Myrtus

What a beauty!

I can get over my motorcycle fear just by looking at this baby.

Would love to take it for a ride! 

Visit Knucklebuster for more viewing pleasure...

Makes me wanna cry...

At least one Moroccan in Holland volunteers to leave the country, which he says he loves so much that he's willing to disappear for at least a year to help contribute to solving the Moroccan problem in Holland.

He's inviting people to vote him out of the country here

I'm not sure what to think of it.  Is this really a good way to solve problems?  Isn't this an easy cop out, which in the end makes everyone look bad?  What if this is just a promotional stunt to get him a free trip to a dream resort?  I have mixed emotions over this.....

Greenpeace misses the point in punishing BP

People seem to be increasingly engulfed with a somewhat callous desire to want to punish BP for causing the devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, while leaving our politicians go scot-free in their pursuit of making deals with oil politics, and Greenpeace UK even takes it a step further and wants to rebrand BP's logo entirely to reflect the terrible atrocity against nature by this oil giant. 

When will we learn from our missteps and that we're all in this together?  What's punishing one oil company going to do when there's a multitude of others still operating and (at risk of) doing the same?

Sure BP is guilty, but in the big picture I believe you, me and our politicians, we are all guilty as well for allowing this to happen.  We continuously keep empowering our elected officials to get away with their shady dealings in oil politics and for far too long.  As such, we are collectively devastating our planet on a much bigger scale, ravaging nations and wasting innocent lives with bloody warfare to secure strategic oil wells that offer no one comfort, except the powers that be.  Enough already!

Now more than ever, we need to stop wasting time with useless finger-pointing and start pouring our efforts in demanding amendments to our energy policies on a global scale!  Let's put our politicians to work and push for alternative sources of energy now!  Renewable energy, such as wind- hydro- and solar power are available to us in overabundance all over the planet, they are harmless and far less costly in terms of human lives, money and all living things on the planet in the long run. 

Demand change now and let's be done with it once and for all!

Muslim Side Effects

A few weeks ago I read an article that was shared on Facebook, which reported that some Muslims in Britain's medical field refuse to wash their hands out of religious modesty.  

I was flabbergasted!  I thought it was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard and dismissed it as a big fat lie and merely an attempt to smear Muslims unnecessarily, as if we didn't have plenty of problems to address as it is.  But I'm not so sure about that anymore after reading Dr. Qanta Ahmed's very own experience with radical Muslims in the medical field, which I find far more troubling.

 

Please do read what she has to say, I assure you it will boggle your mind!

Muslim Extremists at the Bedside

Bitter Pills: Islamic Extremism at the Bedside

Afternoon dissolves into evening. I peer out of my office in the Royal London Hospital, spying the window that once framed the Elephant Man. A century later, a new and equally grotesque spectacle enthralls—in the street below, a well-fed British Pakistani distributes cassettes. Transplanted Wahabi women, black-gloved, clad head-to-toe in black abbayas, faces masked by niqabs, snatch the recordings, nodding brief salaams. Other women, too busy, rush by in damp, rain-streaked chadors. I watch the figures until they disappear into the dank Whitechapel tube station. Muslim men stuff the cassettes into their grubby Adidas jackets, worn over thobes, the traditional Arab male dress. Only a sprinkling of stolid British police officers reminds me that, under the lapping October tides of Western European Islamofascism, this is still London. [continue reading]

Holland's Undesirable Immigrants Get Paid To Leave

I know it sounds awful (I love people all the same), but please hear me out for a minute...

When I say "undesirable immigrants" what's the first thing that comes to mind?

If you think about it on a global scale there are quite a few minority groups around the world that are treated as "undesirable" or "unwanted" for whatever reason.  In some countries it might be "Muslims", to some it's "Mexicans", to others it it might be "Jews", to others it's "Blacks" or "infidels" or "Moroccans" or "Rohingyas" or "Roma gypsies" or "Palestinians" or "unskilled laborers" or...or...whatever garden variety human with an accent on "different" and "poor" that happens to annoy the heck out of nativist bigots.

To Geert Wilders, as everyone knows by now, it's "Muslims, Moroccans and (poor) immigrants".  You might have heard about his latest maneuver in his conquest against these undesirable immigrants.  You see, the man thinks big - I mean HUGE, now that he got a big chunk of the votes in the last national election.  So now he's working on expanding his territory and wants to rile up haters in other countries, where anger against Muslims and immigrants already festers and always ready to wreak havoc at the drop of a hat.

So why is this all happening you think?

Money?  Power?  Heroics?  The bad economy?  Politics?

Please don't me give that "freedom of speech" nonsense, because I'm not buying it.

