The Sentinel Amsterdam vol. 4 #17

vol. 4 #17 – 18 October 2011

The Sentinel Amsterdam

Integrity, heart, humour

FEATURE

HEROES

TRAVEL

To Dare Is To Do II Lifestyles Opinion REVIEW Technology FILM Cartoon Sport Classifieds

Contents

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cOnTEnTS

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In this issue FEATURE

p. 03 TRipping dAyS

Where are all the heroes?

‘They want to be the best they can be’

TEchnOLOgy

p. 22

To dare is to do II

Westerparkmarkt

‘Cycling up to fourteen hours, covering a minimum of 217 kilometres’

‘While the stalls may make you want to shop till you drop, they will also inspire you in the process ’

p. 28 SpORT

Open Sesame

p. 12 REViEW

p. 36 MORE:

The Gold Room

LiFESTyLES Taxi: it’s an act

p. 20

SpOTTEd p. 32 Where is this in Amsterdam?

‘The internet is a very scary place’

FiLM REViEW Room 2C cARTOOn

p. 33 p. 33

CLASSIFIEDS

cOLOphOn The Sentinel Amsterdam e-mail: sentinelpost@gmail.com website: www.thesentinel.eu The Sentinel Amsterdam does not intentionally include unaccredited photos/illustrations that are subject to copyright. If you consider your copyright to have been infringed, please contact us at sentinelpost@gmail.com.

Editors – Gary Rudland & Denson Pierre Design, realisation and form – Andrei Barburas & No-Office.nl Webmaster – www.sio-bytes.tumblr.com Webhost – Amsterjammin.com

Contributors: David Cross, Paul AshleyUnett, Erwin Bolozzini, Sharmin de Vries, Simon Owusu, David King & Colin Bentley

feature

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Where are all the heroes?

By David Cross

A short essay inspired in part by the recent appalling behaviour of Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez, who interestingly is neither a role model nor a hero.

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feature

‘Joe Strummer and the Latino Rockabilly War, along with some Doncaster miners and an eclectic mix of punks, skinheads, anarchists and students, raised the roof’

‘My memories of that time are interspersed with stark images of Margaret Thatcher’ In 1988, some members of the UK Class War action group bumped into Joe Strummer (former lead singer and guitarist with The Clash) in a pub in Ladbroke Grove and asked him to do a benefit gig for the Stamford Hill squatters, who had just been evicted. Without hesitation, Joe agreed to do the gig at the Hackney Empire. The next day, the Class War guys thought they would try their luck and ask Joe if he would do a second gig in Brixton. Again, he agreed immediately. Now on a roll, Class War asked Joe if he was up for a countrywide ‘Rock Against the Rich’ tour (18 gigs in total). Joe not only agreed but also paid the wages of his American band, Latino Rockabilly War, along with their travel and living expenses.

How do I know this story? Because Joe told it to me and some mates over a beer in a Doncaster pub, on 16 July 1988, a couple of hours before a particularly memorable gig at the nearby Brodsworth Miners Welfare Hall. Later that night, Joe Strummer and the Latino Rockabilly War, along with some Doncaster miners and an eclectic mix of punks, skinheads, anarchists and students, raised the roof in mutual solidarity. Joe Strummer is quoted saying afterwards that the best-organised tour he ever did was run by anarchists!

That summer, me and a couple of mates, all of us either students or unemployed aspiring musicians at the time, followed Joe Strummer and the Latino Rockabilly War as they toured. We scraped together ticket money, hitched rides to gigs and slept where we could. My memories of that time are interspersed with stark images of Margaret Thatcher, of broken South Yorkshire communities and of Leeds United narrowly missing promotion from League Division 2. It was the final year of Billy Bremner’s reign as manager of Leeds, before he handed over to Howard Wilkinson from Sheffield Wednesday. Even though the miner’s strike had not been successful, I believed it had been a just cause. The closure of mines in the months and years after the end of the strike, and the lack of alternative jobs, decimated mining communities in South Yorkshire for a decade. It was a time of great change. I was learning some difficult lessons about the social cost and human suffering that so often accompany changes made by governments in the name of progress, driven by our unrelenting and now so obviously fundamentally flawed market economy. I was also learning that collective action, demonstration and solidarity can be a force for change, but that often they are not.

