blood. As with all stings, medical attention should be sought if the victim shows signs of allergic reactions, such as breathing difficulty, excessive swelling or prolonged pain. Commonly thought to be insects, scorpions are actually in the same family as spiders, ticks and mites. Like all scorpions, Emperor Scorpions fluoresce a greenish blue under black (UV) lights.
Emperor Scorpions are often used in movies and television shows due to their docile nature, semi-social acceptance and relatively harmless toxin.

Like all scorpions, the Emperor Scorpion burrows into the soil and can be found under rocks, logs and other forest debris. They hunt at night (nocturnal,) using their sensory hairs to detect nearby prey. They rarely sting smaller prey, preferring to grasp their prey in their powerful claws and tear the unfortunate victim apart. Emperor Scorpions are unusually social compared to other scorpions. They occasionally live in small family groups of a mother and her offspring.

Am I A Devil Worshipper?

2006-09-12T13:46:00.000+02:00

In a recent interview on vatican radio, Pope Benedict XVI's senior exorcist claims the Harry Potter books contain innumerable positive references to magic, "the satanic art."

"Behind Harry Potter hides the signature of the king of the darkness, the devil," he told Vatican Radio. And according to the Daily Mail newspaper in London, he added that the books attempt to make a false distinction between black and white magic, when in fact, the distinction "does not exist, because magic is always a turn to the devil."

I can see Harry's glowing green eyes and they make me feel I want to dominate the world MOOHAAHahahaha

Get rel people! The vatican is also against condoms while they there is a disease like AIDS

Goodbye Crocodile Hunter

2006-09-05T09:33:00.000+02:00

Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006), also known as the Crocodile Hunter, was an Australian naturalist, wildlife expert and television personality, best known for the television program The Crocodile Hunter, an unconventional wildlife documentary series broadcast worldwide and co-hosted with his wife Terri. He was also owner and operator of Australia Zoo, in Beerwah, Queensland.

Irwin parlayed youthful experience as a crocodile trapper into an international television career, a feature film, and a series of accolades in Australia for his promotion of tourism and environmental awareness. Despite a macho image as a wrangler of large, dangerous animals, Irwin was a committed conservationist. Nevertheless, his cavalier showman's approach often drew criticism, especially an incident when he held his baby boy as he fed crocodiles at his zoo.
On September 4, 2006, he was filming underwater documentary footage when a stingray that he was following closely extended its barb into his chest, resulting in his death.

Shortly after 11:00 a.m. local time (01:00 UTC) on 4 September 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a short-tail stingray barb while diving in Batt Reef (part of the Great Barrier Reef), off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland, Australia. Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, to be called The Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. Irwin decided to take the opportunity to film some shallow water shots for a segment in the television program his daughter Bindi was hosting, when, according to his friend and colleague John Stainton, he swam too close to one of the animals. "He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat, called the Croc One, at the time.

The events were caught on camera, and the footage was handed to the Queensland Police. After reviewing the footage of the incident and speaking to the cameraman who recorded it, marine documentary filmmaker and former spearfisherman Ben Cropp speculated that the stingray "felt threatened because Steve was alongside and there was the cameraman ahead." In such a case, the stingray responds by automatically flexing the serrated barb on its tail up to a maximum of 25 cm (10 in) of length. Cropp said Irwin had accidentally boxed the animal in. "It stopped and twisted and threw up its tail with the spike, and it caught him in the chest. It's a defensive thing. It's like being stabbed with a dirty dagger." The stinging of Irwin by the bull ray was "a one-in-a-million thing," Cropp told Time magazine. "I have swum with many rays, and I have only had one do that to me." Immediately after the attack, Irwin was shown on tape pulling the barb out, before losing consciousness. This was confirmed by his colleague John Stainton. It is thought, in the absence of a coroner's report, that either the toxins of the barb caused Irwin to die of an apparent cardiac arrest or that he died quickly as a result of a punctured aorta.

Crewmembers aboard his boat called the emergency services in the nearest city of Cairns and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Lowe Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later.

