- CULTI NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 1 -

At the bottom of this mail, you will find the "Free Speech Zone". The idea of this Free Speech zone is that's it the ONLY place where Culti Arjan just speaks his mind in any way he likes. There also are useful links to articles in the local languages. Just on top of that, there are some words on the "Never Ending No Show Soap".

On the comment line of actual meetups, I only make small comments. In this newsletter sometimes I get into the issue a bit more. Before reading the words on the No Shows, you will see some text on the actual meetup topic of the week - which are COMEDY Meetups :). But first, I will mention the WEBSITE of the WEEK. And the very first thing is a link to PICTURES of the Daytrip to Zaanse Schans.

- PICTURES OF THE DAYTRIP TO ZAANSE SCHANS -

Last sunday one of the best possible Culti Quick Trips took place - here are the picture => http://www.meetup.com/cultiA/photos/26377469/

- WEBSITE OF THE WEEK -

Even though Culti Group is not about expats ( we are a meetup group that use the English language as the point of reference without having special attention for expats or locals or whoever), there IS a service provider in Amsterdam which expats should know about. A lot of expat agencies seem to think all expats speak English, but from time to time I am noticing my English is better than the English of expats from countries where English is close to not existing outside the scope of songs and movies.

Some people might speak English with their partner, but another language with friends, family and... Advisors. This agency explains what it does in far most main European languages => http://www.djent.nl/de/

- THE COMEDY SEASON -

Today, the new "Comedy in English" season starts. Until the first Try out of Greg Shapiro's "New in town Comedy Plus" show I always used the as far as I know American English term "English Comedy". In the UK "English" sometimes gets understood as "being English", therefor using the term "Comedy in English" might be better than using the term "'English Comedy".

So at least to me "English comedy" is better of being called "Comedy in English" for the very simple reason to me communication doesn't have to be political correct ( most certainly not if you look at what is political correct these days..... ), it only has to bring the message across, the message is: Culti Group isn't English - but it is IN English. So our comedy can be English, it can be American, it can be local, but it always is.... In English. Sure we practise the local languages and so, why not, but we are... In English. So our comedy has to be in English too.

Most of the best comedians I have seen so far btw are English, but that's beside the point. The first reason is: we promote the best comedy regardless of what culture comedians come from, and regardless of what accent, dialect or mainstream in English they use.

It's also beside the point because I am just a promotor of Comedy in English, it's comedy organizers like Joe Eagan and Xavier Rossey who are having the expert opinion about who is hot, and who is not. And the more profound and therefor less mainstream Comedy is Greg Shapiro his fantastic niche.

Today, in Brussels, Xavier Rossey kicks of the new season, with this show => http://www.meetup.com/cultiB/events/224895536/

After that, on September 10, Greg Shapiro will take the stage in Amsterdam => http://www.meetup.com/cultiA/events/224994262/

On September 13, Joe Eagen of International Comedians will bring some of the best Comedy in English to Utrecht => http://www.meetup.com/Social-Utrecht/events/225008732/

On September 15, Xavier Rossey will bring some great Comedians in English to Brussels again => http://www.meetup.com/cultiB/events/224895735/

On September 17, Joe Eagen of International Comedians will bring some of the best Comedy in English to Rotterdam => http://www.meetup.com/cultiH/events/224833384/

On September 18, the International comedians crew will pop up in Amsterdam => http://www.meetup.com/cultiA/events/224994262/

On September 19, it will be Greg Shapiro that takes the stage in Brussels, just for a try out => http://www.meetup.com/cultiB/events/224945937/

I'm also working on getting some comedy in English lined up in NRW and in Frankfurt - but this will take a bit more time.

So for now... Let's enjoy GREAT Comedy in English in Amsterdam, Brussels, Rotterdam and Utrecht!

- THE NEVER ENDING NO SHOW SOAP -

Just a small update concerning the never ending soap with the "'No Shows". Also on August 25, with the Language Meetup at the Central Station, there were a bit to much no shows again. Now, on one hand if I can get on top of this issue I will, but on the other hand: if I start pushing this one a bit to hard, then I everyone will stay away altogether, I know this because of experience. Therefore I am heading in this direction...

1) On "Just Drinks Meetup" I will just ignore this issue other than making general statements...

2) On all other meetups I host I will keep track of this issue and only the worst cases will be approached on a personal level

3) I will take this thing with a smile This "No Show"' problem HAS to be taken on, but at the same time of course no one should feel bad if once in a while they forget to update their RSVP or so...

My aim is to get an 80% show up at least, plus to get people to show up a bit on time just a bit more often. Altogether this means there is no "When you want, where you want, what you want" on my watch..... This kind of stuff I think is very good for example when it comes to Mac Donalds in Amsterdam Noord being opened 24 hours a day in the weekend, then I can get a burger on the way home when I want. ( And IF I want, of course.... )

This angle ( which comes down to getting demanding consumers what they want ) is very nice when it's about stuff like supermarkets being open until10PM 7 days a week ( which is not the same in every international hub where Culti Group is at ). But this attitude is not OK when people take it to social meetups....

Because that's not a place where consumers get their stuff, but it's a place where all of us, together, are letting the way our generations and the next ones will socialize - and focusing on "'What's in it for me" a lot more than on "What's there to share?" in my very modest opinion... Isn't social, but just selfish, which I guess is all OK at the right time and place to do do - but.... Not on my watch... Please ;)

- FREE SPEECH ZONE -

As a Community Coordinator, one needs to be patient with the few people that kind of bring the level down. Being patient, however, causes a mental problem: distance starts to exist in between what one feels inside and how one acts on the outside. Sure this distance inside ones mind is needed in many situations and conversations, this is the case just as well on air, online as face-to-face.

