I prefer to know ourselves better BEFORE we chat and potentially meet...

Exactly. There was this clip that had gone viral of exactly that in some Asian country. N-Korea? Or China?

There was facial recognition everywhere and even something as harmless as jay-walking got you penalty points. A certain amount of these had very serious consequences like no mortgage, no schooling and whatnot.
They can even deny access to shops and supermarkets that way.
You'd basically become an outcast of society.
Total control...

It's scary as hell!

No, the business owner you pay gets charged.
It DOES mean the cost of all that has led to an increase in prices to make sure business keepers don't lose too much money.
So we don't know we're paying it, but we are, indirectly.

Also, withdrawing money from the bank costs a fee, putting money in the bank costs a fee!?!
And to make it even better...
You can only take a max of E250 a day out of an ATM with a maximum of E1250 a week.
You can get an account that allows for more, but then you pay to have that more luxurious account.

And having an account costs money as it is, a fee that gets automatically taken from your account, for me every month.
And I believe an additional fee for the bank card.

My bank card doesn't work so well anymore so I wanted to get a new one.
Suddenly this would cost me E25???
It used to always be free in case of damage, now it costs me money.

All in all it may appear using the bank is free, it is not. I think we'd be shocked if we'd add up all the fees we get charged.

Banking has always cost money, ever since the Knights Templar invented it. And a bit is okay and understandable, but it's getting out of hand.
Certainly since it costs them less since it all electronically done. They don't even have brick & mortar banks to go to anymore so they're saving a helluva lot on that alone!

And electronically means they can see whatever you do, wherever you go etc. etc.

That was the point of that message I saw: pay cash as no one makes money from that bill, plus they don't know where you are nor what you're buying.

This is "Rate my Profile" not "Complain about the site"...

The other day I came across an interesting article, something I hadn't thought of before.

Years ago we were encouraged to pay in shops and supermarkets with our bank cards instead of cash.
(the Dutch generally don't have credit cards)
We us these bank cards to pay at cash registers using what is called PIN machine, a device to pay electronically. It was encouraged as it was less labour intensive and thus cheaper and bladibla.

Business owners weren't too happy as each transaction cost them money so at first they try to discourage people from using this electronic system and were even difficult about it if you didn't have cash.
It got so far over the years that few people have cash. Everything is done electronically, from paying in shops, paying rent & bills (all done via online banking), to a parking ticket for parking space.

Now someone posted the following (I'm NOT certain about the amount
If you electronically pay the hairdresser E50 the bank takes off E1.25 transaction cost.
When the hairdresser then pays his garage that E50 for a repair, the bank takes off E1.25 transaction cost.
When the garage keeper pays the supermarket E50 for groceries, the bank takes off E1.25 transaction cost.
And so on and so forth...

Meaning, after x amount of payments the E50 isn't worth E50 anymore as the bank has taken of snippets again and again and again.
When on the other hand side you pay CASH and have a E50 bill, it will remain E50 no matter how many times it's used to pay. No one takes off any costs, so it doesn't lose its value, it is and remains E50.


I never thought about this whole money scheme/scam but dang!
And we're all so used to electronic payments, that the idea of going back to paying cash isn't appealing. For instance in the supermarket I prefer to use express checkout, what we call "fast cash register" as I then don't have to wait in line. But... I can then only pay with my bank card.
If I want to pay cash I have to queue up which isn't pleasant during tourist season!

And I couldn't even park my car when visiting my mother as the parking meters often don't take coins anymore.
And so on and so forth...

Without fully realising it our desire for ease and comfort is costing us dearly.

So in short... you're not happy with (your) life and you expect a partner to fix that for you?

It'd be better to do it the other way round, you fixing your issues yourself and then finding a partner...

Thank you so much, Julie!

24C sunny & blue skies with a few wispy white clouds

Resisting the temptation to smoke a bit. Still so dammed difficult!
And getting ready to go to bed, really tired, which I feel so tempted to smoke. Not going to do it. Bed it is....

Silo - 2023
I've seen 1 episode so far and it's really promising.

People living in a huge underground silo, 300+ stories deep, but no one knows why nor what happened.
140 yrs earlier a group of so called rebels wanted to go out and there was upheaval that got sorted.
One woman goes out, convinced there's nothing wrong with the outside world. Her husband needs 2 years to decide he also wants to go outside, and find his wife, or not.

Finished my painting this afternoon when little Roosje was sleeping :)
All that I had to do was paint the deer in the archway.
Since it's Diana's Temple, a deer had to be on it too.

Diana's Temple

25C started with sun, now cloudy, as forecast.
Code Yellow for thunder, hail, lots of rainfall in short time.