Irwin's body was flown to a morgue in Cairns. His wife was on a walking tour in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park in Tasmania at the time, and returned via a private plane from Devonport to the Sunshine Coast with their two children.

This was only the third known fatality in Australian history from a stingray attack, and the first since 1945. As of 1996, only seventeen worldwide fatalities had been recorded, and it is believed to be the only fatal attack ever captured on film.

The family has asked that all donations go to Wildlife Warriors Worldwide LTD

Click this link for more information on how to donate (it could be slow because of traffic)

http://www.crocodilehunter.com/

Japanese Royal Couple

2006-09-01T08:24:00.000+02:00

The Japanese crown prince Naruhito and his wife Masako are staying in the Netherlands. It's her first trip since four years to a foreign country. She is suffering from a depression caused by the pressure on her to have a male child. She was a highly educated woman and successful in business when she decided to marry the crown prince of Japan. After her marriage her only purpese was to become pregnant and deliver an heir to the throne for Japan. After several miscarriages she had a daughter Aiko but in Japanese tradition only males can become heir to the throne. They are hoping she can relax a little here, away from the press in her own country and away from the strict rules of the royal house. Her sister in law is pregnant and it is now confirmed that it's a boy that can serve as the heir to the throne so the pressure on Masako is a little lifted. But I don't think the people of Japan will let it go that easily, they rather want her to have a boy. Also it's a great topic to talk about!

On another note. I don't think she is here to only relax, but is here for treatment as well. I think she is getting an IVF (in vitro fertilization) treatment to become pregnant again or even make sure it's a boy! It would sure lift the pressure that is on her and hopefully also the depression. I wouldn't blame her for trying to do something like that and I would even think it's better that way. I am happy we have forestalled that tradition now in the Netherlands and have had 3 woman on our throne already!

I wish them both luck and I hope she will be more relaxed now!

School is Starting

2006-08-27T11:19:00.000+02:00

Next week, school is about to begin for me. The last year of college in Amsterdam if everything goes right of course! Luckely teaching starts for me the next week so I still have some spare time! It will be my first year teaching all by myself (I have thought alone before) as I will have to run everything. I will have to do everything myself from yearplanning and keeping track of students. I am actually looking forward to it even though I am a bit nervous but I am lucky with my mentor and I know I can always ask other teachers for help.

I only have to do my minor and a final paper. I don't net know what it will be about but I really hope it can be something on biology in stead of teaching! Not that I don't like teaching but I don't find it as interesting as biology. I want to do something with spiders and I hope I will be able to do that!

God Can't Die...?

2006-08-17T12:06:00.000+02:00

In my last article about Steve Jobs his health I said I thought he was going to die and some people took offense by that (God can’t die...?) so I am now going to post a follow up on that story. I don’t believe Steve Jobs is going to die, just maybe only giving the rudder to someone else. I wanted to see how people would react to my article and I must say I got some interesting responses. What was really weird is that they rather e-mail me then posting a comment (chickens). I still believe Apple won’t be the same if Steve jobs left the helm but it isn’t an impossible situation and I wouldn’t be surprised if he let someone else take control of the firm. When? I don’t know, I can’t read minds and I can’t see the future.

About Steve Jobs being sick, well I do think he is. After reading through articles about Islet cell cancer and the cure for it. Which basically means cutting a piece out of the pancreas to remove the cancer that formed in the Islet cells (see picture above). These cells make insulin and by having cancer in them and removing them the production of insulin reduces. Which actually means you become diabetic. I haven’t been able to find anything about it in relation to Steve Jobs personal situation but almost all of the patients treated for this type of cancer are diabetic after the surgery. This would explain his thin look he has now, simply because he lives a stressful and busy life. When you just got diabetic you have to change your life around it and your body has to get used to not having insulin when it calls for it but when you take insulin pills or inject yourself with insulin. The treatment for diabetes is getting better and better but it still is life changing. It’s very hard on the body and you get tired quickly, that could be the reason why he didn’t do the whole keynote by himself or maybe he wanted to give the other guys a chance to talk to the Apple fans. I thought they all did great even though they don’t have Steve Jobs flair (which they shouldn’t try to copy or it seems so fake) but they did a great job non the less.