But if one NEVER speaks its mind, then one is not in the middle of community shaping, but in the middle of a lie. Also: it creates to much distance between who one is, and how one acts - which in fact means one gives away it's freedom in return for success. I don't want that, I want both of these things - but there is a right place for everything - and this place is.... The Free Speech zone :)

In order to make this Free Speech Zone use full to as many people as possible, it works like this: in ENGLISH I describe what's cooking amongst locals in Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands. I share my opinion. And I add links to articles in the 4 local languages: Dutch, French, Frisian and German. So.... Here we go :)

- MEANWHILE IN BELGIUM -

THE COAST OF "WEST VLAANDEREN"

Belgium, The German Federation, and The Netherlands have some very nice beaches. The best beach of allin a way is part of Frisia. Frisia used to be some kind of a Frisian federation, but these days the Frisian soil can be found inside the German Federation and The Netherlands. I might get into the question if Sylt is a part of the historical Frisia or not some other time. The best beach of all might very well be on the Frisian Island "Sylt", which is of the coast of North Friesland. Also Terschelling has a SUPER beach.

The most popular beaches, however, are in the West of The Netherlands and at the coast of "West Vlaanderen". These beaches are very popular, because they are kind of close ( or just close ) to where the urban areas are. This is also why these beaches aren't the best beaches....

Lots of people from The Randstad, from the big cities in Belgium and from Nord Rhein Westfalen takeWestfalen take a quicktrip or a weekend trip to these beaches. And commerce responded, most of all on the very few super days the beaches are overcrowded and also the atmosphere in lots of villages at the coast doesn't "Feel"' right.

Back in the previous century, I've been to the coast of "West Vlaanderen" for a week. Back than it was a very nice area to be. I found it a lot better place to be than the Zandvoort beach or the Scheveningen beach, but not as good as IJmuiden or Wijk aan Zee.

The beaches of West Vlaanderen most certainly are popular - this season 7 million people went to these beaches. 2 million went by train. It's easy to assume far most other people took the car, and only some walked or took the bike. Here's a picture of the news source => http://www.meetup.com/cultiB/photos/26370311/ ( Dutch. )

- MEANWHILE IN GERMANY.... -

SILVER COINS

One of the things in this world which needs some improvement indeed, is the value of money, meaning: if a money system falls apart, than what value is left? While checking out a newspaper in Germany for usable stuff for this newsletter.... I ran into the FIRST Euro coin I know of, which will have more value than just the value of old paper if ever the Euro goes all the way down :)

Money which is made out of cheap metal and paper doesn't have trading value if a money system goed down, but moeny which is made out of expensive metal, has value as long as the metal involved has value.... So.... What do we need silver for? ;) It's all about a coin made out of silver.

Read more here => https://www.mdm.de/li_1546729 ( German )

Read more about the Golden Standard the world used to have here => https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89talon-or ( French )

>>>>>>>> MEANWHILE IN THE NETHERLANDS <<<<<<<<<<

THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT LETS THE CURRENT POPULATION DROWN TO DEATH

What does this poverty look like in The Netherlands, one might ask? The answer is: no access to quailty food, nothing to do for the kids in the entire holliday and as a result of this boredom related crime amongst teenagers. The current idiots in power are saying peopLe should and can be hold responsable for their own lifes, but the reality is: people don't do this.

Noon in it's right mind believes all people can take care of their own lifes, so the current people in power in The Netherlands are idiots, or liars, or both. Schippers, the current minister for sport, most likely is both. She indeed seems to believe that kids don't need to have swimming classes at school.

The result is: more and more people are drowning to death on a yearly basis. The reason why is that even if parents explain to kids how to swim, they don't have the educational skills needed to explain to kids how to swim with your clothes on, just for example.

The party of Schippers ( the VVD) says the parents need to take care of explaining the kids how to swim, they say it's the own responsabilty ofthe parents of the kids, but the covered up lie here is: cutting swimming class is just a budget cut, and nothing else. So, dear Mrs Schippers: thanks for nothing. Read more about the results of cutting swimming class right here => http://www.itnijs.frl/2015/08/redingsbrigade-wol-dat-skoalswimmen-weromkomt/ ( Frisian. )

PIKETY IS MOVING UP IN THE NETHERLANDS

On August 28, the Dutch T Fax showed SOME news. Already in 2009, during the Occupy movement, I realized that if indeed only some people own it all, than that this means the money people can make on fortune will get less and less and less. Which is a danger to all. Both to the superrich and all others.

If something is a danger to the superrich, than in the current timeframe ( where the Superrich are on the top of the aperock) it will be changed. What I think is needed is a shift from the insane neo liberal idea that (rich) people are sharing by nature. It needs to be replaced for active government policies, in which the rich people pay taks on fortune, and in which the tax on income goes down more, and more, and more, and more.

The current governement in The Netherlands had made a step into this direction. The government has presented a plan in which saved money and the value of stocks and so will be taxed This tax will be 0% in between no fortune and a fortune of EUR 25,000. The tax to be paid for the part above EUR 1 Million will be around 1,6%. In between there are 2 steps from 9% to around 1,6%, This 1,6% is far from high enough to create social justice, but to make the tax on fortune progressive is a VERY important step in the right direction.

Look at teletext page 104 in the way it was on August 28 right here => http://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/2/3/4/a/highres_441369034.jpeg ( Dutch )

Read what nu.nl wrote about it right here => http://www.nu.nl/geldzaken/4114601/belasting-kleine-spaartegoeden-gaat-omlaag.html ( Dutch )

The WIKI about Pikety in French => https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Piketty

The WIKI about Pikety in German => https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Piketty

Thanks for reading the newsletter,

Culti Arjan