MiniMen blog

Phew... it took me some years to edit this blog ;-)

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:24:00 +0000

alright.... alright.... it was not that bad. Maybe I should use this blog as a DM blog! Or maybe as a PNG blog? Well, the colors are more for post-disaster, I guess.

Independence vote in Montenegro

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Sun, 21 May 2006 11:26:00 +0000

21 May 2006 08:32

The people of Montenegro are going to the polls today in a referendum on independence.

If the vote is successful, the former Yugoslav republic will split from its union with Serbia.

Under EU rules, 55% voters are required to vote in favour of independence for Montenegro to become the world's newest state.

The union of Serbia-Montenegro, the last vestige of the former Yugoslavia, was created in 2003, but the two regions have been together in some form of joint state for almost a century.

It was created with the mediation of the European Union, which feared further fragmentation in the Balkans.

Montenegro's government says independence will open the way to economic prosperity in the European Union.

The EU this month froze talks on closer ties with Serbia-Montenegro due to Belgrade's failure to arrest fugitive war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic, and the independence camp has used this argument in favour of separation.

The two republics already have different laws, economic policy and currencies, sharing only five ministries that supervise defence, diplomacy and minority rights. Their joint parliament barely meets.

Those in favour of keeping the union with Serbia say it is a risky venture for the country of 650,000 to go it alone.

Pro-unionists uphold the long historical and cultural link with Serbia and say Montenegro needs the jobs, education and health care their larger neighbour can provide.

Barcamp Brussels Amsterdam Nokia Lifeblog

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Sat, 20 May 2006 13:32:00 +0000

check this out! I'm there!!

Barcamp Brussels

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Sat, 20 May 2006 11:19:00 +0000

T.A.O. Have A Day ™
Monuments.nu©Ine Dehandschutter

look for the Barcamp Brussels Amsterdam Nokia Lifeblog!!

T.A.O. Have A Day�™

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Sat, 20 May 2006 11:11:00 +0000

T.A.O. Have A Day�™ Trish's Adventures Oversea?

A BLONDE, ABROAD

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Sat, 20 May 2006 11:06:00 +0000

A BLONDE, ABROAD and she's here at the BARCAMP!!! Trish!

BAUGRUPPE REINDL ROSENHEIM

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Fri, 12 May 2006 14:39:00 +0000

BAUGRUPPE REINDL ROSENHEIM is Franzi's new homepage which I just modified. Check it out!!

‘Flattening the conflict’

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Thu, 04 May 2006 12:28:00 +0000

Here is another article from Rima, published today in the Jordan Time. Please read and forward!

Guantamo in Belgium?

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 11:26:00 +0000

Yesterday was a good day. Isa called just when I had left the apartment to go downtown to get a haircut, we agreed that we would meet at hers in the evening. I went to the supermarket and bought asparagus and new potatoes, we both like that.
Having been early for my 15.30h haircut, I decided to go to FNAC and look for some books. I picked up a box from a shelve which I 10 minutes later returned to a different shelve, having been focused on a podcast about food and cooking I was listening to. I remembered that I still needed some wine and a lemon for dinner and decided to leave the store.
I was stopped by a security person and asked to follow to a room behind, where I was asked to hand out what I had stolen. Surprised, I stated that I had not stolen anything.
A second person came in with a box, which packaging had been damaged and offered me to pay for the box or to call the police. Obviously a misunderstanding, I asked to call the police. The police arrived later, took my personal information, interogated me suggesting I tried to steal the box, which I denied. I was taken to the police station in handcuffs and, after being strip-searched, put into a prison cell awaiting a certified English speaking interogator.
I was then lead to a room with 4+ police personel and being cross-examined with leading questions. One of the police personel asked me if I would agree to a house-search in my presence. I then asked what my rights & obligations were and was informed that 'this is not America', but given the interview form, which actually gives some indications of rights. Consequently I asked that all questions put to me are recorded in writing, so are my answers. This is stated as one of the 'rights'.
However, this was denied when a higher-ranking officer came in and suggested I do a statement instead, spend the night in a prison cell and see a judge the following morning.
My request to make a telefon call was denied.
I was put into a prison cell around 16.30-17.00h and left there until about 8.45h the following morning, without water being offered let alone anything to eat. The methods used are similiar to publications about US war prisons, including sleep deprivation through light and noise, yelling at and intimidating of other prisoners; unhygenic conditions such as a broken toilet seat and a toilet which can not be flushed.
In the morning I was taken, handcuffed, to another police station near the Palais de Justice and put into another prison cell.
Around 11.45h I was handcuffed again and led to a different floor in the building to see a judge. In the presence of a translator and a secretary, the judge explained that the state prosecutor demanded that I would be put in prison again for the day. He then asked for my personal information, whether I had been sentenced or in contact with a court before, which I denied. I repeated that I still stand to my statement made the previous day at the police station and that I did not try to steal anything.
I also denied that I objected at any point to a house search, which, I now learned, was stated in the police report. I repeated that, when asked if I agreed to a house search, I asked what my rights & obligations were; that I demanded that the police' questions and my answers would be recorded; that the police had not agreed to that but decided to let me write my own statement. The question of a house search did not come up again.
I told the judge that I have no objection at all that a searching on my address would be carried out.
The interrogation was closed at 12.05h and I was free to leave. The judge informed me that he will issue a search warrant for my apartment and that I should open the door in case the police arrives.
I recovered my belongings, left the police department and half way home realised that I forgot my two shopping bags. I returned to the police station and witnessed that the 4 police persons who entered the building with me were asking for me. I collected my bags and went with them to my apartment, which they searched between 12.30-13.00h, leaving me with a copy of a statement that nothing 'abnormal' was found and nothing been confiscated.

