Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them.

 The municipality of Almelo gives people who are in danger of becoming socially isolated a one-off "happiness allowance" of 450 euros. They have to use the money to do something they enjoy. The city believes that the happiness allowance is cost effective.





Money does not make you happy they say. I agree: money alone doesn't. But allowing someone to realize a dream, to think of himself for a while instead of all his problems, can bring a big change.
And it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. And as the alderman of Almelo says, in the end it's well worth giving them 450 euros to spend on making themselves happy than to have them in the social services loop.

I like the idea and think it's very creative.

I also think it could be improved.

Instead of giving them money to the people, the city could fund a non profit focused on helping such people making their dreams come true. Such an association would ensure the continuation of the dreams after the first creative class is over and the camera is broken.
It would create a community of people all working towards happiness.

So how much do YOU invest in your own happiness?

When was the last time you:

• got a massage?
• went for a long walk?
• painted a picture?
• wrote a story/song/poem?
• enrolled in a class?
• learned a new skill?
• started a project you love?
• spent an afternoon reading your favorite book?
• sat out in the sun thinking of nothing?

And when was the last time you put some 'money' in the happiness piggy bank of someone else?

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How a 4 year old solves the Greek debt crisis

After writing about attending Seth Godin's speech in an earlier post, where he suggested that parents should teach their children to solve complicated problems and volunteered the idea of asking them to solve the debt crisis in Greece..., I owe you the answers of my almost 4 year old son.

Firstly, we were in the car, which is a great place to have deep, meaningful discussions with your kids because they are usually bored and can't go anywhere else as they're strapped to their seats).

Secondly, my son is not yet 4, so I had to explain to him what Greece is and what debt is. So far so good, but I felt him looking at me kind of funny probably thinking 'what the hell is she on about?'.

After giving him a little run down of the problem, his first answer to the question what is Greece to do, was:

1. Steal from Dad

Now, before we burst out laughing and cast it aside as a child's silly idea, let's analyze that for a minute here.

My husband hates coins. So he puts them on the table in the hallway when he gets home. I like coins - it's money and I have a purse and a handbag, so I have a place to put them.

My son has seen me reap in these coins and has started doing just that from time to time to put them in his piggy bank. So for him, that is the first and most logic place to get money. And if he can, why shouldn't Greece be able to. Pretty logic.

If we take this idea further though, we need to ask ourselves who Greece's Dad is.

Zeus:

• was the father of the Greek Gods and the greatest God of Ancient Greece.
• was a weather God, protector of law and was honored every four years with the Olympic Games.
• had mountains named after him and he is believed to have grown up in Crete.
• had many children, is the father of the 9 muses and sole parent of Athena.
  

To translate that into our time and day, we could say Greece could:

• pray to God for money.
• claim royalties on the Olympic Games
• sell Crete (or any other paradisaical island they have - but Crete is quite nice)
• sell the temple of Zeus
  
• sell some of the zillion archeological findings

Not bad for a first answer, I say.

The second answer actually came from my two year old son, who was also in the car and of course listens to everything we say (and we always think he only understand half of what we say - that proves us wrong!):

2. Call a "toota" (his name for anything from an ambulance, over a police car to a fireman truck and that goes toota toota too)

In itself, that idea is not so bad.
And it's kind of exactly what Greece did by calling the European Union for help.

Along the lines of the above idea and since most ancient wisdom somehow came from Greece, they could:

• claim royalties on the invention of medicine, because the first known Greek medical school opened in Cnidus in 700 BC after all. The Egyptians might fight them on this invention but I guess Hippocrates wins on being the Father of Modern Medicine.
• organize a huge fundraiser and ask every European to donate 1 euro or 2. Europe has a population of a little over 800 million people. You do the math. It won't solve their debt entirely, but it would get them off to a good start.
• sell their hospitals - though I guess that is not working as the owe 7 billion euros to drug and device manufacturers themselves the FT reports

The third answer (from my 4 year old again) was:

3. take it out of the garbage bin

Don't ask me how he came up with that. Because we do not keep our money in the bin (though I think it would actually be a good hiding place - better than under the mattress anyway).

