Why don't you like +600 paged novels? What's your argument?

Don't most individuals live in their own interest?
Even them who work in the service of others.

Mendie

I don’t have a convincing argument for this dislike. Most novels I admire are less than six hundred pages. Even the Brothers Karamazov, which I do admire, is sometimes long-winded. The second half of Don Quixote, which I admire, is in my memory fairly repetitious. I admit I have never read War and Peace. But as you might recognize in the choice of my words (not too fond of) I’m the first one to admit that this dislike is nothing more (probably) than a superstition.

I only remember an interesting movie ‘The Passion of Ayn Rand’ starring Helen Mirren, Eric Stolz en Peter Fonda.

Fountainhead

Arnon, Rand’s “The Fountainhead” is a better read. Less long-winded but the same message. And funny: Noa mentioned this book already a couple of days ago.

Francis

Unfortunately I cannot recall Noa’s comments. I’ll try the Fountainhead.

Tirza

Hello , just to say that I finished reading Tirza. Great book. Never read anything like it, but than again I read very very very little. Even befor I read one page, I was somehow prejudiced. Yet it captured my continous attention.. Thanks.

20 september: The Asylumseeker (extra voorstelling)

Beste lezers,

Het spijt me dat ik deze ruimte gebruik voor een aankondiging, maar ik denk dat sommigen van jullie wel geïnteresseerd zullen zijn.

De studievereniging NNP (Nieuw Nederlands Peil) van de opleiding Nederlandse Taal en Cultuur aan de universiteit Leiden speelde 9 mei jl. een eigen theaterbewerking van 'De Asielzoeker' van Arnon Grunberg. Dat was een groot succes. De voorstelling was uitverkocht en de voorstellingen van 18 en 19 september zijn ook al uitverkocht. Daarom is besloten een extra voorstelling te spelen, en wel op donderdag 20 september!

Kaarten kosten voor scholieren/studenten 5 euro, voor niet-studenten/scholieren 7,50 (dit i.v.m. de kosten voor het theater).

De voorstelling vindt plaats in het Imperium Theater, oude vest 33e, Leiden. Rond 20.00 uur kun je naar binnen, het stuk begint om 20.30 uur.

Komt het zien! Mail voor kaarten snel naar nnp.asielzoeker@gmail.com
Kijk voor meer info en voor de flyer op http://www.imperiumtheater.nl/producties/2007_03a/nnp.html of bij de afdeling 'Calender' op deze site.

Hopelijk tot donderdag!
Hartelijke groeten,

De NNP-Toneelcommissie

NNP (...) organised an excellent play based on The Asylum Seeker, directed by Martijn Kager. A very intelligent script combined with outstanding leading roles of Christian Beck (Coen van Beelen), the Bird and not to forget the asylum seeker himself.
This was theatre at its best, I was thrilled.(...) - Johannes van der Sluis (assistent van Arnon Grunberg) op arnongrunberg.com

@Seth Peeters
If you liked Tirza very much and you do not have time to read a lot, I can recommend you ‘Disgrace’ by Coetzee. A book I can call – with the permission of Arnon – the sister book of Tirza.

I read Atlas Shrugged a few years ago. There were some interesting thoughts in it, but the book was way too long. What I liked about it, was that it made me sympathise with people I would hate in real life. I even ordered some information from the Ayn Rand Institution, but I still feel I do not really understand what her philosophy is.

Excuses

Het was niet de bedoeling dat de tekst er twee keer op kwam. Miscommunicatie...

Jan T

You know I do admire Coetzee, but why would you call Disgrace a “sister book” of Tirza? Because of the father-daughter relationship?

@ Jan

Jan I wonder . Did you feel the same after finishing 'Disgrace'? I felt deeply ashamed and utterly disgraced.

@Arnon – Mieke
Of course the remarkable father – daughter relationship, the near rape of a young girl, the contempt of the environment, the despair of an elderly man, the fierceness of the daughter child, to name a few. These books are not the same, they are not a copy, but they do radiate a same power, the power of battleships of the same class. After all it is a personal feeling.

The feelings of disgrace and shame are already deeply and since a long time in my mind, so the book only made me smile, the desperate smile of recognition.