Snape's Worst Memory

2006-08-14T12:14:00.000+02:00

I always check http://www.mugglenet.com for my latest Potter news and as a big fan of Snape (Good or Evil) I am really looking forward to the Order Of The Phoenix movie. Especially the scene of Snape's worst memory so I was very happy to see the pictures where they are filming that scene. The photos were taken on July 24th at Blenheim Palace and you can clearly see Daniel Radcliff and the young snape actor: Alec Hopkins. I can't wait to see this movie and I hope the trailer will be out around Christmas for the first look of the movie.

Shelob Has Something Big

2006-08-13T19:28:00.000+02:00

I made a funny video today with my mobile (it's not the best of quality) about my tarantula called Shelob. I gave her a big grasshopper to eat and after a big fight she finally managed to kill it. But as always she rather wanted to eat it in her coconut and tried to get it inside. It's just a little bit to big to fit through the opening. Here she just got it through

Divination On Steve Jobs:

2006-08-09T12:36:00.000+02:00

I See A Grim:

I hate to do this to the Apple fans but I am going to make an eery prediction, I think Steve Jobs is dying! Not like a “dying breed” or “yeah everyone dies” but I mean within 5 years there will be sad news from the Apple compound! Of course I can’t look in the future but when I saw him giving his Keynote last monday I was shocked at how he looked and acted. He can put on a good show (and probably would have been a good actor the way he gets people enthusiastic over little things) but he never gave his keynote with all three of his department heads. Maybe he was just sick that week and didn’t feel like he could do it all by himself but it did strike me that the other three were well prepared and it didn’t seem like a last minute change of plans. Anyway I was more concerned when I saw his “thin, almost gaunt” appearance and unusually “listless” delivery of the Keynote. It isn’t like the perfectionist Jobs to not give 100% for his Apple.

Earlier Health Problems:

On July 31, 2004, Jobs underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in his pancreas. He had a very rare form of pancreatic cancer, known as islet (Langerhans in Dutch) cell neuroendocrine tumor, which is far less aggressive than the usual form of pancreatic cancer. It did not require chemotherapy or radiation therapy. But still what people didn’t report is if it was functional or non-functional Inslet cell cancer. But as he didn’t need radiation or chemo I will guess non-functional. They also didn’t report that the overall 5-year survival rate in all patients with nonfunctional pancreatic Islet cell cancer approaches 50%. So only half of the treated people live more than 5 years after treatment (based on a certain treatment and how far the cancer had already developed, there are forms where the survival rate is 100%). I’m not a doctor and I don’t know anything about Jobs cancer state, it does shock me and it just makes me hope it is the other type.

Maybe I Am Just Wrong:

It could just be that Jobs is getting old and just like Bill Gates want to step down a little and enjoy some form of retirement. Maybe he was just looking for the best candidate to take over the more stressful parts of being the CEO. Or he could just have the flu like many others around this time of year! There are many explanations that could fit and there is a good chance I am just plain wrong. I especially hope I am wrong because I think Apple will never be the same when Jobs leaves, even if it is in capable hands.  

Apple Is Going For The Kill

2006-08-08T10:40:00.000+02:00

Yesterday there was a new World Wide Developers Conference by Apple. Of course Steve Jobs (CEO of Apple) gave his famous keynote! It started with the famous Ads they have online: TV Ads witch made a lot of fun of Vista and you can see it here:Keynote start Steve started of course by telling first of all the successes they had this year with top being that 50% of people who bought a Mac last quarter were new to the Mac. Then he started with 2 new products: The new Mac pro and the Xserve, which are really fast and super!

