Always on the lookout for a piece of spicy information I found our friendly island mentioned in the Playboy Magazine of this month. I quote Jeffrey Robinson from his story: “The Terrorist Dollar”. On page 74 third column:  “Russian gangsters for example, regularly huddle with Colombians in the islands of the Caribbean. Aruba, St.Vincent and Antigua are the usual venues, but the Dutch section of St.Martin has become popular in recent years. Russian mobsters and Colombian traffickers sail together on cruise ships out of those ports.” Mr. Robinson may have his information from the bellhops in the hotels where these people stay, who knows? I did enjoy the Russian ballet dancers show a few month ago, is there any connection or is it just coincidence? Money smells good, so who cares who brings it? I'm waiting for a Colombian ballet group, see if they dance as good as the Russians... And although I said it once before, I say it here once more: as long as the governments do not make drugs legal, sell them in pharmacies, under medical control, taxed and accounted for, it is those same governments that create the criminals that now do the business that could be in the hands of legal and taxpaying companies. The people that use drugs are not going to stop using them, no matter what. It is the governments that are creating the criminals that they fight hands and teeth, in a war that is totally ridiculous and brings shame to any well thinking citizen who sees that 30 years of war on drugs has not diminished the trade with one percent. The comic strip Doonesbury had its main character say this: “Why are we at war with a nonaddictive drug that kills nobody when we tolerate an addictive drug like tobacco that has slaughtered millions?”

 You tell me; why the war on marijuana users is a most irrational social policy, with only Holland openly defying the USA policy, while the rest of Europe is awakening to the truth. when will St.Maarten/St.Martin grow up mentally and also allow its youth to use a nonaddictive drug that never has killed anybody? Instead of letting tobacco advertisements openly be displayed everywhere?

Imagine the Netherlands Antilles highly developed and prosperous. All systems under control, taxes pay for roads, education, and all the rest, sewage, bridges, airports, harbors, everything.  All people are working and rich. There comes a bunch of Dutch poor slum dwellers, unschooled youngsters, jobless boys and men. Not just a few, but hundreds. At first the island government finds lodgings, shelters, housing, and helps them to get free money to buy food, clothes, shoes... These guys do not know how to play domino, they do not find the way to Campo Allegro, they have no money for the dozens of casinos, they do not know how to grill a chicken leg... with other words: they are lost. Then they get some crack forwarded from a dealer to sell, to make a dollar, because there is nothing else they can do. After a while these Dutch young get power on the islands, they get weapons, they get dominance over certain areas and they wage little wars. Blood flows, arrests are made, many end up in Point Blanche prison and in Koraal Specht. The jails are full, and every day more young jobless Dutch arrive by the planeload. Imagine, our prosperous islands under attack from Holland, and nothing can be done: when the politicians impose - a study course to to teach them domino and steel pan and salsa and rib grilling, the Dutch protest: Discrimination.’ When the familiarization course shows the young how to play Black Jack and pull the One Armed bandit, when they get to learn how to sex a young woman from Santo Domingo in max 20 minutes, the Dutch scream: Racism! And when the Dutch girls learn how to walk the catwalk for the next Miss Contest, the Dutch call the islanders traitors! How good is it to have prevented this scenario from playing itself out Dutch were, thank God, never allowed on the islands, only last year, or this year recently do the Dutch get a little easier entry, if they ask; but without getting permits to work...Happy New Year Dutch passport holders, welcome home.

First I must stress that slavery was no white men's invention and was at those days so widespread, it was all over the world. It has been recorded that the white men came to African coasts to trade. They brought articles that the local people very much wanted, as they did not make them. Mirrors, iron axes, beads, cloth. As it was African practice to war amongst tribes and kill and capture the weaker one, slavery was everywhere. The white traders did not come for slaves, but accepted them as payment, because there was not much other things that they could use. Slavery was encouraged by the local Africa rulers. The Jewish bible reminds us that the Jews were slaves in Egypt, an Africa country. From centuries of sunshine all skins turn dark, so Jesus being sunburnt is no great revelation. Why your fear of the wrong coloring by medieval artists? Serfdom was the word used for European slavery, it was everywhere. To accuse one nation or group of nations, or some people, other than your own of being the culprits is shortsighted to say the least. A man who knows not what goes on in the world, and thinks that his own group of race or color is unique, needs more education. Besides that, it is of no importance whatsoever color Jesus was, it is His teachings that are important, nothing else matters. Mistakes, crimes even, done by our ancestors and those that went before us, against humanity should not be forgotten, so as not to be repeated by us. If you want Jesus to be dark skinned, have it so. If your neighbour wants Him to be white, what do you care?