I am stunned and not sure what to do next. Still shocked about the way and out-of-proportioness I was treated the last 24 hours.

'We are not a security company working for Israel'

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 12:25:00 +0000

A friend of mine just sent me an article she wrote on the Palestinian situation, published in the Jordan Times today.

fonTATSIC

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 07:48:00 +0000

Are you a fonero already? It's a new movement, it's a revolution. Our goal is to create a unified WiFi Network allowing members of the FON community to share not just bandwidth but experience and ideas. Get free wifi access and MORE!! Just sign up, get your router and off you go!

Well, while the router is 50% discountet, the shipping & TVA is ridiculous. It DOUBLES the price!

Products
1 x Router Linksys WRT54GL/GS FON Ready 25.00EUR

Payment Method
PayPal (Credit Card / Debit)
Sub-Total: 25.00EUR
(Shipping service): 18.00EUR
IVA / TVA / VAT: 6.88EUR
Total: 49.88EUR

DoPi & my iPod

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 10:02:00 +0000

My 4G iPod fell out my pocket when riding on the scooter some time ago. A car run over it! There is no damage visible except for a dent in the back panel. The screen is perfectly fine! However, the Pod shows the sad smiley face when turned on.
Since I still had APPLE guarantee I send it in, but it was returned, saying the damage was not covered.

I now sent an email to DoPi yesterday, asking if they could repair it/recommend someone who could. They are a new APPLE dealer downtown and I try to support them. I have already taken people there who bought a PowerBook etc. I recommend them on TheNetwork as well. Until yesterday!
I got back the following reply:
"We can take care of your iPod but you have to know that an offer to repair it cost 100 euros that are not due if you accept the amount of the repair cost once they are evaluate by our technical department."
A 100 Euros for an offer? Who are they kidding? That is blackmail, because it means they can make an unrealistic offer that the customer is forced to accept if he doesnt want to loose the 100 Euros. Needless to say that I do not support such practises. I will send it to the U.S., if necessary, where all companies I saw advertising iPod repairs on the web, give free offers and have competitive prices for repair.

I sent a friendly reply, saying 'THANKS, but NO THANKS!" and received the following response:
"The cost we were talking about are not those asking by doPi but by the supplier. We want just helping you for free but we may not support administrations costs that are demanded by the manufactor. .... i am really sorry that you consider that this is our benefit to ask you 100 euros while we do not earn anything."

The manufactor? Is APPLE charging 100 Euros if I get my iPod repaired? Don't think so!

Welcome to MiniMen

noreply@blogger.com (SparkyB) — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 09:30:00 +0000

Why MiniMen? Well, the street in Brussels where this blog originates is called 'Rue des Minimes' in french or 'Minimenstraat' in flemish.
I'm glad to see that you found your way here, to the capital of Europe, well, at least of some of the European Institutions.