Some New Pictures of Ivan

From Ivan

From Ivan

From Ivan

Christmas Eve trip to Leuven, Belgium

Jan and I decided that it would be fun, as a Christmas Eve adventure, for us to take a short little trip to the town of Leuven. About 45 minutes away by train from Antwerp, Leuven is a quick and enjoyable journey. Besides being the headquarters of InBev, (the largest beer producer in the world), Leuven is also home to the 450 year old Katholieke Universiteit (Catholic University). The fact that Leuven is a ‘college town’ was quite evident on our trip, as indicated by the low number of people wandering through the shops and streets of the old town center. However, don’t mistake the lack of crowds, for a lack of things to see. Leuven is full of winding narrow and crooked streets, and magnificent architecture waiting around every corner. From the modern design of the train station to the imposing elegance of the university library, there is must to see and experience in this gem of a town.

History

The earliest mention of Leuven ("Loven") is from 891 when a Viking army was defeated by the Frankish king Arnulf of Carinthia in the “Battle of Leuven”. According to the city legend, its red-white-red colors depict the blood-stained shores of the river Dijle after this battle.

Situated at this river and nearby the stronghold of the Dukes of Brabant, Leuven became the most important centre of trade in the duchy between the 11th and the 14th century. A token of its former importance as a centre of cloth manufacture, is nicely reflected in the typical Leuven linen cloth, known in late 14-15th century texts as lewyn.

In the 15th century a new golden era began with the founding of the largest and oldest university in the Low Countries, the Catholic University of Leuven, in 1425.

In the 18th century Leuven became even more important because of a flourishing brewery that would later become Interbrew (recently renamed to InBev), the largest brewery company in the world. In fact, InBev's Stella Artois brewery and main offices dominate the entire north-eastern part of the town, between the railway station and the canal to Mechelen.

In the 20th century, both world wars inflicted major damage to the city. Upon German entry in WW1, the town was heavily damaged due to German Schrecklichkeit policy. The Germans shot the burgomaster, university rector and all the city's police officers. The university library was deliberately destroyed by the German army on August 25, 1914, using petrol and incendiary pastilles. Hundreds of thousands of irreplaceable volumes and Gothic and Renaissance manuscripts were lost. The world was outraged over this and the library was completely rebuilt after World War I with American charity funds and German war indemnities. After World War II, the burnt down building had to be restored again. It still stands as a symbol of the wars and of Allied solidarity.

Enjoy the slideshow.  FYI if you'd like to see a larger version of the photo, just click on it and you'll be taken to our .

Belgium in limbo again after government collapses

By Philip Blenkinsop

Reuters UK

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium was left scrambling for political leadership for the third time in a year on Saturday after the government collapsed following its botched attempt to bail out troubled financial group Fortis.

Prime Minister Yves Leterme tendered his government's resignation on Friday after a damning report by the Supreme Court found signs of political meddling to sway a court ruling on the future of the bank, a victim of the credit crunch.

Belgium's King Albert, who under the constitution must decide whether to accept the resignation, held late-night talks with Leterme in the palace about the resignation offer on Friday but deferred any immediate decision.

"We'll have to look at how we assure stability in our country -- political stability we don't have at the moment," Finance Minister Didier Reynders said.

Leterme has been in power only for nine months as leader of a fragile, five-party coalition meant to ease a dispute between Belgium's linguistic groups that had reignited speculation the 178-year-old country could break up.

Opposition parties demanded fresh parliamentary elections, although analysts doubted the ruling parties in Leterme's coalition will want to test voters just as Belgium slips into recession, and with the Fortis debacle fresh in their minds....(Click for remainder).

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more...

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Ivan tries to kill the vacuum

Ivan the Terrible

Ivan is growing up to be more and more terrible as time goes by.  I think that it's just his Jack Russell-ness coming out.  Here's a picture of the holy terror.

Life and Times in Belgium

Well the fucking Belgian bureaucracy has decided to bless me, once again, with a striking portrayal of its ineptitude. I had a police office come to the house today, where he gave me a letter saying that I needed to go to the districthuis with a passport photo, €3.75, my passport, and my temporary Belgian ID. I was rather excited. I figured that I had received approval for my permanent ID card. Well I get there, and the nightmare ensues. They tell me that for some inane reason they're going to extend the temporary ID card until the 28th of March 2009, and that I can come pick up the permanent ID on the 29th.

"What?" I said with more than a little incredulity. "I was told that it would be 5 months from when I FIRST received the temp ID. Now you're telling me that I need to wait an additional 3 months?" You know what her response was? "I'm just doing what Brussels says to do. They said to issue you a temporary ID card."

"I already have one," I almost yelled "and now your making it for even longer!"

"I can only do what Brussels tells me to do," was this person's response. I guess here in Belgium they do not raise people to think for themselves, because clearly there is a lack of cognitive thought processes there.

So we've decided that we're going to hire an attorney to deal with Brussels. I don't have the patience to deal with these retards (no offense to the mentally challenged) any more.

That's where things stand with me. More to come from the continuing story...or melodrama.

Hilary Takes the Gold

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Mexico Crew Dancin' The Can-Can

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Shake Your Groove Thang

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