So why really?  Why is such a terribly bigoted politician, who says some of the craziest things and makes a fool out of Dutch parliament daily, actually allowed to have free reign to incite hatred against people in a democracy that's supposedly world famous for its tolerance?

Is it maybe because he's carrying out the will of the people who feel threatened by these "undesirables" or is he simply trying to enforce the laws of the land by pursuing the Dutch government's very own agenda to get rid of unskilled laborers, while applying pressure with tremendous help from the Dutch press and leveraging hate groups in the US and Europe?

Well, in case you didn't know, Holland actually pays certain immigrants to leave the country as long as they agree to be stripped of their rights to return, as set forth in the Dutch Remigration Act.  

I remember vaguely hearing about this a while back, but I didn't know the exact details till I started looking into it after my friend Xoussef asked me if it's true that Holland pays immigrants a monthly salary if they agree to leave the country - he told me he had read about this in a Moroccan newspaper and questioned the veracity of the article because it just sounded too weird.

Here it is spelled out in plain English (and several other languages) by the Dutch authorities:

What is the Remigration Act?

If you are going to leave the Netherlands to move to another country, you may be able to get a one-off relocation grant and a monthly benefit to help cover your living expenses in your new country of residence. This is provided for under the Remigration Act.

Two types of benefits are paid under the Remigration Act:

• a remigration grant
• a remigration benefit

Remigration grant

The remigration grant is a one-off payment towards moving expenses. It is made up of various components. Which components you are entitled to depends on your personal situation.

You can get a contribution towards the cost of:

• the journey to the country where you are going to live;
• the transportation of your luggage;
• settling in your new country of residence;
• storage of your property in your new country;
• the transportation of aids for a disabled person;
• the transportation of business inventory and equipment.

These contributions are fixed amounts.

remigration benefit

The remigration benefit is a monthly payment to help cover your living expenses. It is only payable if you are 45 or over. If you are no longer covered under the Dutch health insurance system after you have moved abroad, you will also get a contribution towards health insurance.

If you are awarded a remigration benefit, you will also get a remigration grant. The grant will not include a contribution towards resettlement expenses because this will already be included in the remigration benefit. 

When are you eligible for these payments?

You can get these payments if you leave the Netherlands to return to:

• the country where you were born, or
• the country of which you are, or were, a national, or
• the country where one of your parents was born or of which he or she is, or was, a national.

You can also get financial help if you are a refugee or if you have been granted asylum in the Netherlands, and you are moving to another country.

The fact that the Dutch Remigration Act singles out only immigrants from specific countries who can apply for this deal has "discrimination" written all over it if you ask me.  Smart move by the Dutch government though in terms of saving money in the long run.  They encourage these immigrants to leave the country, sending them off into early retirement at age 45 along with the rest of their families, with a minimum wage that's tailored to the cost of living in their country of origin, instead of having to pay them significantly higher pension benefits when they're actually due for retirement in Holland.  And as we all know, governments tend to change rules and laws whenever they see fit. 

Are these wages guaranteed for life?:

The amount of your remigration grant or remigration benefit

The amount of your remigration grant or remigration benefit depends on:

• the country where you are going to live;
• the number of people moving with you;
• whether you live on your own or with family members;
• the ages of the people who live with you.

For more information about the amount you will receive, you can contact us.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Greece
• Italy
• Cape Verde
• Croatia
• Macedonia
• Morocco
• Montenegro
• Portugal
• Serbia
• Spain
• Surinam
• Tunisia
• Turkey

 

Dutch Soccer Team Succeeds Where Dutch Politics Fails

Together as ONE! Go Oranje go!!!!

Moroccan-Dutch integration at its best! :)

Israeli Jew builds mosque in France

I always say if we want peace in the Middle East to stand a chance we have to tell our politicians to back off, or better yet, Muslims and Jews would need to get together and tell the rest of the world to back off and let them make peace amongst themselves all on their own.  Sure they can do it!

If you look back in history, whenever Muslims and Jews lived together in harmony, their combined forces, with knowledge, science and commerce made their communities thrive.
Sadly in our lifetime, it's almost as if they are purposely being manipulated to be at odds with each other, living in constant turmoil and kept apart only to serve other people's political and economic agendas.

Israeli millionaire builds mosque in France - Israel Activism, Ynetnews

 

Jewish businessman Robert Harush who grew up in Ashkelon spends fortune on renovation of large Muslim house of worship in Montereau, in effort to promote co-existence

 

An unlikely benefactor. An Ashkelon resident who made a fortune in the European real estate business has decided to pay for the construction of a mosque in France for the benefit of the local Muslim community.

 

Father of four Robert Harush, 58, grew up in Ashkelon and having completed his military service tried his luck in the real estate business in Europe. His success has won him many hotels and buildings and he is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of shekels.