After that they really started to poke fun at Vista by comparing what Microsoft had copied of Apple. It was hilarious and if you want to see it you should click here to see the WWDC. Then they started to show Leopard, the new OS. To compare, this is the sixth major release from Apple since 2002 and Windows users have been waiting since 2002 for Vista. They showed 10 new amazing features but also said they were working on some top secret things they couldn't show yet as they didn't want to start Windows photo copiers too soon! It was amazing and you can all see it by clicking here and see the WWDC

A short Apple history:

The Macintosh was officially announced on January 22, 1984, with the now-famous 1984 Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott. This commercial showed a woman, played by Anya Major, who defiantly throws a sledgehammer at a Big Brother-like video screen (which represented IBM). This was symbolic of Apple challenging the text-based computers that dominated the market at the time. The Mac itself went on sale for US$2,495 on the same day as the 1984 Super Bowl commercial. It came bundled with two useful programs designed to show off its interface: MacWrite and MacPaint. Although the Mac garnered an immediate, enthusiastic following, it was too radical for some. Because the machine was entirely designed around the GUI, existing text-mode and command-driven programs had to be redesigned and rewritten; this was a challenging undertaking that many software developers shied away from, and resulted in an initial lack of software for the new system. Many users, accustomed to the arcane world of command lines, labeled the Mac a mere “toy”.

Present Day:

Now it's growing and many PC people have trouble with that and start to pick on Apple users. The latest blow to Windows is that the new computers you buy at Apple can also boot with Windows XP and OS X, making the switch easier!

My Day In The City I Grew Up

2006-08-06T20:00:00.000+02:00

Friday I went to my parents, it's a two and a half hour journey and as my mom and I wanted to go cloth shopping for skirts she wanted to make me, I had to get up early. I wanted to go at 7 o'clock but because I was awakened by the heavy rain I went an hour earlier. When I finally reached my destination it had become dry again and my mother and I left immediately for the market. I found some pretty cloths and my mom and I decided to go windowshopping. Me and my mom love to do that but as always it didn't stay window shopping! I saw some DVD I wanted for a nice price and I saw some books I wanted (which I didn't get) We also had a nice cup of coffee and hot chocolate and we went to an old friend of mine who owns a dog trimming saloon.

At my friend shop we talked about our lives and we talked about the animals. She had some hoppers that hadn't been picked up and she gave them to me for my spiders but when I got home my man loved the look of them so much that they are now enjoying a nice life in a terrarium! I also met some friends of my mother and then we went home.

We started right away to make the skirts and then needed to start dinner already as I needed to leave earlier than normal. We had Chinese and it was nice to have my mother cook for me again! Of course my train didn't go as it should when I went back and I needed to take another train. The ticket lady send me first to the wrong train but because I am so smart (ahem, ahem) I took another train that I thought was more logic (I am Tuvok's relative!) and it paid in the end! I was only 15 minutes late instead of 45 minutes.

A Big Bear

2006-07-31T09:42:00.000+02:00

I found a beautiful moth in my hall friday and after doing some research I found out it's called a Big Bear (Arctia caja) in Dutch and Garden Tiger in English. I tought it was quit funny to see how two different languages both call them after other animals!

The Big Bear (Garden Tiger) Moth is a very popular and attractive moth with the larvae being better known as the 'woolly bear' caterpillar. The eggs of the species hatch late August and it overwinters as larvae. The larva starts to feed again early spring and is full-fed by the end of June. After going through the pupal stage the moth emerges and flies during July and August. It is univoltine (i.e. has one generation a year) and is very popular with breeders due to its large variation in markings and colouration of the adult moth, with examples from yellow to dark brown.

Arctia caja is polyphagous (i.e. eats a wide variety of plant types) and was commonly found throughout the upper Europe. However, over the past 20 years there has been a steady decline in the species with numbers falling by around 30%. The species has been well documented by the Rothamsted Insect Survey. Climate change has been implicated as weather does appear to be a contributory factor. It has been demonstrated that warm, wet winters and warm springs are followed by a decrease in the number of tiger moths the following summer (Conrad, Woiwod & Perry, 2002).

