Big and bigger ...


There is nothing new under the sun. Peter Brueghel the Older already knew it : big fish eat small fish. Fish eat because they are hungry and want to survive - but eventually they die.
Corporations are very much like fish : they have two major motives to grow :
greed (ever higher profitability) and fear (growth as a way to avoid being gobbled up by even bigger or more aggressive players). In my view, all other explanations are window dressing exercises. And damn the human and social consequences.

Negotiating the cost of dying ?

The newspapers report that a bunch of well intentioned and highly esteemed people raise the problem of the cost of epo treatment for terminal lung cancer patients. This treatment is said to cost some € 21.2 million per year, and reportedly does not change the life expectancy of the patients. They would rather have that money invested in palliative care, which is still underdeveloped in Belgium.
This message makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up : this is not a question of either / or. In my book, one does not count or compute the cost of (saving or prolonging) a life. Each patient facing death should be totally free, without any pressure, to follow his own path. "Savings" and economic "logic" should be banned from that field : if not, quite soon, a committee may decide who is to live and who is to die depending on "economic" criteria.
Respect for life and death should remain paramount. Making that happen is a central task of government and should be among its highest priorities.
Economics, economies and death ... a potentially explosive mixture and a very slippery path indeed.

A joke ?

There are three types of economist. Those who can count, and those who can't.

(From JokEc - the link is given in the left hand column of this blog but appears to be temporarily out of order ... Economists, you just can't trust them !)

Mothers


This is one of the very first pictures of Pablo, made early in 1941 in the fruit tree yard of my maternal grandparents, located on the Rattenberg at Okegem. With me are my mother Margaretha Felicitas Neukermans (born at Okegem on June 8 1914 - died at Ghent on September 26 2000) and her mother, my godmother, Maria Antonia De Vidts (born at Pamel on January 31 1880 - died in her house at Okegem on September 25 1949).
Both had far from easy lifes filled with illnesses and sorrows, and terrible losses. My grandmother lost two of her four sons in 1934 and 1936.
But they had their moments of happiness too. My mother always told me that my grandmother loved to sing but never sang again after the death of her sons until after I, her first grandchild, was born. I treasure this memory with great fondness and affection.
Even contrarians sometimes have their uses...
Note that my mother survived her mother by 51 years and a day ... a long period in which to remember that much missed presence ...
I am quite sure a similar picture exists of me with both my parents. I am currently locating it. My sainted father Petrus Joannes Timmermans (born at Meerbeke on October 14 1913 - died at Ghent on April 20 1980) had a much rougher life still, but he fully and consequently devoted it to his wife and children to a degree "far beyond the call of duty" as the Americans say.

The influence of economists

I once again quote Geert Van Istendael : I found this in an interview at http://www.yabasta.be/spip.php?article426 - please note that my quote from this source does not mean that I am in agreement with the rest of its content !.

"Dat economisch discours is bijzonder dominant. Men doet alsof de economische premissen als wetten in de natuurkunde zijn. Maar dat klopt niet. Economie is een gedragswetenschap. Gedrag veranderen is niet gemakkelijk, maar het kan wel. Terwijl natuurkundigen sinds meer dan een eeuw bijzonder bescheiden zijn geworden, blaken de economen van zekerheid. Ze gaan op hun bek, staan weer op, zeggen iets helemaal anders en blaken opnieuw van zekerheid. Daar kan ik niet tegen. Dat stoot mij af.

Economen leveren een wetenschappelijke theorie voor bestaande machtsverhoudingen. Ze goochelen met heel rationele, vaak zelfs wiskundige theorieën, om te bevestigen wat machthebbers in de economie willen. Al de rest is volgens hen onnozel en kinderachtig en vooral niet realistisch. Niet haalbaar. Iedereen die dat tegenspreekt wordt behandeld als een onverantwoorde puber. Met een ongelooflijke minachting word je gewoon opzij geschoven als onwaardige tegenstander."

Or as Edgar R. Fiedler said :

"Ask five economists and you'll get five different answers - six if one went to Harvard."
Economics is not an exact science but a collection of behavioural hypotheses and theories, lots and lots of them. These hypotheses and theories are mostly unverifiable and sometimes totally unfounded - but continually used to give a "pseudo-scientific" base to political, social and ethical decisions.
Economics should serve social aims and ethics should dominate economics, not the other way round !

The spirit of the times

Part of a - probably too - fiery pamphlet which I wrote a couple of years ago. At that time, I could not be bothered with nuances - but basically I still stand by what I wrote. Maybe some day I will translate it in English.