For me it's the other way round!
I began watching season 1 of Star Trek Strange NW and LOVED it right away!~
Then went to ST Discovery and it really took time for me to appreciate it, almost gave up on it.
In the meantime eps from ST Strange NW were out and I watched those, but suddenly didn't like it much? The 1st season was much better than the 2nd, so far.

So for me it's exactly opposite hihi.

Warm and getting used to waking up 'kitten style' meaning I gotta be active and on yellow alert right away as li'l Roosje is exploring, being naughty, discovering new gaps she fits into that I cannot reach if she cannot get out anymore.
Many of those gaps are still filled up with something from when Nila got here 2 yrs ago, but this li'l one is a tad more inventive, hihi.

Apart from all that she's as a button!

33C sunny & blue skies, a tropical hot day.

The Witcher season 3, first 5 episodes are out.
Now it's waiting for the rest until July 27th, grrrr.
It is good!

28C sunny & blue skies, not much wind :)

I'm never really quite sure what that means, coffee houses. I know of Starbucks, but over here we only have that in the bigger city area.
We Dutchies make our own coffee at home with a normal coffee machine, although these days many people have more fancy ones that grind beans or with cups.
I only have a normal coffee machine.

As for coffee houses, the Dutch generally drink lots of coffee but when we go out and about we don't go to a specific coffee house. Coffee is served in every restaurant, brasserie, etc. These aren't just coffee houses though as they also sell other drinks, food & snacks, and so on.

As far as I know people over here don't do weird coffee flavours either. Just coffee, cappuccino, espresso, latte, macchiato.

But if I understand correctly over there a coffee house is just coffee in all kinds of odd flavours and that's your lot?

Hell yes I'd go! Totally exciting and I'd be eager to see who they'd match me with. What a way it'd be to end up with the love of my life!

Yesterday I brought my little Roosje home. Yup, calling her Roosje after all, haha. When she was here it seemed to suit her better than Stella.
In any case, she was so cute & sweet, and when I had her in my lap we really bonded! It felt she truly belongs with me, she's home with me.
She ate well, I find her rather skinny so I hope she gets a bit more meat on her. She played, slept, cuddled, purred etc. etc.
But Nila... the first meeting seemed okay. Nila went to Roosje and they stood nose touching nose without hissing or raised hairs. I thought, wow, this is promising!!!
But then later on Nila started hissing, growling (NEVER heard her do that before!!!) and she was completely stressed out.
Roosje wasn't phased in the slightest though? Although when Nila came closer she did crawl under something.
Around 11 I took Roosje upstairs so Nila could relax as she was totally upset. And I do not want to lose my bond and trust with her.

Roosje slept well last night, not a peep. When I got her out of the front bedroom she immediately began to purr
Later on another meeting with Nila who'd been outdoors most of the morning & afternoon. Again upset.
Then I remembered I still had the Feliway spray from when Nila was a kitten and Bramble was totally upset.
I got it, checked the date, half a year past its sell-by date, dammmm!!!
I decided to spray it round regardless to see what'd happen before investing in new stuff as it ain't cheap.

And lo' and behold... Nila came in about an hour later, got on her cat tree's top platform, bit of washing, short hissing direction Roosje but already showing disinterest. Then she curled up and fell fast asleep???

I could NOT believe it?!?!
The first time EVER I've seen Feliway do what it's supposed to do and I certainly had not expected this big effect and difference?
We may not be out of the woods yet, but this is dammed promising!
Both cats sound asleep in their own basket now.
Peace and quiet whereas Nila had been fussing and stressing all night yesterday until Roosje was upstairs!

My eyes feel a bit sting-y, they've easily been very dry & sore of late and I think the Feliway is irritating them. But if this buys me a ZENNNN evening with the cats, it's worth it, for now, haha.

Oh, and Roosje... she's incredibly sweet and cuddly, but also incredibly naughty!! I don't think I've ever had a naughtier and more strong-willed cat!
What one would call a cute li'l devil, haha.
I am not sure that Nila is going to be able to be the dominant cat in tha house with her. It's already taken a lot of patience from me to teach her to not get on the settee.
As soon as I turn around she's back on it again, 7 times on end!!! Looking at me like "Well, whatcha gonna do bout it?!" And a hint of guilt, clearly knowing she's not supposed to do that.
I won, this time, but a serious clash of willpower, hihi.
Feisty li'l thing!

She's got big ears, long legs, totally adorable!






This morning, right after I had my breakfast... she fell asleep in my lap, completely gone, head dropping back a bit as all her muscles relaxed, hihi.