@Mieke
The image of the beaten dog in Disgrace is very powerful, even placed ironically next to the chapter of the invaded farmhouse. Not to forget the brilliant dialogues in the commission of inquiries at the university and so on.

@Francis

Francis, thank you - at least one person decided to react to The Fountainheid so there's hope for the visitors of this site. You may have noticed many of us commentators want to so desperately come across as being smart and all rush to consult Wikipedia for quotes and answers, which makes us all - in a sense- Keatings right? Me being one of them. I do so wish I had the Roarkian character traits. Then again, one can only be a Roarke in ideal circumstance. I mean, illness or poverty defeats Rand's theory doesn't it? Moreover, character flaws make for the kind of drama we all relate to and love to read.
Arnon please do read The Fountainhead first.

PS: you know the expression "Crying all the way to the bank?" Perfectly applicable to Ayn Rand and her rying over reviews. The Fountainhead seems to have immortal life span and its renewed popularity in this day and age is very telling about this day and age. Arnon said it before: western culture is in a crisis. Hence, (re)enter Ayn Rand's The Foutainheid (and objectivist theory).

Noa

I’ll read the Fountainhead first. I cancelled the order for the other book. I believe you should not overdo Ayn Rand.
Why did you read Mrs. Rand?

Hm, am I overdoing it? Possibly, but I'm relieved I'm feeling passionate (hysterical if you like) about something, it means the St. John's Wort is finally starting to work.
How did I get to read The Fountainhead? Well, by now you know I'm a fake, so I may aswell expose even more of myself: I was in a 'phase' which means in the scope of influence of some person. A young movie director this time. He gave me The Fountainhead while on set - he was shooting a short film in reaction to the murder of Theo van Gogh. Anyway, it was HIS birthday that day and he gave me that book. Then, we went to see Brown Bunny. He had attended a Steiner school, maybe that explains a few things.

Noa

What happened to this young movie director?

He is struggling to live up to the pressure of being labeled 'a talent' by the subsidized-filmfinancing-gang. Or perhaps he's pretending to be struggling, in which case he's playing his cards well. In any event, Theo van Gogh's spirit is long forgotten.

PS

For the purpose of clarity and fairness I'd like to add - he's a nice guy, I like him a lot.

Noa

I 'm afraid the spirit of Mr. Van Gogh is still out there, but maybe we are not speaking about the same spirit.

Very true. There were two Van Gogh's: the controversial columnist/politically engaged persona and the artist/filmmaker. The latter is forgotten in the world of 'greater politics' and vice versa.

I never really understood the mass hysteria over this mediocre director who's idea of a respectful discussion involved structurally referring to his opponents as 'goatfuckers'and who didn't care enough for his fellow-humans to cover his but crack.

But then again, there are many things I don't understand.

Batta,
I understand alot. Can I help you with something?

Batta

For once we agree. (My writings about this issue, if we can call Mr. van Gogh an issue, will soon be published in The Netherlands in a collection of letters.)
And welcome back.
By the way there is a play by Albee called The Goat. I liked the play a lot, about a man falling in love with a goat. I wrote about the play in NRC Handelsblad, a while ago already.
The play is worth reading.
How is your fiancée?

Disorder

Batta,
Never mind, I'll let Arnon help you.
He knows the cure for your disorder.

Batta, I disagree. There was no mass hysteria until he was slaughtered in the streets of Amsterdam. Before that, the estabilshment ignored him, compared him to the 'village fool', not realizing there was actually something more profound going on. This is what you should be thinking about, not the man himself but the mechanisms around him.
It's hard for me not to get angry about your comment as I knew him personally, ie I knew his filmmaking persona personally. Same goes for the Ayaan. Wonderful country Holland is, that everyone who is different, excellent or honest is killed, kikced out of the country or decides to leave themselves. Eg: Arnon.
You, my dear batta, obviously feel very comfortable in Holland as it is now, berieved of talent and suffocating in its own politically correct mediocrity.

PS Batta, do yourself a favour and read The Fountainhead. Let the Islamic Philosophy rest for a while. Alfter that, as Arnon recommended ages ago: Ian Buruma's book 'Murder in Amsterdam'.

Johannes

You are kind to offer help.

Arnon

I saw Albee's play. Wasn't the goat named Silvia?

