One

This message is short: one.
That is all.

No sports, no gods

Any interaction with religious people is cumbersome. It is like talking to someone who says his house is haunted. That may or may not be so, I wouldn't be able to tell. I have never seen a ghost or a spirit or anything that resembles it. So, in order to interact we agree not to mention the ghost, because it tends to get in the way of other subjects. It is awkward at best, apparently the ghost is serious about his business, and from time to time ghost-like subjects enter into the discussions. Certain things are 'holy', meaning the ghost has had something to say about it and the haunted man fears the rules laid down by the ghost. The ghost also appears to have the exclusive rights to certain ideas and actions. The sanctity of life, genetic modification, embryo selection - anyone who wants to move into that field , is accused of wanting to act as if 'he is the ghost'. We all pretend to accept the argument, because we have agreed not to talk about the ghost.
That is the level of discussion and it is gobbledygook. Freedom of religion and the duty of all people to show respect for religion are said to be good things. I don't know why.
So, here I am, June 2008, ethics and soccer fill our days. I am hoping to spend all of this summer as far away from major sporting events as possible. Unfortunately, I am still in the Netherlands at the start of the European Soccer Championships, but I will be gone before the tournament is over. By the time I get back, even the Olympics will have closed. All I have to do is to steer clear of the Tour de France and Wimbledon. Staying outside the reach and influence of sports is becoming as difficult as keeping enough distance from religious opinions in order not to have to hear them.
Impossible.
Times are hard.

Number 3

Yes.
It happened.
Yesterday evening I won the annual crime fiction award in the Netherlands. For the third time. And contrary to what anyone might think it just gets better every time. I don't know why that is. May be because writing CELL was more important to me than writing had been before. It was a way of putting treatment behind me. Moving on. So number 3 is more than just a book award. It's me being back.