Let's spin this a bit further then. They could:

• sell their consultancy on island waste management: almost 15% of the Greek population lives on the islands which is a lot more than other countries, so they must know something about that...
• sell their garbage. Oh and why not? What they consider throwing away might be worth a lot of money elsewhere (if I look at some of the crap that's sold on e-bay, then I am sure Greece can fill a whole bay on e).
  

The 4th answer was:

4. ask for money from St. Nicholas

For those who don't know Saint Nicholas, he is our version of Santa Claus and brings gifts to children on 6 December.

Funnily enough, when reading up on him to find the appropriate link for you, I read to my astonishment that he is actually of Greek extraction. Who knew! We Dutch kids always thought he came on a boat from Spain...

• I was going to propose that they sell his bones or something, but then it seems that the Turks and Italians are already fighting about those,
• but since he was born there, maybe they can claim some royalties?...

My son was all worried about Greece now and kept asking for the solution. Because usually when I ask him a question, I provide him with the correct answer afterward...

So it was his first experience in solving complex problems and in the realization that 'Mom doesn't know every thing'.

And this is when we arrived at home and the Greek problem was left to be pondered over by the rest of the world.

However, they always say that creativity needs an incubation time. So in the evening, when I put my son to bed, we did our usual 'what was the best part of your day today?' ritual and I told him mine was when we were trying to solve the problem of Greece.

And that is when he came up with what I think is the best solution so far:

5. we should all go on holiday there and give them our money.

So there you have it. Greek debt crisis solves by a 4 year old.

VISIT GREECE!

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Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in. -- Frances Moore Lappe

I am not particularly fond of politics. It is usually one of the three topics that I try to avoid talking to people about (the other two being religion and sex) because I find that many seem to define themselves by it and immediately jump into an arguing, defending mode.

I prefer to talk about their ideas, their family, their dreams and what they love to do. Politics, religion and sex often trigger a preset collection of prejudices. And I find that we already make judgments about people too easily for such topics to add another stamp on someone before we really get to know them.

However, in one week is election day. Communal and European elections. I must admit that I have so far never voted in my life. I am Dutch but don't live in the Netherlands. Voting is not mandatory there, so I figured 'why go through all the hassle and paperwork for a country I do not live in?'.

And living in Luxembourg as a foreigner I had no right to vote for communal elections. That has changed some time ago. Now the law says that you have to live here for 5 years in order to vote. And strangely you only have to live here for 6 months in order to become a candidate yourself.

So I am voting for both on Sunday June 7th. I have been listening to the parties' messages and debates and it just confirms what I was already thinking:

Most of them are FIGHTING AGAINST THE OTHERS much more than FIGHTING FOR THEIR CAUSE. It seems to become such a personal Ego war and I get the feeling that they forget that they are supposed to do this for the us not themselves.

So I have made up my decision and I will vote green. I am not saying these people are not in it for the ego. But at least they are fighting for things that interest all parties and all people in some way or another.

I vote green, because I think it's nice to have a job, a good health care system or well organised public transportation. There will be enough people voting the parties who lobby for these things.
But if the planet is dying there is no more room for any of that. I am usually a 'people first' person. I will give to a charity that supports the lives of people before giving money to animal rights for example. In this case, I feel that fighting for the planet concerns us all.

And if I can give my tiny vote to participate in making our planet a better place, then that's what I'll do.

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Rules eliminate the need for judgement -- Barry Schwartz

In this inspiring TED Talk, Barry Schwarz makes a passionate call for "practical wisdom" as an antidote to a society gone mad with bureaucracy. He argues powerfully that rules often fail us, incentives often backfire, and practical, everyday wisdom will help rebuild our world.

