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I’m sitting here musing where I exactly I am on the US political scale.

Let’s go back a bit. I’m American, born and bred. Like many of you, I complained about wasteful spending, illegal immigration and immigrants not speaking English, high taxes, welfare babies and education.  I’ve worked hard in my life and paid my taxes and supported my troops. The only way I’ve failed in being an American is by not questioning my politicians harder.

I’m not Christian. That’s my choice, just as being Christian is a choice that many of you have made. Like most people, that has coloured my political views. However, that has never changed my stance on religion in schools, or government. The US is far too diverse to give any one religion precedence over another and I believe this is one reason that our Founding Fathers wanted a government free from religion. Religion is a deeply personal thing and as such, it should be taught by the parents. If, as a parent, you want a more faith-based education for your child, then you should be willing to pay for a private religious school or homeschool your children.

Another thing I’m failing to understand is the fear and hate mongering that suddenly seems to be acceptable behaviour from the Right.  I’ve seen t-shirts for sale that wish death on a duly elected officials.  I’ve seen public figures call natural disasters “the work of God”.  I hear elected officials play “the boy who cried wolf” with health care reform.  I hear of lawyers filing frivolous lawsuits over Obama’s place of birth while nothing is ever said publicly about the fact that John McCain was indeed born outside of the US.  I see hypocrisy on a grand scale and I weep.

When did my country become a hotbed of hatred and fear? When did it become almost a crime to be different? A different race? A different religion? When did it suddenly become ok to be an immature sore loser?

Some I know have called me a ‘bleeding heart liberal’ and a ’socialist’ because I do support more social programs from the US govt. I know that no matter what, there will always be those that feel the need to abuse those programs and yes, in some ways that does make me angry. That will never change my belief that there are certain things that should be available to all. This includes medical care, dental care, unemployment payments that will allow a family to actually live instead of barely scrape by.  I believe that higher education should depend on your scholastic aptitude and not your parent’s bank account. I believe there should be more government funded activity programs to get our kids off the streets, from behind the TV and on the way to self-respect and respect for others.  I believe in re-education programs for the unemployed to help them find a good paying  job. I believe that most single mothers are not single mothers by choice and they should receive parenting training and sex education if needed as well as some help to get them off welfare. Sadly, it’s more profitable for many of them to stay on welfare because once they find any kind of job, all welfare stops and they end up losing that job because they can’t afford reliable child care. I believe in more protection for our workers. I detest this ‘right to work’ thing that too many states have going on.  I want our working mothers and father to not have to take unpaid maternity/paternity leave. I want our working parents to not fear losing their jobs because a child is sick. I want more part-time work available to working mothers that includes vacation time and sick leave.  I want there to be help with child care for working mothers and low income families.

I want there to be more focus on fixing our problems at home and less on forcing our ideals and culture down another country’s throat. I want the government out of my bedroom and my uterus.

After all of this, I still don’t know where I stand. I do know that I’m angry, sad, and heartbroken. My country that I have loved all of my life is gone and what once was a shining beacon of hope throughout the world is now a sad shadow of what it once was.

Today is the last day of zomervakantie.

Finally. *grins*

Tomorrow the world will right itself as husbands go off to work and children go back to school and mothers across the region will wave everyone off with a tear in their eye and when the door is closed…they will dance down the hall and enjoy the first solitary cup of tea of the new school year.

This has been a great summer. The weather has cooperated for the most part. We spent two weeks in the south of France, enjoying the beach and the sun. It was a nice resort but I think that next summer, we’ll go to Croatia.

I’ve been pretty busy with J’s football team and the football club in general. We’re all working hard on recruitment, training and the not so fun behind the scenes stuff that come with any organization. I’m having a great time and J is having a blast playing. It’s a really good thing for both of us.

Knitting is knitting. I’m working on a pair of socks for an old friend from high school’s wife. He saw  them on my Facebook and thought his wife would like a pair. Of course I said yes! Any wife with a husband that thinks of her like that deserves the joy of handknitted socks. I’m also working on an Alice Starmore sweater for both E and J. I love her patterned stuff and her colourwork stuff is just inspiring. Between her and EZ, I’m wanting to become a better knitter. That’s not a bad thing.

It doesn’t matter how long I’m here, the entitlement attitude and general whiny-ass outlook of some expats never ceases to amaze me. One thing I’ve learned is that our own attitude towards life determines our success and/or failure in life. Life as an expat/immigrant is hard. No doubt about that. Especially when you move to country with a different language than your own mother tongue. Cultural differences can be frustrating and confusing at best and maddening at worst. If you are invited by a country to come work there, I think it’s only right to expect that country to sweeten the pot a little. After all, they need your skills and expertise. So yes, tax breaks and usually economic perks are the norm.

