Video: Antwerp Killer “Lange Wapper” Bridge evokes massive protest

No, you’re not watching a weird stop-smoking educational video (the smoke you see is a digital effect), but a protest video to stop the planned Antwerp “Lange Wapper” killer bridge that will turn large parts of Antwerp-city into a polluted and noisy danger-zone (check endangered zone: half of downtown Antwerp), a heavily polluted town where thousands of children will inhale toxic particles and diesel fumes, just by living near a planned new bridge that could easily have been replaced by a tunnel.

Historic Antwerp cathedral dwarfed by the planned nearby huge traffic viaduct, an insane concept

[Video and discussion in English]. “Yes We Can” stop that noisy killer bridge, inspired by corporate greed and bent politicians. [Protest website in Dutch]. How would you react if some money-grabbing politicians endangered the health of your children?

[Update 18 Oct 2009: during a city referendum today 60% of Antwerp voters rejected the "Lange Wapper" overpass/bridge (the threshold being 50%). What happens next will be decided by the government in Brussels.]

Belgian elections: the best-paid, weirdest and most indifferent politicians in parliament

Vanderpoorten: queen of cumulation: €342,270

Belgian local (=non federal) elections are just around the corner, along with the EU elections on June 7th. During previous campaigns I had no trouble finding a candidate worthy of my vote, knowing that Belgium is ruled by a mind-blowing multitude of ever changing coalition governments – no matter who you voted for, rest assured you will never get anything even remotely resembling the platform you picked in the ballot box.

Hermans: "let's castrate addicts": our funniest politician

The overall current trend is an overtly visible swing towards more conservatism, more hard-line “me first” programs, in a society that has become colder and ever more distant since the recession struck many of us. The crash of 2008 painfully showed how impotent politicians really are.

So this year I skipped the rhetoric and made the only sensible move: check what the (Dutch speaking) election candidates actually did in 2008 during their neverending sessions. Feel free to do the same at the Belgian parliament evaluation website by a national newspaper  (in English by Google).

There were no real surprises, although I’m still puzzled why my former, mediocre history teacher turned Minister Vanderpoorten now makes €342,270 a year (MP, parliament speaker and mayor, working a stunning three goverment “jobs”), why former overweight singer Hermans feels that “addicts should be castrated” (she’s no longer welcome in any bar, it appears), or even more surprising, why Antwerp mayor Janssens hardly ever showed up in parliament at all.  Extremist and populist parties will get +50% of the local votes, making me feel ever more uneasy about our future. High taxes, polical instability: way to go Belgium. Are you better off?

‘Walk this way’: a stroll with the Antwerp mayor

There’s something eerie about this shot: while Antwerp mayor Patrick Janssens walks along with the starting pro-cyclists right in front of Antwerp city hall, most of his dearest constituents totally ignore him, looking the other way. It must actually be lonely at the top.

Antwerp city to sponsor Gay Pride 2009, alongside extreme sex clubs

I’m quite upset reading that my “beloved” city of Antwerp is once again an official sponsor of the Antwerp Gay Pride 2009, a predominantly commercial event where gay emancipation has long been replaced by cashing-in on the influx of gay tourists. But what I, and a majority of responsible gay Antwerp citizens cannot fathom is the need to stand alongside extreme-sex fetish events such as A hard Night, featuring some clubs that have a bad track record or are just notorious for the unsafe sex practices of their visitors.

Dear city of Antwerp, do you actually realize that you are sharing a bed with sleazy clubs such as The Kinky’s, a private, gay, extreme fetish club? [Update: Antwerp pride removed the link after discovering  this post...] Many of us are utterly shocked, especially since this way Antwerp City indirectly appears to endorse extreme sex clubs catering to a livestyle that is bound to spread STDs and potentially even HIV.  The fact that safe-sex advocate organization “Sensoa” is also one of the sponsors makes this Antwerp Gay Pride 2009 event utterly unreal.

[Tragic note: in 1999 a Belgian court judge was fired after engaging in SM with his own wife. He even lost his civil rights. Ten years later the city of Antwerp is endorsing an open air SM and fetish fair near the prestigious city marina next June. Weird, isn't it?]

We, the majority of responsible gay Antwerp citizens urge everyone to contact the city of Antwerp to object to their sponsorship.