‘Collective action, demonstration and solidarity can be a force for change, but often they are not’ I was learning that personal performance and sacrifice are essential ingredients for success in any endeavour, although the efforts of an individual are, in general, insufficient to assure the success of the team. The world seemed to be full of contradictions but, fundamentally, I was beginning to see that it was all about people.

FEATURE

The point I’m making here is not about whether the miners were right or wrong, nor indeed whether it’s right or wrong to strike; and clearly I’m not going to be able to convince many people that Leeds United is the most successful football club in the UK (although perhaps it is the best club in Yorkshire). The point is that I believed passionately in the cause of the miners and I was also passionate about Leeds United. And a large part of my passion for both was inspired by the passion of other people, who were positive roles models.

‘The general decline in the moral health of our society, which seems to have been deteriorating rapidly for more than a decade now, recently culminating in shocking riots’ Joe Strummer was a positive role model who worked hard fighting for justice in society. Two weeks before his death, he was playing benefit gigs for fire fighters, alongside Andy Gilchrist and with Mick Jones making it back on stage for a rare live appearance with Joe. Billy Bremner and Howard

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Wilkinson were both inspirational leaders dedicated to Leeds United, both were respected by generations of Leeds United football fans and, similarly to Joe Strummer, both were very positive role models. These three people are some of the many people who have inspired me and made a lasting impression. They are true role models and their inspiration has shaped my value system and informs my judgement to this day.

The untimely demise of Billy Bremner, in December 1997, and Joe Strummer, in December 2002, were tragic events for their respective fans and everyone around them. In some ways, their deaths might be symbolic, in that their passing away in some sense personifies the general decline in the moral health of our society, which seems to have been deteriorating rapidly for more than a decade now, recently culminating in shocking riots and the destruction of property and communities across the UK. While Leeds United’s fortunes haven’t improved much since 1988, the impact of technology over those 23 years has been staggering. Back in 1988, most UK families were able to access a couple of commercial channels on terrestrial TV, along with a handful of commercial radio stations. Today, wherever I go, it feels like I’m at the centre of a 24/7, multimedia, multi-channel, multi-sensory retail brand marketing campaign. Clearly, technology has transformed our society but the benefits have come at a cost.

The onslaught of brand marketing over the past decade has unquestionably had a negative impact on the values, and

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feature

consequently the priorities, of many young people. The recent riots are clear evidence of the damage done and it’s no coincidence that the focus of energy for today’s ‘angry youth’ has moved from the fight for social justice to a fight for consumer goods!

‘It’s no coincidence that the focus of energy for today’s ‘angry youth’ has moved from the fight for social justice to a fight for consumer goods!’

So, what to do? Where are all the positive role models for young people today?

Where should young people today look to find musicians with a real social conscience? I’m not talking about the plastic, mass-produced products of music-industry A&R marketing people. I’m talking about real rock ’n’ roll heroes. I’m talking about music activists who are driven to write and play because they believe passionately in social justice; musicians that can inspire our children with their positive energy, enthusiasm and the feeling that they are all part of something special, important and worth

fighting for. And where should young people today look to find positive role models in sport? I’m not talking about the increasingly overpaid and underwhelming football players paraded in front of our children on Sky TV, nor the football ‘stars’ who earn £200,000 a week and then refuse to come on as a substitute. I am talking about those who play the beautiful game and compete in their chosen sport because they want to be the best they can be; because they feel passionately that it is their duty to entertain and to share their talent for the enjoyment of others; and because they’re proud to accept their responsibility as a role model for our young people.

Where are all the heroes?