Or as Obama put it "It's not enough to ask 'is it profitable?', you have to ask 'is it right?' "



Read more in an interview with Barry Schwarz, right after he gave this talk.

Barry Schwarz's previous research was on 'Paradox of Choice', where he asserts that less can actually be more. He talks about 'maximisers': people who are out to always find THE BEST and don't feel happier than 'satisficers' for whom 'good enough is good enough'. It is all about simplifying your choice.

Paradox of Choice book.

Read also my earlier posts on related subjects:
Choices are luxuries - or are they?
Your talent lies in your choice.

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Stereotypes are barriers to be demolished: Europe on an art map

Each time the EU presidency changes, the country in charge mounts some form of national display at the Brussels EU building. The French, which held the job until January, presented a giant balloon in its national colors.

The Czech seem to have chosen a more controversial way of manifesting their presidency. The exhibit "Entropa" comes in the form of a giant child's model kit. The 27 EU nations are each represented by a piece in their shape.

Czech deputy prime minister, Alexandr Vondra, says he supports freedom of expression, that it's a piece of art and that it would be a tragedy if Europe is not strong enough to look at it.

Italy is represented by a display illustrating its "autoerotic" obsession with soccer.

Sweden is portrayed by a flat packing carton by the country's furniture giant Ikea. Luxembourg is presented as a golden nugget with a "For Sale" sign attached. Germany appears as a series of nine interlocking motorways.

More risky, Poland's contribution pokes fun at the Catholic Church, showing priests mimicking the iconic pose of soldiers raising the U.S. flag on Iwo Jima in 1945. The Netherlands is submerged beneath the sea with only the minarets of five mosques visible.

Bulgaria, which was once under Ottoman domination, is portrayed as a "Turkish toilet" made up of footmarks and a hole in the ground.

France has a large 'on strike' sign pinned to its outline.

Reuters informed that the artist David Cerny was condemned for duping the Czech government into thinking it was made by 27 artists from each country.

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Thou shalt not voodoo...

At the beginning of October K&B started commercializing a voodoo doll made in the image of French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy. It comes with a manual that gives tips on how and where to plant your pins to put a curse on him.

The Prime Minister apparently did not think this was funny (as opposed to Ségolène Royal - Sarkozy's socialist rival - whose doll was also put on the market and who did not sue but took this with humor) and took legal action to get the dolls taken back from the market. He demanded a ban, arguing that he owns the right to his image and had never authorized the doll

A court in Paris, however, threw out the request, ruling that the doll was protected by what it called "the right to humor". The dolls continue to be sold with a label stating that they are 'offensive to the president'.

The doll has since become a best-selling cult item and the news has seized on the news as a welcome distraction from the declining economy.

Funnily enough, when Sarkozy was interior minister in 2006, he defended the right of newspapers to publish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that offended many Muslims.

With his behavior he has only added to the success of the product and made himself a bit ridiculous. Imagine if Bush had to sue everyone using his face for humor and satire....

And what would a psychologist say about this reaction?

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EU's bureaucracy keeps money away from developing countries

A recent Reuters article mentioned a European Commission proposal to give 1 billion Euros that are left over from the European budget to struggling farmers in the developing world.

The article continues:"But the proposal has run into trouble as European Union lawmakers and governments said the bloc's executive did not choose the right budgetary procedure."

Is the political process just an excuse? Do you think people in developing countries care that the EU is bogged down in bureaucracy and worry about which budget this should be booked under?

Read more at One.org and help getting this money directed into the right hands by joining ONE and sending a letter to your country's leader.

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Ask European leaders to dedicate funds to African agriculture.

Have you ever heard of ONE.ORG?

If you are a U2 fan, I'm sure you have as Bono is its co-founder. Watch Bono's appearance on CNN.

I just signed a petition to support an innovative plan to use extra money from the EU budget to support African farmers. I hope that you'll join me in taking action here.

