Owner: American in Amsterdam URL:http://jamesonthecanal.blogspot.com Join Date: Wed, 30 Aug 2006 04:05:33 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: This is a blog about my transitioning into the most fun, cool city in the world-Amsterdam! Site statistics:Click here
Party for the Animals 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Netherlands had an election three days ago and the Dutch voters made history. They elected two representatives in the Partij voor De Dieren or Party
for the Animals
. They were hoping for at least one seat and they actually won two. This is the first time anywhere in the world did a party win elections based on animals.Here are some of their interests:They aim to have animal rights written into the consitutionEstablishing an animal police forceHalting the bio-industry, animal testing and fur productionPromoting the consumption of organic foodAdditionally, they want to lower energy consumptionPromoting renewable resources: wind, sun and water energyThe PvdD has some good ideas and I am glad our animal friends in this world have finally won some representation in a government body. This is a step in the right direction.For more information about the Party for the Animals, CLICK HERE for the party's website that they graciously translated into English.
The Top 100 Hospitals in the Netherlands 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today I added the emergency veterinarian phone number to our contacts list and was thinking to myself, "I don't even have a doctor for myself."Then I was searching for hospitals in Amsterdam because in case of an emergency you need to know where they are located. I finally stumbled upon a Top 100 Hospitals
in the Netherlands
list. If you're in the Netherlands and are interested in the rankings, then simply click HERE for the chart.
In Nuremberg:Christmas Market 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today we are in Nuremberg to visit the ChristmasMarket
which has its opening ceremony this evening. The Christmas Market, or Christkindlesmarkt in German, here in Nuremberg is famous the world over for being the best. We will be back in Amsterdam on Sunday.Every year, Germany's most famous Christmas Market opens its stalls for visitors from all over the world, right in the middle of the city, on Nuremberg Main Market Square. At 5.30 p.m. on the Friday before the first Advent Sunday, the Christmas Angel opens her market, reciting the solemn prologue from the gallery of the church of Our Lady. And as every year, by Christmas Eve, more than two million visitors from all over the world will have sampled the delights of the Christmas Market.About 180 wooden stalls, festooned with red-and-white cloth, have given the Christmas Market its name of "Little Town from Wood and Cloth". 200 stall holders present their traditional wares: Nuremberg spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, bakery goods and s
The-Drowned-Rat Look 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Our little three-month old Yorkshire Terrier received his first bath yesterday. He was suprisingly well-behaved. We made sure the water was warm, we fed him some treats in the bathtub, we turned the water on slowly, we were sure to use a non-slip pad, we spoke to him lovingly, etc. We did just about everything you can think of to ensure it was as comfortable as it could be for him. Click on the read more link just below to see four funny photos!The-Drowned-Rat-Look:
Time for a Christmas Tree 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We are going to get a Christmas
tree this week no later than Saturday. I am not quite sure yet where in Amsterdam to buy one, but I am sure we will find out soon. If any of you that live in Amsterdam know of a good place, please let us know in the comments. When we were living in San Francisco one would see them in lots located around the city. We bought our's from the lots run by the Delancey Street Foundation.Here is our last Christmas tree back in our San Francisco apartment:I struggle every year with the decision: Should we buy a real tree or go with an artificial tree. I really enjoy the real ones so much more, but I have this internal struggle with my decision. It seems weird to cut down a tree so that it can be in your home for just for a few weeks in December and maybe slightly into January. I know there are tree farms, but this living, organic object took years to grow just to be chopped down. If any of you reading this post have thoughts on the matter feel free to leave a co Read more:Christmas Tree
US Closer to Fascism Than Ever 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I recently learned of a new program approved by the US government that smacks of fascism. It is very scary how the US is slipping further and further. I would be very worried had the Democrats not won back Congress in the last election. Nevertheless, it is very disturbing.Here's an excerpt that disturbs me more so being an American that lives outside of the country and with my blog and all of its links that make it no secret about how I feel about GW and the current administration in the US:"I have never seen anything as egregious as this," said Kevin Mitchell, president of the Business Travel Coalition, which advocates for business travelers. It's "evidence of what can happen when there isn't proper oversight and accountability."By late Friday, the government had received 22 written public comments about its after-the-fact disclosure of the program last month in the Federal Register, a fine-print compendium of federal rules. All either opposed it outright or objected to the lack of Read more:Fascism
