The helicopter is a nuisance. People asked me to write what follows here. There is anger under the population about the flying thing. One lady who has made herself a private sunbathing spot and walled in her poolside was angered by the helicopter hanging right over her looking at her as she covered her modesty. She feels her privacy infringed upon. The children from St. Peters school got the scare of their life on Monday when the helicopter hang for one whole hour over their school and came so low that they had to run away from the blast.

Another man told me that he feels that he cannot park his car, which is one of a kind, behind the place of his secret lover no more. Other guys told me that they do not want their car to be seen parked at certain clubs. Another said it was OK with him, when he wants to shoot his neighbors' dog, he will do it when the noise maker comes, and nobody will hear the shot. Again another, this one a professional pilot himself, tells me that the eye in the sky costs 500 dollar per hour. It is 5 hours in operation per day. And every 100 hours it needs servicing at considerable cost as well. The young inexperienced pilots, perverts as the lady from the beginning of the story can confirm, are just making hours to build up the amount they need for a commercial license.

The economist in the group sees no other explanation than that the police must have sold confiscated drugs in order to pay 2500 dollars per day for this thing. The tourist gets the impression that more crime happens here than in Miami were there are no helicopters sweeping Overhead all day. He was saying that this was the last time he came this way o In plain English: the thing is very bad for tourism. And when it hangs in a valley, the sound reverberates double loud and keeps those who need their siesta from sleeping. These were the things I overheard lately from just a few people.

I myself say that the helicopter can be useful in case a car chase is in progress. And if rentals have their numbers painted on the roof in big letters, stolen cars can be found back from the sky. For the rest that flying eye should stay out of the beautiful Sint Maarten sky. What good has it done so far? Nothing anybody could think of. On behalf of the people that I heard, I ask the head of police Mr. Richards to explain the benefit against the damage the helicopter does. And have it grounded until it can be of help.

Tell me which way to go. I have in my life met a number of young women who went into a relationship with me. I always thought them freedom, independent, and equality. They used to be shy, withdrawn, submissive and sweet. In a couple of years they became bold, outgoing and dominating. With the result that they went their own way, took their own apartment, take men only for the pleasure of the money and a short time of physical relief for the sexual urge. Now I am all alone and as I’m growing older, the women have less or no interest in me. How stupid I was, to teach them girls to be free like me, or what do you say. How do I get a woman now that I get older? I’m always in love with them, their differences attract me so much, only together do I experience life fully, and with a female I feel that God exists. Alone I feel inadequate and useless, as if God has no more interest in me.

On the night of 24 September I got robbed in my own house by two masked men, armed with a gun and a machete around midnight. Bound hand and feet, after they left, I could free my feet later and get to the neighbors who freed my hands and called the police, who came, but not immediately, 40 minutes later. There is no distance on this island greater than 20 minutes. However, the two officers saw the mess the gangsters left behind and the next day I filed a report. Although i knew and gave to tne Detectives the name of the female accomplice who was scheduled to fly out of the country 2 days later, she was not stopped for interrogation. On the night of 20 October a car, Daihatsu Feroza (6146 ZA 971) pulled up behind my house at 11pm and when I went out to see, it turned and sped away. I followed with the car of Linda which I used that day. It went dangerously fast, overtaking every car in front, and I only got close at the Texaco gas station where I saw the two occupants. One with a slight moustache, both light brown complexion both under thirty years of age. On the front window of the car was the word "DEATHROW ' in huge letters. That same night at 12:30 that car came up my drive again. I then called the police who would send a patrol car to investigate. The Feroza left as soon as I had put on lights in order to use the telephone. This Sunday morning at 4:30 the same Feroza drove up my road again, and parked a small distance away. I saw it put its lights off standing there. I called 542 2222. No one picked up the phone at the police station. I tried 911. No one answered that number. I tried 5 times both numbers, while the Feroza stood there menacing, waiting. I put as little light as possible. Then I called 5426001 the fire department. Someone answered the phone at once. I explained the situation. The fireman said he would run over to the police station in order to find out why they did not answer. That made me wait in Lear. I called the ambulance department on 542 2211. Mr. Hamilton answered the phone at once. After explainingthe situation he raised the police station on his wireless, the communication system amongst the emergency services. After he spoke to the police he told me to call 911 again. And yes, I then got a policeman on the line. By then the Feroza car slowly drove down my road.

