Milk

So the Iraqi elections went well. Well despite the 30 or 40 people that got killed, that is.

It’s bad and good at the same time. Many feared a serious bloodbath and a seriously disrupted poll, and thus those that hoped to kill of Iraqi democracy there and then failed. Sad but true, but 30 or 40 so people killed on such a key day is for Iraqi standards very low. Sad that when 30 to 40 innocent people get slaughtered on and around election day, the world says it’s a success,... but the sad state of affairs in Iraq makes that indeed a success. Says a lot about how low the state of the nation there is really, and how far up the mountain Iraq still has to climb to become a “normal” society.

At least the election success brings hope for the many fathers and mothers and loved ones awaiting their army sons and daughters and loved ones to return home from the sandpit. It should help the exit strategy.

It’s time for the Iraqis to pick up the pieces, unite and built their future. It’s time they all think about their kids’ future. A better life for the next generation instead of fighting proxy wars based on ethnicity, religion, past hatred and today’s alliances. Break the spiral of death and think about tomorrow for real.

Human behaviour needs hope.

As Iraqis vote for their future, Hollywood celebrates the Oscar for best movie to The Hurt Locker – the trials and tribulations of a US bomb squad in Iraq. From the Persian sandpit to the red carpet in Los Angeles. Celebrations.

Human connectivity. Would the Hollywood stars really know that Iraqis were voting that same day?

How sick can you get? Mentally sick. Loose wires in the head.

Several men gang raped an ambulance medic in a township in South Africa. How sick is that? The ambulance was called out to treat a child from burn wounds when the 3 sick criminals attacked the female medic as she was helping the kid. They dragged her into the bushes and raped her. Her female collegue was held down at the same time. Then these lesser-than-animals escaped the scene with the ambulance. How totally insane is this? Madness of the purest kind. Evil of the purest kind. These monsters need to be caught, castrated and locked away for life. And make sure the other inmates know what they have done. Monsters like that deserve to suffer for the rest of their miserable life. Disgusting!!

Human behaviour is sometimes worst than the lowest form imaginable.

Toyota seems to have more and more trouble with more and more models in more and more countries worldwide. The image of the near-perfect company seriously dented. A crash when quality had to give in for quantity and speed of production. Damaged and more than just an issue of a new lick of paint. Toyota doesn’t come automatically anymore with satisfaction guaranteed.

It’s that human touch that caused the crash.

So about 500 people got slaughtered in northern Nigeria. Very déjà vu unfortunately. Christians vs Muslims. The eternal fault line of madness. When religion brings the human race down to insanity, cruelty, barbarism and lower-than-animalistic behaviour. You would think that as we move on in the 21st century we would grow up, learn, get smarter, get more civilised,.... but none of that.

Humans remain very very very basic creatures. Technology takes leaps on the road of progress. Humans don’t.

From blood in the Nigerian dust to breast milk in NY. Sounds totally nuts but possible as all happening here and now on this round planet. It’s all about human liquid.

A chef in a trendy, so called hip-cool restaurant or super trendy bistro in NYC thought to take the hip-cool thing to the next level. And the sky is the limit when it comes to trying to out-do your competitors. And, for sure, in the Big Apple and during a recession it’s a tough world out there in the resto business. The gloves are off. It’s do or die. Even if the ‘do’ is over the edge.

So, this NY chef introduced cheese made from breast milk! His wife’s breast milk!! Chef Angerer from Klee Brasserie in NY’s Chelsea district indeed put “human cheese” on the menu. Desperation to make some headlines and attract some customers? And Angerer said that it tastes like sweet cow milk. Did he tell that to his wife? Is she now the official cow of the bistro? The Chelsea cow. And what if a customer demands to suck it straight from the nipple there and then?

It’s kind of over the top. But over the top is hip-cool and trendy and makes headlines and thus brings customers and thus extra cash. And that is of course the goal of it all. My wife’s breast juice for cash.

Apparently NY Health Chiefs aren’t too pleased and advised Angerer to keep his wife’s breast milk out of the bistro and exclusively for their little toddler.

Right on. Don’t go over the edge for some public relations stunt. Maybe concentrate on getting that perfect steak or that lovely Minestrone right to perfection.

Human behaviour remains an unlimited source of inspiration. It comes with piles of stupidity, but hey, we’re only just humans.

Throw out. Nothing new in the car-iPod recently. Some Mark Lind, some Rise Against, and some Killing Time. But the months ahead look promising. Live album by the almighty Boston Irish punkrockers of Dropkick Murphys next week. Then lesser-known Greg MacPherson will release “Mr Invitation”. Still this month should see the new K’S Choice too. Great Belgian band around US resident Sarah Bettens. April should deliver new material by NY hard-hitters Sick Of It All, as well as the “fearless love” album from Melissa Etheridge. Good times are coming.

C-Ya

collateral – March 2010 tick tocks on