Good thing you're publishing something that expresses such an unpopular opinion on van Gogh. I hope his disciples will not bother you too much afer publication.

My fiancé is fine, altough a little inactive due to the fasting.

Batta,
You're welcome.

Personal Jesus

Noa,
I don't care if Theo van Gogh is a personal Jesus to the secular middle and lower class, but the least what you sinners can do is keeping it private.

Batta

The mass hysteria was not about the persona Van Gogh nor about his directing ability. It’s about the freedom of speech which is a constitutional right in the Netherlands and about the lawful way of setting boundaries to this right. In the Netherlands it is common to go to the judge in the event one is feeling offended by statements of others. Shouting that Alla is great and shoving a knife in ones breast with a hateful letter is simply not the way these matters are settled here. So yes, people get hysterical when it happens because they are (rightly)afraid as of to what the future will bring.

Noa

Please don’t feel angry. It’s still Jom Kippur you know. Today we forgive.

Noa

The dicussion about van Gogh has gone on for so long, that I beleive everything has already been said about the matter. But let me respond to (hopefully) make you feel less angry.

Shouting Allah is great and placing a knife in one's chest after a person structurally insulted you and you religious community is clearly not how things are solved here. This is why van Gogh's murderer has been put to trial and sentenced to prison and treatment. The same is done with people who commit similar hideous crimes. See for example http://www.rechtspraak.nl/Actualiteiten/Julien+C.+veroordeeld+tot+12+jaar+cel+en+tbs.htm
Would you address this guy with the same comment as van Gogh's murderer (that this is not how we solve tings in this country)?

I recently visited a few clinics where criminals are treated after their prison sentence (TBS) for a research project I was woking on. I can tell you that the majority of the patients are white / Dutch / autochtonous (or what ever you people call it these days).

And, maybe I am old fashioned, but I just believe a but crack should be covered.

@Batta, you're confusing/mixing my comment with Ilanit's comment. Please don't refer to me as Dutch and 'you people' . Firts of all, I'm not Dutch and even if I were, being referred to as a 'you people' is exactly the problem.
I had been thinking about your comment, I must admit: I hated Theo Van Gogh's tone of voice as it was vulgar (similarly, I hated Fortuyn's tone of voice even though - as Buruma pointed out - their physical forms were complete opposites). But that's not the point, the point is this: Van Gogh was in fact the only guy/member of 'Dutch establishment' (in a paradoxal way) to actually go out on the streets, into Turkish coffeeshops, to seminars and multcultural platform-evenings and discuss. He was always open to debate. Always. The amount of times he was out on the streets having heated discussions with 15 year old kids on scooters is amazing. He also endeavoured to use (black) humor. Both these tools (debate and humor) seem to be hard to digest for religious fanatics (from whichever religion), and THIS was exactly the point, you see what I mean?
I personally think he made a mistake to directSubmission, this was the only time when the filmdirector persona and columnist persona merged, to disastrous effects. Most of the people who were so angry about the film never even saw the film as it only aired once: on one of Holland's more elitist programmes. Again, the form/messenger, is therefore not the point. It's a pity his movie Cool and what he did for kids on the streets was overlooked/overshouted by the resulting mass hysteria. I'm tempted to elaborate on my personal actions/findings as it may give you a different perspective than all those magazines and newspapers you've read. One thing I'd like to say: briefly before Van Gogh was murdered, 10 interesting females (of mixed race and religion and class; intellectuals, artists and creatives) were asked by Ayaan to help her out. She wanted advice on how to reach and inspire the right group of followers (ie not the white babyboom intellectuals but the repressed muslim women she claimed to represent, yet who hated her). Unfortunately, Van Gogh was killed and the initiative was cut off. In other words, both Van Gogh with his film Cool and Ayaan were on a new, in my opinion right (at least more nuanced) track.
As for the comment on justice, that is entirely out of place. Claiming 'the court will settle it' does not give anyone the right to kill whoever they feel like killing. As it does not give anyone the right to insult whoever they feel like insulting.
The justice system is reactory. And the rest is up to morality. I truly wish you a good Jom Kipur, even though I'm not Dutch, not Jewish and not a Muslim. Is that allowed?
ps: one thing I hate is that as of today, even if I'd like to see the (full) film Submission by free choice, (which is nobody's business) I can't. Why? I can read Mein Kampf online but I can't see Submission (except for this one site I found which shows an excerpt).

after thought

@Batta, one last after thought - you are aware that before Theo van Gogh directed his attention towards repressions (in whichever form) from/by Islam, he was always critiqueing Jews (Leon de Winter chose the justice system to shut Theo van Gogh up)? Don't you see the irony of that?