Read more from David Cross at: http://triggeractive.blogspot.com

FEATURE

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feature

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cLASSiFiEdS SpORT

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cLASSiFiEdS

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travel

To d is to 12

By Paul Ash

My name is Paul and that’s what most pe them about my plan world in re

‘Cycling around the world is going to be really, really tough’ I want to see more of the world; to experience different cultures, to meet new people and to see some fantastic sights. But I also want to challenge myself. I understand that cycling around the world is going to be really, really tough. I will have to cover hundreds of kilometres a day, and quickly. I will have to negotiate barren lands, mountain ranges, alien dialects and strange food. There will be plenty of mishaps and misadventures along the way, to test me both mentally and physically. But that is all part of why I’m challenging myself, and hopefully succeeding.

‘At 28,968 kilometres, in total, this is equivalent to cycling nine back-to-back Tours de France in half the time’ Starting in February 2012, I will set off from the Isle of Man, in the UK, to race against time through fifteen (15) countries, cycling up to fourteen hours, covering a minimum of 217 kilometres, a day for five months. At 28,968 kilometres, in total, this is equivalent to cycling nine backto-back Tours de France in half the time, while carrying a tent, sleeping bag, stove, clothes, bicycle parts, water and food – everything I will need to survive on my own. It will be the ultimate endurance challenge, an obsession that I will live, eat and breathe for five very full months.

Journeys by cycle can be unusual, exciting, rewarding, challenging and fun; I hope my trip around the world will

dare do II travel

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hley-Unett

d I am crazy. At least, eople say when I tell n to cycle around the ecord time.

encompass all these characteristics. At times, it might feel like the ‘fast-forward’ button is being pressed. Cycling becomes an addiction; the adrenaline rush every day is the driving force to meet daily targets, to push to cycle further, to push to get closer to the finish line, regardless of the consequences. This world record will be infinitely more difficult than any of my previous cycling challenges, through England, Europe and across Canada. It will be the platform I use to achieve my maximum.

‘It’s possible to see first-hand the transition of scenery, culture, language and people from country to country’

As I plan the journey, I’m spending lots of time looking at routes through different countries, imagining what places, roads and hills might be like and excitedly looking forward to turning the maps into reality. On a bicycle, living, breathing, hearing and smelling become a part of every kilometre travelled, as opposed to ‘popping up’ at destinations without a second thought for where you have passed through to get there. It becomes much more than just ticking off a list of places to see; the destinations becomes secondary to the places in between cities and villages, where it’s possible to see first-hand the transition of scenery, culture, language and people from country to country.

Exact dates and ports of call are impossible to plan, due to unknown conditions like the terrain, road quality, supplies and weather. Some days with good conditions will become longer than expected and on other days, long distances won’t be possible. The only guarantee I can give myself is that it will be a daily fight against the elements, climbing hills and mountains in freezing temperatures and soaring heat, rainstorms and debilitating headwinds.

travel

‘It will be a daily fight against the elements, climbing hills and mountains in freezing temperatures and soaring heat, rainstorms and debilitating headwinds’ There will be no easy days but that will be part of the fun; knowing that I, alone, can succeed, that I am the driving force to keep this epic endurance challenge moving. It is impossible to feel joy without first experiencing the pain.

It is those days in remote places – without seeing another person for days, experiencing insatiable hunger and the discomfort of going weeks without a hot shower – and the daily struggle that builds character. Days that are difficult beyond the wildest imagination but make the entire journey worth it. Every day there will be a mix of emotional lows, laughter, tears and exhilarating highs; emotions that will both help and hinder my progress around the world.

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On the road, a cycling routine develops. Waking up before dawn, there is a joy to the emptiness of the road, the feeling of being alone with the world, before it becomes cluttered with vehicles. Then, as the sun rises, the day becomes a process of riding for a couple of hours then stopping for a couple minutes to relax, talk to locals, eat and drink, before setting off again. Throughout the day, the mind daydreams a lot; about places visited, people met, what to eat and who is winning at football. Routes and logistics are planned and calculated; kilometres cycled, speeds, average speeds, and estimated times to the next city. It’s repetitive but, in between calculations, there are chances to listen to the surroundings, shout at the wind or the drivers who pass by dangerously close, or stop to take in beautiful photo opportunities. At times, to keep myself entertained, I might imitate the sounds of animals I pass, wave at people, or practice cycling with no hands, repeating the process in a variety of permutations until sunset.