PMS Also Happens To Spiders

2006-07-27T12:50:00.000+02:00

I promised I would post a better picture of Roosje when I had a chance. Well she is staying at our home for the summer vacation so I was able to make a picture today. She is usually very sweet and not at all aggressive but when I opened her tank today she sprang into a threat posture and I was able to shoot some beautiful pictures of her being defensive. She made sure their even were some drops of venom hanging from her fangs and I will not go near her when she is standing like that. I guess even spider can have PMS

Escaping Panda

2006-07-26T09:55:00.001+02:00

The Escape:

Monday morning commotion broke out in a zoo in Rotterdam when it was discovered that one of the endangered red panda’s escaped. It was found later in one of the high trees near the park in one of the suburbs of Rotterdam. They tried to catch him but the panda was getting more and more nervous because of al the people surrounding him. He climbed higher and higher and the fire-fighters weren’t able to get him out of the tree so in the end it was decided to tranquilize him. He was easlily picked out of the tree after that. The Panda is now save back in it’s indoor cage as zoo staff weren’t able to figure out how the panda escaped and it has happened before! The zoo will not let the panda’s back out till they are sure none can escape again.

Red Panda Name:

The Chinese name of the Red Panda is 小熊貓; (xiǎo xióng māo), meaning 'small panda'. The Chinese name of the Red Panda is based on that of the Giant Panda, unlike English where the Giant Panda has been named after the Red Panda. The Red Panda is also sometimes known as hǔo hú (火狐), which literally translates as "fire fox", a name which can refer both to the red fox and the Red Panda. The Red Panda is the state animal of Sikkim. The term firefox, as used to describe the Red Panda, has been propagated by its use in the web browser Mozilla Firefox, although the browser logo depicts a fox with its tail on fire rather than a Red Panda.

Panda’s in the news:

In May 2005, the Red Panda gained a surge of popularity in Japan when a panda named Futa (風太) living in the Chiba Animal Park was found to be able to stand on his hind legs like a human for up to 30 seconds at a time. Not to be outdone, another zoo, the Yokohama Zoo Zoorasia in Yokohama recently found another "gifted" red panda within their confines, Dale (デール) who is capable of walking a considerable distance bipedal. While both of the standing pandas have gained the species many fans in Japan, both the Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Hokkaido and the World Wide Fund for Nature have expressed concern that the increased commercialism of this species may be putting too much burden on the animals as the animal is already endangered by hunting and habitat loss. Futa was featured in a commercial for the Japan Tobacco cigarette company.

Bacteria That "Make" Gold!

2006-07-16T14:22:00.000+02:00

Today I saw something on the news that I just had to post: Bacteria that "make" gold.

Scientists in Australia have found fairly good evidence that a form of bacteria is involved in the formation of gold grains and nuggets.

Led by German Frank Reith, the group of scientists carried out analyses of gold samples taken from two mines in different parts of Australia and found that the microbes, named Ralstonia metallidurans, were present on 80 per cent of the grains.

The Ralstonia bacteria is believed to be responsible for converting miniscule amounts of gold found in quartz veins below the ground into small grains and nuggets in the dust above the surface, according to findings reported in the latest edition of US magazine Science.

He told the Associated Press: "What we just wanted to show is that micro-organisms are capable of contributing to the formation of gold nuggets and before that was always doubted.

"I'm not saying that the organisms are the only way how gold nuggets in soils can form, but it's one of the ways."

It appears that the microbe performs the role of cleansing its local environment through removing the concentrated dissolved gold which it finds toxic and converting it into the more visible grains.

However, this does not prove the old alchemist theory that gold can be created from nothing, as the gold must be present in some form in the first place.

Guard the boat, mind the tide... don't touch my dirt.

2006-07-16T12:14:00.000+02:00

Last Thursday my friend Elkie, my man and I went to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and I have to say WOW! It was such a great movie. It has become a lot darker since The Curse Of The Black Pearl and yes it did have an open ending but I didn’t mind that. The special effect were great and very well done especially Davy Jones (Captain of the Flying Dutchman played by Bill Nighly). I didn’t know what to expect as I didn’t watch any of the trailers (I wanted it to be a surprise). After I had seen it I saw this dreadful review which I didn’t agree with at all. It went on and on about that it didn’t have any story and that it was only hold together by Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). They also said that William Turner (Orlando Bloom) didn’t have any important part in this story and that the movie was strung together by special effects. Well I couldn’t agree less, I was amazed by the great acting an everyones part and I was happy they kept a lot of the humor in that they started in part one. I do agree there were a lot of special effect but I loved it (especially the wheel) and there was a lot of story even around Will and Elizabeth. I do think this will be the summer hit this year and I will say that everyone should see this movie.

