... or was it perception is reality

[1] (see pic) This weekend I exposed my kids to culturally accepted collective lies. (at least I'm honest about this).  Apart from the lies, this is a great time to come to Belgium: it is spekuloos-season.

[2] This is news :: I watched TV :: The canvas program Nachtwacht succeeded in grabbing my attention with a (for this medium quite unseen) intelligence-depth in a uttermost simple format: broadcast wise men talking. (Steven would call them clueful people)

There was to learn that:

• 'Empowerment' is false by design: power that is offered to you can never be true power. Self-organized emancipation is the only alternative.
• Succesful emancipation means you're left to control yourself in a way that there is no-more-some-one-else-to-blaim. Scary.
• Regarding the above the concept of *borders* be they national, geographical, cultural or social exist often if not only in the mind of those that stop in front of them.

[3] Along my zap-adventures I even saw Burgemeester Bart Somers of Mechelen make some politic-incorrect statements in the light of the current news-dominating immigrants-topic in Belgium. A seldom relieve.  In the light of the above this guy basically was stating that the immigrant-community should stop asking for empowerment (through jobs) and just start working to get what they want for themselves. Oh yes, that might mean on the way up: learning (there is even a choice here) the national language, and cut some of the sharp edges on the heimat-culture that prevent all too much the social-work-fit-in.

Of course life is just not fair for those having a culture without Sinterklaas.