Rough Weather 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This afternoon I went to the grocery store and before I went into the store I looked west and thought to myself, "Wow, those are some dark clouds." I went about my business shopping and when I left it was raining, but not too hard. Sure enough, as I rode my bike along the canal back to my apartment the hard rain and even hail was pouring down on my head. I saw a bright flash of white light and almost immediately thereafter I heard the loudest rumbling thunder. I thought it had struck a building near me, but no bricks came raining down. My umbrella was the cheap ten Euro type and it was destroyed. (thanks to weather.com for the satellite image)So even though I only had to ride my bike with the groceries about four blocks, by the time I walked into the apartment I was soaked. My hair, my glasses, my clothes and even my socks were squishy with water. I immediately changed into dry clothes.Then I went online and what did I read? London had a TORNADO earlier this morning. Can you believe it Read more:Rough
Our Christmas Tree 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today we decorated our Christmas
tree. This is the best photo available. We had some gluhwein or mulled wine while we decorated the tree. These are the same ornaments we had in San Francisco. Amazingly, they all survived a road trip from San Francisco south to Los Angeles. Then the items were shipped from a warehouse in LA, most likely Long Beach, then to Houston, Texas. Then by ocean from the Gulf of Mexico, around the tip of Florida, across the Atlantic and finally into the Hamburg port. Then again by truck from Hamburg to our self-storage in Duesseldorf. Then we shipped the items ourselves via a moving van from Duesseldorf to Amsterdam. Now today, they are once again on a beautiful tree...Type rest of the post here
New Passport Rules for US Citizens Effective JAN 23, 2007 1970-01-01 00:59:59 From the San Francisco Chronicle online:New federal regulations compelling U.S. and foreign citizens entering this country by air to carry passports will take effect Jan. 23 -- and many would-be travelers are not prepared, uncertain how to go about getting a passport and increasingly pressed for time.I once read that only 23% of Americans have a passport. 23%? How can you NOT have a passport? I don't understand it, but even my own mother doesn't have a passport. She's getting one so she can visit me in Amsterdam. Do yourself a favor, get a passport and see how the rest of the world lives. Trust me, it will do you some good.For the rest of the article from the SF Chronicle click the "read more" link below.New rules and regulations can be read in depth by clicking here to access the US State Department's website.To help clear the air for airline passengers, the Travel Industry Association of America and Travel Business Roundtable have put up a how-to Web site (getapassportnow.com).Th Read more:Passport
, Rules
, Citizens
The Sinking Houseboat 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This morning I took Jack for a walk and noticed a houseboat that seemed to be sinking. It was not too far underwater so I didn't suspect anything was amiss. Well, later in the morning I went out and discovered the Amsterdam fire department along with some divers in wet suits on my street surrounding the canal bank where I saw the sinking houseboat earlier. Maybe I should have knocked on their door earlier this morning?Here are some shots of the sinking boat:Type rest of the post here
Merry Christmas! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Merry Christmas
everyone. We are having a nice time with the family. This year we are hosting the family at our place here in Amsterdam. So far it has gone well. We enjoyed a raclette dinner last night which was so much fun.Yesterday we went to a holiday concert at the Concertgebouw at Museumplein. Then we went into the Rijks Museum. Today is Christmas Day in the Netherlands and I am not sure what we will do, but we do need to get out there and walk Jack.Type rest of the post here
Read more:Merry
, Merry Christmas
Dutch Television Compared to US Television 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I have never read about this on any other blog and felt I had to comment. Last night we were watching Will & Grace and when it ended we started to watch another show that was a reality show something along the lines of Extreme Makeover. An obese woman was having her fat removed. Later, she needed all of the excess skin removed in surgery. Well, the point of the story is this: the Dutch
show everything. There is no creative shooting on the set or even any blurring of certain areas of the shot. You watch the laser cutting the skin off as if you were in the operating room watching the doctor perform the surgery. It was truly disgusting. In America and I assume other nations do not show such graphic details. I am not saying that they should not do this, but it was just remarkable to see it on television having never seen it.Which brings me to another point. We were watching a Dutch public television station a few nights ago when we saw a couple sitting on a sofa nude while the guy was Read more:Television