De wereld valt in stukken uiteen - de nieuwe religie van de Heiligmakende en Miraculeuze Markteconomie die alle problemen oplost, slikt alle andere structuren op, socialisme, communisme en de rooms-katholieke kerk inbegrepen. Onverschilligheid en oppervlakkigheid, vervlakking en de dollar-verlosser beheersen het tijdsbeeld met de hulp van de caricaturale god van Bush die niet de christelijke God niet is, maar de ideale voorzitter van de republikeinse partij van Amerika.

De markteconomie steunt niet op een gegronde economische analyse, maar op dogmas, en op het feit dat, tot nu toe, andere systemen het hebben laten afweten, dikwijls omdat zij van hun oorspronkelijk economisch-sociaal opzet waren afgeweken. Maar nu wordt het kind met het badwater weggegooid : economische en financiële macht vervangen de menswaardigheid : de wereld draait rond macht en geld en niet rond de mens en de mens ondergaat de gevolgen.

Het is godgeklaagd te zien hoe de vakbonden mee-officiëren in de liturgie van de markteconomie, die, indien zij vrij spel krijgt, alle problemen oplost als een alwetende god ; en hoe sociale leiders zich laten inpakken door roofdieren, alias managers van internationale bedrijven, die in feite de ultra-egoistische hogepriesters van de nieuwe godsdienst van het vrije westen zijn, waar het dollar teken het kruis vervangt. Wat telt is de winst van het volgende kwartaal, en sociale slachtingen zijn een logisch en zeer aanvaardbaar, meestal zelfs gewenste gevolg. Wat is er aangenamer dan andere mensen in het vergeethokje te duwen ? Nieuwe economie ? Nee, een nieuwe versie van de catch as catch can, gepresenteerd met een religieus sausje, waarbij alle ketters die niet geloven in de almacht van de vrije markt-economie naar de brandstapel moeten worden gevoerd.

De misbruiken van de middeleeuwse roofridders, later aristocratie genaamd, van de verschrikkelijke slavernij, en de uitbuiting van de arbeidende mens door de eerste industriële revolutie, vervallen in het niets door de wandaden van de nieuwe hogepriesters-zakkenvullers van de kenniseconomie en van de informatica. Nu pas zullen miljoenen mensen werkelijk afgestoten worden in een proletariaat, waarvan de toestand nog dramatischer zal worden wanneer de ganse hocus-pocus van de vrije markt in mekaar zal storten, zoals onvermijdelijk zal en moet gebeuren. Nooit zijn er meer valse profeten geweest dan nu, gecarabineerde steenezels, gemeenlijk management goeroes genoemd, die één enkel idee - hoe irrelevanter hoe beter - uitmelken tot meerdere eer en glorie van hun eigen portemonnaie. Nooit is de minachting voor de mens zo groot geweest als nu ; nooit zullen de sociale en economische verschillen zo groot geweest zijn wanneer de Vrije Markt inderdaad tot god van de wereld word uitgeroepen. Deze godsdienst zal voor een grote meerderheid van de mensen zorgen dat de hel op aarde geinstalleerd wordt en zij niet meer moeten wachten tot na hun dood. Nooit zijn er meer roofridders geweest dan nu, die, zich verbergend achter de principes van de nieuwe godsdienst, de wereld en de kleine mens meer uitzuigen. En nooit hebben ze meer bijval gehad, omdat de kleine garnalen, zelfstandigen, middenkader en “hoger” kader, een eufemisme voor onmacht dat de werkelijke macht bijzonder weinig kost en resulteert in een horde van gewillige meelopers, denken dat ze ook eens goed in de grote pot zullen mogen graaien. De eerste aartsengel van de nieuwe markteconomie heet Hebzucht. Of hoe de democratie verwordt tot een schijndemokratie waar bedrijven - particuliere belangen - het halen van het algemeen belang, en hoe miljoenen politiek vrije mensen tot economische slaven worden gemaakt.

De enige reden waarom de markteconomie zo succesvol kon worden is dat allen die aan of kortbij de pot zitten denken dat zij er merkelijk beter van zullen kunnen worden, mais "les dés sont pipés" : enkel de hogepriesters kunnen onbevangen stelen zoveel als ze willen. Hebzucht heeft het naieve (?) geloof in een betere wereld vervangen.

Rather unexpected contrarians

"Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone. "

J. M. Keynes

"Most of what we call management consists of making it difficult for people to get their work done. "

Peter F. Drucker

(Collections of quotes are a blessing for lazy bloggers like myself ...)

Dominus vobiscum !