As the sun sets, a search begins for somewhere to camp in a place I have never visited, often in the wild, away from any form of civilisation. ‘Wild camping’ is essential for long-distance cyclists – it’s fun, liberating and free. Upon spotting a potential campsite, there is a split-second decision about whether to stop and check it out or to continue in the hope of finding somewhere better. Ideally, it will be out of sight of the road on a patch of flat land. If I’m lucky, there may be grass. If I’m really lucky, there will be water; a lake or river in which to wash. Some nights will feel like

travel

luxury, others will consist of uncomfortably lying in a state somewhere between sleep and being awake, wishing I could be anywhere else. Either way, another day will be over and in the morning, it will start all over again.

Until the day I set off, I will continue with my research, by reading books and blogs of others who have cycled great distances; imagining, preparing and writing contingency plans for all the scenarios which might (and probably will) go wrong; planning my routes; organising visas; learning the language basics of countries I plan to visit; and battling through an ever expanding To-Do list. When the stress of all the planning, bureaucracy and paperwork gets too much, there is no better recovery than heading out on my bicycle. To hear the road beneath my wheels, seeing it disappear into the distance, enjoying the freedom of the open road and the joy of feeling the wind while rushing down hills – reminding myself that this is the reason why I’m setting off to cycle around the world.

Paul Ashley-Unett is an architecture student from the Isle of Man, UK. In 2012, he will set off on an epic endurance challenge to become the fastest person to cycle around the world. Follow him on Twitter @paulcyclesworld or visit his website: PaulCyclesWorld

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‘There is no better recovery than heading out on my bicycle’

travel

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travel

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cLASSiFiEdS

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cLASSiFiEdS

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lifestyles

‘I often seem to come across missed opportunities, mistakes, bad ideas and empty dialogues of words with no meaning behind them’

Taxi: it’s an act ‘When I am driving my taxi, it represents a form of freedom to me’

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lifestyles

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‘I once drove George Clooney and he speaks better Italian than I do; and I’m from Italy! He is a real gentleman. Sylvester Stallone I remember mostly for his deep voice’

By Erwin Bolozzini

In order to pay the bills between auditions and projects, I drive a taxi in Amsterdam, which is more than an adventure. Sitting in my taxi, waiting for what seems like hours, I begin writing this piece, in English.

During these times between film projects, and perhaps due to my artistic leanings, I often seem to come across missed opportunities, mistakes, bad ideas and empty dialogues of words with no meaning behind them. This feels strange, since I am not a professional and have never formally studied in any field. My family, on the other hand, is a very different matter.

My father was a well known painter and my mother a school principal who also wrote books. Quite a few members of my family have been engineers, doctors and lawyers but I have been busy, too, as a DJ (DJ Amico), artistic designer and more than seventy other jobs across several countries. I think it is this varied wealth of experience that made me consider acting, in particular, and show business, in general. Life knowledge and skills, multicultural awareness and an affinity with languages have also helped me a lot. Oddly, there are people in my life who make fun of me for talking too much. They do not seem to realise that I actually think twice before speaking, most of the time, since it is part of the design I wish to project as my total creative form.

When I am driving my taxi, it represents a form of freedom to me. Had I been interested in money alone, I would have gone back to working for four- and five-star hotel chains, where it is possible to make a very good living if you are good with languages and have a welcoming personality. In one of my past jobs, as a doorman at the Marriot Hotel, on Leidseplein, I remember standing there on a day when it was raining really heavily. I looked across the street and saw a few of our American guests returning. As they approached, the first thing that came to me to say was, “Welcome on dry land,” like Kevin Costner in Waterworld. You can imagine how their faces lit up.

Also, during my three years working at Hotel De L`Europe, I once escorted Mr Heineken (the owner) himself to the restaurant stairs and met many truly interesting people from all around the world.