We've seen aid achieve some amazing things in recent years - like over 29 million more children in school for the first time, and over 2 million more Africans with access to AIDS medications. But we must recognize the ongoing hunger crisis for the obstacle that it is and work to overcome it if we hope to continue our success. Europe can lead the way right now by giving African agriculture the support it needs.

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Fight with me - Sen. John McCain

During his nomination acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention (full text and video here), Sen. John McCain's ended by saying the following:

I'm going to fight for my cause every day as your President. I'm going to fight to make sure every American has every reason to thank God, as I thank Him: that I'm an American, a proud citizen of the greatest country on earth, and with hard work, strong faith and a little courage, great things are always within our reach.

Fight with me.
Fight with me.
Fight for what's right for our country.
Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.
Fight for our children's future.
Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

I find that he uses the word FIGHT a bit too much. I guess it's to be expected from an ex-Navy man and Vietnam Veteran. But still... It sounds a bit scary and unbelievable to me.
Why?
Well scary because: do we really want more fighting? I believe that one can achieve all of the above without fights.
And unbelievable because: the guy is 72! How much energy does he have left to do what he says he will do?
Needless to say that I am not pro McCain :-) Yes, I prefer Obama's much more positive words: promise, change, sense of responsibility, hope, help, build, end the war, finish the fight...

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Our world is full of violence, fighting, war, crime - why add more?

Can we try to first live our best lives before we criticise others, before we meddle with countries were we have none but an economical, egotistical interest?

I am not saying that Obama is the perfect candidate. A perfect candidate, like a perfect person, does not exist. However, he seems to be a bit wiser (even though he is much younger) when it comes to life and what's important. He is not ashamed to admit that he cannot solve all problems. I find that much more appealing and reassuring that someone who calls me to fight with him.

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People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges

Politics are not my forte. I am generally aware of what is going on in the world and why. but I must admit that I was surprised when I heard about THE WALL Israel is building.

I had of course heard about it, but was ignorant about the details. When I heard that the wall is supposed to be 703 kilometres once finished and that approximately 58% has already been constructed, my jaw dropped.

Isn't this the world upside down? Isn't this World War II all over again but upside down?

“You don’t simply bundle people onto trucks and drive them away…I prefer to advocate a positive policy, to create, in effect, a condition that in a positive way will induce people to leave.” – Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister of Israel

Large areas of fertile Palestinian farmland have been destroyed or seized by the Israeli army to make way for the wall and other larger areas have been cut off from the rest of the West Bank. When completed, the wall will cut off more than 15% of the West Bank land from the rest of the West Bank and some 270,000 Palestinians living in these areas will be trapped in closed military areas between the wall and the Green Line or in enclaves encircled by the wall.

The route of the wall has been designed so as to encompass a large number of Israeli settlements inside the Occupied Territories, which have been built and continue to be expanded in violation of international law.

The Wall will be standing in 50 and even in 100 years, if the reasons for it are not removed - Erich Honecker

The International Court of Justice has concluded that the barrier violates international law. Despite this violation, the international community has done nothing to stop the “transfer” from happening.

Rather, the international community has continued to finance Israel’s expansionist actions: Israel has received $85 billion from the U.S. alone since 1948; more than the aid received by the nations of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean combined.

George W. Bush said in a letter to Sharon on April 14, 2004 that it "should be a security rather than political barrier, should be temporary rather than permanent'. Who is he kidding? How can a solid, concrete wall be temporary? At the cost of 12 million NIS or 2.8 million USD per km, the wall is cannot be called a “temporary” measure.

Palestinian terrorism has to be rejected and condemned, yes. But it should not be translated defacto into a policy of support for a really increasingly brutal repression, colonial settlements and a new wall - Zbigniew Brzezinski

Professor Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories says that "the policies being pursued, in Gaza in particular, have holocaustal implications if they are not changed. And the mind-set of holding an entire people responsible for opposition and resistance embodies a kind of collective punishment psychology that was very characteristic of the way the Nazis justified what they did to the Jewish people."