Raclette--A Fun Way to Do Dinner! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Have you ever used a raclette? I never have until tonight. I believe a large percentage of Americans have ever had the pleasure of using a raclette. It is a fun way to have dinner especially when you have guests over. You can prepare bowls of food in advance so that when the guests arrive everyone can enjoy the party together--no one in the kitchen!It is like having a grill in the middle of your dining room table and everyone can choose what they want when they want. There are even these miniature pans that can be heated on the bottom.We purchased a raclette recently for the upcoming holidays. We are hosting family and friends for Christmas and New Year's so we thought this would be a great way to celebrate. Tonight we tried out the grill ourselves. We had shrimp, cubes of tuna steak, yellow and red bell peppers, zuchini, potatoes, two kinds of cheeses and two kinds of sauces. Of course you can choose any combination of items that you like best. We do not eat meat, however, we do sti Read more:Dinner
Through Thick and Thin 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I recently read about a new documentary that is very close to my heart, Through Thick
and Thin.Here is what it is about per the website:Thousands of Gay, Lesbian and Transgendered binational couples are hurting deeply in the United States. Although the number can not be quantified, all across America, in cities big and small, men and women are facing an uncertain future. And not only are they hurting. There mere existence of those couples and families is at risk. Deprived of the legal means to confer immigration rights upon the foreign born partner, couples formed during a temporary stay are doomed from the start. For Transexual people, the validity of their marriage licenses is being questioned and denied for immigration purposes. Other couples are about to run out of options, while many have already gone underground. THROUGH THICK AND THIN will explore the lives of ten couples who are facing the hurdles imposed upon them by the status quo. The 60-minute film, shot in cinema ve
Religion Has Lost Its Credibility 1970-01-01 00:59:59 By Oliver "Buzz" ThomasMon Nov 20, 6:40 AM ET What if Christian leaders are wrong about homosexuality? I suppose, much as a newspaper maintains its credibility by setting the record straight, church leaders would need to do the same: Correction: Despite what you might have read, heard or been taught throughout your churchgoing life, homosexuality is, in fact, determined at birth and is not to be condemned by God's followers. Based on a few recent headlines, we won't be seeing that admission anytime soon. Last week, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops took the position that homosexual attractions are "disordered" and that gays should live closeted lives of chastity. At the same time, North Carolina's Baptist State Convention was preparing to investigate churches that are too gay-friendly. Even the more liberal Presbyterian Church (USA) had been planning to put a minister on trial for conducting a marriage ceremony for two women before the ch Read more:Religion
, Credibility
Reflections of a New Parent 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I have to say that I was very nervous about adopting a puppy. I had sleepless nights worrying about how it would work out. Would he relieve himself any and everywhere? Would he scratch up the furniture and rugs? Would he yelp and wake us up at all hours of the night? I once made the mistake of watching a five-month old puppy for a co-worker of mine. This puppy was so unruly and would relieve herself any and everywhere, including on one of our rugs. This upset me and I was cured of my want for a puppy for quite awhile. Until recently...In the past few months I was reconsidering adopting a puppy. We even had our landlords over and while sipping coffee and chatting I decided to pop the question to them. "Can we adopt a puppy?" I was surprised when they agreed to the idea. In America, landlords are always against a dog, but sometimes will accept a cat with a large deposit. I guess because our landlords are Dutch and very nice people, they see no problem with a puppy. So as you know, we dro Read more:Reflections
, Parent
It Is Beaujolais Nouveau Time! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Yes, it is that time of year again, BeaujolaisNouveau
time! It is available on the third Thursday of November every year and today I bought our first batch. It is chilled in the refrigerator and tastes great. Here's a snippet from Wikipedia about the wine:Beaujolais nouveau is produced by carbonic maceration followed by Pasteurization, a process which bypasses malolactic fermentation. The wine is ready to be drunk a scant six weeks after the harvest. Each year the new Beaujolais is officially released on the 3rd Thursday of November and no time earlier, which has been mandated by French Law. [1]. Just after midnight a race begins to ship the wine out all around the world as quickly as possible. For a vintner the economic advantages of selling one's wine before the end of the year are substantial, although the wine itself varies dramatically in quality.Now that we're on that subject, I went to Eichholtz today and picked up my pumpkin pie ingredients for Thanksgiving next week. I h Read more:Beaujolais Nouveau
Police Fed Pot Burgers at Burker King 1970-01-01 00:59:59 What a story! Check it out:Two police officers sued Burger King Corp., claiming they were served hamburgers that had been sprinkled with marijuana.The lawsuit says Mark Landavazo and Henry Gabaldon, officers for the Isleta Pueblo tribal police, were in uniform and riding in a marked patrol car when they bought meals at the drive-through lane October 8 of a Burger King restaurant in Los Lunas, New Mexico.Click here to continue to the original posting...