Friends and Pirates

2006-07-11T08:37:00.000+02:00

Thursday we have two fun things to do. First my friend from highschool Elkie will come by to visit us. I haven't seen her for a while because when I moved away it was hard to find time to see eachother. Now we both had time and she will also spend the night. Last time she stayed here there was so much trouble with the railways that we don't want to risk her having to sleep at some station. We are both really looking forward to see eachother again!

As she is staying for the night we wanted to also do something fun. As we saw that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is coming out this Thursday so we decided to go see that movie. It's the second part of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and I hope it's as great as the first one. Here is a little summary of the film and I will write a review when I'm back.

Captain Jack Sparrow is caught up in another tangled web of supernatural intrigue. Although the curse of the Black Pearl has been lifted, an even more terrifying threat looms over its captain and scurvy crew: it turns out that Jack owes a blood debt to the legendary Davy Jones, Ruler of the Ocean Depths, who captains the ghostly Flying Dutchman, which no other ship can match in speed and stealth. Unless the ever-crafty Jack figures a cunning way out of this Faustian pact, he will be cursed to an afterlife of eternal servitude and damnation in the service of Jones.

This startling development interrupts the wedding plans of Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, who once again find themselves thrust into Jack's misadventures, leading to escalating confrontations with sea monsters, very unfriendly islanders, flamboyant soothsayer Tia Dalma and even the mysterious appearance of Will's long-lost father, Bootstrap Bill. Meanwhile, ruthless pirate hunter Lord Cutler Beckett of the East India Trading Company sets his sights on retrieving the fabled "Dead Man's Chest." According to legend, whoever possesses the Dead Man's Chest gains control of Davy Jones, and Beckett intends to use this awesome power to destroy every last Pirate of the Caribbean once and for all. For times are changing on the high seas, with businessmen and bureaucrats becoming the true pirates and freewheeling, fun-loving buccaneers like Jack and his crew threatened with extinction.

LIO Competent

2006-07-05T20:15:00.000+02:00

I finally made it to my last year of college. After the great news on friday I now also got the news I am LIO competent which means I am now good enough to run classes on my own. I can now go to my next year internship where I was already hired for. I also got the news I will get 4 hours of biology and 3 hours of English to teach. I now only have to do a few more courses and then I will be able to draduate next year. I hope next year will be a blast and everyone have a great holiday

I found a Job

2006-07-01T10:33:00.000+02:00

I have found a job. Well actually I am staying exactly where I am at the Triade. I have been looking for a payed internship or a job for a while now and I didn't find anything yet. I had asked if I could stay at the Triade before but I got a no as an answer because there wasn't enough money for an internship so I was left looking for a job. Then suddenly one of the biology teachers left and I applied for the job immediately but sadly one of the team leaders got the job as she didn't want to be team leader anymore and needed a new job at the school. Of course I understand that she got it first as she has been at the school longer but I was sad as I really liked the school and wanted to stay.

But when the boss told I wasn't the one he also told me there may be some room after all. So I waited and waited but every time I asked he said he still didn't know for sure. Well Friday I had enough, I went to him and said I needed to know now as I wanted to know it before summer holiday. He went to look for me and said he could give me 3 hours of biology and 2 hours remedial teaching but that wasn't enough so he said I could also teach another subject as he had some hours there. I could teach French or Math or even Science but I am no good at that and then he said English and as I am quite good at that I chose that. So now I also going to teach 3 hours of English next year as well! I know it's only 8 hours but it's a start and if there are more hours half way through the year I can get them than.

Hope that's going to go alright as it is not my subject and I don't know how to teach it yet. I have asked if I could see the books first and if I could talk to one of the English teachers first.

Wish me luck!