As G. K. Chesterton knew : it is the test of a good religion whether you can joke about it.
I found this image in one of the many "traditional" "roman catholic" websites in the US, where a lot of hate and ill will against the official church of Rome is vented.
As a contrarian, I am not too happy either with some of the changes in the church in my lifetime, but those American traditionals are really wild. But, weakling that I am, I could not resist this image.

Project management


Quite old, but quite true (found in : MIS - University of Missouri - St Louis). Reminds me of my professional life.

Status questionis

Genealogy has held great interest for me from my late teens on.

Active research started a couple of years ago - after retirement. I have around 6000 names in my databases. I try to document all my direct ancestors (male and female lines) as well as their respective brothers and sisters, godparents and other witnesses.
My database contains a significant number of possible doubles (for instance when I am not sure about the specific identity of a godfather/mother or another witness I create a new entry in the base).

I use the free Aldfaer software, but I am still looking for the "most" performing and reliable software available.

My furthest "documented" ancestors lived in the 12th and 13th century (I have some names in the 25th generation).

As a devoted contrarian, I must put question marks behind most lines which go beyond the 15th or 16th century : even if the surviving documentation could be proven correct, serious doubts as to the historic reality of the links may remain. It is a well know fact that in earlier times some family trees were invented to prove "noble" descent ; moreover the legal fathers were not always the natural fathers.

Ravijst, Nieuwenhove and Meerbeke

The earliest documented Ravijst - the ortograph varies extensively - in my family tree is Joannes Baptist born around 1808. He married Joanna Devits and lived at least part of hs life in Nieuwenhove (located near Geraardsbergen en Ninove). I still do not know where they were born. They had three daughters at least.
I have to start serious reseach on this branch yet - but preliminary queries indicate this will not be the easiest branch to decode.
I know of earlier Ravijst families in Asse, in the region of Dendermonde and around Tollembeek, but no link has been found yet.
Joanna, his wife, may very well be related to the De Vidts in Pamel, then again she may not be.

Joannes' grandson, my great-grandfather Petrus Joannes, married in Meerbeke.

I welcome every possible hint as to the provenance and ancestors of Joannes Baptist and Joanna.

De Vidts, Pamel

The earliest documented De Vidts in my family tree is Gheeraert De Vidts, who lived in the 16th century. Up to now, I know almost nothing about him.
His son Joannes was born around 1560 and died on June 23 1629. He married Catharina Lauwerijs and they had at least two children.
The De Vidts name (with all its variations) is one of the oldest in Pamel.
I have been more than fortunate to have the help of Mrs Rita Van Isveldt, author of the Familyreunion Pamel-Roosdaal site http://www.dreamer.dreamstation.com/ and of "Gezinsreconstructie gemeente Pamel 1792 -1900". In reality, all the data concerning my Pamel ancestors had already been prepared by her - I just had to copy them. Thanks again, Rita.

How easy it is too write that Joannes De Vidts was born about 1560 and died in 1629 : he lived through one of the most turbulent, cruel and bloody periods in our very turbulent history.
I'll come back to this subject .....

Rules of management

A Red Indian walks into a cafe with a shotgun in one hand and a bucket of buffalo manure in the other. He says to the waiter, "Me want coffee."
The waiter says, "Sure chief, coming right up."
He gets the Indian a tall mug of coffee, and the Indian drinks it down in one gulp, picks up the bucket of manure, throws it into the air, blasts it with the shotgun, then just walks out.

The next morning the Indian returns.
He has his shotgun in one hand and a bucket of buffalo manure in the other. He walks up to the counter and says to the waiter, "Me want coffee."
The waiter says, "Whoa, Tonto! We're still cleaning up your mess from yesterday. What the heck was all that about, anyway?"

The Indian smiles and proudly says, "Me training for upper management position: come in, drink coffee, spread crap around, leave mess for others to clean up, disappear for rest of day."

Belgium

a paradise for contrarians.
Many thanks to the unknown author of this picture.

Timmermans, Gooik and Meerbeke

The first documented Timmermans in my genealogy is Franciscus Timmermans who passed away in Gooik on December 12 1692. He married Catharina Snoeck who died in Gooik on October 2 1673. Franciscus and Catharina had eight children in Gooik and were probably married there before 1649 - but no document survives in the parish registers (I haven't yet consulted any other possible sources). They probably were born around 1620 - 1630.

The parents of both Franciscus and Catharina are not documented, or not documented without doubt, in the family reconstructions of Gooik which have been recently published by the VVF. It is possible, but not certain, that both were born in Gooik and married there. There were at least five (probable related) Timmermans and two Snoeck families in Gooik at the end of the 16th century.

Their grandson Joannes married in Meerbeke, where descendants live up to now. He also had many descendants in Pamel (Roosdaal).