But if you move for a relationship, then no, you’re not going to get those breaks. You choose to come here for love. You’re not actually bringing anything to your new country of residence. That’s especially true if you refuse to learn the language. And if you refuse to learn the language or accept that things are not ‘just like home’, don’t be surprised if your life here is extremely hard. Furthermore, if you can’t be bothered to do those things, don’t be shocked when finding employment is even harder. Companies don’t want people that reek of negativity and loathing for their surroundings. And if it’s a matter of survival for your family that you work, you walk into every interview radiating hope and enthusiasm, no matter what the position is.

I know I complain sometimes about the long hours E works. It gets lonely sometimes and frustrating. But at the end of the day, I’m proud of him. He works hard and provides for his family. I’m a lucky woman to be married to such a man. I may not have everything my heart desires but I have everything that I need and a good bit of what I want. And at the end of the day, my washing machine works, if it breaks, I can replace it and I’m not getting cash advances off our credit card to go to the laundromat.

I’ve always been a firm believer in following your life dreams, but at some point in time, if you have to choose between your dreams and supporting your family, you choose your family. Doesn’t it just suck being a grown-up?

Tomorrow we’ll take J to his first day at his new school. Then I’ll bike over to the gym to register my fat tookus and hope that by Christmas, I’ll have lost some of this extra baggage I’m carrying around. Then I’ll come home, work on laundry and see if I can get this house back into the school year routine. It’s going to be a bit different this year, since J won’t be coming home for lunch. I’ll miss him but I’ll also cherish the quiet time to get things done.

Whew, it’s been a while hasn’t it? Sorry about that. I’ve been so scattered that even Twitter is almost too much at times.

What oh what has the Jackal been up to? A lot, actually.

I’ve been managing my son’s American football team.

Alphen Eagles Peewees

I’ve been knitting. But of course no picture right at this moment.  I’ve been planning cookouts. Working on my Dutch. And contemplating.

So, what have you been up to?

to my LJ peeps : Some of this is recycle from like……… 5 years ago. my most abject apologies.

Once upon a time there was a Young FolkSinger. He was a skinny kid with a funny name. His first “hit” was an 18 minute long song detailing his arrest for littering and subsequent fiasco at the local NYC draft office. He sang about a church and his friends who lived in the bell tower. He sang about motorcycles and pickles. And he sang his father’s songs. He played at Woodstock. His story-telling talent is beyond compare. Even being arrested is an Adventure with the Folksinger.

His musical lineage is beyond compare. His father was the Original Folksinger. His home and life were filled with music from the moment he was born. He’s brought that music to the world. And to me.

I first heard the Folksinger when my mom decided I needed more musical education than the Top40 crap spewing from the airwaves. So I grew up listening to things like Crosby,Stills, Nash and (somtimes) Young, Alice Cooper, The Beatles, and…….. The Folksinger. I have the Folksinger on vinyl. I also have quite a Folksinger collection on mp3. I’m sitting here trying to figure out exactly how to tell people what the Folksinger means to me. And it’s not easy.

He’s not just a story about the draft. He’s a Folk Hero too. He devotes his time to worthy causes, including spreading his music through the world. His music is what touches me the most. His voice is ……… unique. He kindles a love for old American folk songs that is undeniable. His new American Folksongs are works of art that touch you regardless of age, socio-ecomonic status, race, color or creed. I have a dog named after the Folksinger. Mom says that why the dog won’t stay out of the trash. In my house, we have a saying…… “That’s just Arlo.” And sometimes……. that’s all you can say.

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don’t panic.
Simply pour a cup of boiling water down your throat and presto!
The blockage will be almost instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by
getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by
simply using the sink.

4. High blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed
for a while, thus reducing the pressure in your veins.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent
you from rolling over and going back to sleep when you hit the
snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then
you will be afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad tooth ache? Hit your thumb with a hammer, then you
will forget about the tooth ache.

8. AND….. Sometimes we just need to remember what The Rules of
Life really are: You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If
it doesn’t move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn’t,
use the duct tape.

9. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

10. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another
chance!

11. And finally… Be really good to your family and friends. You
never know when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan.

“Thought for the Day: Our days are happier when we give people a
bit of our heart rather than a piece of our mind”.

Not responsible for use and/or misuse of the above statements and/or advice.

I’ll try to get Part 2 of Govt.  101 up tomorrow. I got colder than I thought at practice and it’s hard to compose when you can’t feel your toes.

In which our heroine attempts to explain the ins and outs of governing, Gone Dutch.

The Netherlands is a bit weird. It’s both a Constitutional Monarchy and a Parliamentary Democracy. The government here tries to get a broad consensus from both the parliament and the people on important issues. It’s not for nothing that the Netherlands was voted 3^rd most democratic country in 2007.