The day I stopped running from the ghosts trying to silence me

Yes folks, I’m back. I know, I only just claimed I needed a sabbatical, but after some elaborate legal consultations (always handy to have a lawyer in the family) I realized I should stop running from the ghosts trying to silence me. I’m a Belgian citizen expressing my free speech rights (articles 19 and 25, Belgian constitution), without breaking any laws that might limit that universal EU privilege (art. 10).
[image: Belgian military staff on the job looking here  for...boobs]

Exposing the abuses carried out by government personnel by posting legally obtained images, showing gross misbehavior by members of the [censorship] is no press offense, nor does it entail any punishable crime such as libel. Posting pictures of said abuse while satirically commenting on those pictures is no criminal offense.

OK, now we got that cleared up, I’ve got an urgent message for the Belgian .gov and  [censorship] ‘readers’ who have been stalking me: I won’t post your disgraceful pictures. I won’t.  Being a small time blogger with only 500 visitors a day, well, it’s just not worth the effort. I have however acted like a real Belgian patriot: when my home country is under attack by the disgraceful behavior of those who have sworn to defend it, it’s time to call superman my friendly newspaper editor. Your shameful pictures are currently being processed by an expert legal team. It may be prudent and wise to check the national headlines any day soon.

So, I’m going back to blogging about what really matters: my cat.  And if that cat is found dead one day, I’ll get you, you sick b*stards.

Censorship in Belgium: pulling the plug on my blog posts

No, rest assured, I won’t be closing down this blog. However, during the past few days I’ve been repeatedly intimidated by local government personnel, just for posting verifiable facts in a couple of high-profile older blog posts dating back to a long forgotten era. I feel like the Dixie Chicks when they were told “shut up and sing”.

Unlike the US, Belgium doesn’t have such a far reaching constitutional 1st amendment, offering citizens elaborate freedom of expression, protected from government interference. We enjoy “real free speech, until someone finds a way to shut us up”. Remember the Belgian barmaid fired in New York after blogging unfavorably about the Belgian minister of defense?

Belgian defense minister De Crem (Catholic-Conservative) having a beer or two

So with profound regret I’m pulling the plug on several of the best investigative posts in Dutch I’ve ever written. Obviously, I will continue to post, be it much more sanitized, trying to make sure that I don’t end up producing generic pieces of thin air about my cat.  Have you ever been forced or felt compelled to take down (or simply “not write”) a post, due to pressure from an external source?

The day Santa Claus short-circuited Antwerp

It’s a well-known fact politicians just love Santa. Much like themselves, Santa is overflowing with promises he can’t deliver, with a jolly “ho-ho-ho” attitude that conspicuously sounds like the verbal diarrhea most politicians are famous for. So we weren’t exactly surprised that when Santa came to Antwerp last Friday, our local dignitaries fell over each other for a chance to accompany his glittering golden coach, drawn by two snow white horses. The gold was, in line with all expectations, fake. But I digress.

Let me rewind to the moment Santa arrived at Antwerp Central station, a sumptuous 1900 style railway cathedral. I’m not sure how Santa reached your happy town (in a Hummer?), but given we’re European we do prefer the more classic touch.  Suitable transportation meant a golden ride along the golden shopping mile, making convenient stops to push strategically positioned buttons, a generous act that lit up the exclusive upscale Antwerp shopping center, much like the legalized prostitution mega-complex near my home. As long there are flashing lights, people have a natural tendency to get into a suitable mindset. Stop me from digressing any further here.

Anyway, by the time Santa finally arrived at the Christmas village in front of Antwerp cathedral (a weird mix of seasonal XXX “marzipan penises”, “fresh juicy sheep bones for your dog” and 100 “eat until you drop” stands) my hands were virtually frozen, but trust me, I kept on following the camera crews from the mainstream media like a bloodhound, taking pictures until my finger went into stand-by mode.

Obviously, I did not miss the grand finale when Philip Heylen, alderman for Tourism of Antwerp (surrounded by more cops than a presidential candidate) finally allowed Santa to make his Christmas market speech, glorifying the benefits of a multi-cultural town. When my elderly neighbor suddenly loudly shouted she had been “mugged yet again in his multicultural shit city”, police gently escorted her away. Hey, if you start doubting the magic promised by the Antwerp PR dept, you will be assimilated , like in  “When the truth starts to hurt, it’s time to remove it”. Although that may sound like a GW Bush statement, I did make it up myself. Really. Before I forget: when Santa pushed the “lights on” button, half the Antwerp Christmas market short-circuited, including the traditional 1900 era merry-go-round. An omen, for sure.