It is said that during Jesus' absence, where no texts explain where He was, He visited India. That’s where He learned Divine wisdom. He may have learned about the Buddha who ordered the world in 10 levels, of which Buddha-hood is the tenth and highest, divided in 6 lower worlds and 4 noble worlds, which are from the bottom up:

1. Hell

2. Hunger

3. Animality

4. Anger

5. Humanity also called Tranquility

6. Heaven, Rapture, which is the last of the lower worlds. Then come the noble worlds:

7. Learning

8. Realization (of what is learned)

9. Buddhisatva ( almost, or the path to Enlightenement), and the last, the highest state or world; Buddhahood; just like how Jesus was on many Occasions. And it is clear that only learning can start this liberation. Towards a peaceful 2002 I wish our island, with many liberated minds, celebrating life. I wish the clowns and the conmen, the tricksters and the thieves, the stubborn and the lame, the sleepers and the dreamers, the healers and the hunters, the rough riders and the tender gliders all a fantastic year, full of action towards the inner depth of the self.  With cultivation, with uplifting, lightening thoughts maybe we get enough people who think positive, and the roses will have no thorns, and nobody will pull the plug from the island so that it will not sink to the bottom of the sea.

The following story relates to the final solution for our problem with aliens, undesirables, unwanted foreigners and illegal’s: for 2001, follow the advice of an old gardener:

A certain person decided to start a flower garden. He prepared the soil and planted the seeds of many beautiful flowers. But when they came up his garden was not filled just with his chosen flowers, but also overrun with dandelions. He sought out advice from gardeners all over and tried every method known to get rid of them, but to no avail. Finally he walked all the way to the capital of the country to speak to the royal gardener of the King's palace. This wise old man had counseled many gardeners before and suggested a variety of remedies to expel the dandelions, but our person had tried them all. They sat together in silence for some time and finally the gardener looked at our person and said: "Well, then I suggest you learn to love them."

My women and girl friends love me already many years. They also know about each other. I take care of them as good as I can, and I am faithful to them. I am as honest as a judge, I never lie to them. I like you to tell me what you mean with those baser feelings you talk about, when you think a man doesn't understand what love between one man and one woman really means. Our love goes to the core, to the deepest point of our souls, we merge into one, we have known each other for many lifetimes and we know our love is forever. But our love is not restricted to one person only. That is not natural, dictated by dogmas, churches, laws and is nowhere in biological evolutionary natural life to be found. Of all animal species there are only two or three rare cases which are singled out by the advocates of marriage, who have singular unions, the other thousands have not. If two people voluntarily rest together all their lives, blessed are they, if they have enough love, tender care and attention for others as well, who are you to judge that or find them less than the two who are only restricted to each another? Jesus is my guide and His love was without restrictions, total and all encompassing. And baser feelings, what are they else than cuddling, holding each other, reaffirming the comfort of togetherness, making of a baby, bringing more love into the world? Today with AIDS protection and safety are first important, perhaps it doesn't lead to pregnancy, but apart from that, the physical part of loving is in no way any baser than a conversation, watching tv together or having a walk along the beach, dressing the kids, or what? If you think sex is no good, than how did you come into this world?? And what love does a woman deserve other than the love she gives? Love is a two way lane, and knows not possessiveness.

Here follow a few thoughts on the present madness in the world. Last Sunday the BBC reported that the USA secretary of state declares that Osama Bin Laden is running out of places to hide. Which I find most unlikely. As every army has physicians with it, OBL surely knows the same as the FBI who practices something called: witness protection program. Those criminals who betray their former buddies get a new face by plastic surgery, another name and nobody will ever find them again. Why should OBL not have done the same? It takes only a few weeks to grow a new beard over scars that a good surgeon can make almost invisible. It would not surprise me if OBL will never be found. Next is what I ask the good secretary; did he never hear the saying: “You can kill the man, but you can't kill his ideas”.

Even if ever the evil OBL is found and killed, would that stop terrorism? It is naive to think so, a five year old's level of thinking. The only way to stop terrorism is to share the wealth and luxuries of the rich countries with the poor ragamuffins who now hold a grudge too strong to fight with bombs and bullets. Shower them with TV's, cellphones, fridges, cars and other luxuries. That may turn their attention away from stingers, kalasnikofs and land mines. From the time of Alexander the Great, the travels of Marco Polo, the Russians and English, no nation has ever succeeded in submitting   Afghanistan. It may have its origin in the way the men treat their women. Without any love or respect they perhaps rape their woman folks instead  of making what we call love. The offspring of such union with violence may itself be violent and without any knowledge of love, resulting in soldiers, fighters, bandits, in fact terrorists. If the present powers succeed in forming a new government in Afghanistan, I think it paramount to make sure the women get protection, more say in ruling the place and guarantees against bad treatment. In a few generations we may then have brought peace to that part of the world. Remains the other pockets of discontent    where one needs to  upgrade living standards, until poverty is gone and terrorism will be faded out of fashion.

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.