Our official head of state is Queen Beatrix. She does have actual government powers. She approves a new cabinet, accepts the resignation of a cabinet if the government falls, and can veto laws. She is not allowed to propose laws or amendments. I have a lot of respect for the Queen. She’s a very intelligent and politically savvy woman. She holds double degrees in political science and law from the University of Leiden and speaks 6 languages fluently.

The head of government is the prime minister. Right now, that’s Jan Peter Balkenede or Harry Potter if you ask the Belgians. The PM is usually the head of the largest party of the current coalition. He doesn’t have anymore powers than the rest of the ministers.

The vice prime minister is usually the head of the second largest party in the current coalition. Right now, we have 2 VPMs.

The Cabinet is usually 13 to 16 ministers, a bunch of secretaries and a couple of ‘members without portfolios”. Pretty much the same departments that the US has. State, Interior, Transportation, Education… you get the general idea. More on the formation and functions of various people later.

The Cabinet answers to Parliament. Parliament is made up of 2 chambers. The First Chamber, or upper house is 75 members chosen by the provincial assemblies. They can only veto laws and they can only veto a law 3 times. If it passes the lower house a fourth time, they have no choice but to pass it onto the Queen. The people have spoken. However, if the Queen vetoes it, it’s dead. It has to be reworked and repassed until she’s happy.

The Second Chamber, or lower house, has 150 members that are directly elected every 4 years or whenever the cabinet falls. The cabinet falls if a vote of no confidence is carried by the lower house. The cabinet then submits it’s resignation to the Queen. She either accepts its or tells them to go back, put on their grownup under-roos and fix it. We’re on Balkenende 4 and none of his parliaments have ever made it the full 4 years. Take from that what you will.

Because we have so many different parties, no one party has controlled the government since the 1800s. The three main ‘families’ of political parties are the Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats, and the Liberals. Currently, there are 10 different parties in parliament, ranging from the Christian Democrat Appeal, to the Labor party (PvdA), to the Liberals(VVD) to the Party for the Animals. Ok, so the last one only has 2 seats out of 75 but the animals have representation.

Now, I hear you asking over there, “How in the name of Pete does this work? How do things ever get done?” Well, the short answer is, “Slowly”. Let’s talk about the long answer, ok?

First, everyone runs to the polls and votes. The number of votes needed to win a seat in parliament changes every election. It’s based on the total number of votes divided by 150. A party figures it will get X number of seats this election and puts it’s top people in those spots. With the party leader at #1 of course. You can either vote JUST for a party or for individuals in that party. If no-one gets the required number of votes, then the first X people get the seats. With me so far? Good, because here is where it gets fun.

Now let’s say it takes 50,000 votes to win a seat. Party ABC gets 345,000 votes. That’s 6 seats and change. What are we going to do about those 45,000 ‘extra’ votes? Just throw them away? Of course not! This is the Netherlands, we don’t throw anything away. Ever. So we wait until everything is counted and look, we have a few seats left over! So we go down the list. Who has the most ‘left-over’ votes? First in line is party ABC. One seat for you. And so on and so on until all seats are awarded.

Ok, voting over, all seats awarded. Now what? It’s coalition time, baby.

(TO BE CONTINUED…)

JoyMcJackal  says : i now have at least 5 girls interested in the knitting club

Corwin02 says :You are horribly evil

Corwin02 says : corrupting the childrens minds

JoyMcJackal  says : well the things is, some of the mothers want to join too.

Corwin02 says : you are thus corrupting society as a whole

JoyMcJackal  says :i’m making it a better place

Corwin02 says :wool itches

Corwin02 says :that causes irritation

JoyMcJackal  says :good wool does NOT itch

Good question.

Does it mean that I should feel guilty about being a SAHM and housewife? Am I betraying my sex by being happy in a ‘traditionally female’ lifestyle? Am I doing my son a disservice by not having a career and a full-time job, preferring to be at home for him and putting my energy towards my home, his school and *GASP* my knitting?

I don’t think so. Isn’t feminism supposed to be about doing what you like and damn the torpedos? Isn’t it supposed to be about equal pay for equal work? If a woman wants to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, good on her. Actually, I hope that ANYONE who wants to be a CEO gets the chance they deserve.

I’m tired of being looked at because I love to be a wife and a mom and I actually ENJOY staying at home. I’m tired of women being slammed because they have careers.  I’m tired of men being ridiculed because they have the opportunity to actually be the Man of the House.  People need to get off this gender role thing and accept that people should do what they are good at and love.

Oh, and by the way, boy can knit, too.

4 years ago today, I landed on these fair shores. It was raining, of course. Imagine that.

I will be eternally grateful to this brilliant little swamp for showing me my true self. It tried it’s best to chew me up and spit me out, but I came through it a stronger person with a greater appreciation for who I am and what the true meaning of friendship is.