Grand Old Lady

2006-06-26T21:59:00.000+02:00

The grand old lady of Australia Zoo could be forgiven for being a bit slow, but time waits for no man or tortoise.

Australia Zoo’s Harriet, the Giant Galapagos Land Tortoise, died early yesterday morning, surrendering the Guinness World Record she held as the world’s oldest living animal. Harriet would have turned 176 in November. She was born in 1830 on Isla Santa Cruz, about 900 kilometres southwest of Ecuador. After being collected by Sir Charles Darwin in 1835, she lived in England for a short period before relocating permanently to south-east Queensland. The Galapagos Islands, Harriet’s natural home, have been attributed with spurring Darwin’s research into the Theory of Evolution.

Harriet took up her Australia Zoo lodgings in the mid-1980s, spending the final decades of her epic 175-year life on the Sunshine Coast. She became a major attraction at the Zoo because of her affectionate nature and colourful, historic past.

Not being one to hide from the spotlight, the world record holder would come out of her shell to celebrate her birthday with thousands of visitors each year. Australia Zoo’s Steve Irwin said Harriet’s passing marked a sad day for his family and the world at large.

“Harriet has been a huge chunk of the Irwin family’s life,” he said.

“I have grown up with this gorgeous old girl and so have my kids. She is possibly one of the oldest living creatures on the planet and her passing today is not only a great loss for the world but a very sad day for my family. She was a grand old lady.”

Zoo veterinarian Jon Hanger said Harriet had been in very good health until the sudden onset of a heart-related illness on Thursday. “She was a very old animal. Basically, her heart failed,” he said. “The best we could do was make her comfortable.”

Dr Hanger said there would be a memorial constructed at the Zoo to commemorate Harriet’s long life. “She will be very much missed. She had a lovely personality. “There will be a lot of very upset people at the Zoo today.”

The picture is of Bindi Sue Irwin, daughter of famous Steve Irwin, with Granny Harriet

The Light Will Be Shining...

2006-06-25T10:47:00.000+02:00

During my week away my sweetheart hung up the lamps we had just bought. Well I can't call it just bought as we ordered them like 2 or 3 months ago but they had finally arrived just before I would leave for the Ardennes. They are of Italian design by a company called LucePlan and it's called Glass Glass. We always wanted an industrial design but also a little more stylish and we had been looking around for so long. We actually came across them in a clothes shop hanging above the counter. We asked where they came from and he gave us the advice the call the designer department and ask there. Well we did and they were very helpful (Thank you WE) and we were able to order them. As they are hand made we had to wait long but it was worth it just look how stunning they are!

A Sunny Week Away...

2006-06-25T10:42:00.000+02:00

The last week I had an excursion to the Belgian part of the Ardennes. It’s an old mountain range with only steep hills to remember how splendid they once were. I went there for a minor course I follow for geography and we went there for the interesting rock formations under ground. The first day we followed the Ninglingspo (I was starting to wonder if I was in Thailand or Belgium?) and it was really hot but when we got back to the vans it started to rain and as we got closer to the chalet we would stay in it started to hose.

We were lucky that it cooled because of the rain and thunder so we could sleep well. This was actually the weather for the rest of the week, sun during the day and rain and thunder at night. During this week we had to make a geological map of an area we were appointed to by going to that area during the day and work on the map after dinner. It was a really busy week but we also had a lot of fun.

In the south of Belgium they speak French (Waals) and I’m really bad at French (more like I speak a few sentences and a few words I once learned at school) and one day one of the vans broke down and the teachers weren’t able to go grocery shopping and Daisy and I wanted to cook that night so we were given money to go shopping. Well it was hilarious, as we both speak french so poorly. It started with the word supermarket (supermarché in French) and when we asked someone where it was in poor French they were Dutch and they told us we were standing right across from it. In the supermarket we were confronted with many other obstacles as minced meat that we had to be sure of was made from cows. I remembered cow was bouf (of la vache) and I practically screamed it at the man when it popped into my head. We also had a problem that there wasn’t enough brown bread.

After all this we had a great laugh and it really was a fun week even tough we were all tired at the end we felt like we really learned a lot.