The Occupants had seen me put on the lights and knew I was awake. The police man told me that he was all alone, no patrol car was on the road, two colleges had reported sick, there was nobody to help. It was a night for gangsters, police is simply not here. I then asked if I could get permission to have a gun; I must be able to defend myself. It is not allowed for a citizen to own a gun, however, in a case like mine, it is better to be alive in jail for shooting a gangster than to be dead and robbed by the same. I ask our head of police governor Richards to beef up his force. As it is now it is a gangster’s paradise.

The title is from the first story that Simmel ever wrote. It is a heartwarming story that brings honor to those good people that manage to make a park from a garbage heap. It is easy to destroy, to pollute, to litter. But to restore, to cultivate and to create is another story. The few people that plant seeds, that water seedlings and protect young bushes with supports and tender care, they are the ones that I play the fanfare for. To garden makes one a better person  There where now is bare earth, brown grass and dull green grub can be colorful flowers and fruitrees, pumpkin and lemon grass.

Respect to the man who bends down and touches the earth and makes the plants grow. The bananas the palm trees, they only need a kind word in passing, and they will give of their fruits indiscrimatory to whoever is hungry. Let the plant world be our guide in living our  life. See the tree, it does not go anywhere but with its roots goes down to find water and with its head goes up to find the heavens. It does not get angry when something goes wrong , it waits patiently. All it wants to do is give. To grow its fruits and give. The tree dances in the wind or stands quietly awaiting the rain. And all it wants to do is give. The plantworld is the source of food for all others. All animals that eat other animals eat plants. How strong is the bull, from eating grass., how swift the antelopes that eats but grass. Be like a plant, powerful and patient, and the agony of the ratrace will disappear from you. The plantworld is not the lowest on the scale of evolution, it is the highest. Exactly because it does not fight, it does not destroy; it is the highest form of development. It was first in its most simple and primitive form, from wich all the other life forms developed. Is it then not the most high? To be that from which all else comes?

Without it no animal or human would ever have come on this planet. So, hail to people that care for plants, that plant them where ever they can. If politicians and penpushers and those that race around all day would give a little more attention to the plants,oh how wonderfull would Sint Maarten be. To make this place green and colorful is possible. Carefull water management, not much else is required. Think: does not most if not all medicine comes from the plantworld? All food, direct or indirect? And if you cannot paint or sculpt, or sing or create anything or if you are a servant, you can always plant a seed, plant a tree that will be still there when you yourself is long gone. To do something for your country, for those that come after you, plant a tree. Remember the ancient Chinese saying: If you want to be happy for a day, roast a pig, if you want to be happy for a week, get new clothes, if you want to be happy for a year, get a new lover, if you want to be happy for the rest of your life, start a garden.

To stay in Saudi Arabia, will be more and more difficult for the USA. Both sides have great potential. In the hands of fools a sorry event. This Potential of mutual respect could lead to better living standards, also for the masses who live upon the surface of the earth from where oil is extracted. This is to be seriously considered. Womens equality to men could be a condition for withdrawal. Like , give the women same rights as men and the western civilized rich world will retreat somewhat out of your land. A quick calculation explains the wealth that

the oil producing countries are in possession of. For 50 years or more they have sold around 3 millions of barrels of oil per day. For 20 dollar per barrel, that gives over 1 million dollars. Does Fort Knox hold enough gold, if it was asked? They and us. But never we. And that is the problem. I have sat with a turban on my head chatting in a roadside guesthouse in Afghanistan, for true, I was 22 years of age. There was no difference. I had food, sleep, movement, food, sleep, love. Nothing strange or bad with the Afghans.

People have lost their curiosity, their wonder, of seeing things as they are. They compare too much and they know not how good they have it, but they should not flaunt it. He who flaunts his wealth will surely get robbed. That what happens in micro, so happens macro.

The illiterate rate in the USA is high, but very low in Japan. Gunfodder they called the multitudes of men that went in front of enemy guns. But gunfodder cannot solve the present problem, even if the USA has many illiterate soldiers that are willing to die.