It is a similar story with the taxi. While driving around, I meet a lot of people and some of you reading this may well

have found yourself in my Amsterdam taxi with me filling your ears and, perhaps, heart with conversation. I once drove George Clooney and he speaks better Italian than I do; and I’m from Italy! He is a real gentleman. Sylvester Stallone I remember mostly for his deep voice.

I feel as though I could write a hundred stories based on taxi driving in the Netherlands. If you were to ask me about Dutch people, I could also tell you a thing or two (and they will hate me for this). If a Dutch person is listening to another person who is not speaking Dutch, he/she will always look at that person’s chest. If they are dealing with a person who speaks Dutch, they normally look each other in the eye or just ignore each other. This, I believe, has something to do with the influence of TV and cinema, since all non-Dutch programmes and movies are aired in their original language with subtitles. So, Dutch people are used to reading movies and TV programs. My theory is that when a person speaks to them in another language, they look for subtitles and stare at the person’s chest. Can you imagine a man looking at a woman’s chest all the time in a conversation?

It can be hard work driving around Amsterdam Centrum, between all the thousands of cyclists who seem to transform into Kamikaze pilots when it starts raining. There are lost people all around. I don’t mean geographically lost but more like bodies without souls. Others are begging on the streets to get lost. For me, living in Holland is sometimes like living in Disneyworld and working at a kindergarten, at the same time. I don’t easily feel real feelings, as most are brought on through consuming things. If they are not consumed again soon, because of money and work issues, it can lead to a kind of depression.

A touch of depression working eleven metres below sea level: I feel like sleeping... a nightmare, a nightmare without end.

A never ending battle of seeking... in the darkness…

The darkness of the hearts around me.

Holding in my hands.... a bucket and a harmonica. ... Ship with a hole at hand, in the storm all can end.

I like to play going down...Lucifer doesn’t agree the sound.

Back with a bucket in the darkness ...

Emptying my life bit by bit of happiness.

Erwin L. Bozzolini http://www.imdb.me/info

‘It can be hard work driving around Amsterdam Centrum, between all the thousands of cyclists who seem to transform into Kamikaze pilots when it starts raining’

REVIEW

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Westerpark: a cu hybrid on histor

By Sharmin De Vries

‘Vintage jewellery, organic produce and other delights that provide a sensuous whiff of exclusiveness, the market stands out from all others Amsterdam has to offer’

REVIEW

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ultural ric territory If the centre of Amsterdam has become too much of a mish-mash of culture, sleaze and brash commercialism, then Cultuurpark Westergasfabriek, in Westerpark, provides the perfect escape to a rich blend of arts, culture, eclecticism, alternative sub-cultures, music, excellent coffee and much more.

The history of the Westergasfabriek dates back to the 19th century, when a gas association built two stone coal factories in Amsterdam: the Ooster- and Westergasfabriek.

The latter was built between water and train tracks, and the gas produced was used to light up the city. Centuries later, its beautiful architecture has stood the test of time and, besides also being a leisure park, has become one of Amsterdam’s most profound cultural and artistic hubs for up and coming fashion designers, painters, filmmakers and self-employed creatives.

Recently, another gem was added to the long list of quality activities and events organised at Westerpark. I refer to a monthly Sunday Market on each first Sunday of the month.

With a dizzying array of items, from handmade children’s toys to Portuguese pottery, fresh olives, French baked goods, kids designs, vintage jewellery, organic produce and other delights that provide a sensuous whiff of exclusiveness, the market stands out from all others Amsterdam has to offer. In addition, fine art and design students are given space to showcase their collections.

While some of the stalls at organic farmers markets, like Noordermarkt and Pure Markt, do stand comparison, the mix of food and clothes at Westerpark, not to mention the quality, give the market a distinct identity. While the stalls may make you want to shop till you drop, they will also inspire you in the process, as you realise that blood, sweat and tears must have gone into the creation and production of most goods. According to its organisers, the Sunday Westerpark market was inspired by and somewhat modelled on London markets, such as Camden, Portobello and Spitalfields, all havens for creative and inspiring shopping.