@Johannes, I have no clue what you meant by your comment. But one thing I do find interesting in your comment is that the Dutch are starting to openly accept there are classes in Holland.

To Arnon and Batta and Johannes

I'd like to copy paste a comment of Batta's and change a single word, spot the difference please:

"Arnon
I saw Albee's play. Wasn't the goat named Silvia?

Good thing you're publishing something that expresses such an unpopular opinion on Mohammed. I hope his disciples will not bother you too much afer publication.

My fiancé is fine, altough a little inactive due to the fasting. "

Batta

It truly puzzles me. if you believe everything was said about Van Gogh, what exactly was your aim in commenting on the matter to start with?
Placing Van Gogh’s murder in a place of ‘just another hideous crime’, shows merely that you refuse to leave your philosophy books and take a good look of what is happening outside. It probably shows you didn’t read your history books very carefully as well.
You dismiss the fear of so many others because you dislike Van Gogh. I wasn’t Van Gogh’s fan, though his but crack was not something I would consider worth mentioning, since he probably viewed his grotesque appearance as necessary, but I can (and must) put my personal feeling aside and see the bigger picture.
Not acknowledging the fact that political Islam is growing and at least at the moment does not blend well with the western way of life (to stress it very lightly) is naïve and dangerous. Maybe you should read some of Tariq Ramadan’s writings. “to be a European Moslim” is maybe a good place to start since you are probably on your way of becoming one, prior to your marriage.

Noa, Ilanit, Batta, Johannes and others

I hate to see that somehow we started a discussion about Theo van Gogh, and this on the Day of Atoment.
Let me add a few footnotes:
1.Of course it depends on how you define “establishment” – but Mr. Van Gogh was very much part of the establishment, even before his death.
2.Mr. Van Gogh as a benign mediator between troubled (ethnic) youth and well himself seems to me really a myth.
3.The hysteria after his killing was very much connected to his person, we saw a degree of glorification of Mr. Van Gogh, which usually is only reserved for prophets. The other part of hysteria was of course plain Islamofobia, which had become socially acceptable. The whole “freedom of speech” was in this debate nothing more than a fig leaf.
4.Yes, it is a problem, Noa, that some Muslim clerics (and their followers) seem to feel the need to kill people or get people killed, who have drawn the prophet or have described the prophet in a way they deem unworthy. Of course, and this is nothing new, the anger of the masses is carefully orchestrated. Most insults hurled at the prophet go I’m afraid unnoticed, as most art, books, blogs and drawing go unnoticed by the way.
5.The whole debate has become so ugly and so deceitful; these opinions by more or less respected Dutch intellectuals that you cannot say what you want anymore. Give me a break. Of course they mean that they have nothing to say and that they are happy to have found an excuse for their silence. But on this site everybody can feel free to hurl insults at any prophet, even the prophet named Arnon Grunberg. (The prophet Johannes is an exception, I once hurled an insult at him and I lost two teeth.)
6.Ilanit, you said: “A hateful letter is simply not the way things are settled here.” Funny that often these remarks are made by immigrants. Have you ever been to a café in de Jordaan, a neighborhood in Amsterdam?I would say that things are settled “here” with an old-fashioned knuckle sandwich. And fear is not an argument. Not too long ago people were very much afraid of the Jewish-Bolshevik conspiracy. Some would even today argue: rightly so. Fear is more often than not completely irrational.
7.When I visited Lebanon his spring it was pointed out to me that most if not all leaders of Hezbollah (a fairly religious movement) are great womanizers. They prefer women to Allah. (Of course they would never say so officially.) Both religion and sex can cure boredom. Sooner or later people will accept that sex is the better cure. (Or they won’t accept this and that’s a pity.) In the meantime I would like to urge my beloved commentators not to waste time with fear. A happy Day of Atonement to all of you.

