Oxfam celebrates Ethiopian coffee agreement...

...with thanks to greenLAgirl for this link. This is great news for the Ethiopian farmers.

Dirty washing...two weeks later...

...after Kristin Steele was killed on the corner of the Overtoom another woman was knocked over on the same spot and is in a critical condition. Amsterdam's streets are a dangerous place. Yesterday I washed the red fleece that I wear on my bicycle. I washed it by hand Three changes of water and the water was still black. I mean black as soot! What are we breathing into our lungs on the streets. This is unseen pollution that is slowly killing us every day in our hurry to get nowhere. So I'm planning a small experiment with some of my chemist friends. I'm going to wear the fleece for one month then wash it and analyse the water to see what's in it. We'll repeat this process every month to see just how dirty our roads really are. Change of topic but still on the theme of the dangers of modern living Out of the Tunnel, Rachel's book, is out soon and I'm really curious to read it. Hope it comes to Amsterdam soon. She has the courage to speak for those who suffer the shame and fear of trauma in silence.

Wales grows its own...

...according to the BBC the country grows more cannabis than it imports. "Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West, believes a major re-think is needed to solve the UK's drug problem and has campaigned for the de-criminalising of cannabis for many years.
He thinks users should be treated as patients rather than criminals.
'We've had this increasing toll of wasted lives, of deaths, worse than anywhere in Europe, and we've got to say to the politicians, for goodness sake, be a little courageous, don't go for the easy headline or the quick vote.'" says the BBC.

See you in heaven, Kristin...people's princess...

See you in heaven, Kristin...people's princess..., originally uploaded by Leighton Cooke.

...Sometimes things happen in a very strange way. On the way into town the other day I saw a sign warning people on bicycles against the "dead corner" when large vehicles are turning and cannot see the front side. Half an hour later I witnessed just that happen. Kristin Steele worked in the Hard Rock Cafe and was a very popular girl. I spoke to an eye witness, who got there just before me, today. It is so sad what happened. Please everyone be careful on your bicycles. There is far too much traffic in the centre of Amsterdam. I had a near fatal accident two years ago. Everyone is in such a hurry. We must learn to slow down. Let us remember Kristin and be more aware.

Lunch with Gianni Lattanzi...

...an Italian artist based in Amsterdam. Gianni made a delicious salad for MacFlickr and although he was really tired as he'd been working all night he got the energy to do this great portrait of me.

I feel flattered and as this the fourth in a week I want to thank Manon and the CREA girls too. Gianni's work can be seen on Gianni Lattanzi

Seeds of suicide...

...Monsanto's Indian dream of happiness turns into a nightmare of ruin and despair for the Indian farmers. Vandana Shiva explains how Monsanto causes destruction and misery in India while still making a profit and being indifferent to the problems of their customers.

Manon cooks for my blog!...

in the original setting, originally uploaded by Securitas et Pax.

...Those sunglasses get everywhere. This toast looks delicious and I sure hope there is some left. It was a wet weekend in Amsterdam and I was brooding about lots of things. Maybe the weather really does affect our mood. I was reading yesterday how the Reagan administration developed the idea of how important visual images are in keeping on message. Regardless of his politics Ronnie was always good for a picture and if those of us who work in sustainable development are to get our message across we shall also have to master visual imagery. I'm convinced that it has a lot to do with the way our brains are wired. What we see determines our survival and always has priority over language, which came later in evolution.

Seal...Love's Divine...

...For me Seal is one of the greatest singers in the world. He has a unique ability to express the spirit in music. This just shows what a human being can do. I would like to dedicate this song to all the creative people I know, with special wishes and love to Lzi, Manon, Soma and Suzi. Although we have never met I also send my love to Sonia, a great warrior in the cause of humanity.

Aad's cookies...famous the world over...

...with only organic ingredients. Today I've decided to turn my life into a virtual lifestyle magazine. Brought to you by Ceridwen Media, our muse's infotainment conglomerate. Inspired by Flann O'Brien and comic books the idea is to make some internet space with a common thread...

Queen teases Bush...news collage...

...Making a collage of the news, just for fun. Would America be independent if we'd sent the Queen in 1776?

Geolocation...

de Peper vegan cultural kitchen
...just the place for coffee. The icon gets around.

Voici Lzi Royal!...

More of Manon's MacBook Mama...

...I can already tell that this is going to run and run. A creative obsession that mixes metaphors that nobody has mixed before, and puns without mercy. I wanna be a cult hero! (Badge by Suzisuperglue)

Suzi Superglue's Ceridwen Media logo brooch...

Aad's Santa with Nepali dancer's mask...

...The weather in Amsterdan is so hot at the moment that Santa's feet are beginning to melt. He is a candle that Aad found in the Jordaan area of the city one evening. As our new mascot he will need looking after if he is not to be a victim of global warming!

Vote Royal!...

...Tomorrow's presidential first round election in France is crucial, not just for the French, but also for the rest of Europe. With far right, right, centre and left candidates we can only hope that the fiasco of the last election that saw a run off between Chirac and Le Pen, that was a shock to the whole country, will not be repeated. Which is why I hope that the French choose Ségolène Royal. The country needs a clear choice of options and Royal, as a woman and a socialist, is the only candidate capable of preventing France from lurching further to the right. Bayrou is too centrist, Sarkozy too much like Blair and as for Le Pen je ne dis rien! So, mes amis, if you please, vote for Royal, for France and for Europe.

Suzi Superglue...

...is now a blogger! See her jewellery at 24 Carrots. Suzi works with natural materials to create unique works of art as well as this pink cosy.

Santa checks the buds...

...which are flowering but still have some weeks to go!

Murphy's law...

...I have loads of meetings today. I just read my biorythms and this is what they said: "Today your intellectual level is 22%: you may lose concentration. Your physical level is 99%: you can use your energy however you wish.
Your emotional level is 27%: today it is advisable to postpone every discussion, even with friends!" Wish me luck!

A tribute to Kurt Vonnnegut...

...who has just died at the age of 84 in New York. Vonnegut was a unique man, a great writer who was one of the icons of the counter culture, and someone whose ideas had a great influence on me personally. Once I visited Slaughterhouse Five in Dresden, where Vonnegut was kept prisoner during the fire bombing of that city. The novel was the first of his that I read.
His solid belief in freedom and humanity and his vision will be sorely missed.