Powersharing is more like it, mutual respect and if possible not based upon fear and violence, destruction, but based upon comfort, easy living, love and understanding. To let go of the past is unfortunately not possible, to prevent similar foolish attacks will not be possible.

It is we who have to do it.  Not They and We. If it is us and they, we are lost, you and I, we cannot stop the war of the leaders. Both psychopaths, the lack of intelligence leads to violence. To force people to flee for satanic behavior, is nothing Christian. I do see that both sides are stupid in certain aspects. In the Saudi green flag, the two swords crossed. Conditions I suggest, to set humanitarian rights sure. Granted living standards will do the trick. Stop all military action, ban that to designated areas in big deserts, and organize human relations man to man meetings and exchange niceties. Jokes if possible.

I will take my leave now if you please by explaining what Chamba Chada means. The Little Boy it means. The little boy that sees the nakedness of the Emperor. The Emperor who was naked but thought that he was dressed in the most delicate invisible cloth, made for him by swindlers and conmen. While all people came to the show and watch it, they do not participate like the little boy. See what I mean? Set conditions, split the land equal between the Israelies and the Palestinians, split Jerusalem; its we, not they and us. It must be understood one day; we are together on mother Earth. She breathes a fresh wind with much less Co2 in the upper skies, these days. Men do more bad than good to each another, and that must stop.

Share the fun, and share the pain. And admit that there are other powers out there. Lets make deals,raise the standard of living and comfort, and have fun, not destruction and violence, the most childish of emotions, more befitting a 5 year old than middle aged leaders. See the child make a tower of blocks and then kick it over. How happy is that little boy. He should not mingle when older men meet. Still his clear observation sets us all an example.

Boelie van Leenwen wrote it already long ago: The respect one gets on the islands depends on the amount of money you have managed to steal. This old-fashioned pirate mentality does still exists. Also here on Sint Maarten. In the Simpson Bay area is a person who steals, robs, swindles and fools people out of anything possible. His name is Richard Lissenberg. He is what doctors call a sociopath. He starts out very helpful, friendly, ever so active. He will run errands, fix a broken fence or waterpipe. He will lie to you about his past and cover one lie with the next. He will become so friendly with you and your family that when the day comes that you ask him to take some money to pay the electricity and water bill and he does not return, you don't know how to explain it to your wife and kids. Richard has fooled such a number of people in the Philipsburg area that he cannot show his face there any more. I know of some people who would do him physical harm if they would run into him. If I would have the mind for it I would happily brake him an arm myself. And make him suffer. He owes me 700 dollar for about ten years now. How he has abused my trust and friendship is more than disgusting. The money he took from people that owed me, and the rent for the place I let him for three month he never repaid. He is sick in the sense that he has the old pirate mentality, as a few politicians and commissioners or former commissioners still have. Rob, steal, plunder and pillage as much as you can, he who has most wins most respect. Society can do without these rotten apples and it is a shame that the police cannot act to lock these evil persons away. Because they never have anything written down, whatever money they manage to take from someone is cash, and any trusting person does not suspect Richard to be so rotten as to take off with your fridge, deep fryer or other tool, household item or jewelry. The word con-artist comes from the word confidence. You start out trusting the man so much that he creates the situation where you see him go with your valuables before you realize that it is so. Be warned for this particular One, a warned man counts double.                  

It is with great awe that I contemplate the power of our prosecutor, the honorable Mr. Merkx. That what I could not do with letters to the newspaper, with many telephone calls to various departments at the government, he did with one short call. His seems to be the only true power in Sint Maarten. And this for a most banal situation which should not have to be addressed by our crime fighter nr.1 at all. The department of hygiene workers admitted to me, by phone, that they drove through the sewage water every day. Still they did do nothing. Spoken to the Department of Public works, I found that they too knew about the stinking sewage water running over Suckergarden Road. Still they did nothing. It upset me time and again to have to get the spray of dirt on my car, and in the old days on my legs when I still drove a motorbike. It made me so mad that I wrote: All men are equal for the law, lastly in this very newspaper. And when that had no effect, went with it to Mr. Merkx. It is after all a crime to dispose of garbage and sewage on the public roads...Mister Merkx solved the problem with one telephone call. Praise to him, and shame on the people who should have acted when I pointed out the filth and public health hazard to them. But this is how our government works, and I must realize that it is serious neglecting its duties and still collecting a fat salary. Higher supervision from Holland must continue, in order to show these people that they are supposed to do their jobs, instead of squandering time and money. The word of a honest citizen should be enough. The prosecutor has more important things to do than to point out to government workers to do their job. Thank you Mr. Merkx, and sorry to have bothered you for this. The dirty water now runs through a pipe under the road, straight into the pond so that it may contaminate unseen the whole Salt Pond.