Ilanit, although I completely agree with you on these matters, I have to say: I went to one of Tariq Ramadan's seminars and feel he's a dangerous man. His propagation of creating Islamic Universities in Europe is simply a different way of achieving the goals set by Allah. Perhaps Batta could read Ayaan Hirsi Ali's novel instead (and as said before, The Fountainhead and Buruma).
Arnon - I hope you're not mixing drinks the way Theo van Gogh did, or Salman Rushdie for that matter.

Noa,
All I was trying to say is keep your fanatism behind closed doors.

Arnon,
Don't start whining about the two teeth, you promised me. I made excuses for it, paid the doctor, and you don't see anything. But as I explained to you, if you insult my muslim friends it's my natural reaction.

Johannes, are you wanting to shut me up? What an interesting mechanism in light of the above discussion. I'm not really sure where you think I'm putting my fanaticism because if you read well you'll notice the nuance.
Arnon, you regret this discussion has come up. Personally, I'm happy it has. It's important to keep the spirit of this theme alive and to argue for the purpose of argument, albeit very elitist as who really cares about our debates?
One more thing on Van Gogh: yes, he was very much a part of the establishment, but was also labeled the village fool (or enfant terrible if you like) by the same establishment and ignored. UNTIL he was murdered, after which that sestablishment decided to parent him. And by the way Batta - Arnon isn't the only one who's critical of Theo van Gogh post mortum, there are many more (including Geert Mak). It's a pity he's not around to defend himself. And I feel it my moral obligation to defend him in his persona as a filmmaker. Where it comes to the other persona - I'd like to defend the discussion. The message not the messenger.
But hey, I'm moving to Brazil - no islamofobia there. In fact, it's a non-issue there.
Which, most likely, is what Arnon says it should be. It's getting too much attention, isn't it?

Deal

Noa,
*Sigh*
Off course I thought you would react like that.
Here's the deal, you can keep the spirit alive and ram it down my throat. (Interesting mechanism in the light of the discussion above.)

Noa and Ilanit

I don’t know if Mr. Ramadan is dangerous or not, I haven’t read any of his books. Although I did read an article on his books, published in the NY Review of Books, it’s worth reading because it goes beyond the easy label of “dangerous.”
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/20503
I have to admit that my remark that sex and religion both cure boredom was slightly flippant.
Nevertheless how you can compare me to Mr. van Gogh after this comment, Noa, is unclear to me.
In the disguise of religion foolish remarks and threats are just often given too much attention and often taken too seriously.
I’m not so much critical of van Gogh, although more what was made of him after his death.
And I’m not sure which message you are trying to defend, Noa.
But good luck in Brazil.
And Ilanit, instead of worrying about political Islam you should go back to the shops and buy more designer clothes. You are just better at buying designer clothes than worrying about the Islam.

Johannes

It’s unprecedented in the history of capitalism and slavery that a slave who has not yet bought his freedom tells his master not to worry about two teeth.

Arnon,
Very interesting.

Noa and Llanit

I don't even know where to begin. There is no reasoning against this kind of verbal avalanche.

Arnon

I’m trying to deactivate the buttons you always manage to push. It’s better for the sake of my vanity. It will probably give you less satisfaction, but since you not only have eaten but also drove to and or from a restaurant on Jom Kippur, some dissatisfaction is my post-kippur present to you.
1-ones interpretation of ‘what is going on’ is coloured by ones own feeling in regard to events surrounding him. We mostly hear and see that which occupy us most.
2-I don’t feel an immigrant as far as the western values are concerned. Having studies and lived in Amsterdam for years I can assure you I have been to many café’s. The argument was in regard to a political murder versus murder with no political context and of course their influence on society.
3-If fear is not the cause for hysteria what is? It’s always fear my dear.
4-I might be better with designer’s cloths, but we must better ourselves in areas in which we are less good in, don’t you think? I can not help worrying about those who wants me dead. I wish I didn’t have to fear them. When my mezuzah was stolen from my front door I hoped it was simply some kid’s joke but couldn’t get rid of the other possibility it might mean something else. Being Israeli and working for airline security in Budapest, where our bus got exploded made me somewhat more paranoid. I’m sorry you think it’s irrational.