Read more:Police
, Burgers
Democrats Take Control of the House! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 What a beautiful day it is! The Democrats
have gained a substantial majority in the House
of Representatives taking control away from the Republicans. Also, Nancy Pelosi of California is to become America's first woman speaker of the House. Congratulations, Nancy! I voted for Nancy Pelosi with my absentee ballot mailed back to San Francisco, my last US address.I am closely watching the Senate because only two seats are needed to have a Democratic majority there as well. Montana and Virginia are the two deciding states with a re-count called for Virginia. There's a slight lead for Democrats in both races, let's hope that holds up and becomes the outcome.I am feeling good today because of the following:Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania is OUT!Katherine Harris of Florida is OUT!With 85% of precincts reporting in Montana, Jon Tester (D) holds the majoritySouth Dakota rejects tough abortion banArizona voters REJECTED a gay marriage ban to their constitutionEliot Spitzer (D) wins NY's govern Read more:Control
Wonderful News! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Secretary of Defense Donal Rumsfeld resigns. How much better can it get?UPDATE: It has gotten better. The entire Congress is now in the hands of the Democrats!
Read more:Wonderful
Dutch Language Classes 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I started my Dutch
language class three days ago and tonight is the second class of twelve meetings over six weeks. I am learning Dutch and find it easier having taken three months of German lessons in the beginning of this year while living in Duesseldorf.I am looking forward to understanding what I am reading. :) Let's hope the class goes well for me. I am feeling fairly confident so far.
Read more:Classes
US Town Outlaws Flying Foreign Flags 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Just when you think you have heard it all, a US town passes a law that does not allow foreign flags to be flown unless it is under a US flag. Here's an excerpt from CNN and you can click on the excerpt for the original article on CNN:A Nevada town passed a law this week making it illegal to fly a foreign nation's flag by itself, the latest swipe by a U.S. community at illegal immigrants.The town council of Pahrump, which lies in the Mojave Desert west of Las Vegas, voted 3-2 Tuesday to make flying any foreign flag above the U.S. flag or alone an offense punishable by a $50 fine and 30 hours of community service.The meeting also pushed through measures to deny services to illegal immigrants and make English the official language in Pahrump, a commuter town of 40,000 residents some 60 miles west of Las Vegas.
Read more:Flying
, Foreign
Add Another Country to the List 1970-01-01 00:59:59 As of yesterday, we can add another country that recognizes same-sex marriages: Israel!!I find it quite surprising and it is a welcomed ruling by gays and lesbians around the world. Here is an excerpt from an article at 365gay.com:(Jerusalem) In an unprecedented ruling, Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government on Tuesday to recognize same-sex marriages performed abroad. Truly an amazing day for Israel and the world's LGBT community. I am looking forward to the day when I read a similar story about a US Supreme Court ruling granting equality to American gays and lesbians.Thanks to Liza in Israel of the blog, something something, first alerting me of the great news from her country's highest court.