I do not want to discuss the pro and cons of this wall - it seems a very controversial and sensitive issue that cannot be solved. I just find it incredible that after all the past wars (and especially WWII) have taught us, we continue to make the same mistakes. We should remember:

WALLS DON'T KEEP OTHER PEOPLE OUT, THEY ONLY FENCE YOU IN.

Sources and reference material:
Jerusalem Media and Communication Centre
Wikipedia
Anarchists against the wall
Professor Richard Falk, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories
A conversation with Richard Falk
The UN and human rights - a screaming start
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Israel and the Occupied Territories: The place of the fence/wall in international law
In the war of words, The Times is Israel's ally



See also:
United States-Mexico barrier
Berlin Wall

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This election is about who's going to be the next President of the United States! - Dan Quayle

You just gotta love Jon Stewart.
The audacity of fear: Barack Obama is intent on enslaving the white race.
Beware of some serious Baracknophobia !!!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Headlines - Baracknophobia
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

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To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color is like living in Alaska and being against snow -William Faulkner

Today I feel like writing about equality.

I had first chosen a funnier quote (by Maureen Reagan:
I will feel equality has arrived when we can elect to office women who are as incompetent as some of the men who are already there.) but actually think the subject serious enough not to joke about it - at least not today.

Definition of Gender Equality:
Gender equality means an equal visibility, empowerment and participation of both sexes in all spheres of public and private life.

Defintion of pay-gap:
The pay gap measures the relative difference in the average gross hourly earnings of women
and men within the economy as a whole.

Some facts:

• For equal occupation, women still earn less than their male counterparts (in general 15% less)
• The gender pay gap increases with experience, age and education.
• Almost 40% of women work in health, education and public administration,
  compared to 20% of men. Moreover, women are mainly employed as administrative
  assistants, shop assistants or low-skilled or unskilled workers — these occupations accounting for almost half of the female workforce. Conversely, only a third of managers are women in companies within the EU.
• Part-time work is more prevalent among women (over 30% of women work part time compared to less than 10% of men).

My personal experience has given me the following reasons (in no particular order):

• Work experience is worth less than a degree
• Female work experience is paid less than male work experience
• Classification and valuation of jobs is not equal for men and women (for example, more value can be attributed to physical strength than to interpersonal skills, or more value can be attached to responsibility for capital than to responsibility for people).
• It is assumed that women will work less due to maternity and childcare leave
• Part-time work is generally less well paid (than full-time work) and is often marginalised within the organisation (fewer prospects for career advancement and limited access to training)
• Leadership skills are often identified with 'masculine' characteristics
• Women's job choices are often in lower paying sectors (see facts above)

I do not want to go into what actions should be taken to reduce this gap. I just wanted to know from you what your experiences in this field are. Have you experienced this in your work, sector and country? How?

Thanks for your comments.

Resources:
Tackling the pay gap between women and men
Best and Worst State Economies for Women - 2006
EU gender pay gap 'not narrowing'
Council of Europe - Equality

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The test of democracy is freedom of criticism - David Ben-Gurion

In 2003, while touring Europe, the Dixie Chicks announced they were 'ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas'. They had not expected the media firestorm, ban from radio stations and protests this created. Last year they were still not making nice and calling Bush a dumb f..k. And this year they were even shortlisted in a public contest to become the theme song for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign (Celine Dion's You and I finally won).

I must say I find it terrible that one cannot freely speak one's mind without any repercussions. By now and because of this post, my blog probably figures on Bush's mile-long black list - but what the heck. What I meant to say is that here in Europe, people bash politicians all the time and it does not create a hullabaloo.
Take France for example: there is a site full of anti-Sarkozy songs and postings. Now I know those exist for Bush as well (he even has his own bumper stickers, something we don't have in Europe...) but when people (famous or not) speak out openly against Sarkozy, all they get is an animated political discussion on television - if that.

So in what way are we different from Americans? And why?
Your comments are welcome!

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