Amsterdam had definitely been lacking such a formula up to now and the market is a welcome addition to showcase the city’s creativeness.

Don’t spend your Sunday mornings or afternoons fighting your way through scores of tourists and don’t worry about coming across one fast-food chain after the next. Instead, indulge in homemade cupcakes, oven-baked pizzas and friendly, enthusiastic people.

PERSPECTIVES

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PERSPECTIVES

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classifieds

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cLASSiFiEdS

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technology

‘Even the world’s most secure companies, such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, have been hacked in the past’

‘1Password offers a simple plug-in that is incorporated in your web browser’

‘You create an identity with all your details and this can be used to complete the many online forms’

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TEchnOLOgy

Open Sesame

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TechBit: Sio-Bytes

By Simon Owusu

Let me take you, once again, on a journey into online security. The internet is a very scary place; even more so if you consider that people can access your innermost secrets and confidential details with just one word: your password. A password is usually the most common defence we have to protect our confidential information from prying eyes, be it e-mails, bank accounts or secret plans for world domination.

One great thing with modern technology is that there are so many applications to solve some of our most complex problems. One such application is 1Password, which is what I use for my online password management, although there are various alternatives, such as LatePass, KeePass and KeePassX. 1Password enables you to create very complex passwords for each website you visit and store them handily, so you don’t have to memorise them. The most secure password is the one you don’t remember yourself!

To access the 1Password application, you will need a master password to unlock all your stored passwords. This might seem like a flaw, but to remember only one master password is a better proposition than having simple Since passwords are used so frequently, it makes sense to passwords for your whole online presence. To compromise choose one that is easy to remember, for the sake of conthe master password, a hacker would need access to your venience. However, here lies the biggest security flaw with computer and the application, which only manages your passwords. The easier they are to remember, the weaker online presence, not access to your computer. they are at protecting us against the internet’s bad guys.

Most people use the same, well-known, common pass1Password offers a simple plug-in that is incorporated words, such as their favourite pet, a child’s name, favourite in your web browser. When you sign up to a website, football team, etc. Anyone with a basic knowledge of a 1Password creates a profile that remembers the username person, or access to their Facebook profile, can figure out and password. When you revisit that site, you simply their password without too much trouble, which is very click on the 1Password plug-in, select your profile for that disturbing. The biggest problem with using a password for website and 1Password logs you in, without you having to security is that to create one secure and complex enough remember or even see your login credentials. to be used as our last line of defence, we almost certainly make them harder to remember.

1Password also offers a random password generator to create very complex passwords, which you can use during Another common mistake is using the same password the initial sign up for a website, without having to create everywhere, so you don’t have to remember and link or remember them yourself. 1Password can also store inpasswords with different websites. Sadly, this means that formation like credit cards details to fill in billing informawhen this password is compromised, all confidential infor- tion, as well as addresses and other content used to fill out mation with the same password on other websites is also forms automatically. You create an identity with all your compromised. Even the world’s most secure companies, details and this can be used to complete the many online such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, have been hacked in forms we have to fill out to do just about anything. the past. Armed with a password from one hacked website, hackers target other websites that hold your confidential 1Password is available on numerous computing platforms, information, like your bank. The best way around these as well as mobile platforms, but is not free. However, it’s security flaws is to create passwords that are very complex, worth paying a price for the protection of your online difficult to remember and unique to each website you visit. information. There are alternatives but, for me, 1Password In this way, if one website is compromised, your informa- is a cut above the rest and does offer a free 30-day trial. tion on the other websites remains safe.

Stay safe, my friends!

cLASSiFiEdS

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cLASSiFiEdS

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SPOTTED

Where is this in Amsterdam?

By David King

Answer to: sentinelpost@gmail.com

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Film review

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Room 2c film

By David King

The Long Kiss Goodnight When a happy suburban housewife receives a blow to her head during a car accident, she starts to regain her memory of a time of which she had previously been blissfully unaware; namely, having been a lethal spy, of all things. This film has great comic book-style action and, aside from Geena Davis looking great in her role, the star of the show is undoubtedly Samuel L Jackson, playing a cheap private detective in way over his head.