In other news....

Muslim, Orthodox Jew to run Teaneck

(JTA) -- A practicing Muslim and an Orthodox Jew have been chosen to run a New Jersey city.

Mohammed Hameeduddin was chosen last week by the Teaneck, N.J. township council to serve as mayor and Adam Gussen was chosen as deputy mayor. The sitting councilmen were appointed by the township council each for a two-year term.

The men attended middle school together in Teaneck and both attended Rutgers University, according to ABC News.

Swedish feminists burn 100,000 Swedish kronor ($13,000) to protest unequal pay

Now what would possess them to do such a terrible thing? 

Why couldn't they do the decent thing, keep up with tradition and burn some bras instead? ;)

Silly dames!

BBC News - Swedish feminists burn cash in wage equality protest

 

The Feminist Initiative party said the money represented the sum Sweden's women miss out on every minute in comparison to men.

The party hopes to win its first seat in parliament in elections on 19 September.

The notes, thrown on to a barbecue, had been donated by an advertising agency.

Myrtus Keepsakes Charity Fundraiser - see anything you like?

In these tough economic times charities are having the toughest time raising funds and doing great things to help keep our societies afloat and empowered to sustain themselves, so I thought I'd chip in with a little fundraising of my own to help some of my favorite charities.  Fundraising is not exactly one of my fortes, I find it a heck of a lot easier to give than ask people for donations, so I thought it might be a good idea to give stuff away in exchange for donations, stuff that I have no use for myself, but might mean something to someone else.

These are not your ordinary dust collectors, they are practical and functional keepsakes, most of which have never been used, just sitting in my garage taking up space, but have a collectible value that keeps going up over the years, because they're hard to find discontinued collectible items. 

I'm pricing them at about 30% - 50 % lower than their original price. (let me know if these are fair prices)

I'll pay the shipping fee if it's in the US.

Waterford Crystal Spirit of America Champagne Flutes $75 

Waterford Crystal Clarendon Amethyst Hocks $75

Waterford Crystal medium size Metropolitan Candlesticks $65

Waterford Crystal small Make-up Brush $35

Waterford Marquis Crystal Ice Bucket & 2 D.O.Fs $50

Kosta Boda Crystal Tulipa Vase $75

Kosta Boda Crystal small Bowl $20 

Kosta Boda Crystal Large Atoll Bowl $60

Kosta Boda Crystal Candle Sticks, medium $60, small $50

Kosta Boda Crystal Dish - Days of the Week - "Sunday" $20

Orrefors Crystal Raspberry Votive $15

Orrefors Crystal small Bowl $15

Orrefors Crystal Discus Votive $10   

Click to view larger image for better scale.

I originally started out thinking of having a yard sale for the the 4th of July holiday weekend and make one big party out of it.....but then I thought the fundraising aspect might make some people uncomfortable, so I decided to go virtual instead.  This way I can at least help raise awareness for the charities in a ton of places online, even if I don't sell anything. :)

 

All proceeds from this sale will go to PreventHate.org's Witness Humanity program, which is a conflict resolution and reconciliation program where friends and adversaries experience each other in a productive and compassionate manner by working together to help others in need of urgent assistance.

PreventHate.org’s Witness Humanity program has designed original, transitional housing for homeless people living with disabilities. Inexpensive, sturdy, and eco-friendly, these houses are designed to be powered with solar energy and are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They can be used in communities recovering from war or disaster that have populations needing shelter, or for any municipality that has people living with disabilities in immediate need of  housing. 

You can find more details on this project at Crowdrise.

If you would rather make a donation than buy any of my dust collectors that's fine too and there's several ways to do it.

(1) Donate via my page at Crowdrise

(2) Donate via my Paypal Tip Jar which is located on this blog's left sidebar

All transactions have to be first confirmed via email before making the donation.

And if you see a different fundraising project on my Crowdrise page you would rather donate to, please also indicate that via email.  Each and every one of them is a great cause I believe in and I'm hoping you do too.

For more on the BEST fundraising site on the planet read the following article:

Edward Norton's Crowdrise website goes the distance - USATODAY.com

Crowdrise.com is not your typical charity site.

Its slogan is "If you don't give back, no one will like you." Dollars raised earn donors such titles as Doctor, Tsar, Sir and Dame.

And donating $17 toward scholarships for cancer survivors earns you a bottle of Will Ferrell's "Sexy Hot Tan" sunscreen, emblazoned with the likeness of his Speedo-clad body.

Created by actor and activist Edward Norton, producer Shauna Robertson (Superbad, Knocked Up) and Robert and Jeffrey Wolfe (founders of the quirky online retailer Moosejaw), Crowdrise is harnessing the appeal of social networking to make giving go viral.