The title says all. To prevent bad things from happening is better than to clean up after. To prevent sickness is better than to cure it. To prevent war looks better to me than to fight one, from the viewpoint of the soldier that is. To the bombfactory it is the contrary. The more war, more work and money to make. Is it because the so called western civilization knows not the law of karma? The pain you cause is equal to the pain you will suffer. Ignorance makes the most cruel deeds acceptable. Ignorance of the law does not make one innocent when breaking that law. These logic truths are secret it seems, one never hears talk about it. What is current is revenge, retaliation, punishment, so called justice and more bombs. Not a word on prevention. Aids prevention is OK, traffic accident prevention is also OK, fire prevention very OK, bars for the windows as theft prevention, reality. But terror prevention, never heard off.

I think it is done by making nobody jealous or angry of envy. That may be done by sharing and respecting others. Why it is not done is maybe greed. All for me and none for thee. It is too late to change the world, it is time I change my adverse ideas and look for a job in the military that is the only place that may still have me. Who will prevent that? To defend my way of life I must strike at the terroist, not at the reasons that make terrorists. If we did that there would be no terrorists and I would have no job in the military or the weaponfactory.

I would have to drive a smaller car, earn less money, use less paper and dishwasher machines, eat less meat maybe. No way we say. Nobody will make me hand in any of my luxuries, let the government take care of the poor and the sick and the dying, and the criminals and the rest, its none of my business. Preventing this kind of thinking is the first step to terror prevention. We  (NGO's) must try to help those that cause terror, like druggies, under their own private devils rules; they can be helped, only with love. But we knew that already, let’s first try bombs.

It is with great sorrow that write these words, as my friends and readers may know my sentiment in these days of world madness, I have searched the source of these primitive dealings. As a child of the last days of the 2nd world war, I believed in peace and in a better world coming. The prosperity of my youth made me believe that the world was becoming truly better. My travels, through the Arab world, made me aware of the best mankind had to offer. Hospitality, friendship, sharing , understanding; at least to my eyes it was a good world. North Africa,the middle, far and farthest East, Europe and even the then communist lands I crossed, did not prepare me for the misery that is unleashed right now. Yugoslavia was a downer all right. Already living in the gay and friendly Caribbean, I followed with disbelief the atrocities unfolding in what formerly was Tito's country. Always asking myself how the European nations could allow that violence to erupt and continue, why no power stopped that foolish fighting, I was forced to accept a new and crazy world. Based on foolish pride, on destruction and the economy of the military I saw groups of people murdered, in Africa, in what once was Yugoslavia, in Tsetsjenia, and in many smaller places, small groups, individuals, freedom fighters, terrorists, defenders of justice and religion. For whatever reason, I see the primitives fight each another with a ferocity that borders insanity. The reasons why soldiers get the order to shoot are as unclear to them self as to their commanders. The politicians who order the commanders themselves are in the darkest of spheres wherein they decide over the misery and sufferings of untold numbers of real victims, while they drive their expensive cars and eat their exquisite meals from fine porcelain, waited upon by perfect servants. I have not lost my believe in the good world, but I am loosing my believe in my fellow men. Also a president has to relieve himself just like you and me, truly, we are the same, why then can we not make it together? What foolish pride has come in between men and men? A reservoir of sin is pride, the wise have always condemned pride as the most dangerous of sentiments. And none will admit that the rich wealth they enjoy is resulting in poverty somewhere else. The inequality of wealth makes some people so mad that they will kill them self with their enemies together. I say give them all a car, a fridge and a mobile phone, a health insurance and a TV, and see then if terrorism does not stop.