Cartoon

By Colin Bentley

As the injury crisis deepens, Manager Arsene Wenger resorts to desperate measures to shore up Arsenal’s fragile defence.

(1996)

classifieds

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Amsterdam Property Finder is a company designed to help Expats go through the process of buying Low fees (about half of a Dutch makelaar) Informal financial services Working hours to suit you - evenings and weekends are normal Independence from any other makelaar (real estate agent) Expert knowledge of the property market You will be accompanied through every stage of the process A bespoke service Low fees (about half of a Dutch makelaar)

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Amsterdam Property Finder is a company designed to help Expats go through the process of buying their own home.

W: www.AmsterdamPropertyFinder.com E: info@AmsterdamPropertyFinder.com T: +31 (0)6 46613315

What you will get from us: Informal financial services Working hours to suit you - evenings and weekends are normal Independence from any other makelaar (real estate agent)

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sport

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The Gold Room

By Denson Pierre

Having reached the end of another international break, FFG-CL managers are busy assessing the changes required to prosper in the belly of the season. In a so far unbalanced season, there has been a very high proportion of lopsided score lines. Even more unbalanced scoring will certainly take place during the final third of the season, when certain depleted and inferior squads will simply be turning up to take heavy beatings. This is why the FFG-CL is only ever won during its final phase, when bulk scoring is a regular occurrence, provided you have the ‘hot’ players in your team already or the resources (substitutes) to bring them in and pick up major hauls of points while other managers watch helplessly.

One player who some touted as likely to impact positively upon Arsenal’s season is Gervinho. Only one FFG-CL manager has started the season with him and I fear that might only be because Gervinho ended up at Arsenal, is reasonably priced and the manager in question is the most eminent of the Arsenal supporters based in Amsterdam.

See: http://thesentinel.eu/ffg/Latest-FFG.htm On Gervinho himself, I fear that he is not yet psychologically fit for the Premier League. He may have done well at his previous clubs and moderately well for his native Ivory Coast but you cannot take seriously a footballer who wears a stupid, strap-down wig, trying to disguise a ‘bean’ head. Any phrenologists interested in football may find it intriguing but I am left wondering if there is a relationship between the time it must take to set that unattractive nest

and his so far lightweight presentations and inconsequent personality. In reality, it is no laughing matter that Arsenal has this mainly African subset of players, who choose hairstyles that are unappealing even to Afro sensibilities and are simply not befitting of HD television. Alex Song (who, incidentally, has been playing really well this season) is also sometimes guilty and hopefully Bacary Sagna will use his unfortunately timed break to shave off whatever real hair he has left and reappear without the silly golden nylon braids. Last season, I mentioned Marouane Chamakh and his freakish ‘wet chicken’ cut but, luckily, he has become a bit-part player there. Coming through, we also have Emmanuel Frimpong, who has fallen for the belief that the Mohawk warrior look is something for a Ghanaian Londoner. As millionaires in the city bannered as the fashion centre of the western world, they should know better.

If Arsenal are able to recover and do well this season, this would be helped by the imminent return of Vassiriki Diaby: a man who knows how to push a cool, Huggy Bear, 1970s afro, or go for the screwball look and not bother with the expensive ‘tough’ hairstyling alternatives. Diaby just gets on with the super high-quality football entertainment he and they are so good at.

It will be interesting to see if Arsene Wenger can bring some weight to Gervinho’s play this season, as simply having a Brazilian moniker will not win prizes for Arsenal or fantasy managers who have invested in the hype. Optimistically, we can hope that Gervinho’s natural, lightning speed can become a stronger asset when defenders’ legs weary more quickly during the wet and heavier winter months. In the meantime, he should learn quickly that football fans are generally not as fickle as most professional footballers appear to be and would prefer him to focus on his football, rather than head form.

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Gervinho - Arsenal

Š pieter bakker

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