In the twentieth century, there were at last three Timmermans families in Meerbeke, the village where my father was born. At least two of them, and probably all three, trace back to the same roots in Gooik.

Neukermans, Okegem

The first documented Neukermans in my family tree settled in Okegem after 1693. I am still trying to find out where they came from in those turbulent times.

Jacobus Neukermans, son of Petrus, married Maria De Winne in Okegem on February 2 1719. They had twelve children. Jacobus died in Okegem on January 9 1773. Maria died in Okegem on April 16 1774. I am a descendant of Jacobus and Maria.

Andreas (Andries) Neukermans, son of Judocus, married Barbara Van den Waterloop in Okegem on September 7 1698. They had five children. Barbara was a daughter of Henricus Van den Waterloop and Joanna De Winne. She was baptised in Okegem on February 11 1669.
Andries died on March 8 1750 in Okegem, Barbara preceded him on April 20 1748.

Jacobus and Andreas probably were related ; their spouses may have been related too (through the De Winne family).

Neither Jacobus, nor Andreas resided in Okegem in 1693 when a census was held. Neither did their fathers.

There are some very loose indications that the Neukermans family originated somewhere in the region between Ninove, Geraardsbergen, Oudenaarde and Enghien. The eldest - but up to now unrelated - namesakes are to be found in Lettelingen (Petit Enghien).
The variations in the name are wide : Neu(c)kermans, Neu(c)kerman(s), Van de Neu(c)ker, Nekerman, Nekelmans, Noterman(s) a.s.o.

Does anyone have further information about the provenance of these ancestors ?

Out of the mists of history


A very young Pablo who was not confused yet. Whether he was contrarian, I do not know. Unfortunately, I can no longer ask my sainted parents.
I am interested in the names of the other children in this picture of the mid-fourties in an Okegem classroom. Pablo is the first on the right in the third row.

Some local history

In 1976 the town of Ninove gobbled up most of the surrounding villages, which are progressively losing whatever particular characteristics they still had, including their local gab. After all these years I still resent this Anschluss bitterly, because I know that bigger is not necessarilly better.
But one positive consequence was the website of Peter Declerq, which holds treasures of local history.
See and enjoy : http://users.pandora.be/peter.de.clercq/

Homer and Bart convert to catholicism

If that is not a contrarian cartoon ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbRuiQDbsc0

Confused ? Contrarian ?

Later on I will try to explain what those words stand for.
As a first introduction I suggest that all interested - and thus very intelligent - parties read "Alfabet van de globalisering" by Geert Van Istendael. Unfortunately, in as far as I know, this little gem is not available in English. It is so outstanding that I am green with jalousy because I did not write it.

First things first

A full genealogical website with all the required bells and whistles is a still distant dream. But while I continue working on my genealogy, I plan to publish some extracts of my research on this blog. These extracts will be published in Flemish (as I am a fully fledged contrarian, I refuse to use the term "Dutch") or in "my" version of the English language.

Als inleiding vermeld ik hierna de eerste kwartieren in mijn kwartierstaat : mijn
  • ouders : Petrus Joannes Timmermans - Margaretha Felicitas Neukermans
  • grootouders : Pieter Jozef Timmermans - Rosalia Margaretha Ravyst ; Joannes Franciscus Neukermans - Maria Antonia De Vidts
  • overgrootouders : Jozef Timmermans - Maria Elisabeth Goessens ; Petrus Joannes Ravyst - Joanna Maria De Schepper ; Hermilianus Neukermans - Clementina Broeckaert ; Felix De Vidts - Blondina Muylaert
  • betovergrootouders : Karel Timmermans - Maria Anna Van den Houte ; Petrus Jozef Goessens - Virginia Meganck ; Rosalia Ravijst ; Ludovicus De Schepper - Antonia De Vidts ; Amandus Neukermans - Catharina Asselman ; Karel Bernardus Broeckaert - Joanna Catharina Van de Perre ; Joannes De Vidts - Maria Elisabeth Van der Sleyen ; Franciscus Muylaert - Coleta Vlaminck.

De regio van herkomst voor deze generaties : vnl Okegem, Meerbeke en Pamel (Roosdaal) ; maar ook Lieferinge, Nederhasselt, Nieuwenhove, Wetteren, Nieuwerkerken en Denderhoutem.

Wie denkt gemeenschappelijke voorouders te herkennen kan mij altijd contacteren.

Feel free to contact me if you recognize, or are interested in, some of these names (or places).


Genealogy


is a passion, not a hobby. One can not possibly know where one is going if one does not know where one is coming from. But is it really important to know where one is going ?