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nu.nl (dutch): Jos Verstappen will *not* to race during this weekends A1GP race in Zandvoort, The Netherlands. The team replaced him with Jeroen Bleekemolen following a dispute between Jos and the dutch A1GP team management. The discussion is all about money (isn't it always); the team apparently has had problems last year to pay Verstappen in time, so he wanted guarentees that his salary would be paid in due time during the coming season. The team was not able to provide these guarentees resulting in this clash…oh well, there are only about 70,000 fans who purchased tickets for coming weekends race, mainly to see Jos in action…who cares, ah?

Not always easy, but actually it feels great to experience the vacuum between what has been and what is to come…it's called the NOW…never waste a moment…live it, feel it, enjoy it!

Despite the great result on my GMAT, I will not enter the TIAS Part-Time MBA program this year 🙁 :(…my employer decided (quite unexpectedly) to give me NO SUPPORT for this study. The motivation given was not that constuctive, my conclusion from it is that the company apparently has no need for MBA-qualified personell. Fair enough…pity however that they were not able to bring me this message in an earlier stage.

I'm on my own on this one…unfortunately the time left before the class of 2006 starts (September 29th) is not enough to work out alternatives…

Yes, I *am* very disappointed; the MBA (specifically the Tias PTMBA program) would have been a great first step in achieving my (professional) ambitions and, in my humble opinion, could have been part of an important step the company needs to take (invest today for the success of tomorrow). Then again, MBA is not the magic word that makes all things better by itself, a lot of hard work is still required…not being able to start this year is not the best motivator, especially not considering the history behind it…but, it will not stop me to work on my future! 🙂

On the geeky part; bought a new external harddrive yesterday, only 320Gb 🙂 am filling it up as we speak….zzzzz 🙂

I just came back from Robbert & Suzanne who returned from their honeymoon to the Maldives…aaahhhhh, WHAT an amazing place (at least, that’s what their pictures and stories tell me)!

If I ever…I’m sure to go there!

We've been training for the past weeks, coming week the volleyball competition starts.

The ball is round as we say, first year in the regional competition, 2nd Class…wonder what it wil bring us. You can follow the score via the NeVoBo-site!

Had a GREAT weekend, loads of sun, good company and wedding preps. Pictures will come if Axel is able to send them from Tripoli, Libya 🙂

Following the Texel-weekend earlier this year, I'll again visit one of the dutch 'northern' islands this weekend.

Schiermonnikoog this time, which is the fifth island when counted from West to East; at least, in the way children are thaught to memorize the islands via 'TV TAS' (meaning something silly as 'tv-bag').

From West to East we have: Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog.

Reason to go to 'Schier' is Axel and Beike's wedding end October which we are asked to organize with them. Already second time this year…guess I should consider changing jobs and become a wedding planner, eh? 🙂

Google Earth Blog: "Huge Update to Google Earth and Maps Aerial/Satellite Photos…this update increased high resolution coverage in a number of areas…among this also The Netherlands where the rest of the country is now available in high resolution". Download the application and see for yourself!

Kristel started today in her new job (next to flying) as Manager Sales for an online tourism information site, www.visit-holland.info! Check it out, it's cool!

Goodluck babe! 🙂

Today, after winning the Italian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher (MSC) announced his retirement from active racing at the end of this season. With it comes an end to a long and successfull carreer and a amazing period in Formula One, with this one guy winning everything that can be won (not to mention his earnings :))

It has been quite a hectic week, starting with the wedding last weekend, followed with my GMAT exam and the usual crazy days in the office. Weekend at last! Weather is supposed to be great with temperatures between 20-25 degrees, maybe a good time to finish the frontyard! 🙂

But, first things first; a relaxing evening with Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow on tv!

I’ve been over my head busy the last days (evenings) with preparations for my GMAT-exam this morning, an exam required to enter any MBA-study. The exam itself went NOT as I hoped it would, screwed up some things midway and lost valuable time with it, but…the result somehow was good!

Huh?!? Yeah, that’s what I thought too when I saw the score; 640 point (on a scale from 200-800). The folks at TIAS Business School where I want to start my Part Time MBA said earlier that a score over 600 points would do me good, so…heyheyHEYYY!! Now all that’s left is some paperwork and talks with the TIAS people to get me in…gonna go for it!!

BBC: “I was tugging his shirt, he said to me ‘if you want my shirt so much I’ll give it to you afterwards,’ I answered that I’d prefer his sister.”

And ofcourse YouTube has a video of Zidane’s sister! 🙂

Today I unsubscribed from the ipodder-dev mailing-list on Yahoo-Groups. Wasn't checking incoming mails regularly anymore, but found out yesterday that there were a couple of hundreds SPAM mails waiting for me through the group. 🙁

There wasn't much development ongoing anyway…understandable since the available ipodders around reached the next level with Apple integrating Podcasts in their iTunes software *and* Podshow launching their Podshow+ one-stop portal for podcasts and independent musicians. Podcatcher software has reached the general public YIHAA!

Adam Curry has his 42nd Birthday today…ehhh, 42??? Isn’t that:

The Answer to The Ultimate Question Of Life, the Universe and Everything???

Yes, indeed! (from Douglas Adams’ science fiction series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
Guess you know EVERYTHING now, eh, Adam? 🙂

Known by many as that ‘big haired ehhh…dude? 🙂 from MTV, he is nowadays more and more referred to as ‘The Podfather’ since his talent and passion makes the podcasting revolution happening here and now…onward with the 100 million march…great to be part of it!

Wish you many good years to come…congrats dude!

We're mostly done with the preps for Robbert & Suzanne's wedding, weather tomorrow is supposed to be nice and most of all; dry (amazing for NL these days :)).

Let's have a party!!

Several people responded, unfortunetely no correct answer! Guess you guys should use Google more 🙂

Answer to the riddle posted last Tuesday:

“Tomorrow”

You've got workers, who cut trees
You've got managers, who take care that the axes are sharp
And you've got the board of directors, who make sure you're in the right forest

Alternatively;

You've got workers, who work with the tools they are given and produce what can be processed with it
You've got managers, who have long discussions if takes an axe or a chainsaw to get the job done
And you've got the board of directors, who only want to harvest all trees and have no clue how this is done in practice

Am back for almost a week now (feels like a month already though :)), but; no worries…pictures from Italy *will* come, first have to make it through this week, filled with wedding preps.