The answer you gave to the 16 year old girl who asked if she should try the next boy in order to find out if sex was different with different boys, was very useless and not at all helping the girl. Sexual activity is the one and only God given pleasure that  can lead to intimate love and  better understanding between people. Sexual  art  must be learned, just like cooking. With the same ingredients an amateur cook makes a simple primitive plate of food. A chef who has experience makes a wonderful exquisite delicious plate with those same ingredients. He  who has studied the art of cooking knows what I’m about. The same is true with sex. I can feel from your answers where it concerns sex that you have never had the luscious intimate  sexual experience that leads to spiritual enlightenment.  This ancient knowledge is called Tantra and brings the human being through sound sexual practice into a realm of higher consciousness. This in turn brings better behavior, dignity, understanding and health.  Tantra has been practiced for thousands of years in Eastern countries.  The book by Penny Slinger and Nik Douglas, called Sexual Secrets, The Alchemy of Ecstasy, for sale  at Van Dorp or can be ordered there, explains what every young woman and man should know to avoid problems and disappointments, to enjoy their bodies and to give great lovely pleasure to each another. It is time you stop answering young people as if we live in the time of Queen Victoria and as if the ancient rules of the Bible are still useful. Sexual education is extremely poor in western countries, your answers are proof of that,  please do get some real facts and information Queenie, so you can help youngsters instead of trying to have them just say no and letting them experiment in the blind. At the very least you could have advised the girl to do nothing without a good supply of condoms at hand, because your answer will surely not stop her from finding out what you did not. 

Sexpert

Those famous or infamous 500 kilos of drugs. Confiscated before the eights month of the year is out. The criminals that lost them, who worked hard to get them so far, who       maybe planned to lose them, in order to get 5000 kilos through. The money the 500 kilos are worth is enough to pay for the needed police cars, for the much needed alcohol test kits, for the road safety, signs, markings, etc. Legalize it and sell it to those who buy it right flow anyway. 500 kilo stopped, 5,000 through. In order to stop it all it must be legalized. Take it away from the crooks. Take it in the governments distribution system, coffee shops for the ganja, marijuana, cannabis, hashish. Pharmacies for cocaine and heroine and crack. To be sold on doctors prescription only. Set a fair price and be done with it. The foolish behavior of the law at present makes perfectly honest people criminals and makes perfect4bad criminals rich. It drains enormous energy from the police, justice system and prisons, gives a wrong image to the youth and does not prevent the use at all, although the present law was designed to halt drug use. There was a time that alcohol was banned in the USA. Canada’s Seagram made its fortune by shipping alcohol to the US. Bonny and Clyde were the famous criminals that drank whisky in teacups and killed opponents in spectacular shootouts. The alcohol ban had to be reversed and Liquor became government taxed and controlled. Today the same is happening with drugs. Criminals are ripping each other off, even shootings and killings take place right here on our small friendly island. Because drugs are wanted. For various illnesses and conditions that are not described as such. Ask a cannabis user what exactly it does for him. He will hardly be able to tell you. A good feeling is as accurate as he can go. Years of criminalizing it has made part of the populati6n believe that it is bad. Bad for health, brain, society, work and what not. If it was, Europe would not legalize it. Holland would have stopped the use in coffeehouses long ago Lf it was so dangerous. No matter tat all is said against Holland, it has a prosperity second to none, educational Institutes that churn out doctors, economists, chemists and engineers by the scores. It is a small country that with a population of 15 million can compete with countries many times its size. Its drug policy is been followed by Switzer—Land, England, Portugal, Spain and Italy. The two biggest countries, Germany and France take a little longer but cannot continue to fight what others legalize . Canada, like in the time of the alcohol ban, now supplying the US with marijuana, is estimated making 4 billion dollars a year of the illegal  trade (see Time, 20 August 2001) Prime minister Patterson from Jamaica has explained to Washington that his country is now nbr 1 going to legalize ganja, regardless of the USA’s stubborn continuation of the unwinnable war. There is St. Maarten in the picture of international politics on drugs? Why do we not hear a word from our elected politicians on the subject, are they too busy quarreling over the separate status? That way they lose the chance to be the second prime destiny in the Caribbean after Jamaica is going to be lost. Our economy does not seem the priority with the politicians to have the power to condone the use of cannabis as they condoned the selling of sex in brothels.