It's been a while since I posted something, so here it is. I'm on leave now, as of last Thursday. I'll be off work for the next 2 weeks. I don't intend to spend an awful lot of time at the computer during this period, so I there probably won't be that many posts. I am sure you're thinking: "So what else is new?".

Yesterday, I installed a very funny plugin for Thunderbird called Bork Bork Bork! It turns ordinary spam mails into something a little more entertaining to read.

This:
Get a new date for tonight.
Hook up with fun babes just for the night or
search for your next wife.
Many members just want casual no strings hookups
Get some luuvin from a new date now.

Becomes this:
Get a noo dete-a fur tuneeght.
Bork Bork Bork!
Huuk up veet foon bebes joost fur zee neeght oor
seerch fur yuoor next veeffe-a.
Bork Bork Bork!
Muny members joost vunt cesooel nu streengs huukoops
Get sume-a loooofeen frum a noo dete-a noo.
Bork Bork Bork!

Some of you may not recognise this, but that's how the Swedish Chef speaks on the Muppet Show. If you're interested in some of his recipes, be sure to check out this page.

I still get anywhere between 150 and 350 spam messages a day. It seems that most spam arrives on the weekdays. I suppose even spammers need some time off from all their hard work.

I've started taking my driving lessons again. Yesterday and the Friday before I drove around the south of Rotterdam. It takes some getting used to again but it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. My instructor is great, the school I'm at is Blad. They're a pretty big driving school and have a good passing average for their students. Here in the Netherlands you're not allowed to be instructed to drive by just anyone who has a license. You need to take lessons from an accredited instructor in a specially modified car with pedals. Before you can take the practical exam, you need to pass the theoretical exam. That consists of 50 questions of which you need to correctly answer 44. Once this is done, you can proceed to take the practical exam within 6 months. After 6 months the theoretical exam expires and you need to take it again, unless you've already got your license by then, of course. The practical exam is 20 minutes of heart pounding, teeth grinding, nerve testing agony while the examiner sits next to you, judging every move you make. They don't actually tell you how you've done until you're back at the examination place. Your instructor is NOT the guy who takes your exam (which makes sense, I guess). If you've passed, you get a little piece of paper with which you can go to the city hall to pick up your license. It'll be great once I've got that piece of paper because I'll get a company car!