Read more:Country
Our Christmas Tree 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today we decorated our Christmas
tree. This is the best photo available. We had some gluhwein or mulled wine while we decorated the tree. These are the same ornaments we had in San Francisco. Amazingly, they all survived a road trip from San Francisco south to Los Angeles. Then the items were shipped from a warehouse in LA, most likely Long Beach, then to Houston, Texas. Then by ocean from the Gulf of Mexico, around the tip of Florida, across the Atlantic and finally into the Hamburg port. Then again by truck from Hamburg to our self-storage in Duesseldorf. Then we shipped the items ourselves via a moving van from Duesseldorf to Amsterdam. Now today, they are once again on a beautiful tree...Type rest of the post here
Rough Weather 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This afternoon I went to the grocery store and before I went into the store I looked west and thought to myself, "Wow, those are some dark clouds." I went about my business shopping and when I left it was raining, but not too hard. Sure enough, as I rode my bike along the canal back to my apartment the hard rain and even hail was pouring down on my head. I saw a bright flash of white light and almost immediately thereafter I heard the loudest rumbling thunder. I thought it had struck a building near me, but no bricks came raining down. My umbrella was the cheap ten Euro type and it was destroyed. (thanks to weather.com for the satellite image)So even though I only had to ride my bike with the groceries about four blocks, by the time I walked into the apartment I was soaked. My hair, my glasses, my clothes and even my socks were squishy with water. I immediately changed into dry clothes.Then I went online and what did I read? London had a TORNADO earlier this morning. Can you believe it Read more:Rough
US Closer to Fascism Than Ever 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I recently learned of a new program approved by the US government that smacks of fascism. It is very scary how the US is slipping further and further. I would be very worried had the Democrats not won back Congress in the last election. Nevertheless, it is very disturbing.Here's an excerpt that disturbs me more so being an American that lives outside of the country and with my blog and all of its links that make it no secret about how I feel about GW and the current administration in the US:"I have never seen anything as egregious as this," said Kevin Mitchell, president of the Business Travel Coalition, which advocates for business travelers. It's "evidence of what can happen when there isn't proper oversight and accountability."By late Friday, the government had received 22 written public comments about its after-the-fact disclosure of the program last month in the Federal Register, a fine-print compendium of federal rules. All either opposed it outright or objected to the lack of Read more:Fascism
New Passport Rules for US Citizens Effective JAN 23, 2007 1970-01-01 00:59:59 From the San Francisco Chronicle online:New federal regulations compelling U.S. and foreign citizens entering this country by air to carry passports will take effect Jan. 23 -- and many would-be travelers are not prepared, uncertain how to go about getting a passport and increasingly pressed for time.I once read that only 23% of Americans have a passport. 23%? How can you NOT have a passport? I don't understand it, but even my own mother doesn't have a passport. She's getting one so she can visit me in Amsterdam. Do yourself a favor, get a passport and see how the rest of the world lives. Trust me, it will do you some good.For the rest of the article from the SF Chronicle click the "read more" link below.New rules and regulations can be read in depth by clicking here to access the US State Department's website.To help clear the air for airline passengers, the Travel Industry Association of America and Travel Business Roundtable have put up a how-to Web site (getapassportnow.com).Th Read more:Passport
, Rules
, Citizens
The Sinking Houseboat 1970-01-01 00:59:59 This morning I took Jack for a walk and noticed a houseboat that seemed to be sinking. It was not too far underwater so I didn't suspect anything was amiss. Well, later in the morning I went out and discovered the Amsterdam fire department along with some divers in wet suits on my street surrounding the canal bank where I saw the sinking houseboat earlier. Maybe I should have knocked on their door earlier this morning?Here are some shots of the sinking boat:Type rest of the post here
Time for a Christmas Tree 1970-01-01 00:59:59 We are going to get a Christmas
tree this week no later than Saturday. I am not quite sure yet where in Amsterdam to buy one, but I am sure we will find out soon. If any of you that live in Amsterdam know of a good place, please let us know in the comments. When we were living in San Francisco one would see them in lots located around the city. We bought our's from the lots run by the Delancey Street Foundation.Here is our last Christmas tree back in our San Francisco apartment:I struggle every year with the decision: Should we buy a real tree or go with an artificial tree. I really enjoy the real ones so much more, but I have this internal struggle with my decision. It seems weird to cut down a tree so that it can be in your home for just for a few weeks in December and maybe slightly into January. I know there are tree farms, but this living, organic object took years to grow just to be chopped down. If any of you reading this post have thoughts on the matter feel free to leave a co Read more:Christmas Tree
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