Johannes

I hope you don’t mind I described our relationship as a relationship between a master and his slave. I would like to point out to all readers that you are not a sex slave, and that you have never been a sex slave.
And that I highly respect you.

Ilanit

I’m not sure what western values are. The values in most of the US are quite different from the values in let’s say the city of Haarlem, the Netherlands.
I’m glad you experienced the cafes in de Jordaan.
I’m less pleased with your attempt to rationalize you paranoia. It makes me think that I didn’t do you justice while describing you as a Trojan horse. Whoever buys Ilanit get two Trojan horses for the price of one.
Yes, Jews have been persecuted for a long time. I would argue that most of the Jews are better off now that they were in the past. People might disagree, some might argue that Israel is one big ghetto, nevertheless you are safer in Europe now that you were sixty, hundred or two hundred years ago. Of course this might change, but for the moment it is not necessary to see people willing to kill you on every corner. Take it easy.
I feel sorry for the loss of your Mezuzah, maybe you should hide your Mezuzah, it’s not necessary to inform the whole world that in your house lives a Jew. I would recommend putting a note on your door with the following text:
“Here lives a paranoid Trojan Horse named Ilanit. Get away, your bastards. You stole my Mezuzah. Now I’ll use your children’s blood to bake my matzos. I’m armed and I have plenty of designer clothes from Italy. The prophet AG claims that I’m two Trojan horses. But actually I’m a WMD.”
If this is not going to help, I will move in with you.

Arnon

1- :-)
2- what is WMD?

@ Ilanit

Never give in, that's my advise to you. If you want another mezuzah I have a spare one. One once destroyed a statue of mine, just to get to me. I replaced it with another statue, three times as big.

Ilanit

WMD = Weapon of Mass Destruction

Mieke D

Why don’t you go buy Ilanit a new Mezuzah, or put a Mezuzah on your own door?
Be discrete, please!
People tend to make the wrong assumption that freedom is that everybody has to know everything about you. No.
Let’s all take Johannes as an example -- as far as I’m concerned he could be Jack the Ripper or Elizabeth II but I don’t care as long as he does his job well.

Mieke

Thanks for offering me another Mezuzah. Wow. Why do you have one?
To be honest I did already what Arnon was suggesting (wouldn’t you say he contradict himself with the anti-paranoid approach on the matter?). But I decided that it is not necessary to inform the whole world. Maybe the fact that I was ambivalent about placing it in the first place contributed to my decision. I honestly can not really say why I chose to place it in the first place. Guilt? the willing to please my family? the ‘if it wont help it wont harm’ attitude? or maybe a deeper need I am not completely conscious about. What I am saying is that in general I completely share your attitude, but the matter should at least make some sense to me if not being really important as to symbolise something I stand for.

And to something completely different. What do you think about the fact that Dimitri Verhulst is nominated to the AKO literary prize?

Ilanit

There is a difference between a horse and a Trojan horse and there is a difference between being discrete and being paranoid.
Not having sex in a public bathroom does not mean that you are paranoid. It means that you are discrete.
Now I’m not suggesting that having a Mezzuzah on your door is the same as having sex in a public bathroom.
But you take the risk to reveal too much to the outside world. This is not necessary. Especially not for a Trojan Horse who can only survive by misleading the outside world about her (?) true intentions and the nature of her mission.

Arnon

To make one point very clear. I don’t see people willing to kill me on every corner, but tend to be, as you call it, discrete in situation I think the fact that I am a Jew will not be very favourable. It’s something else then sensing a kind of a tension around supported by actions and reactions.
I googled WMD already to find out the answer (It was too obvious. I’m so stupid sometimes). Stop giving me excuses to move in. Told you already that as long as you are afraid taking me to diner, no moving in will be considered nor discussed.
I am however very curious to the explanation of what a dubble Trojan horse means? I wouldn’t want to make the same mistake again of being offended for no reason. What am I and what are my true intentions and mission?

