So much to tell you!

Most importantly, we're back! We - Sofie, Michiel and I - were stuck with a missing server. As we had already planned to move server providers, our decision was made within a minute. Our old server provider had decided to migrate their servers from California to New Jersey (read all about it: WebHostTalk (103 pages and counting ...)) (my reply) (Michiel's reply).

I have loads of things to tell you, none of them major (and one which I cannot share yet).

I've taken loads of photos with the borrowed Canon 300D in the meantime - check them out at my flickr page:

• May 15 - Japanese Garden, Park Clingendael, The Hague
• May 29 - Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Garden), Leiden

In about 2 weeks, I'll be on vacation (actually staying at my parents' house when they are in France). I'm thinking of brining my computer (and screen), because nothing is more annoying - when you have loads of time - than sitting behind a strange computer. I'm hoping the weather will improve, because when Sofie and Michiel&Nancy are coming over, I want to barbecue!

More posts coming soon: some recipes, some links, and perhaps even some more stories ;)

Totally forgot: mvblog has a new feature - please register and login to leave comments - the spammers were attacking us, so Michiel programmed in this safety. It won't take more than 5 minutes - I promise!

In my lunch break at work today, I started browsing WikiPedia for entries on dutch historical figures that I admire. Immediately I tried the search on Constantijn Huygens, whom I've always admired.

When I was younger, I actually did an essay and a presentation on this figure. Not very surprising, as my parents live in a street right across from his estate in Voorburg: Hofwijck. I always thought that if I had to be born in the dutch Golden Age, Huygens would have been an excellent father for a girl - he thought that boys and girls should have the same upbriging, and more importantly, the same educational level (at least, until the girls were married).

When I opened the wikipage on Huygens, I was appalled. Someone had mixed up the layout, but as I started reading, I also saw that the english was translated badly.

So I sent a link reminder to my home email and forgot all about it.

That was until I came home!

A brief read-up on wiki syntax, and I started correcting some of the more obvious mistakes. I added some photos, and I also started a whole new entry on Huygens' Hofwijck.

Feel free to see my entries (and my hard work): Constantijn Huygens and Hofwijck (as you can see, the entry on Hofwijck is far from finished).
 

[click on image for full version]

Mother Earth had us hanging in there, waiting and waiting before she gave us any warm weather, but today the Sun was out in full force!

As it was a day off for me, I went to the Hortus Botanicus (Botanical Gardens) in Leiden, together with my housemate Mirell.

Took my camera with me, and boy, it was a joy to take all these photos!

Click on the following link for a view of the photos I've taken: MoK @ Flickr May 4, 2006

[click on the image for the entire photo]

This something you've always wanted to make, right?

Go make your own: Cookie Generator

[via BoingBoing]

The UN's World Intellectual Property Organization has reconvened to discuss a treaty that will kill innovative Internet audio/video offerings -- like podcasting, YouTube, Google Video, and Democracy Player -- in order to protect the business models of a few entrenched broadcasters. This is the Broadcast Treaty, and the process -- never pretty -- got uglier than ever today.
[...]
They claim they're acting on your behalf. (link to EFF page)

Cory Doctorow | BoingBoing

• never worked harder on a Labor Day - finished a lot of items on my ToDo list
• in 3 days it will be May 4th {nl} - our national war memorial day - it always makes me look at my life, our country and the world in an introspective way
• working on a simplified tag-system for mvblog - it's not going quite as fast as I like, but I will finish before Michiel comes back from his holiday
• had extremely busy weeks - mostly with parties, dinners and drinks!
• spent two nights in a row (tonight is second night) following the World Snooker Championship - love the fact that the BBC will just cancel shows to broadcast the entire event
• trying to learn the so-called 'difficult' words to understand my company's annual report {nl} (it's very boring)
• have an appointment with a bank this Thursday to see if I can transfer from one bank to another (can you think of all the hassle this will involve?)
• trying to keep this weekend clear, because I want organize my bookcase (big sigh!)

As you can see my bookcase is a disorganized collection of books and "stuff".

I am planning to move this year (hopefully it won't take a year!), and my books will be the main part of all my possessions. In fact, I'm looking to sell (almost) all of my Star Trek Pocket Books.

Anyone interested? Send me an email, or leave a comment!

On a great and positive note: I did manage to defrost my fridge tonight :) yay for me!