The evening ended with more seasonal glamor, with Philip Heylen opening the “Christmas funfair”, a most bizarre 2008 concept involving a giant Ferris wheel on the riverbanks, along with the banned booze-stands and a number of totally unseasonal fun rides (care to be “shaken upside down” at high speed in the freezing cold? Antwerp city believes you’ll love it).

The evening came to a spectacular close when Antwerp mayor Patrick Janssens (ex marketing company CEO) opened the city hall ice skating rink, with countless party members visitors waving glittering firework sticks. I for one preferred not to burn my fingers and had a free cup of  instant soup, followed by a  60° proof liquor donated by the Norwegian embassy, those nice folks who provide the yearly tree in front of Antwerp cathedral [more seasonal opening night photos to follow asap].

When Santa almost crashed trying to skate a few meters/yards in that drag queen suite of his, I knew it was really time to go home.

I can only assume your Santa experience has been slightly more traditional, but do let me know if it wasn’t.

Belgium outraged over Royal ‘pay rise’

“Did you see the news?” my elderly neighbor said with rising indignation, “THEY got a 6% pay rise, while my pension fund has crashed to the floor”.

Belgium’s much criticized royal family are in for a rough ride these days, after a 6% “inflation compensation” increased their 2009 annual state-issued stipend to a staggering 13,853,000 EURO. “Trivial pocket money to pay for their every wimp”, given they inherited a huge family fortune, live rent-free in the palaces provided by the Belgian state, with Belgian king Albert (only a token figure without much power) spending much of his time cruising the warmer waters of the Mediterranean, far away from Belgium.

Much like many EU countries, the tiny but heavily indebted kingdom of Belgium is going through the worst economic crisis since its independence in 1830. With a significant part of the country desperately struggling to stay afloat, the royal “pay rise” provoked serious controversy.

Belgian King Albert II traditionally delivers a yearly public TV address to the nation, placing strong emphasis on universal human values: honesty, integrity, accountability (etc, etc) while evoking a spirit of “sharing”, being less egocentric in our ever more materialistic world. If he ever meant one single word, he should have said “no thanks, I don’t need this extra cash, give it to a worthy cause”. But he didn’t, making him a “money grabbing Catholic Saxen-Coburg“, like a local journalist bluntly put it.  Rich Royalty with nothing but a token function: should we stop “feeding them” with tax Euros? [The Belgian Royal couple - Image credit: Tijd.be]

Early US elections winner: a true maverick

It’s almost midnight in Antwerp, Belgium (11:59 pm UTC+1), on one of those foggy Belgian autumn nights some of us wished we were somewhere else. My SO has fallen asleep in front of some ‘major’ soccer game on TV, I’m watching the video tsunami of US election news on my pc.  With yet another network repeating the classic visuals and sound bites (“massive numbers”, “waiting in line”, exit poles”) I suddenly stumbled upon one local station that had discovered “a true early winner”: a “maverick’ that scored all the way to the bank.

I’m not sure if Sarah Palin ever knew what she started when she coined the word “maverick” (well, she ‘kind of’ borrowed it, out of context, as we’ve come to expect): little did she know that for most Dutch speakers “maverick” is only (and really nothing more than) a US jeans brand, a brand that was totally elated to hear its name all over the place, all of the time, on all channels, for free. Obama may well be the next US president when I wake up Nov 5th, but in Holland and Belgium, one ‘maverick’ already ran off with the grand cash prize: months worth of priceless advertising.

[Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with or endorse any "maverick". In fact, I prefer authenticity "]

US elections seen from abroad: Obama popular, but “irrelevant”

While the whole world strongly prefers Obama, much of the world couldn’t care less about the US elections, claiming they had no opinion or they felt the US elections would not affect their lives. And I agree. [Riz Khan TV show (ex-CNN), taped Oct 28, 2008]

Gallup world poll results:
“Gallup Polls conducted in 73 countries from May to October 2008 reveal widespread international support for Democratic Sen. Barack Obama over Republican Sen. John McCain in the U.S. presidential election. Among these nations, representing nearly three-quarters of the world’s population, 24% of citizens say they would personally rather see Obama elected president of the United States, compared with just 7% who say the same about McCain. At the same time, 69% of world citizens surveyed did not have an opinion.

World citizens are more divided over whether the outcome of the U.S. election makes a difference to their country, with 26% saying it does and 22% saying it does not. Moreover, 52% of those surveyed did not have an opinion.”