@ Ilanit

Due to my curiousity, Arnon doesn't like the word crush, I collect Judaïca. I am not jewish myself so it would look a little foolish to hang it on my door, but I like the symbolism behind it a lot. All I wanted to say that it is important to defend the things you have an emotional bound with. In my experience if you don't give a reaction , fear might get a hold on you and with fear often comes intolerance, at that point you start to hate yourself and somehow they are never worth that. I don't think hanging a mezuzah on your door is exposing yourself and showing a statue to the public is also putting yourself in a very vulnerable position.
I haven't read Dimitri's novel, so I can't tell if he deserves the nomination or not.

Mieke

I agree with you, but as I said, I was ambivalent to start with. I try to choose my battles very carefully. Hating myself for not defending my religion will not happen. I used to consider it my unfortunate or bad lack which was even doubled by the fact I was born in Israel. I am way over that, luckily but do not feel a representative.
By now you could see (on this blog) that despite whatever I say I do and only always put myself in a vulnerable position. But that regards me as a person, not the religion I was born in to and about which I’m not completely clear of it’s role in my life.
To use a word Arnon doesn’t like: I have a CRUSH on Dimitry Verhulst. I saw/heard him in Amsterdam theatre hall with “behoud de begeerte” and immediately bought the book for which he is now nominated. I didn’t read it yet cause I had this idea it will not be the same unless he read it to me. I’m going to read it this week.

Respect

Arnon,
I don't mind if you want to degrade yourself.
Good that you respect me highly, I respect you highly too.
But I hope you can respect yourself for what you said.
If you do, I am happy for you. If not, join the club, as I lost my self-respect a long time ago.

Johannes

Maybe I can help you this time. I have a lot of self-respect.

Johannes

Let me ask you just one question: how did you feel when you punched me on the face and made me lose two teeth? I have forgiven you but have you forgiven yourself?
Besides this, nothing wrong with being a slave when you master is a part-time prophet.

Johannes

My offer to become my personal assistant still stands. I will not make you a slave, although I would like the sex to be negotiable.

Ilanit and Johannes

if Johannes starts working for you, Ilanit, thw two of you might as well move to Lebanon.

Arnon

Johannes is mostly ignoring me, so I don’t think you should worry. But why Lebanon?

And by the way

I thought you didn't care as long as he did his job?!

Ilanit

I see that your virtual suicide has come to a complete end. Welcome back.
A slave cannot have two masters, and I would never allow Johannes to work for a Trojan Horse. But maybe Johannes proves me wrong and he will show to me and the two world that you can have two masters.
Lebanon is a good country to start a new life with a new identity.

Batta,
Please don't worry about me, you have your fiancée to worry about.

Ilanit,
You know I am a shy person.

Arnon,
About the punching in the face, my hand felt sore for a day, or two days. But I'm fine, thank you.

Johannes

Do I make you extra shy? Cause nobody really knows the truth about me coming and going. I can not stand you ignoring me. Simply hurts too much.

Arnon

Lets not define my appearance it’s to stressful. Ok?
I thought a Trojan Horse was a good thing. Now it’s bad again? I see that it all comes down to one thing only. You don’t trust me. That’s the whole Trojan thing. I have a hidden agenda.
And referring me as her with a question mark? Like what? Do you question my gender as well?

Johannes

Excuse me for writing that you punched me ON the face. The prepositions drive me nuts – in every language

Ilanit

I decided that this is something between you and Johannes. I lost two teeth the last time when I urged him not to work for somebody I considered a competitor. I’m not going to lose more teeth. I apologize, but two teeth is for me the limit.

Ilanit,
I see Arnon sneaked out through the back door. I don't care because I understand there is work to do.
In the winter of 2006 I saw a play with the fine sentence: 'Durchstreichen und weitergehen.'
That is my advice to you.

Johannes

Yes, I chickened out because and this might come as a surprise to you I like my set of teeth.

Punch

Actually, a punch IN the face will hit home harder than on the face. On the nose, in the face.
I received a blow myself today. Arnon: do you know how to make bombs because if so, I'd like to put one in the building of the NPS. I believe I'm starting to understand what motivates suicide bombings. (ps: if the FBI has now tagged this site, due to my choice of wording: welcome guys. No I'm not going to bomb anything, I'm just extremely frustrated, maybe if you guys started studying the origins of frustration and how to get rid of the origin, then you might get rid of terrorism too.)

Ayn Rand

Did anyone finish the Fountainhead?